RWBY Through Worlds

37: Still got Some Fight

Inside, Pyrrha and Emerald ran to the elevator.

"We have to warn the others that they're coming," Pyrrha said. Her heart rate was up after that.

Emerald nodded.

They got in the elevator, and Pyrrha dialed Jaune, Oscar, and Ren.

Oscar answered. "Pyrrha? We've just got online."

"The doors seem to be open," Jaune said. "It must have gone okay for the others."

"That's great," Pyrrha said. "Bad news...Cinder and Watts are probably coming. We couldn't stall them that long...and I didn't get the Lamp back..." She hesitated, but if she outed Emerald, the others would be angry. "Also they may have found out about part of our plan."

"That's not good," Ren said. "Did they use it already, then?"

"It doesn't matter," Pyrrha said. "You have to hurry. Cinder could arrive at any moment."

"You guys are okay, right?" Jaune asked.

"Jaune, you're live," Ren said.

"Oh...okay...uh..." Jaune cleared his throat.

Oscar took the scroll off speaker.

"You guys are coming, right?"

"Yes, but we might be late," Pyrrha said.

"Maybe you should just meet us outside then, where the doorways are," Oscar said.

"All right," Pyrrha said.

She hung up and sighed. "They should have just enough time."

"Why did you do that?" Emerald said, looking at her strangely.

"Huh?" Pyrrha said.

"You just covered for me," Emerald said. "And you gave Cinder the Lamp...why? I literally helped get you killed. Why would you give that thing up to help me?"

"I..." Pyrrha hesitated. "Because, it doesn't matter what you did... You're with us now. I always work to protect my team. And I shouldn't have left you alone. That was stupid. So it was my fault also. I was careless before. We should have run before Cinder saw us."

"That's just as much my fault as yours," Emerald said. "I don't know if I would have bailed you out if our positions were reversed."

"I guess it's lucky for you they weren't, then," Pyrrha said warmly. "I suppose you don't have to thank me, but should we really argue about this? We have to get out of here and help the others guide people to the doors."

"Yeah..." Emerald said.

The door opened, and they walked out.

"But you know...she's...going to come after you now," Emerald said slowly. "I know Cinder... She won't stand for anyone one-upping her. I just...can't believe she almost killed me. Mercury was right, that SOB..."

Pyrrha felt a little sorry for her.

"I don't care if Cinder wants to kill me," she said. This was not quite true. "I suppose she will...but she would come after my friends anyway, so it's the same danger no matter what...and she would have learned about you eventually. She just...will never understand why what's she's doing is wrong, will she?"

"I don't even know why she's doing it," Emerald said. "Why she doesn't seem freaked out about this. Or did she not buy it?"

"Maybe she didn't, but you can't...save her," Pyrrha said. "Leaving Salem is a choice you had to make for yourself, isn't it? No one could make you. If she really wanted to, she would go."