A/N: Let's continue the story.
"Come on Weiss. He's just behind the door."
"But…" Weiss hesitated. "What if he doesn't want to see me?"
"That won't be the case, sister. There's nothing to be afraid of." Winter said gently and offered her hand. "Want me to hold your hand?"
"N-no… You're leaving soon... So I have to do this on my own!"
"Very well." Winter smiled and opened the door for her.
Nine-years-old Weiss took a step into the room.
It's a white room.
A hospital room.
In that room, there's a bed. With white sheets.
On that bed, a man was lying.
A pale man.
He smiled at her radiantly.
"Miss Schnee! What are you doing here?"
This man was Weiss' butler.
This man had protected Weiss with his own body last week.
This man was now missing an arm.
"Mr. Butler…! I'm so sorry...!"
"There's nothing to be sorry about." The man smiled radiantly. "It was my job, miss Schnee. I would do it again in a heartbeat."
His smile… How could he smile like that, with his arm gone? Weiss didn't understand.
She started tearing up. "But, they really hurt you, all because of me!"
"It wasn't your fault, miss Schnee. I would do it again if I have to. Your grandfather has been good to me in the past. I will always continue to protect Nicholas' family like my own."
Weiss wanted to cry, but she had to be strong.
What would her father say if she was to cry like a spoiled child?
Surely father would disapprove.
She was the heiress, the heiress does not cry.
"…Mr. Butler…"
Weiss raised her hands shyly.
Would it be okay if…
Mr. Butler accepted the hug.
A one-armed hug.
Weiss sniffed.
"There, there." The man muttered softly.
"Please! This is the only thing I can do!"
"I am sorry, Butler." Weiss' father shook his head. "Even with a robotic arm, I cannot let you continue this job."
"I can do this! This arm can do wonderful things! I swear-"
"The fact of the matter is, you failed, Butler." Weiss' father cut him. "This is my daughter's life we are talking about. She should have never been in such danger in the first place. And after the loss of your arm, you will be impacted for the rest of your life, weaker. I cannot let you remain by my family's side from now on, Klein will handle things better on his own."
"No! Please, I beg of you." Butler knelt down and bowed his head. "I have fully recovered, I can still do this! This job is my life…"
"I do not care about your life, Butler. Only my daughter's."
"...No..."
"Take him away," Father ordered to Klein.
As Klein gently pat his shoulder and led him away, Mr. Butler offered a shaky smile to Weiss.
As soon as the door closed, Butler cracked and broke down in tears.
So… He was putting up a tough front.
Watching all of this, Weiss' heart was aching.
That man had dedicated his life to their protection, and he was cast away like nothing.
For this man, the loss of his arm was nothing.
It was the loss of his dream, caused by the accident, that really broke him.
"We will find a replacement within a week to help Klein." Father declared. "Is that okay with you, Weiss?"
He wasn't really asking her, only one answer was acceptable.
Her heart screamed in her chest.
"Yes, Father." Weiss nodded.
It starts…
With the unexpected loss of something dear.
Present day.
"Weiss?" Yang waved her hand in front of Weiss' face. "Remnant to Weiss!"
"...What is it?"
"We've arrived," Yang said, waving her hand to the mansion in front of them. "You're okay?"
"You seemed absentminded during the whole trip," Blake added. "Ever since you talked to your sister."
It had been a week since Winter had come to Beacon along with the Atlas fleet. Weiss had been happy to see her sister and shared her problems with her, explaining the situation.
And so, her sister had graciously accepted to take them here with her personal ship, dropping them not too far from Ansel. She could still remember her parting words.
Be careful. Do not get too attached, Weiss.
"…" Weiss raised her head towards the mansion.
"Weiss?"
"I don't know." She replied coolly to Yang. "We'll see how it is."
She stepped forward after Ebony.
Yang and Blake exchanged a worried glance before they followed after her.
With Jaune.
Jaune took a deep breath, getting ready to be covered in negative emotions once more.
Be strong. You can't appear weak. Or they'll feel bad. Negative emotions are bad for me.
Jaune released his breath slowly, just like Ren and Weiss had taught him.
You are fine, people don't need to worry about you.
"Hello, mom." Jaune heard Ebony's voice downstairs.
His hearing had been enhanced, he could hear everything in this house.
Ebony's voice was cold.
You can do it. Don't wince at their negativity.
"Ebony!" Jaune's mother gasped. "It's been so long-"
"Yeah, yeah." Ebony cut her mother. Jaune heard her footsteps approach the stairs. "I'm here – We're here for Jaune. He's there, right?"
"...Yes. He's resting upstairs. Have you-"
Ebony didn't wait for her to finish. She climbed the stairs three steps at a time and barged in his bedroom.
She paused for a second to look at Jaune with wide eyes, as he was sat in his bed.
"Sup," Jaune waved.
"Baby broooo!" Ebony launched herself at him.
Jaune endured the charge easily, without wincing.
"Looks like I can't lift you in the air anymore." Jaune sighed as he was hugged tightly.
He put his arm around her and tried his best to calm her down.
Sadness! Worry! Frustration! Grief!
Ugh… Can you stop feeling like that?
Jaune had a long way to go before I can ignore those emotions like Manus did.
All right, all right, let's cheer up, for her sake!
"You…" Ebony pulled back to stare into his eyes with a hurt, frustrated expression. She grabbed his head in her hands. "Why have you come back here?"
"Because-"
"You know you could have come back to me, right? You don't have to be here."
"I know-"
"Did you not think you could count on me?"
"That's not-"
"Why did you run away? Who attacked you?"
"I'm trying to-"
"I was so worried, I thought it was my-"
"Shut up!"
They both jumped in fright at Manus' shout, who'd remained quiet in a corner of the room until now.
"What, you think you can come here and attack Zone like it's nothi-"
Smack!
"Aouch!"
"You shouldn't interrupt these kinds of reunions," Ren said sternly to Manus.
"Thanks, Ren." Jaune nodded.
"You're welcome." Ren nodded as he dragged a pouting Manus out of the room. "You looked like you could use a hand."
Jaune winced as they left the room. "Too soon, Ren."
"H-he's right... I'm sorry for unloading everything on you like that, bro… I'm just glad you're okay." Ebony hugged him again.
"Jaune!"
Weiss, Yang, and Blake finally stepped into the room.
They grinned happily, relieved to have finally found their teammate.
Then their eyes went over his stump, and their expressions darkened.
Sadness! Pity! Anger!
"..." Jaune schooled his expression, trying his best to remain calm.
Ebony stepped aside as Jaune's teammates approached him.
Blake was the first to grab his one hand, squeezing it tightly.
"Jaune! I'm sorry-"
"D-don't even start, kitty cat." Jaune did his best to give her a wide grin as her negative emotions hit him like a truck. "This is not your fault, I was not targeted. Tukson was. Bless his soul…"
"But they still went out of their way to try to kill you!" Blake pointed out. "All because…"
"We're not even sure it was the White Fang." Jaune reminded her. "Right, sis?"
"Well... Yeah." Ebony admitted.
"So there." Jaune continued. "And stop blaming everything the White Fang do on yourself. It's their fault, not yours. Right, guys?" Jaune turned to Yang and Weiss.
"Of course." Weiss nodded calmly.
She was the calmest of the three.
Hm?
Now that he looked at her, she didn't seem to feel as many negative emotions as Blake and Yang.
Huh…? Weird… But Jaune was relieved, that was less negativity to deal with.
"Yeah... But what about you, Jaune?" Yang asked, radiating her worries, grief, and pity onto him. "Are you okay? I'm so sorry for you…"
"Don't feel sorry." Jaune groaned.
It's hurting me.
"Like I told everyone." Jaune cheered. "Losing an arm is a small price to pay compared to dying!"
"You… You madman." Yang shook her head, eyes wide, "You could have died, and you just brush it off?"
"That's right. What, did you think I was weak going to cry on your shoulder? Sorry to say but I'm still the same." Jaune paused. "Though if I was to cry I'd rather you press me against your chest, okay? Ah, a lap pillow would be good as well."
"Y-you! You… You!" Yang repeated, at a loss of words, red going to her cheeks. "Can't you have more respect for our feelings? You nearly died! We were all so worried!"
"…I understand that you all worried for me." He could feel it. "I'm sorry for that. All I'm saying is, there is no need to continue worrying now since I'm fine." Jaune insisted. "I've spent three weeks recovering. I had plenty of time to accept the state I was in."
"But-"
"No, you listen, Yang." Jaune cut her. "This is something I want to be very clear. I was very… uh… I guess you could say I was very 'depressed' until Manus found me. It was pretty bad. And then Ren helped me. Don't think I didn't go through some bad times, okay? I'm not just 'brushing it off'. I've come to terms with it in the time I've spent here, that's all there is to it."
I'm fine. Please stop worrying.
There was a pause as Jaune felt Yang's emotions starting to lower a little, before diversifying into new ones.
Ugh…
"…You say that… But it's not like we can just stop feeling like that…" Yang sighed. "U-um, Jaune... Can I hug you?"
"I told you I'm fine," Jaune replied.
"This isn't for you…" She shifted her position awkwardly. "...It's for me."
"…"
Aww...
They had really built a solid friendship in a few months, hadn't they?
Jaune reached out with his left arm, and Yang hugged him tightly, covering his vision in golden hair.
Her negative emotions started decreasing again.
It seemed physical contact was necessary for Yang to ensure he was truly okay.
It was kinda interesting, observing the effect that a simple hug could have on someone's emotions.
He even felt himself calm down a little in her arms.
Jeez. Manus was going to have trouble understanding that stuff.
"I'm glad." She sniffed when she pulled back and smiled, a little embarrassed.
"Who else wants hugs? Apparently, I'm giving free hugs today." Jaune grinned. "Anyone? Weiss?"
"No, I'm fine." She replied coolly.
As expected of the ice queen.
It seemed like she was really concentrated on finding out something, observing him attentively.
Honestly, it was a bit unsettling, how calm she seemed to be, yet Jaune was glad he didn't have more negativity to deal with.
"Blakey?" Jaune asked with a teasing smile.
"Hm-hmph..." The cat girl turned her head away, flushing.
Jaune teasingly reached out his hand to rub her ears, only for her to slap his hand away in true cat fashion. "A-ah, sorry…" She apologized immediately after.
"So," Ebony spoke up. "I brought back your scroll." She said as she put it on his table. "Now, emotional reunions are good and all… But Jaune, I'd like you to tell us what happened during these three weeks."
"Of course!" Jaune swaggered. "How could I not count the tales of my dramatic spiritual journey~!"
And so Jaune told the same story he told Ren.
Ebony and his team all listened intently as he described how he was attacked and nearly died, making up a story about his arm.
How he fled the massively populated areas.
How his Grimm-sensing ability 'changed'.
How he couldn't reach out to his family because of it.
How Manus found him, and how he went back to Beacon to get Ren to help.
Some of those were truths, others were half-truths, he supposed. But he was still deceiving them.
With each sentence, the burden on his heart grew heavier. Once again, he was not telling everything to his friends.
But he had to continue to smile, he had to be fine, otherwise, he knew their negative emotions would rise again.
It was getting harder and harder just looking at them in the eyes.
I could reveal everything. Right now.
Just get it off my chest. I'm tired.
No… Impossible.
"And so, with the help of Ren and Manus, I've remained here to get used to things." Jaune finished. "I'm sorry. The relay tower stopped working, so scrolls are useless in this place."
Through his tale, their negativity had varied in all kinds of ways. So he had made sure to keep it light.
"So that's what happened…" Blake muttered.
"You went through a lot…"Yang sighed. "Damn… But, you're going to be okay now!"
"Yeah!" Jaune smiled. "And now that you're here, I'll make you all visit!"
"…Are you sure?" Blake hesitated. "Your arm… Don't you need rest?"
"I'm sure!" Jaune nodded. "Come on!"
Jaune stood up and led them through the house.
He presented each of his sisters the best he could, making sure to add a touch of humor every time.
"Here is Violet, if you girls wanna give her some advice about guys, she really needs it…"
"H-hey!"
…
"You met my mother… who is cooking her famous apple cake, I see! Thanks, mom!"
"Well, yes… Tomorrow is your birthday, after all, sweetie."
"…huh?"
"… You didn't forget, did you?"
"Hah! No! Of course not, I'm just playing dumb so you can surprise me! Hahahaha!" Jaune forced a laugh.
"You idiot…" Weiss sighed as she crossed her arms. "You really forgot? Well, I suppose it's understandable."
"No, no! No no no. I was looking forward to it…"
"Don't tire yourself out, honey!" Mom called after him.
…
"Ahem, and here is Azure…"
"Hello…" Azure blushed from behind her giant glasses, waving her hand. "Um, nice to meet you… W-wow… You're all so beautiful…"
"Ahah…! Thanks! You're pretty hot yourself!" Yang grinned and sent her a wink.
"Th-that's not true…" Azure looked down. "I'm nothing special…"
"…Azure is very good at drawing." Jaune said. "Why don't you show them?"
"S-stop it… I'm not very good at drawing either..."
Jaune frowned as he looked at his sister. There was something weird with her, he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Was she really just feeling a bit down?
While his teammates greeted his older sister, Jaune winced at the negativity she emitted again.
Best to not linger around her. Negativity was bad.
I don't want to feel that urge again.
...
What am I talking about?
Disgusting... How am I talking about my sister like that...
…
…What the hell am I doing…?
…
"Viride… Amateur Novelist… I don't think she writes smut, though, Blake, I'm sorry…"
"S-stop!" Blake flushed, smacking his shoulder.
"Maybe I should surprise you," Viride smirked.
"Ooouh~" Jaune whistled. "Do you even have experience, big sis?"
"Of course I do," She flicked her finger into his forehead. "You little virgin."
"Hah… Yeah… About that…" Jaune gave an awkward laugh.
Viride froze, widening her eyes. "No way… You?"
"Ahem... The wonders of alcohol... No comment."
"Disgusting," Weiss commented.
…
Good… Their negativity is decreasing.
I have to keep this up!
…
But... Ugh… I feel sick. So sick.
…
"And here is Cherry… Well… There's nothing special to say about her, really."
She puffed up her cheeks. "Y-you meanie! Why do you always give me the cold shoulder!" Her eyes widened as she looked at Weiss. "Oh my god! You're Weiss Schnee! I'm a big fan!"
"R-really?" Weiss flushed.
"Yes! I'm resonating with your songs so well! They're my inspiration! I-I couldn't have found myself if I didn't listen to your songs… They helped me a lot…" Cherry started blinking rapidly, tears gathering in her eyes.
"Oh, um, thank you so much. That's very flattering to hear." Weiss smiled.
"J-just let me say this! I completely understand your feelings! In this house too, the-"
Smack!
"Don't go revealing private family stuff like that." Jaune lectured.
"Why did you smack me!" Cherry protested, raising her little fists. "Wanna fight?"
"Wanna get your ass kicked?" Jaune replied in a challenging tone. "Because that's how you get your ass kicked!"
…
I feel nauseous. I should stop talking.
…
No, keep talking.
Negativity is decreasing.
Everyone is relieved to see that I'm so lively!
...
"Are you okay, Jaune?" Ren asked, frowning as he observed him.
"Yeah, I'm doing great! Now, if you'll excuse me Ren, I'll continue the visit~"
"…Don't go near Ansel yet." Ren called as he left the house. "It's still too early."
"Jaune…" Weiss hesitated. "Are you sure you're feeling okay? You still look... horribly pale…"
"Of course, of course, I'm doing great! And here is the garden…!" Jaune continued to show his teammates around. "I used to play a lot behind that bush, at the time my sisters didn't know it was my secret hideout. But then Cherry came along and wrecked it all apart…
"Now let's go around the house a little bit, and then I'll show you the hill, there's a nice view up there…"
…
I hate this...!
…
Jaune kept talking...
With Ebony.
Ebony frowned as she watched her brother interact with his teammates while they started heading towards the top of the hill.
He seemed to be talking a bit too much, honestly.
This was strange. How was he able to smile like this after what he went through?
Well, she supposed it was all good.
She was relieved to see that her little brother was doing better already.
She'd been so worried... She felt like she hadn't slept forever.
Whatever he was going to decide, she will fully support it.
"Ebony." A voice called behind her.
She turned around, only to find Manus staring at her.
"Manus...!"She gasped, "Come here, youuu~!"
"Hm?"
Ebony grabbed Manus and gave him a bone-crushing hug.
"Thank youuu! When you promised me you would find Jaune I didn't really believe you, but I still had some hope…!"
"…This is nothing." He groaned in her arms. "It was for Zone."
His arms closed around her too.
And he lifted her in the air.
"Aaaah!" Ebony screamed, blushing in embarrassment. "P-put me down, you brute!"
"Eh? But, Zone did the same a couple months back and you didn't complain?"
"He is family! You are not! Now put me down before I kick your ass!"
Manus blinked. "O-okay…" He put her down, looking sad for a moment.
"Hey, hey, come on now, don't look so down." Ebony grinned, putting her arm around his neck. "I'm a sergeant, I can't be treated like a cute little girl, you understand? You're the younger one, so you have to be the cute one. Okay?"
"Is that how it works?" Manus tilted his head to the side. "But I thought Azure was the cutest…"
"Oh? Ooooh?" Ebony grinned widely and leaned forward, excited. "I see, so you're having views on my dear little sister, huh?"
"Views? Of course, I'm having views… I see her quite often in this house."
"I see, I see…" Ebony blushed and nodded along wisely.
"What's this, I hear?" Violet showed up. "Who's having views on Azure?"
"This guy." Ebony grinned, her arm still around Manus' shoulders.
"Oh?" Violet raised her eyebrows, before looking at Manus. "You? But, weren't you gay for Jaune?"
"What?!" Ebony gaped.
"Gay for Zone? Yes, I'm rather gay for Zone."
"What?!" Ebony repeated.
Smack!
"Aouch."
"It doesn't mean what you think it means." Ren sighed at Manus, before turning to Ebony and Violet. "He means he's happy for Jaune."
"That he reunited with his friends and family." Manus specified, tilting his head to the side in confusion.
"O-oh…" Ebony blinked.
"But, the way he described it last time…" Violet hesitated, unsure.
"No, Manus is just no good at talking, so he causes misunderstandings quite often," Ren explained.
"That's not true." Manus protested. "I can talk better than most people. I have a lot of vocabulary."
"Is that so?" Violet grinned, wriggling her eyebrows. "Then why don't you use these talking skills to hit on Azure, huh?"
Ren shook his head. "That's not a good ide-"
"I tried," Manus declared, making Ren gasp in surprise. "It didn't go well. She won't talk to me anymore."
"Eeeee…" Violet squealed, blushing bright red. "Y-you tried? Th-this is awesome… "
Smack!
"A-aouch, that hurts, big sis…"
"Don't go ruin this innocent romance." Ebony lectured.
With a blush on her face.
"Aha! You're blushing too!" Violet smirked, pointing a victorious finger.
"Am not." Ebony flushed, before turning to Manus to flee the conversation. "A-anyway… Manus. You're quite the smooth gentleman, huh? Why have you taken an interest in her, hmm? Is it because she draws so perfectly?"
"No… It's because she feels very bad but still puts up a tough front."
"Huh? What?" Ebony blinked.
"She's unhappy. Yet she smiles in a very convincing manner." Manus explained. "That's something I could learn from. And there's really something weird with her, ever since I've been here, I'm trying to find out."
"She's… unhappy?" Ebony repeated.
"Y-yeah…" Violet sighed. "But, um, maybe she'll cheer up if a boy comes after her… Right?"
"Screw that!" Ebony groaned. "Fuck. I can already guess what it is."
"E-ebony…" Violet hesitated. "Don't start-"
"Where is she right now?" Ebony questioned with a snappy tone.
"Probably in her room upstairs," Violet said and reached her hand towards her. "But, wait... You shouldn't-"
"Don't even try to stop me," Ebony warned, sending her a glare before she took a deep breath. "All right." Ebony nodded to herself and went to the stairs.
Someone blocked her path.
It was Mom.
Her mother was blocking her path.
"Ebony. Don't." She demanded.
"Haaaa…?" Ebony groaned like a delinquent. "And why not?"
"She's already confused enough." Her mother declared softly. "It's best not to disturb her too much."
Ebony gritted her teeth, a spark of anger igniting within her.
"Ooooh. I see..." Ebony drawled through her teeth. "I see how it is now…! Wouldn't want the deviant to spread her insane ideas, huh?"
"...If you say it like that... That's right." Her mother's eyes narrowed. "Not everyone is like you. Look what happened to Jaune. All because you pushed him on that path. Don't you have enough? Don't do the same to Azure."
"Wha-? You… How dare... How dare you say that…!"
"Young lady, you're in my house." Her mother raised her voice challengingly. "If you're not happy with how things are, you can go always back to Vale."
"Y-you... but... you... you...!"
At that moment…
Ebony exploded.
With Ren.
"Holy crap..." Ren winced as Ebony and her mother raised their voices at each other.
"They're already at it?" Viride commented, clearly used to it.
"Didn't take long." Cherry nodded along.
"Ahaha…" Violet laughed awkwardly, covering her ears. "S-soo… You two handsomes come around here often?"
"I'm usually more on the city's side," Manus answered as if nothing wrong was happening.
"You cannot be serious right now." Ren sweat-dropped as Ebony and her mother continued to shout at each other in the staircase.
"Eh. We're used to it." Viride shrugged, barely embarrassed. "Although, I'll admit this is starting to look bad."
"Zone's eldest sister against Zone's mother. I wonder who will win." Manus commented, watching the fight with interest.
"Manus!" Ren frowned. "Don't listen to their fight, that's inappropriate!"
"It's fine," Manus said.
"It's not fine!"
"It's fine." Cherry shrugged.
"It is not fine...!"
Thank god Jaune's team isn't here to hear this.
Jeez... I want to go back to Nora...
With Ebony, Later.
Ebony was panting, tired of arguing.
She took a deep breath to calm herself down. Filling her heart with resolve.
She gathered all her courage, and...
"Mom."
"..."
"Out. Of my. Way." Ebony articulated slowly.
"I won't move." Her mother replied stubbornly.
Ebony took another deep breath.
She stepped forward and raised her arm.
"N-no…!" Her mother gasped as she tried to evade her grasp.
Ebony grabbed her arm and forced her out of the way.
Her mother released a cry as she fell down the stairs. Ebony's heart clenched itself.
"M-mom!" Cherry, Violet, and Viride gasped and dashed to their mother, worried.
Ebony started climbing the stairs.
"E-ebony! Don't!"
Ebony stopped for a moment to look down at her mother.
"You don't know..." Her mother muttered. "It's for her own good!"
Looking at her, a shadow of regret and sadness appeared on Ebony's face.
You have to do this. Ebony told herself.
She looked away.
And climbed upstairs. Leaving her family behind.
She sighed in relief as she arrived upstairs.
Ebony hated fighting with her family.
"I-I'm sorry... Mom... I'm an awful daughter..." She whispered to herself as she approached Azure's bedroom door.
"Azure…! Are you there?" Ebony called as she knocked against her door.
No answer.
"I'm coming in, okay?"
She opened the door and stepped in.
The room was dark.
Azure was in her bed, hidden under the sheets, her face stuffed in a pillow.
"Azure? " Ebony closed the door behind her, restoring the darkness. She could barely see.
She approached the bed and knelt beside it.
"Sis…"
Azure looked up from her pillow.
"Sniff… Don't fight because of me…"
"I didn't fight because of you," Ebony said softly. "I fought for you."
"Y-you shouldn't… I'm not worth it."
Ebony closed her eyes, remembering a familiar scene.
…
"D-don't fight because of me…" Jaune whimpered. "I'm fine, big sis. Mom and dad are right."
"Little bro… We didn't fight because of you."
"You did. I heard everything."
"...Jaune... Listen. I'm here to tell you something."
"…"
"…"
"…"
"You can become a Huntsman."
Jaune looked up to her.
And hope returned to his eyes.
…
Ebony smiled softly at the memory.
So, Azure too…
"Azure… Tell me. What is it you want to do?"
"…"
"You don't want to stay here." Ebony stated. "Do you?"
"...N-no..."
"Uhuh? What do you want to do?"
"...Draw the world… I... I wanted to travel everywhere and draw and paint and… everything… I want to reproduce the beauty I see…!"
"That's wonderful, sis…" Ebony praised, knowing it took a lot for her to come out and say it.
"But I have no qualification… The only Art schools are in Mistral. I couldn't leave by myself. I'm not good enough… I'm not strong like you and Jaune…"
"Yes, you are..." Ebony started, only to be cut off.
"N-no! I knew that Jaune would leave. I knew... At the time, it... it inspired me, you know.
"S-so... I left, too."
Ebony widened her eyes. "...You left? You left the village?"
"Y-yes... I left. A few months ago."
"..."
"..."
Ebony was astonished. Then, what happened?
"But, I'm not... I'm not as strong as you or Jaune. After some time, I started growing more and more anxious, and I ended up coming back home...
"It demoralized me... But Mom and dad… They were relieved. They said it was not safe… that I shouldn't think about such silly dreams. And that I couldn't do it anyway… because I grew up depending on them. They said I was crazy...
"A-and… they are… right. They're right.
"I guess... I guess I was crazy."
"Oh, Azure…" Ebony sighed, feeling her sister's sadness in her core. "You're not crazy..."
Mom's words resonated in Ebony's head.
Look what happened to Jaune. All because you pushed him down that path.
Her heart clenched itself.
Don't you have enough? Don't do the same to Azure.
It's for her own good!
True...
It was incredibly risky to let Azure leave alone to travel through the world. Numerous bandits, Grimm, slavers, cultists, or terrorists roamed the world.
As a cop, Ebony knew it was a cruel world to send the sweet, innocent Azure in.
But...
Ebony clenched her fists.
Azure couldn't stay in Ansel all her life, either!
I get that Jaune had other troubles right now... and Cherry is younger.
But, Violet, Viride… Why didn't you do anything?
Why am I always the only one willing to go against our parents...?
Ebony leaned forward, giving her sister the best grin she could manage.
"Baby Sis. Let me tell you something."
"…"
"…"
"…"
"You can realize that dream."
Azure looked up to her.
And hope returned to her eyes...
With Jaune.
"Zone! I'm gonna leave now!"
"What?" Jaune dropped his smile for a moment, turning to Manus who had caught up with them. "Already?"
"Yeah. I should be back tonight. By the way, I can't stand your sight right now. It's really pitiful. Bye!"
With that, he deployed his wings and flew away.
…He's right.
"What the…!" Yang gasped. "That jerk!"
"What a prick." Blake groaned.
"That's new," Weiss commented, humming. "Wings…"
"Pretty cool, huh? And I'm sure he didn't mean it, don't worry!" Jaune assured with a wide smile.
…
I hate this.
…
Jaune continued to talk and talk and talk as they climbed the hill.
"I used to play here…
"Ah, Azure drew a picture of that place… It's really pretty! You should see it, it's hanged in the living room I think. Azure has always been good at drawing stuff."
...
I hate this. I hate this. I hate this.
...
"And this is our old tree-house, that we all built for Cherry, until the ungrateful brat abandoned it, saying it was too immature for her…
"Oh! And this is-…"
Jaune didn't know why, but he had to continue to talk.
Words came out of his mouth endlessly.
It was like it was running on its own, on autopilot.
What was happening to him? Jaune had no idea. It was like he was afraid of hearing his teammates speak up.
He could sense their negative emotions. He dreaded them. With negative emotions, came the desire to kill.
These negative emotions could rise at any moment… He didn't want to feel that killing urge. He hated it.
So Jaune kept talking and talking. He had to make them understand he was fine.
And so he talked about his family, he talked about some childhood anecdotes, he talked about the village's history, about his family's history…
He kept talking.
"…Ah, and we've finally arrived at the top of the hill! Look, isn't this a nice view of Ansel? It's pretty nice isn't it?"
"Yeah…. Let's stop here for a minute, Jaune." Yang offered.
"Let's sit down for a bit." Blake nodded.
She and Weiss each grabbed one of his shoulders and forced him to sit down.
Jaune's heart clenched as they sat with him on the grass, facing Ansel, the sun slowly going down the horizon.
"Um, are you okay with sitting in the grass, Weiss?"
"I'm fine," She smiled at him, "Don't worry about that, Jaune."
"Okay..."
… No good. Jaune ran out of things to say.
Blake was looking at him with big eyes, like a cat who was too timid to bother its friend. Each time he looked her way, she looked away in another direction.
Yang had a sympathetic smile on her face. Yet it was still a pained expression.
Their negative emotions were still quite high. It was not good.
On the other hand, Weiss was merely observing him. Trying to decipher something within him. It made him feel a bit uncomfortable.
"….Jaune. You're going to be okay," Yang said eventually. "You know that, right?"
"Yeah, of course, I know! Hah! Who do you think I am? Yang, I'll let you know, just because I lost my arm doesn't mean I'm powerless, I am still a perverted guy, you know? As a pervert, there's a lot I can do with one hand~"
Yang nodded slowly and understandingly.
Huh? Why aren't you acting angry and punching my shoulder? Why aren't we fighting like we used to? Come on, Yang…
"Things are looking up, you went through the worst." She spoke up with a kind voice. "You'll just have to take a year off for re-education and you'll be back."
Jaune's heart skipped a beat.
… Huh? …Just now, what did she say?
A… year… off?
No, that can't be right… he must have heard wrong.
"What?" Jaune groaned.
"Ironwood told us that re-education would take that long," Yang explained.
Her tone was soothing.
It was starting to irritate him for some reason.
"It's fine, Jaune." Blake nodded along with her partner. "You take your rest, have some time to recover."
"What?" Jaune repeated again, not liking where this conversation was going one bit. "No, no, no, I've already recovered. Didn't you hear me? I'm strong enough to climb this hill, much stronger, in fact!"
It was true.
Physically, Jaune had completely recovered. He was stronger than he had ever been before.
Even if he was missing an arm, there was no way the re-education program took a whole year.
Jaune had confidence that whatever prosthetic arm he was going to get, he would get the hang of it quickly.
"But if you take a prosthesis, you'll need time to adapt." Yang pointed out. Why was her voice so irritating to his ears all of a sudden? "In the case of robotics, I heard it's even harder. You'll definitely need at least six months off, best case scenario."
"...No!" Jaune exclaimed. "I'm coming back to Beacon with you! In a few days!"
"…Jaune." Yang paused at Jaune with sympathy.
"You can't be serious…" Blake shook her head. "Jaune, please, be reasonable… This isn't easy for us, either."
"Oh, I see." Jaune drawled with a self-mocking smile. "So you tell me everything is gonna be okay, and the second after, you tell me I have to wait six months." Jaune chuckled.
"But, Jaune, there's no other way!" Yang explained. "They won't allow you back just like that! You have to take a break… For your own good."
"I'll convince them! Or I'll continue by myself!" Jaune replied heatedly. "But I'm going back to Vale at least!"
"Jaune…"
"Guys! I'm serious here!" Jaune insisted as their negative emotions were spiking.
Pity. Sadness. Grief.
Ugh...No…
"I can't wait a whole semester. Weiss!" He turned to his partner, who had remained quiet this whole time. "You get it, right?"
"I suppose." She simply said. "I understand it's important to you."
His partner was merely observing the situation, not really taking sides.
Her eyes were fixed on Jaune's, as if trying to size him up.
"Oh come on Weiss." Yang rolled her eyes. "Jaune is only human. He can't just roll back into action like it's nothing!"
"Oh, you bet your ass I'm gonna roll back into action!" Jaune's eyes flashed red. "I'm gonna roll in action so much you'll end up with a few bruises! Wanna fight? I can beat you up right now to prove you wrong!"
"Jaune, calm down!" Blake panicked. "She's right, you cannot just go back to Beacon as if nothing happened. I know it's tough, but you have to recognize your condition right now."
Grr…
"I'm not fighting with an infirm!" Yang refused. "Jaune, please…"
"I am NOT an infirm!" Jaune snapped.
And instantly regretted it.
No...! This is exactly what I don't want to happen! I have to remain in control.
Jaune took a deep breath.
He had to calm down. Think about Ren's teachings.
"...I'm strong enough to do this..." He tried his best to lower his voice and gave a smile. "L-Let me… Let me prove it to you, okay?"
"…Jaune…" Yang sighed, her expression sympathetic. "…Maybe it's best if you think about it for a while… without anyone to bother you…"
Blake nodded. "We understand. You can think about it on your own time, by yourself."
What? No…
The two of them stood up while Weiss remained sat down.
"You go ahead," Weiss said. "I'll catch up to you."
"Whatever you say…" Yang sighed.
"Jaune… Stay strong." Blake said.
"…Tch." Jaune couldn't help himself but huff angrily.
He gritted his teeth and took a deep breath, trying his best to remain calm.
Stay strong, she says…
Jaune forced himself to relax and sighed as he watched Yang and Blake walk away.
Now it was only Jaune and Weiss.
"…"
"…"
The silence stretched.
"You're gonna give me a speech too?" Jaune asked eventually. "You might as well save your time." Jaune stretched the muscles of his one arm. "See those? I'm strong, I'm fine. There is no need to worry, I'll be able to go back to Beacon. Okay?"
"I'm not staying because of that," Weiss replied calmly.
"Ah? What are you staying for then?"
"To spend time with my precious partner, of course."
…Just like that, his frustration was wiped away, and Jaune's cheeks flushed.
Come to think of it, now that Yang and Blake were gone, he could really notice that Weiss' negative emotions were much lower than theirs.
It was comforting, being able to look at her without that killing urge on the back of his mind. A liberation.
"Weiss…"
"Yes, Jaune?"
"I… I'm sorry. Even though you told me to rest during the holidays, I end up like this."
No spike in negativity.
Nothing.
"It was not in your control," Weiss replied softly, patting his arm. "If you think you owe me an apology, Jaune, then you are forgiven."
She smiled at him and grabbed his one hand into hers, making his heart skip a beat.
"Jaune." She looked into his eyes. "Just, please, answer this for me, okay? What happens now that you've lost your arm?"
Uncertainty. Worry.
"…"
What happens now?
Jaune held her gaze. "I'll do everything I can to become a Huntsman, of course. To go back to Beacon with you all. As soon as possible."
"…"
Weiss observed him, her uncertainty slowly fading.
"I mean…" Jaune shifted awkwardly. "If… If you'll have me?"
"Hmph. I suppose you'll do." She sighed with a half-smile.
"…You seem so calm..."
"I am used to have the people close to me butchered by terrorists." Weiss declared. "I understand how you feel, Jaune. I know what matters to you."
"O-oh..."
"..."
"…"
Silence fell over them once again.
"…"
This was getting awkward…
Jaune glanced at his partner sat beside him.
Weiss had her eyes closed, the wind blowing through her lustrous hair as her perfect skin was shining under the sun's light.
She had an apprehensive expression on her face.
Like she was about to make some important decision.
Or like she was gathering her courage.
Something like that.
Yet despite that little frown, she managed to remain elegant and graceful.
…
Jaune grew nervous as the silence continued to stretch between them.
Eventually, Weiss sighed.
It was a heavy sigh. He recognized that sigh.
That sigh was an 'I guess it can't be helped' kind of sigh.
"Just… this once." He heard her mutter under her breath.
"...?"
She raised her hand towards his face, reaching his neck.
Jaune froze, not sure what was happening.
Weiss gently pulled his head down to lay it on her lap.
"E-eh…?"
"A-ah…" Weiss blushed, embarrassed. "A-adjust your position! Your hair, it tickles."
"Oh? What is this, dear partner?" He turned his head to look at her, "You're letting me rest my head on your lap?"
"…Don't say it aloud." She flushed and poked his cheek to turn his head away. "And keep looking away. D-don't look at me."
"O-okay... This sure is adorable of you… Hahaha…" Jaune laughed nervously. "If it continues like this, I'm gonna end up falling in love with you, you know. So, careful..."
"…"
Weiss remained silent. He couldn't see her expression, if she was smiling or blushing or not.
"Why..." Jaune spoke up, "Why would you lend your lap to a pervert like me?"
"You're not a pervert, Jaune..." Weiss chucked faintly. "I know you just do it all to tease Yang."
"S-still. Why?" Jaune asked. "...There is no need, you know." Jaune continued, his eyes looking at the sun lowering down, coloring the sky and clouds with warm reds and oranges. "I'm fine, I don't need any comfort or anything like that. Wh-what kind of weakling do you think I am?"
Weiss sighed softly. "You don't need to put up that 'tough guy' front right now."
Jaune's eye twitched. "Wh-what?"
"I told you months ago." She ran her hand into his hair, her voice trying to soothe his mind. "I will be the best partner I can be."
Jaune narrowed his eyes for a second, before closing them, enjoying the feeling of her hand patting his head and running through his hair. "Y-you don't have to lend your lap for that…"
"It's a special occasion."
"Special… No, no, that's not true." Jaune protested. His voice was slightly shaking. He gulped, trying to remain calm. "I've had three weeks to recover already… There's no need."
"You can't deceive my eyes, Jaune. You're overwhelmed."
She sighed.
"You won't tell me what's really going on... Will you?"
She paused.
Jaune didn't answer.
At this point, he was afraid of opening his mouth.
"Perhaps this won't make things better for you…" Weiss muttered softly. "But… I just want to do something for you."
"Ah-ahaha…" A shaky chuckle came out of his mouth. "C-come on, Weiss… Y-you don't... you don't have to."
"…"
"…"
Her hand continued to run through his hair, repeating the same gentle movement.
"Are you tired?" Weiss asked sweetly.
"N-no… I'm totally fine. Fully... F-fully rested."
Why… was she like this?
"..."
"..."
"...Are you troubled?"
"N-no, I'm not troubled… Yo-you're too nice to me, today… This isn't like you…" Jaune's voice was trembling. "When… You… I mean…"
Jaune's voice lost itself.
He could no longer speak.
"..."
He felt Weiss lean over his head, and whisper in his ear.
…
"It's been tough… Hasn't it?"
…
Something broke in Jaune's mind.
His world shattered.
Hidden emotions and memories surged up from the depth of his soul.
…
…
…
Something wet rolled down Jaune's cheek.
"…It… it was rough…
It… was painful."
Jaune's voice was trembling.
"I was so scared… so sad.
It hurt so much…
I didn't recognize myself…"
Jaune was sniveling. Full of fears and insecurities.
"Hm… Hm…" Weiss nodded softly, her hand still patting his hair patiently.
"I tried… I tried so hard…"
Jaune rolled his head over and over, shifting his position in her lap as tears rolled down his eyes and wet her lap.
"I was so scared to lose myself...! I was so desperate!
I-it's the truth! I never… I never felt so worthless in my entire life!
Even though I tried my best… I tried my best…!"
"Uh-huh… I know." Weiss whispered soothingly.
Jaune sobbed.
"C-cause I love Beacon, you know! I really want to become a Huntsman.
It's so... so important to me…
I was so desperate to get back to it…"
Jaune's voice was rising as he cried, covering his eyes.
Weiss's hand continued the same soothing motion.
"But I was scared of going back… even looking at my family... or my friends… Anyone…!
And the way I felt towards them…!
I hated myself so much! For feeling that way! So much!
So muuuuch!"
Jaune broke down and started crying uncontrollably.
He continued crying like this for a while, quivering in Weiss' lap while she continued to pat his head reassuringly.
The whole time, Weiss' negative emotions never increased.
If anything, they decreased even lower, and she sighed in relief.
Jaune didn't know how much time passed like this.
Eventually, everything turned black.
...
That day, Jaune was able to sleep like a baby,
Without going to that apocalyptic space, or meeting Salem, or having a nightmare,
Jaune's mind was finally at peace and resting,
And his full recovery was completed.
With Ebony, Later.
"Come on, dress up." Ebony smiled. "I'm gonna take you on a ride on Hurricane tonight."
"U-uh?"
They had lit up the lights of her room and talked for some time now, about how to realize Azure's dream, and about what she had been feeling.
Ebony had noticed something very strange with her sister.
She was... such a pessimist. It was so unlike her...
It was like she started viewing everything in a negative light.
She also had no confidence in herself whatsoever.
Ebony knew that she was lacking confidence in the past, but this was on a whole other level.
She'd completely changed. She'd always been shy, but she'd been more cheery as a child.
Yet Ebony could see her heart had grown resigned to stay in Ansel forever, warped by their parents' influence.
But, even more than that, there was something else... further...
In her eyes... Her blue eyes. Deep, hidden.
Yes... Where had she seen this before?
Ebony tried her best to dig through her memories, but she couldn't remember.
Well, it didn't matter.
"Come on, sis!"
Ebony leaned forward, grabbing her hand and pulling her up.
"Put on something," Ebony said. "You'll need to be covered up."
"B-but, um..." Azure hesitated. "O-okay..."
"What?" Ebony grinned and grabbed her shirt. "Need a hand with that?"
She pulled it up.
"Eeeek! S-stooop!"
"Come on, we're sisters, so something like that, it's... no... thing...?" Ebony's voice faded as she noticed something on her bare back. "What... Azure...! What is this?!"
Her heart clenched itself.
"Wh-what? I-is there something on my back?" Azure asked, getting worried as she tried to see her own back.
"..." Ebony could only stare at her back in mute horror.
On Azure's creamy skin, were slimy black veins, sneaking through the entirety of her back, pulsing in a slow, creepy rhythm, like a heartbeat. The whole thing was welded into her skin.
It was some kind of... parasite, sucking on her flesh.
A Grimm parasite.
"...Oh my god..." Ebony finally whispered, horrified.
A/N: Dun dun duuuun.
I've decided to remove the 'humor' tag. This is really not what people are looking for in comedy. Hahaha.
Edit: Going on indefinite Hiatus with this fic, I'm gonna focus on Fracture for a little while.