Fitful dreaming filled the internal cabin of a certain girl's mind. Darkness consumed the dreams, only black with the occasional break of action. The headmaster's voice, something she had never heard before, resonating a single word: no. Loden entering her mind to tell her that Roman was his, that she could never have him, that he would never like her the way she liked him. And her biggest fear to strike last: Roman, his vibrant orange hair covered in a hat, telling her he was leaving her behind, that he was glad to be rid of her, that she should just have stayed in that awful gang house. A lingering doubt in her subconscious slithered through her being, something she had barely acknowledged when awake. Something she didn't want to acknowledge when she was awake.
A light touch on her arm forced her out of her slumber. Her body jerked to attention, her lungs gasping for breath. In an attempt to establish her safety, she swept her eyes around her surroundings. When they settled on Roman, she felt she could breathe again, sweet, chilled air entering her lungs. He was looking at her with concern in his eyes, his eyebrows turned down in a frown. His hand still rested on her arm, and she set hers on top of it. She mouthed the same lie he had told her earlier that morning after his own dream, a small fake smile pulling at her lips. She could lie just as well as him.
Roman, after ensuring she was alright, retracted his hand and laid his head back, closing his own eyes. Neo wasn't sure how long she had been asleep, but she was hoping they would arrive soon. If she built up anymore anxiety, she would explode.
Neo looked past Roman to see Loden sitting in the chair next to him, headphones blaring loudly enough for her to faintly hear them, his head bobbing along to the music. His green hair flopped around with it, flattening the style he had likely worked so hard on. She couldn't help but wonder how well the two boys knew each other. Had they been good friends? Maybe even partners? Possibly even romantic?
Her heartbeat quickened at the last thought. She didn't like the romantic one. Hell, she barely liked the partners one. But in the back of her mind, she remembered the look in Loden's eyes when he first showed up to get them. The longing glance. He might have hid it from Roman, but he couldn't hide it from her. She knew that look; it was one she frequently shoved down. There was no doubt in Neo's mind: Loden had a crush on Roman. And it totally, completely, utterly bothered her.
It shouldn't though, should it? She was just a young girl, years younger than Roman. She barely even acknowledged what a crush was. He was leagues ahead of her in maturity. He was going to school, primary combat school at that, and would be heading to Beacon afterwards if he was accepted. She was five years younger, not even able to start any training at Signal. His life would move on to bigger things, better than her.
"We will be landing soon," the pilot's voice crackled through the intercom.
Neo let loose a deep breath. Here it was. Soon they would determine her future.
The young girl could feel as the airship descended, and she gave Roman a little shake. He had only dozed off, and he woke immediately, giving her a small smile and reaching for her hand. As she set hers in his, he gave it a quick squeeze.
"It will be okay." His green eyes twinkled in honesty, and she couldn't help but smile back at him. He was so confident in what he said; she only wished she could completely believe him. Neither of them actually knew what would happen.
Loden stood as the airship landed, stretching enough for his green shirt to lift slightly and show the light skin of his stomach. Neo watched as Roman peeked at it, his cheeks turning a slight pink at his manner. A weight dropped in her stomach, but she forced her attention away from it. Now was not the time to worry about Roman's crushes.
The trio exited the airship, granting thanks to the pilot as they went. As she looked up, Neo took in the grandness of Signal. Two towers stood on both the left and right of the school, windows wrapping around them in a spiral. A third tower stood in the middle near the back of the school, the top just a ring of windows. The vastness of the grounds expanded for further than Neo could tell. The entirety of the outside was coated in black, but it didn't seem sinister. Black seemed to be the color of Vale, shrouding it with its darkness, but also flashing it in light. Although Signal was large, especially in Neo's eyes, it had nothing on the grounds of Beacon Academy, and the thought of even moving onto a huntsman academy had Neo nearly drooling.
"Welcome to Signal," Loden sighed out. His arms spread out, a smile lazily drawn on his face. Neo noticed the looseness of his manner, his eyes relaxed just as his entire body, and she could tell that this was his home. He felt safe here. She only wished she could feel that way someday.
"It's just as beautiful as I remember it." The quietness of Roman's voice startled the young companion. She looked at him, and what she saw made the weight in her stomach melt. Roman's mouth had turned up slightly, the corners of his eyes scrunched, a wetness touching at them. Her own heart warmed at the sight, and an involuntary smile occurred on her face. She touched his arm lightly, and he set his other hand on hers, not looking away from the view of the school. It used to be his home, and it would be once again.
"Let's go talk to Headmaster Lyon," Loden said, startling the two companions from their awe.
Roman and Neo followed the green-haired boy across the grounds. The green of it shocked Neo, a deep contrast to the run-down architecture of the abandoned section of Vale. However, the school was located on Patch, likely known for its nature and beauty surrounding it, so the placement of the school should be beautiful, naturally.
What seemed to be a long walk to the double doors of the school was actually quite short. As they entered the school, Neo found it to be just as beautiful on the inside as it was on the outside, although the inside was shrouded in old paintings and historical references of Remnant, a beauty to Neo, who had never had the chance to know about it. The darkness of the walls was subsided by the bright red drapes and rugs laid within the foyer, along with the paintings strewn around the room. It almost seemed bigger on the inside.
"Let's go, slowpoke," Loden called to them. "You'll have plenty of time to look around."
Neo noticed Loden and Romanhad trudged ahead, and the former stood further ahead, his body half turned back, his green hair flopping over his eyes, a smirk on his face. The girl could understand Roman's attraction: the way Loden held himself was attractive in itself, a confidence that she only wished she could possess.
She hurried to catch up, her short legs working overtime to meet with them. Loden continued to lead them, but she could tell Roman already knew the way. Of course, he had been here nearly a year, so this leading was only for her. She blushed, feeling like a burden, but the look Roman still held on his face, the one of happiness, didn't let her feel it for too long. This was for his happiness; she was here for him.
The trio hurried through the school, passing many students along the way. Some recognized Loden and said hi, while others relished in the fact that Roman was back. There were many greetings to him, welcoming him back to the school, already making plans to hang out. Neo hung back, keeping her distance from these new, strange people. Her smallness only worked in her favor, allowing her to hide in the background while Roman caught up with other students.
After many interruptions, they finally reached the headmaster's office. A loud knock on the door from Loden sounded, and the tall double doors opened, their mahogany wood not even creaking in the slightest. The grandness of the headmaster's office surprised Neo, but it was also cluttered with books and papers as if the headmaster himself was researching to write a paper. The walls consisted of a string of windows, being the room at the top of the middle tower. A large mahogany desk sat near the windows, the only organized section in the room. A pudgy man with a mane of golden hair sat in the chair behind it, a dark suit adorned with a bright red tie to match. His chin folded over the top of the tie.
"Greetings again, Roman Torchwick," the headmaster started. His voice rumbled deeply, a loud bark from a large man.
"Headmaster Lyon," Roman replied, nodding in his direction.
"Loden, thank you for retrieving him. You may go back to your studies now."
The green-haired boy bowed to the headmaster, a formal gesture that confused Neo. Was she going to have to do that?
The headmaster waited for Loden to exit before continuing.
"Roman, how have you been?"
"Fine, Headmaster."
Neo noticed how the smile had vanished from Roman's face, replaced with a straight, formal manner. Did the headmaster like formal?
"I'm dearly sorry to hear about your parents."
Roman bowed his head. "Thank you, Headmaster. I've had time to deal with their loss."
"I see you've brought a friend." Headmaster Lyon eyed Neo, a curious expression donned upon his face. "She's quite young, isn't she?"
"Uh, yes, Headmaster, her name is Neo. I was wondering if she would be allowed to stay at Signal with me." Roman kept his eyes lowered. A sign of dominance for the headmaster.
Leaning forward, Headmaster Lyon asked, "How old are you, girl?"
"She's ten, sir. She's mute."
"Interesting." He leant back in his seat, holding his hands upon the armrests. "You do know that's too young for the academy, correct?"
"I fully understand, sir, but we have been living in the abandoned part of Vale, alone, with barely any food to survive. I refuse to leave her on the streets. If she leaves, I leave." Neo noticed Roman had straightened slightly as he relayed his terms to the golden-haired man. A sign of his own dominance in this situation.
"Ah, well, Roman, while you were gone, Remnant has decided upon a new age for children to attend primary combat schools such as Signal. Four years is quite the time to train for a huntsman academy, but the kingdom felt five years would be even better to span the knowledge of what huntsmen-in-training need. Seeing as the girl is only two years younger than the new starting age, I can make an acception. However, this does mean that your own curriculum is accelerated, and you must catch up in the months you've missed."
The anxiety Neo had been feeling finally diminished, a sizzling evaporation within the pit of her stomach. She nearly sighed and collapsed, but she knew their business wasn't finished.
"Of course, Headmaster. I fully intend to work as hard as I can to continue with the others that are my age."
"Good to hear, Roman. Considering this has been sprung on me, I will need some time to organize our new student's schedule and rooming. Your own room will be the same as before. Why don't you go to the dining hall for lunch and return to my office afterward? I shall have everything in order."
"Thank you, Headmaster. We greatly appreciate it."
Roman bowed, and Neo mirrored him, showing her own respect to her new headmaster. The two then turned to exit.
"Neo, you said?" Headmaster Lyon said. He chuckled. "That's fitting."
Roman smiled back at him, and then they left the headmaster to himself. As the doors closed, Roman turned to Neo, heaved a great sigh, and pulled her into a hug. She gripped him tightly, thankful for the opportunity.
"See," Roman started, his voice weak, "I told you everything would be alright."