Sasha screamed and pulled against her restraints as the Second Ironwood and the First Winter worked over her legs, working to apply prosthetics.
"Stop it! Stop, it hurts!" She screamed. They flinched. They had never seen Sasha cry before. But with no anesthetic, they didn't have a choice. If that thing came back, if it found them in the Graveyard, they wouldn't get away a second time.
In the twisting, winding halls of the empty Atlas medical facility, the survivors had been thrown away from the First Vao. They didn't know where he was; he could be nearby, or he could be far away.
Yin was lying on his own medical gurney, his prosthetic removed. He didn't have legs, and he only had one arm, staring at the ceiling as Ironwood's soldiers repaired them. Verde had gone into shock, her bloodied arm stump wrapped in a reddened bandage. Vao was next to her, his limbs in a cast. He tried to fight them when they gave him a separate gurney.
Russell was in a wheelchair, whimpering as his legs recovered. Cardin was breathing through a tube, his armor having punctured his stomach. Blake's head had been heavily wrapped in bandages, only her eyes visible. Her skin was horrible burnt, leaving blackened skin behind. Weiss, like Yin, had the least severe wounds. Her bones were scarred, and while she lost a lot of blood she was able to at least walk with crutches.
But Sasha was knocking on death's door, Verde had gone into shock, and one of Vao's kidneys was damaged. General Winter sighed, leaving the therapy to the Second Timeline's General.
"... You have no idea just how..." She trailed off, regaining her composure. "... Just how FUCKING lucky you are," she hissed. "Branwen is a monster. And you lot were dumb enough to pick a fight."
The First Yin, lying on his gurney with a heart monitor, scoffed. "She's right," he growled. "Not even I wanted to go against that... If he had taken it seriously from the start... I don't think even I would have made it."
The sheer power had been enough to traumatize Team FRSB and their friends. Even if their lives had been horrible, they were nothing but grateful they didn't live in the First Timeline. It was a long, agonizing moment of silence, with the only sound being Sasha's cries, pleading for Ironwood to just let her die. And finally, Verde spoke.
"... D... During the fight," she whispered shakily. Everyone turned to the genius. "... He knew everything that was going on, even when he couldn't see it..."
The First Yin grumbled something under his breath. "... Probably the Blood. We've all seen that shit; it's practically got a mind of its own."
Verde looked up at him, her face deathly pale. "... I have a question."
"Shoot."
"Was he infected when he killed Summer?"
Her question made Yin stop. He didn't know how the hell she figured that out. That was a secret between himself and Vao. He never told anyone after the cannibal confessed to it in his Reality. His silence only turned eyes to him. Verde continued.
"... He wasn't. It showed in how much he regretted killing Summer," she whispered shakily. "The Blood... I've studied it, injected it into my own body. It whittles down reasoning; you become obsessed with killing, and sometimes even cannibalism. You hold regrets for every kill, but never to the extent you'll have a psychotic meltdown. The moment Sasha mentioned that Summer couldn't fight back when he killed her, he cried. And moments later, he took down every last one of us in less than a minute."
The Hero of Light's lips curled into a bitter smirk. "... Yeah. You're a fuckin' genius. We get it," he growled. General Winter frowned.
"... Answer the question," she demanded.
"You already got the answer," Yin snapped back. "He killed Summer as himself. He was only roided out on Salem's Blood afterwards. So it's just a suggestion, but don't ever mention how weak Summer was when he did her in. Emotionally hurts him like a bitch."
As they discussed the Blood and its effects on the First Vao, they momentarily wondered if Salem made it out. With the Third Timeline unfolding, she wasn't in the Graveyard. The Graveyard was only a place for past Timelines. It was then that the Second Yin spoke.
"... He screamed at me," he breathed.
"Branwen screams at everything," General Winter muttered. "He's a mental patient, a mentally ill monster."
"No, not like that."
All attention turned to the Second Hero. Yin continued, pushing his legless body into a sitting position. His muscles ached from the shock of being electrocuted, his teeth gritting together. "Before Sasha set him off... He was screaming about how I looked younger. He didn't even realize that he and our Vao were the same person, he thought it was someone dressing up like him. Yin... Other me... I don't know what to call you. Did you never tell him about what was going on?"
"Think I'd want to?" The First Hero snapped. "It's difficult enough trying to keep him sane. If I tell him Salem was just like him, I have no idea what he'll do. He could meltdown, he could understand... It's like a mystery box. You don't know how he's going to react."
They began to argue. But as they argued, Verde went silent, nudging her lover quietly, pulling him into the corner where they could speak privately.
"Let's... Let's find him..."
Vao was absolutely not on board with that idea. "Did you see wot he did to everyone?" He hissed. "We couldn't even land a hit on him. The moment he realized wot your paint did, he knew when you'd sling it..."
There was another reason for not wanting to look, and Verde knew it. "... It wasn't your faul-"
"Oh, bollocks," Vao whispered. "Still looks like me... Love, you can't seriously be thinking of going near that murder machine. He killed Sasha!"
"But Sasha is still al-" But once again, she was interrupted.
"B-bollocks... Bollocks, the whole lot of it," Vao stammered. "I'm stupid, not brainless. When Yin lost his legs, they were still attached. She had them cut clean off. Face it; Sasha's going to die. Your arm got ripped off, and my kidney was stabbed with it. Wot do you think he's gonna do next? I'd wager he'll tear our bloody heads off, mate. That's for true."
Verde was quiet for a moment. She knew exactly how to get him to agree to go with her. She mentally prepared herself to upset him. "... I could go alone."
Vao's nostrils flared angrily. "Th-that isn't fair!" He protested. But he caved, just like she wanted him to. "Fine... F-fine... I'll come with you..."
...
The cold wind rattled the windows of the shack, waking the woman up from her slumber.
Everything hurt. Her entire body ached, her lungs filling with air. The chilly air of the shack soothed her burns, and her turquoise eyes rested on the elf in white. The doctor looked at her, his aged eyes widening.
"Вы живы. Это хорошо."
Salem stared at the old elf in silence. She had no idea what he was saying. The doctor seemed to understand. He cleared his throat. "I'm sorry. Native language," he muttered. He stepped next to her bed, his face stoic and unmoving. "Your... Friends, those goblins. They told us you were trapped in the forest with some manner of monster. When you were brought here, you were barely alive."
Salem felt grief flooding her chest. She was still alive. It felt like a cruel joke. The doctor continued.
"Your other friends, they are still recovering. The blonde human and the harpy child are still sleeping, but the knight is awake. His injuries were the least severe and the easiest to treat."
"O... Ozpin...?"
"That is what he called himself, yes."
Salem stared up at the ceiling. So everyone was alive. And much to her despair, that included herself. Just what did the Gods want from her? Did they really plan to torment her, after everything she had already been through?
... She felt that she didn't want to know the answer to that question. Of course they would.
The doctor moved towards his table, glancing over some paper work. "... You will stay here in the city for now. In your condition, it will be several months before you are fit to travel again. Even then, you will face the after effects of your injuries. There was a lot of internal bleeding; you almost had to get an amputation."
"Ampu...?"
The doctor nodded. "Your shoulder. We almost couldn't save it; it took several healers to heal... Whatever it was that bit you. You'll also be feeling anemic for a couple weeks and up to two months. You lost a lot of blood. I recommend you refrain from drinking, or exercising too much. You might land yourself right back in the hospital."
Salem stared up at the ceiling. It was a miracle she was alive. Or was it a curse? She definitely was leaning towards a curse. She only had a few more questions. "Everyone else... Will they be okay...?"
The doctor's face was grim. She didn't like that. Not one bit.
"... Physically? Yes. The harpy child had a broken wing and several stab wounds, but with tender care of the healers and our remedies, he will be fine. He'll even fly again. The cleric... Might be a different story. While his wounds can be treated... He... Er..."
Salem sat up in bed, gasping when the sharp pain forced her back to lying down. The doctor hummed quietly, trying to find the words. "... Don't move. You might open the stitches..."
"B-but the cleric...?"
"Yes... He seems mentally unwell," the doctor said slowly. "He is coherent and fine when he is awake, but when he's asleep... He screams. He starts thrashing about, and we need to put him in restraints so he won't hurt himself. And when he wakes up, he has no memory of his nightmares... It's worrying, to say the least."
Salem was worried. But it was time for her last question.
"... Where... Am I?"
Knock, knock, knock.
The doctor looked up when he heard the sound at the door, the wooden frame sliding open to reveal a nurse. Another elf.
"Добрый дeнь, докmoр. У больного гоcmи."
"Хороший. Впусти их."
The nurse stepped to the side to allow the three visitors into the hospital room, their eyes meeting Salem's. Pock, Pyrrha, and Ozpin. Pock and Pyrrha were fine. After all, they had been smart enough to run away instead of fighting.
But Ozpin was different. Salem could see the stump of where his left arm used to be, wrapped tight in a bandage. With the lack of advanced technology, he was not able to get a prosthetic.
"Salem... You're awake," the knight whispered. "That's... Good..."
The three stepped closer to her bed, Salem's eyes beginning to water. They were alive. Somehow, they survived the deadliest human to walk, and they lived to tell the tale. But even learning of their survival, she still felt grief. In the end, it was her fault they had been chased in the first place. The attacks were centered around her, and as the Souls of the Timelines grew more familiar, they were able to interact with the world. The fact that Vao was already beginning to make a name for himself proved it. The goblins had even started naming him Death.
... As twisted as it was, no name could be more fitting. But when would the next attack happen? Would it be the cannibal, or would it be someone less unpleasant? Ozpin looked at the doctor. "... Is she fit to go outside?"
The doctor shook his head. "Not yet. She won't even be able to leave that bed for another week."
"Then can we have some privacy?"
"Of course."
The doctor and the nurse closed the door behind them, and with a look, Pock and Pyrrha followed. Ozpin pulled up a chair, the knight leaning on his knee, staring her in the eyes. "... We need to talk."
Salem didn't answer. She just stared up at the ceiling with a distant, cloudy gaze in her dull eyes. Ozpin took that as his cue. "... In the woods... The Hero of Light shouted something. That someone was giving Vao Blood... Do you remember that?"
"... I do..."
Ozpin nodded curtly. "Was it you?"
Even after eight years, he still didn't completely trust her. Not that Salem could really blame him. She was the one who turned Vao into a psychotic, cannibalistic killing machine. And up until recently, she had been the only source of the Blood. She shook her head lightly, her neck flaring with pain with each subtle movement. "O-ow... I d-didn't..."
"Then how is he getting it?"
"I d... Don't know..."
Ozpin's face was grim and dark. "You realize how hard it is for me to believe that, don't you?"
Salem didn't answer. She painfully moved her head to look him straight in the eyes. She could feel the tears building up, the lump in her throat growing. Ozpin stared at her for a long while before shaking his head. "... I would kill you right here. I would do it in a heartbeat if I didn't suspect another culprit."
"A-another...?"
Ozpin nodded slowly. "That man. Jack Gulden," he said softly. "Somehow, he knows about the Timelines. He knows about the Blood, he knows about Light and Dark. With how Vao reacted when he saw you, I doubt you could have gotten close enough to feed him and lived. Which means it has to be Jack... Somehow, he's found a new source of Blood."
That name sent chills down her spine. "But... Where...?"
"... I don't know..."
...
Her pale face almost blended in with the snow, her black boots crunching the flattened snow on the road. The elven drunkards stared at her with disdain. Humans weren't a welcome sight in the city. But she didn't care. She only clutched her doll gently.
Ruby's face was unmoving, her hair neatly brushed and falling to her shoulders. To her left walked her ally, the man being the reason she had such an easy time getting into the city. He was the Royal Executioner, his helmet tucked safely under his arm.
His hair was a deep red, an eye patch covering the brand of the Church. His name was Adam, Ruby had learned. He didn't seem to like her very much. He was an elf. Part of Ruby wondered why the Church would allow an elf to be a part of the Pope's inner circle, but she felt that his race was kept secret. After all, this was the first time she had seen him without his helmet.
Then again, the Pope didn't know they were out here. She knew Leaf would be furious when she returned, and she'd be punished. But at the same time, she didn't care. After all, it was Jack who asked her to come out here with Adam.
"Mister Taurus?"
"Whaddya want?"
Ruby looked up at him, tilting her head curiously. "Why do you help the Church?"
Adam gritted his teeth. "... Personal deal between me and your Pope. Mind your business."
"Okay."
There was more silence until they finally reached their destination. Ruby stared up at the window, curiosity sparking in her eyes. "... There does not seem to be a latch..."
"That's because Aldia's crime rate is low," Adam growled. "I doubt you can lift me in this armor, so I'll give you a boost."
He squatted down, cupping his hands. Ruby placed her foot on them, her hands walking up the wall as he pushed her until she could stand on his shoulders. The window slid open with a bit of effort, ice breaking off the pane. Silently Ruby slipped inside the room, her boots leaving snow on the ground.
Yin and Pip were sleeping in their beds, a gag wrapped around the deacon's mouth. He was mumbling something muffled in his sleep, his wrists pulling at his restraints every now and again. But something else had taken her interest. Ruby walked past him, straight to Pip's bed. She leaned over the harpy, her silver eyes scanning his girly face.
He was definitely related to Vao. Ruby was a bit surprised, but at the same time she expected that sister-kissing whore to eventually have a kid. Ruby stood up straight, turning her attention back to her brother.
Jack had told her they'd be in Aldia, but not that they'd be in the hospital. And from their wounds, they were attacked, she deduced. She couldn't imagine a nonhuman doing it; Ozpin was an exceptional fighter, and while Salem wasn't that great with a weapon, she could hold her own. She leaned over the blonde's bed, her curiosity spiking again as she pulled the blanket down.
Stab wounds. They were stitched up, but it was still painfully obvious that he had been knifed. Ruby didn't recall Jack ever telling her about an attack. He would've told the whole story about how he did it, just like he told her about the sewers. She didn't have time to ponder it for long; a voice broke her from her thoughts.
"Who... Are you...?"
She turned back to Pip. The harpy was sitting up in bed, his good wing rubbing the drowsiness from his red eyes. Ruby turned to him, her lips curling into a soft smile.
"It is very rude to ask someone who they are without introducing yourself first," she cooed softly. Pip nodded, not entirely understanding.
"My name is Pip... Who are you?"
Ruby's black boots didn't make a sound as she approached, her smile falling. "... My name is Ruby."
"That's my aunt's name," Pip said. "I've never met her because she's in the... Ch... Church..."
Ruby pressed a finger to his lips before he could scream, hushing him quietly. "Do not be afraid, Pip. I am here to see Yin. That's all."
Pip's heart was racing. Something was wrong with her eyes. They didn't hold anything. They didn't hold joy, they didn't hold anger, and they didn't hold sadness. They were empty, barren.
"P-please," he whispered shakily. "D-don't hurt Uncle Yin..."
Ruby's lips curled into that soft smile again. "I don't intend to hurt him. I just want to make him beautiful. It would have been bad if the merchandise was damaged, wouldn't it?"
"M... Merchan... Wot?"
Ruby had already begun walking back to the window in complete silence. As she stood at the frame, she looked back at Pip.
"... We'll see each other soon, Dear Pip. And when we do, you'll be beautiful too. But for now, we must wait until you find your father."
"D-dad!?" Pip cried. But Ruby had already climbed out of the window, closing it behind her. Pip swung his legs over the edge of his bed, his talons scratching at the floor as he quickly stepped towards the window, staring out into the snow.
Ruby was gone.
...
As the sun rose at the end of the third week, Salem was finally well enough to get out of bed. She still wasn't allowed outside of the hospital, but at the very least she didn't have to stare at that room in countless hours of maddening boredom.
The wheels of her wheelchair squeak led from the cold as she pushed herself forward, too short to see out of the windows. The only thing she could see was the sky; sometimes it was cloudy and white, other times it was clear and blue. A small part of her wanted to see Aldia. A part of her didn't. That distant, empty and barren feeling was growing inside of her, a frigid darkness filled with hatred directed towards herself. Happy thoughts didn't last long enough to chase it off; there was nothing to be happy about. Even eight years ago during her adventures with everyone, there were still the dark undertones of Yin's racism, and then the reveal that he had abused Verde.
All in all, she didn't have a whole lot to be happy about. She kind of wished she had someone to talk to. As far as she was aware, Yin still wasn't awake, and Pip was currently with the goblins. Ozpin was out and about, having promised to bring food that tasted better than the bland and almost tasteless hospital food.
And at the same time, she kind of wished no one would talk to her. She regretted ever leaving the castle eight years ago. If she had jumped from the balcony instead, the lives of the people she cared about wouldn't be in turmoil. The strange visions wouldn't be hunting her. She had a sneaking suspicion that they'd still somehow cross over, but they wouldn't be actively chasing her. Though, it was only one that she feared most.
That twisted, schizophrenic axe-swinging maniac. Now that she was human and fully capable of being killed like such, she understood the fear he struck into others. The awful aura of the Blood dripping from his black soul that was permanently ensnared by his own shadow.
She shook the memory of his furious, starved screams of insanity from her head as she stopped in front of Yin and Pip's room. Reached for the handle, she struggled to pull the door open. It was harder when she was in a wheelchair; the wheels couldn't lock into place, and she kept rolling forward.
Click!
Pip's face peered out of the door, having used his forehead to push the handle down. His wing was still bandaged up with a splint to protect extra movement, and he had a few dark scars on his chest. But even still, he was a bundle of joy, beaming brightly at the princess.
"'Ello, mate~! Did you need something?"
"Good morning," Salem said quietly. "... Can I come in?"
Pip's joy only grew, the harpy hopping up and down. "Of course! Uncle Yin just woke up, too!"
Salem felt her heart beginning to race as Pip pushed the door open, her wheels squeaking as she pushed herself into the room. She could see Yin sitting up in bed, listening as Pyrrha finished explaining what had happened. He turned his head when he noticed her, his blue eyes meeting hers. And finally his lips curled into a soft, relieved grin. "Salem... You're okay..."
He was alright, just like Pip. Yin reached for his crutches, limping closer towards her. His smile fell when his eyes rested on the wheelchair. "Is that... Permanent?"
Salem was very hesitant. But slowly, she shook her head. Yin's smile returned. "That's good... Hey, in another week we'll be able to see Aldia, right? We can start looking for Sasha..."
Salem was silent. Wordlessly, she turned in her wheelchair and pushed herself out of the room. She could hear the clicks of Yin's crutches as he poked his head out the door, watching her leave. "S-Salem? Wait up!"
Salem didn't turn around. She stopped in the middle of the halls, her eyes growing wet.
"... Stop following me."
The clicking stopped. She could tell Yin was confused. But Salem's mind had already been made up; if she really wanted to keep the people she cared about safe, then she'd need to distance herself. When she could walk again, she was leaving. Everyone else could deal with Sasha. She was going to start looking for Vao, to make sure he was at the very least alive. And after that?
... Salem was going to finish what should have been finished in the First Timeline.
Click, click, click.
She sighed when she heard Yin's crutches behind her, pushing harder on her wheels. The clicking only grew faster. Salem was feeling lightheaded from the exercise, finally spinning to face him.
"Yin... Just go back to your room," she hissed. "I want to be left alone."
But Yin refused. He just stared at her, leaning against his crutches lightly.
"... Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. Is it that bad that I want time to myself?"
Yin flashed her a playful smirk. "C'mon, Salem. It's not good to bottle things up."
Ironic that Yin would be the one to say that, given that was exactly what he did in the previous Timelines. She shook her head, growing increasingly annoyed.
"It will not be a discussion that we will have."
Yin's smile faltered, giving way to a frown. "... It's gonna bug me if you don't open u-"
"For the love of Dust, leave me alone!" Salem shouted. She immediately felt a pang of regret. She didn't mean to lose her temper. But with her outburst, Yin looked taken aback. She didn't have the guts to apologize. She just turned her wheelchair around, rolling down the halls. He didn't follow her this time.
And when Salem finally made it back to her room, she sat in silence, staring at the falling snow through the window.
Soon, and then she could finish what should have ended a long time ago.
She just had to wait a little longer.
...
As the days turned to weeks, and the weeks turned to two months, Salem hadn't left her room very much. Occasionally she'd be visited by her friends, but they didn't exchange many words. Salem didn't really feel like talking.
Yin and Ozpin tried to get her to open up, but she'd only tune them out. That dark, empty feeling grew with each passing day, worse each time, a presence deep within that stayed even during the early hours of the morning. Her untouched breakfast lay abandoned at her nightstand, her wheelchair resting in the corner in case she needed it. She still felt anemic at times, but it wasn't as severe. It hurt to walk for too long, but she was getting better.
With her lack of eating, she had grown thinner, but not to an alarming degree. Not yet. She sat on her bed, reading a book in silence. It was a history book; she found the history of the City of Elves to be somewhat fascinating.
After the Five Decade War five hundred years ago, the city had been given to the elves under the pretense of peace. And yet, with its harsh and bitter cold, the Church had not cared for the frozen north. The elves had taken it in stride, and almost flourished. As a result the Church established a new government, one run by humans
Salem couldn't help but draw connections to another place given to minorities after a war. Aldia, aside from its communist government, was not dissimilar to Menagerie.
She continued to read. She was beginning to understand why the hospital's tools weren't as advanced as the ones in the Royal Capital. They just didn't have the necessary funds. It explained why half of her wheelchair was rusted and squeaked with every push. Slowly, folded the corner of the page she stopped at and closed the book, resting her thinning hands against the cover. She could hear footsteps down the hall.
Her door opened, Pip poking his head inside. His wing was out of its cast, but it was still sore and stiff. Salem could tell when he didn't move it very much.
"Hi~! Uncle Yin and Ozzy wanted to know if you'll join us in looking for Sasha!"
Salem shook her head. "Another time..."
Pip's smile fell. "... Are you okay?"
"I'm fine... Just let me rest..."
Pip looked torn between staying and listening. "... If you need anything, I'm sure Ozzy and Uncle Yin'll help," he suggested. "And I'm not very smart! Pyrrha says it makes me a great person to talk to about serious things, because I'll forget!"
That really wasn't something to be proud of, Salem thought to herself. But still she remained firm in her decision. "No, thank you."
"Okay! See you later!"
Pip closed the door behind him. When Salem listened carefully, she could hear his muffled voice telling Yin and Ozpin about her choice. With a sigh, she swung her legs over her bed, moving towards the window again. She did a lot of people watching from the window. The elves weren't a smiling type of people. In fact, most of them looked almost as miserable as she felt. Who could really blame them, though? Their government sucked, they were cold all the time, and they were hungry.
She could feel the drowsiness creeping up on her as she watched the snow fall gently, but that dark and empty feeling kept her eyelids from closing. She hadn't slept properly in two days, and yet her eyes wouldn't stay closed. It was as if they were forced open, the rings under her eyes growing darker with each passing hour.
Heavier, until she felt it pressing down on the back of her neck. Deeper, to the point she felt like she was drowning. As her eyes watched the flakes gently float to the ground and add to the snow that blanketed the ground underneath, she pondered a question she had been struggling with for the past two months, since she had first woken up: what was the point in all of this?
Wouldn't it all start over again if they reached the end? Their lives would be toyed with, over and over, until the Gods grew tired and moved on to the next.
The Church was hunting Yin now. Salem felt like it was her fault. If she had never gone looking for him and Vao, they'd never have appeared on Iris's radar. She had started to realize that as much as she wanted to avoid the interference of the Gods, she had been the one who triggered it. And now Vao and Verde were in hiding with three others, and hadn't been seen in over eight years. Yin was avoiding the Church, and if he was caught he'd be punished. Pip didn't even know who his parents were. Ozpin lost his family jewels and his arm, and still didn't trust Salem. And Pock and Pyrrha had their dreams of freedom, throwing themselves into battle.
None of them, with the exception of Ozpin, knew what they were getting themselves into. She felt powerless against everything; she didn't know if she still had magic, and neither did Ozpin. Yin hadn't unlocked his yet. And they didn't know where Vao even was. At this moment, they were utterly defenseless against the Blood. Against the Gods themselves, they had no chance of winning. It was hopeless, bleak. Pointless.
At the rate they were going, there was going to be a Fourth Timeline. The threat of reliving lifetimes of inhospitable horrors loomed over her like a shadow. And what was worse, was it was like the Gods planned for Salem to try and get involved. Jack's existence was what gave her this thought; he didn't exist in the Second and First Timelines. He was native to Twist. And yet he knew everything that had happened.
Her mind was foggy, her hands sliding the window open. The cold wind brushed through her hair, pricking at her skin. Slowly she got dressed before climbing on the window sill, the cloth keeping her warm enough. With a deep breath, she jumped.
Crunch.
The snow cushioned her fall, leaving an imprint of her knees as she stood up and dusted it off. She needed fresh air, a walk. And knowing the doctors and nurses of the hospital, they wouldn't allow her to walk through the front door unless she was coming inside. This was the only way she was getting out.
Crunch, crunch, crunch.
Her boots flattened the snow under her heels as she walked along the snowy road, pulling her hood over her head and hiding her ears. With the lack of humans, she didn't want to be called out by a bystander and have the hospital searching for her. With a sigh, she tucked her arms into her body, holding herself to stave off the cold.
The monochrome of Aldia reflected how she felt. Bland and colorless. Slowly, memories came drifting back.
She could still see herself tearing apart a family, feel her body moving against its will. She could still see the First Vao standing in front of her, believing she was a friend. And then the pure horror of when he saw her old face for the first time, tainted as white as the snow with black veins like dark rivers. The moment of realization when he trusted a stranger - the wrong stranger.
There was a lot that she did to Yin. She was responsible for his PTSD, and his abusive habits. But what she did to the femboy who called her friend was by far worse, leaving him as a hollow she'll of his former self, fighting to keep his humanity. She had told Tyrian to do as he pleased, knowing full well that he'd sexually assault Vao. She knew Vao would be too scared to fight back after the first time. She remembered every time she was angry with him, which had been frequent, she'd stand outside their room and listen to Vao screaming for someone to save him. Listen to Tyrian beat the fight out of him. And the only person with the guts to help him had been Cinder, who was ordered to stay out of it or be killed. If she hadn't snuck off to see Vao during the aftermath, he'd be dead by his own hands.
Salem felt her stomach churn violently, the hospital food bursting from her lips when she puked it out, her frail legs shaking.
It was disgusting. And then in the Second Timeline, where she killed Yin's friends to get back at him for the First Timeline, possessing his sister. Ruby tried to fight it, and even told Vao. But Vao, not remembering Salem or the Blood, didn't believe her.
She killed Vao in an attempt to take both him and Yin out at the same time. But the result was Yin holding the dying body of his brother in his arms. Verde, out for revenge, used her knowledge of the Blood in an attempt to kill Ruby and expose Salem. And when she lost, she had ordered the painter to be tortured to the point of insanity, forcing Yin to kill her out of mercy. Summer, Tai, Raven, Blake, Russell, Sasha, Oobleck, Weiss, Yang, and so many others had died because they got in Salem's path for revenge, manipulating Iris's desire for power to label them as terrorists. And by the end, she fully expected Yin to be a broken man, just like he was in the First Timeline.
But instead, she saw the fire in his eyes that never seemed to go out. It wasn't the desire to kill her - that was part of it, but not the complete emotion in his eyes. It was the desire to stop Salem from hurting anyone else. And she learned just how far Yin was willing to go when he dove into her Reality, cast aside his hatred despite knowing what she had done in the First Timeline, and saved her. Her, who wasn't worth it. He didn't remember the Gods in the Second Timeline; he had no way of knowing how the Second Timeline started. For all he knew, it could have been her fault. Yet he still set aside his own personal wants to do what he thought was right.
... He was a far better person than Salem would ever call herself. She was starting to see just how awful it was for her to follow him. She didn't deserve to call herself his friend after all of that. Ozpin did; Ozpin had been by Yin's side since the beginning. But Salem, who had caused unimaginable pain, played with Yin and Vao like they were toys, didn't. Countless millennia throughout the countless ages, she had sadistically twisted and torn apart an innumerable amount of innocent people. She couldn't even remember any of their faces. Selfish, vile, cruel, and ruthless. Those were only a few of the words that described how she was.
She could feel herself getting sick again. But she swallowed it down, wincing at the bitter taste.
This lack of self-worth was growing stronger.
...
The cold wind blew over the charred ruins, their feet crushing the charcoal remains. Their grip on one another's hands tightened, Vao's breath growing shaky.
"B... Bloody hell," he breathed. He never could have imagined his father's house would be like this. Burned to the ground until only a skeleton of its former self remained. It was jarring, unnerving. Creepy and desolate, devoid of life. Even though it was Verde's choice to search this cursed place, it was a choice she was beginning to regret.
"... Yin really wasn't lying when he said Vao destroyed it," she whispered. Quickly she fixed her words. "Not you, Darling."
Vao was quiet, pulling away to wander the ruin. Kneeling down, he brushed aside the piles of ash, picking up a picture frame. Carefully he dusted the glass off, wincing when he cut his finger. He could feel his lover's one arm wrapping around him from behind, staring at the photograph in silence. Yellowed with age, it was difficult to make out at first. But it was still viewable.
It looked like it was in front of Beacon. For obvious reasons, Tai, Summer, Qrow, and Raven were not with them. It was Ruby, Yang, and Yin. A part of it was torn out - the part that held the First Vao. They could only tell because they could see his arm draped over Yin's opposite shoulder.
They doubted Tai would ever cut Vao out of the family, even if he was a psychotic serial killer. And the First Yin wasn't the type to dig around for old family photos. From what the Hero of Light had told them, Yang didn't like coming back here, and the Spring Maiden was blind and wouldn't be able to tell what she was holding. That only left one option.
The First Vao tore himself out of the picture. In a way without using words, it told how he viewed himself; that he didn't have the right to call himself their brother, or their friend. It was completely understandable; he killed most of them with his own cold hands and ate them.
"... Are you okay?" Verde whispered. Vao shook his head.
"... Not really, Love... It... It was still me who did all this, wasn't it...?"
Verde knew by now there was no convincing her boyfriend otherwise. In a way, he was right; he and the First Vao were the same person. Their circumstances, however, had been far different. Where Vao lived a regular childhood in the Second Timeline, he suffered in the First alongside his brother and the rest of the world. He was force-fed the Blood of Salem, twisting him into what he was now. A crazy, schizophrenic killing machine. Her grip on him tightened.
"... No matter what happened, I still love you," she spoke into his ear. Vao didn't look at her.
"... I love you too..."
Verde pulled away to inspect their surroundings, stepping outside the ruin and kneeling down in the grass. Vao followed her, his water bottle crinkling as he sipped from it quietly.
"... There's footprints," she observed. "They look old..."
Vao leaned over her shoulder, squinting his eyes in the light of the setting sun. "... Yeah. Could be a week or two... Maybe even longer..."
They stood up, trotting back to the ruin, sifting through the overgrown lawn. The skeletal house was silhouetted in the sun, like an ominous shadow.
Among the burn marks on what was left of the walls, they could make out the deep gouges in the wood left behind by Grimm Demise and Harbinger from where Qrow fought Vao, moments before he was killed by the Enemy. The bloodstains blended in with the blackened wood, burned away with the house.
"... Why are you here?"
They jumped at the sound of the voice, their heads swivelling frantically in search of the source. Verde felt Vao's hand protectively grab her waist, ready to use his Semblance in a heartbeat to escape. Verde swallowed her fear, calling out to him.
"... Please show yourself. We want to talk to you," she said in her monotonous voice. There was silence. "... Vao? Will you talk to us?"
"... Leave me alone. It's better that way."
They couldn't narrow down on a source. His voice echoed around the ruins, bouncing around and making it impossible to locate. Verde held her ground. "We aren't leaving without talking to you. This is very important."
"... I remember you. I tore your arm off. I ate it to the bone, and stabbed that girl who dressed up like me. Then you know what I'll do. I'll eat the rest of you."
"... We aren't leaving," Verde said firmly. "Come on out. We don't have our weapons; we aren't looking for another fight."
The air was silent for a long time. Until finally, he replied.
"... In the backyard. Follow the trail..."
They could see it snaking through the tall grass, the tendril as black as the Blood that flowed through his veins. Verde and Vao shared a worried look before moving forward, following the Magic. Until finally, they came into a clearing where the grass had been cut unevenly.
And in the center, he sat down with his legs crossed and his back turned to them. Grimm Demise and Misery rested on the ground next to him, his long black hair hid most of his back, with only his knees poking out from the sides. They could feel the cold radiating from his body, chilling the air. With a sigh, he spoke again.
"... You really came... After seeing just a little of what I do to people... You came back..." They could see his hair tighten on his scalp as he pulled it. "... Auntie... Wot do I do...? People stay away... They stay away..."
Verde looked around the clearing, staring at the grass. He obviously cut it himself. But why would he do such a meaningless thing in the middle of the yard? "... What is this place? Why are you sitting here?"
He was silent. And finally after a long while, he spoke. "... It's where my whole life changed," he whispered. They could see him tremble slightly, his breaths shaking. "... It's where Auntie took something precious..."
Realization dawned on the two of them. This was where Vao had lost his eye, the place where Summer had gouged it out with her scythe. The Enemy continued, talking not to them, but to himself.
"N-no... No, no, I'm not angry," he whimpered. "Au-Auntie... Don't leave me alone again... You're the only one who t-talks to me..."
They both knew that it was a fatal risk approaching him. Verde mentally reminded herself not to mention Summer. "... Hello? Are you... Listening...?"
Slowly he turned to face them, rising to his feet. They could see his pale skin, his single red eye. And when he spoke, they could see the red on his teeth.
"... Wot do you want from me?" He hissed dangerously. "Everyone is out for my head... And you're not here for a fight, but a chat? I'm ... T-the wrong person for that."
"We are aware," Verde replied. The First Vao cut her off, pointing at his Second Timeline self.
"Why is she still dressed up like me?"
Verde glanced back at her boyfriend. He had his trembling hand resting on his weapon, his knees almost knocking together. The blood was beginning to drain from her face when she turned back to the Enemy, staring him in his single eye. "... That isn't a girl. It's you, from the Second Timeline."
"Time..." The First Vao's voice trailed off, his eyebrows furrowing together. "... H... Huh?"
Verde gulped. She worried that if she told him, he'd snap. It was a high chance.
It took a long time of explaining. The entire time, Verde and Vao watched his movements carefully. But it was as if he was frozen. He didn't move. He didn't react. Every word Verde spoke, she thought about very carefully before she said it. There could be triggers other than Summer that she didn't know about. And knowing what the First Vao was like, it wouldn't take much to set him off. It was like a game of Russian Roulette with five chambers loaded.
And when she finally finished, Vao still didn't move. He barely breathed. He just stared, an unreadable expression in his single eye. She was growing restless; was he about to attack? Had she not picked the right words? Finally he moved, his fingers moving towards his lips. His teeth cut into his skin, his own blood staining his teeth.
"My... Life has s... s-started over...?" He stammered quietly. "No... No, no that isn't... How many times...? How many times...!?"
"It's only been three-"
She took a step back when Vao snapped his body straight, pulling at his hair. He was on the verge of a mental breakdown. She backpedaled back to her Vao, her hand grabbing his. "Now, do it now!"
The First Vao watched as they disappeared into a cloud of ash, solidifying what she had told him as proof that she hadn't lied. Vao's lips curled, a terrible scream of pure anguish and mental disarray exploding from his pale lips.
If his life had started over, then was all of his suffering just some sort of joke? His dreams of finally seeing everyone he killed, were they out of his reach?
He tore at the grass, hiss teeth gritting together that they'd have cracked if they hadn't been used for what they had for... How long had it been now? If his life had reset, just how many decades had he been consuming others? The thought of it was tearing him to pieces.
"Au... Auntie," he whimpered. "H-help me.... Help me!"
In his weakest moment, the voice finally spoke to him.
((... How does it feel, Vao? To have your dreams taken from you, like you did to me?))
His guy churned, his blood boiling with fury. His eyes grew wet, his inability to control his emotions finally revealing itself. "I... I didn't... H-have a choice... No choice...! No choice!"
((And yet you enjoy the taste of human flesh. It has grown on you, like the twisted animal you are.))
Vao didn't have an argument. The Blood had warped his taste buds to the point that eating another person was like eating a regular meal. He trembled, biting down on his fingers. His teeth sawed down to bone, his humanity eroding away.
He had never been so pissed off in his life. Not even when Yang pretended to be Summer to manipulate him. Not even when Salem revealed that she never intended to grant him the wish he killed millions for. How many years ago was that? How many years had he spent in this Graveyard? Without aging, suffering his own sick head? A pale, skeletal hand gripped his shoulder, the hallucination becoming visible to his single eye. His schizophrenia flared like an inferno, his hands falling from his mouth as he stared at his long-dead aunt. He could see where he had split open her chest, her rotting heart pulsating with every beat inside.
((... But that animal still has a choice,)) she breathed. ((Take a stand. Prove yourself to the Gods. Prove to them, and you'll get your wish...))
Vao's teeth gritted together, the Aura in his eye socket arcing over his head. The Darkness radiated from his skin in waves with his insanity, threatening to destroy the place where he lost his eye.
Years of fighting, of killing mindlessly to satiate his own abhorrent appetite. And for what? Certainly not for nothing. Vao would not allow that.
And Summer knew it. Her cold, dead lips curled into a smirk, her eyes glowing. But not silver. This wasn't the Summer that tried to talk to Vao. This was the Summer that he saw her as from the moment he lost his eye. A twisted, malformed version bursting with hatred for the one who murdered her.
((... Go ahead. Claim it. Claim the revenge you desperately want,)) she cooed. ((Do it. Do it. Do it, you little schizo, you~!))
Vao's anger finally began to focus, narrowing down on the one person he believed to be at fault. The one thing that manipulated him from the beginning, orchestrated his hellish life.
"... Goddess," he snarled. His hands shook as he reached for his weapons, his Misery returning to its sheath. But his Grimm Demise was gipped in his tremulous hands, squeezing at the cold steel of its handle. Misery didn't have nearly as high of a body count as his axe. His axe was viewed by Vao as cursed; he had used it to kill Summer. He used it to kill the people he cared about, and hundreds of thousands more.
His body began to stiffen, his eyes staring at the nothingness ahead. And finally, an involuntary giggle escaped.
"Nyehehe.... Nyahahaha..."
The monstrous blade carved into the ground when he dragged it behind him, his shoulders slumped forward in a slouch. The corners of his mouth twitched, stretching into that sinister, bloodthirsty smile that had become associated with him. His single red eye peered from the mass of hair that hung from his head.
"Goddess," he breathed, his voice quivering with his worsening psychosis. Summer's hallucination smirked, clinging to his shoulders, her legs nonexistent. She protruded from his lower back, her bloodred eyes watching him with interest.
((Yes. Pay me back what you owe. Do it, Vao. Do it for your poor, dear, beloved 'Auntie'...))
Vao's kind was made up. He didn't plan on making Salem suffer.
He was going to kill her.
He was going to kill her as many times as it would take for his life to finally stop starting over. And anyone who stood in his way, he'd kill them too.
Every last one of them.
...
Salem wheezed as she climbed back into her room, kicking off the pile of snow she had made to scramble back inside. Sliding quietly to the floor, she gazed around the quiet, dark room. It didn't look like her absence was missed. With a sigh, she reached into her cloak and pulled out the bottle. Aldia didn't have wine, but a little vodka wouldn't hurt, she decided. Just enough to null how she felt.
Keeping an eye on the door, she twisted the cap off and took a sip. The harsh, bitter taste made her physically recoil. It tasted terrible, as tended to be the case with cheap booze. But even still, she couldn't imagine the expensive stuff tasting much better. She wondered how Vao was able to drink it like water.
But even still, it was all she could get her hands on. She took another sip, sitting back in her bed and picking up her book. She turned the pages to where she had last left off, unfolding the corner.
In silence she sat, slowly sliding her boots off before scooting further up the bed, resting her back against the pillow.
Another sip. She could feel lightheaded from the anemia. With a sigh, she screwed the cap back on and tucked the bottle under her pillow. The doctors and nurses wouldn't check there unless she made it obvious that she had been going outside. And luckily for her, breathalyzers hadn't been invented on Twist. Not that this hospital could afford one.
Her door opened, the princess lifting her eyes to see the goblin stepping through the frame uninvited. Pyrrha had her hair done up in a ponytail; if it hadn't been for her height and green skin, she'd have looked identical to her First and Second Timeline counterparts.
"Hello again," she greeted with a small wave.
"... Do you need something?" Salem asked softly. Pyrrha shook her head.
"I want chat. That okey?"
Salem wasn't really in the mood to talk. But Pyrrha looked insistent. She doubted the goblin would leave, and Salem wasn't in the right shape to force her out. With a sigh, she folded the corner of her page and set her book off to the side, wondering if she'd ever finish it. "What is it?"
Pyrrha stepped further into the room, hopping up on a chair. "... It cold," she remarked. "You not cold?"
Salem shook her head. "I am not," she lied. She didn't know Pyrrha or Pock very well. She didn't want to run the risk of them telling Yin and Ozpin that she was sneaking out. "Now, what do you need?" She repeated.
Pyrrha grinned. "How you doin'?"
"... Fine?"
Salem didn't really understand what she was getting at. The goblin continued. "I want to make sure you okey."
"I'm fine. My injuries are healing-"
"Not there," Pyrrha interrupted. She brought a hand to her head, tapping against her temple. "Up here."
"... I am fine," Salem lied again. Pyrrha stopped smiling.
"... No you not."
Salem scoffed. "I feel fine. Isn't that all that matters?"
"No."
"Then what does-"
"You know Death," Pyrrha interrupted. Salem's breath caught in her throat, the goblin leaning forward. "... Don't you?"
Had it been that obvious? Pyrrha sighed, leaning back in the chair. "... I saw it. Pock didn't. But I saw way you look at Death," she continued. "You scare like everyone else. But you also feel bad. You easy to read, like beer label."
Salem narrowed her eyes. "... You were imagining things," she grumbled. Pyrrha just chuckled.
"I imagining, then why you defensive?"
Salem didn't respond to that. Pyrrha's smile fell again. "... What happen? Between you and Death?" She asked kindly. "... He look like Vao, but older. It has something do with that... Right?"
She was perceptive. Salem didn't like it. "... We are not talking about this," she said quietly. "... When we find Vao, I'll explain everything. Now isn't the time."
"Death call you a god," Pyrrha countered. "He know you, just like you know him."
"I am not ready," Salem hissed. "Get out of my room."
Pyrrha stared at her for a moment before speaking. "I try to help you," she whispered. "You start worry everyone."
"Worry? Worry about what?"
Pyrrha shifted uncomfortable, fidgeting with her hands. She took a deep breath, slowly letting it out before looking back up at the princess.
"... Everyone worry you kill yourself."