The Faunus Girl

Familiar

I put my weapon in its sheath, not able to take my eyes off of her. "Aquamarine, is it really you?" I ask.

She nods, tears come to my eyes as I run into her embrace. I can feel her crying with me as we both fall to our knees.

"I thought I'd never see you again." I whisper.

I feel her fingers in my hair, "I always knew you'd find your way back here someday, that's why I never left."

I hug her tighter, "You have no idea how good it is to see you Mari."

She laughs a little, "You still remember that silly name? It was so long ago."

I lean away from her, "Of course I do, I remember everything from back then."

Her eyes lower, "I am so incredibly sorry Hikari, for everything."

My ears flick, "You don't have to use my whole name with me, and besides what are you even sorry for?"

Tears pool up again in her eyes, "You we're forced out, held at gun point, and I couldn't do anything. I didn't go after you, so I'm sorry."

I smile sadly at her, "That wasn't your fault Aqua, you didn't make them do anything, and I wasn't even hurt that bad. If anyone should be sorry it's me, I let them take you away, and I was powerless to stop them."

She brings her forehead to mine, "Well we're together again after all this time, and that's what I'm thankful for."

I take a deep breath, "Me too."

————

We catch up, me telling her about Beacon and what happened after, and her telling me about her family moving to Haven without her after the fall.

Her eyes go wide, "So you were there when Beacon fell? That must have been scary."

She pushes some of my hair out of my face, "Is that where this happened?"

I lean away and ruffle my hair to try and cover my scar again, "It is, and now it makes me look even more like a monster to some people."

She looks at me kindly, "Kari you've never been a monster, but can you tell me what happened that night?"

My ears lower, "Someone sabotaged the Vytal festival, everything that happened that night was planed. The White Fang came and dropped Grimm off at the school, the Atlas robots got hacked, and someone let my psycho teammate out of custody. I was looking for Iberis when I got attacked by an Alpha Beowolf, that's what did all of this." I point to my face, "Iberis found me in time to help, but then Titian came and he..."

I place my hand on my chest pocket, "He killed Iberis, right in front of me. Just murdered my brother like he was nothing."

She places her hand on my leg, "I know he meant a lot to you, but why did Titian do it?"

"Ib is..." My throat starts to close up, "Iberis was a bee Faunus. He never told any of us, but that doesn't matter. He didn't deserve to be gunned down like an animal, he was just a kid."

I take his stinger out as tears fall from my eyes, "This is all I have left of him, it's his stinger, we never found his body after that night. I just miss him so freaking much it hurts." I sob.

I put it back and wipe my tears from my eyes, "That's why I need to keep myself distanced from this group I'm traveling with. I can't keep feeling this way, I can't lose anyone again."

She intertwines her hand in mine, "Kari, that sounds like a really sad way to live. Wasn't there anyone you care for that survived?"

Weiss' face flashes in my mind, "Maybe someone..."