Underneath The Shattered Moon [RWBY X OC]

Chapter 15

Aebelle's POV

The familiar scent of lavender and chamomile from my mom's garden lingered in my mind, a bittersweet comfort. It was a calming aroma, but the worry over the Grimm Dust Crystals and that mysterious figure still lingered, casting a shadow over my excitement for the Vytal Festival.

I tossed and turned on my bed, the soft, white sheets doing little to ease the nervous energy that buzzed beneath my skin. The Vytal Festival was today, and the excitement was practically crackling in the air. I held my scroll, Ozpin's gift, tight in my hand, its cool surface a welcome contrast to the warmth of my anxious palms.

"Mom?" I finally spoke, my voice barely above a whisper. "Everyone seems nice. Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang... they've been amazing."

A gentle warmth filled my chest as my mom's voice, crackling faintly over the scroll's speaker, answered. "I'm glad, sweetie. They're good girls, those four. You've got good taste in friends."

I smiled, a flicker of hope lighting up my eyes. "Any luck on that mysterious figure with the Grimm Dust crystals? It still feels so... wrong."

Silence stretched for a long, uncomfortable moment before my mom sighed. "No, not yet. It doesn't make any sense, Aebelle. Grimm Dust Crystals don't just grow from trees. Not even the Schnee Dust Company had any idea they exist. They’ve got to be man made. Someone's out there messing with things they shouldn’t."

I frowned, the unease settling back in my stomach. "Man made? It sounds so… dangerous."

My mother's voice grew softer, laced with worry. "I’m stressing myself about this for hours. It’s just… it feels like a threat waiting to happen."

I reached out and stroked the scroll, the cool metal grounding me. "Mom? It'll be okay. We'll figure it out, right?"

A long, drawn-out breath echoed through the speaker. "Don’t worry, honey. When we put all this aside, you’re coming home. We’ll figure it out together."

"Ok, mom. Love you."

"Love you too, sweetie. Stay safe."

The scroll went silent, leaving me staring blankly at the screen. The familiar scent of lavender and chamomile from my mom's garden lingered in my mind, a reminder of all that was familiar and safe, but the worry over the Grimm Dust Crystals and that mysterious figure still lingered, casting a shadow over my excitement for the Vytal Festival.

Suddenly, the door burst open, revealing Weiss in a whirlwind of white and a scowl.

"This is no time for video games!" she declared, her voice sharp and commanding.

"Ah! Oh, hi Weiss..." I stammered, startled. "I...I was just looking at my pictures. They were transferred from my phone."

"Oh... what's a phone?" Weiss tilted her head, her expression slightly confused.

"Oh right," I remembered, trying to maintain composure. "From where I come from, we called it a phone. It acts exactly like a scroll."

"Oh... right..." Weiss nodded, but her brow furrowed in thought.

The silence hung heavy between us for a few seconds.