Main theme: Enemy by Imagine Dragons and J.I.D
Theme: Regret by Lucas King

"He's... safer here with you."

Sienna looked down at the ground as she sat in between Ghira and Kali Oscura, the old, worn sofa beneath them creaking from their combined weight. Said sofa beneath them was an antique, over fifty years old and stretching back all the way to the Faunus Rights Revolution, and even the Colour Revolution and beyond. Sienna had a sneaking suspicion that it even predated the First Great War and went all the way back to the Victorian Era. Dozens of stitches covered the body of the wide sofa, accompanied by patches of leather and fabric that had been sown over old cuts and holes, and long scratches that covered the body of its original being. The pillows beneath her were uneven and lumpy, like they had been continuously replenished with new fillings, their seats worn and faded.

This was a sofa with a history, no doubt, as was the rest of this house, the Oscura Family Home. It was one of the few homes in the wooden that hadn't been shelled to hell and back by the Ascendant Court's relentless assault, and had stood tall during that battle, and every battle beforehand. In fact, it had been one of the first buildings to be constructed in Menagerie, in the middle of the city that would soon be known as Kuo Kuana, so to see it still standing was a testament to their tenacity, symbolic to the Faunus' will to survive, and their will to be free.

Through Menagerie, the Faunus would always brave and best the struggle to survive, and from it, they would become stronger more, braver more, and simply more. Perhaps the fact that this house still stood loud and proud amongst the rubble would be their symbol to that unspoken truth.

But even still, it was painfully barebones in features and aesthetics.

Sienna smiled inwardly. She knew the reason why. Ghira was always a minimalistic person by nature, but the walls of the house and its rooms were barren even by his standards. That mean that, in his endless generosity and kindness to his people, he had given away most of his belongings to the survivors of the battles previous. She suppressed a chuckle, knowing that Kali was probably both the only one keeping his rampant generosity on a leash, and also the only reason that he was still sleeping in the house and not amongst the people themselves as an act of solidarity with them.

Her four ears fluttered, hearing the sounds of sleeping forms in the room opposite. But even so, Kali wouldn't deny him the ability to provide the newly-made homeless of Menagerie a warm place to sleep and a roof over their heads. She wasn't heartless.

Part of her was surprised that they even had a sofa to sit on, but she knew she shouldn't be. This sofa that they were all sitting in had sentimental value, not just to Ghira, but to Kali as well. According to the mistress of the house, this sofa had been one of the first things that her parents and grandparents had made in Menagerie in the first few days after the Faunus Rights Revolution.

Before that war, her family, and most of the Faunus as well, had been violently ejected out of the four kingdoms and sent to the now-destroyed processing plants to be chipped and turned into slaves for the waning slave trade by rich families and old men too afraid of the prospect of losing their power. It had been an awful, bloody conflict, but in the end, the slave trade had been illegalised by all kingdoms and brought to its preverbal knees. The Faunus had been freed, and the horrid old men that had tried to perpetuate their misery were either dead, buried away, or gone into hiding.

This sofa had historic value. This sofa was a memento of the legacy of both Menagerie and the Oscura family.

This sofa was the reason that Sienna was focusing on anything other than the two people sitting alongside her.

On the floor before them, the youngest child of the Schnee family, Whitley, turned in his futon, lost in a restless slumber. His eyes were dark and baggy, his breath laboured with exhaustion. He had been through so much, as had all of them.

"He's safer here, with you," Sienna said after a long pause, noticing that both Ghira and Kali had been staring at her for the longest time as well. It tugged at her heart, slightly. A pain of regrets, "If he comes with us- with me… then there will be…" she spared a blameless glance to the young boy sleeping on the ground before them, "There's too much baggage between the Schnees and the White Wolves. Though I hope he should inherit none of that baggage, there will be those who seek him harm because of his name alone. At least here, he will be safe."

She took in a breath.

"Plus, the… the Oscura family raised Menagerie from the dirt and made it something respectable. To see the founding family of our kingdom, the Chieftains of the Faunus, raising a Schnee as one of their own… it sends a powerful message."

"…Is that all there is to it?" Ghira's voice, low and powerful, reverberated in her ears, "Politics?"

Sienna felt a shiver roll up her spine, a fresh fear overtaking her. Ghira's voice was booming, even though he didn't raise his voice even a single octave. The tone behind it was gentle, but reprimanding, almost damning, and it made Sienna want to drop onto her knees and beg for forgiveness.

But she didn't. Instead, she breathed in, and gave them the most truthful answer that she had given them in a long time.

"I don't want children," she said, "I never have, and I never will…" she looked between the two of them on either side of her, "But you two… always wanted a son."

It wasn't the full answer, Tell them the truth, a part of herself whispered, Tell them the truth before it consumes you…

"And I don't… trust myself around children," she finally said, her voices hushed to a whisper, "Not after what happened to… what I did to…"

Then, the third member of their conversation, Kali, finally spoke, "What you did to our daughter."

Her words were sharp and venomous, laced with intent and blame, and it made Sienna want to weep. It made her want to throw herself onto her knees and beg Kali not to do this to her, not to hate her, not to despise the woman that still loved her, that still yearned for her, that still wanted to be with her so much that it hurt.

But she didn't. She forced herself not too.

"Kali," Ghira – oh sweet Ghira, how she didn't deserve him – began, his own words quiet and calm, "Kira made her choice. No one else. We have to respect that."

"But there were plenty of people around to influence her, all thanks to her," Kali hissed out, a glare in her eyes as she flexed her hands like claws, her arms tough and tensed with packed muscle. It was times like these that made Sienna remember that Kali had been Ghira's bodyguard back in the day, not the other way around, "We trusted you, Sienna. We made you the godmother of our child, and then you filled her mind with poison."

Memories flooded back to her, of soft smiles and warm skin, muscular arms wrapping around her and pulling her in close to their tender embrace.

Sienna seized up in fear. She didn't want to hear what came next, but she still did.

"We… loved you, and you betrayed us."

More memories, of gentle touches and soft lips and twin smiles that looked at her with love and affection…

And now here they were, one with regret and the other with vitriol.

Sienna wanted to cry at her words. They were almost silent, but they were as loud as bombs, destroying everything in its path. Every part of her being was somehow exposed to these two, ready for them to pick apart and cut into pieces at will.

She took in a deep breath, her mind slipping back into the past.

Back in the day, Ghira, Kali, and herself… they hadn't just been partners and friends in leading the burgeoning House of the White Wolves…

They had been lovers.

The three of them had been engaged in a polyamorous relationship, and it had been wonderous and wonderful and she had loved every moment of it. The days they spent laughing and dancing together, the nights they shared…

Another bout of memories, of flowery smells and musky scents of skin on skin. Bursts of energy from even the slightest of touches. Lips pressing together. Long sighs from gentle kisses. The feeling of two pairs of arms wrapping around her in bliss.

It had been perfect, and for the longest time it looked like it would always be perfect.

And then Sienna learnt that she was pregnant.

Kali and Ghira, they had been over the moon at the fact. They had always wanted children. A son and a daughter. They had thought that the three of them would be amazing parents, all raising their children together as one big happy family.

But Sienna?

She didn't want children.

It scared her.

So... she terminated the pregnancy.

Kali and Ghira were both sad at the fact that she had aborted the baby, and were angry at the fact that she had done so without talking to them about it. Worse yet, this was at the peak of their disagreements about the direction that the House of the White Wolves, with Sienna being the head of the militarists and Kali and Ghira the pacifists, and that only fed into the fights that they were starting to get into each and every day.

So... she ended her relationship with the two of them. The plans for them all to get married were reworked to be just Ghira and Kali, and Sienna was left in their shadow, commiserating how much she still loved them despite the tensions between them.

But they still loved her as well, and when Kali became pregnant as well, she asked Sienna to be the godmother of what the ultrasounds had predicted to be their daughter.

Sienna said yes. Despite how much it scared her, despite how much raising a child, or even being part of the process of raising a child, terrified her to hell and back... she was willing to give it a shot.

But then, she introduced Kira to the White Wolves, let her interact with Taurus, bastard that he was... and then everything began to go to hell. The conflict between the White Wolves and the SDC and Atlas got bloodier and bloodier, the White Wolves began to violently militarise beyond what she had hoped for and began to turn into something horrible, the more bloodthirsty and merciless factions that had formed in the House, fanatics and zealots desiring nothing more than the destruction of everything that wasn't themselves, broke away to become the Acolytes of the Ascended, Taurus proclaimed himself to be a demigod, Sienna was left wondering when the hell she had become a demagogue as everything began to spiral out of her control, if she ever had control over it in the first place...

And all the while, she was letting Kira Oscura, Ghira and Kali's only child, slip away into the darkness that had formed inside the House of the White Wolves like a cancer.

Sienna had tried to steer Kira away from Taurus and his Acolytes, but it was too little, too late. Kira heard Sienna's words and she spat at them. Kira looked at Sienna with venom in her eyes and a sneer on her face.

Kira spoke to Sienna as if she was the devil himself.

"Your weaknesses have failed us, Auntie... now it's time for us to get what we deserve."

And then... she was gone.

The last sighting of her had been in Mantle, in Onus Square two years ago. No one outside of the Acolytes had seen her since, and she had long since given up the delusion that she had any sort of control over that particular band of psychopaths.

Sienna had one mission, one job; keep Kira safe, and help guide her along the right path... and she had failed miserably.

"I'm sorry," Sienna quietly said after another long pause, "For everything," she shook her head, "For the Wolves, for the Acolytes, for the pregnancy, for how we ended, and for... for Kira," she took in a breath, "For betraying your trust."

She clenched her hands.

"I wish... I wish I could go back and change things. I really do. I wish I could go back and stop Kira from going down the path that she did, stop myself from taking over the White Wolves and- and turning them into what they are now," why was she acting like this? So weak and pathetic? Goddammit what was it with these two that made her feel so damn vulnerable? Sienna knew the answer to that already, "And I wish I could go back and... and stop myself from aborting the damn baby-"

A hand, large and gentle, placed itself firmly on her shoulder, "It's not you aborting the baby that we were angry about," Ghira's voice was deep and smooth, comforting in its quiet rumble, "You were scared. There's nothing wrong with that."

"...Then what was it?"

This time, it was Kali that spoke, and her voice was silky and soft, like velvet draping over her soul and keeping her warm, "It's the fact that you did it without even talking to us beforehand that we were angry at."

Her voice was no longer hostile, and yet Sienna could hear the veiled accusation behind it. Or was it something else? When it came to Kali, Sienna couldn't tell the difference.

"I want to make things right," Sienna finally got out after a brief interval of silence, "I want to make amends, and I want to fix what I broke, but I... I don't think I know how."

She looked between the two of them.

"And I don't want to do it alone."

Her hands gripped on the worn, almost ancient sofa beneath them.

"Please... help me. Help me be better. Help me make the White Wolves and Menagerie better. I can't do this on my own, and even if I did, I don't want to. Not anymore. Remnant is at war and we're all up against an enemy that wants to wipe us all out and we're now all collectively on the bring of extinction and-"

She realised that she was rambling and caught herself, caught her breath.

"-...And I'm a stupid selfish woman," she finally finished, "Who's scared and doesn't want to be away from the people that she loves anymore."

This wasn't the High Leader of the House of the White Wolves that sat between Kali and Ghira. Not anymore. This wasn't the hero that helped to save the people of Mantle from the Ascendant Court, this wasn't the resistance leader that led her forces against the Imperium. This wasn't the liberator that saved hundreds of Faunus from their indentured servitude to Atlas and the SDC. This wasn't even the warrior that personally led her men onto the frontlines of battle.

This was Sienna Khan, a woman who was terrified out of her mind, who had more regrets than anyone she knew and had made many more mistakes as well, and just didn't want to be alone anymore.

This was her. This was her naked truth.

"...I don't like you," Sienna turned to the side to see Kali staring her, a scrutinising glint to her gaze, "And I certainly don't trust you. Especially not after what happened to... to Kira."

Sienna just looked at her, as silent as a Mouse, so much unlike the Tiger she was meant to be.

"...But," Kali sighed, "If you're really willing to make amends for what happened in the past... then I don't see why I shouldn't help you with that."

Sienna blinked, once, twice, thrice. Her eyes widened at Kali's words, before she let out a breath of relief that she didn't know she had.

"Thank you-"

"Don't thank me," Kali interrupted, "I'm not doing this for you, and I still don't trust you. If you truly want to make right the things of the past, then you better damn well be ready to put the work in for it."

Sienna's eyes suddenly became misty, and she nodded slowly, "...Okay."

Kali looked over Sienna's head, "Ghira?"

"...I feel the same way," his words echoed in her ears, and Sienna closed her eyes and tilted her head down to the ground.

Silence overcame them all once more. It was uncomfortable and deafening and Sienna just wanted peace of mind.

What she had come to this place for, and what she got in return... it wasn't what she had wanted, but she wouldn't complain.

It was still more than she deserved.

A hand, calloused yet dainty, fell on her other shoulder. She opened her eyes and looked to the side to see Kali giving her a kind, remorseful look.

"If it's any consolation... I regret how we ended."

Sienna forced herself to stay calm, stay collected. She almost failed, but managed to pull through with all her remaining willpower.

"Yeah..." she whispered, "I regret it too..."

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

"Come with me."

"H-Huh?" Sienna felt herself be pulled up onto her feet by Kali as she and Ghira led her through the house and around the sleeping bodies on the ground, quietly tiptoeing around the slumbering forms surrounding them and leaving them to their rest.

Sienna turned her head briefly to Whitley as he slept on the ground, and Ghira sent her a smile as she did. Sienna smiled back. If nothing else, then she at least knew that he would be cared for, as a son should be by their mother and father.

Whitley Oscura... it didn't quite roll off the tongue as Whitley Schnee, but who was she to complain?

She wasn't sure where they were leading her to and why. It had been such a long time since she had been in the Oscura family home, and everything felt almost unfamiliar to her, alien and unknown. She was rediscovering the home that she had once lived in with these two and she didn't remember any of the architecture within and-

The doors before them, though. Those she recognised.

They were the doors to Oscura garden.

"You say that you're not good with kids?" Kali asked as she opened the door and led Sienna into the garden

The smell of roses and lavender filled her with a sense of serenity as she found herself surrounded by a eye-catching deluge of flowers and foliage on all sides, painting everything around her in bright pinks and reds and purples and yellows and all the other colours of the rainbows.

And then, she tore her eyes away from the displays around her, and looked forward to the centre of the garden.

Her eyes widened, a gasp leaving her mouth as she stood in shock.

"Well," Kali finished, "I think you might be better than you give yourself credit for."

There, in the centre of the garden, meditating as she surrounded herself with flowerbeds and the floral scents that came with them, was a girl that Sienna had long thought dead.

"You..."

Ilia Amitola smiled to her.

"Me."

Sienna Khan is both bisexual and poly, and there's nothing that you can do about it.

Unless, you know, you complain about it enough. That'd make me really sad if you did, though. So please don't.

Anyway, who here's seen the RWBY X Justice League film yet? In my personal opinion...

It was alright. Jaune and Jessica were the highlights of the film, of course, and any scene that the two of them shared together were the best parts of the film. Everything else was alright though. Not great, but not terrible either.

Seven out of ten, it was passible. The only reason it's not lower is because the Jaune and Jessica scenes carried for the most part, and I think that a lot of other people think the same way as well.

But why do they keep torturing Jaune like that? Why they gotta keep doing that to mah boi? What has he ever done to the writers?

(I can't help but feel like it's a weird inversion to how we all used to think of Jaune in the past. Remember how we all thought of Jaune when we first saw him? How we all thought that he was an annoying self-insert who didn't contribute anything to the plot and had one of the worst arcs (hehe) in Volume 1? Now we're all just sitting around and watching CRWBY torture him, and we're all like, "Please, just let him have some happiness, for fuck's sake!"

It's amusing to me.)

But anyway, hope that you all enjoyed this collection of one-shots and short stories, please leave a review/comment, follow and favourite, and I hope to see you all next time when we begin the Interval arc.

(That's its actual name.)

Titanmaster 117 out!