The sounds of combat echoed in the near-empty room Miltia sat in. Up here in the seats, she had a perfect view of the fight taking place below. Her sister was taking on one of the first year huntsmen named Cardin Winchester. So far it was going as she would have expected.
Miltia sat alone, as Jaune was busy with another matter that did not concern herself. Away over in another section of the seats sat three other boys, Cardin's teammates. Truth be told, she was glad that they were nowhere near her. She would not be tempted to strike them for their disrespectful commentary. For their locker room speech. For them it was a spectacle that was to be enjoyed. There were stakes on the match, after all. Every one of them wanted to see their leader come out on top.
"Haha, go get her, Cardin!" one of the boys shouted down to the arena floor.
"She's hot," another said. "And she's seriously going to go out with him?"
As if.
"What'd Cardin do to bag a hottie like her?"
It had taken certain conditions to prod the boy into this fight. Melanie had promised that if Cardin won, she would go out with him. It was a vague statement, and she let the boy use his own imagination as to where it might lead. For a guy at the height of puberty, even the smallest sliver of hope was a chance worth taking.
Melanie on the other hand only had a very simple condition for the fight. One which seemed small and trivial in comparison to Cardin's potential prize. If she won, Cardin could tell no one that the fight took place. To him it must have seemed like a win-win scenario.
He had no idea who he was fucking with.
All in all, it was necessary in Miltia's eyes. Melanie had become increasingly temperamental since they had arrived here at Beacon Academy. The atmosphere was suffocating to a free spirit such as her sister. Things like rules and structure did not sit well with the elder Malachite. She was surrounded by those she hated. She was surrounded by those she could not control. Her very life was no longer in her control. As a result she had to create her own fun. She had to get her own comfort that did not involve the consumption of alcohol. The result of all this manifested in the way Melanie had kissed Ruby as an act of spite. Of vengeance. Of hate.
Her sister needed some sort of outlet for all of her raging emotions. Miltia felt them in the back of her mind, but there was also nothing she could do about it. Melanie's anger and fear made her lash out at just about everyone who wasn't her sister or Jaune. The best solution that Miltia could come up with was a spar. She could not participate in the matches in Glynda's class, for whatever reason. Maybe something about the legality of a registered huntsman academy student fighting against a civilian. Or maybe Miss Goodwitch did not want to give two criminals any sort of professional training that they could take back to the streets with them. Whatever the reason was, they were officially not allowed to participate in such classes. However, no one ever said that they couldn't spar in their free time.
They had seen Cardin fight before by observing Glynda's sparring class. Miltia knew that he would be a good opponent for her sister. Not only did he seem less skilled than the girls of Team RWBY, but he fought with a familiar style. The heavy mace which Cardin wielded was not unlike the massive club that Junior fought with. Cardin was a large boy, even taller and broader than Jaune. He relied on strength more than agility. All the pieces were in place to make him the perfect adversary for Melanie. And, unfortunately for him, the perfect punching bag for her to unleash her emotions upon.
Miltia jumped when she heard a voice from beside her. "Can I sit here?"
Looking over to her side, she saw the familiar form of Ruby standing next to her. There was apprehension in those bright silver eyes of hers. Her hands were behind her back, most likely clasped together uneasily.
Miltia had no ill-will toward the girl, and simply shrugged. "Whatever."
Ruby nodded and took her seat, making sure to keep an empty spot between them. She stared down to the floor as well, taking in the fight below them. "Why's your sister fighting Cardin?"
Her eyes didn't leave the graceful form of her sister as she danced around the floor, avoiding another one of Cardin's strikes. "Stress relief."
It was probably the only form of stress relief that her sister had left to her. Fighting, fucking, and drinking were the top three ways for Melanie to blow off steam. Here at Beacon she was deprived of kicking gangster ass. Her alcohol had been confiscated by Miss Goodwitch, and the fact that they basically had to be smuggled down to Vale in order to drink made such trips difficult and rare. As for the last one... there wasn't a person here that Melanie would want to fool around with.
"Oh," Ruby replied simply. Uneasily. A brief period of silence settled over them before she spoke again. "She's pretty good."
There was no doubt that Melanie was a skilled fighter. She was the more talented of the pair, and was a far more eager and aggressive combatant. She had given Yang a run for her money before the blonde showed just how big the gap between them truly was. There was an undeniable difference between amateur fighters like herself and Melanie, and those on the professional track like Yang and Ruby.
However, those rules did not always apply.
Cardin may have been a member of the latter group, but he was no Yang Xiao Long. He would have been able to manhandle any of Junior's goons, but against another skilled opponent his own talents were shown to be a bit lacking.
He may have been strong, but he was cumbersome. His mace was powerful, and he fought like Junior, but the boy only had a fraction of the man's skill. Melanie on the other hand relied on her speed and agility more than raw hitting power. That was why she had been able to score several hits on Yang, but not enough to keep her down. Yang had both power and speed. More than enough to defeat both of them.
"Yeah," Miltia agreed.
"I hope she wins." The sentiment was surprising, considering the relationship that Ruby shared with the girl in white.
"Really?"
"Yup," Ruby confirmed. "Cardin's a jerk."
Miltia didn't know the boy, and so couldn't comment. She of course hoped that her sister would win too. But really she did not need to hope. She knew that Melanie would be victorious here. The girl had been trained by Junior. She knew how to counter that sort of fighting style. It was only a matter of time.
"She's fucking with him."
"What?" Ruby gasped.
Miltia wondered if she should not swear around the girl. Ruby was after all such an innocent little flower, as her sister liked to put it. "Messing with him," she amended.
"Oh. For a second I thought you meant..."
It took Miltia a moment to connect the dots. Ruby had taken the statement literally. Like, sexually literally.
Again, as if.
Cardin was absolutely not Melanie's type. He was the strong and boastful type. Confident. Arrogant. The utter antithesis of what Melanie looked for in a partner. Those she chose had to submit to her. She made it clear that she was the dominant one in a relationship.
"Nah," Miltia said, voicing her thoughts in response to the girl. "Cardin's totally not her type."
"Oh. What is her type?"
Miltia knew her sister's type, but she soon found herself struggling to put it into words in a way that Ruby would understand. In a way that wouldn't make her feel dirty. Ruby was still a child, after all. Fifteen years old to their eighteen. It may have only been three years, but it seemed like such a huge thing to the raven-haired girl.
"I guess, like, submissive?" Miltia responded. It was a pretty vague answer, but she was having a hard time finding a way to explain it to Ruby. "Innocent. Someone she can control. I dunno if that makes sense."
She glanced over to see that Ruby was not attempting to make eye contact with her either for their conversation. Rather, her eyes were still locked on the battle raging below them.
A battle that Melanie was slowly but surely winning.
She danced around the boy, using every bit of her speed and agility to her advantage. Her lithe body dodged and wove between mace strikes. With every miss Cardin left himself open to attack, and Melanie took the opportunity to deliver a stiff kick every time. Each may have not been enough to fell the boy with a single blow, but they were slowly taking their toll on him. It was akin to a cat toying with its prey. It was death by a thousand cuts. One look at the Aura meters above the arena told the story. Cardin's was nearly half gone, while Melanie's had barely been touched.
That wasn't the only thing of Melanie that would not be touched by Cardin. The boy just didn't know that he was out of luck yet.
"Oh," Ruby repeated. This time Miltia saw how the girl's hands began to fidget, her fingers playing with each other on her lap. "That's interesting."
She was nervous. It was obvious as to why. Miltia wondered how she would have reacted to getting drunk and kissed by someone like her sister as an introduction to that sort of affection.
"I know it probably won't mean much, but I'm sorry for what she did," Miltia told the girl next to her. "I mean, don't get me wrong, we totally hate your sister and all. But you didn't deserve what she did to you."
Ruby's head bobbed quickly. "It's okay," she said. "Melanie already apologized the other day."
She knew that her sister had. However, Miltia had always been the responsible one of the pair. Both out of necessity and choice. She almost felt as if she played the dual role of both sister and mother to her elder twin. Therefore she felt obligated to apologize for what her wayward "child" of a sister had done.
Still, she was surprised how Ruby had said it was okay. Miltia would have been pissed off had she been in her shoes. Losing her first kiss while drunk, and to a person who used you out of spite? Ruby was either the most forgiving person she had ever met, or the most innocent. Or maybe both.
"So what other kind of stuff does she like?"
Miltia glanced over at the girl. What an odd and random question. "What do you mean?"
Ruby shrugged. "I don't know. I guess I just wanna get to know her better." She blinked a few times before continuing. "Know you both better. Since we're all Jaune's friends. I mean you're more than that. You're is girlfriend. And only you. Melanie isn't. She made that very clear. Does that mean Melanie's not seeing anyone right now?"
She wasn't, but she also wasn't sure why that was at all relevant to the conversation. "Yeah," she confirmed. "There's no one at Beacon I can see my sister liking like that."
Ruby glanced away, her thumbs playing with each other once more. "Oh."
Another look at Ruby showed that the girl was clearly uncomfortable, even if she had been the one to steer the conversation in this direction. She was absolutely a novice when it came to this sort of thing. Miltia was not her sister, and she was not cruel. She decided not to harp on the topic any longer, and instead move on to something a bit more familiar to the other girl.
"So I'm just wondering. Why are you here?" Miltia didn't mean it in a bad way, and decided to clarify her question. "I mean, not that you can't be here or whatever. But shouldn't you be getting ready for your huntress thingy or something?"
Miltia had heard that the teams of Beacon Academy would soon be taking on missions. Some of them would even be outside of the kingdom. Field work was a dangerous and necessary part of being a huntress, and for the most part the students she had seen seemed pretty excited about the whole thing.
"I think we're pretty ready," Ruby replied. "I just hope we get a cool huntsman to shadow."
A cool huntsman. It was an oxymoron to Miltia. So long as you were a dog of the kingdom, you couldn't be cool. "Right," she agreed nonetheless.
"But I guess I'm here because I like fights," Ruby continued. "Fights, weapons, all that cool stuff. Like your sister's heel blades? They look so cool!"
Ruby's confidence seemed to spike when she was talking about Melanie's weapons. It was in stark contrast to how she was speaking only moments before. She truly was a strange girl.
"And... there was one other thing I was wondering about."
Miltia glanced over again to the girl. "Hmm?"
"I dunno. I guess I just wanted to know how Jaune's doing."
Miltia's guard immediately went up. Her eyes turned suspicious as she gazed upon the younger girl. "Why?"
"He told me," Ruby explained. "About the docks. We had a talk the other day about... stuff. It seemed like he was taking everything pretty rough. Even after all this time."
Death was never easy to deal with. Miltia had never had to deal with being the one to deliver the killing blow, but she had dealt with death all the same. The loss of her parents still stung after all these years. And so she could not imagine how it would feel to actually be the one responsible for the death of another.
The fact that Jaune trusted Ruby enough to tell her about these things put her at ease, even if only a little bit. Both Miltia and Melanie had their suspicions about Ruby. They flat out distrusted actual professional huntsmen. However, if Jaune felt that Ruby was his true friend, and that he could confide in her, then maybe Miltia should give the girl the benefit of the doubt as well.
With a sigh, Miltia looked away from the girl and back to her sister. "I dunno," she admitted. "I guess he's doing as well as anyone could." She glanced back, emerald eyes narrowing. "You're not wearing a wire, are you?"
Ruby's eyes widened, and she quickly shook both her head and her hands before her. "No no! Of course not! I'm just..." She frowned, breaking eye contact as she looked off to the side. "I'm just worried about him. He's my friend. I don't want my friend to hurt."
Those last words spoke to Miltia on a level which battered down the walls of pre-conceived notions she may have had toward Ruby. It really was that simple. Ruby was Jaune's friend, and she didn't want her friend to suffer. Just as Miltia did not want to see her boyfriend suffer. Miltia used every method of love and affection at her disposal to show how much she cared for him. To show how much he mattered to her. To show that he was worthy of love and happiness. Ruby may not have had those tools available to her, but she still wanted to help all the same.
"Yeah," Miltia agreed. "We're trying. It'll take time I guess. He has to forgive himself."
Ruby nodded. "Where is he now? There's no any classes or anything, so I thought he'd be with you."
She wished that he was. However, he had something else to take care of alone. Truthfully Miltia did not like how Jaune was having all these kinds of private meetings with those in charge of Beacon Academy.
"He has some meeting with Headmaster Ozpin. I dunno what it's about."
Ruby hummed thoughtfully. "Ozpin's a good guy," she said. "I'm sure everything's okay. He even let me into Beacon two years early."
This time it was Miltia's turn to hum. If the man in charge of this huntsman academy had agreed to let Ruby in two years early, then he clearly was not a stickler for the rules. That in itself made the girl uneasy. Weren't huntsmen supposed to follow the rules? Weren't they supposed to be loyal little attack dogs? Why would Ozpin bend the rules for this little girl? Admittedly she was a powerful little girl, but she was still just a little girl all the same.
She wondered what such a man might want with Jaune. Her words went back to something that Melanie had said the other day about Glynda not wanting to kick them out. Did they want to keep the three teens here for more reasons than just protecting them? For more reasons than just keeping them out of trouble?
She never got to think further on the subject before a commotion from down below stole her attention.
Cries of pain echoed throughout the room as Miltia saw her sister begin to viciously kick a downed Cardin Winchester. A look to the Aura meter showed that the boy had entered the red zone, and that the match should be over. Yet the girl did not relent. If anything she began to ramp up the intensity of her assault.
Blow after blow connected with the boy as he did his best to shield his face and head with his arms, letting his armored torso take the majority of the hits. Still, this match was over. It had to stop. Miltia was already standing when she saw Cardin's three teammates begin to descend down to the floor as well. The girl knew she had to beat them there. She had to be the one to defuse the situation, or else things could get a lot uglier.
"Melanie!" she screamed as she rushed over to the girl. Her sister did not let up in her attacks until the moment Miltia placed a hand on her shoulder and spun her around.
A look at the girl's face showed utter rage and contempt. Even despite the fact that neither of the girls knew Cardin before this day, and especially did not know him on a personal level, Miltia knew why her sister was acting this way. It wasn't just an outlet for her pent up anger and aggression. It wasn't just the fact that she hated this place and the people here. Cardin Winchester, and every other student here, represented what Melanie and Miltia hated. He was a stupid huntsman.
Melanie was quick to respond to her sister's cry after being interrupted from her assault. "What!" she shouted angrily.
Not one to be intimidated by the girl, Miltia stood her ground. "It's over," she said in a calmer voice. She pointed up to the Aura meter to show as much. "The match is over."
Her sister followed the extended finger to look up at the meter. The display featuring the names and Aura levels of the combatants showed that Cardin's Aura was indeed well into the red zone, and was dangerously close to being broken. Had this been any sort of official match in one of Miss Goodwitch's classes, it would have already been over.
Melanie tore her sister's hand from her shoulder, scoffing with disgust. "Whatever."
Truth be told, Miltia was getting sick of the girl's attitude. This was becoming a problem. Going after Ruby the way she had. Going too far in the match with Cardin. Being disrespectful toward anyone and everyone she ran across. Just her demeanor and attitude in general. It was all building up, and soon enough it might explode in a way that would have lasting consequences. For her or someone else.
One of those consequences was threatening to rear its ugly head right now, as one of Cardin's teammates stepped forward. "What's your problem?" he asked the girl who had assaulted his leader.
The other two boys were still kneeling down and attending to Cardin. But this disgusting green-mohawked one was standing up to Melanie, both figuratively and literally. Things could get ugly in an instant if and when Melanie escalated the situation.
Miltia decided to cut that opportunity off before it even began. "She's sorry," she said as she stepped between the boy and Melanie. "She went too far."
"Bitch, I'm not-"
The younger twin spun around and leveled a finger at her sister, cutting her off mid-sentence. "You're sorry," she growled. "Not another fucking word."
Miltia was used to having to act as her sister's guardian. As the mother that they lost so long ago. This was just another incident where she had to defuse a tense situation that Melanie had created. However, she would always do so without hesitation. She would do anything for her sister.
Thankfully Melanie seemed to get the message, and she folded her arms across her chest in a huff. "Whatever," she breathed.
"That's it? She's sorry?" the boy continued. "Is that supposed to make everything okay?"
No. But it was the best they had to offer.
"What do you want? A fucking blowjob or something?" Melanie spat. "Will that make everything better?"
"Melanie!"
"What? What the fuck do they expect?"
The suggestion of such "compensation" seemed to take the boy aback, and his anger evaporated. Clearly he wasn't used to exchanging words with someone like Melanie Malachite.
Cardin was by now back on his feet, with his other two teammates on either side of him. He was looking in pretty rough shape, but it wasn't something that wouldn't heal in a few hours.
Four boys were glaring daggers into the raven-haired girl who had just won the spar. If she felt at all threatened by them she didn't show it.
"Just remember," she said, pointing a finger at Cardin. "Not a word about this." Those were indeed the conditions of the match. If Melanie won, then Cardin could tell no one. Miltia wondered if he would indeed live up to his word. A small smirk curled on Melanie's lips before she continued. "Just say you fell down some stairs or something."
The girl spun and sauntered off before another word could be uttered. She must have been feeling on top of the world right now. After just physically and verbally dominating a group of aspiring huntsmen, she must have felt like she was home again.
Miltia looked at the group gathered around her. She didn't feel like saying anything more to the boys. Ruby, on the other hand, she felt as though she should address before she left.
"Um... later..." she said uneasily.
Ruby nodded. "Yeah. Bye."
Miltia took off quickly after her sister. This was indeed becoming a problem. Her issues. Her attitude. Her lack of a proper coping mechanism.
In reality, it had always been a problem. It was just one they never wanted to address. They had their ways of dealing with it. Drinking and fighting had been temporary solutions to stave off the nightmares. Though they did not stop Miltia from having them. But there was one thing, or rather one boy, who did help with them...
Miltia could not imagine sleeping alone anymore. Wrapped in the warm and protective embrace of Jaune, the nightmares did not come anymore. Her sleeping mind did not wander back to Mountain Glenn when she was in his arms. She did not relive the events which had stolen everything from her and her sister, because Jaune was there to protect her from such tragedy. Melanie did not have that same gift, however.
Deprived of comfort, deprived of a coping method, and deprived of home, there was no way for the girl to deal with her issues. She would only continue to self-destruct further. She would only continue to lash out at those around her. Something had to be done. They had to finally do what they had never wanted to do. What they had always been too afraid to do.
They had to confront the ghosts of their past.
The sound of turning gears was rhythmic. How did it not drive the man, and anyone else in the room insane?
Jaune sat in a large room, seated across the desk from the headmaster of Beacon Academy. All around them were clocks. The imagery of clocks. The sound. The smell. The taste of clocks. It was insane to even think such things, but Jaune's senses were so saturated with the devices that he could swear that all of his senses were being assaulted by the things.
The older spectacled man sat across from him, looking down at a small pile of papers on his desk. It was an intimidating feeling to be certain. Headmaster Ozpin was clearly an old and experienced huntsman. He oozed confidence and knowledge from his very being. And yet, for some reason, the man had wanted to speak with Jaune in private. The boy recalled a few days earlier at the dance when Ozpin had first brought the matter up. At the time he didn't think much of it. There were too many other pressing issues to be concerned with. However, seeing how Melanie had already been punished for her transgressions, surely it could not be about that. What, then?
Turning to look out the window, there was a spectacular view of the whole city of Vale from up here. Beacon, and more specifically this tall tower, stood over the city like a watchful sentinel. In a way it was fitting, since the huntsmen were the guardians and protectors of mankind. But then again, maybe from up here they stood in a dominant and commanding position over the rest of mankind. Like they were better than the rest of the people that they protected and served. Had he been spending too much time with the twins to make him think such a thing? Perhaps. One thing was for certain, however. They most certainly were above the law. Team RWBY's actions on the highway and their lack of consequences told the boy that much.
The white-haired man across the desk finally finished his reading, and looked up to regard his guest. "Mr. Arc," he said smoothly.
The sound of her name shook Jaune from his musings, and he turned back to look at the headmaster. "Yeah."
"Thank you for coming to see me. I know that things have been a little bit hectic over the past few days. Tell me, how are your friends adjusting to my academy?"
Jaune didn't respond immediately. How did one exactly tell a man that his amazing academy was the equivalent of a prison to those two girls? That for Melanie's part at least, she hated every minute she spent trapped in this school? That the man's generosity was wasted on people who didn't want to be here?
Deciding to go with a safe and noncommittal approach, Jaune used the same tactic he had once used on Ruby when talking about his job at Junior's club. "It's interesting," he said. "Definitely different."
He could have sworn that there was a ghost of a smirk on the older man's face. He had a bad feeling about that. "They hate it here, don't they?" Ozpin asked.
Bad feeling confirmed. Leave it to the headmaster of Beacon Academy to not be fooled by his ploy. Ruby was a young, and honestly naive girl. She was also his friend. That made her easier to trick. But this man who had been around for decades? Who had dealt with teenagers like Jaune for most of his life? It was laughable to think that his answer would fool the man.
"Well I wasn't about to say it..."
Ozpin shook his head softly. "It's quite alright. The life of a huntsman is not for everyone. This academy is not for everyone. Especially when the people in question come from backgrounds as colorful as the Malachite sisters. But since they are here, all one can do is try to be as accommodating as possible to their needs."
Colorful. That was one way to put it. Part of Jaune wanted to ask how much about those girls Ozpin really knew. Did he know that they were more than mere bouncers? Was that perhaps what was on those papers he was reading? Perhaps those were some detailed background checks on the girls.
But if he did know about them, and he did know that they hated it here, then why did Ozpin want them here? Jaune's mind went back to what Melanie said just a couple days ago. She had flat out said that Glynda did not want to kick them out of Beacon. That despite all the trouble that she had caused, Glynda did not want to see her leave. It was curious if true. But he couldn't just ask Ozpin head on, could he?
Ozpin's last statement had put the ball back in Jaune's court, so to speak. The man had spoken of his generosity, and Jaune could not deny it. To do so would paint him in a terrible light in front of the man. "Yeah, definitely," he agreed. "We really do appreciate you looking after us after what happened to Junior's club. And I'm sorry for all the trouble that Melanie's caused."
The man nodded his head slightly, and this time a small smile did form on his face. "Thank you, Mr. Arc. I'm just happy that the situation has been resolved and all parties involved are moving on."
Jaune nodded in agreement. And that statement just confirmed that he was not here because of Melanie's issues. So that again raised the question, why did Ozpin summon him here?
"And how are you enjoying your stay here?" Ozpin continued. "Or perhaps enjoy is the wrong word. Perhaps you too feel as though you're trapped in a cage and long for freedom."
The boy frowned. Truth be told his feelings on being back here were mixed. Jaune had long given up on his dreams of being a huntsman. He wanted no part of that lifestyle anymore after seeing what it did to people. The innocent. His friends. His girlfriend. Even himself. The wish to be the big hero and live up to his family reputation had been a childish one. A selfish one. A naive one. Did he honestly think he would be able to face down the creatures of Grimm with what little training he had gotten from his father? What if his foolishness had gotten himself killed? Or worse, someone else killed?
But then again, being back here only reminded him of his old foolish self. It reminded him of his failures. Of his wasted time and efforts. His wasted dreaming. If not a huntsman, what was he going to do with his life? What were his long term goals? He couldn't work at Junior's place forever, could he? He didn't want to have to hurt people. Even bad people who deserved it. He didn't want to fight against terrorists or gangs in downtown Vale. He wanted a normal peaceful life. But was that what Miltia wanted too? He honestly had no idea how she would react to him not wanting to work or live at the club anymore.
He couldn't go back to his 'it's interesting' response. So this time he just decided to be honest. "I don't know," he admitted. "It's nice and all. And I really do appreciate you allowing us to stay here. But at the same time I know it's not permanent. I know that being a huntsman isn't what I want to do anymore."
Jaune wondered if his admission had insulted the man. It was one thing to say that to Miltia. It was quite another to say it to the headmaster of a school for huntsmen.
If Ozpin was insulted by the words, his face did not show it. That same neutral expression remained. "May I ask why you originally wanted to become a huntsman?"
There were a lot of reasons. Some of them were selfish, others selfless. Jaune didn't know where to begin. "I don't know," he started. "I guess... I guess the main reason was that I wanted to make my family proud. I come from a long line of warriors and heroes. I guess I just sort of put that expectation on myself. Even if no one else did."
No one in his family expected him to succeed as a huntsman. His father had ultimately found his skills to be lacking when he had trained growing up. That was why he had to forge his transcripts. That was why he had to lie and say he was going to a school for the arts instead of a combat school. No one dared to believe he was actually pursuing the path of a huntsman.
Ozpin leaned back in his seat, and nodded understandingly. "Those are indeed quite hefty goals. Especially for a child."
Jaune wanted to be offended by the fact that Ozpin had just called him a child. However, he was only seventeen. He was still just a child. Especially in comparison to this old, experienced huntsman.
"Did you want to be a hero as well?" the man continued. "Like those in your family?"
He did. He wanted desperately to be the hero. To be someone that others looked up to. To be more powerful than he actually was. Jaune nodded grimly. "Yeah. I did."
"It is a noble goal. To put the needs of others before yourself. To sacrifice so much for those around you, even those you don't know. Those who may not even know or appreciate what you've done for them."
Jaune nodded. "Yeah. But I mean, it's kinda selfish for me too. I wanted to do it for more than just others. It would have made me feel good too."
A small smile crept on Ozpin's face. "Don't be hard on yourself. Every act of kindness has a small portion of selfishness imbedded in it, even if we don't realize it. We feel good about ourselves when we act selflessly. We reward ourselves for helping others by thinking that we are superior to those who are selfish. Is that not selfish in and of itself?"
He hadn't considered that. Jaune did take pride in the fact that he wanted to help others. It did make him feel good about himself. Was Ozpin right? "I guess that makes sense."
"Still, I do not wish to dampen your enthusiasm. Regardless of the philosophical and moral quandaries of wanting to help others, it is still always a worthy pursuit." The man's hands folded in front of him on the desk. "Is it a fair assessment to say that helping others is something you wish to do? That you care about the wellbeing of those around you, even if you do not know them personally?"
Jaune nodded once more. "Yeah. I'd like to help anyone I can. No matter who they are."
His thoughts went back to Tukson. A man who he had just met, and who he had witnessed get beaten half to death by Melanie. Jaune had wanted to help that man escape the reach of the White Fang. In the end, he had failed. He was no hero. Just like he wasn't a huntsman.
"What if I told you that not all heroes had to be huntsmen?" The words made Jaune's head lift up look Ozpin in those piercing brown eyes of his. "Why, there are heroes all around us who don't have fancy weapons or Semblances. Doctors. Police officers. Firefighters. The list goes on and on. You wouldn't deny that those people are any less heroic than the faculty of this academy, would you?"
Of course not. The list Ozpin had just rattled off was full of heroes. "No, I agree," Jaune said. "Them. Soldiers. Teachers. Like you said, lots of people."
Ozpin smiled. "I'm happy you feel that way. It takes helping only a single person to make you a hero. Would you agree?"
"Yeah. For sure."
"To save a hundred makes you an even bigger hero. To save a thousand. And many, many more."
Jaune was confused by such a strange statement. Regardless, he agreed with Ozpin's assessment. "Right."
"Mr. Arc, what if I told you that there was a way you could be a hero right here in this academy? That you could do it without the need of being a huntsman?"
Be a hero at a huntsman academy without being a huntsman? Jaune sincerely hoped that this was not some sort of trick, or some sort of play on words, and that Ozpin was going to invite him to become the new janitor of Beacon Academy under the pretense of, 'The toilets don't scrub themselves. Only a true hero can do that.'
Jaune responded after a few moments of doubt. "How?"
The mood in the room seemed to darken along with Ozpin's face as he spoke. "Several months ago, a colleague of mine was grievously injured in battle. The wound is mortal, and sadly she is only clinging to life thanks to a piece of advanced medical equipment. There is no medical cure for this woman. Even her own Aura is powerless to heal her."
The situation had just taken a very serious turn. Jaune didn't quite know how to respond to the headmaster's admission. All he could do was offer his condolences. "I'm sorry."
Ozpin nodded. "So am I, Mr. Arc. However..." Those eyes were once more focused on Jaune. There was an intensity which had not been there before. "I've heard from Professor Goodwitch that you possess quite a unique Semblance. Aura Amplification, I believe is the term she used to describe it. Not only can you strengthen your own Aura, but you can also amplify that of others. You can heal those who were injured."
While Jaune was still getting used to focusing his Aura to strengthen his own body, he had more experience in the latter. The first time had been with Miltia just after Junior's club was bombed. Her wounds probably would have been life-ending if not for his Semblance finally unlocking and saving her life. Since then he had continued using it on his lover, only for a very different purpose.
Miltia described the mingling of their Auras as an intimate experience. To have his Aura inside of her, coursing through every inch of her body, must have been an incredible and indescribable experience for the girl. Judging by the way she reacted when he did it now, by the way it got her in the mood for certain activities... Jaune could only imagine that she was telling the truth.
"Yeah, I can do that," Jaune confirmed. Based on the conversation they were having, he had a good idea of where it was going next. Still, he wanted Ozpin to confirm it. "Why do you ask?"
The man folded his hands neatly atop his desk. "Mr. Arc. I would be most interested to see if your Semblance would be able to heal my companion. If you were to save her life, you would become a hero in ways that you could not possibly imagine."
When Ozpin put it that way, how could he possibly refuse?
For the first time she could remember, Miltia was happy that Jaune was not present. This was a conversation that needed to happen between her and her sister.
The incident in the sparring room with that Beacon student had been the final straw as far as she was concerned. They hadn't been at Beacon for long, barely two weeks at this point. But it was already taking a toll on her sister in ways that were beginning to manifest themselves physically. Never mind the emotional trauma that Melanie must be going through right now, being trapped in this hated place. She was lashing out at others, both verbally and physically. First with Ruby. Now that boy. When would the next incident happen? With who? How?
And the scariest question of all, what if Melanie picked a fight with the wrong person? What if she picked one who could not only fight back, but win?
Miltia would not risk that. She would not risk her sister's happiness or well-being any longer. This little vacation at Beacon with Jaune had been fun for her, and it had been fun for him. However, Melanie was miserable. She knew what had to be done.
The two of them were in their dorm now waiting for Jaune to return. He was still in his meeting with Headmaster Ozpin. That at least gave her some time to present her argument to Melanie. Not that it would take much effort to get her to agree to the plan in her mind.
Turning to look at her sister, she saw that the girl still had a scowl on her face. She knew that what she was about to suggest would only make things worse, but in her mind it was the only way to eventually make things better.
"Mel," the girl said, breaking the silence in the room.
Her twin looked over at her. "Yeah?"
"Start packing your shit. We're leaving Beacon."
There was a small part of Miltia which had expected her to stand up and pump her fist into the air with joy, but it never came. The surprise on Melanie's face was clear, but not at all unexpected. "What?"
"We have to get out of here," Miltia explained. "This place sucks."
Melanie frowned. "I mean, duh. But I'm just surprised you wanna leave too. Seemed like you and Jaune were having a great time."
They were. Miltia would never deny that. It was almost like being put up in a hotel room for free while they go to lounge around and do nothing. No real responsibilities. No bills to worry about. Just hang out, enjoy each other's company, and take in all the sights Beacon had to offer.
However, this was not about her and Jaune. This was about her sister.
"He'll understand," the younger twin said knowingly.
"What if he doesn't? What if he gets mad?"
Since when did Melanie care about her relationship with the boy so much? It was touching to see this kind of sincerity from her sister. But again, this wasn't about Jaune.
Miltia stood and approached the other girl. "If he doesn't like it, well, tough shit. I mean I love him and all, but..." She bent down to pull Melanie into a tight embrace. "You're my sister. You'll always be my other half. And you'll always be the most important person in my life." It took a moment, but Melanie reciprocated the hug. For long moments they remained until finally Miltia pulled back. "And I can't fucking stand seeing you suffer like this."
Melanie nodded softly. For once she seemed to be at a loss for words. Miltia thought that maybe she should be open and emotional more often. Maybe it'd be a good way of shutting the other girl up when she got too annoying.
A soft laugh slipped through Melanie's lips. "You said you love him. Have you told him that yet? Has he told you?"
Only then did it occur to Miltia that she had actually spoken those words. They had come out unintentionally. Without thought or rehearsal. Did that mean that the words were genuine?
Miltia couldn't stop the soft smile from forming on her lips. "No," she admitted. "But... like, I think our actions do all the talking for us."
"You mean all the fucking?"
A small blush spread on Miltia's face. "Yeah... that."
"Hopefully wherever we end up will have separate rooms. Then you two can bang all you want and I won't have to walk in on it like I did that one time..."
That had indeed been an embarrassing incident. Just another reason for leaving Beacon. No more shared room.
"So when are we leaving?" Melanie continued. "When Jaune gets back?"
That question led to the next part of Miltia's plan. The part that she knew her sister wouldn't like. "Tonight. But..." she said hesitantly. "Don't tell Jaune."
Surprise once more etched itself on her older sister's face. "Huh?"
"We're sneaking out 'cause we're the ones who Miss Goodbitch won't let leave," she explained, using her sister's favorite name for the professor. "Or, you at least. Jaune can leave anytime he wants."
Melanie nodded in understanding. "Okay, but how are we gonna get out when the pilots know not to give us rides to Vale?"
"What, do you suddenly have a problem with stealing?"
The girl blinked. "Fuck no. But, like, I know I'm amazing and shit, but even I don't know how to fly a Bullhead."
"The pilot does."
"But he won't fly us."
"And that's why you're gonna tell him you'll fuck him if he takes you down to Vale." The look of disgust on Melanie's face told the whole story, prompting Miltia to clarify her plan. "You're not actually gonna fuck him, Mel. At least you don't have to. Do what you want. I don't care."
Melanie was used to using her body as a weapon. Both literally with her legs, and figuratively with her feminine assets. Getting a man to do what she wanted would be easy for someone as beautiful as her.
"And if he doesn't?" Melanie asked.
Miltia walked over to the suitcase where her claws rested. Picking one up, she regarded its razor sharp blades. "Then we tell him we'll fuck him up if he doesn't. He's not gonna say no when he's got a couple blades pressed against his throat. Either way it'll be totally convincing."
Once more, Melanie looked surprised by her sister's words. "Shit. Since when did you get so ruthless?"
There were only a few things in the world that would make Miltia as aggressive and brutal as her sister. Her sister was in fact one of those things. "Because I love you, Mel. I'd do anything for you."
Melanie laughed. "Even hijack a fucking Bullhead from Beacon."
"Even that."
The other girl stood up, a new spring in her step as she grabbed her own suitcase and threw it on the bed. "I'm down for that. But still, why are we doing this without telling Jaune?"
Miltia swallowed hard. She had been distracted for long enough by the other topics. It was time to make the final sales pitch to Melanie. "Because we gotta go do something without him," she explained. "Something personal."
"Oh?" Melanie smirked mischievously. "What, you wanna go shopping for some eatable panties or something?" The joke earned no smile from Miltia. That in itself caused Melanie's own to fall from her face. Her teasing tone turned somber when she spoke next. "Mil... what's going on?"
Well, here it goes. "We're gonna go see mom and dad."
Surprise. Shock. Horror. Fear. All these expressions and more manifested themselves on Melanie's face in an instant. "What?"
Miltia bit down on her lip briefly before she spoke. "We gotta go see them. Talk to them. Something."
Confusion was added to the list of emotions raging inside Melanie. "The fuck are you talking about? You can't mean what I think you do."
She nodded her head softly, as if confirming Melanie's worst fears. "Yeah. We're gonna go to Mountain Glenn."
Melanie threw the article of clothing in her hands down onto the bed and marched the few feet over to where her sister stood. "You can't fucking be serious. Why the fuck would you wanna go back there?"
Why? Because that was the root of their issues. Where it all began. Where their lives had been changed forever. Where Melanie got her drinking problem from. Where Miltia's nightmares had spawned from. Where their Semblances had been unlocked. Every action and decision which they had made up to this point had been shaped by the events of the fall of Mountain Glenn. By the trauma that it had caused them.
"Because we have to get over it," Miltia told her. Her own body was trembling as she said the words. She was scared, but she knew she had to be strong for her sister.
"Fuck you!" Melanie screamed. "I don't have to get over shit!"
The girl turned to move away, but Miltia lashed out and grabbed her arm. "You wanna fucking drink yourself to death? You wanna keep picking fights with people 'til one of them finally decides to fuck you up for a change? What if the next Yang Xiao Long actually puts a fucking bullet in your head?"
"Fuck off!"
Melanie tried to pull away, but Miltia pulled her back. She pulled the girl into another tight embrace. Her sister did not refuse it.
Miltia squeezed the girl tightly, one of her hands coming up to run itself through Melanie's hair. "We gotta do something," she said softly. Tears were forming in her eyes as she held onto her sister for dear life. "When I'm with Jaune I don't have nightmares, but you don't have anyone like that. And I know Jaune might not be around forever. He might die. Or he might get sick of me and leave. Then the nightmares will come back. So... we just gotta get over this shit, Melanie. We have to go back."
She felt the warm wetness of her sister's tears as Melanie's head pressed against her shoulder. "I don't wanna go back..."
Neither did Miltia. But she knew they had to do something. She had had enough of the drinking. Enough of the fighting. Enough lashing out. Enough pain. They had to confront their past. They had to do it head on.
"I know, Melanie." Her hand continued to soothingly stroke the girl's long hair like a mother would have done for her child. "But we gotta try. Maybe going back there will help."
And much like a mother, the mother that she had to become out of necessity, she knew that she had to make hard decisions for the good of her children. Or in this case, her sister. It would hurt to go back. It would be scary. But it might do them both some good.
"And if it doesn't?"
"I dunno," she admitted. "But anything's better than the shit you're going through right now." After a few seconds, Miltia felt the head pressed against her nod. Melanie pushed herself away to reveal a face with smudged black eyeliner. Miltia smiled at the sight. "You okay?"
Melanie nodded again. "Fuck. You're never gonna let me live down that I cried."
"I cried too."
"Yeah, but you're a fucking pussy."
Miltia laughed. "Whatever. Are you okay with this?"
A soft shrug of the shoulders told the whole story. "I dunno. But... I guess what you said makes sense."
She hoped it did. Miltia was no psychologist, but even she knew things she had picked up off of TV and magazines. Sometimes you just had to confront your problems head on. And if it didn't work, then at least they would have tried.
"Yeah. So get ready. We're leaving tonight."
Melanie nodded before walking back over to her suitcase.
Miltia resumed her own packing as well. She didn't know what the future had in store for them, but something had to change. She was determined to make it a change for the better.
Author's Note: My apologies for taking so long to update. But at least I haven't been idle! I did plenty of other writing since updating. There are two new short White Knight stories on my profile if that interests you.
So since posting last chapter, this story has surpassed 1,000 favorites. That's awesome. I can't thank you all enough for such an incredible show of support. It means so much to me that so many people are getting so much enjoyment out of the fic.
You'll probably also notice that this story has new cover art. I commissioned the piece from a very talented artist named TabletKnight. They do incredible work for a very good price. I highly recommend them if you're looking to commission art of your own. Or just check out their tumblr to see more great RWBY art. A friend of mine commissioned a NSFW piece of Jaune and both twins from Tablet, so enjoy that.
As always I want to thank you for reading. I hope you liked the chapter.