Fireworks (New)
Fireworks
Sunset didn’t hear her scroll going off at first.
Because she couldn’t hear anything.
With no way out of Vale to accomplish her mission in Mount Aris, Sunset had been left to consider the Siren as her main priority. She had … not a lead, in that regard, but an idea, at least; Cinder had said that the Siren had been put to work spreading discord and animus throughout Vale, which was vague, but she’d also said that the Valish Defence Force, in particular, had been suborned by the Siren’s magic — or at least, some of it had. So, for lack of anywhere better to look for her, Sunset planned to check out military bases and see if she could either find the Siren or else confirm evidence of her presence, like … well, like soldiers acting strangely.
As strangely as General Blackthorn or more. Something that she could show to Professor Ozpin, something to say that, yes, on this matter, Cinder was telling the truth — not that Professor Ozpin seemed to doubt this particular element of Cinder’s story, but the proof wouldn’t hurt.
Sunset wanted to bring that proof.
She wanted to do something to show Professor Ozpin that his faith in her, his decision to keep her in his service, even if not at Beacon, had not been misplaced.
However, it struck her that such a task might be better done in the dark than in broad daylight. Yes, she could use magic to mask her presence amongst the soldiers, but there was no guarantee that the Siren would be fooled by it, or that she wouldn’t be able to break any spell that Sunset cast upon herself to make herself less conspicuous. It might be wise to have the cover of darkness to retreat into, if absolutely necessary.
Of course, by the time night fell, the grimm might have started attacking Vale, but … if that happened, then Sunset would have to take a view on how bad it seemed. It might be that the chaos of the battle was to her advantage in infiltrating military installations and carrying out her search, or it might be that the search had to be put on hold as she joined the defence of Vale. She would have to see.
But considering how little Ruby and Jaune were likely to want her help on the firing line, it would probably have to be quite bad in order for her to risk Ruby’s wrath on that account.
After all, she’d been pretty explicit: she never wanted to see Sunset again, and while she would no doubt relent with the fate of the city on the line — assuming that she trusted Sunset with the safety of the city, considering — that would be a high bar to clear as far as the necessity of Sunset’s presence went.
It would be best if she could leave them to it.
It would be best if the grimm didn’t attack in such severity, for everyone’s sake.
Another reason for not attempting to get into any Valish Defence Force base until after darkness fell was that it gave Sunset a chance to use the daylight to spy out the area in advance. Which was where she currently was, on a rooftop overlooking Valish headquarters.
Well, looking at Valish headquarters. Sunset was on top of the roof of the Albright Commission HQ, an educational establishment set up after the Great War that offered scholarships to Valish students to go and study in Atlas and vice versa. Blake and Penny seemed to prove that there wasn’t actually a need for a whole institute with a headquarters building, but it was probably harder if you weren’t a huntress — the rules for the academies were very easy on transfer students; other institutions might not be so generous. Anyway, this building on which Sunset stood was some eighteen storeys high, towering over the street below and the offices of the cancer charity adjoining onto it, but nevertheless, Sunset still found herself looking up at the towering headquarters of the Valish Defence Force.
'Towering' was the right word, considering that it was all towers; the sections adjoining onto the towers, forming the walls of the castle as it were, were quite low by comparison — lower than where Sunset stood — but the towers, the towers rose up out of the ground, grasping towards the clouds as though it was their ambition to reach them. Or shoot them, considering those guns on top of the towers; Sunset wasn’t the best judge of guns, but they looked fairly large; too large to give her any trouble, thank Celestia, not to mention that they probably couldn’t depress below ninety degrees; they were meant to defend against big flying grimm.
Or General Ironwood’s airships.
There were some smaller guns mounted just below the big ones, slightly beneath the tops of the towers, and some more below that, doubtless in case the grimm — or the airships — tried swooping in below the elevation of the biggest guns. Still, they were all set very high, they were all above Sunset even on her lofty vantage point, and Sunset doubted that they would give her any trouble.
What was more troubling to her was what she saw when she looked downwards. The open space in between the towers and walls was somewhat open to her, and she could see that it had what looked like an open courtyard in the middle, a grass courtyard cut into eight segments by the stone paths that criss-crossed it from the corners of the building and from the centres of the four sides. There was a fountain in the middle of it all, possibly to compensate for the fact that working here was otherwise so grim and foreboding.
There was no sign of the Siren there — Sunset thought; the fact that Cinder hadn’t given a physical description was unfortunate, but there was nobody who seemed to Sunset like a songstress with an enchanted voice. There were just people, and not very many people at that, civil servants in grey suits or skirts and blouses, crossing the courtyard on their way from one part of the building to the other.
Which did not, of course, mean that the Siren wasn’t inside. In a building this size, it was more likely that she would be in than out.
Which meant getting in, which…
The Valish were clearly invested in people not being able to get in. They had set up concrete barricades on the corners of the four roads that surrounded the building — closing off the roads completely; cars were having to go around — with mesh fencing on top and armed guards, sandbags, machine guns. They had even parked four of their ponderous tanks, one at each corner, the barrel of their main guns pointed outwards towards the road, a ‘stay away’ sign for oncoming motorists.
The tanks looked sluggish, big metal boxes that they were, and Sunset had been up here long enough to see them moving a little, shifting into position, and they moved about as sluggishly as they looked — but, at the same time, since they were here to mount a static defence, then Sunset had to admit that they looked pretty formidable too: their main guns were short and stubby, but very large, or at least, they looked wide from up here; Sunset expected that they would make one awful bang. There was another gun, smaller but with a longer barrel, mounted in the hull, and each tank had a pair of elongated, rectangular sponsons mounted on the side. There were probably other weapons too, machine guns most likely, mounted in the oval-shaped turret and in the hull; tanks — and mechs, and any other similar sort of armour — were vulnerable if the grimm could get close, and one solution to that was to try and stick as many weapons on as possible so that there were no blindspots anywhere. It might or might not work for grimm, but it didn’t make Sunset want to get very close to one.
It was a good thing she didn’t have to. It would tax her magic a little bit, but since she could see the courtyard, she should be able to teleport inside; at night, hopefully, the building would be quiet — assuming there wasn’t a battle raging, in which case, it might get very busy, and she really would be glad of her magic spell to escape detection.
The less crowded it was in there, the better chance she would have of finding the Siren.
And then, once she had found the Siren…
That was another reason to go in after dark and hope that there were fewer people around. She might be able to keep people from noticing herself, but she couldn't stop them from noticing the effects of a magical battle if she started one.
Best that, if it came to it, she started one in as empty an environment as possible.
The Siren might not be here; there were other installations she might be at, if she was at a military facility at all, which she might not be; but if Sunset couldn't find the Siren here, then she could hopefully find out where she'd gone.
But if the Siren was here, then that brought its own … issues. Specifically, how Sunset was going to fight her without getting ensorcelled by her enchanted song.
It could be done; Starswirl the Bearded had shown that it could be done when he had defeated the Sirens — although you could argue that if he had been more confident in his ability to withstand their spell, he would have actually defeated the Sirens instead of making them Remnant's problem.
Or maybe not. Making things Remnant's problem seemed to be one of the great Starswirl's lamentable habits.
In any event, whether it could be resisted permanently, it could certainly be resisted temporarily, although the story of Starswirl's victory didn't say how he had done it. Possibly, it was as simple as a great store of willpower, which could be used to resist mind control, although it was rare to hear of it being done unaided. Sunset was not willing to take a chance on her own strength of will — after all it hadn't exactly served her well in all circumstances hitherto — but she thought that if she could just block out the sound of the song, then she would have a fighting chance.
Earplugs were liable to fall out, and anyway, they didn't always work when it came to blocking out all noise. Headphones were a better bet, and Sunset had spent some more of Lady Nikos' money on a high-end pair — what Lady Nikos would think of that when she saw it on the statement, Sunset didn't know, but she didn't want to go into battle against a singing monster relying on something she'd bought cheap — although there was the risk that they could fall off, get ripped off, or break if they were damaged.
Against that possibility, Sunset had a spell that was supposed to mask other sounds, which it did by giving you a persistent ringing in the ears, like severe tinnitus, drowning out all other noises. In theory, at least. Would it work against a magical sound? Sunset didn't know, which was why she would still be wearing noise-cancelling headphones, but if for whatever reason she lost the headphones, this spell would be her best bet.
She hoped that she didn't have to rely on it, though, because it was really, really irritating. Sunset would have preferred a spell that just turned off her ears, but no, she had to trade the sounds of the world around her for this unceasing, unchanging, nigh-unbearable ring in her ears that went on and on and on until her teeth shivered. And the worst part was that she could still hear it after she stopped the spell, the echo of the ringing sound lingering on afterward.
Sunset had cast the spell upon herself, hoping to grow accustomed to the sound — it didn't work; it was every bit as unbearable as it always was — but as a result, she didn't hear her scroll going off until after she dropped the spell, at which point, she finally heard it buzzing.
Sunset could only hope that she hadn't kept her caller waiting too long, although she was honestly a little surprised to have a caller at all, in the circumstances. Who might want to speak to her, who had not said everything they needed to say?
Apparently, judging by the caller ID, Pyrrha did.
Sunset’s eyebrows rose as she wondered what Pyrrha would have to say to her that had not been said at their parting last night. Perhaps she wanted to check if she had gone to see Lady Nikos, although she could just as easily have asked her mother that. Perhaps she had spoken to Lady Nikos and wished to offer her opinion upon Lady Nikos’ offer of a command for Sunset. Perhaps she would rather Sunset didn’t take it.
“When I told you to go and see my mother, I wasn’t expecting her to be quite so generous.”
No, Pyrrha would not tell me that; she is not so discourteous even if it was in her heart. Her heart which seemed less closed to me than others last night.
If you want to know why she’s calling, why don’t you just answer the scroll?
That was a very good point, and so Sunset answered with only mild trepidation as to what would await her once she did.
What awaited her turned out to be Pyrrha’s face, a hesitant and slightly miserable look upon it, her lips turned downwards, her brows drooping on the outer edges.
“Sunset,” Pyrrha said. “Good afternoon. I hope that I’m not disturbing you.”
“No,” Sunset said, taking a step back from the edge of the roof. “No, not at all.”
“Good,” Pyrrha said softly. “I did … I thought that you wouldn’t have left Vale yet, but I did wonder if … I’m glad that this isn’t too much of an intrusion.”
“It is no intrusion at all,” Sunset said. “Although if we continue to speak like this, it will make our parting seem even more overblown than it did already.”
That got a slight chuckle out of Pyrrha, although it did not presage a permanent change in her downcast expression. “Yes, well, I … I’ve spoken to Mother, and it seems that we may be seeing a great deal of one another regardless.”
“My Lady told you, then?” Sunset asked.
“Yes,” Pyrrha said. “She did. Will you do it?”
“I haven’t decided yet,” Sunset answered. “I’m still thinking about it.”
“I think you would be successful at it,” Pyrrha said. “I don’t know that you would necessarily enjoy it, but you would be good at it.”
“I thank you for the vote of confidence,” Sunset said, bowing her head. “Just as I congratulate you on your victory.”
Pyrrha’s eyebrows rose, which at least got them out of that sad slump they were in. “You … did you watch?”
“Alas, what with there being no set schedule to these matches, and my being a little preoccupied with other things—”
“So you were busy?” Pyrrha asked. “I’m sorry, I should have known better than to—”
“I’m only reconnoitring from a safe distance at present,” Sunset assured her. “Nobody heard my scroll going off, not even me.” Although that is possibly a reminder to put it on silent. “I have indulged myself from checking the live feed from time to time, so that I could catch the results, although I’ve tried not to read enough to spoil myself.”
“Spoil yourself?”
“Well, I’m going to watch, definitely,” Sunset said. “Later, once the recordings get uploaded onto a hosting site. Your mother disdains them, but I hope to find them useful to my desires.” She smiled. “Even though I don’t get to savour your performance from up in the arena, or even live, I still intend to appreciate it thoroughly.”
Pyrrha bit her lip. “You make this very hard,” she whispered.
Sunset frowned. “I make what very hard?”
Pyrrha bowed her head. “I owe you an apology.”
“You…” It was all Sunset could do not to laugh, and she only restrained herself because she feared that Pyrrha would be hurt by it. “You owe me an apology? Pyrrha, with all affection, what nonsense is this?”
“Mother’s nonsense, save that it is not nonsense at all,” Pyrrha said, looking up at Sunset. “Last night, I held my peace and said nothing.”
“You said enough, ere I departed.”
“I said nothing in the room,” Pyrrha clarified. “When it all came out, with everyone present. Everyone present and not a voice raised in your defence save that of Rainbow Dash, who is no teammate of yours, who is counted a lesser friend to you than I, who is not even a Beacon student but an Atlesian visiting us down out of the north, and yet, only she spoke up for you.”
Only she wasn't surprised by what she heard, Sunset thought. “You were shocked,” she pointed out. “And once the shock was done … what was there to defend? My actions were without defence.”
“I do not speak of defending your actions but of defending yourself,” Pyrrha clarified. “I should have urged Ruby towards mercy.”
“I think, for what I did, my punishment, such as it is, is merciful enough, no?” asked Sunset.
“Perhaps, but banishment?” Pyrrha asked. “There was more clemency to be urged than that.”
“And if you had urged it, what then?” Sunset responded. “Ruby would not have been swayed, and…” And rightly so. “She was filled with righteousness and passionate intensity; she would not turn away, not at your urging.” She paused. “I fear that she would not have looked kindly upon it, seeing it as—”
“Yet another attempt to patronise and to direct her,” Pyrrha murmured. “Yes, you are no doubt correct; I recall her words well enough.” She sighed. “Still, though she rated me for it, though she dismissed it, I should have attempted it nonetheless.”
“To what end?” demanded Sunset. “To be dismissed, to be scolded, to be regarded by Ruby as near as bad as I myself?” She paused a moment. “What would Jaune have thought?”
“I have discussed this with Jaune,” Pyrrha said, her words slowing a little. “He cannot forgive you, not yet, perhaps not ever, but he does not hate me for the fact that I do not hate you.”
“You are fortunate indeed,” Sunset murmured.
Finally, a smile briefly graced Pyrrha’s lips. “I’m well aware. I would scarcely deserve the fortune if I was not aware of it.”
“Nevertheless, my question remains,” Sunset said. “Why would you venture thus for no good reason?”
“Because if I had, I would not think of myself as a coward now,” Pyrrha declared. “I don’t know how you managed to not throw my words last night back in my face, since I did not defend you at all, but waited until it was quiet and we were near alone to profess affection I did not demonstrate.”
“You have demonstrated your affections plentifully, I know them well, and had no need to see them on display in a hopeless cause, and worse than hopeless, a bad cause,” Sunset said. “I did not deserve to have your voice raised in my defence—”
“That is not the—”
“Very well, it is not the point, then let the point be that I am glad you didn’t damage yourself for my sake to no end,” Sunset said. “I wouldn’t want to see you in the dog house on my account.” She paused. “Your mother called you a coward?”
“Indeed,” Pyrrha said. “And I deserved it. I let you down when you were in need. You must allow me to make amends somehow.”
“For your own peace of mind?”
Pyrrha paused. “Put like that, it sounds rather selfish.”
Sunset shrugged. “There is nothing I require that you can give me.”
“I doubt that,” Pyrrha murmured. “I must say that I doubt it very much.” She paused. “I mean to beg Ruby to show mercy to you, and allow your return to Beacon and our team.”
Sunset blinked rapidly, her breath catching in her throat. “Pyrrha, I… Pyrrha, have we not discussed this? Ruby-”
“My conscience is not in Ruby’s keeping,” Pyrrha declared.
“And not in mine either, I suppose, but I would have you hear me nonetheless,” Sunset said. “I would not have you… I have told you that I do not want-”
“Do you really not?” Pyrrha asked. “If you could come back, if everything could be as it was-”
“Nothing will be as it was,” Sunset whispered. “Nothing can, not now. Not after… it cannot be.”
“But if you could come back,” Pyrrha insisted. “Would you not? Do you not desire it? Not driving Ruby out, but… if she were to be merciful, and Jaune also-”
“Will they?” Sunset asked. “Have you spoken to Jaune about this?”
Pyrrha came very close to licking her lips, her tongue flickering out before it disappeared back behind her teeth. “I have. He is… he is presently-”
“He doesn’t want me back, does he?” Sunset said.
“I have hardly pressed the matter.”
“And you shouldn’t,” Sunset told her. “If… if you and Jaune were to fall out over this, over me, then I should feel a great weight of guilt settle upon my shoulders, and I don’t want that, not over this. You don’t owe me a broken heart.”
“And yet I owe you something,” Pyrrha insisted. “I am in your debt.”
“There are no debts between dear friends.”
“Not even when one has failed the other?”
“I should hope not, or I owe you more than I could repay,” Sunset said. “Put this from your mind and focus on the next match, and the final beyond that.”
“I should not like to be overconfident,” said Pyrrha. “And besides, my thoughts turn beyond these matches to what may follow.”
“I understand,” Sunset muttered. “But don’t worry too much about that; you’ll think yourself into a shock exit. With luck, I may be able to help with what is coming, and with better luck, you might not even realise it.” She smiled. “But good luck attend you most of all. Now focus! Glory awaits you, seize it!”
“You sound more ardent than my mother is,” Pyrrha said, a touch of amusement creeping into her voice.
“Then pay me heed,” Sunset admonished. “Win this tournament and consider your debt repaid.”
“Sunset, I was serious,” Pyrrha said reproachfully.
“So am I,” Sunset replied. “To see a laurel placed upon your brow would bring me joy. But now, I must get back to it and leave you to your preparations. Goodbye again, Pyrrha.”
“Goodbye again, Sunset, and good luck to you in your ventures,” Pyrrha said.
For all our sakes, I would be glad of that, Sunset thought as she hung up.
"You know," Tempest said, "just because I didn't feel like watching the tournament finals doesn't mean that you three can't watch them. There's nothing that says that just because we're teammates we have to stick together like glue, after all. We usually don't."
And yet, here they were, all four members of Team TTSS all seated in the TTSS dorm room. Trixie and Starlight each sat on their respective beds — on either side of Tempest, as though they were her gaolers.
"Yeah, that's right," said Sunburst, who was sitting on a chair in front of Tempest, and yet, for all that, did not look like a sentinel. "I thought we were going to go and cheer for Rainbow Dash and Atlas."
"I didn't feel like it either, sorry, Sunburst," Starlight said. "Sometimes, you just want some peace and quiet, you know?"
"Mhm," Trixie agreed. "Sometimes, it's good to just keep the door closed and the world out."
That was a lie. The only reason why Trixie in particular had suddenly acquired an enthusiasm for shutting herself in quietly was so that she could keep an eye on Tempest. It was transparent, really. General Ironwood had put them up to it; Cinder had named Tempest, and while the General wasn't sure whether to believe her or not, he didn't want to ignore the possibility, and so, he'd ordered Trixie and Starlight to keep watch on her and make sure that she didn’t get up to mischief.
It was very irritating, all the more irritating because it pointed to the fact that Tempest's plan had — even to think it was a pain — failed. She had hoped to set the cat amongst the pigeons so completely that there would be no attention spared for her, or for Sweetie Drops, but instead … instead, she had gotten the departure from Beacon of Sunset Shimmer. That departure might only be temporary, depending on whether that mission to Mount Aris that she had spoken of in her press conference was a real thing or not; it smelled like a cover up, but it might be a real mission covering up all the embarrassing secrets that lay beneath. Even if her departure was only temporary, it still meant that she was not at Beacon and would be out of the way tonight when the fireworks started.
And yet, Tempest had hoped for much more. Instead, she found herself in the position of having to be thankful that she was only being monitored by her teammates and not in a cell somewhere.
And for that, she had to thank not her own cunning but the fact that Cinder was so untrustworthy, it was doubtless hard for Ozpin and General Ironwood and the rest to believe the sky was blue when she told them.
She might not be in a cell, but it wasn't as though Tempest had any room to manoeuvre here with them around.
It was irritating. It was more than irritating; it was troubling. Any attempt to get away from her teammates, any attempt to leave them behind ahead of time, and no doubt, General Ironwood would be alerted, and the hue and cry would be raised for her. Plus, as much as Tempest didn't like to admit it, she wasn't confident in her ability to take on both Starlight and Trixie in a fight. Against Trixie alone, she would have fancied her chances; against Starlight alone … that would have been a good fight, if the circumstances had permitted her to enjoy it. But together? No, she did not relish that prospect, not at all.
Troubling, indeed.
It was not so much the loss of her ability to act that bothered Tempest — she had no need to act yet, and when she did, then the chaos of events would aid in her escape — but the inability to communicate. She was, following Cinder's downfall, the undisputed commander of the Vale operation, and she had, at a stroke, been rendered deaf and mute, unable to contact Lightning Dust, or Sonata, or Sweetie Drops, or Amber. In the external part of the plan, this was an upset but not the end of the world — not yet and for her, anyway — since the plans had been made well in advance, and everything was in readiness for the go. The grimm were in position to attack; the Valish forces and their allies inside the walls were prepared; everything was moving steadily, inexorably, towards zero hour. Tempest didn't need to communicate in order to start the countdown; it had already begun.
Which meant that Tempest could not communicate to stop it, which was the trying point, because the external elements of the operation — the grimm assault, the sabotage in Vale, the battle between the Atlesian and Valish troops — all of that was, on its own, irrelevant. Their only purpose was as a distraction, to draw off the defenders away from Beacon so that the Relic of Choice could be more easily removed by Amber and given to her.
But what if Amber had gotten cold feet as a result of last night? What if she no longer wished to help them? What if she had decided to confess everything — no, no, that wasn't likely, or Tempest would be suffering worse than the watchful eyes of Trixie and Starlight — but what if she was considering it? What if Tempest had not succeeded in calming Bon Bon down? What if she, too, was being watched? Tempest had no way of knowing and no way of finding out; it wasn't as though she could just call—
Or could she?
Tempest glanced from Starlight to Trixie and then back again. Obviously, she would have to be discreet — she couldn't have a leisurely conversation about her upcoming plans — but perhaps a quick message, something that seemed innocuous enough to someone who wasn't in the know.
She got out her scroll.
"What are you doing?" asked Starlight, in a faux-casual way.
"I thought I might try out that new game," Tempest said.
"Which new game?" inquired Trixie.
"Oh, you know, the one about us," Tempest said.
"There's a game about us?" Trixie cried, almost jumping off her bed. "Starlight, did you know about this? Why didn't you tell me that we're—?"
Tempest chuckled. "Oh, no, it's about us specifically," she said. "Sorry for the confusion." She smirked, because it was important to keep in character in this situation so as not to make anyone suspicious, which in her case meant behaving in as irritatingly smug a manner as possible. Fortunately, it came very easily to her. "No, I'm talking about the Amity Arena game that's in beta test at the moment."
"Oh, right, that one," Starlight muttered. "Yeah, that looks … okay, I guess."
"Are we in that?" asked Sunburst.
Starlight nodded. "The beta test is full of Atlas students — I mean, we're the characters, not playing the game — because we're the ones who they have all the data on, from when we had to go in and get poked and prodded and take tests, remember? They haven't had the chance to do that for all the other students yet, so they're coming later."
"While the Grrrreat and Powerrrrrful Trrrrrixie is, of course, a draw all by herself," Trixie declared, "Trrrrixie can't help but feel that people will feel short-changed by a tournament game that releases without the likes of Pyrrha Nikos and Sunset Shimmer."
"That's why it's only in beta test," Tempest remarked.
"They still won't be in the full game, trust me," Starlight said. "I think it will release with just … I don't know, Team Funky, because Neon got to the finals, and then maybe a couple of other Atlas teams like … Sabre, or us, and everybody else will cost you extra." She pointed at Tempest. "Once you download that game, you are going to have someone's hand in your wallet for the rest of your life."
"Not my whole life, just until I get bored with the game."
"Or realise how much money you're wasting," Starlight replied.
Tempest snorted. "Unlike some, I have a little thing called self-control," she said. She opened up her scroll and accessed the net, scrolling through the various sites until she reached the page for Amity Arena, billed as an all-new free-to-play game capturing the Vytal Tournament like nothing ever before. Starlight was probably right that the free-to-play was probably not quite as free as advertised, but as Tempest wasn't actually intending to become a full-time player, that didn't really bother her very much. She tapped on the bright blue 'download and install' button.
"And while that's going on," she murmured, opening up her texting app, "I'll just make sure that Bon Bon is still up for tonight."
"'Bon Bon'?" Trixie repeated. "You know Bon Bon?"
"We've met, yes," Tempest said. "She worries too much about what other people think of her, and she tries too hard to make the people around her happy—"
"That's true," Trixie agreed.
"But she's fun to be around, and … we get each other, I feel, in ways that not everyone else does. Not even her friends like Lyra, or Dove," Tempest went on. "We were going to watch the end of festival fireworks tonight, if you'd like to join us?"
"That sounds fun," Trixie said.
"Sure, fine with me," added Starlight. "If you don't mind the company."
Tempest shrugged. "If you've got nothing better to do, then I don't mind indulging you," she murmured. "Now then, short and sweet: 'Is everything set for the fireworks tonight?' And send."
Tempest's message told Bon Bon a couple of things: that Tempest hadn't been arrested, but also that she wasn't completely free of suspicion, or she wouldn't have sent Bon Bon such a brief, cryptic message. Bon Bon guessed that she was being observed by someone, someone who might believe that they really were talking about the firework display, but someone around whom Tempest couldn't be honest.
Bon Bon felt a degree of grim glee at the way that Tempest's plan had failed. Yes, okay, neither of them were in custody, but it wasn't as if that business with Sunset and the Breach had diverted everyone's attention away, was it, Tempest? They still had to go around on tiptoes, didn't they?
Unfortunate, since there wasn't a lot of time left for tiptoes.
Bon Bon guessed that Tempest's message was not so much intended for her own benefit as for Amber's. Tempest didn't want to take the risk of contacting Amber directly, so she'd decided to go through Bon Bon to get there.
Bon Bon wasn't sure that she dared to take the risk of contacting Amber directly right now. She recognised the need to reach Amber, to ensure that she was still on board with the plan — Bon Bon wouldn't blame her if she wasn't, considering what had happened last night, but on the other hand, it didn't seem as though Amber had told anyone what she'd been planning to do, so maybe she was still going to go through with it — before all hell broke loose tonight, but she wasn't sure that she could do it. Yes, Bon Bon wasn't being directly observed — that she knew of — but at the same time, if Tempest was under suspicion, then surely she must be too; why would Cinder name one but not the other? Could she really go up to Team SAPR's door and speak to Amber? Not to mention the fact that there was almost always at least one member of Team SAPR or Team RSPT with her, and even though Pyrrha and Jaune were definitely up in the Colosseum, Ruby might be with her, or one of her Atlas friends.
There was a lot of risk involved.
Unless…
Bon Bon glanced across the room to where Lyra sat, tuning her harp. Neither of them had wanted to go up to the Amity Arena today; neither of them had watched any of the tournament so far; for Lyra, the glory was all played out, torn to shreds for her by Sky's death. She didn't have the appetite to watch people play-fighting for fun, to appreciate the skill involved in the martial arts. Bon Bon didn't see the point either, all things considered.
Bon Bon considered the possibility; a part of her revolted against it, she didn't want to get Lyra involved in this, she didn't want to use her this way, she'd tried to protect Lyra. But getting Lyra involved, at this point, might be the best way to protect her; she could ensure that she was kept close and shielded from the consequences of Bon Bon's actions when they finally came home to roost. And it would mean that they weren't parted; they could stay together still, for whatever came next. It wasn't as though Lyra was greatly enamoured with the huntress life, not anymore. It was like Bon Bon had said, the glory was all played out for her; if Bon Bon suggested that they run, that they had to run, they had to go somewhere else, anywhere else, somewhere they weren't known, then Lyra would do it, wouldn't she?
Perhaps. Perhaps not. It would depend on why, everything on the reason why. Because even if the glory was all played out, the goodness wasn't. Lyra might be barely competent, shading into incompetent at times, she might have buried the desire for fame or glory, but she was still a good person, with a good heart, and she wouldn't help Bon Bon, or Amber, or anyone else to do something wicked.
Which meant that if Bon Bon wanted her help, then she was going to have to lie to her a bit.
Only somewhat, because this was for a good cause, in the end, it was for Amber and Dove, it was to help two people in love get to live their lives in freedom and peace and happiness without having to look over their shoulders all the time; it was just the other stuff that wasn't so benevolent.
This had not been Bon Bon's first choice, not by a long shot, but it was perhaps the best choice available to her now.
She opened her mouth, but the words stuck in her throat, as if the words themselves wished to preserve Lyra's ignorance and lack of involvement.
Nevertheless, she forced them out. "Lyra."
Lyra looked up from her harp. "Mhmm?"
"I…" Bon Bon walked across the room, closer to her. "I need your help with something."
"Anything, what is it?"
The offer stabbed at Bon Bon sharper than Lyra's sword could have. Bon Bon's face twisted into a grimace as she sat down on the bed next to the other girl. "I … it's a little hard to explain, but the bottom line is that I need your help to save Amber and Dove."
"'Save Amber and Dove'?" Lyra cried, sitting up straighter. "But save them from whom? And isn't she always protected by—?"
"Team Sapphire aren't protecting Amber, and neither is Team Rosepetal or anyone else that they enlist to help them," Bon Bon said. "They aren't her protectors; they're her captors. They make sure that she can't get away."
Lyra opened her mouth, but didn't speak. She frowned. "Bon Bon … you're not making any sense. 'Captors'? Why would they want to keep her prisoner, and how would they? She's Professor Ozpin's niece—"
"It's for Professor Ozpin that they're keeping her prisoner," Bon Bon declared. "Pyrrha, Ruby, Sunset, Rainbow Dash, they're not bad people, regardless of what the news says about Sunset; they're only doing this because Professor Ozpin wants them to keep his niece prisoner, to stop her from escaping like she did before." She paused. "Professor Ozpin did something to Amber. She has powers now, extraordinary abilities, and I'm not talking about a semblance; I'm talking about being able to manipulate elemental forces without the use of dust—"
"That's only possible through a semblance," Lyra said, "and even then, a semblance—"
"Would only give you one element, pyrokinesis or hydrokinesis, yes, I know," Bon Bon replied. "But Professor Ozpin, and General Ironwood, they used Atlesian technology to turn Amber into a living weapon capable of immense power."
"Amber does not act like a living weapon capable of immense power," Lyra pointed out.
"I know," Bon Bon acknowledged. "But she does act like someone who's scared, doesn't she? She acts like someone who has been through some things that have left their marks on her; I mean, look at her scars, look at her face, they did that to her, Professor Ozpin and the others! Why would I lie about that? Why would I make up this whole story—?"
"How did you find out about this whole story?" Lyra responded. "If what you say is true, then how do you know?"
Bon Bon closed her eyes. "Because I'm part of a secret organisation opposed to Professor Ozpin and his villainy."
Lyra's jaw dropped. "You … oh, so you're a secret agent now? Is that what you're saying?"
"I wouldn't use those exact words."
"But you would use that concept?" Lyra demanded. She got up, her cape of many colours swirling around her as she started to pace up and down. "Okay, let's just say that I believe you for a second, when were you planning to tell me any of this? Does Dove know this?"
"Yes," Bon Bon said. "Yes, I've been trying to get him and Amber away to safety. As to your other question: I wasn't going to tell you, ever. I thought it would be better if you didn't know."
Lyra stared at her, eyes wide. "So … what changed?"
Bon Bon sighed. "What changed is that I need your help," she admitted. "I … they're on to me. They're on to me and they're on to my associate here at Beacon. Which is why I need you to go down to Team Sapphire's dorm room and speak to Amber on my behalf; you won't be suspected."
Lyra swept her hat off her head, holding it at her side as she ran her free hand through her pale hair. “So … you’re serious about this? About all of it?”
“Do you trust me, Lyra?” Bon Bon asked. “Do you have faith in me?”
“Of course I do,” Lyra said. “It’s just … you’ve been keeping this secret from me for who knows how long, and … seriously? Amber is a living weapon?”
“I know it’s a lot to take in,” Bon Bon allowed. “But yes, yes, she is. She doesn’t want to be, she doesn’t show it, but she is. She has that potential.”
“And Dove?”
“They met before … all of this was done to her,” Bon Bon explained.
Lyra winced. “Poor Dove. The course of love doesn’t run smooth for him, does it?”
Bon Bon shook her head. “They’re going to move Amber soon. The fact that she’s been here this long is … an indulgence, an act of petty kindness granted by Professor Ozpin, an indulgence that is about to come to an end. They’re going to take her away from Dove and make her do things, and … and he’ll never see her again. My friend and I can get them out before that happens, but we need your help.”
“My help?” Lyra repeated. A little mocking laugh escaped her lips. “My help, Bonnie, I … I suck.”
“You’re the only one that I can trust.”
“I don’t…” Lyra hesitated. “Why are Team Sapphire doing this? They seem so nice, so good, and Amber seems to like them so much; why would they be involved in a plot to hurt her?”
“Because Professor Ozpin asked them to,” Bon Bon replied. “And they are blinded by his authority. You’re right, they’re not bad people, neither are Rainbow Dash and Twilight—”
“You can’t tell me that Dash knows about this.”
“They all know,” Bon Bon insisted. “All of them, even Twi, even Rainbow, they all know and they all … none of them are bad people, as we know, but one and all, they have bent their necks and licked the boots of Professor Ozpin and General Ironwood. When it comes to Dash, does that surprise you?”
“No,” Lyra murmured. “No, I suppose it doesn’t.” She bit her lip. “But you can get them out, and they can be together?”
“Happily Ever After,” Bon Bon assured her. “But only with your help.”
“You keep saying that; it doesn’t make it any easier for me to buy it,” Lyra said. “But,” she added, as she set her plumed hat back upon her head, “who am I, to refuse to answer the call of true love in need?” She beamed. “What do I need to do?”
“So, you’re leaving then?” Amber asked. “You’ve made up your mind.” It certainly didn’t sound as though Ruby was still thinking it over.
Ruby shifted in her seat in order to look back at Amber, and at Dove. “Yeah,” she said. “I’m going, I … there’s nothing more to think about. I can do more, be more, out there than I can here.”
If you’d realised that sooner, then maybe things would be different, Amber thought. If I wasn’t afraid of you, then…
No. No, she couldn’t think about that. That door was closed. The path was set; all she could do now was dance when the music started.
“I hope you’re happy, with your new life,” she said softly.
“I hope so too,” Ruby answered. “I’m sure I will be; it wouldn’t be that hard. Out there, with the support of Miss Rockshaw’s company, I can be … I can be so much more than this place and these people have allowed.”
“I hope so, just as Amber does,” Dove said. “I’m sorry that it’s come to this, but … I can’t say that I don’t understand. We come here to find ourselves, and what we sometimes find is that who we are is suited for a different kind of life than this one.”
Ruby smiled thinly. “Yeah, it isn’t always what we expect.”
Amber put one hand upon Dove’s elbow. “If … if you’re leaving, then does that mean Sunset can come back? After all, you were the one who sent her away, you were the one who didn’t want her—”
“I sent Sunset away because she didn’t belong here,” Ruby declared. She bowed her head. “And although that isn’t as true as I’d hoped it was, although maybe Sunset and Beacon do belong together, each as corrupt as the other … no. No, Sunset can’t come back. At least I hope she doesn’t. Maybe Professor Ozpin will decide to bring her back, but I hope he doesn’t, and if she does … I hope she doesn’t. She doesn’t deserve to come back.”
Amber frowned. “But if she—”
“Sunset deserves to lose something!” Ruby snapped. “She has so many willing to lie for her, to excuse her, to put up with her no matter what she does: Ozpin, Councillor Emerald, the former First Councillor Aris. They all defend her, they all trust her, they all want her services. Well, that’s up to them, that’s their choice to make, but for Sunset to just … to do what she did and then to skip merrily along as though nothing happened?” She shook her head. “It’s disgusting. She won’t go to jail, she won’t be exposed, she’ll keep her freedom and her reputation, she’ll even keep Pyrrha’s friendship and her mother’s support, but she’ll lose this! She’ll lose Beacon, and this team, and … and you know what, I hope it hurts. Because it’s the only punishment she’ll ever get, so I hope it hurts … like she hurt me.”
And this is why I must dance when the music plays, Amber thought. This is why I must go through with it to the end; I dare not confess to someone so cruel. She said nothing; what was there to be said to someone like Ruby, who had revealed such an ugly side to their character?
There was a knock at the door.
Ruby’s eyes narrowed. “Dove, would you get that please?” she asked as she fingered the trigger of Crescent Rose.
“Of course,” Dove said mildly, giving Amber’s hand a squeeze before he walked quickly enough across the room.
He opened the door, not fully, but enough to see that it was Lyra on the other side of said door, wearing her hat and her patchwork cloak of many colours.
“Hey, Dove,” Lyra said, before looking over his shoulder to where Amber stood on the other side of the room. “Hey Amber, I hoped I’d find you here. It wouldn’t have been easy searching the school for you otherwise, with all these tourists around.”
Amber waved with one hand. “Hello, Lyra,” she said. While Bon Bon had dropped distinctly in Amber’s estimations, for obvious reasons, while Amber could hardly stand to be around that little liar who had pretended to be Dove’s friend for so long while not meaning a word of it, she still liked Lyra. Lyra had not been deceiving Dove, or Amber herself, for that matter; Lyra was not in the service of Salem. Lyra was sweet, and gentle, and played prettily upon her harp.
Lyra reminded Amber rather of herself, of the sort of person that she had wanted to be, once upon a time.
“You’re not watching the tournament?” Amber asked.
Lyra reached up and touched the brim of her hat for a second, but didn’t take it off. “No,” she said. “No, I’m not that keen on the tournament, not … it’s just not my thing. Playing at combat, treating it all like a game. I get why it’s done, I suppose, and a lot of people get something out of it, but it’s not for me.” She sighed. “So, are you going to keep me standing on the doorstep, or can I come in?”
“Sorry,” Dove said, opening the door. “Good afternoon, Lyra. How are you?”
Lyra smiled. “I’m okay, Dove. This is a better day, thanks for asking.” She stepped into the room, and Amber could see that she was holding a paper bag in her other hand, a bag in which something was rustling. “Hey, Ruby. You didn’t fancy watching the tournament either?”
“No,” Ruby murmured. “No, it’s not my thing either.”
The smile stayed on Lyra’s face. “You take all this too seriously to have much stomach for play fighting, I bet.”
“Something like that,” Ruby said quietly. “What do you want?”
“I am here,” Lyra declared, “with an invitation. As you might not know, Amber, tonight, there’s going to be a big firework display to celebrate the end of the Vytal Festival, and it’s going to be so spectacular, honestly, it’s the best; it’s the highlight of the festival. Ruby, back me up on this, the fireworks are awesome, right?”
A smile flitted across Ruby’s face, for all that it was tinged with sadness. “Yeah,” she agreed. “Yeah, those Vytal fireworks, they’re always something. Of all the things that I remember from the last time the festival was held in Vale, the fireworks stand out the most, the colours, the sounds. I really…”
Amber frowned. “Ruby?”
“I … was really looking forward to—” Ruby cut herself off, shaking her head vigorously. “It doesn’t matter.”
“Would anyone like a bon bon?” Lyra asked, holding up her paper bag, shaking it a little so the contents rustled all the more.
Amber blinked. A bon bon? A Bon Bon? Could Lyra also be working for Salem, could she have been allied with Bon Bon the whole time?
“Uh … no, thanks,” Ruby said.
Dove shook his head. “Nor for me, either.”
“Amber?” Lyra asked, shaking the bag in her direction. She winked at her.
Amber hesitated for a moment, trying to work out what was going on here. Something was going on here, of that, she had no doubt, but what? Was Lyra trying to tell her that she had tricked her this whole time, but why would she do such a thing now? And why would Bon Bon leave her out of it, not letting Amber know in the way that she had let Amber know that she, Bon Bon, was one of Salem’s people. In fact, it seemed as though Bon Bon had gone out of her way to exclude Lyra; that was why Amber hadn’t suspected her.
But now … it wasn’t just a bag of sweets, Amber was certain of that.
Cinder had named Bon Bon, which meant that Ruby — or whoever had been with her — would have been suspicious of her visit, if they had let her in at all. But Cinder hadn’t named Lyra — and why wouldn’t she, if she could, unless she didn’t know about Lyra, but it was just as likely that there was nothing to say — and so Lyra could come, and not even Ruby would throw her out.
So Bon Bon had sent Lyra around to see her, to … something. And Lyra knew something was going on, that was why she winked at her.
But how much did she know? She wasn’t acting like someone who had just found out her best friend was in league with evil.
“I’ll have one, yes, thank you,” Amber replied, putting on a slight smile, forcing it into place as she walked towards Lyra, and her waiting bag of bon bons.
There were pink and blue ones in the bag, but not as many as Amber might have thought. There was a lot of empty bag in there, a lot of paper uncovered by contents, paper on which had been scribbled the words On your side.
“Take as many as you like,” Lyra said. “They’re all for you, if you like.”
Amber looked at her.
Lyra beamed back at her.
Bon Bon hardly told you anything, did she? Amber thought. But she told you that she was trying to help me, and that she needed your help to do it, and you did it.
Whatever you’re here to do, you’re doing it for me, and for Dove.
She wanted to fling her arms around Lyra and kiss her on the cheek, for being perhaps the only person besides Dove who was solely and unambiguously on Amber’s side, but that might have looked very odd and suspicious to Ruby, so Amber contented herself with saying, “Thank you,” as she plucked a pink bon bon out of the bag, holding it between her forefinger and thumb.
“Are you sure you only want one?” Lyra asked.
Amber’s response was to pop the pink bon bon into her mouth and take a blue one out the bag.
“That’s the spirit,” Lyra said. “Now, as I was saying, about these awesome fireworks, I was wondering if you had plans, or if you were free to, you know, watch them with us.”
So that’s it, Amber thought. Fireworks, meaning … everything that is supposed to happen tonight.
“Amber has plans tonight,” Ruby said.
“Come now, Ruby,” Amber said. “Why can’t we all watch the fireworks together?”
Hopefully, Lyra understood — or at least, Bon Bon would understand — that her willingness to ‘watch the fireworks’ with them meant that she was still willing to go through with their plan. Honestly, it would serve Bon Bon and Tempest Shadow right if she didn’t, considering the way that they had failed to protect her from Cinder last night, it would serve them right if she exposed them both — except that would mean exposing herself too, exposing herself to the cruel and vindictive little girl in front of her, and Amber was not willing to do that.
For better or worse, and mostly for worse, but nevertheless, this was her chance, perhaps her only chance, at freedom, and she meant to take it.
She had little other choice.
“Because … because we’re having a private party,” Ruby said. “We’re going to be watching the fireworks and celebrating Pyrrha’s Vytal Tournament victory. Yeah, yeah, that’s it.”
“Doesn’t the tournament winner get wined and dined with the civic worthies after the tournament?” Lyra asked.
“Pyrrha doesn’t want that,” Ruby said quickly. “And she doesn’t want to be mobbed by fans, either; that’s why it’s private. And you promised you’d be there, Amber, you made a commitment. And Pyrrha would be really upset if you weren’t there.”
“And there’s no room for anyone outside your little club?” Lyra asked.
“No,” Ruby said. “No, there isn’t. I’m sorry, Lyra, we … just don’t know you that well.”
“That’s fine,” Lyra said casually. “I get it. Trust me.” She looked at Amber, “I’ve got the message.”
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Wow. I mean wow how low can you really go Ruby? Amber's right you are curel. Grow up kid! Yes she hurt you, but she also save you. So go run away. Beacon rotten, you're rotten too. By choosing to run. Goodbye Ruby Rose. Don't come back unless you want to rot some more.
I hope in the revision we get some introspection and consideration of things by Ruby after the attack, some tempering of her will because *wow* does she need it right now. I know some of it is said out of pain, but there's hurting, and then there's hurting others.
Ah yes, this is what this is all about. Ruby feels hurt, but she's (understandably) being childish about it. She wants payback, and feels unsatisfied with the lack of punishment and amount of mercy shown to Sunset. And when Ruby gets doses of reality, she's still in denial saying she's right and everyone's wrong. It ain't that black and white, kiddo.
Well now, looks like all of Bluebell is on board thanks to Bon Bon, and Amber comes out somewhat sympathetic (but still selfish).
I love that Amber immediately suspects what Bon Bon's up to.
I hope we’re almost at the fireworks. The angst is getting heavier and heavier.
11797650
This was the final bit of convincing Amber needed. Ruby finally laid out her true reasons in front of her, and now Amber will be able to throw it back at Ruby when she leaves.
11797706
Indeed
Also does Ruby think, to quote her own words:
?
I mean, she heard it from Sunset herself that Sunset felt guilty and did not bear her guilt with a light heart. I mean, what does Ruby take her for, an apathetic jerk? Yes, yes, I know she's speaking from childish zealotry and hurt, but still...
Ruby I've said it once and I'll say it again
Bruh, next chapter i believe we'll see a "This chapter is sponsored by raid shadow legends"
But jokes aside. This chapter was fun to read, from the deception Lyra is being submitted to, to Pyrrha and Sunset's monent (btw, Sunset's such a sweetheart), to you being sponsored. Fun chapter. Also really glad we got to see more of Sunset, we've got so many chapters with the festival and what reactions other characters have on the fights that i kinda missed her. Don't get me wrong, i enjoy the hell out of them, but still, not enough SunShim
Also, is it wrong from me to wish Rwby would be out of the story? Let me explain. So, from the beginning of this long arc, Rwby here has become THE most hated character. And by a long distance. So i kind of wish she would just leave and never have to see her again, but, we all know, including me, that this is not going to happen. Some stuff will happen, Rwby will probably fuck up, she learns something, Sunset and Rwby make up, and so on. I don't need to go too in-dept, you get it. Now, the point I'm making is that even after they reconciled, i don't think I'll like Rwby for the rest of the fic. I got so fed up eith her bullshit that i don't think I'll come to like her again. So, am i the only one who feels like this or are there more people who think like me?
11798265
Never say never. The fact that Ruby is insufferable right now is a testament to the author. We have also seen this author do some amazing work with characters in the past. Ruby may be redeemed in time... but damn is she going to suffer before then.
Jaune has more right to be upset with Sunset than anyone. Her actions still traumatized an old friend of his and got someone close to her killed. But at some point, he should also remember that he has more reason to forgive and work with Sunset than most.
Much like how a person can be arrested for impersonating a doctor who is responsible for people's lives, Jaune cheated his way into Beacon by pretending he was a fully qualified huntsman-in-training. He himself freely admitted that he was deadweight, a detriment to the team. But when his own lie/crime was exposed, Sunset could've washed her hands of him, but instead she covered for him. She then took his comic books away, sat him down, and made sure he applied himself.
Thanks to Sunset, Jaune was able to become a man his father could be proud of, a man who could stand up to his sisters, and a man who could fall in love with Pyrrha.
And just like with Sunset, Ozpin still saw his potential and knew it was better to look the other way. To give him a chance.
11798427
There's also the fact that Sunset saved Pyrrha in the process of waking up Amber, and Jaune saying "I owe you for this" after Sunset divulged her plan to save Amber (despite the fact that Sunset told him he doesn't owe her anything)
11798589
That is also true, nice work! Still, I chose that example with his transcripts because of how much it relates to Sunset's situation. And how it came with both forgiveness and a firm vow to do better.
11798589
This event in particular is extra important to the situation because they are at base the same situation. Sunset decides to take a risk that endangers the world because she doesn't want to take the "safe" route that would kill her friend. The real difference is that while Amber was a well thought out plan where she was able to stack the deck in her favor as much as possible, the tunnel was a panic response made under stress which she could barely control.
So actually, Jaune only considers it unforgivable when the roll of the dice doesn't work.
11798265
I also wish Ruby would be written out if the story
Oh Lyra you kind hearted moron, you don’t deserve the fate foisted on to you by Bon Bon.