~~AAAND START!~~ (Revival and Markings of Resolve)
Yang stared at the piece of rye in her hand she was supposed to be eating for breakfast while Ruby cleaned her tools. It had been a quiet morning, which was great because that meant no Weiss. Yang sat in the chair near the workbench and poked at the bread.
She knew people didn't take well to aura, and she could understand why. It looked an awful lot like magic, but it wasn't—it had an explanation… and Ruby wasn't just "people." She was Yang's sister along with one of the greatest individuals she knew. Ruby would definitely keep her aura a secret, but Ruby also worked for Vale's guard. Keeping secrets would not end well for her.
Even so, Yang didn't want to hide things from her. Besides, there was a surprising lack of guilt when lying to Weiss.
Gathering some courage, she broke the silence. "Hey, Ruby?"
"Yeah?"
"You know how I said I went to see a friend and get better?"
Ruby put down her tools. "Yeah...?"
"Well, I did, but… there's some stuff I didn't mention before about the trip."
"Really?"
"Uh-huh. See, the thing is—" The shop door closed and cut her off.
Ruby leaned over and whispered, "Sorry, Yang, can this wait?"
"S—Sure. Go ahead," Yang said.
Nodding, Ruby turned to the door. "Hi and welcome to Rose's Runes!" She greeted. "How may I help you?"
A woman with pale-green hair approached the workbench. "Ms. Rose?"
"That's me!"
"I have an order for you—from Vale."
An order from Vale but no Weiss? Strange, yet not unpleasant…
"Are… you with the guard?" Ruby inquired.
"No. I'm with someone much more important. I trust you've heard of the queen?" Emerald asked with a glint in her eye.
"Th—The queen?" Ruby gasped.
"So, you have, then. Good," Emerald said with a small smile. "I have an order from her I was told only you could fulfill." She handed over a piece of paper sealed with the royal emblem.
"Wow, what an honor—I'd be glad to get this done for you!" Ruby exclaimed. "Is there anything else I can do?"
Emerald leaned in - there was a certain confidence to her demeanor now. "I was also wondering if you could fulfill a personal order."
Ruby didn't notice the change. "Sure! What's your name?"
"Emerald Sustrai."
"Okay. And, the order?" Ruby asked.
Emerald pulled out a smaller sheet of plain paper and handed it over. "Just this, please."
"Great! I'll be done in a few hours, so if you want to come back then, I'll—"
"Actually, I'll wait here," Emerald interjected.
"Oh… okay," Ruby said, eyes a little wide.
With that, Emerald sat next to Yang. "And you are?" she asked.
Yang, who had been watching with apparent skepticism until now, raised an eyebrow. "I'm Yang, Ruby's sister."
Emerald smiled politely. "It's nice to meet you, Yang."
She was nice enough, but something about her set off alarm bells in Yang's head. Emerald reminded her of the northern rivers—placid at a glance, yet home to a deadly current beneath the surface.
/-/-/-/
Ruby was bemused by the queen's orders. Dust mixtures were something she did often, but never with water instead of blood. What was the point in that? Paired with the runes and rune runnings drawn in ink on strips of paper, it completed a very unusual request. Ruby cast a quizzical glance at Emerald.
Emerald cocked her head to the side and raised her eyebrows. "Did you need something?"
"Are you sure you want it mixed in water?" Ruby asked.
"Yep, just water."
Ruby shared a look with Yang. "Alright, then." Seeing as the order called for nothing more than some sketches and a few mixtures, she was done in record time. "That'll be two hundred Lien for the official order and seventy five for the personal one."
"Okay." Emerald pulled out a pouch of money. "The official charge will be paid along with your weekly amount from the guard. Here's the personal charge, though."
"Got it. Thanks for stopping by!"
"Yeah, it was nice," Emerald said.
As soon as the door closed, Ruby was instantly bursting with excitement. "Oh, my gosh, Yang, I got to do an order for the queen! That's so cool!"
"You're at the top of the food chain, Rubes! But don't get too excited. Something felt a off about that order."
"I'm not too excited," Ruby scoffed. She looked down at her bench. "I mean, I am curious about what all that stuff was for, but even if it was a little weird, it's probably fine. After all, it's for the queen, right?"
"Who knows," Yang shrugged. "I just didn't like the vibe I got from Emerald."
"Really? I thought she was nice."
"It seemed like she wasn't telling us something," Yang said.
Ruby rolled her eyes. "Well, duh! Yang, the order was for the queen. She probably has some top secret queen stuff to do, right?"
"Like, drink Dust water and hang rune paintings around her room?" Yang asked pointedly.
Ruby didn't get the point. She was already off in her own world. "But what if she hung my runes around her room? That would be so awesome…"
Yang laughed and threw up her hands in defeat. "Alright, Baby Sis. You're star struck."
What was so wrong about that?
Eventually, Ruby returned to her work. When she picked up the tool she had been cleaning before Emerald walked in, she remembered her previous conversation with Yang. "Hey, Yang, what were you saying about your trip earlier?"
"H—Huh?" Yang started. She had forgotten about that. All her resolve from earlier had melted away. She didn't feel like talking about it anymore. "Oh. Nothing…"
Ruby gave her a worried look for a couple seconds, then shrugged. "Okay."
/-/-/-/
Cinder sat in her quarters, looking out over the kingdom from her window. Emerald stood near her and set up the materials she had requested earlier along with a bucket of water with a hand towel.
"Queen Cinder, the tattooist from Mountain Glenn is here to see you," a guard called from outside the door.
"Send him in."
The door opened, and a large man in traditional clothing with a box held delicately in both hands appeared.
"You are called Yatsuhashi, correct?"
He nodded.
"Take your time setting up. As agreed earlier, we shall provide the ink."
Yatsuhashi opened the box and took out a metal rod, a brush, and some needles. He sterilized the equipment and inserted the needles in a row on the tip of the rod. Next, he pulled out a few larger towels and laid them out across the bed.
All this completed, Cinder rose and stripped off the top half of her silk robe. It slid from her shoulders and fell around her waist. Emerald followed close behind with a Dust solution and the paper. She handed everything over to Yatsuhashi. "Here's the ink and the references. Start with these on the back."
He nodded and asked Cinder to lay across the bed. When she did as directed, he dipped the brush in the Dust solution, then the needles into the brush, and began.
As the metal pierced her skin, the queen lay patiently. She had no doubt in Yatsuhashi's skill, as the Daichi family held an unblemished reputation in each of the major kingdoms. Emerald, however, watched intently from behind him. Every time the needles hit a particularly sensitive area of skin, she subconsciously reached for her sickles.
At the end of the tedious process, Cinder had perfectly crafted rune runnings going from between her shoulder blades to the center of her collarbone. They also came down her arms and to her hands. Her left hand read the keyword "Ignite" and the right hand read "Burn."
When Yatsuhashi left, she dressed herself in training clothes. "Emerald, send Adam down to the training room."
"Yes, Queen Cinder."
Today, she'd return the favor of yesterday's humiliation.
/-/-/-/
Emerald ran to catch up to Yatsuhashi. "Hey, hold on! Will you tattoo me as well?"
"No."
That was definitely not the answer she was expecting. "Why not?"
"I know what is in the ink you have used."
"So?"
Yatsuhashi shook his head, then approached her. His hand rested on her left shoulder. "Dust paves a path to destruction. Your soul cannot handle what your heart and mind desires."
She hollered after his retreating form, "What's that supposed to mean?" Seventy-five Lien didn't care what her soul could handle according to that country boy. Yatsuhashi never answered, and by the time he left her view, she knew she had to hurry up and get Adam.
Looks like she wasn't allowed to take any shortcuts.
/-/-/-/
Adam looked at Cinder with a frown. He'd left earlier because of Emerald, but he wouldn't give them the same courtesy twice. This time, if Cinder wasn't careful she could really end up dead. Not that he minded.
"Training starts now," she said with a smirk.
Unsheathing his sword, Adam called out his aura again. Cinder did the same. Spheres of flame floated about her like paper lanterns and for a moment, she was still. Adam approached, but stopped in his tracks a few seconds later.
Cinder held the bridge of her nose and grit her teeth as her aura flickered. Then, she shouted in pain and dropped to the floor. Adam watched, perplexed, and Emerald looked like she was stuck in an internal battle of sorts. After a period of convulsions, Cinder roared and opened her eyes. They were glowing.
Her aura swelled to unnatural levels and she controlled it all without wavering. Finally, she stretched out her right hand and spoke with conviction. "Burn." The flames around her went out for a moment, then the air in the room seemed to condense as it all reappeared in front of her hand. A fireball so big was rendered it was as if she was holding a star.
Adam took a step back. What the hell had happened in a single day?
When the queen threw the ball, it whistled through the air and Adam had to channel his entire aura into a shield just to block it. He felt as if his own flames were being smothered by the sheer amount of power before him. And Cinder did not stop with simply one.
"Burn." Again, she conjured another ball of flame and flung it at her opponent. Adam barely stopped the second, and the edges of his clothing singed. Then, Cinder was upon him. Putting a hand on his chest, she whispered, "Ignite."
That was all Adam remembered about their second fight.
/-/-/-/
Roman ate dinner across from his bodyguard. In a word, he was bored. Having no work after being flooded with activity should have been nice, but since he was confined to the east wing of the castle without any hope of leaving, it simply wasn't. He just wanted to hurry up and get on to whatever else Cinder would make him do.
Roman glanced at his bodyguard. She still hadn't spoken a word to him, but he learned that her name was Neopolitan and her diet consisted of more sweets than real food. She also liked watching him and never really seemed to be doing her job… but he already knew that.
She caught him looking and grinned, waggling an eyebrow. He rolled his eyes and looked away. Finding his serious reaction funny, she giggled silently. Always silence with this one.
Two sets of footsteps echoed down the hall towards their room. In walked Emerald and someone he hadn't seen before. He had a scowl deep enough to pass up the water by the docks and was limping something fierce. "Adam, this is your new partner, Neopolitan, and your new 'leader,' Roman," Emerald introduced.
"Welcome to the club, kid," Roman said. "Now, Emerald, would you care to disclose some information about what exactly I'm leading?"
Ignoring his tone, she answered casually, "You three will be reviving the White Fang."
Roman laughed. "Do I look like a Faunus to you?"
"You have a brain, don't you? You're leading. All you need to do is make it look like the White Fang still exists. These two will do all the heavy lifting."
"And, am I lucky enough to know why this is happening?"
"If you are, you're not hearing it from me," Emerald said, shrugging. "You have a lot of freedom with this, so don't screw it up."
"Right… freedom. Filling out paperwork, being watched even as I sleep, not being let outside… lovely."
Emerald smiled. "I'm glad you understand. We're expecting results in two months. Consider this the start of phase two."
When she was gone, Roman turned to his new subordinates and sighed. "Well, who's ready to revive a crime ring?" Adam stepped up to him. Roman was starting to get nervous. "I see you already have your mask."
"I was in the White Fang, and I don't acknowledge you as leader," Adam spat.
"I see you joined us in a bit of a rebellious phase, huh, kid?" Roman jabbed. "I don't know if you heard the queen's messenger, but I'm the brains of this operation."
Adam grunted and grabbed his sword. Roman instinctively retreated a couple steps, and Adam was about to follow when Neo stepped between the two. She held the tip of her umbrella to his neck and gave him a warning glare. As always, there was still a playful glint to her eyes.
Surprisingly, Adam cooled down and stalked away. Neo turned back and looked at Roman expectantly.
"Okay, so you do your job," Roman admitted.
She smiled in triumphance.
/-/-/-/
Adam slammed his fist into a pillar in the hall outside his room. He came here for revenge, and now he was to be ordered around by a human of all things. He stared at his reflection in the cut marble. To be beaten senseless by a human queen. To be part of a fake White Fang lead by a human coward…
He remembered the day the real White Fang fell. It was just like any other day at the HQ in Atlas until some human freaks decided they didn't like their presence in the kingdom. Adam was outside at the time of the initial explosion. By the time he got inside, it was too late. His partner, Blake Belladonna, had…
Adam punched the pillar again.
He had interrogated some of the humans, but it was clear no one sent had them. What was true, though, was that they were nearly all from Vale. Since then, Adam had journeyed. Learning more about aura from the traditional Faunus, strengthening his resolve… He would get the equality his partner wanted and avenge her.
When he first entered the kingdom, Cinder found him and offered him a deal. He would get the equality he desired and a free license to kill… if it was under her command. Adam had only agreed because of the "training" promised in the beginning. That had gone well.
Well, if he was going to revive the White Fang, he may as well start now. In a kingdom as large as this, one person dead went unnoticed. A few people dead drew more interest from the guards.
To get to the level of alarm required by the queen, he had to put in some work.
Adam walked towards the stairs to find Neopolitan sitting on the banister. She hopped off and stood to block his path. "You have aura, don't you?" He could sense it.
She smirked and walked forward. Adam's instincts told him to avoid a fight, but his hands were already itching for his sword. When his fingertips brushed the hilt, she disappeared and showed up behind him. He hadn't even seen her move.
Neopolitan shook her head and kept walking towards him. He swung his blade at her as he unsheathed it, but she parried with her umbrella and held his gaze.
"Adam, what are you doing?" Cinder's voice froze their interaction.
"My job," he said.
"Wait until Roman gives you an order before you act."
Adam growled. "I don't need anyone to tell me how to do what I've been doing my whole life."
Cinder moved Neopolitan to the side and took her position in front of him. "Then think of his orders as orders from me. And, just like with orders from me, if you break them or distort them, you will be punished by me." A small flame showed up beside her for a moment. "Do I make myself clear, Adam?"
He felt his pride breaking as he answered. "Yes… Queen Cinder."
"Very good."
/-/-/-/
Roman sat alone in his room attempting to come up with a master plan to throw the city into a state of panic with just three people. It wasn't going so well given the lack of numbers. Stealing things or dealing in frauds took too long and even killing a few nobles wouldn't cause widespread panic because all the good nobles were killed at the Origin Demonstration.
If the king's assassin was on his team, he might have a better chance, but so far not a single lead on their identity had been mentioned. That was too bad. Roman had wanted to congratulate the cloaked figure for finally giving the oldest king in history some well-deserved rest.
Well, if he could get a guard patrol's attention, he'd have something to work with. A control group of sorts. And... what better way to get their attention than to bring the issue to them? An agitated guard made for agitated people, and nothing made the guard more disturbed than having themselves be the targets.
All that was left was a hit list of people they would miss… Roman already had a few in mind.
~~AAAND STOP!~~
AN: Can I just take a moment to appreciate both Roman and Neo?
...
...
Yas.
NEXT: No Good News