"Clementine? It's time to wake up!"
Hearing that phrase every single day was extremely tiring, but it wasn't like I could sleep in all day. At least mom didn't come in and open the blinds; being faced with the sun this early was not pleasant at all.
"I'm awake!" I answered quickly and threw the covers off of myself, not bothering to make my bed. What was the point in doing that if she was gonna ruin it the next time she got in? She went over to her dresser and looked at herself in the mirror, then smiled.
Even with bed head she still looked good.
She opened her drawer and took out a brush; she was, if you couldn't tell, about to brush her shoulder-length hair so it wasn't sticking up completely. Some girls liked to take twenty minutes on hair alone, but sue didn't care too much about it. Her mother did though, so she had to at least look presentable.
If only the town saw the face her mother made when she dyed her hair from a natural orange to a fitting black. She loved the story of why parents had began naming their children after colors. Unfortunately for her mother, she hated the color orange, and in her opinion black just went better with her bright-blue eyes.
Putting the brush back where it belonged, she began to put on whatever clothes she could find and practically ran downstairs.
"I smell bacon!" She leaped over the banister and sat in the chair.
"Turkey bacon, to be specific. It is your-"
"-Favorite, yeah, I gotta go soon so hurry!" She didn't say it in a bratty tone, more so the one an excited child would have when their favorite cartoon was coming on.
"Jeez, what's gotten you so excited? More so than usual, at least." Her orange-haired mother Alani questioned as she sat the plate down gently in front of her. Bacon and eggs were a cliché breakfast, but that didn't make it any less delicious!
"Don't you remember?" She said before digging in. "Oshpin - Headmashter of-"
"Finish your food."
She swallowed quickly, then pounded her chest when it didn't go down so smoothly.
"Ozpin, the Headmaster of Beacon Academy, is coming to our village! Today!"
"Yet you couldn't even shower for him?" Clementine smirked in response and began inhaling the rest of her breakfast. "I know you're interested in all of the popular Huntsmen and what not, but you seem a bit too eager to go. Is there something you want to tell me?"
Hey, least no one could say her mother was neglectful. Most of the time mother would notice any small changes and press on them rather quickly.
Most of the time.
I had to slow down my pace when she asked the question, and eventually I had to awkwardly swallow my food down and looked her in the eye.
"...Mom."
"Yes?"
"I...want to be a Huntress." Mother cringed for a split second; her eyes were wide with surprise, and her jaw was slightly agape.
"I... I thought you didn't want anything to do with-"
"It's not because of that. I've gotten a bit...warmer to the idea, but it's not like a thing I want to do permanently. I never planned on staying in this small little village my entire life; Huntsmen and Huntresses get to go around the globe for jobs, so...it's more like a means to an end. If I end up hating it, I'll probably come back. Is... Is that okay?" Alani frowned, then looked out the window as if she was in deep contemplation. After what seemed like a century, she responded.
"If you think you're up for the task, I won't stop you. Just...follow your heart, Clementine." I could only smile in response. I wanted to say "always", but I wasn't able to.
I don't make promises if I'm not sure I can keep them.
Thankfully, before her mother could press further, an airship came into view from the window. Clementine stood up almost immediately, then ran back upstairs. "Almost forgot! Just in case..." She came back barreling down the stairs with a black and gold sword sheath on her back.
"Bye mom! I'll be back after I've convinced him I'm worthy of Beacon!"
Alani could only wave her daughter off with a sad smile; Clementine almost swore she heard her mother sigh moments before closing the door. Putting that thought away, she ran down the winding path that led towards her house and ran into the village square, waving to everyone who greeted her. There was a huge crowd waiting for the Headmaster while the elderly village chief stood in the front to greet the man himself.
The airship landed just outside of the village, blowing a lot of wind past my face, but I didn't care. Was it only going to be him? Maybe other popular Huntsmen were with him! Ooh, the possibilities!
Soon, the door to the airship opened, and out came a tall, silver-haired man that all recognized.
Headmaster of Beacon Academy, Ozpin: Coontelligent, innovative, she couldn't think of something she didn'tadmire in him.
Yeah, fainting was a thing she was pretty close to doing right now. Luckily for her, she maintained her footing. The man walked up to the crowd and introduced themselves, though the formalities were hardly needed.
"Now then," Ozpin began, "as to why I have come here, I'm afraid an old friend of mine has left something incredibly important here, so I came to retrieve it personally. Is that acceptable, chieftain?"
Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain in my head. Fleeting, but it hurt a lot for the second it was there.
"Oh, why certainly! If you could describe the object, I'm sure one of us would know where to look for it."
Ow!
There it is again!
"Yes, well, that may be difficult... It was a weapon belonging to a former Huntsmen, if that helps."
I couldn't hold back the loud cough that fought it's way out of my body by the end of his sentence. Why was this happening now? Before I could ponder, I felt eyes on me. Not just from the crowd, but from him too. I met eyes with him and froze immediately.
"...I-I'm sorry about that, I'll just-"
"You carry a sword on your back." He said simply.
"Hm? Well, yeah...no...kind of?" Ozpin stared at me with no sign of emotion in his expression; it unnerved me, I admit, but I wasn't going to back down from this staring contest.
"May I see it, Ms...?"
"Titian. Clementine Titian." I swore he looked shocked for a second, but I wasn't going to speak up. "And yeah, but I think you'll be a little disappointed, hehe..." I tried to laugh, but it turned into a nervous giggle halfway through. I took the sheath from my back and, making sure he could see the entire thing, began to unsheathe the blade.
Well, in a manner of speaking anyway.
There was only the black and gold hilt of the sword; there was no actual blade. "This is...a family heirloom, passed down through my family for many, many generations. I guess at some point the blade must have broken off."
Hopefully he buys the story she has rehearsed so many times by now-
"What a surprise. This is exactly what I've been looking for." Murmers and gasps were heard from the crowd, but none were as surprised as Clementine.
"I-I'm sorry, you mean...this, right?" She had an extremely hard time believing he knew about this sword.
"Yes, that is the sword my friend wished for me to retrieve."
Even if I did admire this guy, I'd be lying if I wasn't suspicious.
"...Where is this friend of yours now?" I asked in a clear, even voice. I had to make sure he knew I was serious about this.
"He's been missing for eleven years. His name was Orpheus Titian. Last time I saw him, he had an orange-haired daughter and a wife. Not that I had ever met the two; only in pictures You don't exactly have orange hair, but-"
"Dyed it. Orange wasn't my style." I said quickly. "But, but you knew my father?" He nodded.
"I originally came here because of this." He pulled out a letter from his breast pocket and handed it to me.
Hey Ozpin,I've got something I need to do, and I'm not sure how long it's gonna take. If I'm not back in eleven years from this exact date, I want you to go to Gojau Village and find my weapon there. Trust me, you'll find it pretty easily.
Signed, Orpheus.
My hands were shaking a bit. I hadn't heard anything about my father ever since I was five. I barely even remember his face...
...Why didn't he mention me?
"...Will you give me the weapon?" He spoke calmly for someone meeting a lost friend's daughter, but she didn't feel intimidated by it anymore.
"...No, I can't give you this weapon. I'm sorry." He analyzed Clementine for a bit, then turned on his heel.
"it was a pleasure making your acquaintance Clementine. If you'll excuse me..."
"Wait a minute!" He stopped abruptly and waited for her to speak.
"I... I want to enroll in Beacon Academy!" I practically shouted at the man who had given me these new revelations. "I want to be a Huntress. I can't give you this sword, but I can lend you and everyone else my strength!" I gripped the hilt hard enough to where my knuckles were turning white.
"Strength, you say?" He turned around and started walking back, though he didn't stop until he was directly in front of me.
"What is strength to you, Ms. Titian?"
Easy.
"Strength is what I use when I need to protect the people I care about. The power that I can use to protect my loved ones!"
"...Is that so?"
I nodded. He gave my sword a cursory glance.
"...Have you ever used the blade, Ms. Titian?"
"...No, I haven't." To many, this would be a strange comment. The two understood what the other meant perfectly however.
"...Interesting. Have you fought at least?"
"Dad left me training manuals before he left. I practice every day."
"...Tell you what, Ms. Titian. Say I bring you back to Beacon with me, and you pass my initiation test in the same way your father did. I will let you into my Academy immediately. If not, I will personally take you back home...and the sword will stay with me. Do we have-"
"Yes." I didn't even need to hesitate. He smirked.
"Well, you should tell your mother the great news then. I shall accompany you, if you don't mind." I nodded, then led him towards my house amongst the whispers of the crowd. No one from this village except for Father had become a Huntsman before.
I'd be the second.
As we neared my house, he ended up apologizing if he came off too strong. I accepted and entered my home; Mother was surprised when I brought a guest.
"...So, that's the story." Mom had a somewhat nostalgic smile on her face as she sipped a cup of tea. "He said he always had a friend he couldn't talk about, and you do know about his sword. Not many know about it." She laughed nervously, then sighed.
"...I'm fine with it. Seriously. If you promise to take care of my little girl, I don't have any problems at all." Unable to suppress the smile that spread across my face, I got up from my chair and gave my mom a big hug.
"I love you Mom. I'm gonna go get ready, okay?" She nodded while returning the hug; she eventually let me go and I ran upstairs to get my things. Not five minutes later did I come down with a suitcase and my sword strapped to my back; I was also wearing my favorite black coat. I didn't know why I loved it so much to the point I had five others just like it in my closet, but hey, I looked good in it.
It had slightly pointed shoulders, well-fitting sleeves, and it even had a silver necklace attached to it. I wore black gloves and heeled boots to complete the simple yet effective outfit.
"Well... I'm out. I love you, mom."
"I love you too, sweetie."
"Well, shall we then?" He stood up and shook my mothers hand, then smiled at me. "I look forward to see your performance, Ms. Titian." He turned and walked out of my house; I took one last look at my home, then walk to the airship with Ozpin. I end up getting bombarded by a lot of the villagers; some of them were kids that I babysitted, some of them friends congratulating me for even getting the chance to go to Beacon.
As I got on the airship, I gave the village one last wave goodbye as the door closed. I moved to the seat up front and watched as Ozpin took the controls.
"...Thanks for giving me this chance."
"It was the least I could do for my old friends daughter. You know, before he disappeared, you were always at the front of his mind. There wasn't a day that went past when he didn't talk about you."
"Really?" I'm sure he knew I was smiling even though he wasn't looking at me.
"Yes. In fact-" He was cut off by the monitor suddenly turning on, which revealed a beautiful blonde woman on the screen. Oh, she was-!
"Headmaster, I-" She cut herself off when she saw me in the footage and I immediately shrank in my seat. She narrowed her eyes at me, though it was less to intimidate me and more so to analyze me. "Who...is this?"
"Orpheus' daughter," he said calmly, though Ms. Goodwitch, a teacher at Beacon who I had long since admired, didn't share his expression. "She's going to be taking the Initiation." Ms. Goodwitch's eyes were round with surprise, and she immediately went back to looking at me.
"U-Um... Hello? I'm Clementine." It was probably safe to say she knew my father too judging from her reaction.
"...Hello there, young lady. I am Glynda Goodwitch; pleasure to meet you."
Ah, she was even cooler in person!
"I-It's nice to meet you too!"
"Well, now that that's out of the way, what did you need?" Goodwitch cleared her throat, then uploaded a video to the monitor as she spoke over it.
"Roman Torchwick was recently spotted in town robbing a Dust shop. Before I could stop him, this...girl appeared and defeated his men. He got away when I arrived, and now I have the girl with me. I figured I should report before-"
"She has silver-eyes." He calmly interrupted her; his eyes were glued to the footage, and I understood why. She was way too skilled for someone her age; she looked to be a year younger than me at least.
"...She does."
"I'm on my way." Nodding, Goodwitch ended the fall and the airship suddenly increased its speed.
"You, uh...gonna go try to recruit her?"
"Perhaps."
I could tell I probably wasn't gonna get much information out of him, so instead I opted to look out the window and enjoy the scenery. That girl... I had never seen someone with silver-eyes before, and I had to admit that they were kind of...mesmerizing to me. I couldn't really explain why, either. Well, at the very least, she seemed like she'd be a good opponent to fight!
Of course, I hadn't known that this girl would soon become much more to me than just an opponent or a pretty pair of eyes. Meeting her would change my life. Though, honestly...
...I didn't know if it was for better or worse.
