Well, here I am once again. Lots of work to do, plenty of stories to write. I'm glad I could write this chapter, however long that it took. I'm happy that people still want to read this story, it really makes me enjoy writing this even more. Hope you guys are enjoying Volume 8, by the way!
I hope you enjoy the chapter.
Chapter 41: Take a Breath
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.(Chapter Start)
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September 22nd
Sunday
Clear
Azura leaned on the wall of the JNPR dorm, where the only people within were himself, Luna, Ren, and Aurora. The others had been asked to leave earlier, so that Ren could have Aurora focus purely on him, while Azura stayed behind for Aurora herself, and to keep Luna visible. The woman had Aurora in her lap, both to keep her still and to help her focus instead of continuing to look at Azura.
As much as Azura wanted to be in Luna's place to help the girl himself, he promised Ren that he would keep an eye on how things were going. The two boys knew that Ren was fully capable of doing that himself while trying to help Aurora with her semblance, but they agreed that it'd be better to have a second opinion outside of Ren's own. They were seeing how fluent Aurora was in focusing her semblance and aura today, two things that Ren would definitely help with.
"Ren said he wanted to see what he had to help with before he could help the girl focus her semblance, right? I think he wanted to look at the aura first?" Summer voiced quietly, so as to not startle Azura.
"I'm surprised you're talking, you weren't too present today." Azura said mentally before answering. "But, yeah, that's the idea. Better to help her with her aura before anything else. I'm sure he'll get to her semblance soon, though. Just a preliminary search, probably."
"Sorry. Just thinking." Summer apologized.
"I figured as much, no worries."
Azura gave his response to Summer before paying attention to Ren and Aurora again. Aurora's eyes were closed, trying to focus, while Ren did the same, except he kept his eyes open to watch Aurora. A moment later, Aurora opened her eyes with a frown and leaned back against Luna.
"I lost it…" She murmured, barely loud enough for Ren and Azura to hear.
"But you did feel something?" Ren asked calmly, trying to keep her focused on the reason why they were here.
Aurora didn't reply for a moment, nodding after a little while. "For a little bit, yes. It was a warm feeling...with some pink color coming to me. Is that aura?"
"Same color as Nora, huh." Ren commented to himself, writing it down in a notebook he had been using. He looked back at Aurora thoughtfully. "Yes, that is indeed your aura. You were quick to find it."
When Aurora kept frowning, Azura spoke up. "You found it really quickly, Aurora. Much faster than I did." He smiled while Luna rubbed the girl's head to boost the feeling of his praise. "You're a smart and quick learner."
Aurora's frown vanished, unable to stop the praise from giving her a small smile. "Thank you."
"She could see her own aura before others, which was the opposite for you, oddly enough." Summer commented as Ren called for Aurora's attention again.
"Luna never really did good with that stuff in aura, relied more on her own senses, sight, scent, whatever else." Azura explained, watching Aurora close her eyes once more to repeat the practice Ren wanted. "She taught me as she learned to do it, though I probably do it worse, since I only picked up some minor Faunus traits and the major one with night vision. Not all Faunus have it, so I kinda got lucky there, only being half-Faunus."
Summer didn't reply, allowing Azura to fully pay attention to his surroundings. Aurora was squirming in Luna's lap while Ren calmly watched. Azura kept silent, unwilling to so much as move an inch, unless he accidentally broke her concentration.
"I...I can see orange." She says, opening her eyes as she accidentally stopped doing it. She blinked a few times before realization hit her. "Oh, sorry…"
"It's fine, Aurora." Ren said with a light smile, his face holding hints of amusement in it. "I do want to know, though, was the orange color further away or just around you?"
The question confused her for a moment before she answered. "It was around me." She looks up at Luna, who tilted her head at her with a smile, tail flicking with greeting. "Was that you?"
"Yes, it was Luna." Azura answered with a chuckle. "Ren was asking because me and Luna share the same aura color. It isn't exactly common to have people with the same aura color, but it is not entirely out of the picture."
"Oh...that's cool." Aurora said softly, as if she hadn't considered the possibility. "Was...there anything else you needed me to do?"
"No, not currently." Ren said. "Thank you, Aurora."
The girl simply nodded, slowly getting out of Luna's grasp and moving towards Azura. Pushing off of the wall, Azura crouched down on one knee as Aurora approached him. The door was to his side, and he glanced at it momentarily before looking up at the girl under his care.
He spoke as he gently grabbed her arms. "It might not feel like you did much today, but you have a lot of potential in you. You're doing great, both in your aura practice and your strength." He smiled then. "You are much stronger than you think you are."
"I am?" Aurora asked, her quiet voice barely coming out."
"Yes, you are." Azura replied, moving one hand to touch her chest with a finger. "Emotionally." He moved his finger up, right on her forehead. "And mentally."
His finger drops, holding onto her arms again as he looks into her pink eyes. They were both silent for several moments, then Aurora spoke again.
"One step at a time...right?"
Azura nodded, echoing her words. "One step at a time."
Hearing a nearby door open up, Azura stood up, keeping one hand on Aurora's shoulder as he opened the door to their own dorm, then moved with Aurora to stand in front of the door. Ruby was there on the other side of the hall, a smile on her face.
Azura smiled back, looking down at Aurora a moment later. "Have fun with Ruby, okay?"
Aurora nodded silently, moving off towards Ruby at a slow pace. Ruby and Azura looked at each other momentarily before either of them spoke.
He spoke first. "Take care of her, yeah?"
Ruby smirked. "Do you not trust me?"
He rolled his eyes, chuckling. "Of course I do. Have fun."
"You got it." She replied, then looked down at Aurora, who stood awkwardly at her side. "You ready?"
"Yeah…" Aurora said, a small smile on her face as she looked at Ruby.
Azura knew that, if no one else could help Aurora express herself more, then Ruby could. It reminded him of his original choice of bringing Ruby to see Aurora for the first time. Twinges of sadness touched his heart as he thought of it, but he pushed it down as fast as possible with Aurora around.
Waving them off, Azura watched them walk down the hall for several seconds before sighing and closing the door again. Ren was standing by the desk, organizing papers and what he had written. The room was silent, calm even. Azura moved to his bed, where his pack sat slumped against it, and began to rummage in it. This was normal when it was just Azura and Ren in a room, where they simply existed in the same space comfortably. Summer had been quiet as ever, though she constantly lingered on the fringe of his mind, while Luna was always silent.
"Azura."
Azura paused for a moment, grabbing hold of the switchblade before standing, then pocketed it as he turned to Ren. "Yeah?"
Ren remained with his back turned to Azura as he spoke. "Aurora has very promising strengths in aura control. I think...with how dangerous things are becoming…"
He trailed off, letting Azura figure it out.
Azura closed his eyes, breathing in and out heavily before he replied. "Then, let's work with that, first and foremost. We can help with her semblance on the side."
"That was my plan. I'm glad you agree."
"Thanks for your help, Ren. Just to say." Azura said. "It means a lot."
Ren stayed silent for a moment, then turned to look at Azura, magenta eyes meeting yellow and silver. "It's the least I can do for you." He looked away, sighing quietly as he pushed his papers together. "And the most I can do for her."
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.(Line Break)
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Azura walked into the cafe from the darkening sky with a quiet sigh, ruffling out the last of the rose petals on his sweatshirt. The door began to close behind him, so he moved further into the cafe in search of the reason for why he was here in the first place, finding her in one of the corner booths with her Huntress garb being an outlier among the more civilian clothing. He cast a thought towards his own clothing, thinking about how much he fit in with the civilian crowd of Vale much more than a Huntsman.
"We'll have to get an outfit together for you one of these days." Summer mutters, causing a smile to come on Azura's lips.
He did not respond to Summer, however, instead speaking to Velvet as he drew close to her booth.
"Sorry I'm late, Velvet. I had meant to show up earlier, but Ren needed my help."
Velvet looks up, having been distracted by drinking what smelt like a strong coffee. "Oh, it's no big deal. I haven't been here long."
Azura sits across from her, placing his untransformed gear on the booth seat. "It's been a few days since we've spoken to each other, hasn't it?"
Velvet's brown eyes narrowed slightly as she looked him up and down. "Last I saw you, you were laying on the ground, barely conscious." A moment passes, then she shakes her head. "Sorry. I'm just glad you're okay. You telling me you're okay over text is not quite the same as in person."
"I get what you mean, yeah…" Azura said, thinking back to when he first saw his friends after the disaster in Vale. "I'm glad you are okay, too. You had just come back from a mission when you saw what was happening in Vale, right? The four of you had to be tired."
She nods, her rabbit ears flipping downward a bit. "Coming back from a long patrol, yes. And yes, again, we were tired. But when something like that happens, we have to stand back up and defend our home."
"Hm." Azura replies, thinking of Aurora's now destroyed home.
Just as he was about to speak again, a waitress came up to them. Her sharp eyes reminded him of a hawk, but he didn't have time to think about it when she spoke.
"Is there anything you'd like, sir?"
Azura felt an odd urge to order a coffee, and he already knew how it was wanted. "Uh, just a coffee. Three sugars and cream, please."
"Is that all?" The girl asks, a smile present on her face.
"Yes, thank you." Azura replies, smiling back.
The girl turned and walked off, large scroll in one arm as she finished putting his order in. Azura watched her go for a moment before turning back to Velvet.
"Sorry about that. Where were we?"
"The attack on Vale." Velvet says quietly, not wanting to disturb the people around them within the cafe.
"Ah, right." He says, trying to recall what he was going to say before it came back to him. "I know I already said this days ago, but...I'm sorry. You put your heart into helping the orphanage, and…" He looks down, feeling his own twinge of sadness. "And now it's gone."
"It's a travesty, of course." Velvet says, her accented voice thickening slightly as she spoke. "Many people are grieving due to the whole event. I have comfort in knowing that I am not alone in my grief."
Azura nods. "I'm glad that you are handling it well, all things considered. I don't like knowing that people I care for are grieving or in pain." He pauses, letting the waitress from before place his coffee down, uttering a quiet thank you to her before speaking to Velvet again. "Speaking of...I do not mean to rush you or anything, but you wanted to speak to me about something regarding the orphanage?"
Velvet sighs, taking a drink from her coffee. "Yes, I did. It's about Lu, and who she was before the orphanage."
"Ah, that." Azura said, explaining himself at Velvet's confused look. "Ozpin, er...headmaster Ozpin, told me some of the things you told him." He glances around, leaning in to speak in a quieter tone. "Such as what might have happened with Aurora...and how Lu was in the White Fang."
Velvet nods nervously, her fingers tapping the cup of coffee before her. "Yes, that."
Azura flicks his dual-colored eyes at her, but lets her sit in silence for a few moments before she speaks again.
The girl sighs, her own voice taking a quieter tone. "There really is not much of a tale to it. She was always secretive about it, and any evidence of her story is...now gone." A frown crosses her face. "Lu left them when they began to grow more radicalized, and told me that the young ones who grew up on the horror stories believed them too much."
"Even if some of them are true?"
"Yes, even if they were." Velvet nods, quick to move on. "Well, since the headmaster has already shared that information...what's to become of Aurora?"
Azura leans back, drinking from the very warm coffee with a sip, recoiling slightly at the taste, then speaks as he puts it back down. "Officially, she's under Beacon's care. She'll be given an education, think of a private one. She's kept out of the way of most of the students and is generally okay with that. She's...well, you know how she is."
"Socially anxious."
"Yes." Azura says, laughing quietly. "And on a more unofficial side, she's under my care by Ozpin's word."
Velvet's eyes widened, surprise on her face. "Really? That's great news."
Azura nods. "It's probably for the best, too. Aurora seems, not exactly without emotions, but more so retreated into a shell. But I, and with the help of team Ruby and Juniper, have been making sure to help her mentally and emotionally. And in the case of Ren and I, helping her with her aura and semblance."
Velvet simply nods, looking like she was just trying to process the information he was giving her. "Is there anything I could do to help?"
"Well…" Azura starts, trying to think of what Aurora might need help with, only to draw a blank. "Nothing comes to mind with what you could do to help. But, you're free to visit her and help whenever you feel like it."
"Thank you, Azura. I'll be sure to do that." She says, her accent enriching the general cheer in her voice now. "So, I have been wanting to ask for the past few minutes now…"
He tilts his head at her once he puts his coffee back down. "Hm?"
"I thought you didn't drink coffee?"
"Oh…" Azura says, looking down at his hands holding the cup. "Uh, I don't."
"This might seem like an odd question, but is it because of your…?" Velvet begins, trailing off as she points to her eye.
Azura reaches up, touching the skin next to his silver eye. "This? No. It's something to do with the ghost taking residence in my body."
"Unintended residence, thank you." Summer remarks. "Now drink more of that coffee, the ability to taste from your senses is amazing."
"Unintended residence, sorry." He says, smirking at Velvet.
She just slowly nods. "Right." She coughs into her hand, drinking from her likely lukewarm coffee. "Well, how is that going? The whole...ghost in your body thing? Isn't it...a woman, too?"
Azura waves it off, speaking nonchalantly. "She's only double my age by now. Besides, she's been dead, so she's basically only twenty-three. Main thing is just that we share senses now."
"You are way too casual about that." Velvet replies in a deadpan. "Doesn't that feel weird at all? Especially in this case?"
He simply shrugged at her questions. "Maybe at first. We do have some boundaries here, you know!" He chuckles, shaking his head. "But now, it's not really something we think about. I guess it wouldn't make sense for it to be thought of as normal by most people, but we've just grown used to it. It probably still weirds Luna out, though."
"Luna?"
"The other ghost, my mother." Azura answered, turning to look at the woman who floated just by his side. "Mother, if you want to prove your existence?"
The woman smiles, ruffling his hair. Azura ducked his head down slightly, readjusting his hair as he looked at Velvet.
"Oh. I'm sorry for asking."
"Nah, don't be. I've accepted my mother as she is now."
Velvet smiles at him. "I'm happy to hear that." Her posture grows more relaxed, ears twitching as a curiosity comes to her face. "So, according to Coco, you're a country boy. How has schooling at Beacon and being at Vale treated you so far? Disregarding the crazy things you get involved in."
It hit Azura in this moment just how comfortable he had gotten with explaining who Luna was in just a short few months. He smiles back, letting the thought flutter off to the back of his mind where Summer lingered with a warm presence, deciding to engage with Velvet to relay his thoughts to the girl before him on just how strangely endearing it all was and how happy he was to have what he had. He could get used to this life for the years that he would have it for, if only for the friendships that he has already made with those around him.
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.(Line break)
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The night sky was beginning to bloom within the pink and orange flare of the sunset, the early signs of nightfall already on its way. He and Velvet had simply lost track of time, having departed from each other after saying their goodbyes several minutes ago. While Velvet had headed off towards the dorms directly, Azura decided to stay on the paths of Beacon campus, not paying too much attention towards where he was going, just wanting to take a walk around before he went to his own dorm.
"I don't know if I should apologize or thank you for the coffee."
Azura shrugged. "It's still not my thing, but it didn't taste bad. More than I could drink when I was younger."
"Hm." Summer replies, her hum echoing softly in his head. "Is it because of…?"
"Doubt it." Azura answers, looking up at one of the lights that lit up the paths momentarily as he walked. "You worry too much."
"You don't worry enough." Summer says dryly in response.
"I am aware of our situation, Summer." He replies back, chuckling to himself. "Everyone has reminded me of it several times."
There's several seconds of silence before Summer speaks again, her tone now full of questions and curiosity.
"Do you think Ozpin actually knows a way to separate us, even temporarily so?"
Azura pauses in his step, frowning as he thought about it.
"I mean, if anyone were to figure it out, it'd be Ozpin, wouldn't it?"
"True." She concedes, speaking again in a sudden shift of topics. "Weiss, leaving the CCT? At this hour?"
Azura blinks, focusing on his surroundings and eventually finding Luna tilting her head at the girl further ahead of them as her tail flicked inquisitively. He couldn't actually see her face well, but her crossed arms and stiff posture did make him wonder why she had been in the CCT in the first place. She wasn't heading towards the dorms either it seemed, as Azura watched her go straight and down the stairs that led up to the CCT as it was.
Concern made its way to his heart, so he followed after her with a frown. She already had a lead on him, but luckily the open paths allowed for him to see where she was going. He took off in a jog after her, making his way down the stairs after her. After about half a minute, he eventually found her on a bench by herself retying her hair up in the side ponytail she was known for.
He slowed down to a walking pace, simply examining her as he drew closer to her. Her clothing and appearance always reminded him of just how simple of an outfit he truly had. It was like a slightly more fancy version of Jaune's outfit, which did bring a smirk to his face, but he quickly let it fall off as he drew close enough to speak without spooking Weiss.
"How's it going, Ice Queen?"
The snow-haired girl jumped slightly, finishing tying her hair as she eyed him a moment later.
"Azura."
He blinked, quickly figuring out what sort of mood the girl was in. He coughs into his hand, changing his tone. "Something up, Weiss? You don't seem quite...uh…"
"Happy?" She fills in for him, raising a sleek eyebrow.
"Yeah."
Weiss sighs. "It is nothing too important. Just frustrated."
Azura nods, moving to sit down next to her, relaxing against the back of the bench. He looks over at her, tilting his head slightly as his curious gaze studies her.
"You need to vent to someone about it?"
"No, not particularly." She replies, her voice sharp and pointed.
She clearly didn't wish to speak of it. Azura pushed down his desire to continue prodding, but he recalled Summer's words when they had last seen Weiss like this. Before he could truly do anything, however, Weiss spoke again. Her voice was much less pointed than before.
"What were you up to, anyway?" Weiss asks, adjusting her skirt. "You were with Ren and Aurora earlier today, then you disappeared for the rest of the day until now."
"Well, Ren was testing Aurora's aura and semblance limits, which were obviously very low. Given her age and essentially zero training, however, that made sense. She's sharp-minded, if a little slow to pick up on some things. Reminds me of Ruby."
Weiss can't help the low laugh that exited her mouth, though she does stop herself halfway through. Azura smiles at her, then continues speaking.
"Then, later in the day, I met with Velvet from team Coffee. She had some information that she felt I should know about. Stuff with Lu, who took care of the orphanage, and Aurora herself. It doesn't particularly change anything, but it's nice of her to tell me."
"It most certainly does change things...but she doesn't need to know that." Summer mutters, curious about what made him keep the info hidden.
It was hard for Azura to not feel her curiosity, but he refrained from speaking to her in favor of Weiss.
"Interesting." Weiss comments, a familiar inquisitive look entering her light blue eyes. "You've been getting rather busy with other people, haven't you?"
"Well, not with many people. I'm no social butterfly here, I'm just a-"
"Country boy who knows nothing?" Weiss asks, cutting him off.
"Hey, that's not true...!" He protests, trailing off as he sees her looking at him with amusement.
It made him pause as he stared into her warm face as she bent forward to look at him from the side, his own smile growing on his face.
"You're rather cute when you play funny, you know." Azura retaliates with one of Weiss's weaknesses, compliments.
"Oh, you shush." Weiss replies, looking away with a 'hmph'.
Azura laughs quietly, letting his tease float into the empty air among them. When the silence between them breaks, it's Weiss who decides to talk.
"Azura?"
He glances at Weiss. "Yeah?"
"Have you ever…" She begins, trailing off for a moment before sighing and trying again. "Have you ever had a disagreement with your family?" She turns to him, frowning. "I probably shouldn't ask, should I?"
"No...no, it's fine." Azura says, staring up at the now darkened sky. "I've never fought or argued with my own mother, even in death. But with the Blue family, who raised me?" He smiles warmly. "There'd be disagreements and arguments, but we always put it aside if we could. Corgen and I would disagree on something, or Sapphire would go scary on me...good old gramps, or Ronin, would chastise me whenever I got too impatient or angry too. Lucina and I never fought, though."
He thinks of several memories for a moment before he thinks about Weiss's question, turning to look at her curiously. "Why do you ask?"
"I just want to know." Weiss answered hastily, stiffening slightly in a defensive manner.
Azura gave her a knowing look, one that she responded to with a glare asking him to drop it. He sighs, holding his hands up.
"Okay, okay. I don't mean to make you uncomfortable."
Weiss relaxes slowly, then moves to close the distance between them on the bench until they are about a shoulder length from each other. She looks up at the sky, the stars weakly shining as the shattered moon above them shined passionately.
"How did you and your...adopted family?" Her words turn to a question, glancing at him.
Azura nods. "It's basically an adoption. They took me in after Luna passed away."
She nods back, turning to gaze up at the sky again. "How did you all get through those disagreements?"
Azura eyes her in a questioning manner, but joins her in gazing at the sky as he answers. "We...just talked it out. Or fought it out in a training. Corgen isn't really a talker, so he would have us do the talking with blades. Mother's training certainly saved my hide quite often there." He chuckles. "Sapphire usually just terrified me when we disagreed, so I tend to listen to her. She's big on that, making sure I listened to her. Back then, I thought she just wanted to raise me differently from Luna, so I resisted it often. Now, though, I think she was just trying her best to make me feel like her child, like I had a mother still. Even with my semblance."
When his words are met with silence, he continues.
"Grandpa Ronin was an interesting person, alright. He was Corgen's father through and through, though he did not speak to me by assaulting me with a wooden sword in training. He would chastise my more child-like behavior, always saying how I made Sapphire worried with my dangerous antics. Told me I took after my mother in more than just the good ways." Azura pauses, looking at Luna as they shared a smile, then continues. "And, again, Lucina and I never argued. We're the best of friends, really. Like you and Ruby."
He looks down, noticing that Weiss had been staring at him for several moments. When he tilts his head, however, she looks away slightly and coughs into her hand awkwardly. Azura shakes his head, not really sure what was going through her mind, but he appreciated that Summer merely let him speak.
"That sounds quite nice, Azura. To have a family that tenderly loves you the way it does. From Luna, to this Blue family of yours, and I'm even willing to bet Summer gives you her own form of it." Weiss says, a small smile on her face.
Azura frowns, feeling like he should at least offer what he could for Weiss. There was something on her mind that was clearly troubling her, and while he wasn't able to push the heiress to try and give him answers, he could certainly offer her the help.
"I know you won't tell me what's wrong, Weiss." He says quietly, gaining her attention as she turns her gaze to him. "But, I want you to know that I'm here for you if you need someone's ear. We all are, from Ruby and Yang to Blake and Jaune. Even Nora, should you be able to keep her attention."
Velvet's words echo in his mind, how grieving can be less painful when there are others for you who share such pain. Something about the advice stuck out to him, a feeling that wouldn't leave him burrowing into his mind.
Weiss nods, a small smile on her face once more. "Thank you, Azura." She turns away, standing up. "Perhaps I shall take up that offer one day, who knows for sure."
She turns back to him, holding a hand out. He accepts it, letting himself be pulled off of the bench by the smaller girl. She let go once he was stable on his feet, but remained in place by his side.
"Ready to go to the dorms?" Azura asked, letting the silent words after the question sink in for her.
""Yes, I am. Let's go." She replies, moving to walk ahead.
Azura glances up at Luna, her yellow eyes filled with mirth. She smiles at him, and he smiles back.
"Azura! We haven't much time before Yang thinks we're having some romantic walk here." Weiss called out to him, gaining his attention again.
"Coming, dear." Azura calls back.
He laughs at her gawking stare and choking noise as she tries to articulate herself. He makes his way to catch up to her, tapping her on the shoulder with his fingers as he passes her.
"You little…!" Weiss grumbles, frowning as she crosses her arms and stalks to catch up with him.
Azura laughs again, shaking his head. "Well, regardless of what teasing this will cause from Yang to us, I'm glad the two of us could talk."
They walk in silence for several moments before Weiss replies in a near whisper.
"So am I."
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.(Chapter End)
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And there we have it. Another chapter here, I do hope you enjoyed it. I don't actually have anything to say here, so I won't try to create several long paragraphs for an author's note.
Hope you have a good day/evening!