[Opener--"Beautiful Things", Gungor]
"You're going to babysit for Pyrrha?" Cinder asked.
"Yeah...so?" Emerald said.
"Nothing.... She doesn't find that...weird at all?" Cinder asked.
Emerald took a second to remember what Cinder meant.
"Oh...because of Penny? That's so odd--I haven't thought of that in months."
"How do you not think of that?" Cinder said.
"You mean you still think about what you did?" Emerald said.
Silence.
The answer was pretty obvious.
"You think that you're not a part of all this because of what you did?" Emerald guessed. "I can see that.... I used to feel that way. I think it only went away because I've worked on making their lives better, and getting to be up close...well, I think that's why I keep telling you to just reconnect with us, kind of. Being alone, unable to forget what we did, it just makes it keep haunting us. You forget by replacing it with better memories. That's what I think anyway...and, if it helps, you might feel guilty for trying to ruin their lives, but if you hadn't decided to let go of that magic in the end and say no to the gods, they wouldn't be here either. The magic might not have gone totally. Cinder, just as much as the rest of us, you gave us the chance to have this life."
Cinder turned to stare at her in astonishment.
What hit her was that this was probably the most absurd thing she'd ever heard--and yet oddly, the logic was impossible to argue.
The bare facts were that all of them had had to unite to make that happen, even if it wasn't for that reason.
"Why do you think they let you in there?" Emerald said. "That was them showing friendship and saying 'thank you'. To all of us."
She thought Cinder had a very odd, very un-Cinder-like, fragile look on her face.
But she was still utterly shocked when Cinder started sobbing right there on the street.
"Cinder?" Emerald stared at her.
Cinder didn't know why she was bawling. Emerald had just set off some deep trigger in her soul somewhere. Maybe some unspoken thing she'd been carrying all this time.
Emerald tentatively hugged her. To her shock, Cinder didn't shove her away, though she didn't exactly welcome it. She just stood stock still.
"It's okay." Emerald wasn't sure what to say. "It's not a bad thing..."
Cinder had no words to explain herself, so she just wordlessly kept crying.
It didn't last long. She wasn't one to give in to tears often or at length.
But that it happened at all was enough to rattle her and Emerald both.
Cinder pulled a handkerchief of all things out of her pocket--she was kind of old fashioned about that, probably because she'd never had access to things like tissue boxes growing up--and it wiped her face off with it.
"Are you...okay?" Emerald asked.
Cinder gave her a warning look.
"Fine." Emerald held up her hand. "You don't have to explain that to me. I'm not judging you, I'm just asking."
Cinder sighed. "Between the two of us, Emerald," she said in the most un-like herself tone Emerald had ever heard her use, because it sounded so oddly matter of fact, "I don't really know how I fit into this group, or this world at all, anymore. I tried one thing, and now it's cut off for at least a couple months.... This just made me feel all the more how unlike all of them I am, and I never will be like them."
Emerald tugged her hair.
"Maybe you, and I, will never be exactly like them," she said slowly. "I'm always going to have spent more time on my own. It's like something Raven said to me--a street rat is what I was, and it's going to be part of me my whole life. Not that I have to think that way now, but that I had that experience, and it's going to give me a different take on things. You're the same way. But that doesn't make us outcasts, does it?"
"Why wouldn't it?" bitterly now.
"You can't be an outcast if people accept you the way you are," Emerald said simply.
That had to sink in.
Cinder wasn't sure what to say.
"Maybe in a few months, you'll feel different," Emerald said. "It took a while for me to feel normal too.... You don't have to stay here forever, but it's okay to be part of things for a bit, isn't it? It's...a learning experience."
"You truly think they don't think about it?" Cinder was skeptical.
"I know they do," Emerald said. "I know sometimes Pyrrha even has nightmares about the Festival...not so much now. Her mom told me. She didn't know I was part of it. She worries, you know? But I have nightmares sometimes, too. I think...you don't just forget stuff like that, not in 3 or 4 years, but it's really less than it used to be. And now, when I wake up, I remember that it's over and that it's better, and it's not like while I worked for Salem. That nightmare was ongoing. Don't you think, for you, it could be like that? We remember what happened, but we're not living it."
"If I were them--" Cinder was frank for once. "--I would not forgive me, no matter that I helped stop it. I didn't do it for them."
"Cinder, that's not entirely true," Emerald said. "We all know you did step in to save some of us a few times. Jaune was one of them, wasn't he? I think by the end of the mission, you'd already started to see that you had to watch out for other people. You've been helping us here and there. I can tell that this stuff gets to you sometimes, other people's suffering, like with Mercury and that creepy house. You're not the sociopathic killer Cinder anymore.... You went a little crazy working for Salem, but who didn't? At least we snapped back."
Cinder actually smiled at that, only at the irony, really, not the humor.
"That's really making it out to be less atrocious than it was," she said.
"But didn't you tell me you didn't feel remorse?" Emerald said. "That doesn't seem true anymore."
Cinder hadn't thought of what it was, but finally, like a lightbulb going on, it came to her that...what she was experiencing was an awful lot like remorse.
Was it possible that, in all these years, her heart had actually grown less numb?
She didn't think it was by much--she didn't feel a great need to go rescue kittens or save schools...
But...maybe she thought of other people's suffering more than before.
What had possessed her to do so?
They walked toward the tram stop, and Emerald wasn't sure what else to say.
Finally, while they were waiting for the tram to arrive, Cinder said, "I think it really hit with that dumb pilot."
"Royal?" Emerald didn't even act that surprised. "He does leave an impression with all that 'not judging you' stuff.... Is it true he punched Watts though? I was kind of surprised when Blake told me that."
"It's true." Cinder smirked a little at the memory. "It was actually glorious. The look on Arthur's face was priceless."
"I'm not so enlightened that I wouldn't have enjoyed that a little," Emerald admitted. "Did you dismiss your idea about him being out for revenge after that? You guys both don't like Watts."
"No," Cinder said. "I just learned some things that made it more clear. I didn't think of it at the time, but I think I must actually have sympathized slightly."
"Seriously?" Emerald said.
"So now you don't believe it," Cinder growled.
"Not that you're incapable of sympathy," Emerald said. "Just that he's not the person I'd expect you to relate to. Rich (well, before), Atlesian, and to be honest...he's kind of too nice."
"He's not that nice." Cinder didn't say that like it was a bad thing, more like she thought she knew better than Emerald.
"No?" Emerald considered. "I guess I could see that. But what on Remnant would you have in common?"
"Nothing, just...I suppose I was just as desperate at one time for some clarity." Cinder was being generous to herself by saying it was in the past.
"We've got to let him in more," Emerald said. "Shine and Wally told us we're being dumb not to. We've been so distracted with our own stuff, I forgot that other people need to hear this too. Maybe we could make him kind of an honorary member of our group. Like that guy who joined the apostles late."
"It sounds like he'd only be one of many," Cinder said. "But if you have to start somewhere...he's pretty much caught up as it is."
"I didn't expect you to hit it off." Emerald was smirking.
"That's not what I mean," Cinder said. "All I'm saying is that once I thought only people like us felt like they needed a second chance, but now I see that anyone can feel they've made life-altering mistakes."
"Duh," Emerald said. "I think the others would say that was pretty obvious, but I didn't get it at first either. I guess you must have found out some stuff I don't know, because I don't get where you're getting that from."
"Well, I couldn't really explain it." Cinder wasn't going to snitch.
"I thought you'd warmed up a bit after that kidnapping incident," Emerald said, suddenly sly. "I guess something clicked."
"It's not like that. It's just broadening one's worldview," Cinder deflected.
"I guess I can see that." Emerald said that yet again. "But I dunno, I'm getting a vibe from you right now.... I think you like this guy."
"I don't like people," Cinder shot back. "I tolerate them."
"Well, you've 'tolerated' him a lot," Emerald said. "It's not a crime to make a friend, you know."
"I'm not trying to do that, and this is not a very diplomatic attempt if you were trying to get me to be okay with being stuck here," Cinder griped. "Now I really don't want to."
"I'm sorry," Emerald said quickly. "I shouldn't tease about it. It just surprised me. But I know you like to make advantageous connections."
Somehow, her recalling how Cinder only would talk to anyone for this reason bothered Cinder more than the accusation of before did.
Of course, she couldn't complain about it now.
* * *
After this, a couple weeks passed uneventfully. Winter went home and took the twins with her just a few days later, with a clean bill of health.
Qrow felt it was almost too good to be true. However, adjusting to taking care of two infants for the first time was quite the learning curb.
Of course, few women had more help voluntarily than Winter did in the first weeks. All the girls of the team, and a fair amount from the militia and base workers who knew her, were stopping by constantly, bringing food, clothes, even diapers for some, and offering to help.
Some of them actually knew anything about babies, which was a nice surprise.
Yang was over all the time. She said she'd be the best cousin/aunt ever. Even if she was technically only the first one. And since she at least did know a little about childcare, Winter found her more helpful than expected.
Raven had plenty of tips that were along the lines of avoiding more work but very little practical experience. However it was through this that Winter found out that Raven had not left immediately after Yang was born, but closer to 3 or 4 months. She said she hadn't trusted Tai with a newborn on his first time, but by then he'd been used to it.
Tai gave Qrow lots of advice over the scroll, and even visited more than before. And so did Ruby.
Really, Winter almost wished she had less help. She wanted to show she could do this herself, but Willow told her that, with two, she should be glad for it.
"Trust me, dear," she said, "by the time you have more children, the novelty will have worn off and all your friends will probably assume you'll be fine. Enjoy this special treatment while you can."
"More?" Winter said. "I think that's presuming a lot."
"I told my mother that," Willow said.
Winter gave her a strange look.
"But your father--" Willow started to continue.
"Mother, I think you've said enough," Winter cut her off.
"Sorry," Willow said. "Just, you're young. You might have another accident, as it were."
"Mother!" Winter didn't want to talk about that.
But really, it was wonderful to see how Willow came alive to being a grandmother. She really seemed to finally feel she had a place in their social circle. Perhaps because she had useful advice for this situation and she could be a real help. People like to feel needed, but Weiss and Whitley had never seen her so engaged and talkative as she became around the new arrivals.
Raven set to work making sure Winter's workload was covered. Winter said she'd be back at work eventually, but everyone told her not to push it. And in fact, the doctors' only concern for her was over-exertion, and they warned her not to attempt working till she'd had months of getting used to her new role.
Raven made Qrow take time off too, so he'd have to help.
Actually the base was like a well oiled machine by now. Winter had, slowly but surely, created a very positive work environment by ensuring that people were hired who were competent and hard working and also, for the most part, kind and respectful. They weren't all social butterflies, by any means, but few of them had a lot of grudges with anyone else. The people who'd been the most pompous and domineering had been slowly been filtered into outside positions where they could do less damage.
With Raven's competency at assigning teams and projects--with Winter's eye for responsible people--they'd turned the base into a much more stress-free area, save for the natural stress of the job itself.
The people who'd been filling in for her and Winter more in their absence, like Marrow, and some other older former military workers, were able to handle more work also.
Raven also promoted Neptune to being an official team leader. He and Yang had pretty much decided to just live in Argus by now, but Yang wasn't interested in leading a team. She didn't want the pressure. Neptune was more suited to it anyway, though he had lacked confidence in his earlier years. But conquering his fear of water and getting married and having to be a good example as a hero had steadied him a lot, more than Raven had ever expected, honestly. She wondered if, even, in time, he might take over a higher leadership position if he wanted it.
People liked him, which was a plus.
After his promotion, she decided to pick up a project she'd had to put on the back burner while all this reshuffling was going on, and she actually called Team Flash Flood, Emerald, Mercury, and also Cinder to her house--not her office. She was trying to keep Cinder away from the base after before.
"Why am I here?" Cinder asked at once.
She'd been put up in temporary lodgings near Hazel's house, so someone would be able to check on her frequently, and Hazel seemed the person fewest people would suspect to know anything about her.
She was bored out of her mind, except for working on a few things Fay had sent her via internet.
"Yeah, she's not a huntress." Neptune was also surprised.
"Congrats on the promotion by the way," Emerald said.
"Oh, thanks," he nodded.
"Yeah, we're so official now," Yang said. "And the pay raise was nice too."
"To answer your question, Fall/Scon--" Raven held up a folder. "--I wanted to see if you'd be interested in taking on some real work other than sewing."
Cinder wished Raven didn't know her new job. Though she wasn't exactly ashamed of it, it still felt...weird to have someone who'd once beaten you in a fight of magical proportions comment on your boring day job.
"I can't do any work for you," she objected.
"I've been reviewing your case." Raven ignored the objection. "Your probation of no violence is a little outdated. It's been...soon it'll be 4 years, and frankly, the entire thing, now that I look at it, was clearly just scapegoating someone to take the fall for all of the criminals on the mission."
"Nice pun, Mom," Yang approved.
"I've told you not to call me that on the job," Raven said. "And the pun was unintentional."
"It comes out in you if you hang around her and her dad for a long time," Neptune said.
"So?" Cinder was confused.
"I think it needs to be amended," Raven said. "But I already consulted my...sister-or-whatever-in-law." She made a face. "Not Winter, the other one, Opis. Apparently if I write you a permit of sorts and get it signed by at least one other ranked official, you can act on our behalf. We can work on getting your probation lifted for good behavior on justifiable cause, like people hunting you. Now that your wrist has been slapped, the council may decide to just drop it. It would be only for Mistral. I doubt the other kingdoms would lift it, but that would suffice as long as you don't travel and fight."
"Why would you want that?" Cinder puzzled.
"Because us having to bail your a-- out every time someone threatens you is not practical," Raven said candidly. "If people are going to get frisky, they'd better know it could cost them. I'm not an Atlesian bureaucrat, Fall. I think if you're a cat, you need claws. But for the time being, we can clear you for special mission work. And no one is going to object to this one, trust me."
"You want her to work for you?" Yang said. "Why?"
"Frankly, to get her out of Argus more often," Raven said. "We know the odds of her being found here are worse than other places. Can't just send her out alone either. Might as well make it useful. And that's where all of you come in. I can't trust anyone else not to leave her to die somewhere. But there's a mission I had in mind for you that she could actually be of use on."
"Are you giving it to us because of that, or were you already?" Neptune asked.
"The second one, but this will kill two--solve two problems at once." Raven didn't like that expression since being able to turn into a bird. She always saw someone hitting her and Qrow with rocks when she said it.
"Is it dangerous?" Mercury spoke up.
Emerald was looking at him and then at Raven oddly.
"It will be, I'm afraid," Raven said candidly. "And you all can refuse if you want. But, if you'll recall, over a year ago now, we, except for Fall, all encountered the Baba Bandit tribe south of here."
"I remember. They were horrible," Emerald said.
"Yes, one of the most ruthless tribes out there," Raven said. "But the point is, they've evaded capture or detection for the most part. We only hear of their victims after the fact. I was starting to think we'd have to give up on finding them, but then your little air pirate case opened up a new window of opportunity for us." She was looking at Cinder.
Cinder frowned.
"What do those air pirates have to do with bandits?" Neptune asked. "Other than stealing..."
"That would be interesting enough," Raven said, "but as you know, Blake and Sun have been helping me investigate this mess. They hit a dead end in Menagerie.... At least it looked like a dead end, but look at this." She slid a map onto her kitchen counter. They all crowded close to look at it.
Raven took out a pencil and pointed to Menagerie. Menagerie was southeast of Mistral's continent, by an ocean channel.
"We traced all the missing shipments of supplies we could track down," she said. "Some we found went to Menagerie and then vanished somehow. Illea, Blake's contact on the island, even looked into it and didn't find them. Either she's bad at her job, or it's just not there. If it's the latter, then where did it go? They only disappeared around the city and haven of Menagerie. But then I looked at the flight pattern of the ships we know were carrying the nicked goods."
She pointed to the Mistral area across the channel from Menagerie. "They fly through this area. And here--" She pointed to some Xs she'd made on the map already. "--are towns the Baba tribe had destroyed recently. On top of that, the caravans they've attacked? Several of them were people from the ships from Menagerie trying to come to the Capital for jobs, since they have that reputation there now. Long ride, but I guess our plane supply has been too reduced for some people to just risk it. "
"Holy s---." Emerald was gaping. "How did I not notice this before? I've looked at the maps with Blake, but all I ever paid attention to were the things that went missing, not the in-between spots and what happened there."
"Good detective work means asking questions other people don't." Raven tapped the map. "Now you're starting to see it?"
"You think--" Cinder was actually looking at the map with real interest--she loved conspiracy theories as much as any other emotionally unavailable person who'd worked in crime rings would. "--that the tribe and those pirates were working together? Because right here--" She pointed. "--this is about where they were going to drop something off. With us. And this isn't that far from those towns."
"We've never found their hideout," Raven said. "The terrain is tricky in this area. That's why the Grimm are hiding out there so much. The conundrum we had is how the tribe is surviving with the Grimm flushed out that far. I didn't have an explanation for this until Blake and Sun reported something from Theo's little neck of the world."
Cinder snapped her fingers. "Kanap's Grimm control inventions," she said.
Raven was impressed slightly. She smirked somberly. "Yes...I started to think how fast those Grimm popped out of the wood when we found that caravan, though they'd already ravaged it."
"Which is unusual for grimm, to come back so soon after they were just there less than 24 hours ago," Emerald said, eyes huge. "But if someone was calling them..."
"They'd follow bandits anyway," Raven said. "But they ignored the bandits and attacked those people. It's just speculation, but it's just possible they drew them there on purpose and then left."
"Those b-----ds!" Mercury said.
"Believe me, the Baba tribe would not scruple to use Grimm against anyone." Raven folded her arms and scowled. "It's not hard to picture it. All of it seems to line up. But we don't have proof. Since we can't find the tribe, all we can assume is that they contacted those pirates through some means we couldn't pick up on, and then arranged their little scheme. They get a cut of the stolen goods in exchange for safe passage through their territory for the pirates, and it looks as if Menagerie may be used to disguise the entire transaction as legitimate. The security there is so much less than here, it would make perfect sense. Only, we didn't find any trace of it on Menagerie, but, we're famous. Us finding it is so obvious, they could have covered their tracks before anyone found them."
"Wow," Yang said. "This is pretty impressive, I have to admit. I would never have thought the pirates and bandits would be linked. They seem to take such a different approach to stealing."
"The world is shifting, Yang, but even before it did, I wouldn't say this sort of thing was out of the question," Raven said. "Just something I wouldn't have done. I was too well known to pull it off. And Ironwood knew who I was. If I got caught by some Atlas or Mistral official doing illegal trade with them, I wouldn't have had any chance of getting away, not with Qrow working for them. But, if you're not that tight with the higher ups, it's possible to go unnoticed."
"This means Menagerie could still be the center of this," Mercury surmised. "But none of us here are Faunus. What do you expect us to do about it?"
"For now, nothing," Raven said. "I think we need to bait the hook."
"You want us to trap them?" Neptune said. "Uh...Raven, with all due respect, they were wicked dangerous. Even for people as elite at our team and the militia, this would be suicide."
"All at once, I agree," Raven said. "But there could be a way to break it down into stages. And this helps us all. If we catch these ingrates, Fall can go home."
Cinder raised an eyebrow.
"And we can all rest easier," Raven said. "This hasn't stopped, you know. We're still losing supplies, just not from our base. The other shipping transit centers have still reported it. Someone has restarted this thing, and that pisses me off. Whoever it is isn't stupid, though. They won't fall for just any obvious set up. It would have to seem irresistible."
"Do you have one in mind?" Yang said.
"Not just yet," Raven said. "I'm working on the timing. We'd really need a huge shipment of a valuable resource. The dust mines are steady, but not enough at a time, now, to do it. If we find another huge dust reserve, that would be the time."
"Better ask Oscar then," Neptune joked.
Raven gave him a look that wasn't funny.
"In the meantime," she said, "all of you can help do something else. We've gotten reports of the Baba tribe's attacks, but we've only sent a few people out to really look at it. It's the same every time: They all almost wiped these tiny towns out."
She sounded uncomfortable, as if sore about her own past again.
"However," she went on, "a few of them have survived. As I understand it, they implemented some of the survival tactics that were promoted by our own team. And Vacuo. Music and other things. Pine's articles are still circulating too. The Grimm stop coming to these towns much faster, and so they've scraped through. We've got that from them, but that's about it. My thought is you could investigate more closely, try to see if anyone has seen or heard anything about this tribe that might give credence to what we've uncovered. Or any thing about where they're coming from. And we have to hurry, because I frankly suspect that they will attack again once they've rallied--and make sure they don't leave any witnesses. They might not know yet that these people survived. Bandits don't usually go back and check their victim's health, but they'll figure it out. That's why we need to act now."
"You want us to play detective?" Yang said.
"Awesome!" Neptune said.
They gave him baleful glances.
"But why us?" Mercury asked. He really meant, "Why me? Didn't I get put on probation over this mission?"
"I need people that they will trust and respect, and you all are it," Raven said. "They might talk to you.... A lot of Mistral doesn't like Atlas still, or what's left of it. If I send former soldiers, it's not going to work. Why else wouldn't we have gotten these reports before? And smaller huntsmen won't give us the juice we need to inspire trust either. And you all saw the tribe--except Fall, but she's well aware of what bandits are like. And, some of you have been around ruthless people. If it comes to a fight, you'd be more prepared."
"I think we all have that history," Yang said tightly. "All 5 of us together?"
"No, you'd go in teams of two or three, probably," Raven said. "Cover more ground. And of course you will contact me if anything goes wrong. Some of you, at least I can portal. I suppose you won't like this part, but that's why you shouldn't split up the way you normally do."
Yang and Neptune glanced at each other and then at the others.
Raven could portal to Emerald and Yang out of this group. She and Neptune weren't as close, and she and Mercury and Cinder weren't bonded at all.
That meant no one would like the split up here.
"It's either this or doing nothing," Raven said. "I can't trust too many people with this level of danger." She looked somber. "But, like I said, it's up to you. This is too risky to be an order."
They all looked at each other.
"I mean, we can't really refuse. The problem needs to be fixed," Neptune said cautiously.
Cinder shrugged. "I have nothing better to do."
Emerald had less dangerous things she could be doing, but she nodded slowly. "Sure, why not?"
Mercury shrugged. "It's just another paycheck, right? I don't care what the job is."
Raven nodded. "Then I'll let you know when we're ready to send you out. Fall, you'll need some kind of ID first. Just hope no one out there watches TV enough to recognize you."
Cinder frowned. She was always so blunt.
* * *
"Crazy," Yang said as they were leaving Raven's house. "Well, I guess we'll end up split up a certain way. Shame."
"I'll miss you," Neptune said.
"Aww!" Yang put a hand to her heart.
"You two are sickening to hang around," Mercury said. "You're not newlyweds anymore, for crying out loud."
"It hasn't been that long," Neptune said. "And I think it's totally normal to miss your wife. Plus it's really risky. Why are you so allergic to feelings?"
Emerald snickered. She really shouldn't have, but it was just so true--and one of her pet peeves with Mercury while they dated.
Mercury didn't like her laughing at him, and scowled.
"More to the point, if we all have to work together, should we be more aware of where we're going?" Cinder had a real suggestion.
"Somehow didn't expect you to be the one to suggest that." Yang folded her arms.
"You're okay with her helping us, right?" Emerald said to Yang, classically putting her boot in her mouth.
Yang's eyes flickered darker for a moment, but not quite red.
"I don't really mind," she said, in a tone that said that might not be totally true. "I guess she has to do something."
"Right here," Cinder muttered crossly to herself.
"I bet you anything Raven asked Zapato to fly us out there when the time comes," Mercury changed the subject hurriedly. "She trusts him the most out of our fliers. And the guy knows about the Baba tribe and pirates already. Makes sense."
"I feel like we rely on him too much." Emerald shook her head. "But he is really good at flying, which is nice when you're in crazy Grimm areas. I'm not going to complain."
"There's no point," Cinder muttered to herself again.
"Oh yeah, Blake told me that you and this pilot guy are friends." Yang had her arm behind her head, and was looking at Cinder quizzically. "I was shocked that you made any friends, but I guess he hates Watts or something. That was always a big selling point with you, huh? Not that I blame him. Watts is a snake."
"I think friends is putting it too strongly," Cinder objected. "Why do you all care anyway? It doesn't matter to you."
"It's not that we care if you have friends," Mercury said. "It's that we can't believe anyone would ever befriend you on purpose."
"Dude!" Neptune said. "That's way harsh. We've all befriended you, Emerald, Hazel, and...I mean, even Blake has a past. We're very forgiving people. Why couldn't anyone else be?"
"Well, maybe." Mercury recalled that he was supposed to be on better behavior than this. "I guess there's weirdos in every kingdom who don't care. Where was that in Vacuo when we were actually trying to protect the place, I wonder."
"Not everyone was a jerk," Emerald said.
"Says the girl who almost got shanked the first week," Yang snorted. "I...never did apologize for not trying harder to keep track of you there." She looked uncomfortable.
"No one really did," Emerald said. "Not just you specifically. Anyway you got kidnapped later, so I think it was worse for you."
"Remember how insane all that was?" Neptune said. "You guys were running around all the time, Sun and I barely could keep up, and Oscar was losing his mind, almost, and Theo was plotting behind our backs at the time. I swear, Miss Likstar is the only reason we didn't fall apart, and Mr. West kept us all from getting eaten."
"He won over Vacuo more too," Emerald reflected. "You know, looking back, now that I've tried to do what they do, I have to admire their skills. Weren't you all just pricks to them though?"
"We had our differences," Yang euphemised it. "But they were super rude at first."
"So was I, but I think they still had it worse," Emerald said.
"I guess it was that whole thing with not liking new gods," Neptune said. "It was so weird and out there, but now it seems weird that we ever accepted those two a--h---s as gods to begin with? Just 4 years and I already can barely believe they ever were here."
"I'll feel better about that when the Grimm stop attacking and mutating," Yang huffed. "That d--- dark one left his mark. But at least they won't respawn anymore."
Emerald's scroll beeped.
"Oh, I gotta go." she checked it. "I'm meeting some people at a club. Uh, I guess message me if you want to talk about this mission or train for it or something. We haven't worked together in a while. I don't even know how that new arm works."
"It works fine," Yang said. "But wouldn't hurt to get back in sync."
"Who are you meeting?" Neptune asked Emerald. "Miss Popular."
Emerald reddened at that term. "Just some of the guys from work. I guess I get invited out more than I did at first. People don't treat me like an outsider now. It's kind of nice."
"You would like that," Cinder sniffed.
"I'd offer for you to join us but..." Emerald hesitated.
"Nah, that's okay," Neptune said. "No need. They won't want us to just join in if they invited you anyway."
"Why didn't they invite us though? We're cool," Yang muttered.
Emerald hurried away.
Mercury frowned at the pavement.
"If you're so jealous, why don't you try to talk it out?" Yang asked.
"Why don't you piss off?" he replied. "And I'm not jealous."
Neptune and Yang rolled their eyes at each other.