"Mom, we can't just go back out there and start trying to win people over. They won't just follow us to Haven without more evidence, and… Adam might still be in town. Sun said that Ilia told him that Adam might be in Kuo Kuana, instead of on that boat!"

"We can't just sit here and wait for him to attack us, and we can't just leave, so we need to find a middle ground!"

"Hey, ladies, with all due respect, you're both right, but arguing isn't going to get us anywhere…"

"I'm not leaving the house, unless we all go together."

"And I'm not sitting here and waiting for our home to turn into a deathtrap!"

"Enough," Ghira commanded in a booming voice as he raised his hands. He sat, eyes closed and legs crossed, before a low table playing host to a tea kettle, four cups, and a breakfast spread. Kali and Blake both stopped arguing immediately, and Sun merely sipped his tea as he remained silent and shifted his attention to Ghira.

"That's enough, from both of you. We're getting nowhere, and wasting time. Both of your statements have merit, but we can only be pulled in so many directions at once, before we snap. It's time we choose a path to focus on, and stick to it. Personally, I think we should reconsider our levels of personal protection, and remain together. Then, and only then, do I support the idea of going out into town to see what we can do with the remaining peoples' hearts and minds."

Blake scowled as her ears flattened back against her skull. "Dad, for the last time, I'm not wearing armor."

"And why not? I just want to see you with a bit more protection!" Ghira stated incredulously.

"Because I'm not used to it, and we have aura for that! It would just weigh me down, and… can't you just be happy that I'm wearing more clothes, now?" Blake asked in annoyance.

Sun raised a finger as he kept his teacup raised in the other hand. "Just saying, that's because you stole my shirt."

"And it looks great on you, dear," Kali added. "I especially like the way you leave the top few buttons open, to give us all a good look at your bra."

"Mom!"

"No comment," Sun offered as he once again sipped his tea. Ghira shook his head, and drew in a deep breath.

"Focus, all of you. If armor is off the table, then it's time w-"

"Actually…" Sun began as he set his cup down. "I… wouldn't mind looking into it, if it'd make you feel better."

Ghira blinked in surprise as he quirked a brow. "…really, now? You seemed resistant to the idea, before."

"Yeah, well, I'll take any advantage I can get. C'mon, let's go check it out. You have it in some room deeper in the mansion, right?" Sun asked as he rose from his sitting position. Blake merely shook her head, as Kali put a hand on her shoulder and leaned over to whisper in her ear.

"I do, yes," Ghira agreed as he followed suit and stood up next to Sun. He looked down at his wife and daughter as Blake stole a piece of bacon from the pile of food, looking annoyed. "Will you two be alright, for a bit?"

"Yeah," Blake said dismissively. "Go and cover yourself in bulky metal. Mom and I will clean up, and then double-check the security detail. Then, maybe we can head into town."

"Sure thing! Just… take it easy, okay?" Sun asked as he ran through a series of arm stretches. "We've still gotta talk more, later, and get you back to your prime."

"Yeah. Have fun," Blake deadpanned as she waved a hand toward Sun. He merely shook his head and followed along as Ghira began to walk. The patriarch remained silent until they had made their third turn, deeper into the mansion and clearly out of earshot.

"…you seem tense."

Sun frowned as he stuffed his hands into his pockets, and became very interested in the floorboards as he walked along. "…aren't you?"

"A little," Ghira admitted as he made another turn, and led Sun even deeper into unfamiliar parts of the manor. "However, your ever-present smile seems about ready to crack. I may not know you as well as Blake does, but it seems to me that something unpleasant is brewing beneath the surface. What's going on?"

"Well… I'm thinking of proposing to your daughter."

"What!?" Ghira nearly yelled as he stopped mid-stride, and turned to face Sun in utter shock. The younger faunus snorted a bit as his face broke out into a cheesy grin.

"Gotcha."

Ghira grumbled and shook his head, before turning once again and beginning to walk. "…a month and a half ago, I would have put you through the wall for that."

"A month and a half ago, and I probably would've peed myself if you even threatened to," Sun admitted.

"Yes, yes, but… things are different, now. And you still haven't answered my question," Ghira pressed as he stopped before a large iron door with circular knockers on either side.

"Yeah, I'm pretty good at that," Sun pointed out. "Or… absolutely awful at it, since Blake calls me on it all the time. I didn't get much sleep, and I've got a lot on my mind. Gonna be totally honest with you, but I'm… really not huge on the idea of armor. I agreed to come with you for other reasons."

Ghira threw his hands up, and shook his head. "Why does everyone seem to have an issue with armor, in this family? Just… shoulder pads! A reinforced belt! Something, anything to give yourself that much more protection!"

"Whoa, whoa!" Sun said as he raised his hands defensively. "I'll try it out, sure, it's just… not the main reason. The biggest thing is… I kinda wanted to apologize for going off on Adam, and ruining the flow of your speech. I've been thinking about it, and it's one of many things that kept me awake. I feel like I may have done some damage, by being so… brash? And vulgar. And… stupid," Sun finished as he dropped one hand, and brought the other around to scratch the back of his head.

Ghira's features softened as he laid a massive hand atop Sun's shoulder. "…son."

"…uh… yeah?" Sun questioned as he blinked in confusion.

"…no. Son. With an 'o'. As in, my son." Ghira paused for a moment to let the sentiment click, and smirked softly as Sun's eyes widened in comprehension. "What you did wasn't stupid, by any means. You acted from the heart, and such a move is never stupid."

"But…"

"No. No 'buts', and no regrets. Yes, I had more to say to the people, but in the context of Adam interrupting me, it made little sense to continue on as planned. In truth, had you not jumped in and dressed him down in front of all of Kuo Kuana, I'm… not entirely sure how I would have handled the situation," Ghira confessed.

"Probably with more grace than I did, at the very least. I mean, I got him pissed enough to try to murder me, and he spun my words against us," Sun said as his shoulders deflated a bit. Ghira tightened his grip, and frowned softly.

"Even so… grace is not always the answer. You showed passion in spades, and those who remain here and consider supporting us are the faunus I would want at our side in the battles to come. Those who saw not how, but why you acted as you did will prove more valuable allies than any who went to the White Fang ship to discuss pay, politics, and pushing blame onto humans for all of the problems plaguing the faunus." Ghira patted Sun's shoulder, before letting his hand drop to his side. "Cheer up. You did fine."

Sun allowed himself a forced, uneven smirk as he nodded. "If you say so… but I'm still going to try to hold back a bit. I'm… not sure how I feel about that impulsive, angry side of myself. It reminds me a bit of the way that…" Sun paused, and shook his head with an annoyed exhale. "…the way that Blake talks about him."

Ghira folded his arms across his chest. "Believe me, whatever comparison you're drawing between the two of you… it's incredibly misguided, and a needless worry. You are nothing like him, nor will you ever be. If you call what you did 'snapping' then you should have no worries about turning out like Adam. When Adam 'snaps', people die. Are you worried that Blake is going to start seeing him in you?"

Sun looked away, and nodded slowly. "She… I… I really don't want to talk about some of the reasons why, but…"

"If it will help, then feel free. If I am uncomfortable seeing you like this, then imagine how Blake will feel, if you hold on to these notions," Ghira replied.

"…she does some things with me that she's only ever done with Adam, apparently. Sometimes, I catch myself saying, or doing things that remind me of things she's said about him, and…"

"…what kind of 'things' are you talking about?" Ghira inquired. "You're talking in circles and being needlessly vague."

Sun shifted his weight uncomfortably as he dared to look up at Ghira. "Uh, well. Sexy… things…?"

Ghira closed his eyes, and brought a hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose with his fingers for a moment. "Such things are natural, for couples of your age. As much as I don't like it, I think your concerns are unfounded, and honestly, ridiculous. Has she ever compared the two of you, directly?"

"No, but…"

"Then take it from her, and take it from me, two people who know Adam very well. You are nothing like him. Stop stewing in your doubts and feelings of inadequacy, and redirect your energy elsewhere," Ghira ordered as he crossed his arms once again.

"Yes, sir. Sorry, I'm… just a bit of a mess, right now. So is Blake, and seeing her like she was last night is kinda bringing me down, too. When she soars, I feel like I'm on top of the world. When things get ugly, it's like being in quicksand," Sun explained as he shook out his hands in a full-body shiver.

"That is simply called love, Sun. Young love, specifically. You're doing a fine job of showing it, and keeping her sane. For that, I am eternally grateful," Ghira said as he turned and gripped one of the iron knockers.

"You really think so?" Sun asked as he moved to take position behind Ghira.

"I know so. I haven't seen her smile the way she does around you since she was just a little girl. You brought back my daughter, even if she only surfaces on occasion. I owe you the world for that," Ghira said as he pulled the door open and stepped inside. Sun followed, and his eyes widened as he beheld the large vault of weaponry, armor, and artifacts that awaited.

"Whoa," Sun exclaimed as he entered the chamber. Two large, cylindrical pillars stood three times his height and connected floor to ceiling in the center of the room. Each was decorated with various axes, spears, swords, and shields mounted in brackets, and still more war implements were arranged neatly along the walls. Several mannequins dressed in full suits of armor that looked tailored to fit Ghira stood in random locations around the floor, and the décor was topped off by several display cases featuring artifacts. Two house attendants, each armed with a high-tech looking firearm, stood silently before the pillars and eyed Sun suspiciously as Ghira moved ahead of him.

"At ease," he commanded with a raised hand. The pair of guards nodded and stepped off to the side, before Ghira turned and faced Sun once again. "Welcome to the Belladonna 'vault', I suppose you could call it."

Sun furrowed his brow as he walked up to one of the pillars, and began to look over an ornately decorated axe that featured embossed vines trailing up the haft. "Did you… make these? Buy these? Are they heirlooms, or…?"

"No, yes, and yes," Ghira answered as he moved to stand beside Sun. "Many of these items were gifts, as well. My own personal weaponry fits into that category."

Sun's confused expression remained unchanging as he eyed Ghira up and opened his mouth, only to close it again. "Uh… what weaponry? I've never seen you with anything, even when we were checking the house for Ilia that one night."

Ghira chuckled at the sentiment. "Exactly."

Quite suddenly, the pointed pauldron on Ghira's left shoulder almost seemed to come alive. The curved metal beneath the protruding spike extended down his upper arm in a series of overlapping metal plates that worked their way down and around his elbow, and stopped at the back of his fist. Within seconds, his entire left arm was completely protected in a flexible steel, as natural panther claws extended from his nails.

"Uh… holy crap," Sun offered as he looked over the intimidating sight. "You've had that this entire time?"

"I have," Ghira admitted. With a flick of his wrist, the contraption began to fold back into itself and tuck neatly back beneath the shoulder pad as he retracted his claws. "Never underestimate the advantage that surprise can bring. Of course, against Adam, such a thing is hardly an unknown. There are several pieces of transforming weaponry and armor here, though this is the one that I feel most comfortable with. I would implore you to spend some time here, and select something of your own."

Sun let his eyes wander from Ghira's shoulder down to his other piece of armor, before looking back up to Ghira's face. The older faunus sighed, and shook his head.

"…I know you're thinking something, and it's probably something I'll regret entertaining. Out with it."

"So, uh, does the belt transform? Like a… like into a jockstrap, or something? You know, for protect-"

"No."

"…didn't think so, but I had to ask," Sun replied sheepishly as he made his way over to a display case.

"Of course you did. Shall I leave you to take it all in, and come to a decision? I have half a mind to go and check on Kali and Blake," Ghira stated as he cracked his knuckles.

"Wait, hold on, just a second?" Sun said with a sigh. He looked down through the glass of the display, and eyed the contents. A row of sparkling gems laid upon a velvet cushion within, and Sun found himself almost unable to tear his eyes from their luster.

"What is it?" Ghira asked as he made a slow approach back to Sun's side.

"…two quick things. First, I know that… you're insisting that I'm nothing like Adam, but I feel like I should admit that even if that's true, I'm not perfect. There's still a lot you don't know about me. Stuff that might… not really sit well with you?" Sun said in a half-statement, half-question.

"And what sort of 'stuff' might that entail?" Ghira asked. Once again, he put a hand upon Sun's shoulder, and gave the boy his undivided attention.

Sun squirmed a bit beneath Ghira's hand, and heaved a sigh as he finally tore his eyes off the jewels and brought them up to meet Ghira's. "…I used to be a thief. A good one, too. Mrs. H, the woman who ran the foster home I was stuck at, she used to come up short on money for food every so often. There were just too many of us, and she never turned a kid away. So… I 'helped out' the only way I knew how, when I was young. I used to go into town and play up the helplessness, or do small favors for people who looked like they had a decent amount of money, before fleecing them out of some lien, or belongings I could pawn off."

Ghira let out his own heavy sigh, before giving Sun's shoulder a gentle pat and dropping his arm back to his side. "You are correct that I don't… appreciate those sorts of actions, but I can hardly crucify you for taking that route as a child. You were just trying to help, after all."

Sun looked away, and felt his shoulders tense up as he spoke a quick reply. "…I never stopped."

No retort came from Ghira, though Sun knew that his eyes were boring holes through him and awaiting an explanation.

"I mean, I haven't stolen anything since we reached Kuo Kuana, mostly because Blake hates it… and I also don't really have an excuse for continuing to do it. Like I said, I got good at it. Getting good at it made it easy, and it getting easy made it routine… even after I left, and didn't really need to steal, anymore. I guess… seeing gems like this reminded me of it. They're exactly the sort of thing I'd lift," Sun finished as he shook his head.

Ghira fell silent for a long period. Sun stole glances back and forth between him and the display case as he held his breath for what seemed like an eternity.

"…Sun. I expect you to stop such behavior, permanently. Our family, especially in the position of power within Kuo Kuana that we've found ourselves, cannot be seen associating with thieves. Is that clear?"

"Crystal, sir. I'm sorry. I'm… keeping it in check. Promise," Sun insisted as he rubbed at his arm.

"Good. I do appreciate your honesty and forthrightness, but the point stands. What else did you want to say?" Ghira inquired.

Sun made a pained noise, and shook his head. "I… think maybe I should have asked the second one, first. Now might not be a good time, if you're not exactly happy with me."

"Out with it, boy," Ghira said as he rolled his eyes. "I may not be thrilled, but you haven't exactly 'damaged' our relationship, if that's what you're worried about. I never expected perfection from you, but you've come far closer to it than I ever imagined you might."

Sun felt a bead of sweat roll down the back of his neck, and he cleared his throat as he moved away from Ghira and distracted himself with another display case.

"Uh, I mean, you don't have to answer, if you don't want to, but… can I ask how long you've been calling me… 'son'? Like, with an 'o'? Was this the first time, or…?"

An odd surge of pins and needles crept up Sun's back as Ghira chuckled in a deep, bassy tone from somewhere behind him. Footsteps echoed out against the tiled floor of the room as Ghira made his way toward the large iron doors, and paused momentarily.

"Since you and I went into the forest to gather wood," he answered, before making his way out of the room to leave Sun alone with the collection.

Sun watched curiously as he saw his reflection start to smile involuntarily within the glass of the display case.

Author's Note:

Another step toward big events coming, both related to canon, and not. The big departures will start soon enough, and as for Volume 6… it's definitely going to be interesting.

Next update on Wednesday, the 24th.

-RD