Blake, Nora, and Ren had almost despaired of Sun surviving. His breathing was getting more and more shallow, and he was getting cold and clammy.
Nora put a hand on Blake's shoulder.
Blake pursed her lips.
They heard the sounds of fighting outside, then the water crashing.
But a few minutes after that, Wally appeared and told them everything was over.
"You kids okay?" he asked.
"We're all right, but Sun..." Ren said.
"You have to help him!" Blake had a choke in her voice. "Please, Mr. West..."
"We'll get him to the others," Wally said.
He dashed Sun away, and they all followed as fast as they could.
They arrived to find water shooting out of a rock... weird.
Not like a waterfall either, just like it shot out of the rock itself.
Everyone else was happy to see them until they saw Sun's condition.
Emerald explained what happened as well as she could.
"He ate a Grimm fruit?" Raven said. "How is that possible?"
"I can't explain it," Emerald said. "The thing hypnotized them all. Somehow I was immune, but I was looking at Blake, and I didn't stop him... I'm sorry... really..."
"It's not your fault, all right?" Mercury sounded annoyed. "Stop apologizing for it. You saved us all."
"He's right," Hazel said.
"Can we help him?" Pyrrha was looking at Sun. "The cakes...?"
"I don't think we could get him to swallow them now," Shine said.
"If we had some wine maybe," Theo said.
"I wish we'd saved that water now," Pyrrha said.
"Oh, Pyrrha, that water was just a physical representation of what we have," Shine chided her. "I wouldn't give up hope yet. We should pray."
"Prayer, sure," Cinder muttered.
"What do you care anyway?" Roman said to her.
"I don't," Cinder said, "but mere words are not something I would be relying on."
"What else do we rely on but words?" Shine glanced at her. "Be quiet if you can't be helpful."
Cinder walked away. No one was sorry.
"Oscar, maybe the staff..." Blake said.
"He's not looking at it, but I could try..." Oscar put this over Sun.
Nothing seemed to happen.
Jaune boosted Sun's Aura gamely.
"I can help him hold out, but we need to get it out of him," he said.
"Do you think if you swallow something that's Grimm you turn into Grimm?" Neptune said unhelpfully.
He got glares from most of team RWBY.
"Sorry, I want you to help him, I'm just worried what it's doing to him," he said. "But he's my best buddy, so... anything I can do to help."
Shine stared at Sun, then she said, "There is one thing I could do... but you won't like it."
"I won't?" Blake said.
"Yes. Try to remember that this doesn't actually do the damage it looks like it does." Shine held up her sword.
Before anyone could warn Blake what she was about to see, Shine stabbed the point into Sun's stomach.
Blake almost threw up just watching it.
"Oooh." Qrow winced in sympathy.
The sword gleamed, and Sun began to cough and choke harder than anyone had ever heard someone do.
"I'd get clear of him." Shine stepped back hastily. "I don't want to see this part."
"See... what?" Neptune asked.
"Splash zone." Yang pulled him back.
Sure enough, a few moments later, Sun purged the contents of his stomach.
This made Weiss just about throw up herself.
The people with stronger stomachs weren't as fazed and thought they detected the Grimm object in there somewhere. [I know, gross 🤢...but at least it's true to life. That is how you purge most ingested poisons.]
Shine had her eyes shut and ears covered.
"I am not good with this kind of thing. Please just say when it's over."
Sun's eyes flickered, and he looked at them, confused. "I don't feel so good..."
Then he passed out again.
"Oh...!" Blake said in half relief and half uncertainty.
"Yugh..." Mercury said. "That was disgusting."
"At least he got it out. That's good," Qrow said. "But how much did he absorb?"
"Please clean up before I look," Shine said. "And if you could get him to swallow the cake now, I think he'll pull through."
"I can handle this part," Theo said. "I've had to do it before... The kids at my school are idiots."
"I'll get the mess." Wally swirled some saltwater up using his speed and washed the mess away .
Weiss opened her eyes. "I hope I never have to see that again."
"You didn't see it," Meridian said. "I've never heard of Grimm that you could eat."
"I've never heard of most of what we've seen here," Qrow said.
Theo was successful in getting Sun to swallow the cake, and he seemed to get some color back.
"Well, it might take a few hours for him to fully recover," he said, "and he'll feel like s--- for another day or so, but I think he's going to pull through."
"Oh, thank goodness..." Blake started to cry. "I thought... I was sure..."
Weiss and Ruby hugged her.
"I knew he'd be fine," Yang said, though her expression said otherwise.
"Yeah... yeah..." Neptune looked ready to pass out himself. "Sun would never let that stop him... I think I need to sit down."
He sank onto a rock.
Neo came back and motioned at them, then mimed fire.
"You found driftwood?" Shine said. "Huh... from old ships, I guess."
"If we dry it out..." Roman said.
"Oh, I can do it," Wally said. "I can help you find it too. Just show me where you found it."
Neo motioned for him to follow her, and they went off.
"So... that sword trick... was that your first time doing that?" Raven asked Shine.
"Would you believe me if I said it was?" Shine said.
"Yeah, I would," Raven said. "Don't do it again please."
"Don't get poisoned and I won't have to," Shine said. "Well, anyone who's up to it, want to fill me in on what I missed while we were split up?"
That took quite a long time.
Shine was able to explain to them all that the Grimm had been, according to her calculations, 3 of the sins on the list.
"Lust, Greed, and Gluttony," she said. "It's like the Grimm affected everyone in a different way for each group. But the closer we all got to this point, the more similar they became, till it all blended together."
"Okay, now I get it," Weiss said. "We wanted things we saw, and we got distracted by it. Greed is the same..."
"Maybe we got it before." Ruby didn't seem like she was very upbeat still. "Remember... what we wanted might have been... good..." She looked sad. "...but we'd have it, and no one else would have what they want..."
"Oh--oh!..." Meridian snapped his fingers. "That's the connection. I knew something was off, but I couldn't figure it out."
"Everything we wanted--" Blake looked up. "--it was for us. I didn't think about what anyone else would want. It seemed... so small."
"It seems small." Shine crumpled up some old notes and tossed them into the fire to help it. "But it always does... and then it becomes all-consuming if not checked. It's all right to get what we want, but not when we'd sacrifice what's more important for it, and that's when desire turns to lust or greed. Nothing else matters anymore to us. I won't shame anyone for this. I am just the same."
"Says the only person who wasn't affected," Jaune said.
"I was," Shine said. "But I had a very important reminder of why I was here. Kept it from getting too strong."
"What was that?" Oscar asked quietly.
"Cinder." Shine pointed at her.
Cinder, who was picking at her dress, shot her a weird look.
"Cinder?" Yang might well sound like she was in utter disbelief.
"She kept me thinking about explaining things, and that made it much harder to let those thoughts take over," Shine said. "I was focused on helping. And when you're helping, you can't be so greedy. Service is good for killing such temptations more. They used to say in my world that idle hands are the devil's play things. There's some truth to that. Easier to do the wrong thing whenever you're not actively doing the right thing. And you all really don't think even someone who's not considered good can be used for the purpose of helping us? Have you learned nothing? All we've done, it's been with the help of people we don't like. And for that matter, God is not concerned with who we like or don't like. He has planned for it all."
Wally shook his head. "I should have been immune to that thing," he said regretfully. "I should know better than to let myself get distracted like that."
"We all were," Pyrrha said.
"Do you know what my secret is?" Shine poked at the fire with her sword. "I've always tried to think of any person I meet as someone I can learn from, either good or bad. In that way, it's less about hate or like and all about what can make you better. It's always when we feel that someone is stealing from us that we become hateful. Stealing our affection, or possessions, our title, our power... and you'll see why the desire-based temptations were just as deadly as the others. It's a mercy we didn't attack each other over them. If the Grimm wasn't focused on just drawing us to itself, it could have happened... and if it was not drawing us at all, we would still be scattered over this land. Our very enemy has also been helping us this whole time, and you have yet to realize it. You might want to think of that before we go to Salem. We're close now... might take another day, two tops. Though I admit..." She gave Hazel a look. "...realizing that we could have done this in 3 days or less if we'd come this way first was not a pleasant surprise."
"I told you I didn't know the land that well," Hazel grumbled. "I didn't realize our course was so off."
"I just don't understand how you failed to know that when you've flown over them," Raven said.
"Because it all looks the same," Hazel said. "We never had to worry about it. She also guided us there."
"Perhaps there was some purpose in us doing this the hard way," Shine sighed. "No use complaining about it now."
"I'd say there's some use in it," Qrow said. "We almost died how many times going this way?"
"Oh, Qrow, the simple answer is, we've killed at least 3 monsters now that have bothered this land for centuries," Shine said lightly. "Whatever else happens, they won't bother anyone again. Unless she makes more, but they all have features that, somehow, I don't believe she can make. They're just too beyond her. They must have been from the god of darkness himself... and so we've already done something significant... In fact, it would have had to be done anyway--and might as well get it done before we finish our journey. I hate having to do clean-up work after the main event."
"It is pretty awesome that we've killed three of these huge, powerful Grimm," Emerald said. "I don't think any hunstmen team in the world but this one could have done it."
"And three cheers for Neptune--he's, like, two for two," Nora said.
Neptune looked kind of embarrassed. "It's not like it was single-handedly."
"No, really, it was incredible," Blake agreed.
"I thought you'd be a lot more useless than you were," was Raven's kind contribution.
"I've an idea," Shine said. "Let's all say something about someone in this group that we appreciate."
"Ew, no," Mercury said.
"It's to help," Shine said. "There's been so much in fighting in the group because of these Grimm, I think we should be trying to counter it. It was so exhausting..."
"You have a complex..." he replied.
"I don't mind saying something," Nora said. "I mean, you're all so cool, but can I say, Oscar with all these miracles."
"Heh... it's not really me." Oscar really didn't feel like being proud of them, not after today.
"Still, you got the power from another world," Nora said. "That's so cool."
Everyone agreed.
"I'd say something about Nora then," Pyrrha said. "One has to appreciate that even under the influence of Grimm, you still killed them."
Nora grinned. "I am kind of awesome..."
"I appreciate that Ren's been helping hide us," Jaune said. "I mean, that's saved us a lot of times when we were outnumbered."
Ren nodded.
"And Jaune's been keeping us all at top power with his Semblance," Blake said, "and healing us."
"Blake got the Faunus united again," Weiss said.
"Nice Weiss!" Ruby said.
Weiss glared at her.
"Sorry," Ruby said, deflating.
"Weiss is a lot nicer than before," Yang said, just to get on Weiss' nerves.
Weiss glared at her. "And you're just as incorrigible."
"Yeah, well--" Yang tapped her arm. "So?"
"All you kids have done pretty well," Qrow said.
"Uncle Qrow," Ruby said, "that was..."
"I think the cheesiest thing you ever said," Yang finished.
"At least he didn't give you the 'I'm proud of you' speech," Raven sniffed.
"No chance of that with you, is there, sis?" Qrow said to her archly.
"If anyone needs my approval to feel good, they're an idiot," Raven said.
"Is that what you tell yourself when you dig for acknowledgement of your talents?" Shine asked her.
Raven glanced at Shine.
"But I should also say I think we wouldn't have made it this far without your help," Shine said to her. "I'm really glad you joined us."
Raven actually looked kind of flattered and glanced away.
"But why didn't you use your Semblance to find us while we were split up?" Qrow said.
"I never thought of it," Raven said. "And I can't understand why that was."
"I think it was the Grimm," Shine said.
"I hope we're not doing that compliment game any more," Mercury muttered.
"When should we move again?" Theo interjected.
Shine looked at the ocean for a moment.
"We've been through a lot," she said. "We're so close now, I think we should rest for longer. Besides... we have a lot to think about before we get there."
"I never thought we'd get this far," Ozpin said, with Oscar's face, but they knew it was him.
"Starting to feel like an idiot for trying to stop us yet?" Yang said.
"The world is still to come, Miss Xiao Long," Ozpin said. "I have not changed my mind."
They didn't care for that.
"For now, let's rest," Shine said. "Feel free to chat or sleep or whatever. I'm going to walk along the surf... No offense, but I haven't had a moment to myself since we left, and I'm going to go mad soon."
She walked away.
"I'll check the perimeter," Wally said.
He ran off.
Mercury got up to go walk by some other rocks.
"Well, anything else we should talk about?" Weiss said.
"I've got a question," Yang said with an odd look. "Team meeting, now."
Blake glanced at Sun.
"I can watch him," Neptune offered. "But I'm not holding his hand. That would be weird."
"It would be, I'm sure," Blake said.
Team Ruby moved to sit more by themselves.
But they dragged Emerald, Pyrrha, and Nora after them, so it seemed more like Yang had a girls' meeting in mind.
Of course all she wanted to do was ask them how things had gone in the boys departments.
"Is that really what you're worried about?" Weiss said.
"I mean, we've been separated for, like, 36 hours, and all of us were with guys," Yang said. "I want to know, did anything happen?"
"Is that important right now?" Blake said.
"We might as well talk about anything other than imminent doom for a while," Yang said.
Ruby smiled faintly but then looked away.
Yang sensed something was off but wasn't sure what.
"Well, nothing to report there," Blake said.
"No argument there," Nora said. "You and Sun don't even hold hands."
"I..." Blake put her ears back. "It's not that I don't want to, it's just that with the pressure we're under--and I wouldn't want anyone to get hurt because we rushed things... but then, it looks like it's not any better this way. Maybe we should talk more. I'm still not sure if Sun really likes me that much or if he just wanted to help me and hang out."
"Well, he told us that he thought you weren't comfortable with it," Emerald said roundly. "So maybe you're the one who should get with it."
"Oh..." Blake turned red.
"What about you, Minty?" Yang leaned on her human hand.
"Don't call me that, first of all," Emerald said, "and also, there's really nothing to report... and I'm not sure we're like that..."
Yang snorted.
"It's really not polite to ask--" Pyrrha began.
"Pyrrha, shut up." Nora waved her off. "Yang, why did you bring it up? Did something happen with you?"
Yang smirked kind of slyly.
"Oh my gosh, it did!" Nora said.
"Really? What?" Blake looked up. "What happened?... Wait, with Neptune?"
"Maybe." Yang looked sideways, deliberately making this more drawn out.
"Seriously, him?" Emerald said.
Yang frowned at her. "So?"
"Just wouldn't have thought that's your type," Emerald said. "You seem like you're into manly men."
"Did you miss where the guy took on two monsters the size of buildings?" Yang said.
"And he almost cried both times," Emerald said.
"Hey, the important thing is if he's at least genuine," Weiss said.
"Well, then why are you with Meridian?" Emerald asked. "I can't read that guy."
"We're not really... exactly..." Weiss blushed. "I don't really know what we are right now... I mean, I think he likes me, and he's... all right, I suppose."
"Uh, how many times has he saved you?" Pyrrha said. "I think he likes you."
"He is hard to read though," Wess said. "Is this really important?"
"I mean... I guess if we were to have a future after this, it would matter." Blake rubbed her ears. "I mean... do any of you want families? You know... someday?"
They all exchanged looks.
"I always did," Pyrrha said. "That was my other dream, besides being a huntress... I think it'd be lovely." She tugged her hair.
"Eventually I did," Weiss said. "I mean, I can't continue the family name if I don't have a family. And honestly, Mom thought Winter would be single forever, so..."
"That's a weird reason," Yang said.
"Well... I don't want to be alone forever," Weiss said, "but you know they say if you marry someone, you marry their family, so finding someone who'd be okay with that and not be... like my dad, was the hard part."
"At least I can't see Meridian being a gold digger," Blake said. "Maybe your got lucky there--uh..." She realized she worded that poorly.
Yang thought that was hilarious, but no one else did.
"But, Yang, I never thought you'd want to settle down," Blake said archly.
"Oh, I don't," Yang said. "But who says it's settling down? I mean... I don't really know yet. But I figure... you know, you can't just not have any kind of relationship in your life... Maybe I just adjusted what I want a little. I still want to do something exciting with my life, but I've had so much excitement... it would be nice to balance it out with more... real stuff." She sombered.
"You do sound different," Weiss said. "I can't imagine you saying that 18 months ago."
"I couldn't imagine us saving the world that long ago," Yang said.
"Touche," Weiss admitted. "But we're all a little more realistic... but I still want the same basic things--I just know that I want more than that... and that what I want is not the only point of my life."
"I think I agree there," Blake said. "I couldn't go back to what I was focused on before."
"I couldn't go back to thinking that I can do everything alone," Ruby murmured.
"What about you?" Pyrrha glanced at Emerald.
Emerald shrugged. "I never had a dream," she said flatly, "except maybe having a normal life... whatever normal is... I mean, I get it now--none of your lives are really normal either. I wanted... friends... I mean, just someone who'd care if I showed up dead or alive the next day. I finally have that... I guess all I want now is to be able to keep that. Maybe I'd like to give something back to the world, I just don't know what yet. Find something to do and do it... with people I like."
"I really want the same thing," Pyrrha said. "It doesn't have to be grandiose."
"Or it could be," Nora said, "but just not... not only that. I mean, I still want the same thing too. I want to stay with Ren and go on adventures... but the world is... a lot smaller than I thought. We've been all over it now, and I realize that is not where you are, it's who you're with. And it's always been that way for me. But it'd be nice to have something to really want to fight for that wasn't just about surviving."
"Yeah, to give something instead of just fighting to keep what we have," Weiss said.
"Yeah..." Yang sighed. "I think that's where it is... We used to think like that. We lost it. I want to find it again."
"I haven't heard you talk like that in a long time," Weiss said. "It's..." She tugged her ponytail. "It's good to have it back, Yang. I'm glad you're happier."
"Wow, Weiss, that was really sappy," Yang said.
"I was just trying to--" Weiss began.
"No, I get it... sorry," Yang said. "Thanks. I mean... what did you expect me to say? I'm not good with this."
"Do you think we'll stay in touch if we all walk away from this?" Blake said. "If we succeed... the world doesn't blow up. Is this over once we finish this quest? Or are we really friends?"
"Huh... I thought of that," Weiss said. "We could just be strangers..."
"I don't know if we'd all end up in the same place," Pyrrha said. "But I wouldn't want to lose you all..."
"Let's just say then," Nora said, "if we all walk away and go off by ourselves, we'll still check in and we'll meet up even now and then and catch up. That's a good idea, right?"
"Yeah, I like that," Weiss said.
"Good... it's a date... for 5 years from now or whenever." Yang made light of it.
Ruby was still quiet.
"Ruby, are you okay?" Yang finally said.
"I..." Ruby looked up. "I'm sorry, I'm just not really feeling it right now. You guys go on. I'm taking a walk."
She got up and walked away.
"Something happened to her, didn't it?" Weiss said. "Oscar and her didn't say that much about what they saw, but I believe they didn't get off scot free. None of us did."
"Hmm..." Yang said.
"Maybe just let her think for a bit," Blake said. "Why don't you tell us what happened with Neptune? I can tell you're dying to."
"Well..." Yang was tempted. "Fine... I'll check on her later though."
She told them what happened, to appropriately impressed reactions.
"But what did he say?" Balke asked.
"Uh... nothing actually," Yang frowned. "Huh..."
"Where did you get the guts?" Emerald said. "I'd die of embarrassment if I tried that."
"It's easy--you just can't think too hard," Yang said.
Emerald was dubious.
* * *
The girls weren't the only ones with things on their mind.
"So..." Raven leaned on a rock next to Qrow. "Please tell me all that time alone actually got you somewhere."
"You just cannot take a hint to stop bringing something up," Qrow said.
"I learned from you," Raven retorted. "I didn't really get a chance to watch you interact before she passed out, but you seem a little less tense."
Qrow was silent, but he looked kind of awkward.
"Oh... something happened, didn't it?" Raven sounded 100% like a teenager when she said that.
"Get a life," Qrow growled at her.
"I'll just ask her then," Raven said mischievously.
"Maybe you should leave her alone. She went through hell." Qrow still wasn't sure what he'd missed, but it seemed bad.
He rubbed his neck.
Winter was still unconscious and lying as comfortably as they could make her on such hard ground.
Ruby walked past them, looking at her feet.
"Are you sad?" Little asked her, from atop her head.
"I don't know," Ruby said.
"Hmm..." Raven said.
Qrow got up and followed Ruby.
"Are you okay, kiddo?" he asked.
Ruby looked up.
"I... saw Mom," she said.
"What?" Qrow said.
Then he realized it must have been the... Angler thing.
Theo said he thought it was called Avarice... It had been in the book.
"When did it happen?" Qrow asked more gently.
"Right before we found you all, Oscar and I ran into these... things..." Ruby shuddered. "The ones that could look like people you know."
Shine had called them Changelings.
"I guess it was all a part of the bigger one," Ruby said. "And I saw Mom. For a second I thought it was real, like she was here somehow... but then Oscar killed it and I knew it wasn't. I feel stupid for believing it at all, I know she'd dead... I know."
Qrow shook his head. Poor Ruby.
"I'm sorry, kiddo..." he said.
"I don't know if it's Salem or if it's just the Grimm," Ruby said, "but I'm so sick of them messing with us... but this... this time it was too far." She looked furious.
Qrow had to agree.
"And am I selfish for wishing...?" Ruby trailed off. "Like that's... wrong... just because I would like it?"
Qrow didn't know what to tell her.
"I've been asking that about some things myself, Ruby," he said. "But your mom... she wouldn't want you to live in the past either. I don't think you're selfish, not at all. She'd be proud of you. You came all this way... You really are just like her... but things don't always work out the way we want them too."
"But couldn't they just once?" Ruby said rebelliously, though of course they had many times.
"I don't know," Qrow said. "Maybe... we haven't seen them do it yet."
"If Salem turned her into one of those monsters..." Ruby said, "...it's like... losing her all over again. I don't want to find that... What if I'm not strong enough? When we get there?"
Qrow didn't know what to say... Could he tell Ruby she wouldn't? No... he couldn't make a promise like that.
For that matter, they were taking Ruby right to Salem, the person who wanted Silver-Eyed Warriors... Even if Salem no longer had need of them, wouldn't she just like to kill them?
Then again, after all he'd seen... would Salem even succeed if she did? The DJs had stopped all her attacks, or the team had, through their instructions and guidance.
Qrow might not be as afraid now, but did that make it less hard on Ruby?
"Did... did you see anything?" Ruby asked quietly.
"Nothing that... concrete," Qrow said. "It was more like some kind of trance for us. But it's different for me. I've seen a lot of people die... I'm more used to it not being undone. I don't know why it's been spared sometimes and other times it's not. Summer didn't deserve to die... but then, kid, people who didn't deserve it are alive, and people who deserved to live are too. Maybe it's just that there's no partiality. Maybe it's part of something bigger. Maybe we can't stop everyone from dying... and maybe I wouldn't want her back, to have to go through it again, if she's at rest. I don't know. What's really best? I do know that if you try to figure it out all on your own, you're going to work yourself into a bad place. I guess Likstar would say we're not meant to know."
Ruby sighed. "Maybe that's true... I don't know what I want... I mean, I wanted it at the time, but if I really thought about it, would she want to go through this all again? Maybe she'd be just happy we finished it."
"I'm sure she wanted to stay with you," Qrow said.
"But she knew there are reasons that was what she wanted," Ruby said. "And I've been so... angry about that. But I think I understand now. I don't want to do this... but it's more important than me..."
She looked upward. "I just don't know if I can. I just know I should."
"Well... you have some time," Qrow said. "But... for what it's worth, Ruby, it's all right either way. Your Uncle Qrow wouldn't expect you to do something that you don't want to do, but if you want to go through with it, I'll be here."
"Thanks..." Ruby hugged him. "For everything... I... think I just need to think for a while now."
She hugged him quickly and walked away again.
Qrow didn't feel he'd really been that helpful, but Ruby was going to have to work it out for herself.
But she couldn't really turn back... it was just how far she was willing to go.
* * *
"Hey." Wally jogged up to Shine while she was still going along the seashore. "This takes me back..."
"Yeah... first date?"
"Or most of the time you take off, really," Wally said. "California girl to the end, right? Do you not want company still? I can leave."
"I'm okay now, just needed a few minutes..." Shine kicked at the surf. "If I don't look behind us, I'd almost think this was a pretty nice little patch of beach."
"I know you don't really want to talk about it," Wally said. "Just real quick... do you know what you're going to say to her?"
"Not really yet," Shine said. "But there is one thing I think I know."
She held up her hand over her eyes and then glanced at him. "I'm going to have to talk to her alone."
"What?" Wally said.
"This is not about you," Shine said firmly. "But all this state we've come to her with, we're like an invading army. She would never let her guard down to talk to us all. Especially if Ozpin was there. I've gotten her attention--she might hear me out."
"So what, we all just stand there? What if she kills you?"
"She won't, not at first. If she likes what I have to say, she may not even try... 'Course you'd all be on standby, but, Wally, you have to trust me."
"But why even bring us then?" Wally said.
"I never could have gotten this far alone, but I think I have to do the next part. I... Honestly, Wally, can you look at Salem as a person and not a threat?"
Wally stared at her a long moment.
"Can you?" Shine urged.
Wally looked away.
"That fear, that worry that she'll hurt us? That is something she'd read as easily as a book. I can't stop you, but I believe it's unwise. We shouldn't tempt her."
After a pause, Wally said, "You knew... You always knew I wouldn't want to look at her as a victim... I just can't see it... She's done nothing but torment us this whole time. I don't want her to die, but I don't know... I feel compassion for her in a way, but I don't know if it's completely pure."
"I doubt it's pure for me, but you're a superhero, Wally... I love that about you."
She took his face gently. "But she doesn't like heroes... she likes rebels. That's me... Just for once... I think it might work to my advantage to be the way I am. One rebel understands another. She might believe it from me. She won't from you--you're too easy-going. It's just... how we are."
"I can be a bit of a rebel."
"But I sound like one." Shine shrugged. "She'll only care about that. Can you let me go?"
"And the gods?"
"Never fear... from there, we work as a team. There's no other way... She is less of a problem than them."
"Shine... do what you think you should," Wally said finally. "But if things look different later, we're coming in after you."
"Okay." Shine kissed him slowly.
["Lover of the Light"--Mumford and Sons.]