Breathe Chapter 73: Silver Linings

Sitting on a bench outside in the early hours of the morning, I took a deep breath, feeling how it filled my chest and warmed my body before slowly exhaling.

With everything that’d happened over the past day, I’d found myself unable to get much sleep. Salem’s involvement... The Ancient Grimm... And, more importantly, the Hound Salem sent to attack Beacon while I wasn’t here.

That one was especially bothersome. It was already bad enough that there was a person in there, but the fact that Yang believed it could be Summer made it far worse. It’d thrown me off completely.

That being said, there was a unique opportunity here. If that Grimm really was Summer, then she was only mostly dead, meaning that she was still slightly alive as opposed to being totally dead where the only thing that could be done is going through her pockets for loose change.

There was still a chance she could be saved... There was still a chance that Ruby and Yang could get their mom back... That left me with the dilemma of how to do it.

It wasn’t as simple as just cutting away the Grimm parts. If the Grimm died, so did Summer. I needed a way to separate the two... Optimally destroying the Grimm in a way that wouldn’t harm her body.

Unfortunately, one of the few things that might be able to accomplish that was currently being used to keep Atlas afloat.

I could ask James, but... Allowing a Grimm that was loyal to Salem near one of the Relics seemed like a terrible idea, even if it was restrained.

Even if he agreed, we’d still need to have the Winter Maiden unlock the Atlas’ Vault and, from what I remembered, she wasn’t really in any condition to move around. Any number of things could go wrong. It was mildly infuriating to say the least.

Feeling something shift in my lap, I peeked an eye open and glanced down to find a small sparrow hopping around, looking for food.

“Sorry little guy, I don’t have anything for you,” I murmured. “I might have some bread in my Inventory, but I’m not sure if that’s safe for you to eat.”

Looking up at me curiously, the bird chirped and flew off towards the forest, quickly disappearing from view.

With that distraction out of the way, I closed my eye again before sighing when I heard another bird land on a nearby lamppost, only this one’s heart was hammering loud enough for me to pick up on.

Whistling softly, I leaned back on the bench and shot a quick glance towards the lamppost before looking away.

Waiting a few short moments, there was a fluttering sound followed by a soft thud as a body materialized behind me. A second passed. There was a click followed by the sound of a blade being unsheathed.

Glancing over my shoulder, I locked eyes with Raven who looked between me and the sword held in her grasp. Tightening her grip on the handle, she grunted and pulled back, sheathing it in one clean move.

“It’s not enough... Not yet,” She murmured softly under her breath.

“So...” I hummed, watching as she inspected her hands. “Are you going to tell me what that was about or am I just going to have to guess?”

Despite her actions, she didn’t seem like she’d been trying to kill me.

Experimentally clenching her fist as her hand briefly trembled, Raven grunted. “It was nothing of importance... Not to someone like you anyway.”

I stared at her for a few moments. It was strange... In all the time she’d spent here, she’d taken to avoiding me. Hell, she couldn’t even hold her sword without... Oh. So that’s what this was about.

This confrontation wasn’t about me, it was about her... More specifically, it was about her overcoming her fears.

“I’m going back to my room,” Raven muttered softly. Turning around, she slowly headed back towards the Academy.

“I heard about the attack on Beacon,” I called out. “Ozpin told me about it while Qrow and Yang helped fill in the blanks. I pretty much know everything that happened, except for where you were when it happened.”

Pausing, Raven tensed. “I was where I’ve always been... In my room. You’re not accusing me of working with Salem, are you? I have just as much to lose if she wins.”

I shook my head. “No... I know you’re not working with Salem... But I also know you aren’t telling the full truth.”

I didn’t know the inner workings of her Semblance, but I knew enough to make an educated guess. She was able to sense when someone she was linked to was in danger.

Sighing, she crossed her arms. “I was on the roof and saw the end of the fight. They seemed to have it handled and when they didn’t, Summer’s... Yang’s sister took care of the rest. She’s oddly powerful for her age... That whole team is. Not that it shouldn’t be expected since they’re hanging around you.”

That last part sounded like an accusation.

“They’re hard workers and pretty talented,” I shrugged. “It’d be weird if they weren’t strong... but if they weren’t able to fight it off, what would you have done?”

“I would have done what was necessary,” Raven answered. “At this point, it would be a mercy. What Salem did... There’s no coming back from that. There’s no treatment, surgery or prosthetics that could fix her. I doubt even Salem could reverse what she’s done.”

I wasn’t entirely sure about that. The Staff was my best bet to curing Summer, but there were a few other things that could help. Prosthetics have made a major leap in the past few decades. Maria’s goggles enabled her to see and half of Ironwood’s body was... Well, iron.

And then there was Penny who... Wait a minute....

I can’t believe I’d overlooked that. Her entire body was mechanical, but she was still alive... Ruby said it best. Just because she doesn’t have squishy guts, doesn’t make her any less of a person. Maybe the same could be done for Summer.

It wasn’t a perfect fix, but if it worked, it would free her from Salem’s influence. Ruby would probably be pretty excited too, having a robot mom.

I needed to talk to the General. Standing from my bench, I grabbed my Scroll and typed a small message, asking to meet with James when he had time before slipping it back into my pocket.

“Since I answered your questions, it’s only fair that you answer mine,” Raven said, watching me with no small amount of suspicion. “Those other two that hang around you... And my daughters' team... How are they all so strong? What did you do?”

Pausing, I shot a quick glance her way. “The weak die and the strong survive... That was your motto, right?”

“It is,” Raven answered shortly.

Right, she still sort of believed it. “And that’s the reason why you’re not as strong as them... Why Yang will eventually exceed you... Maiden powers and all. You’ve limited yourself to an idea of how strength works instead of considering you might be wrong. True strength doesn’t just refer to the physical body.”

“Then what does it refer to?”

Watching as the first few rays of the new day began to wash over the sky, I hummed softly. “I can’t tell you, you’ll just need to figure it out on your own. If you can, you’ll be all the more stronger for it.”

...Breathe...

Letting out a yawn, I stopped in front of my quarters and blinked the sleep from my eyes. It was still pretty early in the day, the sun had only just begun to rise. It’d be another few hours before everyone started getting up. More than enough time to take a short nap.

Opening the door as I stretched, I made my way through, coming to a stop in the occupied lounge area where I found several sets of eyes looking my way. Pyrrha, Winter and Maria, I could understand. Weiss and Blake on the other hand...

“Coffee’s up,” Ruby said cheerfully, stepping out of the kitchen with a pair of cups held in her hands. “We... Why’s everyone staring at me like that?”

Standing behind her, I coughed lightly.

Letting out a surprised squeak as she jumped, Ruby spun around, holding the cups in her hands defensively. “Ah, you’re back.” Looking around awkwardly, she held up a cup that looked to be mostly cream and sugar. “Want some coffee?”

May as well, it wasn’t like I was going to be getting any sleep. “Thanks, but I think I’ll just go make my own.”

“Already on it,” Yang called out. “Same as last time?” She asked, poking her head out of the kitchen.

“That’d be great, thanks.” I nodded. Watching as she disappeared back into the kitchen, I turned towards the gathered group. “So...”

“Don’t look at me, it’s not like I told everyone to come here,” Maria commented. Propping her legs up, she leaned back into her chair. “If anything, you’ll want to talk to mini Red.“ She gestured towards Ruby.

Appearing like a deer caught in headlights, Ruby squirmed under the attention. “Well, we wanted to check up on you guys. We never got to ask how everything went with that Grimm yesterday and Weiss wanted to see if her sister was okay.”

Blushing a little under her sister’s gaze, Weiss pointed towards their third teammate. “Blake only came because she finds this place more comfortable than our dorm.”

“Yes, and?” Blake deadpanned, not missing a beat as she idly paged through her book. “There’s more room, better places to sit and a small kitchen too. It’s like an apartment, why wouldn’t I want to come here?”

Well, when she put it that way...

Feeling something tap my back, I looked over my shoulder and found Yang leaning against the doorway. “Mind helping me carry everything out?” Yang asked softly while the rest of her team chatted amongst themselves. “Ruby was supposed to, but... Yeah.”

Watching as Ruby and Weiss bantered with each other, occasionally trying to drag Blake in as well, I chuckled. “Sure.” Following her into the small kitchen attached to the lounge, I found a small tray filled with several cups waiting on the countertop. “Alright, so I’ll carry and you can–“

Pulling me into a loose hug, Yang rested her head on my shoulder. “Thank you... For being there for me last night.”

“You’re welcome,” I hummed, patting her back. “If you ever need to talk, I’m here for you... All of you.”

Nodding, she pulled back and smiled brightly. “Thanks, I... Oh, hey Pyrrha.”

“Hello,” Pyrrha greeted cheerfully. “Is there anything I could help with?”

“Not really,” Yang shrugged. “There isn’t much to carry. By the way, could I ask you to take a look at my wrist?” She asked, holding her hand up. “I think I might have sprained it last night.”

Taking her hand, I slowly moved it while looking for any damage. “There doesn’t seem to be–“

Pressing her lips against my cheek, Yang pulled away and grabbed the tray, making her way towards the door, grinning brightly. “Thanks, it feels a lot better.”

She... She didn’t even need any help. The only reason she called me in here was to get me alone. I’d known for a while now that Yang liked to flirt with and tease me... She’d done something similar back in Argus when she’d just found out about Salem and was worried about Ruby, but this felt a little different.

Hearing a snort of laughter, I found Pyrrha covering her mouth, looking far too amused.

“I’m sorry,” She snickered. “It’s just... The look on your face.”

“She caught me by surprise.”

“Oh, I know.” Smiling, Pyrrha made her way over and rubbed her pyjama sleeve against my cheek. “You’ve got a little smudge here.”

“...Thanks,” I deadpanned.

Breaking off into a fit of giggles, Pyrrha smiled. “You’re welcome.”

Entering the lounge once more with an amused Pyrrha by my side, we were both greeted to a far more relaxed group. Looking for an empty seat, Yang shifted to the side, offering very little space before sending a wink my way.

Shaking my head, I grabbed one of the dining chairs by the breakfast table and slid it over. “So, I think it’s about time we talked about Total Concentration Constant.”

...Breathe...

Sitting at his desk with a mug of hot cocoa by his side, Ozpin sighed as he stared over all of the work he’d gained in the last twenty four hours. Vale was a mess of panic, Grimm were at an all time high and the council was in complete disarray due to the actions of one of their own.

It wasn’t entirely hopeless. James had brought a large chunk of his military with him and was not only reinforcing the city, but also systematically wiping out entire hordes of Grimm, relieving the pressure on some of the smaller settlements throughout the Kingdom.

There was, however, one thing that James had informed him about that was bothering him. It seemed that during his alone in Atlas, the good General had ordered a secret facility to be built in Mistral, one that was made to study the location of the first Ancient Grimm Coal killed all those months ago.

Ozpin had no doubt that James’ intentions were well intentioned, but he also couldn’t help but feel that this could have disastrous results. The results from the tests being done were worrisome to say the least.

It wasn’t James he was worried about, but Salem.

“...Team CFVY are still willing to handle everything given everything that’s happened.”

Blinking, Ozpin looked up at Glynda who stood on the other end of his desk. “I’m sorry, could you repeat that last part.”

“Ozpin, how long have you been sitting there?”

“That depends, what time is it?” Ozpin hummed.

“Nearly ten.”

“Oh... Then all night,” He replied, taking an idle sip from his mug. “What was it you were saying about the dance?”

“Nevermind that.” Sighing, Glynda massaged her temples. “Maybe you should let me handle the schoolwork while you get everything else in order. You’re spreading yourself too thin, Ozpin.”

That would free up a significant portion of his schedule, giving him the chance to get on top of things, but was it really necessary?

“If you could perhaps take over for the day,” Ozpin suggested. Standing up, he extended his cane and stepped around his desk. “The worst is over, but I do still need to make a few arrangements before everything can settle down.”

“Of course,” Glynda nodded. “Let me know if there’s anything that you need.”

He might just have to take her up on that offer, but first he needed to have a quick chat with Coal, Pyrrha and Winter.

...Breathe...

Standing in Beacon’s Amphitheatre, Yang slouched over with her hands on her knees, sweat pouring off her face as she struggled to maintain her breathing.

“How... The heck... Is this... supposed to help?” She asked, staring up at Pyrrha who looked no worse for wear. “I thought we were... Supposed to... Practice... Total Concentration Breathing.”

She wasn’t the only one tired either. She and the rest of her teammates had been fighting Pyrrha for what seemed like hours now. It was only when they’d almost completely exhausted their Aura and stamina that they could sit down and rest.

Yang would be the first to admit that she loved a good fight, but this was just ridiculous. Pyrrha didn’t even look winded. Hell, her Aura was still completely full.

“Oh, you are,” Pyrrha hummed softly. “This just helps your body acclimate to it quicker. It can be rather difficult to maintain when you’re starting out, but the longer you use it, the more instinctual it’ll become.”

“Still kinda insane that we’re expected to do this in our sleep,” Yang muttered to herself before suddenly looking up. “Wait, you’re not just doing this because you’re mad about what happened in the kitchen earlier, are you?”

Blinking, Pyrrha let out a short chuckle. “No, of course not. If I was angry, this fight wouldn’t have lasted anywhere near as long.”

Well that was slightly terrifying. Yang made a mental note to never piss Pyrrha off, despite her kind disposition, the former Mistral champion could be a little terrifying.

...Breathe...

“Why is it that every time we spar, I end up feeling like one giant bruise?” Yang groaned, sitting down next to her teammates. “Seriously, even my ass hurts... How the heck does that happen?”

“I’m sorry,” Pyrrha blushed. “I can get a little carried away.”

Somehow, I felt I’d heard this exact conversation before.

“Nah, don’t worry about it,” Yang waved her off. “I had a lot of pent up emotions... It feels good to work them all out like that. Can we do this again?”

“Do we have to,” Weiss muttered, rubbing her stomach. “It feels like I might have internal bleeding.”

I had heard this conversation before. I eyed the entrance to the Amphitheatre with suspicion, waiting to see if Taiyang would walk in and embarrass his daughters again.

Coughing lightly, Winter stepped beside me and stared at the entrance. “Are you expecting anyone?”

“Not really,” I shook my head. I did invite Oscar, but I somehow doubt he’d come.

“Then, seeing as we both have very little to do, I was hoping that you would be open to sparring with me,” Winter said. “There’s something that I would like to test.”

Okay, I could honestly say that I didn’t see that coming. It’d been quite a while since Winter and I last sparred... Come to think of it, it was back before she’d learnt her Breathing Style.

“Yeah, sure,” I hummed, feeling a little eager myself.

Scooting to the edge of her seat, Ruby practically vibrated with energy as she watched our interaction. “Oh, this is gonna be awesome.”

“Ahem... Shouldn’t you be practicing your breathing?” Weiss asked, shooting her teammate a pointed look.

“I can do two things!”

Chuckling, I made my way down into the arena alongside Winter, stopping a short distance away from her.

“How do you want to do this?” I asked, glancing up at the Aura monitor.

“Till either of us are in the red or our Aura shatters... Whichever comes first,” Winter answered.

Nodding, I grabbed the hilt of my blade and waited for Winter to make the first move.

Holding her blade in front of herself, Winter’s eyes scrunched closed in concentration. Gripping her sword tightly, her figure flashed white as various Glyphs formed across her body. Opening her eyes once more, she swished her sword to the side, releasing a wave of pressure.

“Ready.”

Watching her forn flicker, I tensed my legs, launching myself out of the way as she passed through the spot I’d just been standing.

“Sun Breathing: Flash, One Step”
-50AP

Spinning on the spot, I brought my blade up and managed to deflect a blow as Winter appeared directly in front of me.

“Fast.”

Smirking, she raised her sword overhead. “Not just fast.”

Bringing it down, our blades met in a loud clang as a wave of force pushed down on me, cratering the ground below. She was strong... Far stronger than she’d been before.

Pressing forward, our blades ground against one another sending sparks flying as they turned a dull red from the friction.

Taking a step forward, I planted my feet firmly on the ground, pushing Winter back only to watch as a large white Glyph formed behind her, breaking our deadlock as she was suddenly propelled forward, sending me tumbling to the side.

Placing a hand on the ground to regain my balance, I took a breath and launched myself forward, bringing my blade down on Winter’s form only to miss when her form backwards.

“Sun Breathing: Flash, One Step”
-50AP

“Sun Breathing: Dance”
-500 AP

Feeling excitement bubble in my chest at Winter’s ability to keep up, I pressed two fingers against my blade and slid it down the edge, coating it in a layer of Aura that almost appeared to burn.

-5000 AP

“I hope you’re not done just yet,” I called out.

“Sun Breathing: Sun Halo Dragon Head Dance”
-800 AP

Blurring forward, my blade burned through the air as I brought it down on Winter’s unmoving form only for my blade to glance off her as hundreds of strikes collided with it in an instant, halting its momentum.

Appearing a little winded, Winter moved forward and held her blade loosely in her hands.

“Frost Breathing: Dead Calm”

Eyes widening, I pushed my perception as far as it could go without directly accessing the Transparent world and began parrying, blocking and otherwise dodging Winter’s slashes.

The sheer number of them quickly reached the hundreds and showed no sign of stopping. In fact, it appeared as if she was only growing faster.

Taking a breath, I stepped forward and brought my blade down. Cycling through each form of Sun Breathing I managed to deflect each and every one of her blows.

“Sun Breathing: Thirteenth Form”
-0 AP

Taking another step forward, I began going through each form anew, keeping the pressure up..

She wouldn’t be able to keep this up forever. The strain of that technique alone was exhausting, but when accompanied by that new form of hers... She likely wouldn’t last much longer.

Moving just a little bit closer, Winter smirked as several of the glyphs on her body glowed a bit brighter.

Giving my perception the nudge it needed to access the Transparent World, I began moving a few moments before her.

Predicting the path she was going to take, I ducked under her blade as she sailed towards me and grabbed onto her waist, intending on bleeding off the excess momentum in a spin... That was the plan anyway.

Instead, I’d underestimated the amount of thrust Winter’s Glyphs gave her and instead, found myself tumbling across the arena floor with Winter in tow.

Fortunately, it didn’t take long for us to come skidding to a stop with Winter laying on top of me. Keeping my arms loosely wrapped around her as she sat up, there was a click as the main door to the Amphitheatre opened.

“Ah, Coal, Winter... I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” Ozpin commented as he stepped into the room.

We... Were in a bit of a compromising position.

“Not really... We were just finishing up our spar.”

“I see, well, I’ll keep this brief,” He replied. “I was hoping that the two of you and Ms. Nikos would be willing to attend a press conference.”

This was about the Ancient Grimm, no doubt... More specifically, how another one was dead.

“I–“

“Sorry I’m late,” Oscar apologized, rushing into the Amphitheatre. “I got a little lost and then I ran into Maria who showed me where...” Staring down at Winter and myself, his face turned several shades of red before he suddenly turned and left. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to intrude!”

Watching as Oscar took off, Ozpin raised an inquisitive brow.

“Hey kid, where’re you going?” Maria called out. “The Amphitheatre’s this way.” Stepping into the room, she took one look at Winter who was still sitting on my lap and started laughing.

...Breathe...

Sitting in a fairly large apartment in Vale, Cinder watched the news as it played a clip of Coal arriving back at Beacon. She’d already seen it a number of times now, but that didn’t matter. The video filled her with a sense of exhilaration.

The fact that he’d returned meant one thing. All of that power... That strength, it hadn’t been a fluke. He hadn’t just gotten lucky the first time around. His Semblance truly was that powerful.

“Um... Ma’am,” Emerald hummed nervously. “Is, uh... Is everything alright?”

Turning her attention towards Emerald, Cinder watched as her subordinate flinched under her gaze. Even Mercury, who’d been lounging on a couch on the other side of the room visibly tensed... And she wasn’t even looking at him.

“Everything is perfect, Emerald.”

Salem had truly outdone herself with this Semblance. It was almost a pity that it would fade once she got what she deserved. All of that anger and hatred that she felt had come in useful on more than one occasion.

Simply holding the ability to reach into someone’s soul and shear a portion off for yourself... It was intoxicating. The fact that others could subconsciously pick up on it made it even better. Marcus Black truly squandered his ability.

Feeling a wave of hatred wash through her, Cinder smirked viciously. Try as they might, the remnants of Marcus Black weren’t able to affect her any longer. She’d almost miss feeling his anger pulse through her when she thought of him in a negative light.

Perhaps when she stole Coal’s, some remnant of him would also exist inside of her. That would be an interesting experience.

“It’s just... You’ve been staring at your Scroll for a while now and... Weren’t we supposed to do something today?” Emerald asked cautiously. “The White Fang–“

“Can wait,” Cinder snapped. Taking a moment to calm herself, she tapped a gloved finger to the table. “Plans change, that’s something Adam’s going to have to get used to.” Staring at the frozen image of Coal stepping off the Airship, she glanced at the white haired figure at his side.

“It’s just... They’ve been trying to get a hold of us all morning,” Emerald replied. “What should I tell them to do?”

“Tell them that there might be a better opportunity for them to get what they want,” Cinder replied, smirking at the picture of Winter Schnee.

If she recalled correctly, Beacon was going to be holding a dance fairly soon, it was the perfect time to slip in and enact her plan. It’d be a bit difficult sneaking in, luckily she knew just the thief with a penchant for getting into places he wasn’t supposed to be.

It was all coming together.