pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq

"I need your answer, Mr. Strife."

I sighed and looked the headmistress in the eye.

"Why did you do it? You knew that I wasn't Beacon material back then. Now you think I'm Professor material? Even with everything I told you about me?"

I stood in her office at the top of Beacon tower. The dragon of stone loomed outside the window. All cool grey and frozen in place by Ruby's power.

"Ozpin believed that you were a plant of some sort."

"I knew that. And I was. I told you that Salem is in my mind. And you just went along with it?"

"I did. I had faith in Ozpin. I still do. If he truly believed that you were a threat he would have done something."

"I've killed people," I protested. "I killed Ren and Nora. I'm a monster."

"Perhaps you were, but no longer. I don't believe that about you. I've seen the work you did with Rosé first hand. You did your best to prepare her for our world. You did well. Now I'm asking you to keep going. Think of the lives you could save, of our students and beyond."

I bit the side of my thumb so hard I thought it might bleed. I ran a hand through my hair.

I sighed. I knew my answer.

"Yeah. I'll do it. I'll do the job. But I want something that I think you can give me. Not money."

"I should think not but you will be paid well. What else is it that you want?"

"A pardon."

"I wasn't aware you had committed any crime."

"Not for me. For my friend. Neapolitan. Roman Torchwick's old enforcer."

"I see…"

"She helped me kill Raven Branwen and parts of her tribes. She can do some real good on our side of the law. She's powerful and talented. She has utility in spades. And I won't just abandon her. She needs someone to look after her and that's me."

"I'll talk to the king and queen of Vale for you. As well as the council and any judge who will listen. I shall endeavor my best."

"That's all I want."

"Term starts this month. You'll want to have moved in by then."

"I have a dog - a hunting dog that I'm training. Can that come too?"

"I should think so. It's a part of your gear. A hunting dog is most useful. It would be good for our students to learn to work with such an animal. I can help you learn to run our equipment and manage the sparring sessions. I'll also need your help on initiation day. Just running and managing things in line with your new duties. There will be some paperwork for you to sign. Aside from that I would like to welcome you aboard. Welcome back to Beacon."

She stood and held her hand out to me. I took it firmly.

pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq

"So you did it. You took the job?" Rosé asked me back in my hotel room.

"Shouldn't you be at your family manor or whatever? You have no reason to avoid your family and you'll be at Beacon soon."

"It's a castle. And why? Do you not want me around?" She gave me puppy dog eyes.

"We'll spend plenty of time together at Beacon," I dodged.

"So you did! You took the job!" She jumped up excitedly. "I mean - that's cool."

"Yeah, okay." I stared at her. "Alright. Did a letter come for me?"

"Yeah it did. From Atlas. I read the return address on the outside. I didn't go through it or anything. I wouldn't do that."

"I believe you. Cool your jets."

"It's over on the desk," she pointed over to the dark wood table top.

I paced over to the desk in the hotel room and opened the envelope.

Dear Cloud,

First and foremost thank you for staying in contact with Ruby and I. It matters to us a great deal. We love you.

Second of all, do not try and further open the connection between Salem and your minds. We want to close that bridge down and not widen it by any means. We approve of a defensive strategy. Once again, do not attempt to read Salem's thoughts. We believe that is too dangerous and strongly beg of you to not try it.

Alright. Fair enough. I figured they would say that. Even I had thought it was a risky operation.

We are proud of the defensive barrier you claim to have erected. It must have been very difficult. The masochistic tendencies you mention worry us, however. We hope you start feeling better.

I am progressing well with my maiden training and I took up a job with the Atlas Academy since I am locked in here all the time under strict supervision. Especially since the attack your sisters attempted. The Atlas robots were hacked and General Ironwood doesn't know how. The drones were captured and turned on his men in a matter of moments. He has become increasingly paranoid but perhaps no more than is necessary. He doesn't know where the attack is coming from. He suspects that he is under what's called a man in the middle attack and he can't find the source by the very nature of the hack.

Blake has taken on the powers of the fall maiden from Penny. Oscar split the power once more and we are training together to master our abilities with Penny. I'm not sure when the last time there were three maidens in once place together was. It's nice having someone else going through the same thing I am. We can struggle together. I hope you know I say that with irony regarding you. You don't have to be alone either. Especially if your mental defenses are developing. Keep us in mind and the fact that we miss you and want to see you again. We won't rush you but we do urge you.

Your letters are nice but they aren't as good as the real thing.

Yours sincerely,

Weiss and Ruby.

I exhaled a breath I hadn't realized I was holding until the end of the letter. I squeezed the paper tight in my hands. I folded it back up and put it back in its envelope and amongst my things. I would cherish it always.

It was written mostly by Weiss that was obvious. But it came from both of them. The handwriting was elegant and curly. Weiss's penmanship was as crisp as she was. I thought I could see traces of Ruby's input in the letter as well. Little things. The line where she wrote they loved me.

I should write something back. And I would have another address soon at the academy.

"Pack your things. You're moving back in with your parents until school starts up," I informed Rosé.

"Can't I stay with you?"

"I'll be moving into the teacher's quarters at the school. So, no. It's not goodbye forever. Just for a couple of weeks. I'll be there for your initiation into Beacon."

"What is initiation?"

"I'm not sure I should tell you. I think that it's supposed to be a surprise."

"Oh come on."

"You'll do fine at it. Seriously, though. Pack your things. Unless you can give me a really good reason why you can't move back in with your family."

She couldn't and fell silent.

pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq

We took a cab to her family's castle in the heart of Vale. Rosé was a little frustrated with me the entire ride. I could tell. As far as I could see she didn't have beef with her family but she was an independent spirit. She would rather be with me or stay in the hotel but I wasn't going to pay for a hotel room just so she could dodge her family and feed into her rebellious spirit.

It was a large castle built like a fortress that we pulled up to in the cab. Rosé climbed out of the car with a weary sigh. She had her travel bag and Falchion with her and that was it. I stepped out of the cab onto the power washed pavement. It was red and lined with cobblestone up to an enormous set of double doors. There were guards with pikes and shields in uniform lining the castle. It was at least six stories tall.

Rosé marched up to the gate. I lingered by the cab.

"Well? Aren't you going to come with me?" She asked.

I heaved an exasperated sigh.

"Keep my fare going. I'll be back," I told the cab driver. He seemed content with that and pulled out his scroll. He was being paid to do nothing. Fine by him in all likelihood. I watched the meter tick over another Lien before I even got out of the car.

I slung my weapon across my back on its harness and let my half cape flutter in the breeze behind me. I followed Rosé up to the set of double doors. The armed pikemen on either side gave me a look but otherwise didn't move. I was in the company of the princess after all.

She opened the right double door and held it open for me and I followed her inside.

Right away there was a vaulting atrium with four enormous glass chandeliers hanging down and casting the room with light. The walls were lined with oil paintings and display cases and were painted a dark blue. The floor was cold grey and black marble tile in giant squares. It was polished until it shined.

She turned to a man holding a pike just inside the door.

"Will you find my parents and let them know that I have arrived to stay."

The man bowed to the princess and marched off into the castle. He went up a flight of red carpeted stairs and around the corner in search of the king and queen.

Rosé sighed and waited.

"Nice place. Very fancy. I'm worried I'll break something."

"You get used to it and it gets old after a fashion."

I stood quietly and waited. The guard came back with king and queen following behind him. He returned to his place by the door like a statue.

The king gave me a benevolent nod and watched the queen and Rosé with a large grin. He came up and took my hand in both of his in a greeting.

The queen embraced Rosé again in a very tight hug. "Just a squeeze," the queen muttered. "There we go. So you've come to stay until you go off to Beacon? How come?"

"Cloud is moving into the teacher's quarters at Beacon and I can't stay with him any longer. Plus… it's time to come home for a bit again. It has been a while since I left," Rosé answered.

The king grinned. "You are always welcome at home, Rosé. And you, Cloud, you took up the headmistress's offer? That surprises me. I thought you would decline."

"I decided to do the job. It's not much but I want to keep going with the same sort of style I have done with Rosé," I responded back. "It was at my insistence that Rosé is returning to you for a spell."

"I wanted to stay with Cloud but he made it clear that wasn't going to happen. He really put his foot down."

"Oh I see…" the Queen's eyes flashed a little. "Is that how it is, Rosé?"

"It's not like that."

"Isn't it obvious?"

"No. Mom, enough!"

"Very well. I'll leave it alone. For now."

I had no idea what they were talking about. I exchanged a glance with the king who gave me a sly smile. I gave him nothing back and feigned apathy. It wasn't hard.

"Well, I'll leave you off. Until the twentieth, Rosé. I'll see you again then," I made for the door.

"Can't you stay for dinner?" The queen asked me.

"Not this time, no. I have some things to get back to. On another day."

"Do those things include Ms. Neapolitan? Aiding and abetting criminals is itself a crime," the king cut in. I gave the long red handle of my weapon a squeeze in its harness. Then I let it go. I turned back to see him still smiling. He had a knowing grin. "The headmistress brought it up to me. Stay for dinner. We have much to discuss."

"Dad! Don't entrap him."

"Very well…" I murmured. "I'll stay. Let me pay my cab fare."

"You can also give a servant your weapon. You do not need it with us I assure you."

"I'm… uncomfortable without it."

"Come now, you need not be armed here."

I hesitated. I looked at Rosé. I cracked like an egg. "Very well..."

pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq

I handed my weapon over to a young man who struggled to even carry it. He had no aura and was as weak as a regular man. My weapon was a hundred twenty pounds of Titania. No one but a hunter could wield it. It was very heavy. He made off with it and I watched him go. I missed the weight of it with me and I turned back to see Rosé and the queen.

"Sorry, Cloud. My dad can be very insistent."

"It's no problem. I need to talk about Neo anyways."

I followed her and the queen through long well decorated corridors until I reached a tall dining hall with stained glass windows in blues, greens, yellows, and reds. The filtered light was colorful and pressed in from the evening sun all over the room.

"Please have a seat Cloud. We can chat for a bit."

I took a seat and Rosé sat next to me. The queen set down opposite her at the long dining table made of dark wood.

"So Cloud, tell me about yourself," the queen ordered refreshments and demanded of me politely to share.

Here we go…

"Where should I start?" I wondered.

"Well you became a huntsman. How and why did that happen? Where did you train?"

"Family pressure I suppose. I was always going to be a fighter. I went to Beacon until black out day; I wasn't very good back then. Next I trained in the wilderness of Anima on my way to Haven. That's where I really came into my power."

"And where were you born?"

"Just outside of Mistral but I spent my formative years here in Vale."

"It's quite the adventurous life you live."

"It's been eventful if nothing else."

"Did you attend school at Haven next?"

"No… I… I spent some time in Anima and then went to Solitas where I briefly served in the Atlas military. But only for a short time. Then I decided to come back to Vale. It was on my way that I met Rosé. And the rest is history."

"You said you came into your power on your way to Mistral, what is your power?"

"Oh!" Rosé perked up. "His power let's him-"

"-Rosé! Ixnay. Please allow me some secrets. I have a grab bag of abilities. I'm strong. I'm fast. I can fly. And there are a few other powers but they have a lot of rules to them. I hope you understand that a semblance is deeply personal." I directed the last bit at Rosé who wilted slightly under my gaze and winced back.

"Got it. Got it," she mumbled.

"Forgive my curiosity but you live an interesting life. One can't help but wonder about you. You've done a great deal. Were you there when Haven was attacked and Leonardo Lionheart was killed?"

"Yeah. I was there."

"And you also fought when Beacon fell and you served in the Atlas military?"

"I did that too."

"You just go from one thing to the next. Why, a recounting of your life is just a history of all major events of the decade."

"I never think about it much."

"And do you have some pretty girl in your life? Or perhaps you prefer men?"

My face heated up slightly.

"Mom!" Rosé cried in exasperation.

"It's complicated. I can say I like girls, however. That's easy enough."

"Ah here comes Tycho and Chrome now. And just in time for dinner."

I was served roast beef and potatoes with steamed vegetables on a large platter. Chrome sat next to his mother and the king sat on her other side at the head of the table.

"So, Cloud, how do you know Neapolitan?" The king asked me.

"Well she tried to kill me when I was in Mistral. But I kept knocking her down. Then she started following me. I have a habit of picking up strays. That's how I got my hunting dog."

"But she is a criminal," Chrome pointed out.

"So was I. In Atlas at least and a little in Mistral as well though I was never caught, charged, or tried. I killed a bunch of people and broke some others out of prison. Did some other stuff I'm not proud of. But it's been the straight and narrow for me since I arrived in Sanus again. Same for Neo. She deserves a second chance and I need to look out for her."

"Still, pardoning someone like her is a potential hazard. Can you really keep her out of trouble?" The king wondered.

"Yeah. I think so. She's a follower at heart so she listens to me. Plus her powers are incredibly useful."

"For committing crimes."

"That and other things."

"And what is your relationship with her?" The queen asked. "Are you perhaps involved?"

"Not with Neo. No," I let my voice smoulder like crisp flame.

"I shall grant you this pardon. But only this time. She had better be kept in line. You understand me?" The king spoke sternly.

"I do. And thank you, I'll be sure you won't regret it."

"You're not involved with this Neapolitan. But you are involved with someone," the queen pressed.

"Sort of. It's complicated. It's difficult to say what exactly my relationship status is at this point. Though I am sort of involved with someone. Excuse me but this is deeply personal."

"Of course. I understand. I shan't push you any further."

"Thank you."

"Of course you'll be teaching my son and daughter at school. I'm afraid you won't be rid of us easily."

"You and I have a score to settle, Professor," Chrome fired.

"You really don't want to fight me, kid. It would be enjoyable for neither of us."

"We'll just see about that. I think I'll have a great time."

"We can spar. I'll make myself available for private training to students by appointment but you probably won't like what follows."

I finished eating. I stood to leave and said my valedictions then I collected my gear and departed the castle without a backwards glance.

pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq

-WG