AUTHOR'S NOTE: I have slowed down considerably on writing in general, but I am currently rewriting this story.
*** Lake Nimue ***
South of Argus is the largest lake known to the residents of Remnant. The still waters of the crystal clear lake stretches for hundreds of miles across and on certain days, one could swear being able to hear slight of whispers roll across the lake's surface. Most mysteriously of all, some observed that Grimm seem to be less likely to venture near this lake. Thus over time, numerous small villages of both Faunus and humans alike were established along the coastline of Lake Nimue, the residents preferring what they call the divine protection of the lake over the walls of the Kingdoms.
The very center of the lake is covered by a fog that never disperses no matter what time of year or weather. Any who are brave or foolish enough to enter, depending on who you ask, would end up missing for several days, before inevitably, returning to shore on their boats in a daze with no memory of what had occurred within the fog. In the past, the various Kingdoms had attempted to venture towards the center of the lake by air, in the hopes of unraveling any secrets of this lake, but to no avail.
On the northern-most side of the lake is a large research facility hosted by mainly Atlas scientists who are solely dedicated to investigating the lake's mysteries. Though it has been many years since the facility's establishment, very little is known of the lake's center or what causes the Grimm to actively avoid this site if possible.
A feminine voice quietly sighs out as she opens her pair of aquamarine eyes. She draws her network of chains in upon verifying that no one is near her vicinity. Camellia approaches an inconspicuous area of the forest bordering the edges of Lake Nimue and pokes her finger with a small knife. She flicks a droplet of blood through the air and mutters some words under her breath. The space before her ripples to life as it absorbs her blood, and she quickly steps through the portal.
On the other side of the portal, Camellia steps out onto the shoreline of a small island. Though her expression does not change, her eyes brighten a she breathes in the familiar air of her home and the constant sound of waves breaking along the shorelines. She steps onto a cobblestone path leading up a small hill towards the family mansion, an elegant multi level building accented with tints of white and gold.
A silver haired maid with magenta eyes is standing quietly by the doors, patiently waiting for Camellia to approach.
"Welcome home young miss," she bows.
Camellia nods, "It's good to be back, Argent."
"The Lord and Lady are expecting you," Argent informs as she opens the set of large heavy doors with little effort.
As Argent accompanies her, Camellia asks, "How were things while I was gone?"
Argent lightly smiles, "Lady Luna is reading in the library."
"Ah... as usual..." Camellia nods.
"Lady Iris is currently out performing her weekly duties and will be returning very soon," Argent continues.
"Mmm..."
"Meanwhile, Lady Dhalia and Lady Daisy are taking an afternoon nap after their training. Finally, Lady Lily is... somewhere on the premises, presumably hiding," Argent lightly sighs to herself.
Camellia smiles, "I see... Up to her usual pranks?"
Argent tiredly nods in response before straightening her back and knocking on a set of doors at the end of a large hallway.
"Lady Camellia has arrived," she politely announces.
"Come in," a deep male's voice answers.
Argent lightly bows as Camellia strolls past her through the doors. The room is rather large, but simplistic in design. Most of the furniture and design are distinctly Mistralian, but all are embroidered with the Arc symbol. Sitting behind a large low table are a male and female couple.
The man has a fairly large stature. Though his muscular frame is visible through the loose Mistralian clothing, he is not overly bulky. He sits in a casual manner with a leg propped up with an arm resting atop the knee. His face is chiseled, sharp, and angled while showing very little signs of age. His pearl white pupils contrast his short and spiky black hair.
The woman sitting beside him is the definition of a beauty and maiden. Her slightly wavy blonde hair is as smooth as silk as it splays out behind her like wings. The white and pink robes she is wearing further accentuates her charm, and much like her husband, there is not a single wrinkle visible on her face. She serenely smiles at Camellia with her deep blue eyes that seem to almost glitter within their depths.
"I've returned home Mother. Father," Camellia respectfully greets. Her eyes momentarily glance at the open Scroll underneath her father's hand on the table.
"Why must you always be so formal?" Asher Arc warmly smiles. "Come sit. Join us for tea. You must be tired from your long journey."
Camellia nods before taking a seat across from them. Her mother, Selene Arc, places an elegant tea cup before Camellia and smoothly pours some tea for her.
"Thank you mother," Camellia says before bringing the cup up to her nose.
"I trust that everything went well?" Asher asks.
When Camellia remains silent, he slightly leans forward.
"Can you explain what happened?"
Camellia takes a moment to think.
"As mother had predicted, Tyrian Callows was found in the petrified forest. Unfortunately, I was unable to rescue the Huntress he was targeting, but I also met someone of interest due to that."
"Qrow Branwen," Selene murmurs as she stares off into the distance.
"Yes," Camellia nods.
"One of Ozma's?" Asher mutters with a raised eyebrow. "What happened next?"
"I was able to save his life with the anti-venom I'd prepared beforehand," Camellia replies. "Callows had targeted Qrow Branwen during our battle and I was left with no choice but to protect him. As a result, Callows escaped... again."
"Hmm... it is unfortunate that Callows lived. However, it is good that you saved one of Ozma's. Our family owes him a great debt," Asher says.
Camellia releases a mental sigh of relief.
'I'm not going to get scolded.'
"Having said that..." Asher continues. "With your abilities, you should have been able to deal with Callows as well as protect the Branwen, meaning that you were caught off guard. It seems that we'll have to adjust your training."
'Oh...'
Resigning herself to her fate, Camellia continues, "I accompanied Qrow Branwen for several days, and during that time, I learned that he has a close relation with Jaune..."
Immediate concern flashes across the eyes of both Asher and Selene.
"Jaune..." Asher mutters. "While you were gone, this has been spreading through the Kingdoms recently."
He slides the Scroll underneath his hand towards Camellia, who peers down curiously.
"Faunus slaughtered by Jaune Arc of Beacon Academy..." Camellia slowly reads. Her eyes widen with shock as she looks back up at her parents.
"Combine tjat with the recordings of Jaune's abnormal performance during the Vytal Tournament," Asher continues with a frown. "That talentless son of ours with a heart of gold... Do you think that he is capable of committing such actions?"
"That is..."
Camellia looks back down at the Scroll before quietly shaking her head.
"Something must have happened during his time in Beacon," Asher says in a cold tone. "Something that Ozma deliberately chose not to tell us..."
"The tides of fate were shifted..." Selene quietly says. Her eyes are glazed over as she peers into the distance.
"So something did happen to Jaune?" Asher asks in alarm.
"Yes... and no," Selene responds before her head droops and falls to her side.
"Mother," Camellia calls out with concern.
Asher gently catches her.
"You shouldn't push yourself. You know that looking too far is dangerous."
"I will do what I must for our son," Selene resolutely responds with glistening eyes. Tears threaten to fall.
"Were we wrong in our decision to sending him to Beacon?... Was I wrong? Just what has happened to our little boy?"
Asher deeply sighs as he consoles his wife, then glances back at Cameliia.
"We're going to need answers. From both Ozma and Jaune."
Selene wearily sits back up.
"Argent," she lightly calls out.
The room's doors immediately open and Argent respectfully stands at attention before Selene and Asher.
"Iris has just arrived from her duties. Please bring her and Luna here."
"Of course my lady."
Camellia looks down in thought before quietly asking, "You planning to send them to Vale?..."
Her hands tightly clench at the seams of her gown.
"If something happened to Jaune and I find out who..."
Camellia's eyes glint with sharp killing intent.
Asher places a hand on her shoulder.
"Calm yourself. We will get the answers we seek in due time."
*** Outside ***
"Argent? What are you doing out here?"
"Lady Iris," Argent lightly bows. "Master Selene has instructed me to collect both you and Lady Luna."
Iris raises an eyebrow.
"This can't wait? I'd rather take a bath first."
She gestures at her herself, currently covered in armor, with some annoyance.
"I'm afraid it can not," Argent replies.
Iris sighs and brushes her long spiky bangs to the side with a hand. Her armor disperses into the air, replaced by a more comfortable, flowing black robe embroidered with golden leaves.
Argent continues, "This matter pertains to young master Jaune."
"Jaune?" Iris says with a surprised look. "Then what are we waiting for?"
In the library, dimly lit by a single candle, is a girl of petite stature wearing a summer hat. She is quietly tracing a finger across the pages of a large book while seated in a wheelchair. She is dressed in a golden yellow robe that fades to white on the ends with black frills and embroidered with yellow roses.
When she hears the doors of the library creak open, her finger pauses and she tilts her head.
"Can I help the two of you? It is not often both Argent and Iris visit me at the same time."
"Lady Luna. I apologize for disturbing you, but your mother is calling for both you and Lady Iris," Argent politely says.
"Mother is?"
Luna's eyebrows go up.
"It must be something quite serious then? Very well, I suppose my book can wait."
She places the book onto the table in front of her and reaches down to move her wheelchair, but Argent quickly appears behind her to push.
"Please do not trouble yourself with that when I am around, miss."
Luna pouts.
"Argent. I've been telling you for years that I do not want to be babied."
"With all due respect, it is my duty to baby all of you. After all, I've helped the Mistress give birth to each and every one of you," Argent lightly smiles.
"... Fine," Luna relents with a sigh. "And how are you big sister? You are being abnormally quiet. It's weird."
"Apparently mom is calling us because of something relating to Jaune."
"Jaune?" Luna's smile turns into a frown. "Argent, let us go quickly."
*** Schnee Mansion ***
Jacques is working quietly in his large office with the lights dimmed. In the background, an audio recording of a female opera singer fills the silence.
A rapid series of knocks on his door interrupts him. He removes the audio crystal from the player and carefully places it into a small box before pocketing it with great care. He looks towards the door with narrowed eyes.
"Come in. I expect a very good reason for disturbing me."
A maid rapidly steps inside, out of breath. She clutches a piece of paper in her hand.
"Sir! Miss Schnee has gone missing and this is all that was found in her quarters!"
Jacques eyes widen.
"What?!" He exclaims while jumping to his feet.
He strides over to the maid and snatches the letter from her hands.
"Leave," he orders.
After the maid scurries out from the room, Jacques locks the doors and unfolds the letter.
Father,
I am leaving.
As a proud daughter bearing the name Schnee, I can not bear to sit by and watch the current state of affairs of our family. In my eyes, the past glory and prestige is missing and must be restored, so I will do everything in my power to bring them back, using my own methods.
Truthfully... though you have caused me great pain for the last 12 years, I can not bring myself to place all of the blame on you, because I know that you are suffering just like me and Winter. However, that does not mean that I will continue to condone your actions and methods.
I am not doing this out of spite, father, but because I believe with all of my heart that this is the right path to take. Please take care of yourself.
Your daughter,
Weiss Schnee
Jacques hands tremble as the edges of the letter crumples in his hands.
He grits his teeth before throwing the letter onto his desk and presses the intercom button.
"Search for my daughter immediately and send me every single footage from the security feeds! And schedule a meeting with General Ironwood!" He barks.
A hand covers his eyes as he roughly collapses into his chair.
"You foolish little girl..."
*** Somewhere over the ocean ***
"So Jaune," Weiss asks as they leisurely cruise through the air. "Let me get this straight. The original Jaune, the one I'd briefly met before the initiation, is dead?"
She continues to be disturbed by the concept. Granted, she'd hardly even talked to the teen, but to learn that he'd died that same day is depressing.
"When I took over this body, he was already medically dead," Jaune admits. "Whatever remnants of his spirit remained was absorbed by me, which includes his memories and life experiences. It's rather difficult to definitely answer, so the closest I can say is both yes and no."
"... Doesn't the original Jaune Arc have family? How are you going to explain this to them?"
Jaune frowns, "I am not sure... With the acquisition of his spirit, his family feels familiar to me, yet, they do not at the same time. Until I personally face them, I am not sure how I will react."
"Isn't that a little sad? For both sides..."
"It is what it is, and I will accept whatever the outcome will be," he sighs.
"Is it not amusing? I hold no fear towards death and battle, but when it comes to Jaune Arc's family, I can not help but feel dread and anxiety," he deprecatingly chuckles. "Despite all of my experience, I hold very little to none when it comes to matters like this. Isn't it rather pathetic?"
"I think that just means that you're still relatively normal. It makes you seem less... alien," Weiss replies. "To me, despite all of whatever this is, I am very confident that I can trust you. But the General... I was honestly a little surprised that he let you go."
"That is because he knows that making an enemy out of me is not worth it. At the very least, he is not treating me as an immediate enemy, but a potential one. For the sake of what we need to accomplish at the moment, that is good enough," Jaune responds. "Glynda's backing is also very helpful. Even if I've shown no malicious intentions, he likely sees my very existence as a threat."
Weiss's eyebrow raises with confusion.
"Couldn't you have taken a bit of a more... delicate approach?"
"I can not guarantee that Vale will not be attacked by any of the other Kingdoms in its current state of weakness. If, and this is a very big and unlikely if, Atlas or any other Kingdom decides to capitalize on the situation... needless to say, that would be very bad. It is more common than you'd like to believe. That those closest to you will choose to stab you in the back during times of need or vulnerability."
"Then doesn't that mean you will never fully trust anyone?" Weiss sadly asks.
Jaune glances down at Weiss and chuckles, "Trust is a double edged sword. Thus, it must be carefully grown over time."
As they converse, the northern coast of Sanus appears in the horizon as the sun begins to set.
"We are finally back on Sanus," Jaune says.
"I've always seen this up in the airships, but seeing the view like this without being restricted is something else entirely," Weiss says in awe.
They quietly land in the middle of the forest, and Jaune, with his divine sense, quickly sets up a tent stored in his ring.
"Go ahead and use that to sleep. I will keep watch over the night."
"I'm not that tired yet," Weiss shakes her head. "I'd much prefer to play around with my Glyphs. Ever since your match with Winter, there's been an itch in the back of my mind."
"I see," Jaune smiles. "Then go ahead and do as you wish. If you need me, feel free to yell."
After creating a small campfire, he floats high up above the camp site near the clouds and sits with his legs crossed. His divine sense stretches out to cover several miles around them. He reaches into his storage ring and brings out large quantities of Dust crystals.
'This is a good opportunity to consolidate my pillars.'
Jaune stands atop the central pillar in his dantian, surrounded by four columns in the cardinal directions. An icy pillar in the North, a grand tree in the East, a fiery column in the South, and a metallic rod of lightning in the West.
'There are two trains of thought to tackling the breakthrough into Nascent Soul. Create as many pillars of support as possible, or do as I have chosen to do by opting for a set number and focus on their quality. Along with my central foundational pillar, I will only need these five. I'd much rather have a palace build from superior supports, rather than with numerous flimsy ones. Palaces embodied by the blessings of the divine beasts. There is very little that could trump such a foundation. The alternative mindset of creating many mediocre supports is shortsighted. Indeed, the breakthrough into Nascent Soul will be relatively easier, but that will be the limit for most.'
Up in the skies, the pile of Dust is separated into four large groups: Water and Ice, Plant, Fire, and Lightning. Like the stars in a galaxy, the Dust crystals slowly begin to orbit around him, gradually flattening out to a disc. With every rotation, energy from the four groups of Dust is siphoned into Jaune, who meditates in the center.
From below, Weiss looks up at the sight.
'What is he doing all the way up there?' She curiously wonders as there seem to be glimmering lights encircling him. 'Is all of that... Is that all Dust?!'
She does some quick mental calculation to get an estimate on the quantity based on the approximate distance between her and Jaune, then the resulting value in Lien. The conclusion she arrives at causes migraine.
'Just where in the world did Jaune get that much Dust?! That amount could easily buy multiple homes near the center of Atlas!"
The speed Jaune siphons the essence from the Dust accelerates with every passing second. Sitting atop the central pillar, Jaune directs the energy from the refined dust into the cardinal pillars that devour the energy passed to them with great ferocity.
'Eat. Eat as much as you all need.'
As the pillars continue to devour the energy, they begin to pulsate with energy.
'When the four guardians converge, the fifth will be born in the center. The ruler embodying the union between the Heavens, the Earth, and the Sun.'
Jaune waves an arm, bringing out a large pile of Earth Dust crystals.
'The Yellow Dragon of the Center. Everything revolves around the center. Expands and carries the power of transformation, leading to the immortal realms. The cycle of Creation and Destruction become complete within me.'
'In creation, Wood feeds Fire, Fire creates Earth, Earth bears Metal, Metal collects Water, and Water nourishes Wood.'
'In destruction, Wood parts Earth, Earth dams Water, Water extinguishes Fire, Fire melts Metal, and Metal chops Wood.'
'There is no need to engrave the Yellow Dragon sigil because I am the Yellow Dragon. Come!'
The Earth essence in the Dust instantly get absorbed through Jaune's head and merges with the central pillar Jaune sits upon. A golden hue shines from his central pillar. Countless lotus flowers the size of Jaune's head bloom in midair and begin to orbit around him.
Ethereal manifestations of the Black Tortoise, Azure Dragon, Vermillion Bird, and White Tiger appear before Jaune and circle around him while bowing in reverence as the four pillars synchronize with him in the center.
Jaune's eyes slowly open. His aquamarine pupils now shine with regal gold in the center. The literal tons of Dust crystals orbiting him are completely spent, now dull grey and no more useful than rocks. He waves an arm, dispersing them to dust and carried away by the wind.
'These pillars of support will eventually become palaces, and from the palaces a kingdom will be born. Through the kingdom, the door to the immortal realms will open.'
He sighs to himself, "I wonder if I will make it..."
He descends back down to the camp site, and approaches Weiss who is currently busy drawing something into the dirt beside the fire. She looks up at him as he nears.
"Before you say anything, where on Remnant did you get all of that Dust from earlier? And where did it all go?"
"Do you remember the Dust that was stolen by Torchwick?"
"... Yeah?" Weiss slowly replies. She has a sinking feeling in her stomach.
"I kind of took half of it," Jaune laughs.
"H-Half..." Weiss stutters and does another mental calculation based on the amount of Dust that had disappeared from the robberies.
"Half?!" She yells. "Do you have any idea how much that Dust is worth?!"
"A decent amount?"
"Decent amount?! The amount alone that was orbiting around you could have easily bought multiple large homes in the middle of Atlas! You also haven't answered where all of it went!"
Jaune hums to himself.
"I used them all."
"What."
"For my cultivation."
"The hell..."
"I still have plenty left, so you don't have to worry about anything," Jaune grins.
Weiss slaps a hand over her face, feeling a major headache.
"Okay. Nevermind... Whatever..."
"Anyways, what were you so intently working on?" Jaune asks. "Hmm... trying to figure out a way to stabilize your Glyph?"
Weiss looks down at ground and nods.
"That's the ultimate goal for now, at least. I first need to figure out what makes my glyph a glyph in the first place. It's like I've been using a gun my entire life, but I've never dismantled or tried to understand the internal mechanics of it. If I want to make any sort of meaningful improvement, I'll have to start from the very beginning."
Jaune nods in approval.
'Smart girl. She knows exactly how to approach this problem.'
He sits down by the fire and silently observes with a small smile.
"I wonder how all of them are doing in Vale right now?" He mutters.
*** Vale ***
Yang swerves her head to the side as Neo kicks out at her, then counters with a quick jab. When Neo nimbly steps past it, Yang pivots on her left foot and steps forward with her right, slamming her right shoulder into Neo, who hops backwards while pushing off from the momentum.
"How was that?" Yang asks.
Neo shrugs with an unimpressed look.
"... I guess that's a better reaction than yesterdays," Yang sighs. "The footwork Jaune wrote in here are all distinctly different... and he's saying that I should be compatible with all of them to a certain extent?"
Neo rolls her eyes and jabs a finger at Yang's forehead, getting her attention. She points to her head, then back down at the book, before shaking her head.
"Uh... What?"
Grunting in frustration, Neo flips out her Scroll and types a message before turning it towards Yang.
"How can you not even understand? Are you an idiot? My message was crystal clear, you idiot."
Yang's eyebrow twitches.
"Then why don't you just type what you mean to say in the Scroll instead of just ranting about how I can't read your mind?! Did you just call me an idiot twice?!"
Neo taps her Scroll's screen, pointing at the two distinct idiots she'd typed in her previous message, and gives Yang the most obvious "Duh" look in existence.
"Why can't you understand what I'm saying? Jaune was able to get it pretty much right away."
"Jaune is a weirdo," Yang blankly replies. "Common sense doesn't apply to him."
Neo sighs to herself while feigning a headache.
"You think too much, you stupid blondie."
"I think too much?" Yang reads while ignoring the complimentary insult Neo always adds on.
"Just do what feels natural. Are you seriously this dumb?"
Yang thinks for a moment before looking back up at Neo.
"I want to try again."
Neo grins.
A swirling ball of rose petals dashes back and forth through the air. Between each jump, Ruby momentarily materializes, then quickly disperses into her rose petal form to initiate the next jump. After repeating this about a dozen times, Ruby materializes back on the ground, breathing heavily with sweat dripping down her face.
"Twelve! That's a new record. I'm also used to the re-materializing process now."
She glances across the field at Yang and Neo who are currently sparring.
"I wonder how Yang is doing? That Neo girl is still kind of suspicious, but since Jaune trusts her, I guess I'll just keep an eye on her for now..."
Ruby jogs towards the treeline, finding Ren quietly meditating in the shadows.
"Can I help you with something Ruby?" Ren asks with his eyes closed.
"Actually... yeah," Ruby replies. "I've been wondering if you could give me some advice on meditation."
Ren's eyes open, and he looks up at her curiously.
"Why the sudden interest?"
"It's important for my training," Ruby lightly laughs. "Jaune's been stressing that I have to strengthen my mind and gain a stronger hold of my emotions. Since he's gone, I think the next best person to go for regarding this is you."
"Why don't you take a seat first?" Ren offers.
When Ruby takes her seat, Ren calmly asks, "In your own words, what do you think meditation is?"
"Um... Isn't it about becoming still and quiet while trying to empty the mind? And by doing so, I can gain control of myself and my emotions?"
"Those are some aspects of meditation, but it is not what meditation is all about," Ren shakes his head. "It is not about trying to become a different, new, or even a better person. You meditate in order to gain a healthy sense of perspective. Trying to turn off your thoughts or feelings should not be the goal. Rather, you should be observing them all without any judgement so that you can gain a better understanding of them. I believe that at its core, meditation is the discovery of the self."
"That sounds... a little complicated," Ruby admits. "But I'll try."
Ren nods, "That's all you can do. I have yet to reach a level of understanding of myself that is satisfactory, but it is a journey. However, this is only my perspective. You should ask Jaune for his when he returns."
"Thanks Ren," Ruby sincerely says.
"Of course. It was my pleasure."
"Very good Miss Nikos," Glynda says. "Continue orbiting the metal rods like that at a consistent speed, and try to spin the individual rods concurrently."
Pyrrha intently concentrates on the half dozen metal rods the size of toothpicks orbiting above her palms. Her eyes narrow as she focuses her Semblance to nudge the rods to spin on the axis of the orbit. Slowly but surely, the rods eventually make one full rotation, before Pyrrha's concentration finally slips and the rods fall into her palms.
'Though her growth in Aura and intricate Semblance usage was stifled over the years, she is without a doubt a genius,' Glynda thinks to herself. 'Getting to this point in training took me 2 months, but she's managed to do reach it in under a week...'
"Please continue to work on this exercise daily until you are able to freely orbit and spin the objects without much resistance or effort," she instructs.
"Yes, Professor Goodwitch," Pyrrha nods. "Am I... doing alright so far? I fear that I may be progressing too slowly."
Glynda's eyebrow twitches at that before sighing, "You are doing just fine Miss Nikos. It has been less than a week since we've started so you can not expect to make huge leaps in such a short amount of time."
"I understand."
"Good. I will be seeing you again after two days. I expect significant improvements by then."
*** In Vale ***
Yang jogs through the streets, mentally slapping herself.
'Ugh... I knew I shouldn't have stayed up late. I think Ruby and Pyrrha said that they're headed for lunch with Neo? I wonder if they can even get along. Neo is... a difficult person to keep up and deal with.'
As Yang rounds a corner, she nearly runs straight into someone. With a quick hop to the side, she narrowly avoids a direct hit, though she still slightly bumps into them.
"Sorry!" Yang frantically apologizes when she realizes that she'd nearly tackled a girl wearing a summer hat sitting in a wheelchair.
"Are you okay?"
"Ah..."
The girl tilts her head down at the dessert she'd dropped.
"Oh crap... Um... I can buy you another one," Yang offers. "That's from the crepe shop down the street right?"
'What's this girl doing all by herself in a wheelchair? Doesn't she have a guardian?'
The girl in question turns her head up towards Yang.
"I will take you up on that offer, as that would be very much appreciated."
Yang's eyes widen when she notices that the girl has her eyes closed.
'She's blind?...'
"Are you by yourself?" Yang carefully asks.
"Hmm... I seem to have been separated from my sister. I'm sure she'll be just fine," she responds with a smile.
'... Shouldn't it be you that we should be worrying about?'
When the girl reaches down to push the wheels of her wheelchair, Yang quickly jogs behind her.
"Let me help you with that."
The girl pauses for a moment before bringing her hands up.
"Thank you," she nods.
While Yang gently pushes the girl's wheelchair down the street towards the crepe shop, she glances down at the girl with a curious look.
"I guess I should introduce myself. My name's Yang Xiao Long," she says.
"Yang Xiao Long... Ah! The one from the Tournament?"
Yang slightly flinches.
"I apologize, but I was not alluding to that particular incident. Overall, your performance stood out during the competition," the girl explains. "As for myself, you may call me Luna."
"Luna. That's a very pretty name," Yang compliments. "So what brings you to Vale? Ever since the attack, it's kind of rare for people to visit other cities, especially the one that was attacked..."
"My sister and I are here for some sightseeing," Luna replies. "It has been quite some time since we've been in Vale."
As they slowly traverse down the street, numerous passersby whisper in hushed tones when they notice Yang.
"Isn't that Yang Xiao Long? The one that ruthlessly attacked that boy during the Tournament?"
"Looks like she got injured during the attack. She's missing an arm."
"Whatever. She probably deserves it."
"Isn't that a little harsh?"
"Maybe a bit."
"Not to me..."
Yang tightens her grip on the wheelchair's handle. She'd mentally braced herself when she left Patch, but it still hurt to actually hear them. With Jaune currently away from Vale, she can't just hide on Patch like a coward.
Luna tilts her head.
"You are missing an arm?" She curiously asks.
"U-uh... yeah..." Yang awkwardly answers. "Happened during the attack..."
A momentary silence falls between them as they walk.
'I wonder how Luna deals with this. She has not only one, but two crippling disabilities.'
"Are you curious about my disabilities?"
'How did she know? Was I that obvious?'
"Er... Sorry. It's just... you're confined to a wheelchair, and you can't see. I guess I was just wondering how deal with it since you're worse off than I am."
"You think that I am worse off than you?" Luna innocently asks before putting a finger up to her chin in thought.
"Hmm... Personally, I take great pride in my so called disabilities, as most would call them. I believe that it is all a matter of perspective. While I can not physically walk, my back is straight as I stride through life. While I can not see with my eyes, my other senses are far superior in return, to the point that I can pinpoint every single person on the street we are currently on. To me, these are not disabilities, but merely unique traits that make me up as the person sitting in front of you. They are what makes me Luna."
"... Is that how it is?" Yang slowly asks.
"Yes," Luna brightly nods. "That is how it is."
Yang suddenly begins to chuckle.
"You are strong Luna. Much stronger than I am. Is it strange to say that I am a little jealous?"
Luna lightly laughs into her hand.
"You are rather interesting, Yang Xiao Long."
They stop in front of a crepe shop. Waiting in front of the doors is a tall woman with the same blonde hue as Luna's. Her piercing aquamarine eyes lock onto Luna and Yang.
"Luna, there you are," she calls out. "Where did you run off to?"
Luna lightly smiles, "I merely wanted to explore the streets of Vale. It has been far too long since I've been here."
"And who is this?"
Iris points a thumb at Yang.
"Someone who I'd met along the way."
"Nice to meet you," Yang greets. "Name's Yang."
She puts out her left arm for a handshake.
Iris casually take Yang's hand and returns the greeting, not casting a single glance at her missing arm.
"Iris."
'So this is Luna's sister. Having seen the two of them, they remind me of someone for some reason...'
Yang seems to realize something and she quickly flips her Scroll out.
"Uh no... I'm late."
Yang apologetically looks at Iris and Luna.
"I've got an appointment to catch so I gotta go. Here's enough Lien for the both of you to get a crepe. I recommend the strawberry cream with bittersweet chocolate!"
Yang waves her hand as she jogs away.
"It was nice meeting you Luna!"
Luna gently waves an arm at Yang as she runs into the distance.
Iris glances down at her.
"So did you get anything?"
"Like Cammie said, she's rather close to Jaune. She's a good girl," Luna smiles. "Patch is where we want to go next, as that is where she, her sister Ruby, and Jaune currently live."
"Hmm, then let's go get the airship tickets to Patch.".
"There's something important we must do first," Luna responds seriously.
Iris raises an eyebrow.
"Which is?"
"Should I get the strawberry cream with bittersweet chocolate as Yang recommended, or should I opt for the assorted fruits with cream and jam instead?"
"..."
Iris narrows her eyes.
"... The strawberry cream with chocolate sounds good."
"Doesn't it?" Luna brightly smiles.