Sun sat quietly on the couch, holding his forehead as Marrow shuffled around somewhere behind him in the kitchenette. The faunus boy's stomach was in knots, his skin was clammy to the touch and oddly sweaty, and he felt rather nauseous. A constant pang of frustration with himself added to the mix of negative emotions, coming off as though multiple voices in his head were arguing with each other. Part of him knew that there was no other option than the path that General Ironwood had proposed, while several other parts wanted to find some other impossible solution. Yet another brought up the notion that he had never even seen Fria, and therefore rationalizing her as a concept rather than a person would make his complacency with the plan much easier.

Another part of him found the very idea of doing such a thing absolutely horrifying.

"Here," Marrow said as he came around the couch and offered a glass of water and a pill. "Take it easy. It's for nausea."

"Sorry again," Sun said quickly before taking the pill and swallowing it with a sip of water. "You shouldn't have to deal with this. I just derailed everything and dragged up an old argument because…"

"…because you're a person with feelings?" Marrow asked as he folded his arms across his chest. "Sun, that's nothing to apologize for. A leader that doesn't second-guess their decisions and take it seriously when lives are involved is a problem. You've rallied your group more than once, and that's just what I've heard from Weiss since you all arrived here. They look up to you, they care about you, and they trust you."

"But will they after this?" Sun asked as he looked up at Marrow. "This isn't the first time I've had a meltdown over something."

"Then doesn't that answer your question?" Marrow asked. "They've stuck with you through those 'meltdowns', though I wouldn't call what you're going through right now one of them. You're just… hm…"

"…a pussy?" Sun tried, deflating.

Marrow blinked in surprise, and his eyes widened.

"…what?"

"That's just how I'm feeling," Sun said with a shrug as he set the glass of water down on the coffee table and clasped his hands together. "I've been getting upset more and more lately, like I can't control my emotions at all. It's been a problem for a while, and I feel like I need Blake to set me back on course. I used to be in her corner, trying to pick her back up from her lows, and just when she was starting to return the favor for me… we got separated. Seeing everyone around me start to find comfort in other people here is making me feel alone, petty, and incapable of handling myself. That's where my head is at right now."

"So… Fria's only a part of this," Marrow tried as he moved to sit down next to Sun. The other faunus kept his eyes on his hands and his shoulders slumped. "This is something that's been building."

"And running my mouth based on reactionary emotion has already almost gotten me killed once," Sun muttered with a sneer. "I couldn't stop myself from saying some shit to Adam Taurus, and he almost killed me in the middle of Kuo Kuana. The only thing that stopped him was Cinnamon. How pathetic is that?"

"Not very, if what you were saying needed to be said," Marrow protested. "Listen, Sun- we don't really know each other that well, but from what I've seen firsthand and heard from Weiss, you're a great leader."

"Yeah," Sun said with a hollow laugh. "So great that my team disbanded after I walked out on them."

"Sun," Marrow said with a hint of annoyance. "Can I finish?"

"…yeah," Sun replied through a weary sigh as he ran a hand through his hair. "Sorry. I'm just…"

"Not thinking straight," Marrow finished. "Listen- you've said that you didn't choose to be a leader before. It just happened, and everyone rallied behind you. Correct?"

"Something like that," Sun agreed. "I just came up with a plan to move forward with the relic, Ozpin went for it, and everyone else just fell into place and let me take charge. I didn't even know it was happening until it was already done."

"Right," Marrow nodded. "So… since you didn't volunteer for it, do you really understand what the job of a leader is?"

Sun slowly lowered his hand from his hair and turned to face Marrow, who was looking at him expectantly. Two words were the only thing that Sun could think of, and he felt very stupid as they came out of his mouth.

"To… lead?"

To his credit, Marrow didn't react negatively. Sun was silently thankful in a way that he would never be able to properly express with words.

"By doing what?" Marrow asked, gently easing Sun along in the same sort of tone that a tutor would use while trying to guide a struggling student.

"By… example?" Sun tried. "I've been trying to do that, and… that's what people say, isn't it? 'Lead by example.' Be strong when other people can't be and reassure them that everything's going to be alright."

"You're getting warmer," Marrow encouraged. "At least, from my perspective, as someone who isn't a leader… but I also think you've fallen into a trap by making that your goal. Leading 'by example' isn't always the best approach. It's probably pretty obvious that a big part of leading is knowing who can do what, and how to delegate the people following you to each task as needed, but… there's something often overlooked. I think General Ironwood is overlooking it, too."

"And that is?" Sun asked, giving the other faunus his full attention.

"Knowing your followers as people rather than just knowing where and when they're most effective," Marrow answered. "And I don't just mean that in a 'getting to know you' sense- a great leader needs to know who among their subordinates they can go to for help. That includes personal help, Sun. Different people can offer different perspectives and different types of support."

"But I do let the others support me," Sun protested. "They've been great and encouraging, and it's not really making me feel much better, especially in situations like this."

"…by letting them slowly come to you as they realize something is wrong?" Marrow predicted.

"Uh… usually, yeah," Sun admitted, not liking where the conversation was going. "I seek them out, too! Sometimes…"

"But not often," Marrow said confidently.

"…not often," Sun agreed. "I don't want to add to their problems by burdening them with mine."

"And how often have you heard that excuse from them when you offer to shoulder some of their burden?"

Sun's tail twisted uncomfortably behind him.

"…alright, you've got a point. Blake has been trying to get it through my skull that I need to focus on myself more, but…"

"You can't 'but' your way out of this," Marrow warned. "You are your own most difficult follower, Sun. Whether you believe it's your heart or your brain in charge, depending on how literal you want to be, at the end of the day, you are still following one, or maybe both of those organs. Making your body follow through is the next key step in the process. If you're not… then nothing's getting done beyond having anguished thoughts and emotional turmoil. And that's where you're at right now, sitting here on my couch."

Sun breathed in heavily through his nose and let out a ragged exhale before plopping his head back into the cushions of the couch.

"…I hate how right you are. If I don't take care of my heart and brain, I can't… or maybe won't follow them. They're ultimately in charge of what I decide to do, and that determines what the others do too, for as long as they're looking to me for answers. There's no way forward without those two aligning with the rest of me."

"There you go," Marrow praised. "So… take care of those two. It's a little clinical, which… I mean, come on. I'm the team medic. But that's how I look at it."

"I think you're on to something, though," Sun replied as he looked up at the ceiling. "And that gives me a launching point. I've gotta do some… organ maintenance. Figure out who to talk to in order to get my heart and brain in the right places."

"Exactly. I think you know your people well enough to know who to go to for each of those, and which of them could handle it right now," Marrow offered. "Pick someone whose perspective and mindset you think you could benefit from to keep you moving forward."

A sobering thought crossed Sun's mind. The very notion sent a chill down his spine, but he knew immediately what he needed to do.

"…I think I know who I want to talk to," Sun said with some hesitation. "And… that's going to have to be enough, for now."

"Why's that?" Marrow asked.

"…because getting in contact with her is going to be a huge pain in the ass…"

"Jaune."

The boy stopped in his tracks in the middle of the hallway leading from General Ironwood's office to the elevator. He turned to find Corsac moving toward him at a brisk pace with a determined look in his eyes.

"Corsac…?"

"You are on your way to Yang, correct?" the faunus asked as he closed the distance.

"Yeah," Jaune said before clearing his throat to try to chase away the uncomfortable strain still evident in his voice. "I… I think she needs a friend right now, especially if Harriet is tearing her a new one."

"As do you," Corsac pointed out. "You mentioned Pyrrha, back in the office. Given your reaction to this entire 'Operation Snowfall' ordeal and what was said in that chamber… I am both unsurprised and worried by your reaction."

"Worried…?" Jaune asked, feeling rather drained as he tried to puzzle out Corsac's intentions.

"This is the first time I've seen you waver since our arrival in Atlas," Corsac explained. "Even when discussing her before, you seemed more composed through the lingering sadness surrounding her mention. Now, something is… different. You do not seem yourself- as though your decision to continue working alongside General Ironwood is an admission of defeat, rather than progress."

Jaune maintained his eye contact with Corsac for as long as he could before breaking it off. The more the faunus spoke, the more he felt that Corsac could see through him. Eventually, the feeling became uncomfortable enough that Jaune looked away and moved to lean against a nearby wall.

"… maybe it is, in a way," Jaune considered. "Still, we should get moving. Who knows how far Yang got…"

"And what good will it do to try to inspire her when you are in a state like this?" Corsac asked. "Had you come to sway me those weeks ago with such little conviction, I wouldn't have listened to you. I doubt Yang would listen to someone looking the way you do at the moment."

Jaune scrunched up his face as he considered the point and finally conceded as he let his eyes wander down to his feet.

"…I can't shake the feeling that we're all doing what Pyrrha and Fria did. Volunteering ourselves and stepping forward because we have to. Maybe there is no other way, at this point. Maybe Pyrrha really did see the situation from an angle that I couldn't… and realizing that terrifies me. There's so much I haven't experienced in life, and now, it could be ending soon for any one of us. We're making decisions that carry weight, Corsac. Or… letting General Ironwood make them for us."

"And do you believe that trusting him to make such decisions is an error?" Corsac asked, his tone entirely neutral.

Jaune raised his eyes to look at the office door at the other end of the hall.

"…no, I… I don't. General Ironwood has us beat in experience by a large margin. He's seen and done things we could only dream of, and he's known about Salem for far longer. I wouldn't doubt that Professor Ozpin has told him things that we aren't aware of that are helping to guide his decisions. I trust him. I'm just… scared."

Jaune jumped as he felt a hand come to rest atop his shoulder. Upon turning his attention to Corsac, he found that the faunus' expression was softer than his usually impartial one.

"Fear is a potent weapon, as well as a natural and justified response. It must be acknowledged and considered, but soldiering on through that fear is necessary, especially now."

"If fear is justified and natural…then why did Pyrrha look so unafraid when she went up to that tower?" Jaune asked in a near whisper. "She had a strength unlike anything I've ever seen before or since, and… she knew what was going to happen. I felt it in a way I can't explain. I'm not as strong as she was… but I feel like I need to be."

Corsac gave Jaune's shoulder a squeeze and shook his head.

"…I cannot say, beyond the suggestion that she made peace with her circumstances, just as you must make peace with yours. If we are to fail, there will be no life left to experience. Let that be among the things that drive you. You're going to have to internalize and accept that yes, people are going to die on this road we've chosen. Refusing to choose a road will guarantee death for us all. If you truly trust General Ironwood, then… we must continue upon our path to prevent as much death as possible. That is all there is to do. My apologies if that isn't very comforting."

"You tried," Jaune consoled before resting his hand atop Corsac's. "And… that matters. I think it's just going to take me time to come to grips with everything. I hate to sound like I'm whining."

"I do not think you're whining," Corsac reassured. "I think you are… desperate."

"…thanks," Jaune said flatly as Corsac's hand slipped from his shoulder.

"…I did not mean that in a negative sense," Corsac corrected as he shook his head. "Though you have 'gotten over' Pyrrha's death as per your own words, you have yet to truly fill the hole left by her. Whether that comes in the form of love or some other comfort, there is a hollow within you. I find that fear often takes root and grows in such hollows."

Jaune looked Corsac over as though he was seeing the other man for the first time. A fleeting idea crossed his mind, and he vocalized it before he could decide whether or not it would be appropriate.

"Is… that what happened when you lost Fennec?" Jaune asked. "Was fear what made you so…"

"Paralyzed? I believe it was," Corsac confirmed. "I initially filled the void with righteous anger, and then later, regret and fear. You helped me to break out of that condition, and so, I would like to help you, in kind."

Jaune chuckled softly despite the situation and leaned forward off the wall as he shook his head.

"Well… thanks. It's good to have you in my corner, even if you don't feel like you're helping out, much. You are. I guess we all just need different things to keep going and expressing them is sometimes… it's hard. I've always kinda found that physical reassurance helped me, for example. You know, like… a hug. It probably sounds stupid, b-"

If Jaune had been asked what Corsac's response to his words would have been, the faunus coming forward to hug him would not have been in his first twenty guesses. After the initial shock wore off, Jaune hesitantly raised his arms to return the gesture, resting his hands lightly upon the other man's back. Though the contact lasted only a few seconds, Jaune found that it filled him with an odd sort of warmth that he hadn't felt in quite some time.

"…shall we?" Corsac asked while gesturing toward the elevator as though nothing at all was amiss.

"…yeah," Jaune agreed. "That was… I think that shocked a bit of sense back into me," he added with a small laugh.

"That was my intention," Corsac replied with a nod before moving toward the end of the hall. "I am most certainly… 'in your corner', as you put it. Let us go and put ourselves into Yang's."

"Yeah," Jaune agreed as he stepped into the elevator behind Corsac. "Let's."

Author's Note:

One more 'Solstice' chapter to go, and then we're off to the races with Ruby and Blake.

-RD