I know it's been a long time since the previous chapter, but Christmas is a stressful time. That said, the rest of the chapters will come much more regularly, so enjoy chapter 1 and comment what you think!
The tropical archipelago of Patch, located in the Azure Sea between Vale and Mistral, was bustling with activity once again. After achieving independence from Vale following the Great War, Patch became a closed community for many years, trying to recover from the wounds of battle and forge a line of defense against their neighbours.
It wasn't long before people felt restricted by Patch's isolation policies, the children of the archipelago preferring to attend real academies around the world rather than stay behind to defend their islands. It wasn't until the current council of elders took the reins that a real expansion began, recruiting professionals from all over the world and giving them a home in the peaceful kingdom.
With Glynda founding her new Academy after the fall of Beacon in the archipelago as a spearhead, and with the rescue of Atlas general and headmaster James Ironwood from execution, the almost self-sufficient archipelago soon became a reclusive but respectable force on the international political scene.
A growing force, one that the kingdoms could no longer ignore. Despite Jacques Schnee's efforts to keep Glynda's academy, Sanctuary, from being made official.
Sanctuary's Tower, Patch Island
09:30 a.m., August 17, Year 68 post-Great War
"General Ironwood? Your coffee is ready."
"Thank you, Camm."
Closing the door slowly behind him, James began his usual routine of preparing his office: The curtains opened, lighting up his office in the soft glow of the morning sun. His computer and command screen turned on, already showing him messages and reports he would have to go over. The general took a seat in his chair before taking his first sip.
After a victory like the one the night before, James' morning coffee tasted extra sweet. Natural light filtering through the windows warmed the office, classical music adding the finishing touch to a morning that was off to a good start. With such a good start to the morning, even the tropical air of the island seemed more pleasant than usual.
And all thanks to the metaphorical ass-kicking that James and his trusty STRQ… ST had delivered it to Jacques Schnee. Not to mention the confirmed death of Cho Taurus, who has been a thorn in his side every since she managed to kidnap two of the Belladonnas. James couldn't understand how STRQ always did it, but out of every opportunity they always managed to get twice as many results as any other team under his command.
Managing to authorize the extraction of the Schnee siblings had not been easy. And James may had to … bend the rules a little. But time had been of the essence and it had been a good cause. The same argument could apply to his right-hand man. Qrow didn't hesitate to cut his mandatory time off short and race across half the planet to save part of his family.
Both had used certain liberties of their positions for worthy ends, so for once Ironwood was going to restrain himself from reprimanding him.
Four children and two adults who would finally escape the nightmare of their situations, returning them to a community that had happily accepted James and his men nearly five years ago. It was for this reason James had build Sanctuary tower like this, towering over the island so that all could rest easy. He and his young army would protect them.
The only remaining problem... was how to justify both operations to Patch's council. The elders would be easier, but the public council?
Once the injuries Summer and Qrow had suffered were made public, criticism would rain down from all sides. His broken arm would be healed in no time, but Summer's eye… The Rose clan had suffered too much already, and that Summer had lost a silver eye was bound to cause problems later on. Although technology had come a long way, silver-eyed warriors functioned differently.
Pietro had to design and test a completely new way for his protesthics to work, the original eyes being rejected by Maria.
"James… Hey James… Boss… Will you open up for me… please?"
Taking a slow breath, the general turned toward the balcony of his room. "You know, Tai? My employees usually come in through the door. I recommend you try it once in a while." Resigned to the smiling look on the face of one of his best men, James merely pressed the button on his desk, the balcony door opening. Tai snorted as his wings faded, a slightly burned smell entering the office. "Leave the balcony open, please. You can't create fire yet somehow it always smells like it."
"It's never the same scales when I summon them, so my theory is that they are consumed every time my transformation fades. Am I too early? I dropped Sum, Rae, Qrow, Yang and Ruby off at Pietro's clinic and thought it would be as good a time as any to bring you last night's report." James shook his head as Tai took a seat, laying the summary of both operations on the table. "Before you say anything, Ghira wanted to fill it out… we insisted that it wasn't needed, but he says he missed it. And the coffee stain is Qrow's fault, for the record. "
The general began to read it carefully, dreading what kind of property damage they left behind this time. "I guess it's these mundane things one misses after- you guys burned down Jacques' greenhouse?!" Tai nodded proudly. "Good job, but let's keep this between us. Did they recognize you?"
"Undoubtedly, Summer isn't the most discreet at fighting and I couldn't hold back when that prick started throwing his little metal soldiers at us. Though is it just me or do these robots look like … women? I don't know, but it freaked me out when I saw them coming to intercept us. Well, at least now he'll think twice about doing a commercial blockade of our archipelago... Do you think we are in danger? Summer has ordered a collection of old video games and they are supposed to arrive next week… I don't want to have to take the Bullhead to go get them." Tai joked, but there was some real concern mixed in with it.
Schnee Industries' trade blockade had resented the economy of the archipelago. The cargo ships may not have stopped coming into the Azure Sea, but Jacques was making sure they were taking longer and longer. The islands and the volcano provided plenty of natural resources so that there were no worries about lack of essential commodities, but it was a different matter when it came to entertainment.
Remnant was becoming a more dangerous place with each year, and keeping the population entertained and satisfied had become a great concern for all kingdoms.
James finally made it to the casualty section, breathing easy to see that Qrow somehow only had a broken left radius and ulna. Summer's injuries were more severe, but nothing unexpected after the field medics initial report. "I doubt Jacques wants to try to push his luck any further. Legally he can't do it without having to justify it to the rest of the council, and we still have allies in Atlas that make it difficult for him. At best he might try to pressure us militarily, but I'm not worried."
Tai folded his arms behind the back of his neck, leaning back in his seat. "You already have something figured out?"
James nodded, glancing sideways at his computer.
With Glynda leading the island Huntsmen and her Academy, Patch's army needed a good excuse to exist. And fighting Jacques to defend such powerless victims as Winter and her siblings was ideal.
"We live in a world in conflict, Tai. Patch's council sent you to rescue me to build and lead an army that could match the great kingdoms, and I intend to keep my word. We'll be short-handed for now, but each of our men is worth five of any of the dimwits Jacques may have hired."
"Let's hope it won't have to come to that, we've got a lot of hustle at home now that you've forced Summer and Qrow to take half a year off... thanks, by the way."
"Don't thank me, this is for their sake. The Brothers know that both of them would be looking for missions and assignments if they weren't legally exempt, and you could use these months off to help Ghira and Blake recover. I would like all of you to be in top shape the next time I have a need for team STRQ. That includes Raven. Special Ops can take care of everything for a few months-"
"JAMES IRONWOOD!"
He was not one to disobey direct orders often, but even James knew that sooner or later the consequences would eventually catch up with him. That they would come in the form of his co-worker's dramatic entrance, kicking open the office door was... to be expected.
Sebastian Bleu.
Grandson of the leader of the council of elders, popular politician on the public council for his... 'charisma' and his eagerness to defend any injustice, and most importantly:
The connection between the Sanctuary Tower Army and the two councils. He may not have been the most capable person when it came to military duties at first, but with a little effort and work James had managed to turn him into a more than decent administrator, capable of passing most missions on his own... Although his habit of talking about classified missions to his family, most notably his grandfather, was a problem.
Today would certainly be one of those days. "Good morning to you too, Bleu. Can I offer you a cup of coffee? Tea? Something stronger? You look like you could use it." Ironwood said, pointing to the coffee machine in the foyer.
"Very, very funny. Are you going to tell me any more jokes? Because I hope... I VERY MUCH HOPE THIS IS ONE!" Sebastian squeaked, bringing both hands to his head, entering without waiting for an invitation and closing the door behind him. "Tai, perfect. Before I break my head trying to think why you've taken an extraction of this caliber behind my back, I have to thank you for your daughters convincing my little Eliza to sign up for the Huntsmen course."
"You're welcome!... you don't mean that sarcastically, do you?"
Shaking his head, Sebastian slowly sat down in the chair next to him. A perhaps too long and deep sigh continued the conversation as he massaged his temples. "A secret extraction... risking Summer and Tai without any reinforcement? Bringen the children of Jaques fucking Schnee here? WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?"
Calmly, Ironwood got up to walk over to his mini bar, pulling out three glasses of whiskey. "On saving them, I think you already know that. Or are you going to imply that they don't deserve a chance to grow up free of that monster in human skin? I thought you'd have taken some good lessons from your-"
"Don't you dare put words in my mouth, James. Don't you dare." Sebastian made it clear by slapping the table with his palm. "I have principles, the same as you. But I can't understand how you could do something so irresponsible. Summer has lost an eye, for the love of the brothers! We only have one... two... silver-eyed people in Patch, we can't let them take such a risk without at least having a plan!"
"To be fair-" Hating to interrupt, Tai scratched the back of his neck looking for the right words to defuse the situation. "We had a plan, even if there were some improprieties in the end. And Sum's eye was because of Cho's little bastard son. No one but us is hurt by what happened… as much as Summer is important to the public power of the archipelago."
"You know… dammit… you know I didn't mean it like that, Tai," Taking a deep breath, Sebastian grunted as he downed the glass in one gulp…
Having to spit halfway through. "By the brothers, this is... how can you and Qrow drink something so strong?!"
"It helps to swallow the hard decisions." Getting Tai to nearly choke holding back a laugh, the general offered his handkerchief to Sebastian. "I'm sorry about how we went about this mission. And I'm sorry I kept it from you, but it couldn't wait. We had an opening and we needed- I needed to be able to save them."
"Aggg, why do you have to make my life harder? Wasn't it enough to force me to memorize every single military vehicle and equipment we have? Now you're also going to force me to have to improvise excuses? I am an excellent flutist and pianist, and a decent politician... I think... but what Sebastian Bleu will never be is a liar. The Bleu clan does not rule by lies-"
"I'm not asking you to lie... I just need you to justify this for me. I have the report ready for you to put your digital signature on so it looks like you knew in advance, you just need to do that and we can get out of this without having to testify before the council."
Raising an eyebrow, Sebastian sighed as he fumbled in his pocket for his authentication key. "What I don't understand is why you hadn't warned me before you send them… I thought you trusted me."
Even for a general trained to stand his ground, Sebastian's tone and newly abandoned puppy dog eyes were too much. "I didn't do it because I didn't trust you. I did it because I didn't want to leave the opportunity for any of the other clans to find an excuse to stonewall us. Once you get to know Winter as I know her you will understand how promising her future is, trust me. Free of Jacques that girl will succeed in changing the world..."
Both men looked at each other without saying anything, Tai forcing himself to cough to get the conversation back on track. If there was one thing the huntsman hated more than awkward silences, it was watching friends fight. "Listen, Sebs… if necessary, as the leader of the operation on the ground I'll offer to commiserate with you and James in front of the council. If they need any explanation, I'll be more than happy to remind them of Patch's reason for fighting-"
'Storm from Blood~
Born from Blood-'
"Sorry, sorry." Tai quickly apologized as he pulled out his scroll. "A message from my dad... channel 47, Mantle 24/7 now." Clear instructions, which James quickly followed. The general turned to the tactical screen covering his wall, activating it and transferring his computer screen to it.
-Schnee Group chairman Jacques Schnee confirms the death of his two daughters and son
in a tragic fire that has ravaged the grounds of Schnee Manor.-
The screen was showing the ruined gardens of the Schnee manor, fires lighting up the night sky.
"It can't be, he can't be pretending..." Ironwood blinked utterly dumbfounded, unable to comprehend how anyone could fake the death of their entire remaining family.
Sighing, Sebastian brought both hands to his face. The worst of the worst had happened. "With the 'deaths' of Willow's heirs, all shares in their names pass to Jacques. And I don't need to tell you what that means, do I?"
James couldn't answer, still fixated on the news report. Tai growled as his hands turned into claws, the painkillers finally wearing off. "Absolute control over the city of Atlas. And as soon as he manages to get rid of Mantle's council..."
The TV screen shattered, the remains of James' glass falling to the floor. "We've... we've got to do something. I can't let-"
Bleu shook his head, deciding to make better use of his glass and pour himself another drink. One he desperately needed. "There's nothing we can do if it's a political issue. We are not a nation powerful enough to make demands, nor would we do something like that even if we could. Our hands are tied..."
"So we just sit here and watch Jacques take over the kingdom?" James shouted angrily as he slammed his hands on his desk, one of them leaving a dent . "I've been here almost five years, I've expanded the army preparing for War... we've extracted everyone we needed and needed to be saved, and what's the use of all that?! Jacques is going to do with Atlas whatever he wants, he's going to turn it into his... I can't even say it. Jacques is going to get away with it once again and I have no way of stopping him. We can… I'm going to let Poppy know-"
The mention of a certain woman set off alarms for Sebastian, who jumped to his feet. "Leave my wife out of this, James! Spying won't do any good if we can't intervene, and Jacques has too much security. I know it's her job, but I prefer if she doesn't risk her life for no good reason."
General and huntsman looked at each other, hesitating about what to say to him. His wife wasn't just a spy... but Sebastian didn't need to know that.
"...you're right, and I hate it. It's like that bastard is always finding a way to destroy what I care about... First he sentences me to death for defending the lives of my men, then he makes my favorite student's life a living hell... and now he's one step away from taking over my former home…"
Watching a man like James fall limp in his seat was one thing, but seeing him hold his hand over his eyes to keep from crying was something else.
The helplessness he was feeling was shared between the three of them, the pain of not being strong enough to change things seeping like a burden into their souls. "Jacques won't be able to escape forever." Tai whispered, rising to his feet, his eyes set on the window. "We can only keep moving forward, taking care of those we love. Because our children will be the ones that, one day, change this world for the better. That's Patch's job, isn't it? To keep moving forward and prepare for the last war, ever onward without fear."
For reasons like that, Sebastian could never stop admiring STRQ's members. Qrow may not have been around those days sharing the flame, but they still burned in him as much as they did in his family, the ever-determined will to keep moving forward.
One that he envied with all his soul.
"Tai... Tai is absolutely right. Every step brings us a little closer, so we can't give up. You have saved Jacques' daughters and son from his clutches... and now he has decided to fake their deaths publicly so he doesn't have to try to get them back. He has unknowingly given you the opportunity to one day take revenge... and that's what matters, isn't it? Just revenge, however long it takes."
Revenge, was that really what this had been about? There may have been a part of him that wanted revenge, but that would never be the right decision. The road to it would be all-consuming, and his men and Patch needed him too much to allow it...
As much as it pained him, pursuing Jacques would lead to nothing. Keeping Winter and her siblings safe was more than enough. "No, I saved them, that's all that matters. Besides, sooner or later, Jacques will get what's coming to him. And I will be there to see it, but I will not lose what I have built to hasten his downfall."
Seeing the general so sure of himself, Sebastian decided to leave it at that. "I knew you'd see it... now get those papers here, it's time for Patch to do what it does best by giving them a fresh start!" Ironwood agreed, happy he managed to convince Sebastian. "Koks, nice fake last name. Not too elaborate, but it'll work. Now that's done, theres another matter: Maria says we have to meet with her tomorrow, something about an extraction in Kuroyuri-"
"Our work never ends, right?" Tai smiled, getting up as he looked at the clock on the wall. "If it's tomorrow that can wait, so can all your paperwork. What do you say about going somewhere for breakfast to toast our success?"
Ironwood furrowed his brow as he grabbed his jacket. "You're going to drag us to Junior, aren't you? My employees see me spending too much time going to your club, I wouldn't want to feed stupid rumors."
"As long as he's the only one in the district who knows how to replicate my pancake recipe he'll be our regular restaurant. Maybe I could open a coffee shop while we're on leave... I should tell Torchwick about it..."
Cutting him off, Sebastian grabbed him by the shoulder. "Don't make plans so soon, okay? I'll find some work you can do to help improve the island's image even if it's not hunting Grimm. I'm going to get my breakfast jacket, I'll meet you in the lobby."
Tai stood silently with his mouth open, watching the politician walk away so happy he almost looked like a different person. "The work never ends, no doubt." Ironwood laughed as he helped him out of the office, his spirits lifted. The general couldn't quite understand it, but Patch always managed to bring him back from the dark places of his mind.
Soldiers going from one place to another, administrative staff and engineers working hard... Sanctuary Tower was in full swing. He may have sometimes longed for his position as Headmaster at Atlas, but having such a dedicated and professional team was not something he would want to give up.
These men and women were determined to protect their archipelago and make it a respectable force that no kingdom could dream of conquering.
There was still much work to be done to reach that dreamed-of position, but Ironwood was going to lead Patch to that dream.
"Hehe..." His colleague's laughter brought him back to the present, James glancing sideways at Tai.
Somehow, the glass elevator had ended up reaching the first floor without him noticing. "Looks like there's someone trying to see you and they've run into Camille 'Immovable Wall' Rojada." The huntsman gestured to the reception desk, where his secretary was having trouble dissuading a particularly adolescent girl from her demands. "Maybe she wants to complain about how terrible the mattresses in the barracks are? I hope that the house you bought them is worth it. I'm going to stop by the bathroom, okay? Don't be too hard on her, Jamey." With a pat on the back, Tai sped away, having to dodge everyone in his path.
"Cretin..." Ironwood sighed as he adjusted his collar and took a deep breath a little more nervously than he'd like to admit.
"Come on, I slept here tonight, that should count for something, right?" Winter growled, bringing both hands to her face, not even getting the secretary to twist her arm the slightest bit to help her. "I'm Ironwood's valedictorian, surely he's told you about me! Can you check under W? W for Winter..."
The secretary stared at her, chewing gum and typing without looking away for a second. "Miss Winter, you don't appear on the list-"
"You haven't even looked! And what list are you talking about? Come on, please… I need to talk to-"
"WINTER!"
Suddenly jumping up and turning around like a spring, Winter gave a military salute to her beloved mentor. "Sir, I'm sorry-"
Ironwood smiled kindly, catching her in a hug that Winter didn't expect but accepted willingly. "Cut the crap, come on. We're not in Atlas, you don't have to call me sir or give me the military salute. Cammy, Winter and her siblings have free reign to come up to my office, consider it a new rule that goes into effect as of today."
Camille nodded, turning the screen so Winter could watch as she typed her name on the list. The teenager merely stuck out her tongue in return, surprising herself with the juvenile act. Maybe being able to relax had a bigger effect on her than first expected. "It looks like the Redheaven effect has already started to accept you, that's a good sign. Only the brothers knew how much you needed it. Did you have a good night? I got the medical report first thing in the morning before I even left the house. I'm relieved Klein only needs to be bandaged for a couple of weeks and some rehab. After Qrow and Summer came back like this the only thing I needed was for him to be seriously injured too."
"Bastian did this on purpose... even though he was threatening us, I think he was just trying to keep the other men from shooting at us."
"Bastian, huh? I'm glad to hear he's still the same. I won't deny that it hurt when one of my best tacticians chose to serve under Jacques, but I don't hold a grudge or blame him. He put his family before me, and that's always the right decision. You put up a good fight too, didn't you? Summer was going on and on about how amazing your summoning was until the morphine knocked her out."
Winter blushed, not used to having strangers praise her. She couldn't remember the last time she felt like this, happy and safe. Without the constant worry for her siblings when she didn't have them in her line of sight. "Sir, I don't think I can ever thank you enough-"
"James." He corrected without hesitation, taking Winter's hands between his own. "I told you quite clearly, young lady. When we are in front of other soldiers I am General Ironwood or Sir, in private you are to call me James. I expect my best apprentice to treat me with a little more familiarity."
"I'm still-"
"Don't doubt it." It was strange to see Ironwood smile so much, but the teenager decided to say nothing. It had been too long since they had last seen each other, and neither of them were the same anymore.
Feeling somewhat embarrassed, Winter regained her composure to continue the speech she had spent the last few hours preparing. "General- James… what can I do to repay you for this?"
"What are you talking about?" James asked confused, not quite sure what Winter meant.
"My father may have tried to keep us isolated since he tried to get rid of you, but even I heard that STRQ is the best hunting team serving under your command. Sending Mister Tai and Miss Summer after us on a secret mission..." Ironwood raised an eyebrow, doubting which of the two idiots would have told that bit of information to a teenage girl. "Using your resources like this and even hiding it from your superiors... I can't let your position here be tarnished because of us." The teenager explained, full of remorse, unable to understand how Summer and Tai had been so warm and nice to her and her siblings.
James held back a slight chuckle, placing both hands on his protégé's shoulders. "Winter, once I explained to Summer and Tai who you were, they both offered to perform the extraction in strict confidence. It may sound strange to you, but the Rose-Xiao Long-Brawen family represents everything that makes Patch special… the same values I taught you during your school years at Atlas Academy."
"Our values..." Winter began to recall the four conditions of a hero, just as Ironwood made sure all of his students at the Atlas academy remembered. "To be a true hero you need a body as firm as the hardest of metals, a heart as unquenchable as the sun, a brain as quick as lightning, and a soul full of light and hope. The heroes of tomorrow will be all of this and more, for they will never stop growing."
James nodded proudly. "It may sound childish and somewhat corny, but it has always been effective in its goal to inspire my future huntsmen. That's why both here and in Atlas those are still the guidelines I go by. And although your father refuses to issue us hunting licenses so we can't be recognized as an 'authentic' academy, Glynda decided to use these same principles as the motto for Patch's academy. If something works and inspires the youth, why change it?"
Winter couldn't help but smile, especially since the way her mentor was telling it was that one of her biggest dreams was much more than just a dream. "Sir... Patch's academy is real?"
James nodded proudly. "We will work on Sir later. When Patch gained its independence from Vale during the Great War, two institutions were formed: First came Patch's huntsman academy, with the goal of training the youth of the islands so that they would not be dependent on foreign huntsmen."
"A few years later, Patch founded the Sanctuary Army with the goal of being able to maintain independence against attempts of forced merger by Vale or Mistral. Unfortunately, both institutions remained largely in their infancy for much of the last few decades, with most of Patch's youth preferring to join the academies at Beacon and Heaven. It wouldn't be until a decade and a half ago that Patch would finally achieve its goals."
"With the fall of Beacon. Or rather thanks to Beacon's fall." Winter quickly pieced all the clues together, as James expected her to.
"Correct." James confirmed, proud of Winter's ability to put everything together. "After the destruction of Beacon, Glynda Goodwitch was contacted by the then 'headmaster' of Patch's academy. Despite the disaster, Beacon's efficiency and good results led Patch's council to offer her a position as second chairwoman for a year. The deal was to give her the position of headmistress if her performance and results were satisfactory during her time. An offer Glynda couldn't refuse, making sure to blow expectations out the water."
"How?"
"Again, Beacon." James laughed. Closing his eyes, he let the memories of that time wash over him. "I'm sorry to put it so bluntly, but as a former headmaster, the fall of Beacon was a perfect opportunity to take over the faculty of the defunct academy. I prepared my team to offer contracts to all of Beacon's employees, and before I knew it, Glynda had already recruited most of the surviving faculty."
"In addition, she made sure that Summer Rose, Taiyang Xiao Long, Raven and Qrow Brawen finished their education here at Patch. Convincing Summer and Tai wasn't difficult, this is their home after all. With those two on board, getting the twins to agree was easy. And with team STRQ at Sanctuary, a lot of the remaining student body decided to follow the heroes of Beacon. Before my legal team could even start, Glynda had already won the game."
Winter nodded slowly; frankly surprised that James Ironwood had been defeated so utterly. "That Glynda... She sounds like a terrible woman... not terrible in a negative sense, of course!"
"That may not be the most appropriate way to describe her, but my old friend is certainly a terrifying woman. Goodwitch made sure that Sanctuary acted as a regular academy as well as a hunter's academy, bringing the entire education of the archipelago under her command. There is a reason why Patch has become known for its highly competent professionals, and that reason has a first and last name."
"Every road will lead to headmistress Goodwitch… Sir- James..." Winter lowered her tone and head, clasping her hands together and rubbing her thumbs against each other. "I'd like to-" The teenager bit her lip, imagining how selfish it was to ask something like that after everything he had already done for her.
Ironwood didn't need the young woman to say anything to see what was going on in her head. With a quick gesture and a mute word, Camille nodded as the general took Winter by the shoulder, leading her out of the building.
"Winter, I know it will take some getting used to but you need to relax. I am not and never will be remotely like Jacques, so you can allow yourself to have wants and desires. Feel selfish or just look for something you need without trying to justify it." The teenager looked towards him, while James guided her to the entrance of the compound. Thanks to the height and central position, the entire capital of the archipelago stretched before them to the almost crystal clear sea.
"Do you smell that, Winter? That fresh, lively, tropical smell? You feel the air, warm and almost with a sense of hope and peace? The natives call it 'Manaʻo o ka ʻoiaʻiʻo'"
Closing her eyes, Winter took a deep breath. It was hard to explain, but it was true. The air simply brought a warmth that even the best heating systems in Atlas couldn't manage to create. "What... what does that mean?"
James shrugged, resting both hands on the railing. "If it ever had a translation it has been lost to time. But I can tell you what it means- It means to be honest with yourself and others, it means to face problems head on. It means to find the strength to follow your dreams and give strength to others."
"It's… that sounds beautiful."
"It is, Winter… It is." James sketched a half smile, reaching out and rubbing his protégé's head. "You can ask the same question to one hundred people on Patch and you'll get one hundred different answers. However, in the end the sentiment is the same: Be honest with yourself. I think you were going to ask me something, weren't you Winter? Consider this your first question as an inhabitant of Patch. What did you want to tell me?"
Clenching her eyes and fists, Winter raised her head determined to follow the example of the greatest father figure in her life. "High General James Ironwood, I want to follow in your footsteps. I want to study to become a huntress and join your army!"
"And why is that, may I ask?"
"Because you never surrendered. Not even when my father organized a whole trial against you, buying evidence and witnesses to make it look like you abandoned Fort Eisenherz and its men in front of Mistral's army. You never stopped defending your men; you stood up to Jacques even though you had no chance of winning. I want..." Winter bit her lip, trying to resist the regret in her heart. "I want to take back what my father has deprived me of these past five years, I want to be able to fight to the end without regret!"
Rubbing his chin, James snorted loud enough to interrupt Winter. "It's not going to be an easy road, you know that right? Glynda won't give you any advantage because of your last name and I won't be any less strict because of our relationship."
"I wouldn't want it any other way, sir!"
Winter's determination was as sure as the sunrise. There was a clear reason she was always at the top of her class... and that was because unlike her progenitor, Winter never gave up or took the easy way. The decision, as much as James would like to pretend otherwise, was already made from the very moment Winter had arrived at Sanctuary Tower without any orders from him.
"For the time being, I want you to take a few weeks off to get used to the new climate and environment of Patch. Once you're ready... I'll call Glynda to allow you to enter as a new student in the course you're due."
Maybe James was right, Winter thought to herself. Maybe these islands would urge you to be honest with yourself. That was the only reason the teenager found for not being able to hold back her tears and throwing herself into James' arms, thanking him repeatedly for the opportunity.
A new beginning, a new opportunity to become the person she wanted to be... Now that it wasnt just a dream anymore, Winter wasn't about to let it slip away-
Take my hand~
I'm here to protect you~
Nothing will stop me~
"Is that your scroll? You still have that ringtone?" Winter asked, confused, not having heard the song in what seemed to have been more decades than she herself had been alive. "Isn't it... a little childish?"
"Shut up, It's a good song." James growled in embarrassment, turning slightly away from Winter to grab his Scroll. "It's a good song." James defended himself a second time for no reason since Winter wasn't accusing him, standing firm and coughing slightly to regain his usual firm tone. "Ironwood." The general answered the call.
"Hellow!" Answered the childish and slightly squeaky voice of the other speaker, pretending to sound like an adult. "I'm… I'm Summer!" Confused, the general checked the caller ID only to find that it was indeed Summer's private number. That quickly ruled out any kind of possible prank and left only one possibility. "I'd like to know... where the pretty girl from last night is!"
Sighing, James leaned against his desk. "Ruby?"
"N-n-n-n-no! I am… I am Summer! That's what I said!" The speaker tried to keep up her facade. "I am Summer and I demand information about the pretty girl-"
Turning to Winter, the general shrugged as the teenager did her best not to start laughing. "Okay 'Summer', I'm going to need more information." James decided to go along with the charade a little longer, both mildly amused by how much Ruby was trying and certainly proud that the halo faunus was holding out for so long on the phone conversation. It was no secret how much Ruby hated talking without seeing the other person's face. "Who is this pretty girl you're talking about?"
Silence reigned for a few seconds, a hushed exchange of words on the other end indicating even more clearly than the previous slip that Ruby was not alone in whatever this was. "The pretty girl with white hair. We saw her coming down from the Bullhead yesterday and we want to know who she is- I SAY I WANT TO KNOW! Because I'm Summer and I'm the only one!"
"If I may, I'd like to confirm something, 'Summer'? You say you saw her when she came down from the Bullhead?"
More silence followed by more debate on the other end of the call. "Yes! I confirm!"
"Then you'll understand why I suspect you're not Summer, right? Because if I remember correctly, Summer was in the Bullhead with the girl, so the one and only Summer should already know who she is."
Silence.
More silence.
Three beeps indicating that they had hung up on him. James shrugged, sharing a dumbfounded look with Winter, who quickly burst out laughing.
Pietro Polendina's prosthesis and augmentation clinic, Patch Island
10:30 a.m., August 17, Year 68 post-Great War
"We're busted, Yang!" Ruby screamed in fright, throwing her mother's scroll at Yang as if it was about to explode.
"How? It was perfect, a 100% Yang-tastic plan!" The blonde started running back and forth not knowing what to do with the scroll. The fear of Ironwood calling back was too great to think clearly.
The clinic's storage room had been the perfect place for their plan, so full of objects and with an assured escape route to the outside. Her uncle may have been in the building to keep an eye on them while mommy was getting her new eye, but Yang was pretty sure they could both avoid a half-sedated Qrow with a cast covering his arm. "Putting your name to a plan doesn't make it any better." Ruby accused mercilessly, determined to get as much of the blame on her sister as she could. "I'll tell them it was your plan-"
"Oh no, you won't!"
"Yes I will. I'm not going to get punished alone! Maybe if I confess now mama will forgive us."
"Don't even think about selling the team, pup!"
"I'm going to tell her!" That last sentence was all Yang needed to move on to plan B: Execution of traitors. Before Ruby could re-enter Pietro's Clinic's main hall, Yang pounced on her, sending them both rolling across the floor.
Games that ended in fights were nothing new to the sisters, both more than willing to settle everything with their fists rather than try inferior options like dialogue or understanding. Shaking off Yang's grip, Ruby leapt backwards and climbed into one of the storage crates, grabbing the first thing she saw as a weapon: A long cardboard tube that was used to hold up paper bedspreads.
Yang did the same for her part, rushing to the opposite side of the back room to arm herself with bubble wrap strips as makeshift cestus. With a waggle of her eyebrows, Yang invited her little sister to take the first swing, a gesture of courtesy due to the difference in size and age.
Did Ruby mind fighting a girl a head taller than her and two-years-and-three months older? Not at all as the wolf demonstrated, her tail swaying from side to side for a few seconds before pouncing on her sister with the ferocity of an alpha wolf... or so Yang saw it, intercepting her sister in mid-air long enough to place a folded strip of paper in her opponent's mouth.
Retreating tactically, Ruby spat a couple of times as she wiped her tongue with her free hand. "I wasn't going to bite. We promised no biting or tail pulling!"
"I'm sorry but you can never be too careful, sis. I've seen you eat chicken and I don't want to end up like that."
"Maybe I use them to bite your stupid butt then!" Ruby screamed furiously at the offense, lunging forward waving her cardboard with a firmness and self-assurance that many apprentice huntsmen wish they had for themselves.
Yang fought back as much as she could, but Ruby's agility proved too much for the older girl, forcing her into a defensive position. 'Fool...' Yang thought as she managed to intercept and land a punch straight into Ruby's cardboard tube, forcing her to step away to steady herself.
Before the halo faunus could recover from the trembling in her wrists, Yang went on the offensive with something extra that Ruby couldn't help but notice and feel furious about it. Her sister's hair was on fire, meaning 'Burn' was active.
"HEY! You promised not to use your Semblance, traitor. I don't even have one yet." Ruby shouted, using her agility and speed to outrun Yang, climbing up the various pieces of furniture in the back room until she had the height advantage.
"I'm sorry, pup, I can't help it." Yang yelled, enjoying Ruby's anger.
The little faunus tilted her head back, biting her bottom lip, like every time she got really angry. It was something that both Yang and her family found extremely adorable. "When the going gets tough I have to do what I have to do: I burn!" Yang yelled as she grabbed an old empty cardboard box, filling it with all the scraps of paper thrown in the trash nearby and throwing it at her sister with all her might. "If you want to even the score, little sister... Unlock your semblance. I believe in you."
The 'frag grenade' exploded against the wall, the pieces of paper flying in all directions forcing Ruby to jump from shelf to shelf to get away. As bad luck would have it, on one of the jumps Ruby couldn't grab onto the next shelf.
Falling towards the void, Ruby screamed in terror as she saw her life flesh before her eyes. A little over dramatic maybe "NO!" Landing on her back after the severe fall of a meter and a half.
Yang was silent for a few seconds, unsure on how to proceed:
The big sister inside her wanted to go check that Ruby was okay, the fighter inside her wanted to keep still without letting her guard down, the future fugitive from her mother's punishment wanted to run out the backroom door, certain that Ruby's scream would have caught the attention of Qrow in the room across the hall.
The conflict was resolved without Yang having to decide anything, Ruby slowly rolling over on the ground until she was on all fours, her unmoving tail stretched out behind her, her healthy wolf ear folded down. "Couldn't help it, huh?" Ruby asked furiously, so much so that Yang felt a shiver as she listened to her. "You want to fight for real?" The three years and ten months old Halo Faunus slowly stood up, holding Yang's gaze with her silver eyes.
Eyes that Yang couldn't find even a shred of sisterly love in. Everything the blonde could feel was the natural fear of being in front of a predator.
The blood boiled inside Ruby, her breathing slow and heavy, filling her lungs with the hot air pooled in the back room, her vision blurred with rage. Something inside her was throbbing with strength, an insatiable feeling of revenge on Yang taking over all her senses. Without being able to understand what was happening, her entire body warped into a cloud of petals of the flower that formed one of her surnames, sweeping across the room at such an extreme speed that Yang was unable to follow her with her eyes.
"Ruby!" The blonde shouted with her chest heaving with pride at her little sister's accomplishment, only to realize that the accomplishment had occurred with only one goal:
Beating her.
Before Yang could process what kind of Semblance the wolf possessed, Ruby grabbed her fallen cardboard tube and climbed back into the box, the cloud of rose petals once again replacing her body. Her little sister's intense, glowing gaze, hair fluttering and her breathing quickening... Yang couldn't be more excited, finally their fighting games would go to the next level.
Activating her aura at the same time Ruby activated hers, Yang raised her right hand inviting Ruby to continue.
"VENGEANCE!" Ruby screamed, too excited to notice what just happened, the adrenaline in her body not letting her stop. Leaping towards Yang, Ruby proceeded to launch a myriad of 'slashes' with her trusty cardboard tube. Each time the older sister launched a counter attack, Ruby would burst into a cloud of petals, spinning around her until she materialized in a blind spot.
"This is so much fun!" The wolf screamed, jumping backwards, grabbing one of the paper ball 'grenades' and shooting/blowing it out of her cardboard tube.
Unable to stop to assess the situation, Yang blocked the paper ball with a punch. "Final hit! Ready, pup?" The blonde asked, getting into a fighting stance, Ruby nodding and mimicking her older sister.
"Three..." Both sisters pulled their right foot back, preparing to jump. "Two..." Both sisters gritted their teeth, a smile determined to win painting on both their faces. "ONE!-"
Qrow finally decided to intervene. Letting them fight to blow off steam was something that other parents might not agree with, but a little rough housing never heard anyone. He and Raven had had some good fights in their childhood... perhaps for very different reasons, but that didn't take away from the fact that it hadn't negativly affected them.
Not at all.
"Enough, enough!" The huntsman growled quickly, blocking the two girls, grabbing Yang by the back of her jumpsuit and stopping Ruby with his foot. "What have we said? No final attacks."
"UNCLE QROW!" Both girls screamed, throwing their arms around their uncle's legs, as the firefighting measures were activated, the sprinklers dousing them completely. But that didn't stop the girls from trying to explain how exciting the battle had been from both perspectives.
Qrow sighed, looking up as he tried to figure out how he got to this point. At least Raven was too busy tending to a drugged up Summer to see the havoc her spawn had wreaked. "Okay, let's go one at a time." Qrow whispered as he carried them over to sit them on top of the container. "Yang, you first. Seriously... Burn? Inside a building again? What's our rule?"
Yang looked up, rolling her eyes. "No using paper as a weapon-"
"No setting things on fire! Our house is used to it, but most buildings aren't regularly burned down"
Clearly not considering it a problem, Yang stood up to catch up with her uncle, pulling Ruby against her. "That's not what's important now, what's important is that Ruby has unlocked her semblance! Two months ahead of daddy's record, so that means you'll be buying us two bunk beds."
Why they would want two separate bunks was a mystery to four adults, so Qrow decided to focus on the more important development. "Pup, we've already rehearsed it. Describe to your uncle how you felt using your semblance, with detail."
Ruby held her hand thoughtfully over her mouth, mimicking Raven's posture seamlessly. "It's absolutely amazing! I was like... fiumm! Zoooom! Shhhhiuuuun!" The halo faunus screamed, trying to put her feelings into words.
Not the best description, but as the popular saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words.
Qrow smiled with confidence in his plan, placing Ruby in the center of the warehouse. "Okay, since nothing you've said made sense-" The huntsman stroked his niece's head affectionately, walking away and sitting down next to Yang. "I'm going to need a demonstration. You've always been high strung... not really, you've been a fairly quiet toddler until this year... but I figured your semblance was going to be a speed type. You're too much like Summer for it to be any different, so I want you to run around the room as fast as you can."
A chance to prove herself. Ruby smiled as she closed her eyes, concentrating her aura and noticing an almost bubbling sensation inside.
Qrow felt his breath catch for a second, all his paternal instincts kicking in as Ruby's body began to transform into petals. But with the little girl not seeming to mind, he decided to wait patiently.
The cloud of petals began to slowly approach Qrow's legs, 'bouncing' up and down as if to say something. "If this is some kind of speed semblance it seems to be quite intriguing..." Qrow whispered as he knelt down, Yang jumping on his shoulders to get closer. "It looks like some of your petals glow brighter than others and don't end up falling due to gravity, they seem to be your... 'nucleus' in this form. Okay Rubes, showtime. Start running-"
The huntsman didn't even finish before Ruby started to move at breakneck speed across the room. "She looks faster than mom!" Yang celebrated from her uncle's shoulders.
"I don't know if she's faster, but she's a hell of a lot more mobile. Losing some of Summer's explosive acceleration for that much control seems like a good trade to me. Can you go faster, Rubes?"
The petal cloud gave a little 'bounce' before almost doubling its speed. "Okay, that's impressive-"
CRASH!
So impressive that Ruby couldn't keep control, crashing into a wall at full speed. And if that wasn't bad enough, Qrow knew that the wall was right next to where Raven, Pietro and Summer were. "No no no no no-" The huntsman whispered, lunging for Ruby, who was wobbling back and forth, totally disoriented. "Come on, kiddo, don't do this to me-"
His bad luck once again accompanies him everywhere, Raven and Pietro opening the storage room door attracted by the noise. Suddenly, Qrow found himself shaking a still wobbling Ruby with one hand, while Yang tried to get her to react.
In the middle of a completely flooded room, full of garbage and medical waste everywhere.
And all during the time he was supposed to be watching them.
Not knowing where to flee to with Yang still very conscious, Qrow raised his hands as soon as Raven got close enough to catch Ruby, taking her and Yang in her arms. "It's... it's not what it looks like. Ruby has unlocked her semblance-"
Raven just walked out of the storage room without saying a word, never missing his gaze. Pietro looked between the two in silence while Qrow was dreading what kind of punishment his sister had in store for him later. "I'm..." Pulling out his flask, Qrow treated himself to a long drink. "Well screwed when we get home. Do you mind if-"
"Clean. All of it."
A totally understandable request, Qrow merely nodded as Pietro closed the storeroom door.
(One hour later)
"...by... ...uby..."
The wolf heard a voice in the distance, her entire world spinning from the blow she had taken. Everything around her seemed clouded, her senses still overwhelmed by the pain of the shock as well as by the still bubbling sensation in her aura.
The voice urged her to hold on, but Ruby didn't know how. The voice surrounded her more than usual, her four ears too confused to put a direction to the sound. In a moment like this, the Halo Faunus could do only one thing: rely on the one sense that had always been so reliable, her sense of smell.
Her nose went to work, noting dozens of different smells around her. Stinky medicines, medical alcohol, polished metal... and above all, scents she loved more than anything else in the world: gunpowder and sunflowers, the scent of her older sister. Roses and rain, the scent of her mother Summer. And arbolers and pomegranates, the scent of her mother Raven. Her mind wanted to relax and rest, intoxicated by the safety of her family, but someone had another idea.
"RUBY, WAKE UP!" Yang growled worriedly, shaking her up and down.
"Yang!" Raven could only scream in complete disbelief, not understanding what part of her firstborn had thought it was a good idea to shake someone semi-conscious after they took a hit to their head. The blonde merely laughed as Raven lifted her over her head, dropping her to the ground behind her as she focused on Ruby. "My little flower, are you okay? Yang, you can't shake someone-"
"Mom..." Ruby whispered softly, instinctively snuggling into Raven's arms. "Everything's spinning..."
Smiling proudly that her idea had worked, Yang climbed back onto the stretcher, all concern that Ruby had been harmed fading. "No wonder, the walls of the clinic are insulated and yet we noticed your crash from here..." Raven whispered, both rocking her and making room in her arms for Yang to join in as well. "We are so proud of you, you know? To discover your semblance at only three years old... you truly are a prodigy."
The mention of the 'We' brought Ruby almost instantly back to reality, recognizing the room they were in. "Where's mommy? Is she all right now?"
Raven was silent, hesitating. Luckily, Yang was there to answer for her. "Mommy was laughing all by herself when we brought you in, Uncle Pietro's sleeping gas had her super amused. But a while ago she fell asleep just like you, she's on the other stretcher."
More than enough explanation for Ruby, who with her mother's help sat on the edge. Her forehead was swollen and flushed from all the ice Raven had been holding against it. And yet the pain the little girl really felt was seeing her mother across the room, her eyes still blindfolded.
A part of her that Ruby didn't even know existed was really scared that her mother would be left like her grandmother, but the night before Summer had already made sure to reassure them by showing them that her other eye was still in perfect condition, even forcing a 'Silver Wing' to better convey this reassurance. She may still be too young to understand the intricacies of the Silver Eyes Warrior, but even at this young an age Ruby understood that her eyes were important.
'You must remember that the light you will bring will make many people happy... it is our duty to protect and preserve it.' Summer told her a few months ago, when she and her grandmother took her to meet other Silver Eyes Warriors from Menagerie.
And now... now her mother has lost one of them. It left the young faunus with a sense of fear and pain that she couldn't quite put into words.
"Lights out..." Summer was still out of it, her entire face burning despite the anesthetic still running through her. But she could still hear her little ones without problem. Raven quickly carried both daughters over to where her wife lay, leaving Ruby and Yang on either side of their mother. "Hey girls… is it time already Rae?"
"It is, sleepyhead..." Raven whispered, stroking her forehead, slowly removing part of the blindfold from her still natural eye. "How are you doing? Have you regained sensation?"
Summer blinked a couple of times, leaning back on the gurney. "Let me see... I see a red-haired she-wolf and an overly concerned blonde she-devil, and a beautiful samurai with her hands full of bandages. I think we can say yes-"
"MOMMY!" Yang and Ruby couldn't stand it any longer, jumping on her and latching onto her neck.
"My sunshines... I'm sorry to have worried you. Your mommy gave you quite a scare, didn't she?" Summer smiled innocently, Rae noticing a slight tremor in her voice. Try as Summer might, hiding her true feelings from her, Tai and Qrow was impossible. "At least I'm going to have a nice scar to commemorate saving Blake and Uncle Ghira. I know it must have scared the hell out of you to see me hurt last night… but I want you to remember one thing." Summer whispered, pulling her daughters against her, squeezing them tight. "Our work can be scary and it can even scar us inside and out... but that's no reason to stop fighting, to make the world a better place. Scars are just a reminder to try harder, so don't be afraid of them, okay? At the end of the day, all scars will eventually fade... they just need time and love."
"Really?" Yang asked, lost in Summer's warmth.
"Really... and now I can finally fulfill my dream of shooting a real laser out of my eyes-" Looking up, Summer met her wife's unamused face. "They wouldn't let me keep the laser... boring. I suppose you'd like to see me without a blindfold now, wouldn't you? You must be as eager to see my new eye as I am."
They both nodded, moving aside so Summer could sit down with Raven's help. Pulling a hand mirror out, Raven pulled their daughters back to give Summer space.
The huntress took a deep breath as she removed the bandage that still covered her face, revealing her new metal eye. Asking for the pupil to be yellow and red had at first seemed like an eccentricity, but Summer didn't mind. Having them a little closer at all times was worth it.
"It... seems... to be working." Summer said, closing her natural eye and trying her prosthetic, surprised how much better she saw with the new eye. "Rae, I know you had Pietro remove my laser, but did you leave the rest of the functions?"
"I've left all the ones that posed no more danger to you than us."
"Even the Hacking tool?" Summer asked as she traced the line of light that ran from her eye trough to her temple, where now lay a small luminous circle to mark the electronic system that controlled all the extras of her prosthesis.
Rae sighed with a nod, returning Yang and Ruby to the gurney. "Hacking tool, tracking system, web browser, combat functions... Pietro says as soon as he installs the control chip in your left index finger you'll be able to use it to move the interface around even if it's not physically in front of you."
"Cool." Summer nodded with increasing excitement. "Girls, I'm one step closer to becoming a mommy-nator!"
Maybe people are going to feel like the loss of her eye was a tragedy, but Summer couldn't. Two members of her family had returned to Patch thanks to her, and that?
At the end of the day, that was more than a huntress could ask for. Rarely did they meet with such a happy ending, so Summer decided to take itas she played with her daughters, marveling as much as Raven did at the sight of Ruby showing her semblance.