Disclaimer: RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth. I own nothing.

Chapter 15. Beacon Days 07

Beacon Bullhead Docks, morning

Today was a glorious day. For today, of all days, two angels have deigned to grace Beacon with their presence.

Well, Jaune might disagree but Melanie wasn't about to listen to a slacker. Two weeks he kept the sisters waiting for their visitor passes, leading them on every time he called. What did he mean, he had to fireproof Beacon? So what if that Goodbitch lady didn't want their types near Beacon? Melanie Malachite will not accept such petty excuses!

And look who's on campus now. Hehehe.

Melanie posed at the top of the ramp, hand on a cocked hip. Her eyes settled on the Emerald Tower in challenge as she displayed a victorious grin. It widened even further as a couple of Beacon mooks (not to be confused with Club mooks) drooled upon seeing a vision of beauty clad in white. Of course, her sister had to ruin it.

"Sis, you're in the way. Hurry uuuup."

"Shoosh, Mil. I'm having a moment."

After another eight seconds of posing, she stepped off the ramp. Miltia eagerly followed, holding a camera courtesy of the Club's DJ. Their scrolls would have been sufficient, in Melanie's opinion, but that mascot had scoffed at her device (the newest model!) and pressed a professional-level camera into the sisters' hands. The minions in its photography club swore up and down that taking photos with the holo-screens messed with the resolution, as if she cared. Melanie always came out perfect in her images. Her sister seemed happy, though, snapping away at the view of the campus.

"Mel, Mil!"

And there's the reason they've come all this way. Jaune ran up like an eager puppy, all smiles and full of energy. What good timing.

"Gopher, come here a second. Miltia, selfie time." Melanie grabbed the waving hand and dragged the boy towards the cliff. To her happy surprise, he gave no protest at the treatment and merely jogged along. A good sign that their training held up even in their absence.

"Hey, Jaune~. Missed us?" Her sister pulled on the sleeve of Jaune's uniform, losing the flirty purr. "Let's move away from the Bullhead. I want to get the perfect view." Barely an hour with that thing, and the girl fancied herself a pro.

The trio reached a part of the cliff that jutted out over the lake, with the balustrade wrapping around the edge making for a convenient seat. Melanie hopped on the stone surface, hooking a foot to the column before leaning back into the air. Her twin copied the movement, and her gopher yelped as the two pulled him into the space between them. She felt his arm tensed, and a glance at his face made it clear why.

"Pfft. Stop looking down before you piss yourself." Miltia cocked her head.

"You have a landing strategy, disciple. What are you afraid of?"

"My 'landing strategy', as you recall, consists of impacting the ground at terminal velocity."

"And you survived every single time, so it's not that terminal."

It remained an unsolved mystery to this day, the question of what kind of damage Jaune can handle. The idiot had more Aura than both twins combined and once blocked one of Junior's bazooka shot. Yet, he still retained the instinctive fear for things that, while lethal for civilian, were more of an inconvenience for the Aura-awakened. She and her sister, on the other hand, have started to suspect that their student could genuinely skydive without a parachute and live to brag about it. Now there's a story that would get him a free round in any of Vale's bars.

They waited for Jaune to become accustomed to the perch. Then, Miltia flipped out a little screen on the camera so the three can view themselves. Melanie snorted when she saw Jaune's eyes flicked to the cliff below.

*Snap*

"Good!"

"Not good, you bitch. I wasn't ready!"

"That's the point. I wanted a shot of a real moment. Check it out, I'm a natural at this."

They crowded around the screen. It, well, Melanie had to admit she didn't look bad. Her dark hair contrasted the bright sky quite beautifully, the light granting the tresses a luster as they frame her fair skin. The Emerald Forest's leaves glowed with life, complimenting her own green eyes. Miltia caught her at a point where she appeared to be laughing rather than snorting, so the world won't see that little gaffe. Her sister didn't look as good as she did, obviously, but the sly girl had the time to plaster on a fake smile, all soft and demure and would just melt the hearts of all the clueless boys. Even Jaune managed to look at the camera at the last second, though his was more of a wide-eyed and clenched-teeth rictus of fear. Melanie bit her lips, forcing down the sudden urge to bully him.

All in all, she was satisfied with how the picture came out. Leaning back precariously, their position suggested that they were falling through the air into the water far below, lending a sense of danger and adventure to their selfie. The forest added a vibrant backdrop to the scene, its trees resisting the turning of the season even as the woods surrounding Vale lost their leaves.

Melanie heard that the deepest parts of the forest stayed a lush green year-round, as if it existed in an eternal springtime. Maybe, when Jaune became a Huntsman, he would take missions there and she can tag along to see it for herself. Miltia would go just for the photo opportunities.

Bleh. Plans for the future. Not her style.

"Where's your team? It's about time they get to meet us." Miltia chimed in.

"Or did you want to keep us for yourself?"

"Ha! No, we're meeting them in the cafeteria. I've passed on a few of your lessons, so they're pretty excited to meet the people who taught me. We should have some time for breakfast before classes start."

Right, the deal that got Goodbitch to let them visit the school. The paranoid lady wanted them under supervision and signed the passes for a Friday, meaning that they'll be sitting in Jaune's classes for most of their time instead of roaming the Academy. No doubt, the woman unjustly feared the troubles they might cause in a campus full of gullible, goody-two-shoes types. Joke's on her because Jaune's their favorite target, and now he can't escape. But first, her gopher's gophers.

"Time waits for no one." She raised a fist high in the air. "Onwards, my minions!"

With that declaration, Melanie Malachite marched ahead to Beacon.

"Jaaaaune, which way's the cafeteria?"


Beacon Cafeteria, 3rd Table along the Windows

Well. This is new.

When Jaune told them that Pyrrha Nikos was on his team, both twins thought it was the start of a joke. When he showed them a picture of Team JNPR, the sisters prepared themselves for an uphill fight. A star like the Invincible Girl would never respect a couple of girls from the streets, not unless they prove their might. So, they put on their battle outfits. Sharpened their claws and heels. Practiced a few combination moves. They were ready to assert dominance in true Yakuza fashion. Or die trying.

They…really hadn't needed to worry so much.

"This one is Pyrrha Nikos, the right hand of Jaune Arc. I greet the masters of my leader." Hands set on bent knees, the Pyrrha Nikos bowed low. Above her, two pairs of green eyes met.

Melanie, why isn't she beating the ever-loving fuck out of us?
I don't know how Jaune did it, but he deserves all the rewards for this.
She thinks we're bigshots. Us.
As she should! Roll with it.

That said, how does one roll with a world-famous figure greeting them like they're her bosses? Her trembling sister provided no help. Jaune just smiled like a goof. And the entire room was awaiting her response.

When in doubt, posture. Melanie placed her feet further apart, arms crossed and displaying a smirk, as Miltia took the chance to half-hide behind her.

"As expected of our student's subordinates, to show such respect. I am Melanie Malachite, the right hand of the Xiong Family." Melanie ignored the offended slaps to her back. "This is my sister-"

"-Miltia Malachite, the left hand of the Xiong Family." Miltia stepped next to her, pouting. "Which is no less a position. It is a pleasure to meet you, Pyrrha Nikos." Good job not stuttering, Melanie could not have done it better.

The byplay flew over the bowing girl's head. Pyrrha Nikos darted her gaze from her to Miltia and back again. The girl's eyes shined with what Melanie recognized as worship. How nostalgic, it has been too long. Jaune gave them that same look in the early days. The blond had become too accustomed to his place by their side, and lost some that naïve wonder by the time he completed his training. Seeing him pass it on to his team was an ego boost that she very much relished. The heady joy soon turned into trepidation when the celebrity pulled out a paper and pen.

"Please, call me Pyrrha. I have heard all the stories from Jaune about how you made him the true Yakuza he is today. Um. This may be presumptuous of me, but can I have your autograph?"

"O-of course, anything for a fan."

What kind of stories about her have Jaune told, and can she live up to them? Melanie hoped that the rest of Team JNPR could be a bit more normal. The shorter girl was the next to introduce herself, pulling a dark-haired boy in her wake.

"Hi! I'm Nora, Boss Jaune's left pinky toe, and this is Ren, convenience store employee." The sisters glanced at Jaune, who shrugged. "So does family mean, like, brothers and sisters? If we join, does that make us family? At first I thought it sounded nice, but then it just seems all sorts of icky, you know. What if there's someone, not that there are this is just a thought exercise thingy, that a certain somebody might think is really cool and kind and funny and handsome and awesome and-" Miltia slapped a palm over the girl's mouth, stemming the torrent of noise although Melanie can see this Nora still speaking underneath the hand.

"Look, family doesn't mean family. Wait, that's not right. There's a nuance that means, that uh…Melanie, help!" Her sister never was the most eloquent under pressure. Dammit, why was it up to her to say this mushy crap?

"In our world, your family are the people you trust with your back, who fight together for the sake of each other. That's enough for us to call Jaune family. If you fancy-" Panic flashed on Nora's face. Melanie rolled her eyes. "-if 'somebody' has a thing for 'someone', and they're both part of our group, we don't have a reason to interfere in their love life." Except for the sake of gossip. And for the betting pools. Speaking of, there must be one going for these two minions. Jaune better let her in on that action.

The last member greeted them politely enough, but held himself like a coiled spring. He kept his words curt, and maintained a distance from her sister and her. It was not until Melanie caught him staring when he thought they won't notice, that she realized the truth. She snorted, and revised the odds of her bet. It'd be hard for a relationship to last with wandering eyes.

In his defense, the boy was one of many admirers. The twins' dresses, with short skirts and low cut and all, stood out against the backdrop that were the drab Beacon uniforms. And naturally, there's something about seeing twins that turned everyone around them into apes. Some boys were flexing their arms at a nearby table, others leaned on the wall with hands in their pockets. One tried to wink at Miltia, but had his confidence shattered by a dismissive scoff. He turned to glare at Jaune, as if he could have succeeded if it weren't for her student.

Hehe, seeing all of this attention gave her an idea. That smirk on Miltia's face suggested that she wasn't the only one.

But first, a selfie with the new minions.

*Snap*


Grimm Studies Lecture Hall

For the first time in Beacon history, a class sat wide awake during one of Professor Port's famed lectures, even if the number of people paying attention stayed the same as usual. No magic was used, no divine intervention took place. Some stayed awake through naked anger, some through sheer awe. But it was the happy few that found the greatest reason of all.

The entertainment value.

These bystanders observed as a blond boy, one who has been making waves these past weeks, fidget under the attention of two newcomers. He was often seen in the company of a girl in red, Ruby Rose, and a girl in white, Weiss Schnee, to the grumbling of jealous peers. The school had become used to it, however, with some daring to venture a guess that simple friendship passed between the three. Men and women can be friends without romance, or so their theory goes. With these strangers, the same could not be said so confidently.

The women (twins!), pasted themselves to Jaune Arc's sides, their hands caressing his arms. Their heads rested on his shoulders, rubbing affectionately with half-lidded eyes. The boy's face was beet red, yet he made no move to stop his companions' actions. No one can mistake the soon-to-be dead man's giddy smile, one that declared his superiority over his rivals.

The sharp-witted among the students noticed a significant detail, that one girl wore red and the other girl wore white. These samples changed the trajectory on the theory of Jaune Arc's Semblance, suggesting that his was the power to attract based on outfit colors rather than an indiscriminate allure as held by current belief. It wouldn't be the oddest Semblance on record, and was the best explanation they had for him to be surrounded exclusively by beauties (Lie Ren included) since the literal second day of school.

Did it only draw in duos at any one time, or were all the single ladies affected? Should they avoid (or start) wearing red and white? The color yellow seemed to possess some anomalous reactions, while black clothing showed no visible effect. Those preparing for the Vytal Festival jotted down reminders to arrange adjustments for their combat outfits, just in case.

Melanie had no way to know this, but she enabled such thinking all the same as she breathily sighed into the crook of Jaune's neck. Her move caused pencils to snap, notebooks to tear, and her sister to escalate. Miltia stroked Jaune's cheek with one hand, and threw one of her legs over his.

That one just bit his tongue hard enough that it bled. Good job, Mil.
Second row, that girl just checked Jaune out.
Oum, we should have done this earlier.
Right?

Jaune shifted in his seat, and both twins pretended to moan before burying their faces in his chest to hide their laughter. Catching Pyrrha's scandalized expression, Melanie winked, causing the girl to break into a giggle as she caught on to the game. The tension within the class raised another notch, with the grinding of teeth drawing the professor's attention at last to the goings-on among his students.

"Mr. Arc, you certainly appear quite comfortable."

Amidst the crowd, the defeated and morose men found hope springing forth anew. Not many would ever say that they anticipated hearing Port's words, but these individuals were eager to witness Arc get his comeuppance. With bated breath, they waited.

"I see you are following in my footsteps! Why, I myself once traveled in the company of a harem of powerful and ravishing beauties." Groans rang out and heads slammed onto the tables, ignored by the man lost in nostalgia (and fueling his energy reserves). "It was over twenty years ago, when I was summoned to ano-"

Blah, blah, blah. Melanie almost regretted this trip. To distract herself from the droning, she tried to tease Jaune even further.

"If you're tired, you can take a nap on my lap." A meathead in the next aisle clutched his heart, hissing in anguish. Jaune, to Melanie's shock, smirked and pulled her closer to whisper in her ear.

"Are you kidding? I'm not missing a second of this show." He narrowed his eyes. "Let's see if we can make the guy by the window cry. He's been talking a lot of trash about me."

His thirst for petty vengeance was unrivaled. They've taught him well.


Dust Theory and Practical Application Lab

Poke

"Mil, stop touching the Oum-damned bomb!" Miltia huffed, but withdrew her finger.

"Lighten up. Seriously Mel-Mel, it takes a harder impact to activate these things."

"Yeah, Mel-Mel, it'll be fine. We're wearing safety goggles."

Punishment awaited the brave gopher who dared to call her that name, but he had a point. Chances were good that they would survive this amount of Dust exploding. Good, but not fool-proof. The professor provided everyone in the lab with safety goggles, and a lot more beside. Insulated and fire-resistant coverings, a helmet that was going to ruin her hair, plus tongs and tweezers so they don't lose a finger poking at the Dust. Beacon spared no expenses to protect its students. So as a matter of course, half the class wore none of the above items.

To cap it all off, and likely as a last-ditch attempt to keep some students alive, a poster on the wall notified the occupants of an emergency Hardlight Dust shield installed in the room. Imported all the way from Atlas, it provided a safe cover in a corner when an accident occur.

Yet, even that was not truly enough. Fire Dust, like the ones before her, can break through Aura in enough quantity, and probably through the fancy Atlas tech too. She has witnessed their use back in Mistral, the substance becoming a favorite tool of the heartless underworld for many crimes, from intimidation to sabotage to assassination. In the hands of those callous men and women, Fire Dust had a tendency to spread far beyond their confines. From time to time, entire buildings alighted in the night. And when there are different Dust types in the same place, such as this lab, and they set off? A multi-element chain explosion can result in anything.

Yeah, she made sure to commandeer the closest table to an exit.

And judging by Jaune's frown, he noticed her discomfort.

"This is really getting to you, huh?"

"Explosions are the worst thing for an amateur to mess with. Seriously, Jaune, go with something else." Nora nodded.

"Yup, yup. You're starting at waaaay too high a level."

When the team's expert on all things that go boom spoke, one listened. Those that do not, tend to become one of the things that go boom. Melanie gave the girl a thumbs up as Jaune groaned in defeat.

"What do you suggest, then? I have a good throwing arm and not much else. Guns are no good in my hands."

The three Yakuza shivered as they remembered the disasters wrought on the gun range, most of which were inflicted on themselves. Miltia leaned over to peek at Jaune's notebook. From what Melanie had seen, most of the ideas listed on the page were crossed out. She instead chose to watch the other students for inspiration. A particular weapon caught her eye, just as Miltia tapped on a doodle drawn on the margins.

"That sword's on fire."/"A flaming blade?" Jaune rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment.

"Yeah, I saw that guy's sword before Initiation. I thought it looked cool, like something out of an RPG."

"Why not copy him?"

"It doesn't really add a range option, and it required me to make too many changes to my knife." Pyrrha provided her own experience.

"I've sparred him a few days ago, and the fire didn't increase the effectiveness of his combat. The flames needed to linger in order to burn down my Aura, and the quick slashes of a blade worked against that goal."

Hmmmm. Yeah, she could see it. The student was using way too much Dust, shoving handfuls in a chamber where the cross-guard would be on a sword. The weight would shift as the chamber burned through the fuel, and she didn't much fancy the prospect of a small oven that close to her hands. Cost issues, balance issues, heat issues, the list went on as she watched the idiot swing the oversized torch, smoke trailing in its wake. They can add pollution issues to the mix, too. Miltia dropped her jaw in horror at the sight.

And somehow, in a world where this abomination existed, people still said her high heels were too impractical as a weapon.

"Videogames lied to me." Jaune concluded with a rueful sigh. "Too bad there aren't any such thing as Poison Dust. That'd fit better with my long-knife." Melanie nodded along, then blinked as she ran through what was said again.

"Gopher, is your head okay?"

"Huh?"

"You don't need some special Dust for that. Poisons exist, and you can rub them on a blade. "

His face lost all emotions. With great care, he placed the tongs on the table, before raising both hands to meet the falling head. His ears reddened as she, Miltia, and Nora cackled. The snickers from Ren and Pyrrha (along with an 'I'm sorry' from the latter) resulted in the boy curling onto the seat and screaming muffled curses into his palm. When done, he spoke in a quiet voice.

"I got too caught up in trying to make use of this stuff. Do poisons work on Grimm?" Miltia recovered first, which still meant that Jaune waited for two minutes amidst mocking laughter.

"That's a good question that needs testing, but at the very least, it can be your option for fighting people."

"Just don't go using the lethal stuff. Too many ways to go wrong there. Paralytics are better for Academy spars, and I think some of them work on skin contact?" From what that nature documentary on frogs said, anyways.

Jaune scribbled down their words, before freezing in place. Slowly, the boy turned to the case of Dust. Pair of tongs in hand, he picked up a yellow crystal.

"If we're going the route of adding effects to my long-knife, can't we use Lightning Dust?" Melanie dropped a fist onto a palm.

"It affects both people and Grimm!" Miltia copied her gesture.

"It interferes with motor functions!"

The sextet crowded around the notebook, adding on their thoughts now that range was not a focus. An electrical attack can spread damage far better than a burn, as conductivity allowed a big enough charge to damage the nerves throughout the body. The speed at which it works reduced the duration of sustained contact. They could cut down on the wastage by activating the Dust in pulses rather than a stream, which in turn reduced the Dust chamber's size to a fraction of the one on the fire-sword. If the design panned out, Jaune's knife can enable distractions or deliver a final blow, inducing a momentary loss of motion or a large burst of shock.

The more the group bounced their ideas around, the more they fell in love with the shape of the new weapon, as subtle as the modifications will be. While it may not add any reach to Jaune's attacks, the increased damage and control over an opponent came with minimal changes to his fighting style and the composition of the wakizashi. Melanie especially appreciated how this option was less likely to burn a house down if Jaune ever fights indoors, unlike a certain blonde bitch who gleefully set their own head on fire in a battle like some kind of maniac.

By the time they left the room, Jaune was over the moon and beaming. Behind him, Melanie caught Miltia's eyes, and they slapped their hands together in a high-five.

Mission accomplished.


Beacon Bullhead Docks, afternoon

As fun as their day was, all good things must come to an end. Melanie strolled along the path to the Bullhead station, Miltia and Jaune by her sides. They've exhausted themselves running to and fro in the free time between classes, and now walked in companionable silence. In the distance, a Bullhead opened its doors to allow passengers to board. As they reached the ramp, Jaune wrapped both women in a crushing hug.

"We need to do this again." Letting them go, he smiled. "So, was Beacon everything you thought it was? Want to apply?"

Melanie pondered the question. It was a simple joke, but she had to concede that she could enjoy Beacon if every day was like today. It reminded her of the months before Jaune left, when the three got into all sorts of troubles and incidents. If they enrolled, would her time here be like the previous summer?

"Hmmm. Beacon's pretty cool. But nope, I refuse to wear those awful uniforms, disciple. Brown? Blegh." Melanie giggled at her sister's priorities.

"We loved the campus, and your friends were a blast. Waking up at seven in the morning, though? No way can we survive here."

Well, they could if they had to. The sisters can make any colors work, and try to be prim and proper enough to fit in. Four years here may be bearable enough, with Miltia and Jaune there. However, she feared this school would stifle her joy in anything except the time she'd spend with the two. Once the rigidity of the daily schedule set in, Melanie foresaw herself wilting under the tediousness, not to mention the constant disapproval by people like Goodbitch looking down on her.

With a shake of her head, she dismissed the idea. In the end, becoming a Huntsman was Jaune's dream, not hers. Hers was the freedom of Vale, of wearing what she liked and dancing when she liked. Just as she pushed Jaune to spread his wings, so too would she pursue her own path.

Melanie Malachite has her own life to live.

With a final wave, and after extracting a solemn promise upon his family name from Jaune to visit The Club soon, she and Miltia boarded the Bullhead. As she waited for the ride to start, Melanie indulged in a passing daydream of what shenanigans an Academy life would entail. The uniform truly was atrocious, though. Then again, with a few bold changes it can become quite eye-catching. She wondered which shops sold them, and whether she should get a few outfits to test her alterations on. Halloween was just around the corner, after all. Miltia's voice interrupted her musings.

"Jaune? What are you doing here?"

Said gopher stayed silent, taking the seat beside them. He appeared engrossed in typing into his scroll, but his blush showed that he heard the question. Sensing weakness, Melanie teased.

"You're dropping out of Beacon for us? How sweet."

"The Club has an opening for a janitor! You're making the right choice." Jaune hung his head, one hand revealing the screen of his scroll.

"I hadn't seen a couple of my friends the whole day. Turns out, they're skipping classes to look for a missing member of their team and just texted to see if I can pitch in. I might need Uncle Hei's help. Yours, too, if you have time?"

In tandem, the Malachite twins rolled their eyes.

As if he had to ask.


Author's Notes:
Malachites in Vale, RWBY in Beacon.
Malachites in Beacon, RWBY in Vale.
And never shalt the two meet.