RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth and Monty Oum. I only wish I could dream of something as awesome.


The grey skies threatened rain as the young man nearly sprinted down the street. His destination loomed in front of him, but while it used to herald a bright future, now it seemed to promise only suffering. The teenager shook those thoughts from his head and pushed himself harder, barreling through the double doors and slipping into an elevator just before it could close. He jabbed irritably at the 12th floor button, sparing only a single glance at his fellow occupants before descending into brooding silence. Every stop before his just served to darken his mood, and when the doors finally opened to the floor he wanted, he was already sprinting along the corridors, body following a well-traveled path to the only thing that mattered to him. He skidded to a halt just before reaching the door, took a moment to calm himself and smooth down his Signal uniform, then slipped inside.

His eyes settled instantly on the single occupant of the stark white room, a girl younger than him, sleeping peacefully and untroubled. He let out a long breath he hadn't noticed he'd been holding, then scanned the room hastily to find the one other person he wanted to talk to. Sure enough, the older man was seated at a nearby desk, watching the man patiently. Wearing simple clothes and a stark white lab coat to match the room, the only other word to really describe the man was tired. He seemed to only get more tired as the younger finally tore his attention away from the girl.

"A little out of breath, are we?"

"I'm fine. How is she?"

"Not much better, Mr. Mercury. I can at least say that she is in no danger of an attack at the moment."

"Don't sugarcoat it Doc."

"... It seemed like her system might be able to resist or even fight off the infection before, but with this most recent attack, her immune system has weakened considerably. As you know, eventually, her system will be unable to handle the disease and one of her attacks will cause her body to simply... fail. It is... unfortunate, but unless she receives the proper treatment, and soon, she won't last another six months."

The words hit the younger man like a train, and he collapsed against a nearby wall, sliding to the floor. The proper treatment. The proper treatment! Even the simplest of treatments for his sibling would cost them at least four times what they had saved. It was a miracle she'd even been admitted into the hospital, much less treated! How the in all of Remnant was he supposed to come up with that kind of money?

"Asher, I am so-"

"Don't start with that bullshit, Roan. I don't want it."

Silence was all that followed, and minutes seemed to tick by as both watched the girl sleeping her time away second by second. Neither wanted to talk, not now that everything was already said. In the doctor's case, it was out of a mixture of pity and self-loathing. He had watched both of these children ever since Asher had dragged his sister into the hospital, begging for help, almost seven years ago. And now he was watching as one was dying from disease and the other could only watch. If there was any moments he hated being a doctor, it was these. The silence threatened to stretch on endlessly, but the girl, as if sensing the tense atmosphere surrounding her, stirred restlessly. Asher stood instantly, gaze fixed on his sister for any hint of discomfort, and Roan smiled at nothing before standing and making his way out the door. Another moment passed before the girl's eyes opened, gaze wandering the room in confusion.

"Ash?"

"I'm here, Azure. How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine. Tired though..."

Asher strode over to his sister, forcing a warm smile, dragging over a nearby chair to sit down next to the bed. Within moments, his sister's hand found his, and she entwined their fingers together. It wasn't long before his sibling was asking her questions about his day, and as always he answered them with as much detail as he could. Exciting stories of one on one combat, the boring lectures, the difficult tests. Anything and everything was described in detail. Still, eventually, he ran out of things to say, and silence took the room once again. Asher felt his mood sour, mind turning once again to the imminent death of his only relative. As always, his sister was quick to pick up on his mood, and her words cut into his contemplation, catching him somewhat by surprise.

"... Ash? Is something wrong?"

"Wha- No! No... Nothing's wrong. I just forgot about a report I need to get done before tomorrow... You'd better get back to sleep. You need to keep your strength up."

"But I'm not tired!"

"Azure. Do I need to be evil?"

The girl wilted under her brother's gaze, sinking into her bed. Then, as if mustering her courage in some epic battle of wills, Azure sat up in her bed and straightened her body in defiance, gaze meeting her brother's with the determination. Asher, for his part, smiled with barely contained glee, even as his eyes narrowed dangerously.

"You asked for this, Azure."

Then he dove towards his sibling, fingers seeking her sides and sending her into a laughing fit as she tried desperately to escape his grasp. Minutes passed in play, and when it was finally over, the elder of the two sighed before sliding off the bed and turning back to face the younger.

"Alright. That's enough play. Bedtime."

"Do you have to go, Brother of Mine?"

"I'm sorry, Sister of Mine. But you know how it goes. Roan will keep an eye on you."

"He's always so serious though!"

"Crying to me isn't going to change anything. Besides, wasn't it just last week you were going on and on about marrying him because he's so nice?"

The younger girl flushed red, choosing to turn on to her side and bring her blankets over her head, trying to hide her embarrassment. Asher laughed before pulling the covers away gently and placing a kiss on Azure's forehead before pulling away. Azure grabbed her brother's face and pulled it back, kissing his forehead in kind before finally releasing him and closing her eyes. Just before being taken once again by sleep, Azure mumbled the last words her sibling would hear her say for a very long time.

"Promise you'll be here when I wake up, Asher..."

"... I promise you will never be alone, Azure."

Asher slipped from the room quietly, the door closing behind him with a gentle click. He paused outside the door, mind conflicted now that he was left with his own thoughts. His sister, the only person that meant anything to him and his very reason for living, was going to die if she didn't get help. And the only way to get that help was to get money. It was the reason he'd decided to become a Huntsman, and dedicated himself so fully to getting into Signal. Granted, it had taken a bit of hard work, not to mention Roan calling in a few favors, just to have certain... circumstances... overlooked, but in the end, it would have been worth it. But now, with only a few years of schooling under his belt, and many more till he was actually recognized as a Huntsman...

"There's not enough time."

That single thought grew stronger the more he mulled over the situation. He needed a way to get money, and quickly. A normal job was completely out of the question. Mercenary work would take too long as well, not enough time to build a good reputation and get good paying jobs. In Asher's mind, there was only one option really. One way to accumulate enough money to pay for his sister's treatments, and maybe give her a better life than the one she'd had so far. It was a gamble, it would likely take all the money he had just to get ready, he'd be giving up everything he'd worked for and luck would play no small part, but... if it saved her...

Asher took one last look at the door to his sister's room before turning away and striding off down the corridor, towards the elevators. He would need to start immediately. While he was no expert, he gathered that plans would need to be made, information gathered, and equipment readied. He would throw away whatever place he had in society, if only for the chance that she might live. The elevator doors opened as he reached them, and Roan stepped out, sidestepping out-of-the-way as Asher pushed past him.

"Asher?"

"Roan, remind me again how much her treatment would be?"

"Just to start them would cost at least 50,000 lien. Asher, you already know that."

"Just checking. Take care of Azure for me, alright?"

"Asher?"

The young man only smiled lamely as the elevator doors closed.


Three months later, and Roan found himself once again in Azure's room. He watched with a smile on his face as the girl, for the first time in a long while, was out of her bed, dancing happily to a new radio placed next to her bed. Still, his thoughts turned dark as the most recent song ended and the 13-year old girl turned to him, a frown growing on her face.

"Roan?"

"Hm?"

"When is Asher going to visit?"

Silence fell, heavy and thick with tension. For a moment, Roan had no words, then he managed to compose himself and force an answer out of his suddenly dry mouth.

"I'm sure he'll be around eventually, Azure. He's probably just busy with something at school."

"I guess... hey, you think I could go to Signal?"

The question, while completely different from her previous one, destroyed his composure just as easily. This one, however, was much easier to answer, thanks in no small part to her rapidly strengthening condition.

"I think you could. You'd be behind a year or two in your studies, though. It might be a bit too much for you to-"

"I could study here! While I'm recovering!"

"Alright! Alright! I'll see what I can do about getting you some of the course books. Just be patient, alright? Your treatment will take time."

Her treatment. Roan couldn't begin to describe the conflicting emotions he felt. While he was genuinely happy to see her regaining her strength, the source of that treatment could not be more soaked in blood. He remembered it clearly, walking into his office that morning to discover that duffel bag filled with lien and a note stating it was for Azure. Things went from good to terrible the next day, when the news was filled with reports of a violent bank robbery, causing the deaths of at least four policemen, and the injuries of over a dozen more. The authorities had described the event as amateur at best. That hadn't stopped the perpetrators from getting away with over 200,000 lien, of which Roan quickly discovered he had 50,000. Exactly. He had hesitated to believe that it could be from that stolen amount. He tried to convince himself it wasn't. And then the pictures were released to the public, and there, clearly seen carrying the same duffel bag Roan had received, was Asher, unloading a pistol in the direction of the police along with four others as they made their escape.

Roan had kept quiet. How could he not? Was he supposed to deny the girl her chance at life? Was he supposed to destroy the boy's efforts to save his sister? He couldn't bring himself to do it. Not now. Not after having watched over them both for so long. But that didn't stop him from feeling that guilt in his heart. His only comfort was Azure's smile. He shook himself from his reminiscing and turned to the window. For a moment, he gazed out at the clear sky above him, before returning his gaze to the girl he now watched over.

I only wish you could have seen this, Asher.


Author's Note- Well... Here's something. This is my first time actually putting something out there for other's to read(something entirely of my own thoughts, anyway), and I can only hope people enjoy it. This is an introduction chapter, a beginning, and a set up to what I hope is something enjoyable. I'm planning on switching perspectives every chapter or so, from out main cast(Team RWBY) and my own creations(Asher, Azure and Roan). Hopefully it doesn't get too confusing. Regardless, any comments, concerns, criticisms, praises, or anything in between is much appreciated.

Until next time, keep dreaming.