Issue #5

"High Priestess, I bring you news."

The hooded figure turned to look at the newcomer in her dark chamber. Her gilded white robe had a blood red eye like symbol embroidered on the back. A shroud hung and concealed her face but pale red eyes gleamed from under the hood. They regarded the messenger with cold, almost lifeless eyes.

"Speak."

The man's head was kept low as he kneeled in her presence, his forehead mere inches from the ground, "Yes, Your Grace. The team that was sent for the abomination was annihilated. The information we have from the Seed units are saying the girl was accompanied by Jaune Arc. She is currently residing in Beacon."

Silence fell and the messenger didn't dare raise his head or move an inch. He could almost feel the repressed rage from the High Priestess.

"I want you to deliver a missive. Tell the Black Exodus to install itself Vale. Should that silver eyed abomination show even a hair outside of Beacon she needs to be executed. Her taint cannot be allowed to remain so close to the awakening of our Goddess."

"For our Goddess, High Priestess. I shall deliver your missive with haste." The man backed out of the chambers with his head bowed low, never once taking his eyes off the floor.

The ornate double doors closed with a click and the High Priestess turned back to look at her wooden desk. It was hand carved with the legs resembling Beowolf limbs, the wood stained a dark, almost black color. Sitting upon it was an expensive chess set, one of the last things the High Priestess had of her mentor. It was a special chess set as there was no Black King piece but rather only a Queen and filling the role that was normally played by a Queen piece was an even more ornate Bishop Piece.

Ever so gently she picked up the knight piece made of ivory, turning it before her eyes, "Jaune Arc. It seems you have not been made to suffer enough for interfering with us."

Jaune arc sat on a bench, the breeze swayed the trees above his head and casting dappled shadows. His eyes watched the ripples of the pond but his focus was somewhere else. Blond hair tousled he had yet to go back to Beacon and had been wandering Vale through the night. Bloodshot orbs blearily blinked in the sunrise as he took another drink from the bottle in his hand. Noticing it was empty he flung the bottle into the receptacle some distance away.

In his mind replayed the events of the past, his last memories of the woman he loved with her vibrant silver eyes and will of steel. It was a ghost that had haunted him daily for years but an ache that had faded over the years but never quite left him whole. Jaune was aware of the hole he felt, the huge gaping wound that had scabbed over.

Now he had new thoughts. He had a daughter and that sent his head spinning like no other. Just imagining that Ruby had been alive when they'd thought her dead was enough to tear those old wounds afresh. Just looking at Vermilion tore at him, and not just because of Ruby, but because he hadn't been there for her. His own father had been there, even supported him after he had run away to Beacon.

His thoughts were interrupted when a body settled in beside him. Jaune barely spared a look to see who it was. The woman wore plain clothes and had her blonde hair in twin braids down her front.

"Good morning Jaune." She only got a grunt in return, "Yang called me. Said you stormed off last night."

Jaune grunted.

"She also said I have a niece."

Jaune grunted again in the affirmative.

"I know what you're thinking." Jaune remained silent once again, "You can't hide anything from your twin."

Jaune fixed her with one blue, baleful orb, "Why are you here Joan?"

"You look like shit Jaune." The man scoffed at his twin, "I'm here because you just learned you have a daughter, I have a niece, and instead of spending time with her you're out here drunk off your ass."

"You don't understand."

"You're damn right I don't understand. The Arc family is down to just you and me. Now it's the three of us. I'd have thought you'd be thrilled."

"Of course I'm happy. Not only because of that. It's.. She's my daughter, and Ruby's, I can't even begin to describe how I feel but…."

"But nothing. That girl needs you now more than ever. You don't have to be a dad. Just be there for her. You don't have to act a certain way. Just be yourself. Maybe less grumpy would be good."

Jaune returned to grunting. His sister merely leaned a shoulder against his, "It's not your fault Jaune. Not what happened to Ruby and most certainly not what happened to our family."

"You're wrong Joan. You know why."

"I don't blame you."

"Someone should."

The blonde merely sighed at him and looked out over the pond, a duck swam by lazily. Neither sibling said anything for a good long while. Jaune's breath became ragged and stifled. He appreciated her just sitting there with him, like always. It had been a long time since he had lost control like he had and his sister had always been there for him. That was something he was eternally grateful for.

"You gonna head back to Beacon? Yang said my niece was waiting for you."

A soft, ragged chuckle escaped him, "Of course she is."

"You're a dad though. You know if Mom was still alive she'd be over the moon at having a grandkid. Dad would be driving himself up a wall with worry. I'm just… glad." She looked at Jaune, tears in her eyes, "I'm so glad our family isn't going to end."

His head shot up and he stared at his twin sister. The blond placed a hand on her shoulder and she leaned into him. There was nothing left to say. Although he had been through so much she was still his twin and on some fundamental level they still knew each other in a way no other could. She knew he was ultimately both glad and afraid of what might happen to her.

"I just hope she doesn't pay for my crimes."

Vermilion glanced down to check her scroll again as she walked around the corner of the street. It was bustling with more people than she was comfortable with, many more than had been in her village. The map function was extremely helpful though she'd had to have Willa show her how to use it.

The brunette honestly didn't know what she was going to do when she saw Jaune, and it just felt weird calling him Dad or Father. She didn't know how she was going to face him, or what she should say to him. All those years she had dreamed of finder her father and yet, against all luck, she had found him. And it wasn't like she'd thought, either. Her father wasn't someone who had just abandoned her or died like she'd imagined. Vermilion had seen the anguish in his eyes when he got the news. He had been hurt knowing that she had grown up without a father.

In a sense, she pitied him.

The message had come in just an hour ago over her scroll, from him. It was pretty vague, just giving her an address and telling her to meet him there and that he had something to give her. The others would have tagged along had it not been for Professor Xiao-Long holding them back. The blonde teacher had sent her off with a wink and a smile.

Now, however, she was trudging through downtown Vale in an attempt to find Jaune's apartment. The press of people was making her somehow claustrophobic. The sheer amount of people that resided in the city hadn't quite clicked with her until she had to make her way through on foot. On Silverhawk it hadn't seemed so bad, but being in the middle of it? That part had sucked.

Turn after turn the brunette navigated the streets of Vale and the crowd slowly became more scarce. Eventually a pair of footsteps evened out with hers and a rough looking man, who looked a few years older than her, settled in beside her.

"Hey there, hot stuff. You look like you don't know your way around town. I can show you some fun spots if you'd like."

"No thanks. I'm actually meeting with someone."

The sped up and cut her off, a leering smile on his face as he pushed back his pale blue hair. The man's attire just creamed the word punk, from his leather jacket down to his studded boots. Vermilion could tell the man was at least a few years older than her, instantly her mind categorized him as somewhat good looking though with how pushy he was being, that score was lowered.

Reluctantly she slowed to a stop as he smirked at her in what was obviously a move that was made to appeal to her. Her heart was hammering in her chest while her near death experience replayed in her head. Her hands became clammy and started shaking, the brunette taking an involuntary step backwards away from this man who was now way too close for her liking.

The man stepped in close, "C'mon, I'd love to show you around town."

Vermilion took another step backwards and made to turn away when his hand snaked out and grabbed her wrist.

"I'm just trying to be friendly, no need to be a bitch."

His expression was twisting into one full of hate and rage. Vermilion felt a new flash of fear course through her at this, her breath coming in short gasps.

"I believe the woman does not appreciate your advances, my friend."

A new voice sounded from close by and a white gloved hand settled on the man's forearm. The voice belonged to a rather tall man wearing a black suit with a matching fedora, his eyes almost closed but she could feel his gaze nonetheless while his smile transfixed the man accosting her. In his free hand was a cane topped with a large gem for a handle.

"The fuck you want, prick?"

"I want for you to leave this woman alone. It would be...wise… of you to leave."

"Fuck y-" The man's speech cut of into a strained grunt and a pop sounded from the arm under the new man's grasp. Immediately Vermilion's wrist was freed and she bounced back a few steps to stare at the two before her. The punk's other hand had come up to grip the hand that had his arm under lock but it looked to be futile. His knee hit the ground as he tried to wrest control from the stranger.

"Okay! Okay!" The punk gasped as his arm was released and he scrambled off down the street, the stranger watching him go all the while. Only when he was out of site did the tall man turn to her.

"Are you alright Miss? I am very sorry to intrude but I can't help myself when I see someone in need of saving."

"It's fine. Thank you for that Mister….?" She let the sentence drag on as she massaged her wrist.

Taking his hat off in a sweeping bow, "Cole Crowley, at your service."

"Vermilion Ash." The brunette performed a small curtsy and she missed the small look of surprise that crossed his face.

"A beautiful name for a beautiful young lady. Well my apologies but I'm afraid that I must be on my way. Perhaps our paths shall cross again?" With a smile and a chuckle the man departed along the sidewalk leaving Vermilion with her hammering heart that had yet to subside. A few deep breaths and she went back to finding her way to Jaune's all the while thinking of the man named Cole and her pace more hurried than before, suddenly feeling very vulnerable on the streets.

By the time she reached his building she had begun cursing herself. She was supposed to be learning to defend herself, she couldn't fall to pieces from something like that. Maybe she didn't have any real training yet but she at least had aura. That had to count for something, right?

It was frustrating.

Her mother had been so strong, she'd watched her stand up to people in a drunken rage, even through some out of Toland's bar. It didn't matter that she'd gotten weaker over time. Had faded away. She remembered her mother at her best. A strong woman who could protect what was hers.

There was also her father.

Jaune may not have been what she had expected and if she was being honest with herself then she'd say she didn't really know what to expect in the first place. He had a more than passing similarity to Toland. Both her rough people who couldn't show affection directly but you knew, deep down, that they cared for you. It was harder with her father. The moment he had found out she had seen that flash of fear.

What was he afraid of? Attachment?

Vermilion shook her head, that way lay madness. Taking a deep breath she squared her shoulders and forced her expression into a neutral one. She could think about that weird encounter later, at that moment she needed to clear her head and face her father.

A final deep breath and then she knocked on the door. A few moments passed by and the door was opened but rather than her father it was a different person with the same hair color. The older woman's twin braids went down her front and her blue eyes squinted into a smile when she saw who was at the door.

"Hey there! You must be Vermilion!"

"Uhm Hi?" The brunette took a step back and would have questioned whether it was the right place had the woman not known who she was.

The woman's laugh was like chimes in the air as she stepped aside and waved at Vermilion to come in, "My name is Joan. Jaune is my twin brother. You can call me Auntie if you want."

"Joan then. It's nice to meet you." The woman put up a fierce pout as she sat at a small dining table in the center of the apartment. The first thing that Vermilion noticed when entering was the smell. The place reeked of alcohol and there were bottles strewn about. Other than that the place was immaculate and orderly, as if he only stopped by the place to drink himself under the table.

The man in question exited the kitchen, beer in hand, and sat down next to his sister. Now that they were next to one another the brunette could see the resemblance. Not only were their eyes and hair the same shade but their cheek bones held the same shape, giving their faces a close figure. That's where it ended though because decades of hard living as a hunter had changed the man, from his demeanor to his actual physical shape, into someone that only had a few similarities with his twin.

A glint of metal shone from underneath Joan's brown leather jacket as she leaned back in her chair. Jaune took a long draught from his bottle as he regarded his biological daughter. His gaze made her want to squirm,, his silence made her heart beat faster.

"You found the place alright?" There, an easy topic to break the awkwardness that permeated the room. Vermilion latched onto the topic with relief.

"Yeah I didn't have too much trouble." She decidedly didn't mention her run in with the punk or Mr. Cole. There was no reason to worry him over something that had been resolved.

"That's good." Once more awkwardness descended upon the three people in the dining room until Joan cleared her throat.

"Jaune? I believe you had something for your lovely daughter?"

"Ah, yes." He cleared his throat and leaned forward. Vermilion could see how his red rimmed eyes had bags under them. Sympathy shot through here as the brunette put things together. How hard must the news have hit him? How much does he blame himself? Instinctively she wanted to comfort him, to tell him that they had all the time in the world now.

"You still don't have a weapon." It was less a question and more a statement but nevertheless she shook her head, "And I don't suppose you have an idea on what you want to use?" Again she shook her head, "How would you like something similar to mine? I'd suggest a scythe like your mothers but…. I don't know how to use one. And I don't know anyone who does."

Vermilion paused to think, or more like she froze. She'd given some thought to what she would use. Talking to the girls of team Bisque hadn't given her much of an idea. The options were so wide, she could use almost anything and the idea was daunting. She doubted she could come up with something original. There was more to it than that, however, as she thought about her father's weapon.

She'd watched as he'd made short work of the cultists who had made to sacrifice her, the memory brought a shiver down her spine. Her eyes drifted to his sword, Crocea Mors he had called it, it was a beautifully deadly weapon. It was simple and elegant in it's construction. She was brought out of her thoughts when a long, about three feet, tube was set down in front of her. I was matte black in color and the only remarkable decoration on it was a red rose adorning the cap.

"Your mother, Ruby, left this behind for me." Jaune explained when she raised her eyebrow at him, "You see she was always a fan of weapons and a bit of a genius." A wistful smile crossed his lips, "She made it a hobby to design new weapons for all of her friends. Whether it was just in case or what nobody really knew, she just loved doing it. This was one of the last things she gave me before she… disappeared."

He wrenched off the cap and pulled the contents of the tube out, spreading the papers over the table. Joan place her bear on one corner and Jaune place his on the opposite to get it to flatten out. What was on the paper itself was…. A bunch of lines and squiggles. Vermilion couldn't make heads nor tails of anything there except for one part of it. A quarter of the first page, she could spy four more under the first, was a depiction of a sword and shield. The design was a bit different from Jaune's weapon but similar enough she could tell it was meant for him.

"Is this?"

"Yup. This is the schematic of the weapon Ruby designed for me. I think it's only appropriate that it be your weapon."

Her mother had designed this for her father? Vermilion's head swam as she remembered all those years she grew up, hearing tales of hunters protecting people and saving them from evil. Maybe she was just going to be learning to defend herself but here she was at Beacon. If her mother were here she'd be proud of her, following in her footsteps, right? If she was going to be a Huntress like her mother and be trained by her father then this weapon seemed like fate to belong to her.

Silver eyes hardened as she traced the design with her fingers, "What's it's name?"

A small smile stole across Jaune's features, "Rosa Mors. Ruby was never very good with names,"

Vermilion laughed at that, "I think it's perfect."

A/N: I liiiiiiiiive!

All jokes aside I'm really sorry that this chapter took over a month to get out. Honestly it was just hard fitting in time to write it with everything else in my life write now but I made time for it because I genuinely enjoy this piece.

As some of you may know I have my ideas for new fics up on my profile and I'm going to add one more idea up there, this one being a crossover with Mass Effect where the Normandy ends up orbiting Remnant and Shepard gets involved in the events of the Fall of Beacon. Lemme know what you think I always enjoy hearing from you all.

edit: i caught a severe typo on Mr. Crowley's name, his name is Cole not Crrole. I have fixed it.