Chapter 18

"So these maidens, they're powerful fighters that don't need dust to use magic?" Ruby commented after her uncle finished explaining most of the situation to them.

She wasn't sure how to take what she had just learned. It explained a lot, but then..it all sounded so surreal. Her silver eyes flickered to right beside the log she was sitting on, or rather, a bit behind it where the massive form of Cobalt sat curled up, his head hanging over his paws and his eyes shut.

She felt an utter feeling of boredom from him as if this discussion didn't matter to him. It had been an hour since they ran into Tyrian, and they had set up camp just outside the outskirts of the city they had been in previously. Beyond the excitement of flying on Cobalt's back for a bit, they hadn't talked much at all since her uncle had said that once camp was set up he'd explain everything to them.

"And there are four of them?" Nora held up four fingers and asked, getting a nod from Qrow.

"Yep, always." he confirmed.

"And whenever one of them dies, it transfers to someone else, a female?" Ren asked.

"Whoever was in their thoughts last," Qrow nodded again, "It's a pretty important distinction." he added, before taking a swig from his flask.

"And that's what you were trying to do to Pyrrha!" Jaune glared, "The night the tower fell! You were trying to turn her into one of them!"

The raw anger and emotion in Jaune's voice made Ruby wince. But she noticed as well, as soon as Pyrrha's name came up, Cobalt cracked open his green eye.

Her uncle sighed, "The previous Fall Maiden, Amber was attacked," he began, "She was young, inexperienced and her assailant who we now know was Cinder somehow managed to steal some of her power."

"..A grimm bug." Cobalt commented suddenly, drawing all eyes to him. "It's what she used to kill me. And reason why I am the way I am now. With my semblance, I absorbed some of her aura, and because her aura was linked to that bug grimm, I somehow got the essence of a grimm..alongside this."

There was a flare of orange light and her uncles eyes widened as an aura of orange covered both of Cobalt's eyes. "The Maiden power!?" Qrow gasped, the flask slipping from his hand and hitting the ground.

"That looks just like what Cinder had!" Jaune hissed venomously.

"Calm down," Cobalt clicked his tongue, and the orange glow faded from his eyes, "It's just a tiny little amount of that power. And that little eye trick is all I can do so far. But I think, that absorbing that magic and the essence of that grimm was what allowed my soul to reincarnate in a newly born grimm when Cinder murdered me."

Ruby winced at how easily the boy now grimm talked about his death. As if he was discussing the weather and it wasn't really anything important. He just sounded bored.

Qrow sighed, leaning back on the log he was sitting on, shaking his head, "..We were afraid the rest would go to Cinder if Amber died, so we had to make a plan to try and transfer the rest of the power to someone who wasn't in danger on dying."

Jaune switched his glare from Cobalt to Qrow, "So you forced it on Pyrrha!" he accused.

Her uncle narrowed his eyes, but before he could reply, Cobalt snorted, "They didn't force anything on Pyrrha," he said, drawing all of their eyes to him again. "They told her the situation and she agreed to it, she thought it was her duty as a huntress."

"Oh yeah!?" Jaune glared at him angrily, "And how would you know that! You didn't know Pyrrha at all you moron!"

"I'm willing to bet I knew a great deal about Pyrrha you didn't even before this mess." Cobalt snorted, "But I'll avoid emasculating you Arc, for now."

Eh? What did he mean? Ruby really didn't like it when people talked all cryptic.

"You're full of shit Cobalt!" Jaune roared, surging to his feet and clenching his fists. His white aura shimmered into existence around his clenched hands.

Cobalt merely snorted in contempt, "Don't act tough with me Arc, you're nothing but a gnat to me in a fight, even now." He held his head high and looked down on her blonde friend.

..Eeesh, these two really didn't like each other did they? Ruby wondered why. Maybe it had something to do with Weiss? Cobalt was her friend and Jaune did have that big massive crush on her white haired partner.

Before Jaune could reply and continue the argument, her uncle spoke up, looking at Cobalt, "I'd kind of like to know how you know that myself kid." he commented.

Cobalt rolled his eyes, "It's simple. I'm not the only one who got at least part of the maiden juice. Pyrrha got some too." Ruby nodded at his explanation, though she wasn't sure how that explained anything really. "And I paid a little visit to Beacon Tower where her big fight with that cunt Cinder went down, and just so happened to come across a little bit of glowing orange dust filled with aura."

Qrow's eyes widened, "You don't mean!"

Ruby looked between them both wildly, "Mean what!?" She asked, "Will you guys just get to the point and stop acting all mysterious!? It isn't as cool as you think it is!"

Cobalt snorted in amusement, "Alright, Ruby, I'll get to the point, watch this," he said, and Ruby gasped as Crescent Rose sitting beside her began levitating into the air. "The reason is simple. That little sliver of magic allowed some of Pyrrha's aura to stick around for a while after her death, and I absorbed it. And while she isn't really and truly fully alive, she isn't dead either. Pyrrha lives inside my head now, her soul has merged with mine, just like how the maiden powers work, and that is how I can use her semblance."

"..Oh." Ruby blinked. "...Okay."

There was utter silence.