RWBY Through Worlds

98: The Martyr, The Victim

That night everyone was still very much overwhelmed and didn't have the easiest time winding down.

Shine and Wally had left to actually go out, which made the place seem emptier, oddly enough.

Pyrrha was lost in thought. She had a feeling that now that Vara had disappeared, everything in Vacuo was going to change soon, and she wasn't sure she liked it.

It hadn't been peaceful, but it had been a little steadier the last week or two. She'd felt more sure of herself.

She couldn't believe that Vara had met her and she'd not even known it. So much for being helpful! And yet, did she really want to help the team find another Maiden?

Vara should get out while she could.

Still, was it selfish of her to do so, leave them all in the lurch like this?

Thinking this, Pyrrha ventured into the back courtyard of Shade to get outside for a while.

She was quite startled when someone addressed her from the shadow of a statue of a famous warrior.

"Nikos?"

Pyrrha jumped and looked up.

The figure pulled back their cloak. It was Vara.

"Miss Sol?" Pyrrha hissed. "What are yo--?"

"Shh!" Vara put a finger to her lips.

Pyrrha broke off abruptly.

"Figured the last place Theo would look for me is right here," Vara said. "But if you make a racket, that's not good."

"But we thought you had run." Pyrrha lowered her voice.

"I have," Vara said. "But I wondered what happened to the girl. From all the ruckus, I'd say you found her."

"Yes, yes, we have them both." Pyrrha tugged her hair. "What do you...plan to do?"

"Are you going to tell them I'm here?" Vara asked warily.

"Not if you don't want me to," Pyrrha said. 

"Hmm...nothing about how I've neglected my duties?" Vara seem to be determined to pick a fight.

"I don't think it's for me to say," Pyrrha said. "I narrowly escaped becoming a Maiden myself."

"I heard that." Vara leaned on the statue lazily.

"Theo told us about Summer Rose," Pyrrha said. "I'm sorry."

Vara frowned. The wind picked up a little and blew some dust across the courtyard, then died out.

"I've cursed the day I ever agreed to keep that a secret many times," she said grimly.  "Never become an accomplice to a suicide mission, girl."

"But you couldn't know..." Pyrrha said slowly.

"Couldn't I have?" Vara said. "None of our plans amount to anything..." She seemed very tired suddenly.

"Vara, why is it that you can't...be a Maiden?" Pyrrha asked. "I feel like, it's not courage."

"Maybe it's partially courage." Vara straightened. "But it's also stupid to try. You know that the Maiden powers bring a weakness with them? Weakness to the silver eyes?"

"Yes..." Pyrrha said. "But was it really true?"

"Maybe it was. Maybe it was just Calour." Vara shrugged. "But if that wasn't bad enough, my Semblance makes it worse."

"Your Semblance?" Pyrrha asked.

Vara held up her hand.

"Did you know that people who work the dust mines too long can develop health problems?" She changed the subject abruptly.