Chapter 3

I wonder who that scythe guy was?

Why am I at Signal?

Is Coral okay?

Thoughts were flowing through thirteen-year-old Jaune Arc's mind as he sat in a metal chair in a white interrogation-like room. The chair clanged against the ground as he pulled himself closer to the lone table in the center of the room.

Am I going to be interrogated?

"Can someone let me out of here, I need to know if my sister is okay."

The single entrance to the room opened with a creek, revealing a tall man with messy black hair wearing what appeared like a Signal teacher uniform with a crooked cross hanging around his neck.

"The names Qrow, I'm a teacher here at Signal Academy." The man named Qrow spoke in a raspy voice.

"I'm Jaune, Jaune Arc. Can you let me see my sister now please?"

"Don't worry Jaune, your sister's fine. An ambulance picked her up and took to Vale's best hospital."

"Okay, when can I see her?"

"Whenever we're done here."

"Okay then. Can you tell me why I'm at Signal?"

"You're here because I saw what you did over in south Ansel?"

"So you're the scythe guy and… why are you drinking in front of me? Aren't there rules against that?"

"Wha… oh no. I'm only a part-time teacher. I'm not even on duty right now. I'm just here to watch my niece pass the exams."

"So why were you in Ansel then?"

"Ah, you know how it is. There's always better booze in the country bits. That crap in Vale is too refined. Anyway, the point is we want you to come train at Signal. I know you failed the exams, but you didn't have aura then so it was a bit unfair."

"You want me to…. come to Signal?"

"That's right. By the way, how did you unlock your aura?" Jaune winced at that. It reminded him of what happened earlier that day, how Coral fell unconscious, and then…

"Hey kid, you okay?"

"What, yeah I'm fine. My sister unlocked it for me."

"That explains it. Explains why all the citizens say you were screaming for a doctor and how come I had to shoot a civilian just to save your ass."

"Thanks… for that by the way. If it weren't for you then we might be dead."

"Yea… no problem kid. Do you accept the offer?"

"Yeah, of course I accept. Though I want to go visit Coral right now. By the way did you call my parents yet?"

"No, I didn't call 'em, though you're gonna have to explain it eventually. And you can visit sis now. One thing though…"

"Hm."

Qrow let out a deep sigh. "Your sister almost died." Jaune's eyes widened in shock. "Actually she would be dead… if we hadn't unlocked her aura." Jaune almost fainted, literally. He couldn't believe it. The same thing that almost killed them both, also saved Coral's life. It's a bit ironic. And it was all his fault. He wasn't dumb. He knew once you unlock aura, your only path was a Hunter. Aura naturally attracts Grimm. That was why he was fine with Coral unlocking his. But now, with hers unlocked, she would have to take the path of a Hunter. All because of his stupid dream. He cursed under his breath.

"Take me to her."

-/-

"Her body was incredibly fatigued by the time we got her to the ambulance, due to her activating your aura without her having her own, not to mention she has dozens of small cuts on her body, and quite a few bruises. To be honest, she should be in a lot worse condition. We still had to unlock her aura, but she suffered a concussion which should have knocked her out long before she was under our care. We believe this is because of your semblance. We are still unsure of what it is, but we think it might be some sort of healing ability. She's sleeping right now, but you may wait for her there if you would like to." The nurse explained. Jaune was a bit confused. Semblance? He wasn't really sure what semblance was exactly, but he knew it was unique for each person. His was healing? No, he blew that door open so it couldn't be a purely support one.

"I would, thank you."

The nurse nodded and waved for him to follow. She led him through the corridors and to the room that Coral was resting in. He swung open the door and tiptoed into the room labeled "Room 203" quietly, not wanting to wake her, and slowly closed the door behind him.

He was feeling it again. The guilt was building up again now that he saw her. She was lying there, sleeping peacefully, even smiling at that. And all he could do was sit next to her in guilt. She was so nice, all she wanted to do was make him happy, and yet all he ever did was hurt her. He didn't want to, but it happened. It was like that one time when they were younger and he was getting beaten around by some upperclassmen and she stepped in, the twelve minute younger sister, and told them off. It cost her a black eye that lasted for a month. This was just like that except on a much larger scale. She wanted to help him with some problem he was having, and she succeeds but pays the price. She's always the one who pays the price. He wanted to pay the price. He wanted to be the one to save her.

And you did save her.

No, he didn't. He rushed recklessly into a situation and had to get saved by a professional huntsman! If Qrow hadn't come along, Coral would be dead. He would be dead. He was useless. No, he was worse than useless. He was a burden. And now she was thrown into the fray.

"I'm so sorry Coral." Jaune held her left hand in his own. "I'm so sorry." He fluttered his eyes, trying to hold back the incoming tears. And he was successful. Barely. He didn't wanna cry thrice in one day. He'd been through nothing. It was Coral who had suffered. It was Coral who had bled. And she hadn't cried.

"Brother?" Jaune opened his eyes at her voice. Blue stared into blue as he hugged, waterworks active again, repeating what he had said a second ago over and over.

"Stop it. You're like a broken record. I'm fine. Don't worry about it. Right now, we just need to focus on prepping for Signal." Jaune stopped his sniffling for a second. We? Qrow didn't mention this. Damn him! He didn't even think to ask me if that was okay. No. He wasn't going to let her become a huntress. Not if it meant putting her in danger again.

"What? No. I don't know what the raging alcoholic guy told you, but there is no way I'm letting you become a huntress." Blue stared into blue again in a staredown, neither leaving the others gaze.

"Mr. Qrow offered me a spot and I accepted it. It was very generous of him and I intend to take advantage of it."

"But you have no training. Not even six months of it. How are you supposed to enter Signal right now and expect to keep up?" He never liked arguing with her. The outcome was always the same – she would win and he would end up feeling sorry for ever trying. But this was serious. His sister, a huntress?

"I don't know? But Mr. Qrow said there will always be room for me so I guess it doesn't matter."

"Doesn't matter? You don't even know how to fight. You're not even very strong or anything. You're just a normal girl!" Coral grimaced at his raised voice. Truth is, she always wanted to become a Hunter as well, but she never wanted to get in Jaune's way.

"How could you say that? I'm you're twin. We have to stick together. Splitting up is like taking a Hunter's weapon away. You can't function without it. Don't fight me on this one. I don't need your permission, but I'd much rather have you be by my side than upset at me for trying." She was ferocious. She looked at him with a mean smile, but her eyes were like a puppy's. He couldn't say no.

"Coral. Fine, but you're gonna have to wait until you get back to full health. I'm gonna have to go to Signal tomorrow so I'll be a bit ahead of you. Also, you have to promise me you won't get into to any danger, not unless I'm there to protect you."

"I agree to those terms." He liked her much better like this. Radiant smile and full of enthusiasm. His eyes drifted to her shoulders that were not quite fully covered by the blanket. He grimaced a bit at her cuts and bruises. He was thankful they were almost all gone thanks to her newly acquired aura, but probably due to her unlocking his own aura, she hadn't quite had enough energy to heal them.

"Alright, get better soon 'kay."

"'Kay. Oh, by the way, did you contact mum and dad yet?"

"Uh no, gimme a sec." Jaune called out to the nurse that was in charge of Coral and asked her if she had a scroll he could contact her on.

"Okay, she's gonna get me a scroll. I'm so not looking forward to this though. We already had enough trouble training me without them knowing. How are we gonna tell them why you're in a hospital bed and how we're going to be entering a freakin' combat school?" Coral smiled.

"Oh, I'll let you take care of that. I'm just gonna pass out right now. See ya later!" She pulled the sheets over herself and turned away from him, laying on her side.

"I hate you sometimes." He turned away and headed back towards the main lobby to let Coral rest. He sat down on a wobbly old chair, facing the front desk waiting patiently for the scroll he asked for.

"Mr. Jaune Arc?" It wasn't the same nurse this time who spoke. But it was obvious to him she knew who he was. It was more of a polite, gracious question than anything.

"Yeah, that's me. Did you get the scroll I asked for?" He knew something was wrong. The time it took for them to get the scroll was far too long, not to mention she had a sorrow sounding voice, a bit grave.

"Miss Ravel already took the liberty of contacting your parents. I-I'm afraid it's bad news." He didn't bother responding. He was just trying to hold back the tears that had come to be so commonplace to him; because he knew what words she was going to say next. All he could do was pray he was wrong.

Oh God. Don't tell me something has happened to my family.

"There was a Grimm attack in Ansel."

And there it was. For once he was finally right. His dad was a hunter, so he could take on a few Grimm. But what if there were a pack, where he couldn't fight them off and defend the women of the household at the same time. He shuddered at the thought.

"Ar-are my family okay?" His voice was petered. He didn't even look up at the messenger. He just tried to bore a hole in the floor through pure hatred and anger alone.

"Your town was overrun by Grimm. Your father participated in the defense of the town, along with some other retired hunters, and they held for a while. But there were too many. The only barrier protecting the civilian population of Ansel started to form holes and before long it fell. The civilians flooded into Vale." He could hear her pause after every sentence, as if waiting to see if he would lash out. He knew his family didn't make it, but he dared ask the question he was begging he was wrong about.

"D-did my family make i-it?"

"No, I'm so sorry for your loss." And she was. He could hear it in her voice, a calm voice, but filled with negative emotions.

He nodded his head towards the floor, not even bothering to look up or say anything. He could hear her footsteps as she walked away, slow and quiet, as to not disturb his grieving. But he didn't want to grieve. His new life was emerging as his old one of poor weak Jaune Arc drifted away. He was going to get stronger, even if he had to sell his soul away. But right now, all he wanted to do was find his sister again, hold her tight in his arms, and never let go.


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