章 55: Chapter 55. Of Melting A Frozen Heart
Soon I, Pietro, and Penny walk through the portal, and the scenery changes from Pietro's clinic to a park. I soon saw Pyrrha practicing in the middle of the park with her weapon in hand and called out to her.
Silva: Hey Pyrrha, miss me?
Pyrrha turned towards me and smile then came up to me with a hug. Pyrrha saw my new scars when she got closer and asked worriedly.
Pyrrha: Silva, your face, what happened?
After I assured her I was fine and explained to her my duel with Ookami and Roscato. Pyrrha looked at me in shock and asked.
Pyrrha: Did you really kill them?
I numbly nodded because I just realized that Pyrrha would have some issue accepting the fact that I have taken lives, lives that she knows if only a little. Pyrrha looked lost at what to do I realized I was an idiot for not talking with her sooner about this. No use crying over spilled milk, so I decided to change the subject.
Silva: Pyrrha there is someone I like you to meet...
I introduced Penny and Pietro to her.
Silva: These 2 are friends of mine Pietro Polendina and his daughter Penny.
Pyrrha got out of her mood and introduced herself to them.
Pyrrha: Hello, I'm Pyrrha Nikos it is nice to meet you.
Pietro: Hello it a pleasure to meet you Ms.Nikos.
Penny: Salutations, I'm Penny.
Penny extended her hand for Pyrrha to shake it and when Pyrrha grabbed it Penny once again began shaking her hand a little too excitedly. Pyrrha was a bit surprised at Penny's eagerness so I explained.
Silva: Penny hasn't had a lot of social interaction due to some circumstances and I was hoping you would be willing to be her friend if that is fine Pyrrha?
Pyrrha quirked an eyebrow at me and said.
Pyrrha: It's fine Silva but we need to talk later, okay.
I nodded and expected this, she most likely wants to talk about me killing Ookami and Roscato. After Penny finally stopped shaking Pyrrha's hand Pyrrha decided to show Penny and Pietro around Argus. Penny and Pyrrha we're awkward with each other at first but the found some common ground when it came to tactics and strategies plus some basic girl stuff. Pietro saw his daughter get her first friend and it brought a tear to his eye, he then thanked me.
Pietro: Thank you for this Silva really just thank you for helping out my little girl.
I just shrugged and replied back.
Silva: Penny is a person and I'm just treating her like one trying to help her live life.
Pietro: You have no idea how much that means to me Silva for you to say that. I was worried that she may be treated as a weapon than as a living being but I'm glad you see her as a person.
I just smiled and told him.
Silva: Pietro I like to ask a favor of you.
Pietro looked at me curiously and said.
Pietro: Sure, if I can help you I will.
I took the black soul crystal that contained the Grimm girl's soul and explained myself to Pietro.
Silva: You see Pietro one of the ways I can create soul crystals is to extract them from people.
Pietro looked at me shocked but let me finish my explanation.
Silva: This crystal in my hand is from someone that I cared about dearly but she wasn't destined to live a long life... For the time I knew her, her life was filled with pain, and all I could do was ease her pain until she finally died. I then decided to make a soul crystal with her soul because I got the idea to give her a new body and put her soul crystal in it to give a second chance. However, while this soul crystal contains her essence it doesn't contain any of her memories.
Pietro had a look of realization on his face and I continued.
Silva: So the girl I called Lucifer is dead but I can at least give her essence at least a new life for the better. So Pietro, will you help me?
Pietro looked me shocked at my request then seemed to enter into deep thought and after a few moments, he told me.
Pietro: Silva, it would be my pleasure to help you and your friend.
I just smiled relieved that he agreed to help me because if he didn't it would be significantly harder to get the necessary materials for her new body. Pietro and I go over the details of our cooperation and he was surprised that I was so knowledgeable on the subject of robotics, this was due to the fact I made a copy of the knowledge in his head within my mind. However, while I know everything he knows I don't possess his brilliant mind for coming up with interesting solutions to problems of different kinds.
After all, he came up with the P.E.N.N.Y. project on his own for Ironwood's challenge on the next step of kingdom defense. Time went on and Pietro asked me to send him and Penny home before their disappearance gets blown out of proportion. Pyrrha stopped me after Penny and Pietro left and asked.
Pyrrha: Can we talk?
I closed the portal and took a seat at the park bench and she sits next to me. An awkward silence comes over us and I wait for Pyrrha to speak first. A minute passes and Pyrrha asked.
Pyrrha: Did you really kill them?
Silva: Yes...
Pyrrha: Why?
I took in a deep breath to center my thoughts and told her.
Silva: They wanted to die as they lived, as warriors... They asked me because they felt I was strong enough to end them... And before you ask, I agreed because I respected them a great deal and I could understand their mindset.
Pyrrha just looks at me unsure of how to feel about my explanation and I asked her in return.
Silva: Pyrrha you do know that Grimm isn't the only enemy you will face but people as well?
Pyrrha opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out and she closed it, I continued.
Silva: Pyrrha at some point you will be faced with a choice to end a life to save another's because being a huntsmen/huntress doesn't just mean fighting monsters known as Grimm but also monsters in human and Fanus flesh.
Pyrrha looked like she wanted to say something but she didn't and I told her a bit about my past.
Silva: Pyrrha, this isn't the first time I have killed... Nor will it be the last. Let me tell you of one time I saw fit to wipe out an entire settlement.
Pyrrha looked at me horrified at my confession which hurt me more than I thought it would but I continued.
Silva: As I was traveling to the through Anima's wildland I stopped at a settlement to rest. After I went to sleep I found myself hung by my wrists surrounded by blood and a few corpses of Faunus... What happened next was a man wearing a bloody apron came into the room and started to sharpen his tools while telling me the story of how this settlement turned to cannibalism.
Pyrrha looked sick at what I was telling her but I continued none the less.
Silva: I quietly broke free from my restraints as his back was turned and snapped his neck. I quickly found my stuff and found the whole settlement celebrating while eating meat that I didn't need to guess it's origins. I felt that this place should be burned to the ground after seeing this sickening display. As got ready to start my bloodbath I came across a little kid eating some meat on a stick and he looked at me. Can you guess what he said?
Pyrrha shook her head with a look of dread and I told her.
Silva: He said, "Yay, more food".
Pyrrha looked ready to lose her lunch and I finished my story.
Silva: He was the first to die and soon I destroyed that evil place with extreme prejudice not allowing one person to live another day...
Pyrrha went to a nearby trash can and puked her guts out as I waited. She finished in a few minutes then wiped her mouth and looked towards me with a complicated look. I told her my reason for telling this story to her.
Silva: I'm telling you this because I don't wish to hide who I am from the people I love and I want to show you the kind of person I am.
Pyrrha asked me looking weary.
Pyrrha: Do you regret it?
I answered honestly.
Silva: When I first killed someone I didn't disgust with myself or even pleasure, I just felt a grim acceptance for what I did then nothing afterward. So no I don't regret it and I would still do the same if given the choice again.
Pyrrha just looked away and said.
Pyrrha: Sorry I need time to think...
Pyrrha just walked off and I felt a pain in my heart briefly seeing her look of fear... Of me. I sighed and heard my scroll go off with an alert letting know it is almost time for my date with Winter. I slapped my cheeks to knock me out of my mood because I have no intention of canceling my date with her. I opened a portal back to Mantle to get ready.
Pyrrha POV
He killed an entire settlement... An entire settlement, even if they practiced cannibalism there had to be some other way then to just wipe them out. Hearing him tell me his story I didn't see any sort of emotion on his face as he told me and his eyes were cold and lifeless. And when he said he didn't want to hide who he was from me or anyone I asked myself, what do I really know of him?
I thought about how not only killed those cannibals but Old Wolf and Roscato which could be considered his friends or at least, acquaintances, I felt afraid of him. He saw my fear and it clearly hurt him but he tried to hide it. Realizing that I hurt him made me stop and made me think about what would I do in his position?
I thought about the cannibalistic settlement, could I turn them over to the authorities and I realized I couldn't because the Wildlands are a lawless place that the teachers told the class that a number of huntsmen/huntresses have never returned from and is outside the kingdom's laws. I then thought about killing someone I know in combat because they asked me to and just could not bring myself to imagine that.
I then remember Silva telling me that huntsmen/huntresses don't just face the creatures of Grimm but (as he put it) monsters in human and Faunus flesh. I asked myself if I came across a bandit that is known to infest Anima could I kill him if left with no other choice. I couldn't come up with an answer for myself and started to wonder more about Silva's past and who he is as a person.
Silva POV
As I got ready for my date with Winter I thought about Pyrrha and decided to give her space for now. I shook my head and focus on the task at hand and checked to see if I have everything ready. Clothes, check, flowers, check, reservations for a nice dinner in Mantle, check. It was a bit of a headache for me to find a nice restaurant that served Faunus because most fancy places are up in Atlas and generally have a no Faunus policy.
Mantle is a bit better but not by much because most places that serve Faunus are in the northern part of the city where there is the highest concentration of Faunus which isn't a very nice neighborhood in appearance. Thankfully there are exceptions and the place I'm taking Winter to is the nicest place in Mantle which is only slightly inferior to the restaurants up in Atlas. I opened up a portal towards Winter with the soul crystal with a copy of Raven's semblance and I saw Winter dressed up.
She was in a white dress with her back, shoulders, and arms covered in a light gray stocking material. Her legs were also covered with gray stockings and she had on high heel spaghetti straps. Admiring her appearance for a moment as she fiddled with her loose strand of her in her usual hairstyle I walked over to her. She noticed my approach and asked in shock.
Winter: What happened to your face!?
I smacked my forehead at forgetting to cover my scars with magic and told her while feeling stupid at forgetting something that important.
Silva: Long story but I'm fine and fully healed.
Winter just looked at me stunned and I gave her the red and white roses. Winter got out of her stupor and said.
Winter: They're lovely thank you and are you really alright? We can reschedule our date for later.
I felt a bit happy at the concern she was showing for me and assured her.
Silva: Thank you for your concern but really I'm fine.
Winter: If you are sure...
I nodded in replied then extended my arm out to her and said.
Silva: Shall we.
Winter took my arm and awkwardly wrapped her own arm around it. We then went off to Mantle's best restaurant White Night.
(Sometime later.)
Dinner was nice and Winter and I were making small talk to pass the time when she then asked me.
Winter: So how did you get those scars just after I last saw you yesterday?
I sighed and told the truth.
Silva: Ookami and Roscato asked me to duel them to the death and I copied a semblance to heal up quickly from my injuries.
Winter: Did you fill out the necessary paperwork to avoid murder charges?
I nodded and Winter relaxed a little then asked.
Winter: Do you regret it?
I shook my head side to side and an awkward silence came over us. I tried to change the subject.
Silva: Can I escort you home after dessert?
Winter replied sternly.
Winter: Certainly...
( Sometime later.)
As I escorted Winter to her apartment and soon found myself in front of the door of her home. As I was about to wish Winter good night she kissed me and dragged me into her apartment. I returned the kiss in full but felt something was off and I couldn't place my finger on it. Winter started to take her dress off and I decided to peak in her mind even though I try to respect the privacy of people I know and are in a relationship with because this seems out of character for her.
I found out that Winter really doesn't have any experience with relationships and her only source of information on the subject is romance novels. I stopped Winter from undressing and asked.
Silva: Winter, do you read romance novels?
Winter stiffened and replied.
Winter: Yes... Why do you ask?
Silva: Because it feels like you trying to reenact the sex scene of a romance novel and you feel awkward in your attempt.
Winter looked away with a slight blush and asked.
Winter: Am I that obvious?
I told her truthfully.
Silva: I felt you were being out of character and read your mind to see what was in it.
Winter looked at me angrily and was about to shout at me from the looks of it but I put my finger on her lips and said.
Silva: Winter, I like you and if you really want to go through this we can but let me ask you this. Do you want to get to know each other more first before taking the next step?
Winter looked me stunned at my question and I asked her.
Silva: How about we take a seat on your couch first?
Winter followed me onto her couch still looking stunned and another awkward silence comes over us. After a minute I asked her.
Silva: So what do you like to do during your time off?
Winter came out of her stupor and replied looking awkward and unsure of what to do next.
Winter: I-I like to read romance novels as you already know and I practice with my summons... What about you?
I just smiled thinking how cute Winter looks now and told her.
Silva: Well, when I turned 12 I started to travel across Remnant and I been all over the place. I saw most of Anima, including its Wildlands, the Menagerie, and now Solitas with Atlas and Mantle included.
Winter looked at me surprised and said.
Winter: I have been to Anima's Wildland for a few missions as a specialist of Atlas and they didn't leave a good impression of that place.
I nodded in agreement for the most part and told her.
Silva: Yeah, some the settlements there left me some scars and unpleasant memories but there are a few decent places there.
Winter asked me curiously.
Winter: Like where?
Silva: Well there is a nudist colony near the savannah of the wildlands, while weird they are good people if you get over them being naked.
Winter frowned and said.
Winter: I really don't understand how they can go about being naked all the time and not be embarrassed.
I shrugged not really understanding their ideology either but I don't really need to because they didn't try to force their philosophy on me so I try to be at least respectful of their choices. Winter then said.
Winter: While a number of the settlements there are hostile or weird I do have a good impression of Xue Jie.
Hearing her I told her the truth about them.
Silva: The people of Xue Jie use to eat Faunus...
Winter's eyes widen at me and looked like she didn't believe me, she said.
Winter: Your lying...
I looked at her directly in the eyes and after a few moments, she paled realizing I wasn't lying. She soon turned green and muttered to herself.
Winter: That means that the meat I ate there was...
She ran off and I soon heard the sound of her losing her dinner. After a few minutes, she came back with a grim look on her face and said.
Winter: Thank you for notifying me of the true colors of that place and I need to tell the general immediately.
Silva: That won't be necessary...
Winter looked at me unsure of what I meant and asked.
Winter: What do you mean?
Silva: I wiped them out down to every last man, woman, and child.
Winter looked at me in shock then schooled herself and said.
Winter: Thank you...
I was surprised, to say the least, because that was the last thing I expected her to say and she explained.
Winter: When I went there for a rest to continue a mission with my troops the next day I found a number of them missing. They were all Faunus and while I had my suspicions I didn't find any evidence against that settlement and the mission I was on took priority over a few missing soldiers. So truly thank you for avenging them even if that wasn't your intention.
After that, we stayed together for a few hours talking about each other, our likes, dislikes, funny moments, and even our low points in life. I found that Winter's soldier mentality could understand my position on ending lives to either save my own or others. Winter really started to open up to me a little after seeing that I had a different view on life in general and that could relate to her in owning our life even if part of it is decided by others in part.
I felt like I met someone who could understand me on a certain level that others could not.
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