Breathe Chapter 85: Old School

Having only been in team RWBY’s dorm a handful of times and even then, only briefly, seeing their room in the light made me realize that it was actually pretty small for a group of four people.

Even with the makeshift bunk beds, the room still felt cluttered. Weiss’ Dust containers were stacked beside and under her bed, books had been shoved pretty much anywhere they could fit, there were some clothes lying about, most looking like they belonged to Yang and Ruby.

“Ah, home sweet home,” Ruby hummed. Bounding over to her closet, she began shuffling through it, before retrieving what looked like a game system that she began hooking up to a holographic screen. “Make yourself at... Er, home? I feel like I’ve said that too much.”

“Just a little bit.” Yang grinned, rubbing her head as she passed by. “Come on in, you can set yourself up by my bed. There’s plenty of room.” She winked.

Seeing how the bed was balanced precariously on top of a few books, I was going to have to pass... Not that I’d be able to accept in the first place.

“I–”

“A top bunk really is no place to spend the night,” Weiss murmured, sitting on her bed. “Especially not one as unstable as yours. If it’s all the same to you, I wouldn’t... I mean, you could.” Looking away with a light blush, she looked up at the top bunk. “I could share with Ruby while you use mine.”

“If that doesn’t work, you could always bunk with me, but I should probably warn you, I’m a cuddler,” Yang said.

“Thanks, but I think I’m fine right over here for the night,” I hummed.

And they weren’t listening to me.

Oh well, might as well get comfortable.

Pulling up the desk chair, there was a soft thump as a book hit the ground. Picking it up, I brushed my hand over the cover, before reading the title.

“The Girl Who Fell Through The World.”

It was thicker than I thought it would be.

“Oh, so that’s where that was,” Blake noted. “I thought you might have found one of my other books. I’m missing The Man With Two Souls and The Girl In The Tower. If you find them, let me know.”

“Sure,” I replied, looking down at the book as Blake made her way over to her bed. “Do you mind if I borrow this? I’ve never actually read the story.”

At the very least, it’d give me something to do while everyone slept.

“Go ahead.” Grabbing a book from her shelf, Blake hopped onto her bed. “It’s not like I was using it.”

Nodding my thanks, I sat down and began paging through the book, quickly finding that the reason it was so thick was due to a bunch of illustrations on every other page.

It seemed the author had done a few sketches of the Ever After. There was the Red King, the Jabberwalker, the Curious Cat and the Rusted Knight with a large sword rammed through his chest...

That... That wasn’t right. Maybe the editor made a mistake.

Reading over the passage next to the picture, I pulled back. It wasn’t a mistake. The Rusted Knight died.

This didn’t make any sense.

First the Jabberwalker appearing on Remnant and now this. What the hell was going on in the Ever After.

I was going to need to read through the entire book to figure out what changed. It was a good thing that I had more than enough time on my hands.

“Got it,” Ruby called out, placing the holographic screen in the center of the room. “Who wants to play some games?”

“You do realize that we’re supposed to be practicing Total Concentration Constant, right?” Blake deadpanned

“Please.” Ruby smiled confidently. “That’s gonna be easy.”

...Breathe...

Slowly making his way down one of Beacon’s hallways, Qrow pressed a hand against his chest, breathing heavily as he briefly stopped to lean against a nearby pillar for support. Sweat dripped down his face from exertion.

Although he was no longer in critical condition, that didn’t mean he was ready to be moving around quite yet.

The doctors seemed pretty adamant about Qrow spending at least another week resting in bed before getting up, one of which even tried to sedate him, only to end up breaking the needle on his Aura.

To say the man had been intimidated by the look Qrow sent him was an understatement. He probably would have found it funny if he wasn’t in so much of a rush to get to Beacon. It didn’t help that he could feel his ribs shift painfully with each step he took.

That probably wasn’t doing him any favours in the long run. Unfortunately, the one person who could have helped him travel to Beacon nearly instantly had up and left the moment she saw that he was fine.

Heh... Raven doing something good for someone else, like that would ever happen.

Grunting as he pushed himself off the wall, he made his way further down the hallway, passing by a few students, before coming to a stop in front of Beacon’s infirmary. Feeling his hands begin to shake, before swiping his Scroll over the keypad, unlocking the door.

Squeezing the handle, he took a quick breath, before pushing the door open, revealing a mostly empty room, save for one bed that had several out of place machines surrounding it.

Taking several steps inside the room, he barely paid it any mind when the door clicked shut behind him. All that mattered was the woman resting in the bed.

Summer.

“Glynda, so I was thinking that... Qrow?” Taiyang said, standing from his chair. “When did you–“

“Last night,” Qrow answered. “I would have been here sooner, but my legs weren’t exactly working yesterday.”

The man looked like he hadn’t slept in days. His hair was a mess, his eyes were bloodshot and stubble was clearly visible on his face... Well, more than usual.

Nearly stumbling as he made his way closer, Qrow stopped at the base of Summer’s bed, taking her in, from the bandages wrapped around the right portion of her face to the various wires attached to her body.

She seemed so small, nothing like the fearless Huntress he remembered from before... Before she went missing.

“Sorry,” Taiyang apologized, looking away. “I should have been there for you too. The least I could have done was ask Oz to have you brought here.”

“It’s probably better that you didn’t,” Qrow murmured. “Having the two of us here would only give Salem a bigger target and that’s not even considering my Semblance.”

As far as he was concerned, Tai made the right call. He would have done it himself if he’d been awake at the time. The last thing he wanted was for his Semblance to suddenly go off around Summer.

“How did you even know to come here?”

“Raven,” Qrow grunted. “She had a lot to say, especially about the kid. Speaking of, I should probably go find him... The less time I spend around this fancy equipment, the better.”

Seeing that she was alive was more than enough for now. He’d visit again when she was a little more stable.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Taiyang asked, sitting back down. “You look like you’re one stubbed toe away from being rushed back to hospital. You probably couldn’t even handle a stiff drink as you are right now. You should sit down and get some rest before you collapse.”

Oh, so that’s how he wanted to play it?

“Like you’re some prize?” Qrow shot back. “If I didn’t personally know you, I would have thought that you were just some hobo that managed to break in... Except they smell better. What, are you hoping to keep Salem away with smell alone? Seriously, get a shower.”

Smirking when Taiyang recoiled at the smell of his underarm, he turned a curious eye towards Summer when she exhaled sharply.

Raven hadn’t mentioned anything about her being awake, although she hadn’t been around to keep an eye on Summer, opting to keep her distance instead. Could she really be...

Moving a little closer, he stared down at Summer as her face began twitching sporadically.

“Summer?”

Blinking her eye open, she smiled awkwardly. “Hey Qrow. Long... Long time no see.”

Palming his face as he let out a short laugh, Qrow brushed his hand through his hair. “Seriously? We haven’t seen each other in years and that’s the first thing you say? You haven’t changed at all, have you?”

“Aside from only having one eye?” Summer hummed, sliding herself further up on her bed with some effort, she shot him a curious look. “Didn’t you get the memo? I’m the only member of team STRQ that’s supposed to be injured. What happened to you?”

“I got jumped by a pretty powerful Grimm,” Qrow answered, sitting down on the bed next to hers. “Managed to chase it off, but not before it got a clean hit on me.”

Staring at Qrow for a few moments, she suddenly let out a pained grunt, covering her eye in the process.

Jumping to his feet, Taiyang was immediately at her side, hovering over her worriedly. Reaching for the button that would call for assistance, he stopped when Summer grabbed his hand.

“It’s just a headache... Sorry for worrying you.” Turning her gaze towards Qrow, she looked away. “It wasn’t just any Grimm that did that to you, was it? It was me.”

“As far as I’m concerned, it was the Grimm that did it. You were just brought along for the ride.”

“But I was still there,” Summer murmured softly. “I still remember all the rage... The hate... How I wanted... Needed to kill you.“

Sighing heavily, Qrow leaned forward. “You know, I seem to recall a certain Huntress reassuring me on more than one occasion that I wasn’t responsible for every little thing that went wrong. If you want to blame someone then blame Salem or that damn Grimm.“

Looking more than a little tired, Summer nodded. “I... I’ll try.”

“You better,” Qrow muttered. Kicking his feet up, he leaned back, tucking his hands behind his head. “I can’t imagine that Yang or Ruby would be happy if their mom blames herself for what Salem did... They’d probably take it personally and go kick her ass.”

Shivering, Summer clutched her chest as she began hyperventilating. “No. They... They can’t be allowed anywhere near that thing.” Looking around, her lone eye was wide and unfocused. “She’ll... Oh, god, she’ll...”

Shit.

Sitting up, Qrow quickly made his way to Summer’s side. He’d been around more than enough civilians to recognize the signs of a panic attack.

“Easy,” Taiyang said soothingly, gently palming her face. “We’re here... We’re both here. Just focus on my voice. Everything’s alright. Breathe with me.”

Nodding, Summer copied Taiyang, taking several slow breaths, she looked up at the ceiling dully. “They can’t be allowed anywhere near her. Salem doesn’t just kill people... She collects them. Promise me.”

“I promise,” Taiyang murmured. “Salem is the last person I want our daughters to have to fight.”

Seeing Summer’s lone eye pan over to him, Qrow winced. “Sorry. It was just a bad joke. I should have realized...” Sighing, he shook his head. “I promise that I’ll do everything I can to keep them safe.”

Nodding, Summer closed her eye. “Thank you... The last thing I want is for them to copy me and do as I did, sacrificing their lives needlessly.”

“I don’t think that’s something you’re going to have to worry about,” Qrow replied. “They might be a little similar to how we were back in Beacon, but they’re walking their own path... Trust me, they’re doing just fine.”

...Breathe...

Letting out a groan as she slumped in her seat, Ruby tiredly placed her tray on the dining table, nearly spilling the bowl of frosted goodness she’d just got, not that anyone would really notice since the dining hall was mostly empty, well with the exception of a few teams.

Since the Vytal Tournament was pretty much here, a lot of the other teams were spending their time putting in some last minute training in order to gain an upper hand on their would-be opponents... At least, that’s what the voice that sounded suspiciously like Weiss said in Ruby’s head.

She really needed to get some sleep.

Her teammates on the other hand, well, they probably didn’t even notice, seeing as they were in the same boat as her.

Blake had a slice of toast in her hand and was staring at the spot directly in front of her, mumbling softly to herself while her ears twitched periodically.

Weiss on the other hand had to go meet with her sister for something, leaving an empty spot where a bowl of porridge would normally sit.

As for Yang, well...

Glancing down at her sister who was resting her head on the table, Ruby slid her tray further back, keeping her from getting a mixture of bacon and eggs in her hair.

“Thanks Rubes,” Yang murmured, not bothering to raise her head.

“You’re welcome.” Ruby smiled before looking over to her two teammates. “So, uh... You guys don’t think we’re going to be doing this every night?”

“He did say that we need to master this before the Vytal Tournament,” Blake noted.

Sighing, Ruby drooped forward. “I know, it’s just... I thought I’d be pretty good at it, but then Coal had to correct me a bunch and then when he was busy with you guys, I kept waking up. It didn’t help with how noisy Yang was when he got to her.”

Hearing a disgruntled groan come from said blonde, Ruby rolled her eyes.

“I know,” Blake murmured, rubbing her eyes. “Trust me, I know. I think the only one that actually managed to keep quiet last night was Weiss. You on the other hand...”

Right... When she fell out of bed. That actually hurt, especially since she didn’t activate her Aura in time.

Rubbing her hack, Ruby turned her attention towards her cereal. “Don’t remind me, my butt’s still sore.”

Hearing a squeak, Ruby looked up to find an embarrassed Jaune along with the rest of his team sitting across from them. Nora was staring at them with a weird grin on her face, Ren was still just Ren and Cardin looked like he’d rather be anywhere else than here... So, normal.

“So, uh... Nice weather we’re having, right?” Jaune asked awkwardly.

“S–“ Covering her mouth, Ruby let out a quick yawn. “Sure, but when did you guys get here?”

“Oh, just a few seconds ago,” Nora replied, looking over at Yang. “By the way, what’s up with her? It’s almost weekend, now’s not the time to be sleeping, we have class for that.”

Well actually, thanks to Ozpin, they didn’t have to worry about that.

“Tired... Up all night,” came Yang’s muffled response.

That was an understatement. Staying up all night would be far better than being woken up every five minutes.

“Doing what? Fighting some kind of super secret night Grimm?” Nora said jokingly, before immediately turning serious. “Wait, you guys didn’t actually fight some kind of night Grimm without inviting us, did you?”

“Uh, no...” Ruby hummed

Although, that did sound way more awesome than what they’d actually been doing... Stupid Total Concentration Constant needing them to be able to do it in their stupid sleep. Why couldn’t it be something like that instead?

Narrowing her eyes, Nora stared at them for a few moments before immediately bounced back to normal. “Okay. So why were you guys up all night?” She asked, grinning widely

Ah, yes. They’d been expecting that, so they’d come up with a lie so epic that–

“We were doing some last minute training for the Vytal tournament,” Blake said, immediately taking the wind out of Ruby’s sails. “Nothing major, just some basic spatial awareness training. We also had Coal over to help us get accustomed to randomly being woken up in case our match starts while we’re asleep.”

At that, Jaune looked a little less embarrassed, Cardin didn’t seem like he wanted to bolt and Ren was... Well, still Ren. As for Nora...

“But... But... Aha! What about Ruby’s butt being sore?” Nora asked triumphantly. “Explain that.”

Blinking, Ruby shared a look with Blake while even Yang, who’d all but fallen asleep, looked up to see where this was going.

“I fell off my bed,” Ruby said slowly. “Why? What did you think happened last night?”

“Oh, I guess that makes sense,” Nora hummed, grinning awkwardly. “It’s just, with the way you three were talking, it kind of sounded like you all took turns getting busy with Coal last night, if you know what I mean.” She wiggled her eyebrows for extra effect.

And just like that, Cardin let out a sigh, before leaving the table.

WHAT?!

How did... Who... When...

You know, in hindsight, it did sound kind of bad, but they’d been doing their best from bringing up Total Concentration Breathing in public.

This is why they needed sleep!

“So, uh... I know this isn’t exactly the best time, but is that something you think we’re going to need for the tournament?” Jaune asked nervously. “That spatial awareness thing, not the, uh... Not the other one.”

Letting out a snort that quickly developed into a full blown laugh, Yang clutched her stomach. Blake on the other hand palmed her face.

“Eh, maybe?” Ruby shrugged.

Stupid Coal... This was all his fault somehow. She hoped he was having as bad a time as they were.

...Breathe...

Brushing a hand through my hair as hot water rained down on me, I let out a short hum. Although it didn’t replace a night of sleep, a hot shower went a long way to helping wake me up.

Aside from the surprise twist of Jaune’s fate as the Rusted Knight... Something that I was pretty damn sure didn’t happen in the original story, last night had been fairly similar to Pyrrha and Winter’s, well, with the exception of being kicked in the face that is.

Although, Ruby did fall off her bed at one point.

“Coal,” Pyrrha called out, knocking on the bathroom door. “Are you... I need your help with something, can I come in?”

...Well, it’s not like she would be able to see through the shower glass. At least not in any meaningful way.

“Sure.”

“Great, thanks.” Twisting the door handle, there was a loud crack as the door was torn in half. “I’m sorry, I–“ Stumbling into the room, she slipped on a patch of water, but instead of regaining her balance as usual, she grabbed the towel railing, ripping it out of the wall before finally hitting the floor. “Sorry.”

“Pyrrha?”

Feeling a little worried at her sudden loss of balance, I quickly looked through her body, only to come up blank. Physically, there wasn’t anything wrong with her.

Poking my head out of the shower, I internally cursed when I saw all the towels scattered around her on the floor.  Grabbing a hair towel that’d been hanging up nearby, I wrapped it around my waist before stepping outside to find Pyrrha staring up at the ceiling blankly.

“Are you alright?”

Sighing, she nodded. “Yes, just a little disorientated. I, um... I tried practicing with the Transparent World and I can’t turn it off.”

That was a relief.

I suppose that explained why she tripped. She’d unintentionally been looking through everything. It was an easy enough fix.

“Here.” Leaning down, I helped her up, keeping a hand on her waist so that she wouldn’t fall over.

“Thanks,” Pyrrha hummed. “So, um, about my eyes...”

“You just need to relax,” I replied. “You’re focusing on trying to return your vision to normal instead of letting it happen naturally. Just focus on something else for a few seconds. They’re starting to set up a few tents on the fairgrounds... Do you want to go see them with me tomorrow?”

“I would love to,” Pyrrha beamed. Blinking, she looked at her hands before pulling me into a hug. “It worked. Thank you, I was a little worried there for a second.”

“You’re welcome,” I said, returning the hug. “Just tell me if you have any problems and I’ll help walk you through them.”

Humming, she pulled back. Incidentally, it was right about that time that both Winter and Weiss arrived in the doorway, the former gripped her sword when she noticed the broken bathroom door while the latter let out an embarrassed squeak and was currently covering her face with her hands... Although doing nothing to hide her eyes.

Feeling a breeze, I looked over at Pyrrha to see that my towel had gotten stuck on her belt.

“Oh.”

Somewhere in the apartment, Maria began to laugh.

...Breathe...

Standing in his lab with both hands working on an array of Scrolls, Arthur Watts couldn’t remember the last day that he had any semblance of rest.

Since he’d come back, he’d been bouncing from one thing to the next. If it wasn’t operating on Hazel, it was tracking Salem’s little beast or hacking the CCT to install another virus... Something that was going rather poorly if he did say so himself.

If he was able to access one directly, then this wouldn’t be a problem, but that would be rather tricky seeing as Atlas currently had a warrant out for him.

Currently, he was trying to alter the software they’d installed to track his face... It wouldn’t keep him from being seen on camera, but it would keep Atlas from barking down his neck the moment he entered a major city.

As much as he loathed to admit it, this was the kind of thing Cinder would be useful for. Unfortunately, the idiot had managed to fumble her plan so hard that she ended up being caught by the Atlesian military.

That reminded him...

Swiping a hand over one of his Scroll’s, he’d ordered a large shipment of Dust for Vacuo... One that wouldn’t make it, seeing as the ship would be destroyed by Grimm, leaving him all the Dust he could require for his various projects.

With so few of them left, he’d been forced to pick up the slack. He was honestly beginning to feel a little spread thin. The only thing that was keeping him going at this point was the thought of how this would all be worth it in the end.

Hearing a loud beep, he let out a tired sigh. “What now?”

Making his way over to Hazel’s vat, he looked down at the display he’d hastily attached during construction... It seemed that the tank was running dangerously low on Dust.

Strange, he’d just refilled it an hour ago. Either the tank was faulty and displaying the wrong amount or Hazel had somehow burnt through an entire day's worth of Dust in an hour.

Peering through the murky water that suspended Hazel’s body, Watts narrowed his eyes when he noticed something moving inside, only to jump back when a hand suddenly slammed into the glass, cracking it in the process.

Feeling a hint of nervousness, Watts squared his shoulders and stared up at the spot where he saw a bright red eye staring down at him.