[] "Well... For one I'm learning the consequences of my actions. In the worst way possible."
She was just going to sit there, isn't she? Medb wasn't going to make her go away given what you've both been through. You could only sit there and let her question echo in your mind. You set aside your coffee can and sighed as your smoke left your lips. Your first Christmas in the world and you're spending it like this. Who'd expect this, huh?
You rubbed your hands and thought about what you were going to say. Well there was a lot of things to be said but you were looking for the right things. You wanted to give her something to help you in...
"Well... For one I'm learning the consequences of my actions," you told her with a patient tone, "In the worst way possible."
Snow continued to fall. You wondered how things could have gone if you chose differently in all of your decisions.
It was cold.
Maybe finding a place to stay wouldn't be the worst idea.
"I see. Experience is a far greater teacher than I could ever be," Scathach finally said as she looked at you, "Then the only thing left to ask you would be... Did you learn from it?"
It reminded you of what Jeanne said before. It was much easier said than done. It was difficult. You would have tried better had you had a clear head but it just blindsided you without warning.
....
No, that's just you making an excuse. You had to give an answer.
"No. Not yet at least," you replied as you let out a shaky breath.
"Then it will happen again, and again, and again until you learn. You have what it takes to get through this," Scathach said as she crossed her arms, "You're simply lost on how to proceed."
"Then tell me how. What do I have to do exactly?" You asked her with a sharp voice, "I broke a person, I made her suffer more than she should have and I feel awful for it! Rider did some things I didn't approve of and it's eating me inside. Everything that I ignored has come to shove itself on my face! It's too much! I can't handle all of it!"
"Then take it one by one,
girl," Scathach cut you off with a steely tone, "You don't have to take them all at once. Start with what's important to you and work from there."
"That's easy for you to say when you've done jack shit but hide behind Hans' back!" You snarled right back.
"Brie!" Rider snapped from the side and you froze.
Scathach remained unfazed as she looked down on you then. You felt your blood freeze as you went limp and sighed as you closed your eyes. You let the moment pass as you turned your gaze on the ground while everyone was just quiet.
The Christmas jingle from nearby buildings had echoed to where you three were at the moment. You grimaced as you rubbed your forehead.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that," you managed to say with great difficulty.
Scathach chose to ignore it altogether and say, "Tell me what's important to you now? That girl sitting near you or your own inner turmoil?"
"Of course it's Rider!" You were quick to reply with a sharp tone, "She's more important!"
"Then your first step would be to reconcile. Because if this goes on, your relationship as Master and Servant will deteriorate. It's your greatest strength among all the Masters," Scathach said as she leaned on her bike, "Greater than anyone's, it's obvious that people would seek to break you apart. You wouldn't want that, would you?"
"Of course not!"
"Of course not!"
You and Rider spoke at the same time and that in itself managed to get the Witch of Dun Scaith to smile lightly.
"I will not pretend I know the full story but this child did something she shouldn't have, yes?" Scathach asked you with a raised eyebrow while jabbing a thumb at Medb, "And from my impression, she kept it a secret?"
"Yeah," you admitted with a grim look.
"Then talk about it. If she's truly important to you, you will try and understand her. Why she did it, for what reason, and if you could come in terms with it..." Scathach suggested as she crossed glanced at Rider, "And you, respond to your Master. You're the only who could help her."
"You think I don't know that already?" Medb grumbled as she looked to the side.
"And also, you need to stop being afraid. This girl you're partnered with, she's stronger than you believe. You underestimate her spirit... I couldn't believe how blind you are even when you both defeated Caster together," Scathach said with a hard tone while lecturing Medb, "That moment should have been the part where you acknowledged her strength."
You and Medb were silent as the Legendary Teacher took you both apart. She was right. Both sides were at fault here but that was just one thing. This wedge between you and Rider seemed to grow smaller and smaller the more Scathach talked.
If only you had the chance then maybe you can fix this. You wouldn't have been able to get through this by yourself. Not without damaging your bond with Rider with trial and error. You were lucky this time. There was still so much you didn't know...
"Got it... We'll talk it out," you sighed as you lowered your head.
"And that's only the most important thing to you. What of your inner turmoil?" Scathach asked as she looked at you with a curious look.
"That... You're right. I do know the answer to it. Just being reminded in such a manner caught me off guard," you replied as you let out a shaky breath, "Ruler's given me the talk on that end."
"And you think the Saint's words weigh more than mine?" Scathach asked with a raised eyebrow.
"You're probably not the best person to talk about it," Rider chimed in from the side.
Scathach shook her head as she looked at you, "So what do you plan on doing going forward?"
"Try and survive. I don't know if I can make it up to the people I've wronged but second guessing myself isn't going to do anything," you murmured as you raised your head, "I'll live with what I did. I'm probably not going to be forgiven but going forward, I could be better."
"Easier said than done," Scathach said as she leaned on her bike, "But perhaps you could leave the dreary thoughts out of your mind for now. Tis the season to be jolly... Seeing you two fools so downtrodden is not something for me to take amusement in."
You managed a small smile as you rubbed your knees, "I really can't let this keep me down."
You raised your head and turned to Rider as she winced in surprise upon your gaze, "W-What?"
"I won't let that woman break my trust in you. What you did was wrong and it can't be denied for what it was, but we can be better, right?" You asked her with a serious tone.
Medb stared at you before lowering her head, "But still..."
"Raise your head. Aren't you a Queen?" Scathach barked from the side as she crossed her arms.
Rider glared at the other woman before you moved to her and grabbed her hand, "Hey. You still with me?"
"Even after all that, you'll still latch on to me?" Medb asked you with a shaky voice.
"Sucks to say but the old Lady's not wrong. One thing you can do is making things right by winning this war as fast as we could. This can't continue, Medb. More people are only going to get hurt," you told her as you stood up and pulled her up, "We're finishing this together."
Medb's eyes watered up before she chuckled, "You really got it bad for me, huh?"
"Good. I wouldn't want you fighting Hans with your spirit broken," Scathach said as she put on her helmet and mounted her bike.
You looked at her and asked, "Leaving already?"
"Yes. As you've set I have done... 'jackshit'. I'm going to change that. I have one last battle to fight," Scathach said as she kicked started the engine, "Merry Christmas."
Turning Point
[] "Good luck... And thanks for your advice, Scathach. For everything."
[] "You need some help? I mean, it'll just be an excuse for me to see you in action."
[] "Hey. Don't be a bad example and do anything stupid. You're a teacher after all."
[] Write in...
