Pre-Author's Note: We are finally back! And on April 1st no less! I'll dissuade your fears right now and assure you this is an official update to Shadows and Light. In addition, as promised I have gone back and updated several previous chapters in order to help keep the story better aligned with the canon show. I'll list everything at the end, as I don't want to keep you for too long from reading the new chapter. I hope you enjoy!
RWBY is owned and operated by Roosterteeth
Chapter 7 – Prodigal
Tuesday, Noon
"Mordant!"
Out of all of them, Eerie was the first one to react openly, calling out her big sister's name and sprinting at the woman full tilt. Blake of course hadn't moved or said anything yet, seeing as this wasn't her family. Jaune and the rest of his sisters were stock still with wide eyes, seemingly speechless. Blake could relate; she had no way of knowing how she'd react if a member of her own family suddenly reappeared after having been gone for years.
Blake thought Sapphire cut an imposing stature. Intimidating didn't even begin to describe Mordant Arc.
Mordant was about the same height as Jaune. She wore jet black high heeled boots over tight fitting crimson pants, with a crimson hip cape with silver trimming flowing down and around her legs to shin length. Dark grey form fitting chain mail hugged her upper body and shoulders, with a single of plate of dark steel covering her breasts. The black shirt beneath all that fit tightly around her neck. On her arms she wore dark red leather gloves, the kind Blake would expect a dominatrix to wear, with steel gauntlets strapped over them. Blake also noted the sword and dagger hanging off her belt underneath the hip cape.
But it wasn't the outfit nor the weapons that set Blake on edge, despite how foreboding they appeared. Facial features wise she resembled their mother the most, maybe second only to Magenta who had the same violet hair. Mordant's scarlet locks were woven into a single braid that traveled down her back. However, Mordant's most striking feature was her eyes, the same dark blue Jaune had. But these did not hold warmth like her siblings' did. These were utterly cold and they poorly masked the look of disdain Mordant stared at her with.
Then she refocused her attention on Eerie, and in the blink of an eye Mordant's sneer transformed a perfectly genuine look of joy.
"Hey there little Blitz!" she greeted with a cheery voice. Eerie practically jumped onto her and Mordant scooped up the smaller girl in her arms, spinning them around while the two laughed with joy. "Did you miss me?"
"I missed you so much!" said earnestly, and Blake could practically hear the tears in her voice. She clung tightly around Mordant's neck and showed no signs of wanting to let go. "I can't believe you're here!"
"I can't believe it either," another grim voice added. Jaune trudged up to them, his brow furrowed with a varying array of different emotions. "What are you doing here, Mordant?"
While the rest of the sisters followed after him, Blake noticed Jaune didn't have his sword, which prompted her to realize both of them had left their gear littering the ground. She decided to let the family have their moment first. Blake could be introduced later, so she set about collecting their things.
Mordant regarded the rest of them with a cool expression. "This is the home I grew up in, and dear old Dad never said I couldn't come back." Mordant patted Eerie on the back and whispered something to her that Blake couldn't hear. Eerie reluctantly nodded and loosened her grip so Mordant could put her down, though she didn't stray more than inches from her big sister.
"Sorry to say but I'm not here to stay," Mordant went on in a rather unapologetic voice. Even from this distance Blake could see a wide array of reactions pass through the other Arc siblings. "I'm actually just here to pick up some things from my room before I head back to Mystral."
"How long can you stay?" Eerie pleaded immediately.
"Not very long." She did actually sound remorseful, though Blake theorized she only felt bad for disappointing Eerie. Mordant's barely even registered the rest of her siblings yet. "Truth be told I only convinced my team to come out with me because we took a job not too far from here. Time is of the essence so I only have until they're done loading stuff in the car."
"Your team is here too?" Jaune asked, bristling slightly. Three people, all strangers, were in his house without his prior knowledge. Blake felt a stab of guilt in her chest. That seemed to be happening to him a lot lately.
"Yes," Mordant replied without any concern. "You'll have to forgive them for not coming out to meet you all. They can be a bit impatient and we're already wasting enough time indulging my desire for a family reunion."
I'm sorry your family is such an inconvenience to you. Blake had to grit her teeth hard to keep from voicing her thoughts. It felt like Mordant was trying to brush them off the same way one would an annoying fly. That… that wasn't how family was supposed to treat each other. They were supposed to make time to see each other. Blake may not have seen hers in a long time, but that didn't mean she's forgotten how a real family was supposed to act.
"I'm sure they're nice enough people," Jaune practically seethed. He glanced at her when Blake stepped up to their group, relaxing his posture somewhat when he remembered there was more than just family here. She passed his sword in its sheath to him, and Jaune nodded back with thanks.
"Even if you can't stay for long, it's good to see you Mordant!" Magenta chimed in, sensing the rising tension and trying to diffuse it. "You look like you're doing well for yourself, and since you're taking Hunter Jobs you must have graduated from Haven last year, with flying colors I'm sure."
"It's nice to see your eternal sense of optimism is still kicking there, Maggie," the woman said, addressing her younger sister. "I'm glad to see you stuck with the medical route. Healing others suites you far better than something gritty like being a Huntress. And you're so much taller now! You've grown up a lot since the last time I saw you."
Mordant turned to Napier. "And I see you haven't, short cake." Napier's cheeks puffed out with poorly contained embarrassment and annoyance. Mordant only laughed off her blistering glare. "Kidding, kidding! Arc women are notoriously late to bloom so don't feel so bad. Eerie tells me you're going to start at Watchtower next year, so that's grand! Combat schools have a knack for making kids grow up fast, whether they want to or not."
The hidden meaning behind those words was about as difficult to spot as a peacock in a herd of Grimm.
She turned to Coral next. "I'd be surprised if you actually remembered me. You were only a few years old when I left."
"I was four, you left five years ago," Coral answered, staring her older sister down with a stern look one wouldn't normally expect from a girl so young. "It was the same year the town passed its twenty third amendment, regarding placement of property lines and use of public spaces. It was also the same year several businesses in Mystral ended their trading with Vale due to stricter commercial goods laws being passed."
The surprised 'Huh' sound Mordant let slip out was probably the most believable reaction she'd had all day. "Quick witted and strong backbone, good to know. Those will take you far in life, kid." Coral snorted, unimpressed with the praise.
"And Jaune," Mordant went on, turning to her last sibling. She placed a hand on his shoulder and her voice took on a sickly sweet tenor. "You look more and more like Dad every day."
It really didn't sound like a compliment.
"I could say the same of you," he replied.
Definitely not a compliment, judging by the way she saw Mordant's dark blue eyes flash with anger.
"And who's this?" Mordant asked, ignoring Jaune's jab and turning her attention to Blake at last. Mordant regarded her with an almost bored expression, like she'd finally lost the energy to keep up a pleasant façade. "Don't tell me Jaune actually got a girlfriend."
"We're not dating," Jaune quickly interjected, more than a little flustered. "This is Blake, and she's… a friend from Watchtower."
Blake's amber eyes flicked to Jaune's blue ones, taken off guard by the lie. His face was a stone wall however, not giving her anything to work with. But if he wanted to go with the story of Blake being from his school, then surely that meant he was worried how Mordant would react if she knew Blake was a stray who tried to rob them a few days ago. If she was being honest then Blake would admit Mordant just flat out worried her.
"Classmates would be a more apt description," Blake elaborated, turning her gaze back to Mordant. "I sort of got into an argument with my parents and Jaune let me crash here for a couple days while we cooled off."
Mordant narrowed her eyes but otherwise didn't respond. It was obvious she didn't entirely believe the answer, but at the same time she didn't really care enough to know the full story.
"Well if there's anything the Arc household has in spades its parental resentment, so you'll fit right in." What the hell was that supposed to mean? "Plus you're pretty attractive so there's no way Jaune would have said no to you."
Jaune coughed into his fist but failed to refute such claims. "So, uh, you didn't like the fight?" he asked.
"I always like watching people get down in the muck and beat the sh… the snot out of each other," Mordant replied casually. She jerked head back toward the house, clearly indicating she wanted to walk and talk.
"I just don't think it was anything I would have spent money to see," Mordant explained as she walked, with the Arc family plus Blake trialing behind her. "Jaune, you should understand perfectly why I was disappointed with your performance. You went for nearly half the fight without your shield, and because of that you lost damning amounts of Aura. Aura you could have spent tanking those last few hits or erecting Hard Light Barriers. Your swordsmanship has improved though, so I guess you're not a total loss."
"Thanks, I'll try to keep that in mind," he said warily.
"The person I'm really disappointed in though is her!" Mordant continued, turning her gaze on Blake. "You look like you actually know how to fight, and you're a damn sight better than whatever Watchtower is capable of pumping out. But the mistakes you made were laughably rookie, like using your Semblance right off the bat and giving Jaune the chance to anticipate it before you could really exploit its full potential."
Blake had to concede to that. In hindsight it really wasn't a great idea to use her Shadow so quickly, but at the time she still thought she could take Jaune down with minimal effort. Come to think of it, how had he been able to so accurately predict what her Semblance could do? Most people would be out cold before they realized the girl they "killed" was nothing but an illusion.
She didn't have time to mull it over since Mordant kept talking. "Again it's obvious despite however much Jaune's swordsmanship has improved, you're still leagues above him. But you kept making stupid mistakes and leaving yourself open for counter strikes. And his Semblance is extremely easy to exploit if you just take a few seconds to think about it. With all the different tools and abilities at your fingertips you shave have been able to fight circles around him. The fact you only barely won is an absolute disgrace."
Gnashing the inside of her cheek was the only thing keeping Blake from sniping back. Sure, everything Mordant was saying wasn't entirely false. Yes, Blake probably could have performed better if she'd been more analytical and not let her emotions get the best of her. But did Jaune's sister really have to be such a bitch about it?
"I don't think you're being entirely fair, Mordant," Magenta came to the rescue again. "Jaune and Blake are just teenagers, and neither has been to one of the major schools like you have. You might be expecting too much because you're so much more used to higher tier fighting."
Mordant shrugged a single indifferent shoulder. "Maybe. What I do know for certain is that you'd both get destroyed if you faced off against someone with actual skill."
"Someone like you?" Blake scoffed, fed up with Mordant's haughty attitude.
The woman in question paused in her step, stopping just in front of the back door that led to the home's back porch. Everyone else stopped as well, the siblings sharing worried looks. Blake noticed Jaune looking at her incredulously out of the corner of her eye, though she kept her stare firmly on Mordant's back. It looked as though the woman couldn't take much of a hit despite how much game she talked.
Then she was gone, vanished into thin air without so much as leaving a trace. Blake only had a millisecond to panic before a hand clamped down on her wrist, the same one holding her weapon. At the same time something pointed pressed painfully against her neck, and Blake looked down to see a gloved hand holding a parrying dagger to her throat.
Its steel was as red as blood.
"You should really watch that tongue of yours," Mordant's snake-like voice whispered against her ear. Blake gulped loudly, staring into Jaune's wide eyes, too taken off guard to even whimper. "Silly little girl. You barely survived fighting against a novice like Jaune. Do you really think you could hold a candle to someone like me?"
"Mordant!" Jaune barked. He stared over Blake's shoulder, glaring at the woman who shared his blood. "Blake didn't mean anything by it. And she's our guest. At least try to show her some respect."
For a moment no one moved. No one made a sound. Air was caught in her throat but Blake didn't dare breathe lest she press back against the steel blade threatening to pierce her jugular. The blood was roaring in her ears and her heart was beating like it was on the verge of cardiac arrest.
"Fine," Mordant relented like a child being told to put a toy back on the store shelf. She released Blake's arm and removed the dagger, fancifully twirling it between her fingers. She even had the gall to pat Blake on the back as she circled around her with a large grin. "Do lighten up, Jaune. I'm just having some fun with my Semblance Sister."
"Your what?" Blake wanted to know, sneering at the woman who held her at knife-point while rubbing her neck. She had to take several deep breaths in order to calm herself down, and Blake didn't miss the worried look Magenta was giving her.
"Shadow," Mordant answered simply. "Semblance Sisters should look out for each other after all. Yours is pretty good, but it's sloppy. You leave behind visual indicators when you teleport and a trained eye could follow you rather easily."
Blake stared at her dumbfounded. Mordant knew her Semblance by name and probably understood it far better than she did. So that meant… they actually had the same Semblance? Or they were at least similar enough to be considered the same. What did that say about Blake if she had the same kind of spiritual power as this shining example of humanity?
She glanced at Jaune, who only lightly shrugged back with a guilty expression. Now it made sense. He knew what Shadow was because he's already lived with a woman who had such an ability. He's probably trained against Mordant as well, however much those fights must have certainly been one-sided.
"Is that Kagura steel?" Eerie intervened. Her analytical gaze focused on the dagger, almost deaf to everything else going on around her.
Once more Mordant shifted her attention on her favorite sibling and her demeanor became positive again. "Why yes it is, good eye!" Mordant praised. She stopped twirling the dagger and held it up for them all to see. "Good ol' Kagura steel. Only a third of the weight of normal steel but twice the cutting power. Why would I use anything else?"
"That stuff's really rare," Eerie said with wonder. "I'm amazed you got hands on enough to make just one dagger."
"Just one dagger?" Mordant scoffed with a know-it-all grin. "Please, this is what I had left over after my real weapon was finished."
Before anyone could ask what she meant Mordant had already sheathed the parrying dagger. She then gripped the other handle and pulled as quick as a flash.
All she saw was the blade being raised, and a flash of red as it came back down for her.
Blake had to look away. She couldn't focus on it, at least not directly.
The red blade of the long sword glinted in the afternoon sunlight. Aside from the color scheme it really wasn't all that different from Jaune's sword. But still the Arc siblings gazed up it, entranced by the weapon's almost infamous aura. Blake cast her gaze away, trying not to recall images of another warrior with a similar blade.
"This is Caliburnus," Mordant introduced, the pride radiating off of her in waves. "I had this sword and its sister dagger forged during my second year at Haven, and they've served me loyally ever since."
"But Kagura steel is supposed to be wickedly expensive!" Napier claimed. "How were you able to afford enough for two weapons and not be bankrupt?"
"Didn't cost me a single Lien, aside from what I paid the blacksmith to craft it for me," Mordant explained. "I actually got lucky and found a chuck of ore buried in a lake bed. It was just a matter of having my team mates help me dig it out and lug it back to the academy."
Mordant spun the weapon twice more, showing Caliburnus off in all its terrible splendor. She then sheathed it, and Blake let out a shaky breath, finally able to relax once the red blade was gone. She had no idea she'd have such a visceral reaction to seeing something that reminded her of Adam.
It's just a weapon, she forcefully reminded herself. He's not really here.
Uncaring of Blake's tumultuous state, Mordant went on saying, "But enough about me! If we spend too much time talking you guys won't get your gifts!"
"You actually got us presents?" Magenta asked incredulously. She along with her siblings and Blake followed after Mordant into the house. "You never did that even when you still lived here."
"I remember," Mordant replied cagily. "But I've been away for a long time and there's no telling when we'll see each other again. So I wanted to get you all some things to remember me by."
Before Blake and Jaune could follow the crimson haired girl into the back porch, the door was barred by a pale, slender arm. Their perplexed stares were met by Magenta's stern gaze, and they followed her eyes down to their attire, only to realize their clothes were still caked with still wet mud. Jaune grinned sheepishly at his sister, and with a huff Magenta grabbed two towels from a nearby chair and shoved them into their arms. She'd apparently had the foresight to be prepared in case their fight turned messy.
After shucking off her boots Blake began to wipe down her leggings, unwilling to actually strip out of her clothes with so many people around. Jaune thankfully had the same idea, only unstrapping his armor before wiping his clothes down as well. From the doorway they looked on as Mordant presented a large bag filled with goodies.
"First goes to Coral!" she announced, withdrawing a rectangular box with a clear side that revealed a beautiful porcelain doll laying within. "Mystral is known all around the world for the amazing artistry we put into all of our crafts. It's only fitting you should partake in such beauty, rather than be stuck with whatever dollar store junk Vale has to offer."
Coral took the box and held it at arm's length, looking at the doll with a blank stare. Blake wasn't sure if Magenta picked the gift for maximum insult or if she was simply too ignorant to know what a horrible gift it was. For a girl like Coral, who preferred intellectual conversations and portfolio reports, something as simple minded as a doll would provide her with as much fun as a rusty shovel.
Obliviously leaving Coral to hold the box like it was a screaming child, Mordant moved to Magenta next, pulling a rather large book out of the bag. "For you I got the Mystralia Botanica. It's a bit too dry a read for someone like me, but I'm told it's something of a master guide for studying plants all throughout Anima and determining which ones are best for food and medicine and whatnot."
"Wow, thank you, Mordant," the violet haired girl said with far more gratefulness than Coral could have possibly mustered. She accepted the book and began leafing through pages, clearly quite taken with the subject matter. Maybe Mordant could pick out a good gift if she put some thought into it.
Mordant turned to Napier next, withdrawing a couple bricks of shiny, sterling steel. In response to Napier's confused look she elaborated, "I know it may seem bland right now, but just think of it as more of a long term investment. With these you can have your very own weapon forged, so you won't be forced to use the poor quality weapons Watchtower would provide, or waste your money on lower tier Valean metal."
The small girl (And Blake was allowed to say that because it wasn't out loud) accepted the gift with a smile and grunt of effort, wobbling for a few seconds since the condensed metal in her arms threw off her center of balance. Blake was starting to notice a theme here, given all the gifts hailed from Mystral and were apparently of a higher quality than what you could find in Vale.
The woman then turned to the sister Blake quickly ascertained was her favorite. "And for you I got-"
"The Panzer Scroll 3000?!" Eerie snatched the small box out of her sister's hands, eyes threatening to pop out of her head while Mordant watched with an absolutely satisfied grin. "Five hundred more megabytes of memory, 1080 frame resolution, dozens of more miles of wireless connectivity! These just came out last week! You can't even buy Panzer Scrolls in Vale because Autoban Unlimited only trades in Mystral and Atlas!"
"They are without a doubt the best scrolls on the market these days, and I got one just for you!" Mordant declared, tussling the brunette's hair. She let out an 'oomph' when Eerie glued herself to the taller woman's waist, spouting off a never ending stream of 'thank you's.
The three other siblings to have received gifts so far looked back down at the presents in their hands, suddenly finding them to somewhat pale in comparison to the new, top of the line, highly technologically advanced communication device. Magenta was doing her best to keep a brave face, fighting her jealousy down with the guilt of knowing she still received such a wonderful gift. Napier's disappointment was more readily recognizable, but she still knew better than to complain when she was the one receiving things for free.
Coral looked about ready to murder the first person who so much as glanced at her the wrong way.
"But we're not allowed to have a scroll until we graduate middle level schooling," a voice of reason spoke up, and Blake was more than a little surprised to find it had come from Jaune. He tossed aside his towel and said, "Dad always said we had to prove we could be responsible for something so precious before we earned it."
"What, you don't think your dear sister Eerie is responsible?" The look Jaune gave her was anything but impressed, and Mordant rolled her eyes. "I remember what the old man said. I also remember the 'precious gifts' we received were always either second-hand or older generation. What's the point in cherishing a hunk of scrap? I merely thought Eerie deserved something a bit better."
"That's not the point," Jaune argued weakly, sagging in his posture somewhat. He appeared to lack a way to refute Mordant's logical arguments.
"The point," Mordant went on, "is that I all got you all gifts out of the goodness of my heart because I thought you all deserved a special little something-something. Are you telling me you don't want your gift, oh brother of mine?"
For a moment it looked like Jaune might have refused, simply out of spite. But instead he sighed and nodded. Blake simultaneously was proud and felt pity for him, seeing as how he was trying so hard to not burn this last bridge with his long lost sibling, and Mordant certainly wasn't making it easy for him.
Giving the still mystified Eerie a pat on her head, Mordant sauntered up to her brother and reached into the bag once more. The item, Blake noted, was rather small and plain looking.
"A dagger?" Jaune asked with confusion as he accepted it. It was a roundel dagger to be precise, different from a normal one in that it was built like a spike instead of a blade. Blake herself had briefly used one when deciding upon her own gear. Roundel daggers excelled at squeezing between plates of armor to pierce the soft flesh below it.
"It unfortunately isn't Kagura steel," Mordant explained, which Jaune confirmed when he pulled it out of its sheath and revealed the simple Mystralian steel to everyone. "But it was the most expensive gift among them all. Check out the handle."
Jaune relaxed his grip, and Blake peaked over his shoulder to see what Mordant was taking about. The metal dagger and its sheath were quite ordinary, but their attention was drawn to the handle. Beneath the dark leather wrapping Blake could see it was mechanized to some extent. Jaune pressed a barely noticeable switch, and the flat bottom flipped open, revealing the handle was actually hollow.
"It looks like you fit something in here," Jaune speculated. "Like a dust canister or…"
"…or a syringe," Blake finished for him.
"Your friend catches on quickly, Jaune," his older sister commended. Again she reached into the bag and pulled out a small box before setting the bag aside. She opened it, and inside they found a dozen clear vials filled with sickly violet liquid.
"Magenta, can you tell me what the Brutanius is?" Mordant called upon her younger sister. Magenta was only flustered for a moment before pouring through her new book. She quickly found a page that had been oh so conveniently dog-eared.
"The Solanacea Brutanius, also known as the Brute Toppler Flower, is a species of pale purple plant native to the northern reaches of Mystral," Magenta read. "It is famously known for its nectar, which can be cheaply synthesized and used in the creation of various different paralytic chemical formulas."
The startling implications hit them all at once, and Jaune's eyes went wide. "Are you telling me those vials are filled with paralysis potion?" he demanded of Mordant.
"That is exactly what I'm saying," Mordant answered cheekily. "The handle is pressure activated, so when you stick it into something, the contents of the vial are shot through a small hole in the dagger and injected into the target. Their muscles will start to fail in minutes, making them much easier to defeat."
"But something like that won't work on the Grimm," Blake recalled. "Their immune systems are resistant to poisons and toxins. It'd be less than useless in a fight against Grimm."
It took all of a second for Blake to fill in the pieces, and she scolded herself for letting childish naiveté cloud her initial reaction.
The grin Mordant turned to her with was full of glittering, predatory teeth. "I call it the Brutus."
Jaune's grip on the handle tightened enough to make his knuckles go white. "This is meant for other people," he realized, his voice quiet and wavering. "Other Hunters. Why would you give me something like this?"
"Because it's my job to teach you the lessons father won't." Mordant dropped her cocksure attitude, regarding Jaune with a measured stare. "Most people don't find out until it's too late that Grimm are far from the worst enemy they'll ever fight." Her dark blue eyes sought out Blake, and for once she didn't feel confident enough to hold the gaze.
Grimm were mindless killing machines, evolved solely for the purpose of eradicating human and Faunus life. But that was all they were good for. They didn't strategize, simply throwing themselves at the enemy until one of the two parties was dead. Grimm didn't lure you in with false trust, only to stab you in the back when your guard was down. They didn't systematically enforce laws designed to keep your people down for the simple fact of being different.
Thinking Grimm were the most dangerous threat was a mistake made by far too many people. And Blake couldn't say she was smart enough to see it herself before it was almost too late.
Jaune held his arm out, palm open. "I don't want it."
"No gift returns," Mordant informed him blandly. She set the box of vials on the table and said, "I don't care if you learn the lesson I'm trying to teach you, Jaune. Quite frankly I don't care what you do with your life. But you're still my brother and I know more about the Hunter's life than you do. I just thought you should be prepared for the things you'll eventually come to see."
"You're wrong." Jaune was full on glaring now, having grown tired if his sister's presence. "I'm not like you, Mordant, letting my paranoia get the better of me. I'm going to be a Hunter so I can help people, not hurt them. And if your view of Hunters is so skewed, I don't want anything you could offer me."
It was difficult to ascertain the emotion that passed over Mordant's face. It was some parts indignation and annoyance, frustrated with Jaune for being so naïve and foolhardy. Blake could understand where Mordant was coming. Blake's been on both sides of the evils people can inflict upon one another. Jaune assumed the best of humanity. It made him a good person, but not a particularly wise one.
There was something else in Mordant's gaze, however. Something like sadness, the kind where you expect an outcome but are still despaired when it doesn't turn out differently. There was a muted resignation, a reluctant acceptance. It might have been the one time Mordant ignored her better instincts, but Jaune proved that she should have anyway.
The flicker of vulnerability was gone in an instant, replaced with something else, something cold. Something that reminded Blake far too much of Adam. "Keep the dagger. I don't have the time or the inclination to argue." Without further word, Mordant brusquely turned and walked away.
While Jaune, Magenta, Napier and Coral were still stunned from the conversation that just went down, Eerie looked far more concerned with Mordant's departure and chased after her. Blake and Jaune shared a quick glance and followed after them, just to make sure Mordant didn't do any more damage while she was still here. One by one the remaining sisters slowly trailed after them.
"When will we see you again?" Eerie asked, practically jogging to keep up with Mordant's long and purposeful strides.
"I don't know," Mordant answered, her voice sounding upbeat but strained. "It's obvious to me now that coming back home isn't in my best interests. But maybe when you're older we can meet up somewhere else, wherever you want."
"Within reason," Magenta quickly added.
They entered into the common room to find another woman casually leaning against the front door. She was fair skinned like Mordant, and wearing flowing white silken robes, with an artfully embroidered light pink sash around her waist, like a traditional mage would wear. Her dark hair was long, woven into two braids that hung over each shoulder and she regarded them all with pale pink eyes.
"Magnolia?" Jaune sputtered upon seeing her. Obviously she was no stranger to the Arcs, and Blake recalled him mentioning the name while he told her about Mordant earlier in the week.
Magnolia smiled at them beatifically. "Hello, Jaune, Eerie, everyone else. Lovely to see you all again." She turned to Mordant. "Cars are all loaded and we're ready to go. Just waiting on you."
"Are you sure you can't stay a little while longer?" Eerie tried once more, looking up at her big sister with pleading eyes.
Mordant smiled sadly at her, kneeling down so their eyes could be at the same level. "I'm sorry, but my work keeps me busy. If I could stay longer I would, honest. Until the next time we see each other, why don't you get your new Scroll working and send me a message? That way I'll have your number and I can call you the next chance I get."
The younger sister nodded, eyes bright with unshed tears. It was almost jarring seeing how much effort Mordant put into maintaining her relationship with the one Arc sibling, compared to how easily she could brush aside the rest of them. Part of Blake wondered if Eerie really was the only person from her family Mordant could connect with. It was better than believing in the alternative, that it was just another aspect of the act Mordant was willing to play while interacting with her family.
She placed her hands on Eerie's shoulders, giving the girl a meaningful look. "I want you to know I love you, Eerie, and if you need help with anything, you need only ask me." Her voice dropped down a whisper, meant for only Eerie hear. "And if you ever grow tired of living here, if you ever feel unwanted, I want you to call me and I will come as quickly as humanly possible to take you away from here."
"Mordant," Jaune warned, practically hissing with repressed anger. It actually startled her, and Blake eyed him warily. Even when lecturing her the first morning she was with the Arcs, Blake has never seen him look so… unhinged.
The older sister glared at him from the corner of her eye and stood up straight. Mordant took the time to look each of her siblings in the eye one more time. "Goodbye, everyone. It was a pleasure to see you all again. Oh, I left the gifts for Sapphire and Ginger on the back porch. Be sure to remember to pass them off when you see them."
Magnolia opened the front door, smiling and waving at them as she left. Before joining her, Mordant paused by a side table and pulled something out of a belt pouch, setting it down. "My old house keys," she explained. "I imagine I won't need them anymore."
And then she was gone, gently closing the door behind her. The silence in the air was cloistering as they all digested what had transpired over the last quarter of an hour. Despite the ridiculously short amount of time Mordant was there, to Blake it felt as though the repercussions would be felt throughout the Arc household for a long time.
Eerie was the only one to go to a window and see Mordant off, watching her big sister leave with a sad look. However, the rest of the Arc sisters were too busy staring at their brother, not like Blake could blame them. Jaune was practically vibrating with rage, staring at the gift Mordant had given him in his hand.
"Jaune?" Magenta probed, frowning with concern. "Are you al-"
He didn't give her a chance to finish. The handle of the dagger was pushed into her chest and Blake just barely caught it as she was sent stumbling back. Jaune stalked away from them, ripping the door open and slamming it closed behind him.
The girls all blinked with surprise. "This isn't going to end well, is it?" Napier asked.
"I imagine it won't, no," said Magenta with a resigned sigh. "But it's between Mordant and Jaune, so we should give them their privacy."
"That would be the respectful thing to do," Blake agreed.
Naturally, they all crowded around the windows.
Blake watched Jaune chase after the retreating forms of Mordant and Magnolia. "Five years, Mordant!" the normally soft spoken boy shouted at his sister. "Five fucking years you were gone!"
"I don't need a sendoff, Jaune," Mordant called back without turning. "Why don't you go back inside and play around with father's precious sword."
"You left us," he continued, unfettered. "We're your family and you walked out on us like we were nothing! And now you come back, just so you can leave again! I want answers! I want to know why you betrayed your family!"
"Betrayed!" That got Mordant to stop, rounding on Jaune with a look of scorn that would have put Adam's to shame. Magnolia reacted next, her arm almost instinctively snaking around Mordant's waist to restrain her. She whispered something into the taller girl's ear that Blake couldn't hear, the worry evident on her face. Mordant brushed her off, jerking her head toward the cars parked out front. Magnolia hesitated for a moment but nodded. She quickly scampered off, calling out directions to a pair of men Blake couldn't recognize who were standing by the lead car.
Mordant marched up to Jaune and the two of them stopped mere inches from each other. "You want to talk to me about betrayal?" She was trying to keep her words down, but the words were hissed just loud enough for Blake and the others to hear. "You want to talk to me about what it's like to be stabbed in the back by the people you thought loved you? You have no idea what the word even fucking means, Jaune."
"But our parents did love you," Jaune told her. "They still love you, always will. Everything they did was for you, for all of us!"
Caustic laughter billowed out of Mordant's lungs as she took a few steps back. "I simply don't understand. How can possibly defend what that man after all he's done to us. After everything he did?"
"Everything Dad did was to protect us. All he ever wanted was what he thought was best for us."
"Tell me, Jaune, do you truly believe trying to keep you from becoming a Hunter is what was best for you?"
The question, delivered with such intense animosity, almost visually hit Jaune with enough force to make him stagger backward. Blake heard someone make a sharp intake of breath, and it took her a second to realize the sound had come from her own throat. Did Mordant really mean…?
Without waiting for an answer, Mordant leaned in and said, "I'm going to tell you a secret, Jaune: I fucking hate our father. All he has ever done is try to hold me back, and despite recognizing the apathy for what it was, for most of my life I was too stupid to do anything about it. But then he tried to separate me from one of the only people who ever truly cared about me, and I realized what he is. Henry Arc is nothing but a controlling, manipulative man, who's only happy when his children are crushed beneath his thumb."
"He's not perfect," Jaune acquiesced, his tone lacking some of the impact from before. "And he's made mistakes. But he made them for good reasons."
"I can't believe you're still trying to defend him," Mordant scoffed. "Do you remember how it felt when he told you he'd never train you, or let any of us train you? When he said you'd never step foot in a combat school?"
Fists clenched at his sides and Jaune bowed his head. He didn't have an answer for her.
"I remember how I felt, at the very least," Mordant told him. "I remember how it broke my heart to see you so depressed. I remember the pity when you begged Ginger and I for help, and the almost unfathomable amount of pride I had for miss goody-two-shoes when she actually decided to go behind father's back. I put myself at risk to help train you, and I was happy to do it, because I wanted what was best for you too. The look of shock on father's face when you got the acceptance letter from Watchtower was one of the happiest moments of my life!"
No words were spoken between Blake and the sisters. Magenta's mouth was set into a grim line, Napier and Eerie were wide eyed with shock, and Coral watched the conversation with an analytical stare. Blake's focus was solely on Jaune, watching his shoulders shake with emotion.
"Fine," he said, barely audible. "You hate our father. But you didn't have to come back for him. What about the rest of us? What about me, or Eerie, or Ginger. Why couldn't you come back for your brother and sisters?"
"Because I thought you understood." Her voice was thicker than molasses, the melancholy tone a stark contrast from her normal way of speaking. "I thought you finally saw Henry Arc for the man he is. That no matter what he did, we would have each other's backs and resist him together. But then he sent Magnolia away, my only true friend, and I had no one. None of you stood up for me, besides a toddler barely capable of comprehending what was going on! After everything I did for you, Jaune, and you chose his side."
"Mordant, you were caught doing drugs on school grounds," Jaune rebuked. "How the hell am I supposed to defend that? On top of everything else you and Magnolia did, the school nearly had enough reasons to expel you for good. If Dad had let things keep escalating, who knows what could have happened? So instead he took it a step further with Magnolia and convinced the school officials to transfer her out of Watchtower."
The sister turned her nose up at Jaune, not even trying to hide her sneer. "I see you've decided to believe father's take on the story. Fine. But I know the truth. I know he thought I was the reason his children had been stepping out of his shadow too much, and he took it out on me by taking away the woman I love like family."
"More than your own," Jaune added bitterly.
"Loving your family and loving all the people in it aren't one in the same," Mordant told him. Blake noted she didn't actually disprove what Jaune said. "I'm willing to forgive you, Jaune, but I can't do that until you cease with this obsession that we can some be some kind of happy TV sitcom family. You can forgive father, or you can believe in me, but you can't have both. I hope one day you make the right choice."
And that was it. Mordant made the executive decision there was nothing left to talk about, turned without a word, and walked away. Her team mates gave her a few dubious looks as she got into the second car but didn't otherwise say anything. A moment later the cars revved up, and then they were gone, kicking up a small trail of dust on the rood that would lead them back to Britae.
Blake and the others watched them go in silence, until the roar of car engines could no longer be heard in the distance. By instinct Magenta had wrapped her arms around Coral and Napier, either as a means to provide them support or keep herself grounded. Probably both. Poor Eerie looked like she didn't know what to do, torn as she was between two sides.
But still the only person Blake could focus on was Jaune. The boy hadn't moved for some time, staring at the ground. The fight had left him, the clenched shoulders having now become sagging. Blake couldn't imagine what was going through his head right now, partially because she didn't want to. This wasn't the first time she's witnessed a falling out between family members. But before, she'd been on the other side.
I compared myself to Mordant naught a few days ago, she recalled with a grimace. It was meant only as a mental exercise, to better understand how to interact with Jaune. Now she could see far more parallels, from the Semblance to the sense of betrayal right down to the ultimatum made just before leaving forever, and it made the bile rise in Blake's throat.
Was Mordant Arc really the kind of person she wanted to be likened to? Blake's walked out on not one, but two different families in her lifetime. At the time of each she thought her reasons were justified. She still felt that way about leaving the Fang, but she knew now leaving her parents was probably one of the worst mistakes of her life.
But if there was one disparity between Blake and Mordant, it was that Blake could confidently say she did not hate her mother and father. The blame lied only with Blake, and if – or when – she returned home, Blake would be the one begging for their forgiveness.
Because she still loved her family. Despite the persona of aloofness and unapproachability she's cultivated through years of hard work, Blake still tried to keep her heart open. She still let people in, when they'd earned her trust.
I don't want to be like Mordant Arc. Not like the woman who could so casually turn her back on the people who raised her and grew up with her. Who tried to manipulate her own family and divide them. Who turned their back on their brother when he tried his hardest not to do the same to her.
Eventually Jaune began to move again, turning around and trudging his way back to the house. Blake and his sisters gave him space as he came through the door. "Are you alright?" Magenta asked softly.
"Not really." The words sounded like they should have come from someone much older. Apparently Jaune wasn't in the mood for a chat because he began to walk away, toward the nearest staircase.
"What are you doing?" Napier wanted to know.
"Mordant said she came and got everything she wanted from her old room," Jaune said over his shoulder. "Whatever's left needs to be cleaned up and organized so we can get rid of it."
That seemed like an awfully final way to settle things, and the look Blake shared with Magenta told her she wasn't the only one to realize it. "How about I help you then?" the sister suggested. Magenta would probably be better at sorting a woman's clothing, but Blake could tell she mostly wanted to keep an eye on her brother.
"Is there anything we should be doing?" Coral spoke up.
Jaune stopped in the doorway to the next room and turned back to them, his face drawn with exhaustion. He spoke to them all, but Jaune stared directly at Blake and no one else.
"You can do anything you choose to. I can't stop you from making your decisions."
Then he was gone, and they listened to his creaking footsteps ascend to the second floor. The three youngest sisters looked to each other nervously. Unlike Mordant they didn't have a clear goal in mind for themselves, so being left directionless at such a crucial time wasn't exactly a blessing. Magenta looked to be racking her brain for what to do next and appeared to be torn on which of her siblings to attend to first. Three confused girls or an emotionally withdrawn brother?
The decision Blake made then and there wasn't a difficult one. It went against everything she had been striving for that very morning, but she knew following through on her initial plan would leave everyone worse off, even herself.
So Blake crouched down next to Eerie, giving her a warm smile. "You did get a new gift today," she pointed out. "Why don't you, Coral and Napier come with me and we'll check it out together. A Panzer Scroll probably comes with lots of different features so it'll take some time to go through them all."
"That doesn't sound like a bad idea," Napier agreed. Eerie and Coral both thought about for a moment and nodded after deciding it was a good plan as well. "And Blake, while we're at it maybe when can think up weapons we can make with my new steel?"
"That sounds wonderful," Blake told her. She turned to Coral next and said, "I know the doll wasn't the best gift, but maybe there's still something we can with it."
"Like burning it?" Coral asked hopefully.
"Not my first idea but I won't turn it down if your heart's set on it. But we can only burn it outside." Coral giggled and nodded once more, a bit too much elated by the prospect of doll arson. Satisfied about the plan they all had in place, Blake stood up straight and bade the girls to follow her back through the house.
One the way Blake glanced over her shoulder to see Magenta giving her a thankful smile and mouth the words, "Thank you."
Blake was happy to do it. Not to knock the Arcs, but they weren't equipped to handle such familial trauma the same way Blake could. Without outside aid they'd probably tear themselves apart even further.
Blake decided to stay and be that aid.
Tuesday Afternoon
"Three dozen shirts, seven pairs of shoes, two empty jewelry boxes, four pairs of pants, nine skirts, two dozen different pairs of underwear, and four boxes of knick-knacks," Magenta counted off, hands on her hips as she looked over the piles sorted on the bed. "Looks to be the last of it."
The red walled room was now pretty much barren aside from the also cleared off furniture. In all honesty it didn't look much different from when Blake had first laid eyes on it an hour ago. Mordant hadn't been kidding about cleaning out everything she wanted to keep. Unbeknownst to the Arc siblings Blake had previously checked out their other rooms before coming here, just to make sure Mordant's team mates hadn't decided to alleviate the Arcs of anything they shouldn't have.
Jaune grabbed a box of plastic trash bags and passed them to Blake and Magenta as he doled out instructions. "All the clothes still good enough to wear get separated for donation, anything we might want to keep goes in another bag, everything else is gonna be trashed."
The two girls nodded and went about their tasks. Blake focused on the clothing, leaving Jaune and Magenta to decide which of Mordant's personal effects to keep or throw away.
Blake had spent a couple of hours with Napier, Eerie and Coral going over their gifts after Mordant left. The most popular one was of course Eerie's new scroll, and she was polite enough to let her siblings play around with it as well. She and Coral had come to an agreement where she could use Coral's new doll as something of a test dummy for her experiments, and in turn Coral would use the scroll to record whatever horrible fates befell the toy.
After she was certain the girls would be fine without her hovering over them, Blake went upstairs to assist Jaune and Magenta clear out their older sister's room. Now the three of them found themselves stuffing Mordant's things into various bags.
At one point Blake caught Jaune staring at a small framed picture. From her angle Blake could see it was a photograph of a much younger Mordant, with an incredibly small Jaune held in her arms. They looked to be at a water park of some kind. The most striking detail, however, was the natural looking smile on Mordant's face. Not like any of the smiles she had today, ones that seemed to be more like masks than expressions.
Jaune slowly withdrew the photo and pocketed it before placing the empty frame in the bag of things they could still use. Blake's heart bled for him just a little bit more. She wondered if he'd still be able to look to older memories and still smile on them despite everything he and his sister had said to each other.
"I'm sorry I wasn't of much help today," Blake said aloud. Jaune and Magenta both turned to her with surprised looks.
"Sorry for what?" Jauned wanted to know.
Blake put the things in her hands aside and said, "Family reunions can be stressful events. I feel like I could have helped you out more, but all I did was antagonize Mordant and make things more difficult for you. I apologize for that."
"Blake…" the boy sighed. He put his work down as well and said, "I highly doubt there was anything you could have done to change anything about what happened today. It was a long time coming, and you just had the unfortunate luck of being a bystander when it came to a head. If anything we should be the ones apologizing to you for what Mordant did."
"Don't," Blake answered firmly. "You should never apologize for what that woman does. Her mistakes are hers alone and she should be the one to own up to them."
"Maybe you're right," said Jaune, crossing his arms and looking away. He was silent for a moment, gathering his thoughts. Then he turned back to her and said, "Blake, can I ask you something?"
"Of course."
"What are you still doing here?"
"Jaune!" his sister immediately cut in, giving him a slight shove. "I know you're pissed right now but you can't take it out on Blake!"
The girl in question gently placed her hand on Magenta's shoulder to get her to calm down. "It's alright, Magenta. It's a fair question, and Jaune has every right to ask it."
Magenta repeatedly looked between the two of them with a furrowed brow. "I don't understand."
"Jaune was expecting me to leave today, mainly because that's what I told him I was doing this morning," Blake explained. Magenta's eyes widened with shock, and Blake went on saying, "Like I told you before, I was a part of the White Fang, and I constantly worry they'll catch up to me. It's a very slim chance, but in case they did I didn't want your family involved."
She turned a mild glare on the boy in the room. "Jaune, being the white knight he is, tried to stop me. He seemed to think that if I couldn't best someone pathetic like him, I wasn't strong enough to strike out on my own." Unlike other times when she'd made her ire for him known, this time Jaune merely brushed off the harsh words.
"So we made a deal," Jaune continued for her. "We would have a fight, and if I won then Blake would have to stay until the end of the week. If she won, Blake could leave when she wanted and I wouldn't stand in her way. Which brings me back to my first point," Jaune turned to her, "I thought you wanted to leave."
"I did, or at least I thought I did. But after everything that happened today with Mordant, I'm not sure I could have lived with myself leaving as well. Don't take this the wrong way, but Mordant Arc is not the kind of woman I want to find myself being similar to."
"I can't say I blame you," Magenta assured her. "But you're not being forced to stay if you don't want to. Our sisters would have understood if you explained why. No one's saying you have stay and help fix our problems."
"I know, it's just…" Blake sighed, lost for the right words. Her reasons for staying were more personal than simply wanting to help, and she wasn't sure if she could convey those secrets to people she had only met recently. But time and time again the Arcs have shown to be understanding people, listening to bits and pieces of her story without judgment. Maybe Blake could bring herself to trust in other people, just this once.
Blake sat down on the bed, hugging her stomach self-consciously. "I haven't seen my family in almost five years," she admitted quietly.
"Five years?" Magenta repeated, already connecting the dots in her head. Jaune didn't react outwardly, but Blake could still see he understood the gravity of what she was saying.
"The same time the White Fang's leadership changed," Blake affirmed. "My parents weren't among those who supported the new ideologies, like I did. We… we fought a lot on what we thought the right thing to do was. I wanted us to travel with the Fang and try to do good around the world, and they wanted us to settle down and be a family."
She could feel the beginnings of tears stinging the corners of her eyes, but Blake fought against it. Dredging up bitter memories was just as difficult for her as it was for other people, but she didn't want to break down crying in front of Jaune and his sister, not when they already had so much on their plates.
"In the end I said several things to them that I desperately wish I could take back, and I left home to fight with the Fang. We haven't see or spoken to one another since."
And that was that, the truth out in the open. Excluding Jaune and Magenta, Blake probably could have counted on one hand the number of people who knew as much of the story as they did now.
The bed dipped as Jaune sat down next to her, hands resting in his lap. The grim expression he'd been wearing all day was finally gone, replaced with a sympathetic frown. "Any siblings?" he asked her.
"No, just me, unless my parents decided to have another child while I was gone," she told him. Blake wouldn't have blamed them if they did. She didn't want to think about the nights they must have spent awake with worry, knowing full well their only daughter could have been killed at any time because of the life she had foolishly chosen for herself.
Magenta sat down on Jaune's other side and asked, "Why didn't you go back to your home after you went on the run?"
"I'm certain my parents would have been among the first my superiors went to in order to find me. I didn't want to place them in danger." Blake let out a chuckle completely devoid of humor. "But that's a petty excuse. The truth is I'm just too afraid to face them again. I spat on their attempts to make peace and I was the one who ended up being wrong. By all accounts they should be ashamed of me."
Something warm brushed against her hand, and Blake jumped slightly when she realized it was Jaune's on top of hers, gripping lightly. She turned to him, but Jaune wouldn't look at her. His cheeks had grown pink with embarrassment, but his face was strained with deep thought.
"Parents and their kids fight all the time, we're prime examples of that," Jaune told her, gesturing to himself and Magenta, who nodded in agreement. Jaune sighed heavily and went on, "I can tell you my old man and I have yelled at each other more than I'd like to admit. But through all of that I never stopped loving him, because he's my dad, and I know more than anything else he wants to protect me."
She resisted the urge to ask about what exactly it was Jaune and his father argued about. The things Mordant said still weighed on her mind, but despite her intense curiosity Blake has always tried to avoid getting involved in other people's personal issues if they didn't have to do with her. Besides, it seemed Jaune and his father had made up, so there wasn't any point to delving into it anyway.
His blue eyes trailed upward to meet her amber ones. "I also know my father still loves Mordant. He still would even if she told him what she told me today. He and mom would be angry as all Hell with her, sure, but they'd still love her because she's their child. I know that because I still care about Mordant too."
Blake eyed him skeptically. "Are you sure she deserves to still have your love after what she said?"
"Maybe not. I can't force Mordant to change her mind when I think she's wrong. But she can't do the same with me either. I'll try to keep being the bridge between her and our family for as long as I can. I don't know if Mordant will ever come around and forgive us, but I know I won't ever shut her out if she does."
He was far nobler than her then. There were few people in the Fang Blake could have considered her friends, but like Adam they had changed along with the organization beyond hope. Blake didn't think she could have let them in close again, and she was certain they felt the same toward her.
Jaune lightly squeezed her hand, blue eyes free of doubt. "You are different from Mordant," he told her, and somehow that simple comment made her feel just a bit warmer inside. "Because it's patently clear you're sorry for what you did, and if your father is anything like my dad, I know he'll forgive you too."
She knew he was right. Blake's always held up Ghira Belladonna as the standard for what defines a good man. He was wise, kind, understanding; quite literally the perfect father. A far better one than Blake deserved.
Maybe that was why she was so afraid to go home. Even though she knew he'd forgive her, Blake still wasn't sure she deserved to be forgiven. She hasn't done anything to deserve it yet. While she did leave the White Fang after they had grown too extreme, Blake's initial plans on trying to make something of herself had fallen through. She didn't want return home empty handed, although she doubted her parents would care.
Just like how Jaune and his family didn't care all that much about her past either. Blake wasn't sure if their fathers were as alike as Jaune thought they were, but she could see more than a few similarities between Ghira Belladonna and Jaune Arc.
Blake's hand swiveled in his grip to return the gesture. She gave the boy a meek smile and said, "You know, for an idiot, you can also be rather wise."
"Like I said," Magenta offered, "he's always been weird."
Jaune grinned and laughed off their comments. It was quiet and weak, but after everything that happened today Blake had been certain she wouldn't see his spirits so high for the next few days. Brooding and morose wasn't a look that suited him.
After he calmed down Jaune withdrew his hand, and neither missed how his touch lingered for a half second too long. It was another reassuring thing to see his face grow redder when he realized his over-fondness, hurriedly burying his hands in his lap, because it was another step toward normality.
"I think you should go and see your family," Magenta suggested. "I'd bet they'll be overjoyed to see you again."
"After you're done spending the week," Jaune added with a smile. "If you still want to stay, that is."
Blake returned the grin. He needn't have asked.
Author's Note: Woo character development! Onto the chapter updates:
Chapter 1: Updated who Adam Taurus is to Blake relationship-wise as well as slimmed down her backstory a bit.
Chapter 2: Some minor spelling and grammar correction, nothing major.
Chapter 3: More of the same, plus a few more hints dropped about her past.
Chapter 5: Added in a couple lines of backstory during the Blake/Magenta conversation.
Chapter 6: There was a bit of debate in the Reviews section about proper nomenclature in regards to Jaune's shield. In the chapter itself I had said it was a kite shield, and a couple of readers pointed out it was actually more akin to a heater shield due to its shape. Kite shields are taller while heater shields are shaped much more like a triangle. Then another reader pointed out that heater shields are in fact a type of kite shield, sort of like how all squares are rectangles but not vice versa. After a bit of research of my own I decided to go back and update the chapter to say Jaune used a heater shield, since I thought it was a better description.
Another thing I updated was 'chink' versus 'kink.' A chink is a gap, imperfection, or weakness, usually used when referring to armor or a form of defense. A kink is a preference for an unconventional sexual habit, like how Jaune enjoys being tied- oops, sorry, spoilers for future chapters, so I'll stop talking now.