RWBY Through Worlds (End)

201: Furthest From Myself

[Ready to finish this? I know I am.]

* * *

"Alice, where are you wandering now?" Her sister's voice startled her out of her musings.

Alicia Vundar sat up straight and lifted her teacup.

"Beg pardon," she said. "You were saying?"

"Oh, it doesn't matter, it was nothing of importance," Clara, her sister, who was 10 years her senior, said mildly. "But I declare, you've been wandering all afternoon. Have my tea parties grown so dull after all these years?"

"Oh, no." Alicia put the cup down and straightened her dress. "You know me, Clara. Always off in some other world."

"Quite literally," Clara said, amused. "I still remember when you told me of that first adventure of yours and I thought it was a strangely real dream. If I'd known it was only the beginning back then, I'd have written it down."

"I wrote it down myself, so there was no need," Alicia said, amused. [Real reference to Alice in Wonderland, by the way. Alice tells her sister everything, and her sister actually finds it enchanting rather than silly like in the movie.]

"Alice--" Clara always left off the 'i' of the name, and Alicia always left off the 'a' of hers. "I've been thinking, lately... well, is everything all right? Your last mission went all right, didn't it?"

"Oh, yes, splendidly." Alicia had only just returned from one, a short one. "They just needed a bit of a nudge."

"You never go on those long ones now," Clara noted. "Not that I'm not glad to have you around... but don't you get lonesome, alone in this house?"

"I'm not alone. There's the servants," Alicia said.

"Oh, I know." Clara sipped her tea. "You don't care about rank... and that's lovely, but... well, how could they be the same as real companions who don't get paid? Surely not all relationships in your life should be professional ones."

"Well, I have you," Alicia said.

"Yes, but one tea party a month is hardly enough. What do you do with yourself when you're not on missions?"

"I've always been fond of my own company," Alicia said. "You needn't worry."

"Well, if I may risk being more bold, then," Clara said candidly, "I don't quite think you've ever been the same since that one mission."

Clara knew about her failed Remnant one. Alicia had no secrets from her sister... but she had kept some of the particulars to herself.

"I suppose it's hard to feel as sure of oneself after one has failed," Alicia said slowly.

"It was not your fault, I'm sure of it," Clara said. "Even if you won't tell me exactly what happened."

"I prefer not to... You know we must be circumspect," Alicia said.

"I know, but you changed. Became more reserved," Clara insisted. "I always thought you were a bit too blunt, but somehow, I don't quite like you becoming more polite just because of some sadness. I think I liked it better before."

"That's very kind, Clar, but you don't need to worry. I am quite content," Alicia said.

"Well, that is almost what I worry about." Clara fingered her spoon. "That you will always be content to be alone and busy. Pretending to be two people, instead of one person. Your work is important, Alicia, but it's not going to replace real, ordinarily important things. Don't you ever wish to have a family? You might meet a respectable man, you know, if you ever left the house to do anything except visit the library."