Shine found Jaune, Yang, and Ren holed up in a small shack trying to outlast the cold and snow that was falling.
Oscar was not with them.
"Shine!" Jaune said. "Oh, thank goodness! Oscar, he's..."
"He's gone," Yang said.
"Gone?" Shine turned white.
"Salem...her Grimm took him," Ren said.
"What?!" Shine almost screamed that.
"It didn't kill him," Jaune said quickly, "we don't think. Seems like it was capturing him. It knocked him out and carried him away, we're not sure where. We lost it, but it wasn't eating him...but the thing is, it...talked."
"The Grimm talked?" Shine said.
"Yeah," Yang said.
"It said 'no,'" Ren shook his head, "when I said to give him back."
"It said no..." Shine said.
Strangely she didn't seem scared. "I thought grimm didn't talk."
"They don't," Yang said. "But this one did."
Shine tilted her head. "Weird."
"Aren't you...freaked out?" Jaune asked. "That's not normal."
"Sorry, the devil creatures where I live talk," Shine shrugged like that was nothing to say. "I found it more of a positive turn that they don't here, the taunting is really pretty tiresome...but if it does, I guess it must be upgraded, huh."
"You...make no d--- sense!" Yang said angrily.
"But it took Oscar," Jaune said.
Shine thought.
Then she looked out the window. "Don't worry, it won't kill him," she said after a pause.
"How do you know?" Ren asked.
"Salem will want him alive," Shine said. "She'll want to kill Ozma herself not let her grimm do it. It beat him up?"
"Yeah," Jaune said.
"That much they can do," Shine said. "But he'll be alive...unless one of them kills him. Assuming they want informants, we have a little time."
"Where is he?" Ren asked. "Can you find him?"
Shine's eyes lit up...and then faded. "No," she said.
"No?" Yang said.
"So...magic?" Jaune asked.
"Yeah, or grimm proximity could also cloud it up. They're also forces of darkness," Shine said. "I can't see them, not that I tried, but I couldn't anyway, believe me, you don't really want to see what they look like inside."
"What do we look like?" Ren asked.
"Yourselves," Shine shrugged. "Can't really explain it...I also can't see dead people, so no cult stuff here. But I'm sure Oscar is not dead."
"How sure?" Yang said.
"Oscar is our guide," Shine said. "Also I knew when he was falling to his death. If he died, I would know, trust me." She put a hand to her heart. "But I do feel...a sense of foreboding... I don't think he's doing so well."
"That's just great!" Ren seemed to be short tempered right now. "So even you can't find him. I thought you were here to protect him! What good are you?"
Shine stared at him blankly.
"Ren?" Jaune said.
Ren stormed outside.
Yang rolled her eyes. "I'll go try to find parts for the bike." she said, leaving.
"What happened?" Shine asked.
Jaune told her. Then he said. "Don't mind Ren, by the way...he said a lot of stuff earlier he didn't mean...he's just upset."
"I got that," Shine said. "Very unusual for him. He tends to bottle evnerythig up until he explodes. The trouble is then he no longer cares who he hurts when he does...are you all right?"
"Yeah, I ...I mean he's right, I faked my way into Beacon," Jaune said.
"When did he learn that?" Shine asked.
"I told them on the road," Jaune said. [At least I have to assume that.] "Pyrrha never told them...she wouldn't have."
"No, she wouldn't have," Shine said. "Pyrrha never thought it made a difference did she?"
"I'm not sure why she didn't think less of me for that," Jaune said. "But even now, she doesn't think less of me for the other stuff I've done that I regret." He sat down wearily. "I don't feel like I deserve that kind of leniency."
Shine sat down on the floor.
"Well, neither did I," she said. "None of us do, Jaune. But people who really matter will show it anyway. None of us are perfect. Pyrrha isn't either. Do you hold her mistakes against her?"
"No," Jaune said. "How could I?"
"Then how could she?" Shine said. "She loves you after all."
Silence.
"Too soon, I suppose," Shine said. "Even in a platonic sense, however...it would be true."
A pause.
"Has she...said anything about that?" Jaune asked. "I know she talks to you...this isn't a great time to ask, I mean, we should be focused on Oscar...but you can't take us to him."
"Not if I can't see him, I'm just as lost as you," Shine said. "But once the storm is over, I'll help you look for him. I can fight the grimm better than you...But yes, we'll have to wait. So if you want to talk about this, go ahead. I'm willing to listen."
"I guess...it's pretty stupid though," Jaune said.
"No, it's reasonable to wonder," Shine said.
"So you knew?"
"I knew all of it," Shine said.
Jaune shook his head. "You must think I'm pretty dumb, huh? For not knowing..."
"No...I suppose sometimes we don't know what we know," Shine said. "Feelings are funny like that. I didn't know I liked Wally until I tried to leave him. Felt like it ripped my heart out...I still would have, though, if he hadn't chased me down."
"Really?" Jaune said. "Why were you afraid?"
"I had it all in my head that this job wasn't something I could ask someone else to share," Shine said. "And that the distance between...our lives, was too much. I was wrong...funny, he didn't see it as a problem. In some ways, he's better than I deserve, too. Not one to let fear stop him."
"You don't seem that afraid," Jaune said.
"Because I'm not, much," Shine said. "Much like you, I stop fearing things once I have to deal with them...but anticipating it? I can still get scared. I try not to do that now."
Jaune shook his head. "I'm still scared...I feel like I'm not...acting right about this...She's back, I should be ecstatic, but--"
"But you're afraid that it'll all go away," Shine said. "And that the second time, you won't be able to recover."
Jaune stared at her, then he nodded.
Shine tugged her hair. "I can't take away all of the worry, Jaune, that's not my job...Only God could do that. But I can offer some wisdom. It won't be like the first time. Yes...one day, Pyrrha will have to die again, as will you. I have no idea when, or who will first...but now you know, Death is just something we pass through. It doesn't have a hold on us. There is an afterlife, though...and now Pyrrha will go there, and be better off. You have that choice also...her life won't be cut short, it will be completed, next time. We both felt it was wrong before...but now I'm not worried about it. She'll have her time here...and when it's over, she just goes on to something better. She's not worried about it. One thing coming back to life does, pretty much makes you not fear death anymore. Wally has told me as much about his near death experiences...and honestly, I've had so many close calls, I almost think it's nothing worth worrying about. We can't guarantee anything...but we can try not to regret anything. If you've lived your life to help others, then you have no reason to feel that's for nothing, even if you died today. No life lived for love is a waste. Pyrrha's was not either...she just gets more, that's all. Think of it as an intermission...and it's God's job to decide when we die...so if He decided she could live again, then He can handle when it's her time to be done. So have peace in that. He will not let it happen till it's right."
Jaune gazed at her. "I'd rather know that would be years away."
"That I can't tell you," Shine shrugged. "I don't know when I'll die, either...but I know I won't really die. Just my body, that's all. The spirit doesn't die. There's no reason to fear. It's not our job to protect her, Jaune."
Jaune gripped his sword handle. "I wish I could have, though," he said. "I wish she wasn't...having a hard time. It'd be great if she was happy, you know...instead of having to deal with all our problems."
"Jaune," Shine got up and came to sit next to him. "Pyrrha is happy. She is with her friends, she's alive, she's able to do things...is it flawless? No. Does she have things to deal with? Yes. But she'd rather be here doing that than somewhere else, bored and safe. There is no safe anymore, anyway. Just less immediate danger. You should know Pyrrha well enough to know, all that matters to her is being with the people she loves, wherever they are. And doing what she thinks is right. To her credit, she's not trying to do more than she can. Perhaps you shouldn't either."
"What do you mean?" Jaune asked.
Shine gave him a long look. "You have to stop this, Jaune...this keeping people at bay so you can protect them...this trying to always think of what they feel, and not what you feel."
Jaune looked down. "You don't get it, I was always weak, always getting helped by my team," he said. "I just...am tired of not being able to help my friends...if I can, then, I don't care what happens to me."
Shine smacked him.
"Ow!" he rubbed his arm.
"That's not the right way to think," she scolded. "Very selfless, I'm sure, but they like you alive, thank you very much. And so would I, for the record. Don't leave me stuck here with the angry or bitter people, please! I'm sure they'd say the same thing. Do you know why I liked you Jaune? It wasn't because you were good at fighting...though you might be better than you think you are--But your best point? You remember your first day at Beacon?"
"Yeah, I embarrassed myself," Jaune said.
"Maybe," Shine shrugged. "But you also stopped to help Ruby out, just because. Even though they were laughing at you on the plane, you didn't care. Sure...you were awkward...but guess what, Jaune, we grow out of awkward. It's normal for someone your age to be awkward...you should have seen me at 17..." she made a face. "But it doesn't matter. Awkward has nothing to do with our character...and under it, your heart was in the right place...sure you faked your way into Beacon...and that was bad. But you proved you have the right instincts by helping people and sticking up for you team. The best leaders are the ones who build others up anyway, Jaune. It's not that they are always the most aggressive, tough people. Why do you think Pyrrha likes you?"
"I...have no idea," Jaune turned red.
"Well I guess I should let her explain it," Shine shrugged. "But it's because you treat people like people...like they're worth something. And you still do that. I know you think you've failed...but in my mind, you're one of the only people who hasn't totally given up on what actually being human is really about...and that's a rare thing now. Having these fears, that's normal...and failing, that's normal too...we all do. All the time." she hugged her sides. "You've seen, even I have issues getting my point across...I feel like I've failed here also."
"At what?" Jaune said.
"Just at protecting you guys," Shine said. "Oscar is kidnapped... " she put her hand to her face. "It seems like I've only known that kid for a week and half, or two, but I love him. He's a rare find, I can tell you...more than that, he's innocent, and doesn't deserve any of what's happened to him. I just want to help him...but I can't protect him any better than you all can...because I'm still human. Gifts or no gifts."
She looked down. "Remember when I said I lost someone one time, who I cared about?"
"Yeah, I do," Jaune said. "That was on day one...who was it?"
"Someone I was teaching, helping," Shine said. "It happened right in the middle of a fight to try to get free...sound familiar?"
"Yeah... "
"The rest of us got away, but not her," Shine said. "Wally helped me then...I was devastated...I still get sad thinking about it." She wiped her eyes. "But I had to accept that, it wasn't my decision."
"Did you get...her back?" Jaune asked.
"No."
"But...then how did you know Pyrrha...?"
Shine shrugged. "It's different for everyone, Jaune. Mu friend...I think her time was just...over. Maybe I didn't like it, but, she was done. And I did what I could...it was enough in the end. I had to accept that. We do what we do. Pyrrha is different...going forward, I can't say who is and who isn't suited to the second chance approach...I don't envy you, really. I feel like it has to be this way. But, I'm happy it worked out for you. I'd hate to see you waste that by focusing on the fear and the regrets...letting the past steal the present. Pyrrha will follow your lead, trust me. she can tell you're keeping her at a distance."
"I..." Jaune said. "She can...yeah...I don't mean to... I just don't know...how to go on from here..."
"Stop trying to figure it out," Shine said. "That's what you can do. It will come to you, once you just let it. Let go...don't try to be the hero. I believe she told you something similar once. Just be honest...with yourself, also. And perhaps...you need to be honest with her...about your anger."
"What anger?" Jaune said.
Shine shook her head. "Just don't put her on a pedestal, she hates that. I suppose I can't force it, so I won't try. Cut yourself some slack though, you'd find it's far easier than you think it is, once you stop trying to make it hard..."
"I've heard that before..." Jaune said. "I guess I do that a lot...I just wish I was...as good as other people were."
"To tell you the truth, Jaune, they aren't," Shine said. "They just lie about it more than you. Pyrrha probably realizes that also...and that it's hard to be seen as you really are...and very risky. So if you can't help it, be happy, people who like you like you for the real you. Look at me, I'm very difficult to get along with for many people...so the few people who do like me, I know have to like me for me. I can't hide who I am either, for better or worse."
"I don't think you're so bad," Jaune said.
Shine laughed. "Well butter🧈 me up."
"That came out wrong," Jaune said. "I mean, you're cool...really. Just a little rough around the edges...but I mean, it's only been a busy few weeks, so...who wouldn't be?"
"Well, thanks Jaune," Shine said. "I appreciate it...sorry, it's just so funny how you proved my point right there...people who want to take people as they are, will. That's all there is to it."
"Can I ask then, what's your problem with Yang?" Jaune asked.
Shine grew somber. "She's a liar."
"Yang isn't," Jaune said.
Shine got up. "I like honest people, Jaune. I like you, Oscar, Pyrrha, even Ruby, before she started lying...but perhaps she'll bounce back. I do not like liars. I know, it's difficult for you all to deal with my...approach, because of that...but I can't help it. I am this way for a reason...If it was as easy for me to let stuff go as Wally, it might be better, but it's not. I try...Yang is...someone I have a hard time dealing with, she isn't very compromising. She means well, but...she's hard headed about things. I'm strong-willed. We clash...but I could let that go, if she was more honest."
"I don't see how she isn't," Jaune said.
"And it's not my place to tell you," Shine said. "But if you thought about it, you might notice it yourself...and you should think about it...because you all need to get better at determining who is and is not trustworthy."
"You don't trust Yang?" Jaune said.
"I suppose I trust her to try to do what's right," Shine said. "But not to know it. Too much else is in her way...Jaune this is not something I think because I simply need a reason to dislike Yang. I used to like her just fine...but she's lost herself, and it makes me sad. I can't just ignore it either...I know you will not understand this, yet, but, part of my job is to look for this stuff. I can't just not do it."
Jaune shook his head. "I think I'm starting to get it," he said. "What you guys do. I don't know why, but, I guess, it's...If you feel it's right, but, you could...be easier on her."
"Maybe," Shine said. "Still, tell her that...but then I'm the one who should know better, you're right. I've held back more than you might think, even so. But still..."
"About Ren," Jaune said. "You seem like you know what's going on with people a lot...do you know what's eating him? He was saying all this stuff about us not being ready to be huntsmen, and how we've done things wrong...we did lose the lamp...and Oscar...is he right?"
"Of course he is," Shine said.
Ouch.
"You guys know nothing at all about saving the world," Shine said. "You're kids. And it's not like there's a handbook on it. Ozpin hasn't figured it out in thousands of years. Ren is right. His mistake, however, is thinking it could have been different for anyone. The adults have sucked just as much as you, if not more so. It's like Yang blaming Ruby for things going wrong. It's not really Ruby's fault that you guys can't outsmart Salem. Salem has time, experience, and magical cheat powers to help her. And grimm. You have none of that. It's more impressive that she's had this much trouble at all."
"So you think we can't beat her," Jaune said.
"Didn't the lamp tell you that?" Shine said.
Jaune felt a sinking feeling. "Then...why are you helping us?"
"Because you can't beat her," Shine said. "But that's the point...who needs to beat Salem?" She laughed lightly. "Salem isn't your problem...you just think she is."
"I don't understand," Jaune said.
"No...and I won't explain it, not now. You wouldn't understand, you'll have to see it first," Shine said. "But Salem is not the problem. Don't fear her. She's a cursed old woman stuck in this horrid world, it would twist anyone to be her...but she's pure spite and anger at this point. She's nothing to fear...don't fear evil people who grasp at what they can, Jaune. Fear the darkness that tempts away the good people, that is the real problem, and the one we must fight every single day, in some way. But it can be beaten, and it will be." She made a fist. "So I focus on that. Salem is just...the face of something that's been going on longer than she's been around. Longer than any of us can imagine. She doesn't understand it herself, I'll wager. I could wish we could just set her free also."
"You pity her?" Jaune said.
"How could I not?" Shine said. "Her love was thrown in her face, and then twisted by years of suffering. The gods are fools and she knows it, but she could no more destroy them than she could face the lies in herself. In the end, they blamed her for their own poor decisions and left her here to rot. She was wrong, to be sure...but who could not be infuriated by those idiots? And all she's done that's truly cruel, was done after the grimm pond possessed her, as I understood it...it's not her fault alone. It's theirs also. That's why you guys are off the mark. She is not your problem. She's a product of the issues this world had already. As is Ozpin...however I think Oscar is the only one who gets this out of all of you."
Jaune glanced at her oddly. "That's a weird take on it...but if you were right, how would you stop Salem?"
"I wouldn't bother to stop her at all if she wasn't so determined to kill everyone," Shine said. "But honestly...why not just offer to give her what she wants? I couldn't care less if those losers come back here...but to spite her, they might destroy the world again... So who knows? I'd have to meet her, really. These things only come to me when I need them."
"She's pretty horrifying," Jaune said. "You haven't seen her, are you sure you know what it would be like?"
"I have seen her...not in person, but I've seen her," Shine said. "She's scary, I admit...but I've seen worse."
"I find that hard to imagine..." Jaune said.
"Well, don't worry about beating her," Shine shrugged. "Or about saving the world. All you need to do is the right thing, in the moment. Whoever saves the world, it will fall to them when they least expect it. If you seek it out, you're going to end up screwing it up. Humility is the beginning of real heroics, you help the people around you, and if you end up saving the world, then, think little of it, because it could happen to anyone. Wally's friends and him do this sort of thing all the time where he lives, and none of them ever remark on it afterward, they just go get coffee...because who cares? It's just whoever happens to be ready and able, that's all. You guys make too much out of it."
"I can't decide if that's crazy or reassuring," Jaune said. "I don't know if I can look at it your way."
"You are one of the only people I think could," Shine said. "So please at least try, someone needs to stay sane...as for Ren, give him time. I think he'll come around if the rest of you just stay on target."
Yang came back in. "I found a part to fix the bike...did I miss anything important?"
"Uh...well, Shine thinks we can save Oscar," Jaune said. "Once the storm lets up. And that Ren will be fine."
"Great," Yang rolled her eyes. "That helps."
"Of course your attitude is also helpful," Shine said.
Jaune glanced at her.
She cleared her throat. "But perhaps I could have been nicer also. I'm sorry."
Yang gave her a weird look. "Whatever."
Shine wondered how she'd react if she ever found out her mother had been hanging around Atlas in this time...where was Raven anyway?
* * *
Penny, Pyrrha, Pietro-or the 3 P's, as Maria put it-and herself, were doing just find getting Amity Tower running...until Cinder and Neo just decided to show up.
Pyrrha wasn't immeidately in the same area as the others when it happened, she was moving some things with her semblance, more delicately than Penny could just by pushing them.
"Easy does it," Pietro said.
Then they heard crashing.
Penny took on Cinder, who was yelling at her about where the Winter Maiden was.
"I'll never tell you that!" Penny said.
"Fine, then I guess I'll just kill you, unless your friends want to tell me," Cinder said.
Maria got in a mech and tried to stop Neo in the plane.
Pietro looked at Pyrrha. "Better go help them," he said.
Pyrrha nodded.
She didn't realize it was Cinder yet, then, or Neo; she thought it was probably the Ace Ops again.
When she came around the corner and saw Cinder, her pulse sped up, but it felt like her heart stopped.
It was a strange thing to see the person who killed you.
[Shatter Me AMV]
Because Pyrrha was next to the machine, Cinder didn't see her--she only had one eye anyway, so she didn't see nearly as much as she used to. [And I mean that two ways].
Pyrrha felt like she should be helping Penny...but she was frozen...
She had no reason to fear Cinder...no...What power did Cinder really have, considering?
She wasn't sure it was fear, actually...it was just like...it hit her, right then.
Her memory of the arrow piercing her chest...the feeling of exploding...it all came back.
It was real! She really died...
That was just...a lot to have hit you.
Perhaps it was just as well someone else distracted her before she could get too fixated on it.
She saw movement and then looked and realized Emerald Sustrai was also there, trying to distract Penny...and not succeeding, so she distracted Maria instead. Neo finally got the drop on her.
Pyrrha had no idea who Neo was other than she'd worked for Torchwick and had stolen the Lamp from Oscar, but she'd never seen her this close before. She sure was tiny...
Penny was doing an okay job at keeping Cinder busy for the moment, and then suddenly she got in a lucky hit because Emerald's semblence didn't work on her, and blasted Cinder to the floor, knocking her out.
Emerald drew her weapons and aimed it at the engine of the tower.
Pyrrha snapped out of her funk.
"No!" She rushed forward without thinking and waved her hand, knocking the weapon aside before Emerald could shoot a hole in something.
Penny nodded at Pyrrha in gratitude.
But both of them had forgotten why this was a bad idea.
It hit Pyrrha when she looked back at Emerald and saw the look on her face.
* * *
Emerald had been doing just fine at helping, until Cinder got knocked out...now she was panicking...
She thought she could keep the robot at bay though...if she was just careful.
Then her weapon suddenly yanked her hand down like it had a mind of its own.
She looked up and for a second she thought Neo was playing a trick on her...until she saw Neo off to the side, looking at her in bewilderment.
What looked an awful lot like Pyrrha Nikos was standing not that far away, hands out, as if using her semblence.
But Cinder killed Pyrrha, so that was impossible...She was proud of it, threw it in that dork Jaune guy's face, even. No way she would have said it if she didn't kill her.
Pyrrha made eye contact with Emerald at the same moment. And the look of nervousness she got made Emerald feel sick...
"What...in the h---?!" She said.
Penny put her hands to her face. "Oh no..." she said suddenly. "Pyrrha, run!"
"It's too late now," Pyrrha realized, lowering her hands. "I shouldn't have come up here..."
It sounded like her too...
"I...you..." Emerald gaped. Then she jumped to her feet, leaving Cinder lying there and held her guns out in terror. "Stay away from me...ghost!"
"I'm not a ghost," Pyrrha said.
She glanced up at Penny. "Do you think we'll ever get used to this reaction?"
"I don't find it odd," Penny shrugged. "I am a robot...you're a person. It makes more sense for me. Perhaps if you said 'salutations'."
"I'm sorry?" Pyrrha said, confused.
"Stop it!" Emerald almost screamed at her.
"What is her problem?" Maria rubbed her head. "Hasn't she ever seen a dead person who's alive again before?"
"I...seriously doubt it," Pyrrha said. "Unless we're talking about Salem...or Ozpin...come to think of it, this really isn't that shocking."
"Cinder killed you!" Emerald knew she wasn't sounding smart here, but didn't care. "Why the h--- are you standing there like she didn't?"
"How would you stand like Cinder killed you?" Penny asked. "As I recall, you kind of killed me, using Pyrrha's power, and that was not very nice, and yet I'm not afraid of you."
That wasn't helping Emerald feel better.
She glanced at Neo, who was suddenly looking at Pyrrha with new eyes, like it just hit her that it didn't make sense that she was here.
Cinder was out cold still...luckily or she'd probably have blown the entire building up on the spot.
Pyrrha realized that they couldn't keep this stalemate going forever.
The tower was sinking as it was. Penny was going to have to move it manually...maybe with her help.
"You want to leave, right?" she said to Emerald. "Take your fall maiden then, and go."
Emerald glanced down at Cinder, and then at Pyrrha. "You're...not gonna try to take the powers?"
"If we were, it would be wisest probably to not suggest it," Penny pointed out.
"I'm no longer interested in them," Pyrrha said. "But you can tell Cinder later...if you like, that she made a mistake. And that Salem is lying to you. I do not think she'll listen, but in all fairness ...all of us have been duped before. At least, I suspect you have...otherwise I can't understand why you're here."
She wasn't making any sense.
"The powers are just a burden," Penny agreed. "But one that Cinder doesn't deserve, I'm sure of that. Still, I don't feel right just killing her like this now...so...go."
"Should we let her go?" Pyrrha asked suddenly. "Whatever we feel, the others are going to be angry if we do."
"You stay away from me!" Emerald grabbed Cinder and backed up. "I can make you attack each other again! Don't think I won't!"
In reality she could only make Pyrrha do this, and only if Pyrrha chose to attack. But she didn't care about semantics.
Pyrrha gasped.
Emerald ran for it, and Neo came with her, with the ship.
She didn't seem happy about it, but when Emerald yelled at her, she took off.
"The h--- was that?" Emerald asked her, on the way. "You saw that right? Did that look like her to you? The invincible girl?"
Neo made some gesture like I don't know.
"Don't give me that, you use illusions...that wasn't fake, right?" Emerald said. "You heard her...it sounded like her...did Cinder lie?"
Neo shrugged.
"But how could she have?" Emerald said. "Where has she been all this time then? There's no way..."
Neo made some sign that probably meant something pretty rude.
"Oh shut up," Emerald said. "Just take us back to the whale thing before Salem realizes we left, or we're all dead."
Neo rolled her eyes.
Cinder never came to till they got there.
"Where were you?" Mercury said, when they'd gotten back in and left Cinder in her... "room".
Emerald was hoping to be slightly more composed by the time Cinder woke up so she'd know how to handle it...but it wasn't working out too well.
Neo was no help, she just flounced off and looked smug.
No, Mercury was not the most sympathetic person, but Emerald had literally no other outlet, so she looked around and then she hissed, "Merc, I saw something totally freaky..."
"What?" Mercury actually looked concerned. "Where did you go?"
"Not important...but I saw...I thought I saw someone...who was supposed to be dead," Emerald hissed. "I'm serious...and it wasn't Neo's trick, I thought of that, but she was, like, not using her semblance right then. "
"You sound crazy," was his helpful answer.
"I swear I saw it," Emerald said. "She saw it too... I mean not that she can say it, but she saw it."
"Right...are you sure you weren't snapping under the pressure of trying to impress Mommy?" Mercury said.
Emerald punched him.
Mercury didn't even react, he just shoved her hand away. "Look, if you're going to lose it, keep it to yourself. Someone around here is going to kill us if we start slipping. And I don't want to get mixed up in any freaky hallucinations."
"It wasn't a hallucination, you think I'd know," Emerald said.
"Yeah, you'd know, maybe you're using your semblance on yourself," Mercury was dismissive.
"You are such a--" Emerald began.
Tyrian unpleasantly interrupted them right them.
"The Queen wishes to speak with you, Mr. Black," he said.
For what? Emerald wondered. That didn't sound good.
"Don't say anything," she hissed in a low voice.
"Like I'm that stupid," Mercury huffed, walking way.
If he had misgivings, Emerald couldn't tell.
She was left alone to wonder what she really saw.
[Back From the dead AMV ]