Specialist Rose

43)On Top Of The World

This was worrying. Marrow was not one for science or mechanics yet he was spending practically every waking moment he could in Ruby's laboratory trying to get communication lines open, never mind the fact that it was impossible.

~~Winter POV~~~

"I've never seen him like this. Ever." I was standing in the doorway of Ruby's lab with the rest of the Ace-ops staring at an unconsious Marrow drool on the countertop. He genuinely looked dead. Pale and tacky with unkept hair and hygiene, gripping Ruby's cloak that had come back with the coliseum, it was disgusting but the reason why was more sad. Harriet though she pretended she didn't care about the team, her worry was bleeding through her mask as she spoke first,

"This just can't go on. He is going to kill himself if he goes on like this never mind get someone else killed on the field." Vine replied,
"Agreed, whilst it was healthy for him to grieve heavily for the first few weeks it has been 3 months since the fall of Beacon."

I agree. Nobody had fully bounced back from the horror that it caused and the students were still sleeping in each others rooms, afraid to be alone but this was getting out of hand. With travel banned because of the embargo Marrow couldn't go get Ruby but without the 4th tower communications between all kingdoms was next to impossible, never mind a tiny island on the other side of the world.

So much had changed, I found myself spending more time with Weiss as father had brought her home yet I was missing my other sister. The Ace-Ops took every available job- with the fallout they were in abundance. The General was rushed off his feet and hardly ever seen and Pietro was devoting all his time to bringing his daughter back. Marrow on the other hand took the most drastic change.

It's understandable, his whole world got flipped upside down, after the initial shock of Flynt and Neon telling him what happened to Ruby and what happened to his daughter it was like a switch had flipped, he hardly spoke and didn't eat and didn't even sleep. Ruby hated alcohol so Marrow never touched the stuff but after the news he practically always reeked of it.

He was more antisocial than Arslan had once been. Arslan, she was heavily missed too and the students had yet to fully process the loss of their friend. She was a really good kid and hopefully after things have calmed down her sacrifice can be honoured.

Marrow just got worse after the delivery guys dropped Ruby's wedding dress off. Once he saw what was inside he closed the box and brought it over to my flat begging me to take it away from him and give it to Ruby when she arrived. We don't even know if the travel ban will lift in time for the wedding. Most of us have accepted that the odds of the wedding going ahead are next to none but Marrow still holds out blind hope.

After the dress was delivered he found some sick energy in working through the pain whilst barely functioning to get communication lines open. His attitude was constantly forced to be big and expressive as it once was. Ruby loved that about him, that he wasn't afraid of showing emotions and if he ever did try to hide them his tail would always give him away. But now all the pain was hidden behind a fake smile and messy hair. Worse yet we had no idea how to snap him out of it.

I wish I knew what Ruby would do. But if I know anything about my sister then I know that chances are she's not doing much better. Last thing any of us saw was the generals ship that she was on burst into flames and fall from the sky and then 3 days later we received news of her baby. Lord only knows how she is  handing it. I just hope Gem is ok.

~~~3rd POV~~~

"Well let's get him up. We can't leave him here."  Winter suddenly got a notification from the General through her scroll. 
"Alright Elm you get him back to his room and for goodness sakes stay out of sight. Oum only knows what the public will think of an Ace-Op in this state."
"Aye, ma'am."
Winter departed and rather hurriedly made her way to the General's office. Though he wasn't nearly in as bad shape as Marrow and the students he was still rushed off his prosthetic feet and had been making more and more unorthodox decisions as of late. Winter took a deep breath and went in. 
"Hello General Ironwood, sir. You asked to see me?"
"Ah, Winter! Come in, have a seat."
"Are you feeling well sir? You've got a bit of dirt on your- well everywhere actually."
"Yes, yes Winter, I'm feeling quite well. As much as I wish I had the time I did not call you for a catch-up."
"Sir, why did you call me here?" 
"As I understand you are familiar with the maidens of the seasons?"
"Yes sir, I am. We are both well aware that Ruby is-"
"And what if it were you?"

That question threw Winter for a loop more than any of Ruby's bizarre questions had. Was he asking her a hypothetical question as though she were in Ruby's shoes? Was he asking something more. It was confusing.

"I'm sorry sir?"
"What if it were you with unimaginable power to help the defenceless?"
"Is it not the job of a soldier to protect the defenceless?"
"Of course it is. But what if you could do more?"
"And what do you mean by 'more' sir?"
"Look at Ruby, she is simply bursting with untamed magical energy and managed to fight on the front lines of Beacon with it. Even then she lacked training and direction. But you, you can receive the finest training on how to use that power efficiently at full capacity, imagine all the good you could do."
"If only that were possible sir. But Ruby is the Fall maiden and there is nothing you or I can do about it."

This was highly suspicious and honestly starting to creep her out more severely than father had talking to his business partners.

"No, not the fall maiden. The Winter maiden."
"I'm sorry?"
"What if I were to tell you that 100 meters beneath our feet is a top security hospital room where the latest, state-of-the-art technology is keeping the elderly Winter Maiden alive just waiting for the right young woman to become her successor? Waiting for a dedicated woman wanting only to protect her family and her home to take her power so it doesn't fall into the hands of our enemies."
"But sir! That would be controlling nature. That's not what the powers are for! What would Ruby think of this?!"
"You have 2 choices in front of you Schnee. You take up a noble mantle and gain the power to protect Ruby from all the nasty things in the world, or you refuse and unimaginable power falls into the hands of someone who will stop at nothing to destroy Atlas and everything we love. What's it going to be Winter?"
"I-"

Haha! You thought I was going to be nice and send the characters to therapy to deal with their trauma? Nope! As you are aware the spin-off book called Atlas days, focusing on the day to day life of the characters is scheduled to come out within the new week and I will post an announcement when it is up. 
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See you later, love Lizzi