The Cobalt Blues Ch. 11

Lyn and I walked through the streets with our heads low. "I don't understand how a girl as smart as you could get us so unbelievably lost." I muttered under my breath causing her to shoot a glare over her shoulder at me.

"Me? You are supposed to be my leader. Remember?" She rolled her eyes, stepping further ahead. "This is insane. Can we please just go back to Beacon now?"

"If you want to go back, no one is stopping you. I, however, promised that I'd be better for the team, and as such I don't intend on turning back until I accomplish something today."

"Something?" She asked skeptically.

"Something!"

"You know what? Fine! Have fun finding your something, I'm going to head back home and get some food."

As her footsteps receded, I placed my hands over my face in frustration. Why did I keep doing this? She was just trying to help! I couldn't go after her now though. If I did, I'd just look like an idiot. More so than I already did.

My leg whirred as I continued walking along the piers. Already the clouds overhead were starting to darken above me. That was when a girl came running straight out of an alleyway, barreling into me and sending us both clattering to the ground. "Salutations," she greeted me cheerfully.

"Ummm...hi?" I tried experimentally. Where the heck had she come from? "What was your hurry? Is something wrong?"

Her bright green eyes seemed to shine with a strange recognition as she stood up from me. Getting back to my own feet, I quickly tugged my pants leg back over my prosthetic. "I'm Penny. It's nice to meet you."

Her overly cheerful attitude reminded me a bit of Ruby, but at the same time, I couldn't help but feel something else was off about this girl. She looked at me expectantly, her smile never leaving her face as she waited for me to respond. "Calyx." I replied. "Now about my question…"

"Oh! Yes. I am in a hurry. I'm being chased."

My eyes immediately went to the alley way she'd come from, the sound of footsteps racing through the brick lane echoing into my sensitive triangular ears. They twitched slightly as I flexed my fist. This could be the something I was looking for. "Don't worry, I'll hold them off. You get somewhere safe."

She tilted her head confused. "Safe? Am I unsafe?"

Was this girl dense? She just said she was being chased! As I opened my mouth to speak, her pursuers, rounded the corner. Sure enough, they were armed to the teeth. I quickly interposed myself between her and them. The compartment in my knee cap opened as a concussive blast fired, causing bricks to fall in front of them.

"Come on!" I shouted at her, grabbing her hand and tugging her behind me. Despite her ditziness, she began to run anyway. A big smile was plastered on her features as I looked back to see them clearing the bricks. Further ahead, I could see a scaffolding that would serve as our escape. I wrapped an arm around her waist and launched us with my greaves' thrusters. I was shocked by just how heavy she was. Even still we landed safely at its top and immediately I tugged her behind a chimney to hide from her pursuers. "Are you alright?"

"Ab-so-lutely!" She beamed. "It's so nice to meet someone else who's just like me."

"Just like...what?"

My eyes scanned the girl up and down. She appeared perfectly normal, for the most part. The glowing clothes were a little odd, but other than that she looked like a human. She didn't smell like a Faunus either.

Her hand reached towards my leg and before I could react, she tugged it up to reveal my prosthetic. I quickly snatched it from her, tucking it back down. "Why doesn't that part of you have skin? Did they not have enough synthetics? Also, why did they make you look like a Faunus?"

"I am a Faunus," I chided. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"You're a machine too, aren't you?"

"You're a machine?" I repeated in shock.

Immediately, a look of horror crossed her features. "Umm...no. Of course not. Hic!" She let out a loud hiccup. "I mean, that's crazy. There couldn't...hic...be a machine girl. Clearly I'm a...hic...human." I stared at her for a long while. It would explain quite a bit. The weight, the odd behavior, the...glowing clothes. How did I not come to that conclusion before?

I took a deep breath. "I'm not a machine," I explained. "Just my leg. How about this? We'll play a game. I'll answer a question from you, then you answer a question from me. No judgments either way, all right?"

She scratched her head in thought for a moment before nodding. "Okay! That sounds like fun!" Her mood shifted rather quickly. "So, your leg is a machine, but you are not a machine? My father always told me that I was the first sentient machine. Are you some sort of prototype? Who made you?"

"That's like three questions," I pointed out. "I'm not a prototype. I was born as a Faunus. I'm the one who made my leg after I lost it in an accident as a kid. Now it's my turn. Why were those men chasing you?"

"They want to protect me. My father is a very sweet man, even if he is a little over protective. Mr. Ironwood is like that too." I raised an eyebrow to regard her curiously. This girl was trouble. "Can we be friends?"

My breath caught in my throat. Were machines even capable of being friends? "Yes." I agreed. At the rate my life was going, I realized, it didn't matter if she was capable of feelings or not. I'd take any friend I could get.

"Sensational!" She clapped, her eyes glowing dimly. "Now I've made two friends!"

I almost felt bad for the other person. "Well, you seem to be okay now." I commented, clearing my throat. "If you'll excuse me…" I stood up and began to walk away but she quickly fell into pace behind me.

"What about your question?"

"The game's over now."

"The game can't be over."

"Why not?"

"Because it'd be unfair."

I paused to look at her. "What do you mean, unfair?"

"I asked two questions. You've only asked one."

"It's alright Penny, I don't mind."

She continued following after me, before stopping in front of me. "Can I have your question then?"

She clearly wasn't going to leave me alone until all was square. "Fine. Go ahead."

"Are you going to be here for the tournament? That's why I'm here."

"Really?"

She crossed her arms. "You can't ask a question until you've answered mine."

I had to conceal a chuckle. Her expression was so cute, it was hard not to laugh at how serious she was. "All right. Yes, I'm going to be entering the tournament. I'm surprised that you are. It doesn't look like you have any weapons or anything."

She grinned, putting her hand to her forehead in a salute. "I'm combat-ready," she assured me. "It's supposed to be an experiment for my father to see if I can make friends. I had to beg him to let me participate."

"Well, it looks like you're doing well in that regard. Only here for a short time and you've already made two friends." To anyone else my words would come off as condescending, even though I truly meant them. Despite what I'd told her, I was beginning to feel a certain kinship. "Oh! I have a question. Do you have an aura?"

She considered my question before looking around to make sure no one was eavesdropping. "Yep," she whispered to me, "I've got my own aura. I know it doesn't necessarily make me real, but it does help me feel a little better."

"Not real? Penny, that doesn't mean you're not real. Grimm are very real and they don't have an aura."

"I mean, I know I'm not a real girl." Her voice took on a sad tone as her eyes broke from mine. What a sad way to think of her life. I'd been there, too. Her words made me flash back to times when I was in the hospital, having just finished healing my leg. I'd always think how I wasn't a whole person anymore. Because my leg was gone, I was only part of a person. Is that how she felt too?

"I think it's what we do that makes us real or fake," I finally replied. "I've met people who were faker than the masks they wore on their face. Now I can say that I've met a robot that's even more real than some people." Realizing my implication, I quickly shook my head, holding up my hands. "I'm so sorry, Penny! That came out wrong. I didn't mean to say that you weren't a person. Please forgive me."

"Of course!" She beamed again, the sadness quickly melting away. "Anyway, I think this means we're even now. If you have to go, I'll understand. I hope I see you at the tournament." She waved farewell and jumped off the roof to disappear into the night.

Somehow, even though I hadn't done much, I still felt that I did pretty well. Leaping down carefully from the building myself, I came to a stop, just as the sound of a gun clicking echoed behind me. "Calyx?"

I turned to find myself face to face with Yang. I took a sharp breath, clearing my throat and stepping away from her. "Yang, I didn't expect to see you here," I answered, my cheeks flushed a bright pink.

"You didn't expect to see me? You're the one who just jumped from a roof to land in front of me! You're lucky I didn't shoot you!" She smacked my arm causing me to shrug away a bit more. "What's wrong?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're acting weird...again."

"Sorry, I just really wasn't expecting to see you. I had a pretty interesting conversation with your little sister last night."

Yang's cautious stance softened along with her stern expression. "Ah, how'd that go? Not too badly, I hope. Ruby struggles to make friends sometimes."

"No, no. Not at all. She was actually a big help." I explained. "She...erm...didn't talk to you about it, did she?" I prayed desperately that she hadn't. Yang shook her head. "I see. Well, she delivered your message to me."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah, I gave her one back. I told her I'd never lose to someone who was a total ditz," I teased, causing her to smile. "Any luck finding your friend?"

"Ah, so she told you about that, too." This time, she was far less thrilled with the information. "No, nothing as of yet. She's pretty upset. I try to make her feel cared for but...I guess it didn't work."

I pondered it for a moment. "Well, she is a cat…"

"How did you know that she was a Faunus? None of us knew." Her eyes were filled with suspicion. "Do you know something about where she is?"

"No. I knew she was a Faunus the first time I met her. It's her smell. She smells like a Faunus. I didn't say anything because I didn't really want to judge her for hiding her identity. Some find it easier to try to blend in with humans than to make peace with them."

Yang gave a dejected sigh. "Darn, I'd hoped you'd have been able to help."

"If I'm not being too blunt, maybe this is for the best?"

"How can you even say that? She could be in trouble, and instead of coming to her team, she just disappeared!"

"This is really eating you up, isn't it?"

Yang closed her eyes, resting her head against the wall as she tried to formulate a response to the question. "Look, Blake's more than a teammate for me. She's my partner. She was the one I met first in the initiation. I've tried to make her feel included, and at first I just thought she was shy. But when we found out she was a Faunus, it was like everything changed."

Now it was my turn to be scrutinizing. "Being a Faunus has nothing to do with being a friend. You can be friends with someone even if they're not the same race as you."

"Whoa, relax there cowboy. If you recall we've been friends since before we knew she was a Faunus. I meant that things began to make a lot more sense. She always jumped to defend the White Fang. Saying things like 'they're not all bad', or 'they're just trying to do what they think is right'. When we found out that she used to be one of them...well Weiss snapped at her, and she ran away. So can you see now why I'm so worried about it?"

I bared my teeth in frustration. "I hate the White Fang. This is what they do! They take advantage of our situation in order to recruit Faunus who mean well, only to brainwash them into believing what they do is right. To be honest, I'm glad that Blake managed to get out, for her sake." I let out a frustrated groan before looking back at the beautiful blonde. "But, that's beside the point. When I said 'maybe this is for the best', what I mean is that she's a cat, right?"

"Yeah. So?"

"Cats aren't exactly the most affectionate creatures. Most are highly independent and will only take attention when they want it. I know it's hard for you, but she may just be sorting some stuff out. It's the equivalent of hiding under the couch."

She chuckled at the thought of Blake laying flat beneath a sofa. "I suppose that's possible. What about you? Do you have any fox-like attributes? You don't strike me as the 'cunning trickster' kind of guy."

"Well, I mean...I am pretty solitary," I tried. "And I clearly have the bad habit of jumping down on prey." I knew she was attempting to change the subject, and despite her cheerful grin, the exhaustion in her eyes made her teasing almost...sad.

"Oh, so I'm prey now, am I?" Yang scoffed, crossing her arms. "Last I checked, you were the one who was about to lose."

"It was a draw because Professor Goodwitch stopped the match, and you know it! I would have broken your leg and it'd have been the end of it."

"Mmhm. Just keep telling yourself that, foxy. I'm sure you'll get someone to believe you. Someone who doesn't know who I am, anyway."

"Yang," I replied after a brief pause, "do you think I'd make a good fighter?"

"Psh, not if you keep fighting like you did," she teased.

"No, I mean seriously."

She leaned closer to peer into my face for a moment, searching my eyes for something. "Why are you asking me that?"

"You didn't answer the question."

"You haven't answered mine."

"So you think I'm a bad fighter."

"I didn't say that."

I scratched my cheek nervously for a moment. Maybe Yang had something of a point. Was I getting too deep into all of this? "Maybe you don't have to," I surrendered. "I'm pretty sure my fighting speaks for itself in its level of shoddiness."

"If it helps, I may have some advice for you," she offered.

"Really?"

"Ditch the girl," she stated, causing me to take a sharp breath.

I couldn't believe what I'd just heard. "Sorry?"

She shrugged. "It's a jerk thing to say, I know. But seriously, that annoying girl that yelled at us; you've got to get away from her. You need someone who has confidence in you. How can anyone believe in themselves if the people around them don't?"

I tried. "Lyn is my teammate, so it's not like I can avoid her."

"I'm telling you this, because of what she said. It kind of rubbed me the wrong way how she wrote off your feelings and intelligence like that. She treated you like a child, and that's not okay." She crossed her arms in front of me. "Look, I'm sorry if it's a little bitchy, but you're not stupid. You should be allowed to do whatever you want with your personal life without it coming under scrutiny."

"Maybe you're right. I want to ask if you believe in my, but…"

Yang's purple eyes seemed to gleam in the dim light of the street lamps. "But…?"

"I don't know. I think if you believed in me, it'd help. I mean, I know I don't really have aura or anything...and I'm not allowed to use my semblance at school…"

"Wait, what?" She asked in shock. "What do you mean by that?"

"It's not important."

She placed both of her hands on my shoulders, staring me straight in the eyes as a wide smile crossed her lips. "Calyx, I believe in you. I'm not normally the sort to get all hung up on stuff, but if that's what you need to hear, then I'll tell you. I think you're a great fighter. I mean, you've lost a leg, but did that ever stop you? No! So why on Earth do you think it'd be a good idea to let yourself feel useless because of some girl?" As her hands left me, I could feel my heart racing in my chest. "As far as I'm concerned, you're twice the fighter she'll ever be. Believe me, I've seen her fight too, so it's not like I don't know."

My fingers lightly strummed along my thighs as I tried to soak in her words. She was right. I needed someone who actually believed that I was capable of being a good fighter. The more I thought about it, the more obvious it seemed to be. I wanted to thank her, but at the same time, I could see in her features that she was really torn up about her friend. "Yang?"

"Something else?"

"Do you...want to grab coffee...or something?" My cheeks began to burn with the blood rushing through them as I tried hard to not break eye contact with her. Her grin just widened more as I stumbled over my words. "I mean, you don't have to...I just…you seem like you have a lot on your mind. Maybe you could take a break for a little while."

She didn't say anything at first, but after a moment, she shrugged her shoulders. "Sure, I'd love to."

"R-really?"

"I could think of worse guys to go on a date with."

"Oh...well, okay! And you're sure you don't mind taking a break from your search? If you have to, we can stop anytime and I'll help you look for her."

She looked up at the moon. It's pale light easily illuminated the secret worry in her eyes, but even still she stated nonchalantly, "Hey. She's a cat right? I'm sure she'll be fine."

Looking her in the face, I sighed. "I don't really think you believe that."

"Smarter than you look." She commented with a slight grin.

Finally, I took her hand in mine. "Come on. As the smarter of the two of us, I'm prescribing you at least half an hour of chill time. You can't stand to lose any more of your sanity."

"Wow! Arrogant much?" She laughed. "Don't pretend like this date is you doing me a favor. You're the one who asked me, remember?"

"Fair enough," I chuckled as well. "I know this pretty good place just around the corner if you like."

"Not Junior's, I hope," she smirked. "I kind of have a life-time ban from there...for now at least."

"Pretty, witty, and naughty enough to be kicked out of clubs. What don't you do? But no, I meant the little coffee shop across the street from it. You know: Expresso Your Feelings."

She had to stifle a laugh at the shop's name. "That sounds like my kind of place. I hope it's the kind where you get more Yang for your buck."

"Oh, that's awful." I groaned playfully.

"What? You think you could do better?"

"Yeah!" I laughed. "I think I could do much butter."

"Butter?"

"Yeah...cause...you know, your hair...it's yellow and butter is also yellow." My words began to grow quieter with every syllable. "You know what, you're right, I can't do better. Puns are awful and hard."

"I personally enjoy them. They're that interesting blend of humor and irritation that fits perfectly."

Grasping the door, I held it open for her. "Well, they certainly suit you," I teased, "but I'm afraid I haven't the wit for them."

"Hey, at least you've got your looks," she shot back, slipping past me into the small shop. When we had received our drinks and sat across from one another, she seemed to be letting the tension start to slip away. Maybe this was exactly what she'd needed. "You know, for someone so shy, you're not too shabby at flirting. I wonder if that's all just some act you put on to attract women."

"Would that actually work?"

"You got me to agree to a date, didn't you?"

I toased my coffee to hers. "To anti-stress dates that provoke thoughtful discussion."

"A bit of a long toast," she commented, "let's just stick with 'To dates'."

"To dates," I agreed, sipping my coffee. I sat there for a while, the two of us surrounded in an uncomfortable silence. It was obvious that neither of us were sure what we were doing here. Somehow, though, that made things more comfortable when I thought about it. It helped to know I wasn't the only one looking for answers. "So...come here often?"

"You're so cheesy," Yang joshed, "not to mention silly. You know this is my first time here. You're the one who brought me."

I shrugged sheepishly. "Sorry, I don't do this sort of thing often."

"It shows."

"Does it?" My voice was racked with concern. "I hope I'm not screwing it up."

"Nah, in a way you're making it better. Most guys our age have a certain...drive," she replied searching for the word carefully. "You can see in their eyes that they're thinking about one thing and one thing only. But, your eyes are just sweet and innocent. Like a puppy."

"Thanks," I blithely scoffed.

"No, really. It's cute."

"You think I'm cute?"

She scratched her cheek for a moment. "Eh, sort of? Your eyes and nature are certainly cute, at the least. What about me? Do you think I'm cute?" I could tell from the knowing gleam in her eyes that she already knew her answer.

"'Cute' is an understatement." I huffed. "If anything, you're drop dead gorgeous. Any hot-blooded guy would be bonkers to not have an interest in you." Her smile brightened more as she tucked a strand of her long blonde hair behind her ears, watching me intently. "If you're wondering whether or not I'm interested in you because I'm 'hot-blooded', you'll be relieved to know that I completely understand our situation."

"Oh? Please, enlighten me."

I took a deep breath. "Look, I know that this is going to come off pretty nasty. But obviously, a girl like you on a date with a guy like me...it just doesn't add up. I imagine this is similar to our nearly shared kiss. It means little to you, right?" The look on her face was completely stunned. It was the first time I'd seen her facade crack since earlier tonight. I held up my hands with a smile. "Look, it doesn't bother me. I kind of came into this expecting that, but I don't mind. Just one date is more than enough to sate me."

"Calyx...I didn't mean to make you think…"

My hand reached across the table to rest on hers. "It's okay," I enunciated again.

"No, I'm just…"

"Really, Yang. I'm okay."

"Stop interrupting me," she stated coldly, her other fist clenching to the table before took a deep breath to calm herself down. "I'm sorry if I gave you the impression that this isn't important to me, or that I'm ungrateful. But, really, I am. Obviously, as you've surmised, I'm not doing this out of romantic interest, but it doesn't change the fact that I appreciate what you're doing for me."

I waited to ensure she was finished speaking before replying. "I wasn't trying to imply that Yang. Now I'm sorry. I'll be honest, when we were talking in the street, you looked so...distraught." Her features sank, but I quickly tapped her on the back of the hand to get her attention again. "Hey, don't get that look. I can't stand seeing you like that, so I wanted to cheer you up. You're tough and strong Yang. I respect that about you. I asked you out because I wanted to see you smiling again. Genuinely. My offer still stands. Once we're done with our drinks, if you want, I'll help you search for Blake. I'm no bloodhound, but I can't let you face this on your own."

Her eyes fell to the table as she tugged her hand from under my grip. "Thank you," she replied, her voice still cold. "I'd really like that. I mean, I don't really feel like I'm alone. Ruby and Weiss are still searching out there, too. I push myself because I care about my team. I want to protect Ruby, and Blake, and Weiss...they're my closest friends in a way."

"And they're good ones," I assured her. "I'm sure it'd be a few days before my team even noticed I was gone."

"That reminds me...you never did tell me why you're out here."

My cheeks burned a bright red as I thought of my 'secret training' that I intended to do to surpass the bombshell across the table. I couldn't just blurt that out to her though, so instead I said, "I'm testing a prototype for my new leg. Some bitch with shotgun gauntlets roughed it up pretty bad."

"I could always make up for it," she mused, a sly grin coming to her lips.

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I can finally get that kiss you owe me for almost breaking my leg."

"I suppose that's only fair," I whispered hoarsely as she began to lean forward on her elbows. I followed suit, licking my lips nervously as she closed her eyes and waited patiently. I still couldn't believe this was happening. I wondered how it would feel compared to Lyn's kiss. Immediately, I pushed her out of my mind. After all, Lyn was a hypocrite. She cared about as much for me as Yang did, maybe even less.

Leaning closer, my lips barely brushed against the blonde's as her hand reached out to run from behind my ear, along my cheek, to under my jaw before her kiss pulled away. My chin was still balanced on her fingertips, my tail fluffed in surprise as I tried to formulate what I'd just felt.

As her tongue ran along her pink lips in thought, her fingernail lightly scratched along my chin, as if she were petting a dog. As humiliating as I normally would have found it, I couldn't help but enjoy it until she sank back into her chair. "Hmm...7/10. It wasn't bad, but you could have used a bit more 'oomph'. It was like kissing a flower."

"Yeah well, same to you. The way you were touching me made it seem like you've had practice kissing dogs."

"Shut up," she giggled, finishing her coffee and standing to leave. "Thanks again for this, Calyx. All of this. I appreciate the coffee and the chat. Want to help me look?"

"Of course." I answered, just before her scroll began to beep rapidly.

Reaching into her pocket, she tugged it open, the message playing softly to her. "Good news," she beamed, "Ruby managed to find her. Apparently, she got caught up fighting a bunch of smugglers."

"Whoa, she went all vigilante?"

"Eh...it's a long story. Either way," she frowned, "I'm really sorry to do this to you, but this is kind of a 'team bonding' thing. We're going to have a big conversation about all of this once we all meet up there. It'd probably be best if you didn't join me. I hope you're not mad."

I shook my head quickly, banishing the though. "Not at all, I understand completely. I'll see you around school?"

"Only if you get better at watching your back," she smirked, waving to me as she stepped outside of the shop and began running off into the night. Leaving a few lien for tip, I left as well, heading in the opposite direction towards Beacon, feeling satisfied with our date, over all.

Lyn had been wondering for a while. Calyx was right, she was the one who'd managed to get them lost. She couldn't believe that she'd been so dumb as to try to get back on her own when she had no idea where she was. Soon, after an hour or so, she managed to find familiar streets and landmarks, allowing her to guide herself back towards Beacon. She hoped that Calyx would be alright. Chances are, he was already back at the school worried sick about her.

The thought made her smile as she walked past the small cafe that their team had visited on a few occasions when something caught her eye. Turning, she froze and felt her heart leap into her throat. Sitting at the table, Calyx and Yang had their lips locked with one another.

She couldn't believe this...Traiko had said...she couldn't even complete a thought as tears began to stream down her cheeks. She tore herself away, anger and sadness brewing inside of her chest as she rushed back towards the castle. She and her know-it-all teammate would have words about him getting her hopes up like that.

When she finally got back, she slammed open the door to their room. Her cheeks were red and puffy from the tears and her whole demeanor looked disheveled from what she'd seen. Traiko looked up from the chair he typically sat in when he was reading. "Lyn? What's wrong?"

She marched up to him, grasping his shirt and roughly jerking him. "You son of a bitch! You told me that I should go with him! You were the one who said that he and I were shipped by fate." Traiko's eyes widened before he quickly grabbed her shoulders, squaring her and staring her in the eyes.

"Lyn, please, please, please tell me you did not leave him by himself!"

Through her quickly fading anger, she began to tremble. "I...he was just so stubborn...I didn't mean to...I thought he'd…"

"Oh shit," Traiko gasped, running to grab his axe and turning back towards the door. "We've got to go! Grab your weapons and find Bakulah, now! This is an emergency, Calyx can be in very real danger!" He swore under his breath as Lyn just stood there frozen. Was this all her fault? "Damn it, Lyn! How many times have I told you, you have to be patient with him? If you are with him, do not ever turn around and leave unless one of us is with him!"

"I...don't understand. What happened? What's happening?"

"It happens all the time," Traiko muttered. "The leader's romantic interest turns her back on him. He wanders aimlessly and finds someone new. That new woman calms him down and he starts to let down his guard. Then, singing merrily on his way home, something else strikes." He turned to glare at Lyn. "Who was the woman? Who did you see him with?"

"Y-yang," she stammered, her heart beginning to break once more.

"DAMN IT!" He growled even louder. Before grabbing Lyn and holding her close. "You and I will have a very serious discussion about this after we've found him. But right now, we're going to have to save his tail. Get your sister, we'll need her. I'll meet you in the locker room."

Storming out of the room, Lyn felt her knees wobbling beneath her. With everything that had happened, everything that Traiko predicted would happen, how would she ever be able to forgive herself after this?

To be continued...