After lunch, they realized they were out of water.
Raven proposed the solution to this was to make magical ice and melt it.
Theo produced a funnel.
"Okay, why?" Weiss said in disbelief.
"Drinking games," Theo shrugged.
Weiss face palmed.
"Whatever." Raven wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. "I can make ice right over that thing. Everyone, fill up... Someone else has to do the fire though."
Cindre held up her hand, and fire blazed in it.
"Oh, you're being helpful?" Yang said really snarkily.
"One more word and it's going in your face," Cinder snapped.
"What did I say about threatening people?" Shine said.
"You call that a threat?" Mercury said.
"You call that a joke?" Shine replied.
"No..." he said.
"There you go." She gestured impatiently.
"Wait, is this okay?" Pyrrha asked as they were filling up. "I mean, you two can... Does it being magic ice matter?"
"I think the ice itself is just from the water in the air," Shine mused. "But then again... Still, it's elemental--usually that's not so bad... Well, to be on the safe side, I'll purify it."
"You'll what?" Cinder said warily.
Shine stuck her sword, which somehow was the size of a butter knife, into her water, and it gleamed.
"Should be fine now," she said. "But perhaps magical water is not the best idea anyway... The more you use magic..."
"The worse it gets," Winter finished flatly.
"You know," Raven said, once they were back to walking, "I don't usually ask this, because I usually don't really want to know the answer, but are you okay? You really don't seem okay."
"What do you think, Raven?" Winter surprisingly didn't deny it. "The magic is getting worse every day, we're headed towards an even more dangerous situation, and I attacked one of my own team yesterday."
"Is that seriously bothering you? We all did that," Raven said. "I mean... except for 5 people maybe."
Winter frowned. "Yes... but I didn't think I had so much rage."
Raven snickered openly.
She got a frosty glare.
"Sorry, uh... just... don't you have a reason to be angry?" Raven said more evenly. "I would be pissed off if I were you. More than pissed off actually."
"I don't mean to interrupt--" Pyrrha joined them. "--but I was also concerned... Is it all right, or do you want to talk alone?"
"Oh, why not?" Raven said. "Can't make it more uncomfortable, can you?"
"Thanks." Pyrrha seemed to mean that.
"This is a bit much," Winter said. "I really don't want to talk about it."
"I should kick Qrow in the shin," Raven said.
"Is that what this is about?" Pyrrha asked.
"You too?" Winter looked at Pyrrha in disbelief.
"I...well, I might have noticed a few things..." Pyrrha said.
"As annoyed as I am that both of you are talking about this so freely, that is not all that's on my mind," Winter said.
"Just 80% of it, right?" Raven said.
She got another glare.
"Fine, all right, there's a lot of crap," Raven said. "I guess that's just easier to think about."
"Easier?!" Winter was triggered.
"Easier for me," Raven said. "That kind of drama seems so normal compared to what we're doing..."
"To you," Pyrrha said. "But to Winter and me, it's all new, you know. I don't mean to offend you, but you have a child--I'm sure you've been through the worst of this before, but I've had all kinds of difficulties with dating, especially with all the pressure we're under, so I'm sure it's not any easier on anyone else. Unless I'm very bad at it..."
"Who could think you'd be bad at that?" Winter said. "You're not like me... or anyone else, really."
"I... really don't like it when people say that," Pyrrha said.
"I'm sure she's like anyone else." Raven was the cynic, after all. "She just acts all innocent, but anyone with hair like that and that outfit has a temper."
"That's a stereotype, you know," Pyrrha said. "And what about
my outfit?"
"You look like you're ready for battle at all times," Raven said.
"Uh... you know, that's a good point." Pyrrha looked down at herself. "Thank you, actually. Most people just put me on a pedestal."
"That wasn't really what I meant," Winter said. "Just that you are honest with people, that's all. "
"Not always..." Pyrrha looked somber.
"Look, I'm not going to pretend I really understand any of this that well." Raven put a hand to her head in an annoyed manner. "It's not like it's worked out for me either, or like I have any insight about this one situation. I'm a coward, remember? Or I was...anyway... But you've never been the type to just give up on something, Schnee... I hope you're not going to let a few mind games and bad decisions change that."
"Another thing--no one said that the emotions these Grimm bring out are entirely organic," Pyrrha said. "Shine speculated that it could be worse for people who already have some weakness, and I guess we all do. But I'm sure I've never actually felt as angry in my life as I did when I was under the influence. I've acted rashly before, but I was just blindly enraged. I can't believe that was really all me."
"She's got a point. It's like gasoline on a fire," Raven said. "The fire's under control, even helpful, but the gasoline makes it a problem. I think some anger is all right, always motivated me to stick it to someone who had it coming--but if I make decisions based on anger, I know it's a dumb idea. I always wait till I cool off to make a plan. Unlike my dumba-- brother. Seems like the Grimm strip away reason and control."
"I understand that," Winter said. "I... it's... But still, anger, for me... well, you know. You've seen it before. I'm not always in control. I'm not sure it was just the Grimm."
Pyrrha and Raven exchanged a questioning look.
"So you have a temper? So who doesn't?" Raven said. "Better than being a robot."
"Well, even Penny," Pyrrha said, "even she gets angry."
"I meant a real robot, not whatever the frick she is," Raven said.
Penny probably would have taken that as a compliment more than anything else, so Pyrrha didn't object to it.
"Perhaps it bothers you," Pyrrha said, "but I think you just have that anger because you care about things. Isn't that better than not caring? Someone without anger is... frightening. Even if you lose control sometimes, I think we all kind of like that better."
"Besides which, no one is blaming anyone for what happened yesterday." Raven gestured around. "Surprisingly, Likstar's speech seems to have worked. It's stupid to turn on each other. We can't go back. We can't separate. If you carry every little failure along the way, it's going to crush you."
"Is that what you said about--?" Winter broke off.
"Whoa..." Pyrrha said nervously.
"I could fill in plenty for whatever it was you were about to say." Raven frowned. "For real? You know you've done some stuff--"
"Raven, didn't you just say we shouldn't blame each other?" Pyrrha cut in.
"She started it," Raven said.
"No, that was unfair of me," Winter said, shamefacedly. "I don't know why I did that... I... It's just odd that you appear to be over some of this, but I..."
"I hope you're not implying that's something to be envious of," Raven snorted. "I'm the royal screw up of this team and I know it. You're all just too nice to say it."
"I don't think that," Pyrrha said.
"And you're nuts," Raven rejoined. "But that's fine. I've always been the bad girl, and I'm fine with that. But your problem, Schnee, is that you think you have to be something else that you're not. Just get over it. No one is perfect all the time. You can't shrink yourself into that Atlas mold any more than the rest of us could. And I can't help but notice those little temperamental outbursts of yours kind of only happen when you're trying to. So maybe quit lying to yourself and just own up to it. Besides, wasn't being a rebel your whole selling point to get out of that crappy house of yours?"
"Don't talk like you know me," Winter said.
"It's not that hard to figure out," Raven said.
"You sound like Shine," Pyrrha said.
"Well, I should--I've had her in my ear for months," Raven said. "And who's usually right?"
"It makes sense to me," Pyrrha said. "No one can live up to the ideals that we set for ourselves--not me, not you either. It's actually a bit of a relief. I've... seen some ugly sides of myself recently...and I don't like them, but it's...well, it's important to know what I'm really like. Not perfect. Not invincible...but I'm trying my best. I don't know--when I told Cinder what I thought, I didn't feel like a good person or a bad person, I just felt like it was the truth. Ugly or beautiful, it was what it was. And...I felt as if that was all I needed... Shine told us that the truth makes you free...because of the Son. And if you're free, you're free indeed. I read that. That's what it's all about. We tell the truth about our bad things, and He takes them away, gives us good in return. I think it's not all at once, though. Shine and Wally clearly are still learning too, but it's ongoing. I'd rather be that than try to fit a mold I know I can't fit."
"You think all this is about me feeling guilty?" Winter said.
"I thought you just said that," Raven said. "You 'attacked one of your own teammates' who just so happens to be my stupid brother who's pissing you off also."
"Could you stop referring to him as that?" Winter said sharply.
"What? You want to be the only one who can?" Raven teased her.
Well...actually, that kind of was it, and Winter turned red.
Raven, elated at her success, swallowed a laugh.
[Raven is such a troll. You can tell from how she talked in Vol. 5 that she is deep down.]
"Raven, I don't think this is funny." Pyrrha must have seen it. "I remember how horrible I felt after I accidentally hurt Jaune with my Semblance. Sometimes I don't control it so well either. It's a terrible feeling... You hate to hurt people you care about."
Winter suddenly gave Pyrrha a strange look.
"I didn't mean to..." Pyrrha misread it.
"No... something about what you just said..." Winter frowned. "Sorry, it just made me think of something."
"If you're thinking that that sounds frustratingly familiar, then I agree." Raven rolled her eyes.
"Did you spy?" Winter turned to her furiously.
"I didn't hear anything, if that's what you mean." Raven didn't even deny it. "But you think I haven't heard the same crap for years? It gets old, but it's hammered in there pretty well. I guess I can partially blame the tribe for that--they weren't the nicest people about it. Still, I never thought it'd lead to anything this stupid."
"Not that I want to talk about this with you, but I think you might have at some point countered the idea," Winter said.
"What idea?" Pyrrha was lost
"Qrow's moping because he thinks his bad luck thing makes him too dangerous to be around," Raven said before Winter could stop her. "You've heard him gripe about it, I'm sure."
"No," Pyrrha said. "But Jaune told me about his Semblance. I thought it was very sad, though I don't know if I quite believe in luck."
"Exactly!" Raven and Winter said at the same time, in different tones.
"It's stupid, right?" Raven said.
"Quite," Winter said, with some relief.
"Oh, but people deliberately accept things that are not true all the time," Pyrrha said. "I think... well, the truth is harder to accept. For me, I felt like if I did, I couldn't do anything about it, so it was easier to convince myself it wasn't true. One can feel so inadequate."
"Granted," Raven said. "And we all have something, I guess."
They found it odd for Raven to admit this, but she'd realized a few things lately.
"But it's still stupid," she added.
"I really don't want to discuss this with you," Winter tried again, but they ignored her.
"Perhaps, though, just calling it stupid is not helpful," Pyrrha said. "I've had this trouble with--people, and I found it was better to give them a chance to realize on their own and not try to force it. It's painful, though, feeling that you are the source of the problem. It makes me sad."
"Oh, you get over the sad part after several years," Raven said. "Just makes you crazy instead. And FYI, Schnee, I have toldf him he makes too much of it. But you can imagine the last time Qrow listened to my opinion about anything was about, oh, never. I just don't count."
"But about that," Winter said suddenly, "surely if you spent so much time around him, it would have affected you the most, and yet--"
"I'm still here," Raven said. "I know, right? Living proof that it doesn't really add up. Luck makes no sense to me. Actually, I think your theory is right--it's probability manipulation."
"How did you know about that?" Winter narrowed her eyes.
"Oh, get real," Raven said. "You know what I do by now."
"I'm starting to see why Yang feels so odd about your presence in her life," Pyrrha said. "Does it not occur to you to just talk to people about what's on their minds instead of eavesdropping on them?"
"Blame Ozpin, he gave me the power to," Raven said.
"I really can't blame him for how you used it," Pyrrha said severely.
"This isn't about me," Raven said.
"Fine," Pyrrha dismissed it. "I don't think we're helping Winter. I think... it takes time, like I said."
"We don't have time," Raven said.
Winter just sighed. "That's really what bothers me... None of this will matter if we all die. But I can't help but wish..."
"Wish that it did?" Pyrrha said somberly. "Yes... I understand what perfectly, actually... but... it did matter. Winter, I know one thing... we don't really know our fates. We don't really choose them so much as they are chosen for us based on the choices we do make, every minute of every day... What was it that I read?... 'In his heart a man chooses his way, but the Lord determines his steps.' Something like that. Or like that analogy Shine used with drinking and being thirsty. Some things are inevitable, I think. But others aren't... and I think all of life might be a dance between those things."
"I like that." Raven tapped her chin. "At least this is less simplistic than saying everything is up to us. That's not true... especially with Ozpin involved... but some stuff is up to us, clearly. D--- it, it'd be easier to blame everything on him."
"Only if you want to feel like his puppet," Winter said.
Raven sighed.
"My point was," Pyrrha went on, "that's what is important now--you don't really know. That's why you need to try to do the right thing no matter what you're doing. I... hope that helps."
"Sadly, most of this is out of my hands," Winter said. "I'm trying to concentrate on the mission, but I can't make up anyone else's mind, or control what attacked us, or even undo the past. Perhaps it's true that there has to be something in the future in order to move forward, but I can't explain what that might be... Something about this thing of Ozpin's makes it seem like everything revolves around it. I noticed a while ago that I've almost stopped thinking about anything outside of it."
"Yeah, welcome to my life," Raven said. "And there's... still that one thing you have that you try to keep away from it. I used the tribe for that... Fat lot of good it did in the end, but I thought, you know, that was one thing I could control. You're using this thing with Qrow."
"I am not!" Winter snapped. "I didn't even start this."
"What?" Raven said. "It's still here... Hey, maybe it's for the best. At least you have something outside this mess. I wish I did."
"There's your family," Pyrrha said.
"If we all live through this, maybe that'll matter," Raven said. "But... well, it's an idea, but only an idea. I don't know what I'd do once this is over. We could all die."
"But there's a hereafter," Pyrrha said. "Perhaps we'd go there. It won't be a blank this time. So... we win either way."
"Call it selfish, but I'd like to see the world at least once after we ostensibly save it," Raven said.
"I concur," Winter said. "That's the thing--I want a life outside of this. Just... just for once." She made a fist. "Not to only be doing things because I had to do them or we'd all die. I mean, that was my whole life in the military even before I knew about Ozpin... and I thought that was good--until the General destroyed it all because of it. I believe now that one has to have personal connections in order not to go mad with power and duty. But as it turns out, I have either never known or have forgotten how those work. And to tell you the truth, Raven, I don't know if this has anything to do with your brother--though that is annoying. I think it's just myself. I've always been this way."
"I'm sure that is not true," Pyrrha said. "Weiss knows better than that. She couldn't love you so much if you were really like that."
"And I'm sure you weren't born that way," Raven sniffed. "Someone has to learn to be that uptight."
Pyrrha gave her a glare.
"How was that not a compliment?" Raven shrugged.
"From you, I'll take it," Winter said dryly. "But I did learn to be rigid and demanding and cold. That was more acceptable in the military than it is on a team of individuals, as it turns out. But I couldn't change now if I wanted to... at least not easily. I've forgotten what it was like before that time."
"I think I see why you'd like Qrow then," Pyrrha said without thinking.
"Hmm?" Winter was confounded.
"Oh, I'm sorry, that wasn't very sensitive of me," Pyrrha said.
"No, explain." Winter held Pyrrha's opinion in higher regard than most people's.
"I just was thinking that whatever else you act like around each other, there's always this sort of freedom to it," Pyrrha said. "I mean, fighting in a courtyard, in a gym, overturning Ironwood, all the things you do, it seems to be involved in breaking the rules slightly, but for good reason. It's not rigid or cold. And truly, I like that about both of you. We've had so many people around us who can't see past their conventional ways of doing things they've grown up with or been trained in, and it was almost the death of us. To me, that's why you both were selected for this team. I'm sure it wasn't an accident that Shine and Wally chose you so early on. Why, I know that Shine was looking forward to working with you even before we went to Atlas."
"What?" Winter said oddly.
Though Shine might have told her this, but it hadn't registered.
"Qrow too, I warrent," Raven said.
"Yes, she said she liked him," Pyrrha said. "I... wasn't sure why, honestly, at the time. He wasn't very nice to them... but then, most of them weren't at first. I think I see now. I was mad at him for a while because of the Maiden thing, but Qrow admitted to me it was wrong later. I think Shine pitied him because of Ozpin's deception getting us all to go along with his ways... but she saw past it, the way she saw past your coldness in Atlas and realized that you really would care about Fria and about what we told you about Oscar. Or that you, Raven, would care to know the truth after. Their gift that gives them the insight into all of us, how we really are, and I actually really like that. I never have to have any pretense with them."
"I'd say that was unbelievably sappy, but I know it's literally true," Raven said.
"I agree," Winter said. "But there are times I think they give us too much credit. We're small-minded enough."
"It can't be an easy thing to shake off all we've ever been taught about the world," Pyrrha said. "Perhaps being willing to try is already being larger minded. They must have been like us once--blind--but they aren't now. That's a gift, isn't it? Not anything to feel embarrassed about. We'll take it to other people... I mean, if I live, and I intend to live, that's what I'm going to do. I got the chance to in Beacon to begin, and I understood--that's why I have this story. I have a story no one else could tell, and I want to tell it--and more than that... Everyone needs to know there's another way, that things are not impossible even if they look it, and that there's second chances... I feel as if I went through life with my eyes half open, seeing a glimpse of what was true. I didn't see it all, but even what I saw, I felt drawn to. When I met them and they told me the truth, it all clicked for me. It was like I opened them all the way."
[Puts me in mind of how one of the first arc chapter titles was literally Let Your Own Eyes Shine, which was from the song "War Inside" and when Pyrrha came back to life.]
"I think we know why they chose you then," Winter said knowingly. "That was your gift."
"So we all have one," Pyrrha said. "I think you're shaming yourself for the very thing that made you a valuable part of this team. If you had less impulse to break out of the mold... well, what good would you be? And I think that of all the incidents you were thinking of. You're different, not because you have different emotions than the rest of us, but because you did different things about them."
That arrested their attention because it was just so true.
"Crap," Raven said. "So you're also one of those talkers, Nikos? You sound just like them, all right."
"I've done my best," Pyrrha said. "But I was like this before they came. I believe that's why I understood them so quickly... and now I think I was meant to. Maybe it all was meant to happen, so I could have more than I would have if I lived my own small life just to be a good huntress... I still want to save people, but I can contribute to more than fighting now. I never knew that before."
"Also sappy," Raven said. "But still true... I hardly know what to do now that this stuff just sounds like the facts to me now."
"Why? Because you used to think only dimsal things could be the facts?" Winter said.
"Yeah," Raven said emphatically. "And now I've had to admit that's not always true. It pisses me off."
"You don't sound pissed off," Pyrrha said.
Raven just waved dismissively.
Winter couldn't believe she was listening to this from them. This journey sure had made Raven act differently.
Or was this just how Raven really was, and when everyone had finally stopped attacking her over her actions, she'd felt free to act like it?
Or it could be both. [It's usually both.]
"Well, anyway--" Pyrrha put a hand on Winter's shoulder. "--I know maybe it doesn't make it feel that much better...because none of us feel great right now, but I think just knowing that there's something, it can help. We all value you."
"Gosh, Nikos, how do you say stuff that cheesy?" Raven said.
"Gosh, Branwen, how are you so immature at your age that you can't express admiration for someone?" Pyrrha retorted savagely.
Raven's mouth dropped open.
Winter almost had to finally smile at that turn of events.
[Love this AMV, and it's so rare to find a Winter one. Sorry, cannot reproduce that channel name with my keyboard. Song is Revolution.]
* * *
The sun began to sink again. It felt like it was earlier every day. They were going farther north, though.
Actually they really couldn't tell if the sun was setting, except that the red and purplish sky got darker. So the sun was somewhere behind all the haze that hovered over the Grimm lands...but all you could see was the moon, and it looked huge and eerie by itself.
"We'd better be on guard," Shine spoke. "I notice that every single time we've been attacked has been right before dark. We're the most vulnerable then: We haven't camped yet, and we have only a short time to do so."
"We really should just keep walking," Vara spoke up. "I think this is taking way too long."
"The Grimm are worse at night," Shine said.
"The nearer we get to Salem, the less that will matter," Theo said.
"But we're also tired," Ruby sounded grumpy. "Even walking all day is hard. We have to sleep."
"If we got there in less time, we'd suffer less," Theo said.
"All right, look, we can talk about it once we get closer to her. It's true maybe it won't matter," Shine said. "But we're still hardly even halfway, if that much."
They all groaned.
"I've never seen this part of the land," Hazel spoke. "It looks different than what's on the west side."
"Yeah, it's like a jungle," Mercury said. "Just if nothing was alive and all the animals were deadly."
"So a jungle but with rocks," Shine said.
"So New York," Wally said.
Only Shine understood why that was funny.
[Nothing against New York, btw.]
"Is it just me, or are there clouds overhead?" Vara asked.
"It doesn't rain here," Cinder said testily.
"They look like clouds to me," Neptune said nervously. "I don't like rain."
"Let me guess, the water?" Mercury said.
Neptune looked at him sharply, and then he said, "You know what? I think you've made enough cracks about that."
Mercury gave him a look. "And what are you going to do about it, wuss?"
"If you didn't notice, jerk, I actually went in the water a few days ago and harpooned a Hydra," Neptune said. "And you stood there and did nothing. So if anyone's a wuss..."
"Did you miss where I fried a giant gorilla?" Mercury said.
"Fine," Neptune said. "I won't bring it up if you won't, but step off, all right? No one's totally fearless. Are you?"
Mercury didn't like this.
"You know, whatever," he said. "You people take everything way too seriously."
Emerald was smirking.
"And what are you smiling at?" Mercury said.
"I was just thinking the worm turned. It was about gosh-danged time," Emerald said.
"Whose side are you on anyway?" Mercury huffed.
"The side of not being a jackass," Emerald retorted.
Yang was grinning.
"Not one word," Neptune said to Sun.
"I didn't say anything that time either," Sun said. "But hey, that was way overdue."
"I'm sure those are clouds," Vara said after a moment. "They're getting thicker, too."
"I'm not a meteorologist," Shine said. "But clouds are made by liquid. In my world, we have something called acid rain. Because of all the pollution."
"We used to have that in Atlas." Winter looked up. "But they made laws to reduce the pollution."
"Wouldn't it be more of acid snow?" Sun asked.
"That sounds like what would happen if you took drugs and went sledding," Neptune said.
"That is so wrong," Weiss frowned.
"Agreed, that's not safe at all," Meridian agreed.
She shoved him.
"What I mean is, Grimm ponds are liquid," Shine said. "And all liquid evaporates, doesn't it? Is it possible that they could become clouds?"
"I wouldn't put anything past Salem," Ozpin said.
"Grimm goo doesn't hurt humans, right?" Wally said.
"It turned Salem into a Grimm," Emerald said. "I'd say so."
"I think it would just kill most people," Mercury said.
"That is kind of what the vision from Jinn implied," Blake said. "I mean, it couldn't kill her, but anyone else would just get eaten by it, right? It is like acid."
"So... wait, does that make Salem the Joker?" Wally asked. "Falling into acid but not dying and getting turned all pale and crazy?"
"You've got to be kidding me," Shine said. "That makes Ozpin Batman."
"A guy who's alone, who has a million secrets and trains younger fighters?" Wally said. "That kinda checks out."
"I really hope you're kidding," Raven said.
"When are we ever?" Shine said. "We should find some cover."
Well, the land was kind of devoid of large cover.
"Can we split up?" Weiss asked. "I mean, not too far but just a little."
Winter grabbed her arm.
"If we do, you're with me," she said.
"Why?" Weiss said.
"Why?" Winter frowned.
"I can take a hint," Meridian muttered. "I get it, you don't like me... Geez, woman."
"And I think I see something falling from the clouds." Vara was watching them closely.
She wasn't wrong--oddly shaped drops were sprinkling from the clouds.
"I mean..." Ruby said.
Raven squinted at it. "Is the ground sizzling where they hit?"
"Run!" Wally yelped. "Now! Get under something."
Everyone ran.
"Oh, this better not be those gnats!" Weiss yelled.
But before they could find any rock big enough to hold even one person, the clouds overtook them.
The drops of goo began pelting them.
They seemed to have no effect on their hair, thankfully, perhaps because it wasn't as alive, other than they sizzled.
But Emerald had her arms more bare, and one of them hit her and she started to yelp. "OWWW."
"Maybe it's more like the boils," Oscar said.
"Get undercover now!" Ozpin said.
"Don't wait for anyone else, just find cover," Shine called, using her sword to deflect a few of the drops. "Regroup once this is over."
"Okay," they called.
Jaune and Pyrrha held their shields up.
Raven formed ice over her head to help.
"Maybe we can blow it away." Vara summoned winds.
However this didn't have much effect; the clouds appeared to be too heavy to be easily moved.
By the time she'd get it to go, it might be a little late.
The team scattered every which way and under whatever rock overhangs they could find that were big enough.
But before they all found cover, people got hit.
Blake covered more with her jacket but some got in her hair. [Good thing she didn't cut it in this version since that would've hit her neck.]
Sun had more trouble there.
The goo wasn't piling up like the sludge had. It seemed to soak into the ground, making it more rancid... and now they could see that it looked like it had been rained on many times, like the juice just poisoned everything it touched.
If they dug deep into it, would they find regular soil underneath, they wondered?
"Var, hurry!" Theo yanked her under one rock and then spread his poncho out to act as a shield.
Vara held up her hands, and ice formed over them. "Crap, I can't see everyone else," she said. "I can't try to look anyway... Lucky it didn't hit me."
No telling what it would have done to her... She shuddered.
Cinder sank to the ground.
She was more exposed--a lot it was hitting her.
Suddenly she clutched at her left arm nub and saw it was sizzling again... It had been aching more and more the longer they walked into the dark lands, but... suddenly it was searing pain.
She fell to her knees, goo still hitting her, as her arm smoked more... and... was it... growing back?