I've decided to stop putting notes at the start and end of a chapter unless I actually have something valuable to say. That being said, enjoy.

Crystal was done eating breakfast in the cafeteria when she saw Jasper. Today, Monday, was the day Jasper and Taline were to fight. She deplored this fight, and everything about it. It was born of childishness and pride, and she didn't even know why they hated each other so much. She stood up and went to stop him, arms crossed. "So, you're still going through with this duel?" Crystal asked.

Jasper nodded. "I talked to Mrs. Sapphire, and we're going to fight. Just Taline and me."

Crystal shook her head. "You need to grow up, Jasper, and give up this pointless feud."

Jasper sighed. "You don't know a thing about what's going on, do you?" Crystal frowned. A Taryn always knew exactly what was going on, especially her. It frustrated her that Jasper would implicate otherwise. "Don't worry; you'll learn eventually."

Jasper walked around her and she followed him out of the cafeteria. She was still angry with him. "You need to learn!"

"Crystal, southerner customs are different from the customs of other peoples," Jasper said. He looked at her mischievously. "That should be enough for a bright girl like you to figure it out."

Crystal sneered at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Jasper sighed. "Everything's right in front of you to guess, but if you can't, then you're not as clever as I thought."

Crystal was left fuming as Jasper walked away. Was every boy going to this frustrating or just him?

Mrs. Sapphire raised the force field around the arena as Jasper and Taline walked to the center. Crystal still hated this, but she considered Jasper's words. There had to be some southerner custom that she didn't know about necessitating this duel. They were a bit more primitive than Old Mistral, since they had only become part of the kingdom after the Great War. She'd respect Jasper's wishes, even if she didn't like it.

The duelists bowed to each other, and assumed fighting stances. They had their swords at their belts, undrawn. It seemed they were going to fight without their weapons for now.

Taline threw the first fiery punch, which Jasper blocked. She then delivered a flaming kick, which Jasper also blocked. "You're getting predictable, Taline," Jasper said.

Taline frowned, breathed in deeply, and spat a fireball in his face. He staggered back and Taline took advantage of this by throwing another fireball at him. She grinned and said, "How's that for predictable?"

Jasper laughed. Was he even taking this seriously?

He then rushed Taline and started wrestling her. It was strength against strength, and Taline was older and stronger. Something she noticed is that they were both comfortable with wrestling each other, and while they were both respectful in some ways, they were more comfortable with getting into some of the closer positions. It ended with Taline throwing Jasper off of her.

Though just as she did, Jasper had grabbed her sword. It didn't form the energy blade it did when Taline drew it though. Taline realized what he had done as he skidded to a halt, grinning. She reacted like Jasper had insulted her; angry and frustrated.

Taline threw a pair of fireballs, which Jasper blocked with the sword. She then rushed him. He swung her sword to attack, which she blocked, and then grabbed his sword. She pulled it out, and retreated. So now they were using each other's sword—Crystal wondered if this was a thing in the south.

They dueled for a while, at which point Crystal couldn't handle it anymore. There was something wrong about this fight, and she didn't like it. She went over to Mrs. Sapphire to stop the match.

"Sapphire, call the match," Crystal demanded.

Mrs. Sapphire looked at Crystal, surprised. "Crystal, just let them do this. They have a lot of issues to work out, and that's the only reason I'd allow such a lopsided match."
Crystal cocked an eyebrow. "Lopsided?"

Sapphire nodded. "Taline's got a really good defense, but she can't use it here. Jasper's semblance makes the best defense I've seen in any tournament. But at the same time, if Taline can get her sword, I don't think any student can stand against her, except maybe Jasper. There's a chance Jasper can beat her, but I wouldn't bet on it."

Crystal glanced at the match, and looked back at Sapphire. "What sort of issues do you think this will resolve?"

Sapphire cocked an eyebrow. "I'll just chock that up to you being an only child."

It took Crystal a second to realize what she meant by that. Jasper and Taline were… brother and sister? She felt her eyes grow wide, and she stared at Mrs. Sapphire. "They're siblings?"

Sapphire seemed surprised. "You didn't know?" Crystal shook her head. "Well then, I suppose that sheds new light on this fight, doesn't it?"

Crystal was about to reply when a sound from the match distracted her. Taline yelped as Jasper hit her in the hand with his borrowed sword. It seemed that a lapse in commitment had caused her aura to flicker a little. It had lowered her aura for a split second so that Jasper could hit her. She didn't bleed, which was strange since she'd been hit with a sword. She dropped the sword she'd taken from Jasper, and he dived in to scoop it up.

His sword, which was originally a silvery sword, began to glow red and practically drip with destructive energy. The power came from a red Dust crystal in the cross-guard. Now he was wielding both swords.

Taline grimaced and raised her fists as they began to burn with blue fire. She said something under her breath that looked like "Not again."

Jasper charged swinging both swords together like a novice. Duel wielding swords took weeks if not months for most people to master, and while it had taken Crystal a matter of days to get it right, she tried not to compare herself to people who'd had a relatively normal childhood. It was still effective though, and had Taline on the run for a bit.

Then Taline caught Jasper's wrist and squeezed. It was his right; the one that wielded Taline's sword. Jasper brought his own sword to bear, which Taline blocked. She then grabbed onto the blade of her weapon, and shoved Jasper away with a fiery kick. He had let go of the sword as he was knocked back, and so Taline now had her sword back.

As Taline gripped the handle of the sword, the energy blade began to form. Both hers and Jasper's swords seemed only to reply to their commands—a trait that'd she'd seen only with weapons such as the Crystal Blades or similar weapons. Of course, their swords couldn't be magical like the Crystal Blades were, or could they? She'd have to ask soon enough.

There was a moment in the arena when Taline and Jasper just stared at each other, nearly motionless. Both of their auras had been damaged during the fight, though Jasper's less so. It wouldn't take long for Taline to defeat her brother, and they both knew that. Jasper didn't surrender like Crystal would in the situation; he just stood there, ready to take whatever Taline would give.

It was somewhat admirable, and at the same time made her cringe.

Taline then broke the pause, swinging her sword in Jasper's direction. A wave of turquoise energy followed, hitting Jasper, and slamming him into the force-field. The initial contact must have stung him, since there was a crackle of electricity in the force-field when it happened, but after that it resumed its transparent state and left Jasper alone. Surprisingly, that didn't get his aura down to the red zone, though a few more attacks might.

Interestingly, his sword seemed to be burning a gash in the floor. That sword must have been a lot of power in the sword to do that, but perhaps not as powerful Taline's sword. It still answered the question of why he would wield a sword instead of something else.

But more surprisingly, Jasper got up. Instead of surrendering either to Taline or his defeat, he got up and raised his sword. So this was why he was named Ironwill.

Taline sent wave after wave of energy at him. During that, he kept try to close enough to her to attack. While ultimately futile, it gave Crystal something of a respect for his persistence—even if it was misguided. Ultimately, his aura reached the red zone—slower than Crystal had expected it to—and the match was called in favor of Taline.

That wasn't enough for Taline though. As the force-field lowered, Taline spoke to Jasper. "Don't you see now that this idea is pointless?" Taline said loud enough that Crystal didn't have to read her lips to understand her. "There are so many people more powerful than you, and they probably can't even beat a lot of Grimm. Don't you see that if I can beat you—a student—then you'll lose to the Grimm?"

Jasper shook his head. "I don't care about the danger. I'm going to fight the Grimm because that's what I want to do."

Taline scoffed. "I'm you're older sister, Jasper. Doesn't that count for something with you?"

"Yes it does," he said. "But you need to remember that I won't ever give up. That's why I'm named Ironwill, remember?"

Taline nodded and kept her head low. "Well then, I guess I can't talk you out of it."

"Not in the slightest."

"Then there's only one thing I can do." Taline brought her head back up to look him in the eye. "I'm going to help you get better however I can. Maybe this way you'll survive."
Jasper walked up to her. "Maybe," he said with a smile. Taline smiled back shakily. They locked hands in a way where their elbows met, shook, and disengaged. They then walked out of the arena side by side as brother and sister.