Team ALLY

Chapter 18: Fallout

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Its It's the vital tournament and we're in the first match against team CRDL. The arena is a mesa on one side and dunes on the other. "Ready to have your ass handed to you again, Paladin?"

"Didn't have my scythe last time, Cardin." They give us the start signal and they start to charge us. We brace for them and the battle begins. Cardin's crew resorting to dirty tactics to try and keep us on our toes. "Aries, we may need to rethink this strategy." Leo cries out. I close my eyes and link with everyone "Close your eyes." They do and I create a raging sandstorm. "Aries is really demonstrating his power here. But how can anyone fight in this kind of sandstorm." Port announces.

"Aries may not have thought this one through." Dr. Oobleck adds. "I agree with Oobleck on this one!" Lilac groans

"Yema, you team with Leo. Leo use your smell to find them. Lilac you're with me." We split and Lilac instantly starts to rail me."Real good idea, blind your whole team just to show off!"

"Be quiet for once. The idea is surprise." We swoop in and double team Sky Lark. "No. It's you showing off your training because we all know you can't take Cardin alone. Cardin charges and I jump out of the way. He swings down and Lilac stops him with her staff. She swings her staff and pins his mace to the ground. She swings her foot up and around, striking his jaw. Cardin stumbles back and pulls his hand from his lip, blood. He charges her and I form a barrier and shove it at him, knocking him back. "You forget who nearly beat him at the beginning of the year. When I wasn't holding back."

"Oh like how you held back the truth when Tyrian threatened you." He charges again and we both punch him. Her with a left uppercut and me with a right. I throw her up and she uses her staff to hit him over the head and he falls to the ground. His aura hits red, the professors announce the victor and I dissipate the sandstorm. As the sand falls I turn to her. "You're one to talk, you've been hiding something yourself. Can't lie to a psychic." the sand clears and I look over to see Leo and Yema quickly stepping away from each other. "Even more secrets."

I'm cleaning the sand from my coat when Leo walks up. "Hey RWBY's going up. Wanna watch?"

"Pass."

"Pass? Whaddya mean pass? C'mon they're our friends."

"I mean pass."

"Aries you alright?"

"Go blow Yema." Leo grabs me by the shoulder and spins me around. "The hell is wrong with you?"

"Maybe it's because I nearly got my whole team killed. Maybe it's because I can tell there's something you're all hiding from me. Maybe it's because you're hiding something as small as you and Yema from me. Maybe that's what's wrong with me." Leo tries to respond but I walk off before he can. I fly off and rest at the courtyard.

Few hours later, I sense Ruby walking up. "Hey I thought you were sticking around for JNPR's match."

"They just wrapped up. Why weren't you there?"

"I needed some air." She sits down next to me on the bench. "Wanna talk about it?"

"Leader to leader, I messed up, big time. During our mission we had to escort a VIP to patch. White Fang were spotted in our path so I made a call. Leo and Yema would act as a diversion while I create an illusion that the truck was destroyed and we were killed. Turns out I miscalculated. More Fang arrived." My hand starts to shake. "Leo and Yema were outnumbered, We were overwhelmed, worst part is my team won't even tell me what happened after I blacked out. " She reaches over and places her hand on my shoulder. "You all made it out. You completed your mission. All's well that ends well."

"But why can't they just tell me? Bad enough I made such a horrendously bad call but now, now something happened so bad that they can't tell me. For all I know..."

"What?" Ruby asks.

"For all I know I lost control. The same way I promised I never would again. How many did I hurt, maim, break from the inside out." I lower my head and rest it on my hands. "Gods help me." Ruby seems to go quiet. "Aries?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you good?" Her question takes me off guard. I lean back. "What do you mean?"

"Are you a good person? Do you strive to help others?"

"Yeah." She shrugs. "Then what does it matter if you lost control?"

"Because the last time I lost control I hurt someone, someone I care about!"

"And I'm fine. Your team is fine so obviously you didn't hurt them."

"Then why can't they talk to me! Tell me what happened!"

"Hurts to be on the other side, doesn't it." Ruby said kinda coldly. Her comments catch me off guard. "I know you were helping them that night at the dance. I'm sure you have your reasons. But you can't get angry at them when you did the same thing. You keep secrets. Don't be surprised when people do it back to you."

"I was trying to protect the only family I had left."

"Maybe they're trying to protect you." Ruby looks at her scroll. "SSSN is up soon. Bye Aries." Ruby walks off and I'm left speechless. I sense Amelia walk up. "Hey Amelia."

"You feeling alright?" Amelia asks.

"Just needed some air." I walk into the building, following her.