Chapitre 58: Concerning Purple
Neopolitan woke up slowly as she picked herself up and realized that she was sleeping with Silva. The tri-colored girl briefly wondered how she got here, then remembered last night that her personal heater Emerald got up and left her alone in the cold bed. Neopolitan looked at the other bed and saw it was empty, then looked around the room until she caught the sight of mint-colored hair on Silva's left. Seeing Emerald snuggle against Silva, the tri-colored girl got her Scroll to take a picture of the still snoozing duo.
Seeing how close Silva and Emerald have got recently, Neopolitan felt an unfamiliar heavy feeling in her chest. The tri-colored girl couldn't identify the emotion she was feeling as she had never felt it before but knew she didn't like it. Hearing Silva calling Emerald by her new nickname and seeing the mint-haired girl run errands happily for the snow leopard faunus bothered her for some inexplicable reason. Neopolitan tried to ignore the feeling, but she was unsuccessful as she felt the need to get between them like right now.
Neopolitan got out of the bed and used her Aura to strengthen herself and flip the mattress over with the occupants in it. Emerald bellowed out in surprise.
"WHAT IN THE HECK?!"
As Emerald got up, looking furious and Silva groaned in pain at being tossed onto the floor, suddenly. Neopolitan grinned as the uncomfortable feeling in her chest dissipated slightly as the mint-haired glared at her and growled.
" Neopolitan!"
Silva forced himself up, and as he rubbed the back of his head and saw Emerald chasing after Neopolitan with a furious look. The snow leopard faunus put the mattress back on the bed frame and stopped the girls.
" Neopolitan! Em! Come here!"
Silva ordered with a calm tone expecting to be obeyed. The two came up in front of him as he sat on the bed, then greeted them.
" Morning, you two, can either of you explain what is going on right now?
" Neopolitan flipped the freaking bed we were sleeping on!"
Another question popped up in Silva's mind that he asked.
" We were sleeping together?"
" I, well, um, things happened..?"
Neopolitan nodded in reply as Emerald sputtered an answer, and Silva wasn't sure if he should be pleased to have two beautiful girls sharing his bed with him or concerned that he didn't notice his guests as he slept. Putting that aside, for now, Silva focused on Neopolitan and asked her.
" Why did you flip the bed with us in it?"
Neopolitan placed her hand over her chest as she looked unsure and looked at the snow leopard faunus with confusion filling her eyes. Silva got the gist of the tri-colored girl's feelings.
" You don't know what you were feeling?"
Neopolitan looked surprised at Silva reading her somewhat accurately, and the snow leopard sighed and offered.
" How about you join me for a change in scenery?"
" What but she..?!"
Emerald protested, but Silva raised his paw to silence her and said.
" Em, to solve the root of the problem, it needs to be understood first; otherwise, you wind up only treating the symptoms, which only provides temporary relief."
Emerald looked disgruntled as she said with a bit of venom.
" So let's get rid of Neopolitan then; I don't know why she is here in the first place."
Neopolitan showed a mix of hurt and anger towards Emerald, and before things escalated, Silva stopped them with a roar.
" NEOPOLITAN, EMERALD!"
The girls jumped in fright at the faunus, raising his voice as he did that with them before. Silva huffed annoyance and told Emerald in an even tone.
" Emerald, show more care in your words. They can both help and harm people you're close to, and Neopolitan, get dressed, then follow me."
Silva had wanted to spend the day quietly as he needed to organize the information he got last night during his raid of Atlas.
***
General James Ironwood pinched the bridge of his nose as he read the report on the attack on Atlas' scientific community that had little to no evidence to find a lead. He wondered out loud.
" How did this happen? Is "she" involved, but why?"
Ironwood's mind ran through possible scenarios for this attack but found nothing conclusive. No one was hurt or missing, everything is accounted for, and the information storage units show no signs of being tampered with or any information being extracted. The only sign of the attack existing is the residue from a sleeping agent in various science labs across Atlas and the testimonies of scientists being knocked out by said sleeping agent. James tapped his finger against his desk furiously as this enigma of a problem that plagued him.
" Sir, you called for us?"
Clover Ebi, a tall man with brown hair and blue eyes with fair skin, entered the office with a modified Atlesian military uniform. He wasn't alone as Elm Eberne, a giant of a woman with a bodybuilder's body with dark skin and hair, followed behind. Plus, with Vine Zeki, a thin, tall man with a shaved head and pale skin with piercing blue eyes. These were the Ace-Ops, a team James Ironwood is putting together for secretive or important missions that needed to be done. The General then gave the order to Ace-Ops.
" I'm sure you have heard of the recent incident that apparently happened just last night."
" Yes, sir. Attacks across Atlas's science labs but with no damage or harm being presently being seen despite intensive investigations."
Ironwood nodded, then informed Ace-Ops of their mission.
" Find out who is behind this and bring them in!"
" Yes, General!"
The Ace-Ops saluted and replied in unison.
***
As Neopolitan got ready to leave, Emerald asked me with concern.
" What do you plan to do, Silva?"
" I am just going to talk to Neopolitan in private, that's all."
I really wanted to organize the new information I got from using Soul Archive all of last night, but I feel this needs to be done before anything else. Neopolitan walked in front of me, looking curious about where we were going. I opened a portal and let the tri-colored girl walk ahead of me. Before I left, I told Emerald.
" See you later."
" K..."
The mint-haired girl meekly replied as I walked through the portal and found the scenery changed to a familiar place. The mountain I spent two years of my current life on training for my future battles. Neopolitan was taking a picture of the view as I sat down at a familiar group of stones I regularly used as seats during my stay on this mountain. I called out to the tri-colored girl.
" Neopolitan."
I gestured for her sit in front of mean, and she complied with her full attention on me. I directedly asked her.
" What is bothering you exactly?"
Neopolitan scrunched up her face and made random gestures to convey her confusion. I then ask her for confirmation.
" Your head's a mess?"
She nodded, then changed her mind as she shook her head in denial. Neopolitan used her Semblance to transform into Emerald and gestured towards herself, then me, and made a kissy face. I think I got the message.
" It bothers you that Emerald and I have gotten closer?"
The illusion shattered as the tri-colored girl reappeared and nodded in reply. I asked plainly.
" Why does it bother you?"
Neopolitan shrugged as she wasn't sure herself. I thought about what I knew of the girl in front of me for a minute or two, then asked.
" Do you wish you had someone you could be close to, like how Emerald and I have become?"
The tri-colored girl looked down on the ground, lost in thought for a few moments then hesitantly nodded. I sighed at the crux of the problem and asked her.
" What about Melanie and Miltia?"
Neopolitan gave me a "so-so" sign which made sense considering what I knew of the Malachite twins. They might get along with Neopolitan somewhat but aren't close friends like how Roman and her turned out in the canon. Well, with Roman dead because of me, I better take responsibility for the loneliness of the girl in front of me. Things are never simple or easy, are they? I got up and hugged Neopolitan despite how awkward I felt about doing it. She stiffened in surprise and told her a cringe-worthy line to the tri-colored girl.
" I am here for you whenever you need me."
After a few moments, Neopolitan awkwardly returned the hug, and we separated from one another after the awkwardness got worse. I took a deep breath and told the girl in front of me.
" Neopolitan, no, Neo, I meant what I said, but if you want to truly bond with someone, you need to open up enough to let people in, but that's probably a bit difficult for you, right?"
At my question, Neopolitan gave a small nod, and I took the first step and told her what I said to Emerald weeks back. Her eyes widened in shock, especially when I admitted I used Soul Archive on her. I let her process what I said, and after several minutes she came up to me and placed my paw on her head. Neopolitan gestured for me to do something, and I asked for confirmation.
" You want me to use Soul Archive on you again?"
She smiled in reply and asked her to be certain.
" Are you sure?"
Neopolitan looked at me with annoyance and tapped my paw, telling me to hurry up. I then used Soul Archive on Neopolitan, and I retorted after seeing her recent memories.
" If I'm a dork, you're an overgrown cone of melted ice cream, Neo!"
Neopolitan smirked at me and made a gesture that said, "look at this; you know you want it." I rolled my eyes at her and poked fun at her.
" This coming from a girl that felt jealous this morning of Emerald and me snuggling together. Sexually frustrated much?"
She pouted but had no come back as she stuck her tongue out at me. After a few moments, I asked Neopolitan.
" Are we good?"
She shrugged as to say," I guess so." Well, today turned out more, well, more than I would've initially thought. However, I wonder how things are going to turn out between Neopolitan and Emerald now.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone