Chapter 34

It had taken a bit of work and quick review of a few historical texts, but together Weiss and Yang had determined that the aspect was about 300 years old. Well, she had first entered the mortal realm about 300 years prior, judging by the names of places, the way people spoke, and the state of the world at the time. Before that, well, there was no telling just how old Yang really was. When outside the mortal world, aspects also existed outside time. Everything happened all at once and stretched over millennia, all at the same time. It was a concept so arcane even Yang could not really explain it, and she had lived it. In addition, even before that, like all aspects she had grown from a sprite. An aspect's time as a sprite was rarely remembered, at least in detail, and the length that stage of development varied widely by individual, probably a side effect of time's fluidity in that plain of existence.

"What was your first time on Remnant like?" Weiss asked, pen in hand and paper on the desk before her. "What did you do?" The details of an aspect's earliest memories would make for fascinating reading, even if such a narrative did not have a place in her guide to the supernatural.

"Well, it was my Rite of Passage, so it was a self summon." Yang began. "It's hard for an aspect to change dimensions of its own accord, takes a lot of energy. When I got here I was exhausted, way weaker than you're ever likely to see me. Still, I had a mission to complete. My father told me to do some good for humanity, without giving any real instructions. I wasn't sure what to do exactly, so I met with some Fire Cultists who were super happy to see me and really nice, and asked them if they needed any help. It was kind of hard to get a straight answer, what with them worshiping me and all-"

"Sounds like hell." Weiss rolled her eyes.

"Anyway, they told me about a gang of bandits that was attacking travelers near the temple." Yang continued. "I figured taking them out would help everyone in the area, not just the Cultists, so it was a good a trial as any. Long story short, I showed up at the bandit camp and by the time I was done, there was nothing left but ash. Then I heard dad's voice in my head. He was pleased that I'd taken care of the bandits, but had hoped I'd do something constructive rather than destructive. I went back to the Cultists and helped them forge tools to improve their farming. My father was happy, the Fire Cultists were happy and I was happy, so I went back home. All in all it was a cool experience."

"Fascinating…" Weiss scribbled the account on the paper. "I should look through surviving Cult records, they might have mentioned you."

"Well, the Cultists I helped weren't big on literacy, but I guess it's possible." Yang shrugged. "Great folks either way."

"You sound a lot more pro-humanity than most aspects I've met." Weiss noted.

"I...was." Yang sighed. "Humans can be amazing. After all, we aspects tend to take on your forms, so you must be doing something right. What you can accomplish in such a limited and tenuous life is incredible. It's just...a lot of what I've seen has been the dark side. After that first trip, I was summoned many times. Usually it was to be part of some witch or warlock's work, or to help take care of monsters or bandits threatening a village. But there were times when I was...I was made to do terrible things. My father always wanted me to create, but even when I was summoned to do good, it was invariably destructive. When put to evil purposes…"

"You don't have to continue if you don't want to." Weiss cut in, noticing her partner's rapid descent into melancholy.

"It's okay, it's not like I haven't gone over it all a million times in my head." Yang waved away her concern. "Besides, you can't really understand what it is to be an aspect without the negative side."

"Be that as it may-" Weiss started, only to be interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Want me to get it?" Yang offered.

"That's alright." Weiss shook her head, standing and heading to the door. She opened it to find Pyrrha and Ruby.

"Hey Weiss!" Ruby chirped.

"Hello Weiss." Pyrrha bowed.

"Ruby, Pyrrha." Weiss returned the greeting. "Would you like to come in?"

"That's alright." Pyrrha declined. "We're just-"

With a whoosh, Yang appeared behind Weiss. "Hey guys! What brings you here?"

"We were running some errands and decided to stop by." Pyrrha replied.

"And I made Weiss a present!" Ruby cheered.

"Aw, no present for me?" Yang faux pouted.

"Well, you don't technically wear clothes, so…" Ruby dug into her satchel, pulling forth a bundled red cloth. She handed it to the vampire.

"A scarf?" Weiss examined the garment. "That's very thoughtful. Thank you."

"I was gonna crochet a design into it, but I wasn't really sure what you'd want." Ruby fretted. "Port's has him fighting Grimm, and Penny's has Templar heraldry, but I couldn't think of anything for you. Sorry. If you want me to add a design, I'd be happy to do it!"

Weiss rubbed the scarf between her fingers. It was soft and almost warm to the touch, and carried Ruby's usual floral scent. "That's quite alright, I prefer simplicity." She paused for a moment. "Ruby, what did you use to make this?"

"I made yarn from my blood." Ruby replied. "Speaking of, are you hungry? You haven't fed in a while, and I don't want you getting sick again."

"I'm fine Ruby." Weiss insisted. "Thank you for the offer, and thank you again for this gift."

"Oh, okay, you're welcome." Ruby smiled. "Yang, if you want I could make you a scarf. I don't want you to feel left out."

"Nah, seeing Weiss happy is enough of a gift for me." Yang waved off Ruby's concern. "You guys sure you don't wanna' stay for a while?"

"I'm afraid I have patients to tend to." Pyrrha lamented. "But Ruby can stay if she wants."

"That's alright, I should help out with them too." Ruby decided. "It's a lotta' work for one person."

"Well then, I suppose it's time we got going." Pyrrha suggested. "It was wonderful seeing the two of you."

"Yeah, it was great!" Ruby added.

"Come back anytime." Weiss offered.

"And bring me a present next time." Yang joked.

"Sure!" Ruby exclaimed. "See ya' later!"

"So long." Pyrrha bowed. She and Ruby turned and headed off toward Glynda's house.

As soon as Weiss closed the door, she wrapped the scarf around her face and inhaled deeply, drinking in its scent. "You couldn't wait to do that, huh?" Yang teased. "If I didn't know better, I'd think you had a thing for Rubes."

Weiss swatted at Yang's shoulder, only for her to turn immaterial before the blow landed. "Shush you."

It was strange walking home, not due to recent events, but rather how oddly ordinary it felt. After all, Velvet was walking alongside a succubus, a freshly glamoured succubus no less. Her name was Coco, or at least that was the name she had given. Glynda had not believed it true, stating that Coco was being cautious, that names held true power over such aspects. They could only be fully bound easily their true names. In a circumstance such as this, a succubus was lured by appealing catalysts and agreed to terms depending upon her tastes, not truly bound. Coco was no exception. She agreed to a protection bind, at the very least to protect her pride. She had no intention of harming Velvet, and she believed her.

Sure, Coco was quite intimidating, both in her true and glamoured forms. She was well dressed with tight black pants and long leather boots, gold buckles gleaming in the sun. A tan top hung loose on her form but in a purposeful manner, contrasting with the black cincher she wore around her waist. The plunging neckline was adorned with a variety of odd charms, fashioned from various minerals and metals. They jingled occasionally, but Coco's stride was sure and steady. She seemed unperturbed by her surroundings. Not that it was easy to tell, her enchanting eyes hidden behind dark tinted circular glasses. Clearly she had put some thought into this glamour. It did not seem hastily thrown together. Perhaps Coco would model for Velvet someday. She did not want to use her as a mannequin, but her hourglass figure would certainly look lovely in a dress.

"Looks like the winds had fun." Coco remarked, breaking Velvet from her musings. She realized they had stopped in front of her home, the shattered windows still allowing wind and snow alike into her bedroom.

Velvet groaned. "Damnit, I forgot...bugger." Pushing the door open, she briefly forgot her guest until solid heels thumped on the floor.

"Nice place though, reminds me a bit of Mistral." Coco admired, running her nails along the counter. "You sell clothing?"

"And make them." Velvet added. "I'm a seamstress by trade, like my grandmother before me."

"This is fine work." Coco admired, holding up a cloth jacket and nudging her glasses down with her thumb. "I'm sure some snooty master would turn his nose up at it, but in my experience such people do so out of insecurity."

"Thanks?" Velvet offered, hesitantly. She could not tell if it was a backhanded compliment or simply Coco's method of praise.

"So what happened to the windows?" Coco asked, folding the garment and replacing it in a simple fluid motion. Not even Velvet could fold that efficiently. She had never mastered that art, much to her grandmother's amusement.

"I think it's better to show you." Velvet sighed. There was weight upon her as she climbed the stairs. The last time she had done so had ended in tears, the time before that, agony.

Coco was silent as she followed. Velvet had to resist the urge to look back to reassure herself that it was real, that Coco was real, that all this pain had been for something, that something positive might come of it. She had to admit to herself, she was not sure what would happen now. Foresight was not her strong suit. She hoped for the best and feared the worst. And the worst always came. She just wanted a reprieve. Maybe Coco could provide one. Velvet was not a shrinking violet, life was pain, and she had learned this at a young age. It made her tough, but now so very tired.

"Some months ago, I tried to summon one of you…" Velvet began, crossing the kitchen that bisected the second floor. "I fucked up and got a hare instead...her name was Womp." Pushing open her bedroom door, Velvet stepped inside.

"Was?" Coco questioned, following.

Velvet stared at the brand on her floor as she passed, flopping down onto her bed with a sigh. "Last night, I tried again...and fucked up again...and it took Womp away from me." She watched as Coco stepped around the circle, examining the burns with a curious gaze.

"You did well, for a novice." Coco stopped before Velvet. "You probably screwed up the incantation." She stood before the failed circle, smirking. "That cute accent of yours would wreak havoc on any syllable."

Velvet scoffed, shaking her head. Coco took a seat beside her, the warmth of her presence oddly comforting. "I should have learned. I should have been happy with Womp...she was a good girl...everyone loved her."

"Not everyone is cut out for magic." Coco noted. "You gotta' have something special. Every witch or wizard I've met has been a tad touched upstairs." She lightly prodded the seamstress' head. "You work magic of your own anyway."

"I sew together scraps of cloth and leather to make people think they look better than they do." Velvet groused, much to Coco's amusement.

The succubus chuckled. "Damn right you do, and doctors patch up your body to make you think you'll live forever, and huntsmen kill the bad monsters to make you think you're safe. Mortal life is full of deceptions. Realize that and you can start turning them to your advantage."

"That's a shitty way of looking at things." Velvet complained.

"I'm not here to baby you Velv." Coco expressed, laying back on the mattress, splaying her arms out to run her fingers over the covers.

Velvet quirked her head at the succubus. "Oh, it's Velv now?"

"If it pleases you mistress." Coco salaciously purred.

Velvet laughed, genuinely this time. "I can't believe idiots get off to that noise."

"Oh you know humans, they love power, no matter how petty and small." Coco ranted. "Knowing some beautiful sex goddess is their slave gets them all kinds of worked up." She chuckled darkly. "Fools."

"Who are worse, men or women?" Velvet asked.

"Each in their own way." Coco replied. "In my experience, men are simple and straight to the point. They want sex, or to feel powerful. Women? Power is still at the heart of it, but there's usually more going on behind the scenes."

"Is the world really that fucked?" Velvet deflated.

"Maybe, maybe not." Coco shrugged. "Humans always bounce back from disasters. Armies are raised, kingdoms fall, the dust settles and the world figures itself out...none of that matters for you. You'll die before any of that happens."

"Oh wow, thanks." Velvet grumbled. "I just love being reminded of my own mortality." She flopped back, landing on the summon's arm.

"Isn't it great?" Coco grinned. "You get to worry about yourself for a short amount of time, I get to spend millennia wondering if the next idiot who summons me will be the one who knows my true name. Then I'm just another plaything for whoever that name passes to."

"It's really that bad?" Velvet inquired.

"Names have power Velv." Coco confirmed. "Not like for you mortals. Your name is just a label given to your form. Our names are our being, and when mortals get ahold of them, it's like being held by the throat."

"They can just do whatever they want with you?" Velvet asked.

"Whatever they want." Coco nodded. "It's worse than slavery."

"You don't have any control?" Velvet pressed.

"None." Coco replied. "You do what you're bound to do, and hope you don't hate it."

"That...fucking sucks." Velvet observed.

It was Coco's turn to laugh, loud and long. "Yeah, it does. Ask Blake about it someday."

"Blake isn't Glynda's slave." Velvet noted.

"No, but she was someone else's once." Coco explained. "Talk of the town so to speak."

"You're kidding, you gossip in...wherever you come from?" Velvet balked.

"The Planes of Pleasure." Coco purred. "Of course we do. You think it's just orgies and nudism over there?"

"Now I know you're fucking with me." Velvet grumbled. She yelped as Coco suddenly flipped her over, straddling her hips.

"Hmm...no, not yet." Coco murmured, glamour fading away. Her soft brown eyes gained their gold flecks, horns jutting proudly, and a single clawed finger trailing lightly down Velvet's collar. "I think for now we should do something about this draft, before you catch a cold." Leaning down, Coco brushed her lips against Velvet's freckled nose. "Don't you agree?"

Velvet could only barely manage a nod as she lost herself in the moment.

Dew's recovery was progressing well, but was not without its anomalies. For one, she should have been conscious by now. Both Pyrrha and Glynda agreed that they could detect no signs of physical trauma, now that she had recovered from the exposure that had nearly killed her. Her breathing was normal, her blood pressure a bit low but not outside safe limits, and her pulse was strong and steady. The only notable issue was a fluctuating body temperature. She would swing wildly from fever to near hypothermia, despite the room's stable magic-regulated temperature.

Glynda theorized that Dew had achieved some sort of magical awakening, probably while lost in the woods and near death. She certainly exuded magic energy. Pyrrha did not even need to enter the room to feel it. Just passing in the hallway was enough. That could explain her continued coma and the temperature swings, though Glynda had never known a case exactly like Dew's. It was impossible to know what had even befallen her, or how long she had been in the wilderness. She was a traveling merchant who regularly visited the settlements and far-flung homes all around Patch. She had not been seen around this part of the island for weeks, but that was not abnormal. Hopefully she could shed some light on the mystery when she woke up.

Pyrrha carefully injected a solution into Dew's arm. Glynda had prepared this mixture, as she had all of Dew's prior injections. At first they were meant to promote healing and provide emergency sustenance, but the focus increasingly fell upon waking her up. It would be far easier to care for her once she was conscious.

The injection complete, Pyrrha placed the syringe on a tray on the side table. It had no immediate effect as Dew remained still, her eyes shut. Putting her fingers to Dew's neck, Pyrrha checked her pulse. Stable, strong, same as always. She did feel a bit cold. Pyrrha gently pressed the back of her hand to Dew's forehead. It was indeed a little cold, but-

Dew's eyes shot open. In an instant her arm shot upward and she grabbed Pyrrha by the wrist. Dew's face contorted in fear and confusion and her mouth opened as if to scream, though no sound came forth. Her grip tightened and a sharp pain engulfed Pyrrha's arm as ice expanded from Dew's hand, encasing the limb. It took everything Pyrrha had to stifle a scream as jagged points of ice stabbed inward, cutting into her flesh.

Dew released Pyrrha, scrambling out of the bed only to stumble and fall before hastily crawling into the corner. There she curled up in the fetal position. Frost crept across the floor, up the walls and onto the nearby dresser. Dew's gaze snapped to around the room until she buried her face in her arms and began to sob.