Hey reader, I wanted to put my authors note at the beginning so I could say this. I'm really, really sorry it has been so long since I updated this story. I started writing when I was on summer holiday, so I had plenty of time to write and read work, but lately I've been struggling in school (whoever said senior year was easy was lying). Anyways, here is a new chapter for this story. For the thirty or so of you who read my other stories, Derpitay and I are about halfway through the next chapter of "Do you believe in Destiny" and now that I've finished this chapter I'll start working on the next Grimm-born. Reviews are always welcome and so far I've replied to every one. Favorite the story if you like what you've read. Follow if you want to read more. Enjoy!
To say that Glynda Goodwitch, assistant headmaster of Beacon Academy, was astonished would be an understatement. She had tried so hard over the school year to get this result, but no number of lectures, scolding, or detentions had been able to do it, but now – before her very eyes – was Nora Valkyrie, sitting still, being quiet. Next to her sat her partner, equally silent.
"Thank you for coming in today Miss Valkyrie, but if I may ask you a question, Mr. Lie, why are you here?" the teacher asked.
"Nora asked me to accompany her," he said, meeting her gaze levelly.
"I see," she said, writing some notes down on her clipboard. "Miss Valkyrie, can I ask you to step out into the hall for a moment, I would like to speak with Mr. Lie for a moment." Nora stood up and walked out the door, not saying a word. When she was gone, Miss Goodwitch turned to the boy in front of her. "Now Mr. Lie, your partner is starting to concern me. She is behaving most unlike herself. Would you mind explaining to me why you think she would be behaving like this, since you are her closest friend?"
The boy nodded solemnly before answering, "As I am sure you know from our records, Nora and I are orphans." Goodwitch nodded. She had read their official records. She started jotting down notes on her clipboard. "We were at the same orphanage, but at first, we didn't quite get along. She was always talking, and I wouldn't talk. She absolutely loved food, I wouldn't eat. That sort of thing. It wasn't that we didn't like each other or anything, we were just so different, we couldn't understand each other."
"We went at for months, her trying to talk to me, get me involved, and I just wasn't there. But one day, I noticed she wasn't at lunch with the rest of us children. I was worried, but didn't do anything. A few hours later, when it was our recess, she still wasn't there. I went looking for her, and found her locked in a supply closet in the dark." Goodwitch stopped her scribbling, her pen falling from her hand.
"Why wasn't this incident on your records?" professor Goodwitch asked.
"There was never any proof of who did it, and Nora never got a good look at the person. She was just shoved in and the door was shut." Ren said, his monotonous voice gaining a hard edge. "But from the worst things, can come some of the best things. The…incident, it brought me out of my shell. I started talking to her, doing stuff. She saved me that day." The two of them sat in silence for a minute, the teacher digesting the horrible story.
Eventually, the teacher spoke up, her tone surprisingly light. "Mr. Ren," Goodwitch said, flipping to a new paper on her clipboard. She hurriedly started scribbling down instructions. "You gave me an idea for Miss Valkyrie. Take this to the student kitchens, then do as it says." She punctuated the sentence by ripping off the paper. She handed it to Ren, who started to read the document. Slowly, a small smile spread across his face. He quickly stood up and left the room.
A few moments later, Professor Goodwitch exited the room. There, just outside her door, she found Nora Valkyrie sitting on the floor, knees tucked up to her chest.
"I'm sure there is a more comfortable place for us to sit," the teacher said, offering a hand to the girl. Nora took it, and got up to her feet.
"I-I'm sorry Ms…Ms. Goodwitch," Nora said, tears brimming at the corner of her eyes. Glynda shushed the girl before offering her a folded handkerchief.
"No need for tears Ms. Valkyrie," Goodwitch said. "Come with me, I think a walk is in order." The two of them set out at a leisurely pace, Nora utterly confused.
"You…You're not mad?" the hammer-wielder asked.
"Well…that depends," the teacher said. "You know what you did?" Nora nodded, hanging her head. "You know that it was wrong?" Again, the student nodded. "Then there is no reason to be mad."
"R-Really?" Nora asked, confused/
"Yes Ms. Valkyrie," Goodwitch said, offering the girl a kind smile. "Beacon is a school; an institution devoted to learning. We want you to learn from every experience, both the positive and the negative ones. I believe you know what you did, and you know what to change." The orange haired girl's attitude had risen during the short speech until a genuine smile broke across the girls' face. "Now, I do need to give you something to do as a result of your actions. I want you to spend the next week with your family; talk through your actions, and decide on what to do to do better in future situations."
"Uh…Ms. Goodwitch," Nora said, the smile slipping from her face. "I don't know what you talked about with Ren, but we don't have a family."
"Oh, but don't you," the teacher asked, attempting – and failing – to suppress a smile. Nora hadn't paid attention to where they were walking, and was surprised when Goodwitch opened the door to the cafeteria. Inside, sitting around a table, was her team. "Why do you think we assign team, Ms. Valkyrie? It isn't just to make rooming people easier. It's to give you a home and people for you to trust and rely on. A family is not established by blood, but by love." Nora's lip started quivering, before surprising her teacher with a hug. Even more surprising was when the teacher accepted it. "Now go on, your team is waiting for you."
Nora nodded before running off to join her team. There, she was greeted with the most glorious surprise she had ever received in her life (or at least that day); an enormous, syrupy stack of pancakes. Nora dove head first into battle, armed with her most dangerous tools (a fork and knife) but was stopped short of consuming the piece of heaven before her.
"Team JNPR!" the stern voice of Professor Goodwitch said. Slowly, the four teens turned to face the teacher. "If you cause another food fight, you will be responsible for replacing and/or repairing any damages to beacon property, am I understood?" A chorus of 'Yes ma'am's' echoed around the table before they resumed their feast. If they had listened carefully, they would have heard the rare and mythical Goodwitch chuckle.
...
Velvet was not a huge fan of the rain, surprise surprise. She would have like nothing better than to have curled up in the Beacon Library and enjoy a good book. But dust it she had a mission and she was going to complete it. "Any sign of the target," she whispered into her throat mic.
"Negative," responded Yatsuhashi.
"Nope," said Fox. "Still no sign of him." Velvet idly noted a young man pushing a woman in a wheel chair down the street, while a young girl clung walked along side, carrying a bag of medicine. The whole scene sent of small surge of emotion through Velvet and she shot a picture of them.
"Come on Fox, you can't give up now," crackled the voice of Coco through the headset.
"Easy for you to say," grumbled Fox. "You're grounded back at beacon until you talk with the councilor dude."
"Actually, I heard a rumor it was actually Goodwitch," Coco said. "And that she was actually being nice to students."
"Goodwitch, and nice, in the same sentence?" said Fox skeptically.
"Guys, focus," Velvet interrupted. "I think I see something." A man in a long brown trench coat was walking down the street, his gate unsteady, but not in a drunk way. More like he was limping on a bad leg. He had a slouch cap pulled low over his face making it impossible for Velvet to see his face.
"On our way," Yatsuhashi grunted.
"ETA, ten minutes," Fox added.
"Negative," replied Velvet, her tone all business. "Wait for confirmation first." The other two acknowledged. The man with the trench coat reached an alley and abruptly turned into it, out of Velvet's sight. A minute passed bye and nothing happened. Velvet was beginning to believe that it was a false alarm until a wave surge of aura exploded from the alley. It wasn't disruptive per say, and some who's aura was still locked wouldn't have noticed a thing, but Velvet could feel the size of the Aura behind whatever it was that happened.
"On me," whispered Velvet into her mic before shutting of her radio. She couldn't afford to be distracted now. Velvet sprinted over to the side of her building before jumping down into an alley, using her aura to cushion the impact on her legs. By the time Velvet made it onto the street she saw a strange sight. The woman from before walked out of the alley, her two companions by her side. Velvet glanced into the alley and was just barely able to make out the shape of the wheelchair, now abandoned, glinting from the light shining from the street. Velvet's mouth gaped at the sight.
"I see you admire my handiwork," a gruff voice muttered behind Velvet. Velvet whirled around and saw the man in the trench coat standing behind her. She could see his face now. He had a strong face, devoid of any fat with prominent bone structure. Grey stubble adorned his cheeks while piercing blue eyes stared into hers.
Velvet audibly gulped before answering, "You're the healer I take it."
The man laughed, a booming, deep sound despite it being quiet. "What gave me away, the healing?"
Velvet immediately scowled. She didn't have time for his sarcasm, "I need your help, sir. My friend, he's dying and-"
"Save it kid," the man sighed. "I can't help you now." Velvet stared at the man, not understanding. I just saw what you did. "What you saw, that was the last of what I can do. I'm burnt out."
"But he needs you," she pleaded, grabbing the front of his jacket. Tears were beginning to bead at the corner of her eyes, but Velvet ignored them. "He saved me, and now he's going to die for it."
"An admirable death. You Faunus stick together til the end don't you."
"He's not Faunus," she screamed. Tears were flowing freely down her face now, but Velvet didn't care. "He's human. He hated us for a while, he hurt me, but he changed. Cardin saved me, and now I'm watching him die because I can't do anything!" Her voice had risen to a shout. She hammered her fists weakly on his chest, but the man remained impassive. Slowly, the girl crumpled to her knees. I failed him. He's going to die because of me. Suddenly a white object appeared in front of Velvet. As she wiped her eyes clear, she saw it was an old-fashioned handkerchief.
"Pretty girls shouldn't be crying," the healer said to her, crouching down in front of her. She graciously took it and wiped her face clean. "Much better. Now, I need you to answer something for me, can you do that?" She nodded, not trusting her voice to answer. "Why do you care what happens to him?"
Velvet sat there a moment the question echoing in her mind. Why did she care so much? He abused me, tortured me, bullied almost everyone weaker than him. Why does it matter? After a while, she looked up into the eyes of the stranger and answered,
"Some people believe people are inherently good or bad. That a person will be bad because that is their nature, and that nothing can change them. Then, there are those who believe everything is destiny or fate. You will do bad things because that is what you were meant to do. I reject both of the ideas. I don't think people are anything however. I believe that everyone has the capability to do good, or bad. Something happens to people that gives them this ability, but it isn't set in stone. Cardin was a bully, and a meanie, and downright rude, but not without a reason. He saw the absolute worst of people, and it broke him. It took a while for him to pull himself together, but when he did, he wasn't innocent anymore. He was hurt, and pain draws pain. He became what he was because of what people did to him. But that doesn't mean he has to be. I know that not only can he change his ways, but he could become the best of us."
As Velvet finished her impromptu speech, silence reigned in the alley. Her head hung low going through her own revelation. She felt all of that? Was that all of it?
Eventually, the man spoke to her, bringing her attention back to the real world, "You are a good person little lady. The world needs more people like you. Not innocent, but pure." Two firm hands grabbed Velvets and gently lifted her up to her feet. Velvet looked up and saw Yatsuhashi behind her, holding her up.
The two men held a mini staring contest, and a conversation entirely in glances and expressions, before both of them nodded. "Very well," the healer said. "Take me to…Cardin. You'll see a miracle yet this night."
Sorry, another authors note, but I wanted to put this after Velvet's speech for reasons. Throughout this story, I've been asked WHY? Velvet's speech is my answer. I don't think that people are bad. Different topic: I've been asked a lot in reviews of this is going to be a full CardinxVelvet romantic ship (on a side note, if you know the name for this ship, could you let me know? I couldn't remember it and it's really bugging me). The honest answer is I don't know, so I'm leaving it up to you. If you leave a review, please say if you think this ship should sail or sink and why. If no one has a good reason (or just no one replies) then a poll will go up. Anyways, thanks for reading. Peace out.
