RWBY Through Worlds

67: Some Legends Are Told

While waiting for the adult team members to return, the others swapped stories.

Then they went about their tasks.

Oscar and Emerald did the library thing, as there wasn't much else to do.

Emerald thought she was wasting her time in here, but Shine's word was law for her already.

"Do you think they'll be able to help you?" she asked Oscar.

"Yeah." Oscar seemed pretty down still. "I think they can. I just...wonder if I can stand it."

"Stand what?" Emerald asked.

"It's my choice now," Oscar said. "I think there's one thing I should do...but I'm afraid to do it. Afraid I'll run out of time...that's what it feels like." He shook his head. "I feel like, at 14, I'm not old enough to feel like that."

"I don't know, growing up the way I did, you don't know which day is your last," Emerald said flatly. "Seems normal to me."

"I guess... Didn't you ever want to be part of something bigger though?" Oscar asked, thinking out loud. "Like, your life wouldn't be common?"

Emerald looked at him like he'd spoken a foreign language. "No," she said.

Oscar was surprised.

She frowned and then elaborated. "I looked as far ahead as my next meal. I didn't have family, friends, or anything, just my Semblance and an effort to use it. I always wanted an ordinary life--who cared about extraordinary? You're lucky if you had family."

Oscar looked down at the table. "I didn't have a lot," he said, "just my aunt. My parents died ages ago. I don't remember them. My uncle too. My aunt needed my help on the farm, but I just left her there. I've hardly even thought about her... I always wanted to leave, but it's funny, somehow now I wish I was back there and it was normal... But I know if I went back, I wouldn't be the same person, even if I didn't have Ozpin. I didn't explain it to her, because how could I? She probably thinks I'm dead. But maybe it's better that way than thinking I became another person... I don't think anyone should have to go through that."

Emerald hadn't expected Oscar to have that thought out of an idea about it.
Sheesh, this kid really was an old guy in a young body--even without Ozpin.

"I, uh...didn't know that your parents died..." she said, feeling a bit awkward for complaining about her life now...not that his wasn't still better probably...but at least she didn't remember any family to actually miss.

"I haven't really talked about it," Oscar said. "I mean, the others have enough problems, and some of them have lost their parents too...so... But I'm just...I mean, you know what it's like to be alone. I feel like whatever I choose, I'm leaving someone. And I'm not even sure what I really want now. But how could I just leave everyone in the lurch?"

Emerald fingered one book spine vaguely. "But why do you want to be here?" she said. "I have nowhere else to go, and Hazel doesn't either. But you could go back home... You could have that. And you don't think you should? What do you owe these people? It wasn't even your choice to be in this, and you've gotten the crap kicked out of you multiple times, but it's not like you trained for it or anything."

"I always wanted to," Oscar said, "just couldn't afford it... In a way, Ozpin was like a fast pass to that...but at a price. Careful what you wish for, I guess." He laughed nervously.

Emerald didn't think it was funny. She'd thought once that Cinder was her wish come true--and look how that ended.

"I don't know." Oscar rubbed his head. "I guess it doesn't make sense... It's just that, once you know the truth, all of it...if you turn your back on it...isn't that neglecting your responsibility? Maybe I didn't sign up to be Ozpin, but as me, myself, I learned the truth, and I... No one else can do what I can do about it. They can help, but I'm the only one with this curse...but I could fight it. I have the chance to now...and maybe that would finally turn the tide, somehow. I don't know how, but if I pass it on to someone who's not willing to do that and didn't want to know...it could throw the whole thing. I don't think I'm that special, really, I just...was in the right place at the right time, and I asked the question...but now that I did that, and I even brought you and Hazel into this, I can't just turn my back on it just because it'd be easier for me."