Stele (A RWBY story)

The Nightmare

"Come on Cub. Wake up."

I was woken up in a small room. Bright fluorescent light filled everything visible. The room was barely big enough for me to have my arms stretched out. Only things in the room were a hard bunk sticking out of the the wall, and a sink.

I looked over to the one who woke me up, Fonti. Ever with the big, bright smile on her face. Her Bob like grey hair always brushed free of any knots. It's always hard to know what she is really looking at. Her golden eye may be looking at me, but what of her blind eye?

Stele: "No! Leave me alone!"

I pulled the covers over my face, in a vain attempt to disappear. Instead she just pulled it off of me. She was always better than me in everything, strength was no difference.

Fonti: "Come on Cub! Things happen when we are in the field. Not everything goes the way you hope for it to."

I looked up at at her. She's right and I knew it, but it still doesn't sit well with me.

Stele: "Why do we have to do this? I...I don't like hurting people."

She sat down next to me, placing a hand over my face and gently stroking my cheek.

Fonti: "I know you don't Cub, but if you didn't do what you did, then all of us would be dead."

She's right, she's always right. I hate it.

Stele: "I just want to stay in bed..."

She stopped stroking my cheek and just rested it there now. Her hand was strangely cold.

Fonti: "You know you can't do that Stele."

Her hand moved to my back, causing a stinging pain.

Fonti: "You know the best what happens when you don't do what you're supposed to."

Always right. Whenever I didn't perform as they wanted, no, demanded, I was 'punished' for not listening.

Fonti: "Now let's go my little cub. It's time to train."

Stele: "But I'm hungry. Can't we eat first?"

She led me out of the room and into a bigger one. Another, much larger room filled with more fluorescent lights. Looking around I could see more doorways to other rooms. Besides my own room, I could see at least another five more rooms. Three other rooms matched my own with a bed jutting from the wall, and a sink. One door lead to further into the facilities, and the other was our special testing room. We were in the general purpose room, its wall lined with mirrors for when we train.

Fonti: "Stele, you and I both know you aren't hungry. Now let's hurry and start."

Right. I wasn't feeling hungry... I could've sworn I was hungry just a moment ago.

Fonti: "Heads up."

I raised my right arm and caught the sword she tossed towards me. It was dull so that we wouldn't cause any actual harm to one another, or anyone else for that matter.

Font: "Something wrong Cub?"

I was staring at myself in the mirror. For some reason I was expecting something different looking back at me. I was younger a few years younger and with two hands. Why did the thought of having two hands come up again? Everything just seemed.. off. At this point I realized we weren't alone in here. On the other side of the room were another two sparring. I turned to look at them but for some reason couldn't make out any of their features. It was as if their faces and anything of importance were all fuzzy.

Stele: "Hey Fonti..."

Fonti: "Let me guess. Things seem weird to you? Having a hard time focusing on some things?"

Stele: "Yeah how did-"

Fonti: "Because it's me my little Cub! You know how I am. Always explaining, telling you things, before you even know it yourself! It's also probably just side effects of the last mission."

Again.

Fonti: "Now let's do a little bit of training. Don't want you getting in trouble, do we?"

I don't even know what happened, but I was on the floor. I lay there for a moment, thinking, but I just couldn't remember how I got on the floor. Instead, Fonti stood over me with a big smile and her arm stretched out for me. I took it and she lifted me up. I was wiping my hands on my clothes when I felt something wet and sticky. I looked at my hand to see it covered in blood.

Stele: "Oh on! Fonti! I'm Bleeding! Quick, we gotta go to the infirmary!"

She had tilted her head to the side and just looked at me confused.

Fonti: "What do you mean? You're fine my Cub. I made sure of it..."

Stele: "What do you mean?! Don't you see the blood! I'm-"

As I was showing her my blood covered hands I noticed it. She was right. I was fine. But her shirt was covered in blood, and it was spreading still.

Stele: "Guys! Help me! It's Fonti! She's..."

I turned to the others as they walked towards us. They weren't OK. Parts, pieces, chunks all missing from them. I turned back to Fonti to see a blood covered sword in my hand. Her bleeding had changed into a hole through her chest. I dropped the sword in horror. As it clattered to the ground I turned to see the door to further in the facilities open up and a bright red light flashing.

Fonti: "Oh. It's time to go guys."

As she said it the other two dropped their weapons and started making their way to the door. I didn't know what to do as they made their way towards the door. Although their important features were still fuzzy to me, their injuries were blatantly clear to me. It took me a moment to come back from the shock of their wounds, their bloody mangled wounds, to try and stop them. I grabbed them and tried to pulled them back, but I just couldn't do anything as they just continued on and dragged me instead.  

Stele: "Where are you going Fonti? I have to take you guys to the infirmary! I'm sure they can fix you! I'll go with you to make sure you're OK!"

Fonti stopped and grabbed me off the others as they continued through the door. She hugged me tightly then put a clean hand on my cheek.

Fonti: "Don't worry my Cub. We will be fine. But, you can't come with us. Like I said, if it weren't for you, we would all be dead."

With another tight she hug pushed me down on the floor. As she made her way towards the others, the door shut behind her. I tried reaching for her with my right hand, but it was gone. I pulled myself up with my left and ran to the little window on the door. Through it I could only watch as they continued to make their way down the hall.

Stele: "FONTI! COME BACK! DON'T LEAVE ME ALONE! I NEED YOU! FONTI!"

The last thing I could see of them was Fonti turning and smiling at me. Smiling as she always does before they disappeared.

So I was once again...alone.