Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The night air was cold, the shattered moon reflecting the state of the world below. The city of Vale had grown quiet as the usual bustle from the day died down, and the streets turned dark. The majority of people that still roamed the streets were homeless or undesirables looking to collect the next easy paycheck. Any business brave enough to stay open late always did so under the looming threat of being robbed. The grey and black buildings that made up the city were still, only occasional light in a window showing any signs of the life that resided within.

Slowly emerging from one of the many cramped and eroding alleyways was a group of men in black suits, black pants, and red tinted glasses. Each had in his possession either a single edged sword, or an automatic rifle, ready to be used if, but more likely when, things got messy.

 "Well boys, who's ready to make some money?"

 The black suited men all turned towards the source of the question. The speaker was none other than the devious, cunning, and highly wanted criminal Roman Torchwick. He wore a white suit vest with a red collar, a small grey scarf around his neck. His pants were black, accompanied by black shoes and gloves. His trademark item, however, was the black and red banded bowler hat that sat atop his bright orange hair. 

 "Yup, we're ready. Just say when," replied one of the thugs, switching off his rifle’s safety.

"Excellent! Let's get this show on the road people!" Torchwick sneered, spinning a grey and black cane around in his fingers. Smoke floated up from a cigar in his mouth, lighting up his features. His dark green eyes were framed by thick lashes, though his right eye was completely hidden by long bangs swept to the side of his face.
 Torchwick and his lackeys ambled out of the alley and down the street towards a shop that still had its lights on. Nearby civilians steered away from the gang, unwilling to be pulled into any conflict that arose. 

Torchwick smiled to himself as he moved, drinking in the fear and intimidation people expressed as he passed.

 Ahh...I love it when I'm about to pull off an easy job. Tonight should go off without a hitch, and we can all go home happy! Well, except for this poor fellow we'll be borrowing from. Torchwick thought with a smirk as they closed in on the shop. He glanced up and read the name "Nova Dust and Crystals" written in lights atop grey brick. A glass window on either side of the door showcased some of the wares that could be found inside.

 The group crowded into the store, some of them striding right up to the counter. A middle aged man stood behind a glass display casing a vast assortment of colorful crystals. There were various tubes on the sides of the store that housed different types of Dust, and small shelves in the center of the floor holding individually packaged goods.
 One of the henchmen raised his sword, its tip resting against the base of the shopkeeper’s neck. The ageing man raised his hands in the air, a look of pure terror painted across his features.

 "Alright then..." Torchwick began, slowly pacing back and forth in front of the counter with his head down, "Here's how this is going to work: you're going to stand there and wait while my men siphon every bit of Dust out of this sleazy, rundown shop, and you aren’t going to say a word about it...or my friend’s sword might slip. Understood?" Torchwick raised his head to meet the shopkeeper's eyes, smirking at the old geezer’s fear.
 "Y-yes, sir!" the man squeaked, sweat trickling down his face.

 "Excellent! It’s nice to meet someone so understanding." Torchwick sneered. He turned to face his grunts, "Grab the Dust. As quickly as possible, if you don't mind, I’ve got other business to attend to tonight."  The men in black each gave a nod and pulled out a small, black cylinder from their jackets. They connected them to the tubes filled with Dust and extracted every ounce capable, leaving the dispensaries dry and bare. 
 While they did that, Torchwick placed a grey briefcase onto the glass counter housing Dust crystals. He opened it and pointed to the items before him.
 "Put them in. Every last one." Torchwick demanded. 

The shopkeeper whimpered helplessly as he was forced to relinquish all of his goods into the care of the thief, his hard work slipping away.
 Little by little, the once prospering Dust shop was emptied, devoid of all its valuables. 
 "Pleasure doing business with you, sir." Torchwick grinned, giving a mock bow as he and his underlings exited the building. The man stared helplessly after them as they filed out, despair flooding through him as he surveyed his empty shelves. "Now, boys, if you could start making your way to the Bullheads, that would be lovely. I have the feeling it’s going to get a little lively around here soon." 

 No sooner had he said the words than Torchwick's hat was knocked from his head by an unknown force. 

 There were shouts of "What the heck!?" "What was that!?" and "Where'd it come from!?" from black suited goons, who all looked around like mad men.

"Get a hold of yourself!" Torchwick barked, grabbing the attention of his inferiors. "You four, get to the aircraft! The rest of you, with me! Looks like we've got an idiot that wants to play hero." He bent over to pick his hat off the ground. He was surprised (and angered) to discover that there was an object lodged comfortably in his hat, right below the red band. 

It was an arrow.

"Oh for the love of-" 

"Sir! Up there!" 

Torchwick followed his henchman’s direction, looking towards the other side of the street. Perched on the roof of a building, framed by the moon, was the figure of a person in a white hooded cape. From this distance Torchwick couldn’t make out any other colors, but he knew that the inside of the newcomer’s cape was crimson, and that the hood concealed their identity. Little else of their attire was visible, but he knew that the boots were white with metal bands circling the top and heel of the shoe. Black, fingerless bracers covered their arms, reaching almost their elbow. A bow rested in their right hand, eagerly waiting to be loaded from the quiver on their back that housed all of the apparition’s arrows. 

"Oh, it's you!" Torchwick called out, carefully dislodging the arrow from his bowler hat. "Nice shot. A hair lower and you would've had me!" 

The hooded figure remained silent, cape rippling the soft night breeze.

"Well? Why the pause, you idiots?" Torchwick grumbled, pointing at the assailant. "Get him!!" 

The remaining men aimed and unloaded a barrage of bullets in hopes of killing the archer quickly. As soon as the speeding metal balls came close to contact however, the person vanished, seemingly evaporating into thin air.

"What the- who is this guy?!" exclaimed one of the goons, anxiety creeping into his voice. He spotted the figure again, now on the ground, as they sprinted towards him at an incredible speed. the bow had disappeared, replaced by two single edged blades held in a reverse grip. 

"Oh sh-" The thug began, firing his gun once more in hopes of hitting his enemy. 

It was no use, however, the attacker deflecting the bullets with his blades. Slipping around behind him, the suited thug was knocked upside the head with the blunt edge of a sword, knocking him unconscious. Another thug drew his own blade and rushed the attacker. The individual sidestepped the charge easily and executed a quick combo with the flat ends of their swords, finishing the move with a forceful kick to the chest. There was an audible *crack* as some of the ribs broke. 

The last two thugs glanced at each other and rushed in, alternating their attacks between gun and sword. The hooded figure used his blinding speed to close the distance between them, blocking and dodging any blows the grunts threw at him.The gunman’s feet were knocked out from under him as the caped attacker dropped under his fire. The hilt of one of the blades connected with the rifleman’s torso, knocking the air from his lungs before he even hit the ground. The last goon stood, dumbfounded and terrified, glancing frantically to see his associates lying on the cold pavement in varying degrees of consciousness. The hooded fighter raised their head,and the man got a clear look at their face. 

The young man’s eyes were a deep green, full of focus and murderous intent, making his opponent's blood run cold. His stare didn’t waver, his mouth a straight, hard line that revealed no emotion.

"Screw this! I'm outta here!" 

The last goon turned tail and ran as fast as his body would allow. He was a good hundred feet away before he felt a great pain in his back and was knocked forward. The man he was running from had shot an arrow tipped with explosive Dust, hitting him squarely between the shoulder blades. The thug groaned, his vision going dark, and the archer turned his attention to Torchwick, pulling another arrow from his quiver and nocking it to his bow.

"Bravo! Bravo, I must say!" Torchwick cheered, mockingly clapping his hands in false respect. "I can see why you were her favorite to work with. You have such skill! It's really too bad you decided to leave, we could use someone of your talents!" 

The archer raised his bow and took aim.

Torchwick raised his hands in surrender, reluctantly admitting that he was at a disadvantage. "Now, now. Settle down! No reason to get excited." He could hear the unmistakable sound of approaching engines and smirked.

"Well, as much as I love chatting with you..." 

An airship came roaring over the rooftops, a rope ladder unravelling to meet the thief. " ...I'm afraid I must take my leave."

The airship turned, hoping to make a speedy getaway. The hooded archer loosed his arrow, the shaft flying on a collision course with Torchwick’s head. However before it hit its mark Torchwick flicked his cane, and the arrow fell back towards the earth. 

The cloaked man remained still as the airship flew further and further into the the night until he sensed an unfamiliar presence behind him. He spun around, his bow dismantled into twin blades in a flash and ready for use. But it didn’t take long to recognize who had come up behind him, and he soon let the weapons drop.

A man in a dark suit jacket over a buttoned vest and green undershirt stood nearby. He had white gloves on his hands, black trouser shoes, and a green scarf with a cross shaped pin attached around his neck. His pants matched his jacket. His skin was pale, brown eyes glinting from behind shaded glasses and tousled grey hair. A straight, cane like object sat comfortably his right hand.

"That was quite the feat, young man. Your skills are incredible. Especially at your age." the man said, taking small steps toward the other archer. "May we speak in private? I have a proposition for you." he continued pleasantly. 

The hooded man gave a slight nod, stashing his blades in his quiver. 

"Very well. follow me." 

After only a few minutes of walking they arrived in a small room to the back of one of the many buildings that lined the street. Inside sat a small rectangular table with a chair on either side of it.

"Feel free to take a seat." Said the man in the suit, lowering himself into one of the chairs. 

The hooded man hesitated before copying him. 

"My name is Professor Ozpin." he began, "I am the headmaster of Beacon Academy, where we train young men and women to fight the evils of this world. Upon graduation they become known as Huntsman and Huntresses. Have you heard of it?" 

The hooded individual raised his head to meet Ozpin’s eyes and nodded. 

Ozpin looked into the archer’s green gaze and rested his chin on his hands. "May I ask your name?" 

The cloaked archer gave a small nod and finally pushed back his hood. His spiky hair was snowy-white, and his bangs nearly touched the tip of his nose. He looked young. Far too young to be fighting vagabonds and ruffians on the streets.

For the first time that night he opened his mouth to speak.

"My name is Azure Knyte."  

"Well, Azure, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I have some questions for you, if you don’t mind." Ozpin smiled reassuringly. 
Azure resumed his silence, waiting for the headmaster to speak. "Where did you learn to fight like that?"

"I was taught."

 "By who?" the professor pressed.

 "Myself, mostly."

 "Alright, then." Ozpin hummed, picking up on the fact that Azure wasn't comfortable disclosing the information "I was merely curious. I haven’t seen someone fight in that style for a long time. My next question is this: do you wish to be a Huntsman?"

 The white haired boy shifted his cape, revealing a white tunic and warm grey pants that had been hiding underneath his long cloak. 
 "I’ve been considering it for a while now."

 "I see. My final query for you is this: Why do you want to be a Huntsman? Is it to slay monsters? Gain fame?" asked Ozpin, regarding the boy with intense interest.

 Azure closed his eyes as he pondered the question, reopening when he was ready to give his answer.
 "I’m not sure," he began, "This was never on my mind until recently, but..." Azure paused, pulling out a silver necklace with a small sapphire hanging from the chain, eyeing it. "I've got a promise to keep," he answered, tucking the stone back under his tunic, "and I intend to make good on it." 

 After a moment's thought, Ozpin nodded. "I see. Well, Azure, congratulations. I’ve decided to add you as a potential candidate for this upcoming year." He extended a hand. Azure took it and gave it a quick shake, surprise and confusion written across his face.

 Ozpin smiled at the expression. "Beacon’s main bulk of the student body takes students that have gone and graduated to preparatory combat schools,” he explained, “But we have the rare occasion where due to personal circumstances of the applicant, they didn’t have the opportunity to attend one. That does not negate their experiences though. Hence why we have a practical entrance exam to determine one’s qualifications for ourselves. " 

"...Not to sound ungrateful, but that's it?" Azure asked blankly. “Pass a test, and I can be a student?"

"Indeed."

"I feel like I should do more… "

Ozpin raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what would you call what I just witnessed? Beating all of those trained men without aid? Not just anyone can do that, Azure. You didn't just wake up with those skills one morning, now did you?" 

Azure mulled over the headmaster's words as he continued. 

"Understand this: Beacon Academy strives to include students from all walks of life. While you may not be willing to divulge your past to me, it would be a shame to let your gifts go to waste. I only wish to extend an invitation to what might be a bright future for you."

 Azure paused, weighing his next decision. "...Alright then. I accept your invitation. Thank you, sir."  He expressed, bowing his head appreciatively.

 "Not a problem. The air transports for the new semester leave tomorrow at ten o'clock, so don't be late. From there you’ll be taken to the academy for the practical entrance exam, hence why the lack of transcripts won’t be an issue." 

Azure nodded. 

"Right then! Have a good night, and may your exam go well. Here’s hoping to see you more around campus." 

The professor left the small room with a smile, closing the door behind him and leaving Azure alone. Untucking the necklace he wore from his shirt and holding it in one of his palms, he watched as the light danced off the polished surface of the sapphire jewel with a wistful expression. After he was content, the young man pulled up his hood and left the room, vanishing into the night.

Chapter Text

The morning sky was bright and clear and a group of eager students were waiting to board the giant aircraft to Beacon. Azure surveyed the group before him, analyzing the crowd of future classmates. He shifted the small pack he carried to ease some soreness in his shoulder and closed his eyes, listening to random bit of chatter from the crowd.

“-can you believe we’re actually here?! I’m so excited!”

“-I can’t wait to start training! I’ve worked sooo hard to get into Beacon-”

“-I wonder what the teachers will be like-”

“HEY!! PASTY BOY!!” 

Azure’s eyes shot open in surprise, senses kicking into high gear. The sea of bodies parted to reveal a boy with messy red hair and a black motorcycle jacket stomping towards him at a quick pace. As he drew nearer a white t-shirt and blue jeans became discernable, and Azure swore that he looked familiar but couldn’t quite put his finger on why. 

Pushing his way forward, the other boy pulled a short staff from his back, and with the click of a button the weapon extended into a double edged, long bladed spear.  He held the weapon at the ready as he marched through the crowd, blue eyes dead set on Azure. Anticipating a fight, Azure started reaching into the quiver on his back to draw his own weapon. Still, the strangest feeling of deja vu gnawed at him as he struggled to identify the spearman.

Who?… Azure thought, staring hard at the red haired boy. 

The pale haired archer continued to dig through his memory as the other boy closed the distance between them, a look of vibrant anger in his eyes. When the boy was almost upon Azure he thrust his weapon into the ground like a flag pole in a smooth motion and continued on his warpath to Azure. The cool expression on the white haired boy’s face broke as recognition flooded over him, eyes widening in disbelief.

That hair. Those eyes. He looks just like- Azure’s thought was cut off by a bone crushing hug as the redhead finally reached him. The other boy held him close, burying Azure’s face in the green bandana around his neck and cutting off his air.

“Azure, where in the HELL have you been?!”

Azure gasped and spluttered, still trapped in the bear hug. Without warning he was released, and sucked in a big breath.

“I’ve spent the last nine years. NINE YEARS besting the finest my traveling had to offer, but not a single one of them could fend me off as well as you could! Biggest waste of time ever .”

Azure sat on the ground stupefied, comically befuddled as he struggled to process what was happening.

Oblivious to Azure’s state, the boy ranted on. “Once you disappeared there wasn’t anyone worth talking to. Do you have any idea how long it’s been since someone got one of my jokes?!”

I…I can’t believe it, t hought Azure with a small chuckle, it really is him.

Hearing the laugh, the peculiar boy looked around in confusion, finally glancing down. “What are you doing down there?” he asked, hauling Azure to his feet. “And why so quiet? You better not have forgotten me, you pasty little...”

“No, I haven’t forgotten. I just…can’t believe I would see you again. It’s so good to see you, Jad.” replied Azure, pulling the much taller Jad into another tight hug. 

“Good to know you still remember me. I was beginning to think you were dead,” said Jad, punching Azure in the shoulder as they broke apart. 

“Not yet.”

“Well good! I'm looking forward to sparring with you again.  We'll see if you’ve improved. And just so you know, you don’t stand a chance this time around.”

“You realize we were eight when we last sparred, right?”

“And whose fault was that, hmmm?”

Azure lifted his hands in defeat. “Alright, you win. Let’s get on the ship, everyone’s boarding.”

The boys gathered their things and merged with the line of passengers eager to enter the huge transport that hovered in the air over the cliff side.

“But seriously, dude, where have you been? I haven’t seen you or your family in years.” Jad asked, glancing at Azure as they entered the ship.

Azure tensed up, the topic uncomfortable. “I’ve been on my own.”

Jad raised an eyebrow, equal parts suspicious and curious. 

“C’mon, let’s find a good spot before they’re all gone.” Azure added as he strode ahead of Jad, green eyes forward. 

Jad looked after his friend with a puzzled look. Did I say something wrong?

Upon entering the aircraft, both boys made their way to the viewing gallery. It was a long hallway with four semicircular windows on the constructed lateral so that passengers could enjoy the view. Jad finally managed to catch up with Azure, who gazed out one of the windows at the far end.

“Whoa! Forgot how fast you are. You slipped away so easily.” 

Azure gave an amused chuckle. “Natural talent of mine. So what have you been up to all these years besides fighting?”

Jad grinned, excitement burning in his blue eyes. “Oh man where to begin?! I finished that basic training that we were both doing,” he began, “then I had to hone my skills to become a Huntsman while looking for you. Seriously, where were you? Anyway, then I…” 

Jad continued his enthusiastic rambling for the duration of the trip to Beacon. Azure stayed silent the whole time, content to listen to the adventures that had taken place during his absence.

When the transport docked near the academy, Jad finally wrapped up his monologue, “...and that's how I got accepted. How did you get into Beacon?” 

“I was invited by the Headmaster.”

“Ozpin? THE Ozpin? Whose mom did you have to impress to make that happen?”

Azure shrugged as they made their way down from the dock and onto the main avenue leading up to the school. They were filled with a sense of awe as they took in the facility itself. The main building looked like something from a storybook: a giant castle-like structure with elegant arches and spires, and a steepled tower standing proudly at its heart. A signal light shone from the lookout, the reason for the school’s name “Beacon”. A stone walkway stretched all the way to the main gate, surrounded on all sides by gardens. There were smaller pavilions and buildings scattered around the main structure, probably used for dorms and the like.

“Ok then…” Jad began, grinning, “I’m going to go get us a spot for the opening ceremonies. Try to keep up!”

Azure just stood by as Jad raced towards the entrance, shaking his head in amusement. 

Well...Glad to see one of us hasn’t changed, he thought. He looked back to the academy, taking in the amazing view. 

“Look out! Coming through!”

“Hm?” Azure started to turn, but before he could move much he was struck by a swift figure. They tumbled to the ground in a tangle of limbs. 

“Oof!” was all Azure managed to say as the air rushed out of his lungs and rejoined the atmosphere.

Ow... He rubbed the back of his head as he got to his feet and waited for his vision to re-adjust. He looked down to see the person that ran into him still sitting on the ground.

Wincing in pain from the encounter, was a girl. She had ridiculously long ginger hair tied back in an equally preposterous braid. Her amber eyes blinked rapidly as she regained her bearings and looked around. An array of books had been unceremoniously scattered around her, having fallen to the ground during the collision. 

“You alright?” asked Azure, eyeing the new person more closely. 

She wore a long green jacket, a red plaid scarf looped around her neck, crisp white pants, and brown boots. Bracers adorned her forearms, with some sort of little contraptions attached to them.

“Yeah...yeah, I’m alright.” she mumbled, still dazed from the crash. 

Something bright and slender caught Azure’s attention, and he was surprised to find a long reptilian tail trailing out from under the hem of the girl’s jacket. He did a double take and noticed a series of slender green spines emerging from her spine as well. 

She’s a faunus… Azure realized as he waited for her to gather herself. 

Shaking off the last of her daze, the girl leapt to her feet in embarrassment, almost tripping over herself. “I am SO sorry! Are you okay? Oh my stars, I didn’t mean to run into you. You aren’t hurt, right? I am so sorry!”

Azure waved his hand, dismissing her concern. “I’m fine. What’s the hurry?” he said. 

“Well,” she explained, brushing herself off, “if you aim to be early, you’ll never be late!” 

She beamed at him, her enormous tail swishing back and forth.

“Uh huh... Well, try to be more careful. Especially since you’re a faunus.” Azure looked down at the books scattered around her feet. “Here, let me help.”

The girl bent to gather her things, accepting the books that Azure picked up for her. When they straightened up again, she cocked her head to the side and frowned ever so slightly. 

“People bump into each other all the time. Why should it matter if one of them happens to have a tail?”

“Because I know how the world is.” Azure replied, his eyes darkening momentarily before giving his head a quick shake and refocusing on the present. The girl had been looking at him, brow furrowed in concern. 

“Forget I said anything. I'm Azure.” He stated as they started walking up to Beacon’s entrance, books piled in both their arms.

“I, uh, I’m Gayle. And…” she sighed, glancing at the ground, “trust me, I know how ‘the real world’ works. I was just hoping it wouldn’t be much of an issue for an institution as respectable as Beacon.” Gayle looked back up, smiling crookedly, “but you can’t please everyone.”

Azure cracked a faint smile, though it quickly faded. “Well, I’m hoping things are better here too,” he admitted. “So, are you excited?”

“Of course!! How could I not be?!” She beamed, “I worked hard to get here a year earlier than most, and so far this is every bit as wonderful and awe-inspiring as I thought it would be!!” 

They entered through the gate and into a large assembly area. Gayle was instantly captivated by it, gazing around in awe. Azure helped maneuver her around the crowd since she was so distracted she almost bumped into more people. He finally spotted Jad, who waved him over enthusiastically.

“I’ve gotta go. I’ll see you around,” Azure said, handing his load back to Gayle. He left without giving her a chance to respond.

Gayle waved awkwardly as she watched him go, balancing her books in one arm. He’s certainly...interesting, she thought . 

“About time you showed up!” Jad exclaimed, “I thought you got lost or something.”

Moving in to stand beside him, Azure looked up at a platform located at the head of the room. A standalone microphone was placed in the middle, waiting to be used. It wasn’t long before Professor Ozpin appeared and made his way towards the mic, the chatter dying down. The headmaster tapped it a few times before opening his mouth to speak.

“I’ll keep this brief. You have traveled here today in search of knowledge. To hone your craft and acquire new skills. And when you’re finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people.” he paused for a moment. “But I look amongst you, and all I see is wasted energy. In need of purpose...direction.” 

There were looks of confusion and surprise from the crowd; this was not what they were expecting from the professor for their initiation speech. “You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge will only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step.” 

Ozpin departed from the stage, the crowd deathly silent. He was soon replaced by a terse looking blonde woman, whose sharp green eyes scanned the assembled students critically. 

Glynda Goodwitch, if I recall, Azure thought, remembering her from the hologram announcements onboard the ship. 

“You will gather in the ballroom tonight; tomorrow your initiation test begins.” she announced. “Be ready. You’re dismissed.” 

She then turned and walked in the same direction Ozpin had, leaving the students with their thoughts.

“Huh. not what I was expecting,” Jad mused, puzzled. “That speech doesn’t exactly match what I’ve heard about him.”

Azure nodded in agreement; something was off. He didn’t dwell on it long though, and turned back towards the entrance. “Come on, let’s go find our stuff and get to the ballroom.”

“Sounds like a plan!” agreed Jad, following his friend.

The rest of the day went by slowly, and the night came rolling in at a snail's pace, annoying Jad to no end. He had exchanged his jeans for a pair of black and green sleeping pants adorned with tiny motorbikes, but abandoned his shirt. He looked over at Azure, who was off by himself, laying on his sleeping bag wearing a black t-shirt and grey sweatpants. Jad made his way over to Azure’s corner and claimed his own space nearby.

Once he was satisfied with his setup, Jad plopped on top of his sleeping bag. “So.”

Azure looked at his friend quizzically. “What?”

“I’m kinda bored. I'm gonna go through your stuff.”

Azure pondered it a bit, then shrugged indifferently. “Just put everything back where you found it.”

Jad grinned excitedly and began exploring Azure’s bag. Azure closed his eyes, settling back into a comfortable position. He could hear Jad going through his belongings and wondered what he could possibly be looking for.

“Saaay...What have we here?” asked Jad, pulling a necklace from the bag. “I didn’t know you wore fancy-shmancy jewelry.”

Azure’s eyes flew open and he sat up in a flash. “Don’t touch that! You’ll lose it!” he demanded, reaching over to snatch it out of Jad’s hands. Jad instinctively held it out of his reach like an annoying older sibling.

“What?” Jad questioned innocently, “I just wanna look at it.” A playful smile was plastered across his face. 

Pouncing on his friend, Azure fought to recover his possession. The boys wrestled across the ballroom floor, but Jad kept his grip on the necklace. During their scrap, however, Azure managed to knock it out of Jad’s hand. It flew through the air and landed on the wooden floor with a soft clink .

It took a moment for either party to realize that the object of importance was missing. Azure was the first to notice the necklace’s absence, and he scanned the immediate area frantically, praying that he hadn’t just lost his most prized possession.

“Where is it?” Azure muttered, “No, no, no, no, no! I can’t lose it!” 

He searched madly, unable to find any trace of his keepsake.

“Hey! Is this yours?”

Azure looked up to find a stranger holding the sapphire carefully. He nodded wordlessly and reached out for the necklace, the young woman placed the stone gently in his hand with a smile.

“How did you find it?” asked Azure, looking over the piece of jewelry to make sure there was no damage.

The girl’s smile widened a little, revealing a pair of narrow fangs in place of ordinarily dull canine teeth. “I heard it fall,” she replied, pointing to a large set of triangular, black tipped ears that sat on her head.

His prize returned to him, Azure got to his feet and got a good look at the woman. The ears screamed that she was a faunus, but unlike most she didn’t seem self-conscious or cautious about it. If anything the girl was proud of her heritage, from what he could tell; she wore a bright orange fox onesie (leading him to conclude that she was a fox faunus), complete with a tail and a hood with holes for her ears. The getup was somewhat...amusing, if not unusual.

One of her ears twitched, drawing Azure’s gaze back to her head and face. Cascades of rusty orange hair tumbled to the girl's lower back. A pair of astonishingly green eyes peered out from underneath her bangs, shockingly bright against her pale skin. 

“It’s a very nice necklace. I can see why you’d be afraid to lose it.” 

The girl’s musical voice broke into Azure’s thoughts, and he shook his head to clear it. Seeming to remember her manners, she offered her hand. 

“I’m Rember, Rember Autumn.”

Tucking the necklace away, Azure glanced at Rember’s slender hand for a moment before shaking it. “Azure Knyte.” he introduced curtly, quickly breaking the handshake.

“So what’s your first day at Beacon been like? I’m not sure what I was expecting, but this wasn’t it. This place is amazing!”

Azure glanced at the faunus girl. He thought about speaking to her more, but elected to give a short response. He really wasn’t in the mood to talk. “It’s been fine.”

Rember’s smile faded, replaced with an expression of concerned curiosity that made Azure angrier than it should have.

“Thank you for returning my necklace,” Azure said abruptly, “I appreciate it.”

“No problem!” Rember replied, her smile returning. “I’m glad I could help out. Have a good night, Azure!” 

With a small wave, she turned and made her way back to where her own belongings were piled nearby.

Azure watched with keen interest as Rember settled into her own sleeping bag. He took a deep breath and let it back out slowly, calming himself as quickly as possible. He mentally kicked himself for letting his emotions run away with him, especially when Rember gave him that look... That look he knew all too well.

“Dude...she was totally into you,” Jad teased, nudging Azure’s ribs and wagging his eyebrows.

Azure rolled his eyes irritably in response. “Yeah, sure she was,” he replied, sarcasm dripping from every word. “Look I’m going to sleep alright? Goodnight.” 

He lay down with his back to Jad, silently conveying he had no desire to chat. Jad simply shrugged and got himself settled too. His breathing soon evened out, and he began to snore. 

As soon as Jad was asleep, Azure pulled out his necklace, a sad smile appearing on his face. That girl… he thought, pondering the interaction with Rember, 

. ..She reminds me of her…

 Azure closed his hand around the gem and let his eyelids flutter shut, his sad smile still etched on his face.

Chapter Text

Rays of sunlight filtered through the tall glass windows, stirring everyone in the ballroom from sleep. Awakening from her peaceful slumber, a girl with disheveled, rose pink hair rubbed her eyes open, revealing purple irises. She gave a long, loud yawn while she waited for her eyesight to adjust to the light. Just as her vision returned, she was greeted by a familiar face that just happened to be staring right at her...from only a few inches away.

"GOOOOOD MORNING ROSYYYYY!!!" A cheery voice exclaimed, a wide smile plastered across the speaker’s face.

The pink haired girl gave a warm smile and nodded pleasantly. "Morning Sonara. Got enough sleep?" 

"Boy, did I ever! I'm sooooo ready for today! Lookout world, super duper Sonara and radical Rosy are ready to kick some butt!" 

"Nice to know you're ready. But remember, you can just call me Rosalie," she giggled, watching Sonara "shadow box" the empty space between them. The jagged layers of Sonara's dull brown hair swished from side to side, hiding sky blue eyes beneath her bangs.

"So why are you still in your pajamjams? C'mon! Let's go!" Sonara dragged Rosalie out of her sleeping bag, the latter only half-heartedly trying to free herself from her hyperactive friend.

"Why the rush? It's still really early. At least let me get ready. And eat something." Rosalie yawned, standing upright and straightening the wrinkles of her pink and blue nightgown. 

She saw that Sonara was already decked out in her combat gear; a jade green chang pao, grey-green pants, and knee-high white boots.  

"I can't sleep any longer! So let's go! Get ready!" Rosalie barely had enough time to grab her gear before being pushed hastily towards the changing rooms, smiling at Sonara's excitement all the while. 

Nearby, Azure had been woken by Sonara’s rather loud enthusiasm. He watched groggily as the two friends exited the ballroom before sitting up and looking over at Jad. Unsurprisingly, Jad was still fast asleep and snoring something fierce. Without making a sound Azure slipped out of his sleeping bag, grabbed his gear and made his way towards the men’s showers. Jad remained asleep, not even twitching. 

After a relaxing shower, Azure ventured out in search of food. 

The dining hall was an impressively large room. There were four long tables running the length of the hall with students scattered along them. Joining the assembly line, he collected a plate of pancakes and started searching for a seat. He spied both Rember and Gayle, and then the two girls who had woken him, though he noted that Rosalie was no longer dressed in her nightgown. The girl now wore her combat gear, which consisted of a long-sleeved cerulean shirt beneath a pink and purple vest, a salmon colored pareo around her waist, and cuffed teal boots. Her long hair had been pulled back into a tight braid.

Opting out of social interactions, Azure found an empty spot at one of the tables. There was no one near him, which suited him perfectly fine. However, just as he began to eat, someone sat down opposite him. Azure sighed inwardly as he looked up to see who this new person was.

The first thing he noticed about the girl was a pair of rich red eyes peering through the layers of her bangs. Silvery blue locks trailed down her back in a straight sheet, with a single curled lock framing either side of her heart shaped face. She wore a long-sleeved grey shirt beneath a silver breastplate, and there was a black cape secured around her slim neck. Cool grey spat shorts covered her thighs and butt, with stockings tucked into dark boots adorned with a series of buckles. 

"Hey there,” the girl greeted, a friendly smile on her face, “mind if I sit here?” 

Azure raised an eyebrow. Something about her didn’t sit well with him. Nevertheless, he gave a shrug. There wasn’t a good enough reason to decline, so he turned his attention back to his food. The new girl just continued to sit there, staring at him. Sensing her gaze, Azure looked back up at the girl. 

“Something you want?”

“Nah. Just admiring the view, handsome~ ” she teased, giving Azure a flirty wink. “Hehe, kidding. So what’s your name? Mind if we talk for a bit?”

But I don’t want to talk to you, Azure thought irritably. 

 “Azure.”

“Nice name! I’m Valerie. Pleased to meet you!” She extended her hand towards Azure, and he gave it a quick, but soft shake. Breaking the contact, Azure tried to return to his food, only to be interrupted by Valerie again. “So are you excited to get assigned into teams today?”

“Huh?”

“Teams. We all get teammates for the initiation.”

“Not really.”

“Aww, why not?”

“Reasons.”

Valerie made a playful pouty face at Azure’s evasiveness. S he had to try her best to not break out laughing, quietly giggling inwardly at his agitation. 

“Ok then, but it's going to happen, you big sourpuss~”

Azure rolled his eyes and sighed internally. Yeah, he thought, annoyed. C an’t wait for that.

At that particular moment, Jad made his entrance, placed his own plate of pancakes and a heaping pile of bacon beside Azure. 

“Morning Pasty! Looking gorgeous today,” he said, grinning lopsidedly.

“Morning.” Azure sighed, rubbing his temples. 

Realizing that he had little time left to eat, Azure scarfed down his remaining breakfast as fast as he could manage. It was done in a manner of minutes, Jad and Valerie watching him in bemused fascination as the food disappeared.

“You’d think your food was gonna go running off, the way you pound it back.  If you don't slow down you might get sick,” Jad remarked with an amused chuckle as Azure got to his feet.

“I’ll be fine,” Azure said, rolling his eyes at Jad’s remark. He briefly turned his attention back to Valerie, who still sat there eyeing him with a smile. “Nice talking to you.”

Valerie’s smile widened, her red eyes glinting with contentment. “Pleasure’s all mine. I hope we can get to know each other more!” She watched as Azure left the table.

As she continued to watch the pale young man go, Jad cleared his throat to grab her attention. “So…” he began idly, “How’s it going?” 

Valerie snapped out of her fantasies and looked at Jad. “Oh...it’s, ah, going well! Thanks for asking. I don’t believe I know your name?”

“Jad. Jad Eclipse,” he said with a proud smile. “That's jade with no ‘E’. And you are?”

“I’m Valerie. Valerie Ashe. That would be ash with an ‘E’." Just then, an idea popped into Valerie’s head.  “So…you know him? Azure?”

“Yesh ma’am.”

Yes! Lets see what I can find out. Valerie smiled. How long could she keep up with the ‘innocent curiosity’ act? 

“Could you tell me more about him? He didn’t talk a whole bunch.” she started.

Jad shrugged his shoulders apologetically. “Sorry, can’t say much. Haven’t seen him for a long time, and he’s pretty much the opposite of what I remember.” 

“Oh. Well...that makes sense. Thanks anyway,” said Valerie, smiling at Jad. She grimaced inwardly at her disappointment.

“However, I'd be happy enough if we got acquainted,” Jad replied nonchalantly. 

“Oh! Alright then…” said Valerie, pondering what she would ask him, “...what’s your favorite thing to do?”

Jad’s eyes lit up with enthusiasm and he grinned enormously. “Well you see, I'm currently in a long standing relationship...with motorcycles,” he stated excitedly, “Motorcycles are my lifeblood.”

“Really?” Valerie asked with genuine interest, laying her chin on her hands, “that’s super cool! Do you have your own?”

“Oh boy, do I!” he responded, a little too giddy. “She’s so shiny and chrome. I hate that I couldn't bring her with me,” Jad reminisced, and with a sly glance he asked, “You wanna go for a ride sometime?”

Azure slowly let out a long breath. He wasn’t used to such talkative people. No, check that, he wasn’t used to people in general. Jad was alright, though he needed to get used to him after being apart for so long. Valerie was... just plain odd. Why was she so curious about him? It wasn’t like he was that interesting. He didn’t quite have an opinion on either Rember or Gayle, having only briefly talked to each of them, but they both seemed nice enough. At least they weren’t pushy in trying to talk to him, which was nice.

Azure entered the school’s locker room. He walked over to locker 144, where his weapons and extra gear were kept. Upon opening it, he strapped two small triangular, silver pauldrons on before slinging his quiver across his back and sheathing his blades. As he got prepped, yet another new face appeared beside him. Glancing over discreetly, Azure analyzed the new individual.

It was a girl. Not very tall, with a pale complexion, wavy white hair styled into a bob, and sharp green eyes. She wore a white laced up shirt, light grey leather pants, knee high brown boots, and a white cloak lined in black. A grumpy frown painted her face, but she didn’t seem to notice she was being observed. Azure shrugged, returning his focus to his own belongings.

“Can I help you?”

Azure looked back at the girl, surprised by the unexpected question. “What?”

Not even sparing him a glance, she continued. “You were looking at me. So what do you want?” the girl asked impatiently, a slight edge in her tone.

“Nothing. I didn’t want anything. Just taking notice of all the new faces.” Azure replied. This girl really was in a sour mood. “And you are…?”

“Kyra.” she answered, placing a gold circlet on her forehead and attaching two double-edged blades to her wrists. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got better things to do than waste time talking to you.” 

Without another word, Kyra’s locker slammed shut and she left the room. Azure stared after her, puzzled as he tried to understand what had just transpired.

"Well, that was certainly interesting. I wonder what her problem is." 

Azure snapped out of his stupor to see Rember standing nearby, watching curiously as Kyra strode hastily towards the exit. She gave a small wave and a warm smile as Azure made eye contact, fangs peeking out of the corners of her mouth again.

Azure let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding, and shrugged. Composing himself, he reached back into his locker to pull out the sapphire necklace, pulling over his head. He realized that Rember had her battle gear on, which contrasted greatly with her sleepwear. She wore a simple black top with three-quarter length sleeves and two grey leather straps criss crossing from her shoulders across her chest. Two similar grey leather straps sat across her hips over black skin tight pants. Her weapons, which appeared to be two batons topped with wicked looking metal claws, were securely placed in holsters on her hips. Her hair shone brightly against the dark colours of her attire, almost like the hair itself was made of fire. 

Realizing he hadn’t said anything, Azure cleared his throat. " I don't know. Could be a lack of sleep."

"Meh, who knows?" said Rember. Spying Azure’s necklace, she leaned in a little to get a better look at the gem. Azure was wary of the proximity, but he stayed put. "Sorry, I couldn't help but notice your attachment to the necklace last night. Did it belong to someone?" 

Azure’s eyes widened, but gave a small nod in response. Tucking it inside his tunic, he waited for Rember to straighten up before talking. "Yeah, it did."

“I'm so sorry," Rember replied sincerely. "You don't have to say anything else. I know what that's like." She pulled her own necklace out from beneath her shirt. It was rather plain, nothing more than a blue-grey stone on a leather string. After holding it out for a few seconds, she let it fall back into its place. "This was my sister's. She was only a kid."

At that moment the static feed of the school intercom grabbed everyone’s attention. 

" Would all first year students report to Beacon cliff for initiation. Again, all first year students report to Beacon cliff immediately."

" Guess that's our cue. Let's get moving. Azure, right?" Rember said, gesturing with her hand for Azure to follow. 

With a simple nod of his head, Azure followed her out of the locker room.

The trek to the cliffs was easy enough. The initiates watched as the landscape around them changed from the lush gardens of the school grounds to a more rugged terrain. Headmaster Ozpin and Glynda Goodwitch stood at the edge off to the side, calmly waiting for the students to arrive.

"Each of you please stand on a platform and await further instructions. Again, everyone please choose a platform." Glynda instructed. 

The students did as they were bade, each finding their own spot.

Azure analyzed the setup before him. Grey squares were placed in a neat line at the edge of the cliff, the symbol of Beacon etched into each one. Finding an unclaimed spot, Azure stood on top of the small platform and looked up and down the line. Jad was over a few spots to his left and Rember stood to his immediate right. Each one wore an expression of anticipation and excitement. For some reason Rember tapped the metal she stood on and grinned to herself, confusing Azure before he turned his attention elsewhere. He saw Gayle further down the line to his left. She seemed to have a different outfit on today, and Azure assumed that it was her actual combat gear.  

Before he could scope out any other familiar faces, Glynda and Ozpin casually strolled to the centre of the line in front of everyone to address the initiates. Ozpin cleared his throat to get everyone’s attention. Almost instantaneously, the students focused their eyes on the headmaster, ready for their orders.

"For years you have trained to become warriors, and today your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest,” Ozpin began. 

The tension was thick enough to be cut with a knife as each of the initiates peered into the seemingly endless sea of foliage. Not a shred of open earth could be seen for miles.

"Now, I'm sure many of you have heard rumours about the assignment of 'teams'." Glynda stated. "Well, allow us to put an end to your confusion. Each of you will be given teammates...today." 

Huh, guess what the girl at breakfast said was right... Azure commented silently, crossing his arms. He heard someone, a girl in a bright red hood far to his right, gripe to herself about the new information.

"These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon. So it is in your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you can work well," continued Ozpin. The girl in the red hood continued to groan, clearly not eager about getting teammates. "That being said, the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years." 

Azure almost winced at the loud, mixed reaction of the group.

" What?! "

"See? I told you-!"

"Better find a good partner..."

"After you've partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest,” Ozpin continued calmly, reclaiming everyone's attention once more. "You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path... or you will die."

That last statement clearly made a few of the other students uneasy, but Azure wasn't fazed. Glancing over at Rember, Azure saw that she was only half paying attention. Her green eyes searched the horizon curiously and she was singing under her breath.

"You will be monitored and graded through the duration of your initiation, but our instructors will not intervene. You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the path containing several relics. Each pair must choose one and return to the top of the cliff. You will guard that item, as well as your standing, and be graded appropriately. Are there any questions?" Ozpin asked, concluding his explanation. A blond boy hesitantly raised his hand, but Ozpin either didn’t noticed or didn’t acknowledge him. "Good! Now, take your positions."

The students did as they were instructed and settled into their own stance atop their platform, with the exception of the nervous blond boy, who still had his hand raised.

Suddenly, the first student at the far left was launched from their platform and went soaring through the air towards the dense forest below.

They're catapults...  Azure realized, his heart rate increasing. Drawing out his blades, he went back into a runner’s ready position and waited. Closing his eyes, he listened to the rhythmic sound of the catapults launching. 

"Hey, Azure." 

Azure opened his eyes and looked over at Rember, who wore a confident expression on her face. "I'll see you around. Try not to get killed, alright?" she grinned.

A bit surprised, Azure nodded and smiled faintly. "Same to you."

With that, the mechanics in Azure’s platform activated, vaulting him into the morning sky.

Chapter Text

The forest was quiet, the tall trees swaying gently in the warm breeze. Everything was peaceful. Serene. 

Not for long, though, as the Beacon initiates were set on a collision course with the forest floor.

Azure used the limited time he had to plot a landing route. The ground was fast approaching, patiently waiting for him to make a mistake and fall to his demise. A branch reached out to clothesline him and Azure rapidly positioned one of his blades out in front of his body. It dug into the wood, redirecting his momentum and swinging him upwards. A few back flips later and he landed nimbly on a different branch, perfectly balanced. 

He surveyed the area. From this height the only thing he could see was a blanket of green; he needed to get lower. Jumping from branch to branch the foliage was less thick, and Azure was able to make out more of his surroundings. The forest was dark and foreboding,and there was even less light than he’d anticipated. While the woods didn’t frighten him, Azure kept a sharp eye out. This wasn’t going to be a walk in the park.

Ok… Azure thought, time to find a partner. Blades at the ready, he closed his eyes and concentrated. He could sense multiple presences nearby. One of them felt familiar, but he didn’t know any of the other initiates well enough to identify who it was. There were also multiple empty voids in the area, and they were rapidly approaching his position. 

Grimm. 

Azure’s expression hardened as he opened his eyes. He hadn’t seen a Grimm in a long time and it made him wary. He needed to move. Pulling his hood over his face, Azure concentrated briefly. Within seconds he had vanished from sight, perfectly invisible to the world around him. Maintaining the illusion, he hopped from tree to tree towards the familiar presence, curiously anticipating who it might be.  

"AAAAAAAHAHAHAHAAAAA!!! YEEEAH!!" 

Rember cheered gleefully, savoring every second she was airborne. 

This. Is. A. MAZING!  She thought happily, an enormous grin on her face as she threw her arms out to either side. I wish I had wiiiings! Is this what flying feels like? I never, ever, EVER want to lan-oh shoot, that’s a tree. 

Pulling her weapons out, Rember hit a button and one of the clawed ends shot out and latched onto a nearby branch. The cord keeping the claws attached to the baton reached it’s full length and the points dug into the wood, holding steadfast. Her momentum carried her forward and she readied her other weapon. Just before the first claw released its hold, she lashed out with her other whip to attach to a different tree. With this approach, she continued to swing from tree to tree like a crazy jungle woman.

"Okay, I think that's far enough," Rember mumbled to herself after a few minutes of swinging. Using the last bit of movement left, she vaulted herself upwards and did a couple of acrobatic flips, landing skillfully on the forest floor. 

"Yeah! Nailed it." Rember cried triumphantly, fistbumping the air to celebrate her victory. 

Putting her weapons back into their respective holsters, she flared her fox ears to take in the sounds of the forest. Picking up an unusual noise that wasn't far away, she climbed up a tree and made her way across the branches towards the foreign sound.

Gayle felt her muscles lock as she was launched from her platform, the excitement of the moment rushing through her veins. She was too busy watching those already catapulted to notice her turn had come until the wind was already blowing past her face. As soon as the initial alarm faded, her enthusiasm grew.

This is absolutely brilliant! Gayle thought gleefully, relishing the joy of flying. She could see the first few students vanishing into the blanket created by the treetops. Glancing behind her, she saw a scrawny blond kid flailing wildly and she couldn't help but laugh. I wish him luck with his landing. He's really going to need it!  Looking back down at the forest, she planned her her own. 

Alright, focus, Gayle! she chastised mentally. The trees look fairly old and sturdy, so there should be low chance of branches breaking under force of impact. The dense foliage might cut off enough of my momentum, and then if I can get my tail around one of the thicker limbs I should be alright. 

She debated using her weapon somehow, but decided against it. A double ended glaive wouldn't be much help in this situation. 

Lost in contemplation, Gayle was startled by the first trailing fingers of the taller trees rising to snatch her out of the air. She hastily covered her face against the thin branches and jagged leaves that clawed at her skin. Crashing through the dense canopy, she could see the ground approaching at an alarming rate, and in a panic she momentarily forgot her plan. Reaching out desperately, she grasped at the closest branch and closed her hands around the rough bark and held back a cry of pain as it bit into her palms. The branch immediately began to dip under her weight, forcing her to swing off it toward a sturdier looking one, which she hooked her tail around.

A moment later, when she’d stopped swinging with the momentum of her fall, she slackened her tail’s grasp and flipped to land shakily on the ground. Dizzy from her descent, she stumbled and tripped into a nearby bush. 

"Ow...I really need to work on my landings," Gayle mumbled to herself in pain, slowly getting all five limbs in order and climbing to her feet. 

She emerged from the bush and brushed herself off, wincing as her palms stung sharply. Inspecting her shaking hands revealed an array of deep lacerations. She frowned. In seconds her hands were enveloped in gentle green light and the wounds swiftly healed. 

Satisfied, she began checking for any other damage. “Fieldwork is nothing like studying,” she muttered under her breath, “but at least it can’t get much worse, right?”

She was glad to see that none of her gear was damaged. Both halves of her weapon were still secured to the holsters on her thighs. The dark belts around her hips remained unaffected, as were her green shoulder pauldrons and the armored green chestplate that protected her upper torso and the plain white shirt and white pants that sat beneath it. Even her soft leather boots remained unscuffed. 

The ground shook, startling Gayle from her thoughts as the forest came alive with sound and light. She could see a pillar of dust off in the distance, which instantly piqued her curiosity. 

"An explosion?" Gayle wondered aloud, drawing her weapon. "I wonder who -or what- that was?" 

She set out towards the source, eager to discover the cause of the tremor. 

"WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO BABY!! BRING. IT. ON!!!!" Jad screamed with maddened enthusiasm as he was launched into the air and sent careening towards the sea of trees. 

The adrenaline was potent in his system and he hooted and hollered the entire trip. As he started his descent, Jad took a deep breath and started laughing. It began as a chuckle but soon escalated to a maniacally fit of laughter.

"Heh heh heh, hehehaha hahahaHaHaHA AAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!" Jad cackled as he began spinning his staff like a propeller over his head.  

Before he came into contact with the tips of the trees, Jad’s entire body started glowing dark green. The light intensified with each passing second until Jad brought his weapon down, abruptly making contact with the ground.

The moment Jad’s staff touched the forest floor, there was an earth shaking explosion. The trees in the immediate area were uprooted and took flight, while nearby wildlife were carried away with the shock wave. As the dust settled, Jad stood and strode calmly out of the crater he’d created, completely unscathed. He stopped at the top and looked back at the destruction, laughing again.

"Hehehe, and that, children, is what brought about the end of the dinosaurs!" Jad chuckled, adrenaline still pumping through his system. "I wonder if anyone else saw that..." he mused, glancing about for a dumbstruck audience. To his disappointment there was none. "Eh, oh well. Best be going."

He secured his quarterstaff to his back and reached into his jacket to produce a black fedora. Placing the hat securely on his head, Jad gazed into the forest beyond, a confident smile plastered on his face.

"Alright Huckleberry..." Jad said to his hat, "let's go find a partner!" 

And with that, he walked casually into the forest, still sporting his confident smirk and anticipating who his partner would be.

Rember moved quietly amongst the trees, the shade providing her with cover and an escape from the hot sun. Her fox ears flicked towards every sound, and her green eyes searched the shadows vigilantly. Birds fluttered among the canopy, twittering at each other and the faunus girl who passed silently beneath them. Small, unseen creatures scurried through the brush, and in the distance a lone Beowolf howled.

Rember froze and tuned out the ambient noises to focus on the Beowolf. Her eyes narrowed as she tried to locate it. There was another howl and she frowned, but determined that the Grimm was far enough away that it shouldn’t cause any trouble. Still, she had best watch her back: Beowolves traveled in packs.

The next few moments of travel passed peacefully, but soon her ears picked up low growling ahead of her. Pinpointing the sounds, she activated one of her whips and pulled herself up into one of the tree’s branches. Perched beside the trunk, she pushed a small branch aside and looked down curiously.

A pair of juvenile Beowolves romped together in a small clearing. Her spine stiffened and she felt her skin cool as her semblance acted up. Shaking her head, she cleared her mind and swiveled her ears to check for any more potential threats. Hearing none, she began navigating through the trees until she was behind the larger of the two monsters. Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself and leapt out of the tree, turning in a flip and landing on the beast’s broad shoulders. She wasted no time using the clawed part of her weapons, now transformed into batons, to end the Beowolf’s life and jumped off its back as it slumped to the ground.

Momentarily airborne, Rember twisted and landed in a crouch. The second monster snarled loudly and she hissed in return. The Beowolf lunged forward and Rember rolled out of its path. She was on her feet in a flash. The claws of her first whip, Ashweave, flew towards the Beowolf and wrapped around one of its limbs. It was quickly followed by its twin, Stormshatter, which ensnared the adjacent limb. Rember pressed a button on each handle and electricity surged down the cords into her opponent’s body. The shock wasn’t powerful enough to kill the Grimm but it was enough to stun it, and while it shuddered she leaped forward and dispatched the beast before it could recover.

Getting to her feet more slowly, Rember retracted her whips back into batons and scanned the immediate area for any more threats. The faunus couldn’t see or hear anything, but she felt as though she was still being watched as she walked cautiously into the trees, her senses on alert.

As she entered the shade, a creak from above caught her attention. Rember lifted her eyes and searched the foliage for the perpetrator, but she found nothing. Focusing her hearing, Rember thought she heard faint, almost unnoticeable breathing, and her ears twitched, trying to pinpoint the sound. Standing still on the ground wasn’t helping. She needed to get higher. Rember strode further into the trees, stepping lightly to avoid any twigs or leaves that might give away her position.

Once she felt she had been away from the clearing long enough, Rember took to the trees again, leaping and swinging from branch to branch with practiced ease. She approached the clearing again from a different angle and located the place she believed the sound had come from. Rember closed her eyes and focused all her attention on listening for anything out of place. The small wildlife that had been driven away during the excitement of her skirmish had all reappeared. The faunus slowly filtered those thoughts from her attention and finally caught what she’d been listening for.

Gotcha… Rember thought, and she stealthily moved towards her target.

Getting as close as she could without being spotted, Rember honed in on the sound and tapped into her semblance, freezing the branch she believed her target was perched on. Whoever it was would almost definitely notice the change in temperature, so she would have to move quickly.

The mystery person felt the temperature drop immediately and jumped to a different tree. Rember saw the disturbances across the large plants and followed them in hot pursuit. 

Whoever they are, they’re fast! Rember thought as she narrowly missed her target. Freezing a branch ahead of the incognito individual, the limb broke when the mystery person landed and they grabbed onto a lower branch as they fell. Taking the opportunity, Rember flung herself towards the runner and tackled them.

Rember’s collision with her target caused the stranger to become visible as they fell. They both crashed to the ground, and Rember got up before her prey. The person had a hood concealing their features, and once they pulled it back Rember felt a huge grin spread across her face.

It was Azure, groaning in pain, mumbling under his breath. Allowing him to stand up, Rember stepped forward with a dancer’s fluid stride, and watched Azure slowly straighten up with a grin. When he noticed her standing there Azure froze.

“Hey there, it looks like we’re partners.” Rember greeted, still wearing her huge smile. 

Snapping out of his daze, Azure nodded back at the faunus. “Guess we are.”

“Well, come on. Let’s go find that relic the teachers were talking about.”

“Mhm.” Azure closed his eyes, and Rember watched the boy curiously. After a moment's pause, he immediately opened them and pointed straight ahead of the newly formed pair. “That way.” 

“Sure, whatever you say,” Rember agreed. 

The two embarked further into the forest of green, following Azure’s sense of direction.

Valerie walked past a suspiciously familiar bush for what seemed like the millionth time. 

Everything looks the same..! she groaned internally, then sighed to herself whilst wiping the sweat from her brow. The landing part of the job was easy enough, but finding an old temple in the middle of a creepy forest was much more difficult than she’d thought. Pausing for a moment to listen, she heard birds twittering around her in the treetops, leaves chattering as the foliage was rustled by wind - and then the staccato of gunfire in the distance. 

Seems like trouble is showing up...I’d better be on guard, Valerie thought, pulling out her short double-edged sword and a small, circular shield. 

She had just resumed walking, stepping more cautiously than before, when she heard a menacing roar off in the distance. Without hesitation, she ran in the direction of the sound, and soon emerged into a small clearing. 

Upon arrival, Valerie spotted a white haired girl fighting against two Ursai. She took cover behind a tree and watched the scene unfold with interest.

Kyra swung one of her wrist blades across the smaller Ursa’s face. It left a deep cut in the bone plating it struck and she jumped back as the beast took a wild swing at her. The injured Grimm charged blindly at the girl, trying to trample her underfoot. Kyra rolled out of the way at the last second and pointed her other sword at the beast. Small guns attached to the bottom of each of her weapons were revealed, Kyra squeezed the trigger of one weapon and opened fire, striking the beast square in the head. The Ursa stumbled for a minute before crashing to the ground.

Valerie watched in awe as Kyra single handedly killed the monster before her attention snapped elsewhere. The larger Ursa was charging full speed towards Kyra, who seemed to have forgotten it was there, and upon realizing this Valerie sprinted from her hiding spot.

“Hey! Behind you!” Valerie shouted in an attempt to warn the other girl. 

Kyra turned around, just in time to see the ursine beast closing in on her, and braced herself for impact. Before she was rammed, however, Kyra watched in astonished confusion as the Ursa somehow stumbled off from its collision course and dropped dead. With a cursory glance, Kyra discovered a spear sprouting from the back of its head. 

She watched Valerie, still catching her breath, withdraw the spear and transform it back into a sword. Having regained her composure, Valerie looked Kyra square in the eye and gave her a heart warming smile. 

“Hiya! Glad you’re okay, I didn’t think you’d hear me in time,” Valerie said. Kyra gave a quick huff and looked away. “Is...everything okay?”

“”Sure. I had everything under control,” Kyra replied coldly. 

“Uh...ok then,” Valerie said, confused by Kyra’s unwarranted hostility. Clearing her throat, she extended a hand towards Kyra. “I’m Valerie. What’s your name? I’d like to at least get to know the name of my partner.” Although I certainly wish someone like Azure was my partner right now instead of Ms. Prickly over here.

Glancing down at the gesture, Kyra retracted her weapons into metal bracelets and grasped Valerie’s with clear reluctance. “Kyra Myst,” she stated bluntly.

“Right!” Valerie said, trying to stay positive. “Now that formalities are out of the way, let's go find a relic!” Valerie barely took two steps before turning back towards her partner, a sheepish grin plastered on her face. “Ahh...you don’t happen to know where we’re going, do you? I’ve...kinda been wandering in circles for a while.”

Kyra let out an irritated sigh and she gestured for Valerie to follow her. “This way’s north. Where they said we needed to go.”

And she actually wants to be a Huntress? Give me a break! Kyra thought dryly as she started off in the direction she had pointed. Valerie followed closely behind her as they journeyed off back into the trees.

Although, s he continued to ponder, she is my partner. And she did warn me just in time…

Kyra glanced behind to spy her slightly off put partner, keeping her ongoing thoughts to herself as they walked.

Jad marched merrily through a small clearing, singing at the top of his lungs as if he hadn't a care in the world. He’d been strolling for a good while, but hadn’t seen any of the other initiates yet. The seemingly never ending trees were getting rather dull, and he decided a good while back to start caroling.

“ Nessun dorma! Nessun dorma! Tu pure, o Principessa, nella tua fredda stanza, guardi le stelle che tremano d'amore, e di speranza! Ma il mio mistero chiuso in me; il nome mio nessun sapra!” J ad sang boisterously, “ No, No! Sulla tua bocca lo dir quando la luce splende! Ed il mio bacio sciogliera il silenzio che ti fa mia! Il nome suo nessun-” 

The serenade was cut short when Jad heard a loud animal cry, instantly grabbing his attention. “Ahh, finally!” he exclaimed, “Something to fight!” 

Staff in hand, Jad jogged to where he suspected the cry had originated from until the trees opened up into a small meadow.  Stopping at the treeline he could see a wide, sandy pit ahead and he slowly, but not cautiously, approached the lip of the crater. 

Without warning, a giant King Taijitu head emerged from the pit, knocking Jad backwards onto his rump. He backpedaled from the edge, visibly shaken. 

“Nope! Nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, NOPE! I am NOT dealing with a Nope. ANYTHING but a giant freaking Nope.” Jad cried shakily and quickly turning away from the sandy abyss. 

However, seconds later he heard the monster cry out in pain and anxiously shuffled towards the pit again, body trembling uneasily. Peering down into the crater, Jad saw a girl with a long reptilian tail and an even longer ginger braid fending off the two headed snake with a double bladed glaive. She was doing pretty well, but Jad could see that she was struggling against the enormous Grimm.

“Whyyyyyyyy?” he groaned. “Why did it have to be snakes? I’d take a giant Nevermore anyday! Or a Death Stalker! Or a Borbatusk! But this?! Uggggghhhhh...” 

Jad continued to whine, debating whether he should jump in and assist or not. Eventually, his conscience won over his crawling skin, and Jad sprang into the fray, yelling “THIS HAD BETTER BE WORTH THE EFFORT!!!!”

Kicking one of the snake's heads on the way down, Jad extended the blade in his staff and positioned himself in front of the girl. She leapt back in surprise and watched as the boy struck the other head of the giant snake with his blade. 

"You, little lady, are sooooo lucky right now. On any other day, you'd be snake food," Jad commented, glancing back at the damsel. 

Their eyes met and he gave her a friendly smile. The exchange was brief however, as the Grimm recovered and hissed furiously. Jad shuddered and refocused on the humongous monster, steeling himself for the next attack 

“I hate snakes,” he muttered through gritted teeth. "So," he asked the girl conversationally, "you got a plan...ahh, I don't believe I know your name?"

“Hang on, I’m working on it! I’m Gayle,” she replied as she swatted the lighter of the two heads away with her glaive. 

Jad fought against the darker head and fired a blast of Dust energy through the bottom of his staff, hitting it square in the eyes. The black snake hissed in anguish and recoiled. Gayle took note of the Grimm’s reaction as she evaded another strike from the white head of the monster. Stowing her weapon, she aimed both her arms towards the snake’s face. Two buttons set in the cuffs on her wrists extended out to rest in her palms. She pressed both triggers, and her gauntlets fired twin laser beams right into the white scaled face. The monster wailed in agony, which was all Gayle needed to dictate their next move.

"Go for the head! That's the weak spot! Especially the eyes! " she shouted as the Grimm coiled to strike again. 

"Got it!" Jad replied, aiming his staff at the black snake's face. Both heads lunged, and the warriors sprang into action.

Gayle waited until the monster closed in on her and jumped into the air, the beast’s snout slamming into the ground and sending up a spray of sand. Realizing it had missed, the snake tried to snatch her out of the air. It was not quick enough however, and Gayle fired her lasers into the snake's mouth, burning through the sensitive inner tissues and obliterating the head. Landing on the ground shakily, she looked back at the corpse and scrunched her nose at the smell of burning flesh. Satisfied, she looked over to where Jad had been, but found no one. 

She looked up.

Jad was still fighting with the dark side of the King Taijitu, currently balanced atop the snake's head. The Grimm tried to shake him off, but he simply stabbed his bladed staff into its face and hung on tightly. Aggravated, the serpent continued to shake it's head violently, and Jad's weapon soon dislodged. 

Aww, crap! Not good, not good!, the young man thought as he flew off the monster and the sandy turf rose to meet him. 

The loose ground softened his impact but it hurt nonetheless. Seeing its prey vulnerable, the King Taijitu used its remaining strength in a last ditch attempt to kill the boy. Gayle barely had time to register that her partner was in danger as the Grimm lunged with blinding speed and swallowed Jad whole. She stared in horror as the Grimm turned its attention to her now, its red eyes glowing. She stood, frozen, as the monster slithered towards her.

Move, Gayle! You can't freeze up now! He needs your help! she commanded internally, but her limbs remained paralyzed. The monster reared back its head once again, hissing, and... abruptly stopped.

Gayle watched in astonishment as the jaws of the beast were slowly pried open. The surprisingly familiar form of Jad appeared in the gap, his staff lodged between the bottom and the ceiling of the mouth to prevent the serpent from closing its jaw.

"SNAKE FOOD?" Jad roared, "DO I LOOK LIKE SNAKE FOOD!?! TO HELL WITH THAT!!!" 

He extended his blade, and the sharp metal pierced through the top of the monster's skull. The Grimm went limp and crashed to the ground in a tangle of death and defeat. Jad climbed out of the snake’s, shuddering, and promptly grimaced at the slime covering him. He worked to rid his outfit of the grime for a moment before reaching back through the King Taijitu’s fangs and collecting his equally dirtied weapon. 

"Ack! I hope this washes out..."

Gayle stood numbly, unsure of how to react. After Jad was satisfied with what little cleaning he could accomplish, he glanced over and gave her a lopsided grin. 

"I know I’m devilishly handsome, but you don't have to look so gobsmacked," he teased.

"I--I--I just saw you get eaten!!! How else am I supposed to react?!" she finally replied, still recovering from shock. Her legs gave out and she fell to her knees.

Jad walked over to the faunus and extended a hand. "Eaten, and yet I'm still here, aren't I?" he said as he pulled her to her feet, "Jad Eclipse. It's Gayle, right?" 

"Yeah, Gayle Mensthe," she stated.

"Right on!" Jad exclaimed, " Pleasure to meet you. Now...since we're partners, we'd best be off to find a relic." 

"Okay. Where should we start?" Gayle asked.

"Well,” he began, bending forward to pick his miraculously clean hat off the ground and placing it atop his somewhat goopy hair. “Ozpin said to go north..." Jad continued, scratching underneath his chin, "so we'll start with that.” He walked back towards the dead King Taijitu and cut out one of its teeth, stowing it inside his jacket.

“Why did you do that?” Gayle asked curiously.

“It’s to add to the collection!  We all need a hobby,” replied Jad. “C'mon, we need to go this way."

Gayle nodded and followed Jad out of the pit. She never thought she'd have someone like this for a partner, but she didn't mind. Life certainly wouldn’t be dull for her the next four years.

Rosalie strolled leisurely through the forest, both her weapons at the ready. Her Dust rapier, Lavender Thorn, occupied her right hand, and a second, smaller rapier, Squall Areora, was clenched in her left. Stopping for a moment, she tapped into her semblance and leaned into the rhythm of the winds. She could sense the presences of all Grimm and initiates in her area, though she noted that there were only a few of each.

Picking up a disturbance in the wind, she started moving towards the unknown presences. After a while she stopped behind a tree and looked up to see a flock of Nevermores perched nearby. They squawked and cawed amongst themselves, the two biggest of them tussling over something she couldn’t quite make out. 

Steeling herself, Rosalie took a breath and called upon her semblance again. She shifted the wind's direction to conceal her scent, while simultaneously creating a small vortex around her second rapier. 

Leaping from her hiding spot, Rosalie swiped Squall Areora towards the flock. The slash was manipulated by her semblance, manifesting into a visible current of sharp wind. The attack cut cleanly through the tree she was aiming for, as well as a few of the Nevermore. The remaining birds screeched in outrage at the demise of their wingmates, and flew furiously towards the pink haired initiate. Rosalie readied herself as the flock descended, preparing another air slash.

The Nevermores fell into a line formation and a rain of black feathers cut through the air towards her. The attack failed as Rosalie used her semblance to send the projectiles tumbling harmlessly to the ground. The birds squawked indignantly, and another attack from Rosalie saw their numbers cut in half. 

Changing tactics, the remaining Nevermores alternately swooped in to peck and claw at the girl. It once again proved futile, as every attempt ended in them tumbling through the air, bouncing off the bubble of wind she called up around her. 

"You don't seem to be very good at this," Rosalie taunted them, "time to send you away!" 

The air bubble surrounding her began spinning furiously, spooking the flock away. Rosalie let them retreat a good distance before unleashing the accumulated energy in one giant blast of wind, killing all but the alpha Nevermore. The last of the Grimm shrilled furiously, and quickly flew off.

Rosalie let out a long breath, and the winds calmed accordingly. But not alerting the girl to a familiar presence hiding off in the bushes. 

"Come on out," she said, pressing a finger into one of her temples to relieve the headache that came after using her special talent, "I know you're there." She walked over to where her hidden watcher was, a kind smile on her face.

No sooner had she stepped into the foliage than she was jumped and gripped in a backbreaking hug. Sonara giggling like a child. 

"You found me! You found me!" Sonara cheered, "You always find me, Rosy!" 

Rosalie chuckled at Sonara's enthusiasm. "Of course," she said kindly, "How else could I make sure we’re partners?"

"Partners??" Sonara asked blankly. It took a minute for Sonara to remember her objective, and she started jumping up and down, clapping her hands gleefully. "Oh yeah!!! Yay! We're partners forever!!!" 

Rosalie giggled softly at her now partner's excitement. 

"Oh wait!" Sonara gasped, freezing in place. "We still need to get one of those relic things! We should hurry! Quick, quick! Use your cool trick!"

Rosalie nodded and tapped into her semblance once more. Sonara watched in awe as the wind shifted and swerved around her. After a brief moment, the air calmed and Rosalie glanced at Sonara. "Come on," she said, "it's this way!"

"Okay!!! Let's...GOOOOOOO!!!" Sonara shouted as she ran in the direction Rosalie gestured. 

Rosalie picked up her pace so as not to lose her hyperactive partner.

I'm not in the least bit surprised it was her. I'm going to be just fine, Rosalie thought as they sped through the trees, quickly closing in on their destination.

Chapter Text

Ozpin sipped his coffee passively as he stared out over the cliffs. He stood motionless as he observed the old forest below him, waiting for the students to make their way back. Glynda strode up beside him, looking at a series of video feeds on a scroll that showed various initiates.

"Our most recent pair has been formed, sir," Glynda told Ozpin, placing the scroll in his hands. "Rosalie Caelum and Sonara Brunswick." She nodded in approval of the match. "Ms. Caelum's overabundance of patience and compassion will make a good counter for Ms. Brunswick's...excitable nature." 

Ozpin only nodded his head slightly to demonstrate his agreement, and continued scrolling through the device. 

Glynda continued her report. "Other pairs recently formed include Ruby Rose and Weiss Schnee, Azure Knyte and Rember Autumn, Gayle Mensthe and Jad Eclipse, and Valerie Ashe and Kyra Myst."

 She took a glance at the screen displaying Azure and Rember and stared hard at the two. "By the way professor..." she commented, "I tried to find any information regarding that Knyte boy, and I'm afraid to say I've found next to nothing."

Ozpin raised an eyebrow, and looked up, intrigued. "Oh?" he asked, "What did you find?"

Giving an exasperated sigh, Glynda began. "Well sir, he was trained by Amaranth Phlox in basic combat skills when he was young. That’s about it. No transcripts to speak of, and nothing to explain how he's here. Police reports claim he’s been missing for years." 

Ozpin listened attentively, taking another sip of his drink and returning his gaze to the horizon.

"He hasn’t attended a single combat school in all of Remnant, and yet his skills match those of some third year students. He’s an enigma, to say the least. Where on earth did find him?" Glynda asked, glancing questioningly at the Headmaster. 

The grey haired professor maintained his stare into the distance. "I didn’t find him. Nor did he find me..." Ozpin said. Handing the scroll back to Glynda, he turned back to the cliffs. "Keep me posted about the students, Professor Goodwitch. That will be all." 

Nodding once more, Glynda turned away from the cliffs and started walking away, leaving Ozpin to his own devices. 

Azure and Rember trudged through the forest, the fox faunus getting bored with her partner's silent demeanor. They hadn't spoken to each other since joining up. 

"So..." Rember asked, her curiosity getting the best of her. "What exactly are you doing?"

Pausing, Azure turned and faced her. "Using a special talent."

"Like, your semblance?"

"No.” he said, resuming his walk. Rember followed close behind. "Besides," he continued, "You already know what my semblance is."

"Right, your invisibility trick!" Rember recounted. "That was pretty cool! Too bad it didn't work well on me," she added proudly, her fox ears twitching in response. 

"Lucky moment," Azure retorted. "And going invisible isn't the only thing I can do."

"Oh reeeaally? What else can you do?"

"You'll find out later."

"Aww, how boring. Please?" Rember pouted. 

"No," Azure stated with a tone of finality. Rember gave a disappointed sigh. 

The trees around them were thinning, and the pair soon found themselves at the crest of a small hill. Looking down, they spotted a stone structure set in a clearing. The architecture was weathered and appeared ancient, from where they were standing.

"That’s gotta be it!" Rember exclaimed. “There’s no way there’s more than one old temple around here.”

She started making her way down the hill while Azure remained at the top to observe the area more closely. It didn't really look like a temple, just a bit of stone ruins. Not wanting to keep Rember waiting, Azure shook his head and followed his partner. 

The two arrived at their destination quickly, and they looked around keenly for the headmaster’s relics. It didn’t take long to spot their objective, and they glanced at each other curiously before going back to the objects before them.

"Chess pieces," Azure said, intrigued. 

Sure enough, large chess pieces sat on pedestals arranged in a wide half-circle, each one made of either ebony or gold. The pair walked to the center of the setup, studying each piece with interest. Some were missing from the displays, but only a few. They obviously weren’t the first to arrive. 

"Well, I guess we should pick one," Rember said, crouching slightly to look at a playing piece more closely. "Any of them jump out at you?" 

Azure stared at each relic closely, trying to distinguish one that stood out. After a brief moment, his eyes rested on a black knight piece. He walked towards it and plucked the statue off its pedestal, looking at the horse-head figure keenly. He noted how funny it was that a knight, someone who is supposed to protect innocents, be honorable, and fight evil, could don a color such as black. To him, black was something that represented darkness. Corruption. Evil. 

He didn't dwell on it long though, and turned away from the pedestal. He strolled back towards Rember and held out his prize. They had their relic, now they just had to complete the objective.  

Rember smiled when she saw his choice. 

 "Great!" she said, "I think we should--" 

Her speech was cut short when a Ursa burst through the trees, charging towards the pair. Rember’s weapons materialized in her hands, and Azure pulled out his bow, an arrow notched in the string. Just as he was about loose the arrow, Azure spotted two individuals clinging to the Grimm’s back. He heard uproarious laughter, and lowered his bow.

"Hold it," he said, and Rember relaxed somewhat. 

They waited for the Ursa to stop moving, curious to meet the riders. Just as the Grimm came within meters of Azure and Rember, a cloud of dust emerged behind the Ursa’s head, killing it. The monster wiped out spectacularly, and the dark knight holders finally saw who the newcomers were: Jad and Gayle. They were laughing hysterically as they climbed off the carcass, still reeling with the thrill of the moment.

Dusting off his jacket, Jad looked over at Gayle with a humongous grin. "What’d I tell ya?!" he exclaimed, "Totally awesome, right?!"

"I will admit, that was pretty fun,” Gayle agreed, giving him a smile of her own.

After calming down, Gayle was the first to realize where they were and notice their amused audience. "Hey, we made it, Jad! The relics are just over there!" she said excitedly to her partner.

"HUZZAH!!" Jad shouted, and started running. 

Then he spotted Azure, the white clad archer smirking, and increased his speed.

"PASTY!!!!! MY BRO!!!!" Jad screamed, unexpectedly glomping Azure to the ground and gripping him in a vice of a hug. 

The two sent up a cloud of dust, and Azure tried wiggling his way out the crushing embrace.

Why does this keep happening to me...?  Azure wailed inwardly, desperately wishing to know the reason behind all the tackling. Jad soon let go of him, and the two got to their feet. Azure spotted his relic on the ground and retrieved it, thinking I must've dropped it.

Jad caught a glimpse of the black item, however, and his eyes widened. "Oooooo! That looks cool! A black horse?!" He exclaimed, " It totally reminds me of this one motorbike I've seen! Is there another one of those??" 

"Yup." Rember replied, pointing over towards its twin. "Looks like there's two of each." 

"Sweet! Back in a flash!" 

Jad sprinted over to the other black knight piece, yanked it from its pedestal, and just as quickly ran back to stand by Azure. After admiring the relic for a moment, Jad casually glanced over at Azure and his new partner. He did a double take and a large smile spread across his face when he caught sight of Rember. 

"We-he-hell, hellooo, foxy lady. Pasty, you lucky dog, you got paired with the foxy lady!"

Unimpressed, Azure raised an eyebrow, while Rember began laughing. 

"Ahahahahaha!! I don't think I've heard that one!!" she gasped, clutching her sides. 

"That's right. Captain Original!" Jad smirked proudly. 

"It was pretty brilliant," agreed Gayle, high fiving her partner.  

"Alright..." Azure piped up, getting everyone's attention. "We should get moving. There's no reason to stay any longer." 

"You got it," Gayle said, and the others nodded in agreement.  

They didn't have time to move however, as a loud scream met their ears. It sounded like it came from a girl and the four of them turned towards the sound. Almost immediately, Valerie and Kyra came bursting through the trees, sprinting towards them with varying degrees of fear painted on their faces.

"RUN!!!" Valerie shouted, waving her hands wildly. "THERE'S A BIG--A VERY BIG-" 

She was cut off when a colossal King Taijitu, larger than the one Jad and Gayle had faced, ploughed through the dense foliage, eagerly chasing after the two initiates.

Azure, Jad, and Gayle all drew their weapons. Rember, not having put hers away, sprang towards the Grimm, and much to Jad’s chagrin the rest of them soon followed.

"Are you freaking kidding me right now?!? I just killed a Nope and now there's a bigger one!?!" Jad muttered anxiously as the four of them met the best head on, extending the blade on his staff. 

His longer legs propelling him ahead of the others, Jad hit the Grimm first, striking the middle of the snake's body. The monster's heads hissed and both lunged at him, but Azure and Gayle both jumped in front of their friend. They each blocked one of the heads, digging their heels into the ground as they were pushed back a bit. The King Taijitu was stunned for a second and recoiled. Seeing an opportunity, Rember shot out her whips, wrapping them around the snake's heads. Pressing a button on each handle she grinned maliciously and the King Taijitu wailed in pain as it became enveloped by the electric current. The monster slumped to the ground, stunned, and Azure leaped into action. Activating a button on the hilts of his weapons, the swords were quickly infused with ice dust energy, and frost coated the blades. He stabbed the ground where the first head lay and it was encased in a dome of ice. He dashed over to the other head and did the same there, freezing the snake’s heads to the ground while the body flailed desperately.

Feeling that the threat was under control for the moment, Azure looked over at Valerie and Kyra, his expression neutral. 

"What happened?" He asked.

"Umm...well, you see--"

"She stumbled into that thing's den ." Kyra bluntly stated, waving to the subdued Grimm that tried vainly to free itself. 

"Hey! How could I have known that that large crevasse was holding an enormous monster?! And I just...tripped at a bad time." Valerie grumbled, folding her arms in defense.

"I hate snakes,” Jad grimaced.

A muffled hiss caught everyone's attention and they turned to see cracks spreading across the icy surface as the Grimm struggled. 

Knowing that the ice wouldn’t hold long, Azure took charge. 

"Alright, you two grab your relic," he said to Valerie and Kyra, who hurried to do as they were bid. 

The archer turned his attention to his partner, who bounced on the balls of her feet with an attentive look on her face. "We're leaving."

"Mind if we tag along?" Gayle asked, gesturing towards herself and Jad. 

Her partner nodded enthusiastically at the idea.

Azure pondered the proposition for a moment, but Rember ultimately responded. 

"Sure!" She grinned merrily, little fangs appearing. "Who knows what else is lurking about? It's a good idea to team up."

"Sweet! Let's get moving then before that Hell spawn gets loose," Jad stated eagerly, the thought of the giant monster getting free sending chills up his spine. 

He started running back towards the cliffs that stood visible above the trees, Gayle close behind.

"C'mon Azure! Let's go!" Rember encouraged as she set off after the others and Azure nodded, hurrying after them. 

"Hey, what about those other girls?" Gayle asked as they reached the edge of the trees.

"I'm sure they're fine! They'll catch up soon enough," Rember replied as they entered the cover of the forest.

Valerie and Kyra skidded to a stop in the ruins and looked frantically for a relic. The pair scanned the remaining pieces, searching for one that stood out to them. They knew that the King Taijitu would be free any moment, so they had to be quick.

"Uhhh....hmmm...which one should we take??" Valerie asked her partner, clearly not the type that worked well under pressure.

"Who cares?! Just grab one and let's go!" Kyra replied irritably, eyes on the Grimm behind them. 

Valerie nodded in agreement. It didn't really  matter. After a brief moment, her eyes rested on a white queen piece. Not delaying any longer, she grabbed it and ran back to Kyra. She held it out for her partner to see and then tucked it away safely. 

Kyra smiled at her partner's choice, surprising Valerie greatly. "Right, what's next?"

Valerie stood there in shock for a moment before snapping back. This was the first time Kyra had been nice. 

"I...think it’d be best if we follow the others," she said, still taking in Kyra’s sudden change in mood.

Before they could start moving, the pair heard a deep, resonating caw in the distance. They looked up at the sky to see a giant Nevermore winging its way directly towards them, and the girls instinctively got their weapons ready. 

"Where did THAT come from? And why is it coming this way?" Kyra asked, worried at the sudden appearance of another Mega-Grimm.

"Ah, that actually might be my fault,” an unfamiliar voice said behind Kyra. The pair whirled around, ready for battle. 

To their surprise, there were two newcomers. A girl in blue and pink with braided pink hair, and a smaller girl in green with short brown hair. They waved to the jumpy girls, trying to appear friendly. Kyra and Valerie relaxed, letting go of the breaths they were holding and waved back.

"It's okay Rosy! That mean monster can't lay a claw on you! I bet you could beat it just like those other ones!" the girl in green exclaimed cheerfully, a giant smile painted on her face. 

"I'm pretty sure even I can't beat that one. At least not by myself,” the pink haired girl stated with humble patience. She looked over to Valerie "I'm Rosalie, by the way. This is my partner Sonara." 

"Hiya!" Sonara said excitedly, still smiling enormously. 

"I'm Valerie,” Valerie replied, a kind grin on her lips. She motioned to her partner. "This is Kyra. It's nice to meet you!" 

Kyra interjected. “Look,” she said, “not that I'm not enjoying this...thing, but we do happen to have a giant monster in ice behind us.” 

The words barely left her lips when the group heard a series of loud cracks, and Valerie’s heart began to race. 

"Right, we need to go. You two have a relic?" she asked Rosalie hurriedly, knowing the King Taijitu would soon be free.

Rosalie nodded. "Yes. We grabbed one before coming over here." 

She revealed her own white queen piece to Valerie before tucking it away again.

"Alright. Everyone follow me! We need to get back to the cliffs!" Valerie ordered. 

She sprinted after Azure’s group, and the other three followed. Just before reaching the trees, Valerie glanced back to see the Nevermore and the now free King Taijitu in hot pursuit of them. She groaned and forced her body into overdrive, hoping they could outrun the colossal monsters. 

Azure, Rember, Gayle, and Jad ran as fast as their bodies would allow while staying together. They’d been running for what seemed like hours, the discomfort of overworked muscles a familiar friend by now. Darting through a series of bushes, the group quickly skidded to a stop at the edge of a wide valley. Looking down into the depths, they saw a collection of ancient, weathered stone buildings. 

“How much farther till the launch pads?” Jad asked breathlessly, gaze alternating between the basin and the woods behind him.

“A good couple miles, maybe more,” Gayle panted, pointing tiredly to the outline of Beacon Cliffs on the horizon.

Rember, who fared slightly better than the others, opened her mouth to say something but stopped abruptly, fox ears twitching as an unfamiliar sound reached them. She turned back to the forest and squinted at the sky above the trees to see the unmistakable silhouette of a gigantic Nevermore flying towards them. 

“Guys, we've got trouble,” she warned, unsheathing her batons.

The others turned to see the incoming monster and drew their own weapons. Azure picked up on four presences approaching their position at a rapid pace, and correctly assumed that two of them were Valerie and Kyra. He also took note of an enormous void pursuing them. He notched an explosive dust arrow to his bow, aiming behind the unseen initiates. Valerie and Kyra soon came into view, along with the two girls he’d seen earlier that morning. At the speed they were going, it wasn’t long before they’d joined Azure and the others, desperately gasping for air. 

“How far away are they?” Azure asked, his arrow still pointed into the trees.

“They’re...not far! Lost...snake,” Valerie managed to sputter, ready to keel over.

Azure kept the bowstring tight, senses on high alert. 

“I wouldn’t be so sure,” he retorted, giving the girls an impartial look. “Catch your breath, those things will be here in a few minutes.”

Valerie’s group nodded as they all fought to catch their breath. After a few moments, Rosalie was back on her feet. 

“Anyone have a plan to beat these things?” she asked, watching the Nevermore fly towards them.

The eight of them stood in contemplative silence, clearly unsure of how to defeat the incoming goliaths. The cries from the Nevermore and King Taijitu weren’t helping their thought processes either, the monsters almost on top of them. Luckily, an idea popped into Gayle’s head, and her eyes lit.

“I think I’ve got something!” Gayle announced, her hand shooting up into the air. 

The others turned to the lizard faunus, waiting to hear her idea. 

Knowing she had the floor, Gayle explained. “Okay, I have an idea to use the Grimm to our advantage, but I need to know who the four fastest are.”

Rember stepped forward, an ardent smile on her lips. “Me! And this one,” she added, grabbing Azure by his cape and pulling him forward.

“I’m said to be rather agile,” Kyra spoke up, a confident gleam in her eyes. “So I can be the third.”

Gayle smiled appreciatively. “Ok, anyone else?” she asked the remaining initiates.

“Why not you?” Jad suggested. “You were pretty nimble while fighting the other snake, before I showed up. You've got some MOVES!” 

“Oh, right. I guess I could be the fourth. Sure! Why not?” Gayle replied. “Right. Here’s the plan…” 

They all huddled around the faunus as she whispered the plan to them. As her explanation finished, the Nevermore landed directly in front of the group, spreading its wings and blocking out the sun. It shrilled so loudly that Rember flattened her ears and the others grimaced. As that happened, the King Taijitu made its appearance, crashing out of the woods and hissing menacingly.

 “We all know the plan!” Gayle shouted. “Let’s go!”

With that, Gayle and the other speedsters rushed the King Taijitu, while the remaining four initiates moved on the Nevermore. This was their last obstacle, so it was all or nothing.

Azure was the first to hit his target, slowing his pace and firing an explosive arrow directly into the King Taijitu’s midsection. The monster shook off the attack, its scales a little blackened, but showing no damage. The monster’s rasps grew angry as it lunged for the archer, who evaded.

 Rember reached the serpent before Kyra, and after smartly dodging a strike from the pale head she used her whips to swing atop its skull. The clawed tips of her batons clinging to the Grimm’s lithe body, the faunus held on grimly. Another explosion met her hearing: Azure doing his part to keep the beast occupied. Gritting her teeth, Rember anchored herself with one baton and used the other to gouge out the beast’s eyes, blinding it. 

Task complete, the fox girl leapt off the beast and landed safely back on the ground as the snake cried out in anguish, its glowing red eyes now black and bloody.  

Enraged by the pain of its other half, the black head of the snake attacked Kyra ferociously, its movements wild and unpredictable.Kyra watched the monster’s movements critically, waiting for her opportunity to strike. It didn’t take long.

The King Taijitu lunged with all its speed, but the white haired girl spun to the side and it missed, its snout smashing powerfully into the earth. Seeing that it was briefly stunned, Kyra wasted no time in using her wrist blades to destroy the serpent’s remaining vision and leaving it completely blind. Satisfied with her handiwork, Kyra ran back to meet her fellow combatants. 

“Now! Get it’s attention!” Kyra yelled to Gayle, who was standing with her laser cuffs aimed at the beast.

“You got it!” Gayle replied, shooting a concentrated ray of energy at each of the Grimm’s heads. 

Heated beams burned through the thick scales, and the monster wailed. It coiled in on itself, blindly lashing out with its fangs. But its fury soon returned, and the four nimble initiates sprang back to avoid a surprisingly accurate strike. Sharing a glance, they turned and ran to join the others in their battle against the massive raven.

Jad fired continuous blasts of dust energy from his staff, trying to wear down their foe. While every shot hit its mark, the Grimm didn’t seem phased in the slightest by the onslaught. The giant bird hovered above the students, only flapping its massive wings occasionally to stay aloft.

Damn it! This isn’t really working… Jad thought, frustrated. After a few more hits, a bright green light started shimmering over his skin, his mood shifting when he took note of it. Although… He snickered, A few more direct hits will help me end this pretty quickly…

Spotting the change in Jad, the Nevermore let out a shrill cry and flapped its wings. A barrage of black feathers shot from its wings, the tips arching towards him. As he was about to be impaled, however, a strong gust of wind descended upon the boy, blowing all of the plumage away. Rosalie jumped in front of Jad and swirled her Lavender Thorn in a clockwise motion, the winds following accordingly. Faster and faster she went, until a churning vortex hovered around her sword. She stabbed in the Grimm’s direction, and the twister was loosed, growing larger and larger as it neared the Nevermore. The massive bird struggled to remain aloft as the cyclone came closer, but its wings were unable to withstand the manipulated air currents. With a loud cry it crashed to the ground, dazed. 

“Sonara, now’s your chance! Get him good!” Rosalie called to her partner, the girl in green grinning.

“Hehehehe! You got it, Rosy!!” Sonara cheered, drawing her jian and rushing towards the grounded Nevermore. 

As she got closer, chunks of rock and earth were torn from the ground, rising up and floating around Sonara. A green-yellow glow covered the boulders, each of them controlled by the still grinning girl. Pointing her sword at the monster, the necklace of earth hurled towards the Nevermore, shattering when it made contact. The Grimm had recovered from the wind attack, but cawed furiously as it was impacted by the thrown earth, its black plumage spotted with patches of brown. It tried to take flight, but Rosalie urged the air above the beast to press it into the unforgiving ground. 

“Hey, uh, Valerie?” Jad shouted, holding onto his hat as the wind threatened to sweep it away. “Now’s our chance! Let’s get him!”

“Okay!” Valerie shouted back. 

She and Jad charged the Grimm. Valerie got there first and bashed the bird's beak with her shield, sending its head reeling back. Jad switched with Valerie and leapt up, slashing at the base of the monster’s neck. The Nevermore wasn’t greatly affected and snapped its beak down to hit Jad, but he blocked the attack with his staff. Unfortunately it didn’t absorb all of the blow’s force, and he was sent crashing into the ground. Stunned, Jad got shakily to his feet, the light he’d been emitting fading. 

He looked up to see the Nevermore trying to free itself from Rosalie’s wind restraints. Valerie was able to strike at a wing joint with her sword a few times, but only succeeded in angering the monster further. The Nevermore became more agitated as it’s attempts to free itself proved fruitless, its cries growing louder and louder. Rosalie tried to keep her restraints in place, but she was losing energy. Holding such a massive creature for so long was a struggle, and her body was starting to hurt from the effort. 

Before long Rosalie was unable to maintain her semblance, and with a victorious screech the Nevermore leapt into the air. Rosalie’s exhausted body was sent flying into the dirt by the blast of air those massive wingbeats caused, briefly knocking her out.

When she opened her eyes, Rosalie saw that the group who’d taken the King Taijitu was running toward them, the great serpent following haphazardly. Slowly getting to her feet, Rosalie tried pulling up her semblance again and fought a wave of dizziness that caused her to sway on her feet.

No, there has to be something left! She thought desperately, clutching at a sharp pain in her left arm. I have to keep that Nevermore pinned for just a bit longer! Calling upon her semblance once more, she used the last dregs of her energy to create another windstorm, pinning the Nevermore again.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!” Rosalie screamed, her whole body protesting the strain of sustaining the winds. 

Azure and the others soon ran past the pink haired initiate, which could only mean...

“Move!” Rember shouted to Rosalie over the whirlwind. “It’s right behind you!”

Dropping her semblance, Rosalie barely was able to get out of the way as the rampaging King Taijitu charged towards the downed Nevermore. The two monsters collided, the sound of the impact echoing throughout the canyon below.

“We’ll take the bird! you take the snake!” Jad said to Valerie, and he and Gayle ran towards the Nevermore. 

Valerie nodded and looked over at Kyra. Her partner was trying to say something, and with a little thought she was able to make it out before they both rushed the King Taijitu.

“How long can your weapons stun that thing?” Azure called out to Rember, putting an arrow to his string as they ran.

“As long we need!” Rember yelled back, batons at the ready. “Just say the word.”

Azure nodded and loosed the arrow, hitting the colossal Grimm in the face. The arrow lodged in the bone plating covering its head, and the Nevermore cawed in annoyance. Jad unleashed a flurry of slashes across the Grimm’s face and neck, cutting through the thick layers of hardened feathers and into the flesh beneath. Gayle was mirroring Jad’s attacks with her glaive, wearing down at the enemy’s throat. The Nevermore screeched in alarm and flapped its wings, trying to get in the air, but the hungry claws of Rember’s weapons shot out to waylay it. The sharp points dug into the facial bone plating, and Rember hit a button on each of her whips, sending surges of electricity into the Grimm. The monster cried out in pain and crashed back to earth, dislodging the claws and cutting off the electric current.

“Jad! Gayle! Hit the back of its neck!” Azure called out, the other pair nodded in response.

They jumped into action and started wailing away at the spot Azure pointed out. Looking over his shoulder, Azure took in the other team’s condition at a glance.

Each pair was occupied with a separate head. Valerie and Kyra alternated blows against the black head, while Sonara was distractedly holding off the white head, and shielding Rosalie at the same time.

“Just hold on Rosy…” Sonara whispered as she stopped another lunge from the snake. She grunted, the continuous impacts started to wear her down. “I’ll fight this evil monster till you can help.” 

Using her semblance, she started chucking rocks at the Grimm, hitting it in the face. The beast hissed, enraged and frustrated. It dove at Sonara again, intent on destroying her, and Rosalie tried to stand again only to stumble, her strength spent. Sonara was able to stop the attack with her jian, the sword holding strong under the pressure, but her arms shook with the effort. Both human and monster pushed with all their might, but the King Taijitu was slowly winning, pushing back Sonara inch by inch. 

“Rosy…” Sonara grunted, her muscles about to give. “You need to get up! If you don’t…” She trailed off, fear evident in her voice. “I can’t hold on much longer!! Help me!!”

A bolt of energy shot through Rosalie and she jumped to her feet, both rapiers poised. She dashed towards the head, scoring a deep wound just behind the jaw. The monster wasn’t expecting such an attack, and it paused as it became difficult to breathe. 

“Now, Sonara! Kill it!” Rosalie shouted to her partner, once more. 

Sonara nodded and readied her sword, a deadly look in her eyes. She leapt into the air and aimed for the incision left by Rosalie. She swung her jian as she came crashing down, cutting cleanly through its throat. The beast gurgled and slammed into the ground, dead. 

“Sounds like the other two killed their target.” Kyra said, shooting bullets at the white head.

“Then we best hurry!” Valerie replied, crouching behind her shield. “I can get it, but I need you to draw its attention for a sec, kay?”

Kyra voiced her agreement and continued shooting, keeping the snake at a distance. Valerie looked at her sword and concentrated, tapping into her semblance. Her red eyes began to glow and the metal of the blade started radiating heat. After a few more moments she turned her attention to the King Taijitu.

“Alright! Switch out!” Valerie ordered, and she sprinted toward the snake with her heated blade held in front. 

Kyra complied and moved out of the way so that Valerie had a straight shot at the beast, but kept up her rate of fire. Moving as fast as she could, Valerie leapt towards the Grimm. When she was close enough, she narrowed her gaze and swung her sword. There was a sizzling sound, and the smell of burning flesh as the blade cut cleanly through the Grimm, beheading it.

Valerie landed safely on the ground and let out a relieved sigh. She turned to see how Azure and the others were doing, and was blown away by what she witnessed.

Gayle and Jad were working vigorously to expose the skin on the Nevermore, but were only able to uncover a small patch before it recovered and took to the skies. It had done its “Feather Rain” attack a couple more times, but the four of them were unharmed.

Azure had been observing the Grimm’s condition throughout the encounter, and he could tell that they were wearing it down. Now’s my chance… he thought, his bow split back into two blades. 

“Rember!” he called out to his partner. She glanced over at him before returning her eyes to the Grimm, triangular ears angled to hear him. “I need an opening! Stun it again!” 

Rember gave him an assured smile and grinned wickedly. 

“You got it!” she exclaimed, readying her whips. 

The Nevermore shrilled as it flapped above the group, beginning to gain some height. Rember took immediate action and activated her whips, sending the clawed ends flying through the air. They were able to latch around the monster's legs and she activated the electricity, sending the Grimm to the ground once more. Azure dashed forward and hopped on top the colossal beast. Rember stopped the electricity so he wouldn’t become part of the circuit. The Nevermore recovered from the stun almost instantly and took to the air without hindrance, whipping up a ferocious wind. It flew higher and higher, until it was a safe distance away from the puny creatures below. Azure clung tightly to the Grimm and waited for it to stop its ascent. When it leveled out, he clambered his way to where Jad and Gayle had thinned its feathers and aimed his bow, three arrows notched to a bowstring pulled to its limit.

“Now…” Azure said through gritted teeth, an intense look in his eyes. “ Fall .”

Azure loosed the arrows, each one shooting directly in the bird’s exposed area. The shafts went in the top, through the neck, and out the bottom. The Nevermore’s wings spasmed and stopped flapping, the corpse plummeting back to earth. Throwing his weapon back into his quiver, Azure held on for dear life.

Back on the ground, Gayle looked around for any sign of the pale archer.

 “Where is he?” she asked, unable to spot him in the immediate area.

“Last I saw, he jumped on the giant chicken before it took off…” Jad started, thinking back to a few moments earlier.

Rember shaded her eyes and looked up to see the Grimm falling limply, wind tearing at its feathers, and picked a white figure against the dark plumage. She inhaled sharply and clenched a fist. 

“He’s up on the Grimm!” she exclaimed, pointing.

They all turned their eyes to see Azure holding onto one of the feathers, a look of intense focus on his face. 

“We need to move!” Rember shouted, already sprinting away. “It’s going to come down on top of us!” 

They hurried to follow the speedy faunus, clearing the presumed crash sight and hoping that Azure would survive the collision. 

Up above, Azure remained unfazed, holding fast onto the lifeless body of the Nevermore. His sharp eyes scanned the terrain below, trying to find some way to survive the inevitable impact. I’ve only got one shot at this… He thought, his grip on the beast starting to slip. 

“Hold on Azure!!” Valerie called out, unsure if he could hear her or not. 

The party took cover behind the slowly dissipating carcass of the King Taijitu, all eyes on the figure above.

Azure reached back for his bow, letting go of the Grimm with one hand and digging his blade deep into the exposed area Jad and Gayle made the instant he held the grip of his weapon. A combination of gravity and velocity sent the sword slicing down the Grimm's back, making Azure's heart stop before the blade caught on something, and the sharpened metal held fast. Luck was coming through for him, and now Azure just needed to concentrate. Concentrate and pray this would work...

“WHAT?!?!” Valerie yelled angrily. “Is he insane?!”

Rember piped up sarcastically “Please don’t break my partner, I just got it!”

“Try again, I don't think he heard you!” Jad commented facetiously with a grin, some of the others stifling giggles at Rember’s comment.

Valerie glared, but all eyes soon returned to watching the Nevermore fall ever closer. To their dismay, the group noticed that the Grimm was beginning to disintegrate. That didn’t bode well for their companion. Azure held fast as the body made contact. The entire vicinity erupted with sound and an earth shattering tremor. 

Rember and the others covered their eyes as a wave of dust filled air pounded at their faces. They waited for everything to settle down before leaving their own dissipating cover, searching for any sign of Azure. Squinting through the remaining airborne dirt, a vague silhouette became visible in the distance, moving closer.

“Hey Azure!!” Jad shouted over to it, still squinting. “That you?” 

He wasn’t disappointed. As the words left his mouth Azure’s dust-covered white garments came into view. A sky blue aura fizzed and crackled around his body, but a cool headed grin graced his lips. 

“Yeah,” was all the young man said, taking in the looks of the other initiates. 

Their expressions varied from sheer astonishment, to joy, to impressed. His grin grew, savoring the reactions. 

“C’mon,” he said, pulling out the black knight piece that he and Rember had retrieved. “Let’s get going.”

It had been a few hours since the battle in the ruins, and all students were now back in the school. Everyone waited anxiously for the announcement of this year’s teams, the assembly area packed to the brim.

Azure glossed over the crowd briefly. Rember was chatting with Gayle and Jad beside him. They’d been told to find the pair with the same relic as them and line up in an orderly fashion near the circular stage. Each new student did as instructed and waited eagerly for the ceremony to unfold.

Ozpin walked up to the center of the stage, the audience falling silent as they took note of his appearance.

 “I would like to thank you all for being here,” Ozpin began, offering a welcoming smile to the audience. “It is no easy task to gain acceptance into this school. It takes years of work, dedication, and skill.” He motioned towards the initiates on the side where they waited to be called up. “These young men and women have shown that they fulfill all of those qualifications. So without further delay, it is my honour to present this year’s new students of Beacon Academy!”

The crowd clapped enthusiastically, eager to meet the new students. They didn’t have to wait long, as Ozpin soon began calling out names. 

“Our first students: Khione Blanc. Briar Tempest…”

“I hope this doesn’t take super long, I hate crowds,” Rember commented impatiently, fidgeting with her hair.

“Just be patient,” Azure replied, watching as the line ahead got smaller and smaller. 

It wasn’t long before he heard some familiar names, and returned his attention to the stage.

“Valerie Ashe. Sonara Brunswick. Rosalie Caelum. Kyra Myst,” Ozpin called as the four girls walked onstage and into view of the audience. “The four of you retrieved the white queen pieces. From this day forth you will work together as Team AMBR (Amber), led by Valerie Ashe!”

“Wait, what? I’m the leader?” Valerie exclaimed, clearly shocked. 

The four of them looked up to see their photos on a large screen, a single initial from their respective names under each picture. Sonara jumped onto Valerie’s back, giggling and hugging her happily. Rosalie and Kyra both nodded approvingly as they made their way off stage, leaving Valerie struggling to detach Sonara kindly.

“Guys! It’s our turn next!” Gayle whispered eagerly. The four of them straightened in preparation.

“Rember Autumn. Jad Eclipse. Azure Knyte. Gayle Mensthe,” Ozpin announced. The four followed team AMBR’s example and lined up in view of the spectators. “The four of you retrieved the black knight pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as: Team KRME (Chrome). Led by Azure Knyte!” 

Azure’s eyes flooded with surprise and he looked over to his new teammates. Jad gave him a big grin and tipped the brim of his hat. Rember smiled and punched Azure’s shoulder playfully.

“That’s so awesome!! Congrats!” Rember told him, laughing.

To his surprise she gave him a hug. Her laughter eased his initial discomfort. Gayle suddenly pounced on the both of them and knocked them to the floor, praising Azure’s accomplishment as well. The audience laughed as the newly formed team scrambled to their feet and Rember pulled everyone into a crushing group hug. The team shared the moment for a bit longer before they were ushered off the stage.

“I think we’re gonna make a great team!” Rember smiled, still holding Azure and Gayle in a hug/headlock.

“Rember…” Azure gasped, clearly out of breath. Across from him, Gayle was tapping on Rember’s other arm weakly. 

Seeing them struggle, Rember let go of them immediately. 

“Whoops! Sorry,” she apologized.

“It’s no problem,” Gayle replied, rubbing her neck. “I’m really excited to have you three as teammates!”

The two girls went back and forth, building off of each other's enthusiasm until they were both speaking too quickly for the boys to catch all of their conversation.

“Quite the partners, eh Pasty?” Jad said lightheartedly, nudging Azure and chuckling. 

Azure nodded at Jad and looked back to the stage, observing at the last team being announced.

“...And finally: Blake Belladonna. Ruby Rose. Weiss Schnee. Yang Xiao Long,” Ozpin said, gesturing to the last four girls. 

Azure felt a sense of deja vu as he saw the ones named Blake and Weiss, but he ignored the feeling as Ozpin continued. 

“The four of you retrieved the white knight pieces. From this day forward you will work together as Team RWBY. Led by...Ruby Rose!” Ozpin concluded. 

Azure saw Ruby freeze, shocked, only moving when Yang gave her leader a hug, and a small smile spread across his face.

“C’mon you three,” Azure addressed his team, walking towards the exit. “Let’s go get a dorm room.”

“You got it,” Jad said.

“Sounds good!” Gayle replied.

“Let’s go! Team KRME, ready for action!” Rember exclaimed, punching the air. 

Three followed their leader closely, walking out of the amphitheater and in the direction of the dorm buildings.

The night was young and the air was cold, biting at any skin left uncovered. Two men lurked in a secluded alleyway on the shady side of Vale in an effort to make their meeting more private. The men wore white and black garb, masks resembling the faces of Grimm concealing their identity. They had animal ears poking out of the black hoods they both wore, dead giveaways that they were faunus. The red head of a Beowolf backed by three jagged claw marks adorned the back of their outfits. 

They were from the White Fang.

“Did you deliver the shipment to Torchwick and get the money?” One of them asked, his cat ears swiveling around in an effort to detect any incoming danger.

The other faunus nodded. “Yup. We should contact the leaders now.” 

The faunus pulled out his collapsable, holographic tablet known as a Scroll and searched up the contact information of their superiors. The scroll’s dial tone sounded for a moment before a voice was heard at the other end.

“Did you finish the job?” The voice was deep and blunt, cutting straight to the chase.

“Yes sir. We got it to the warehouse.” The cat faunus answered. “What’s our next move?”

There was a pause before the booming voice spoke up again. “Get back to base and alert teams SWAN and GOLD that they should resume their training. They need to be ready to execute a big job in a couple months time.” The transmission cut out abruptly, leaving the two grunts to their thoughts.

“You heard the boss,” the cat faunus spoke up, rolling his shoulders. “Let’s alert the teams.”

The other faunus nodded his head and tucked the scroll away. Then the two ran into the darkness, vanishing from sight.

Chapter Text

Birds twittered and sang in the morning air, as sunlight warmed up the dorm room that KRME now lived in. Stirring from her slumber, Gayle sat up groggily, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She stretched the stiffness out of her shoulders while mumbling a slurred "Morning."

"Morning," Gayle heard Azure say. 

She looked over to where the boy was laying on top of his bed, hands laced together behind his head. His white hair was a bit unruly, as was his sleepwear. 

"You seem rather awake," Gayle pointed out, yawning. "How long have you been up?"

"...A while," Azure replied.

Gayle quirked an eyebrow and shrugged, preoccupied with wrangling her hair into a more manageable form. Azure got off his bed and grabbed his battle gear, which was hanging over his bed frame. 

"You should get ready soon," he told Gayle, walking towards their bathroom. "We’ve got classes this morning." 

Gayle nodded silently, intent on untangling the waves of ginger hair cascading across her sheets. At that moment, Rember awoke with a loud yawn, pulling back the hood on her onesie to reveal disheveled orange hair.

"Gooood morning, team!" Rember greeted brightly.

Gayle giggled. "Doesn’t take long for you to get up, does it? Love the hair, by the way." 

Rember raised a questioning eyebrow before mischievously grinning. "I could say the same for you, hurricane hair,” she said wryly. Gayle stuck out her tongue in return.

Rember laughed. “Anyways, you know what the first class is today?”

“Ummmm…” Gayle looked pensive for a moment. “I believe it’s Professor Goodwitch first period for the four of us...yep. And I think I remember hearing that we’re supposed to wear our gear for that class, and bring our school uniforms to change into after.”

“Alright then, best get ready," Rember said, getting out of her bunk and doing a quick sweep of their room. 

The dorm was still very empty; the team had elected not to unpack the night before. But they still had everything they might need or want in their small quarters, including a bathroom, a small kitchen with a fridge, a changing room, and a small television in one of the corners. The four beds actually took up most of the free space, and Rember had been thinking of ways to rearrange them for more breathing room since the night before.

Rember and Gayle's attention was grabbed by a loud snort, drawing their attention to the only bed that was still occupied. Jad was fast asleep, sprawled out on his bunk with a pillow over his head. He made a series of snores and grunts, prompting the girls to giggle in amusement. 

"Yo Jad!" Rember said as she walked over to where the boy slept. "It's time to get up!" 

The tall boy made no response, aside from continuing to snore. 

"Jad! Wake up, Jad! Jaaaaaaaaaadd!" Rember whispered in Jad's ear as she lifted the pillow, proceeding to poke the back of his head repeatedly. 

This time, the boy's body started glowing dark green, intriguing the faunus.

Gayle snickered at the fox faunus's attempts to stir her partner. 

"I think you should stop now. I'm pretty sure he got the message," she said as she watched the glow intensify.

"Not. Un. Til. He. Gets. Up,” Rember replied, grinning, each syllable punctuated by another poke. 

The light surrounding Jad continued growing darker and darker, turning into an almost black-green color. Shifting slightly, Jad gave the girls the best death glare that he could muster.

“You should have let me sleep…” he hissed, grabbing his pillow and placing it over his head again, falling back asleep while the black light faded. 

Naturally, Rember resumed trying to get Jad out of his bed. 

“Hah! Like hell we will,” she said as she used her semblance to cool the area around Jad’s bed. He clutched at his sheets, trying to stay warm. “Gayle, could you get me some cold water?”

“Sure thing, Rember!” the lizard faunus complied, rushing over to the sink and grabbing a glass.

“Feel free to just call me Ber,” Rember said as she debated her next course of action. 

Taking the glass from Gayle, Rember tapped into her semblance again to cool the water just above freezing and perched it above the sleeping boy, a devilish grin on her face. Hehehe...this is going to be great… she thought as she grabbed a loose corner of Jad’s blanket, the glass ready to spill. Pulling the cloth back slowly, Rember’s grin widened when she saw that Jad wasn’t wearing a shirt, guaranteeing a priceless reaction. Inching, she tilted the cup of glacial water.

“Hold it.”

Pausing, she looked back and saw Azure standing behind her, dressed in his gear with a blank look on his face.

“But why?” Rember asked, eyes still dancing mischievously.

“Because...” Azure explained, taking the glass away from his now disappointed partner, “he’ll never forgive you if you do.” 

Walking over to the fridge, Azure opened it to find that it was actually stocked with a good selection of food. Not only that but they had cooking pots and pans, impressing him. Convenient , he thought as he grabbed a small pan and started up a burner. As he waited for it to heat up, Azure pulled out a packaged pound of bacon, opening it and placing a few strips on the heated pan. Within moments, the room was carrying the aroma of cooked bacon. 

Jad also caught the scent and slid out of his bed, hitting the floor like a sack of potatoes.  Shambling like a zombie, he slowly crawled towards the smell. 

“Bacon...bacon...baaaaccoooonn...” he moaned, clawing at Azure’s pant leg. “Must...have….baaaacoooonn…”

“Go get ready,” Azure stated, not fazed in the slightest by Jad’s behaviour.

“Fiiiiiiiiine...” Jad droned as he got to his feet, grabbing his hat and gear before plodding towards the shower.

“Anybody want anything else while I’m here?” Azure asked the girls.

Rember was quick to answer. 

“Ooh! Ooh! Cheese and mushroom scrambled eggs with chocolate chip pancakes and orange juice!” she exclaimed eagerly. “And make the pancakes look like little Grimm!”

“I’ll have what she’s having,” Gayle said as she went to work on the last bits of her tangled hair.

Nodding, Azure went back to the cold storage to see if they had everything needed. Sure enough, there was practically anything that they could ever want, with the notable exception of two items.

 “...We don’t have any mushrooms...or chocolate chips,” he announced. 

“What?! But...but DUUUUUDE! Cheese and mushroom scrambled eggs! And chocolate chip pancakes! How can we not have either of those two things?” Rember wailed with disappointment.

Azure shrugged his shoulders in indifference. “We just don’t. Guess you’ll just have to make do without them.”

Triangular ears laying flat, Rember sighed irritably. “Give me a sec, I’ll be right back.” 

Without another word, she stalked out of their room still in her pj's, leaving Azure and Gayle sharing very confused looks. Rember was back in a few minutes, holding a few mushrooms and a small plastic bag with chocolate chips. As she entered the room she saw that Jad was now seated at their small table eating a plate full of bacon, and Azure was still cooking. Gayle wasn’t anywhere to be seen so Rember figured she was in the washroom.

“...As I said, you still make awesome--oh hey foxy! Where’d you run off to?” Jad said as he noticed Rember back in the room.

Azure eyed the food that his partner held suspiciously. 

“Where did you get those?” he asked, his tone carefully neutral.

She just smiled mischievously and handed the items to her partner. 

“If I don’t tell you, you don’t have to lie if you’re asked,” she smirked. “But don’t worry, there weren’t any witnesses.”

Azure watched her walk gracefully away before shrugging and adding the ingredients to the food he was making.

The rest of the morning went by fairly smoothly for the team. They all ate, cleaned up, and were ready for their first day of classes, with a bit of time to spare before needing to leave.

“Aaaaaaaah...Gotta say Azure, you’re a really good cook!” Rember said with satisfaction, reminiscing happily about breakfast and rubbing her full stomach.

“Thanks,” Azure said, eyeing his school uniform. 

It was unlike anything he had ever worn. It was a black suit lined with gold, a blue vest, and a white dress shirt, completed with a red tie.

“So we have to change into these after class? Ugh, this will get tedious if we’re constantly switching clothes between lessons,” Jad grumbled as studied his own uniform.

“It’ll be fine. They give us enough time to change and get to the next class,” Gayle informed them. Her hair had since been tamed and sorted back into her usual braid.

Jad continued to gripe to himself while the rest of them checked out their new getup. The girls’ attire consisted of a red plaid skirt and a brown jacket over a white shirt and a tan vest. Rember also chose to wear long socks with her outfit while Gayle didn’t.

“Hey, anyone know the time? I don’t want to be late,” Gayle asked.

Pulling out his Scroll, Azure checked the hour. Each of them had been given one of the holographic tablets from the school to act as their own personal multi-purpose tool while at the academy, as well as acting as an electronic key to their dorm. 

“It’s 8:45.”

“Classes start at 9:00!” Gayle exclaimed. “Though I do hate to leave our room unpacked…” She glanced at the suitcases still huddled in one of the room’s corners, barely touched.

“Eh, we’ll just get everything organized later,” Jad said dismissively. “It’s not like we’ll be moving out anytime soon anyway.”

“He’s right, Gayle. It’ll be fine,” Azure added. He turned towards the door and held it open for the others. “C’mon, we should go.”

With varying levels of enthusiasm, his team filed out to their first lesson. It was a rather short walk from the dorm building to the academic structure, specifically the amphitheater. When they arrived, they saw that many students had arrived before them and were seated in the bleachers surrounding a circular arena. The class chatted as they waited for the professor to arrive, most of them seated with their new teammates.With Azure leading them, the four members of team KRME casually made their way to an empty area in the stands. 

“So this is some kind of...dueling class?” Jad asked Gayle curiously.

“I assume so. The class is called PT and Dueling , so I would have to say that, yeah, it’s probably a dueling class,” Gayle replied dryly, smirking.  

“Heh, smart alek,” Jad quipped, giving Gayle his own grin.

“You kinda walked into that one, Fedora boy,” Rember grinned.

“Quiet,” Azure stated flatly, sitting back with his arms folded and his eyes were closed. “Teacher’s almost here.”

As he said the words, Professor Glynda Goodwitch entered the room, stopping in the middle of the raised stage below to address her students. 

“Good morning, students. Before we begin, is everyone in attendance?” she said, looking over her class.

“Hold on!” a voice shouted.

The audience turned toward the sound. The shout came from team AMBR, the four of them running up to the stands and taking a seat by team KRME. 

“Sorry we’re late,” Valerie said apologetically. 

“Nice of your team to join us, Miss Ashe,” Glynda said, staring hard at the four latecomers. “Now, to begin. Welcome to PT and Dueling class! By now, most of you have been honing your physical prowess and fighting talents for a long time. Let me just say to all the first years here," she continued, surveying them seriously, "you have all chosen to be here, so I expect everyone to put forth their best effort in this class. Are we clear?" 

“Yes, Professor Goodwitch,” the students chimed, bobbing their heads in understanding.

“Good. While your main duty as a Huntsman or Huntress will be to protect the people from any force outside the four kingdoms, it is also imperative to be adaptable. You must know how to handle threats with more...complex strategies,” Glynda announced, her gaze still firm. “You will learn how to battle thinking opponents, as well as how to make smart, in-battle choices on the fly. You must do all this while monitoring your Aura levels and remaining aware of anyone else around you, be they friend, foe, or someone in need of protection.” Pulling out her scroll, Glynda browsed through the list of students. “Now, I would like to invite Flavia Enro and Inigo Versailles to the floor to give our new students a demonstration.”

As she said their names, an extremely pretty girl with long golden hair and orange eyes, and a handsome boy with light lavender hair and dark brown eyes got up and made their way onto the raised stage, the lights dimming. While walking there, some of the male students wolf whistled at Flavia, while some of the females whispered excitedly about Inigo. To Azure’s mild amusement, Rember snorted disdainfully as her keen ears caught snippets of conversation.

Taking their spots in the pool of light below, Flavia and Inigo pulled out their weapons and took ready stances. Flavia wielded two pistol-swords, while Inigo held an intricate looking two-handed blade. Above them, the students saw two monitors appear with a profile shot of each duelist, a green bar visible underneath their pictures.

“Alright then, Flavia, my dear…” Inigo said to his teammate, his large weapon resting against his shoulder. “Let’s give them a show!”

“After you, twinkle toes,” the blonde replied smugly, firearms up and ready.

The battle started with an audible countdown, and the second it hit zero the combatants were on the move. Though the minutes ticked away, there was nonstop action in the ring. The duo were evenly matched, blow for blow, executing moves with expert precision. Flavia dodged the wide swings from Inigo’s blade, while the boy simultaneously deflected incoming bullets with the broad side of his sword. 

Up in the bleachers, Jad was on the edge of his seat, eyes wide as he took in the bout.  

“Man, this is intense ! I didn’t think that guy could move so fast with that big of a sword!”

“Flavia’s doing really well too. They’re both skilled, that’s for sure,” Rember added, green eyes watching the match with studious interest.

The competition was close. Both combatants had now exchanged blows, the green meters on the screens slowly shrinking and turning yellow. Flavia charged at Inigo, looking to force an opening in his defense. Her swords came at him from opposite directions, hurtling towards his midsection. To Flavia’s dismay, Inigo blocked her with a smirk and turned the hilt of his sword against her, landing a blow to her gut. Air rushed out of the blonde’s lungs and she slumped to the ground. She still had her wits about her though. Gasping in a breath, she rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding a downwards strike from her opponent. Fresh air flooding her lungs, Flavia leapt to her feet, guns at the ready.

Frustrated that he hadn’t ended the duel when he thought he would, Inigo snarled as Flavia unleashed a hail of bullets at him. She was a crack shot, and most of the projectiles hit Inigo straight on. He winced, his aura taking hit after hit. Above them the crowd cheered and booed, some shouting encouragement while others talked smack. With a quick glance up, Inigo saw that the bar monitoring his aura was nearly empty and grimaced. 

Taking advantage of his distraction, Flavia lunged forward. Inigo tried and failed to defend himself from the flurry of sword strikes she unleashed upon him. His aura depleting, Inigo’s body fell to the arena floor and remained motionless. The screen showed only a sliver of red under his name and Flavia put her weapons away with a smug grin.

“Fancy footwork didn’t save you today, loverboy!” she crooned.

The lights were coming back around the amphitheater. Flavia walked up to her teammate and helped the boy to his feet, laughing.

“Hehe, it just wasn’t my dance is all,” Inigo said, grinning lightheartedly.

“And the winner is Flavia Enro,” Glynda announced, addressing the students. “Now students, can you tell me a few things that you noticed from that scuffle?” she asked, her green eyes scanning the attendants.

Wasting no time, Gayle’s hand shot up first. “The meter under both fighter’s pictures corresponded with how fit for battle they were!” she replied observantly.

“That’s correct, Miss Mensthe,” Glynda agreed. She then pointed to the duel results. “As you can tell, each meter shows us the aura level of its designated individual. Mr. Versailles’ aura turned red, and in a tournament he would be considered unable to continue. Anything else?”

Rember answered next. “Flavia used her superior mobility to outmaneuver her opponent and stay ahead of his attacks. Inigo clearly has more strength, but his larger weapon slows him down. Each one had to account for the other’s different combat style and adapt their own accordingly.”

“Very good, Miss Autumn. I can see you’re quite observant,” Glynda complimented. A few more students contributed their thoughts until she dismissed the rest of the raised hands and returned her attention to her Scroll. “Moving on. I will be picking from a random list of first years and putting them in one-on-one scenarios, as has been demonstrated by Miss Enro and Mister Versailles.” 

The rest of the class went by fairly quickly. Two students would fight, Glynda would ask the students that weren’t competing what they saw done well and what could’ve been done differently, and they would move on to the next duel. 

“Seems we’re almost out of time, but we can fit in one more match.” Glynda said, looking at the clock. A good number of students had already performed, the bouts relatively short for the first day, but her eyes soon rested on an individual that had piqued her interest since initiation. She picked an opponent at random, curious about the potential outcome of the final bout. “For this last battle I would like to invite Valerie Ashe and Azure Knyte to the floor.”

Valerie’s eyes widened in surprise, glancing over at the white robed boy. I have to fight Azure? she thought nervously. Getting to his feet, Azure quietly strode past Valerie and down the steps, the silver haired girl following close behind. They went to opposite ends of the training floor and readied their weapons. Waiting for his opponent, Azure observed Valerie with a neutral stare, his green eyes unreadable. 

“Alright…” Valerie told Azure, raising her sword and shield. “Gimme your best!”

Azure continued to stare evenly, pulling his hood up over his head and obscuring his face in shadows. Grasping his bow at the center, he separated the weapon into dual blades and took his stance, holding the weapons in a reverse grip.

In the stands above, teams KRME and AMBR amiably debated the outcome of the duel, each backing their respective leaders.

“I got 15 lien on Pasty,” Jad offered with a confident smirk.

“Hah, I don’t think so! Val-Val will win!” Sonara retorted, poking the boy’s nose.

“ Val-Val? Seriously? How old are you again?” Kyra mumbled in regards to her teammate’s childish behavior, to which the short brunette responded with a heated glare.

“Both are capable fighters, as we have all seen,” Rosalie pointed out, taking the middleground. “So it’s best that we just wait to see the outcome.”

“Nah, Pasty has this in the bag,” Jad insisted, his conviction strong.

“That’s rather presumptuous,” Gayle said, raising a skeptical eyebrow. 

Jad just continued to smile, his confidence unwavering. “Trust me, if he still fights like he did when we trained together, this ain’t gonna be pretty.” He turned his attention back to Sonara. “Still want to take that wager?” he asked, stretching out his hand.

“You’re on, Hat Man!” Sonara agreed, shaking the proffered limb vigorously. 

Down below the two combatants mirrored each other, walking around the edge of the ring. Anticipation hung heavy, everyone waiting for one of the duelists to make a move. Though his face was obscured, any competent fighter could tell by Azure’s body language that he was loose and composed. Valerie, on the other hand, was stiff and nervous, and there was an uncertain look on her face.

Valerie made the first move, rushing at her opponent. She unleashed a series of slashes at Azure, but missed as the boy effortlessly blocked them all with his own swords. She tried bashing him with her shield but Azure nimbly sidestepped the attack, throwing her off balance and creating an opening. Pain shot through Valerie’s torso when Azure dealt three quick blows to her ribs. She staggered back and held up her shield instinctively, surprised when no follow up attack came. Peeking out, she saw Azure standing quietly waiting for her to recover.

Ow… Valerie thought as she waited for the pain to subside. For one so lean, he sure can pack a punch where it counts...

Readying her shield again, she charged once more. She eyed Azure closely as the distance between them shrank, anticipating evasion on his part. She slashed at the hooded boy, and he did as she suspected, just moving out of the way. She tried using her momentum to bash him with her shield, but somehow Azure was able to duck away. She released an onslaught of swings and blows but none of her attacks landed, Azure dodging each of them with irritating ease.

In the stands above, Rember sat with a puzzled frown, green eyes narrowed suspiciously at the duel. 

Gayle saw the look on her face and asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Well, this might sound crazy, but I can hear all their movements and they sound...weird.”

“What do you mean? Everything looks normal down there.”

Rember’s triangular ears twitched. “Well, I can pick up even the smallest sounds if I concentrate. I can hear the swishing of Valerie’s sword, the rustling of her gear every time she moves, all of her footsteps,” she explained. “But if I focus on Azure, I get nothing.”

Gayle’s eyes widened.

Out of breath, Valerie stood a good distance from Azure. She stayed there, perplexed that she hadn’t landed a single scratch. Her arms shook from her efforts, though she fought to hide her vulnerability. There is no way, she thought. He’s barely made a move, and I’ve used all of my energy just trying to hit him. I’m going to have to be smarter about this.

Stationing her shield in front of her, Valerie gestured for Azure to approach. The hooded boy lifted his chin and moved slowly in her direction. The girl tightened the grip on the hilt of her blade as Azure’s pace quickened into a light jog. The distance between the two got smaller and smaller, and Azure broke into a full on sprint. Valerie braced herself, using both arms to hold her shield up. Azure’s attack came in the form of a flying kick, right into her barrier. Valerie held fast, but was once again taken by surprise as she realized the boy wasn’t trying to attack, simply to maneuver past her defenses. When his foot made contact, Azure used it as a springboard, jumping over Valerie’s head with a flip. While airborne, he slashed at her back, the force sending the girl sliding across the floor on her shield.

Heaving herself to her feet, Valerie turned to her opponent with tired determination. She had next to nothing left, but the match wouldn’t end until one of them couldn’t get up. She gathered her strength, and positioned defensively again. Azure decided to step on the gas without warning and rushed Valerie, the girl barely registering that he was right on top of her until they were mere inches away. She tried to counter but the boy got behind her and whacked her upside the head, her body slumping to the earth.

“And the winner is Azure Knyte,” Glynda announced.

“...WHAAAAA?!?!?!” Sonara exclaimed, her jaw hanging open in comical fashion.

“Told ya,” Jad replied smugly, a superior smirk spreading across his face as he sat back and laced his fingers behind his head. “Pay up.” 

On the ground level, Azure loomed over the unconscious Valerie, his blades hanging limply at his sides. He stared intently at the girl, waiting to see if she would wake up soon. Eventually her body started to twitch, and Azure tensed up when an old voice sounded in his head.

Now. Finish it now.

Shaking his head, Azure deliberately returned his swords to his quiver. The bell rang, and Azure walked away from the arena, the rest of his team following after him. Valerie opened her eyes in time to see the white haired boy leave, another wave of blackness threatening to overtake her again. The rest of Team AMBR went to their leader’s side, helping her up.

“You alright?” Rosalie inquired, holding her leader’s left arm to steady her.

“Yeah...just a little dizzy…” Valerie mumbled sullenly.

“He totally mopped the floor with you. That’s got to be embarrassing,” Kyra grumbled with a frown.

Valerie looked at her partner with a small smile. “Nah,” she said, “Azure’s a really good fighter. It just shows me how hard I have to work.” She shrugged off Rosalie and Kyra’s support, ready to stand. “C’mon, we’ve got other classes today,” she said brightly, leading the way out of the amphitheater. 

“Azure! That was amazing!” Gayle praised as they made their way to the next class, her eyes bright with excitement.

“Yeah not bad,” Jad stated, giving his friend a respectful nod.

“Thanks,” Azure replied evenly.

Behind them, Rember mulled over her own thoughts privately. She knew that Azure was talented, but that fight had been a farce. Completely one sided. It didn’t sit well with her. Besides, the inconsistencies that had taken place unnerved her slightly. The thing she’d left out when talking to Gayle was that she had heard small sounds during the fight, but they didn’t originate from anything visible.

He was pretty intense during initiation, but his focus during the match was insane. And the silence. He didn’t make a sound! No grunts, or noises of exertion. It doesn’t matter how skilled you are, no one is that quiet. Puzzled as she was, Gayle’s voice snapped her from her thoughts.

“Hey, Ber! You coming?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah! Right behind you!” She replied, breaking into a light jog to catch up with her team. 

She would ponder this later. There was something a little weird about her partner.

Chapter Text

"Yaaaaaawn! Finally done with classes! I think I need more bacon...." Jad said, exasperated. 

The last period with Professor Port had been long, and Jad was not enjoying the new outfit, fiddling constantly with his red tie. With classes finished for the day, the team had retired to their dorm, tired from the wealth of names and information that had been crammed into them. 

“I’m with ya. That last teacher seemed like he could talk for hours…” Rember agreed as she rifled through her clothes, eager to change into something more comfortable. While she didn’t mind the new attire as much as Jad, she didn’t like wearing skirts. “And what are you complaining about? You slept through most of class!” 

“I needed to catch up on my lost hours from this morning,” Jad stated matter of factly. “I don't do mornings.”

Rolling her eyes, Rember walked over to where Gayle was busy flipping through a thick binder on her bed. 

“What’s that?” she asked.

“It’s all my notes!” Gayle exclaimed proudly, displaying the pages of colour-coded handwriting and sketched illustrations in her binder. “I’m going over all of it for tomorrow’s classes.”

“Lemme see that for a sec…” Rember muttered, reaching for the notes. Her eyes widened as she skimmed through the sheets of paper. “There’s got to be at least ten pages here! And over half of it’s on what that Port guy was babbling about!” she exclaimed. 

Gayle grinned at her teammate’s reaction. “It’s not that weird. I’ve always taken very thorough notes.”

“Yeah, but reviewing them already? We only just got out! At least get out of your uniform and help unpack everything before becoming a studious hermit.”

“Oh my heart. Nerdy girls are adorable.” Jad added, giving his partner his signature smirk.

Gayle scoffed. “Hey! I prefer the term academic.”

The red haired boy feigned nonchalance. “Whatever you say, nerd,” he said with a wink.

As they went back and forth, Azure and Rember had taken the opportunity to change out of their school clothes. Sitting on Azure’s bed, the pair had their heads together trying to figure out how to arrange the dorm room.

“Any ideas?” the fox faunus asked, glancing over at Azure.

Shaking his head, Azure leaned forward and placed his elbows on his knees. “You?”

"Well..."  Rember considered, “I overheard that some of the other teams converted their beds into bunk beds.” She grinned. "We could try that!" 

Overhearing them, Jad flashed a glance at Azure and Rember, formulating another plan. "Ooh! Ooh! I have idea!" he said excitedly. "Why don't you two get bunk beds, while Gayle and I get hammocks!!" 

Azure raised a questioning eyebrow. "And just how do you plan to do that?" he asked. 

"Don't worry, bro, I got this," Jad replied confidently. "Gayle, thoughts? Comfy hammocks!" 

Beaming, Gayle nodded eagerly. "Of course! That sounds neat!”

"Right! Then it's time for jeans!" Jad announced, grabbing more casual clothes before running off to change.

It only took a matter of hours for the four of them to fully transform the empty living space into a more comfortable home. A small, simple home, but a home nonetheless. Books were shelved, outfits hung in closets, and through some miracle, they were able to scrape together a bunk bed for Azure and Rember. In terms of unique splashes, the four teenagers each left some mark that reflected them. 

Azure’s decorating was bland compared to the others. Extra clothes were placed in a closet, and a moderate supply of dust shards found homes near his bunk, close at hand. Other than that there was one object he tried to keep hidden, tucking it away in his arms, but Jad caught a glimpse and smiled evilly to himself instead of calling the boy out on it.

In stark contrast to her partner, Rember had a more items to place. She withdrew a small picture frame and gazed at it before placing it on a small bookshelf, facing her bedside. The image portrayed a younger Rember with an even younger looking girl. Both wore bright smiles that were as carefree as could be, calling the girl back to a simpler, joyful time in her life. Rember smiled sadly as she reminisced on the picture for a few moments, but soon snapping back to the present and assisting her teammates.

Gayle had shelved all of the texts she’d brought, contributing to the majority of their small library. She also claimed a small desk as her workspace for homework and personal projects. Projects that were too big for her bed, that was. To claim her area, she placed a small cactus on the top right corner of her desk. A variety of boxes containing Dust in many forms were placed on the wooden table, ready to be used in the experiments Gayle conducted in her spare time.

To no one's surprise, Jad plastered his area with motorcycle art. Posters, picture clippings, brand logos. You name it, Jad had it. Taping the last piece of art on the wall with a satisfied grin, he turned his attention to the creation of hammocks. Both Jad and Gayle’s beds had been thrown out, leaving only the bedsheets. Looking around, he pieced together his plan of attack.

“Let’s see…” 

Looking up he reached for his staff and started prodding the ceiling, listening intently. The other three looked over curiously at the sound before exchanging puzzled glances.

“Uh...Jad?” Gayle asked, watching her partner poke the ceiling. “What’re you doing?” 

“Finding a beam.  You can't hang a hammock on nothing but drywall,” Jad replied, moving on to various areas. He repeated the jabbing process until he found what he was looking for. “Here we go…” 

Putting his weapon away, Jad cracked his knuckles and jumped, his fist striking through the ceiling. It broke through with relative ease, revealing a wooden beam. Gayle jumped at the noise and dust, a half formed objection escaping her. Azure and Rember observed him with mildly confused, yet composed expressions. Smiling, Jad moved on to his next spot.

"Woah, woah, woah! What on earth are you doing?!" Gayle exclaimed, covering her head as Jad’s knuckles broke through the ceiling once more, causing rubble to cascade to the floor.

After creating a third hole, Jad paused and looked to his partner with a grin as if to say isn't it obvious?, before leaping up and striking a fourth opening. Unfortunately he misjudged this one, leaving a gaping hole that looked up into darkness. As pieces of drywall and dust rained down on him, Jad frowned up at the ceiling.

“I think you missed,” Rember quipped.

Jad shot her a brief glare before reassessing his position and reaching for the ceiling once more, this time exposing the final beam. 

"EXPLAIN PLEASE!!" Gayle yelled as her partner shook white dust from his hair.

"I'm … looking for coins?" he teased. Upon seeing Gayle's flabbergasted expression he added, “Hahaha, I'm exposing beams to anchor our hammocks! But your face! Hehehe!  It's the perfect expression!" 

Gayle felt her body deflate at the explanation, and Rember broke into a fit of laughter upon Jad’s coin remark.

"Hahahahahaha!!! Really?! All that trouble so the hammocks could work?! There are easier ways you could've done that, ya know!" Rember managed to gasp through her laughter, clutching her sides.

Jad looked up at the holes he’d created before shrugging his shoulders and bending over to bunch up the blankets and bedsheets. 

"Hey partner, mind grabbing those ropes for me so I can tie up these suckers?" he asked over his shoulder.

Gayle raised an eyebrow. Why did they have rope ?  

"Uh? I...guess..." she mumbled, spotting a few coils resting near her feet. She let out a sigh and grabbed them. "Here." 

"Appreciated!" Jad said happily, going back to work on the final part. 

After tying the long ends of one of the sheets together, Jad tossed the other ends over the beams and hoisted them up, completing the first hammock. Grabbing his staff, he wasted no time in getting a running start and vaulting himself into his new bed. "Wooooooooo!--hhgn! Aaaaaaaaah...." the boy exclaimed as he landed safely in the sheets, the hammock holding strong as he shifted around to get comfortable. "Good! It works."

"Hehehehe...it would've been great if he missed..." Rember snickered, her voice quiet enough that only Azure could hear. 

The boy in white offered a small hum in response, agreeing with her. 

"Right! Now that this is good to go," said Jad, climbing out of his hammock and landing on the floor with a thud. "Time to do yours. High or low?" he asked.

"As high as possible, thank you." Gayle answered, smiling.

Nodding, Jad grinned. "Righto!" 

He repeated the same process with the second hammock, the sheets hanging level with his own. 

"Done. Give it a go."

The lizard faunus looked up and mapped her approach. It was closer to the wall than Jad’s, so she could probably use that somehow. 

Might as well just go for it, s he thought, shrugging. She dashed at the wall and jumped. Her feet made contact with the drywall, legs pushing off as she did. She landed skillfully in the hammock, grinning victoriously. 

“Works for me!” she said happily, swaying back and forth.

Jad’s grin widened as he joined her above the floor, wood creaking as he plopped into his hammock. He let out a long sigh and turned his mind back to dueling class. 

“That was quite the spar in class today. Glynda looked impressed. Pretty little thing, that Glynda. I wonder if …” Jad hesitated and then it happened. “Heeeeey Pasty..." He peered over his hammock with his plotting face. 

“Hmm?” Azure hummed, looking at his friend quizzically.

“I propose...a gentleman’s bet.”

Azure perked up but remained silent, waiting for Jad to continue.

“Looks like I have your attention. This wager…” Jad said, “involves the lovely yet dangerous flower that instructs our dueling class: Miss Glynda Goodwitch. These are my terms: He who is first to steal a kiss, of whatever variety, be it lips, cheek, hand, and so forth, will be the victor. Do you accept it?”

Azure raised an eyebrow. He knew that Jad could have reckless ideas, but this took the cake. Besides, he had no way of making him agree. 

“Depends. What happens to the loser?” He asked, willing to humor the ginger.

“They will have to face a punishment thought up by the lovely ladies of our group.” Jad remarked, gesturing to Rember and Gayle. 

The girls shared a mischievous grin.

Unfazed, Azure shrugged. “And if I refuse?” he inquired cooly.

Jad’s mouth twisted into a venomous grin. “I will reveal, my friend, the little secret that you just so happen to have brought with you…” 

Eyebrows furrowing, Azure glared at the boy. 

Pfft, sure. Keep talking... he rebuffed sarcastically in his mind. 

“I happened upon it when I went through your bag the other night …” Jad elaborated, his smile growing even more devious.

Azure felt his heart stop. He’d forgotten about that. “No...You mean you…?”

“OH YES!” Jad jeered. “And it'll stay our little secret... if you accept my terms.” the boy finished triumphantly.

Biting his lip, Azure growled in frustration. The girls glanced back and forth between them, Gayle wearing a big smile while Rember held in a fit of snickers. 

"Well..." Azure started, disdained. "I guess I have no choice."

“Beauty!” Jad cheered, jumping to the floor. “FOXY! FIND THE TARGET!” 

Smiling wide enough for her fangs to peek out, Rember nodded eagerly. “Be back in a flash!” she announced, rushing out the door as a black and orange blur. Sure enough, it was only a matter of minutes before she returned. 

“I know where Goodwitch is!” She grinned, bursting into the room with a considerable amount of speed.

“Got it! C’mon Pasty!!” Jad shouted, pulling his leader into the hall by his cape, Rember and Gayle laughing all the while.

The four of them took longer to track down the professor than a lone speedy faunus, mostly due to Azure’s considerable resistance, but they eventually found the blonde haired Professor by herself in a hallway and they hid around the corner behind her.

“Hehehe...here it is!” Jad whispered in anticipation, letting go of Azure as he peeked around the edge. “The moment of truth!” 

Sighing and rolling his eyes, Azure grumbled “Let’s just get this over with.”

Jad smirked evilly at his leader’s agitation. “I take it the girls have the punishment ready?” He asked to Rember and Gayle. The girls nodded with a little too much enthusiasm, and he adjusted his fedora. “Then let the challenge begin…”

Not wasting any time, Azure broke out in a mad dash, using his superior speed to get the upper hand. Jad scrambled after him, refusing to be upstaged. By the time Jad drew close to the teacher, Azure was already beside Goodwitch, whispering something in the professor's ear.

"OH NO YOU DON'T!" Jad shouted, pulling out his weapon and shooting a bolt of energy at Azure’s feet. The Dust made contact with the marble floor and combusted, forcing the white haired boy to jump back.

"What on earth are you--!" Glynda started angrily, whipping around and freezing as Jad grasped her hand tightly, his strength holding her in place.

"Pardon me, Miss. I must complete my task..." Jad replied softly, planting a fleeting peck on the woman's hand. Stepping back, the boy couldn't help but notice the flurry of emotions upon Glynda's face, as well as the tint of pink in her cheeks as her mouth hung slightly agape. 

"Looks like I win Pa--where'd you go?" The red haired boy asked, perplexed to find that Azure had vanished. 

Looking back to the girls in hiding, Jad simply stood there as he found the boy in white up against the corner, a small smirk on his face.

How in the he--ow!! Owowowowowowowowowow!!! Jad exclaimed inwardly as sharp pain burst in his right ear. He hunched over and clapped a hand to the side of his head. Squinting through the pain he saw Professor Goodwitch’s flashing bright green eyes burning furiously.

"You, young man..." Glynda hissed, trying to stay in control, "are coming with me. You’ve just bought yourself detention." 

With that, the professor dragged him by the ear down the hall and out of sight, offhandedly waving her wand over her shoulder to fix the damaged floor.

Stifling giggles, the rest of KRME stepped out into the corridor. 

"Well...that actually happened," Gayle commented, scratching the back of her head.

"It did!” Rember crowed gleefully, grabbing Azure’s arm. “Let's go, partner! There’s no time to waste! Give me a hand, Gayle!" she called, leading the way back to dormitories. 

Azure didn’t struggle much, especially not once Gayle took surprisingly firm hold of his arm. Between the two girls there wasn’t much hope of escape. 

“Where are you taking me?” he asked, his tone resigned.

Flashing him a mischievous grin, Rember replied. “Back to the dorm, of course! You’ve got your end of the deal to fulfill, after all.”

Giggling evilly, the fox girl ignored the underlying look of concerned curiosity on her partner’s face, breaking into a skip as she pulled him along.

The trio made it back to the room without issue, the sun casting an orange glow into the living space as the burning sphere began to set. As soon as the door closed, the girls released their captive and Gayle flipped on a lightswitch.

“Alright, you sit right there, Azure. And don’t move. I’ll know if you do!” Rember instructed, shooing her partner to his bunk. 

He did as he was told without objection, and Rember led Gayle to the kitchen. The girls placed their bodies to guarantee that Azure couldn’t see what they were doing, occasionally glancing back over their shoulders at him.

Back on his bed, Azure sat forward in boredom, resting his head in one of his palms. *sigh* I’ve only known these girls for two days, but I can already tell this will be...“fun”?…ughh...

On the other side of the room, Rember and Gayle worked with blazing speed and accuracy to finish their invention. 

“Aaaaaaand done!” Gayle announced, proud of her work.

“Ehehehehe...This is perfect!” Rember added with a devious chuckle.

Perking up, Azure tried to sneak a peek at what they had created. 

“Well?” he asked, curious in spite of the slight unease their eagerness brought him.

The girls put on sly, sweet smiles and held the object of interest behind them, waltzing up to their leader.

“Are you ready to face the penalties of losing a bet?” Rember asked innocently, fangs peeking out as her smile grew. 

Folding his arms, Azure responded with a curt nod and sat back on his mattress, marshalling his face into a neutral expression. 

Rember nodded curtly and offered a crooked smile. “Alright. I, Rember Autumn, present you, Azure Knyte, with the fruits of our labour.”

The girl brought the object into view, only to hide it again as she leapt into a backflip, landing with one knee on the ground as though she were about to propose and placing the item delicately in Azure’s lap.

Trying and failing to appear unfazed, Azure glared hard at what lay before him. Resting on his lap, in all its brightly coloured glory, was a hat made entirely of fruit. There was a surprising variety. From the obvious staples of grapes, apples, and bananas, to what he could only assume were mangos, kiwi, and an entire freaking pineapple! Flashing a glance up, Azure saw Rember and Gayle watching with expectantly. Slowly honing back in on the hat, Azure placed it beside him carefully. 

“No way in hell,” he stated, folding his arms.

Rember raised an eyebrow, her jaunty smile not swayed. “Azure, wear the fruit hat."

"Nope."

"You lost the bet, you can't back out now. It's just for an hour, so put it on and get it over with."

"Remind me again, what bet exactly?"

“My dear Azure, don’t tell me you’ve forgotten! There were witnesses and everything! You agreed. You lost. You wear the fruit hat. Deal with it."

Azure smirked at the thought of Jad getting chewed out by Professor Goodwitch before replying. "Well at least I'm not the one who has detention for who knows how long. That's his fault for coming up with this stupid bet. But I’m still not wearing the hat.”

"Do you really think he didn't know there'd be consequences? Now quit stalling and put on the hat," Rember retorted a bit more forcefully. It was clear that she would not be swayed. 

"Whatever," Azure conceded reluctantly. 

Rember scoffed at the flippant response, unimpressed.  "Either put the hat on yourself, or I'll do it for you."

Gayle’s tail was twitching excitedly as she practically vibrated with laughter. “Azure, just wear the fruit hat!” 

“…Fine, I'll put it on.” Azure sighed, shoulders drooping. Slowly, almost painfully, the boy picked up the hat and inched it onto his head, a drawn out sigh escaping his mouth. “There, happy?” he asked, voice bitter.

"Not yet. Come with me!" Rember ordered, grabbing Azure 

"Why? What're you planning?"

"Plan ning ? It's already been planned, my friend. I promised Jad he'd get to see the fruits of his efforts. He’s berry excited!"

Azure's green eyes jumped. "...Heh, good luck with that. I'll see you at the end of my hour." With that, the boy vanished. 

Rember was the first to recover. Using her fox ears, she heard her invisible partner scrambling toward the exit. "You realize I can hear you, right?" 

Jumping to her feet she leapt after him, reaching wildly as the door swung open. Unfortunately she caught nothing but air. 

"Hearing and catching are two different things,” Azure taunted.

"They might be different, but I’m good a both!" Rember shot back.

"We'll see…” Azure replied, his voice fading around the corner.

"Mrow!" Rember took off down the corridor, chasing after her partner. Her expression radiated fierce joy and determination as she took up the hunt.

Now alone, Gayle looked around the room and the leftover fruit from her and Ber’s creation scattered about. Shrugging her shoulders, she gathered up the aftermath and went to reorganize the larder, helping herself to a few snacks as she did.

...I think I’ve finally lost her. Azure sighed, releasing his hold on the illusion. He hadn’t had to pull out a mirage and escape pursuit for this long for some time, and he wiped away the sweat accumulating on his forehead. Pulling out his scroll, he saw it had only been half an hour since the little game of mantracker had begun. Half an hour to go till he could take the ridiculous hat off his head. He couldn't catch a break with Rember hot on his tail, and he’d had to pull off some pretty creative tricks to throw off her sensitive hearing. How much time he’d bought he had no clue, but any respite was welcome at this point. 

Finally alone, he took the time to look around at where he’d scampered off to, surveying his surprisingly narrow surroundings.

Azure had stopped in an old, winding, stone staircase. He had been so busy running, he hadn't paid much attention to where exactly he’d been racing off to. Looking up carefully, mindful of his new hat, Azure climbed the remaining steps. After a few minutes of scaling the narrow spiral, he was met with the cool breeze of early evening air. Guessing by the wind and the circular shape of the architecture, he had stumbled into one of the school’s spires, pillars climbing up the edges of the base to hold up the cone shaped roof overhead. It was here that he hoped he could bunker down for the remainder of his sentence. 

Strolling over to the far edge, Azure took a seat upon the precipice, gazing out onto the horizon. He could see the whole of the school grounds from up here, students skittering to and fro like little ants. The setting sun washed the lake in blazing gold and silhouetted the distant city skyline. It was a nice sight, to be sure. 

Well...I guess it’s the waiting game now, Azure concluded, tapping his fingers on the stone. 

Out of nowhere, he thought he heard a soft, flapping noise behind him, but found nothing when he looked. After glancing around for a moment longer, he began to wonder if he was just hearing things. He knew better than that when he felt a pair of eyes watching him from somewhere, and it was better to be safe than sorry. Casually getting to his feet, Azure tried to play it off as though he didn’t know there was anyone there while he repositioned himself in the center of the spire. Activating his empath ability, he sure enough felt a new presence behind...and directly above him, confirming his suspicions. Acting as though he was unaware of their presence, Azure feigned being deep in thought, as the unknown individual hovered closer and closer. He felt the fruit atop his head shift ever so slightly, making the facade more difficult to maintain. They probably wanted a piece, so who was he to make it harder for them? 

Turning toward the person, Azure asked “Hey, you want something?” only to fall onto the floor, a weight pressing down on top of him. He felt a blunt pain at the back of his head, the fruit hat falling off and contents spilling out.

“Oof!” Azure gasped, trying to get up. Opening his eyes, he found an unfamiliar face inches from his own. Bleach blonde hair framed wide cyan eyes, frozen in shock. “Uh...hey.” Azure said, not sure how to react to the young lady sprawled on top of him.

With a startled squeak the girl scrambled to her feet, reaching for an apple near her. As she did, Azure got a better look at her. She wasn’t very tall, her blonde hair tipped with black and pulled back in two long braids. She wore a dark skirt with a red blouse, and a black vest that went across her underbust. A very old, worn out cloak was affixed around her neck, presumably once bright crimson but now faded to a soft scarlet. What really caught Azure’s attention however, were the black, leathery wings that protruded out behind her, as well as the two small, fang-like teeth protruding from her upper lip. This girl was a faunus. A special kind faunus no less, as evident by her wings. By the look of it she had to be the same age, if not a little older than himself. 

Breaking the silence, Azure ventured a question. “You alright?”

“N-no! You scared me!” She responded heatedly, refusing to look directly at the boy, her face flushed. “W-why did you do that?!” she asked, stuttering anxiously.

“I could ask you the same thing, since you were trying to pillage from my...ugh, hat.” Azure retorted. His eyes trailed to Gayle and Rember’s fruit hat, and he bent down to put it back together as best as he possibly could. “Excuse me…” he pardoned, beginning the repair process.

Anger was replaced by idle curiosity, and the bat girl inched closer, though she was clearly nervous. Watching the boy fix the accessory and place it back on his head, she averted her gaze and blushed profusely yet again when Azure turned his attention back on her.

“You...sure everything is alright? You seem...anxious.”

“What? Uh, no no! I, uh, I’m just....ummm…it-it’s complicated…” the girl stammered, her body deflating a bit as she finally just sighed.

Shrugging, Azure turned back to where he’d perched a few moments prior. “Whatever. Well, I’m Azure,” he introduced, sitting back down on the edge of the spire.

The winged faunus observed him with careful eyes, seeming to collect herself slowly and appearing less anxious by the minute. 

“I’m, uh, I’m Carmin,” she responded, sitting several feet away on the same ledge. Fumbling with the apple in her hand, the girl ventured meekly “So...mind telling me why a guy wearing something meant for a hot beach is all the way up here?”

Azure drew out a long breath before answering, scratching his collarbone. “Long story…” he said shortly. “Why’re you here?”

Laughing sheepishly, Carmin also let out a long, tired sigh. “It’s also a long story.” she stated, fiddling with the apple in her palms, flashing quick glances in Azure’s direction before just as quickly focusing back on the fruit in her possession. 

Azure smirked, letting out an amused huff. “I see.”

“So, Azure…” Carmin mumbled, testing the word. “Like, the shade of blue?”

“Nah. Try white.”

“Wait, there’s a shade of white that’s called azure?”

“Apparently.”

“Huh, no kiddin’.” 

Azure let out another chuckle. “Yeah. My aura is blue though.”

“Ooo! Really? That’s cool!” Carmin stated excitedly, genuinely intrigued.

He shrugged. “Not as cool as the wings you got.”

“Huh?” Carmin glanced over her shoulder, seeming to realise her wings were on display, protruding from her cloak. In a flash, she furled them tightly until they disappeared beneath the tattered fabric. “O-oh! U-umm, yeah! They’re really, uh, something…” she replied, nervously fiddling with her cloak.

“Don’t be embarrassed, It’s what makes you who you are,” Azure murmured, his green eyes unfocusing.

Carmin caught the distant look on Azure’s face, and her nervous fingers ceased worrying about the faded fabric. “You really think so?”

Azure’s eyes refocused on Carmin. He was silent for a few seconds before nodding. “Yeah.”

She smiled earnestly. “Thanks. That's really kind of you,” Carmin said softly, a lopsided smile painted across her lips. 

Azure nodded once more.

They sat in silence, content to watch the sunset. After a while, however, Carmin abruptly turned her attention to the opening of the stairway, her body alert. 

"I hear someone coming."

Not wasting time, Azure tapped into his unique ability, his senses expanding downwards. Sure enough two individuals were making their way up the steps, but Azure had no idea who they were. "I sense them. I don't think they're coming for me." 

Carmin raised a questioning eyebrow before figuring out who was coming up. "Oh! That's probably for me then."

"I see. Well, I better go," Azure said, getting to his feet. "Go ahead and keep the fruit. It's fine."

"Uhh...thanks, I guess." Carmin responded before the air was rent by a new, much louder voice.

"HEY CARMIN! YOU UP THERE?”

The bat girl's eyes widened. "Y-yeah Inigo! I'm, uh, I'm here." 

She glanced to where Azure sat, only to jump in alarm when she found that he was nowhere to be seen. 

"Where…?" 

She scrambled to her feet and glanced around in confusion, only to be abruptly interrupted as a pair of arms picked her up from behind in a tight hug. A startled noise escaped her at the unexpected embrace. 

"There you are! Honestly, what's with you flying off on us all the time? It's not like loverboy is THAT ugly," a feminine voice teased, squeezing the bat faunus tighter.

"Huh? F-Flavia??" Carmin asked, twisting her head around to see the golden haired, orange eyed girl with a big, wry smile on her face.

"What? You expected someone else to be hugging you?" Flavia quipped, letting her teammate go with a sly smile.

"N-no! I was just surprised!" Carmin retorted, brushing herself off.

Flavia just continued to grin as Inigo strode confidently up to his teammates, Carmin hiding behind her team leader. "There you are, Min. You certainly like coming up here to hide from me." He grinned lightheartedly.

“Eh heh, yeah...might just need a new one…” Carmin mumbled to herself, clutching Flavia’s arm tightly.

“Aw, what’s with the standoffishness? I just want to get to know you better! Although frankly, I’d settle for a nice chat over a cup of tea,” Inigo replied smoothly. 

“Ignoring Ini’s attempt to flirt,” Flavia interjected, earning an annoyed look from Inigo, “you gotta at least try and be part of the team, Carmin, and that means that you have to know how to work with ALL of us, not just me.” Her joking tone was now serious. “So, just try to loosen up a bit, all right? And if the lover boy here misbehaves, I’ll clean his clock myself.” Inigo laughed nervously at the meaningful look she gave him. 

Unbeknownst to the three of them, an invisible individual had been eavesdropping on their entire conversation, getting a more detailed look on the two he had seen earlier that day.

Azure could tell that Flavia bore herself with confidence. She dressed in bright, fiery colors and bold styles. She held her head high and her shoulders back, commanding attention and respect. 

Inigo’s style differed incredibly from Flavia’s. He wore soft hues of blue and lavender beneath polished armor. His posture was self-assured and he smiled easily.

“Well, come on back with us!” Flavia said, flinging an arm over the bat faunus. “Aaron probably has some food waiting. Maybe even apple pie!”

Carmin’s eyes widened. “Well, what are we waiting for?!” she said excitedly, gliding over to the entryway. “Let’s go before it’s gone!” 

Flavia and Inigo followed after her, leaving a now uncloaked Azure alone.

During the whole exchange, Azure had been thinking about what that Flavia girl said. They had their differences, yes, but in the end, they were a team. That wouldn’t change. He was the leader for his own team, and while this wasn’t the first position of leadership he’d held, something about what those three shared was different. 

Hmm...I haven’t really been doing a great job of being a ‘leader’ so far, Azure thought. After a bit more reflection, he nodded decisively and made his way to the winding staircase, knowing full well what he had to do. Glancing back to his scroll, he saw that there were still fifteen minutes left. Good. There’s still time. 

Going as fast as he could without hurting himself, he soon arrived back on the ground floor, taking a moment to rest on a nearby bench. Closing his eyes, he picked up a certain someone’s presence with his empath ability, bracing himself for what he assumed would be a rather violent encounter. As the feeling got closer and closer, Azure did nothing but sit still as the person pounced on him. Opening his eyes, Azure looked at the fox faunus latched onto his back, a victorious smile across her face. 

“Looks like you’ve got me,” Azure surrendered. 

“Exactly,” Rember replied smugly. “Now you HAVE to-”

“I know,” he interrupted, raising his hands in defeat. “I won’t run. Lead on.”

A brief look of surprise flashed across her face before Rember’s satisfied smile returned in full force. She climbed off her partner and directed him onwards. The pair hurriedly walked around the twists and turns of the spacious academy until Rember stopped at a particular room, grabbing the doorknob and giving it a twist. As it opened, both teens saw a rather amusing sight. Jad was front row center in one of the seats of the lecture hall, bored out of his mind. At the front desk was Professor Goodwitch, preoccupied with business on her Scroll. Both heads turned to the door as it opened, before focusing on Azure, the fruit turban standing out like an Ursa in the school courtyard.

Glynda spared them a mixed look of intrigue and confusion before asking plainly “Is there something I can help you two with?”

Rember waved and smiled sweetly. “We’re just here to pick up our teammate!” She said innocently.

“I see,” Glynda responded, checking the time. “Very well, but he’s to come straight back here after classes tomorrow,” she ordered, returning to her Scroll. As she did so, Rember and Azure strode up to Jad. 

“So…” Rember ventured, gesturing to Azure. “What to you think, Jad?”

Jad simply stared at the boy in white, looking slightly confused. “What do I think of what?” 

Rember was a bit thrown off by the statement. “Uh...Of how Azure looks, of course.” she prompted, nudging her partner with her elbow.

Jad only shrugged. “He looks nice,” he complimented, sitting back in his seat. 

“And…?”

“And...he'll make some girl very happy someday?”

Rolling her eyes and sighing dramatically, Rember said impatiently. “No! I mean, how does he look? ” she emphasized, motioning towards her partner’s head. 

“What? I said he looks ...” Turning to address his friend, Jad said with a warm smile “Azure, you are one of the handsomest boys with the best skin complexion ever! Honestly, I’m surprised the girls you come across aren’t throwing themselves at you.”

Glynda frequently made side glances at the trio of students, a bemused look on her face. “Well...I’ll be going now,” she announced, grabbing the teens’ attention. The professor exited the room, the sound of the closing door echoing throughout the theatre.

There was a small pause, soon shattered by peals of raucous laughter.

“...Pffft, BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! HAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!” Jad’s cackling reverberated off the walls. He fell back out of his chair and rolled across the floor, tears in his eyes. “HAHA--Oh, that--HAHAHA--has to be the best thing--Haahaha--that I’ve ever flipping seen!!!! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHA!!!!”

Azure just stood there and took it all in, not willing to be phased by his teammate’s chortling. “Glad you got a good laugh,” He remarked evenly. “So you ready to go?”

“Hehehehehe, just gimme a minute.” Jad giggled, getting to his feet. He pulled out his Scroll to take a picture. “We need this framed in the dorm!” 

“...Alright. Make it quick.” 

Nodding enthusiastically, Jad took a series of pictures of the boy in the fruit hat, assisted by a snickering Rember. After he was finished, he stuffed the Scroll into his coat. “Alright, I’m happy!” he said merrily, strolling out of the classroom. “Let’s go!”

Rember and Azure both nodded and followed after him, the former of the pair finally removing the colorful headpiece as they returned to their dorm.

Chapter Text

It was a beautiful day at Beacon, the sun burning high and bright in the cerulean sky. Unfortunately, none of the students in class could tell. It was Professor Peter Port's time to teach. Though physically present, few of the young minds of his students remained in the classroom. Professor Port had only succeeded in engrossing himself in one of his long, rather bombastic stories. Up in their seats, Team KRME sat in silence, each individual member passing the time in their own way. Azure laid back in his spot, coolly listening to the teacher's story with one ear. Rember and Gayle had their binders open, but while the lizard faunus scrawled notes, the fox girl doodled. Jad, in typical Jad fashion, was on the verge of falling asleep, his hat tipped over his eyes.

"So there I was, my back against the face of the mountain, staring down the eyes of my prey!" Port declared, his round figure bouncing around as he vigorously shared his tale. "And with one lightning fast motion I..."

Azure tried to follow what the professor was saying, but all he could hear was 'blah blah blah'. Sighing softly to clear his head, Azure glanced around nonchalantly. Eyes roving over his teammates, he observed something...off about the youngest member of his team. Usually, Gayle would be furiously writing down all of what Port said in great detail. But today, she didn't even seem to be paying much attention, only half heartedly jotting down her notes, few pages filled compared to her usual novels.

Leaning over carefully, so as to not draw attention, Azure whispered to his teammate "You alright?" 

Gayle flinched, startled by the unexpected voice. Upon recognizing it was only her leader, she sighed. 

"I don't know, it's just...a lazy day, I guess." She half heartedly shrugged off the question, pencil still traveling across the page at a sluggish pace.

Azure's eyes narrowed a fraction, trying to read Gayle’s body language. She seemed okay, but something just didn't sit right. It had only been a month since they met, and he only knew so much about the girl. 

"Alright," he replied reluctantly, focusing back on the 'lesson'.

Not a moment later, Rember nudged his arm. “Hey Azure,” she whispered.

The boy shifted his attention to his partner, curious. She slid the page she had been drawing on in front of him, smirking proudly at her work. Azure cracked a smile when he saw an impressive picture of a mountain forest, complete with a waterfall in the background.

“Nice,” Azure complimented, sliding it back to her. 

The remainder of class went by just as dull as before, everyone on the verge of comatose from the excessive droning of their teacher. Thankfully, the bell for lunch eventually rang, snapping the students out of their trance.

Port however, wasn’t even close to finishing his tale. “AND THEN---Ah! Oh...out of time again,” he mumbled, disappointed. “Well, I hope you’ve all learned a lot today! And remember, you have a test next week, so study hard!” 

Gayle trailed alongside the team as they ventured through the halls, humming distractedly and nearly tripping on several occasions. Jad and Rember were engulfed in an intense discussion about the vital role of bacon in a proper morning diet, determined to coerce their leader into cooking it for them every morning for the foreseeable future. 

Several moments of heated breakfast debate later, the four of them arrived in the cafeteria. Even Gayle perked up at the enticing aroma wafting from within, and they all simultaneously quickened their pace. 

“What’s on the menu for today?” Rember asked eagerly, ears swiveling forward in anticipation.

“I don’t even care, man, whatever it is I’ll take it! I am STARVING!!” Jad exclaimed dramatically.

"I agree. Food would be nice..." Azure nodded, scoping out an empty spot for them.

Gayle halted abruptly. The other team members glanced back, confused by the stop, to find their youngest teammate staring straight ahead with wide eyes. 

“Oh no…” the faunus girl whispered, before remembering her team’s presence and looking up at their concerned glances, “Uhm, I-I think I left something back in the classroom!” she stuttered hurriedly, dashing back out of the cafeteria. 

Azure and Jad exchanged a puzzled glance, and Rember observed the direction Gayle had fled with a frown. None of them noticed the satisfied smirk of another student across the room, nor the laughter of his team at the lizard girl’s swift exit.

“Uh...What was that about?” Jad asked, looking back where his partner had scampered off.

Azure shrugged. “Not sure. She’s been acting weird recently.”

“Huh.” You could almost see the gears turning in Jad’s brain.  “Gayle doesn't just do things for no reason. You guys notice anything off of late?”

“Don’t know. If something is up, she’ll tell us,” Azure stated, leading the other two members towards the food. After stocking up, they all found an empty spot for the three of them, getting down to work.

          By late evening Jad was starting to worry about his partner and headed to the library in hopes of finding her there. The library door pushed open slowly, and Jad hesitantly stuck his head inside. The warmly lit room was empty as far as he could tell. Classes had been over for a while, and his partner had hastily made her exit the moment the bell rang, so he hoped she would be in here somewhere.
“Gayle?” he whispered, voice fading as he truly caught sight of the vast room before him. 

Tentatively, he pushed the door open further and stepped inside. With no small measure of caution, he warily delved deeper into the great hall of knowledge, staring in wonder at the impressive height of the multi-story shelves. He shook himself, pushing down the unease growing inside him. His partner had been acting strangely, and he was determined to get to the bottom of it.
“Woah…” he breathed, awestruck. Libraries this big were intimidating to begin with, but the emptiness and silence made it outright eerie. 
Far above him, Jad heard a small giggle. He whirled around, searching for the source of the laughter, only to have his face acquainted with a gently descending paper flower that must have fallen from the upper level.
“Psst! Up here!” a soft voice whispered. Jad brushed aside the origami flower and craned his head upwards to see the diminutive form of his partner on the higher level, leaning over the balcony. She stuck out her tongue at him and retreated from view.
Jad beckoned frantically for his partner to come back. “Gayle! It's kinda creepy in here. If I see two twins holding hands I might poop myself,” he hissed. 

Her head popped back into view over the balcony with a bemused expression
“Just come on up, bro. I can show you what I’ve been working on!” Without waiting for a response, the faunus girl extended an arm over the balcony and dropped another little paper flower.
Her partner smiled as he reached up to snatch it out of the air. Holding the intricately folded structure in his palm, he raised it to eye level to inspect it up close.
“It’s so tiny!” he exclaimed gleefully, poking the miniscule petals.
Gayle grinned from her perch at the balcony. “I’ve got way more up here, come on!” she called down before disappearing again.
Seconds later, heavy boots landed with a thud on the carpet of the upper floor. Gayle jumped at the sudden noise, sending papers flying across her table.
  "Hey kid." Jad greeted kindly.
"Jad! That was....surprisingly quick. I didn't realize you were so adept at navigating the library!" Gayle exclaimed, reordering the paper menagerie that was sprawled across the desk. "Quite honestly, I wasn't sure you even knew where the stairs were."
  At this her partner wrinkled his nose then pulled up a chair. "Nah I just vaulted up the pillars. Those tapestries have pretty good grip!"
  The faunus girl paused momentarily, hand hovering above a delicately folded paper dragon. She opened her mouth as if to comment, before shrugging it off and silently resuming her task. 

"So..." Jad began after a moment of silence, "you saving up for a wish?" 

 "Hmm? Oh, the paper folding." Gayle smiled and settled into a chair, supplies reorganized to her liking. "Nah, it's just something I use to do as a kid. I was thinking back to, uhm, my hometown and remembered when...my friend and I used to make things like these all the time..." 

She sighed, folding her arms across the table and resting her chin on top. "Besides, it's not actually possible to earn a wish, regardless of how many paper stars you fold." 

“I don't know about that. Wishes are just goals for you and the people you care about.” Jad picked up a minute paper butterfly, "But these are lovely," he said thoughtfully. 

"Yeah...so hey, you've got muscles! Want to help me carry my books back?" Gayle straightened up in an instant, her usual bright demeanour returned. She stood up and started shuffling the crisply folded figures into a pile, tail tip twitching almost imperceptibly as it swayed along with her movements. 

Jad wasn't blind. In the short time he'd known her, he had grown acquainted with his partner's attitudes. He had a particular eye for physical cues, and he could read the tension Gayle carried in every line of her body. She was trying at optimism, but something was weighing down on her.

Unsure of how to best broach the topic, he tried for an indirect route first.

"So hey, Foxy wants to go into town tomorrow, and Pasty’s in too. You wanna tag along? We could all go for ice cream." 

"Oh, uhm...." Gayle rubbed the back of her neck in an obvious show of discomfort, "I....I've already got plans for the weekend."

Now he knew something was up for sure. Not only was she avoiding eye contact, but the Gayle he knew would never turn down an opportunity to have fun with the team. Especially when sweets were involved.

"Oh, I see where this is going. Got a hot date lined up?" he joked, hoping to make her smile at least.

"Nah, just some, uh, personal studying."  Gayle reached down beside the table and procured a huge stack of books. They were dropped onto the table with a thud, joined by several more a second later. 

Jad’s eyes popped at the tower of study material and he looked back to his partner. “Gayle, I get that Beacon is a study grind. And you are obviously better at hitting the books than I am, but as your partner … you know that I've got your back right?”

She nodded faintly, distracted. 

“More importantly as your friend, whatever challenge you run up against, I'm with you. And if something is weighing you down, you gotta tell me so I can help pick you up. That's what friends are for. Heavy lifting. That’s why I have muscles.” Jad didn’t expect her to open up but he needed her to hear it.  

Gayle remained silent, seemingly focused on packing up her materials. 

Not pushing the topic further, Jad acted like he hadn’t noticed her evasiveness. "Aww, too bad. I was looking forward to meeting the guy," Jad joked but it weighed heavily on him that he couldn’t reach his partner.

Nobody questioned Gayle's 'personal studying'. It was a common habit for the faunus girl. She could be found at every opportunity to have her nose buried in a textbook, or studiously taking notes. She’d frequently devote her weekends, after all schoolwork was complete of course, to her own personal studies into Dust, a favorite topic of hers. But the rest of KRME unanimously agreed that this was ridiculous. Ever since returning from the library with her arms full of books and her bag full of paper, Gayle had constructed a veritable fortress of tomes in her corner of the room and soon retreated inside her covered hammock-nest.

KRME had hardly seen their youngest teammate for over a day, excluding the long red braid and reptilian tail dangling from her nest. They did in fact go out to town for ice cream, sans lizard, and when they returned they found their dorm room littered with paper stars and other assorted origami creations.

A couple of half hearted jokes were made about the situation, but the only response from Gayle came in the form of several more folded creations being expelled onto the floor from her nest. 

Chapter Text

“So, Bossman, what do you think?”

Azure turned the crystal over in his hands, inspecting each facet curiously. Gayle had constructed it in one of her recent Dust projects, something she had a surprising knack for considering she rarely used Dust herself. The team had learned of Gayle’s interest in the resource not long after initiation, but they hadn’t been included in any of her projects until recently. She needed help testing the new compounds, and her teammates were the first people who popped into her head.

Azure continued twirling the silver shard while students filed into the desks around them. “Depends. What does it do?”

Gayle grinned sheepishly and twirled the end of her braid around a finger. “Ah, wellll…” she began.

“Don’t tell me you don’t know what it does.”

“Finding out is part of the testing process!” Gayle protested. “I can put stuff together, but that doesn’t mean I always know what it’s gonna do. I have a couple theories, but-”

“Don’t you do control tests with your compounds?” a new voice interrupted.

Gayle and Azure looked up to see that their partners had joined the conversation. Rember was the one who had spoken, and for some reason her expression was panicked. 

“I try to,” Gayle responded, frowning. “But unless I have something or someone to test them on it’s kinda tough to do.”

Rember’s eyes were bright, and it looked like she was starting to hyperventilate.

“Uh, Ber? You okay?”

The fox girl’s green stare was locked on the crystal in Azure’s hands. Instead of answering she shuddered and took a seat on the far end of the bench, opposite her partner and the Dust he held. The remaining three members of KRME exchanged glances, Jad muttering “Is she alright?” before Azure started the conversation again.

“Okay, so you don’t know for sure what this Dust does, but do you have any ideas?” 

“Well, this one is either time distortion or-”

Gayle was cut off as Professor Ozpin entered the room, the entire class falling silent.

“Good morning, students,” the headmaster greeted. “If I may have your attention for one moment please.”

The already silent class perked up. It was rare for Ozpin to appear in one of the classrooms like this, as he usually only spoke during assemblies. 

“I’m here to inform you all that Professor Port is away on Huntsman business, and will be absent for an indeterminate period of time,” he announced. “However we have the honour of hosting a visiting Huntress from Sanctum Academy who has volunteered to fill in while Professor Port is gone. Please allow me to introduce Professor Malorey, an expert on the creatures of Grimm.”

A tall woman with short brown hair and kind brown eyes stepped into the room. She smiled at the class, eyes roving across the students, and her smile widened when her gaze fell upon a certain ochre-haired faunus in the second row.

“Hello, everyone,” she said. “I’m Professor Malorey, but please feel free to call me-”

“Miss Bruna!”

The members of KRME jumped as Rember sat up in her seat with a grin, her anxiety from a few minutes ago having melted away.

“Ah, Rember! I wondered if I would see you here,” the brunette said with a smile before turning back to the class. “As Miss Autumn so kindly announced, you may call me Miss Bruna. I look forward to learning with you.”

Ozpin chuckled. “It seems you have this well in hand, Professor. I’ll leave you to it.”

There were a few muttered farewells as the headmaster left, but most students’ attention was on their substitute. For a moment Bruna Malorey studied her new charges with a curious gaze, taking note of those who fidgeted or looked tired. Her eyes narrowed fractionally when they landed upon Cardin Winchester and his team, as though she suspected them of something, but her gaze moved away from them and eventually came to Rember sitting up eagerly. Bruna winked at the girl before starting her lecture.

“The creatures of Grimm are universally known to be monsters: unfeeling, ruthless, and drawn to negative energy. What is not universally known is that the Grimm have their own culture, one that has both similarities to and differences from our own. Study of the Grimm isn’t usually the first thing that comes to mind when they appear, but there is more to be learned about the creatures than how to kill them.”

The majority of the class listened with rapt attention. Professor Port’s lectures were always full of boastful stories and exaggerations, but this was something completely different.

Bruna looked around the room. “Does anyone have a favorite Grimm species? One they take note of more than the others?”

Rember’s hand shot immediately into the air, and Bruna had to stifle a chuckle. Another hand rose, more slowly, and Bruna nodded to the student.

“Yes? What’s your name?”

“Azure Knyte.”

KRME turned in surprise when their leader spoke. He never spoke up in class unless asked a direct question!

“Very well, Mr. Knyte, what creature of Grimm fascinates you?”

“There are two,” Azure replied, “the Nevermore and the King Taijitu.”

“And why do you find them interesting?” Bruna pressed. 

“Well,” Azure shrugged, “the Nevermore has always held my interest because it’s avian. Birds have always fascinated me. Most other flying Grimm are another species entirely or some sort of avian hybrid, like Griffins.”

“An acute observation,” Bruna agreed. “And the King Taijitu?”

“The way the two halves, black and white, are joined in the middle. With two heads it makes sense that they would be fighting each other, but somehow it’s able to coordinate all its movements and attacks. I like it’s resilience, and how much of a challenge it can be to defeat it.”

“Interesting,” the professor mused. “Thank you for sharing, Mr. Knyte. Miss Autumn? I suspect I know your answer already, but your classmates may not.”

Rember grinned. “Beowolves! I’ve always found it strange that they live, roam, and hunt in packs when most other Grimm are solitary. I know some others group up, like Goliath herds and flocks of Griffins, but Beowolves actively to seek each other out and work together, even the younger ones.”

Bruna returned her student’s smile. The girl had clearly kept up with her studies.

“Thank you, Rember,” she acknowledged. She turned to the rest of the class. “Miss Autumn brings up an interesting point. Why do Beowolves gather in packs? There are a number of theories about this, the first being…”

The rest of the period passed uneventfully despite Professor Malorey taking a much different approach to teaching than the subject’s usual instructor. When the bell signifying the end of class rang, students filed out of the room, chattering about the change of pace and the things they’d learned. 

“So Foxy,” Jad ventured. “How do you know the sub?”

“Miss Bruna was one of my instructors at Sanctum,” Rember replied with a smile. “She oversaw the girls’ dorms in our class, and she was always happy to answer questions. If she doesn’t know something about a Grimm, it isn’t worth knowing.”

“She definitely has a different approach from Professor Port when it comes to teaching,” Azure acknowledged. “It was nice to have a discussion instead of just sitting there.”

“Bruna’s great. She always takes the time to make sure you get what she’s talking about without making you feel like an idiot for not understanding already.”

“She seems really nice,” Gayle piped up. “I wonder if-”

Rember, Jad, and Azure all gave their friend a puzzled look as she froze in place, eyes wide.

“Gayle?” Rember asked. “You okay?”

The lizard girl shook her head. “Yeah,” she said. “Yeah, I just, uh, forgot something. I’ll see you in class!”

Gayle whirled around and made her way back towards the classroom, her teammates watching her go with frowns.

“So she totally just made that up, right?” Rember muttered.

“Yeah,” Jad agreed. “I think something’s wrong. It’s not like her to keep running off like that.”

Gayle was out of sight now, and Azure took the opportunity to look around. There was nothing out of the ordinary, just students crowding the halls on their way to their next class. A few familiar faces stood out, like team CRDL, and Jaune Arc, but no one they didn’t know.

“Let’s just keep our eyes open if she does this again,” Azure suggested.

Unable to do anything else for the time being, Jad and Rember shrugged and the three moved off to their next class.

The sun was low on the horizon, spilling its parting rays through KRME’s window. Three figures lay sprawled across various articles of furniture, silently engaged in miscellaneous tasks.

Rember was the first to break the silence. She popped her head up from where it was previously buried in a book, ears swiveling as she did a quick look around the room. 

"Yo Azure," she called, tossing a nearby pillow at her napping partner. “Have you seen lil' lizard?" 

KRME's leader raised his head, groggy from being woken so abruptly. He peered around their dorm through eyes heavy with sleep. A moment later he sat up with an expression of concern.

"No, I haven't," he said, turning his gaze back to where Rember sat, her brow furrowed in concern. 

The corners of his mouth turned down into a small frown. His sense of worry for their youngest team member had been growing by the day as she continued to become more and more withdrawn. It was clear that something was bothering her (even when she acted semi-normal), and Azure was starting to doubt his initial belief that Gayle would come to her teammates if something was wrong. It had been nearly two weeks, and none of them had succeeded in prying anything from the little faunus.

Three minutes later the two teammates rallied their third member. Jad wasn't having it at first, until they said Gayle was missing. Within seconds he was up and ready to bust heads. Five minutes saw them out the door. At ten minutes, they were wandering every corridor in search of their wayward teammate. At thirty, they unanimously agreed that their progress was much too slow together. 

Nearly an hour after they had departed their room, KRME was scattered across campus. Rember took an outdoors route, roving the well-worn paths and curated gardens of Beacon Academy. Jad continued to scour the corridors and classrooms, to little success. Azure chose the path less traveled, traversing roof tiles and treetops to search from above. 

Tensions rose each moment Gayle remained unfound. Azure did his best to be calm, and pushed forward with a drive and concentration powered by his swelling concern. He reached a particular peak on the school’s rooftop where he had a relatively clear view of the entire school, and here he stopped. The boy closed his eyes, and concentrated fiercely. A numbing melancholy began to creep through his thoughts as he surveyed the colours sprawled before him, but he dismissed the nagging despair. So intent was he on his survey of the school, searching for any hint of the missing faunus girl, that it took a moment for him to recognize the detached sense of the emotion as emanating from someone else.

A sharp hue of sorrow drew his attention next, and he quickly realized that he was not alone on the rooftop. Cautiously, he crept to the edge and peered over to a ledge below.

He was greeted by a familiar red braid and twitching green tail, and was flooded with relief. 

Found you. 

"You know," Azure spoke up from his cover, grinning, "it's dangerous to be up here alone."

Gayle startled upon hearing the unexpected voice, tail thrashing wildly as she looked behind her. 

“Huh!? A-Azure? How -w-why are you...?" She stammered in a whirlwind of words, unable to finish her sentences.

The boy in white chuckled. "When people want to be alone, they go to high places. Seriously, you're not the only one who does it." 

Gayle sighed and turned her gaze outward to the landscape displayed below them. “I always used to climb trees and stuff with my-with my best friend. Back home.” 

Azure scaled down the structure to perch next to his teammate. He tried to study her emotions but found he couldn’t easily decipher her turmoil; the only clear sentiments were her own confusion and that lingering melancholy. Furrowing his brow, he struggled to determine what might ease the girl’s troubled mind, but with no clear hints he was left guessing.

“You missing home?” he asked softly. It was the only idea he had that sounded believable. 

“Nah, I’m just...tired, I guess.” She shrugged, giving him a small smile that only deepened the weight in her eyes.

They were silent for another moment as Azure pondered how best to respond. He knew she didn’t mean tired physically. Gayle was much too health-conscious to allow herself to go without proper sleep. But he knew not to pry too much and risk pushing her further away. 

“Alright. Maybe come back to the dorm and get some sleep?” Azure suggested in what he hoped was an encouraging way. “You have been studying pretty hard recently.” 

He then got up and stretched out a hand. Gayle considered the gesture.

“Yeah, okay.” 

Gayle gave the grounds one last sweeping glance, before turning away and clasping Azure's hand and allowing him to pull her to her feet. 

Chapter Text

“Hmm, hmm, hmmmmm….hmm, hmm, hmmmmm~” Sonara hummed happily, skipping in front Rosalie as the two of them advanced through the halls. The brunette moved with vigorous purpose, so much that her friend had to hurry to keep up with her.

A few minutes earlier, Sonara had felt the urge to check out the selection of books at the school library. Initially she’d asked Kyra to join her because of all the novels the girl read in her free time, but the invitation had been declined. So, as per usual, her partner and best friend agreed to go on her little adventure.

“Hey, ya think they have the story with the white rabbit and the disappearing kitty?” Sonara asked hopefully, skipping backwards to look at Rosalie.

The rose haired girl shrugged, smiling warmly. “Dunno. Guess we'll have to find out, won't we?” she ventured in a light tone.

“Mmm, I guess,” Sonara replied, turning forward again.

The pair soon arrived at the library entrance. Sonara was positively bursting with anticipation, her feet fidgeting sporadically. She hadn't visited this part of the school much, and it was really exciting! Anything new was always fun to explore. At least to her it was.

Just as Sonara reached for the bronze handle of the door, it abruptly swung outwards, almost smacking into the short-statured Huntress-in-training. She barely managed to jump out of the way without getting hurt. On the other side, four boys walked out of the library laughing and bragging about something the two girls couldn't quite make out. Sonara growled angrily at their obliviousness to what they’d almost done.

“Hey!! Watch it!” she shouted heatedly, snapping at the four boys.

The four members stopped, looking at the small girl with blank stares. The tallest one, a boy with short brown hair and blue eyes, scoffed at the hostility.

“What?” he asked, annoyed.

“What d’ya mean ‘what’?! You almost whacked me with the door, you big jerk!!”

“Tch, did not. You just got in the way, short stack.”

“What?!?! Why I…” Sonara growled furiously as she moved towards the boy, only to be stopped as Rosalie put out her arm.

“Look, we don't want any trouble,” her pink haired partner stated, a look of stern calm etched onto her face. “Just be more mindful of what you're doing, please.”

All the boys looked at the two of them as if they were crazy, and their leader scoffed again in annoyance.

“Pfft, whatever,” he mumbled. The tall boy then motioned for the other three to follow. “C’mon, let's get out of here. See ya later, ya broads.”

“BROADS?! Grrr, that's it!”

“Don't bother… “ Rosalie said, halting her partner as she watched the four boys strut away. “They aren't worth it.”

Hot steam shooting from her ears, Sonara glared daggers into the backs of the four young men, sticking her tongue out in defiance. She rustled her muted brown hair before entering the library, any lingering anger melting away when she saw the inside.

“Woooooooooooow…..” the brunette breathed in awe, her sapphire eyes sparkling. It was ginormous! Rows upon rows of shelves chocked full of books, tables with holographic computers, and an entire second floor filled with wonders she couldn't even fathom! It was truly spectacular! 

Rosalie giggled softly upon seeing her partner's awestruck face. “Shall we go check it out?” she asked, a light smile gracing her features.

With an affirmative nod from her partner, the duo went their way through the forest of literature. In a matter of minutes, they managed to locate many stories they were familiar with, as well as a plethora of new works. After an hour, the girls decided to take a break, delving straight into the worlds of fantasy and fiction they had found. Sonara instantly tore through the story she and Rosalie grew up on; the tale about a little girl who stumbles into an upside down world of whimsical chaos. As for Rosalie, she’d found a novel about the plight of twin princes who had conflicting ideals on how to rule, apparently filled with excitement, drama, and adventure.

The late afternoon turned to evening before either of the girls decided to stop, the lights in the library providing illumination in place of the sun. Softly closing the musty book she was reading, Sonara stretched as far as she could go, her joints popping. It was definitely getting late, and Val n’ Kyra were probably making something for dinner by now…

Rosalie mimed her partner, relieving the stiffness in her body as she finished reading. “Wanna head back now?” she asked.

Sonara nodded firmly. “Yep,” the brunette responded, getting to her feet and grabbing the books she’d checked out. “Imma do one more look, though.”

Nodding, Rosalie followed after Sonara as she scanned the shelves one final time. The young girl zipped lightly around the aisles, following a path she’d made after the first few times she browsed. But as she made a certain turn, something, or rather someone, abruptly caught her eye. 

“Huh?” she asked herself, recognizing the person instantly. 

Sitting at one of the tables alone, piles of books in front of them, was Gayle. She looked spaced out, distractedly fumbling with an intricate paper bird in her hands.

 “Gayle?”

Upon hearing her name, the girl snapped out of her daze with a jolt. She looked around in alarm, only to relax after realizing who had called her.

“O-oh, um, hi,” she greeted quietly, sitting up straighter as Sonara and Rosalie approached .

“Hey!” Sonara responded, smiling brightly. She then noticed the paper bird, and drew in closer to observe it. “Woooooooah…. That looks awesome!” she gushed, stars in her eyes. “Did you make that?!”

“Y-yeah,” Gayle responded, awkwardly stumbling for words. “I, uh, yeah, I did.”

“That's. So. Cool! Can you teach me how to do that?!”

Gayle smiled a little at Sonara’s enthusiasm “Oh, sure! Honestly, it's a lot easier than it looks.” 

“Awright!” Sonara cheered, giggling happily. 

Just as she was about to join the faunus, she remembered what she had been doing previously. It also helped when she noticed her partner behind her, waiting.

“Oooh, but maybe not right now. We need to head back,” she said with a hint of disappointment, only to hop back into her normal, energetic tone. “But you'll definitely teach me later, right?!”

Gayle leaned her chair back nervously, as Sonara was literally staring her in the face, and nodded. “Of course. I'll show you whenever you'd like,” she replied with a friendly smile.

“Awesome! Thanks, friend!”

“You're wel- hrrk !” Gayle was suddenly captured in a vice-like hug, catching her completely by surprise.

“Can't… breathe …” she gasped, wriggling to escape the embrace, and nearly falling out of her precariously tilted chair. 

“Alright, let her go,” Rosalie instructed calmly, and Sonara released on command. After catching her breath, Gayle let a faint chuckle escape, grateful to be free. 

“So why are you all by yourself?” Rosalie asked the faunus girl.

“Huh? I'm not.”

“Then where is everyone else?” 

“They were just…” Gayle trailed off as she noticed the items around her table, all belonging to her. “Oh. They must've left while I was still, uh, studying... “ she mumbled absently.

Rosalie raised an inquisitive brow. “Gayle, how long have you been studying here?”

“Since, well, since school ended. Like usual.”

“And how long ago was that?”

“Class only got out a few hours ago.” Gayle looked confused now. “Why?”

“A few?? ” Sonara interjected. “It's nighttime!”

“What?!” Gayle scrambled to the nearest window, deflating when she saw the last golden rays of light disappear below the horizon. She let out a sigh, slumping back into her chair and beginning to gather her notes.

Sonara and Rosalie exchanged a glance.

“Hey… are you okay?” asked the former, at the quietest volume she'd displayed the entire encounter.

Gayle smiled faintly. “I'm fine,” she replied quickly, “I just really lost track of the time. It's not the first time, probably won’t be the last. You know how it is sometimes, you just lose track of things when you’re, uh, distracted, and all. Don’t worry about it, I’ll just finish up here and be off. Just gotta, y’know, grab my things and whatnot...”

As she rambled, voice growing quicker and quieter with each word, the other two girls shared another glance, this time followed by a moment of silence.

“Well, okay!” Sonara spoke up, smiling cheerily. “If that's all, then we won't worry.” She looked up at her partner. “We going now?” she asked.

Rosalie nodded, but her eyes were on Gayle. She studied the young faunus, and couldn't fight her growing hunch that there was more to this than the girl was letting on. After all, she and everyone else on the team had begun to notice how unusually Gayle had been conducting herself recently. Regardless, Rosalie decided to follow her partner's example and give Gayle. If she wanted to talk about it, she'd probably go to her own team.

“Yes, we should,” Rosalie responded to her partner. “It was nice to spend a little time with you, Gayle. You’re heading back too, right?”

Gayle nodded. 

“In that case, why don’t we lend you a hand with those books? Seems a little much for just one person. Not to mention all of your spectacular little paper creations.”

“Huh? Oh, no no no. I can take care of it,” the faunus hastily replied. “Really, I’ve got it.”

“Aww, don't be silly!” Sonara stated, “We'd love to help! Friends help each other, no matter what the problem!”

Before Gayle could protest further, Sonara stacked a good three-quarters of the faunus’ books and hoisted them off the table, grinning happily as she walked to the exit. Rosalie felt her own smile widening and gathered all the remaining notes, leaving Gayle to carry her paper creations. They followed after Sonara, Gayle's tail swaying limply and her feet dragging tiredly. 

“You know…” Rosalie started as she saw the girl lagging behind. “If you want to talk about anything, Sonara and I are always willing to listen. I bet the same goes for Valerie, and even Kyra. We’ve got your back,” she said, smiling to hopefully lighten the girl's spirit. 

Lifting her head, Gayle responded with a quiet “Sure, yeah, thanks,” before returning her gaze to the ground.

“Aaaand that's the last of it.”

Sonara finished recounting her story to the assembled members of both her team and team KRME, who all took it in silently, faces grim.

“Hmmm...” Rember frowned, ears slanted back unhappily.

“That's why she showed up with you guys last night…” Jad mumbled.

“So I guess everyone knows for certain something's up, huh?” Valerie asked, glancing across to the empty gap in KRME’s row. Gayle was absent from lunch. Again. It was becoming increasingly difficult to find her at all outside of class, and everyone was worried. 

The three present members of KRME all nodded. They’d all known for a while Gayle was troubled, but still she wouldn't open up, even after Jad and Azure (as well as Sonara and Rosalie) had tried talking to her. So now they were left without a hint at what was causing her such distress. 

“We've tried to get her talking,” Jad answered, disappointed. “Maybe she doesn't trust us enough.”

“Maybe she wants to deal with her problem alone,” Kyra suggested dispassionately. “Deducing from what you’ve said, she probably doesn’t feel that she needs help. From what you’ve told us about her, she’s been homeschooled, had private tutors, and is socially awkward. Doesn’t seem like the kind of person that relies on others. Or am I wrong?”

No one argued with Kyra’s logic. But as the drawn out silence continued, Rember’s ears perked up, and she looked to Sonara inquisitively.

“Question,” she began. “Who were those four people you mentioned?”

“Hmm?” The short brunette perked up. “Oh! Um…” She looked around the room in a quick sweep, trying to locate the four boys from her story. “They're riiiight…there!” she exclaimed, pointing across the hall.

Everyone at the table glanced over to where Sonara pointed. 

“Yes. That’s them,” Rosalie confirmed.

“Anyone know who they are?” Valerie asked.

“Oh, I do,” Rember answered with a hint of hostility, fox ears lying flat. “That’s team CRDL.”

“Beacon’s boy band, I'd wager,” Jad commented, mirroring his teammate’s darkened look.

Rember’s flinty gaze hardened. Across the room, the four members of CRDL didn’t seem to notice the several glares directed at them. Azure was privately sizing them up, trying to get a good read on them. From what he could see, they were...arrogant, at best. The four of them may as well have been the poster boys of stereotypical belittling jocks, always holding their power over any of the other students. Not to mention they were all extremely prejudiced, especially towards faunus. Now that he thought about it, Azure did recall them picking on numerous different faunus students since the beginning of the year. And the more he thought about it, the more his neutral expression began to crack. He’d never liked those kinds of people. 

“Hrmmm…” Sonara grimaced, “I really don’t like them.”

“For once, I agree with you,” Kyra mumbled, prompting her teammate to stick her tongue out at her. 

Suddenly, CRDL left their seats, swaggering off to who knew where. As they left, Rember picked up bits of their conversation, fox ears twitching every which way as they caught sounds. Azure caught the sight, and looked to his partner with questioning eyes.

“What’s up?” he asked. 

“I...I don’t know,” she answered, “It was hard to hear ‘cause of all the noise, but…” Rember trailed off to listen, but quickly finished her statement. “I think someone’s in trouble. I know enough about those... idiots to know that they aren’t good news.”

Azure immediately honed in on how uneasy she sounded. Valerie, Kyra, and Rosalie caught the fox’s foreboding tone too, but Sonara and Jad missed it, the tall boy too occupied with lunch while he tried to figure out what was happening with his partner, and the young girl still giving CRDL the stink eye as they left.

“You don’t think...they’re going after Gayle, do you?” Rosalie whispered worriedly. 

“Say that again?”

Azure and Rember flinched upon hearing the deadpan tone beside them, cautiously glancing sideways at Jad. The tall young man was paying attention and had stopped eating, a literal dark energy surrounding him. AMBR were taken aback by the sight, and Rosalie cautiously spoke again.

“I...I said you don’t think it’s Gayle--”

“Yeah, I got it,” Jad replied, cutting her off. 

Without another word, he stood and made his way out of the dining hall, the black energy intensifying as he left.

Everyone still seated was frozen for a good moment as they watched Jad depart.

“Rem?” Azure posed, looking at his partner.

“On it!” the fox girl answered, springing after Jad. 

Azure followed closely, leaving his incomplete lunch behind. They also left a very concerned and confused team AMBR, unsure of what they should do.

“Jad, just hang on a sec,” Azure urged as he and Rember blocked their teammate’s path. 

They’d finally caught up to him. The tall young man halted, eyeing them both.

“What?” he asked in a flat voice, an unsettlingly neutral look on his face.

“Look, just calm down,” Azure insisted, holding firm. 

While he understood Jad’s anger, they needed to handle this tactfully. His friend’s typical ‘break things first, ask questions later’ approach would only get him, and probably everyone else on the team, in trouble.

“I am.”

“Really?” 

“Yes.”

“I doubt that. Look, before you go off and destroy everything, have you at least thought about a different angle to go about this?”

“I have.”

“How hard?”

“Very.”

Azure paused. “So...?” he asked.

Jad let out a short, angry breath. The expression he wore spoke volumes for his determination. 

Azure and Rember shared an incredulous glance.

“You're not stopping, are you?” Azure asked.

“Surprised?” 

“No. But if we let you go, what are you going to do?”

Jad took a moment to think, shoulders tense, fists clenching and unclenching.

“I’m gonna … poke em,” he answered. 

Azure felt his brow furrow with doubt. Whatever Jad wanted to do, it most likely involved violence. No matter what Azure thought of, he couldn’t calm down Jad, and the young man sighed in defeat.

“Is there any way we can get Gayle and NOT have bloodshed today?” he asked, already knowing the answer. 

Jad’s eyes focused on the hall ahead of them, the black energy growing darker.

“Get to them before I do.”

Rember looked at Azure and said “Honestly, I can’t argue with that logic.”

Gayle sighed as she slowly walked the school halls alone. The weight in her arms seemed heavier than usual today, which was odd as she was carrying the usual amount of notes. She did feel a bit tired, but that wasn’t going to stop her today. Soon as the food she’d had earlier kicked in, she’d be feeling better...right?

Her mind began to wander, as it often did. The others were probably having their own lunches right now, likely talking about what was happening with her. Gayle knew they were all wanting to know why she had been so...quiet. But everything was fine. If she was patient enough, if she continued to do her best, she would get through this. The situation would resolve itself. It always did. There was no need to get them involved with a problem that wasn’t theirs. It wouldn’t be fair to them, expecting them to fix everything for her. Just like it wasn’t fair to...

Without warning, she felt a push from behind and stumbled forward. She lost her balance and fell to the cold floor, dropping her books everywhere.

Ow... Gayle thought distantly, rubbing the pain in her right arm away. She looked up to see who had pulled the unprovoked move, and anxiety instantly ignited within her stomach.

It was the four boys who had been hounding her.

“Hey, book worm ,” the tallest one said, smiling smugly. “How’s it going?”

Without a word, Gayle went about collecting her things. She knew she wouldn’t accomplish much by stooping to their level, but maybe if she didn’t play into their spectacle they’d go away. 

Her silence didn’t deter them. 

“Hey, I’m talking to you.”

It wasn’t until they aimed a kick her way that she responded. 

“I heard you,” she mumbled, refusing to face her aggressors. She redoubled her efforts to grab her scattered items. At the very least, once she gathered her things she could make a break for it. She knew for a fact that she was much quicker than them.

The lead boy huffed in satisfaction. “Good. Then I also bet you remember hearing about those notes from Oobleck that me and my team needed for tomorrow. You wrote a copy for us, right?”

“What? No. You should have written your--”

Gayle was hoisted off the ground and forced against the wall. The move took her by surprise, and her breath rushed from her lungs as her back made contact with the harsh stone. Her spines grated uncomfortably against the unrelenting surface. 

 “No talking back,” he growled. “Now I’m getting kinda sick of all your dodging, so I think you need a crash course on how this works. You do what I say, and life goes on. But if you refuse, or you blab about this to anyone, you’ll get yours, plus interest.”

Gayle said nothing. She tried squirming free, tail thrashing and flexing anxiously as she writhed, but physical prowess had never been her forte.

“Heh, nice try,” he snickered. The other members went through her spilled belongings and quickly found what they were looking for, tucking the notes away. Curse her impeccable organisation! “Thanks. Now, ah, how ‘bout you make a copy for us next period? The boys and I have a busy schedule, and we wouldn’t want to cause you any extra trouble.” 

The small faunus felt her face scrunching into a frown. “Excuse me?! No way! That is a violation of the academic integrity expected of-“ Gayle was cut off as the grip holding her up tightened. Her tail curled defensively, but otherwise she held still, mouth tightly shut.  

After a tense moment the boy let go, and Gayle slumped back down to the floor. She did her best to control the shaking in her body, trying not to appear as scared as she felt. She was outnumbered, outmuscled, out...well, just about everything by herself.

For weeks they’d taunted her, mocked her, snatched at her tail or yanked on her spines. They’d made grabs for her books or tried to cheat off her in class, and frankly none of that was new. She was no stranger to any of the disgusting drivel that would spill off their tongues when they’d strut past her in the halls. But never had they been so outright aggressive in their campaign against her, and dammit, she couldn’t bring herself to fight back !

She was frightened, and alone. Again.

“Cardin, we got what we need. Let’s go before--”

“HEY! COCKBREATH!!!”

Cardin, his teammates, and Gayle all jumped at the enraged voice. Looking past the quartet of boys, the short girl felt her heart skip a beat, a surge of relief engulfing her. 

Jad?! Guys?! Gayle thought in disbelief.

Azure, Rember, and Jad had come looking for her. All three of them carried an air of hostility. Even Azure, as collected as he usually was, had a dark look. Jad appeared ready to kill everyone; a black energy surrounded him and siphoned away the light to form a dark halo. 

“SOME RATS GONNA DIE TONIGHT!!” Jad roared, wisps of the black energy breaking off before dissipating like steam. 

One member of CRDL backed away in fear, and Cardin raised an eyebrow.

“And what’s your deal?” he asked, acting tough. “Am I supposed to be scared of one scraggly team defending a faunus ?”

“Um, excuse you! That’s our friend.” Rember snarled, her eyes narrowed into green slits. Her fists were balled at her sides, her ears were flattened angrily, and she’d taken an offensive stance. “And nobody bullies our friends.”

“Is that what you think this is? You shouldn’t be so quick to judge. But I guess I should’ve expected you faunus freaks to stand up for each other. That’s all you’ve got, after all.”

Rember hissed, the temperature in the room rising. 

“They're talking when they should be counting their teeth…” Jad growled darkly, cracking his knuckles.

“Wait,” Azure commanded, calmly stepping in front of his teammates to face off against Cardin. “Let her go,” he ordered the tall human boy, eyeing him sternly face to face.

“What?”

“Let. Her. Go,” he repeated slowly, articulating clearly. “I don’t care what you have to say. You’ll let her go, and you will leave her alone.”

Cardin ground his teeth together, refusing to crack under Azure’s cold stare. Without another word, Azure walked past the bully, helped Gayle to her feet, and led her over to Rember and Jad.

Cardin scoffed again. “Are you kidding me? You’re protecting her? Why would you or this tool in a hat even bother defending something like her? They’re animals! Filthy Therions!”

Azure stopped in his tracks. It was then that CRDL noticed a change in atmosphere. A darker, more foreboding energy surrounded the white haired boy. It might have been the sudden and drastic drop in temperature that sent chills down their spines, but also might have been the icy stare of the archer. 

“Jad...” Azure spoke up, not moving. The tall redhead wouldn't break eye contact with his target, but he was listening. 

“Poke ‘em.”

Team CRDL hardly had time to be confused before a miniature explosion sent them into the far wall, cracking the stone and leaving impact craters. The black energy Jad had been collecting as his rage built was released, swirling around him as he laughed maniacally. 

“MUAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Here I COME !!!” he yelled with zeal as he ran toward CRDL and leapt into the air, the surrounding light seemingly sucked into the blackness around him. As the four young men recovered from getting blasted into solid rock, Jad descended. He slammed back down to the ground directly in front of his victims, and the entire school shook with an ear shattering explosion. The rest of KRME shielded themselves as best they could.

It took a minute, but the ringing inside everyone’s ears eventually stopped, and the lingering dust settled. Cautiously, Gayle ventured a peek at the aftermath of her partner’s outburst. Her jaw dropped. 

A large section of wall was demolished, with at least two more farther down also sporting wide holes. The air had a sharp odor to it, crackling with energy like it was on the verge of a lightning storm. Wisps of darkness mingled with faint trails of smoke, and amid the mess stood her partner. 

Cracking his neck, Jad let out an angry but semi-satisfied breath. “I was almost too pissed to enjoy that,” he growled. With that, he turned back to look at his team.

Azure hummed and closed his eyes. “Well, he finally pissed me off. I don’t care anymore what Goodwitch will say.”

Jad grinned, and picked up his partner off the ground. “What did I tell you?” he gestured to the rubble behind him. “About heavy lifting. How about you start letting us back you up a little bit more? I’m always ready to break something or someone if you need it, Pipsqueak!”

“Damn straight!” Rember added, handing the lizard girl the belongings that had been strewn about. “You’re our friend, Gayle, and part of this team. Don’t ever think you can’t come to us for something.”

Gayle looked at her teammates. Azure chipped in a simple nod and a smile, and the combined boosts perked the lizard faunus right up. 

“Okay,” she replied, smiling. “Thanks, you guys.”

“You betcha!” Jad beamed. The young man then turned on his heel, adjusting his hat whilst strutting towards the administrative offices. “Now let’s go find Goodwitch! Oh, she’s gonna be so proud of us!”

“By the way, meathead, make sure to let us get a hit in next time!! I’ve been wanting a shot at Cardin for weeks!” Rember huffed, following behind. 

Azure and Gayle were right behind them, listening to the continued banter of their partners. The young leader slid a glance in Gayle’s direction, catching a small grin on her face.

“What’s up?” he asked calmly. 

The young faunus softly shook her head. ‘Nothing,” she replied quietly, and Azure let her be. Out of the blue Gayle stopped dead in her tracks, remembered something extremely important. The small girl turned and ran as fast as she could into the wake of Jad’s destruction. 

“Hey!!” Jad hollered when he noticed Gayle running off on her own, “Where the heck are you going?!”

“My notes!!” Gayle shouted over her shoulder, “They still have them!!”

Jad ran to catch up to her. She looked at him slightly puzzled.  

He smiled and told her, “No more running off alone because you forgot something. From now on, I'm with you.”

Chapter Text

Hey Rosy, have you seen my other shoe?” Sonara called, messing with her collar. 

Team AMBR had just finished Professor Goodwitch’s class and were changing back into their school uniforms in the armory. The four girls had been worked to the bone during class and were about to go on their lunch break. However, the youngest of the team had misplaced her left shoe, holding back the rest of them.

“Seriously? You lost it? How old are you?” Kyra muttered to herself, quiet enough that no one else could hear her. 

At that moment it could've been the fact that she was hungry, but the small brunette had given her a serious headache since the day they met only a handful of months ago.

“Did you check your locker again?” Rosalie asked with patience born of practice.

“Well, yeah. But I can’t find it!” Sonara pouted. 

She did another quick sweep of her personal container, loudly shifting and rattling various things inside as she searched. After a minute or so Sonara retracted, shrugging in defeat. 

"Hold on, lemme see..." Rosalie responded calmly. It wasn't long before she reappeared from her partner's locker, a single black shoe in one hand and a warm smile gracing her face. 

"This it?" she inquired playfully.

With wide eyes and a blinding grin, Sonara retrieved her lost footwear and shoved it onto her left foot, catching her partner in one of her signature bear hugs. 

"Yes! That's it! Oh, you're amazing!! And I'm soooo sorry I took so long!" she apologized, enthusiastically as ever, to her teammates.

"It's no problem, Sonara," Valerie dismissed happily. 

While she loved her team all equally, Sonara could always perk someone up with her overabundance of untamed energy. It was something that Valerie had really come to like about the short statured girl.

"Yeah, sure,” Kyra grumbled, brushing off the apology impatiently. "Can we go now?."

Nodding to her partner, Valerie led her team in the direction of the mess hall, their smallest and youngest member humming to herself. The four girls hurried through the expansive corridors of the academy, accompanied by the occasional growls from their empty stomach. While making up for lost time with a quicker pace, Sonara had gone off recounting one of the many 'grand' adventures that her and Rosalie had gone through when they were little. Even if the details were a bit...exaggerated, Rosalie, as usual, would happily listen to the 'Sonara version' of the story. Kyra couldn't bear to hear another one of the grating works of hyperactive fiction, and silently fumed. Valerie, to no one's surprise, was wrapped in one of her many daydreams, her fantasies all concerning a certain spiky haired boy. Unintentionally, she smiled and giggled to herself. 

"Hey, who--oh..." Kyra began to ask, but soon stopped. She had thought she’d heard someone laughing, and was unsurprised to find her partner completely zoned out, eyes glossed over and a droopy smile on her face. Grabbing the back of her partner's shirt, Kyra held their team leader in place so she would stop her mindless shuffle forward.

"Uh...Val?" Kyra asked. No reply was made from the absent minded human, with the exception of what appeared to be drool escaping her mouth. "Earth to Valerie! Anyone home?!" Kyra shouted right into her partner's ear.

"Huh?!" Valerie jumped, snapping back to reality. "What is it?! What's wrong?" she asked in alarm, reflexively taking a defensive stance.

"Uhh...nothing,” Kyra stated flatly, raising an eyebrow. "Unless you think that arriving at the cafeteria is a problem," she added sarcastically, gesturing vaguely to the expansive room before them.

Her cheeks turning pink, Valerie scratched the back of her head in embarrassment. 

"Oh. I see,” she replied, grinning sheepishly. Clearing her throat, she led her team through the maze of students, each of them grabbing their dishes of choice as they went through.

"So are we going to sit with Azure’s group again, Val?? I wanna talk with the fox lady and hat man!" Sonara asked. 

Over recent weeks, they’d become fast friends with team KRME, and often chose to share meals or hang out together. 

"Why wouldn't we?" Kyra bluntly asked her upbeat teammate. "They're some of the only people we know at this school."

Valerie interjected. "Sure thing! It's nice to have company,” she said, spotting team KRME by themselves at a table.

"Yay!" Sonara cheered, and the four girls moved on. 

Weaving their way through the crowded hall, AMBR placed their trays at KRME's table and claimed the bench opposite the other team.

"Hiya, guys!!" Sonara beamed as she took her seat, placing herself between Rosalie and Kyra. "Howya doin?"

"Not bad!" said Rember, smiling. "Just got out of Professor Peach's class. You?"

"Came from Goodwitch's," Rosalie replied, taking a sip of her orange juice. "Oh! She said that there's going to be a big tournament against all the schools at the end of the year during the Vytal Festival. Have you heard about that yet?" 

All four of KRME nodded, Jad chomping down a strip of bacon. "Yep!" he said, swallowing his mouthful. "We were told yesterday. But for now, time to rejoice! Spring break is almost upon us!!"

"We'll start training more when it comes closer,” Azure elaborated. "But for now, it's not a big deal."

"That makes sense. Oh, by the way Azure..." Valerie began, looking at the green eyed boy. "I was wondering if you’re free later?" she asked, inwardly crossing her fingers. Hopefully, this time he'd say yes...

To the girl's dismay, Azure shook his head. 

"Sorry," he replied, “I'm busy." 

"Oh..." Valerie felt her heart sink a bit. She never seemed to catch a break with him. "What are you doing?" she asked, trying to sound upbeat to hide her disappointment.

Azure paused for a moment, almost as though he were choosing his words. "Gayle and I have plans for after school." He looked over to his youngest teammate. "Something we decided on recently after we got out of detention for Jad sending CRDL through a few walls." 

Beside him, Rember tried to hide a smirk while Gayle positively glowed with excitement.

"Oh...okay." Valerie nodded and returned to her food. It wasn't really any of her business anyway. After that, talking died down as everyone turned their attention to their food.

All too soon the bell rang, and students filed out of the hall. 

With a spring in her step and a rekindled fire in her belly, Sonara shot into action. "Awright! Imma go on ahead, okay Rosy? See you in class!!" she exclaimed, speeding off on her own and leaving the rest of her friends in the dust.

Back in the mess hall Kyra sighed, applying pressure to one of her temples. "Honestly, Rosalie..." she addressed the pink haired girl, "I have no idea how you can deal with that girl the way you do. Everything she does gives me a headache." 

"Yes, her overabundant enthusiasm can do that to people." Rosalie giggled, smiling warmly. "But it's never bothered me. After all, we did grow up together."

Fair point, Kyra admitted. Still...I don't think I can hold out for much longer if she doesn't tone it down a few notches.

Gathering their respective food trays, the rest of AMBR and KRME said their goodbyes and parted ways, much to Valerie’s chagrin.  

"Whew...another day finished!" Valerie exhaled as she and her team entered their dorm. 

The afternoon half of school had been filled to the brim with lectures: half of them by the bombastic Professor Port, and the other half by the ever exuberant Dr. Oobleck. Valerie had made a habit of making sure to add the 'Dr.' suffix whenever speaking to the teacher, as he seemed quite adamant to be addressed as such.

"Yeah, yippee..." Kyra grumbled, sarcasm potent. "Can't wait to do it aaaall over again tomorrow." 

"Aww muffin," Valerie quipped, grinning lopsidedly. "Do you need a hug? I bet Sonara would be more than willing to make you feel better." 

"Pass,” the girl with white hair declined, tearing off her uniform to get into something she was more comfortable in. "I really don't need her touching me." 

Smiling, Valerie dropped her teasing and followed her partner's example. In minutes, the four girls were in very basic casual wear, each individual now free to pass the evening in their own way. Rosalie took the liberty of unbraiding her hair, running a hairbrush through her rose colored locks. Sonara was coloring in a picture book, not bothering to follow any sense of colour coordination. Kyra sat on the side of her bunk, flipping through the pages of one of her favorite novels, and Valerie was now sprawled across her bedsheets, humming quietly to herself. 

"Excuse me, Kyra," Rosalie suddenly spoke up, looking over to her teammate. "But I have a question that's been gnawing at me." 

Kyra folded a small crease in the page of her book before putting it down. 

"What?"

"Well, I have a feeling that I've heard your name somewhere before. Specifically, the 'Myst' part.”

"So?"

"Well, I don't want to assume anything, but are you perchance related to Titania Myst?" Rosalie asked lightly. 

Hearing that name seized everyone's attention. Titania Myst: a Huntress famous for her exploits against the Grimm in the kingdoms of Vacuo and Vale. The woman was said to have been gifted with an incredible semblance to conjure, as well as manipulate, water and ice without the aid of Dust. When paired with her innate talents wielding a blade, the Huntress was a force of nature. She quickly gained a reputation for lethality, as well as beauty from her long, snow white hair and eyes as blue as the element she held mastery over. If their teammate was of the same lineage…

Sonara stopped her activities and gazed intensely at the M of AMBR, while Kyra's bright green eyes flickered with emotion for a split second before resuming their usual disinterested look.

"And if I am?" she replied curtly.

"Wait…. Waitwaitwait! So you're really from that Myst family?" Valerie asked, voice full of awe. She’d grown up on the tales of the famed Huntress: Titania was one of her favorite heroes as a little girl!

"Again, so what if I am?" Kyra said coldly.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I would be honored!!" Valerie exclaimed. "To be related to the prodigy that was Titania Myst! I mean, she was amazing!!"

"Is it true? For real??" Sonara inquired seriously, closing in on her older teammate as near as she could. Kyra leaned away, but couldn’t avoid the questioning eyes of her team. Especially not the ones encroaching on her personal space. 

Breathing out a long sigh, Kyra ran a hand through her hair and considered the questions. 

“We weren't just related,” she replied like she was reciting something incredibly boring. "She was my mother." 

“WHAAAAAAAAT?!?!"

Kyra winced at the volume of her teammates. "You heard me. Also, ow ,” she muttered, returning to her book.

"Bu-bubu-bu--but that means..." Valerie stuttered, completely shocked. "One of the greatest Huntresses of our time is your MOM!!" she shouted, her curls bouncing as she gestured incoherently to communicate her astonishment. "How could you not tell us, Kyra?!"

Kyra wasn't fazed. "I don't see how telling you that is of any benefit. In all honesty, I'd rather avoid any attention if it’s because of her,” she said plainly, not looking at the others.

Valerie and the others couldn't believe it. How could Kyra be so...cold about this? It was as if she didn't care. 

"But why?" Sonara asked, utterly baffled by Kyra’s behavior. "Don't you care about your mom?"

Kyra sighed irritably.

"No, I don't. And quite frankly, she didn't care about me either," she snapped, irritation written clearly in the sharp line of her jaw and the tension in her posture. 

Sonara reeled back in disbelief. "You-you're kidding! Of course she did!" she protested fiercely, cobalt eyes ablaze. 

Kyra’s gaze hardened "How would you know? You never met the woman," she growled, her own emerald eyes flashing. "And what business is it of yours anyway?"

"But she isn't just some woman ! She’s your mom ! She’s Titania Myst !!" 

Kyra snarled. "Shut up! You don’t know ANYTHING about her!!" Her voice thundered in the small room, resounding harshly from the walls that suddenly felt too small. 

The three teammates flinched, caught off guard by Kyra's fury. She was usually so soft spoken, even when she was being cynical and prickly. But before them was not the Kyra they knew. Not at all.

"C'mon guys, you need to--"  Valerie began to say before Rosalie put a hand on her shoulder. The team leader looked back to see the pink haired girl frowning, slowly shaking her head, and Valerie withdrew.

"Let me ask you something," Kyra leered, glaring daggers at Sonara. "Do you know what it's like? To be the daughter of someone so celebrated? So revered? It's a nightmare. Nothing you do is good enough, because it wasn't how she would've done it. How she always did it better!" The girl was practically shaking in anger as she spat out the words. "And what do I get if I try something? Nothing. Nothing but failed expectations and disappointment." 

Kyra paused for a rattling breath before continuing, her voice more controlled but still bitter. "Titania, my mother , she was never there for me. She could never take the time to spend with her only child. There was always somewhere else she had to be. Something important that only she could do. Even when I asked her to stay, she had something more important to attend to. Heck, my father is just as ignorant." 

Sonara and the others could only listen with wide eyes as Kyra vented, tears gathering in her eyes like heavy clouds before a storm. 

Kyra wiped at her eyes before looking back at a dumbfounded Sonara. "In the end, that woman got herself killed on a mission that even she couldn't do. Nevermind that I naively begged her to stay. So, in the end, I helped myself grow up. I made myself into who I am now. I didn’t need anyone before, and as far as I’m concerned I don’t need anyone now." Her eyes were cold and hard, her body stiff with barely-suppressed rage. "So now what, Sonara? What can you possibly say to convince me otherwise?!" 

The brunette was speechless. She wanted to lash out. To kick and shout with all her might. But that didn't happen. All Sonara could do was clench her fists in barely controlled frustration. 

"I...I..."

Kyra let a huff escape her mouth. She'd won. "That's what I thought..." she snapped curtly, turning away from her team.

Valerie bit her lip anxiously. She had no idea how bad wanting to know more about her partner would turn out. While they had been together for a few months now, she really didn't know much about any of her team’s backgrounds. And though she wanted to step in and fix the issue, there was nothing she could really do. Slowly, she looked over at Sonara with worried eyes. The small girl's hands were trembling, and her head was downcast, eyes hidden beneath her muted brown hair. Valerie took a cautious step forward. 

"Hey, Sonara? Are you..." 

It happened incredibly fast. Sonara robotically strode up to Kyra, forcibly turned the girl back around, and gripped her teammate's shirt collar with both hands, the young girl shaking all over. It could've been her imagination, but Kyra also could've sworn she felt the ground shaking under her feet.

While Valerie and Kyra froze in shock, all the alarms in Rosalie’s head went off. 

"No! Sonara, stop !!" 

She knew this Sonara. She'd met this version of her a long, long time ago. 

"Don't do this!! You need to calm down!!" Rosalie shouted, voice frantic with fear. 

Numb and shocked, Kyra didn't move. Her mouth was agape, and all she could do was try to process exactly what was happening with bewildered eyes.

"Listen, you..." Sonara hissed venomously. "You think you've had it so rough? That just because mommy and daddy didn't spend as much time with you as you wanted, you can cry about it? Let me tell you something..." The small girl looked up, right into Kyra's eyes. She looked furious, murderous , but was betrayed by the unshed tears veiling her eyes. "You should be grateful for having any parents at all. For that love and attention you received, however small it was. Not everyone gets those luxuries, and you go around being ungrateful about it? It seriously pisses me off." 

"Sonara! That's enough!!" Rosalie scolded firmly, grabbing one of her partner's arms as she put her foot down. "Let her go!" 

Sonara slowly looked at her friend with damp eyes and did as she was told, arms falling to her sides weakly.

"I...I'm so sorry..." Sonara apologized, quiet as a mouse as hot tears fell from her cheeks. Her body still trembled, and she unconsciously backed towards the door. "I-I didn't m-m-mean to..."  she squeaked, mortified at what she’d almost done. The girl ran towards the door, opening it and bolting away with surprising speed.

"Wait! Sonara!!" Valerie called out. Her words echoed hollowly out into the empty hall. 

The remaining three girls stared blankly after their teammate, their faces frozen in shock. 

“We have to go after her,” Rosalie demanded. “Right now."

"Wait, what?" Kyra exclaimed in disbelief. "You can't be serious." 

"I am," Rosalie said firmly, frowning. "She needs all of us right now. Even you, Kyra. Whether you think so or not." 

Kyra grimaced. She seriously doubted that. 

"She's right,” Valerie agreed. "We're a team. We're all going."

Kyra let out a quiet sigh. Guess there was nothing else for it. "But where would we even start? We don't have any clue as to where she's going."

Rosalie’s brow furrowed. "That's true. She's actually really good at hiding when she wants to, so this could take a long time.”

For a while, the girls just stood there, thinking. And as the trio contemplated, Valerie got an idea. 

"Go on ahead without me,” she instructed, exiting briskly. "I'm going to get some help." 

Both remaining members nodded as their leader left. Wasting no more time, Rosalie led Kyra out, making sure that the girl would help look for her...no, their friend.

Chapter Text

Valerie drifted around the corner as she ran through the halls. With determination, the girl flew like the wind, counting the doors as she passed. It was just a little further. Once she got there, she was certain they'd help...

"No...no...no..." she mumbled to herself. She was getting closer, but not fast enough. What's worse, there was now an enticing smell wafting around the dorms, and it only got stronger as she got closer to her destination. It weighed down her legs ever so slightly, but she couldn't afford getting distracted. 

"No...no...n--here!" she exclaimed, skidding to a halt. She rapped her knuckles against the wood impatiently.

After a moment the white door opened, and Azure’s familiar face poked out. "Hey,” he greeted. 

Valerie sighed with relief. "Oh good, you're here. Listen, we really need so--what are you wearing?"

Raising an eyebrow, Azure stepped out from behind the door. Valerie blinked a few times in disbelief at the sight of his white apron and chef's hat. The chocolatey aroma that she had been smelling wafted out from inside the dorm behind him, making the girl's knees weak.

"Just something I wear when I cook," he answered simply. "Gayle and I are baking cookies."

"Heck yeah we are!!!" exclaimed a bright voice from somewhere in the room. 

Valerie stared in amazed silence. Azure baked ? And going by the smell, he was good at it! That meant that her crush was not only a good looking, skilled fighter, he was also a capable cook?! 

Oh God, is there anything he can’t do? she thought with awe, eyeing Azure intensely with pink tinted cheeks. Was there an end to the mysteries of Azure Knyte? What other skills did he possess?

Unbeknownst to Valerie, Azure was watching her with puzzlement, and from somewhere in the room a quiet snigger was heard. 

"You okay?" he inquired slowly.

Valerie shook her head to clear it, snapping back to the moment. "Y-yeah! Of course!" she replied quickly. She then remembered why she was there, and refocused. "Look, I need your help." 

"With what?"

"Well...it's Sonara." 

Azure raised an eyebrow.

"See...she and Kyra had a bit of a fight, and now she's run off," Valerie explained, gesturing vaguely as she searched for the right words. "I don't want to cause any trouble for you, but could you maybe help us find her?"

Azure stood there for a moment, contemplative. Then he abruptly closed the door, leaving her standing confused in the hallway. 

She was about to knock again when he reemerged in normal clothes, with his partner at his side.

"Rem and I will help. She's got the best hearing I've ever seen, and she’s a great tracker. This shouldn’t take long," Azure said. 

Rember smiled proudly around the cookie in her mouth. 

Her spirits lifting, Valerie cracked a grin. "Thank you!"

Azure nodded and turned his head back towards his dorm. "Gayle? Rem and I are going out for a bit! You're in charge while I'm gone! Make sure Jad doesn't have any cookies while we're out!”

There was a sound of an affirmation from Gayle and a loud protest from Jad as Azure shut the door behind him. The boy and his partner looked to Valerie, waiting for their directives. 

"Okay, follow me!" she commanded, and the trio rushed out of the dorm. The hunt for Sonara had begun.

"...Still no sign of her," Kyra stated flatly, stopping to take a rest. 

She and Rosalie had been out looking for their youngest team member for who knows how long, and it was starting to make her weary. Valerie no doubt took whatever help she’d found in the opposite direction they’d gone, which meant that this hopefully wouldn't take too long.

"She can't be far. Let's keep looking," Rosalie replied.

The two of them kept searching. They were checking the west side of the school, both inside and out. They were so far out now that the cliffs to the Emerald Forest weren't far away. Still no luck though, and as they moved Kyra was left to her thoughts, running through what had happened earlier again and again.

"Hey, Rosalie..."

"No need to be so tense, Kyra," Rosalie said, an air of calm around her. "And you can call me Rose,” she added with a friendly smile.

Blinking a few times, Kyra cleared her throat and started over. "Rose. About what happened before..." 

Rosalie abruptly shook her head. "Don't. I'm not the one who needs an apology here."

"What? No, that's not what I was going to say." 

"Oh! I'm sorry. What is it?" 

Kyra collected herself again. "I just have a question...about Sonara."

Rosalie stopped in her tracks, keeping her back to her teammate. Just as Kyra started to get a bit uncomfortable, the girl with the pink braid turned to address her, expression stonily serious. The sight of it made the pale haired member of AMBR shiver. The purple eyes that usually were so comforting and warm were now carefully guarded. Rosalie seemed to study her teammate intensely, and spoke with a neutral tone.

"Only one?" she asked bluntly.

"Well, uh...no."

"I see..." the rose haired Huntress replied. "I will answer one question now. You can save the rest for when we find Sonara."

Kyra bit her lip nervously. One question? She'd better make it count...

"Could you explain to me why Sonara...blew up like that before she ran off?"

Rosalie seemed to deflate once the words were said. A sad smile painted across her face, and she bobbed her head lightly. She should've seen this coming a mile away. 

"Better take a seat,” she suggested, motioning to a rock sitting all alone in the dry grass. Kyra did as instructed, and Rosalie tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"The person you saw," Rosalie said, choosing her words carefully, "is the Sonara that I knew back when we were kids." 

Kyra's eyebrows lifted a fraction, but she let her teammate speak.

"She wasn't always a happy person. In fact, now that I think about it she actually used to be quite violent..." Rosalie continued, trailing off.

Kyra kept her expression carefully schooled, concealing any reaction to her teammate’s tale. But inwardly she couldn't picture her Sonara being anything but overly positive and energetic.

“Listen, Kyra.” Rosalie sighed. “What you should understand is that Sonara chose a long time ago to be the happy, and at times annoying, girl you know.”

The pale woman raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?” 

Rosalie slowly shook her head. “I'm sorry, I can’t tell you any more. I promised her I wouldn't tell anyone about that without her consent,” she said sadly. “You'll need to ask her yourself.”

Kyra felt a twinge of irritation. Why was Rosalie being so tight lipped? But she could also see where she was coming from. Rosalie was just trying to be a loyal friend and a good teammate. Something Kyra, though she hated to admit it, certainly hadn't been.

“C’mon, we need to keep looking,” Rosalie suggested, getting to her feet. Kyra followed suit, as her teammate gestured towards Beacon Cliffs. “You go that way, and I’ll go the opposite.” 

Kyra simply nodded and watched the other girl depart, leaving her alone with her thoughts once more. With a small frown, she turned towards the cliffs and started walking.

The golden rays cast off by the sun were turning orange as it descended towards the horizon. In a small glade near Beacon, Sonara sat beneath a fir tree, fiddling with one of its cones in her fingers. The young girl’s eyes were red, and she sniffled miserably. Curled up tightly, Sonara’s arms screamed to be unlatched from her legs but she ignored the discomfort. All she could think of was the look on Kyra’s face. The looks on everyone’s faces…

What a compulsive brat.

Sonara held her breath as long forgotten scorn sprang to the forefront of her mind. She shook her head desperately, praying that her memories wouldn’t delve any further. To her dismay they only kept coming, the damage long done.

Violent. Rude!

“N-no…” Sonara whispered weakly. The earth beneath her shifted.

What the--?! What’s wrong with you?!

“No, I never meant to--I mean, I never wanted to--”

We’re almost there, sweetie…

Upon remembering that small, sickeningly familiar voice, Sonara broke. 

“STOP IT!” she shouted, clutching at her head. 

Cracks shot through the ground, spearing outwards from the small brunette as her semblance tore the earth asunder. The flood of suppressed memories rushed back to her in a whirlwind. The haze of hateful words and broken promises was shattered by another old memory that came into her recollection, and she was helpless to watch as the scene played in her mind’s eye.

The unlucky boy felt the chill of mud and water wash over him as he was abruptly thrown to the ground, striking bruises under his soaked clothes. Thunder boomed overhead, and the downpour of the storm drenched him to the bone. Standing above him, with tangled brown hair, sharp blue eyes, and a frown that would deter even the toughest man, was a girl only two thirds his size. Yet despite her stature, she was able to corral him into a dead end, and was mugging the shit out of him. Pain wracked his body, and he forced one eye open to track his attacker. Ill-fitting, tattered clothes hung off her gaunt form, grime covered her skin, and a collection of small rocks and hard packed clumps of dirt floated in the air around her. Despite the imposing look, she couldn’t have been any older than him. 

“Wh-” He broke off into an abrupt coughing fit. ”What do you...want from me?” he rasped, terrified. He eyed the steadily levitating stones warily.

The young girl eyed her victim blankly, rain bouncing off of her tattered coat and dirty skin.

“Are you-” He wheezed as another bout of coughs wracked his bruised frame. “Are you even listening?! Hey!”

“Hey.”

Sonara’s eyes shot open. It took her a few seconds to recognize her surroundings. She wasn’t in the alleyway. The boy wasn’t here. There was no rain, no thunder, and her skin wasn’t covered in grime. 

Sonara’s head hurt from crying. The ground around her had been torn apart in a starburst of fissures, leaving rocks and bits of earth floating in the air. For a brief moment she saw the rainy alley again, but she shook her head and the scene vanished. To her surprise and fear, Kyra sat right in front of her, her usually sharp and analytical emerald eyes soft with concern. The brunette unconsciously scooted closer to the tree behind her.

“Wh-why are you he-here?” she stammered, with a terrible feeling in her gut.

Kyra was quiet for a moment, carefully studying the girl before her. Mustering her courage, she gathered her composure and spoke. 

“I’m here cause you ran off, idiot,” she stated simply. “What other reason should I have?”

“But I…” Sonara trailed off, wiping her nose on her sleeve. “I...hurt you. I said mean things that I promised myself I would never say to anyone...I’m so sorry, Kyra.” She stared at the ground, unable to meet her teammate’s eye. 

“Don’t worry about it.”

A jolt of surprise rang through Sonara. Kyra’s words...they weren’t harsh like she expected. Tentative eyes lifted to meet that level green gaze. 

Kyra cracked the faintest hint of a smile, and continued. “You're not the one at fault here,” she said. “My outburst was uncalled for. I just...have a lot of stuff I need to work on.” 

She sat down near Sonara. “I’m the one who should be apologizing. I shouldn’t be lashing out at people just because they’re curious about me.” 

Sonara was silent. She studied Kyra, trying to decide if the other girl was being sincere. From what she could tell, the apology was genuine.

“So, you never really had your parents around growing up?” Sonara asked quietly.

Kyra didn’t react to the question for a moment, but eventually replied with a quiet “Yeah.” 

Sonara nodded. “Me neither.” 

For several minutes the girls merely sat beneath the fir tree, listening to the breeze as it rustled through the trees around them. It was soothing. Peaceful.

“What happened to them?” Kyra asked.

“...I’m not sure,” Sonara replied in a small voice. “For all I know, they’re dead.” 

She leaned back against the stiff bark, and took a deep breath. “We lived on our family's farm.”

“Your family owned a farm?”

“Partly. The main head of it was my uncle. It was up in the mountains and we didn’t have much in our house. But I didn’t care. As far as I was concerned, I was happy with what we had.”

Kyra listened attentively. Maybe learning more about Sonara’s past would help her learn to deal with the girl that she’d only really ever seen as an annoyance.

“Then one evening on our way back home from town, I suddenly got really tired and fell into the deepest sleep I’ve ever had. Next thing I know, I wake up the next morning somewhere completely unfamiliar. I tried finding my way back, and…well… ”

Kyra nodded; Sonara didn’t need to continue. “That...must’ve been tough.” the pale skinned woman sympathized.

Sonara shrugged. She tried to smile, but couldn’t muster it. “Yeah, kinda. I had to be really mean after that. To survive. Remembering everything I did...it makes me feel sick.” 

Taking another breath to steady her voice, she continued. “All I want is to find my parents again. To know exactly what happened that night. You could say that’s another part of why I became a Huntress. Cover more ground, ya know?” 

Kyra was surprised. And a little ashamed of herself. There was so much more to this girl than she ever gave her credit.

“Hasn’t been all bad though,” Sonara added, “I mean, I got Rosy out of it.” 

“Right. She’s been your best friend ever since you were all on your own, yeah?”

“Pretty much. Actually, there’s a bit more to that story…”

Kyra looked at Sonara questioningly. Seeing the intrigue in that emerald gaze, Sonara was finally able to put on a genuine smile.

“When Rosy’s family found out I didn’t have a family, they brought me in and took care of me. So...I guess you could say we’re sisters in a way!” she explained lightly, her grin widening.

Kyra finally got it. All her questions about Sonara’s attitude, Rosalie’s insane tolerance towards her partner, why the girl fought the way she did when she talked about her mother...she finally understood.

“Wow...I never thought you two were adoptive siblings.” 

“Hehe, yep. We even have a younger sister back home! She’s a huntress in training too!”

“No kidding. Is she like Rosalie? Or… like you?” Kyra jabbed, grinning slyly. 

It earned a laugh from her teammate, and she couldn’t help but join in on the infectious giggles.

“Hehehehe, she’s pretty nice. Kinda gullible, but that makes her more fun. At least she’s not grumpy. Don’t know if I could handle another wet stick in the mud like you!” 

“Feelings mutual, you blockhead.”

The two girls shared another laugh, as the last light of the setting sun slipped beneath the horizon in a warm haze of purple. Sonara was feeling much better. A heavy weight had been lifted off her chest, leaving her feeling much lighter. 

“Kyra,” Sonara ventured. “I want to be someone that can put a smile on everyone’s face. That’s the kind of person I want to be when I’m a Huntress. I know my...overexcitement on some stuff has made us butt heads, but I think we’d have a better time at school if we were friends. Whaddya think?”

Kyra pondered the proposition, tapping her chin with a contemplative finger. Finally, she shrugged.

“I don’t see why not,” she replied. “I don’t really have a lot of those. But maybe try to tone it down when you’re excited?” 

Sonara nodded her head. “Okay. Just because you asked. And in exchange, you need to be less of a grump!”

“I’ll...see what I can do.”

“You'd better!”

Kyra, satisfied the rift between her and her teammate was mending, took out her Scroll and called Rosalie. After a moment, the rose haired girl picked up.

“Hello?”

“Hey. I found her.”

“You did?! Oh, thank goodness! Where are you right now?”

“In a small glade near Beacon Cliffs.”

“And...how’s Sonara?”

“She’s okay, Rose. Everything is good.”

“So you...?”

“Yeah. We’re good.”

“Oh! What a relief.”

Kyra cracked a hint of a smirk. “We’re heading back now. If you can notify Val, we’ll see you back at the dorm in a bit.”

“Okay. I’ll see you both soon!”

The transmission ended, and Kyra put away her scroll. Getting to her feet, she dusted her clothes off and extended a hand to Sonara. 

“Let’s get going. Don’t want to keep them waiting any longer.”

“Right! No more sulking! It’s spring break tomorrow, which means lots of fun ahead!” Sonara exclaimed. 

Not wasting time, the girls made their way back towards Beacon. Along the way Sonara listed off all of the things she wanted to do while on break, and asked if Kyra wanted to go with her. The white haired girl gave the occasional ‘yes’ or ‘no’, the voice of her teammate much less grating than she remembered it being.

Chapter Text

The streets of Vale buzzed with energy as the residents went through their routines. The Vytal Festival was only days away, and the city was brimming with excitement. Banners were hung, shops were stocked, and spirits were high. Amidst the crowd, two teenagers walked against the flow of traffic, strolling at a much more sedate pace than the bustling people around them.

One of the teens, a boy with raven black hair, inhaled contentedly, taking in the smells wafting around the city. 

"Boy, I've missed Vale! It's been quite some time since we were here. Hasn't it, Wisteria?" He inclined his head to the girl next to him as he spoke. 

Wisteria hummed distantly. The short girl adjusted the twin tailed scarf around her neck, the long white cloth trailing in the wind with her violet hair. She certainly didn't feel like she missed this place. 

"I suppose." she mumbled.

"Oh, cheer up," he replied with a chuckle, "Don’t look so glum. We’re almost done with all the prep work!" he declared. "And by the way, I love the new look! Very nice." Creed complimented, glancing over Wisteria’s outfit.

The girl wore a long, purple cheongsam with detached black arm stockings and lilac colored boots. A leather belt rested securely around her waist, two long knives sheathed in it alongside various Dust containers interspersed snugly around the band.

She shrugged indifferently. “You’re still wearing nothing but black." the girl noted, her pink eyes scanning the crowds dully.

"Haha! Sharp as ever. But what can I say?"  Creed replied, theatrically flipping his long black coat dramatically. "The bold, beautiful color black just suits me!!"  

What he said was true; all his attire was pitch black, with the exception of a grey button up shirt, and purple vest under his coat.

"So you’ve told me." Wisteria replied flatly, indifferent to his theatrics. 

Creed just laughed as they continued on their way at a leisurely pace. The crowd was much sparser here as they moved away from the friendlier parts of town. The streets around them grew narrower, more derelict. The air around them was darker, more foreboding, but it didn't seem to bother the duo in the slightest.

"Why are we even doing what they say, Creed?" Wisteria asked suddenly. The question had been on her mind for some time. "I thought that we-"

"Ah, ah, ah." Creed cut her off, wagging a finger in her direction. "Not yet, my dear. Should be soon, but not yet."

"But why?" 

"Because," he began, halting and meeting Wisteria’s gaze with a hard look, "if we did it now, with just the two of us and that other pair the higher ups saddled us with, we wouldn't get far. Not to mention, we still need one more to complete our trifecta..." 

Creed resumed walking, and Wisteria felt a spark of emotion in her hollow mind, the emptiness in her eyes vanishing for a fleeting second. "You...you know he...isn't coming back," she whispered, a hint of pain in her voice. "You confirmed it." 

"Oh, pfft ." Creed huffed dismissively. "I know he'll come. He’s our friend, right? Additionally, Vale is the only place left where he could be hiding. That's why we asked to come back here, right?" 

Brooding silently for a minute, Wisteria eventually nodded, and Creed offered her a sickly sweet smile.

"That's the spirit!" he said happily, throwing an arm around her shoulder, "I know you want to see him just as badly as I do, so cheer up, little doll. We’ll get him back." 

After that exchange, the two of them didn't converse for the rest of the trip. They soon arrived at a dingy apartment, and Creed did a shoulder check before entering, quickly pulling the door shut behind them. They climbed up a flight of stairs, and entered the third room on the right once they’d reached the landing.

"Oh good. The gang's all here," Creed sneered, greeting the two people inside. "Glad that no one got lost."

The occupants of the apartment, two faunus, were unimpressed at the remark. One, a tall girl with prominent wolf ears, simply stared impassively at Creed with dark eyes. The other, a muscular boy with curved horns spiraling out on either side of his head, huffed and crossed his arms. 

"Don't flatter yourself," the wolf girl said, voice impassive and onyx black eyes devoid of emotion. Her long white hair was braided down to her knees, and she wore a full black leather bodysuit. 

"Oh! Our illustrious leader speaks!! I didn't think I could get under your skin this easily, Starr. I must be getting better,” Creed taunted snidely. 

Starr didn’t react, her expression blank. Creed wasn't discouraged, and redirected his efforts to the other teen. "Eh, maybe not. I'll get you eventually. Aries is so easy, it's no fun anymore." he sighed, feigning disappointment.

The ram faunus grit his teeth and glared at the cocky boy, subconsciously gripping his weapon, a compacted morningstar, with white knuckled fists. The boy wore an assortment of brown leather and metal armor, and his light brown hair was cut short, almost in a military style.

Wisteria cut short Creed’s attempted jabs. "Now's not the time." the girl stated, and he fell silent, content. 

"What're the orders?" Aries asked Starr.

Straightening up from her spot against the wall, the wolf girl answered plainly. "We're to infiltrate Beacon Academy. We'll be under the guise of students visiting for the festival, and gather intel."

The other three nodded, and Aries turned to look at Creed. "So then why did you tell us to come here?" he asked, the hostility in his voice clear.

Smiling maliciously, the boy in black responded happily. "Because I believe you're ready."

"Cut the crap and spit it out." Aries demanded shortly.

"Heh heh, so pushy. But you have a point. Let me go on...." Creed continued, choosing his words thoughtfully while closing the door behind him with a gentle push. 

" *Yaaaaaaaawwwwwwnn.....* "

"Woah, that was a big one," Rember remarked with a grin as she looked over to Azure, then took a bite out of her food. It was lunch time at Beacon, and KRME and AMBR were enjoying each other’s company. The teams had spent the entire spring break as they pleased, not doing too much in the department of excitement. They’d caught up on school work, goofed off in their dorms, ventured into town on the odd day. Now it was the last day of freedom before classes resumed.

"Not my fault," Azure mumbled, rubbing at his eyes and he took a sip of grape soda.

"Why so tired?" Valerie inquired.

Sighing, Azure gestured to his partner. "Ask her," he replied dryly, earning a giggle from Rember.

The members of AMBR looked at the fox girl with questioning eyes. 

"We took in a little kitten recently,” Rember declared proudly.

"Whaaat?! You have a KITTY ??" Sonara exclaimed, stars in her eyes. "I wanna see it! I wanna see it!"  she squealed childishly, bouncing in her seat.

"What’s its name?" Rosalie asked with interest, a sparkle in her purple eyes.

"Thistlebutt," Rember beamed, "but we just call him Thistle."

Sonara could barely contain herself, squealing with glee, but when Kyra spoke up her tone was flat. 

"Um, sorry to be the wet blanket, but are you actually allowed to have him?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

The fox girl smiled. "Of course," she replied confidently. Kyra, still a little skeptical, and looked at Azure. 

The boy nodded once, confirming his partner's answer.

"Well, that must be fun," Valerie added, "but why are you so tired?" 

Sighing again, Azure began slowly. "Ever since Rem took him in, he's been sleeping on my bed and keeping me up." He took a swig of soda before continuing. "He won't leave me alone."

There was a collective 'awww' from Valerie, Sonara, and Rosalie, imagining a small, purring cat curled up next to the young man. Rember's grin kept growing in size. 

"That just means he loves you,” Rember said, and Azure let out an exasperated, albeit good natured, grumble.

"Oh! Hey Jad!" Rosalie called, catching the attention of the othet boy at the table. “Where's Gayle? I haven't seen her today at all." 

"Yeah, Hatman, where’s the lil’ lizard?" Rember asked, as all eyes turned to the tall boy.

Jad swallowed his mouthful of bacon. "Beats me. She was bouncing off the walls after getting some message on her Scroll. Booked it out the door 'bout an hour ago and hasn't appeared since." he said, shrugging, and quickly returned his attention to his heaping plate, conspicuously guarding his steak with a free arm.

"That's weird," Valerie mumbled, surveying the dining hall. "Oh, hey! Isn't that her?" She pointed to a girl with a long braid and longer tail that was standing near the entrance.

KRME and AMBR all turned. Sure enough, it was Gayle. However, it wasn't her presence that immediately caught everyone's attention, but rather what she was doing.

"Heeeey..." Sonara began, squinting.

"Is she..." Rember said, fox ears attentive.

"Talking to a guy!?" Jad shouted in surprise, eyes comically wide.

Though a few of them weren’t sure they believed their eyes, it was nonetheless true: Gayle was chatting up a boy none of them had ever seen before. The two were laughing and smiling, obviously having a riot. Needless to say, it was rather out of character for the introverted faunus. Gayle spotted her team and waved at them excitedly before linking arms with the mystery boy and dragging him along to the team's table. 

"Hey guys!" Gayle chimed happily. Everyone nodded, dumbfounded. "I'd like to introduce you to someone!" 

She motioned to the boy, who flashed a friendly smile and offered a small wave. He had silver hair and violet eyes, with a pair of dual-coloured glasses perched on his nose, and a shimmering purple scarf around his neck. At his waist hung an elegant and elaborately designed rapier. 

There was no reaction, save Sonara asking eagerly, "Ooh! Who’s this??" 

"Remember that friend I mentioned a few times back during the Paper Menagerie Incident?" Gayle said with a widening smile and gesturing to her accomplice. "This is him!!"

"Hullo," the silver haired boy greeted pleasantly.

Everyone (discluding Sonara) stared blankly at the lizard faunus and her companion. After a minute, Jad broke the silence.

"You had a friend before us?" he asked, astonished (and perhaps a little disappointed).

"Ceridwen Vi Ianthe," he proclaimed grandly, with a small bow. “It's a pleasure to meet Whiptail's new friends." 

The silence stretched on. The other members of KRME did recall Gayle talking about a friend she’d had when she was little, but the reality of it had never really clicked in their heads. The young girl wasn't the greatest at socializing, so none of them had bothered to consider if she still had a relationship with this Ceridwen fellow. Regardless, it was unexpected.

”Ooooh! You have a super cool name!" Sonara commented.

Yeah...and he’s quite the looker too! Valerie thought. Ceridwen was pretty easy on the eyes. If she wasn't already going after Azure, she'd definitely try getting to know him better. 

"Mmm, gotta say, Gayle, you sure know how to pick 'em," the girl said with a wink.

"What do you mean?" Gayle asked with a confused smile. 

She obviously hadn't caught the underlying meaning of Valerie’s words.

"Just that Ceridwen seems nice." Rosalie interjected before Valerie could continue. 

Hah! That's not what I got from Val... Kyra thought snidely. She saw the familiar glint in her partner's red eyes as Valerie looked Ceridwen up and down.

"Glad to hear I warrant your approval," Ceridwen responded charmingly. He caught the narrowed gaze of a certain fedora wearing redhead, and quirked an eyebrow in response to the intense stare. "For the most part." he amended with a good natured tone.

KRME all looked to their brawler.

"What's up, Jad?" Rember asked, fox ears forward.

Jad pursed his lips together as he studied Ceridwen. "This just hasn't really sunk in yet," he explained. "I'm probably gonna need a while to process this."

Azure shrugged indifferently. He had no problem with Gayle having other friends. "So what brings you here?" he asked the boy in glasses. 

"May I?" Ceridwen asked politely, indicating an open seat at the table. At a nod from Azure, he sat. Gayle, still quivering with excitement, quickly followed suit, seating herself across the table next to her still-skeptical partner.

"Well," he explained, "as you all know, the Vytal Festival Tournament is being hosted here in Vale soon. I travelled here to compete."

"Ooh where are your teammates?! We should go meet them all!" Sonara chattered brightly. 

Ceridwen laughed. "That may be a tad difficult." 

At the girl's confused look, Gayle interjected, "Oh, Ceridwen doesn't have a team. He competes solo." 

There was a surprised hum at the table. People going solo at what was meant to be a team oriented tournament was rare, almost unheard of.

 "All by yourself? That's amazing," Rosalie complimented. "You must be pretty good." 

"Well, I certainly try."

"Have you actually won any?” Kyra asked.

Ceridwen's mouth twitched into a sly half-smirk. "Now that would be telling, wouldn't it?" 

Kyra inclined her head to the side, and Jad spoke up.

"Maybe we should tussle some time. See who's better," he challenged, a competitive smile on his face.

Ceridwen grinned impishly. "Sounds like fun."

You can almost see the sparks flying. Azure noted. Jad was always eager to pound someone, but this was different. Why he was so determined to brawl Gayle's friend, Azure didn't know.

"Alright, children, save it for later." Rember chuckled, and the two boys settled down. 

"So what’s everyone doing today?" Rosalie asked KRME, swiftly refocusing conversation onto a less hostile topic.

All four members looked at each other blankly, each waiting for the others to pitch an idea.

"Eh, not sure yet,” Rember admitted finally.

"We have been going out a lot recently..." Gayle reflected, absently fidgeting with the end of her braid.

"So let's do something in the dorm!" Jad suggested. "Downtime is just as good as up time."

Rember suddenly lit up as she remembered something. "Oh! Our cookie stash is running low!" she told her partner, smiling expectantly.

Azure nodded. "I see..." he mumbled, "Guess Gayle and I need to make some more then."

"Yes!" Rember cheered happily, small fangs peeking out from her jubilant smile as she fist pumped.

"Sweet!" Gayle exclaimed. She always loved joining her leader when he baked; it had become one of her favorite things to do since arriving at Beacon, besides attending classes. Baking together was their exclusive activity, just for the two of them, although the others certainly took a keen interest as well.

"Ooooh! You're making cookies?!" Sonara asked Azure excitedly. "Could I have some??"

"Sure. If we somehow have extras.” He sent a pointed glance to Jad and Rember, eliciting snickers from everyone at the table.

"YAY!!" 

Rosalie giggled. "Sonara and I were thinking of going to the CCT to make a call to Mistral later," she said cheerfully.

"Yeah! See how everyone is doing back home!" Sonara agreed.

Kyra sipped her iced tea nonchalantly. "You go ahead without me. I don't have anyone to call."

"Maybe I'll join you," Valerie told her two teammates. "I mean, I guess I could call home in Atlas. Although I doubt anyone would pick up..." she mumbled, a disappointed smile painted on her face as she shrugged. "On second thought, I think I'll stick with you, Kyra."

The white haired girl nodded, and silence returned to the table.

Suddenly, KRME, AMBR, and Ceridwen heard the beginnings of a commotion at one of the other tables. Apparently, a girl they recognised as Weiss Schnee had just received a pie to the face. Her partner Ruby Rose was laughing nervously, trying to keep the heiress from exploding in anger. It appeared Nora Valkyrie was the one who threw it, but she was hastily pointing to her partner Lie Ren, who facepalmed. 

Without warning, chaos ensued.

Weiss grabbed the nearest food item and chucked it as hard as she could at Nora. She missed her intended target and hit a different person at the next table. Before anyone could intervene, the entire mess hall was in an uproar. Food was flying everywhere, and the students were getting pelted from all directions.

"Take cover!" Azure shouted. He and Ceridwen swiftly flipped the big table, and all of them scrambled to get behind it.

"Everyone alright? Rem?” Azure asked, brushing mashed potato off his uniform as he peeked over their barrier; as quick as they had been, they hadn’t been spared the initial onslaught.

Beside him, Rember was having a blast. 

"Hahahahaha! Eat THIS!" she cackled maniacally as she hit people with whatever ammo she could, ketchup and mustard war paint smeared on her face. Sonara was right beside her, backing her up with blueberry pie airstrikes and equally hysterical laughs.

"This is insane!!" Kyra shouted over the commotion.

Jad shrugged happily and kept eating his food, catching whatever flew overhead and adding to his growing pile. 

"I like it. Ooh! Bacon!" he exclaimed as he caught sight of some a few rows down. He crawled over to and brought it back to his plate, glowing with contentment.

"It would appear mealtime is over. Anyone have any bright ideas?" Ceridwen asked, deftly dodging several incoming bagels.

"Leave it to me!” Rosalie responded, activating her semblance. The air around her then began to swirl, creating a wind barrier around the rest of AMBR. Valerie and Kyra seized Sonara, the small brunette squirming with zeal.

"Awwww! C'mon!! I wanna stay!!" Sonara protested loudly.

"Not today," Kyra stated firmly, leaving no room for argument. 

Valerie looked to Azure. "So, catch you later?"

Azure ducked again as a pineapple flew over his head. "Possibly. Just get going! Don't worry about us!"

"Yeah!! We totally got this!!" Jad agreed, still adding to his hoard. As the redhead continued to grab flying food, there was a loud warning shouted at KRME's cover. Together they peeked over the edge to investigate. 

Like an impending meteor, a giant mass of mashed food was fast approaching the five teens in hiding. They all scrambled to get out of the way, and barely evaded the resulting explosion.

Azure, Gayle, Ceridwen, and Rember got back up rather quickly, the latter dashing away with a cackle.

"That was too close..." Azure mumbled.

"Anyone hurt?" Gayle asked. She looked to her partner, who was hunched over, his back to her. She quickly crawled over to him. "Jad?"

When Gayle saw Jad's face, her concern grew exponentially. The boy wore an expression of utter shock: the look of a man whose one true love had just been lost to him forever. A dark green glow emitted from his body, and his blue eyes were fixed directly on the floor in front of him. Following his gaze, Gayle saw that the food platter he had been so diligently guarding was now covered in disgusting goop.

"Hehe...Hahahaha...." Jad chuckled, a crazed air about him as his face slowly twisted into a deranged smile. "HahahahHAHAHA.....AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!

"Uh, Jad?"

Without warning the tall redhead turned around, grabbed one of the corners of their barrier and threw it as hard as he could, sending the wooden table across the hall, laughing maniacally all the while.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"

Jad unleashed his wrath, snatching handfuls of anything he could find and pelting every unfortunate soul near enough to fall victim to his onslaught. He soon spotted the person who launched the goop that tainted his food; the guilty student stood shell shocked, scared stupid by the roars of hysteria. 

"YOU!!! YOU RUINED MY STEAK!! I HOPE YOU'RE HUNGRY CAUSE NOW YOU'RE GONNA EAT THIS!!!!! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!" Jad shouted, pile driving his way through the battlefield.

"Yeah... totally got this..." Azure mumbled dryly. He gestured to AMBR to move. "Go! We'll be right out!"

Wasting no more time, Valerie, Kyra, Rosalie, and a captive Sonara ran out of dining hall, Rosalie's wind barrier protecting them and leaving the remaining team alone and exposed.

"What's the plan, bossman?" Gayle asked Azure, shielding herself as best she could from delicious debris.

"We'll just have to book it. I can get Rem no problem," Azure said, spotting the fox girl a little ways off in the thick of the fight. "Can you get Jad?" 

"U-uh...I'm not sure if I--"

"Don't worry, we’ve got this,” Ceridwen interjected, grinning sharply.

Gayle nodded with renewed determination, encouraged by her friend’s confidence. "We'll get him, bossman,” she affirmed, saluting the team leader.

Azure nodded. "Then let's go!" he ordered, and scrambled away to retrieve his partner. 

Gayle and Ceridwen weaved through the dining hall as best they could, using food trays as shields as they hunted for Jad. 

After a moment of searching, Gayle found her partner. Jad was standing over the person who ruined his steak, mercilessly shoving mashed food into their face, shouting "YOU WILL PAY!! I WILL HAVE VENGEANCE!!!" 

"You get one end, I'll get the other?" Ceridwen suggested lightly.

Gayle hummed in approval. "You take his legs!" 

The pair leapt into action. In one fluid motion, Ceridwen hit the floor and swept Jad’s legs out from under him with a skillful kick. In the same moment, Gayle flipped onto her partner’s back, knocking him off-balance. The furious redhead came crashing down to his knees, away from his victim, and Gayle took advantage of his surprise to immobilize his torso with the combined might of her arms and tail. 

"NOOOO! NOOOO! I MUST AVENGE IT!! I MUST AVENGE MY STEAK!!!" Jad screamed, practically foaming at the mouth as he tried to get free.

Ceridwen quietly chuckled to himself. "Quite passionate about his food, huh Whiptail?" he remarked as he took hold of the boy’s legs and they hoisted him up off the ground.

Jad looked on with enraged eyes as they precariously transported him from the room. 

"LEMME GO, YOU HIPPIE!!" he roared. "I'M NOT FINISHED!!" 

Ceridwen wisely let the comment slide, and the three of them successfully reached the entrance. Gayle frantically looked around for any sign of her other two teammates, but it was proving difficult until she caught sight of a flash of ochre hair amongst the flailing forms. She sighed in relief when she identified Rember still in the thick of it.

"There's Ber," Gayle muttered to herself, "but where's bossman?" 

There was no sign of the team leader anywhere.

Suddenly, Azure manifested out of the crowd. He moved with precision and speed, impressively maneuvering through any empty spaces and using two food trays as cover. When he found his partner, Azure did a running slide under a nearby table, popped back onto his feet, grabbed the fox girl, and hoisted her over his shoulder.

"Wh-What?! Azure? Where did- lemme go! I gotta win!" Rember shouted, turning her head to try looking behind her. She tried grabbing tables as they moved past them, hoping to pull herself free and rejoin the battle. Azure ignored her struggles and he focused on finding an escape route.

"Leaving now!!" Azure shouted to Gayle as he flew past her and the two boys. She and Ceridwen quickly followed after him. Their struggle to haul Jad away was made more difficult by the increasing traffic as more and more students got the same idea and fled the cafeteria, but they somehow managed to keep up with their leader. The moment they were a safe distance away from the mess hall, Azure put his partner down. Gayle and Ceridwen hesitantly released Jad, who continued scowling to himself, but otherwise calmed down.

"Hahaha!! That was awesome!" Rember cheered, jumping up and fist bumping the air. She hadn’t had that much fun in ages!

"Yeah, let’s never do that again," Gayle laughed faintly. Only then did she notice how filthy her long braid had gotten. She groaned upon seeing the usual auburn interwoven with streaks and splotches of countless other hues.

"Agreed," Azure added, frowning slightly as he lifted a gross banana peel off his shoulder.

"Hehehe. Not your idea of fun, Zure?" Rember asked teasingly.

"Not really. Didn't help I had to carry you out of there."

"Oh puh- leeeeease . It couldn't have been that bad."

"Well you're not exactly a feather, Rem."

Rember scoffed, acting like she took offense. "How rude! Say what you want Zure, but I look good!" she quipped playfully, striking a model pose and enticing a giggle from Gayle at how silly it looked with her messy clothes.

Azure only rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Look, we need to go. One of the professors is probably on their way by now," he said forebodingly, checking the surrounding area for lurking authority authority figures. 

"Oh, alright," Rember yielded with a cheeky grin, brushing off the worst of the food plastered on her uniform.

Helping a begrudging Jad to his feet, Gayle looked to her friend. "See you later?" she asked him hopefully, extending her free arm, hand closed in a fist.

Ceridwen gave a courteous bow. "Of course. Go get cleaned up," he said, returning the fist bump before heading off by himself without another word, and KRME swiftly headed back to their dorm. 

“Soooooooo? Thoughts?” Creed asked, finished with explaining his idea. Aries was the first to respond.

"What are you saying, you snake? That we-" he growled, growing tired of Creed spouting off until he was abruptly cut off by the man clad in black.

"Oh, come ooooooon. Open your ears, Marshall," Creed taunted, putting on a frown. “I wouldn't toss this shining opportunity to just anyone, you know. At least pay attention." 

The boy in black’s expression returned to a friendly smile when he saw the goat wring the handle of his weapon. "I've watched you and Starr very, very closely. You want more than what those fools can give you. You can deny it all you want, but I know a sympathetic soul when I see one. So why not join forces and we can have some real fun? Any and all help is always appreciated..."

Neither Starr nor Aries said anything. While it was quite obvious on the goat's face that he was stewing over the proposition that Creed had spent sharing the last few minutes, the she-wolf was as still and stone cold as ever. Wisteria fiddled with her scarf off to the side.

"That's quite ambitious, serpent,"  Aries grumbled, "but I'll commit, if it can fix this mess."

Creed smiled with satisfaction. "Oh, it will."

He turned to Starr, eagerly awaiting her response. 

Her dark eyes were closed, and she still leaned against the peeling wallpaper. After a moment, she spoke with the same disinterested tone she usually did.

"Fine." 

"Excellent!! Most excellent!!" Creed crowed happily. He bounced over to the door and opened it in grand fashion. "Now off to Beacon!! We need to keep up appearances, after all." 

He made his exit, leaving the others in the dusty room to follow him.

Wisteria was the first to move. 

"Guess we should go," she sighed, and followed after Creed. 

Aries and Starr exchanged a fleeting glance before trailing behind her, leaving the room without a trace of it ever being occupied.

Chapter Text

“HA HA! We won!!!”

“HELL YEAH! WAY TO GO, FOXY!!”

Sharing a loud, congratulatory high-five, Rember and Jad reveled in their victory as the results screen on the team’s projector showed a large ‘MISSION COMPLETE’. After getting cleaned up from the massive food fight at lunch, KRME decided to occupy themselves with video games and baking. Azure and Gayle were hard at work baking chocolate chip cookies to replenish their dwindling supply, while Rember and Jad were kicking ass together playing a first-person shooter. It was a fun, relaxing time. Well, aside form the victory shouts and upset slander being thrown at the screen.

“Almost good to go over there?” Azure asked Gayle, adjusting his apron after placing the last dough ball onto a metal sheet.

“Yep! Just one second….there! Ta-da!” 

Gayle grinned and presented the tray with a flourish. The two of them placed the unbaked confections into the oven, and Azure set a timer. Joining their respective partners, the team regrouped for a shared match.

“Ya know, Zure,” Rember commented, “we could make some sort of business with all the stuff you and Gayle make.”

“You think? Never thought about it,” Azure mumbled as he got settled. Without warning, he felt a small, needle-like pain shoot through his left thigh. His leg jerked in surprise and he cried out in pain. 

Looking down in annoyance, Azure found a chubby black kitten staring up at him. The feline meowed for his attention and climbed up onto his lap.

Azure raised an irritated eyebrow. Thistlebutt really lived up to his name, in that he was quite the thorn in his side. The kitten made a point of digging his claws into him, whether it was for attention or his own version of showing affection, Azure didn't know. Moving the nuisance, the young man reminisced what had been happening when the little thing came into their lives. 

It had to have been two or three in the morning. He recalled being rudely yanked from slumber by his partner, her voice dancing with excitement and a bit of a squeak. It wasn’t long before everyone else was awake. When Gayle saw the kitten, the lizard faunus was immediately won over. Jad, on the other hand (he did not like being abruptly woken up) grumbled about cooking it. If Azure remembered right, his friend didn’t care for cats, and had gained a reputation for not telling the rest of the team where he got his surprise ingredients from when it was his turn in the kitchen. Now that he thought about it, how had anyone not gotten sick yet?

Another shot of pain pulled Azure out of his reflection. Thistle stubbornly demanded attention.

“She’s. Right. There.” He enunciated clearly to the small pet, pointing over to Rember. “Go bug her.”

“Won’t do anything,” Rember stated cheekily. “He wants his Zure time.”

“But it’s not even my cat.”

“Oh yes he is! We’re partners, so that makes Thistle your cat too.”

“No. I’m not the one who went on a midnight stroll for no reason and brought back a tiny furball that hurts me.”

“BUT THAT MEANS HE LOVES YOU!” Rember shouted overdramatically, picking up her cat and holding him in front of Azure’s face. “HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE THIS ADORABLE FACE?!”

Azure and Thistle’s green and yellow eyes locked together in momentary silence. The young kitten meowed cheerfully, black ears pointed forward, and reached out a small paw to boop the young man’s nose. The sight made Azure crack, and he took the cat back into his lap, enduring another sharp poke from Thistle’s claws. Oh well. He didn’t really feel like continuing this pointless argument anyway, and the young man relaxed when he heard the satisfied purrs coming from the admittedly adorable black fluff ball. With that fiasco over, the team continued playing.

“Pasty if you're that strongly against it, I could always make kitty teriyaki noodles,” Jad offered as his character took out some enemy soldiers on screen.

“Never going to happen,” Rember asserted. “I will personally take your hat and burn it if you do anything awful to Thistle.”

Jad’s eyes went wide and he clapped a hand over his fedora protectively. “No, not my hat.”

“Then stop threatening to cook my cat!”

Jad licked his lips, and Rember responded by snapping her teeth together irritably.

“Guys, c’mon,” Gayle interjected. “Can we not do this right now? It hasn't even been fifteen minutes.”

“She's got her eyes on my hat!”

“AND YOU WANT TO EAT MY CAT!”

“ Enough,” Azure ordered sternly, and the two reeled themselves back in. “Let’s just enjoy the rest of the evening, alright? Without burning anything or cooking anyone’s pets.”

Jad looked at his skinny friend for a moment before cracking a cheeky grin. “Okay, Pasty,” the redhead agreed. “Loooove you!” he added, to see if he could get a smile from Azure. 

It paid off, and an amused smile slipped out as the pale boy got recomposed. The rest of the match the team was playing went on in cooperative calls, coordinate planning, and occasional cursing until the victory screen popped up once more, prompting more happy celebration.

There was a knock at the door. Rising from her seat, Gayle went to answer it. To her surprise and delight, it was Ceridwen. The silver haired young man waved politely and smiled when the others in the room saw him. 

“Hello again,” he greeted pleasantly. “Apologies, I found myself at a loss for things to do. May I come in for a visit?”

Gayle was about to answer eagerly before a thought crossed her mind. She looked back at Azure uncertainty. It took the team leader a second to realize she wasn’t sure if an extra addition for the evening would be alright, as it had kind of been planned to just be the four of them. He nodded with a smile, and Gayle happily replied “Of course!” as she led her friend into the dorm. 

As Ceridwen got himself settled in, Jad glanced in his direction. He was still unsure about this guy. Perhaps he was still a little protective of his partner after the Paper Menagerie, but he also couldn’t help but think back to his heart-to-heart with Gayle after the fight with CRDL. She had never elaborated on what she’d told him, but he got the impression that this guy, Ceridwen, had somehow been involved in whatever she’d dealt with growing up. And it had been significant enough to follow her years later all the way to Beacon. 

“So what are you all up to?” Ceridwen inquired pleasantly, oblivious to the glare he was receiving from across the room. 

“Just some gaming,” Rember replied. “We’re all kinda nerds when it comes to this stuff. You play any?”

“Well, not anything like this. I am much more accustomed to solo adventures.”

“Really? Why not give it a shot?” she offered, giggling at her unintended pun.

“Oh! That is very generous of you, but I’m alright. I am content with spectating.”

“Oh c’mon, Ceri!” Gayle encouraged, “It’s a lot of fun!”

Before he could respond, Azure placed his controller into the young man’s hands, and walked over to the oven. “Play,” was all he said to Ceridwen as he put on oven mitts and extracted the first of the cookie sheets.

Jad started the round. 

“Try to keep up,” he said flatly. Which was, for Jad, a big gesture for someone he wasn't sure about.

With a nervous laugh, Ceridwen gripped the controller and filled in for Azure. “I will do my best.”

“So, this’ll be the first time we’ve really caught up with everyone since we left, huh?”

Sonara looked over to her partner curiously. Clean from the glorious mess that took place that afternoon, the two girls walked lazily through the school grounds, Rosalie’s eyes fixed on a gigantic stone tower. Kyra and Valerie had stayed back in the dorm, as decided, leaving the latter two members to make a trip to the Cross Continental Transit System; or, as it was more commonly known, the CCT.  As the girls recalled, this complicated technology allowed for long distance communication between each of the four established kingdoms. The kingdom of Atlas was responsible for inventing it after the Great War. In fact, the CCT in Vale was stationed in the lower tiers of Beacon Tower, with Professor Ozpin’s office at the top. Sonara seemed to keep that random nugget of information locked in her head for some reason.

Beside the young brunette, Rosalie hummed an agreement.

“Yes. Things certainly have been busy lately,” she replied. 

“I wonder how Mai is doing.”

“I’m sure she’s fine.”

“Yeah, probably. She’ll keep herself busy now that us, and even Jude, have gone on to other schools, huh?” 

Rosalie felt a smile inch across her lips. Mai, or ‘Mariah’ as she was named by their parents, was her adorable younger sister. She was training to be a huntress as well, taking classes and lessons back at Mistral’s Sanctum Academy. She was polite, forgiving, mature for her age but...a bit of an airhead. They had always been together when they were kids, and Mai accepted Sonara into the family with open arms. 

“Yeah! I bet she’s doing just fine!” Sonara said merrily as the girls entered the tall spire. 

Awestruck by the interior of the grandiose building, they stopped and took a moment to take in the sights. It was the first time either of them had been inside one of the CCT’s. It was an architectural marvel!

The first they noticed were the smooth, polished floors leading into a large entry hall with various archways at the far end of the lobby. The walls were all shades of dark blue and grey, with softly glowing green details dotted around them, and there was a terminal placed in the center, connecting the ceiling and ground level. A few people were using the stalls in the central control, but Sonara and Rosalie needed to go up a few floors. International communications were in the higher tiers of the building. Making their way through the middle overhang, the girls strolled around a sub room and into an elevator. 

Once inside, a robotic voice chimed “Hello. Welcome to the CCT. How may I help you?”

“Ooooh...Cool....” Sonara complemented, stars in her eyes. 

Rosalie cracked an amused grin. “Yes, we’d like to go to the communications room, please.”

“Absolutely. Please place your Scroll on the terminal to verify your identity.”

As instructed, she took out her handheld and placed it on top of a small scanner. After a moment, a soft beep was heard, and the tin voice replied “Perfect. Thank you, Miss Caelum.”

The elevator ascended. The lift happened so fast that before the girls knew it the ride was over, and the metal doors were sliding open to reveal a room occupied primarily by desk-like terminals. Windows to the outside soared upwards on the far end of the room, letting in a touch of the late afternoon sunlight. Other students were stationed at various terminals, chatting with friends or family on the other side of the world. Once both members of AMBR stepped out into the room, a holographic projection of a woman appeared behind a large desk in front of all the other terminals.

“Welcome to the Beacon Cross Continental Transmit Center! How may I help you today?” the apparition asked upon noticing the new arrivals.

“We’d like to make a call to Alder and Fiora Caelum in Mistral, please,” Rosalie politely requested. 

The hologram nodded. “Of course,” it replied, “just head over to terminal nine, and I’ll run a connection.”

“Thanks!” Sonara chimed. 

She and her partner made their way over to where the guide directed. Both girls got themselves seated, and waited in front of the monitor. Soon enough, a feed was sent through the screen, revealing a couple in their forties. Once the adults registered the young women on their respective end, they broke out into smiles.

“Hey, girls!” the man greeted, a familiar grin gracing his features, a pair of vibrant cherry red eyes crinkling. 

He was a sturdy looking individual, with fading, clean cut pink hair. The woman beside him waved lightly, a dainty look about her. Long, sun blonde locks covered most of her face except for her shining, breathtaking sky lavender eyes. 

Rosalie echoed the smile she was given. “Hey, Dad. Hey, Mom.” 

“How are things going at Beacon?” Rosalie’s mother, Fiora, asked.

“Oh, it’s going a--MAZING!!” Sonara exclaimed heartily. “You wouldn’t believe how much fun it is here!”

“Heh heh, that’s good to hear!” Alder grinned.

“We’re actually partners,” Rosalie elaborated, “And we’re on a team with two other girls.”

“Hmhmhm! You don’t say? What are your teammates like?” Fiora asked.

“Well, there’s our leader Valerie. She’s nice, determined, and she looks out for all of us.”

“But she totally likes Azure, Rosy!” Sonara interjected, giggling to herself, “Remember when she was flirting with him in the library that one time and she tripped into Gayle’s tower of books by accident? It was just-hehe-too funny seeing her try and regain her cool after that! Hahahaha!”

Rosalie stifled a smile. She did remember. Cheesy as it had been, it was funny to watch their team leader get flustered. After her partner settled down, the young woman continued. 

“The other girl is named Kyra. She’s…” she trailed off. How could she describe Kyra without sounding...insensitive? Was that the word she was looking for?

“She’s blunt, cynical, and a complete stick in the mud!”

Oh, Sonara… Rosalie sighed to herself. Brutally honest as always.

“You don’t say?” Alder pondered, stroking his facial stubble. “Well, to each their own…”

“You two are still being a good friend to her regardless, right?” Fiora asked, sternly eyeing her daughters. 

“Of course we are, mom,” Rosalie assured. “She may be a bit cold, and have a sharp tongue sometimes, but she really is a good person once you take the time to get to know her.”

“I see. Well, bring ‘em by next time! I’d like to meet these ladies!” Alder exclaimed, his deep voice booming. 

“Okie dokie!” Sonara beamed, “But enough about us! How’re things back home??”

“They’re the same as always,” Fiora responded. “Mai is doing well in her classes at Sanctum, and she’s always working on her singing whenever she gets the chance. Honestly, I think she’s a little lonely without you two around.”

“Well, she’s only got two years,” Rosalie recalled, “it won’t be too long before she can apply to Beacon.”

“Mhm! Other than that, it’s the same old, same old with us adults. Helping out with construction on some new buildings in the kingdom, and your mother’s been preoccupied with all her new paintings,” Alder continued.

“Ooh! Will you show us when you're done, Mom?!” Sonara asked Fiora eagerly. 

The girl’s excitement made the woman smile, and she nodded happily.

“Of course I will, sweetie,” she promised.

“Awesome! I can’t wait!”

“Ha ha ha! Glad to see you both still in high spirits!” Alder grinned, “Now, I hate to cut this conversation short, but duty calls. Glad you are having a good time, girls! Do your very best! Love you!”

“Love you too.”

“Love you too!”

Alder got up and walked out of frame. Fiora smiled gently at her children. “We’ll try to get Mai next time,” she said. “But until then, you two be safe. Okay? Take good care of each other!”

“We promise,” Rosalie agreed, Sonara beaming ear to ear beside her. 

With a final wave goodbye the transmission cut out, leaving the two young women alone.

“Heeee...that was fun,” Sonara said. 

“Going back to the dorm?” Rosalie asked.

“Okay. No wait! Let’s go get ice cream first! We can even get some for Val and Ky!”

“Sounds good to me. Let’s get going.”

“Right! Off we gooooo!!”

“No no nonono NO NONO NOOO! YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!!”

“Huh, it appears I’ve won.”

Jad shot a glare at Ceridwen. The scarf wearing boy had just managed to pull ahead of him in the last round of the fighting game the group had switched to when they grew bored of the FPS. The new game was filled with input commands and fast reaction strings that the redhead didn’t care to memorize, and thus he resorted to button mashing. Nevertheless, since he’d gone up against someone with about as much experience as he had, the round they’d just played was really close, and it stoked his competitive fires. 

“Guess I’m up next,” Azure said, stepping away from the cookie sheets. 

They had decided that he would play the winner, since he was the best player in the team when it came to this particular game. Taking the controller from his friend, he plopped himself down beside Rember, who was happily occupied playing with Thistle and munching on cookies.

“C’mon, Pasty! Kick his ass!” Jad cheered, perhaps a little more enthusiastically than usual. 

It earned a chuckle from Gayle. She always found his outbursts of indignation amusing. As a spectator of course. Heaven knows she never wanted to be on the receiving end of whenever Jad decided to be upset or passionate about something.

“So,” Azure said in Ceridwen’s direction, “What type of game mode?”

“Hmmm...I’m not sure,” Ceridwen admitted. “This isn’t exactly my cup of tea. I suppose I don’t have any preference.”

“Alright, we’ll stick with this one. I’ll use the traditional setting. Sound good?”

Ceridwen raised an eyebrow. “But doesn’t that put a handicap on you? That confident you can beat me?” he ventured, grinning slyly over at the pale young man.

“Trust me, hun. You’re going to want it if you're playing him,” Rember piped up. 

She remembered the first time she’d decided to play her partner on equal footing. Boy, did that turn her off gaming against Azure. Everyone had a game genre they excelled at, and this was his. Personally, she was more of an ‘RPG/puzzle games and FPS’ kind of gal herself.

Ceridwen hummed something of a recognition. Wasting no more time, he picked his character and Azure followed suit. After selecting a stage, the match began, and both players became completely focused on the game. The girls watched their best friends duke it out in the virtual world, each cheering for their respective favorite. 

“Oh! Gayle!” Rember started. “This just kinda popped into my head, but I’m curious, just where are you two from?”

“Atlas,” Ceridwen replied without looking away from the screen. “But not in the kingdom. Just a quaint little town in the middle of a forest by the coast.”

“It’s called Kinsfell,” Gayle added, petting Thistlebutt. 

“Yeah? What's it like?”

“Oh, it's beautiful! I would love to take you guys there after we graduate.”

“Deal,” Jad said as he watched the game.

To no one’s surprise, Azure beat Ceridwen. He then proceeded to fight Jad, mopping the floor with him. His rage flaring, Jad challenged his teammate once more, a chillingly serious look in his blue eyes. Azure accepted, and the pair started again. This time however, Jad played completely erratic and wild, shouting “IMMA COMING FOR YOU BABIES, PASTY! IMMA COMING FOR YOU BABIES!!!” 

What surprised everyone else, however, was that it was working. Azure couldn’t keep a straight face, much less concentrate. And when he was finally able to force out “Stop! I can’t focus!” to his opponent, Jad responded immediately with “I KNOW!! And you babies … Will … BE MIIIIINE!!!” 

To the redhead’s dismay, it wasn’t quite enough to claim victory, though it was leagues closer than it was before. While this commotion played out, Rember was on the couch in stitches, Gayle’s sides hurt from all the laughing, and even Ceridwen was infected with chuckles.

“Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuugh…I need a ginger ale…” Jad mumbled, sinking into his chair. “Hey friend do we have ginger ale?” he asked his partner.

“Umm...I think you drank all of it last week.”

“Noooo. That's it. We gotta go shopping. I need my elixir of life.”

Gayle raised an eyebrow, and Rember perked up.

“Actually, a snack run wouldn’t hurt.” the fox girl admitted, “You wanna go, or should I, hun?” she asked Gayle.

“I can do it! It’s not that hard to get stuff. I won’t take long,” Gayle affirmed, skipping over to the entrance.

“Hey I'll come too.” Jad spoke as he got up. “Good company, good times.”

“That's OK, I got this. You just focus on recovering from that match! I’ll be right back.” Gayle assured with a bright smile as she departed. 

Still caught up in the merriment, she failed to watch where she was going as she hopped out the door. So it came as a great surprise when she ran into something rather sturdy, falling onto her butt on the carpeted hallway, tail flailing wildly in a vain effort to regain her balance. 

“Owww…” 

She looked up and caught sight of a group of people. Her eyes met those of the girl in the lead, whom she had just run into.

It was a tall girl. Like, as tall as Jad. Snow white hair, pure black eyes that put the chill of glaciers to shame, and a pair of black and white ears sitting on top of her head. And with all the black leather she wore, this person didn’t really look...friendly.

“I’m so sorry! I should’ve been watching where I was going! Are you alright?” Gayle apologised as she sat up. 

The faunus said nothing. She didn’t even seem to acknowledge that there was someone in front of her. The tall woman just...kept her cold stare forward.

“Oh, don’t mind her,” a silky voice said from behind the faunus girl. 

A raven haired boy wearing a midnight black coat stepped into view. With a friendly smile, he extended a hand to the lizard faunus. “Starr’s just a bit shy.”

Gayle looked at the proffered limb for a moment, then looked back to Starr for any reaction. Nothing happened. Without much thought, Gayle accepted the help, a shiver running through her as the boy’s hand was unexpectedly cold to the touch. After she collected herself, his smile widened.

“Well, glad to see you’re okay,” he said. “Just be a bit more careful next time.”

Gayle nodded. Now able to get a better look, the lizard also noticed two others accompanying them. A boy with ram’s horns, and a short girl with magenta-purple hair. Four of them…

“Are you from one of the visiting schools?” Gayle asked.

“Of course!” The young man answered happily, “We’re from Shade Academy in Vacuo! Kinda why we don’t have a snazzy uniform like you.”

“Oh. I see.”

“Mhm! By the way,” the young man added, “would you mind helping us out? We’re on our way to our side of the campus, but we’re trying to find a friend of ours that goes to this academy. Do a bit of a catch up of sorts. Been trying to find him by asking around, but we haven’t found his dorm yet.”

Gayle raised an eyebrow. “Really? Well I--”

“Gayle, wait for me!” Jad shouted as he pulled the door open, cutting Gayle off. “I'll carry the heavy stu …”

Jad was yanked by the collar back into the room before he had made it all the way out the door. Rember peeked her head outside, grinning widely, fox ears twitching. 

“Sorry hun. We need him for the next round. Azure and I will make sure that the room is still here when you get back.” 

Without another word, Rember closed the door, the commotion in KRME’s room muffled. Gayle now turned her attention back onto the people in front of her.

“Uh, sorry. I’d love to help, but I’m kind of in a hurry…”

The boy in the coat lightly shook his head, smiling politely. “Oh, don’t worry about it. The evening is still young! Don’t want to keep them waiting.” He stepped out of Gayle’s way, and she left without another word. The boy watched her leave, and when she was out of sight, the practiced smile on his face contorted into an oily sneer.

“Oooooohoho, yes…” he hissed, dark purple eyes narrowing. “I am really enjoying today…”

Chapter Text

“Mr. Knyte, may I have a word?”

Azure looked up from gathering his notes, raising an eyebrow,

“Something wrong?” 

Professor Bruna Malorey was filling in Professor Port’s class again. In fact, she had been around quite a lot since the beginning of the new semester. Before that, she’d only taught that one time, but by now the students had gotten used to her coming in and doing the occasional lesson.

She shook her head. “No, nothing serious,” she assured. “I promise it won’t take much time.”

Azure glanced over to Rember. The fox girl waved her hand nonchalantly, smiling.

“No worries. See you back at the dorm!” she told her partner. 

Rember got up to leave, the remaining members of KRME and AMBR following close behind. It wasn’t long before only Azure and Bruna were left.

“Ooooh, Azure’s in trou~ble!” Sonara snickered as the seven students walked through the marble hallways.

“Heheh, Oooo. Him. Her. Alone ,” Jad grinned, to which Kyra rolled her eyes in mild disgust.

“Dude, no. Just...no.” 

Valerie chuckled awkwardly. Yeah, Miss Bruna didn’t seem like that kind of person, but Jad’s comment did bring to mind some ideas on how to spend more time with the young man in white. Well, that was for another time…

“Hey!” Sonara perked up, “You guys wanna go get some ice cream?! I’m reeeaally craving ice cream.”

Rember’s fox ears perked straight up.

“Sure!” she agreed happily. “Let’s meet up in a few, after Azure’s back, and we’ll all go together!”

The members of AMBR agreed, and the teams continued on until arriving at the dorms, going their separate ways for the time being. 

As Rember opened their dorm room, her nose was assaulted by the sweet aroma of flowers, as well as the cool evening breeze caressing her face. It made her freeze for a moment, curiosity pulling at her mind.

Gayle and Jad saw their teammate stop, piquing both their interest. 

“You okay, Ber?” the lizard faunus asked.

“Y-yeah, I’m fine…” she responded. Though to be honest, she wasn’t really sure. 

With no further delay, she entered the room, her teammates right behind her. Getting a good look at everything, nothing about the dorm seemed out of the ordinary, but Rember kept her fox ears swiveling around for sounds, just to be sure. The wind outside cut through their open window, sending chills down Gayle’s spine. Without much thought, she closed the shutter tight, rubbing her arms.

“Hehe. Cold blooded?” Jad quipped.

Gayle stuck her tongue out at him. The three took a moment to change out of school uniforms. Once finished, Rember sat in silence as Jad and Gayle went about their business until Azure came back. The fox girl hadn’t heard anything strange but despite her best efforts she couldn’t seem to relax. And that floral smell still permeated the room. 

“Guys, did we leave the window open this morning? And did someone use some new deodorant or something?”

“You saying it wasn’t you, Foxy?” Jad asked, his nose sniffling. 

As the team had learned some time ago, Jad had an amazingly sensitive nose. It was almost faunus worthy, yet it was more of an annoyance for the redhead than a benefit. Anything with an overpowering aroma tickled his sinuses, especially when it came to detergent and soaps. The rest of the team made efforts to avoid strongly scented products to make his life easier.

Rember shook her head. With a contemplative hum, Jad walked around the room, using his nose as a means of tracking down the source of the smell. He stopped when coming to Azure’s bunk, where Thistlebutt was sleeping peacefully. After a quick search, the tall young man produced two flowers and a grey envelope from under their team leader’s pillow. 

“Bingo.”

“That’s...interesting,” Gayle commented warily.

Rember took the items from her teammate, inspecting them closely. One flower was some kind of rose, petals black with a tinge of purple, while the other was some kind of vine with many small light violet flowers. She turned to Gayle, holding them up so she could observe them. 

“Can you ID these?” she asked the lizard girl.

Gayle took a moment to examine them. Her mum had a garden back home, and a fondness for flowers, so she had done her fair share of reading on the topic. “Ummm...well the first one is a rose, I think the Mitternacht rose, and the second is wisteria . I think.”

Rember handed the flowers over to Gayle for a closer look, and picked up the letter.

“Ten lien says it’s a love letter?” Jad offered.

“Nah. You know Bossman gets those in his locker. Besides, how would they be able to get it into our room?” Gayle rebutted. 

That last comment had alarm bells going off in Rember’s head. Just how did they get in? Team members were the only ones with key cards locked into their scrolls. An approach from outside? They were a few stories above ground, but it wasn’t impossible...and she was sure the window had been closed when they left that morning...

An uncharacteristic frown on her face, Rember opened the envelope and extracted its contents. It was indeed a letter, and with an odd feeling she began to read.

To my dearest friend,

The message I send you is small, yet of great importance, for we have recently arrived in Vale. After all these years we cannot wait to speak with you again! I know it’s been some time since we parted ways, and the terms in which we did were...not the best. Yet my desire to reach out to you burns hotter than ever! Please, I need to talk to you, face to face. I’ll be waiting for you in the older part of the city, in the place we used to meet...

See you soon,

Reaper

Rember slowly folded the note, placing it back on the bed.

“What’d it say?” Gayle asked.

“Nothing important,” Rember dismissed, lying through her teeth and putting on a smile. “Someone just wants to meet up with Azure.”

“So it was a love letter!!” Jad exclaimed.

“Not really,” she clarified, “but it sounds like it’s from an old friend of his.”

Jad sighed and held up ten dollars for the taking.

“Really? Then we should tell Bossman when he gets back,” Gayle suggested, finally setting down the flowers.

Rember went quiet for a moment.

“How about this,” she said.“Let’s go see this person ourselves.”

Gayle and Jad looked at each other.

“How come, Foxy?” the red headed young man inquired.

“Yeah. I mean, isn’t this person wanting to see Azure? Besides, do you even know where to go?” Gayle added as well.

Rember’s patience waned, one triangular ear twitching irritably. “Look, I...Ugh, just come on!” Without another word, she marched out of the room, grabbing her batons on her way out.

“Wait! Ber!” Gayle called after her teammate, hurrying after her. With a shrug of his shoulders, Jad trailed after them nonchalantly. Off they went, then. Pasty wouldn’t be too thrilled about the team disappearing without saying anything, but no doubt he’d catch up soon enough…

“So...” Azure asked. “What’s up, Ms. Malorey?”

The woman smiled warmly. “Bruna is fine. And let’s call this a random checkup.”

Azure raised an eyebrow, and the teacher explained further.

“See, I’ve got a habit of checking in on how my students are doing. Been doing it for a while now.”

“I...see?”

“You can relax. I did promise I won't keep you long.”

Azure put up his hands in a placating gesture. “Alright,” he admitted. “What is it you want to talk about?”

“How are your classes going?” she asked.

“Fine. Gayle helps everyone study so we pass the tests.”

“Ms. Mensthe? Yes, she seems quite studious, and very sweet. It’s no wonder she offers help. And that Mr. Eclipse is just a bundle of energy. You four seem like quite the group.” Bruna smiled kindly. I’m glad she has you three…

Bruna continued her chat with Azure. She would ask something, and the young man would reply as simply as possible. They actually took a little longer than either side anticipated, as the two would occasionally have a conversation about KRME’s antics. Bruna actually enjoyed having the team in class, as she felt she could at least count on a few people to get what she was teaching, and getting to chat with Rember again was nice. Regardless, the conversation came to an end and Azure went on his way. 

On the way back, he reflected on the conversation. The substitute seemed like a nice enough person. She was definitely a very likable and dedicated teacher. He could understand that, and he had come to respect her. 

Eventually, Azure arrived back at the dorm. As he had done so many times before, he unlocked the door, and walked inside.

The first thing Azure registered was a powerful aroma wafting through the room. It reminded him of something that Valerie or Rosalie would wear as perfume, but it was much stronger. No one was inside, which perplexed him. Didn’t they say they would be here? Maybe Rember and Jad were trying to pull something on him again, even though it rarely worked.

Without dwelling on it too long, Azure reached for his Scroll and went through his contacts, trying to get in touch with Valerie. If they weren’t here, then the next best place to check was with AMBR.

After a moment, Valerie picked up. “Hello?” she asked.

“Hey,” Azure greeted curtly, pacing into the dorm. “Are Rem and the others with you?”

“Huh? No, actually. They’re not with you?”

“No.” 

A piece of paper on his bunk caught his eye as he turned to pace again. Odd; he had no memory of it being there earlier. Without much thought he picked it up, inspecting the folded item. He idly noticed it was a note of some kind, but set it down without reading it.

“That’s odd. We were all planning to go out for snacks when you got back, so I don’t know where they would be.” 

Azure frowned. Where would they have gone? The young man did another sweep of the room, searching for any leads. Nothing, save two flowers placed on a bedside table. Identifying them as the source of the aroma, the young man opened the window and tossed them out, trying to air out the room so Jad wouldn’t complain about his nose later. 

“Well, I’ll see if I can get a hold of them. Thanks,” Azure concluded, hanging up. 

Once changed out of uniform, the young man remembered the note. Grabbing it, he took a closer look at it, taking his time to analyze. As he read Azure didn’t think much of it. After all, it didn’t say who it was addressed to. He was just about to discredit the letter as some kind of weird joke until he got to the end.

As soon as he reached the name ‘Reaper’, his heart stopped. He quickly recalled the two flowers he had discarded, fear churning in his gut. 

“No...No, it can’t…” Azure whispered.

At that moment everything came together. He knew where his team had gone, and he knew he had to hurry.

Wasting no time Azure sprinted out the door as fast as he could, slamming it behind him. 

“So, um, how much further?” Gayle asked, her senses on high as they strolled through the worn down block, the last few beams of sunlight. 

The young woman had never even been near this area of the city before, and it unnerved her. Twilight was settling in, and the sounds of the city seemed muted somehow. Something about this felt really weird, but she kept her unease to herself. Jad looked behind them occasionally as they walked, and Rember’s ears swiveled attentively. The lizard faunus wondered why they hadn’t waited for Azure to come back to ask him about the strange letter, and why Rember had insisted upon going to meet these people themselves. Not that she could do much about it now...

“Over there,” Rember said, pointing to a small warehouse in the distance. “I think it’s that one.” 

She had picked up some weird sounds coming from that area, and she intended to investigate them.

Proceeding cautiously, the three stopped in front of a rusty metal door. Jad and Rember pulled up the large cover to the building and they all stepped inside, framed behind by moonlight. The air inside was dry and stale, making Rember cough. Something was off here. Something was very off.

“Hello? Is anyone there?” Gayle asked aloud, hesitantly.

“Why, as a matter of fact...”

Gayle flinched when an unfamiliar voice answered. Emerging from the darkness, a boy dressed in a black trench coat with equally black hair made himself known, a nonchalant smile drawn on his lips. 

“There is!” he continued. “But, uh...I’m sorry. Do we know you?”

As if on cue, three others revealed themselves. There was a short girl with black-tipped, magenta hair, a female wolf faunus with white hair and dark eyes, and a young man with great spiraling horns. 

“Hey! You’re the team I bumped into in our dorm hallway!” Gayle exclaimed, eyes widening.

“OH! Right! I was wondering why you looked familiar!” the young man exclaimed, recognizing the small faunus. “How rude of me. I guess introductions are in order!” Chuckling, the darkly clad man gestured to the other three accomplices. “The girl in purple is Wisteria Dawn, the she-wolf is Starr Payle, and the goat is Aries Marshall. As for me...” 

He turned back to Rember and the others, giving them a grandiose bow. “I am known as Creed Noir. Quite a pleasure to meet you, I must say. An absolute pleasure!” 

Rember, Jad, and Gayle stayed silent. Done with the introduction, Creed looked around and behind the three hunters in training. “So...where’s your last member? You guys from the academy usually come as a set of four, do you not?” 

Gayle opened her mouth to reply, but Rember stepped in front of her with a disarmingly open expression. 

“They’re coming,” she lied easily, forcing herself to seem relaxed. “We’ve been sent ahead. I’m sure you’re aware of the criminal Roman Torchwick? He’s been running amok. Can’t be too careful these days.” She finished with a well practiced smile. Creed had a strange air about him that made the hair on the back of her neck stand up.

“Ahh, good! I was wondering if our attempt at this long awaited reunion was for naught!” Creed declared, his smile growing more eerie. Wisteria eyed Rember fiercely, a small frown barely formed on her face.

That last comment caught Gayle’s interest. “Wait...reunion? You know Azure?” she asked.

Creed’s grin grew wider.

“So you are his team!!” He exclaimed, “Wait? He never told you about us?” the young man asked, his body emphasizing every word with dramatic gusto. “Talk about awkward. To think he’s been tight lipped about it this whole time… Same old Azure, am I right? That quirk of being so distrusting can really be a pain sometimes.”

One of Rember’s ears flicked irritably before she could stop it as she fought to keep a calm expression. 

“Azure trusts us,” she assured Creed. She glanced at Gayle, hoping she could bluff her way out of here. “Gayle here wasn’t present when we talked about you guys before, don’t worry about it.” As Rember turned back to SWAN, she noticed the girl with pinkish purple hair watching her closely, eyes narrowed.

“When was that?” Gayle asked, confusion etched onto her face. 

Rember nearly growled and rolled her eyes, but managed to stop herself. 

“It was when you were studying earlier,” she replied. “Right Jad?”

Jad caught the tone in Rember’s voice, and played along. “Yeah! We didn’t want to interrupt you while you were hard at work on your Dust project.” 

Gayle still looked puzzled, but her partner whispered something else to her and she nodded.

While Jad spoke, Rember had been observing SWAN cautiously. At the mention of Gayle’s Dust project, Wisteria flinched and glanced at Creed with an unreadable gaze. Rember’s green eyes narrowed imperceptibly and she felt her tension grow as Creed spoke again.

“Dust project, eh?” he asked. He sounded way too interested. There was an unsettling tone in his voice. Even Gayle couldn’t miss it. “You’d be surprised how many people have experience with those here. What kind of Dust project?”

“Just an assignment we got the other day,” Rember dismissed casually. 

She was more uneasy than she had been in a long time, and if Creed was interested in something she wanted to avoid it like a plague. The longer this conversation went on the more her desire to leave intensified. Why had she brought her friends here? She was an idiot. 

A whisper of sound caught Rember’s attention and she turned to look behind her, fox ears perking up to catch any more noise. She couldn’t see anything besides the long shadows reaching across the floor, and she faced SWAN again.

Creed raised an eyebrow, still smiling that unsettling smile. “Something wrong?” he asked sweetly, feigning concern.

Rember shook her head, both to clear it and to answer Creed’s question. “Of course not. I’m just surprised that Azure isn’t here yet. It’s not like him to be late.” 

A sudden need to leave flooded Rember and she took a deep breath. Something was wrong. She needed to leave, something was very wrong.

“Oh, I totally concur, my vulpine friend,” Creed agreed, his eyes honing directly on Rember. “Azure is never late.”

Suddenly, the young man began walking towards them. The shadows seemed to move ahead of him as he inched closer, his smile ever present.

“I think,” he continued in a menacing tone that fiercely clashed with his face, “that you’re lying to us. And I despise liars.” Creed then flashed a glance behind the group before looking back at them. “So, I’m done chit chatting with you...”

Wisteria spoke up abruptly.

 “He’s here,” she whispered, vacant eyes coming alive.

Creed flashed a glance upward and saw a speeding object coming towards him from an open window. With lightning reflexes, Creed drew his weapon, a murasame that doubled as a rifle, and cleaved the projectile in half. The darkly dressed boy cackled as he caught sight of the silhouette perched above. 

“Ugh, finally! It’s about time you showed up!”

The archer jumped down and landed on the smooth cement, white garments and cape confirming it was indeed Azure. Wasting no time, he readied another arrow and aimed for Creed’s head, his typically calm green eyes brimming with vicious rage. Rember and the others looked on in surprise and confusion, not sure if they should involve themselves or not.

“Finally. Finally, you’ve arrived! Just in time as always! Now that you're here we can--” Creed’s sentence was cut short when he had to move his head to the side to dodge an arrow. He wasn’t fazed, smiling devilishly and waiting for Azure to reload.

“Shut up!” Azure growled, his whole body shaking. “Enough with your crap! I only want to know why. Why are you here? Why did you do it?! Why did you kill her?!”

Creed ignored the questioning, sneering his oily smile that made Azure grit his teeth angrily, and the color in the boy in white’s irises morphed from green to a dark red. 

“DAMN YOU!” He cursed, firing again. 

Creed parried easily, a self-satisfied smirk on his face. The caped boy pulled his bow apart into two blades, rushing down his old accomplice in a rage induced charge. 

“I’ll kill you, Creed!!” He roared.

With a carefree grin, Creed casually swung his own sword to counter. The metal of their weapons clashed with loud clangs, and the man in black pushed Azure back effortlessly. Azure continued his advances again and again, but his efforts proved useless. 

“Don’t waste your energy, Azure…” Creed sneered, a superior sneer on his face.

“HAAAAAAAGH!” Azure screamed, pushing himself again, trying to overpower Creed. 

They clashed once more and their blades locked, sparks flying from the swords.

“Seriously man, chill. My skill now far outweighs your own.” Creed stated. “And are you still on about before? C’mon, that was forever ago! Move on already!” Creed finished, shoving Azure back once more.

“ No!! I’ll die before I let you get away with what you did!! ” Azure seethed, reconnecting his bow and shooting a Dust-tipped arrow at Creed’s black heart. 

The projectile hit its mark and the whole building shook, the warehouse chock-full of smoke from the explosion. Azure waited for the fumes to clear so he could see the outcome of his attack. He stood in utter disbelief to find that Creed was not only still standing, but completely unharmed.

“Love the passion. Seriously! But it’s not gonna do shit,” Creed told him, nonchalantly brushing off his coat with a free hand. “Old Creed is gone, my friend.”

“What…how…?” Azure muttered disbelievingly.

“Right? Right?! Isn’t it awesome?!” Creed asked with a gleeful flourish. “If I’m able to get this good, imagine how strong you’d be?! Well, that is if you’d wise up and stop pursuing this stupid ‘hero’ crap.”

Azure growled, disgusted. “No! I’m never going back! Not to you, and especially not to them !” 

Blades in hand, Azure prepared to attack once more.

“Azure, what is he talking about?”

The familiar voice cut through his haze of fury, and the young man visibly flinched. 

He’d completely forgotten they were there. 

Finally able to get a word in, Rember had spoken up, both confused by her partner’s apparent history with these people, and worried for her friend. Her hands gripped her batons, ready to pull them out and stand with him, but her ears betrayed her concern and confusion. The triangular appendages flicking nervously.

“Wait, you actually haven’t told them?!” Creed asked, feigning surprise. “HAHAHA!! They really don’t know anything about you at all, do they?!” 

“We know more than enough about him. And we clearly know him better than you !” Rember challenged, boldly lifting her chin in defiance.

The white clad boy grit his teeth and tried to level his voice. “Rember,” he began, not looking back at her. “You need to take the others and leave. Right now.”

Rember’s fox ears flattened and she frowned. “You can't be serious! We can’t just let you-”

“I said go! NOW!” Azure ordered, finally meeting her gaze. 

The combination of red eyes and unfamiliar anger silenced the girl. A frustrated look flashed across her face.

“Oh Azure, this new attitude doesn’t do you justice. If you won’t come with me, you will most certainly be terminated when our old superiors find out where you're hiding,” Creed crowed, savoring Azure’s dilemma.

Rember shook and snapped her teeth together, snarling angrily. Instead of arguing, she gestured to the others and stalked out of the warehouse. Her skin was hot, telling her she needed to reign in her semblance. 

A cackle caught Rember’s attention, and she spun around to peer into the building again. Azure stared Creed down with dismay while Wisteria was focusing all her attention on him. Creed seemed to be enjoying himself immensely, brandishing his weapon gleefully as he drank in Azure’s frustration. Starr and Aries watched, the former impassively and the latter with thin patience.

“Son of a bitch,” Rember cursed quietly. 

Azure looked like he didn’t know what to do, and she knew he probably wouldn’t thank her for trying to help. Too bad , she decided.

Before Jad or Gayle could do anything more than let out surprised exclamations, Rember slipped back into the warehouse. Keeping to the shadows, she moved cautiously towards Creed and Azure. Creed’s theatrics were loud enough that Rember didn’t have to worry much about stepping quietly, but she did so anyway. Once she was only a few yards away, Rember tapped into her semblance. Usually she refrained from using it directly against other people for anything other than quick jokes, but she was annoyed and wanted to get this over with. The vixen focused on Creed and Wisteria’s weapons, as they were the most interested in Azure, and made them burn.

With a yelp, Wisteria’s dual knives hit the floor, along with Creed's single edged sword. Rember dashed forward and grabbed Azure by the arm, pulling him along. Behind them Creed let out a cry of rage and Rember used her semblance again to freeze the floor beneath his feet. The strange boy slipped unceremoniously, and Rember and Azure darted out of the warehouse.

“Rember?! What are you doing ?!” Azure yelled in surprise.

“Saving your sorry behind, that’s what!” Rember retorted, her patience at its limit.

“But this won’t work! Wisteria can-” Azure’s sentence was cut off when the girl materialized in front of them, forcing them to skid to a halt.

“Going somewhere?” Wisteria asked darkly, a menacing expression on her face. 

She charged at the pair, and Rember readied her batons. When Wisteria was close enough, Rember met her head on and tried to land a blow on the girl. Wisteria anticipated the attack and slid underneath the swipe, evading it with ease. She grabbed a hold of both Rember and Azure while activating her own semblance. In an instant, the three were transported back inside the warehouse and Wisteria threw her captives to the ground. 

“What are you waiting for? Restrain them!” Creed ordered sharply, motioning for Aries to subdue Azure. 

The ram forced the white clad boy to his knees. Wisteria did the same to Rember, holding one of her knives to the fox girl’s throat.

“Well, I must admit, dear friend…” Creed addressed Azure, trying to make his tone cheery as his hands recovered from the scalding they’d received. “Your partner there is quite feisty! I certainly wasn’t anticipating that kind of act.”

Rember glared at the man in black. “Not surprising, considering you don’t seem to have a great grasp on what friendship actually looks like,” she retorted. 

Jad and Gayle will be here any second now… 

“Ha! A real firecracker! But knowing that now, let me give you some advice,” Creed stated, “As someone who actually cares about you, I really think that having this faunus tramp around isn’t good for you. Sooooooo...” The raven haired man reached for his sword, and Wisteria pressed the sharp edge of her dagger against Rember’s neck. A thin red line appeared, and Rember winced. “I think it’s best that you lose the deadweight.” Creed concluded, pointing his blade at the fox girl and smiling with dark glee.

Azure’s heart skipped a beat when he saw Creed’s sword a mere wrist flick away from ending his partner’s life, and struggled to get free. 

“No!! Leave her alone! She has nothing to do with this!!” He shouted desperately. 

A blunt pain shot through his body as Aries hit him in the back of the head, almost making him blackout.

“Azure!” Rember exclaimed, worried for her friend.

“Ha ha! Oh, here we go. Do you want to save her? Protect someone you ‘care’ about, even though you failed last time?” Creed mocked. His words cut deep. “Jeez, it's worse than I thought. Well, here’s the deal: Come with me, and I’ll make it stop.”

Azure glared up at his former associate with resentment. “No way, Creed!” He growled, “I’d rather die than go back to the White Fang!!”

Wait, what?!? Rember thought, eyes wide. Then that means… 

“ What did you just...Are you...?” She stuttered mindlessly.

Azure’s heart stopped when realizing what he finally admitted out loud. His gaze trailed down to the cement, spiky hair hiding his eyes.

“ Bingo , sweetie! Everyone here has some wildness in their blood! Though some more purely than others,” Creed affirmed, the tip of his sword lifting Rember’s chin. “And come on , Azure! Take you back to the White Fang? Ha!! Oh, that’s rich!” he commented, glancing over at his supposed friend.

“What are you talking about?” Rember shot back. “Azure isn’t faunus! He doesn’t have any faunus traits at all!”

“Ah, ah, ah. None that you can see , anyway.” Creed pointed out, and Azure’s body sagged even more. “Moving on,” He turned his focus back to the boy slouched before him. “You’re almost as stubborn as I thought you’d be, Azure. It’s really starting to--”

“PASTY! FOXY!”

All present turned to see Jad and Gayle standing in the opening of the warehouse, Gypsy Flirt and Vendaval at the ready.

“What are you two doing here?! I told you to go!” Azure shouted, internally begging them to flee.

“No deal,” Jad stated firmly, twirling his naginata. “That defeats the point of a rescue operation!”

“Oh, goodie .” Creed sighed, annoyed by the constant delays. “Fine. I guess I could take care of this too...” He grumbled impatiently.

Creed walked past his captives and towards the newly returned pair, twirling his nodachi irritably. Jad squinted sharply before matching his opponent’s steps. Out of the corner of his eye however, he saw Aries lifting his morningstar, ready to bring it down onto Azure’s head. Forgetting about the approaching adversary, the tall boy changed directions.

“Pasty! Look out!”

At the exact moment that Jad called out his warning, Wisteria and Creed’s weapons glowed white hot once again. With a snarl on her face, Rember elbowed Wisteria cruelly in the ribs and leapt to her feet. Her batons were out in a flash, and she kicked at Wisteria to make more room for herself. A quick peek over her shoulder confirmed that Starr was watching them warily, but the she-wolf didn’t look like she planned on fighting just yet.

Jad’s warning still ringing in their ears, Azure and Creed both glanced at Aries in surprise. The ram was about to deal a fatal blow, mace held high. Just as it began to fall, Azure was shoved aside. Jad caught the strike with Gypsy Flirt, skidding on his back and using the ground to support his hold under the force. Expertly detangling his weapon from Jad’s, Aries quickly unleashed another blow that sent Jad rolling across the floor into a set of crates. 

“Jad!!” Gayle exclaimed, fearing for her partner. 

The lizard girl ran forward, placing herself back to back with Rember with wide eyes and holding Vendaval readily. She wanted to check on Jad, but she had to believe he’d be fine. Right now the others were directly in harm’s way.

Creed’s temper rose as he retrieved his weapon, and he fought to breathe evenly. 

“Aries,” he growled, glaring at the goat faunus with livid eyes. “Who told you to do that?!” 

Aries huffed and shrugged away, uncaring towards Creed. The White Fang’s Reaper  took a deep breath and turned morosely to the one person he cared for. “I’m so sorry about this, Azure. This isn’t what I had planned for today. Oh, everything is all ruined now!” 

Creed's shoulders drooped, genuine disappointment written across his body language. Azure got to his feet slowly and stared daggers at Creed, irises flickering between red and green haphazardly. Letting out a miserable sigh, Creed continued.

“I guess I’ll have to be content with just seeing you for today,” he nodded at Wisteria, who stopped glaring at Rember and closed her eyes. 

An ovular, violet hued rift appeared out of thin air behind the girl. Alabaster face offering no insight to her thoughts about the fiasco, Starr stepped gracefully forward and walked through the rift. Aries followed suit, and the pair disappeared. Having been forced through one earlier, Rember, at least, knew the portal acted as a teleporter.

“Make no doubt about it, Azure,this isn’t the last time we’ll be seeing eachother again. We’ve got big plans with you involved. Big plans.” Creed announced as strode with surprising calm towards Wisteria’s portal. 

The magenta haired girl turned robotically away from KRME, throwing one last, bright eyed glance at Azure before leaving. Creed turned to follow her, but spun around to face Azure, Rember, and Gayle once more. 

“Don’t think there will be a way out this time, friend. Running away won’t stop this. Death won’t stop this. I won’t allow it. ” he warned.

The man in black turned and stepped through the gate.

The rift began to shrink at an alarming rate. Desperate, Azure scrambled to his feet and sprinted for the portal. He had barely gotten to his feet, however, when something latched onto him, holding him in place. Taking a quick look he was shocked to see a mane of ochre hair and he realized Rember was weighing him down.

“Wh--? Let go of me!” Azure growled, trying to free himself from Rember’s grip. 

The fox faunus held fast, locking her arms tightly around his torso. Upon spotting Azure’s renewed struggles Gayle jumped in to help. She wasn’t as physically strong as her teammates, but it still slowed the boy down.

“Azure, stop! Calm down!” Rember pleaded, her arms burning from hugging Azure so tightly. Azure screamed, pushing his muscles to the limit in one last attempt to follow after. 

It wasn’t enough, and the gateway disappeared. The room fell silent, and the girls let go and all three of them fell to the ground. Finally released, the young man knelt on his hands and knees, trembling.

He got away, was all Azure could think, numbness sweeping through him. He got away. He got away. He got away…

His thoughts were clouded, and a plethora of negative emotions overwhelmed him. Confusion, fear, desperation, wrath...yes, wrath ...

Without thinking, Azure surged to his feet and turned to Rember. Without warning or provocation he grabbed her by the neck of her gear and dragged her to her feet, twisting the fabric. Crying out, Rember scrambled at his hands. Breathing grew difficult and her lungs started screaming. Her nails gouged furrows in the skin of his hand and wrist as she fought for air. Tortured green eyes lifted to Azure’s face, and Rember’s blood froze.

Azure was livid. His face was hard and sharp, teeth locked together so tightly it had to be painful. Every breath he drew was a growl, and his eyebrows had come together to form a ‘v’.

But what stood out to her were his eyes. They were red . Red as blood, the whites a hazy grey. In Azure’s gaze was hell incarnate, and for the first time Rember was scared of the boy she called her partner.

“Damn you, Rember!!” Azure seethed, fury contorting his familiar features. The fabric around her throat constricted further. “Why did you stop me?!?!”

Gayle watched the scene unfold, paralyzed. “Stop it Azure! You’re hurting her!” She exclaimed. The words didn’t seem to reach him, he continued to choke the rapidly fading faunus. 

Now...finish it now! She had no right to interfere. She deserves to be punished for getting in your way. 

Azure was familiar with the voice in his head, but it was one he hadn’t heard in a long, long time.

“ANSWER ME!!” he commanded. 

Eyes flickering faintly, Rember couldn’t do more than struggle weakly and splutter.

Out of nowhere an enormous force blindsided him. The unexpected blow sent Azure sprawling, Rember collapsing in a heap on the floor as she was released. The fox girl coughed painfully, one trembling hand reaching for her red throat. Able to draw breath once more, Rember glanced up to identify her rescuer. 

Jad had recovered from Aries’ hit, and it was he who had barrelled into Azure full force. He now stood with flinty eyes, breathing slowly. Azure was on his feet in a flash with blades at the ready, but he hesitated when recognized Jad.

“You put those away before I snap them into pieces, you ass. The hell is wrong with you?!” Jad demanded furiously. He raised Gypsy Flirt to guard, glaring at his friend. “We just saved your sorry ass and in return you throttle your partner?”

“Shut up! You don’t have any idea what just happened!” Azure retorted vehemently. “Why did you three decide to go running off to your graves like idiots?!! How-” Azure was cut off by Jad throwing a punch to his face, sending him to the ground. Rember and Gayle looked on in utter shock, unwilling to get involved. 

“You still don’t get it do you?” Jad growled, a faint yellowish light enveloping him. “You strangled Rember within an inch of her life! Rember! Your partner. Someone got under your skin and you nearly killed your friend! So I ask again: what the hell is wrong with you?!"

Azure’s face twisted. “Don't pretend to kno--”

Azure was cut off by the butt end of Jad’s staff in his gut. The second blow landed across his back and sent him face first into the ground. It took longer to recover this time, and he blinked rapidly as though waking up from a bad dream. Eyes gradually reverting back to their usual green, he stared blankly around the room. He looked at Jad standing over him, staff at the ready, then at Gayle, whose face betrayed her shock, and finally at Rember, whose hand couldn’t hide the inflamed ring around her throat. Azure's face slowly transformed, filling with fear. His hands spazzed violently, putting the horrific pieces together. He shook uncontrollably, looking down at his open palms despairingly.

“No. No ...” Azure whispered, his voice dead quiet, “It-It happened again! I- no ...”

The boy vanished abruptly, his semblance hiding him from the team. Pushing past the others, he ran as fast as he could out of the building and into the city, not looking back.

Rember heard Azure’s pounding footsteps fade away and tried to control the coughs that erupted from her body. Her throat was raw, and she could feel it beginning to bruise already.

The footsteps disappeared and Rember managed to choke out “He’s gone.”

Gayle rushed over to Rember and asked “Are you okay?”

Rember managed a weak smile. “I’ll...be okay.” She rasped. She used her semblance to cool her hand and gently massaged her throat.

Jad strode over to them still breathing heavily, but the glow around the young man had dissipated. 

“In the time I’ve known him, I’ve never seen him like that,” he told the girls with uncharacteristic severity.

“I think…” Rember tried to talk, but started coughing again. After the coughs subsided she tried again. “I think he learned it in- cough- the White Fang.”

Gayle looked puzzled. “What? But he’s human, isn’t he? No ears, no tail, no horns...not even fangs like you, Ber.”

“Creed said -cough- Creed said his traits weren’t visible. He said that-” 

“Rember, that's enough for now.” Jad interjected. “Your voice isn't up for this.” Rember gave him a bemused stare, before he continued with “Our Azure will be back eventually. We can talk about it then.”

Rember grimaced and nodded. She got to her feet unsteadily and Gayle moved forward to support her, but Jad picked her up instead. “Let’s head home. I have a feeling it'll be just us three tonight,” the boy said solemnly.

As the three left the warehouse Rember asked weakly “Can we get ice cream?”

Azure coughed raucously as he tripped onto the cold cement, his semblance fading. He scrambled to his feet and rested his body against an eroding wall. How long had it been since he left? Minutes? Hours? Azure didn't know. All he was certain of was the burning in his lungs.

" Hah...hah...hah...hah... " Azure exhaled loudly. He waited for what seemed like eternity to catch his second wind. When it finally came back, he tried desperately to organize his thoughts.

What had happened? There was dropping in to fight Creed, and getting caught by Wisteria after Rember tried to lead him away…

“Rember…” Azure whispered to himself. 

His insides froze when he pictured her terrified face, making it harder to breathe. He hurt her. His own partner. And...they saw it. They all saw it. It made him sick.

How could they ever forgive him? Would they ever forgive him? Azure had no idea. But he knew one thing: as far as he was concerned he wasn't welcome back at the dorm, which meant he was on his own once again. The thought of that familiar exile weighed down his mind, until he remembered an important fact.

Creed. Creed was alive. The vile, evil, deranged excuse of a being was still walking around, committing atrocities of who knew what nature.

Azure growled angrily, hands clenched so tightly they shook. A long dormant hatred rose in his mind, focused on the person that took away the first bright thing in his horrific nightmare of a life. He'd find him. And when he did, the young man would make sure that he paid in full for what he’d done.

Exhaling sharply, Azure pushed all other concerns out of his mind. All that mattered now was to find Creed and any others that were working with him. And once he did, he'd stop them. Permanently. 

Vanishing from sight, Azure ran. Not with the desperate need to retreat, but a vengeful drive to find the person he hated most. He wouldn't stop. He wouldn't rest. Not until he saw the light from those venomous eyes leave, and the smirk the bastard wore transformed into a look of fear.

Chapter Text

Rember huddled on her chair and stared at the plate of food in front of her in brooding silence. It had long since gone cold, but she didn't bother to reheat it and eat. She wasn’t hungry. Gayle was at her work desk with homework and assignments scattered across the surface, and Jad was listening to some music through his headphones, though you’d never know that by the volume.

It had been two days since they last saw Azure and learned about his affiliation with the White Fang. The bruises around Rember’s neck were nearly gone, but she had still been careful to hide them whenever she left the room.

“You should really eat something, Ber,” Gayle said from across the room without looking up from her work.

“I’m not hungry,” Rember mumbled. Her voice rasped. She hadn’t spoken much since Friday. 

“That’s not the point. You’ve barely eaten for two days.”

Rember felt a slash of annoyance. “So what?”

“Foxy,” Jad chimed in, turning his music off and sitting up, “we’re worried about you.”

“You know why.” Gayle frowned, finally looking up from her assignments.

Rember’s fox ears flattened against her skull and she used her semblance to heat the food in front of her. She stabbed a piece of chicken with a fork and ate it quickly before turning to the others and saying “Happy?”

Jad and Gayle exchanged glances before looking back to her. Rember sighed and forced herself to eat the rest of the meal while the other two waited patiently. 

When she’d finished, Gayle asked “Feeling better?”

Rember nodded reluctantly and got off the chair to stretch. Her muscles felt weak from a lack of use, and she winced as one of her wrists cracked loudly. “I seriously need to work out…” she muttered, massaging a kink in her shoulder.

“Well you aren’t allowed until at least tomorrow,” Gayle told her.

Rember raised an eyebrow. “Don’t tell me what to do.”

“Yeah,” Jad joked, ruffling his partner’s hair. “That's my job.”

“Hey!” Gayle exclaimed. “You know how long it takes to get my hair under control? Don’t mess it up!”

Jad wrinkled his nose at her.

Despite her mood, Rember snorted with amusement and stifled a smile. Jad caught sight of it and gasped dramatically.

“What's this?” he said, teasing. “A smile?"

The three teens heard a soft knock at their door, and a measure of anxiety fell over each of them. Glancing at the girls, Jad walked slowly to the entry and grasped the knob. Upon opening the door all three of them let out quiet sighs of relief, though they were somewhat bemused as well.

It was Bruna Mallorey. She wasn’t wearing the usual blouse and dress pants she wore when teaching, instead dressed in what must be her battle gear. A sensible tan coloured coat with brown leather padding on the shoulders and elbows. Flexible, brown leather gloves that matched her knee high leather boots covered her hands. Her pants were as sensible as the rest of her outfit, which was completed by a cross body leather bag that presumably housed her weapon of choice.

“Miss Bruna? What’s up?” Jad exclaimed, perplexed.

The professor offered a smile in greeting, though a frown quickly replaced it.

“Something’s wrong,” she observed quietly. “What’s going on?”

Jad, Gayle, and Rember exchanged uneasy glances. Somehow all eyes ended up on the fox girl whose ear kept twitching uncomfortably. After a few moments of silence she sighed and pushed her chair away from the table.

“Not here,” she said.

Frown deepening, Bruna nodded and moved aside to let Rember lead the way out of the dorm.

“ Aaagh !”

An agonized cry of pain forced its way out of Azure’s prey as the air rushed out of his lungs. The target was a faunus in White Fang attire, now looking rather scared after being hurled into a brick wall and held at swordpoint. Various other faunus laid unconscious in the old alley, each of them beaten and bruised.

“Start talking.” Azure growled, glaring.

Raising his hands defensively, the faunus cowered. “I-I don’t know! I don’t know anything about them!
“Don’t lie to me!” Azure commanded angrily, pressing Tyto Naiatra closer to the man’s neck. “Black Claw. Reaper and Mirage. I know they’re still part of the White Fang! Now tell me where they are!”

Azure tore the Grimm mask the faunus wore off his face, exposing the full extent of his target’s terror. 

“Black-Black Claw? You mean-”

“Yes.”

“But they aren’t-they aren’t real!” the White Fang member stammered. “That’s just some stupid rumor!”

“Oh, I can assure you,” Azure hissed, leaning in close to stare intently into the man’s eyes, “they are very real.”

Without warning, Azure knocked his captive over the head with the blunt side of his weapon. He turned angrily, leaving the group of faunus lying in the cold alley. He didn’t give a damn about what might happen to them now. He should’ve known that mindless drones such as these wouldn’t know anything.

The white caped boy punched the wall of a building in frustration, ignoring the painful feedback upon making contact. 

“Damn it!”

Rember led the way through the halls of Beacon, Bruna Mallorey just behind her. Bruna’s mind swirled with curiosity, but she knew Rember well. The girl would share her troubles when they arrived somewhere that she felt safe. 

There was something soothing about traversing the empty halls. They were usually bustling with students, chatter echoing off the old stones. It was easy to forget what a beautiful building this was when it was busy and full.

“Almost there.”

The timbre of Rember’s voice was soft, but Bruna picked up on the resignation in it. That particular tone was one that she had become familiar with during Rember’s years at Sanctum, and Bruna’s concern grew. That was the tone that had appeared after her father cut her off, and it had resurfaced after whatever happened with Lupin Grey.

It didn’t bode well.

Teachers weren’t supposed to have favorite students, but it was human nature, and Bruna was just as vulnerable to that as anyone else. 

Rember Autumn was one of the people, if not the person,  who Bruna truly felt she had made an impact on. The woman had been witness to so many of Rember’s hurts, smiles, triumphs, and failures, and had watched the girl pick herself up time and time again. Bruna felt truly honored to be someone that Rember looked up to.

“We’re here.”

‘Here’ was the large ballroom, lit only by the moonlight that filtered in through the enormous windows. They were standing on the higher level overlooking the main floor. 

Rember took a seat on the smooth floor, dangling her legs through the gaps in the railing. 

“I like coming here at night. It’s quiet.”

Bruna sat down beside Rember. 

“It’s lovely,” she commented.

“Yeah...it’s a lot better than everything else right now.”

There was that resignation again, accompanied this time by bitterness. Bruna said nothing for the time being, content to let her mentee open up at her own pace.

“Why do things always have to get hard again? You work your ass off to build something, and it always comes crashing down, and there’s nothing you can do to stop it! Why does the world have to keep crumbling around me when I think I’ve finally made it?” Rember exclaimed. “Why can’t things just be good for once?”

Bruna’s heart went out to her, and she reached over to hug the girl briefly with one arm. 

“What’s going on, Rember?”

“I...I don’t know what to do,” Rember replied miserably. “Or where to start.”

“Why don’t you start with Friday?” Bruna suggested. “Everything seemed to be fine when you left my class that day.”

“Yeah, it was. I guess that really is the best place to start,” Rember agreed. She let out a big sigh (she seemed to be doing a lot of that tonight), and launched into the retelling.

“Jad, Gayle, and I got back to our dorm to change -we were gonna go out for ice cream with some friends, but there was something weird about our room. The window was open, and there was a weird smell in there. It took us a few minutes, but we found some flowers and a note on Azure’s bed. Normally I wouldn’t open a letter with someone else’s name on it, but I had this… really weird feeling about it. I was sure we left the window closed that morning. I always double check it so that Thistle -Thistlebutt is my cat- doesn’t get out and get stuck somewhere.

“Anyway, the note was for Azure, and it was written really strangely. It was actually kinda creepy, like whoever wrote it is obsessed with or in love with him. It was signed by ‘Reaper’, and this Reaper wanted to meet Azure in an old part of the city. I still had that weird feeling, but it was worse by then. I dunno, I felt kinda like Azure might have been in danger. I still can’t really put it into words, but I had this feeling that if Azure went out there alone he wouldn’t come back.”

“So you went on ahead,” Bruna assumed, Rember’s nod confirming it. “And Jad and Gayle? Did they accompany you?”

“Yeah, they came. I shouldn’t have brought them, but I couldn’t think of a good enough reason for them to stay behind or go back.”

Rember fell silent for a moment, but her mentor didn’t push.

“I...I almost got my friends killed, Miss Bruna. I was so stupid .”

Now that was a thought Bruna wouldn’t leave to sit in the girl’s mind.

“Rember, maybe you did something that seems stupid, but you yourself are far from,” she scolded gently. “You made a mistake, and you will either learn from it or wallow in it. Whichever happens is your decision.”

Rember frowned. “Yeah, I guess. It was a really bad mistake though.”

“So you found this ‘Reaper’?”

The faunus drew her legs up to her body, wrapping her arms around them. Making herself smaller , Bruna recognized. 

“Yeah, we found him.” 

“He didn’t take kindly to someone other than Azure showing up, did he?”

“I dunno...he was kinda friendly at first, but, like, too friendly. And he was very dramatic, like he was putting on a show or something,” Rember shook her head, still puzzled by Creed’s mannerisms. “There were some others with him, a couple of faunus and another girl. She was really weird too. She seemed...hollow? Empty? I dunno. The two faunus just seemed kinda bored.

“So we ended up talking; learned all their names, and managed to avoid telling them ours. It seemed like a really bad idea.”

“That’s smart,” Bruna acknowledged. “You never need to un-say something-” 

“-that wasn’t said,” Rember finished. “Yeah.”

Rember shrugged miserably. “I dunno where he is.” she admitted, “and I’m not going to tell you why he did it.”

Bruna opened her mouth to say something, but Rember lifted her chin defiantly. “I’ve already told you more than I wanted to. I’m not sharing anything else. It isn’t my story to tell, and I’ve already betrayed him enough.” She slipped off her seat and fiddled with her necklace. “Thank you for the medicine, but I’m going back to my dorm now. I’ll see you in class.” 

Without another word, the fox faunus walked silently out of the wing. 

On her way back to the dorms she wrestled an unusual feeling of guilt and tried to push it down. Rember understood perfectly why Miss Bruna was so concerned. Were she in the Huntress’ shoes she would probably do the same thing. But Azure was her partner, and her friend. At least, she thought he was her friend. That was kind of up the air for the moment, but Rember believed that the Azure who made smartass remarks and killer chocolate chip cookies was out there trying to figure everything out as well. 

The girl sighed as she pushed open the door to her room. The lights were out. Gayle had fallen asleep over her homework again, and Jad was wrapped in his hammock and snoring. Without meaning to, Rember’s eyes flicked over to Azure’s bunk. It was still cold and empty, as it had been since he left. As she gazed at it she noticed something peeking out from underneath the bed and walked over to pull it out.

It was an old Ursa plushie, and Rember smiled as she tucked it back into its hiding place. Azure was out there. She wasn't sure when she would see him again, or how she would react when she did, but somehow she knew he was coming back.

Azure sighed in frustration as he stepped off the aircraft, gazing at the glowing academy in the distance and running his fingers through his hair. It had been two days. Two long, infuriatingly painful days since he had fled to find Creed, and he hadn’t gotten any closer to finding him. 

It really pissed him off.

A yawn escaped him, reminding the boy that he hadn’t stopped for a moment's rest this whole time. His eyes were sore, and there were bags under them, but Azure didn’t care. Rest wasn't a luxury he could afford anymore.

Slowly making his way towards the moonlit Beacon Academy, Azure’s head was flooded with conflicting thoughts.

Why am I coming back? I can’t. Not after what I did.

The muck of emotions bounced around in his head as Azure neared the dorms. Slipping inside, he made his way towards his own room and paused in front of the door. Unwilling to take any chances, Azure took in a breath and tuned into his empath skill. He sensed all three of his teammates in their beds, their presences all in the muffled state he identified as sleep, and put his Scroll up to the lock. There was a soft beep, and Azure crept into the room, gently closing the door behind him.

The room was dark, the moonlight shining through the window providing the only source of light. Confident that he hadn’t woken anyone, Azure swiftly and silently crept further inside. He heard a snort from Jad as the taller boy shifted around in his sleep, mumbling something incoherent. For a moment Azure stopped and focused on the sounds of his slumbering teammates: Rember’s soft breathing, Gayle’s tail rustling against her sheets, and faint purring from the bunk above where Thistlebutt was curled next to Rember. All familiar, comforting sounds that normally brought him peace...but there was no peace to be had tonight. And there wouldn’t be so long as Black Claw were out there.

I can’t let Ceed live, Azure thought firmly. I will not stop. I will not slow down. Not until he’s put down for good this time.

With that thought, Azure fought off the heaviness in his eyelids, and made his way back silently out into the dorm hallway. 

He wouldn’t be getting much sleep tonight anyway.

Chapter Text

The pale light of early morning streamed across KRME's dorm, stray beams coming to rest on Rember's face. The fox girl felt a tickling sensation on her nose and sneezed lightly, stirring. She awoke rather quickly, but lay unmoving under the covers. Judging by how dark it was outside, it was far too early for class. Gayle and Jad were still sleeping, and Rember could hear soft cries from Thistle underneath her bunk. The faunus slowly pulled herself to the edge of her bed and peeked below, a gut wrenching feeling gnawing at her.
Oh... Rember thought, a strange combination of relief and disappointment welling up inside her. The kitten was minding his own business on Azure's bunk, occasionally pawing the pillows and meowing for attention. The fox faunus smiled as best she could, and hopped down to attend to her pet.

 "Hey cat-cat," she whispered, picking Thistle up and cuddling him. "What's up?"
Thistlebutt let out a low, pitiable meow and rubbed his face against Rember's. The feline kept looking between Azure’s bed and the door, and Rember's ears drooped a little. While the fluffy cat was totally hers and loved her to death, Azure was the one who took care of him when she was busy. That cat really had grown to love her partner's attention almost as much as Rember’s.

"You miss him too, huh?" she asked, scratching his chin. Thistle purred and batted her nose lightly. He looked at Rember for a moment before nuzzling her, his loud purrs putting the faunus at ease. "Yeah, me too..." she admitted quietly as she set Thistlebutt down.
It was true. Despite what had happened three days ago, and how uneasy she felt regarding the matter, she still wanted her friend back. To get some answers from him, if nothing else. She kinda felt like she deserved some after what he'd done.
Sighing, Rember rubbed her eyes and reached for her gym clothes. She wouldn't be getting back to sleep anytime soon, so maybe a run and a long shower would help. Something told her that Azure would be back soon, so she needed to prepare herself. Hopefully everything would be okay.

"Still no sign of him," Gayle said, clearly disheartened as she searched the flow of incoming students. 

It was the last class of the day, and there was still no sign of their leader. When other people asked why Azure was absent, they all just lied about him suddenly being sick, and that he had to stay in bed. Privately, Gayle didn't know how to deal with what was happening and was very anxious about the whole matter, while Rember spent the day in stoic silence as she scanned the crowds around her. Jad alternated between his usual jovial attitude and reassuring the girls of Azure's imminent return.
Jad hummed to himself as they sat in the amphitheatre waiting for Professor Goodwitch to start class. "He'll be back,” he commented, trying to lift everyone's spirits again. "Don't let it get to you. Your face will go all wrinkly if you worry too much,” he joked halfheartedly, poking Gayle's cheek.
While Jad and Gayle conversed, Rember kept her eyes on the entrance. Until the last person walked through that door, she wouldn't- couldn't look away. Throughout the entire day, she grew more and more anxious. She tried hiding it the best she could, but her body language just wouldn't cooperate today. Additionally, she was less and less sure that she wanted Azure to come back, and that made her sick. She hated being afraid of him, but there wasn't much she could do to change that for now.
As Rember watched the diminishing flow of people, she found herself holding her breath as she caught a flash of white hair at the very back. Her heart had skipped a beat upon glimpsing anyone with white hair since Azure's disappearance (and she'd had to apologize numerous times as she kept freezing in the middle of busy hallways, causing pile ups and traffic jams). But she knew that spiky hairstyle all too well.
"He’s here," Rember said, her voice tense and quiet.
Jad and Gayle followed their teammate's gaze. It took a moment for them to be sure, but as soon as they spotted him they knew. It was Azure alright, dressed in his combat gear. Any other time they would have been happy to see their leader, but right now they were wide eyed and wary.

He looked terrible. Even from a distance they could see dark circles under Azure's eyes, and he moved as if every step was a burden he wasn't sure he could bear; he was clearly exhausted, but he forced himself to try and move as he would have done any other day.
Azure caught the three of them staring, and his heavy eyes fixed on his team. Rember felt her body tense up, waiting to see what her partner would do and expecting some sort of scene. But all he did was stare. It was a blank, hollow look and neither Rember nor Jad could figure out just what was going on inside that white haired head. He eventually looked away without a word, sitting down in the front row, a good distance away from the team and paying them no further attention.
Before anyone could stew on the matter, Professor Goodwitch walked in.
"Good afternoon,” she greeted briskly. "Today's class will be another practical lesson, however, we'll be doing things a little differently." The teacher explained, her stern tone capturing their attention and holding it.
Rember furrowed her brow, a strangely ominous feeling blooming within her. Glynda's class was usually her favorite part of the day, besides lunch. A good opportunity to let her hair down a bit. So why was she dreading what the professor was about to say?
"For the past few months, you've been fighting each other to broaden your abilities when it comes to dealing with different fighting styles, as well as developing maneuvers when faced with an opponent who has the advantage," Glynda recounted, her students listening intently. "Today, you are going to take what you have learned, and apply it to building the synergy of your teams."
There were mixed murmurs from the class, some of them clearly not understanding. 

Glynda quickly clarified. "To put it simply, you are going to learn the strengths and weaknesses of your teammates by dueling them."
The reception to this news was overall positive. Students were chittering excitedly, eager to be pitted against their friends. KRME, however, was left with mixed emotions. Rember looked over at her partner nervously, though he kept his back turned. Jad and Gayle exchanged glances before returning their gazes back to their teacher.
"Now that you all comprehend your task," Glynda said as she looked at her data pad, "I would like Mr. Knyte and Ms. Autumn to be our first pair today."
Rember was paralyzed.
Gayle hastily raised her hand. "Um, Professor? I don't think Azure..." 

She trailed off hesitantly as the boy in white slowly got to his feet and began moving down to the arena.
"I am aware that Mr. Knyte has been reported absent for most of the day," Glynda replied, "but if he's well enough to be in class he'll receive no special treatment, and I expect his full effort in my lessons. Am I clear?"
Gayle nodded and settled back down. Rember got to her feet sluggishly, feeling as though she moved through molasses. The youngest team member took a hold of Ber's hand as her friend moved. "Ber, wait!" Gayle cautioned. "Are you sure...?"
The fox girl was quiet. But she smiled at her pseudo sister, pushing down her inner turmoils.

"Yeah. I can do this."
Forcing herself to move, Rember walked down to face her opponent. He waited silently in the ring, his gaze clouded, as though his soul was miles away. When the fox faunus finally got into place, she unsheathed Ashweave and Stormshatter. She tried clearing her mind, as she often did before fighting. Muddled minds made more mistakes. She needed to be limber and focused if she was going to beat her partner. Azure beat people by capitalizing on the smallest opening his opponent gave him. Unfortunately, her body remained tense and stiff. She shook out each of her limbs individually, desperately trying to box away her anxiety. She didn't want to fight him. Not like this.
She wasn't sure she could do this.
Across from Rember, Azure took out Tyto Naiatra and separated the weapon into its dual blade form, taking a ready stance. The girl immediately noticed that Azure neglected to put his hood up. Odd. She'd never seen him leave the hood down when he fought...did that mean something? No matter. She needed to get herself together. She didn't have any time to think on it further as Glynda signaled the start of the match.
In a flash, Azure was right on top of her. Rember dove into a backwards handspring as her partner's attack whizzed passed her, barely evading it. Regaining her footing she transformed Stormshatter into a whip and flicked her wrist. The weapon hit nothing but air as Azure anticipated the move and retreated, and they returned to their starting positions.
Retracting the whip, Rember rushed forward. Azure turned defensive, swatting away the strikes that he couldn't dodge with his swords. He was struggling though; his exhaustion was already taking a toll, and Rember landed a few hits. The boy jumped back, confusion sparking in his eyes for a split moment. He was expecting that to hurt a little more, but he doubted those blows would even bruise. They clashed again, each fighter taking a more defensive approach than usual.
Some of the spectators were getting restless. They used to get a show from these Huntsmen-in-training. Each contestant had a uniquely complex fighting style that always promised a good bout, but the crowd wasn't seeing that today. It verged on boring.
The pair danced around each other, neither one taking any truly offensive action. Glynda sighed and hit a button on her Scroll, a sound emanating from the speakers and halting the match.
"Would one of you care to explain what, exactly, is going on?" The teacher asked with puzzled frustration. "If you aren't going to take this seriously, then say so now and we'll get on with the next pair."
Rember looked away, her ears pressed against her head. Azure averted his gaze as well, staring at the ground.
Suddenly a familiar voice shouted "I got twenty fat ones on Foxy! She's gonna kick Pasty's ass right out of the ring!! Any takers?!?!"
Rember glanced up and saw Jad on his feet, grinning. Gayle was trying and failing to suppress a smile from where she sat beside him.

There was an uproar of students taking sides, starting up cheers and chanting Rember and Azure’s names. Taking a deep breath, Rember dredged up some confidence and managed a mischievous grin as the chanting grew louder.
"Hey!" she shouted, her anxiety suddenly absent. "You gonna fight me, or what?"
Azure's deadpan eyes met hers and he frowned. 

"You sure you want that?" he replied quietly, knowing only she could hear him.
Rember flinched at the hollowness of Azure’s tone. It was a bit unnerving, but she wouldn't let that stop her. She'd fought unnerving people before. It was just another strategy that some people used. The girl nodded in determination.
"Oh please!" she taunted with a smirk. "I could beat you in my sleep!"
Seeing his opponent steel herself so confidently, Azure’s expression changed. With a focused glare, the boy slowly reached up, pulling his hood up to conceal his face. Rember hit a button on each of her weapons, the clawed ends shooting out. Another button and electricity crackled along their lengths. Azure re-established his footing, his exhaustion having momentarily evaporated. The surrounding students cheered, some of them getting to their feet in anticipation as they picked up a change in the atmosphere. This, they could tell, was going to be interesting. Glynda Goodwitch nodded to herself, satisfied, and with another audio signal the match started in earnest.
Rember made the first move, twirling her electrified chords to keep Azure at bay as she advanced. The boy ducked and weaved, green eyes searching for an opening in the whirlwind attack. He knew that if Rember managed to make contact, it was all over. He'd seen what happened when someone got hit by one of those whips. After a few minutes he began picking out a pattern to his opponent’s movements. Reading a particular upward sweep Azure lunged forward, tearing a hole in Rember's defense, and activated the Dust in his swords.
Rember saw the move coming, but her body reacted too slowly and Azure landed a slash across her solar plexus. A large section of her body became enveloped in ice and the girl staggered back. Aware that staying still was practically suicide, she activated her semblance to free herself. The frozen prison quickly evaporated, but Rember was punished for her moment of immobility when an explosive arrow landed at her feet, throwing her backwards to crash on the ground. The faunus leapt up, got her bearings in time to see her opponent mere feet away, and caught Azure’s next attack with her batons.
Rember pushed Azure back, neither contender paying attention to anything but each other. Driven away by the newly reactivated electricity in Rember's weapons, Azure sent a volley of arrows at the fox girl. Rember rolled away, coming up in a crouch. She just had enough time to locate her opponent before another arrow prompted her to move again. She shot out one of her whips and managed to snag one of the airborne arrows from its intended trajectory. Redirecting her momentum, Rember sent the shaft hurling back towards the one who'd shot it, forcing Azure to desert his position to avoid being hit.
Up in the stands, everyone was cheering. This was far more entertaining that the farce they'd been watching before, and the crowd was loving it.
Rolling to his feet, Azure found that Rember had rushed across the arena. He ducked to avoid a powerful swing from one of her batons, the clawed end brushing the top of his hood. Tyto Naiatra was quickly split in half, the two swords coming up to deflect Ashweave and Stormshatter.
Of the two, Azure was stronger and weighed more. He used his superior strength to trap Rember under his blades, pressing down in hopes of forcing her to the ground. Quick to realize this, Rember lashed a foot at Azure's abdomen, forcing him to relinquish his advantage and giving her the chance to dash away.
Hand springing back, Rember caught her breath. She had never tried this hard to win an in-class duel before.
Azure recovered quickly, green eyes searching for Rember. His teammate was halfway across the ring, one of her whips whistling through the air towards him. It wrapped around the blade of one of his swords, and before Rember could send electricity to incapacitate him Azure let the weapon go. Surprise flitted across Rember's face as the tension between her and Azure disappeared, and she stepped to the side to avoid being skewered by the airborne sword. With a flick of her wrist she freed her whip and returned it to its baton form. Unable to fire at her, Azure employed a new tactic, vanishing from sight with the aid of his semblance. Less than a second later there were two Azure's, both headed for Rember. In the stands people tried to discern which image was the real Azure, but on the arena floor Rember was ahead of them. She let the twins in close before launching her whips in a completely different area.
Ashweave and Stormshatter wrapped around something invisible and just as the clones reached her and Rember hit the buttons on her whips with a grin as the two phantom swords passed harmlessly through her.
Azure appeared from thin air, his body jerking involuntarily as electricity surged through it. As soon as he was visible Rember stopped the current and disentangled her weapons. Azure panted, maintaining a grip on his remaining sword. As Rember prowled closer he jumped to his feet, taking her by surprise. Rember brought her batons up, barely catching the attack. Azure whipped his sword away, moving into another attack. Confidence shaken, Rember rolled away again and shot out her whips. One of them cracked at Azure's feet, forcing him back. In an instant Rember sent the other whip to latch onto Azure's other sword. She wasted no time in activating the electric current, and this time Azure's weapon served as a conduit. His arm went limp and he dropped the sword with a pained shout. Rember dashed forward and pounced, pinning him to the floor.
"Victory goes to Miss Autumn." Glynda announced, adjusting her glasses. "I expect that level of participation from the both of you in the future," she added, fixing her eyes on the pair in the ring.
Sound filtered back into Rember's attention and she registered uproarious cheering and applause. Despite many of the students being twenty bucks poorer, the overall atmosphere was one of satisfaction and excitement.
Rember looked down at Azure, whose expression was unreadable. The fox girl got to her feet and after a brief hesitation offered her hand to her partner.
"Thanks," she told him.
Azure looked at the gesture in puzzled silence.

 "For what?" He asked.
"A good fight? I haven't had a match like that in ages." She smiled hesitantly.
Still dumbfounded, Azure glanced at Rember's hand and then looked to his own. He began reaching up, but changed his mind. He clenched his fist and, with a grimace, got to his feet alone. Silent anger stirred within him as he moved to retrieve his weapons, not once looking back as he left the amphitheater. Not only that, but the young man missed the hurt and concern flooding his partner's eyes.

Azure moved quietly through the dark dorm halls. He had returned to his search immediately after leaving Goodwitch's class, but just as before he'd found nothing. Grinding his teeth, Azure leaned his head against the wall and shut his eyes. He was just so...so angry. And tired. And ashamed -of what he'd done to Rember. How could he ever expect them to trust him again? Sure, she'd seemed okay by the end of the duel earlier, but he knew better. After how he'd acted, what he'd done...there was just no way.
Absent-minded, the boy unlocked the door to KRME's quarters and stepped inside the dark room, gently pulling the door closed behind him. He had just started pulling off his hood when the light switched on. The boy froze, instantly alert. His alarm was shattered by shock when an achingly familiar voice said " You know, you shouldn't be out so late."
His blood ran cold. He couldn't believe it. She was still awake? Hardly daring to breathe, Azure turned. He was stunned when he saw not only Rember, but Jad and Gayle, all in pajamas, watching him.
"I...didn’t think I was welcome here anymore," Azure mumbled, not daring to hold his teammates' gazes. He wasn't sure he could handle what he might find there.
"Well that just goes to show how muddled your thoughts are right now." Rember told him seriously. 

Gayle nodded solemnly from her perch. “You don’t get to make that decision for us. You didn’t even think to talk to us and ask.”

Thistlebutt leapt down from where he sat on her lap and ran over to greet his friend, meowing happily. Azure hesitated before bending down to scratch the kitten's ears, stalling so he wouldn't have to make eye contact with anyone.
"Azure, look at me." Rember ordered flatly after a moment. She had walked over to stand less than three feet away. The boy tried his best not to but eventually he looked up, apprehension coursing through him. 

”We deserve an explanation for what happened a few nights ago," Rember stated.
"I know."
"Then why have you been avoiding us all this time?"
Azure paused. "I didn't think I was welcome here." he repeated.
"That isn't true!" Gayle protested.
"And as far as I'm concerned it never will be," Rember added.
"Have you any idea how worried we've been?" Gayle put in, her eyes wide.
”You've been...worried?" Azure asked in disbelief. "But I--"
"We don't care, Pasty." Jad interjected, his tone blunt but kind. "Yes, you crossed a line. So I knocked your sorry ass back over it. I can't speak for the girls but as far as I'm concerned we're good." He looked at his teammates.
Rember frowned. "I'm shaken, Azure," she admitted. "Memories last far longer than bruises, but you're my friend. I don't have so many of those that I'll ditch one of them for screwing up." 

She picked up her cat and made her way back to her chair, settling Thistle on her lap comfortably. "Azure I think we deserve to know what's going on."
Azure sighed and covered his face with his hands before letting them fall back down. He slowly walked over to his bed, slouching. Hunched over, the boy didn't say anything for a long time, but the team waited patiently, each of them noting the dilemma in his eyes.
Rember, Jad, and Gayle exchanged glances, beginning to wonder if Azure wasn't going to tell them after all. At that moment he spoke, his voice heavy with shame and regret. "I...I'm sorry, you guys. But I've...I've been lying to you. About who- what I am."
Leaning in close, the team waited for Azure to explain.
"I don't know how to say it. I think a comparison might be better." Azure called to Thistle and the cat padded over, purring.

 Picking him up, Azure turned Thistlebutt around so that the others could see his face.
"See his eyes?" Azure asked. They nodded, unsure of where this was going. He put the kitten down. "Promise not to freak out."
"Of course," Rember replied. Jad and Gayle added their assent as well.
Somewhat emboldened by his team's word, Azure closed his eyes. "If you all recall, my semblance is visual illusions," He started.

 After a moment he opened his eyes, and Azure thought he heard a surprised gasp from Gayle. The young man studied his teammates' reactions. Gayle was staring intently, looking analytical. Rember's fox ears were perked up, her forest green eyes soaking in what she saw. Jad, to Azure's surprise, didn’t even flinch. He was smiling like he had won a bet.
Azure's eyes now looked exactly like Thistle's. The only difference was that Azure's were a deep shade of yellow. A cat’s eyes.
"So this is me," Azure spoke plainly, blinking once. "The real me."
"You’re faunus too!" Gayle said.
"Only half. My mother was faunus, my father was human," Azure clarified.
Rember beckoned Thistle and the kitten curled up in her lap, purring. "That actually...explains a lot," she said eventually, her brows furrowed. "But not why you've been gone for so long."
Before Azure could answer, Jad spoke up. "About time! You can't just change your eyes and expect me not to notice.” He exclaimed, pointing at his friend.
"Wait, you knew this whole time that he was faunus, and you never told us?!" Gayle asked her partner, a little upset.
The tall boy shrugged. "Not my business to tell. Not that it matters."
”But you just said his eyes were different than you remembered! "
"I figured he either didn't want people to know, or they changed when he hit puberty."
"Guys, hold on." Rember interrupted with control. The two of them stopped. "That is not why we're having this conversation. Besides, Jad's right. It wasn't his information to share."
"Thanks." Azure said. He went quiet for a moment. "You remember those four people we encountered?" Everyone nodded.  "They're all faunus too."
Jad straddled a chair backwards. "Go on."
"I used to be close friends with them. Well, the boy in black and the girl in purple, anyways. Don't know the other two." Azure began to explain. "I guess you could say that we grew up together."
Rember's fox ears perked up again. "Creed and Wisteria, right?" She asked, pulling their names from her memory. "The other two were Aries and Starr." She remembered the first two showing more interest in her partner than the others.
"Y-yeah." He confirmed, hiding his surprise at Rember's ability to remember things like that.
"What do they want with you? They said they were waiting for you..."
Azure tensed. "I...I don't know what they want. Not a hundred percent." The boy confessed. ”And it's...really hard to explain anything about them. " He took a deep breath and forced himself to keep talking. "Are you still sure you want to know why I've been gone?" Azure asked. His tone held a note of severity that sent a chill through his teammates.
Azure met each of their gazes individually, as if reassuring himself of something. He knew they deserved the truth. They were hanging on his every word with a mixture of emotions. Even without tapping into his empath ability he could read what each of them were feeling.

 Unsurprisingly the one expressing the largest range of emotions right now was his partner, Rember. She was so still as she waited for him to answer...it nearly made him refuse to speak further. Until a crumpled up paper ball thrown by Jad bounced off his head lightly.
"It's been to protect you guys." Azure said eventually. "I'm not safe to be around."
"What do you mean?" Gayle inquired, looking spooked.
"I mean that those people are coming after me. Most likely to take me back."
"Where to?" Jad asked skeptically.
"The place where I was raised. Where I learned to be so excellent at fighting." Azure answered vaguely.
Rember's ears flicked irritably. She was starting to get tired of her partner beating around the bush. "Spit it out, Azure." She said bluntly. 
Azure clenched his fists and let out a growl. "This isn't something that I can just talk about openly!" he snapped.
Jad threw another paper ball.
"Nor do I expect it to be!" Rember shot back. "I hope you'll forgive me, but after being attacked by my partner, as supportive as I want to be, my patience isn't great!"
Azure flinched but refused to back down, yellow eyes hard. 

"Fine!" he snarled. "Haven't you thought about it?! Why I’m so good at fighting? Why I’ve hidden things from you? It's because I was trained, molded, into an agent of destruction! I..." Azure stopped for a second, fury draining from his voice, replaced by heartbreaking regret. "I was in the White Fang, and now they're coming to take me back because I'm too valuable to dispose of in their eyes. At least, that's probably why...it's the only thing that makes sense..."
Rember was unimpressed, though she made an effort to exert more patience. "It doesn't matter what you're trained for as long as you're acting for the right reasons." She told Azure hotly. "I really don't care if you were in the White Fang." Her partner looked at her, his eyes narrowed in disbelief. "No really, I don't. Everyone deserves a second chance, and you've made the decision to take the one offered to you. If the White Fang wants you back they'll have to go through us. You don't belong to them, Azure. People aren't property. They aren't toys that you can throw away and then pick up again later!"
Beside Rember, Gayle nodded quickly. "You're our friend, Azure." She told him. "You've made mistakes, but we all have. I don’t know what those are in your case, but you're trying to fix them, and that's the best thing you could be doing."
Azure looked at his female teammates in silent amazement. They really didn't seem to care about what he’d just told them, and were just as quick to support him as ever. He would've felt touched, had he allowed himself to be. Instead he grew frustrated. They weren't taking this seriously.
"I appreciate it." He said somewhat earnestly. "But my mistakes aren't so easily fixed. I can't be let off the hook like they never happened."
"Why not?" Rember asked.
"Because I know what I've done." Azure stated shortly. "This isn't just a case of taking part in a robbery or-or damage of property. I've made decisions with my sword that have seriously hurt people. People with families and futures. People who could have been here, at this academy." He explained. "So can you really blame me for not letting myself get you three involved? I...I can't bear to let another family die because of me."
Rember froze when Azure mentioned family. What family had died? His own? Someone else's? Did he consider his team to be a family? His family? She shook her head. That was a discussion for another time. Right now she wanted straight answers, not these vague, cryptic statements.
"Every family dies eventually." she said, her voice a little colder than she meant for it to be. She winced and softened her tone. "Look, Azure...We're your friends. You're like a brother to me. I nearly died to protect my sister when I was little and I failed. I know how you feel. But that also means that I'm not about to let you take everything on by yourself. No one should ever feel like they have to do everything alone. Especially since they can't." Azure opened his mouth to say something but Rember plowed on over him. "No, listen to me! No one, and I mean that in the most literal sense possible, can do everything all alone. Every time you go get something to eat, you have it because someone else prepared it. Someone else built the place you live in. Another person designed the weapon your neighbor uses, another the traffic system." Everyone stared at her, Jad nodding his support, Gayle with quiet intensity, and Azure without movement. Even Thistle had stopped purring and stared up at his friend attentively, his eyes shining. "I don't care what your reasoning is, you aren't doing this on your own. You can't."
Rember finished her tirade, eyes glued to her partner's half hidden face. He was looking at the floor near her feet as he mulled over her words, his expression hard to read.
"I...appreciate the sentiment," he started hesitantly, "but you don't understand. Those people, the ones you found the other day...they're dangerous. They were about to kill all of you, just because you know me. I can't let that happen. I can't let you follow me if you're going to be in that much danger."
Azure's eyes were strangely dark and, Rember thought, pleading. He met the gaze of each teammate individually before rubbing his eyes and looking back at the floor. He didn't see Rember, Jad, and Gayle exchange glances, or Thistle nuzzle Rember as he sensed her body temperature cool. Azure sat quietly, waiting for his friends to either get up and leave or tell him he wasn't welcome anymore.
He really should have known better. After nearly five minutes of silence another paper ball bounced off his head and Rember said "That is the lamest excuse I have ever heard."
Jad chuckled and agreed while Gayle nodded with an awkward half smile on her face. Thistle, perhaps thinking the mood had lightened, meowed cheerfully and leapt down from Rember's lap to paw Azure's leg in an unashamed play for attention.

The half faunus couldn't believe how lightly his friends were taking his warning. Irritation flashed through him and he got to his feet without realizing it, earning an indignant mew from Thistle.
The second Azure moved his teammates tensed, regarding him warily. Rember actually flinched, fox ears pressed flat against her head and arms half raised to defend herself . A pang of regret at the fear in his partner's suddenly wide eyes shot through Azure, but forced it aside. They HAD to understand!
"You don't get it!" He said vehemently. "These guys could have -would have killed you if I hadn't shown up in time!"
Rember's eyes flashed and she got to her feet as well, fear forgotten. "So could a Nevermore! Or a Beowolf, or an Ursa! Hell, Pyrrha Nikos could kill any of us if she really felt like it! You seem to be forgetting that we aren't defenseless, Azure!" She nearly yelled. "We've been in life or death situations before, the only difference is that this time we didn't know beforehand! We made it, okay?! That means that next time we'll be ready for it! We know now!" She took a deep breath and noticed Thistle bumping at her legs. Bending to pick him up again she stroked his soft fur. "I don't want to fight you, Azure. You're one of the best friend's I've ever had, but I'm not going to agree with everything you do either. I sincerely hope that you get it through your head that you need help before it's too late, because I have no interest in mourning the death of another friend." She glanced at the other two, moving Thistle to her shoulders where he draped himself. "I'm going to bed."
Without another word the fox girl climbed up onto her bunk, her kitten swaying happily on her shoulder.
As soon as the fox girl got in bed heatedly, Azure deflated. Drained, the boy fell back onto his bed and massaged his temples. This wasn't how he wanted it to go. Not at all. Spying Jad and Gayle still watching him, he motioned for them to head to bed.
"Go on. Don't let me keep you up." He said, speaking gently.
Unsure of what else to do, Gayle nodded and got into her hammock. 

Jad however walked right up to Azure and locked him into a tight hug. Azure tried to say something but Jad cut him off. “You're safe. You're home, and you're safe. For tonight that's good enough.” Jad released him from the embrace. “Get some rest. I'm here when you need me.” With that Jad went to bed.

Azure turned off the lights and sprawled across his bed, staring into the wooden bottom of Rember's bunk. He could hear her moving around as she tried to get comfortable, occasionally murmuring quietly to her cat. He could still feel anger and hurt radiating off her.
I'm sorry Rem, but I can't let you. No matter how much you protest. The boy thought.

It was true. He couldn't let her, or anyone else get involved. Yes, it was stupid to do this alone, but he had no other choice. He considered his team family, but he was their leader. And as their leader, he had to be the one to make the hard decisions that were in the best interests of the team.This was the best course of action, even if they were going to disagree with his decisions. Rember clearly did. Azure had the sneaking suspicion that she would continue to do so no matter what he said or did to dissuade her.
Rolling onto his side, Azure mulled over what his partner had said. She was certainly passionate in trying to convince him to let them in. To have them help carry the burden weighing down on him. But his mind was set on the matter. This was his problem, and his alone.
Something heavy dropped into his chest, and Azure began retreating inwards. It wasn't that he didn't think they could defend themselves. On the contrary, he knew first hand they were more than capable. But this danger was on a whole different level. It made fighting Grimm look easy, and only Azure truly understood just how perilous this was.
Sighing softly, Azure closed his eyes. He had to be strong if he was going to do this. Hopefully, he would straighten this out as soon as possible, and then he could return to being the Azure of team KRME. He knew that Rember would keep pressing him, she had a habit of doing that when she wanted to help, and it irked him. She was insanely stubborn. Then again, so was he. Azure secretly hoped that tomorrow would be productive, but something told him it wouldn't be.
The boy let his mind go blank, and his grasp at consciousness slowly faded into sleep.

Chapter Text

... C’mon. C’mon, c’mon…

Valerie tapped her foot impatiently as she watched the seconds tick by. She wanted this lecture to end, but only the bell would stop Professor Oobleck when he went off on a tangent. She needed to talk to Azure. Though, this time was different. Ever since he had called her asking about what happened to his team a while back, he’d been acting...different. In fact, she only ever saw him during classes. She had tried asking him about it, but he brushed her off. Not only that, whenever she went to Rember, the fox faunus would only offer vague answers. No one was saying anything, and she wasn’t going to twiddle her thumbs anymore.  

The bell went.

“Aaugh?! Wha--?! Oh.” Oobleck exclaimed in fragments, the shrill ringing almost making him spill the drink he was holding. “Looks like we’re done for today,” the messily kept teacher concluded, zipping around the room at ludicrous speeds, “but I’ll have you know we’re not done with this subject! I expect that you’ve taken notes, and we shall continue this tomorrow!!”

There was a collective sigh, a combination of relief and fatigue, and Valerie quickly grabbed her things. Upon noticing the questioning looks of her team, she shouted “I’ll be back!” and flew out the door. 

Once free from the confines of the lecture hall, the silvery blue haired girl searched the hallway for any sign of the white caped boy. He was deceptively good at getting out of places, but he couldn’t have gotten far. Following her gut, she went right. The young woman ran as fast as she could, all the while trying not to bump into anyone and avoid getting lectured by Goodwitch for running in the halls, flying around corners on the lookout for any sign of her target. Just as she was about to decide Azure had inexplicably given her the slip, she saw a familiar figure with unmistakably styled white hair, her red eyes honing in on him. 

“Azure! Wait up!” She called out to the boy at the far end of the corridor.

Halting in his tracks, the pale young man peeked over his shoulder to see Valerie running up behind him. 

“What?” he asked bluntly.

Valerie hesitated just as she reached him. She was taken aback by the underlying hostility in the young man’s voice. That, and the unmistakable exhaustion that emanated from him. Pangs of concern shot through her. From what she’d observed he didn’t eat much during meals, and would only spend the absolute minimum amount of time consuming meager helpings before swiftly taking his leave. Where he went when he left, she hadn’t the slightest clue.

“Is everything okay?” She asked carefully. “You don’t look too good…”

Azure didn’t say anything. He just...stared at her, his eyes cold. Sure, he was a private guy, but she’d never seen such harshness in his gaze before. After a few moments with no answer Valerie swallowed, self conscious, and Azure looked away.

“It’s not your concern.” The young man stated frankly, walking away. “Leave me alone, I’m busy.”

Valerie flinched. The hardness of his tone was like getting punched in the gut with no warning. 

“Hey…” she called out weakly, but to no avail. Azure wasn’t listening to her, and he clearly didn’t want her around. Unsure of what to do next, the girl rubbed her arm and stared despondently after the boy, suddenly feeling incredibly alone. 

It was lunch hour at Beacon. KRME sat in the cafeteria, surrounded by an air of painful awkwardness. Despite Rember’s persistence, Azure had kept himself distant and cold toward the group. They were all struggling with his shift in behavior, but his partner was hit the hardest.
The two of them sat beside each other. Rember was trying her best to engage Azure but receiving no more than one word answers. Across from them, Jad and Gayle had finished eating and were eagerly discussing a book they were reading.
“Hey, maybe after classes tonight we could work on some combo attacks,” Rember suggested. “I’ve got a few ideas for some acrobatic stuff we could work on together.” 

Rember’s idea was sound. Luck favors the prepared.
“Later. I’m busy,” Azure answered, his voice cold and emotionless.
Rember visibly deflated, turning her gaze away from everyone to stare at the table.

Jad had watched the same thing going on for a couple of days now and as he stood and walked to the other side of the table, it was clear that he’d had enough. Jad placed a firm hand on Azure’s shoulder, said “Outside. Now,” and nearly pulled him out the door after him.
Azure trailed along after Jad, who still had a strong grip on his shoulder. They walked quickly into the atrium just outside the cafeteria, continuing out into the courtyard beyond. A few trees and benches were scattered around the area. Jad pulled Azure over to one of them. 

Rember watched the boys go, her shoulders drooping. She’d been trying so hard to get along with Azure, to get him to do or say something , but no matter what she did he stayed cold and distant. She just wanted him to know he wasn't alone. That he didn’t have to keep shutting them out. And that she did understand the danger and still wanted to fight beside him.

That she just wanted to help.

“Ber?”

The fox girl looked up to meet Gayle’s worried eyes.

“You okay?” the other faunus asked quietly.

Rember opened her mouth to lie, but the words wouldn’t come out.

“No,” she said eventually, “I’m not.”

“Can I give you a hug?”

Rember shrugged but didn’t say anything. She heard Gayle get out of her seat and move around the table while she stared blankly at her half empty plate. The lizard girl took a seat beside her, their arms brushing against one another. Gayle didn’t say anything, nonverbally letting Rember know that, once she was ready, her teammate was there.

It didn’t take long for Rember to crack. After only a few minutes she let out a sob and dropped her head into her hands, hiding the tears that had suddenly overrun her. Gayle hesitated before putting a comforting hand on Rember’s shoulder, uncertain of what to do that might help but unwilling to let her friend go through trouble alone.

“Have a seat.” 

It was more an order than an invitation as Jad steered his hostage friend firmly onto the bench, pacing back and forth a few times to gather his thoughts and rein in his temper.
From where he sat, Azure could see through the glass of the cafeteria windows where Gayle and Rember sat at their table. The pale young man turned away from the school and eyed his redheaded friend blankly, waiting for him to start talking.
Letting out a big raspberry of a breath, Jad plopped down on the bench across from Azure. He sat with his elbows on his knees, hands clasped gently in front of him. 

“First to clear the air: I didn’t haul you out here by the scruff to force anything out of you. I know you’re going through something and it’s your business to tell or to keep. So relax.”
Azure said nothing, but his body eased slightly while he continued to stare.
Picking up on the subtle cue, Jad leaned back on the bench. 

“I want you to do something,” he paused for a moment. “I want you to look over at the cafeteria and tell me what you see at our table.”
Azure glanced in the direction of the cafeteria to see the remaining half of his team. Was this a trick question? The boy alternated between glancing at Jad and where he was told, finally answering “Gayle and Rem?” in a quiet, blase tone.
“How very observant of you, Master Archer,” Jad’s voice was thick with sarcasm. “I’d wager a hundred bucks that if you look closer, you’ll see Both Gayle and Rember sitting with their backs to us. Gayle is probably comforting Rember. She might even have her arm on her shoulders while Rember holds her head in her hands, more than likely holding back tears of… frustration, fear, sorrow… but tears nonetheless.”
Azure looked again, this time making a proper observation. Jad was right. Gayle was comforting Rem, who held her head in her hands. A powerful, numbing pain clutched at his heart, threatening to suffocate him.
“Not wrong, am I?” Jad leaned forward again. “Here’s how I knew: because this is what’s become of KRME. We don’t laugh, we don’t joke. We don’t make cookies, and we don’t go for ice cream. Every night that you go out on your own weighs on us just a bit more. On your partner in particular. I’d say it’s because she keeps offering to help. She’s standing with an outstretched hand. And it’s one thing to be told ‘no thank you’ but her hand is being coldly swatted aside.”
“I can’t let her, Jad,” Azure muttered hollowly, his exhaustion making him slump. “I can’t let any of you. This is my problem, and you deserve better than to get mixed in something you don’t have to. Don’t you get that?”
“Actually, I do get it. And I’m not saying you should let her help, necessarily. That’s up to you. But how you treat the people who care about you now, while you do what you have to do, will change how they treat you when you come back.”
Azure sat back on the bench, trying to rub the tiredness from his eyes.  

“Alright, look. I don't think you've clued into how fortunate you are.”

Azure looked at Jad like he had two noses.

“I mean apart from your life going to shit,” he amended slightly. “Think about it, Pasty. Two best friends go separate ways, and by chance they both show up at Beacon in the same year AND wind up on the same team?”

Azure thought about it. He had a point, but where was he going with this?

“What's more, look at how lucky we both are.” Jad gestured to the cafeteria.  “When I look in there, you know what I see?  A parade of idiots broken up by the rare gem.”

Azure raised an eyebrow.

“I could waste your time pointing them all out one by one but let's just give a few examples to speed things along. At the top of the list we have CRDL: Beacon's racist, prejudiced, meatheaded simpleton boy band. Idiots, the lot of them. Then we have miss Weiss Schnee: a spoiled brat. This silver spoon fed pill of a girl knows that the world owes her something, and is constantly taxing her team with her holier than thou attitude. Up next is Jaune what's his nutz. I don't know how he got past the entrance exams, but every other idiot in this school is combat proficient and he’s lunch.” 

“What’s your point?”

 “My point is, in the forest we could have ended up on any team paired with anyone of those idiots. But we didn't. Instead, fate gave us those two,” Jad gestured again to their teammates. “Two fantastic women, who get us, and who enjoy having us around.” 

In a detached corner of his mind, Azure agreed with him. Rember and Gayle had clicked perfectly with the insanity of KRME before everything went downhill. Or had he and Jad worked well with them?

“Look Azure, I think there's something you need to hear. Something you probably already know, but need to be reminded of. And you're gonna have to bear with me, because I'm not as good at giving this speech as the one who gave it to me.”
Azure went silent, waiting. 

“Those two women in there are something special, and it's our job to take care of them.”

Azure tried to figure out where Jad was going, bewilderment written across his face.

“Bear with: yes, Rember and Gayle are smart, strong, capable women who can make it on their own, but that's only half the equation. You see, the reason our team works so well is because of the balance that everyone brings to it. If it were just you and I, we'd get by. But Rember brings her own kind of hyper energy that, admit it, you love. And Gayle brings a timid but adorable nerdy side to things that we can't do without. I can't get through a day now without reading one of the books she recommends. They give these things to the team for a price. That price is equality, friendship, trust, and respect. If we short change them on that, they will eventually stop giving it to us. What's more, they may withhold it from the world as a whole. It could harden them, change them. They might lose that spark of life and passion that they each have. Why do you think I came down on CRDL as hard as I did?”

“Because you enjoyed it?” Azure offered halfheartedly.

“I really enjoyed it. But I was afraid that they may have robbed us of Gayle's passion for life. For good. And I won't stand for that.”

Azure made no reply, but he was starting to understand.

“Pasty, Rem has a big heart. And she knows you’re suffering. So despite you withholding your kindness from her, she still stands offering hers. But she won't do it forever. Not unless something changes. So no, I’m not saying you have to tell her everything, or let her go with you, but you do need to take care of her. Do that and she'll light up your life with the best thing she has to offer.”

Azure looked up waiting for one of Jad’s dirty jokes.

Jad looked to his old friend, “her smile.”

The two of them sat quietly for a few moments.

“Who was it that gave you that speech?”

 “Haha, words of wisdom from an old, grey wolf,” with that, Jad got to his feet. “Well that's about as serious as I can stand to be for one day. So I'm gonna do you one last favor. I'm gonna tell the girls that you need a little bit to digest some stuff we talked about. We're gonna head back to the dorm and read some comics or something. You join us when you're ready.”

Azure watched silently as Jad walked out of view, his attention shifting to the blanket of grass before him as his mind began to wander from continuous self inflicted all nighters.

“By the way,” Jad shouted as he got to the cafeteria door, “You owe me a hundred bucks.”  

And with that he was off. 

Rember fiddled with a pencil, glancing over at her partner. The team was in their dorm, doing homework for the evening. Normally it would be a whole lot chattier, as answers would be thrown out, and debates would happen until they came to a natural consensus (or until Gayle got the correct answer, and Rember and Jad coaxed it out of her). But there was none of that today. Azure was off on his own, refusing to acknowledge his teammates as he went through textbooks with sunken eyes. He’d been going out headhunting every evening since the encounter with SWAN. It had started weeks ago, and his teammates knew he would be heading out any minute now.

Mustering her courage, the fox girl put down her writing utensil and walked over to her friend.

“Hey,” Rember ventured, “I actually finished that a little while ago. Wanna to compare answers?”

“It’s ok, Rem, I got this,” Azure mumbled, not bothering to look over at his partner.

“So, are you going out soon? I thought maybe I could come along. Four eyes are better than two.”

“Thanks for offering, but no.”

“Oh…” the fox faunus replied dejectedly. Taking a step back, she picked up Thistlebutt upon hearing a cry for attention. She stroked the kitten’s soft fur for a moment before placing him up on her bunk and whispering “Why won’t you trust me?”

Azure paused. “What was that?” he asked, voice detached. It had become his ‘normal’. It made trying to talk to the young man feel like a losing battle. And at that moment, Azure’s aloofness struck Rember’s last nerve. 

"Why won't you just trust me?!" she yelled abruptly, weeks of frustration finally spilling over. 

The fox girl immediately regretted shouting. Gayle and Jad were looking between her and Azure apprehensively, and even Azure seemed surprised by his partner's sudden moodswing.
Rember took a deep breath and said "Jad, Gayle, would you excuse us? My partner and I need to talk."
The lizard girl and the tall boy nodded silently, eyes wide. Jad put a firm hand on Azure’s shoulder as he passed, saying quietly, “Mind your manners,” and barely concealing a grin. Rember grabbed Azure by the elbow and towed him out of the room, heading for her favourite spot out on the cliffs.
To Rember's surprise Azure didn't fight as he was pulled along. It crossed her mind that this might be because he was so exhausted, but before she could pursue that thought her destination came into sight and she slowed her pace.
Finally releasing Azure's arm, Rember's fox ears twitched irritably as she sat cross legged on the grass. Her partner watched her warily for a moment and the girl said "You can sit. I'm not going to attack you."
Azure sat down slowly, clearly reluctant to be here. He avoided Rember's piercing gaze, choosing instead to stare at the ground in front of him. Rember watched him in silence for a few minutes, allowing herself to calm down and to try and gage her friend's mood. Frustration had driven her to this, but she wouldn't allow it to dictate how this conversation went.
"Azure," she ventured quietly. He glanced at her briefly before resuming his staring contest with the ground. Frustration flashed through Rember again, but she quelled it. "Azure, please look at me." 

This time her partner complied, although his reluctance was obvious. Being faunus Rember could see almost perfectly in the dark, and she was struck again by how terrible Azure looked. His eyes were red rimmed and bloodshot, the surrounding skin dark and gaunt. His face was pale and drawn. Every so often he twitched or flinched slightly, barely noticeable if you weren't looking for it. No wonder Gayle and Jad hadn't noticed how bad it really was.
Rember took a deep breath and grabbed the stone on her necklace. "Azure, I need you to know that I'm not mad at you," she said carefully. "I'm sorry I snapped." Azure shrugged and looked away again, but didn't reply. Rember's shoulders drooped, and she frowned. "I just can't keep watching you do this to yourself."
Asure grimaced. "It doesn’t matter," he mumbled, “I’ve had worse.”
"So that means you can get through anything?" Rember asked. "Just because you have been through worse doesn't mean that you should've been."
Silence. Rember could feel her semblance cooling her skin and the patch of ground she was sitting on. She tried to relax, but she found that she couldn't. Her friend was endangering himself. She couldn't relax anymore.
"Hey," she said, reaching out and placing a gentle hand on Azure's shoulder. 

He flinched, but didn't stop her. Rember's frown deepened and she took her hand away. Clearly Azure wasn't open to comfort right now.
Rember took a deep breath and looked out over the Emerald Forest. An idea popped into her head, one that she wasn't sure would pay off but she might as well try.
"Did I ever tell you that the White Fang tried to recruit me?"
When he heard the organization's name Azure's eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly. He met Rember's gaze and slowly shook his head in response to her question, and the fox girl smiled sadly.
"They tried really hard for a while. One of their younger members was in the same school as me, undercover. He was searching for unhappy faunus. We were friends until I found out he was in the White Fang, and he tried to convince me I should join.
"I won't lie, I thought about it. Not very seriously, but I still considered it. I was still upset about my sister's death, and mad at my parents for sending me away and never talking to me. I had very few friends, and none of them were humans. But...the more I thought about it, the more I realized that even though lots of humans hate us they aren't the monsters. They aren't the ones who took my sister from me. They didn't rip my family apart; the Grimm did that." Rember sighed tiredly, as though telling the story exhausted her. She stayed silent for a moment, her green eyes closed. When she spoke again her musical voice was softer. "I'm not telling you this to manipulate you into telling me what's wrong," she said, finally meeting her partner's eyes. "I'm telling you this because I trust you. I trust you with my life, and I trust you with my secrets." Her shoulders drooped, and she slouched. "I just wish you'd trust me with yours."
Azure looked at his partner with sad eyes. He could feel every negative emotion coming from the faunus, and he took a deep breath, closing his eyes. After a moment, he opened them and tilted Rember's head up so he could look at her. 

"Alright, you deserve to know."
Rember sat up straight while Azure rubbed his eyes, trying to relieve the irritation they felt.
"As you and the others know, I was part of the White Fang, which also tells you who I am. What I am," Azure's irises flashed to their original yellow with slitted pupils before switching back to green. "However, it runs far deeper than that." He braced himself for the next part, no going back now. "Have you ever heard of "Shadowolf"? Or “Black Claw?”"
Rember shook her head. That wasn’t too surprising. 

"Project: Shadowolf," he began, "was a plan concocted and kept secret by some of the White Fang's top, most well connected individuals. The purpose of it was to create the perfect killer. One without remorse or morality, who could carry out the most dangerous missions for their organization and complete them with a one hundred percent success rate. This team was called “Black Claw”, and I was a member of it."
Rember sat with rapt attention, taking in every word Azure spoke.
"I had only been part of the White Fang for a short time when I was dragged into the program. They mostly chose candidates from the half-human denomination due to a lack of obvious animal traits compared to pure blooded faunus. Those that could hide their subtle faunus characteristics became favorites, like me." Azure explained, his whole demeanor shrinking and his voice solemn. "That boy in black and the girl with purple hair that you met were also part of Shadowolf and Black Claw."
Inside Rember's head dots were being connected, but she waited in silence for Azure to finish his tale.
"Their names are Creed Noir and Wisteria Dawn, if you remember, and they were the closest thing I had to friends during that time. Out of the thirty initiates that went in only the three of us came out in one piece, at least physically. Everyone else is gone."
"What happened after the program?" Rember asked.
Azure ran his fingers through his hair. "We did what we were made to do. We became harbingers of misfortune. The White Fang leaders’ personal agents of death..."
That last sentence made Rember's heart drop. This explained so much about her partner. No wonder he was the way he was.
"Due to our skillset, the leaders had the three of us kill people with power and prestige, such as high ranking military officers and wealthy businessmen around the kingdoms. And I was one of their most reliable hitmen, thanks to my semblance and knack for stealth." Azure grimaced, regret dripping from every word. "Then one day a human woman came to the White Fang and asked if we could aid a group of people she represented. At first they didn’t agree, but that soon changed for...some reason. One of those things was enhancement experimentation on people, and you can probably guess who got chosen for the test."
"You, Creed, and Wisteria," Rember surmised, and Azure nodded. "What kind of experiments did they do?" she probed hesitantly.
"They said it was to evolve a person's aura, to make it limitless. If they could do that, a person could be invincible," Azure mumbled, and Rember's eyes widened at the ambition of the idea.
Azure yawned loudly before continuing. "They spent day after day, hour after hour, running experiments of every kind on the three of us, but with little success,” the young man winced unconsciously as memories of those tests resurfaced. "My body constantly felt like it would break at any moment." He shook his head to clear his mind, not wanting to drown in those memories. "After what seemed like an eternity they developed the final test: to merge massive amounts of energy with our auras, hypercharging them. Their hope was that our aura would endlessly cycle it through our bodies, thus making us, for a lack of a better explanation, immune to fatal injury." 

Rember remained still in silence, racking her brain for a reason to do this to a person. She truly believed that all people were inherently good, but things like this always made her wonder if she really was just naive. 

“Wait, what kind of energy did they use?” she asked.
"I’m...actually not sure,” Azure admitted, his eyes glossing over. “I was just the first to undergo the procedure." He refocused on Rember and continued. "Heh. After all that they told me it didn't even work properly.” Upon seeing Rember’s puzzled expression, Azure extrapolated. “They told me my aura is extremely powerful, but no matter what I try nothing happens. I can feel that there’s something different, but I just can’t...tap into it."
Rember raised an eyebrow, intrigued. Her mind whirred, searching for an explanation. She folded her arms and filed her thoughts away for later, listening intently as Azure continued.
"That didn’t seem to phase them though, and they did the exact same thing to Creed, only the side effects were different. Because of it, Creed’s become a vicious sociopath."
"And you?" Rember asked, curious about the price Azure had paid for this dormant, implausible power.
Azure sighed loudly before answering. "I...lost my emotions. It’s like they were locked away, or purged. And there didn’t seem to be any way of getting them back.” After a moment, he whispered silently “I was no better than a puppet."
Rember’s heart sank. The idea of functioning while someone else pulled the strings? Not something she ever wanted to experience. She couldn’t imagine what it would be like to be so...empty. 

"If that’s the case, what changed? You clearly have emotions now."
Azure knew the question was coming and he grinned unexpectedly. Reaching inside his tunic, he pulled out his silver necklace and held it out for Rember to see. 

"It was because of the one who gave me this," he said, bittersweet nostalgia filling his heart as he eyed the blue gem. 

Rember studied her partner’s most prized possession with enlightenment. That explained why he’d been so frantic to find it when they first met. It was an irreplaceable memento. Considering her own necklace, which she reached up to touch, it made sense. Her hand dropped as Azure began to speak once more, and Rember listened attentively.

"Her name was Lynn, and she was attending one of the academies when I met her. She was from some kind of tribe, outside the kingdoms. I was in such a dark place that her attempts at conversation had little effect on me at first, but after a while I began opening up to her. I started to feel like my old self, before everything went to hell. I guess you could say it was because of her that I became human again." 

Or at least half of one, a stupid part of Rember’s brain commented. She had to fight to keep from sniggering at her own joke, and turned her attention instead to this girl Lynn. A flood of questions came to mind, all begging to be asked, but most of them could wait. There was only one that she wanted answered now.

“Could you...share what happened to her?" She inquired quietly.
Azure should have known she would ask. It was an important event in his past. He strove to maintain his calm, to steel himself. 

"She...she's gone. Because-" a surge of rage overwhelmed Azure, his eyes going as red as his vision. His hands clenched into fists and he punched the ground, leaving marks where he hit. "Because of Creed, that bastard!!!"
Rember flinched at Azure's outburst. She never liked watching people get truly angry. Anger made people unpredictable. It turned your family members into strangers, and your friends into…

He attacked me...  

Azure was oblivious to Rember’s alarm, or to the way she scrambled back when he jumped to his feet.
"He went after her, and I tried to save her, and I failed," Azure growled, his eyes glazed over. He shook his head furiously and slammed his fist into the trunk of a tree, shattering the bark. "I have to find him. I have to stop him, and I-I won't let anything stand in my way until he's gone!" 

He finally looked directly at Rember, scarlet eyes burning. "This is my problem. Please, please don’t try to stop me," the half faunus concluded, his voice cold and detached once more.
Rember's eyebrows pulled together and she got to her feet as well, fear gone. "What the hell makes you think I'm going to try to stop you?" she asked, fox ears pressed flat against her skull. "I brought you out here hoping I could convince you to let me help with whatever was going on. Now that you've told me, I'm going to insist."
Azure was taken aback by that. His eyes flashed to their original yellow hue before gradually turning red again. 

"Why?" He demanded coldly.
"Um, because you're my friend? And you can't do this alone," she replied, a slight edge to her voice. "And quite frankly I'm tired of watching you destroy yourself while you go at this solo."
Azure snapped.

"NO!! You. Can't. Help. Me. No one can help me! Anyone that tries winds up dead!! I won't let that happen again! Never again!"

As he shouted, his aura activated. His semblance tampered with the appearance of the energy, manifesting as wild blue flames. It made the boy look possessed by some evil power, catching Rember briefly off guard, but she stayed firm.
Quickly realizing he’d lost control, Azure's eyes reverted back to their natural yellow and his aura faded down. Energy spent, he collapsed to his knees. 

"He was about to kill you Rember; you and the others." He whispered, "I'm the only one that can do this. I'm the only one that can stop him!"
Rember's anger was literally palpable, forming a wave of intense heat that flared out from her body. 

"How incredibly selfish is that? And did you forget that you were about to kill me too?" she snarled. "You aren't the only one who's lost people, Azure!" Rember's eyes, usually mischievous, were hard. "For once I am not going to back off and let you do this alone. You are killing yourself, and I'm not going to lose you, too !!" 

Rember couldn't remember the last time she'd been this upset, but she didn't know how else to get through. Her skin was burning, and the grass beneath her crackled and started to turn brown from the heat. "Do not make the mistake of thinking that I will ever drop this," she hissed far more quietly. "I am your partner, and your friend. You're causing me more harm by making me watch you spiral back into insanity than you're preventing. If you continue down this path I can guarantee that you will lose me, and Jad, and Gayle.”
Azure shrunk back, Rember's fury washing over him. All of the anger, hurt, and frustration she'd been holding back had breached the walls, as had the true fear she’d been hiding till now. Shame flooded through him. This wasn't what he wanted. He wanted to protect her, not hurt her. See her now, fists clenched, eyes flashing, and fangs bared, he knew that once again he had failed.
"Okay," he whispered, so quiet that even Rember's keen ears had trouble hearing.
"What?" Rember asked, anger still potent in her voice.

 "I said...okay," he repeated. "I...I'm so sorry, Rember. So sorry..." 

Azure mumbled half formed apologies, not daring to meet her gaze.
Rember couldn't believe what she was seeing, her wrath evaporating. She’d had some inkling, but no notion of the scope...she’d had no idea how broken he was. Azure was so well practiced at maintaining a strong front that he’d managed to hide it from everyone.
"I thought I had to do this alone because you've all been through a lot. I didn't-didn’t want you to deal with a problem that I had to solve. You deserve better than to risk your life for me. But you’re right, and I hate it. I-I can't do this-do this on my own. I'm so sorry...”

Azure’s head felt oddly light, and his vision swam. Still mumbling, his body went numb, and the whole world tilted abruptly. Just before making contact with the still warm ground, everything went black.

Rember deflated. Her anger was replaced by shocked concern. She quickly reigned in her semblance, returning the ground and her skin to their normal temperatures.
"Azure?" She ventured tentatively. 

He didn't respond. Rember dropped into a crouch beside her unconscious partner and checked his pulse. Still strong. That was good, at least.
Rember chewed the inside of her cheek anxiously as she wondered what to do. She couldn't just leave Azure alone on the outskirts of the Emerald Forest while she got help, but she wasn't strong enough to carry him alone.
You have a scroll, dummy!
Oh yeah...
Rember pulled out her scroll and brought up the team communications. "Gayle, Jad, you there?" She asked.
After a moment Gayle's voice replied "We're here, Ber. What's up?"
"Could you guys come to the cliffs by the launching platforms? Azure passed out..."
"What?!" Gayle and Jad both exclaimed.
"Yeah. He's fine! I just can't carry him, and I don't want to leave in case a Nevermore or something comes along..." Rember trailed off as something incredulous caught her attention. "Jad, are you laughing?"
"Ahahahaha! I can't- hahaha- believe he-haha- passed out! Ahahahaha!" Jad gasped. "Hahaha, what did-what did you do? Haha, jump out and scare him? Hahahaha!"
"Uh...no,” she denied. “Would you please just come help me?"
Rember could practically hear Gayle roll her eyes at her partner's antics before the lizard girl said "We'll be right there, Ber." 

As she moved to end the call Rember heard Gayle say "Would you get ahold of yourself?" to her partner.
Despite her worry for Azure, Rember couldn't help but smile a little bit at Jad. You could always count on him to lift the mood, that was for sure. 

Pain shot through Azure's head, stirring him to consciousness. The whole world seemed to spin, and he tried not to vomit.
Ugh...what happened? Azure thought as he came to, his eyelids flickering uncooperatively. Using what strength he could muster he tried to see his surroundings, but his vision was cloudy. Next he tried sitting up from where, but his arms wouldn't hold.
"Guys! He's awake!" The half faunus heard Gayle shout, and he could hear his team's steps rushing towards him.
"Gayle? Hng...where am I?" Azure whispered.
"Back at the dorm. You're in bed."
"He's so pale..." Jad held a piece of paper up to Azure’s face to compare. "taking 'Pasty' to a whole new level."
Azure managed to open his eyes, staring groggily at his teammates. Gayle and Rember both had varying looks of concern while Jad had an eyebrow raised, a small frown turning the corners of his mouth down. At Azure’s side Thistlebutt was curled up in a black ball, sound asleep.

"How long was I out?" Azure asked, completely drained.
"A few weeks." Jad replied.
"WHAT?!" Azure yelled, his jolting upright. He forgot he didn't have any energy though, and just as quickly slumped back down.
Gayle punched Jad's arm. "Jad!" she scolded, "Rember said he needs to relax! How does that help?"
Jad gave her a sheepish grin. "Sorry. It was just too perfect of an opportunity to pass up." He turned his attention back on Azure. "It's only been one day. Sorry, bro."
Rember sat on the end of Azure's bed and examined her partner cautiously. "How do you feel?" she asked.
Azure looked over at his partner with heavy eyes before letting his head fall back on the pillow, eyelids closing.

"Tired," he whispered.
"That's not too surprising," Rember said sympathetically. "Do you mind if I check your forehead? I just want to make sure you aren't running a fever."
The half-faunus nodded weakly and Rember pressed her arm against his forehead. She breathed a sigh of relief when the heat coming off of his head was minimal, and she placed a cold, wet towel there to dissuade the temperature.
"How did I get here?" Azure asked, the cold of the towel soothing his headache.
"After you collapsed I called Jad and Gayle so they could help me get you back here," Rember replied, sitting back. "How much do you remember about before you passed out?"

The young man thought for a moment.
“Talking to you, then getting angry, and..." Azure recalled the rest, but chose to leave it out, "and then everything went dark."
Rember's eyes narrowed fractionally, but she didn't contradict anything Azure said. 

"That sounds about right," she commented, one of her fox ears twitching. "I haven't told Gayle and Jad what we talked about, as I didn't want to share anything you didn't want me to. They'd like to know, but I'm sure they'll be patient and wait a little longer."
The last bit was thrown over her shoulder at the other two. Gayle nodded and smiled while Jad sighed dramatically before agreeing.
Rember nodded curtly and turned back to Azure. "Well I might as well catch you up on yesterday," She said, changing subjects. "Professor Goodwitch wasn't too impressed when you missed classes yesterday. I told her you were sick, but she might not have believed me. Port and Bartholomew didn't even notice you were gone, to be honest, and you really didn't miss anything in their classes," she shrugged. "You can borrow my notes if you like, though."
"And mine!" Gayle added. "Ber's are covered in doodles."
"So are yours!" Rember grinned back. She stuck her tongue out at the lizard girl, who rolled her eyes. "Anyway," she continued, "you didn't miss much."
Azure nodded. "Alright," he gave a small smile to his female teammates. "Thanks guys, for doing that."
Gayle smiled happily while Rember nodded quietly. Azure then motioned for her to come closer, and she gracefully walked to his side.
Pulling her close, Azure whispered in her ear. "I remember everything," he began, "but they don't need to know about our argument. I'll tell them everything I told you, and explain why I'm in this state. I'll even ask if they want to help. They just don't need to know about everything else; not yet. Okay?"
"Of course!" Rember breathed, leaning back with a smile. Then she stood up again and said "Right now, though, you need to eat something. I've decided to part ways with some of my favorite cookies and a whole juice box, just so you can get some sugar in your system, and then we’re going to find you some real food."
Azure managed a chuckle and raised his eyebrows. "I thought all food was real food to you."
Rember snorted. "Of course it is. However in this case I mean real food as in healthy food. As in protein, fibre, calcium, veggies..."
"Okay, I get it!" Azure said at the same time as Jad commented "Oh, you mean rabbit food."
Gayle punched Jad in the arm and said "Hey! I thought you liked the salads I made for everyone?"
Jad reached up and scratched the back of his head, laughing nervously. "Well, it's just rabbit food. Besides, Foxy always gives me a cookie if I eat the whole thing..."
"Hey! You promised not to say anything!" Rember exclaimed.
As the three went back and forth, Azure chuckled quietly. At first he’d found their childishness and hyperactive moments annoying, but they’d grown into what he loved most about his team. The carefree, jovial attitudes they shared, and the underlying camaraderie it represented.
This is why I'm fighting. This is what Creed and Wisteria are missing out on. Azure thought, watching as Gayle, Jad, and Rember continued back and forth. It's for moments like this. It’s for them.
"...and furthermore Jad, you don't get any of my cookies now," Rember stated, glaring at the tall boy with a disapproving frown.
"And you HAVE to eat any salads, or any other food I make from now on. Got it?" Gayle added, looking equally unimpressed.
Jad gave a long whimper as his shoulders slumped in disappointment. "Aww, man…” he sighed. “Okaaaay..." he looked over at Azure, blue eyes pleading. "Please get better soon so you can make me -I mean us, yummy food again."
"And what does that mean?" Rember interjected, pulling Jad down to look her in the eye. "Are you saying that Gayle and I can't cook?"
"What? No!" Jad quickly answered. "Azure's just...really good at cooking and I like his food."
"Well, until he gets better, there won't be any meals made from him. Got it?" Gayle said, getting just as much in Jad's bubble as Rember.
Jad nodded nervously and the girls backed off. Rember went over to Azure and placed a juice box and a few cookies in front of him. 

“Eat,” she ordered.
Azure slowly drank the juice box first, and after he finished he went to the first cookie. Upon taking a bite he realized he was ravenous. 

"Is this one of mine?" Azure asked.
Rember nodded her head. "Yup!" she said happily, "From the batch last week."
I thought so, Azure pondered as he devoured the remaining cookies. He already felt more alert, thanks to the fast acting sugar. 

"So..." he asked when he’d finished eating. "Did anything interesting happen while I was out?"
Rember thought for a moment before grinning mischievously. "I managed to stick Jaune Arc to the ceiling," she commented casually.
Azure managed a chuckle. "Heh, did Sonara and Yang help you with that? Or were you able to pull this off by yourself?" he asked, a small grin plastered on his face.
"Oh, I did it myself!" Rember laughed. "Hahaha, you should have seen everyone's faces!"
"Haha! Yeah, you should've been there! He walked right into the trap!" Jad chuckled, his laughter escalating Rember's till they were both laughing uncontrollably.
"He did get down...eventually," Gayle told Azure, leaning down to make sure he heard it through the chuckle fest.
Rember wiped a tear from her cheek and tried to catch her breath but upon catching sight of Jad, who was still laughing uproariously, she dissolved into another fit of giggles.
Some time later Rember and Jad managed to get ahold of themselves and Rember got to her feet. 

"Okay!" she smiled, pointing at Azure. "You, sir, need to eat something. Stand up slowly, I really don't want you to pass out again."
Azure didn't argue as he was helped to his feet. Rember had to help steady him as his whole body wobbled, his balance off kilter.
Azure looked down and saw that he was in his pajamas, confusing him greatly. "Rember..." He asked carefully. "How did I get into these, and who did it?"
Rember raised an eyebrow and with a deadpan expression said "Azure, I've been trained to ambush Grimm and other enemies in pitch black darkness with nothing more than a rope and a rock. I think I can get you into a pair of pajamas without looking." 

A few feet away Jad cracked up again and Rember's serious expression vanished as she joined him. "I'm totally kidding. I left your shirt and shorts on and got the pyjamas on over them before taking those off."
"Alright," Azure said, relaxing. "I believe you." 

Sitting down at their small table, Azure began quietly eating the assortment of food Rember placed before him. Upon eating his fill, he could feel his body already getting some of its strength back.
"Ok," Azure spoke to Gayle and Jad. "I believe Rember and I need to tell you about what's been going on."
Though it's really only me, he added privately.
Gayle cocked her head curiously and Jad pulled up a chair beside her. Rember folded her legs underneath her and flicked her ears before glancing at Azure.
"Want me to start?" she asked kindly.
Azure's throat was dry. He nodded.
"Alright," The fox girl said, sitting up straight. "I'm sure you guys remember a little while ago when I mentioned I thought something was going on with Azure." Jad and Gayle nodded. "I didn't know what it was until he told me the other night by the cliffs before he passed out. I was a little...frustrated, but I was determined to be patient with Azure." She took a deep breath. "I have something that I...haven't exactly been open about, and it took me a little while to realize that I wasn't being fair in asking Azure what his secrets were when I wasn't planning on sharing mine." Rember met Gayle and Jad's eyes individually before saying "I was nearly recruited into the White Fang."
"What? You were in the White Fang too?" Jad blurted out.
Rember frowned. "I said I was nearly recruited, not that they succeeded. I...I considered it, but I said no. Even though Lup...even though they really wanted me to join."
"Oh, sorry," Jad muttered.
Rember shrugged it off. "It's fine. Anyway, a White Fang member was at Sanctum with me. We were really good friends until I found out he was in the White Fang and he kept pressuring me to join." She grimaced, and started massaging her left shoulder absentmindedly. "I know that isn't as bad as what Azure's been through, but it's still not something I like people knowing."
Rember glanced around at her team through her bangs. Her eyes were wide and apprehensive, as though she was unsure of what Jad and Gayle might think of her now.
"Ber?" Gayle ventured. "It's okay."
The fox ears on Rember's skull flattened. "Are you sure?"
"Of course!" Gayle assured her. "You're still Rember, and you're here now. That's all that matters," she smiled.
"Okay," Rember replied, relaxing. "Thanks, guys."
Jad grinned and gave her a thumbs up. Azure allowed his teammates a moment to absorb what Rember had shared before saying quietly "I guess it's my turn now."
"So what's the rest of your story?" Jad asked, looking at his friend.
Azure sat up a bit, fixing his shirt. "You know about me being part faunus, and that I was in the White Fang, but there's more to it than that." He paused for a moment, trying to find the words to break it to them. Nothing. He’d just have to spit it out. "I was made into an elite assassin for missions that were deemed too difficult for regular White Fang members."
"Wait," Jad pondered aloud, "does that... mean you've killed people?"
"To be blunt, yes," Azure stated. 

Jad and Gayle were silent, and Azure could see they were both trying to process the news.
"But hold on," Gayle spoke up, "you said 'made'. What do you mean by that?"
"I..." he began, taking in a deep breath. "I think it's easier to just show you the evidence."
Gayle, Jad, and Rember all watched in wide eyed silence as Azure lifted the hem of his shirt and revealed a webwork of scars and marred skin. Not an inch had been left untouched, but what really caught their attention was the mark branded onto his left pectoral muscle. It was a crude depiction of a claw, black in color.
"This is the mark of the thirty people who were made into the White Fang's personal murder puppets, the mark of the Black Claw." Azure said, looking down at the emblem.
"Wait, So there are twenty nine more people out there just as good as you?!" Jad exclaimed, grimacing the thought of fighting 30 Azures.
"No, no. It’s just me and two others, Creed and Wisteria. No one else survived." Azure clarified, lowering his shirt again.
"You mean the weirdo in black and the small cute girl from Team SWAN?" Jad asked.
Azure raised an eyebrow at the ‘cute’ comment, but nodded and continued. "We were a hit squad, and we killed any target that we were given. Did you hear of some executives from the Schnee Dust Company being killed a few years back?"

They all nodded. 

"That was us."
After a few moments Gayle spoke up again. "What made you leave? And where's your family? They must be really worried about you."
Azure flinched at the second question, but they deserved to know. "I left because someone else showed me a better path," he said, clutching Lynn’s necklace. "As for my family..." Azure choked on the words, but managed to force them out. "They're dead. Killed by Grimm being lured into our town from fights during a violent faunus protest. I was the only survivor of that event."
Rember stared at her partner with sad eyes. "You didn't tell me that," she said quietly.
Azure smiled apologetically. "I was going to, but there wasn’t a good time."
Rember's ears flattened again. "Yeah, I guess not," she admitted.
"Listen..Creed and Wisteria. They’re extremely dangerous. I have firsthand experience, and not just from training together," Azure stated. "They're planning something big, and I've been trying to locate them in order to stop them. Wisty and I were close once, so I think I could talk with her. But there’s no chance of that with Creed. He has to be stopped any way I can."
"Really? Why not?" Gayle asked carefully.
"Because he's not the person I knew anymore, and he’s far beyond help. Not to mention he killed a friend of mine, so it’s personal," Azure explained darkly, his gaze hard.
Stay calm... 

Azure shook his head and forced himself to relax. "The reason I’m telling you all of this is because after some counseling from Rem, I have to admit that I can’t do this alone. I’m gonna need all of your help bringing down whatever Creed’s concocted. So," Azure proposed, "will you help me? Will you help me take down Creed and his allies?"
Rember didn't hesitate to respond. "Absolutely. You already know that."
Gayle and Jad traded glances before the tall redhead stated "We're in."
Azure felt as though a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
"I just...are you sure that this Creed guy has to be killed?" Gayle asked hesitantly. "I mean couldn't we just...tell the police? Or a professional Huntsman?"
"Trust me, kid, when Azure says something like that, it's better to just trust him," Jad told Gayle, patting her head.
"Hey, cut it out! " Gayle complained.
Jad stifled a chuckle.
"Guys," Rember interrupted with a crooked smile, "not the time." She turned to Azure. "Where would you like us to start?"
Azure smiled at his team, surprisingly relieved by their desire to aid him. "Alright," he began. "Here's where we’ll start..." 

Aries adjusted parts of his armor and scratched at the base of one of his horns. His gaze flicked from Creed and Wisteria, who were conversing quietly, to Starr, who stood motionless in a corner with her eyes closed. The faunus was getting a tad restless. It seemed as though they'd been waiting for hours, even though it hadn't even been one. But then again, any unnecessary time spent in the company of these three made his life overly stressful.
A knock at the door of the dingy room brought everyone to attention, and most of them exchanged glances. Aries reached for his weapon while Creed and Wisteria got to their feet. Starr did nothing more than open her eyes and stare at the portal as it opened.
The first person through the door was a girl. A very attractive girl, Aries noted, with long golden hair, chocolate brown eyes, and two small, triangular ears atop her head. Behind her came two young men, one with a pair of long horns and dark skin, the other with a long, black tail. The last person to enter the room looked vaguely familiar, though Aries was certain he'd never met him before. He was tall, easily over six feet, and he had black hair. Grey eyes observed everything with calm confidence, roaming over team SWAN curiously. As he studied the tall guy Aries realized that there was a pair of dark grey wolf ears on his head. Wolf ears…
Starr. The newcomer looked like Starr, but less...cold. The complete opposite of cold, actually.
"Hello, sister," the wolf man greeted wryly, his eyes lighting on the she-wolf herself.
Starr raised her chin arrogantly. "Lupin." 
"You have a brother?" Wisteria asked, looking between the two.
Starr turned her black eyes on the girl silently, her face blank. SWAN's leader chose not to respond, but Lupin soon filled the silence.
"Starr never mentioned me?" he said jovially. "Unsurprising. She's not my biggest fan." He bowed with a crooked grin, his arms spread wide. "Lupin Grey, at your service. This is Aeryn Or," the girl with golden hair and cat ears nodded, "Lasair Iona," the boy with dark skin and antelope horns tilted his head, "and Dusk Morn." The last boy's dark tail swished in greeting. "We've been assigned to infiltrate Beacon Academy alongside you."
Starr pushed off from the wall she'd been leaning against and strode over to stand behind Creed. "Do our superiors doubt my team's ability to accomplish our tasks?" she asked icily, refusing to meet anyone's gaze.
Lupin raised an eyebrow. "Questioning our leaders, Starr? That's very unlike you." 
His sister gave him a cold glare and remained silent. Lupin smiled with satisfaction before looking over the rest of SWAN, as though waiting for them to say something about the lapse in their leader's composure.
"Wow, the sibling love here is just astounding." Creed ventured after a moment, grinning.
"And you are?" Aeryn asked bluntly, clearly unimpressed.
"Creed Noir. A pleasure," Creed's friendly smile widened. "I’ll let the others do their own intros, but it is a treat to see some new faces!"
Lupin nodded at the black haired boy, an uneasy feeling gnawing at the back of his mind. The way Creed smiled...there was something off about him. Looking at his sister, he spoke again. "What's the situation at Beacon? I'd like to know how everything looks before going in."
"Everything is normal," Starr replied curtly, once again refusing to look at anyone. "We had a run in with one of the teams, but it won't affect anything." 
Everyone glanced between the wolf siblings curiously, noting the intensely obvious differences between the two.
Lupin rolled his eyes. "Gee, that's specific." he drawled. "Come on! Give me some details! You know I love hearing the details."
Anger crossing her face, Starr struggled to keep her tone even and uninterested as she expanded upon her earlier statement. Lupin took the opportunity to provoke his sister every few minutes, and everyone else noticed the tension mounting between the two. By the time Starr's report was done her brother was smirking smugly as she fought to retain her dignified composure.
"Loving the dynamic," Creed sneered softly to Wisteria, “really brings out the teamwork vibe.”
"Creed," Wisteria answered flatly.
Lupin raised an eyebrow at the magenta haired girl's monotonous command, his wolf ears perking. He took in Creed's smile, Wisteria's mild demeanor, Aries’ grip on his weapon, and Starr's icy glare at the wall in stride, allowing a lopsided smile to lighten his handsome features.
"Sister dear, are you not the leader of this team?" he commented slyly. "Your comrades are quite authoritative towards each other."
Starr bared her teeth and considered her words carefully before replying. "They know who holds the authority here," she growled.
Lupin smirked. "Of course. I'm sure you'll forgive me for ever doubting your leadership skills. I just find your team's atmosphere to be...interesting."
Aeryn stepped up beside him. "Are we done here?" She said in a bored voice, draping an arm over Lupin's shoulder. She pointedly ignored the look of irritation that flashed across his face as she started playing with his hair. Creed noticed the expression before Lupin was able to hide it and grinned to himself.
"Yes, yes. Of course! You must’ve been busy all day," Creed crooned, ushering team GOLD out of the room. "We'll talk later, plenty of time to strategize. Goodniiiight!"
His back turned, Creed didn't notice Lupin's eyes narrow fractionally. After closing the door behind the tall faunus, the snake leaned up against it and looked at those who remained.

"Well, well…. this changes things," he stated thoughtfully.
"Should we trust them?" Wisteria asked quietly, looking up from her weapon maintenance.
"We'll see, little doll, we'll see. More hands are always nice..." Creed answered, already debating if the new group was worth involving. His thoughts were interrupted however, by someone the darkly clad man simultaneously considered annoying and fun to annoy.
"That so? Then I don't see the point in recruiting that pasty guy with the spiky hair," Aries spoke up, still holding his mace as though he were about to enter combat.
Creed sighed dramatically. “You know, your narrow-minded thinking astounds us, Aries." Creed taunted, savoring the goat faunus' poorly restrained reaction. "Azure is the fulcrum upon which our hopes turn. As long as he remains apart from us, our goal is utterly unattainable."
Aries glared at the snake faunus, his anger slowly rising. "Why? An entire team of some of the White Fang's best just waltzed right up to us out of the blue, and now you're saying that one person is what will make your plan work?" Aries was abruptly halted by Creed's laughter, the eerie cackle throwing him off guard. "What?" he snarled.
"Hahaha! Ahhh...Sorry. It’s just that your stupidity amazes me," Creed replied, feigning wiping a tear from his eye. "You see, dear Aries, Azure is the only being alive whom I truly respect. Think what you like, but I know the true potential of that young man. If you really wanted to fight him..." Creed's purple eyes narrowed, and the whole room grew substantially darker. When he spoke again his voice held no trace of amusement, dripping instead with a malice that only Wisteria was familiar with. "You would be killed before you even had the chance to blink." Creed looked over at Wisteria and Starr. "Azure Knyte is the epitome of death, a weapon forged over years of trials. Trials that, don’t forget, Wisteria and myself have passed as well. We would be idiots to not have him helping us." 

Throughout his speech Creed prowled closer to Aries, who strove to keep his sudden fear from showing. Creed's eyes were slitted, barely reflecting any light, and the shadows in the room reached for the miserable goat faunus who clutched his mace like a lifeline. Drawing himself up to his full height, Creed allowed a cruel smile to slip onto his face, one that did not reach his eyes. His voice was deathly quiet when he spoke again. 

"You would do well to re-evaluate your opinion of Azure, Marshall. If you don't, it is likely that he will be the death of you. He resides on a plane higher than the one we do -one you are incapable of reaching."
Falling silent at last, Creed released his semblance and the shadows retreated. With a last glare around the room, Creed jerked his chin at Wisteria. "Check in on our friend and his so-called ‘comrades’ tonight," he ordered, sweeping from the room. Just as he was about to leave, he looked at Aries one last time.
"As much as I enjoy toying with you, goat boy, I have things to do. Places to go, people to see. Stuff like that. Try to think about what I said, m’kay?" the boy stated, enticing one last reaction from the ram as he exited with a crooked smile.
Starr stared blankly after him, silently disagreeing with his overtures but choosing not to engage in pointless conflict. That, along with every person under her command, was below her. There was no one and nothing higher than herself, but she would allow Creed to worship the fallen Nightmare for as long as he wished. While Creed did that, he had a weakness, and weaknesses could be exploited. People were tools, and the more weaknesses they had the easier they were to manipulate.
Besides, she didn't want to give Creed the satisfaction of knowing that he got under her skin. Her seemingly impassive exterior was what earned her respect, and also what guaranteed that her thoughts remained private. Every movement she made, every word she said was deliberate and calculated. She had trained herself to appear distant and unimportant to the common rabble that lived in the kingdoms, and it served her extremely well. An invisible person would not be remembered as anything more than part of the background, if indeed that person was remembered at all. It was for that reason, and that reason alone, that Starr allowed Creed to strut about like he was the true leader of team SWAN. It served her purposes, and it served them well. If SWAN were to fail in their objectives people would be quick to blame the dramatic, nattering fool, and she would be forgotten, free to continue on with her own agendas.
Fed up with Creed's arrogance, Aries clenched the handle of his weapon in a crushing vice to drain his anger. "Who does he think he is?! The prick..." he growled quietly. 

Normally, he wouldn't let Creed get to him so much. He had tolerated the taunting and the belittling ever since he met the bastard, but it was far past getting old. If this kept going nowhere like it had been, he wouldn't be staying around much longer. Screw Creed and this Azure person.
Starr's black eyes surveyed the ram, who continued muttering to himself furiously, coldly. She wanted him to stop talking, but she chose to let him continue for the time being. She would be far stricter with the idiocy her team so avidly displayed once they were in the field. For now, they could do as they pleased so long as they did not bother her.
Wisteria got to her feet. "Creed may have overstated it," she said solemnly to Aries, sheathing her large knives, "but Azure is not to be underestimated. Ever. He will either make this plan work or destroy it."
"Pfft! Yeah, sure!" Aries scoffed, clearly unimpressed with the supposed importance of this stranger Creed claimed. "What's so great about a guy who can go invisible?"
Wisteria shook her head despairingly. 

"He does a lot more than just disappear," she whispered. 

With that the girl vanished, using her semblance to carry out Creed's orders.
 

Chapter Text

The hallways of Beacon Academy were steadily emptying as its students went off to their dorms. Classes had been over for the day for little over half an hour, and in that time, KRME had tucked away all their school supplies and were now making their way to the city. They had chosen this evening to go information hunting, hoping to flush out SWAN’s hiding place. Azure had a contact in the city, and Jad gotten in touch with someone he claimed could help. Though it had confused Gayle when she saw her partner passing a note to a rather large bird of prey one night after school, she was put at ease when Jad explained that it was apparently how they stayed in touch. 

“So, are we all set?” Azure asked.

Jad nodded firmly. “You n’ Foxy do your thing. We'll do ours.  My guy always comes through.”

“Yeah, that’s basically it. Just lemme know when you’re finished, alright?”

Jad gave a nod.

Azure smiled gratefully. “Ok, get outta here.” 

Taking their leave, the pair of redheads went with a wave of the hand and a skip in their step. Gayle looked up to her partner curiously.

“So, how are we getting to wherever we need to go?” she asked.

Jad thought about that for a moment. An idea then floated into his mind, and his face lit up with excited anticipation. Gayle saw the change, and an odd combination of worry and intrigue bubbled up in her chest. The last time he’d flipped to that intensity of joy, he’d almost destroyed the dining hall. So she was a little hesitant to ask what he’d just come up with?

“I know EXACTLY how we’re gonna do this,” he exclaimed, taking Gayle by the hand and running off as fast as he could. “But first, we gotta go grab her…”

“Guess we should get going too, huh?” Rember suggested to her partner, watching the other half of the team turn down a hall and disappear from sight.

“Yup.”

The fox and the cat went the opposite direction from their teammates, not nearly as hurried. 

“Is there anything else we should get while we’re out?” Rember asked. “Kinda wanting to make some cookies tonight.”

“I assume that means you want me to make some cookies tonight? Sure. We should have enough time to do a milk run and all that. But if you want me to bake, I expect some help. Deal?” Azure asked, to which his partner nodded enthusiastically. “Alright, we’ll pick up what we need on the way back.”

A pleased smile graced the fox girl’s beautiful face, and the two continued on their way. Weaving through the familiar halls, Azure noticed a familiar flash of silvery blue hair at the end of the corridor they just rounded. Even from behind, the half faunus could tell who it was.

Valerie.

“Can you give me a second?” Azure asked as he watched the young woman turn a corner and vanish from sight. “I need to go...make something right.”

Shrugging nonchalantly, Rember gave an affirmative, and the pale young man quickened his pace. As soon as he’d closed the distance, he made his presence known.

“Hey.”

The greeting had Valerie looking over her shoulder curiously. Taken aback upon recognizing the pale, spiky haired boy. She halted and turned to face him. 

“Oh! Uh, hi,” she said. “This is unexpected. Do you need something?”

“Well, actually,” Azure replied, absentmindedly glancing back to where Rember was probably waiting, “I just wanted to apologize. For the other day.”

“Hm?” Valerie inquisitively raised an eyebrow before recalling the incident. “Oh, you mean when you gave me the cold shoulder the other day.”

Azure cringed, ashamed. “Uh, yeah. That,” he admitted. “I’m sorry I did that. Things have just...been kinda hectic lately.”

Valerie smiled. “Don’t worry about it,” she dismissed lightly, “I’m over it already.”

“Still, it’s been bugging me,” Azure admitted.  “Is there any way I can make it up to you?”

Valerie blinked. This entire conversation was just littered with surprises. 

“You’re serious?” she asked.

“I am.”

Valerie saw the determination in Azure’s eyes, dissolving any doubts she might’ve had. Taking a moment, the red eyed girl mentally ran through all of the possibilities (there were a considerable number of them). Being put on the spot meant she didn’t have any time to think, but it didn’t take too long to come up with the perfect idea. Valerie grinned and uttered a single word:

“Dance.”

Azure’s gut twisted. 

“What?” he asked stupidly, hoping Valerie was just playing around like she often did. 

His flustered response only spurred her impish smile, and the churning feeling in his stomach worsened.

“The dance! The one that’s coming up soon! You wanna make it up to me?” she asked eagerly, gliding up close. 

The tactically enticing move was a little too much for the faunus’ personal bubble, but he decided to endure it for the time being. After responding to the red eyed girl with a single nod Valerie drew back, a pleased skip in her step. 

“Then you will be my date for the evening,” she stated triumphantly.

Azure blinked in uncertainty. Was...was he just forced into a date? Like, a date date? He wasn’t sure how he felt about that, but he would accept his fate.

“Alright then,” the half faunus agreed, “you’ve got yourself a deal.”

“Hee, yes!” Valerie giggled. “Don’t worry, it’ll be fun!” She gave Azure a warm smile, which he tried but failed to reciprocate.  

“Well, there are things Rem and I need to do today. Maybe we could continue this later?” 

Valerie nodded understandingly. “Sure. I’ll see you around, Azure!”

With that Valerie jogged off, humming to herself, and Azure deflated. Walking back to where Rember waited, the young man wasn’t surprised to see her leaning up against the wall, an amused smile on her face.

“You heard that, didn’t you?” Azure asked flatly.

“Maaaaybe.”

A sigh slipped out of Azure’s mouth, gesturing for the faunus to follow. “C’mon, Rem. We’ll talk about it later.”

“C’mon Jad, can you just tell me where you’ve dragged me off to?!” Gayle pleaded.

“Not yet, kid. Just hang on a wee bit longer.”

Gayle pouted, mildly irritated. She’d been led to some place in the kingdom she hadn’t been before. It wasn’t all that developed, with quite a bit of wildlife around. On top of that, Jad’s uncharacteristic secrecy, coupled with his enthusiasm, had her wondering just what was brewing under that hat of his.

After a small trek across a worn down road, the two of them stopped in front of a padlocked shed that was a little ways off the paved path. Once there, Jad reached into his jacket and produced a set of keys, opening the shed to reveal a singular something covered by a protective tarp. 

‘So this is it?” Gayle asked, bemused.

“Hehe, yup. But first…” Jad walked inside and retrieved a helmet hanging on one of the walls, placing it in the girl’s hands. Gayle took a minute to observe it while Jad pulled the tarp off in a dramatic reveal. 

A polished black motorcycle with forest green and twinkling gold trim sat gleaming in the light, ready for use.

“So,” Jad said as he pulled on his own protective gear, a comically seductive look in his eyes. “You wanna ride the dragon?”

“Here we are.”

Rember took a moment to observe the building Azure had led them to. The outside consisted of aging brickwork, concrete, and tinted glass. If it weren’t for the beat of electronic music blaring from within, the fox girl would’ve passed it off as any other building. 

“So this guy can help us find Creed and the others?”

The young man nodded. “Junior was one of my contacts when I was still doing missions for Black Claw. Not a lot of underground info brokers in Vale, but he’s still around.” 

Taking the lead, Azure lifted his hood and pushed open the front door. 

Rember’s ears were immediately assaulted by the full force of the music she’d heard from outside. Flashing lights of red and white danced throughout the room, illuminating the otherwise dimly lit chamber. The duo were soon met by a man dressed entirely in black, the only prominent item on his person being a pair of red tinted glasses concealing his eyes.

“Hey, you’re a little early and a little young to be here, kiddos.” the bouncer stated, a deep scowl etched onto his face. “High tail it outta here before you cause a scene.”

One of Rember’s ears twitched, but she was unfazed. Azure answered, a deadly serious look in his golden eyes.

“Tell your boss that Nightmare is here to see him, and that I don’t plan on leaving until I get what I came for,” he growled.  

The man was clearly taken aback at the threat. Any other day, he would’ve taught this punk a harsh lesson, but the animalistic appearance and ferocity of this hooded boy’s eyes jogged a few vague, painful memories, making him hesitate. Not to mention that the girl he was with had casually placed her hands on the hilts of her weapons. The bouncer narrowed his eyes at the faunus who smiled charmingly, revealing a set of elongated canine teeth. Unnerved by the confidence the teens displayed, the bouncer returned his attention to the kid in white. Wait, he’d seen this guy before...

“Fine,” the man relented, turning and disappearing into the club. 

Azure made his way towards the bar, Rember following close behind, stifling a quiet fit of giggles. Each of them claimed a seat on one of the stools and waited for Azure’s contact to appear. Rember quickly discovered that the seats rotated, and amused herself by spinning around. The bouncer that had greeted them soon returned with another individual and Rember stopped goofing off to study him. His attire differed from the others, and he had cleanly kept black hair and trimmed beard. This had to have been this ‘Junior’ that Azure mentioned.

“Well,” Junior started in mild surprise, recognizing the white hair, hood, and yellow eyes,  “it’s been awhile since you’ve paid me a visit.” 

Azure waited for the gruff sounding owner to place himself behind the bar, leaning forward onto the counter. “Things have been busy. I need a favor.”

“Yeah? And why should I do that? I still remember you kicking the crap out of my men a couple months back.”

“Then you know you should give me what I need.”

Eyeing the pale boy, Junior let out an exasperated sigh. “Alright. One less headache to worry about then.” Pouring himself a beverage, he took a sip before recomposing himself. “What is it you need this time?”

Azure glanced over at his partner, who made a good show of not listening as her green eyes inspected the club, before switching his focus back to the informant. 

“I need to know where Reaper and Mirage are.”

Junior raised an eyebrow. “You not with them anymore?” he asked casually.

“I’m the one asking questions here, Junior. Not you. I need their whereabouts, and it’s time sensitive.”

Taking another sip of his drink, the club owner took a moment to consider. “How time sensitive?”

“Time sensitive enough that it’s in your best interest to get this done as soon as possible.”

“Is that all?”

“For now.”

Sighing, Junior scratched the back of his head and drained his glass. “I’ll...see what I can do,” he replied. “Finding any info on the three of you is tough at the best of times, never mind under a time constraint, but I’ll do what I can.”

Cleaning his glass and placing it back in its proper place, the man took one last look at the two teens sitting. Rember offered a disarming smile, but Junior wasn’t fooled. If this chick was hanging out with Nightmare, she had to be dangerous. The best thing to do with dangerous folks was to give them what they wanted and get out of there quickly, which was exactly what he intended to do.

“I’ll let you know if we dig anything up, but don’t go holding your breath,” the broker announced. “Now if there’s nothing else, I have a club full of idiots to run.”

Gayle braced herself as Jad slowed his vehicle down to a halt, an elated smile hiding under the helmet her partner had given her. Though she hadn’t been all that convinced that riding a motorcycle would be fun, she’d been willing to give it a try. This short trip had only confirmed Jad’s ramblings on how exhilarating it was, and Gayle was keen to go riding again.

Flicking up Joanna’s kickstand, the tall redheaded rider waited for his passenger to mosey her way off his baby like he’d shown her and took off his helmet.

“Soooooo?” he asked, grinning lopsidedly.

“Hehe, you were right!” Gayle admitted happily. “That was fantastic!”

Jad couldn't help but smile. Everyone loved the motorcycle. If they said otherwise they were lying. Strapping the protective headgear in place on the bike, Jad led Gayle down an alleyway too small to maneuver Joanna down. If she remembered Jad’s claims correctly, Gayle had been told that her partner was friends with someone who could help track down the people Azure wanted to find. And if she knew anything about her friend, it was that Jad was bound to know some interesting personalities.

As they walked Gayle found herself reflecting on all that had happened in the recent weeks. SWAN’s appearance, Azure’s lash out, and learning fragments of her leader and Rember's pasts. It had been a little overwhelming, to say the least.

Unbeknownst to her, Jad had taken note of the 'deep in thought’ look Gayle was prone to wearing. He knew that it meant she was either daydreaming, or there was something on her mind.

“You have your thinking face on.” he stated. 

Gayle started when she heard her partner, but quickly relaxed. “Oh, I...it’s nothing important. Just thinking about random stuff.” The faunus replied, reflexively brushing off the topic, but Jad wasn’t buying it yet.

“Go on. I'm listening.”

“Mmmm. I guess...it’s a little bit about what Bossman and Ber said. I’m just mulling it over. Don’t worry about it.”

Jad nodded his head. “Yeah, I can see that. They roped us into some pretty heavy stuff.”

“Mhmm.”

“You doing alright?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. We agreed to help, right? So everything will be fine.”

“Hmmm...alright then.” Jad conceded as the two neared their destination. He could’ve pressed a little bit more, but force wasn’t really a thing in Gayle’s world. She would say more when she was ready.

Jad stopped abruptly. He glanced over his shoulder and gave a quiet three tone whistle.

A black, glossy feather flitted down past Jad’s face, and the redhead snatched it out of the air. Gayle watched curiously as he inspected the plumage, a sly smile creeping onto the young man’s face.

“Hey, Beastie.” the boy said, quietly greeted the unseen party. “Come out and play.”

No answer. 

“Uhh, Jad? There’s no one here. You sure that this is the right place?” Gayle asked, looking around for this aforementioned ‘Beastie’. As far as she could see, this was just some dime a dozen, dead end alley.

Jad turned around to assure his partner that everything was fine, but was abruptly interrupted when a figure dropped down from one of the buildings and landed with a solid *thud*. The sudden appearance startled Gayle, and Jad grinned, slowly turning back around.

“Hello gorgeous,” the young man smirked, “did you miss me?”

It was now that Gayle got a good look at the person that had literally just dropped in. The first thing she noticed was that they were female and faunus. A wolf faunus to be specific. She was on the shorter side, probably even smaller than Gayle herself, but her musculature was far more developed and she carried herself so confidently that it was intimidating. Long, curly black hair shone in the early evening light, and eyes with irises so dark it was like looking into obsidian pools. She wore an entirely jet black, leather outfit, a fur sash similar to Jad’s wrapped around her waist. What really caught Gayle's attention, however, was the fact the newcomer had both a pair of black wolf ears and a black with grey tipped tail. It was incredibly uncommon to find a faunus with two animal attributes, especially such obvious ones. It was only the second time Gayle had seen a faunus with two traits, the first being Rember’s ears and fangs.

Eyeing Jad with mild disgust, ‘Beastie’ rolled her eyes and frowned, arms folded across her chest.

“Hello, mutt,” she reciprocated curtly.

Jad smiled. “Well you haven't changed a bit, now, have you?”

“I could say the same for you, you pompous flirt. That's gonna get you killed one of these days.”

“Oh you don't like my teasing? You used to thoroughly enjoy it, as I remember.”

“Put a sock in it.”

Gayle couldn’t help but stare in confusion as her partner and the wolf girl bantered. Were they actually friends? Beastie seemed pretty hostile but the tall redhead kept at it, smiling like nothing was out of the ordinary.

“Alright, enough,” Beastie stated, ending the verbal dance with a hand gesture. “You contacted me saying you need my help, so speak quickly. I have things to do with the pack.”

Pack? Gayle thought curiously.

“Ya, I bet you do,” Jad shrugged, but spoke in an appropriately serious tone. “I need someone tracked. So I came to the best.”

Raising an eyebrow, Beastie relaxed her arms. “Details,” she demanded, and Jad nodded.

“They call their group SWAN. Specifically, my friends and I are looking for two of them. Names are Creed Noir and Wisteria Dawn. First one’s a creepy guy with black hair, wears a long black coat, and has a sword. The other’s a short girl that wears magenta-y purple and has a long white twin-tailed scarf. Easy on the eyes, kinda cute.”

Gayle couldn’t help but notice the audible sigh from Beastie when she heard that last comment. Nonetheless, the wolf girl put a hand up to her lips in contemplative silence. 

“Give me two weeks and I’ll find your prey.”

Jad smiled happily. “Done,” he concluded, holding out a clenched fist. Beastie accepted the gesture, bumping fists before taking her leave, disappearing just as suddenly as she’d arrived. With their business concluded, Jad reached for his scroll and dialed his team leader.

“ Hey,” Azure’s voice sounded.

“Hey, Pasty! All good to go here. Things are in motion.”

“Awesome. Rem and I are all set too.”

There was a brief pause, and Jad wondered if the connection had gone wonky. “You still there?”

“Uh, yeah,” Azure answered, his voice hesitant. 

“Something up?”

“You could say that. Hey, Jad?”

“Yeah, Pasty?”

“I need a favor.”

Gayle watched as Jad conversed with Azure on his scroll, wondering what their next course of action would be.

“Heh….Heha….Hahahahaha…HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!”

The lizard girl was overtaken by confusion as her partner succumbed to an unwarranted fit of laughter.

“HAHAHAHAHA!!! YOU BETTER NOT BE MESSING WITH ME, PASTY. IS THIS FOR REAL?”

“Jad?? What’s going-”

“Hahaha- hang-hang on-ehehehehe!!” Jad managed to respond in between his hysterics. 

The boy’s face had lit up with something that surpassed mere excitement, and Gayle watched, bemused by his antics.

“You bet your ass! Brace yourself! Here comes the smolder!” 

With a last laugh, Jad hung up and returned his Scroll to his jeans, looking eagerly at his baffled partner.

“We have work to do!”

Chapter Text

“And one and -no...One and - no ...One and two and -NO !”

Rember was working her damndest to contain the giggles bubbling up inside her. When they’d finished conversing with Junior and made contact with the rest of their team, Azure had asked Jad for help instructing him in the art of dance. It had been so bizarre, so incredibly out of her partner’s comfort zone that Rember knew she had to witness it. Gayle had been happy to take over grocery shopping, leaving Rember free to conceal herself in the mound of blankets on her bed to watch the show. So far she hadn’t been disappointed. 

When they finally got started with the lesson, Jad took a rather hands on approach. ‘Hands on’ in this case meant he was fulfilling the role of his leader’s dance partner. Azure was understandably reluctant to have his friend take him by the hand and waist, but Jad insisted that this was the most effective way to learn. The pale archer soon realized he had no other choice if he wanted to learn, and more willing to embarrass himself in private than in public, sucked it up. The girls were conveniently absent for the time being (though he couldn’t remember Rember leaving her blankets all piled up like that before), so he’d learn as much as he could from Jad before they returned.

“Ugh, look, I’m sorry!” Azure growled, irritated and embarrassed. “I just don’t get why this is so difficult. It’s just -argh, this is so ridiculous!”

“Hey, hey, hey!” Jad responded, trying to minimize his leader’s frustration. “Just chill, Pasty. You’re just going at it from the wrong angle.”

“What?” 

“Okay, look at it this way,” Jad said, breaking away from Azure and taking a stance, “you’re a fighter, Pasty. A damn good one. But all that training to beat the ever living crap outta stuff makes first time dance lessons a real sonova bitch. Wanna know why?”

Azure nodded.

“When you fight you take a stance, move, return to a set position, right? That way you’re always ready to defend or start another attack. Dancing don’t work like that.”

The young half faunus cocked an eyebrow. “Really?”

“Yep! When you’re dancing you don’t go back to the starting position upon completing the last step, you continue on with the first step from where you are. Here,” the redhead grabbed Azure again, a grimace on the archer’s face. “This time, instead of going through the steps and returning to your set stance, flow right into the first step.”

Azure took a moment to compose himself. He then, very slowly, did as instructed, moving against years of muscle memory. It felt awkward, and Azure couldn’t help but feel foolish (was someone giggling?), but he eventually got the gist of what Jad was telling him. Proud of his student’s improvement, Jad decided to break Azure’s stiffness. One had to be loose if one was going to be dancing.

“Heeey! There we go! Look who's dancing now!” 

Without warning, the tall redhead changed position so that he was the lead dancer, pulling Azure in close so he could look into his yellow eyes with a comically sultry stare. 

“You gonna be getting the ladies in no time…”

Before Azure could pull away or verbally respond, the door opened to reveal Gayle with a paper grocery bag. 

“Hey I got the-” 

She trailed off as she caught sight of the rather...intimate looking moment that the guys were sharing, freezing in the entryway like a deer in headlights.

“Hey good lookin’. You next?” Jad asked, not missing a beat .

“I, uh…” the lizard girl stammered, unsure of how to react as she turned to address her leader. “I...got the things you and Ber needed, Bossman. Do you, uh...need anything? A-a snack? Maybe some...time...alone?”

The mound of blankets on Rember’s bed started moving, the girl unable to contain her laughter any longer. Some of the blankets shifted as she kicked her feet gleefully, revealing her presence to a scarlet faced Azure, a startled Gayle, and a sniggering Jad.

“AHAHAHAHAHAHAH! OH MY-HAHA- OH MY GOSH! HAHAHA! THIS- AHA- THIS IS AMAZING!! BAHAHAHAHAHA !!!”

The heat in Azure’s cheeks spiked and waves of embarrassment washed over him. He took a deliberate step away from Jad, dropping his friend’s hands like hot pokers. The fedora wearing dance instructor still wore an impish smile, and the half faunus glared at him.

“Say anything about this, and I will seriously hurt you, Jad,” he growled.

Jad shrugged off the threat. “Whatever you say, twinkle toes!” 

“Ahahaha, don’t, haha, don’t worry, Jad! I got it on camera! Ahahahaa!” Rember whooped, swinging down to retrieve her scroll from its hiding place.

When everything had calmed down and Gayle’s considerable confusion cleared up, Jad and Azure resumed their dance lesson. However this time Rember stepped in as Azure’s partner instead, making it tolerable for the young man and seriously reducing his embarrassment. Gayle took interest in the lessons as well, as she was somewhat limited in this branch of knowledge. Soon enough the entire team was learning from Jad, and the evening was filled with fun and laughter for everyone. 

A few hours into lessons, night had come around and the team opted to take a breather before anymore dancing. Azure took to the kitchen, baking his chocolate chip cookies (with Rember’s occasional assistance), and Jad joined them there to fry up some bacon. Gayle took to her personal studies. Rember was soon evicted from the kitchen for eating raw cookie dough and moved to her bunk to play with Thistlebutt.

“Azuuuure,” Rember whined, her mouth watering at the scent of melting chocolate. “When will the cookies be dooone?? And how long on the bacon? This is cruel and unusual torture!”

“You cannot rush perfection, young padawan,” Jad hummed, adopting the demeanor of an old sensei. “One does not simply make the masterpiece that is my bacon.”

“Exception of one,” Azure quipped as he peered into their oven’s window, his chef's hat tilting forward slightly. “By the way, you sounded like our old master for a second there.”

“Hehe. I do the voice pretty well, don’t I?” Jad chuckled, remembering the way their old teacher stroked his beard and spouted random metaphors.

“Is that how you guys became friends?” Gayle inquired, peering over from an old book she was reading in her hammock.

“Yup!” Jad exclaimed, nodding happily. “Back when we were kids and Azure didn’t hide his ‘ cat ’ness! Ahhh...good times.”

“Hee hee, I guess you could say,” Rember smirked, “that back then the cat was out of the bag, amiright?!”

The half faunus let out a chuckle, Gayle cracked a smile, and Jad gave Rember a thumbs up of approval. 

“Nice,” Azure congratulated. “Cookies are done, by the way.”

The timer that he’d set on his Scroll went off the second the words left his mouth. Opening the door to the oven, the dorm was quickly engulfed by the aroma of Azure’s chocolate-chip cookies, the four teens inhaling the scent eagerly.

Rember drooled upon sighting the confectionery, trembling with excitement. 

“How long do I have to wait?” She asked, peering over her bed.

Azure grinned at her antics. “Five minutes, ten tops. We’ll have a few then we can get back to practicing,” he said, removing his hat and apron. 

Rember sighed melodramatically and flopped back on her bunk, legs hanging comically off the side. The team dissolved into a fit of chuckles when Thistle jumped onto her stomach, making her shriek and sit up in surprise.

Azure grinned as he strolled to their window, taking a peek outside. The moon was beautiful in the dark sky, highlighting the rooftops of the academy and clouds above. Everything looked calm. Serene. Simply put: it was a perfect night.

A flash of movement caught his eye. He peered down to the garden entrance where he’d noticed the shift, and scrutinized the ground.

Stepping out from behind a hedge was a familiar purple haired girl, who gazed up at him before stepping back into the shadows. Azure’s body tensed. There was no mistaking that magenta clad figure. 

Wisteria.

Azure was stuck. He glanced back at his teammates,  but none of them seemed to have seen anything or noticed his abrupt silence. Looking back outside Azure caught the briefest glimpse of Wisteria moving through the garden. She obviously wanted him to know she was there, but why? What else did she want? 

What should I do? He thought, his heart beginning to pound. Could it be a trap? No, Creed wouldn’t act so brazenly this early on. Did she come of her own will? Possibly. Should I follow her? Probably not. But... Azure continued the silent debate, weighing the risks and possible outcomes. After more thought, he nodded conclusively.

  I probably won’t get another chance, he surmised. I’m going.

“Oh, shit,” Azure said aloud, turning away from the glass while walking to the door with purpose, “I forgot about a thing I had to do earlier.” 

The other three gave him quizzical looks as he grabbed his scroll and opened the door. 

“I’ll be back,” he said, closing the door behind him. 

Rember’s eyes narrowed in disbelief. Leaping off her bunk, the fox girl strode over to the window and peered through, trying to see what might have caught her partner’s attention. Unable to see anything unusual she casually walked past the others. 

“Be right back,” she muttered. 

Jad and Gayle exchanged glances, but said nothing as their teammate closed the door quietly behind her.

Out in the hall Rember’s ears perked up as she searched for the sound of Azure’s footsteps. Pinpointing them easily, she stalked silently down the hall after the boy, careful to keep him just out of sight so he couldn’t look back and catch her.

Azure headed out of the school and away from the building, probably making his way to one of the gardens. Her assumption proved to be correct, and he stopped walking just beyond the trees and shrubbery.

“Wisteria?” the half faunus called out.

Rember froze. Wisteria? Like, that Wisteria? From Creed’s group? What would she be doing here?

“Wisty, I saw you. I know you’re out here. What do you want?” Azure continued.

Rember crouched low, and sure enough Wisteria stepped into view. The faunus inched closer, keeping to the shadows and watching the ground to avoid stepping on anything. She was soon close enough to make out the clandestine conversation.

Wisteria Dawn’s long white scarf had been pulled up to hide part of her face, shy anxiety emanating from her. Out in the field this meekness would never be present unless it served to disarm a target, but to someone who knew her as well as Azure did it was familiar.

“Hi, Azure,” she greeted apprehensively, fidgeting and keeping her gaze lowered. “It’s...it’s been awhile.”

“Yeah. Two years,” Azure replied solemnly, folding his arms. “How long has Creed been sending you to spy on me and my team?”

From where she eavesdropped, Rember shivered. They were being watched? Spied on? Was Creed that dedicated? How had she not noticed anyone watching her? The thought of being under surveillance without knowing was...unsettling, to say the least. 

“Since the last time we saw you,” Wisteria mumbled. 

There was an odd undertone in her voice, Rember noted. It almost sounded like shame. 

“But that isn’t why I’m here now!” Black Claw’s Mirage added hastily, eyes widening at the implication she’d unwittingly made.

The pale haired boy raised an eyebrow. “Really? Then why are you here?” 

“I...I just...wanted to see you,” Wisteria confessed, her eyes downcast. 

There was an enormous weight on her chest, and her eyes burned. Acting on impulse she approached Azure. Wary of any tricks, he was taken completely off guard when she threw her arms around, holding him tightly.

In the shadows Rember almost fell over in shock, catching herself at the last second.

“Umm, Wisty? What, uh, what’re you...” 

Azure was uncomfortable. This was wrong. It was like when a stranger touched you without warning or consent. But...this wasn’t a stranger. This was Wisteria. She was the closest thing he’d had to a best friend, once. And despite his growing discomfort, Azure couldn’t bring himself to push her away.

“I’m sorry. I know this is -is weird, and-and inappropriate, but I just...I’m just so happy to see you again,” her voice was muffled. “I’ve missed you so much .”

“Oh,” Azure whispered, finally understanding. 

Of course. How could he not have seen it before? Just because he’d gone his own way all that time ago didn’t mean he hadn’t left anything behind that day. Or to be specific, any one .

“Azure, why?” Wisteria mumbled, looking up at him with damp eyes. “Why did you leave?”

Azure flinched. She’d been his friend. Maybe his only friend. Something that felt suspiciously like guilt wormed into his gut, and his shoulders drooped. In the shadows nearby, Rember also felt guilty. This was a really personal conversation that she had no business listening in on. But she wanted to hear his answer, and there was no way she was leaving her partner out here with someone working with Creed.

“You have no idea how much it hurt!” Wisteria sobbed. She was trembling when she finally released Azure. “For you to just disappear on us like that! You just attack Creed and then abandon us? You didn’t -didn’t even say goodbye...”

“Wait, is that what Creed told you?” Azure exclaimed. “That I attacked him for no reason and then left? Creed’s nuts, Wisteria! You know what happened to him,” he added in an undertone.

The girl wiped her eyes before answering. “I know what happened to him, and I know what happened to you,“ she stated. “You, him, and all the others are the reason I never went through what they did to you. But don’t you understand? All Creed wants is to finally put our desires into action!”

Azure shook his head, disappointed. “Wisty, I seriously doubt what Creed is doing will benefit anyone but himself. Just what is he planning?”

“I can’t tell you that,” Wisteria replied dismally. “Not if you’re not back with us.”

Azure sighed. This wasn’t going to be this easy.

“Please, Wisteria. I can’t go back there. I won’t go back,” he told her. How could he make her see?

“Why not?” Wisteria demanded, voice wavering. “Are we not good enough for you? Is it those new people you call your friends?” 

She froze as she said it, her pink eyes like glass.

Azure didn’t miss his old friend’s sudden mood shift, and he knew that look far too well. Now was the time to tread carefully. 

“Wisty?” he tried softly.

It is, Wisteria thought, deaf to his voice. It is one of them! But which one? Her eyes narrowed as she recalled seeing him interact with a faunus with long ochre hair and black tipped, triangular ears. Her hands crept unconsciously toward the hilts of her daggers, and an unusual smile spread across her face. He’d been awfully friendly with the fox girl. Too friendly, in fact. So it’s her I have to dispose of.

“Wisteria!!” Azure shouted, finally snapping the girl out of her trance. 

“Wha-?” she gasped, focusing once more on the boy in front of her. She noticed her grip on her weapons and let go, glancing away. 

“Oh,” she mumbled.

“Hey, is-”

“I’m fine,” the young woman replied curtly, lying through her teeth, “but I bet it is them. That fox girl, the one you’re always with? She’s clearly convinced you you’re better off without us. I don’t know why I didn’t see it before. She must have some sort of hold on you.” 

Even just saying the words made her blood boil. 

From her observation point, Rember’s face twisted into a confused grin and she had to stifle a snort. Seriously? Why was that always the conclusion people came to? Did they just not know what a platonic relationship was?

Azure’s patience had begun to fray. He would not tolerate the villainization of his partner! 

“Wisteria, what are you even saying?” he snapped. “Rember’s my friend and my teammate. That’s it! ”

“Then why? Why are you doing this, Azure? I don't understand!” Wisteria wailed, tears filling her eyes again.

Taking a step back, Azure inhaled deeply to cool his head. She had to understand this. She had to...

“Listen,” he began, “what we did while acting as Black Claw was very, very wrong. We killed, stole, and hurt people. We did so many atrocious things that I don’t even want to remember. But I’ve been given a chance to atone for all that. To redeem myself! An opportunity to repent for the misdeeds I wrought on the world. Maybe I can never be wholly forgiven, but what in the hell makes you think that I’m just going to go back to that after getting this chance?”

Wisteria stood in stunned silence. What they’d done was criminal? But they had to do those things or they’d be dead! Did he seriously just tell her it was a crime that they were alive? While she hadn’t considered the ramifications of her actions in regards to eliminating White Fang targets, why would Azure condemn what they’d all been forced to do to survive?

 “I…I don’t...” she stuttered.

“Now do you get it?” Azure asked hopefully. “The White Fang used us. They hurt us! We hated them! How can you still work for them?” 

Pushing aside her internal conflict, Wisteria became defensive once more. “We aren’t! We’re going to get rid of those vile faunus! But we can’t do it without you! We need you!” the weight in her chest intensified, and she whispered “ I need you.”

Wait, what?? Rember thought, frowning. I wonder...oh. OH. Oh shoot!

Azure was also taken aback. “What did you just say?" he asked, trying to piece things together.

"I, um. I..." Wisteria fumbled, her face going red. "It's just that you-you mean so much to me. Ever-ever since we met you were there for me. You were kind, and selfless, and brave, and strong. You were strong for all of us. And when you left I was- I was left so-so empty and alone. And I’m still alone." she peered directly into Azure's golden eyes with unusual intensity. "Why? Why would you choose that girl over us? Over me ? I thought we were your friends too!" 

“I’ve never said we weren’t.”

“Then why did you abandon me?”

Azure didn’t know what to do. He didn’t have an answer for her question. He grasped for the words to explain, but came up empty.

Adjusting her scarf  to hide her face again, Wisteria waited. 

"I thought so," She muttered eventually, her voice bitter. "Look, we're the only ones left. I can't lose you. So please, just...come back with me." 

Rember's eyes narrowed. He won’t, she thought, he’d never do it...would he? They were his friends… She frowned, unable to completely quell the uncertainty that rose within her.

The fox's thoughts raced as she strove to predict her partner’s response. If he went back to Creed now, he might turn back into the very thing he was working so hard to escape. What if  she had to face him one day? What if she woke up one day to find the name Nightmare at the top of an assignment? She’d like to think she was strong enough to do what needed to be done, but he was her friend. Her best friend. She didn't want to do that, didn’t want to risk it. She wasn’t sure that she could actually kill him if it came down to it, not even if he was Nightmare and not Azure.

She had to believe that he wouldn’t do this, but she knew he could.

If he wanted to. 

Azure stared solemnly at his old teammate, eyes full of regret. "I never knew you felt that way," he admitted quietly, "but things have changed. I’ve changed. It might be best if you regard me as your enemy from now on to avoid any more heartache." 

"But-" Wisteria protested. 

Azure raised a hand, silencing her.

"I know what you want to tell me, but I can't," he stated, his tone gentle and apologetic.

"I don't care if you think you can’t, it doesn't change how I feel," Wisteria retorted.

"I know," Azure sighed, rubbing the back of his head. 

There was just so much guilt inside him. He didn’t want to be the source of her pain; and this was exactly why he preferred not to get involved with people. 

Life had a really annoying way of making it hard to be alone. 

"My answer is still the same,” Azure announced. “I don't believe in Creed’s vision, and I'm going to do everything I can to stop him." The half faunus took a full stride up to his old friend, prompting Wisteria to flinch. "Wisty, leave. Be free for the first time in your life. Leave the White Fang and Creed behind." 

The girl's bright pink eyes flew open to stare at the boy in front of her. Disbelief was written across her features, and Azure wilted at the resolve behind it. 

"I won't betray Creed like you did," Wisteria told him flatly. "I believe in what he’s fighting for, and I’ll help him achieve it. I’m no traitor."

Azure shook his head, sad and disappointed. 

"Then I'm sorry," he apologized, "but I’ll have no choice but to stop you too." 

"Fine," Wisteria accepted bitterly. When she spoke again, her voice had resumed its  usual monotone quality. "It’s clear you’re more lost than we feared." 

Wisteria turned away from Azure, with a heavy sigh. 

"I’m not giving up on what I believe,” she resolved. “You will come back to us eventually. I’ve already waited two years. I can wait a little longer.” 

With that Wisteria activated her semblance and disappeared, leaving Azure to sigh and rub his eyes.

This was bad. If Creed decided to move on him soon, someone was bound to get hurt or killed. He couldn't let that happen. And Wisteria? Gods, just thinking about the girl made his stomach churn. The sooner he settled the score with Creed, the sooner everyone would be safe. 

Out of habit Azure activated his empath ability, wanting to know if he really was alone. Unsurprisingly there was a familiar presence nearby. 

Of course she was listening, Azure thought. 

"Thought I told you to stay in the dorm," he called out lightheartedly, not bothering to turn around.

Rember muttered mutinously as she rose from her cover, keen eyes sweeping the area vigilantly to verify that Wisteria was really gone. 

"Since when do I do what I'm told?" she retorted, crossing her arms defiantly. She eyed her partner, unaware that he could sense the apprehension she was feeling. "That was an interesting conversation." 

"Heh, that's putting it mildly," Azure responded dryly, mulling it over. 

The young woman hadn't offered any clue to SWAN’s whereabouts, or how they’d kept tabs on KRME without at least one of them noticing. At least, none that he’d picked up. Maybe it wasn’t a bad thing that Rember had been eavesdropping.

"So," he ventured, "any thoughts?" 

Rember's right ear flicked, and she frowned. "Several. The most important being that you need to be careful, but you already know that," she replied seriously. Letting out a sigh, she continued, "I have a feeling that Creed isn't going to leave you be. He may have a vision for the world, but it clearly involves you at his side. It may even revolve around recruiting you. I don't think he'll do anything apocalyptic unless that happens. Wisteria, on the other hand..." she trailed off.

“She’s a lot stronger than she looks,” Azure commented.

Rember raised an eyebrow. “You trying to convince me of that, or yourself?” she asked dryly. She shook her head before Azure could reply, steel in her eyes. “Either way, that’s my problem to sort out. Now that we know we’re all being watched, we’ll keep a sharper eye out. We can all take care of ourselves, and we can do it better when we’ve got each others backs.”

The fox faunus's forest green eyes searched her partner's face, and Azure had the feeling her words had a deeper implication that she’d explain explicitly.

"Yeah, let's hope so," Azure sighed, rubbing the back of his neck again. "I dunno, Rem, I have a feeling something big is about to happen. Did you pick up anything interesting while we were out earlier?"

"Not really," Rember admitted, the pair turning to make their way back to the school. "The owner of a bookshop disappeared not too long ago, and the last students from the other schools are expected to arrive any day.  So are a few latecomers looking to participate in the Vytal Festival. Apart from that I can't seem to find much of anything." 

"Really? That's interesting," Azure mumbled. 

While he usually wouldn't put a murder past Creed, a bookstore owner wasn't really his style. Wisteria only killed if she was ordered to, or if she was in one of her odd trances . It could've been Aries or Starr, but he didn’t know enough about them to be sure. As for the latecomers, Azure was intrigued. Everyone should have arrived around the same time. 

A musical laugh interrupted his thoughts. 

“C’mon, let’s not let it bother us right now!” Rember smiled, bumping his shoulder with hers. “I don’t know about you, but I am way too hungry to even think about anything other than food. I’m surprised you guys couldn’t hear my tummy growling.” 

Azure let out a chuckle. He could feel hunger gnawing at him too. 

“Let’s get going then,” he agreed. 

To Rember’s surprise he shot off, running ahead of his partner. 

“I’m gonna eat your share if you aren’t fast enough!” he yelled over his shoulder. 

Rember jolted into a sprint, snorting at the idea that Azure was faster. She quickly caught up to and passed Azure, grinning mischievously. The ground beneath Azure’s feet turned icy, making the boy fall flat on his behind. 

“Ahahahaha!” she cackled triumphantly, “see ya later, cookie maker!” she taunted, disappearing into the building.

“Dirty trick!” Azure snarled, jumping back to his feet and leaping into action. 

He never took the races he and Rember did too seriously, but this time she’d cheated. Flying through the entryway and down the corridors, Azure caught sight of Rember turning a corner with a whoop. There wasn’t much runway left between Azure and their dorm. He’d only win this one if he got the upper hand somehow.

Rember flashed a cheeky grin over her shoulder as she heard Azure’s footsteps come up behind her, and forced her legs to move faster. Inch by inch she pulled farther and farther ahead, treating the like one of her sprinting exercises, gradually increasing her speed until she was a blur, long hair streaming behind her. The hallway to their room loomed ahead and Rember felt triumphant. She was tempted to slow her pace, but she knew that getting overconfident now could cost her the race. 

The distance between Rember and the door was rapidly shrinking, and she coaxed just a little more speed from her legs.

A shape went streaking past her, catching her off-guard. 

“Hey!” Rember gasped, wide eyed and stunned as Azure sped passed her. 

It took a few seconds to realize that his footsteps were still behind her, and Rember grinned as she figured out he’d used his semblance to try fooling her. 

“Sneaky!” she tossed over her shoulder. 

Azure cackled in response.

The door was just ahead now and Rember skidded to a stop, reaching for the handle. 

“I win!” she exclaimed breathlessly, nearly losing her balance. She started giggling, her blood racing. “Ahahahaha...Ha, good -haha- good race!”

Grinning, Azure just shrugged his shoulders. “You cheated, Rem. Bet I could’ve beat you if you hadn’t!” 

“Hah! As if. You cheated -hah- first by starting -starting without telling me.” Rember accused, panting. “How-how are you not dying?”

“Uhh, rigorous assassin training, remember? A little jog won’t kill me.” Azure replied nonchalantly, unlocking the door. “Hey, guys! Did you save us some bacon?” 

‘A little jog won’t kill me.’ That was no jog, dude. I jog daily. That was a stupid long sprint! Rember thought. As the smell of bacon reached her nose she fought to calm her breathing.

I am so freezing his pillow tonight.

Chapter Text

“And that’s the match.”

Professor Goodwitch watched as the two students that had volunteered returned to the waiting majority. Checking the time on her Scroll, the woman fiddled with her glasses. 

“Alright, I believe we have time for one more bout.” Scanning the sea of heads up in the stands, the teacher’s eyes stopped upon noticing a pair of burnt orange fox ears poking out of the crowd. “Miss Autumn? You haven't sparred in a few days," Glynda suggested.

Rember shrugged and stood up. "Sure!" she smiled, making her way down to the floor.

"Would anyone like to volunteer to spar with Miss Autumn?"

More than a few people snorted with amusement and reluctance. Many of the other students had been shocked and overwhelmed by Rember's whips before and had no wish to repeat the experience. In fact, only a few people could hold their own against the fox girl, including her team. Professor Goodwitch was about to voluntell someone when an exchange student raised his hand.

"I will," he said with a confident smirk.

The class watched the young man stand up and make his way down to the arena. Many of the girls started whispering excitedly to each other, he was rather attractive, while some of the students sneered at the lupine ears on his head. Rember, on the other hand, didn't get a good look at her opponent until he reached her level, and when she did her spine stiffened.

The grey and black wolf ears should have given him away immediately, but it was the steel grey eyes that held Rember's attention. The fox girl's keen ears could hear the tittering of female students. They giggled about the exchange student's height, and his smile. Someone commented on his dark hair, and his handsome face. Despite all this, Rember was paralyzed because she knew that face...and it was almost exactly as she remembered it. The high cheekbones, the scar on his chin, the way his eyes looked her over mischievously, and the signature smirk he bore.

 "Lupin..." she breathed, her own eyes wide.

She hadn't seen Lupin Grey since...no. She wouldn't think about that. Not now. 

Rember swallowed and readied her weapons as Professor Goodwitch called out for the match to start. Across the floor Lupin drew his sword and gestured mockingly for Rember to make the first move.

Up in the stands Azure honed in on Rember's discomfort immediately. His partner was always loose when she fought, but she looked tense and stiff. Tapping into his empath ability he was surprised to find anxious fear emanating from Rember, and he leaned in closer.

In the ring below, Rember forced her apprehension down and tried to relax her muscles as she started circling Lupin. The tall boy's grey eyes never left her green ones, and eventually Rember sprang into action. 

The fox girl gritted her teeth and lashed out with one of her whips, beginning a battle dance. Lupin dodged the blow and was quickly forced to evade Rember's second whip. By the time he recovered from that, his opponent had worked her way behind him and pounced on his back, Ashweave retracted back into baton form and reached for Lupin's throat. Anticipating the move, the wolf boy ducked and Rember flew over his head before tucking into a roll. Snarling silently, the girl came up in a crouch and bared her teeth.

"Nice moves, Bera," Lupin grinned, "my turn."

His sword, which had been hanging limply in his hand, split down the center, revealing itself to be a firearm as well. Rember's eyes widened as Lupin took aim, and just as he fired she back flipped away from the shot. She danced away from three more dust rounds and turned to face Lupin with a snarl. Rember called on her semblance and heated the claws of her weapons before twirling and sending Stormshatter towards her target. A flurry of blows drove Lupin back as Rember drew closer. Ashweave wrapped around Lupin's weapon and Rember took the opportunity to send a shock down the length of the whip.

Lupin shouted in surprise as electricity travelled through his sword (which was conveniently made of metal) and into his body. As the shock subsided Rember wrenched Lupin's weapon away and did a handspring, kicking Lupin in the chest before she landed. The taller faunus fell to the ground with a grunt, and Rember pounced. She landed on her fallen opponent's chest and held a wickedly clawed baton to his throat. Green eyes glared down into warm grey ones, and Lupin smiled infuriatingly.

"Victory goes to Miss Autumn," Professor Goodwitch announced.

A cacophony of applause filtered into Rember's ears and she shook her head, getting to her feet. Any other time Rember would have stayed to help her opponent up, but this time she stalked out of the arena as quickly as she could. Azure nudged Jad and Gayle as Glynda Goodwitch dismissed the class, looking after his partner worriedly. 

"Come on," he muttered, concern pulsing through him. 

The second half of KRME followed silently with bemused expressions as Azure led the way through the crowded halls. Every few minutes he referred to his empathic ability to find Rember again, but he was pretty sure he knew where she was going. As they searched, Azure mulled over Rember’s odd performance during the bout. There had been something vicious about her attacks, with none of the usual flair that accompanied her battle moves. Watching Rember fight was often like watching someone dance, and there was a certain beauty to it. That had been absent today. Her movements had been jerky and uncoordinated, at least for someone of her skill level. Clearly her anxiety had invaded the ring and reflected in her motions.

It wasn't long before Azure could make out Rember's favorite spot on the initiation cliffs. Narrowed eyes searched the usual spots, but he couldn’t see her anywhere. Still, his ability told him she was here somewhere. 

"Why are we out here, Pasty?" Jad asked. "I really hope you're not expecting us to go flying again."

Azure ignored his friend, trying to pinpoint Rember’s position. 

"This is where Ber likes to hang out sometimes," Gayle informed her partner. "He's looking for her. Right?" she directed to Azure.

"Mhm," their leader confirmed, trying to tune out his teammates. 

He heard a rustle in one of the trees and looked up to see a flash of orange. Raising an eyebrow he frowned and turned to Gayle and Jad. 

"I'm going to stay here for a bit, see if she turns up. You guys go back to the dorm, she might be doing a kitchen raid or something,” he said.

Gayle gave him an unimpressed and disbelieving look, but Jad nodded and nudged his partner along. As soon as they were out of sight Azure turned back to the trees. 

"I know you're there, Rem," he called quietly.

A quiet sigh reached his ears and a moment later Rember landed lightly on the grass a few feet away. Her eyes were red, and she sniffed as she straightened to face her partner. She didn't say anything, but Azure eventually ventured a statement.

"You know him." 

Rember nodded and wiped her eyes. "He was my best friend at Sanctum."

Azure's mind flashed back to the night Rember had told him about the White Fang trying to recruit her, and how the person who’d asked her had been her friend. "The one who tried to recruit you?"

Rember looked away self consciously, fox ears pressed back against her skull. 

"He did more than that..." she mumbled, massaging her left shoulder uncomfortably. She met Azure's gaze sullenly and took a deep breath. "I haven't been... entirely honest with you," she admitted.

Azure tapped into his empath ability. Heavy apprehension hit him, along with an undercurrent of fear and reluctant resignation. His eyebrows drew together and he frowned. 

"What do you mean?" he asked, confused by his partner's emotions.

Rember looked at the ground and Azure noticed that she was trembling. This was more serious than he thought.  

"Rember, please talk to me."

The fox girl pushed her hair off her face and took a shuddering breath. 

"I'm marked, Azure," she said after a minute, finally meeting his eyes again. "The White Fang...well, you know how they are. They were furious that I turned them down. They decided that since I wouldn't join them they needed to mark me, make sure future White Fang members knew what I'd done." She snorted. "They actually called it a crime. Anyway...they tattooed me."

Rember pulled her gear aside and Azure saw a black tattoo, like a silhouette of the shattered moon, resting on her left shoulder blade. Seeing it reminded him of his own accursed brand, painfully grafted into his chest. 

"I still don't get it," he told her, "they could have done worse than that."

"They did," Rember said through gritted teeth. 

Her sudden anger threw Azure off guard, and he noticed a wave of heat roll off his partner as her mood darkened.

"Rem, why’re you-" he started to say, but a stronger heatwave hit him and the grass at Rember's feet started to smoulder.

"Have you ever wondered why I don't use Dust? Why I shy away every time Gayle asks if we'll help her test a new compound? Why I won't even try to use someone else's weapon if I know they use Dust to power it?" she demanded, her voice shrill. 

Azure had wondered from time to time, but never put much consideration into it. 

"Everyone knows how dangerous Dust can be. You can weave it into your clothing, or forge your weapon with it, or even wield it by itself," hot green eyes flashed and Azure felt himself take an involuntary step back. "Well the White Fang took it one step further with me! They grafted Dust into my skin! They mixed some kind of Dust in with the ink they tattooed me with and now I can't use the damn stuff without killing somebody!" 

Tears rolled unchecked down Rember's cheeks as she finally let her secret out, and it occurred to Azure that she must have been hiding this for years. 

Rember let out a gut wrenching sob and buried her face in her hands before falling to her knees. Her shoulders shook as she cried and the heat that had been emanating from her disappeared.

The tears in Rember's eyes kept flowing. 

"I-I had no idea what they’d- what they’d done," she whispered brokenly, her head downcast, "if I had I nev-never would have...oh, Fuschia ..." 

Azure watched as she collapsed in on herself, hugging her knees to her chest and burying her face in them. The archer had never seen Rember like this. He’d also never heard her say the name Fuschia before.

"What happened?”

Rember sniffed, her voice muffled since she didn’t lift her head when she spoke. “We were sparring, a few- a few days after, and I went to use the Dust and it should have just- should have just been a training shock but I- I…”

At this point her voice failed her and another wave of tears overcame the girl. 

“Rem, I’m sure Fuschia knows you didn’t mean it…”

“She doesn’t.”

The flatness of the statement took him by surprise. 

“How can you know that?” he probed.

“Because she’s dead .”

Oh.

Oh.

For a moment Azure was at a loss for words. He’d never once considered that another member of his team might have been responsible for the death of a person. Not once. And for it to happen like that? He could only relate so much since every kill he’d carried out had been deliberate, no surprises.

And for it to be Rember…she tried so hard not to hurt people. Oh, she hid it behind sarcasm and dumb jokes, throwing up the strong front that many students knew her for, but her teammates knew her better. If her tone was misinterpreted or one of her jokes taken the wrong way she fretted over it for hours, if not days. The idea that she’d hurt someone hurt her almost as much, and she second guessed everything she did the next time she interacted with that person to ensure she didn’t cause unintentional harm again. For her to be placed in the position of a killer had probably done just as much damage as the branding itself.

“Rem, it wasn’t your fault. You didn’t mean for-”

“It was my fault!” she argued, lifting her head and glaring at him. “I’m the one that dealt the killing blow!”

“Did you know that’s what you were doing?” Azure shot back. “Or did you think you were sparring in a practice bout?”

Rember shook her head. “What I did or didn’t think doesn’t change the fact that if it weren’t for me, Fuschia would be alive right now! I was the one holding the weapon, I was the one who hit that button, and I was the one that watched the light go out of her eyes!”

 Irritation flashed through Azure. 

“Stop it,” he ordered.

Surprised by the abruptness of his tone Rember looked up and opened her mouth to deliver a scathing reply, only to be silenced as Azure’s hand cut through the air.

"That’s enough," he commanded. 

Rember shut her mouth. Azure’s eyes were heated, though he tried to convey concern as well. 

"I'm not going to let you punish yourself over this," he stated, an angry undertone in his voice. 

Rember stared into her friend’s yellow eyes and wanted to hide. The memory of pressure around her throat was still too vivid in her mind to match his angry stare. She buried her face in her arms again, shoving down the fear that arose inside her. Recognizing the brief flash of fear that crossed her face, Azure took a deep breath to calm himself.

"Rember, please look at me," Azure asked as softly as he could. 

It took a moment but she eventually complied, looking up at him with red rimmed eyes. 

Satisfied that he had her attention, the young man continued, "I understand what you’re feeling, and why you carry the blame for Fuschia’s death, but this is not your fault ." 

"You weren’t there, Azure, you don’t know that,” she mumbled.

Azure knelt down and placed a hand on Rember's shoulder, taking the girl by surprise. Her partner wasn’t one to offer gestures of comfort like hugs or anything.

"I do know that, because it’s the White Fang that marked you,” Azure said. "They’re the ones who did this to you, and they’re the ones who should be brought to justice. Rem, as far as I’m concerned you aren’t a killer." 

Rember glanced away at his conclusion and shifted. "Yes I am. I just hide it better." Turning back to her partner she let an expression of such fury slip onto her face that Azure's eyes narrowed. "I bury it, but it's still there."

Observing the faunus with analytical eyes, Azure debated his next move. He wanted to help, not do or say something that might make it worse. 

"Is that so? How do you know that?" He asked, hoping he could get more from her, keep her talking.
"What, you think I can't hide something like that?" Rember snorted and gestured towards Beacon. "Every single student at this school is a killer in one way or another. It looks different on every person, but if we were all incapable of killing we wouldn't be in this field. Grimm, humans, faunus, it doesn't really matter where you've come from or how you got here, if you haven't killed something or someone yet, you will at some point. I just happen to have done it already, and learned that I don’t mind doing it in the right circumstances."

"Mmmm, alright, you do have a point," Azure admitted. 

Every Huntsman and Huntress had to be prepared to take a life in this job, regardless of who, or what it belonged to. 

"Rem, tell me this: have you taken a human life before? No faulty dust, no third party, it was by your decision alone," he asked carefully, steeling himself for what she might say.
Rember refused to make eye contact, staring at the ground. She crossed her arms over her torso and remained silent. That was all Azure needed, and a weight tugged at his gut. 

Looks like we have a lot more in common than I thought.

Frowning in contemplative silence, an idea surfaced in Azure’s mind. Choosing his next approach he pondered the best way to articulate his message.

"You know, killing another person is something I've known how to do for a long time. Hell, I had to, so I could live," he began. 

Rember didn’t appear to be paying much attention, but one of her large, triangular ears was angled towards him so he knew she was listening. 

"Out of all the things I've learned till now one of the biggest is that killing Grimm and killing people are two very, very different experiences. 
"I had my first kill when I had to save Wisty-Wisteria from a Beowolf during the 'sifting of the numbers', so to speak. I was only twelve," Azure reminisced, delving into his memories. "Though, twelve seems to have been the age for me 'cause that's when I had to take someone out too. At first it was surprisingly easy, but as I see it now killing monsters is different from killing people."
"It's terrible that you had to kill so young, but I'm afraid I don't agree with you on your last statement," Rember said, shaking her head sadly. "People are monsters, just like the Grimm. The only difference is that we are capable of kindness as well as evil."
Azure drew out a long sigh. 

"And you really believe that?" He asked. "Then what does that make us, Rem? What does that make you, a person who's killed someone because you chose to? Or myself, who's taken the lives of adults and children without a second thought? What are we then?" 

He concluded his statement with a firm tone, fighting to quell his emotions. He would not accept his friend punishing herself as if she’d committed the same crimes he had. She didn't deserve it!
Rember's eyes were hard as she stared into the distant Emerald Forest. "It still makes us killers, Azure. The only difference is that most of the time we don't let it define us," She replied, finally turning to meet her partner's gaze. "Azure, every time I'm in battle I aim to kill or incapacitate as quickly as possible. I always tell people that it's just my fighting style, that I don't want to get into a prolonged confrontation, and sometimes that's true, but most of the time?" She sighed, closing her eyes and rubbing her temples. "Most of the time it's because if I don't get it over with quickly, I'm afraid of what I might do."
Azure's eyebrows pulled together as he tried to deduce what she was saying. "What do you mean?"
The fox girl's ear twitched, the way it did when she was nervous. She looked away again, and started massaging her shoulder unconsciously. Azure realized that she did that a lot when she was in a rough spot. Now he knew why. 

Rember let out a deep breath, "I have a morbid fascination with killing. I...oh, I don't even know how to explain this. I just...have this problem, I guess. When I'm in battle, I don't just want to defeat my opponent, I want to toy with them. I want to see just how far I can push them. I want to see how much pain I can cause before they finally crumble, and gloat as the resignation sets in, and the realization of how helpless they are enters their eyes!" A strange hunger appeared in Rember's own brilliant greens, and she shook her head irritably, squeezing them shut. When she opened them again her eyes were cold and indifferent. "If that doesn't make me a monster, I don't know what does. I can't control it all the time, and to be completely honest I don't always want to. It’s exhausting to hold it back all the time."
Azure took his time processing the news. This was a whole new side of Rember he’d had no idea existed. After a moment the boy broke out into a quiet, dry laugh, Rember’s cold gaze snapping to him.

"Heh, having bloodlust? Believe me, I know. I mean, look who you're talking to: the infamous 'Nightmare'," he joked half heartedly, trying to invoke some sort of positive reaction from Rember. 

If it worked, he couldn’t tell.

"See, Nightmare was the codename given to me while in Black Claw. And soon he became a part of me. First he was just a voice in my head when I was fighting, and he got louder whenever I lost control. But then he became an entirely separate persona, an entity that eagerly awaited bloodshed. And he's always been there, lurking in the back of my head and urging me to take it a step further when my opponent’s on the ground…that last part sound familiar?" The half faunus asked dryly.
Rember maintained her silence, but Azure’s empath ability told him she understood perfectly.
"Thought it would," Azure stated flatly. "Rem, believe me when I say that I know what it feels like to be scared of what we would do if we let ourselves off the chain." The boy scooted a bit closer, feline eyes focused. "I fight every day to keep my inner evils at bay, hoping that somehow, someday, I'll be free of this...this inner demon. I've let myself fall before, and it took too much to put me on the path of light. I know someone who has the exact same curiosity as you, Rem, and he‘s the same man that I have to stop because he has no problem with letting his twisted pleasures run rampant.” 

Azure paused, letting his last statement sink in. 

"Rem, people can be bad, there’s no denying that. But if you’re just going to blindly assume that everyone is evil then why are you at Beacon?"
Rember picked at the grass in front of her with a frown. 

"Because she would want me to be here," she whispered after a moment, her eyes watering. 

She wanted to say more, but there was a lump in her throat. A familiar smiling face swam in her mind, and Rember found herself fighting a sob. 

"I'm a monster, Azure, a murderer. I'm just trying to-to use that darkness in me to take down other monsters. Because she would want me to do that. But she was -she was always so scared of them...oh, what would she think of me now?" Rember gasped, letting the tears fall.

Shifting onto one knee, Azure frowned sadly.

 "I don't know, Rem. I'm not her. I can guess though, 'cause I had a sister too, ya know?" he offered gently. 

Rember's flooded eyes sparked with some emotion Azure couldn’t read, and this time it felt wrong to use his empath ability on her. 

"If it were my sister, I think she would've understood that I did what I had to in order to survive,” the archer continued, “and regardless of all the unforgivable things I've done, she would have forgiven me in a heartbeat because that's just who she was. I meant the world to her, and nothing could ever change that. Heh, even when she was being a smart mouthed brat." Azure felt a nostalgic grin sneak on his face for a moment before recomposing. "I have no doubt that your own sister feels the same way. And I know she doesn't think you're a monster. I bet she loves you just as much now as when she left."
The streams around the girl's eyes flowed harder. "But I-" Rember started before Azure placed a hand across her mouth, silencing her.
"No. No more of that," Azure ordered gently. "You want to know what I see in front of me?" He asked. 

The fox blinked and sniffed. Lowering his hand, Azure continued.

"I see a girl in pain. Someone who’s gone through terrible trials and horrible losses. A girl who, in spite of everything that has happened, still has the strength to smile. A girl who carries the weight of other people’s actions on her shoulders as punishment, and makes them three times heavier than they actually are.

“You're no monster, Rember. Monsters forget about all the evil they've done. Monsters relish the pain they create. You and I haven't forgotten. We feel guilty about what we've done. But most importantly: monsters don't cry for the wrongs they've committed." 

With uncharacteristic gentleness Azure reached over and wiped away Rember’s tears, shocking the fox girl. She stared at him with wide eyes, salty discharge still clinging to her lashes. 

"How do you do it?" she asked, voice hollow. "How can you be so calm after all the wrong you've done?"
“Heh, I wouldn't say I’m calm,” Azure chuckled, his eyes contemplative while he scratched the back of his head, "I guess I just choose to be this. It’s either this calm or it’s the opposite, Rem. The only advice I can give is to just keep doing all you can. That's all I can do. That’s all anyone can do. Find a reason to keep living." 

Getting to his feet, Azure brushed off his clothes. 

"I'm also gonna ask you the same question I asked Lynn: Why are you a Huntress? If you can figure that out, I think you'll be able to find peace. Not just for what happened with your sister, but for everything."
Rember blinked, her eyes slowly shifting back to their usual light. 

"What're your reasons?" she inquired, her voice also returning.
Azure responded immediately with a smile. "Honestly? Still not a hundred percent sure. But if I had to pick....To find redemption for my sins. And because I promised Lynn I would, and I don't plan on ever breaking that promise." 

He offered his friend a hand, pulling her to her feet when she took it. 

"As for why I fight as a Huntsman?" Azure said, smile widening. "I just feel like it's the right thing to do."
A familiar ringing sound went off, coming from Azure's pocket, and the boy pulled out his Scroll.

'Have news regarding Reaper. Come when available. ~Junior'

Eyes widening, Azure stuffed the electronic handheld back in its previous place. He could do that in a bit. 

"Anyways, you have a lot on your mind, and I bet you want some space for a while. I've said my piece, so here," the boy placed a small pouch of Rember's favorite cookies in the fox girl's hands, closing them over the confectionery. "In case you get hungry while you're out here."
Rember’s eyes looked down at her hands before flicking back up to a departing Azure. 

"Where are you going?"

The boy turned around. 

"Something's come up and I need to take care of it. Don't worry, I'll be back soon," he replied reassuringly. "Feel free to let me know when you've got your thoughts in order and we can practice my dancing or something!" 

With that Azure turned back to Beacon, a smile on his face. 

After a moment of looking between him and his gift, his partner managed a small smile as well.

Chapter Text

Earth crunching under his shoes, Azure let out a loud sigh as he strode into the treeline of Forever Fall. It was early evening, the sun’s light shining orange through the high treetops. The soft music of leaves dancing on the wind and the sound of bird calls met his ears as he walked. He needed to think, and this was the quietest place he could go. The school was too loud, and offered too many distractions. The city always buzzed or hummed with activity. No, the forest was the best place to go. After what he’d learned from Junior, he needed time to mull things over.

“ So? What did you find?”

“Take a seat. You want a drink?”

“Pass. Just give me the info I need, and I'll be gone.”

“Alright. My source is still a little shaky, but if what they're telling me is legit, then your friends have been pretty busy.”

“Doing what?” 

“Reaper seems to be recruiting people from all corners of the continent for something. Couldn’t find out what for. But it sounds like he’s got a base of operations out in Mistral somewhere, and the creep has his most trusted, uh, confidants? Running the joint until he gets back. Also said that they're still lookin’ for someone. Almost feel bad for whoever it is.”

“Yeah, almost. You got all this from one source?”

“Well, don't quote me until I can confirm everything, but for now that's all I got.”

“So are you telling me that he's got an army out there?”

“All I'm saying is that you should watch your back.”

Stopping in an open glen, Azure decided to break for a bit. What Junior shared was the biggest lead he had. But now he needed to figure out what to do with the info. Should he tell his team? What would happen if he did? He may have the knowledge, but the source was hazy, unreliable. Did he wait for confirmation? What was the next step?

Azure could feel the beginnings of a headache, and shook his head to clear conflicting thoughts. Out of habit he activated his empathic sense, sweeping the area for any hidden threats. Forever Fall had a large number of Grimm inhabiting her expanse, and one could never be too cautious. Letting his senses branch out, Azure was relieved to find no beasts of darkness lurking in the immediate area, but his curiosity was piqued when he located a solitary presence perched in the treetops nearby. Azure paid the person no mind, and continued his break; it didn’t matter to the young man why they were there.

After a minute, the spiky haired archer reflected on what had happened earlier in the day with his partner. Azure really hoped Rember would be able to bounce back from her shutdown; but he also knew it would be up to her to figure out when she would be okay. The boy sighed bitterly, shaking his head again. It was pointless to get worked up about it. What’s done is done. He would just have to figure out what to do about it later… 

Quietly, Azure made his way to a small, round clearing. Inspecting the area he observed a small pond on his left, a cluster of bushes on his right with a big tree looming over. Stopping under said tree, he let the shade cool his skin, the whistling of the wind dancing into his ears and relaxing his muscles.

He was tired. Tired of the stress. Here, in the isolation and freedom of calm, Azure could finally take a moment to truly breathe. He cared about his team. But his heart was still most comfortable by himself. It was so soothing to him, he didn’t even realize his eyes were growing heavy. The world around him veiled into silent darkness, and Azure didn’t fight as the weight over his eyelids pushed them closed.

“Azure, take your brother and sister, and get out of here! NOW!”

Blinking a few times in shock, Azure watched his mother kill what was known as a ‘Grimm’. He had just almost abruptly met his end when the cat faunus that birthed him used her impressive scythe to cleanly slice through what he was told was an ‘Ursa’. Mustering what little courage he had, the young boy did as he was told and took one of each of his sibling’s hands and ran. Even when he didn’t hear the snarls of Grimm and metallic clangs that signified their mom was still fighting, he kept going. All around him, the town was ablaze. The unbearable heat hurt his face, and the smoke practically made him blind as he tried to lead his two younger siblings through this hellscape. But he wouldn’t allow himself to slow down. He was too scared to stop.

Not even an hour ago, the boy, with his family, caught sight of a faunus protest happening in the town square. They simply ignored the rally, as they had no desire to get involved despite all of them possessing faunus heritage. But before the family knew what was happening, the protest had gone extremely foul. Due to this, the town of Yukihana, which was the only place they called home, was quickly turning to ashes. Even as the chaos started, their mother, a Huntress, tried to quell the incident with a few other of the residential Huntsman. The pale boy thought everything was going to be fine...but soon, the monsters came. Those horrifying, nightmarish...things. 

Grimm. 

The beasts of shadow had come in so fast...and Azure had watched so many people die in seconds. Now their home...their entire world ...it was being destroyed right in front of them. As it stood, there was only one thing he could do now.

Find a safe place to hide.

On Azure’s left, a little girl with black hair cried out for their mom; and at the same time, a slightly older (but still younger than Azure) boy was sniveling in fear on his right, his cat tail expressing  his own distress. 

“Go back! We can’t leave mommy!” the girl pleaded, her eyes red from crying and her small black cat ears lying flat against her head.

“We can’t.”

“But she needs help!”

“I said we can’t .” Azure emphasized, not slowing down. 

Suddenly, a Beowolf came crashing through one of the many burning houses, a blood red stain on its maw and claws. Azure’s siblings cried out in terror, and the elder brother led them off the main road into an alleyway. The monster came chasing after, snarling, its claws making chilling scraping sounds on the pavement. 

Azure’s lungs screamed for respite, but the half faunus ignored their cry. He had to somehow give the Grimm the slip. There were a plethora of hidden areas in the labyrinth of alleys they used for games, but the boy didn’t know if any of them would be still in one piece. Not to mention the growls of the monster hot on their heels weren’t getting any quieter. But no matter how scared he actually was, Azure kept a brave face for his sibling’s sake. Rounding a corner, the three kids saw a familiar, inconspicuous hole in the foundation of an abandoned building, the destructive flames leaving it untouched for the moment. Not seeing any other option in sight, they quickly ducked inside, stifling their ragged breaths as best they could. Once settled, Azure looked through a tiny peephole in the stone wall, gaze glued to the happenings just beyond the aging barrier. Just outside, the Beowolf had caught up only to find its prey gone, the beast’s howl of rage so harrowing that Azure’s sister covered her ears while she was curled up into a ball. The monster didn’t give up however, its pointed ears swiveling around whilst sniffing at the air, and warily stalked on. 

Once the beast was out of sight, Azure took in a long, yet muted breath.

“You okay?” he asked his siblings. 

Eyriss rushed over and hugged her eldest brother tightly, sniffling in fright. Jet moved closer as well, the trio huddled together.

“What are we gonna do, brother?” Jet asked, magenta eyes hoping for a way out of this ordeal.

Azure was speechless. He had no idea. If they left this spot, they’d be killed by Grimm. But if they stayed, the building might catch fire and kill them as well.

“I’ll...I’ll think of something…”

“Azure, I’m scared…” Eyriss whispered.

“...Me too.” Azure admitted, “But.... Remember what mom told us: As long as we’re brave, the monsters will leave us alone.”

“But I don’t think I can be.”

“Of course you can.” the boy assured his sister, putting on a smile for his sibling’s courage, if nothing else. “You and Jet are even braver than I am. You saying I’m wrong?”

Eyriss blinked a few times in amazement. Azure thought she was brave? She didn’t feel like she was...but if Azure said she was, then it must’ve been true! With rekindled valor, the cat girl shook her head. “No. I am just as brave as you!” she stated.

“...M-Me too!” Jet joined in, his own courage saved by the display of his other siblings.

Seeing his brother and sister hopeful again filled Azure with determination. He’d make sure that they’d get out of here okay. That was his job as the older brother. But he also knew just how much of a pinch they were in. With so many Grimm surrounding them, all of them wouldn’t get far...however…

“...Listen,” the pale boy started to explain, “I’m going to find Mom and Dad, while I draw the monsters away. Stay here, and don’t come out until Mom, Dad, or I come back.”

“W-what?” Jet asked in disbelief, “You’re gonna leave us here??”

“I’m getting help, Jet. I’ll be back. Promise.”

While the noiret cat boy grimaced with doubt, Eyriss wholeheartedly believed in her eldest brother’s words. With a resolved nod, the girl pulled out a trinket in her hair, placing it in Azure’s hand.

“Take it.”

Gazing at his open palm, Azure took in the details of the small butterfly hairclip. Ignoring the sounds of Grimm and fire just outside their protective space, the young boy looked to his little sister, Eyriss, with questioning eyes.

“But this--”

“It’ll keep you safe.” the small girl stated, her black cat ears tall and all earlier fear put aside. 

Amazed at his sibling’s bravery, Azure took one last look at Eyriss, and his brother, Jet. Steeling himself, the pale young boy held tightly to his sister’s most prized possession, steeling himself for what he was about to do.

“I’ll be back.” the boy promised, not looking back as he ran out of their hiding place and into the inferno, the howls of monsters sounding right behind him and giving pursuit to their reemerged prey.

Azure’s eyes shot open, nerves in his body sending out a violent jolt. The young man had to steady his racing mind, shaky breaths escaping his mouth slowly becoming steady. The evening glow had darkened into twilight around him, and the half faunus cursed himself for falling asleep in a place like this. And to top it all off, it just had to be that dream. The nightmare that wouldn’t leave. 

Seven years. It had been seven long, agonizing years since that night. And just whenever he thought his mind would release that painful memory, it kept clawing its way back to prick at his subconscious. Maybe a part of him didn’t want to forget.

“...I should get back.”

No sooner as the boy got ready to return back to Beacon, a ring was heard from his scroll. Azure nimbly drew it into sight, seeing Jad’s icon on the screen.

“Hello?” he answered upon picking up the call.

“Hey, Pasty. You on your way back?”

“Yeah. Was just about to be. Would’ve been back but got…sidetracked.”

“Such is life,” Jad’s voice nonchalantly replied, “Think you can delay that return trip for a bit?”

Azure raised an eyebrow, and Jad continued.

“I’m in town. Wanted to pick your brain for a bit. Just the two of us.” Jad explained. 

Azure blinked. His friend didn’t carry his usual jovial tone. He agreed, and after a quick goodbye once obtaining the address of where his teammate was, the young man in white took in a breath and headed off, the distant cries of Grimm beginning to carry along with the wind. He opted on taking the public transit carrier back into the kingdom instead of walking the whole way. By the time he got there and found a seat, the last signs of evening dissolved into night. 

The return to Vale passed by quietly. Sleeping away the wait crossed Azure’s mind but quickly rejected it. Darkened forest wheeled by outside, and it wasn’t until the pale yellow glow of street lamps drew his attention forward that Azure took note of where he was going when stepping off the aircraft. Meandering onward to the heart of the city, Azure triangulated where he was, and how to get to the address Jad sent him. First place was the commercial district. Azure kept the bulk of his attention on going the right way, but in doing so noticed the odd thing or two. Dust prices had nearly tripled on the signs of stores that sold it. The streets were not as lively, and many that were out seemed to be doing their best to get their business done, and get home.

People have gotten more uneasy… Azure thought to himself. He remembered the news of the city’s manager mysteriously passing away, along with the strings of Dust robberies that authorities were tying to Roman Torchwick, and possibly the White Fang. And if the White Fang were really involved…

Azure shook his head. No, he’ll get the truth about Creed’s and Wisty’s involvement in it soon enough. No need to assume.

The streetlamps and illumination inside the rectangular buildings around the young man began to stretch out their lights as more of the well trodden parts of the city passed by, businesses with shipping trucks parked into docking bays of their respective warehouses replacing them. Azure checked his Scroll again; The place would be in sight soon.

He found it standalone. It wasn’t a large establishment, placed in a weird transitional point of the commercial and industrial districts. The place itself was made of weathered brick, with a dark gray metal roof. Muffled music could be heard within, the words The Jangled Man written in green neon sitting atop the entrance. All surrounding buildings (which by the looks of it weren’t many) had darkened windows save the occasional pane signifying the unfortunate soul burning the soon to be midnight oil. Putting his guide away, Azure advanced his way inside. Passing through the foyer, the halfbreed blinked as his eyes adjusted to the lighting, surveying the interior.

Its layout seemed inspired by its position in the city. It looked like a hybrid of a dive bar, and a jazz club. The faint whiff of cigarette ash permeated the furniture, and a slow, but practiced tune on the piano tucked in the corner filled the ambience. And alone at the bar, back to the world, sat Jad, cradling a glass of some sort of drink. Azure smoothly approached his friend and took a seat beside him.

“Hey. I’m here.”

 Jad didn’t acknowledge his leader's arrival, continuing to eye his drink. At this point the bartender, a mountain of a man with ginger hair and a beard, came up to the new arrival.

“What’ll you be having?” he ventured, polishing a glass. Before Azure could answer, Jad spoke up, gaze still to his glass.

“He’ll be having the usual, Thor.” the redhead answered on his leader's behalf. With a swift nod from the aforementioned man, the same drink Jad nursed slid into the pale haired boy’s hands. Azure blinked at it, unsure. The boy slowly ventured a taste.

It was ginger ale.

Letting go of a breath he unknowingly held, Azure took a larger sip, enjoying his friend's favorite drink. The boys let the quiet between them hang, the calm piano soothingly playing away.

“So… '' Azure broke the silence, “Is this where you disappear off to?” he asked, and Jad took another drink.

“One of many,” the redhead answered, his energy levels low, “Consider this one our private island.”

That statement got a snort from Azure. “Whatever you say. It’s nice.”

“Mm.”

“How’d you find it?”

“Before. When I wandered.”

Azure nodded.

“So. Pasty.” Jad glanced over, “How we doing?”

“Hm? In what?”

Jad cracked a grin. “ How we doing? ”

“Again: In what?”

Jad’s smile only got wider, and Azure sighed in defeat of this game his friend decided to play. The team lead took a moment to think.

“Still thinking about what happened with Rem earlier…along with other problems that have come to our team because of me and my past…” the boy admitted openly; he didn’t have the energy to be guarded anyway. “I guess I'm just feeling…tired.”

Jad nodded, processing the information. “Like the other night you and Foxy dipped out of the blue after dance practice?”

Azure felt a twitch in his gut.  “Yeah…”

“Mind sharing what that was actually about?”

Taking a sip of his ginger ale, Azure hummed in agreement. “Wisteria. The girl I talked to you and the girls about? She and I had a…talk. I found out she’s been spying on us.”

“Oh? She’s the one you were talking about with the magenta-ish hair and pink eyes, correct?”

“Mhm.”

“Ahhh. I think I might have spied her out of the corner of my eye once or twice. Guess that explains it.”

“And of course you didn’t say anything…”

“What? And scare your lady friend away?” Jad teased wryly, “ I could tell just from a glance what she was there for, you charmer.”

Heat rushed to Azure’s cheeks before the young man could try and stop it. “It…It isn’t like that, Jad,” he tried to retort calmly, but the fedora wearing biker knew he was just trying to hide his embarrassment. 

“Oh yeah? You prefer the sword over the sheath?” Jad ventured, his crooked grin turning devilish.

“Excuse me?”

“Ya know. Dudes.”

“ I–What??”

“Cause if you were, and had the hots for me, I’d be highly flattered. Don’t swing that way, but flattered!”

“ No!” Azure almost shouted, taking a second to collect himself from further embarrassment. “No, I’m not ‘ into swords’.” 

“Ahh. Well there goes a chunk of your fanclub.” Jad teased further, and after a moment of Azure giving his friend a bemused stare, the pair of boys broke into a shared laugh. They both finished their glasses of ginger ale, and Thor immediately hit them with a refill as their fit of chuckles quieted. 

Azure found himself staring into the fizzy hue of the drink before him. When was the last time he and Jad spent time together like this? Ironically enough, the redhead seemed to share the same thought.

“It’s been a long time since our last solo hangout, hasn’t it, Pasty?” he asked, voice returning to what it was earlier. “Not since…well...”

“...Yeah. That was a long time ago.”

“You know I looked for you. After learning what happened.”

“I know.”

“Life was Hell after that, no doubt.”

Azure lopsidedly shrugged. “A version of it.”

Taking a big swig of soda, Jad placed a hand on his leader's shoulder. “You made it, though. That’s something to be thankful for.” he said reassuringly. Azure cracked a small smile, only for it to vanish.

“Till the Hell decided to follow me and affect more than just myself…I know we pretty much ironed this out, but I’m really sorry I had to mix all of you guys in this mess.” he muttered, and Jad poked him in the forehead, earning a quick “Ow.” from the spiky haired half faunus.

“No no, Master Archer, “ Jad scolded, wagging a finger, “Time for that has passed. You’ve shown us just how much you’re willing to do your role as leader. Now it’s our turn to do ours. I’m sure the girls would shoot down the stupid thoughts just as fast too.”

A single snigger passed through Azure’s lips. “Right. Take care of them, and they’ll take care of us.” he commented, remembering the conversation they had not too long ago.

“Precisely. And just like I told you when we were snot nosed ankle biters: Scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.” 

The boy’s clinked their glasses together in solidarity. Suddenly a thought passed Jad’s mind, and it earned a small chuckle from him.

“Lookit us. A bunch of kids that had to grow up too fast. Great hand at life huh?” he said dryly, and Azure nodded in kind. For a good space of time, the friends sat in jazz filled ambience, nursing on their drinks and left to their own thoughts.

“I got a thought for you, Pasty. Regarding small, shy, and shapely legs.”

Azure raised the highest of an eyebrow, “You mean Wisteria?”

“Aye. My gut tells me not to burn that bridge yet. I know you and her are on weird terms, but you were close right?”

Azure nodded.

“Then who knows?” Jad ventured, “She might not be entirely happy about the situation she’s in, either.”

The paley clad half faunus hummed in contemplation. It could be possible. But remembering their last conversation made it hard to know if there was anything to salvage from their previous friendship. If you could really call it a ‘friendship’. And yet, a part of him wanted to believe that what they shared during that time in the White Fang was a real connection. Even when it was muddled by survival instinct and based in shared trauma. Before he could get too lost in his own brain however, Azure’s attention was grabbed by a guitar riff acting as Jad’s Scroll notification. Nimbly pulling it free from his jean pocket, he read the message and just as quickly stashed his electronic away.

“Gayle says Foxy is sleeping now. Seems you really wore her out, my dude.” the boy ragged, breaking into impish laughs when Azure sighed at his innuendo.

“Really? This again?”

“Aww c’mon, Pasty! Our women are the epitome of attractiveness. You saying you aren’t even the littlest bit interested?”

“No. Besides, Rem deserves someone better than me.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Well what about you, Casanova ? Just what’s your excuse for not looking at Gayle in that way?”

“Eh, she’s more of the little sister I never had. Plus I think she’s sapphic.”

“I–Wait. What? How do you figure?”

“With an eight!”

“Jad…”

“Think about it,” Jad explained, “for the entire time we’ve known her, I can count the amount of men she feels comfortable around, let alone interacts with, on one hand. That’s not just timidity in my book.”

“Still, that’s a big claim without concrete evidence.”

“Yeah? Fifty lien if we can confirm it.”

“Seriously? Betting on our teammates' orientation?” 

“Why not? We can throw Foxy in there too.”

Azure rubbed his eyes, resigned. Worst part was now that Jad had brought it up, he was undeniably curious about it. “Fine,” he caved, “But if they find out about it, both of us we’ll be either shocked or laser-fried.”

“A worthy risk.” Jad mused. Slamming back his ginger ale, he paid the bill for both him and his team lead, getting to his feet. “Excellent elixir of life tonight, Thor. Just like always.” he complimented the bartender, the latter nodding in acknowledgement. Azure followed suit, thanking them for being served. Stepping out of the building, the cool night air swept over the boys as Jad stretched out his back.

“Jad?”

“Myes, Pasty?”

“Thank you. For the outing.”

“Any time, dude. Just lemme know when you need to get away from the crazy. It’s always more fun drinking with someone.”

“Guess we should get back then?” Azure asked, and Jad hummed in agreement. 

“Don’t want to keep the wenches waiting. Plus the hammock beckons to my soul.”

“I thought you said Rem and Gayle were ‘the epitome of attractiveness’.”

“Oh shaddup, smartass. You know what I meant.”

Chapter Text

The afternoon sun was bright overhead while Wisteria aimlessly walked around the city. She would go for these outings when she needed to think, and for this one she wasn’t alone. A small, fluffy kitten mewed while the young woman cradled them, alternating surveying its surroundings and its carrier. Wisteria found them on the side of the street, and before she knew it the small animal was safely ensconced in her arms. 

Wisteria had always liked animals. They were so much easier to be around than people. Not to mention being cute, and they reciprocated affection given them, though she would sometimes have to convince a stray or two she didn’t mean them harm. But it was worth it, having a small furry friend to hold and take care of helped her process her inner feelings, and ever since coming to Vale with Creed, the need to have animal contact only strengthened. 

Azure Knyte. The young man weighed on Wisteria’s heart and mind since they first met. So much grief was tied to him. She wished that wasn’t the case, but nothing seemed to lift the burden. She had never stopped thinking about him after he left her and Creed, something to this day the young woman couldn’t understand. 

Wisteria scratched the kitten’s ear, going off the sidewalk and down an alleyway while she began to wistfully reminisce. Azure and Creed were the only thing close to family she had on this earth, and she cherished them both. They looked out for each other, as they were the only people in the White Fang they could count on. They weathered horrible trials, and paid for their lives in blood, some of which belonged to friends they’d lost along the way. Wisteria felt she owed those two an unpayable debt. But now the trio were fractured, and she had never felt more alone. Azure had left her and Creed after an incident between the two boys spiraled out of control. She still remembered patching up Creed while he told his end of the story, though it broke her heart to hear it. Now, Azure was back. And the worst part? It looked like he had moved on. He seemed happy. Calm. More than he ever was in Black Claw, and that tore deep into her being. She wanted him back in her life. To be close like she always felt they were, but…would that make him happy? Creed seemed to think so, as he was just as adamant to get Azure back into their lives. So she would continue to follow the snake halfblood’s lead.

At least, that was what she believed she was going to do. But recent thought’s of her last encounter with Azure only made things more complicated.

“Leave the White Fang and Creed behind.”

That line looped inside Wisteria’s brain. When Azure said it, her immediate reaction was to reject it. But time gave it staying power, and the half faunus kept mulling it over. Made her ask herself a few things, like was what Creed told her two years ago really how it happened? And if it wasn’t, what would she do with the truth? 

Did she even want to know?

Wisteria shook her head in an attempt to clear her brain. Stupid, of course she did. But…maybe a part of her was afraid to find out. She also owed Creed just as much as Azure, and the former kept looking out for her in the interim. That meant more than Creed probably realized, knowing his…idiosyncratic views. She would stay with the snake boy while the two of them worked to get their friend back. Then everything could go back to normal. It had to.

The kitten mewed for Wisteria’s attention and the young woman took note of where her feet led her. The meandering took the two of them out of the alleys and backstreets, and now stood at an entrance to a small park. It was a hidden glen of flora in the towering structures of concrete. It was decently maintained, the flowers and shifting trees symmetrically dotting the manufactured soil beds. It was a mesmerizing find, and Wisteria decided to let the kitten explore this new area, gently placing it down. The feline looked back up at its carrier before bouncing its merry way forward to the gardens. Wisteria quietly giggled at the cuteness, perking up her mood. She followed after it, but stopped when she realized they weren’t the only ones present. A young man was sitting on a bench covered by shade. A tall wolf faunus with black hair. The boy wore a distracted look while his eyes were glazed over. Wait, she knew him…

Lupin Grey. The leader of the second team the White Fang sent to infiltrate Beacon Academy.

Wisteria continued her approach, curiosity winning over unsurety. 

“Hey, Rosy?”

Roslie glanced curiously over at Sonara, the pair of friends walking down one of Beacon’s main hallways.

“Is it me, or have you noticed something’s been happening?” the brunette pondered aloud, blue eyes meeting Rosalie’s purple.

“Hmm? With what?”

“Team KRME!”

“Oh? What makes you say that?” Rosalie asked. Sonara took a moment to gather her line of thinking.

“Well,” she started, “I think the first moment of noticing something was, like, the beginning of the semester? Remember that week Azure was gone for basically the entire time? Rember and the others looked really sad, but none of us felt comfortable going to see what was up.”

Rosalie hummed; She did remember. Valerie was a bit sore after she was the first, possibly only, one to venture the situation and was immediately met with cold words from Azure at his return. They did seem to make up after that however, as the leader told them her and Azure would be going to the big festival dance together in the near future.

“After that,” Sonara continued, “ they always seem busy after classes doing…whatever it is. It just caught my attention, that's all.” 

If Rosalie had thoughts, she kept them to herself. The pair of young women walked out of the main lobby of the school and along the exterior main avenue, surveying the commotion upon them.

Since the beginning of the new semester, students from the other three Huntsman academies across Remnant had traveled to Beacon to celebrate the Vytal Festival, trickling in spurts so as not to overwhelm Beacon’s staff at housing the equivalent of three whole schools worth of students in one day. The first arrivals from Haven, Shade, and Atlas Academy had all arrived between semesters, every class becoming melting pots comprising all four academies. Some old familiar faces had shown up from Haven that Rosalie and Sonara recognized as well. They caught up in their off time, yet one certain individual hadn’t taken the trip yet. Which was why the duo of huntresses-to-be now dutifully watched the second arrival of Haven’s student body. Over the course of a few minutes the sea of bodies thinned, small entourages at a time. 

Sonara squinted for a sign, a tell, of familiarity. The uniforms Haven students wore were solid black, save white accents in strategic areas. Made gatherings of them surprisingly disorienting if just focusing on a large proceeding in motion. Onward the sea of monochrome ebbed past, waiving and greeting as politely as they could. They stayed until what they thought was the last person came into view, and Sonara visibly deflated in disappointment. 

“Huh. I guess he didn’t make it…” Rosalie mumbled, sharing her partner’s emotions.

“He said he would be in this group though.” Sonara claimed, “He and his team!”

“I know, Sona. I know. We can see if we can get a hold of him when we go back to the room, okay?”

Sonara groaned in unhappy protest. “Can we wait just a bit more, until the ship heads out? Just in case?” 

Rosalie nodded after giving it some thought. There they continued to wait, still hopeful. 

To their joy, the girl's patience was rewarded.

Stepping down the ramp, lost in his own world, was the individual both girls eagerly awaited to arrive. Charcoal black hair wafted in front of his hazel brown eyes in the late summer breeze. Sonara and Rosalie both knew this young man well, and the former kicked off the ground in a full tilt sprint.

“JUUUUUUUUDE!” the brunette shouted at the top of her lungs, every elongated step shaking the ground and kicking up dust.

In an instant, the young man snapped his attention to the oncoming human projectile. His eyes widened in alarm, arms raising in an attempt to make Sonara slow down. He could barely get the beginnings of a dissuasion out before the smaller girl made contact, literally jumping the last few feet, crashing into the boy, and sending the pair of them flying through the air for a good few seconds before coming down in a thunderous crash.

Rosalie sauntered hurriedly towards the sprawled out bodies. Sonara had gripped the poor lad in the tightest vice of a hug she could muster, giggling merrily. ‘Jude’, however, looked like he had the stars knocked out of him. Rosalie promptly pried her partner off the noir haired boy, helping him recover to his feet.

“Ow…” he mumbled, “I almost forgot what those felt like…”

“Hmhm~ Sorry Judas,” Rosalie giggled lightly, “She felt like speaking for the both of us. It’s great to see you! You okay?”

Judas forgot the momentary pain wracking his head when Rosalie shared her concern. He reflexively dusted himself off and cleared his throat, nodding. Sonara was positively bouncing with energy, and Rosalie smiled warmly.

Judas Arany. Rosalie and Sonara had known him for almost half their lives. Rosy had met him shortly after Sona had newly integrated into the family, on account of her finding the two in the middle of a street fight. She remembered having to patch both of them up and scolding them for causing such a commotion. Sonara knew him for even longer, when she was still a street urchin. The three teens basically grew up together, which is why when both Sona and Rosy left for Beacon, it made them a little sad Judas wasn’t able to attend with them. However, Judas was put in with a recommendation from his mentor to be able to attend Haven, even put two years ahead of the standard age requirement of seventeen. Now they were back together, and all was right with the world again.

“Took your sweet time, Jude!” Sonara teased, “What kept you??”

Rosalie didn’t miss the troubled look that crossed the boy’s face at that question, but it was gone as soon as it came. “I, ah, had business to take care of. But I’m here.”

“Alone? I thought you’d be with a team…?” Rosalie asked, glancing around for any others that were possibly looking for him. No sooner had she started to, three new faces appeared on the approach. A short wolf faunus, no taller than Sonara, reached them first in a hurried run. The girl’s lavender hair was long, matching the fluffy tail that trailed from her behind. Her bangs were styled in a way it covered a part of her face, hiding one of her maroon eyes. A black newscap atop her head, and black and red striped stockings adorned her legs for personalized flair.

“Oh my gods, Judy! Are you okay??” she asked anxiously.

Hearing what the girl had called their friend, Rosalie and Sonara shared a curious glance.

Judy?

“Yeah, Kazuki. Just an…old ritual between friends.”

Kazuki blinked in confusion, and the other two members of Judas’ alleged team caught up to their other half. R-ritual? This is normal? She internally pondered. The small young woman quickly peered in the direction of one of the members; her own childhood friend. She remembered how many times he had bonked her on the head whenever they would talk. On second thought… It's not so bizarre considering our interactions.

“Look at that. Arany got bodied by a girl smaller than him.” A young man with a dour look on his face bluntly mocked, adjusting some sort of dial on the pair of bulky headphones covering his ears. Judas glared lightly at the jab, shooting back “We’re basically the same height, idiot…” but straightened as the other, a wolf faunus as well, twitched his ears and grinned, a frivolous air about him.

“My my, Judy. You’ve been holding out on us! Just when were you going to tell us you had two lovely girlfriends?” he commented coyly, watching as the other boy beside him rolled his eyes at his impish flirting. 

“Judy??” Sonara and Rosalie commented simultaneously, and Judas flinched at hearing the despised nickname.

“Thank you, Flynt. Now they know too.”

“Any time, bud!”

Sighing, Judas gestured to the three teens before them. “Rosalie, Sonara: these are my teammates from Haven. The girl is Kazuki, the taller one is Flynt, and the shrimp in headphones is Shuichi.”

Shuichi’s frown deepened, glaring. “We're basically the same height, jackass.”

“Yeah, Noriker? I’m younger than you, so what’s your excuse?”

“Screw you, that’s why.”

“You first, Asshole.”

Judas cracked a satisfied smirk as Shuichi flipped him off, further adjusting knobs on his headset. 

Wow. And I thought Azure could be a bit cold… Sonara thought to herself. Shuichi suddenly glared at her with his slate gray eyes through unkempt ash black hair, which caught her off guard. Did…did he know what she was thinking?

Kazuki let out a soft sigh, eyeing Shuichi to ease up, shrugging lightly when he scoffs and looks away from them all clearly tired of the company. Yup, that's about what I'd expect from Shuichi.

“Right then!” Flynt exclaimed, clapping his hands together to grab everyone’s attention, “Best not to take all day. I’m sure we have accommodations waiting for us, and team SRET must be feeling lonely.” the boy maneuvered to address Rosalie and Sonara, putting on his best friendly smile. “We here on team NFMA would be eternally grateful if you lovely girls could guide us across such unfamiliar grounds.”

Rosalie bowed her head. “We’d be happy to,” she accepted, Sonara happily nodding along with her, “The rest of our team are waiting for us as well.”

“Brilliant! Lead the way, o rosen gilded maiden!” 

As the team followed in suit, Kazuki couldn't help her curiosity. She wasn't too experienced with friendships, aside from Shuichi, and now Judas and Flynt. Fellow friends of her similar gender wasn't something she'd found easy to achieve. Most girls found her natural beauty intimidating and her quiet, timid demeanor as a sign of being stuck up. Watching Judas, the girl couldn't help but wonder if this was what it was like to have girl friends. 

They had fallen into conversations, most of it was muffled by her own thoughts of course. But she couldn't help her eyes flickering between the two girls, hastily that is, out of fear of being caught staring. Rosalie, I believe is her name. She has very beautiful hair, such a nice shade of pink. And that outfit! So vibrant, I could hardly begin to picture myself wearing so much color. The smaller girl, Sonara, has so much energy, but she seems rather nice. Her eyes flickered back to Rosalie, noticing a small detail she had missed as a slight breeze danced across, dragging some of the girl's pareo along with it and revealing a section of her thigh that wasn’t covered by her undershorts. Wait… how is she okay with that much skin exposure? I certainly hope she doesn't wear this getup during the cooler months, truly illogical she'll freeze. 

The six teens, led by Rosalie and Sonara, arrived in the heart of Beacon Academy. Just like the pink haired young woman claimed, Valerie and Kyra were waiting for them. The leader of AMBR waved them down, a friendly smile gracing her beautiful face.

“Heya, Sona! Rosy! Were these the friends you mentioned?” the leader of AMBR questioned.

Technically, they said ‘friend’. Singular. Kyra dryly commented internally, taking her own time observing the new faces. 

“We are indeed!” Flynt affirmed, putting on his best smile. The slender faunus smoothly moved ahead of the pack, oozing charm. “Most that know me call me Flynt. But you… You can call me whatever you like, ladies~”

Kyra could feel vomit churning in her stomach. Valerie, however, took the flirting in stride, cracking an entertained grin. “You don’t say, handsome?” she reciprocated, raising an amused eyebrow, “Anything~?”

“If it meant hearing your voice, anything.” Flynt commented smoothly, eyes sultry. Valerie drew close to meet his gaze with one of her own. To the onlooker, it looked as if they were seriously into each other.

“Oh gods, there’s two of them…” Shuichi snidely mumbled under his breath, shaking his head as Kyra slid next to him, sharing in his aura of intolerance. The white haired girl patted him on his shoulder, and if it improved his mood, Kyra couldn’t tell.

“Tell you what,” Valerie sweetly told Flynt, taking a finger to trace the details on his uniform's top, vivid red eyes mesmerizing. “I know exactly what I’m gonna call you, sweetie~”

Kazuki could feel her hyperactive brain begin to short circuit and cheeks flush red in secondhand embarrassment. Staring at the two young adults in sheer disbelief, she couldn’t fathom what was going on before her. They were being so…so bold! How on Remnant were they doing this?? Beside her, Judas could barely hold his own fits of laughter in. Even Shuichi watched in fascination. 

Flynt, however, could feel his practiced persona begin to slip. Usually he’d be shot down or the receiver would react in a way he had anticipated. Valerie hadn’t just reacted unexpectedly, she actually took the gilded quips and built upon them. That, in particular, he wasn’t ready for.

“O-oh really?” he posited, doing his best to appear unfazed, “Well, don’t leave me in suspense.”

Intently, Valerie’s finger went up Flynt’s sternum until it rested at the tip of his chin, her vibrant crimson eyes studying him while she coyly smiled. She held him there, the wolf faunus forgetting to breathe.

“Mmm…never mind.”

Valerie abruptly withdrew and strode back to the academy, and Flynt blinked. She only stopped to drink in the stupefied look on the tall boy’s face, her impish grin widening when hearing Sonara’s hearty laughter at the antics.

“I’m Valerie.” she threw over her shoulder as the rest of AMBR began following their team leader, “Try not to be too sore about the teasing. Okay, Pebbles~?”

Flynt stood motionless, gobsmacked. All he could do was watch as the first girl matching his antics strutted away with the rest of her group. Judas, no longer keeping it together, hurt his stomach from laughter tearing its way out of him. Shuichi cracked a smile, a rarity so sparse you could call it mythical. The boys followed after AMBR and past the tall faunus, and after Kazuki gave Flynt a consoling pat on his shoulder, they caught up. The small group of teams mingled while moving into the school proper, with the exception of Shuichi and Kyra comfortably distancing themselves from their chattier teammates. NFMA did their best to familiarize the new area while AMBR gave them the grand tour.

Lupin looked out at the gardens without really seeing them, his mind muddled. He held a pencil in his hand and a small sketchbook sat in his lap, open to a blank page. 

The meetup with SWAN had been odd, to say the least. Seeing his sister defer to someone who wasn't in charge of her was weird, she usually refused to let anyone take her role as leader, but that wasn't it. Something about Creed set his nerves on edge, and he couldn't quite place a finger on what it was.

Something hit his leg softly, and Lupin looked down. To his amusement he found a small, fluffy kitten batting at the hem of his jeans, focused on a loose string. He watched for a moment as the silly creature played, rolling on its back and revealing its tummy. With a laugh, Lupin leaned down and ruffled the kitten's fur, earning a few surprised squeaks.

“What are you doing out here all alone?” he asked it.

The kitten sat up, happily bopping its head against his hand. It purred loudly, clearly pleased with his attention.

A nearby rustle caught Lupin's attention and he looked up, surprised to find the semi-familiar form of Wisteria Dawn watching him from a small distance away.

“Hey,” he greeted with a wave. “What's up?”

Wisteria cocked her head, confusion flashing across her face and awkwardly raising her hand.

“I don't know if you remember me, I'm-”

“Lupin. I remember.”

Lupin smiled and got to his feet, tucking his sketchbook away.

“How're you doing?” he asked, walking over to her.

“Fine.”

Concern flashed across Lupin's handsome face and he frowned.

“You don't look like you're fine,” he commented. “Is something wrong?”

She kept watching him, the silence stretching on.

“No,” Wisteria said eventually. “Everything's fine. I was just thinking.”

“Me too,” he admitted. “Everything's been a little crazy since getting here, hasn't it? Especially with the tournament coming up. Lasair’s ecstatic for team matches to start up, I think he wants to show off. Are you guys competing at all?”

He offered her another friendly smile, not put off by her awkwardness. Lots of people were awkward when meeting new folks.

“No,” Wisteria told him, “I don’t think so.”

“Bummer, I'd love to see Starr get her butt whooped,” Lupin laughed.

Wisteria's eyebrows drew together slightly. “Why do you want to see your sister lose?”

Lupin shrugged. “We're not on good terms and I know it would tick her off to lose. It's fun getting under her skin sometimes. If she lost a Vytal Tournament match it would give me ammo for ages.”

“Oh. I see.”

There was a loud meow, and they both looked down to find that the fluffy kitten had followed Lupin and was now sitting between them looking up with yellow-green eyes.

“Back for more attention?” Lupin laughed, crouching down to pick the cat up. “You're worse than Aeryn.”

The kitten didn't care, rubbing excitedly against Lupin's jacket and purring away.

“Heh. Silly little thing,” Lupin said fondly. “You like cats?”

He looked back to Wisteria, whose eyes were on the feline.

“Yes,” she said, and Lupin gently gave the kitten back to her. Once the feline resettled, she studied the boy quietly. “...Why are you here?” she asked after a moment.

Lupin chortled, plopping back on the bench. “Contrary to popular belief,” he commented, “even I need time away from people.”

“Really?”

“Well, while I admittedly enjoy sightseeing secluded areas for fun, I wasn't really in the mood for it today.” 

The joke earned a small giggle from Wisteria. It was a nice change of pace for Lupin, having an innocent conversation with someone new. The small girl, whenever he saw her, seemed tense behind the air of disinterest she projected. Maybe it was because Starr tried carrying herself in a similar matter, but when Wisteria did it, he could tell she was attempting to hide her feelings. About what, he didn’t know.

“For real though, I…appreciate my team, but they can be a lot. So I’ll find a place like this. Be with just me for a while.”

“I…kinda get it.”

“I bet. So,” Lupin gestured to the empty space on the bench. “Feel free to voice your thoughts.”

Wisteria analyzed Lupin. She decided to take up the offer, daintily sitting down and petting the kitten. The woman didn’t feel comfortable looking at Lupin directly in such close proximity, so she focused on the small animal. Lupin noticed her meekness, but didn’t pay it any heed, resuming his doodling. Time passed by quietly, the wind blowing through the trees, and the scratches of pencil on paper filling the void.

“I…” Wisteria said eventually, trying to find the words, “I don’t know what to do.”

“What about?”

“...Someone close to me and Creed. We lost touch a long time ago, but they’ve come back into the picture.”

Lupin halted his scribbling. This rang an uncomfortably familiar bell.

“An old friend?” he asked.

“Mhm. We tried reconnecting…but I don’t think they want anything to do with us anymore.”

“What makes you say that?”

“I tried some time ago talking with him on my own, but…it didn’t go well.”

“Oh…I’m so sorry, Wisteria,” Lupin consoled. “I get how you must be feeling.”

“You do?”

Lupin leaned back in his seat as he nodded, twiddling with his pencil. “That’s actually part of why I'm out here today,” he admitted, “I’m facing my own consequences of a falling out with someone.”

The news took Wisteria by surprise. What were the odds they had similar problems? 

“What happened?” she asked.

“Oh, it’s nothing you need to worry about. It’s my cross to bear.”

“Try me.”

“No, no, it’s okay.”

Wisteria pouted at Lupin’s attempted dissuasion. The glare she gave him chipped away at the wolf boy’s hesitation, raising his hands in defeat. Closing his sketch pad, Lupin took a deep breath.

   “I got close to someone while being a scout for new members,” he recounted. “ We met at Sanctum Academy, back in Mistral. At first, what stood out to me was how much of a little gremlin she was. She instigated a lot of things we both should’ve gotten in a lot of trouble for, but…I didn’t care. It was the most fun I've ever had.” 

“She sounds…interesting.”

“Haha. Yeah, she made life vibrant for me. Looking back, that time we spent together was the best time of my life.” Lupin admitted nostalgically, smiling slightly before a regretful frown replaced it. “But she didn’t want to be a part of the White Fang, and they punished her for it when I told them.”

Wisteria’s gut twisted when she heard that. A mew from the kitten snapped the woman’s attention to it, realizing she had reflexively held the animal a bit too tightly for its liking. She apologetically petted it until it was content again.
“Sorry,” Lupin amended, “I guess that isn’t a story two White Fang member’s should be discussing, huh? I just…don’t really have someone to talk to about this kind of stuff. Not anymore.” 

Wisteria shook her head. “No, it’s okay.” she assured, “I…I know of the White Fang’s cruelty and hypocrisy.”

Lupin blinked in surprise at the venom in the girl's voice. It was intimidating, and the wolf faunus wasn’t expecting such vitriol. Admittedly, he didn’t know much at all about the girl beside him, or Creed. They seemed like a packaged deal, but when he decided to look into their history, the young man couldn’t find anything. No one in the brotherhood seemed to know them, and the leaders up the chain of command dismissed his inquiries on the basis of “unnecessary for the mission”. All he could learn was what was shown to him, and what he'd just learned was that there was more faunus hurt by the very group championing the ideal of ‘equality’ for their people. 

“I’m sorry, that’s awful to hear,” the boy consoled, “hard to believe there used to be a time when this would never have been tolerated…”

Wisteria cocked her head quizzically. “What do you mean?”

“Well, I’ve been a member basically all my life. I’ve seen what the White Fang used to be, and…what it's become.” 

“Oh. I’ve only been a part of it for five years.”

Lupin nodded, archiving another piece to the puzzle that was Wisteria in his mind. 

“Was this friend of yours with you and Creed in the White Fang?”

“Mhm. We were initiated together.”

“I see. And then he left. Did he ever say why?”

“No. He didn’t say a word before he disappeared. He even seriously hurt Creed when he tried going after him.”

“Woah. That’s…woah.”

“I know that sounds bad. I do,” Wisteria admitted, softly caressing the kitten, “But even now, I still want to believe the boy that helped Creed and I when we were in need is still there.”

“He’s really important to you, isn’t he?”

Wisteria paused. She managed to nod as pink flushed to her cheeks, and Lupin grinned warmly.

“Then as one with a similar struggle,” the young man commented, “see if you can find the time to try to mend broken bridges again. Get his side of the story. There might never be a ‘right’ time for it, but if it's important you'll make the time for it.”

“A-alright,” Wisteria agreed, “but in return you should try to do the same with yours!” the small girl imposed, and the boy agreed.

Suddenly, Wisteria’s Scroll began to ring. Putting it on speaker, she answered with a soft “Hello?”

“Wisteria! My favorite doll!” a familiarly boisterous voice greeted from the other end. “How goes the wandering?”

Lupin felt a frown creep onto his face. Creed.

“It’s fine,” Wisteria answered. “I’ve been with Lupin.”

“Lupin?? Oh, Lupin!” Creed exclaimed, “How nice of him to keep you company. Is he still with you?”

“I am,” Lupin said curtly.

“Ah! Hello there, friend! Listen, I hate to take such good company away from you, but Starr has a mission that she and Wisteria are going to be running. We need her back, pronto.”

“You don’t say?”

“Indeed I do! Top brass are getting the girls to go to that festival dance that all the school members go to, or whatever. Starr has the full details for her.”

“Really?” the lupine questioned. “If that’s the case, why haven’t I gotten something similar in regards to having my own member join them?”

“What? They haven’t told you yet?” Creed asked, sounding genuinely shocked. “Talk about weird. Maybe they thought we’d relay the info to you, and we’d collaborate. Regardless, I’m sure you can talk with your sister and work something out.”

Lupin hummed. Something about this didn’t sit right.

“I’ll be back soon, Creed,” Wisteria promised.

“Spectacular! Don’t keep us waiting, doll! Oh, and Lupin?”

“Yes?”

“Thank you. For watching out for one of my favorites. I’d love to spend some time with you and pick your brain, when you’re free!”

“I’ll…keep you posted,” Lupin answered, not bothering to hide his unenthusiasm.

 “I’ll hold you to that! Ciao!”

One electronic beep, and Creed’s voice was gone. Wisteria tucked the Scroll away, petting the kitten with mild disappointment. She wanted to spend a bit more time with it, but duty called. Getting to her feet, she handed the small creature to Lupin.

“I gotta go,” she stated.

“Alright. I’ll keep this little one company until they feel ready to leave,” Lupin assured her. Wisteria turned to start heading out, but the wolf faunus quickly called her back after remembering just what he had been sketching. In one quick motion, he deftly tore out his sketch and handed it to the younger woman. Upon seeing the image, Wisteria’s eyes widened, and Lupin’s smile grew the biggest it had been that day.

It was a drawing of Wisteria and the kitten. Lupin had captured them sharing a moment of serene calm. 

“Th-Thank you,” Wisteria whispered, touched.

“You’re welcome. Think of it as a little gift between new friends.”

“We’re…friends?”

“Of course! You’re pretty easy to talk to, so I'd love to have more of these moments with you.”

Wisteria smiled. After giving Lupin a final goodbye, the young woman made her way out of the garden, her scarf flapping softly behind her.

Chapter Text

Azure let out a long sigh as he shifted his tie around whilst looking at his reflection.

...I’m actually doing this...? He asked himself, grimacing a fraction while looking at his outfit in the mirror. The boy had just put on a clean black suit with sky blue accents, with a crisp grey under vest and cobalt blue tie. He looked like someone who worked at one of those ritzy restaurants, and it bugged him. 

Tonight was the night of the big dance. The entire school had been buzzing about it for the better of over two weeks, and Azure couldn't have been more restless. The young man wasn't big on public events, and it stressed him out more than he liked (though he did his best to hide it). And to add on to his anxiety, he also had a date. Something he had zero experience in.

"Oh relax, Azure."

The half faunus turned to see Rember giving him her signature grin. The girl was finished dressing up for the event, and Azure's eyes subtly widened with astonishment.

Rember wore an ivory dress with black, flowery details across the middle, elbow sleeves, and bust. A black ribbon was tied around the waist, and the skirt itself was cut off at her mid calf. The fox faunus' ochre hair was glossy and stylized, and wore an appropriate amount of cosmetics that accentuated her already beautiful face.

"Woah." Azure managed to reply after a moment, "Rem, you look great." 

"Hehe, thanks!" She chimed happily, giving her dress a small twirl. "Not looking too bad, yourself. Val is gonna love you." She said playfully, to which Azure's grimace hardened.

"Dear me. What a fine specimen of man.” Jad teased, “It may be difficult for humble men, such as myself, to outshine you.” The tall young redhead looked quite dapper, with his black vest overtop a white dress shirt with a green and gold tie. A pair of black and white, wing tipped dancing shoes were tied properly on his feet, and a golden chained pocket watch threaded through his vest and sat snugly in one of the vest pockets. His signature black fedora sat atop his head, and wore his green leather gloves.

Azure smiled awkwardly, "I seriously doubt it."

"Aww, come on! Then what was the point of the rest of us--but mostly me *eherm*--teaching you how to dance like a stud? To impress the ladies, right? Or I guess in this case, the lady." 

"No. I just..." Azure trailed off. Why did he agree to learn? It certainly wasn't to impress Valerie, and he never had any desire to learn before. What else could it be?

"I just...didn't...I don't want to have my first... date ...to be a complete bomb, I guess." Azure mumbled conclusively. It was the only logical answer he could think of. 

Jad patted his friend on the back reassuringly, smiling wryly. "Well look at you! Being all gentlemanly in regards to your date!" He commented cheekily, Azure looking away in mild embarrassment.

"Bossman is a lot of things, but I think we can agree he isn't a complete jerk." Gayle commented with her own smile, brushing off her knee high green dress. The faunus' auburn hair had been cut short earlier that day, the wavy locks now stopping just past her shoulders. Rember was the one who took the role of the barber, and enjoyed doing the deed a lot. Jad had passionately protested the shearing, but Gayle assured him that it'd grow back rather quickly. Something about it being a side effect of her semblance. And to top off her outfit, the lizard girl adorned her legs and feet with black flats and stockings.

"Gee, thanks Gayle." Azure mumbled with a hint of a sarcastic smile.

The team collectively chuckled to themselves. After it quieted down, Rember noticed the time, nudging her partner to get moving.

“Better go! Don't want to keep your date waiting~” she teased lightly.

Azure forced a nod. “Right. I'll see you there.” The boy stated, making his way out.

As he softly closed the door, the half faunus took a moment to calm his nerves. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, leaning against a wall. There wasn't anything to be nervous about. This was supposed to be a fun time. All he needed to do...was relax.

“Alright...here we go.” Azure whispered, letting all the tension ebb away as he left the dorm building. 

It didn't take long to reach the ballroom. Ignoring the obvious sounds of music and crowds, Azure remembered when they used it as a temporary place to sleep before initiation. Now that he thought about it, that day seemed like a distant memory. Even if it was only around half a year ago.

Azure checked the time. The dance started a little while ago, and he agreed with Valerie that they would meet up around now. He knew he was a few minutes early, but didn't mind waiting. 

Looking around, the half faunus took in the sights for a moment. It was quite a beautiful night. The pale face of the moon was high above his head, with almost no clouds floating in the dark blue sky. The young man felt himself smile when the cool air touched his face, the sensation calming his nerves. He had always liked nighttime; ever since he was little. He, Jet, and Eyriss would play games in the evening, and his mom would usually get home from missions at night. However, he had different reasons for liking the evening now...

“Hey there. Hope you haven't been waiting long for me…”

Azure perked up when he heard a familiar voice behind him, turning around. 

“He--...Valerie??” He asked in disbelief at seeing the young woman in front of him.

“Hehe, don't act too surprised. It's like you didn't think I'd show.” The girl teased, an all too familiar coquettish air around her, and Azure went wide eyed.

 Valerie looked completely different compared to her usual. Her long sliver blue hair was pinned up in the back, with the two hair curls that had sat on either side of her face straightened out. Her bangs had been styled to the left, which made her deep red eyes stand out even more. And lastly, a shimmery dress of pale lavender and dark grey was her choice of wardrobe. The skirt stopped between her ankle and knee, and a corset was tied around the waist. The only way that Azure could describe her was...well…

She looked gorgeous.

Before the boy could articulate, Valerie spoke up. “Uh, you okay? Kinda spacing out there.” she asked.

“Huh? Oh! Y-yeah…” Azure fumbled, snapping back to attention. “I just couldn't help noticing you look...uhm...different...”

Valerie raised an eyebrow before laughing to herself. “That's all? Boy, you sure know how to charm a girl.” 

Azure's face tinted pink. Trying to brush it off as best he could, the young man put on a cool smile.

“So… shall we get going?” He asked, extending out his elbow just like Jad showed him during one of their lessons.

Valerie flashed a pleased grin, accepting the gesture by interweaving her own arm. 

“Lead the way.” she replied happily, and the two entered.

“Woahhh, this is great!”

“...Can't you tone it down just a bit? We're in public. And do you really need all that food?”

“But it's all so good~!” Sonara stated blissfully as she continued to gather small bits of food from the buffet. Kyra did her best to be tolerant, watching her teammate dart about in her sage green dress. Rosalie was off dancing with some young man she didn't know, and Valerie was with Azure. So that left her alone with Sonara... Fantastic.

“Hey you two.”

Both girls perked up, looking over to who called them. 

“Oh, Rember.” Kyra addressed when she saw the fox faunus walking over to greet them, along with Gayle and Jad.

“Heya!” Sonara greeted jubilantly.

“You just get here too?” Gayle asked, looking over at the sea of dancers.

“No. Got here before Val did.”

“Yeah! So she and Az can have some fun alone time-- Owww!! Hey!” Sonara suddenly yelped in pain as Kyra elbowed her in the shoulder.

“Don't be stupid.” Kyra said flatly, a disapproving frown on her face, “God, you need to get a filter…”

Jad could barely hold back a venomous grin, wanting to mess with Azure and his date due to the new info. Pushing down the urge, the tall boy cleared his throat. “Speaking of which, where are our two love birds?” He pried, looking around the hall. He then quickly spotted the two on the dancefloor, and the redhead smiled. Good ol’ Pasty seemed to be doing pretty good, and Valerie looked like she was having fun. The pale haired boy soon noticed the five of them watching from across the hall, and nodded his head. Jad gave him an open smile, wink, and an ‘OK’ hand gesture, watching his friend lead his dance partner smoothly around the ballroom.

“Heh heh...my work is done.” Jad grinned, folding his arms in satisfaction.

“Uh, don't you mean our work?” Rember added.

“Hey, hey, I did most of the teaching, Foxy.”

With her teammates now going back and forth… again, Gayle slid over to the other two girls. “So...you guys planning on doing a lot of dancing?” she asked.

“Oh, you bet! ” Sonara exclaimed, “I love dancing!”

“...Not really my thing.” Kyra mumbled, looking off at something else. “I only came because everyone else wanted to.”

“Wait, are you saying you don't know how?” Jad piped up, gliding over and taking the girl gently by the hand, getting down on a knee. “Cause I will gladly show you…” the boy said smoothly, putting on a comically charmful look.

Kyra felt an irritant frown creep onto her lips. “No thanks.” She stated flatly, retracting her pale hand and walking off by herself.

Jad shrugged his shoulders as he got to his feet, Rember snickering to herself.

“So...what now?” Gayle asked her two teammates.

“Just have fun! It's our night off!” Rember replied happily, going towards the dancefloor.

“Hmhm…”

Hearing a quiet giggle, Azure looked down to see a contentful Valerie, the young woman smiling to herself as the two of them danced. “What?” He asked, curious.

“Mmm? Oh, nothing.” Valerie assured, “Just enjoying the moment...”

Nodding to himself, the boy went back to observing around the hall, only to have his attention back on his date when she spoke up again.

“You know, I didn’t think you were a dancer. Hehe, not that I’m complaining.” The bluenette teased lightheartedly, red eyes filled with happiness.

Azure felt himself awkwardly chuckle. “Well, I did have a great teacher…” He answered, gesturing over at Jad. Both him and Valerie shared a laugh at the sight of Jad dancing with Gayle, the two of them appearing to have a fantastic time experimenting with different dance moves. 

“Ahhh, ok. So that’s why .” Valerie said to herself. Azure then spun her out into a twirl, curling back into her original position quickly after. “Still,” She continued, “you have a knack for it. Just like all the other stuff I’ve seen you do.”

“What do you mean?” Azure asked, slightly intrigued.

“Well, what else could I mean? You’re amazingly talented! You’re one of the best fighters I’ve seen, you make the best baked goods I’ve ever tasted, and now I find out you're a pretty good dancer!”

“Ah. Well, that last one is a new one for me too.”

“So I’ve gathered… Mind telling me more?”

“Huh?”

“I’m try’na get to know you, oh elusive one.” Valerie teased in her signature voice of playfulness, “Make conversation.”  

“It’s...a bit of a long story.”

“Oh, come on!” the girl urged, “Tell me! Please? I get you’re not exactly a ‘talkative’ person, but indulge a curious girl for a while…” she pleaded, putting on a rather impressive set of puppy dog eyes.

It surprisingly worked. Like the girl wanted, a pang of guilt struck Azure’s core. He didn’t want to spill everything about his past to her. But now that he thought about it, he hadn’t said anything about himself except to his team; Rember knowing the most. It had been a few months since the beginning of the school year, and while he didn’t feel close to Valerie...she wasn’t a bad person. It wouldn’t hurt to at least get properly acquainted. Plus, the young man promised Rember that he’d try to make an effort to let people in. But...how to word it…

“Alright.” Azure agreed, to which Valerie smiled, pleased she persuaded her dance partner.

The young man took a breath before continuing.

“Guess I should start at the beginning. I first started learning swordplay and archery from an old teacher, who also taught my mom. It’s also where I met Jad.”

“Oh~ So that’s how you know each other! But...I remember Jad telling me that he hadn’t seen you in a long time...”

Azure nodded. “He’s not wrong.” he continued, “The time I spent with him was short. I’m glad he still remembers.” the young man suddenly frowned, face disheartened, “...I know I didn’t...”

Concern flashed momentarily in Valerie’s crimson irises. “What do you mean?”

“My home...it got destroyed by Grimm when I was young.” Azure explained, “I lost everything...”

“Oh. Oh wow. That’s…I’m so sorry.”

“It’s fine.”

“Is it alright? If I ask about them I mean?”

“Oh. Uh, okay…” Azure answered. He didn’t expect Valerie to keep pursuing this particular conversation. “...I had a brother and a sister. They were younger than me. Both our parents were Hunters, and we lived in a modest settlement near the Sanus-Anima sea, called Yukihana. I...still think about them. Sometimes.”

A moment of silence passed between the two dancers, and Valerie picked the conversation back up.

“What happened after that?” she asked.

Azure contemplated for a moment, sweeping away lingering somber thoughts. What was harmless enough to share next...

“...I was taken in by a mercenary and his acquaintance. They’re the ones who gave me the rest of my weapon training.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, but the mercenary died a long time ago.”

“Oh...What about the other one?”

“I...actually, I dunno.” Azure admitted, “I never saw her again after Nyan--the merc passed away.”

Valerie was enthralled. Part of her wondered if this was the first time he was talking about this sort of stuff. While she always had a gut feeling there was something in this boy’s past that wasn’t happy, she was finally starting to understand just how much Azure had gone through, even if it was only a small fragment.

Azure slowly spun Valerie around a few more times, continuing his tale once they returned to their former position.

“After that...I met and grew up with five other orphans. I was actually the best cook, so I ended up making most of the meals for all of us.”

Valerie bobbed her head with realization. So that’s where he got his cooking from…

  “And...what happened with them?” She inquired soberly. If her pattern recognition was any good, then chances were these other people from Azure’s past probably weren’t doing too well...

Azure paused. “...Three of them are gone. The other two...I lost touch with years ago.” the young man concluded.

Valerie felt her heart sink.  “Oh. I’m...so sorry. I had no clue about any of it.” she apologized sincerely. “You’ve been through so much… I know it must’ve been horrible.”

Azure caught the tone of sadness in Valerie’s voice on her last statement. There was something there. A spark of empathy in her words. Nevertheless, he shook his head softly and put on a smile in an attempt to dissuade his date’s melancholy. “Don’t worry about it.” the young man assured, “It was a long time ago.”

Abruptly, the music ended, changing gears to something more upbeat.

“...Still want to talk?” Azure posed.

“If you’re still up for it?”

“Sure.” Azure looked around for a moment. “...Maybe somewhere a bit...quieter though?” he asked. If he really was going to have a lengthy chat with this girl, he’d rather do it in a place he’d be more comfortable in.

A warm feeling replaced the dread inside Valerie’s chest, and she grinned happily.

“Okay.” She replied.

“Whew...Time for a quick breather…”

Jad got himself seated at a table in the corner of the ballroom, sipping a cup of punch all on his own. He needed a moment away from all the exertion. Ever since he started teaching the team how strut their stuff on the dancefloor, Gayle took to dancing spectacularly well. Since the two were partners, their synergy made any dance they did fun, and it was fantastic to have a dance partner just as passionate as he was. Of course, all the moves they were experimenting with called for a lot of physical strength on his end, so the young man needed one song to cool off and re-energize. Not to mention, he had something planned especially for this occasion. Something that involved a special someone.

Eyes peering through the masses, the young man searched for her.  And then, there she was. The school’s stern, yet breathtaking combat professor, Glynda Goodwitch. The woman in glasses was off on her own, watching the party as a spectator. She was so close...yet, so far away. And just like always, she looked spectacular. In all honesty, he had no issue if the rest of the team thought it was weird. The more mature the woman, the more appealing.  Within reason. 

Ever since that one detention after the bet with Azure, he had fallen for this sharp woman; both personality and appearance. The young man didn’t care if she acted indifferent. Tonight she would see him, one way or another…

Quickly slamming back what was left in his glass whilst mustering all of his gumption, Jad got to his feet and casually placed himself behind Goodwitch, putting on his best charismatic smile.

“So… What’s a knockout like you doing in a place like this?”

Glynda jumped at hearing a sudden voice behind her. “Excuse me?” She asked in disbelief, spying a tall redheaded boy with a ridiculous grin. Wait...She knew this young man...

“Quite the night, huh?” The young man responded, acting coy.

It was Jad Eclipse. One of the members of Team KRME, and a destructive troublemaker. She recalled having to send him to detention more than a few times for unprecedented acts, including punching a fellow student through solid stone walls in defense of his partner. And now he was here.... 

“...Mr. Eclipse, you must know that this is an event for the students. What on earth are you doing talking to me?” Glynda probed, wanting an explanation as she folded her arms.

Jad took a minute, appearing to think hard about how to answer. “Well, I've been holding out all night to dance with the prettiest girl here…” The boy explained.

Glynda raised an eyebrow. Why was he telling her this? 

“So...go find her.” The teacher said.

Jad’s eyes stayed captivated by his instructor's face. His head leaning slightly to one side and a gentle smile casually betraying him. 

“I did.” he stated amiably. 

Away from all happenings, Valerie and Azure continued their little chat. The both of them were on the second level of the ballroom, where it was a little bit quieter (and devoid of people at the moment). So far, Azure had told the young woman quite a fair bit; more than he’d ever told her since they’d met. She’d learned more about how he trained and became friends with Jad, a little bit about some of the old friends he had. 

“So Jad has secret hideouts all over, does he?” Valerie said, glancing over at her date. “Ever wonder about finding out the rest?”

“No. That’s one mystery I don’t need to answer.”

“Hmhm~ I bet Rember would be all over that treasure hunt though.”

“Possibly..”

Laying his gaze down below, Azure cracked a smirk at a humorous sight. The team leader spied Jad waltzing with Glynda, the redhead, grinning like a fool and not even trying to hide it when large groups of the other dancers glanced over at the two. The teacher seemed to be composed, if not for the hint of pink in her abashed cheeks and annoyed look in her eyes. Azure could sense her feelings of vexation, and he and Valerie shared a quick laugh. 

“Ya know, Jad’s always either really daring, or really dumb.” Valerie commented, grinning.

“It’s both. Although, now and then, he surprises you with wisdom you wouldn't guess he had.” Azure replied, thinking back to their talk in the cafeteria courtyard. A brief moment passed and the two broke into laughter again. After quieting down, Azure returned his attention to the girl beside him. ”Hey,” the young man posed after a second, “Since I’ve been the only one sharing, why don’t you tell me a little bit about you?”

The girl’s red eyes widened a fraction. She didn’t think Azure would really care to reciprocate her inquiries. Nevertheless, this made her pleasantly surprised.

“Like what?” She asked, putting on a friendly smile.

Azure shrugged. “Guess we’ll start with the basics. I actually don’t know that much about you either.”

“Oh? And who’s fault is that for being too busy with training and school and being chased around campus by all the girls that you miss out on getting to know a pretty face?”

“Ha. Funny.”

Valerie let out an amused giggle at the unimpressed response before getting recomposed. “Ok, ok. Seriously, ask anything you like.” she started again, subtly sliding a little bit closer to her date.

Azure pondered for a moment. Better to start small…

“Favorite color?”

“Uhm...lilac purple. You?”

“Emerald green.”

“Ooh, that’s a nice color. Next?”

“...How many in your family?”

“Well, there’s my parents, me, and my two elder sisters.”

“You have siblings too?”

“Yup! Vivian and Vesta. Vi is a Huntress that travels a lot, so I only hear from her occasionally, and Vesta is part of the Altesian military. Think she got promoted to First Lieutenant not too long ago…”

“...So do names that start with ‘V’ a family thing, or…?”

“Hehe, I dunno.” Valerie shrugged, “It’s...just how Mom named us.”

Azure watched the girl beside him closely. Her voice carried the slightest hint of saudade when she mentioned her mother. It was parallel to when they were dancing earlier. Still, it didn’t feel right to ask her about it; as he could tell it was an obviously sensitive topic. The young man slowly nodded his head, devoid of further questions, and found his eyes wandering towards the dancefloor momentarily before returning to his date.

“So...” he said, “I’m drawing a blank. Anything else you got? Or...” The young man put on a friendly smile, leaning over the railing. “Should we head back down for a few more songs?”

Valerie blinked a few times, unconsciously fiddling with a strand of hair. Azure rarely smiled. No, check that: The girl knew he smirked occasionally, but he almost never showed an expression that wasn’t reserved or downplayed. All she really knew of this young man was the stoic, quiet loner persona. So when he put down the guise and started acting...well, nice, it made her heart melt. Yes, the young woman had experienced feelings like this with other guys she was interested in, but nothing like this. She wasn’t sure if Azure intentionally knew what he was doing, but the young man was acting uncharacteristically charming tonight. 

Was...this what he used to be like…?

 “S-Sure! I’m up for it.” the young woman eventually managed to answer, forcing her hands to stop playing with her hair.

Azure’s smile widened, nodding his head while unintentionally making Valerie’s heart flutter again. 

“Alright then, let’s go.”

Amongst the crowd, Gayle hurriedly moved around the ballroom, searching for her partner. She just thought up a fantastic idea, but she needed Jad’s help in order to pull it off. Mostly because she wasn’t crazy enough for it to work on her own. Last she saw of her partner, he was the center of attention due to dancing with Professor Goodwitch. The young faunus still couldn’t wrap her head around why she didn’t immediately shoot him down, but whatever Jad did in order to secure a dance, she’d ask about it later. If only there weren’t so many people around, finding her partner would be so much easier! She had located everyone else she knew at this school, except her tall, spontaneous knucklehead. However, the faunus’ search soon ended, because she did find her partner. The dapper young man was off by himself at one of the tables, slouched on top of the stand while somberly eyeing a drink in one of his hands.

“There you are!” the lizard girl stated in relief, only to pause at seeing the alien look of depression on her friend. “...Hey, you okay…?”

Jad’s deep blue eyes meandered over to look at his partner, then fell back to his beverage. “...I’m just … ” he let out a sigh.

“Huh?”

“Glynda. At this rate, I doubt she’ll ever take me seriously…”

Gayle’s eyebrows pulled together as she let out a confused breath. That was why he was acting this way? “Weren’t you just dancing together?” she pointed out.

A gloomy sigh escaped the young man’s mouth. “Yeah but she still doesn’t think much of me.” he stated, “...*sigh* But you had a question. What was it?” the young man asked, downhearted.

Hoping that her idea would cheer up her partner, Gayle promptly continued. “Actually, I was just wondering if you have any ideas on how we could get some swing tunes to play.”

“Swing tunes?”

“Yeah. Cause’, well, we did practice a lot…” she continued meekly, absentmindedly fiddling with her braid, “and I think it’d be fun! But...I don’t know if they’d let us play any.”

“So...You want my help...hijacking the sound system?”

“Yeah,” Gayle concluded, “that’s pretty much it. So...can you?”

Jad took a moment to think, a look of depression still on his face. After such a hard blow to his confidence, did he have enough left in him to come back from this setback in his master plan? But wait… Perhaps this could be used to his advantage?

And then it happened. Jad got an idea. A wonderful idea. Jad got a wonderful... awful idea…

Gayle observed the abrupt change of her partner’s face, suddenly worried. What was melancholy, was eerily replaced by a look of an evil mastermind. The lizard girl knew what that meant.

 “Uhhh...Jad?...”

A cunning smile creeping onto his lips, the young man set his reinvigorated sights on Goodwitch. “That could work.”

In that instant, Jad vanished, a hazy dust cloud in the shape of the young man resting where he had stood seconds before, leaving his teammate in a state of complete bewilderment.

“J...Jad…?” Gayle blinked a few times as she watched the dirt silhouette disappear. looking for any sign on just where her friend had gone.

Rember was on her own when he found her. She was standing in the shade of a pillar by one of the windows on the edge of the crowd, watching the dancers as they swung their partners around in time to the music, all of them smiling and laughing, free, for a night at least, from the stresses of schoolwork and professors and the tournament that loomed ever nearer. The music was loud, drowning out many of the smaller sounds Rember usually would have been able to pick up on -like footsteps behind her.

"Rember?"

She froze at the sound of that voice, a thousand memories rushing to flood her mind. Scenes of breaking into the kitchen at Sanctum, of pranking unlikable teachers, of sneaking out onto the roof, of a shriek and pain in her shoulder-

"Rember, stop!"

The tide ebbed and Rember found that she was no longer standing beside the pillar where she had been observing the partygoers; she was standing inches from Lupin Grey, who had apparently been retreating backwards, with her hands balled into fists, one of them half-raised.

"Rember, calm down, okay? Just calm down, think about-"

"Shut. Up." she ordered through gritted teeth.

Lupin stopped talking immediately, watching her with wide, guarded eyes. It took a few minutes, but Rember was able to get her breathing under control and loosened her muscles individually to help her relax. She took a deep breath before meeting Lupin's gaze, which was far warmer than her own.

"What do you want?" she asked, her voice quiet and hard.

Lupin raised his hands in surrender. "I just wanted to talk." He replied. "And, if you felt up to it, I was hoping for a dance."

Mixed feelings churned inside her as Rember thought over his words. She chewed her lip absentmindedly as she scrutinized the young man in front of her.

"What did you want to talk about?" she ventured eventually, crossing her arms.

Relief flooded Lupin's eyes and he lowered his hands. "Anything." he admitted. "Anything you're willing to talk about with me."

The young woman continued to study him with narrowed eyes.

"Alright." she said after a minute. "You can have one dance. I'm not promising anything else."

Lupin couldn't help but feel a surge of triumph as he followed Rember out onto the dance floor. Despite her reluctance, she'd accepted. Maybe he was already getting somewhere. A song the wolf boy wasn't familiar with began to play. It was slow and soft, the kind of thing Rember probably liked. He remembered how she used to go to bed with headphones on so that her music would soothe her to sleep. He'd asked her about it once, and she admitted that after the attack on her sister, she always felt like she could hear the creatures of Grimm howling and growling outside her window, so she found music that made her feel calm, and used it to drown out the sounds that scared her. Feeling nostalgic, Lupin wondered if she still did that.

Rember turned to face him and he took her hand, placing his other hand on her waist. She hesitantly put her right hand on his shoulder, and they started swaying in time with the song.

"So," Lupin started after a minute of tense silence. "How's school going?"

With a half exasperated look, Rember shook her head before replying "Fine."

"Just fine? You're not acing all your exams?" Lupin pressed teasingly.

"The semester just started, Lupin, I haven't had an exam in weeks."

Was he imagining it, or was there a hint of amusement in her voice?

"Oh, right. Totally forgot." he laughed.

Rember was quiet for a minute before saying "What about you?"

"Hm?"

"What have you been up to?"

"Not much, really." Lupin admitted, letting go of Rember's waist and spinning her out. She spun back gracefully and they continued dancing. "Kind of just been hanging out. Working the odd shift on the docks."

"And leading a new team on your days off?"

He glanced down at her sharply. He'd forgotten how observant she could be at times. Rember didn't say anything, her green eyes on his face as she waited for an answer. With a slight grimace Lupin nodded.

"I guess."

She raised an eyebrow. "You don't like your teammates much?" she asked intuitively.

Lupin flashed her a brief, terse smile. "What gave you that impression?"

"Uh, your tone?" she told him. "Not to mention Goldy-cat's been glaring at me for the last five minutes from the corner, and I can't imagine you'd enjoy spending time with a person so shallow she reflects herself."

Lupin bit back a laugh as he lowered Rember into a dip. God, he missed her humour so much. He missed...everything about her.

"Alright, you caught me. I'm not overly fond of Aeryn, but she's a talented fighter. Even if she's not all that...nice."

"Hm." Rember intoned, mockingly thinking out loud. "What do you find most annoying about her? The fact that she drapes over you better than a blanket, or the way she keeps looking around like she's expecting a mirror to pop out of the ground so that she can admire herself?"

This time Lupin couldn't contain his laughter, and he was rewarded with a brief smile. For a few moments the pair danced in silence, Rember with her ears pricked as she caught snippets of conversations around them, and Lupin with a smile he didn't realize he was wearing. Before they knew it the song was over, and the couples around them were breaking up to find new partners or retire from the dance floor. To Lupin's surprise Rember didn't pull away as a new song picked up, and when she noticed him looking at her with some puzzlement she grinned crookedly and said "I told you I'd give you one dance -I never said how long it would be."

Lupin didn't say anything in return, merely offering her a gleeful smile before orienting himself to the tempo of the new song and spinning Rember out again.

The song passed without either dancer speaking, and Lupin gradually began to feel more and more optimistic about his hopes for rekindling his friendship with the girl he was dancing with. Everything was going better than he could have dreamed -especially after the fiasco in Professor Goodwitch's class. He'd known that his reappearance in Rember's life would come as a shock, but he hadn't thought it would bring about the kind of reaction it had. He didn't want to scare her, but clearly that had been the effect.

Halfway through the third song, another slow, lyrical piece, Lupin caught Rember watching him with thinly veiled confusion.

"Something on your mind?" He asked quietly, knowing she would be able to pick up his words despite the music and chatter around them.

"A number of things, actually." She replied without smiling, her voice equally quiet and strangely sober.

Inwardly, Lupin grimaced at the note of seriousness in her voice. At the same time he noticed that her hand was like ice in his and fought to keep from reacting outwardly. If her semblance was acting up her thoughts were serious indeed.

"May I ask what you're thinking about?" He ventured, already knowing he wasn't going to like the answer.

She took a deep breath before speaking again. Studying her face Lupin could see that any traces of amusement or merriment had vanished, replaced instead by something unreadable.

"I'm trying to figure out why you're here." She murmured eventually.

Lupin's heart sank, and he berated himself for believing that it would be that easy to regain her trust.

Rember's incredibly green eyes studied his face as she waited for him to say something. For a minute he wracked his mind for an excuse before coming to the conclusion that she wouldn't buy it, and that he didn't want to lie to her anyways. With a heavy sigh Lupin mentally kissed his hope of winning his best friend's confidence back away and met Rember's gaze soberly.

"I was sent here under orders." He confessed in a bitter undertone. "The White Fang are trying to find somebody, and they think he might be at Beacon."

Rember's eyes flashed and her body tensed up. "I knew you were lying." She hissed, her voice laced with a venom that rarely found its way past her musical tone.

Hurt lanced through him as Lupin struggled to find the words to explain.

"I didn't lie to you, Rember." He managed to say much more calmly than he felt. "I really have been picking up shifts on the docks, and I really don't like my team all that much. I came here because of orders, but the fact that I just told you that means I'm not quite following them."

"But you're still here because of them!" She retorted, her hand like a vice around his. "I hoped that maybe you weren't, but as long as you are I won't trust you."

Won't , Lupin thought in dismay. She said won't, not can't. She doesn't want me here.

Rember let go of his hand and took a step back, fox ears flat against her head. Her eyes were dark and narrowed again as she glared at the taller faunus before her. "This was a mistake." She told him, ignoring the confused looks from the dancers around them. "You were wrong to approach me, Lupin. Don't do it again."

She made to turn away, but Lupin stepped forward impulsively and grabbed her hand.

"Rember, please!" He begged.

She glanced back at him, and he realized that she was giving him one more chance to say something. He searched her familiar face desperately, the face he hadn't seen in nearly four years, the face he'd thought about every time he'd received new orders he hated, the face he'd dared to dream would smile at him again, and realized that though the face was familiar...something underneath it wasn't. There was something cold and broken in Rember's eyes that Lupin had seen before, but not targeted at him.

"What happened to you?" He muttered sadly.

Rember's eyebrows shot up and she snorted humorlessly. "What do you think happened to me, Lupin?" She shot back. "One month I had the best friend I could have ever asked for, and the next I was betrayed, friendless, branded, and responsible for the death of a classmate." Her stare was hard and cold as she drove her point home. "YOU happened to me, Lupin Grey. You and the White bloody Fang!"

Lupin felt her words like a physical blow and stumbled back, bumping into a dancing couple who sneered at him and swept away disdainfully. Rember made no move to help him regain his balance, instead crossing her arms and creating a tangible barrier between them.

Lupin's mind was reeling as he struggled to accept Rember's harsh words. He hadn't known the White Fang were going to brand her the way they had. He hadn't known about Rember causing the death of a classmate -the White Fang had pulled him from Sanctum as soon as his recruitment efforts with Rember proved futile. He'd failed her in a way no friend ever should, and now he feared she was beyond his reach.

Still, there was nothing to lose even if she had made up her mind. He had to try.

"Rember, I didn't know! If I had I never would have taken you there. I would have told you to stay away!" Lupin protested, praying that she would hear the truth in his words. "I didn't want to leave you, but you said you didn’t want me there, so I left! I tried, Rember!" He said earnestly. There was a lump in his throat, and he forced himself to speak around it. "I tried to help you, and you didn't let me."

Rember's breath caught in her throat and the anger she'd displayed a minute ago dissipated. Clearly she did remember, and as he waited for her to say something, anything, he pictured her the last time she'd spoken to him at Sanctum.

She was a wreck. Her shoulder bleeding where the needles had punctured it. Her hair a tangled mess, tears streaming down her cheeks. Blood seeped from cuts on her bottom lip where her fangs had broken the skin when she tried not to scream in pain. She was hunched on the floor, and when he tried to approach her, his own eyes wide with horror from the act he had witnessed, she flinched away and curled into a ball, arms wrapped around her legs like she was trying to hold herself together. He felt each of her sobs like a knife in his chest, and regretfully wished he hadn't brought this upon her.

"You okay, Bera?" He whispered, kneeling down a foot away and extending his arm slowly.

She whimpered and gasped, slapping his hand away.

"Bera, please..." he pressed pleadingly.

"Get away from me." She said in a broken whisper, turning her face away from him. When he didn't move she lashed out and screamed "GET AWAY!"

The words she'd uttered so heart wrenchingly that day had echoed in Lupin's head for months, the dreaded cry haunting him every time he thought about the friendship he had effectively destroyed without meaning to. Those same green eyes now swam before him, flooded with accusations and hurt that he now knew wouldn't be healed with a dance and one conversation.

"Rember, I-"

"No! This is how you left me, Lupin!" Rember interrupted, tears in her eyes. "This is what you did to me!"

Lupin gazed at her, sorrow threatening to consume him. He swallowed, trying to push it down and only somewhat succeeding.

"Rember..." he said quietly.

The fox girl shook her head. "Save it." She told him, stepping away. "I can't just let you in again, Lupin. I won't!"

With that Rember turned and slipped into the crowd, weaving her way through until she reached the doors and disappeared into the night.

Back on the dance floor, Lupin stared after Rember gloomily, wishing she would come back and knowing she wouldn't. A tap on his shoulder alerted him to Aeryn's presence, and he turned to his teammate silently.

"Who was that?" She asked a little too casually.

Lupin already knew what was going through Aeryn's head and almost wished he didn't.

"Just an old friend." He muttered, suddenly tired. But he knew he couldn't leave just yet. With a sigh he offered his hand to Aeryn. "Care to dance?" Might as well keep up appearances.

The cat woman smiled, clearly pleased by the offer despite his reluctant tone. Predictable as always. Lupin silently wished that Aeryn wasn't so shallow. She was capable of being kind, but most of the time she didn’t bother with it unless she wanted something. Not at all like Rember, who was kind simply for the sake of being kind. Nothing like Rember, who he wanted to run after but wouldn't unless she wanted him to.

"You look lost in thought." Aeryn commented as they danced slowly. "Mind sharing?"

Lupin frowned, irritated by the inquiry. "Yes." He said curtly. He wanted to leave.

"Well I could always distract you, if you like." She purred, her tone suggestive and inviting.

Lupin shook his head. That was the last thing he wanted. Right now he wanted to leave and find somewhere quiet he could think, but that wasn't an option. He wanted to replay the entire encounter with Rember and see if there was anything he could have done differently, anything he could avoid doing the next time.

And he needed to find some way to avoid following his orders without getting himself killed. He knew that the moment he turned his back on the White Fang, Starr would kill him simply for the sake of eliminating any doubt that she might follow her brother's example and betray the organization that had raised them. Starr wouldn't be able to live with a blemish like that on her public image.

Lupin felt himself deflate as he pondered these thoughts, mindlessly steering Aeryn through paces as they danced. His thoughts swirled and raged as he fought to push them back, and no matter what he tried to think about they kept returning to the icy grip of Rember Autumn's fingers clasped like a shackle around his own.

"Let's just get this over with." He muttered, more to himself than to Aeryn.

He couldn't wait to leave.

Starr Payle was dazzling in a sleeveless, floor length gown of jet black. She sipped at a beverage slowly, her dark eyes roving the floor below.

This entire ball was a waste of time, in her opinion. She didn't have the patience for frivolous occasions like this, but her orders dictated that she blend in with the students of Beacon Academy and their guests, so she would, though she noted the absence of Creed from the party. She also noticed Wisteria was taking extra care to not stand out, acting way too inconspicuous. Typical from the short girl; she always seemed the ‘wallflower’ type.

Starr's eyes narrowed as she picked out the familiar form of her brother on the dance floor. He seemed to be distraught about something, and it quickly became apparent that 'something' was a girl. Another faunus, in fact. If she was feeling generous, Starr might admit that the girl was pretty enough, but she wasn't feeling particularly generous right now. She rarely did. Closer inspection of the girl led Starr to believe that she actually knew who it was, though she couldn't be certain at this distance. Not to mention, she didn’t really care. Still, there was nothing else to do so she watched as Lupin's partner became increasingly agitated. The girl's long hair hid her face so Starr couldn’t read it, but she was able to pick up a fair amount from the girl's body language. She was incredibly tense, and kept pulling away slightly. Her large, triangular, black tipped ears twitched this way and that, as though hoping to escape or ignore the conversation she was having.

Evidently she managed to. After a few songs the girl pulled away and stalked through the crowd, leaving a dejected Lupin to stare after her. As the girl hurried off Starr was able to catch a glimpse of her face, and realized exactly who it was.

Rember Autumn. The girl who Lupin had failed to recruit at Sanctum Academy years ago. No wonder her brother looked so broken. He had never gotten over that little vixen, pining and ruining his own life out of guilt or some other stupid emotion. Starr didn't have time for things like guilt. Guilt and regret made people weak, and easier to walk over or manipulate.

Still...Lupin had long since been taken off recruiting assignments because of his reluctance, and even Starr had to admit it was somewhat of a shame. Lupin had a knack with people that wasn't often found in the White Fang. He possessed an inane ability to garner the trust of strangers, something Starr was oddly incapable of with her icy appearance and cold demeanor. She tended to be more intimidating than approachable, though that had its uses as well. It meant she didn't need to suffer the attention of idiots falling over themselves to win her nearly as often, something she noted her brother dealt with regularly. Even as she thought it, Lupin’s teammate Aeryn Or prowled over to him, unknowingly proving Starr’s point. Truthfully, Starr thought Lupin could do better. She’d never tell him that, of course, she kept conversations with him to a minimum, but Aeryn was jealous and simple minded. It was a wonder the she-cat had survived so long in the dangerous world of the White Fang.

Bored of watching the dancers below Starr set her empty glass on the railing and walked over to the stairs, her gown trailing behind her as she descended. A few students looked her way, and she coolly ignored them, her expression telling them that she did not care for their attention at all. It was nearly midnight, and she had been here since just after the doors opened. There was nothing of interest to be learned from these recklessly carefree dancers, and so Starr’s boredom was overtaking her. There were other, more important things she could be doing right now. Besides, these people would be far more interesting when they started screaming.

“Jaaaad! Where’d you go?!!” Gayle shouted over the loud music, moving through the sea of bodies with nimble steps. Just how many times had her partner run off, leaving her behind in the dark to whatever ideas he had? Well, after she thought about it, it wasn’t actually that often. Typically the young man would get her roped in at the start. But regardless, she didn’t like it when he did go zipping away on his own! Maybe he got it from Azure…

After the second or third sweep of the dance floor, the faunus went off to the side to re-strategize. She did keep scanning while she pondered to herself, for one could never be too careful. Only drawback: her attention was divided, and could potentially miss something. Like when someone's hand suddenly grasped her tail from behind. 

“Eep!” Gayle squeaked as she was pulled along without warning, almost tripping on her tail as she backpedaled. By the time she was able to get her balance and see just who had rudely abducted her, they were outside. “Wh--Jad!” the girl half exclaimed, half scolded when she quickly identified her kidnapper, “Don’t do that!”

“Oops.” the young man replied, his hand in the air surrendering. “Now, now let's hear this plan of yours.”

The faunus straightened her dress out. “*sigh* Okay…” she began, “I know a way this could work...but…”

Jad raised an eyebrow. Gayle wasn’t sure about this...he could tell from her body language. Perhaps this idea of hers just needed a little...confidence boost. The lizard girl decided to whisper the rest of said plan in Jad’s ear. When she concluded, the redheaded boy placed his hands on the faunus’ shoulders, the young man cracking the most infectious smile he could conjure. “Gayle…” he stated, “Let's do the thing.”

“R-really? Just like that?” Gayle asked, unable to keep herself from grinning.

Jad nodded enthusiastically.  “The best way to do it, is to do it. But you'll have to say the magic words.”

“But--!”

“Close enough.  Let's do it!”

“...Your gung ho attitude never ceases to amaze me.” Seeing her partner's trademark confidence made Gayle promptly decide it wasn't worth worrying herself anymore, her inner mischief bubbling to the surface. Anticipation was seeping into her system, and couldn't help but reveal her own excited smile. “Y-yeah!” she responded exuberantly.

“Right then, you go and get in position and be ready to rock the house on my signal.”

“H-huh? Signal? What--Wait. How will I know your signal?”

Jad smiled at his partner, his face beaming.  “Oh...you’ll know.” 

“There you are, Val!”

As she stepped off the stairs, Valerie smiled as Sonara and Kyra strode up to her and Azure.

“Hey! What’s up?” the woman with red eyes asked her teammates.

“Sonara wanted to say ‘hi’.” Kyra answered. 

Mind if we steal her for a sec, Azure?” Sonara asked politely, smiling.

Valerie and Azure’s eyes met for a second, and the latter friendly answered, “That’s fine.” 

Sonara briskly pulled Valerie a little ways off, leaving the pair of albinos to themselves as she waved back gratefully. Azure watched the girls skip away, when Kyra suddenly broke the silence.

“So…” she began, “...You can dance.”

Azure blinked in mild surprise as he looked at the blunt girl beside him. Talks between them were a rarity. The boy could count on his fingers how many conversations they've had since they’d met.

“Uh...yeah.”

“Color me surprised.”

“Same here.”

There was a drawn out, awkward silence.

“...So are we friends?” Kyra asked, arms folded.

“Huh? Uh…Sure?” Azure answered. Looking at the girl's face, the young man never managed to read what was going on behind those electric green eyes. Only thing he could do was the polite thing.

Krya hummed something of an acknowledgement. 

“Huh...Neat.”

“So?! How’s it going, Val?? Gimme details!” Sonara whispered, the brunette borderline giddy.

“What do you mean?” Valerie asked, only to have her teammate overplay a sigh.

“Azure! How’s it going with Azure!” the short girl continued, “Have you made a move yet?”

The girl with red eyes immediately felt blood rush into her cheeks. “W-well, ah...n-not really. B-Besides, that’s none of your business.” she stated defensively.

“What?! But tonight’s your chance!”

“Yeah, I know, but…” Valerie trailed off, “...Look, Azure’s...a pretty seclusive guy. He’s been through a lot, and I’m finally starting to understand just how much. Right now, I’m just happy that he’s finally starting to trust me.”

Sonara blinked a few times with puzzled eyes. “Really? So...What are you gonna do now?” she asked. She may not have completely grasped why Valerie hesitated now when in the past she was very upfront about her romantic interests regarding the boy with spiky hair, but she understood any strong relationships were built on trust. That was the basis on how her and Rosalie’s friendship was forged, after all.

Valerie mused for a moment. She then made a sign of happily shrugging her shoulders, smiling brightly.

“I think I’m going to ask for another dance from my handsome date.” she surmised, and the two girls re-joined Kyra and Azure.

“We’re baaack~!” Sonara announced jubilantly.

As Valere cozied up back to Azure’s side, the young man asked “What was that about?”

‘It was nothing.” the bluenette assured, winking lightheartedly to assure him.

Azure studied Valerie momentarily, but quickly decided not to worry about it. 

“So, Azure,” Kyra perked up, “Just where is all of your team?”

The question grabbed the boy’s attention. Now that it was pointed out, Azure hadn’t seen any sign of his team for a while. “I dunno.” he admitted, eyes doing a quick sweep of the ballroom.

“Ehh, I bet they’re somewhere.” Sonara nonchalantly interjected, “Rosy has been busy all night dancing, so haven’t seen much of her, either. Used to be pretty popular with the boys back home in Mistral.”

“Really?” Kyra asked with a hint of intrigue. 

“Yup! She had quite a bit of boy problems while we were at Sanctum. Still a little surprised she stayed so polite during all of that… Actually, nah. I’m not surprised.”

Azure nodded. “Still,” he continued, “I think I should go find my team. Rem and Gayle I’m not too worried about, but Jad--” 

The pale young man was suddenly cut off as all the lights in the building went out, shouts of surprise sounding around the auditorium. 

“Oh...Lovely…” Kyra sarcastically stated while enveloped in the dark.

Azure silently agreed; it caught him completely off guard as well. The half faunus’ senses were on alert as he tried to grasp the situation with his night vision. The pitch black didn’t last however when a single overhead spotlight turned on, resting its luminescence on the DJ table. All attendee’s looked towards the only source of light in the room, spying a single person. It was a boy. Tall, lean, messy red hair, wore a black fedora, and had the most recognizably cheeky grin on his face…

Jad.

“Oh no…” Azure mumbled in disbelief upon recognition, facepalming while Valerie’s mouth was agape, the woman on the verge of laughing in amazement. 

Jad traced the rim of his fedora with one hand.

“Ladies and gentlemen … ” the boy spoke cheekily into the mic. “Let’s do it...” 

As if on cue, an upbeat tune played from the loudspeakers, Azure instantly recognised it as one of the songs they had used when they were practicing their dancing. Jad confidently sauntered out into the center of the dance floor, the other guests vacating whilst encircling around the young man. Azure and the girls from AMBR scrambled to get to the front. Once there, Jad snapped his fingers and outstretched a hand to the crowd. Gayle then suddenly sprung into the ring, the lizard and her partner taking a stance.

With the crescendoing of the music, the two partners snapped into action. All movements were fluid, natural, and limber. They swerved, flipped, and spun circles around the dancefloor. The rest of the attendees enamoured with their performance. The partners were like a storm. Some stood in awe of the sheer zeal and talent behind the dance but most of the crowd clapped along rhythmically urging them to go faster from the sidelines. 

Sonara and Valerie were among those who cheered on their friends’ entertaining routine, whilst Kyra cracked a grin when seeing the resignation written all across Azure’s face. Actually, the girl with wavy white hair was more intrigued with how Gayle was managing from keeping her tail from smacking Jad in the face, or knocking his feet out from under him…

With practiced and precise motion, Jad suddenly spun Gayle out directly towards where their team leader and AMBR was watching and gave a sharp catcall of a whistle.

Sonara caught the lizard girl from falling over from excess spinning when she finally stopped, the latter giggling with glee. 

“Hey!” Gayle began when seeing Sonara’s cerulean eyes, “Didn’t you say you--”

“Say no more!!!” Sonara interjected exuberantly, and the pair of girls hopped into the circle. Jad then slid on his knees directly in front of Azure and Valerie, his arms outstretched.

“C’MON, PASTY!!” the young man hollered, eyebrows waggling comically, “LET'S DO IT!!!”

Azure felt something akin to a swing from a Ursa’s paw slam into his stomach, making him freeze. He could feel the entire room’s eyes on him. It wasn’t until Valerie tugged on his sleeve that he regained his bearings, looking at the hopeful excitement in his date’s scarlet red eyes. Due to that, and all the other looks that were being thrown his way, Azure let go of a sigh and shrugged his shoulders.

“...Oh, what the hell.” he mumbled, unbuttoning his blazer and letting it drop to the floor, diving right into the action.

Jad flashed his friend the biggest grin. The boys then began their own routine parallel to the girl’s own impromptu. Each fought the other for the spotlight, interweaving in and out of the center on a whim. The entire venue now was alive with delight, Kyra noticing quite a few female voices standing out in the torrent whenever Azure and Jad did something impressive. The four of them just kept going, and going…

Jad abruptly spun Azure out in a similar fashion to how he did with Gayle, the young man resting before an awaiting Valerie. All around, there were shouts of ‘Do it!’ and ‘C’mon, Pasty!’, egging the boy on to pull her into the dance. Azure placed out one of his hands tentatively.

“Uh...so…” the young man asked, unsure of what else to do, ‘can you jitterbug?”

Valerie’s entire being lit up, happily accepting and answering with an excited “You betcha! Let’s go!”

Gayle returned to her previous pair up with Jad, other students now getting into the mix. Before long, a great number of dancers had joined in on the fun. This would be a highlight for many of the attendee’s for certain.

But, as all good and fantastical things go, the dance eventually ended, a final blast of brass instruments resonating from the loudspeakers.

There was a pause...and then...Pure, unabated cheers.

Jad, Gayle, Azure, and Valerie all gasped for breath, small beads of sweat formed across any parts of skin not clothed. Jad removed his hat by rolling it down his arm and catching it with his hand then giving an exaggerated bow.  Once composed, the friends reconvened, Sonara and Kyra also bounding up.

“So, kid.  Were we good enough?” Jad posed to his partner, grinning cheekily.

“Good? That was amazing!” Gayle exclaimed, hugging her partner with a big smile, and the tall redhead couldn’t help but metaphorically pat himself on the back. “But, how’d you get the spotlights to do that?”

“Wait, so that whole thing was actually your guy’s doing?” Kyra asked in surprise. Jad chuckled to himself. 

“Hehehe…I know a guy…” was all he said, readjusting his fedora.

Valerie laughed at Jad’s answer, as well as the underplayed exasperation on Azure’s face at learning his teammate’s were not only the culprits of the whole swing dance ensemble, but had confessed so quickly and openly about their scheme.

Before anyone else could say anything else, a very displeased Professor Goodwitch marched up to the six teens, emerald green eyes glaring down Jad with fury. 

“You. Outside. NOW.” she ordered, pulling Jad off by his ear in a similar fashion to when she gave Jad his first detention.

Sonara laughed as the tall young man was forcibly removed from the premises, while the remaining four resumed fraternizing amongst themselves.

“So the speakers...that was you?” Azure asked his lizard faunus teammate, putting his blazer back on.

“Ahhhhehehe...Yeah.”

“... How?”

“Heee, that’s a secret!” the faunus replied.

Azure shook his head. This stunt would definitely go down in the top three of his personal ‘craziest things the team has done’ list. He then felt his eyes start to wander the crowd. Rember hadn’t shown herself that whole time...just where was she? The young man didn’t have much time to ponder that thought however, as he suddenly saw a familiar face up on the second floor. An all too familiar face with magenta violet hair, pink eyes, and wearing a white scarf.

Wisteria.

“Hey, you okay? Whatcha lookin at...”

Azure snapped out of his stupor upon hearing Valerie’s voice beside him. “Huh? O-oh, I, uh…” he stuttered, taking fleeting glances between his date and where his childhood friend was. Wisteria also seemed to be eyeing him, but soon withdrew out of sight. 

“Hmm? What is it?”

Azure paused to think. Wisteria was here? Why? She hated public places. At least, she did when they were still together. Should he go find out why she was here? Would Valerie be okay if he was gone for a bit? Better he ask before he got too wrapped up…

“...Hey,” Azure spoke up, “Would it be alright if I step out for a minute? I won’t be long, I promise.”

Valerie blinked in surprise. She then found her eyes curiously following where Azure was looking before, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. And in truth, she needed a bit of a break from all of the swing dancing. It had been some time since she had done any, and stamina wasn’t her best stat. With a good natured nod, the girl gave her date a sweet smile.

“Yeah, that should be okay.” she answered,  “Just don’t keep me waiting for too long!” the young woman teased, winking at him playfully.

Now with Valerie’s permission, Azure reciprocated the bluenette’s smile and calmly walked towards a staircase leading to the second floor. Using his empathic sense, the half faunus honed in on Wisteria’s presence as he went up the steps. 

Wonder how it’s going to go this time… He wondered to himself.

Chapter Text

Azure found her bathed in the soft moonlight, her back to the commotion inside. Wisteria’s mulberry hair blew gently in the night breeze along with her white scarf; she’d really grown it out since he’d left, an image of glossy locks so short they didn’t even touch her shoulders springing to mind. The half faunus’s eyes wandered to the delicate shoulder blades visible through the open back of Wisteria’s orchid dress. Her forearms were hidden by silken gloves, and a gold diadem sat atop her head. He recalled the young girl wearing the headpiece before, but not often. Azure wondered where she had found the accessory, as well as the outfit, but he shook those thoughts away. They weren’t important right now. Walking  slowly so as not to spook her, the young man ventured out onto the balcony.

“Hey.”

Wisteria’s head shifted, but she otherwise didn’t respond. Finding no protest to approach Azure ventured over to his old friend, taking a spot next to the young woman. 

“You feeling a little out of your element here too?” the cat faunus asked, studying the girl beside him. 

There was no trace of his friend in those familiar pink eyes, only a blank hollowness. He knew that agonizing look all too well, having seen it in the mirror too many times.

After a moment, Wisteria nodded. 

“It’s too... loud,” she said quietly.

Azure glanced over with veiled curiosity. The tone, how she carried herself...It was like they were meeting for the first time again, there was so little recognition. It had been over half a decade since they ran into each other, but the scene was still vivid when it came to mind.

“Are you alright?”

The small girl didn’t say a word. In fact, she hadn’t said anything since the other kids ran off. All she seemed capable of doing was staring warily at him, curled up in a corner and shaking with fear. There was a cut on her right arm that seeped blood, but she didn’t seem to notice it. He had to do something.

“Lemme get that.” 

Azure dropped to his knees to tend the wound, but the girl withdrew from him. After a puzzled moment, he tried again, taking extra care to move slowly. It took a lot longer than it should have, but after a few minutes of holding out his hand, the girl lowered her guard enough to let him inspect the injury. Azure tore off a strip of his ragged shirt for a bandage, and gently tied it around her pale, skinny arm. Once finished, the spiky haired boy got on his feet and glanced around. The girl wasn’t in any danger of passing out from blood loss, so the next step was finding shelter. A place to lie low would be ideal. Who knew what the White Fang had in store for them this time...

“Hey! Wait!”

Azure halted; he hadn’t even gotten near the exit yet. “Hm?” the half faunus hummed, looking back at the girl to find her eyes on his. Her surge of bravery quickly crumbled, however, withering under Azure’s yellow gaze. “What?” he asked.

The pink eyed girl stared at the ground, and Azure finally took a good look at his unexpected patient. Her bright hair was short, brushing her shoulders. He couldn’t quite tell the exact colour, but he’d guess it was purple or magenta, and it  was surprisingly glossy considering their current environment. The shade of her eyes, when she wasn’t hiding them, was reminiscent of gemstones, and were shockingly clear despite the emptiness behind them. At least, that was Azure’s speculation after meeting another of her brief glances. He couldn’t pinpoint what kind of faunus she was, though. She didn’t appear to have any external animal traits.

“You -you’re hurt too,” the girl mumbled eventually, eyes still fixed downward.

Azure checked himself over. He hadn’t noticed the partially healed scab covering his brand had started oozing blood again, and now that he had the pain shot to the forefront of his mind. He placed a hand over it, wincing. To his surprise, that small window of weakness brought the purple haired girl scampering over to him in a hurry. She fumbled around for what to say or do, but Azure spoke before she could.

“It’s not bad. I’ll take care of it.”

“I -oh…okay,” the girl murmured dejectedly. 

Azure couldn’t stop the pang of guilt that shot through him upon seeing her deflate miserably. A resigned sigh escaped his mouth, and he sat down.

“Sorry. Make it quick,” he stated flatly.

The girl hesitated for a second before nodding, determination steeling her gaze. Mimicking Azure’s own actions, she tore off a portion of her fraying pantleg and folded it into a makeshift pad to soak up the bleeding, if not stop it completely. Azure held still as the girl did her best to be gentle. He still couldn’t keep in a hiss of pain as the fabric made contact with his wound, though. 

“What...what’s your name?”

Azure turned his head in surprise when she spoke. The question was delivered so softly, he almost didn’t hear it. 

“Azure,” he replied sullenly. 

“Azure...” it sounded like she was rolling his name around in her mouth, trying out the sound of it and drawing it out slowly.

“What’s yours?” he found himself asking.

“Me? I, uh. I’m…”

“Are you gonna tell me, or not?” 

“I’m-I’m sorry!” 

Azure sighed. “ No, it’s fine. Nothing you need to apologize for.” He recomposed himself and changed his tone. “I’ll try again: who are you?”

“I'm, um…I’m number 24.”

Confusion flashed in Azure’s eyes before he sighed again. “I didn’t mean the number they gave you, I meant your name,” he clarified quietly.

The girl blinked with unrestrained surprise. After another brief silence, she said “I’m... Wisteria Dawn.”

“Wisteria? Hm...”

“What...what is it? Is something -is something wrong?”

“Uh, no. Can I call you Wisty? Wisteria is a little long for me.” 

‘Huh?”

“I won’t if you don’t like it, of course.”

Wisteria shook her head, puzzlement melting away. “Oh! No!” she responded with a squeak, “I’m okay with it!”

Azure raised an inquisitive eyebrow. What was up with this girl? Eh, didn’t really matter. He’d received the answer he’d asked for. “Alright then.” 

The boy got to his feet once more and held out his hand. Wisteria studied it with unveiled caution, but quickly came to the conclusion that if Azure meant her harm he would have acted toward that by now. With a grateful nod the girl accepted the gesture and Azure pulled her to her feet.

“Well, seeya ‘round, I guess,” Azure said bluntly, going to make his exit.

Wisteria watched Azure go with open curiosity. This boy had swooped in out of thin air and rescued her. No one had done that...well, since everything had started. And now he was just going to leave?

No. No, she wouldn’t be left behind this time.

Before she realized she’d even made up her mind, the small girl’s legs were moving, and she was making her way after the pale, white haired boy. 

Even if he told her later that she wasn’t welcome, she would treasure the warmth of his kind gesture and carry it for as long as she needed it.

From that moment onward, Wisteria was always with Azure. Actually, that was a bit of an understatement. She was like glue, which made the boy scratch his head for the first few months of Shadowolf. But from that first meeting, until the young man left, the pair were nigh inseparable. So, knowing her better than anyone else, Azure recognized this behavior and recognized Wisty’s true discomfort in her current situation. He may not like people much, but Wisty’s introversion was something else entirely.

“Heh, yeah. Loud and crowded. I’d rather be someplace quiet,” he admitted lightheartedly.

“I don't want to be here.”

“Then why are you here?” Azure inquired seriously.

Wisteria’s face cracked a splinter of a frown, and she hugged herself. “Recon. I was the one picked.” 

Azure did his best to contain a grimace, but he couldn’t keep in a silent sigh. Creed was the one that had probably sent her to keep an eye on him. Keep an eye on the others, too. That snake halfblood really wouldn’t give him a moment of peace. And to use Wisteria as his own personal puppet? It infuriated him beyond belief.

“-not so bad.”

“Come again?” Azure asked. 

Wisteria had mumbled something, but he only caught the last few words. He didn’t, however, miss the odd, soft light in her familiar eyes as she gazed out into the night.

“It’s not so bad,” Wisteria repeated. “Compared to...compared to some of the other stuff we’ve done? This is easy.”

Azure hummed in understanding. He knew only too well what she meant. The male half faunus then noticed Wisteria unconsciously chewing her lower lip, and his eyes wandered to her fidgeting hands. He knew what that meant too. She wanted to say something, and was either afraid to do so, or was trying to figure out how she wanted to word it. Nothing unusual there. That was Wisty in a nutshell: the epitome of 'shrinking violet’.

“Actually I was hoping you might...if you wanted to talk, maybe.” she eventually managed to articulate, eyes on the ground.

Azure’s eyes widened. Somewhere underneath all that anguish, all of Creed’s corruption, some small piece of his old friend was reaching out to him. And he was...grateful. Relieved, almost. It had weighed on him, how things were left the last time they talked.

“Yeah, I’d like that,” he replied, smiling.

Wisteria’s breath caught in her throat, and she finally met his eyes, her own full of genuine astonishment. She truly didn’t believe he would agree, especially since she’d seen him arrive with some other girl. Her heart had actually hurt when she laid eyes on that silver-blue haired human. Almost as much as it hurt when she saw Azure spending time with that fox faunus. But she pushed those emotions aside for now. He’d chosen her, at this moment. Who knew how long she had him all to herself?

Now...what to talk about?

The music drifting through the air from inside had changed. The new tune was soft and slow, almost...peaceful. Azure clearly noticed the shift in melody, and he extended a hand, just the way he had when they were still children.  

“Actually,” he ventured, “would you like to dance?”

For the first time in a long time, Wisteria’s quiet apathy dissolved completely, a blush creeping into her cheeks. “Wh-what? Um, no, that's -that’s fine. I don’t, um...” she stuttered, clearly flustered. “I don’t know how.” she mumbled eventually.

Azure chuckled warmly, gently reaching out and taking both her hands into his own. The contact sent lightning bolts through Wisteria’s limbs, and she stared in shock at their joined hands.

“Don’t worry, neither did I till a few days ago,” Azure reassured her, his voice soft and patient. “I’ll teach you.”

Wisteria’s heart was beating so powerfully she was afraid that Azure would be able to hear it. She’d never danced before. And to do so with him? But…there was a part of her that was excited. Delighted, actually, that he’d asked.

It was weird.

“Um...Okay,” she mumbled eventually.

Azure led her to the middle of the balcony. “Now, this will probably take a few tries,” he admitted, “but if I was able to get this, you should be fine. You’re better on your feet than I am.”

A muted, but amused laugh escaped the short young woman. “I, um...I dunno.” 

Cracking a grin, Azure began the dance lesson. 

“Just trust me,” he said reassuringly. “Okay, first thing: you need to put your left hand on my shoulder, then place your feet about shoulder width apart.”

“Am I doing it right?” Wisteria asked nervously.

Azure nodded. He thought it looked good, but if he was being honest he didn’t have enough experience to be sure. Regardless, it was time to go. Each half of the pair in position, Azure did a quick rundown of the basic steps. Wisteria followed his instructions, the heat in her face spiking whenever she bumped into him or misstepped. They repeated this for a few minutes, just until Wisteria’s stiffness faded as the motions became more familiar. Eventually, Azure was able to introduce a few simple dips, swings, and spins. They continued through the silence between songs, and Azure looked over Wisteria curiously.

“Ready?” he asked, a warm smile gracing his face as the next song started. 

Wisteria nodded wordlessly, replacing her left hand on Azure’s shoulder. The young man pulled her closer, and the two started moving to the beat of the music. The dance went on in silence for a moment, but Azure soon broke it.

“So,” he ventured, “what’ve you been up to? You know, besides the...other stuff.”

“Um...Not much,” Wisteria admitted. 

In her opinion, Vale wasn't anything special. Then again, she didn't really favor anywhere in Remnant. If there was somewhere she could get by in peace, that was enough. There were one or two places in each of the kingdoms that were special to her; secret havens that she and Azure used to visit the rare times they were off duty. She hadn’t visited any of them recently though. Not since he left. The idea of going to any of them without him hurt too much.

Azure guided Wisty into a gentle spin, leading her around the balcony. 

“What about you?” she asked.

He thought for a moment. “Training for the tournament, mostly. My team's going on our first mission tomorrow, so we’ve been getting ready for that. Oh, and the endless flow of homework and studies, which are all super fun to stay on top of.” Azure quipped sarcastically. The tone of his statement earned something of an amused snort from his dance partner, and Azure hid a smile. She was starting to ease up, tension leaving her shoulders and her words were beginning to flow more naturally. 

“That bad, huh?” Wisteria pried, intrigued. 

She’d never been to school before, so the concept of assignments and homework were foreign to her.

“Not really. It's just not my strength. I leave all of the excess bookie stuff to Gayle.”

“Gayle is one of your...teammates?”

If he noticed the odd hesitation between her last two words, he didn’t acknowledge it.

“Yep,” Azure confirmed. “She’s a bit of...well, a socially awkward bookworm. She can get caught up in the small stuff with schoolwork, but she’s a good friend. Heh, she really keeps her partner’s shenanigans in check.”

Wisteria cracked a smile, and when Azure noticed it, it took his breath away. She smiled . It had been so long since he’d seen her do that...it was easy to forget how innocent it made her look. Not for the first time, he wondered how such a thing had survived those tortuous years in Shadowolf. She had only rarely let her guard down when they were entrenched in the White Fang, in part due to training, in part because of her personality. But when she allowed herself to relax, there was a purity about her no one would have suspected. To Azure’s knowledge, he was the only one that had witnessed this side of her; and it had been so long, he’d nearly forgotten how beautiful her smile was.

That wasn't the only thing that grabbed the boy’s attention. From the first moment they had met, Azure had always been drawn to those vibrant pink eyes. The analytical clarity in them showcasing the only sign of intensity in an otherwise passive exterior. It flared in them when one came upon her while she was reading or learning, no matter whether she was actually invested or not. That light, that inferno, was so present tonight...but so was something else. Something he recognized all too well. 

Confusion.

“Um...” the short girl ventured quietly.

Azure raised an eyebrow, curious. 

“What’s on your mind?”

“When...when we first met...why did you help me?” the girl continued. “Why did you go out of your way to help a stranger?”

Azure thought he had misheard the questions for a moment. Of all the things he expected she might ask, that wasn’t one of them. 

“Why are you asking?” he countered.

Wisteria took a deep breath, as if trying to muster her courage. “Ever since I was little, I’ve always been alone in the world. The Grimm...they took everything from me, every one . ”

Azure’s brow furrowed and a frown found its way onto his face. Despite how close they’d once been, Wisteria had never divulged her past to him. There had been so many other things going on that survival always came first, and any breaks were used to prepare for the next inevitable test. Her story was agonizingly familiar, so similar to his own…

She trembled as she continued. 

“My life after that is such a blur in my mind,” she whispered, “I remember the loneliness. Being shunned and scorned for being what I am. It was like a night terror you can never fully remember…”

“...Wisty…”

If Wisteria heard Azure’s voice, she didn’t acknowledge it.

“Then you came into my life. You and Creed. And from the first moment, I had to always rely on everyone else to make it through each day. I once thought I could be something, some one , that mattered,” 

Azure went silent, the girl’s words punched his gut. 

“But I’m not. I’m just a doll. Something to be used for a while and then tossed aside when it isn’t wanted anymore.”

A heated emotion shot through Azure like a bullet at hearing that. “Don’t you dare think that,” he said harshly. “Do you really think you’re so disposable? Replaceable? ” 

Her eyes snapped up to his, silver lining them, and Azure grimaced inwardly.

“Wisty, you’re the only you there is. You’re here for a reason that you might now know yet, but it’s not to be someone else’s plaything,” he added more gently.

Wisteria dropped his hand like a hot iron and took a step away. “Yes, it is. You proved it when that blue haired girl showed up and you left us. And now you’ve done it again by being with a whole new group of friends, replacing all of us.” she countered, disgust evident in her tone. “I know I’m just a burden, just some weak thing to protect. I would never have survived Black Claw if you hadn’t helped me, and even after we made it, I was only ever a thing to keep safe. I may be that, but I’m not stupid, Azure.”

Azure opened his mouth to protest, but Wisteria shook her head vehemently.

“Don’t,” she said, her voice low and venomous. “Don’t lie to me. You know it’s true.”

Azure was stuck. Wisteria had interpreted everything that happened between them in the most horrid way possible. He was ashamed to admit the truth behind her logic, that he had only seen her as someone to protect in the beginning, but that was only at the very beginning. But this idea that he had replaced her? What could possibly dissuade her from believing that? What could he do to change her mind?

Tension weighed down on them, making the air heavy. Wisteria uncharacteristically kept her unwavering eyes on his face as the silence stretched, and after a moment she spun around and strode for the door. Azure reacted instinctively, reaching out a hand to take hold of one delicate shoulder, and the girl froze. The indignant confusion in Wisteria’s eyes clashed with the sober clarity of Azure’s golden gaze. Before Wisteria could question him, Azure did the only thing he could think of:

“I’m sorry.”

Wisteria blinked in surprise. “Excuse me?” she replied in disbelief.

“I’m sorry. For leaving,” he continued, “and for not asking you to join me. I should have thought to bring you, but I didn’t. I was so overwhelmed by my emotions, and I stayed like that for a long time. Things were complicated...confusing. And...well, I thought you’d be better off without me.” He swallowed the lump in his throat, trying to ignore the butterflies in his stomach as he continued. “I had no idea you would think I was ‘throwing you away’. I thought I was protecting you by keeping my burdens to myself. I see now that what I did instead just hurt you and fed insecurities I didn’t see. It was the easy way out, but not the best or right way. So I’m sorry. More sorry than I can explain.”

Wisteria didn’t say a word, seemingly paralyzed as Azure’s soothing voice washed over her. The same voice he’d only ever used when they were alone. The one that haunted her dreams and that she had wished desperately to hear again for so long...

“I also wasn’t...I was so lost after Creed killed Lynn, the blue haired girl. There’s no doubt that he would have gone after you too, if you came with me.” 

Wisteria continued her silence.

“Wisty, you’re not some weak, unimportant person,” Azure stated, watching her closely to see that his words got across. “You’re a survivor of Shadowolf, same as me, same as Creed. No one knows how strong you are, how much better you are, than me. So to answer your earlier question,” he paused, “I saved you because I wanted to. Not because you seemed helpless, or weak, or whatever. I did it because it was what I wanted to do. And to this day I have never regretted it. So please, stop belittling yourself. You might not believe or trust this stupid person ever again, but you are still important to him. ”

He let go of her shoulder and gently took one of her dainty hands into his own.

Wisteria’s eyes had widened, the silver lining them more present than ever. 

“I -Azure, I...”

She couldn’t find the right words. Her thoughts whirled in her mind, conflicting emotions rendering them chaotic. Her eyes burned, an unfamiliar sensation nowadays. She had spent so long convinced that her best friend had left her behind, that he had replaced her. But here was a glimpse of the boy she’d thought long gone. He didn’t quite match up to the memories she’d clung to, and definitely nothing like Creed had led her to believe when he bothered to talk to her.

Was Creed...was he lying to me?  

She needed answers from him, and she had a sneaking suspicion they were long overdue.

Azure nearly flinched in surprise when an appreciative grin appeared on Wisteria’s face, only for it to vanish as quickly as it had come. Drying her eyes to clear them, the girl nodded gratefully.

“Thank you, Azure. For the dance, and for the talk,” she said, her expression unreadable. “I think I have some things I need to do.”

“Before you go, may I ask you something?”

Wisteria tilted her head quizzically.  

Azure stared down the girl insipidly. “Are you sure you want to go through with Creed’s plan?” 

She refused to meet his gaze. “Yes, I do.”

He didn’t believe her. Wisty’s words didn’t carry the same conviction they had previously, and Azure didn’t need to read her emotions to know it. Even if her tone didn’t convey it, Wisteria’s body language did. 

“Okay.” 

His one word reply seemed to throw her off guard.

“You...aren’t going to fight me on this?” she asked in genuine surprise.

“No. You’re your own person, Wisty. I may not agree with you helping Creed, but I do know that you’re only acting on what you think is right,” Azure shrugged. ”I’m not one to berate someone for that. I am curious, though...you told me Creed wants to get rid of the White Fang, yeah? That he needs me to do it. Have you wondered what’s going to stop him once he’s done that? And have you thought about whether you’ll continue to stand by him when he demands you do something you don't want to do?”

Wisteria’s silence was answer enough, but Azure searched those kunzite eyes anyway.

“You don’t have to answer that now, or even tell me when you figure it out,” the half faunus stated softly. “Just...think about it? Please?”

The girl’s attention seemed to sharpen, and she studied her old friend quizzically. Wisteria nodded, a small promise she wouldn’t voice out loud, and turned to make her leave.