White Knight Errant
A RWBY fanfic by Andrew Joshua Talon
DISCLAIMER: This is a fan based work of prose. RWBY is the property of Rooster Teeth and WB Animation. Please support the official release.
During the Semester Break...
It was great being back in Vale with her friends! The last week with her dad had been so heavy, she'd been begging for some kind of relief.
Even if she did have to abuse her Semblance to get across the ocean.
Not that she hated learning about her mother and spending time with her father. It… It really was nice to reconnect with her, in a way.
Even with the entire 'fate of the world' and 'being hunted for your eyes' thing.
Geez… She really needed to talk to someone about this.
But I have to trust them completely, Ruby thought to herself, even as she tore into her omelet, I have to be careful. I'd be in danger, but… So would they.
It was a sobering thought, and her earlier good cheer faded away.
"You okay, Rubes?" Yang asked, looking over at her sister curiously.
Ruby glanced up, and then put her eyes back on her plate.
"I'm… I'm fine," she murmured. "Just, uh… A little tired."
The moment she'd gotten Nora's text, she had rushed for the ferry back to Vale. And maybe abused her Semblance a lot. So she wasn't lying, exactly.
Even Pyrrha shot her a concerned look.
"Are you sure?" She asked quietly. Ruby glanced between her concerned sister and concerned… Friend? Mentor? Rival?
She needed a break.
"H-Hang on, I need to use the bathroom," she said. She scooted out of the booth, and made her way towards the restrooms.
She rounded the corner underneath the wooden signs that denoted "Men" and "Women", and nearly ran into Jaune coming out of the men's room.
"Ooh! Oh, J-Jaune!"
"Hey Ruby," Jaune said with a smile, "Sorry I haven't been around your table a lot. Been hard at work."
Ruby nodded quickly. He then frowned.
"You okay? I didn't get a good look before, sorry, but you look… Tired."
Ruby smiled awkwardly.
"I'm just… I've been…"
How did she even begin? Where did she begin? If she couldn't tell Yang, how could she tell Jaune?
"It's… Complicated," she mumbled. Jaune sighed, and took her hand. Her cheeks went bright red.
"Ah, Jaune, I-! Your job-?"
"I'm on break," he said, leading her out the back door, past knicknacks and tables, through the kitchen where Ren busily worked (she gave him a smile and he nodded back to her) finally into a cramped but fairly clean backyard behind the cafe.
Jaune turned around and smiled at the little reaper.
"Besides, more people come for Nora and Blake in their maid outfits."
"I-I bet you'd be great in a maid outfit!" Ruby blurted out. Jaune stared back at her, and she flushed deeply.
"I-I mean… I think you would…" She mumbled.
Jaune sighed, and scratched the back of his head. He then pulled out his Scroll, opened it, and flipped through some apps before he turned it to her.
Ruby's eyes lit up, and she held her hand over her mouth to stifle a laugh at the image.
"Is that… You?! In a dress and pigtails?!"
"Yup," Jaune said, popping the 'p', as he showed off the ancient picture, "I was like, four, and my sisters are evil, evil people."
Ruby giggled. She giggled hard, bending over as it turned into a laugh.
"AHAHAHAHAHA! AHAHAHAHAHA! Y-You just… You keep that on your Scroll?!" She managed.
Jaune coughed.
"They… They sent it to me," he said. He shrugged as he closed it back up. "Came in handy, right?"
"Y-Yeah, yeah," Ruby snickered. She looked up at him with a bright smile. "Thanks. That… That helps a lot. I feel so much better."
Jaune smiled back warmly.
"I'm glad. So… What's bugging you?"
Ruby, startled, looked up at him.
"Is… Is it that obvious?"
He grinned and shrugged.
"What? We're friends. I can tell something's bothering you."
Ruby frowned, and looked aside.
"It… Well…"
All of this was so new. So scary, so heavy.
How did she start this conversation with any of her friends? 'Hey, turns out I have magical superpowered eyes that make me a target and might get my friends killed because the fate of the world might be on my shoulders!'
Even Ruby knew that wouldn't go over well with anyone.
Jaune frowned.
"Is it the date?" He asked.
Ruby shook her head rapidly.
"N-No! No! Not at all!"
"Because if you don't want to do it, we don't have to," Jaune said gently. He chuckled. "I mean, if you wanted us to go out as friends, you just had to ask. You don't have to compete or anything-"
Ruby scowled.
"Why?" She asked. "What's wrong with me wanting to go on a date with you?"
Jaune blinked. He shrugged uneasily.
"I-I mean… There's a lot of better guys-"
"You saved my life, Jaune," Ruby stated, "You read comics and play video games with me! You bake cookies with me!"
"I haven't done a lot of that with you lately," Jaune tried joking, but Ruby was unmoved. He shook his head. "I guess… I mean, I'm not-I'm not disrespecting your feelings or anything, really."
Ruby's frown deepened.
"Is it because you don't like me?"
"No! Of course it's not that!" Jaune protested. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I like you, Ruby. I care about you, a lot. I care about all of you! Which is the problem. I just… How am I supposed to handle three girls wanting to go on dates with me all at once?"
Ruby shook her head, and shrugged helplessly.
"I-I don't… I don't know! This is the first time I-I've wanted to go on dates! That I've been interested in a boy! I-I just…" She shook her head.
"I just know that… That I want to date you. Okay? I-I trust you and like you and…" She shrugged helplessly.
"Isn't… Isn't that enough?"
Jaune stared at her. He walked up and hugged her tightly. She returned it.
"Yeah," Jaune murmured, "Yeah, it… It should be. There's just a lot about me that… That I don't know you'll like when you learn it."
He rested his chin on her head. She pouted up at him despite it.
"Well… You might not like parts of me, either," she said, "Isn't that what dating is about? Finding that stuff out? Maybe… Maybe Pyrrha and Yang won't like parts of you either. We-We'll still be friends, right?"
Jaune nodded.
"Absolutely," he said softly. Ruby beamed.
"Then… Then maybe we shouldn't overthink it?" She asked. "I-I mean… I know it can get complicated. It might get really complicated. I-I don't know anything about it and… And uh…" She trailed off, looking away in embarrassment. Jaune rubbed her back.
"Or maybe it'll work out great," he said. She glanced up at him in shock.
"You… You're being positive?" She asked.
Jaune blinked.
"Is it really that weird?"
"A-A little, yeah," Ruby said with a nod, "Usually you're kind of a grump. I mean, a nice grump but still a grump. I mean, I like you being a grump but this is… New."
"I'm… I've been talking some stuff out," Jaune admitted, "With some people. It's helped a lot."
"Y-Yeah," Ruby said, "I uh… I've done some talking about stuff, too. It helped."
She smiled at him.
"There's… I mean, there's stuff I want to talk about but can't and… Yeah. Kind of the same thing with you, I-I think? Maybe?"
Jaune slowly nodded.
"Maybe."
"Maybe stuff… We could talk about on our date?" She asked sweetly. Jaune sighed softly.
"Maybe. It might be a bit of a bummer."
"My stuff too," Ruby admitted, "But… I'm glad we can talk about it."
"Just please don't kill your sister or Pyrrha over me," Jaune said, a small smile on his face, "I'm definitely not worth it."
"The best way to do that is to make us all your girlfriends," Ruby said. Jaune blanched. "At least, that's how it works in Blake's Mistralian comics-"
"Ruby!" Jaune hissed. Ruby giggled. He sighed and shook his head.
"I thought you were so innocent."
"So does everyone," Ruby snickered, "It can come in handy sometimes."
Jaune sighed and shook his head. He ruffled her hair, which she pouted at.
"Gonna have to keep a closer eye on what you read, before Yang kicks Blake's ass."
"Nngh, stop doing that," Ruby grumbled, pushing his hand away. "I'm not a kid, you know."
"Okay, so what should I do instead?" Jaune asked. Ruby flushed and looked aside, tapping her fingers together.
"You… I mean… Yang and Pyrrha… Um… They kissed you," she mumbled. "Can't you… You know… K-Kiss me?"
Jaune stared at her. He leaned forward, slowly. Ruby's cheeks went bright red. She closed her eyes, puckered her lips…
His lips pressed against her forehead. Her eyes shot open as Jaune pulled away with a smile.
"I… I meant on the lips, you jerk!" Ruby stuttered.
"Maybe after you turn sixteen," Jaune said with a smile, and a gentle bonk to the top of her head. Ruby whined.
"Awww…!"
"But don't worry," Jaune said, patting her head, "I'm planning it out. I'll make it great for you. I promise."
Ruby pouted a bit, but her mood was much improved.
"You'd better."
"Ahem."
Both Jaune and Ruby jumped. Goldie stood in the doorway, her arms crossed over her chest.
"Your sis and the redhead are done with their food and paying the check," she said, "They want to say goodbye to their harem lord and take their little squirt with them."
"They're not my harem," Jaune sighed, as Ruby giggled.
"After that you're bussing their table, Kid," Goldie smirked. "And you'd better keep attracting them! They tipped well!"
"Yes ma'am," Jaune sighed. Ruby took his hand and snuck a kiss to his cheek.
"Come on Jaune," Ruby said cheerfully, "Time to say goodbye to your harem~!"
"You're so unfunny!"
Ruby giggled again as Jaune led her up and out. Yang and Pyrrha were a little testy with her for holding Jaune's hand, but it made her feel good. They both got in kisses goodbye with him-Yang taking longer, and Pyrrha then wanted another kiss, but Goldie then forced them all out.
Jaune looked like he was going to protest, but a glare from Goldie and he just gave them an apologetic expression.
Ruby blew him a kiss, and beamed at Yang and Pyrrha.
"Want to go play video games?" She asked.
Pyrrha blinked.
"I… I actually haven't been able to do that a lot," Pyrrha admitted, "It was fun at Beacon."
"Then let's go game!" Ruby cheered. "To the arcade!"
"Oh, what the hell," Yang chuckled.
"Plus, Jaune likes it when we get along," Ruby said cheerfully.
Pyrrha sucked in a deep breath, and flushed. Yang blushed as well.
"Did you get that from one of Blake's books?" Yang asked, suspiciously. Ruby beamed and shook her head.
"Of course not!" She said cheerfully.
She did glance back at Blake who was smiling at her through the windows as well, and waved. Blake waved back… And winked.
It was nice she had Blake to give her advice on these things, Ruby reflected, as she dragged Pyrrha and her sister off to have some fun!
Jaune gave Blake a suspicious look.
"Did you just wink at Ruby?"
"No," Blake stated calmly. "Now, go bus the tables. Then? We will be working on your dates with your harem."
"They're not my harem," Jaune said wearily.
"Not yet!" Nora said brightly. Jaune scowled at her.
"REN!"
"On it," Ren said, bonking Nora on the head.
"Owwww!"
Blake wisely held her tongue, but couldn't keep a small smile off her face.
"Qrow? Qrow!"
"Ugggh," Qrow mumbled, sitting up from the cot in the back of Isabel's Bullhead. He looked up at Isabel. She held up his scroll, which was ringing loudly.
"Mind answering this?" Isabel asked. Qrow waved his hand as he sat up, and groaned.
"Right, right," he took his scroll and tapped the answer button. "Yeah?"
"Hey Qrow, finally connected with you," Taiyang said, his grinning face appeared on the scroll screen. Qrow sighed.
"Hello Tai. How's it going?"
"Pretty good. The girls are doing great," he said, "How are you?"
"Same old same old," he mumbled.
"Ozpin still riding you hard, huh?"
"Dude, don't say it like that," Qrow groaned.
"Yeah, I suppose that would leave you a little 'hoarse'," Taiyang snickered.
"Ohhh Gods," Isabel groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose, "He's just as bad as I remember..."
"Wait, is that who I think it is?"
Qrow rolled his eyes and turned the scroll around. Taiyang's eyes widened.
"Isabel! You haven't aged a day!"
"Neither have you," Isabel deadpanned, "If you're still cracking jokes like that."
"Hey, I'm a dad, I am legally required to make jokes that bad," Taiyang laughed, "Still! It's great to see you. How's Jaune?"
"He gave us all a scare, but he's in Vale recovering," Isabel said with a smile, "How are Ruby and Yang?"
"At Beacon. Ruby got in two years early, my little prodigy," Taiyang gushed. "Yang's doing great in her combat classes! Also, they met some guy, they can't stop talking or writing about him."
"Oho~?" Isabel asked, raising an eyebrow and smirking a bit, "Did they now?"
"Yeah, you said Jaune was in Vale? I think that's him. I didn't know he was in training at Beacon!"
"He's not," Isabel stated firmly, blue eyes cold as ice, "He just got into some trouble and he's recovering under Ozpin's supervision. But he is not training."
"Are you sure? Because-"
Qrow had gotten behind Isabel and made the old Team STRQ hand signals for 'Do not reveal this or we are so screwed!'
It had come in handy many a time.
"-I thought that was his dream when he was little," Taiyang said, so smoothly it seemed natural.
"His dreams changed," Isabel said firmly, "He got accepted into a medical preparatory school. We're very proud."
"Well now, that is impressive!" Taiyang chuckled, glancing nervously at Qrow, "Heh. Well, every parent does hope their little girl will marry a successful doctor..."
Isabel giggled.
"Taiyang, you surprise me! I thought you'd be getting out the shotgun!"
"I'll save it for when I meet him," Taiyang chuckled, "Besides, given how Yang is, I'm half expecting her to end up a teenage mother. Better it's to Jaune than some bum."
"I hope that's a joke."
"Fifty-fifty," Taiyang said, waving his hand in a 'so-so' manner, "So, you and Qrow huh? Working for Ozpin?"
"He convinced me to help out, and I have time off now that Jaune is safe," Isabel shrugged. "We're using my Bullhead to get around."
"Sure saves on the flight time," Qrow said with a smile. Taiyang raised an eyebrow.
"Good for you. I always thought Qrow spent way too much time alone anyway," he said kindly, though there was a glint in his eyes Qrow didn't appreciate, "Well hopefully with you along, he'll call a little more often. Would be nice to know you're still alive."
"You're so passive-aggressive," Qrow grunted, "You're like this when I crash on the couch, too."
"Would it kill you to do some chores when you visit?"
"I do chores, like 'teach your little girls how to be badass'," Qrow stated firmly.
"I do that while holding down a job and keeping a clean house."
"Yeah yeah, woe is Taiyang," Qrow scoffed playfully.
"Should I leave you two alone?" Isabel asked with a smirk, "I don't get in the middle of lover's spats."
"Never heard that one before," Taiyang laughed, "But yeah, Isabel? I do need some bro time with Qrow?"
"Sure," Isabel said. She beamed. "It is good to talk to you again, Tai. I'd like to do it more often."
"Anything for you, Isabel," Tai chuckled.
Isabel went back into the cockpit and checked on their flight path. She closed the hatch behind her.
"Jaune's training at Beacon and she doesn't know, does she?" Taiyang asked in a deadpan voice. Qrow sighed.
"Ozpin's keeping it secret. The kid ran into some trouble while he was wandering and that's the safest place for him."
"And you're distracting Isabel so that she doesn't demolish the place."
People thought Taiyang was just some himbo, but there was a reason he was Summer's second in command.
"No!" Qrow said defensively. "Well... Sort of... She's been a big help." He shook his head.
"Tai, something big is on the horizon," he murmured, "I can't say a lot on an open frequency but..."
Taiyang slowly shook his head.
"No, no, I get it. I've been keeping up as best I can, too. I'm increasing my training regimen, getting back into shape. Honestly, I'm glad you've got a partner to watch your back."
He smirked.
"And that you're not just doing one-night stands anymore."
"It's not like that," Qrow growled. "All right?! She lost her husband, and thought she lost her son! I can be a bastard, but... Not to her."
Taiyang's smirk grew.
"So it's serious, then?"
"Oh knock it off, you himbo," Qrow groaned, exasperated.
"Still man... I do think you're looking a lot better," Taiyang said, "I'm happy for you."
Qrow glanced at the cabin door, then back to the scroll screen.
"Tai... I... I just want you to know, I do appreciate everything you do," he said. "I mean it. I... Never had a brother before meeting you. And I'm glad to have you as one."
Tai stared back at him. He slowly smiled.
"Same, Qrow."
He grinned.
"Your new girlfriend make you say that?"
Qrow sighed.
"She's using psych shit on me, it's weird," he stated, "But... I dunno, it kind of helps."
"Good to hear, Qrow. I mean that. Take care, huh?"
He winked.
"And don't worry about a thing. As long as Jaune marries Ruby, you can get married to Isabel without it being too incestuous."
"Just for that, I hope he marries both of your daughters," Qrow shot back.
"Oh like hell you do, you'd be right alongside me kicking his ass if he did that!"
"Of course I would be! But I'd give him a headstart just for the look on your face."
"Dick."
"Himbo."
"Later, bro."
"Yeah yeah..."
Beacon had started as the Beacon Castle for the Warrior King of Vale, several centuries back. The original architecture had been nearly all replaced, built over with the current egg-shaped exterior tower that rose up high into the sky, but some remnants of the castle and the city that once surrounded it could be found all over the grounds, from the palatial gardens and fountains that had once hosted parties and battles for the sake of Vale, to the many ruins covered in vines and grass that littered the training areas of the Emerald Forest.
While the school was closed for the semester break, Ozpin would take meetings out in the gardens. This was his favorite: The Bastinda Memorial Gardens. It was framed in white columns and arches without a roof, with long rectangular pools drawn down the center of the white tiles like morse code. White stone tables, stools and benches were artfully arranged, and flowers bloomed everywhere.
Bastinda had been a wonderful wife to his warrior king incarnation: Patient, kind, loving, and understanding. She had struggled with Ozma taking over her husband, but had stayed with him through it all. Despite the pain and loss she felt every day, as Ozma became more dominant than the love of her life. She had made Ozma feel guilty over his curse, as few ever had. She had seldom raised her voice, only taking the pain inside and being supportive, but also challenging him.
She had reminded him of Salem, before she fell. What she could have become, if they could have been happy together.
Thus, after her death, he had ensured all of his incarnations kept this garden in her memory, with her favorite flowers, Galucium, or the horned poppies. They came in yellow and red, bringing a splash of color to the usually austere garden fountains and statues.
They were also toxic, which had the benefit of keeping most garden pests away.
A pity it does not work on politicians, Ozpin lamented, as he sipped his coffee and looked over at his mealtime companion: One Rufus Winchesterm Councilman of Vale. He was a tall man dressed in a burgundy suit, with a bright red tie over his white undershirt. His waistcoat was black, and stretched slightly from his belly growing only a bit larger than his still formidable muscles. His dark red hair was receding, with stripes of white running over his temples, but his most distinctive features were his handlebar mustache, his keen, gray eyes, and the red of his cheeks as he ranted.
"It's completely ridiculous, Ozpin! On the face of it, no matter how you look at it!"
The tall, beefy man waved his hands animatedly, as though trying to grasp the concepts he was yelling about.
"These Grimm attacks, the White Fang raids, the Dust shortage-All of these are higher priorities than this nonsense being pushed by Glocken! Why are we worrying about unionization and discrimination when some kind of horrible invasion might be at our doorstep?! It's completely idiotic!"
"Calm yourself Rufus," Ozpin said, as Rufus rose to his feet and began to pace.
"Bad enough the Vytal Festival is upon us-These endless raids are overwhelming the local militias and police! Even the Valean Rangers aren't able to keep up!" Rufus wagged his finger in the air. "They're packing military grade equipment and we can't figure out how! It's getting dangerous out there, Ozpin! We can't just ignore all this in favor of some media crusade against discrimination or leave it all to an overstretched Atlas! That bloody Glocken is playing to the crowd while the country burns!"
He turned to Ozpin and shook his fist.
"As stunning as it may sound to you, Ozpin, I don't enjoy seeing people get killed!" He snarled. "We need to take action, NOW!"
He slammed his fist on the table, nearly upsetting the plate of cookies and coffee pot. Ozpin steadied the table, and scowled up at Rufus. Rufus coughed, and pulled his hand back.
"I'm sorry about that," he said, "It's hard not to see those young men and women coming back in body bags, and think about my son or daughter being the next victims."
He scowled.
"You might think I'm just manipulating you, Ozpin, and damnit, maybe I am! But I do actually give a damn about our people and I want you to give a damn with me!"
"I agree," Ozpin said.
"I know you've got a hundred arguments about why we need to pass this bill to get what's needed," Rufus continued, as though he had not heard Ozpin at all, "I know damnit, that's how politics works! We all have a share and we all need to work together to get it! Of course I know that's how the game is played! But we all have a common interest in not dying! I know you think I'm some kind of blowhard-"
"I don't, actually," Ozpin said, and Rufus kept going.
"-but I'm a blowhard with a point and we need to get my proposal passed, damnit! What do you say?"
Ozpin stared at him for a long moment.
"I agree with everything you're saying, Rufus," Ozpin said.
Rufus blinked a few times.
"I… What?"
"I agree," Ozpin said with a nod. "Would you care to sit down, Rufus? Or would you like to ignore me in favor of another rant? I don't know about you, but I am a busy man."
Rufus looked caught between a scowl and laughter, before he sat down.
"You could have stopped me a bit sooner," Rufus muttered.
"It would have taken more effort than I was prepared to exert," Ozpin said, still amused, "Besides, you were on a roll."
"Then… You do believe in re-establishing the Valean Defense Force?" Rufus asked, hopefuly.
"I do," Ozpin said.
Winchester chuckled. He shook his head.
"Forgive me. It's… A surprise. I know we have rarely seen eye to eye, Ozpin."
"True," Ozpin agreed with a nod and sip of his coffee, "But it has only been out of principle. Which is something I appreciate."
"Is that so?"
"I would rather an enemy who opposes me out of a genuine belief that I am wrong, than sycophants who will say yes to everything I say. It is... Refreshing, after a fashion."
"I would take that as a compliment but I feel that it would also be an insult," Rufus muttered. Ozpin chuckled.
"Take it as you like. I do agree we have become far too reliant upon Atlas-All of us have."
"We won the war and they became our mercenaries," Rufus snorted, "Sometimes I wonder if they were the true winners. Our militias just can't handle this rise in activity and Atlas has too many commitments as it is!"
"That said," Ozpin interjected, "Atlas' reaction to a military build up might be problematic. Another Great War is in no one's interests."
Rufus nodded.
"If we must, we can buy from them to get our army started, until our domestic production is able to meet demand. They will probably try to drag it out, make us reliant on them as long as possible."
Ozpin nodded back.
"Indeed. But those are growing pains in a necessary process."
"Mm," Rufus said, eying the cookies and coffee. He finally took some coffee from the pot into a mug, and prepared it with the barest hint of sugar and cream before he imbibed.
"Ah… South Vacouan, very nice."
"My preferred brand," Ozpin said, "I can support this... If you will support the Faunus Rights bill being considered."
Rufus looked up from his coffee, and scowled over it.
"I can't do that, Ozpin. Not how it's written."
Ozpin sighed.
"Rufus, it is this stubbornness that makes the media paint you as a racist."
"They'd paint me that anyway if it got their darlings more power," Rufus sneered, "Look, we don't want to end up like Mistral, do we? Every single effort at 'equality' has been used to split up the various factions and ethnic groups even more, pitting them against one another to seize more and more power for the ruling elite! That has resulted in a country that looks more like dozens of smaller, constantly feuding countries! Do we want that here, too? Faunus and men are equal. The law must reflect that!"
Ozpin was silent for a moment, considering things, before he answered.
"... I agree there are issues there. But with the White Fang activity, the Council wishes to convince the Faunus that we are not the enemy."
"And pandering to them has always brought the greatest results? We need a bill, that's not just about Faunus but for all living beings, we need a Universal Civil Rights Bill. That is something I could support, but not what will effectively create a caste system that will breed resentment and hatred! The very things the Grimm feed upon!"
Rufus drank his coffee, and ate a few pastries. He wiped his mustache clean with a napkin as Ozpin silently thought things over.
At last, the Beacon Headmaster let out a long sigh.
"... I can use up a favor to get it sent back to committee, and keep it there until next year. But this issue is not going to go away, Rufus. And you're going to have to do me a favor in return."
Rufus smiled slightly. It was a rare thing to see, but then, the stubborn man rarely gave an inch on anything.
"I never said it would... But we need better ways to approach it. Not unless we're going to end up fighting each other as much as the Grimm."
"I will make noises about how we are putting militarism over domestic civil rights... As I must." Ozpin sipped his coffee. "But I will push it through. Quite frankly because I believe you are correct that we need defenses now. In return... You have the contract for the city's defense systems, correct?"
"Yes, Winchester Arms does handle that. They're mostly Atlas-based systems but we build them domestically with our own code."
Ozpin leaned in.
"How sure are you of their preparedness?"
Rufus frowned in some concern and confusion.
"Very sure."
Ozpin nodded.
"Good. I want to know as much about the city's defenses as possible. Every weak point, every gap, anything that can be exploited."
The Winchester patriarch's frown deepened, drawing lines in his forehead.
"May I ask why?"
Ozpin sipped his coffee.
"Not right now."
Not until SLVR or Qrow and Isabel had given him more intel to act upon.
"... Is this related to the Grimm migrations?"
Ozpin kept his body language and facial expressions perfectly neutral. He had more than enough practice at it, after all.
"They might be. Let's just say, I want every option available for now. If I'm wrong? Then at least I better know how the city is defended."
"If you're right?" Rufus pressed.
Ozpin met his urgent gaze with one of cold detachment.
"... Let's hope it doesn't come to that," he said. "Also, you must rein in your efforts to go behind the Council's back. Or at least cut me in, so that we can avoid sabotaging our efforts to defend Vale."
Rufus coughed, and looked to the side.
"I… Don't know what you're talking about-"
"The riders attached to Bills 204.4, 204.5, 205.5, 207.8," Ozpin recited, "All meant to invoke Articles 9 and 11 for the creation and provisioning of militias and issuance of letters of marque."
Ozpin arched his eyebrow at the slightly uncomfortable looking Councilman.
"It is fortunate indeed that no one read through those Articles of the constitution for those riders because they were attached to farming bills," Ozpin said dryly, "And that the budgets for such things have not been touched since the Great War due to interlocking amendments to keep the government solvent. Otherwise they might have said you were raising your own army."
Rufus sighed, and looked Ozpin in the eye as a few birds tittered nearby.
"Even if the VDF bill passes, it will still take time to get it up and running," he said, "We need military forces yesterday. It's not like I just started tossing out Letters of Marque to any idiot air pirate or mercenary company I ran across!"
Ozpin sighed heavily.
"Then who did you give these letters to?"
"The Merry Men Convoy, the Ali Baba Company," and here Rufus did manage a slight smile, "And the Jolly Roger Pirates, to start with."
Ozpin stared at Rufus in disbelief.
"What? They're mercenaries at worst!" Rufus protested. "They never go after civilian targets! They follow rules of engagement!"
Ozpin sighed and pushed up his glasses. He pinched the bridge of his nose.
"I am well aware of that, Rufus… But did you have to choose companies that are so very… Eccentric?"
Rufus sipped his coffee and snorted.
"I wouldn't be talking about eccentric companions if I were you, Ozpin."
Ozpin met his stare evenly and finished his coffee before he reached out to pour himself more.
"... Touché, Rufus. Touché. You, however, are taking responsibility for the headaches they cause."
"I knew what I was signing up for," Rufus shrugged. He hesitated for a moment, bird song filling the air and attempting to lift the suddenly awkward atmosphere.
"So… How is my son doing?"
"Very well," Ozpin said, "He had some issues at the start, but he has evened out. I believe his new girlfriend is helping with that."
Rufus raised his faded eyebrows.
"Girlfriend, you say?"
Ozpin held back a smirk.
"Yes. You can ask him all about it at dinner."
He had to take his victories where he could, after all.
The last week of the semester break was busy as hell. When not working at the Just Right Bakey and Café, Jaune, Ren, Nora and Blake trained. Blake and Nora picked up the Aura Strength Enhancement Technique very quickly, and Blake taught Jaune some tricks to get better control over Golden Lion's Roar.
He had ended up blowing up a cabin at the Berdea Coastal Park, but they'd run before the cops could show up.
Their friends had kept visiting, of course. That wasn't too stressful, for the most part. Yang made him laugh easily, Ruby actually shared her comics, and Pyrrha... Well, he was able to bond with her properly. She was really trying.
Right now Pyrrha, Yang, and Ruby were at what had become their usual booth at the café. Jaune had brought them their lunch, and was lingering a bit while Nora and Blake handled the other tables.
Pyrrha had her Scroll out and scowled as she furiously swiped her fingers over the screen.
"I did promotions for games featuring my likeness," she said, "But I had no idea they were so..." She grimaced. "Bad."
"Oh yeah," Ruby said with a nod, "They're mostly knockoffs of God of Strife."
"Though there was that one that was a knockoff of the Dark Paladin: Paradigm City game series," Jaune pointed out, as he poured them more water. Pyrrha looked up at him in shock.
"O-Oh?" She asked.
"Yeah," Jaune said with a nod, "It basically just ported the same combat system and some kind of story where you fight a criminal syndicate? It was really confusing."
Ruby made a face.
"Ugh, yeah, that game. Dark Paladin is way better, really." She turned to Pyrrha with a bright smile.
"Do you have 'Amazon Vision', Pyrrha?" Ruby asked cheerfully, "That lets you see through clothes and walls and stuff?"
"Er, um, n-no," Pyrrha managed, shaking her head, and glancing significantly at Jaune. Jaune smirked a little.
"Good to know," he quipped, as Yang snickered.
"She'd never get anything done," she said. She looked Jaune up and down and licked her lips, "Neither would I~."
Jaune flushed a bit. He cleared his throat.
"That game was still pretty terrible, no offense Pyrrha," he said.
"N-None taken," Pyrrha managed.
Nora passed by behind Jaune with a full platter of food.
"Though your ass looked amazing in that game, Pyr~!" Nora said, sing-song, as she danced by the table. Pyrrha turned bright red, as did Ruby and Jaune. Pyrrha then looked intently at Jaune, a question in her eyes.
"Um... Well...?"
Jaune glanced at Yang. The blonde was grinning. He then looked over at Goldie, who smirked.
He turned back and shook his head.
"What?"
"You know, which ass is better?" Yang teased. "The game or the real version? Which one have you stared at longer?"
"I'm not answering that," Jaune stated flatly.
The door opened and the bell rang. Jaune turned and headed up to meet him with a smile. A tall Faunus man entered, with feral-looking sideburns and muscular, hairy arms. He wore a simple white button-up shirt, over which he wore a black vest with black dress pants.
"Hello Master, welcome to the Just Right Cafe," Jaune said with a bow, "How may I serve you?"
"A table in the back and some coffee," the man said with a pleasant smile. Jaune nodded and led him there. He sat down at the small table, and Jaune quickly grabbed some coffee and a mug and brought it over to him. He poured the coffee, and the man gratefully took it.
He sniffed the coffee and smiled before adding some cream and sugar. He then sipped it.
"Ah... That's the stuff," he sighed, "I'll take the full Big Bear Breakfast meal. Runny eggs, with sausage and Albion muffins and grape jam."
"Right sir," Jaune said cheerfully. He turned... And nearly jumped out of his skin at Blake's sudden appearance. She scowled at the man, her fists tense and her knuckles white.
"Blake?" Jaune muttered.
"Tukson," Blake hissed. The Faunus man looked up at Blake, still sipping his coffee calmly.
"Lady Belladonna," Tukson greeted gently, "I see you also left the White Fang."
Blake scowled. Jaune immediately put a hand on her shoulder, his Aura ready to flare.
"You think that I would believe that?" Blake asked in quiet rage. Tukson continued to sip his coffee, looking unconcerned.
"Really, Your Highness," Tukson said, "If I was here to kill you, would I really just walk in through the door?" He raised an eyebrow at her attire. "Though you dying in that outfit would be a propaganda win for Sienna Khan."
Blake growled, and Jaune held her more tightly. Goldie walked up, scowling.
"Hey, Tukson. You're not tormenting Kitty Princess, are you?"
"Wouldn't dream of it," Tukson said, gently amused, "Why would I do that to such a charming waitress?"
Blake seethed a bit more. Goldie stood between them.
"Be nice, both of you," she stated calmly. She smiled at Blake.
"He left. Perrito helped him," she said softly. "You're safe."
Blake relaxed a bit, but her glare remained. Goldie turned back and glared at Tukson.
"You behave, or I'll have Perrito bring out the eyes!" Goldie hissed.
Tukson grimaced, and nodded quickly.
"Yes ma'am," he said.
Goldie headed off into the kitchen. Jaune looked at Blake.
"You okay?"
"I will be," she murmured, "Go get his food."
She narrowed her eyes.
"Don't poison it too much."
"Of course," Jaune deadpanned. He headed off to the kitchen, to give Ren the line order. He tried to keep his eyes on Blake whenever possible though.
Blake and Tukson stared each other down. Tukson continued to sip his coffee, his body language a bit tense as he tried to look composed.
"Honestly, I'm flattered you knew me by name," he said.
"You were the treasurer for the Vale branch," Blake stated, "It pays to know who handles the money."
Tukson chuckled tightly.
"Yeah. I think your father said something similar," he said. He looked at her intently. "I'm no threat to you, Princess. I got out of the White Fang. I have no loyalties to them any longer. Just like you, hm?"
Blake continued to scowl.
"I hope so," she said softly. Tukson nodded, and looked off at Goldie.
"Her husband was a frequent target of us in Vale," he said, "For bullying. He married a human and is doing well." He snorted.
"His family demonstrated why this was a bad idea."
Blake nodded slowly.
"I can see why."
"Well... I went myself to see who the hell his guy was," he said. "We sat down and just... Talked." He bowed his head.
"What it boiled down to," he said quietly, "Was that we were trying to destroy the lives of Faunus and humans who were living together, in harmony. The way we had hoped things would work out... In the beginning."
Blake kept her face carefully neutral, even as her emotions again surged behind her eyes. Tukson looked back up to her with a small smile.
"I own a bookstore now," he said, "Up in the Middle City. Decent rent, good neighborhood. It's... It's nice."
"I..." Blake nodded, "I'm glad to hear it."
Jaune finally came back, carrying plates of food. Tukson pulled his arms back from the table, as Jaune set it all down in front of him. The blond butler smiled.
"Your food, sir," he said. Tukson nodded.
"Thank you, young man. You Lady Blake's partner?"
"Er... We're just friends," Jaune said. Tukson smiled.
"Good. We all need friends, especially in these times."
He dug into his food, eating happily, before he pulled out his Scroll and began to peruse it. Jaune beamed.
"Yes sir..." He looked over at Blake. "Blake?"
"Right," Blake murmured. She turned away and got back to work.
"You okay?" Jaune muttered back.
Blake slowly nodded, a small smile on her face.
"Yeah. I..." She looked back at Tukson, before turning back to Jaune, "Yeah. I am... I will be."
Ren walked by, carrying a full platter of food.
"Your harem's getting antsy, Jaune," Ren said.
"Right, I'll get back to them," Jaune said quickly. He then glared after Ren.
"They're not my harem!"
Blake laughed softly.
Maybe she would visit Tukson's bookshop next weekend, after their first week back at the Semester. Things were a bit awkward still. It was better to give it some time. She imagined he didn't like reminders of the White Fang any more than she did.
It was nice that an intrusion from her past life was... Peaceful.
It gave her hope for the future.
Weiss had just settled in for the night, practically dancing on the air as she laid down into her comfortable bed in the Chateau D'Aulnoy. Her thoughts were light and happy, as she sighed and snuggled into her sheets.
A week. A week of romance with her first boyfriend, Neptune! He'd been such a gentleman! He had gone to the beach with her (she swam, he begged off to sunbathe), explored the cliffs, toured the city, and they'd had so many meals together! He'd been endlessly warm and polite and complimentary! He had held her hand, and kissed it, and been so gallant and kind!
He had often seemed distracted at times, which had been a bit annoying. Especially around other women. She'd worked hard to keep his attention on her.
She should have been the center of his attention in all ways! Who did he think he was?
Though honestly, he was probably intimidated by Winter. Winter had followed them around, never overbearing but always around. She supposed she couldn't blame him. Winter intimidated her.
She appreciated her older sister's concern but really! She could handle herself!
Otherwise, it was a lot of fun. It was probably the most fun she'd had in a long, long time.
Even with Winter's overly protective tendencies.
Weiss was just about to drift off to sleep, hopefully with dreams of her wonderful first boyfriend… When the peace of the night was shattered by loud music and raucous singing.
"Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me
We pillage plunder, we rifle and loot
Drink up me 'earties, yo ho
We kidnap and ravage and don't give a hoot
Drink up me 'earties, yo ho
Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me~!"
Weiss groaned and sat up.
"What is going on…?"
She got up out of bed and stalked to the window. She cast open the curtains and glared out.
"Who is making all that… Racket?!"
A gigantic red and gold airship was hovering alongside Ponce, over the beach. It was long and large, at least 200 meters long from Weiss' quick estimation. It had a massive, sleek hull, dagger shaped, with large Dust-powered engines in huge nacelles near the aft with long, trailing wings to aid it in flight. It had intimidating triple gun turrets on the dorsal and ventral sides, with several smaller guns all along the hull. A tall, swept back, fin-shaped mast stood on the top deck, covered in antennas and sensors, which made the entire vessel resemble a gigantic, sky-going shark.
And lit up with lights, a large black flag with a skull and crossbones waved from the mast.
From her studies of history, Weiss recognized it as a Valean Montana-class air battleship, one of the last ever built for Vale. Only one had been finished, but it had been left in drydock for decades before they decided to scrap it. She knew this because the SDC had been contracted to scrap it while her grandfather and her uncle were still in charge.
When they'd come to the drydock though, the battleship had vanished. It had been stolen and christened with a name that would strike fear into hearts across Remnant:
The Jolly Roger.
Smaller airships, mostly commercial or light patrol models, darted around Ponce, all painted in similar red and gold colors. One flew past Weiss' hotel window with a roar, and she shrieked in surprise. Yet even louder than the engines was the singing!
"We kindle and char and enflame and ignite
Drink up me 'earties, yo ho
We burn up the city, we're really a fright
Drink up me 'earties, yo ho~!"
Winter burst into the room, already in her battle uniform and wielding her sword.
"Weiss! Get dressed, get your weapon, they're pirates!" Winter cried.
Weiss complied, yanking on her combat outfit and taking up Myrtenaster. She grabbed any stock of Dust she had on hand and got ready in a few minutes. Outside, numerous pirates were spilling out of Dustcraft, into shops, bars and across the Ponce boulevard.
Winter and Weiss leaped out the window and landed on the main thoroughfare of Ponce, just as one of the many dust craft landed before them: An Atlesian gunship, painted in red and black stripes. Several other dust craft flew around them, spotlights illuminating the two Schnee sisters. Weiss held up her hand and scowled against the brightness, even as Winter stood firm.
The hatch on the gunship opened, and several air pirates ran out. All dressed in combat armor vests, boots, with guns and swords at their sides over their multicolored clothing. They formed an honor guard around the ramp of the gunship, and stood at attention as a man stepped out.
He was tall-Almost seven feet tall. His hair was black and curly, tied in a tail behind him. His face was almost aristocratic with his high cheekbones and pointed chin, with an immaculately tended beard to frame his face. His eyes were black as the night and swept over the area with a keen gaze.
He wore a broad-brimmed burgundy hat, topped with a black Nevermore feather. His pants were black and his shirt white, underneath a deep red greatcoat, and his boots were well travelled and up to his knees. Pouches hung from his belt, along with a well used cutlass. His left hand was normal flesh, but his right was shiny and metallic, flexing at some unconscious musing.
He stepped out onto the pavement of Ponce, his gaze finally zeroing in on Winter and Weiss. He showed no fear, no malice-Just a hard, unrelenting determination. If the situation were not so dire, Weiss might have called the older man handsome.
"Ladies," the man spoke with a smooth baritone voice, "Captain Jim Silverhand, at your service." He doffed his hat and bowed.
"What does the most infamous Valean air pirate want with a resort town?!" Winter demanded, pointing her sword at him.
"Yeah!" Weiss declared, pointing her own blade at the man.
Captain Silverhand stood back up with an almost charming smile.
"Why… We are here to celebrate!" He cried, holding his arms up, "Isn't that right, lads?!"
"YAR!" Bellowed his crew, from the dust craft to the pirates with him.
"We won't let you pass!" Winter snarled.
"But you must," Silverhand chuckled. "For if you don't, the consequences will be most… Dire."
The pirates with him tensed, their hands on their weapons. Winter shifted into her combat position, as did Weiss.
"Weiss, I'll hold them off. You run and raise the alarm," Winter muttered to her younger sister.
Weiss stared in shock.
"Sister?"
"I'll handle this, you need to-!"
"Dad?!"
The tension was broken as both parties turned to look over at Team SSSN. Scarlet was staring in shock and disbelief, as Sun, Neptune, and Sage stood ready with their weapons.
Silverhand's expression abruptly changed from shock… To joy.
The pirate captain moved, and Winter made to strike to protect the young man. Silverhand however moved too fast for her reflexes, and in an instant, he was…
Embracing the redheaded teenager?
"SCARLET! MY SON! How are you?" Silverhand laughed, patting the shorter man on the back, "Look at you! Are you eating enough, son? Are these reprobates taking care of you?"
"Uh, yeah, Captain Silverhand, sir," Neptune managed, as dumbfounded as anyone not a pirate or Scarlet. "We are.
"Totally," Sun said, raising an eyebrow. Sage looked almost amused.
"Son…?" Weiss managed.
Scarlet pushed Silverhand away with a scowl.
"I'm fine, Dad! Seriously, what the hell is going on?! Why are you all flying around and making a ruckus?! You're scaring everyone to death!"
Silverhand looked a bit embarrassed. He rubbed the back of his head.
"Well, I wanted to find you and celebrate the good news!" He looked over his shoulder. "SMIEGEL!"
A shorter man in battle vest over a blue and white striped shirt darted out from behind the taller pirates. His hair was white, his blue eyes magnified behind spectacles, and he carried a Scroll rather than a weapon.
"Yes sir, Captain!" Smiegel cried, skidding to a halt in front of Scarlet and his captain, "Young Master Scarlet, the good news!"
He held up his Scroll and projected a large legal form. Winter and Weiss read it quickly, Winter finishing first with a disbelieving scowl.
"'Letter of Marque, issued by the Valean Government?!'"
"That is correct," Silverhand said cheerfully, "Your father and his fleet have gone legit! We are now part of the Valean Defense Forces… Such as they are!"
"You and your gang of ruffians?!" Weiss cried in disbelief. Silverhand grinned.
"Absolutely! We've all received a blanket pardon, and can now go about as lawful citizens!"
"Let me see that!" Winter demanded. Smiegel looked over at Silverhand, who then nodded.
"But of course! Miss Schnee, Miss Schnee, you will find my crew's behavior will be beyond reproach!"
A pirate was thrown out of a nearby bar. The man snarled, stood up, and pulled out his gun.
"I'll teach you to-!"
"HAWKINS!" Silverhand barked. Hawkins winced and looked over to Silverhand.
"Captain, I-I was just-!"
"We shall comport ourselves as gentlemen, Mister Hawkings!" Silverhand barked, "Or I'll keelhaul you!"
Hawkins shook and saluted.
"Aye-aye, sir!"
Silverhand smirked over at Winter, who scowled angrily back.
"As you can see, Miss Schnee, unless we are violating any laws, we cannot be impeded-Certainly not by a foreign agent."
"You… You're violating airspace!" Weiss tried. Silverhook looked over at Smiegel, who checked his Scroll. His face scrunched up as he deciphered the dense legalese.
"Aye sir, we didn't clear our berth with the Dockmaster."
"We've never cleared our berth with any Dockmaster!"
"Aye sir, aye." Smiegel nodded. "We've always been pirates, captian."
"Ugh," Silverhook sighed, "We'll... pay the bloody fine, I suppose. This is going to take some getting used to." He blinked and shook his head, then looked back to his son with a bright smile.
"So, how are you, my lad?"
"I was better before you dropped in," Scarlet grunted. "Seriously, what is all this?!"
Silverhand sighed and shook his head.
"Right… I knew you'd be upset," he said. He turned to his pirates. "Crew! The song!"
"Aye sir!" His pirates cried. They produced musical instruments, and Silverhand held a tuning pipe to his lips. He blew it, producing an A. He nodded.
"Right, begin men!" Silverhand shouted.
The pirates began to play a jaunty tune, and the lead began to sing.
"It's okay to be gay, let's rejoice with the boys in the gay way
Hooray for the kind of man that you will find in the gay way-!"
"NO!" Silverhand bellowed, as Scarlet gaped in utter mortification, "NOT THAT ONE! WE ALREADY DID THAT ONE!"
Smiegel smacked every one of the pirate musicians, who all took the punishment stoically.
Sun and Neptune were coughing suspiciously behind their hands. Sage shook his head. Weiss wondered when this had become her life.
"Right, the other song-"
"I DON'T NEED A SONG!" Scarlet growled. Silverhand stared.
"You used to love singing along with the crew!"
Scarlet swept his hand through his hair, irritated.
"Yeah, when I was eight! Seriously Dad, what the hell?! Why are you doing all this?!"
"I just wanted to celebrate with my beloved son," Silverhand shot back, "Come on, lad! Isn't this what you were so upset about? You went off to be a hunter because you didn't want to be a pirate!"
"I didn't!" Scarlet growled. "So what changed, huh?!"
Silverhand sighed, and doffed his hat again. He pressed it to his chest, as the pirate band began to play somber music.
"Last year, we ran across a lad trying to make his way to Vale to become a Huntsman," he said, "A plucky boy, running away from home, defying his family. It wasn't an easy decision for him to make, but he still stuck to it. He was impetuous, and got in constant trouble… But he was a good lad, and earned my respect. Because I realized…"
Silverhand looked over at Scarlet, his face dark with emotion.
"He had become a man. He was no longer a boy. And you must respect a man's choices."
He looked into Scarlet's eyes, somber and serious.
"You had become a man, and I didn't respect your choices," he said softly, "Can you forgive me, Scarlet? Can you forgive your captain, your father, his mistake?"
Scarlet's mouth opened and closed a few times. He coughed and looked aside.
"I… Of course, Dad," Scarlet managed.
Silverhand held out his arms. Scarlet sighed, and stepped up to hug his father. They embraced.
"Awww," the pirates all cooed. Smiegel sniffled and wiped his eyes. Weiss, despite the ridiculousness of the situation, felt a bit touched and jealous of the obvious fatherly love and care the pirate captain was showing his son.
"Brings a tear to the eye," Neptune snarked.
"So wholesome," Sun sighed.
"I am very moved," Sage deadpanned.
"You assholes can shut up!" Scarlet snarled.
Silverhand laughed and patted his son on the shoulder.
"Well! That clear everything up, Miss Schnee?" He asked Winter. He looked over at Weiss. "Miss Schnee?"
Winter sighed heavily.
"If your men cause any trouble, you will answer to me," she growled. Silverhand grinned and nodded.
"Of course, miss, of course. NOW! Let's go drink and sing! DRINK UP, ME HEARTIES, YOHOOOO~!"
They headed off to a nearby bar, along with the rest of the pirates. Winter followed with a scowl. Weiss watched them go. She looked over at Neptune, who was grinning.
"Neptune?"
"Oh! Hey Weiss!" Neptune said. He closed the distance between them and embraced her. "You weren't scared, I hope? I'd have fought all those pirates for you."
Weiss flushed. Sun and Sage both rolled their eyes. Ugh, boys.
"I uh, I'm fine, thank you," she said with a smile. She shook her head. "Honestly? This has just been too… Weird. I kind of want to just… Go to bed."
Neptune waggled his eyebrows.
"Oho? I like forward girls."
Weiss went bright red, and giggled nervously.
"I-I mean… I didn't mean… Well… I mean… We… We might-"
"Weiss!" Winter called. Weiss and Neptune looked back at Winter, who scowled at them.
"We'll be keeping an eye on the pirates tonight. Sun Wukong! Your team too," she stated, glancing at Sun.
Sun sighed, and shrugged.
"As you wish, miss," he said. "Come on men. And Weiss… And Neptune."
"HEY!" Neptune growled, as his two friends headed off after Winter. Weiss chuckled.
"It… It's all right, Neptune," Weiss said with a smile, "I-I'm sure we'll get the chance for you to show your… Manliness, later at Beacon?"
Neptune glanced at her, and put on a charming smile. He took Weiss's hand.
"Of course, Snow Angel. Anything you like."
Her heart fluttered as she followed Neptune along. Even amongst all these raucous, poorly groomed pirates, it was still an amazing time.
Still… She really did look forward to returning to Beacon. It was sure to be much quieter, if nothing else. Even with her ridiculous friends.
After breakfast, Tukson returned back to his bookstore. It was in the Middle City section, mainly built right after the Great War and right before the Faunus Revolution. The building was a white Garibaldian style, but the storefront was fairly classic commercial style with large windows below the sign displaying "Tukson's Book Trade".
He entered the warm, homey shop with a soft sigh, turning the Closed Sign around to Open. He made his way to the front desk where the register sat, and took his place behind it. He took a last sip of his coffee, which he had brought with him from Just Right.
It was a bit of a trek, but it was worth it for the connection with Goldie and her family. Pity he couldn't see Perrito today, but he would catch up with him next weekend. They were both so busy...
The door bell rang, and Tukson looked up with a smile. Two human teenagers entered: A dark skinned girl with green hair, and a gray-haired teenager in dark blue clothing.
"Welcome to Tukson's Book Trade, may I help you?"
The teenaged boy grinned, violence burning in his eyes. The green-haired girl smirked nastily. Tukson grit his teeth, and his claws extended from his fingers.
"You're direct. I like that," the boy said. He swung his legs out at Tukson, and Dust rounds went off!
Tukson dove away as the blasts tore apart the bookshelves behind him. He pulled out his Dust gun and opened up on both of them with an angry growl.
The two teenagers took the hits... And faded away. Tukson's eyes widened.
"Wha-?!"
Pain screamed from his stomach. He looked down and saw a dagger shoved into his belly, held by the green-haired woman. He looked up just in time to see the boy swinging his foot right at his face.
Strangely, his last thoughts drifted back to his old friends. His saviors.
Perrito... I'm sorry I won't make it to our next session...
Then everything went black.
Meanwhile, with Cardin…
The Winchester estate was a fairly modest one, by the standards of the Council members of Vale. Their ancestral home had been destroyed by a fire prior to the Faunus Revolution. This home had been built in the Cottage and Craft Style, a two story and comfortable home in the center of a grassy green lawn, with a separate garage and training facility. It was here that Cardin Winchester spent most of the days of his semester break.
"Simulation Complete. Combat rating at eighty-one percent efficiency."
Following the automated system's announcement, Cardin dropped his mace and let out a heaving breath before wiping the sweat from his forehead. Standing on the arena across from him, a battered and worn training bot dropped its arms and settled into an idle state as the system began to shut down. The aspiring huntsman grinned proudly to himself, glad to have finally gotten past the eighty point wall he'd been stuck behind for the past few weeks.
Just because he was on a small semester break that didn't mean he could be idle. It had annoyed him that he hadn't been able to break past the seventies against the level-four training bots in Goodwitch's combat class before the end of the semester, but now he'd finally fixed that problem here!
Having a training arena at home was certainly convenient and lucky.
"So this is where you were."
Glancing to the side, Cardin noticed his older sister Argentia standing at the entrance of the Winchester training room with her arms crossed.
"What do you want, sis?" Cardin asked, wondering how long she'd been watching him and if she'd make her own comments on his performance.
"Dinner's ready." The woman answered bluntly before she turned on her heel and left the room. "Don't keep us waiting."
Cardin glanced over at the large digital clock on the other side of the room. His eyebrows went up when he noticed how late it was. It hadn't felt like he'd been training for that long, but it appeared that he'd spent his entire afternoon fighting the training robot.
"Ah, I'll be there in a bit!" Cardin called after his sister before hopping off the training arena and grabbing a towel off of a nearby rack to wipe himself down.
A few minutes and a quick shower later, Carding was rushing through the hallways of the Winchester estate towards the dining room. Upon entering, he found his family was already sitting at the table.
"Sorry!" Cardin said as he hurriedly took a seat.
"No need to apologize." Aurelia assured her son, the Winchester matriarch nodding at her youngest as he sat across from her. "Argentia told us you were in the training hall. It is good that you're keeping yourself tempered even while you're on break."
"I'm not where I want to be." Cardin answered back.
And it was true. In prep school he'd been one of the top students in terms of fighting ability, helped by some of the private instructors his mother had hired along with some friends of his father giving him pointers. However, at Beacon he wasn't one of the standouts.
Even discounting the obvious example that was Pyrrha Nikos, end of semester testing scores had shown that he wasn't one of the outstanding talents Beacon had accepted. He was head and shoulders above the middle of the pack, and above average certainly… but simply being "above average" wasn't enough at Beacon. Not when other first years like Yang, Coco, Ren, or even the small prodigy girl Ruby had combat scores higher than his.
Even Arc had a combat score that settled him on the border of eighty, though he'd trained himself half to death getting there. While he'd only just made it to eighty today.
"Even still, we only have you with us for a few more days. With your father and sister home, we could all spend a day training together before you head back to Beacon." Aurelia offered.
Cardin perked up at that. "That'd be great!"
"That is a good idea, Lia." Rufus said, biting into his steak before scoffing. "Couldn't come at a better time. I've been needing to work off some steam. These talks with the council… feels like the ball is finally starting to roll on addressing Vale's security issues, but that doesn't make it any less frustrating to deal with those idiots."
"You think everyone on the council is an idiot, dear."
"Only most of them!"
"Can attest to that." Argentia added. "I attended that sponsored gala with dad last week. Listening to those old toadies debate was like nails scratching on a chalkboard. Now I know why mom got me that dress. She sent me along with dad so she wouldn't have to go herself."
"That's entirely untrue." Aurelia replied, and even though her expression was stoic the corners of her mouth were twitching. "It was a valuable experience for you, especially since you've taken interest in our company. The people you met there are the types of people you'll have to collaborate with if you choose to join the family business. And you looked beautiful in that dress."
"I think I'd rather go back to the frontier than suffer another experience like that." Argentia drawled, earning a chuckle from Aurelia and a bark of laughter from Rufus.
"We are glad to have you back home. Both of you." Rufus spoke up, setting his utensils down and nodding to both his children. "Argentia has done fantastic work, leading groups of huntsmen to help fight off Grimm that roam the frontier. I've begun to hear your name circulated amongst some of the PMCs and militia groups Winchester Arms works with helping protect the border towns and villages. You're gaining a reputation now, Argent. As a huntsman and as a father, I couldn't be prouder of your accomplishments!"
"Thanks, dad." Argentia said, cheeks pinking a little at his praise.
"And seeing Cardin's scores for this first semester, he's doing quite well for himself. And he's showing drive and motivation that I haven't seen from him in quite some time." Rufus went on. "I'm glad you're taking the initiative without any prompting, Cardin. Just remember to temper yourself. You've still got several years left at Beacon. Trying to rush and blitz through your studies and training will only have a negative impact on you in the long run. Don't be afraid to slow down and recharge your batteries from time to time."
"I know. It's not like I've been training every day." Cardin replied.
He'd taken plenty of time to relax since the break started. He'd overslept, did some online gaming with Sky, hung out at Russel's place a few times, visited a blacksmith shop with Dove the other day to make sure the team's armor and weapons were in good quality before the break ended, and then the whole team had met up to see the latest Grimminator movie.
…And he'd also exchanged plenty of texts with his girlfriend in his down time. But he was keeping that a secret. Him dating a faunus girl… Cardin wasn't ready to drop that bombshell on his family.
"Gotta say though, the best thing about coming home isn't being able to sleep in or not have to worry about homework." Cardin smiled as he cut off a piece of the juicy sirloin on his plate and popped it into his mouth. "It's being able to eat mom's cooking again. Haven't had a meal this good in quite a while."
Not counting the lunches Velvet had started making him, but he wasn't going to bring that up either.
Aurelia smiled at that. "I'd save those compliments for your girlfriend."
His mother's comment made Cardin choke and cough on his steak.
"Cardin's got a girlfriend?" Argentia blinked. "Since when? And why haven't I heard him bragging about it?"
"I was surprised to find out myself." Aurelia said with a light shrug. "Your father mentioned it to me this morning."
"And I'm surprised that I only learned about it when Ozpin mentioned it offhand to me during my meeting with him the other day." Rufus picked up after his wife, turning to his son who was thumping his chest to force the stuck food down his windpipe. "He didn't tell me much, but it is interesting I heard it from him before I heard it from you. When were you planning to tell us about her?"
"Ah, oh, well, y-you know," Cardin coughed, tugging at his collar-Why was it suddenly so hard to breathe? "J-Just didn't want to… Make a big deal out of it…"
"Make a big deal out of it?" Rufus laughed, "Ozpin told me you saved her from a Grimm attack! Carried her all the way back to Beacon when she broke her ankle!"
"Oh, how romantic!" Aurelia laughed.
"Heh, little brother's got some moves, who would have guessed?" Argentia asked, grinning and winking at Cardin.
"It-It wasn't like that!" Cardin said quickly. "I-I mean, it was, but she just twisted her ankle-!"
"Don't be so modest, Cardin!" Rufus said encouragingly. He looked over at his wife with a fond smile. "Certainly a better first impression than I made on your mother."
"Well, obviously," Aurelia laughed, "You were a jerk! Cardin clearly learned from me how to properly woo someone."
"I wasn't that big a jerk," Rufus snorted, though he was smiling as he said so.
"So, who is she?" Argentia asked, tilting her head curiously. "Did Headmaster Ozpin say?"
"He didn't," Rufus said, eyeing Cardin. "He seemed almost amused. She is a she, right Cardin?"
"YES!" Cardin screeched. "SHE'S A SHE!"
"Is she pretty?" Rufus asked. Cardin nodded furiously.
"Beautiful! Smart, kind, a great cook-"
He nearly hit himself. He wasn't going to gush over her, he wasn't!
"She's… You know, all right," he mumbled. Argentia smirked, as did his mother. Even his father looked a bit smug.
"Now now, let's not tease him too much," Aurelia said with a soft smile, "Cardin has every right to keep things to himself."
"Really son, there's no reason to act so stressed out," Rufus tutted.
"Unless he's serious about her," Argentia said. "I mean, you are serious about her, right?"
"I…" Cardin thought hard about Velvet. It had only been a few months but honestly? He could say he felt… Deeply for her. The way she smiled, the conversations they had, the comfortable silences… Dealing with Coco's wacky bullshit.
It was all very… Special to him.
"I am, honest," Cardin said with a nod, "I-I'm not some kind of playboy, or anything!"
"Good to hear, son," Rufus said with a smile. "So, when do we get to meet her?"
"Uhhhh…" Cardin tried.
Aurelia tutted.
"Come now, Rufus! He doesn't need to drag her here! We might just scare the poor girl off!"
"I just want to meet her," Rufus huffed.
Cardin sighed in relief.
"You'll get your chance at the Beacon Dance," Aurelia said.
Cardin's eyes widened.
"B-Beacon Dance?" Cardin whispered. Rufus nodded.
"Of course, son. We go every year. I am on the Alumni Association Board, after all," he chuckled. Aurelia reached out and squeezed her husband's hand, a loving look passing between them.
"Oh, it'll be wonderful to see you there," Aurelia said with a smile, "With your girlfriend."
"Can I get some tickets?" Argentia asked with a grin, "I'm gonna want to see this! We'll have the best time ever, won't we Cardin?"
Cardin began to sweat. He very slowly nodded.
"Y-Yeah… The absolute best," he managed.
I am sooo fucked…
Omake: Winter and Weiss
"So," Winter began, as the sisters enjoyed their last day at Ponce at a beachside cafe, "You are still happy with Neptune?"
Weiss sighed, a bit irritated.
"Yes Winter, I am very happy with him."
"And not at all interested in Jaune Arc?" She pressed.
Weiss turned bright red.
"C-Certainly not! That ruffian cuffed me in the back of the head like I was a misbehaving child! He punched me in the face during combat training and alleged I was frigid! He-He enjoys being out in the wild and always goes around as a filthy mess! Ugh! He's such an uncivilized lout!"
Weiss's Scroll pinged, and she scowled. She held up a picture that Ruby had sent her.
"See? My team leader sent me a picture of him living like a-a bohemian! Right in our dorms!"
Winter stared intently at the picture of Jaune Arc, wearing only an apron and boxers, serving breakfast to his appreciative teammates. She slowly sipped her coffee, and daintily wiped her lips with a napkin. She smiled softly before she spoke.
"Is he single?"
Weiss gaped at her sister.
"WHAT?!"
Author's notes: And that's it for the Semester Break Arc! Volume 2 begins next time! Big thanks to UnknownAnon for writing much of the Cardin subplot!