~~AAAND START!~~ (A Funeral and a Reunion)

Nora recognized that the sun was up, but she didn't feel like getting out of bed. She hadn't felt like it yesterday, either. Everything seemed so trivial. Once in a while, a spark of inspiration would hit, and she'd get up to use the restroom. When she was there, she'd stare at her reflection in the mirror and marvel at the bags under her eyes. Sometimes, she'd run through the story in her head. Tangled in a sewage grate. Sometimes, she'd cry. Then, she'd muster up the energy to return to bed.

That was where she was now—she stared blankly at her sheets until Ren knocked softly at the door. He had his own way of dealing with things, but Nora suspected a large portion of it was denial or forced preoccupation. How else could he have processed it? Tangled in a sewer grate!

Ren had brought her pancakes in bed. She smiled weakly at him, but couldn't bring herself to take a bite.

"Nora, it's been a few days… I'm starting to worry about you," he said. "The customers are asking questions."

"Don't worry, Renny…. I'll be okay. It's just that now… I'm really not."

Ren sat on the edge of her bed. "It's not the same without him."

"Yeah."

He sighed. "But… it's also not the same without you. Will you come to work? Please?"

"I don't think I can."

They sat in silence for a while.

"The bard's guild is writing a song about him. They'll perform it during the funeral," Ren said.

"Tomorrow."

Ren nodded. He put a hand on her upper arm. "Someone needs to handle the brews. I was hoping you could help with that. You know I don't know a thing about alcohol."

Nora laughed and shook her head. "Oh, Renny, you're so sweet." She closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. "Don't worry about me. I'll be downstairs after breakfast."

Ren smiled. "I'll be waiting for you." He got up to leave, and before he closed her bedroom door, he added, "Let me know if you like the syrup. Yang and Blake helped make it."

/-/-/-/

Fifteen pounds of premium fire Dust, five pounds of premium wind Dust, and two pounds of low-grade ice Dust to keep the food cold. Weiss ran through the calculations one more time, and checked off the contents of the crate. She closed the box, sealed it, and marked it for delivery. Then, she sighed as she put the purity certificates, the order request, and the billing and shipping information into her filing cabinet.

Jaune's family had contacted her earlier to request Dust for the funeral. Of course, she readily accepted and put the bill on her own tab. It was the least she could do. Ruby had also been contacted, and was crafting runes in her own workshop. Weiss wondered what Ruby would occupy herself with when she finished. She hadn't slept much in the last few days, and all that constant work meant she was almost done with the runes.

Weiss wasn't really close with Jaune, though he seemed to bug her at all times of day no matter how clearly she expressed her annoyance at his romantic gestures. She just wasn't interested in him. There was nothing else to say on the matter… however, that didn't mean she didn't feel a sense of loss at his untimely passing. He enjoyed helping people, and he worked hard… not to mention the fact that he was a good lute player. Weiss half expected him to come bumbling into her office to offer her food or flowers as he so often did. There was no chance of that happening, though. She'd seen the body.

Weiss shook her head to clear the image.

They hadn't even had time to adequately mourn Port and Oobleck, and now Jaune was dead, too. Why now and not on the battlefield, where it was expected to happen? He should have known better… but that didn't matter anymore. He was already gone.

Exhaling quietly, she left her office and entered her store, which adjoined Rose's Runes. There was no wall between them, so she could see that Ruby had left her workshop door open. Weiss looked outside to gauge the time, then left the store to buy lunch.

Upon her return, she entered Ruby's workshop, knocking on the door after she'd stepped inside.

"One sec, I'll get the door," Ruby half-muttered, half-shouted as she finished a rune.

"It was open," Weiss replied.

"Huh? Oh, hey, Weiss. Sorry, I must have forgotten to close it."

Weiss shrugged. She couldn't care less about the door.

"So, um… Did another order come in?"

"No." Weiss extended one of the sacks she'd bought. "I'm here because you, Ruby Rose, need to eat."

"Uh, to survive, I eventually will, yeah, but I'm not that hungry right now. Thanks anyway, though, Weiss."

"I'm not asking you to eat it, I'm telling you to eat it. You haven't stopped working in three days! Set down your tools and take a break before you pass out onto Burning metal!"

"Hey, I'm not that bad!" Ruby exclaimed, then added quietly, "it only happened once, and that was a long time ago."

Weiss rolled her eyes. "I don't know how you've managed to survive for so long."

"Well, we all die eventually," Ruby said bluntly. The mood instantly darkened.

Weiss narrowed her eyes. "Don't make this about Jaune."

"What do you want me to do, Weiss? Forget him?"

Feeling a migraine coming on, Weiss set the sack on Ruby's workbench. "I would never want that. I'm only asking you to take care of yourself." She glared at Ruby. "As such, if this isn't eaten in the next three hours, I will force it down your throat. Got it?"

Ruby sighed. "Fine."

Weiss nodded. "Good." She turned towards the door. "Please try not to work yourself too hard."

"I know."

With that, Weiss left the room and returned to her office to complete a few more orders before her next business meeting.

/-/-/-/

White flowers, white cake, white wine, white meat, white fruit, white decor, white, white… and the bard's guild dressed in white. Blake was sure there was enough white at the funeral to cap a mountain. All the sunlight it reflected hurt her eyes.

Jaune's family had opted for a private gathering, and save the royal guards around King Neptune, Blake had seen everyone at the funeral at least once before. Despite the religious atmosphere, she felt comfortable at the celebration. Whereas nobles' funerals were somber events in Vale, a commoner's funeral was considered a failure if there was a hint of sadness. More liquor was ordered on the spot if it ever came to that.

Blake had to say Nora's brews did him justice. Simple and straightforward, yet with a surprising amount of flavor and a pleasant aftertaste.

As if to ruin that aftertaste, Cardin Winchester made his way to the bard stage and cleared his throat. The crowd quieted down. "Alright, guys, I hope you're enjoying the funeral so far."

Blake frowned. He was definitely out of place.

"I've been hearing stories about Jauney-boy all day, and I have to say he was a pretty entertaining guy. This next piece is just for him." Cardin strummed his lute and began:

In a mansion off the edge of Vale

A boy born to seven sisters wailed

It was a colder morning than the almanacs guessed

And that made sense, for this boy with yellow hair

Would grow like a plant under frost

Until he submitted to impulse, his life the cost.

Jaune's family grimaced, but they tolerated the verse, though it was elementary to them considering their skill levels. Not to mention the hint of an insulting nature. Whom the bard's guild chose to honor their fallen wasn't always a popular choice, but this time, Blake could sense politics behind it. She could imagine the leader of the guild jeering, "Here's to the privileged witch-bard!"

Cardin continued playing. It seemed that all would be well until around the third verse, when he sang:

Off on his own, it became clear

He had no talents, save for his cheer

Yang's mug broke in her hand. She glared at Cardin.

Pyrrha stopped staring at her mug of hard cider. She had been sitting alone near the edge of the crowd, and when she directed her furious gaze at Cardin, Blake sincerely hoped Yang exploded before she did.

Unfortunately, the song didn't stop there.

And he had relied on his parents and sisters

For much of his poor, short life

Until magic—

Yang stalked over to Cardin, lifting him up by the shirt collar. "What is your problem?" she seethed.

Pyrrha set down her mug and stood to watch.

"Hey, put me down!" Cardin ordered.

"You shouldn't even be here!" Yang shouted, throwing him off the stage.

"She's drunk!" one of Jaune's sisters whispered.

Yang was actually only a few sips into her first mug. She didn't need any encouragement to retaliate when insulted. Blake smirked, approving of her executive decision to save the dignity of both Jaune and his funeral. Yang had also saved Cardin's life. Who knows what would have happened if Pyrrha reached him first.

"I was chosen to write his song! I have more right to be here than you, you freak!" Cardin roared.

"Say that again!" Yang bellowed.

"You witch! Let go of me or it'll be your funeral next!"

Yang jumped down from the stage and punched him in the mouth. The powerful blow knocked a few teeth out. Yang then backhanded him on the left cheek. He struggled, but she held him down and gave him a black eye.

By now, everyone was on their feet.

Pyrrha looked away, and sat back down.

"What are you doing, girl? Don't you know this is a celebration? Stop!" The royal guards tried to break up the fight, but the crowd pushed them away.

Jaune's sisters glanced at each other with a mischievous glint in their eye, then took up their instruments and began a lively improv session.

Someone cut the cable

It's time to Fight! Fight! Fight!

My money's on Blazing Blondie!

Cardin had finally gotten out of her grasp. The two bristled at each other while the funeral goers formed a ring around them. The crowd started chanting "Fight! Fight! Fight!" with the bards.

"You're going to pay for that," Cardin threatened.

"Shut up and block!" Yang returned. She punched him in the nose so hard he fell. He hit the ground hard and groaned, holding his bloody nose with both hands. Yang grinned devilishly. "That was for Jaune!"

"For Jaune!" the crowd repeated gleefully.

Before things could get out of hand, Neptune's royal guards finally managed to break up the fight. "Really? Assault in front of the royal guards?" one of them asked Yang as they handcuffed her to a chair.

"He insulted Jaune at his funeral!" Yang rebutted.

"Do you solve everything with you fists?"

"No, but I'd like to," she grinned.

The crowd cheered and chanted "For Jaune!" one more time.

"Come on, I'm taking you into custody," the guard insisted. "After this, it's 500 Lien and a day in jail."

"Bring it on!" she roared, and the crowd roared back.

After that, the festivities continued. People took turns getting on stage to share stories about Jaune. Others danced, ate cake, or knocked back ale as if it were water.

In contrast, Pyrrha dumped out her mug of ale as if it were poison. She opted for actual water instead, and managed an approving nod at Yang before she went over to make small talk with Jaune's family. At first, she could only look guilty. When they hugged her and asked her to tell them stories, however, she began to lighten up… if only for a moment.

Deciding Pyrrha would be okay, Blake strolled over to Yang with a plate of white berries and some cake. "Nice hook," she said, taking a seat next to her.

"Aw, thanks, Blakey! You know, just doin' my thing," Yang smiled smugly. "Jaune deserved better than that guy."

"I fully agree."

"You know, he actually looked up to Cardin when they first met." Yang laughed. "That didn't last long."

Blake grinned and shook her head. "With the way Cardin acts, I'm not surprised." She didn't know the full story between the two rival bards, but she'd heard that Cardin was never pleasant to Jaune and frequently took credit for his work. How ironic that he was chosen to sing a song of praise.

"He didn't seem very smart," Weiss remarked, coming to join them.

"Yeah… I guess you could say he's tome deaf," Yang joked.

Weiss rolled her eyes. "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that. Anyways, I can't believe you would attack someone at a funeral. Do you have no sense of occasion? You're going to jail after this!"

"What was I supposed to do, sit there and take it?" Yang demanded. "Cardin needed to shut up."

"You didn't have to use violence to make that happen."

"You're right, I didn't… But, it's a lot better this way," Yang laughed.

"Yang, you—"

"Oh, hey, Ruby and Sun are getting up to share!" Yang exclaimed, changing the subject.

Weiss rolled her eyes.

/-/-/-/

Emerald watched the funeral through a naval telescope she'd stolen on the pier a few weeks ago. She'd rolled her eyes when Yang took down Cardin. Emerald had been nauseous throughout the entire event. Perhaps it was the overall atmosphere of the funeral. Happy and lighthearted, nostalgic and determined to honor. What a joke.

Emerald didn't want to be there, but she had no choice. These people were her only leads for any new discovery about the Grimm and aura. Oobleck was proof enough that they were all looking into the same subjects. She needed to know why and what they'd found so far.

Emerald scowled when Ruby and Sun came onstage. Out of all the rebels, she hated Sun the most—he was directly responsible for killing Cinder, and the Archdemon's remains had healed him.

She thought she saw them mouth words like "turkey charming," "prize," and "lute," but she didn't get a good grasp on the story. She was about to look away when Sun stretched out his arms to show something's size. As he did so, Emerald found an unusual black speck in the center of his half-breed mark. Squinting her eyes, she focused in on it.

She was focusing so intently, she didn't hear Mercury come up behind her.

"I knew I'd find you here," he said.

Startled, Emerald jumped up and held a sickle to his throat.

"Happy to see you, too," he joked.

"Mercury!" she hissed. She lowered her weapon and furrowed her brow. "Did you have anything to do with this?"

"Come on, Emerald, do you have that little faith in me?"

Emerald frowned, though she was somewhat relieved. "I don't have any faith in you."

"Ouch… Even after I spent so long tracking you down? Where's my 'Oh, Mercury, I missed you so much! I thought I'd never—'"

Emerald started to walk away. There's no way she was going to learn anything with him around.

"'—see you again…'" Mercury finished. "Still no fun, I see," he sighed cynically.

They moved out of the shrubbery near the funeral grounds and made it back to an old warehouse, dusty from years of neglect. They'd all lived here before Cinder married into the royal family. To Emerald, that was lifetimes ago.

It was on the outskirts of region six, so chances of patrols inspecting the area were low. It was the perfect place for fugitives.

They sat at a large table in the center of the empty warehouse.

"Why are you here?" Emerald shot.

"Oh, please. You're happy to see me," Mercury said.

"I was a lot happier when you were in the dungeon."

Mercury shrugged. "Roman showed me the way out."

Emerald raised an eyebrow. "Roman? Really?" she asked incredulously.

"I know. He can be so useful. He's even feeding the fish for me."

"You're terrible."

"You've always liked the terrible ones," Mercury smiled.

Emerald frowned.

"What are you doing now, anyway?"

"That's none of your business."

"Might as well tell me. Who knows? Maybe I'll even help you out… If it's worth it."

"I don't—"

"—need my help?"

Emerald growled. "Mercury, get out of here. I will literally pay you to leave."

"I'm not exactly pressed for cash right now," he shrugged. "You'd be surprised how much people pay for an assassin these days." Emerald sighed heavily, and Mercury leaned in on his elbows with a smirk, studying her. "Let me guess… you're still not over Cinder?" He laughed at her scowl. "Guess I was right. Eh, I think it's a good thing she's gone."

Emerald stood abruptly and took a book from the table. "I'm done here." She turned and walked to the dark edges of the warehouse. With her night vision, she was able to read, but she couldn't focus with Mercury in the room. Eventually, she dozed off whilst frustrated.

She woke up to sunlight streaming in through the windows near the ceiling. Mercury was asleep on the other side of the warehouse. Despite him, she decided to continue her research with her limited resources. The only thing that seemed relevant in light of her discovery at the funeral was A Study of Were-Grimm, which was published by the army six generations ago. She ripped the pages from their binding, and laid them all out on the giant table, going through each one until she had found enough information to begin a diagram. Emerald then sorted the pages by subject, and tacked them to the wall.

To the best of her knowledge, there was no evidence of a Dust half-breed turning into a Grimm or visa versa. Still, it was impossible for any worldly pigmentation to show over a Dust mark. It had to be a Grimm mark… But, it was also supposedly impossible for both to exist at the same time.

Unless… Sun was the Archdemon's new host. Only a Grimm that powerful could set precedent.

A Study of Were-Grimm also said that subjects under extreme distress seemed to turn faster than subjects observed under "normal" circumstances. She'd seen Sun's mark at a funeral, so perhaps grief caused the new mark to appear.

Emerald picked up a religious history book and leafed through it. She stopped on a page about the Archdemon. It read:

The Archdemon is as water goes

And seeks the lowest path

Those most soiled by sin

Will harbor it within.

Without the religious context, it meant that the Archdemon transfers to the worthiest vessel available. Could that have been Sun? It wasn't likely. After all, he was turning into Dust.

But, his Dust had killed Cinder. The Archdemon could have reacted to that, and taken to something familiar instead of returning to the Void. Perhaps the familiarity was a form of magnetism that had brought the two together.

Emerald decided she needed to observe Sun for a while longer before making any more conclusions. She tore out the page from the book, pinned it to the wall, and turned to leave. By now, Mercury had woken up. He squinted at the pages over her shoulder.

Emerald watched him, hoping he wouldn't start another conversation.

To her relief, Mercury yawned and scratched behind his ear. "I hate reading," he mumbled, then left the warehouse.

~~AAAND STOP!~~

NEXT: Scarf Signals