RWBY Through Worlds

23: Present Doesn't Mean That You're Here.

[If that title doesn't sum up Raven's role in most of the show, I don't know what does.]

Shine jumped, but then composed herself.

"I didn't forget about you," she said. "But I did wonder if you were going to show... So, how long have you been here?"

"Since earlier today," Raven said. "Followed you here after last night. Thought I'd keep a low profile."

"I'm afraid you might have missed it then," Shine said.

"Nope." Raven ran her hand along the desk. "Nice digs, I have to admit. Atlas doesn't skimp on luxury for its favorites."

"This is hardly that, but you're avoiding my question," Shine said.

"Patience, kid," Raven said shortly. She looked up. Boy, did she sound like Yang when she was annoyed.

"I saw a lot of things today that surprised me," she said. "Atlas and Mantle are a nightmare, Jacques Schnee is under arrest...and Pyrrha Nikos is alive."

Shine shrugged. "Which one of those was really surprising?"

"Touche," Raven said. "But the last one is a little hard to explain. Qrow told me she died...before our little falling out. Part of his guilt trip tactic, no doubt."

"As effective as it usually is, I'm sure," Shine said. "But she did die. However, it was temporary."

[Cue the "Did you die?" "Sadly, yes, but I survived!" reference from Ice Age 3.]

"That's impossible," Raven said.

Shine didn't have a lot of time to spend on this--and, on second thought, she realized that it would be much more effective with Raven to keep her guessing.

"You don't know everything," she shrugged. "Well, Raven, I'd love to chat, but I actually have somewhere I need to go. You're welcome to follow me, but, as you're somewhat shy, I'm not sure you will."

"What do you mean? Aren't you going to elucidate?" Raven said. "You called me all the way over here, and, I admit, this is something a little hard to explain, but I've known someone who can come back from the dead before. If this is spreading, I'd like to know why. What are you? Grimm are afraid of you. You killed a Wyvern in less than 2 minutes."

"All interesting items that I simply don't have time to go into," Shine said--maddeningly, she was sure. "You'll have to come back at a more opportune time. I need to go see what's going on with the Winter Maiden."

"The Winter... Oh no..." Raven said. "This again? When will they give it up? Those powers are nothing but a hassle... So who's the new sucker?"

"If you can't guess that, you've been out of the loop longer than I thought, or you're an idiot." Shine shrugged. "Bye."

She opened her door. "Oh, and you can put back whatever it was you stole."

"What makes you think I stole anything?" Raven said.

"You kept your back away from me this entire time," Shine replied. "And you ran your hand along the desk there, as if you wanted to act nonchalant about it. I put some extra copies of my books in there, just so I don't have to carry them everywhere. You're welcome to take one if you're into reading it, but if you took it just to find out our secrets, you'll be disappointed--also, not cool."

Raven frowned at her...then slowly she pulled the book out from behind herself.

What she'd hid it in was anyone's guess.

"You think you're so clever, don't you?" she said.

"Not as much as you think you are," Shine said. "Did you want to see if I'd pick up on it? Is this some kind of test? Or did you want to find out if I can read your mind and that's how I knew things? Because if so, you're way off."