Chapter 4: The Place You Belong
Sienna wrapped her arms tightly around Violet's waist as the levitating bike suddenly took off. Even as the cool wind sailed past them, she could feel a heat rise to her ears as she listened to the woman in front of her laugh heartily.
"How fast are you going?" She said over Violet's shoulder, raising her voice over the sound of the sparrow's engine. As her embarrassment began to fade away, she realized how tightly she had attached herself to the woman in front of her. Violet's bodysuit did little to hide her form. Her body felt firm and unyielding—a testament to her obvious training. Sienna began to feel grateful to the sparrow for overwhelming her senses and doing away with her imagination.
"110 kilometers per hour." Violet called back, turning her head slightly to the voice over her shoulder.
"That fast already?"
"It can go up to 220, actually."
Sienna looked to her side at the vast desert. How many opportunities did she have for a little mischief? I might as well enjoy this while I can before I have to go back to being the White Fang's lieutenant, she thought.
"Well? What are you waiting for then?" Sienna said with a sly smile.
Before Violet could say anything, she felt Sienna's arms preemptively wrap around her waist a little tighter. With a chuckle, she twisted the sparrow's throttle and took it to its top speed. The tiger-faunus looked behind them to see the red streak that trailed behind them from the bike's afterburners—which was shocking enough to find on a vehicle this small in the first place. The whole thing screamed death trap, but Sienna couldn't help but laugh into the wind.
Despite the wind whistling past her and the loud roar of the sparrow's engine, Violet heard Sienna's laugh color her senses—from the music of it that cut through the wind to the rhythmic hum that she felt against her back. It was funny to think that in centuries of exploring the Solar System, this was the first time she ever had a companion join her on the back of the sparrow. Of course, who would think to do that on a single-occupant vehicle—but the Hunter didn't think that there would be many more firsts in her life after all this time.
"You remember where to go, right?" Sienna said as her laughter finally died down.
"Port. Southeast." She called back as Yewan pulled up the map on her heads-up display again. "At this rate, we should be there by midnight."
Fast, Sienna commented in her head. Once we're there, hopefully we can strike a deal. As soon as the thought entered her mind, she felt a pang of guilt. Between the raid on the Dust mine, helping the rest of the White Fang escape, and escorting her across the Vacuan desert, Violet had already done more for her than most within her own organization. Not once has she asked for anything in return, and judging by the Kenyte incident, it simply seemed to be her character. If she blankly made the deal as she always did regarding White Fang business, she felt that the chances of Violet accepting were high. However, after everything that had already happened in two days of knowing each other, it somehow felt dishonest to suddenly strike a cold business deal with the woman in black.
The tiger-faunus took a deep breath as she closed her eyes, with the side of her face pressed against Violet's back. It felt more intimate than it should have.
It was four hours later when they finally arrived at the port town. Just as Violet said, it was midnight, and the only sound that filled the town were the sea waves. Sienna got off the sparrow as soon as the vehicle floated to the ground.
"Finally." She said as she pulled her arms over her head, stretching out every muscle after having sat in place for so long.
Violet lifted her leg over the sparrow and turned her body, though she remained seated as she looked up at her companion of the past two days. "Alright, I got you here."
Sienna looked back at the woman in black. With the way she silently stared at her through that emotionless visor, she could tell she was waiting for something. And she knew what that something was. Sienna's arms fell to her side as she turned to face the Hunter. "Sorry, Violet. I'm going to have to take advantage of that kindness of yours. Unfortunately, I can't give you this information for free."
Violet frowned. She felt her muscles tense for a moment, but her conditioning kicked in just as quickly, forcing herself to relax. "I thought I already let you all take credit for that Dust mine." She said evenly, though a hint of impatience cut through.
Sienna winced slightly. That stung. And there was something about Violet's choice of words that were unnerving. That she let them, which implied that if things were different, she could have fought them. From what Sienna has seen so far, Violet certainly had the strength to back it up. She didn't want to dwell on the thought any longer. "I know. But the others won't see it that way."
Violet recalled their conversation from the previous night. A lot of people are looking at me right now. I can't afford to look weak, Sienna's words echoed in her head. Violet looked at the tiger-faunus, whose expression was somehow both stern and apologetic. This exchange felt very familiar. It reminded her of Ikora. With a gentle sigh, the Hunter stood up from the sparrow. "The information better be worth it."
Sienna nodded. "It will be. Let's talk inside." She pointed a thumb towards the town.
The two walked into the port town that was dimly lit by street lamps and golden light that shined out of the few businesses that remained open at this hour. One such business was an inn that Sienna took the lead towards. "We agreed that should anything happen, we would meet up here and wait three days for any stragglers. In this case, just me."
Sienna stopped in front of the door, listening to the chatter inside. Once I walk in, I'm back to being Lieutenant of the White Fang. With a deep breath, she turned the knob and pulled the door open. The chatter quickly died down as all heads turned towards her. The tiger-faunus scanned the room with all the familiar faces before offering a confident smile. "Did you miss me?"
"Sienna!" A large framed puma-faunus stood up from his table with a big grin on his face.
Most of the White Fang followed Tukson in turn, similarly jumping up from their seats with cheers and coming up to greet their leader. The only ones who seemed to remain calm were the redheaded boy named Adam and a few who sat with him. When Violet finally walked in behind Sienna, the White Fang save for Tukson seemed less enthused. The Hunter noticed Adam in particular suck his teeth.
"You're definitely not getting the welcome party." Yewan observed from within the helmet. "No wonder Sienna's being cautious in how she gives you this information."
"Hmm," Violet hummed as she looked around. Seemed like a run-of-the-mill wood rustic inn. There were booths along a wall on the right and a staircase that led to a second floor on the left. From the opposite end of the inn from the entrance was a bar and a number of round tables in between them. Behind the counter was a faunus man with what appeared to be ram horns on his head. From the looks of it, the inn was only catering to the White Fang.
"We were going to give you a call tomorrow about your status." Tukson said as he approached, giving Sienna a firm handshake as a greeting. "We were prepared to take off and meet you in Menagerie. How did you get back to us so quickly?"
"I had some help." She pointed a thumb behind her at the woman in black.
The White Fang looked uneasy. Some seemed to nod their heads gratefully, while others regarded Violet suspiciously. They watched the Hunter for any sort of reaction, to which she offered none.
"Clear a booth for us." Sienna said as she gauged the atmosphere. "We have business to discuss."
They followed her orders, and it was clear that at the mention Violet was here to conduct business, they became more comfortable.
They harbor a lot of mistrust to those outside the White Fang. As a 'criminal' organization, they probably prefer transactional relationships over good will, Violet took note of.
Violet followed Sienna to the booth, sliding into the seat across from the tiger-faunus.
"So, Miss Wei." Sienna began, projecting her voice enough to be overheard.
She's purposefully making a show of it, Violet observed.
"You want what information we have on the CCT towers. As you understand, this is not information that we can give easily as we have been collecting this data for quite some time." Sienna continued. Amber eyes glanced at the rest of the room. The rest of the White Fang seemed to be put at ease by the familiar sight of a negotiation.
Violet leaned back against the booth, taking a more relaxed demeanor. "What do you need me to do?" Words she usually only ever said to Ikora.
Sienna smiled, but her eyes did not. Violet observed her expression quietly. She clearly didn't like acting like this. "I'm glad that you're quick on the uptake." The tiger-faunus leaned forward, propping both her elbows against the table as she clasped one hand over the other. "You're quite skilled. Quiet. Self-sufficient. That's exactly what we need. And—unless I am mistaken—you're ex-Atlesian."
Violet didn't answer. She gauged the rest of the White Fang's reaction. The implication of being ex-Atlas certainly perked their interest—even Adam's. Though it was clear that he still remained suspicious. Most likely because she kept her helmet on.
Sienna seemed to note that the conversation was successfully placating them. With a confident smile, she continued. "That kind of background is perfect for what I want you to do."
"And what is that exactly?"
Sienna raised a palm. "While I have a great degree of freedom in deciding how we operate, I still respect the hierarchy." She was extremely purposeful in saying that last part. A quick glance caught some nervous looks between a few members around Adam. I'll have to keep an eye out for them, Sienna thought to herself.
The tiger-faunus reached into a pocket and pulled out her scroll, unfolding it on the table. With a few taps against the tablet, the screen showed an outgoing call to one Ghira Belladonna. After a few moments, the call went through.
"Ugh," a deep grumble came from the scroll. "Sienna? Don't you know what time it is?"
"Sorry for the late night call without notice, High Leader."
Violet noticed that all the chatter in the inn came to a stop. She was right. He barely spoke, but already people were listening. But that's the White Fang. Would anyone else listen?
"I require your approval for an Atlas operation. No protests. No attacks. Just delivering a list of demands straight to the Schnees. No one gets hurt." Sienna looked across the table at Violet, staring into the visor again. If only she could tell what she was thinking under there.
There was a long pause before finally the deep voice spoke again, sounding much more awake than before. "And just how do you intend on doing that?"
"I know the risk is too high for one of us. Which is why I have someone from outside the organization to do the job. Her name is Violet Wei."
Another pause. "Allow me to meet her. Bring Miss Wei to Menagerie."
The call ended.
Sienna looked up at the Hunter. "Congratulations. You have a meeting with the High Leader of the White Fang."
"How long will it take for you to reach Menagerie?"
"A week from the morning."
Sienna watched the Hunter's shoulders gently rise and fall in what she recognized as a quiet sigh. "I know." She said in a much quieter tone. Thankfully after the talk with the High Leader, most of the White Fang appeared to be paying them no mind now. "But I promise, this will be worth it for you."
That was when it clicked for Sienna. "Wait, are you not joining us to Menagerie?"
Violet shook her head. "I'll meet you there. There's something I need to pick up first."
"Meet us there? There isn't a faster way there other than an airship." Sienna frowned. "You have an airship?"
Violet didn't answer.
The tiger-faunus shook her head. "Unbelievable."
"May I have your device? I will return it shortly." Violet stretched an open palm on the table.
Sienna narrowed her eyes at the visor. "Why?"
"I need your contact information." And then in a much lower tone, "Please, trust me."
There was something about the way Violet was speaking that caught Sienna's interest. Who says device instead of scroll? It was an odd request, and one that common wisdom told not to trust. But Violet had done nothing other than prove that she was quite heroic and selfless, and has also been going along with this whole performance more to Sienna's benefit than her own. She picked up her scroll from the table and placed it in Violet's palm. "Make it quick."
Violet nodded and slid out of the booth with her scroll in hand, walking straight out of the inn. After a few moments, Adam took her place across from her.
"What is this about, Sienna?" The redheaded bull-faunus asked evenly.
"What do you mean?" Sienna posed a question back, crossing her arms against her chest.
"This mission. I thought we agreed that these peaceful means weren't working anymore." The boy's tone was low and edging on impatient.
Sienna's eyes narrowed at the teenager's Grimm mask. "This is a show of power in itself. If Miss Wei can leave our demands in the Schnee home without ever being noticed, it would show them that the White Fang very well could have killed them in their sleep, but showed them mercy. The fact that you don't seem to understand that is concerning, Taurus."
Adam grimaced. "And if she gets caught?"
"I've seen her semblance. It would not be an issue for her to quickly and easily get rid of the evidence. And there is nothing else about her that would connect her to the White Fang. In fact, they're more likely to be concerned with her stolen Atlesian equipment than suspect that we would be connected in any way."
"I see." Adam said plainly. "I suppose this is more than a fair trade for giving her what we have on the CCTs. Thank you for…helping me understand, Sienna." He nodded and took his leave.
Sienna watched the teenager walk away with a frown. Adam Taurus was not one so easily placated. Something about the conversation got on her nerves.
Violet walked outside with the device in hand and turned a corner. As soon as she was sure no one else was around, she crouched in place and focused Arc Light within herself. She felt electricity spread through her nerves until finally, she was no longer visible. With a silent leap, the Hunter jumped up to a roof where the invisibility wore off.
"That seemed unnecessary." Yewan commented.
"It never hurts to be careful." His guardian muttered. She took a seat on the rooftop and took a look at her surroundings, where she only saw the other flat rooftops of the port town. Confident no one else was around to witness or eavesdrop, Violet turned her attention to the device in hand. Having watched Sienna do this twice before, she mimicked her actions and unfolded the device into a smartphone-like shape.
"Yewan, can you scan this?" Violet asked.
"I can."
The onyx shelled ghost finally emerged in the air in front of her, with his glowing blue eye staring at the device in her palm. Executing her request quickly, Yewan shined a light from his eye, creating a perfect image of it within his system. Violet watched him in silence as he analyzed the device.
"What do you think?" Violet asked patiently.
"Compared to Earth, this is rather primitive." Yewan observed in a somewhat mocking tone.
"It might be, but it looks like it will be useful to us while we're here." Violet carefully turned the device in her hand back and forth, taking in every detail of it herself. "Is there anything we can integrate?"
"Hmm." Yewan hummed—a quirk that he picked up from his guardian. "Most of its functions aren't particularly useful to us, such as forms of identification and digital keys. If this device—it's called a scroll, by the way—is any indication of the level of technology we can expect, then I will have no issues hacking anything." The onyx shelled ghost said proudly. "It is also frequently used for entertainment such as games and as a flashlight."
"You're leaving out two really important features." Violet said.
Yewan sighed. "And as we saw, it can also be used as a means of communication and can access a map of each kingdom. So long as you have someone's contact information, you can contact their scroll, either through short messaging service, voice calls, or video calls. As for the map, I have learned that there are four kingdoms. We already know about Vacuo and Atlas. There are also Vale and Mistral."
"Is there anything else that you didn't mention?" Violet asked, just to be sure.
"They have a system that is for all intents and purposes similar to the pre-Golden Age internet."
"That may also be of use. Is it possible to integrate the communication function, map, and the internet search feature?" The Hunter asked as she mimicked Sienna's actions once more and closed the device she now knew was called a scroll.
"Already done." Yewan said smugly. "Figured you'd ask that."
Charging Arc Light within herself again, she turned invisible and lazily rolled backwards off the roof, landing silently on her two feet before turning visible once more. With a quick glance around, she made her way back to the front entrance of the inn. She opened the door, but no one paid her too much mind this time. It seemed like making a show of their negotiation was for the better after all. Violet returned to the booth, sliding into the seat across from Sienna. She placed the folded scroll on the table in between them. "Thank you."
Sienna at first seemed distracted in thought, but with a shake of her head, she turned her attention to the device on the table and slid a hand over it, pocketing the scroll. "I better not find out you bugged my scroll."
"I assure you, I did not."
Sienna shrugged. "I believe you."
Violet looked to the rest of the inn, where the rest of the White Fang had returned to chatting amongst themselves. "Are the theatrics finally over?" She said in a hushed tone.
"Yeah." Sienna nodded. "Thanks for being patient with me. Hopefully I can make this up to you."
"As long as the information is good, that will be more than enough." Violet turned back towards the tiger-faunus.
Sienna cocked a brow as the Hunter seemed to silently stare at her, before she felt a buzz from her scroll. She pulled the device from her pocket and unfolded it, reading unknown caller. She looked at Violet with a snicker before answering, lifting the scroll to her ear. "Hello?"
"Now you have my contact information." She heard Violet's voice come from the scroll, but surprisingly not from the woman across from her.
Sienna chuckled and hung up, returning the scroll to her pocket. "Good." The tiger-faunus finally allowed herself to relax, feeling her body sink ever so slightly into the booth. "That suit of yours is really impressive. You can even make calls on your scroll without letting the sound escape. Be honest—did you steal it?"
"No." Violet answered plainly. An answer that didn't seem to satisfy the woman across from her. Before she could ask any more questions, the Hunter spoke up. "Well, I think I've stayed long enough. I'll see you in Menagerie so you can introduce me to Ghira."
Sienna blinked, pausing for a moment before slowly nodding. "Right. I suppose I've taken enough of your time. I'll see you there."
And with that, Violet took her leave again.
Sienna watched the woman in black leave the inn. Without Violet in front of her as a distraction, her senses focused on her surroundings once again. She heard the familiar chatter of the White Fang all around her, but none included her. Amber eyes stared at the seat across from her where Violet was sitting mere moments before. Sienna let a gentle sigh escape her.
One week, she thought.
Violet rode her sparrow all the back to the Kestrel, which fortunately was exactly where she left it.
"I would have lost my mind if some kid pulled this to their town, too." Yewan joked.
As she hopped off the sparrow, it disappeared in a grid of light as her ghost transmatted the vehicle back inside the jumpship. Violet looked at the horizon, watching the sun begin to rise again. With nothing that required her immediate attention, the Hunter finally allowed herself to feel the growing fatigue after three days straight of being awake. The Kestrel opened its blast doors as a metal ramp extended down to her. She climbed up the ramp and pressed a button next to the exit as she entered, closing the doors behind her. Violet walked over to her armory, placing her weapons back into their rightful places.
"Yewan." She called out tiredly.
"Got it." He called back knowingly, as he showed himself again now that they were behind closed doors. In another grid of light, Yewan transmatted his guardian's equipment away and replaced it with casual clothes, consisting of old black sports attire that has since graduated to sleep wear.
Violet held her arms over her head and stretched before letting her arms drop down to her sides with a loud exhale of relief escaping her. The Hunter shuffled over to her small sleeping quarters in the Kestrel, ducking her head into the pod and collapsing against the cushions. As she turned to lay on her back, she felt a thin layer of sweat that clung to her skin, but the Hunter couldn't be bothered to get back up now that she was already in her bed.
She shut her eyes, massaging her nose where she felt a familiar scar drag a line across its bridge. "Wake me up tomorrow."
"Sure thing." She heard Yewan say.
"Eyes up, Violet."
Heavy eyelids blinked away sleep as dark irises stared up to see Yewan floating above her.
"It's morning. Again." Her ghost said.
"Mmm," she grumbled. Violet turned her body, swinging her legs over the edge. Her bare feet met the cold floor as she sat up, leaning over with her elbows propped against her knees. She took in a deep breath, taking in the smell of the familiar stale air of her jumpship.
"What do you plan on doing between now and the meeting?" Yewan asked, floating out of the pod as Violet stood up, doing some stretches to get the blood flowing.
The Hunter cracked her neck, letting out a sigh of relief. "Now that we finally have a moment to ourselves, it's time to do our reading. But first, a much needed shower."
Violet indulged in the rare morning routine, feeling refreshed after stepping out and drying off, slipping back into the clothes she wore to sleep. The Hunter walked over to a supply closet, pulling out a box of rations, a large canteen of water—and most importantly—a bottle of hot sauce. With her breakfast in hand, Violet sat at a small metal dining table with a matching metal stool. After spending so much time in sand, she felt herself surprisingly grateful to the industrial feel of her jumpship, though the cold metal did little to reciprocate.
She opened her box of rations and then proceeded to dump hot sauce over the flavorless meal. "Yewan, bring the Dust crystals here, would you?" As she ate spoonfuls of her breakfast, she watched four crystals materialize on the table in front of her food, colored red, blue, yellow, and green respectively. Violet picked up the red crystal between her thumb and index finger, turning the crystal over in the light. It doesn't look all that remarkable, she thought. But she knew how looks could be deceiving.
"So," she said between bites. "What can we learn about these?"
"For one thing, they're highly explosive." Yewan said as he finished scanning them. "And accessing public information via the new search feature I integrated, the energy of Dust can be triggered by Aura."
Violet gently placed the red crystal down. "Speaking of, what is this Aura of theirs anyway? It seems to function like our shields."
"According to multiple data points, the inhabitants of this world—Remnant—understand Aura as the manifestation of their soul. Humans and faunus can practice with their Auras to create a form of protection that is similar to our shield, and needs some level of concentration to maintain. That appears to be the predominant use of Aura, though skilled practitioners develop a power that is often unique to the individual."
"Semblance." Violet recalled Sienna referring to her Light as such.
"Correct." Yewan affirmed. "Similar to Light, using one's Semblance drains Aura—the more powerful the Semblance, the larger the drain. Like guardians and Light, individuals vary in their reserves of Aura. It is common to train your abilities at Huntsmen Academies."
"Sienna mentioned Huntsmen before. Who are they?"
"Huntsmen are warriors trained in the use of their Aura and Semblances. Their duty is to slay Grimm—beings that have no souls."
"Because they're pure Darkness." Violet said as she finished the last bit of her breakfast.
"Yes," Yewan affirmed again. "Though they do not appear to be aware of Darkness. At least, not in the ways that we understand it. There is much information on different Grimm species, but not much about what they are made up of or where they come from."
Violet nodded slowly. "We'll have to report that to Ikora. And knowing her, my next task will be finding out their source."
"As if you don't also want to find that out." Yewan snickered. "Huntsmen are licensed by the Academies, where there is one in each kingdom. Considering the constant Grimm threat, the Huntsmen Academies are held in high regard and are given special privileges. This extends to their licensed Huntsmen, who on top of slaying Grimm as their top priority, are also expected to uphold the peace of the kingdoms. In that endeavor, Huntsmen are afforded many freedoms by the kingdoms."
"I see. That's what Sienna meant. So not exactly law enforcement, but could function similarly should the need arise."
"Exactly. Huntsmen also frequently use Dust to enhance their weapons and Semblances."
Violet peered at the four crystals that sat in front of her on the metal table. "And what do the different colored Dust crystals do?"
"You have the four most basic forms of Dust in front of you—each color represents an element. Red for fire, blue for ice, yellow for electricity, and green for air. These can then be further refined together to form different kinds of Dust that have new properties."
"Any chance we can use this for ourselves?" Violet asked curiously.
"We can, though we will need much more of it if you intend on using any for your weapons."
"Hmm." Violet hummed before standing up with the Dust crystals in her palm, while Yewan broke down the remains of the ration box to repurpose the materials for later. The Hunter walked over to the armory and pulled a small box lined with foam from an overhead compartment, where she placed the Dust crystals for another time.
"I learned something else while I was pulling data about Dust." Yewan said, floating next to her.
"And what's that?" Violet said as she pushed the box back into the overhead compartment.
"There is a single company that is responsible for most of the production and export of Dust in the world of Remnant. That is the Schnee Dust Company."
Violet looked at her ghost as she leaned against the frame of the armory, her shoulders slumping tiredly as she connected the dots. "SDC. And the same Schnees who we will be delivering a list of demands from the White Fang to."
"The very same." Yewan confirmed.
Violet let out a slow breath. "Okay. Well, that contextualizes this a little more for us."
"Would you like me to tell you more about the Schnees?"
"Not right now." Violet shook her head as she stood up straight. "I want to circle back to Aura. What was that about souls?"
Violet sat on the ramp of the Kestrel, drinking ice cold water from her canteen as the Vacuan sun beat down against her skin. It was nice to be out of the suit, though she could do without the sand. Finishing the last of the canteen, she twisted the cap shut and wiped away remaining droplets from the edges of her lips with the back of her hand. "I wonder if I can unlock Aura as well."
"I don't see why not." Yewan said beside her, freely floating out in the open.
"Ikora and the Warlocks will lose their collective minds studying this, once they find out." Violet snickered. "Surely there's more explanation than something as vague as a soul—it must have come from something."
"If there is, it isn't available on any public databases." Yewan said. "And if there isn't, then the Warlocks will have something new to chew on."
"Hmm." Violet hummed as she leaned back against the ramp, resting her head on one palm. She stared up at the clear blue sky as the wind softly breezed by. "You know, outside of the horrifying beings of pure Darkness that plague this planet in seemingly endless numbers, this isn't too bad."
"Outside of that one thing, yes, I suppose so." Yewan humored.
Violet laughed. "Six more days until our meeting in Menagerie. How long will it take us to get there?"
"How fast do you want to get there?" Yewan posed a question back.
Violet quietly thought to herself before finally answering. "Let's try to match the speed of airships here."
"Matching the speed of the typical airship on Remnant, it would take approximately twenty hours to reach Menagerie." Yewan answered, earning a groan from his guardian.
"I guess the bright side is that it kills time for us." Violet said as her brow began to furrow. "I don't understand their level of technology. A sparrow doesn't come as too much of a shock, but their air travel is still this slow?"
"This planet is extremely reliant on Dust." Yewan commented. "With the likes of Gravity Dust and Combustion Dust, they have little reason to understand different forms of engineering when they already have an ideal and abundant natural resource for their needs. Of course, this does come at the cost of being constrained by the limits of Dust's capabilities."
"Their scientists are shameful." Violet said dryly.
"I'm sure it seems that way from where we're standing." Yewan moved his shell in the ghost's equivalent of a shrug.
"You're not standing." Violet smirked.
Yewan rolled his eye.
At first, Sienna was just happy to get out of the desert and instead enjoy the sea air. After four days of nothing but open ocean, she quickly tired of the journey. It didn't help that the White Fang made far less interesting company, and no one actually wants to hang out with their boss. It was something she had accepted a long time ago, but for some reason, it had been weighing on her mind more now as she stood alone on the deck of the ship. She leaned against the side of the ship with her arms as she quietly listened to the waves.
I'm sure Ghira will approve of this mission, she thought to herself. The risk is high, but so is the reward. Not to mention that it is not us who are risking anything.
She felt her gut twist just thinking about that.
No violence is required for this mission, just as he would want. And Violet has proven herself to be a woman of her word between the duel with Gundy and getting me back to everyone else.
Sienna frowned in thought.
But who is she? She seems trustworthy, which is more than I can say for most, but what else do I know about her? She seems like she's from Atlas, but I haven't heard it come from her mouth yet. She seems like a Huntress or at least a former one, but she hasn't mentioned Huntsmen or Huntresses at all. And she seems like…why do I keep thinking about her? She's just a mercenary. Is she? We're not even paying her.
Sienna propped her elbows against the side of the ship as she picked her hands up to massage her temples, letting out a heavy sigh. She heard a chuckle next to her, causing her to turn her head slightly to meet the source. There, leaning against the side of the ship as well, was the familiar large frame of a puma-faunus. Tukson turned his head away from the ocean to meet her gaze with a cheeky grin across his face.
"When did you get here?" Sienna cocked a brow. Tukson was certainly not quiet enough to sneak up on her.
"I've been here for a minute." He turned his body towards her with a bottle of beer in one hand and in his other a hardcover book. "Came to offer a cold drink, but looks like you had something on your mind."
The tiger-faunus took the bottle, her hand immediately becoming wet from the condensation on the glass. "Thanks," she nodded and twisted off the cap, taking a huge swig of the hoppy drink.
"So, what were you thinking about?" The large man turned around to lean his back against the side of the ship instead.
Sienna let out an ungraceful burp as she held the half empty bottle off the edge, looking out to the sunset. "Business," she said with a shrug. "As usual."
"Are you sure that was all?" The baritone voice said.
Sienna simply turned her head to look at him, and her expression told him that even if there was more, she had no intention of talking about it.
Tukson raised his palm with a nod. "Alright, got the message loud and clear."
Amber eyes fell on the book in the puma-faunus's hand. It was a cover that she did not recognize. "Another book? What are you reading this time?"
"Hmm?" Tukson raised a brow and then looked down at the book in his hand. "Oh! Didn't even realize I brought it with me." The puma-faunus chuckled as he turned it over and ran his fingers across the hardcover. "Right now I'm reading Violet's Garden."
Sienna stared blankly at the large man before a slow and steady exhale escaped from her nose. Get out of my head, she thought to herself.
"What's it about?" She tried saying as nonchalantly as possible.
Tukson raised a brow, noticing the shift in demeanor, but thought better of mentioning it. "The main character is a soldier who has only ever known war. She was strong—probably the best soldier her country had. But when the war was over, she didn't know who she was without it. She came back to a world she didn't recognize, but overtime came to understand who she can be—who she truly is."
Sienna nodded thoughtfully, taking another sip of her beer. "What's a garden got to do with it?"
Tukson sighed. "It's a metaphor."
Sienna shrugged. "It's amazing that you keep finding time to read. Seems like you have a book with you everywhere we go."
"Oh, uhh," the puma-faunus scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Yeah, I guess so." He looked at the woman beside him, who wore an expression that told him to go on.
Tukson let out a heavy sigh as he looked down at the book he held between his hands. "It just feels…safe to me. Do you get it? Growing up wasn't easy for me—and I mean, that's everyone's story here, y'know? I grew up in Mistral."
When Sienna heard that, she nodded sympathetically. Faunus were discriminated against everywhere, but none more so than the kingdom of Mistral—no doubt in part from their history and proximity to Menagerie. She knew exactly how bad it was there. She grew up in Mistral, too.
"It's terrible enough for humans to hate you for who you are," he continued. "But it felt even worse when my own brethren thought I wasn't faunus enough." Tukson snickered bitterly. "Whatever that's supposed to mean. So ever since I was a kid, books were my safe space. I hated it so much here that I took every chance I had to escape. These books took me to new worlds."
"Like a world stricken by war, where soldiers don't even know who they are." Sienna said dryly, gesturing at the book in his hands.
Tukson cocked half a smile. "Yeah, even those worlds."
Sienna studied the man's expression. He stared quietly at the book, running his thumb over its cover back and forth. "Does it still feel that way?" She asked in a low tone. The waves sounded louder than ever. Tukson finally looked away from the book, picking up his head and staring straight at Sienna. She met his gaze and saw a deep weariness. She never noticed the crow's feet around his eyes before.
"To be honest Sienna…I've been thinking…" Tukson hesitated. "I've been thinking about leaving the White Fang."
The tiger-faunus frowned. "What?" She said, more curtly than she intended.
"I'm not leaving yet." He quickly added. "I don't know if I'm even leaving any time soon. But I know the White Fang isn't the place I belong. Even here, from the people who I'm supposed to share a cause with, I am looked at like I am something else. And if we do keep going in a more violent direction…"
Tukson nervously watched for Sienna's reaction, but none came. Instead, she listened patiently. He let out a shaky sigh. "I don't know if I have that much fight in me."
"I see." She said evenly as she looked out to the ocean again. "Thank you for telling me this, Tukson. It's given me a lot to think about."
The puma-faunus studied her expression for a few moments before nodding slowly, turning around and joining her in looking out at the great big blue. "Yeah." He said quietly.
"When you do decide to leave, what will you do?" She asked.
"It's always been a dream of mine to open up a bookstore." The very thought of it put a smile on the puma-faunus's face. "To share with everyone the worlds between these pages that have saved me so many times."
Sienna chuckled. "You sound so dreamy when you speak like that."
Tukson laughed.
"I hope you find the place where you belong, Tukson. I really do." Sienna looked at the man next to her, offering a gentle smile.
Tukson looked back, pausing at the expression. "Thanks, Sienna." He smiled back awkwardly.
Amber eyes looked back to the horizon, where an orange sky met the blue sea.
I wonder where I belong.