"Again!"

Neo fought against her secondhand reflexes, blocking and dodging the haphazard attacks that Jaune threw her way while struggling to not retaliate in kind. Her inherited sword skills screamed at her for every missed opportunity, every blatant opening in Jaune's defense she refused to punish. The effort was taking all of her concentration, answering every overhand blow with a backstep, every horizontal slash with a flourishing parry instead of a devastating riposte.

"Fight back, Neo!" Jaune demanded, gritting his teeth while straining with the continued effort of landing a single blow. His face was drenched in sweat, his shirt sticking to his body. Jaune's grip was tight on the wooden practice sword in his hand. It smacked against Neo's every few moments, the only blows she considered worth blocking.

They'd been training for an hour straight within the workout loft at school, choosing to stay behind under the pretense of Neo working on a new sequence of tumbles. She doubted the ruse would last for much longer. They'd been using it nearly every day for the last month since returning from Vale. 'Not that it'll need to last much longer. We only have a week of school left…'

Neo came back to herself in time to stop the blow she'd been winding up to deliver. She could feel her aura flexing down her arm, through her fingers and into the practice sword she held at the ready. In her hands, the battered length of finely carved wood was just as deadly as a real weapon. Seeing Jaune winding up for his own attack, Neo bent backwards instead. She could hear the whistle of wood narrowly passing by as she cartwheeled out of range, earning an indignant huff from between Jaune's tired lips.

Her brother fell to one knee, panting heavily while supporting himself with the wooden sword. The point ground into the mats beneath them, Jaune hardly noticing while he stared at Neo through the blond hair and sweat matted across his face. Neo gave her own sword a little twirl and laid it across her shoulders, holding on to each end with one hand. All in all, she had yet to break a sweat during any of their training sessions.

"Ya know… aura just… isn't fair…" Jaune complained for the upteenth time. He spoke between breaths, doing his best to recoup some of the energy he'd expended during their mock spar.

Neo shrugged, "I didn't ask for it." She lowered the practice sword and moved a short distance to sit on one of the workout benches, straddling a leg across each side. "And I don't know if practicing like this is going to accomplish much when I can't even fight back."

Jaune set his sword to the side and fell back, laying spread eagle against the floor mats. He stared up at the ceiling, his chest rising and falling rapidly with each labored breath. "I know, but… I have a plan to fix that."

Neo raised an eyebrow, sitting forward. This was news to her. "What, like hiring an actual tutor? Did you manage to find someone that'll do it for cheap?"

Jaune shook his head. "No, nothing like that. I found a way to unlock my aura, and get our hands on some fake transcripts for Beacon."

Neo's eyes widened. "I'm listening."

Jaune turned to look at her, a wry, tired grin spreading across his lips. "You know how I've been spending the night at Forrest's more often lately? Let's just say I… haven't actually been going there. I got a part time job at a dingy little bar across town, serving drinks to uh… less than reputable people."

Neo sat in stunned silence before raising an eyebrow and speaking matter-of-factly, "You know Nicholas is going to kill you, right?"

Jaune snorted, "He can try all he wants once I have my aura unlocked~"

Neo frowned. "So… what? Did you find someone at the pub to unlock it?"

"No, but I did get info on someone that can. The guy I spoke to was pretty wasted at the time, but he told me if you need to get your aura unlocked, 'Junior' is the man to see. Apparently, he's some big shot in Vale with a bunch of contacts that'll do pretty much anything for a fistful of lien."

"And how much exactly is that? I don't know if you checked recently, but between nine siblings, we aren't exactly rolling in allowance money. I have a couple hundred saved up, at best."

Jaune grinned smugly, crossing his arms. "I just told you I got a job, didn't I? And as it turns out, older ladies are quite the generous tippers. I've made so much lien in the last week, I don't even know what to do with it."

Neo grimaced, picturing her brother serving drinks to older women in a bar while they fawned over him and stuffed lien down his pants pockets.

"...Ew…" She shivered.

"Don't hate the player~"

Neo pushed those thoughts firmly from her mind and focused back on the problem at hand. "How are you planning on getting to Vale? I doubt our parents or Ariel will let you out of their sight, even if you convince one of them to take us there."

Jaune raised a hand, poking his index finger against the side of his head. "You remember that field trip they announced in class last week? Sign ups aren't finalized yet, and since we're seventeen, we don't need written permission."

"The college meet and greet?" Neo raised a hand to her chin, staring vaguely at the wall in thought. She turned back, "You think someone from Beacon is going to be there?"

Jaune used his arms to prop himself into a sitting position. "Best case scenario? Yeah. The plan is the same either way though. Once we get to the event, we sneak out into Vale and go to Junior's club. We pay him off for some fake transcripts, get my aura unlocked, and get back in time to catch the bus home. Easy."

"Or, they take our lien, beat us up, and send us to the hospital on a stretcher… or worse, in body bags."

Jaune scoffed, "Beating you up is like trying to beat up my dad. Not happening. You can take 'em."

Neo scowled, crossing her arms. "I haven't actually fought anyone before, Jaune. We don't know if I'd last two seconds in a real fight."

"I've been sparring against you for two weeks and haven't even made you break a sweat, let alone your aura. Trust me, you'll be fine."

Neo grumbled unintelligibly in disagreement, but didn't press the topic further. She couldn't help but believe Jaune was making light of the underground denizens of Vale. Either that, or he trusted her capabilities far too much due to his own inadequacies. His inability to hit her was hardly a metric they could use to compare against hardened criminals, people that had devoted themselves to a life of crime.

It wasn't easy evading hunters. They were forces of nature, training for years in the most demanding of schools and graduating with nearly a decade of experience under their belts. Any criminals that caught their attention would need both skill and wit to keep from ending up behind bars. As far as Neo was concerned, the fact that 'Junior' had made a name for himself meant he was not to be trifled with. Anyone of similar ilk would certainly demand the same level of caution.

Jaune noticed the doubtful frown on Neo's face and shook his head, "Don't worry about it. Junior wouldn't have so many connections if he wasn't known for keeping his word, right? As long as I bring enough lien then we should be set. Like I said, easy."

'I guess I can agree with that much…' Neo shrugged and stood up, stretching momentarily out of habit. Their training sessions were hardly a workout for her. "Do you want to call it quits for today? You look pretty tired."

Jaune snorted, standing shakily. "This beats soccer practice any day of the week. I'm sore in muscles I didn't even know I had until now."

Neo laughed, walking over to accept Jaune's practice sword from him. She propped both up in a corner of the room and focused momentarily, creating an illusionary space to hide them in until they were needed again. She could still vaguely see each sword through her own illusion. Anyone else though would be easily deceived by the minor warping of reality.

"I'll never get used to that," Jaune spoke in awe.

Neo smiled proudly, skipping back to him before they both left the loft together. She waited for Jaune outside while he changed into his regular school clothes, the two eventually walking back home beneath the mid-afternoon sun.

It was still relatively early by the time they arrived home. Neo greeted her siblings joyfully before heading upstairs to check on their eldest sister. Ariel had returned home from the hospital two weeks prior, staying with them while recovering from the wounds she'd sustained. Neo was more than happy to have her in the house again, and went through great pains to accommodate her to the best of her abilities.

Neo could hear the dull thrum of music echoing down the hall by the time she reached the top step. The heavy bass vibrated through the floorboards, sending slight tremors up her legs.

Neo frowned in worry as she approached. Loud music was hardly out of the ordinary when it came to sharing a room with Ariel. What she didn't hear quite as often though was the older girl cussing. Neo could hear Ariel letting out a long string of expletives, some of which brought a reddish hue to her cheeks. Neo nervously listened closer, eventually hearing the occasional dull scraping sound that would accompany another string of ear-wilting curses.

Worried that Ariel might need help and dedicated to assisting in whatever way she could, Neo quickly knocked before opening the door and peeking inside. Her eyes scanned across the room. They immediately fell upon Ariel, sitting at her work bench with a mess of metal and gears scattered across the tabletop. She glared at the assortment of metallic objects as if they'd personally offended her, an unused tool clenched tightly between her fingers.

"A-Anything I can help with?" Neo asked, stepping in and closing the door behind herself.

Ariel glanced up, apparently not having noticed Neo's presence until she spoke. Her glare fell instantly, replaced with a welcoming grin. "Oh, you're back!" Neo's question finally registered, spurring Ariel's smile to deepen. She reached over and rubbed a finger across her scroll, lowering the music to a more bearable level so they could speak freely. "I'd appreciate all the help I can get."

Neo walked closer, sparing an eye for the metal on the table. "What is it?"

Ariel snorted. "My weapon. Doesn't look like much right now, does it?" She laughed at the look on Neo's face and gestured across the wide assortment of metal. "I ordered all the parts from memory and had them shipped here, figuring it would be easy enough to rebuild. I did it once, I could do it again, ya know? Unfortunately…" She turned her head, staring glumly down at her missing arm.

"It was more than you bargained for?" Neo asked gently.

Ariel sighed in defeat. "You could say that again." She turned back with a smirk, trying to lighten the mood with her own brand of humor. "Think you could spare a hand?"

Neo smiled uneasily, still getting used to the way Ariel made light of her own situation. Even so, she was willing to fire back. "I'll spare two~"

Ariel chuckled, "Atta girl~" She grabbed another seat and pulled it closer, patting it welcomingly to indicate Neo should sit with her. Neo obliged. Now closer to the issue at hand, her eyes roamed across the mass of gears, bolts, rails, chambers, and blades on the table in front of them. She didn't have the slightest idea where to begin.

Ariel noticed her trepidation and leaned sideways, playfully bumping her with a shoulder. "Hey, nothing to worry about! I've torn my weapon apart and put it back together a thousand times. This makes one thousand and one. Just do what I say and we'll be done in no time, cool?"

"Alright… Where do I start?"

Ariel happily began to direct her, pointing out specific objects and handing her tools while chatting amiably. It was during one of the longer processes, one that required little direction, when the topic of Jaune's progress finally came up.

"So, how's training going? I tried to place bets with Dad on how long you two would last, but he wasn't really into it." Ariel noticed the alarmed expression on Neo's face and snorted, gesturing for her to continue working on the weapon. "What, did you think you were being sneaky or something? Soccer season is over and I can't imagine there being some flip or tumble you haven't already perfected. Why else would you both be staying late?"

Neo didn't really have an answer. They'd been caught red handed, with no defense in their arsenal to explain away the obvious.

"Are you mad…?" Neo asked fearfully, her hands slowing in their task.

Ariel smiled gently, shaking her head. "Of course not, and neither is Dad. We've both pretty much agreed that Jaune doesn't stand a chance at getting into Beacon. We're just… waiting for him to run out of steam, I guess. He'll have to see reason eventually, right?"

Neo was silent, numbly ratcheting a series of small bolts into place while thinking of the discussion they'd had earlier. It was true that Jaune wasn't likely to make it into Beacon legitimately. With the help of some illicit documents, though…

Ariel noticed her silence and raised an eyebrow, catching Neo's attention out of the corner of her eye. "Do you disagree? How's training been going? Don't tell me Jaune's a natural."

Neo scoffed, "Hardly… Our spars are more about me trying not to hit him on accident than him actually practicing." She paused, flexing the fingers on one hand while recalling the sensation of aura traveling through her body. The thrill of excitement she was constantly forced to suppress.

"I have to fight against my instincts whenever we spar… I dodge as much as possible instead of blocking since Jaune leaves himself wide open all the time. It's like… my muscles try to move on their own. If I let them do whatever they want, I'd end up hurting him without really meaning to, ya know…?"

'And that's putting it lightly…'

Neo had also been forced to come to terms with an aspect of herself she'd never truly expected. One that, thinking back, had always been present. Dormant, due to her lack of interest when it came to becoming a huntress, but still there. Those desires had been suppressed all these years, kept at bay by her drive and love for gymnastics.

Now nearly a month into training, Neo had finally been forced to accept it.

The fact of the matter was… she enjoyed fighting.

The realization had come as a total surprise, slowly rising into conscious thought with each passing day. The loud crack of wood against wood, echoing in her ears long after the fight was over. The whistle of wind from a missed blow, birthing a wild shock of adrenaline that would course through her chest.

The feeling of triumph when her opponent was forced to concede.

It was all so exciting… and terrifying.

It brought about another question. One that she was even less sure of. 'Is it really me that enjoys fighting? Or… is it Nicholas? The part of his soul that he gave me?'

That line of questioning eventually ended with one that was far more conclusive. A question that cut through the long nights spent tossing and turning in bed, and allowed her to sleep more easily.

'Does it make a difference?'

Neo had eventually decided that it didn't. The fact of the matter was, fighting excited her. Whether that was due to her own desires, or the whispered remnant of Nicholas's fractured soul, the end result was the same.

Ariel nodded at the mention of Neo's reflexes trying to take hold. "I figured something like that might happen. We sparred a long time ago, remember? Honestly, that's been my biggest worry since we figured out what the two of you were up to. I'm glad you're aware of the dangers and keeping yourself in check, though. That's a relief. Just… be careful."

"I will…"

Neo finished with the current portion of the build and glanced at Ariel, waiting for further direction. The weapon was really starting to come together, the bladed length now attached to several internal mechanisms that would allow it to retract or extend as directed. Only the external casing and Dust system remained, much of it thankfully pre built within the packaging it had been delivered in.

Their previous conversation fell to the wayside as Ariel's attention diverted back to the task at hand. She took things slowly, explaining each component at length while directing Neo's movements with an eagle-eyed supervision. The Dust mechanism was the most complex by far, the inner workings needing to shift seamlessly depending on the current state of the weapon itself. Many of the intricacies were quickly lost on Neo, her hands only capable of moving as she was told while no longer comprehending why.

Half an hour passed before the final casing was applied, Neo reverently screwing it into place. The outer shell of the grip hid the last of its inner workings from the naked eye, leaving the process of mechashifting between forms a complete mystery to the uninitiated. Neo had helped put it together, and even she was still left scratching her head, wondering how half of the components worked.

Even so, she couldn't argue with the results.

A straight sword now rested on the table in front of them, its form not wholly dissimilar from the weapon Nicholas used. Where his was made from simple iron and leather however, Ariel's was a product of the world's current technology and style. Cut from Damascus steel and designed with the infusion of Dust in mind, the beautiful blade was adorned by the rippling pattern running from tip to base, cascading down it's razor sharp length.

Ariel wiped a pretend tear from her eye, speaking in a soft, loving voice. "My baby. She's all put together again~" Her hand reached out, reverently grasping the hilt and lifting her weapon free from the table. Ariel turned it slightly back and forth, watching the light wash over the patterns in the blade. "Oh, how I missed you…"

"It really is lovely," Neo agreed quietly. Despite Ariel's antics, she could tell the weapon really did mean a lot to her sister. Having it back in her possession likely brought a level of comfort she hadn't felt in some time. Part of Neo understood that, or perhaps… Nicholas did. Either way, she was happy to have helped.

Ariel smiled in return and set her weapon back down before wrapping Neo in a one armed hug. Neo reciprocated immediately, sighing in contentment to know she'd made Ariel's day even a little bit better.

"That was a lot of fun! Let me know if you ever need help with it again. I'd be happy to assist~" Neo spoke sincerely, pulling away to glance at the weapon once again. Part of her was curious to see it in action, though that could be left for another-

"Wanna try it out?"

'Or not~' Neo smirked upon hearing the note of excitement in Ariel's voice. Even so, the thought of 'trying it out' left a queasy feeling in her stomach when she began to wonder what that might entail. "What did you have in mind? Some trees outside? Nicholas and Aurora would probably take turns beating us both if we messed up their yard."

Ariel snorted, raising her hand to bring it down on Neo's head in a weak karate chop. "Don't be a dunce. I mean we should test it out on grimm, obviously."

"Ah, heh… heh…" Neo faked a laugh, raising a hand to pull at the front of her shirt as if the room were suddenly too hot. "I'm… gonna have to pass, thanks…"

Ariel pouted, "You're going to just let your poor, defenseless, recovering sister go out into the woods all alone? I thought you loved me~?"

Neo recoiled, genuinely hurt that Ariel would even joke about her not caring. "I- I just… you know… Grimm, and all that… I… I can't-"

Ariel heard the rasp beginning in Neo's voice and immediately realized her mistake. Her eyes widened and she shook her head profusely, speaking quickly to try and remedy her actions. "No, no! Sorry, Neo! I'm sorry! I was trying to keep the mood light by teasing you, but… that was stupid of me. I should have been more serious." She sighed, taking a moment to collect herself. "I'm… not just inviting you for no reason. There's actually a very important reason. One that you might not have considered up until now. Or maybe you did, but you've refused to think about it…"

Neo cleared her throat roughly, feeling an itch starting to form. "What… What is it?"

Ariel leveled her with a serious expression. "Say Jaune somehow succeeds, and ends up getting into Beacon. What are you going to do?"

Neo frowned, "I'd go with him, obviously? I want to protect him."

"And when you run into the grimm…?"

Neo paused warily, her shoulders raising as her body drew into itself imperceptibly. "I'll… I'll figure it out. I've killed one grimm already…"

Ariel shook her head. "That was a fluke, at best. Not every grimm is going to be so kind as to kill itself on your parasol. You need to actually be able to fight them. To think on your feet, and do more than react as a last ditch effort. Even if you killed the one…" She sighed. "You won't always be so lucky…"

"I…"

Visions of beastly terrors flashed through Neo's mind. Fangs, claws, pincers, and tusks. Her heart rate spiked, breath coming out rapidly as she imagined herself having to face off against the nightmarish creatures that stalked their world. What could she do against them?

'I-'

Neo was startled from her visions by a gentle hand on her shoulder. Her frantic eyes were caught by the soothing blue of Ariel's, a wave of relief washing over her from the comfort her mere presence provided.

"Nothing is going to happen to you while I'm around, okay? Even if a thousand grimm found their way to us, I swear, not a single one would touch a hair on your cute little head~" Ariel spoke with confidence, a light smile curling her lips. "I need you to take this seriously, though. If you keep encouraging Jaune, or even just helping him… That's the future you're sending yourself into. One full of grimm, where I can't protect you…"

Neo raised a hand to hold it over Ariel's, using her as a bastion of tranquility while picturing what might happen in her absence if Jaune still went to Beacon. Those same fangs, those same claws, tearing into him in her stead. Though the grimm terrified her, that thought brought an equal measure of anger, of resilience against the creatures that considered it their right to take anything away from her again.

If going out with Ariel to confront her fears would help prevent that future… Would help fortify herself from the agonizing memories of her past…

Neo raised her eyes… and nodded warily.

Her voice cracked as she spoke, forcing her to clear her throat once more. "Wh-... When do you want to go?"

Ariel smiled softly, glancing out the window. "It's not too late… I guess now would do the trick~?"

Neo's breath caught, but she forged ahead regardless. She followed Ariel's gaze out the window, seeing that there were at least a few hours worth of daylight left. Shifting in her seat to raise herself up, Neo spoke with all the confidence she could muster.

"I… I'm ready when you are…"

Almost to Beacon. Let's gooooooo.

Can't wait to get into proper interactions with Pyrrha!

Thanks for reading,

- Sybaen