299Editors/Beta: Lonestar, SurvivorSam, Reiter.
Weiss
"Ears?"
For a moment, Weiss stared at Jaune in confusion before narrowing her eyes at the utterly shocked black-haired girl. Her long voluminous hair did indeed cover her ears, but as the girl flinched, her hair parted showing regular ears. Weiss stared at the girl's hair, specifically the top of her head with the overly large ribbon styled into a bowtie. She hummed and rubbed her chin as she stared at the innocent looking bowtie, not knowing why it suddenly grabbed her attention. Yet, Weiss had the sudden urge to take it off and see what secrets lay under–
"H-Hey, what are you doing?!"
Weiss flinched as the girl jumped away, yet her bowtie was now in her hand, revealing a pair of large fluffy cat ears that twitched madly. The Schnee heiress did not even realize she had approached the girl, who was so shocked she allowed the shorter Weiss to reach out and take off the ribbon. She held the bowtie absentmindedly as she stared at the cat faunus like she had seen her for the first time.
"Huh, so you're a faunus." As the shock wore off, Weiss found herself narrowing her eyes, feeling goosebumps forming on her skin as she reflexively felt slight revulsion come over her before she calmed herself. This was not Atlas anymore, nor even Mantle which was infested with faunus; Vale was different. "Any reason why you would hide your ears? They're cat ears, right?"
Blake Belladonna looked furtively around the empty room, as if searching for an escape route. With the doors broken, and the windows wide open, she had two clear options but before she could decide, Jaune grunted.
"Are you going to run away again?"
The girl froze, her eyes widening further before she recovered and glared at her cousin, "Was that why you helped me? To get close and trick me into showing myself to Schnee as some kind of sick–"
"Of course not, stupid." Jaune sighed as he glanced around, seemingly staring at random parts of the walls. "Alright, there isn't anyone close by who can hear us," He turned to Blake. "Just because you were once part of the–"
"Hold it!" Both of them stared weirdly at her, but Weiss simply turned her head up. Jaune and Blake followed her gaze to find several surveillance cameras in the room. "I'm not sure what you two are talking about, but I doubt it's a good idea to have this conversation here."
"Good catch," Jaune clicked his tongue before smiling softly to Blake. "Listen, I won't try to stop you if you want to leave but Fie was upset when you ran off like you did. Do you want to hang out and talk about it? Or would you rather we go our separate ways, and pretend we never met?"
The cat faunus bit her lips and clenched her fists, her eyes stared at the ground in thought, before sighing and glancing at Weiss. "Will she be alright about it?"
Weiss stifled her initial reaction of glaring at the girl in outrage, and focused on the logic of the matter. It would not do to think of this emotionally. While it was true that she had her concerns regarding faunus, she had seen and met enough of them here in Vale to withhold her judgments. None of the fears instilled in her since childhood came true from interacting with faunus.
"When in Vale, do as the Valeans do," Was what Klein advised her, and Weiss intellectually and rationally knew that the main reason for her apprehension with faunus had to do with what her father had instilled in her mind since she was young.
The same father whom she hated and had ruined all that she held dear about the Schnee name.
Still, Weiss had her reservations. Blood and malice had been laid against her family, not to mention the pain those attacks by the White Fang had brought on those she knew or onto herself due to her father's temper tantrums. She remembered them all, every time something related to faunus or the White Fang happened, Jacques Schnee would make a scene and lay it out on the closest person. More likely than not, it was her.
However, she herself never had a bad experience with faunus. In fact, if it wasn't the Schnee name that was being tarnished, Weiss was certain she would fully agree with their hatred and cause. Did Weiss like it? Not at all, yet the heiress to the SDC decided long ago she was going to be better than her father, to rebuild the Schnee family name.
Starting with not judging an entire group for the actions of a few, especially when those actions were mostly justified.
"I'm alright with it. Whyever would I not be alright?"
"You're a Schnee! Your kind practically flourish from the oppression and enslavement of the faunus!"
"What? How dare you accuse me of such a thing?!" Weiss yelped indignantly, "All the faunus working for the SDC do so out of their own free will."
Yet even as she said those words, Weiss could not help but feel hollow inside. She was not blind, the SDC uses incredibly dubious practices to force faunus to work the mines. Their ability to see in the dark and especially those faunus that were part fossorial mammals. Moles, badgers, armadillos…they could dig through rocks and dirt with more precision and care than the clumsy machines used by the SDC.
"They do it because they have no choice!" Blake exploded as she stomped towards her and jabbed a finger to her collar bone. "Those in Atlas are deluded to endure their hardships and believe in the promises for the future! For their children, to be sent to good schools and universities! Yet, it's all a lie. No job opportunities, no acceptance in society, and a lot more red tape to go through than humans for even the most basic of things."
Blake breathed heavily, as she glared at Weiss' stoic face. Yet, it was a facade, for Weiss felt discomfort and distress as she heard the girl confirm all that she already knew.
To say that the Faunus worked out of their own free will would be disingenuous at best, and maliciously ignorant at worst. The SDC, and Atlas in general, did not give the Faunus a choice in the matter when all work avenues were closed, aside from hard labor.
Weiss had lived in Mantle for two weeks, and while she had been safe and cloistered with Klein's family - of whom she did not even know he had a family - she had still seen the misery and despair plaguing the many faunus in the streets. Weiss had deluded herself into believing it was equally miserable everywhere, that the economy was simply in a slump as the news constantly reported, yet deep down she knew the truth.
"…That is beside mentioning the horrendous conditions the faunus of Mistral are forced to endure ever since the SDC took over all mining operations in Anima–" Blake was still on a tirade, and while Weiss sympathized with her, it was ludicrous to accuse her of all those atrocities as if it were her fault.
"That's enough." Jaune's hand landed on Blake's shoulder, causing her to freeze. "Don't blame Weiss for all that her father and his corporate cronies are doing. She had no hand in any of that, and if you knew more about her, you would realize she is as much a victim of the uncontrollable greed that is ripping Atlas society apart as any other."
Blake did not look satisfied but after gazing at Jaune for a moment, she nodded. "Very well, let's take this somewhere else?" She looked at her hesitantly, and while Weiss was miffed about jabbing her and accusing her, she decided to be the bigger girl.
"Very well."
.
.
.
"So let me get this straight; you are a member of the White Fang–"
"Former member," The cat faunus interrupted, her ears once more hidden under her ribbon. "And the current organization does not at all follow the principles and vision that my father had when he formed it."
They were standing under a tree a bit of a distance from the gates leading to the bus stop that would take them to the train station. After Weiss had explained her circumstances to the girl, which seemed to have slightly endeared her to the cat faunus, it was her turn to tell Weiss all about herself. After she proved reticent, Jaune had dropped the bomb about her former occupation, which caused Blake to stare at them in fear. To say that Weiss was shocked that the seemingly normal yet headstrong girl was a former member of a terrorist organization would be an understatement.
Oh, and Weiss definitely did not jump behind Jaune for cover as she stared in suspicion at the girl who probably had a file on her with her gro–former group. Weiss still thought it was impressive that she did not immediately screech in terror after discovering the girl's identity, but a glance at Jaune's placid demeanor had calmed her down. If Jaune did not see her as a threat or even as a bad person, then Weiss felt she could trust his judgment.
"In any case, it does not change the fact that the White Fang has caused a lot of grief and misery for many people." Weiss insisted and quickly added before Blake could interrupt, "I'm not talking about loss of profits or revenue for the SDC - believe me, I hear enough drivel about that from my father to last me a lifetime. Rather, the faunus themselves who take the brunt of retaliation from those mindless terrorist attacks; they are the ones who suffer the most."
"Excuse me? What are you even talking about? The White Fang exists to help the Faunus, how can their efforts be worse? We free them from slavery, give them new homes and a goal in life!"
"Gee, I don't know, maybe when you guys blew up a mine in the middle of the frozen tundra and gave the miners the choice between joining them or freezing to death?" Weiss narrowed her eyes at the other girl's confusion before gasping. "You don't know? That was all over the news last winter!"
"W-What are you talking about?" Blake repeated, utterly confused, and Weiss could hear the shock in her voice. "We never did anything like that! Our targets were always to free those enslaved in the mines, and rarely did we even have to fight anything other than your robots. Where do you even hear such news?"
"Yeah, sorry to say, but even in Arcade we heard about that." Jaune interrupted. "Schnee Dust Company Mine #6 was a newly established mine a few years ago in the coldest parts of Atlas - a place where the sun doesn't shine for six months. They hired Faunus miners, those who are resistant to cold, but a White Fang cell attacked the train bringing them supplies and destroyed most of the food carriages. With the terrible weather that causes random blizzards to strike all year, the mine had no hope of survival, especially after the White Fang cell hijacked the train to attack the mine."
Blake's eyes widened and her jaw was agape in silent shock.
Jaune's eyes grew cold as he gazed at Blake, "All the humans were murdered in that mine, whether they were engineers, managers, or even the cooks. The Faunus were given a choice: join them, or freeze to death. Many joined, only to escape in later months and report terrible tales of cruelty and madness from their leader, some bloke always wearing a dark cloak. Those who remained had to wait months for a rescue since the White Fang had destroyed the tracks halfway to the mine when they left. Only a handful survived when rescue finally arrived."
"B-But t-that, that was, I've never heard of this before!" To say the cat faunus was shocked would be an understatement, especially when it seemed like they were both ganging up on her. "It can't be true, that had to be some rogue group and…"
"And I shall not deny that many faunus suffer grave injustices from my family's company along with the systematic racism and bigotry that plagues Atlas society." Weiss gently assuaged the girl, "Yet you cannot deny that those random and mindless attacks do not endear the plight of the Faunus to the public."
"Besides, if you look in Vale, you will notice many faunus clearly living their lives normally enough." Jaune shrugged as the girl remained morose, yet he seemed mostly talking to Weiss. "It's not perfect, and I don't think anywhere will ever be perfect for those who are different, yet it's still possible for faunus to survive and thrive here. Your father's methods have worked and Vale has proven that coexistence is possible, yet the problem seems to be mostly with Atlas and Mistral."
"And how do you expect us to gain our freedom? Our dignity? Why must we abandon our homes to those greedy bastards? Atlas and Mistral are as much our home as any other human!" Blake raised her head, eyes full of defiance. "We tried doing this peacefully and we got hammered down by those who believe we are unworthy of being treated fairly. You expect us to just keel over and allow the SDC and their ilk to continue to abuse us? To force us either to migrate to some godforsaken barren island that is not our home and Mistral covets, or be forced to become glorified slaves? What then? What if they discover Dust in Menagerie? Do you think they will still leave us alone?"
Weiss had no answer, and as Blake Belladonna glared at her, rightfully demanding an answer, the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company could do nothing but gaze back in determination.
"I don't know the answer to any of that, but I hope to find it in Beacon. I already told you how I ran away from home because I found myself weak and powerless; I had no wish to succumb to the apathy that has overcome my family regarding our name and honor. The dishonor and immorality that plagues Atlas society. All that seemed to matter were profit margins and power. As a Huntress, I would have far more power and influence to directly challenge my father than whatever legal drivel he could cook up." Weiss tightened her lips as she glanced at Jaune, "Though as you said, the problem doesn't solely lay with my father but the entire society he is a product of."
"It is what it is, we can discuss all of our grand plans and the visions we have or follow yet none of it matters. It should not matter to us," Jaune approached until he stood before them and placed a hand on both of their shoulders. "We aim to be Huntsmen, the protectors of the world against the ever present threat of Grimm. Believe me, Blake, I firmly believe that you and the Faunus have a right to fight for what you believe in; for the freedom and dignity you deserve, yet you have already chosen your path, haven't you?"
Blake nodded hesitantly, "To be a Huntress and do good with my life for both humans and faunus," the girl smiled wanly. "Fie mentioned that's why you want to be a Huntsman."
"True, and I was told by another former operative you were not truly involved in White Fang operations." Jaune sighed apologetically, "That you were mostly used as an accessory by your leader. 'The daughter of the founder of the White Fang is on my side, so my cause is true!' was probably how he gave his spiel to recruits."
Blake stared at the blonde man in bewildered shock, "How in the hell would you even know of that? I only told Fie and–" Suddenly, her eyes widened. "Ilia?"
Who? Weiss refrained from interrupting as she followed along.
"Yep, she was worried about you."
"…How is she?"
"Doing well. She saved some kids from the bandits and joined our side as we fought them. Ilia felt disillusioned with her group and decided to turn a new leaf, joining the Adventurer's guild since she's too old to enroll in a Huntsman Academy."
"I see," Blake smiled warmly. "I'm glad she is doing well."
"Yeah, and as for my dear cousin here," Jaune turned to Weiss, causing her to raise an eyebrow. "I don't think you need any advice or a pep talk from me."
"Nope, but I wouldn't mind hearing your pearls of wisdom. Also, who's Fie? I think you mentioned the name offhandedly a couple of times."
"A sassy girl just like you."
Weiss narrowed her eyes, not sure if he was teasing her or not. "That's not saying much, but tell me more. It has to do with Celdic, right?"
"Well, just like Blake here, she is a cat faunus." Weiss tried and failed to hide her grimace - just what was wrong with her? "What's wrong? I noticed earlier, but you seem to have some sort of aversion to faunus. I may not be the most perceptive fellow around, but you didn't strike me as the kind to be emotionally racist, Weiss. Statistically and logically, yes, but emotionally?"
Weiss grimaced again, until Jaune's hand gently squeezed her shoulder causing her to relax. She glanced at Blake, only to find an impassive face yet those eyes were far too expressive to miss. Hurt and resignation. As if the girl was used to getting discriminated upon simply because of her existence.
It was so simple yet so complicated for Weiss to confess her bigotry. And she knew it was bigotry; like Jaune said, she prefered to use logic and rationale to explain any issue she had, but this…
It was too embarrassing!
"Come on, Princess." Weiss flinched at the cat faunus' hiss. "Do tell why you feel such revulsion towards me? I assure you I have no lice or fleas on me, and I love showering and cleaning myself. Swimming too, it's quite relaxing just hanging out in the–"
"Alright, already, I get it! I was told all sorts of horror stories when I was young about how faunus are different from humans; that, just like animals, they could carry diseases that could be fatal to humans while they would be immune to them. Or that they could infect us with a bite with some sickness. Or how some of the reptile faunus like snakes or toads would have venom glands that could kill us instantly!" Weiss blushed madly as she hurried to explain herself. "I realize now that this was yet another method for Atlesian society to justify their racist view of the faunus, that it was all mostly pseudo-science with no real basis in reality. But it's hard to get rid of preconceptions that you had for so long."
The heiress to the SDC breathed heavily as she shut her eyes, waiting for laughs of ridicule to follow. She was surprised when none came, and Weiss opened her eyes to find Jaune with a serious look on his face while Blake thoughtfully rubbed her chin.
"You know, it's not really a secret that faunus inherit abilities from the animals they are based on." Blake explained, "I know many humans think that all faunus have night vision and better senses, but that's not exactly true."
"Yeah, take Ilia for example." Jaune chimed in, "She is a chameleon faunus who could taste aura and heat in the air but was half deaf. It would not be out of the question for, say, a viper faunus to have venomous fangs or something."
"Really? So that means–"
"But that is by no means a justification to be racist, Weiss." Jaune rebuked, "following your logic, then should we not touch any kind of animal at all in the first place? Or even other humans, for who knows what germs or bacteria they are carrying."
"Yeah, I guess you aren't a bigot as much as you are a germaphobe."
Blake's smirk caused Weiss to scowl, "Why you–"
"That's enough for now, I think we should be ready to leave."
Jaune raised his hands and ruffled their hair, causing both girls to squeak indignantly. Weiss was about to give him a piece of her mind before finding him staring at something in the distance and found Nora and Ren approaching with backpacks over their shoulders.
"Oh look, Ren. What's his face has two beauties in his arms. What a playa!"
All four of them stared at the bubbly girl in utmost deadpan until her wide grin turned into a grimace. "H-Hey don't look at me like I'm some weirdo!"
"You make it easy, Nora."
"Even you, Ren!"
"And don't be rude, he said his name is Jaune Arc."
Once the girl got over her melodrama, they walked over to the bus station, and Lie Ren glanced at Jaune. "So, where's that place you mentioned?"
"The Dust place?" The dark-haired boy nodded, "In the Commercial District close to the river. A nice place called C 's Dusty Trinkets. I know one of the owners personally."
"Oh cool, I think I saw that place a few times. Our home is quite close as well." Nora chimed in before suddenly groaning. "It's still about an hour or two away, though. And I'm starving!"
Blake looked like she wanted to tear into the orange haired girl but simply groaned something about gluttons.
"Indeed, I am feeling a bit peckish." Weiss confessed as they got on the bus and sat in the back row, which was luckily empty. "Do you think the train provides food?"
"Are you sure the plebeian food served on trains will be up to your royal palate, Princess?"
Weiss glared at the cat faunus seated on the opposite side of Jaune and next to Nora who took the window seat. "What about you, kitty? I doubt they would be serving tuna on the train. Unless you think the canned stuff is real tuna, then I pity you."
Blake clicked her tongue as she glared right back at her.
"Oh wow! Look Ren. They're both glaring so hard that lightning is forming between them!" Nora's laughter sounded out in the background, but Weiss was too busy glaring at the cat girl. "Do you think I would be able to shoot lightning from my eyes as well? Oh, let me try, but I think Jaune is gonna get electrocuted from–"
"That's enough from you two." Weiss jumped when Jaune dropped a grilled cheese sandwich on her lap as well as a steaming cup of coffee; a skewered roasted trout along with a pack of milk were also dropped on Blake's lap. "That place you mentioned was good, Ren. Here you go."
Lie Ren, as well as Blake and Nora, stared in shock at the sudden display of magic before accepting a plate of pastries. The cat faunus in particular looked flabbergasted. "I saw that ability before. Fie hid all of my stuff in some sort of invisible bag!"
"Mhm, it's quite nifty. Anyway, tell me more about your time here in Vale, Nora."
Weiss chortled as Blake grumbled when Nora burst into conversation, nearly sitting on the cat faunus' lap as she regaled Jaune with weird tales that couldn't be true.
"Nope, most of it are dreams or figments of her wide imagination." Lie Ren explained when she asked as they left the bus and got on the high-speed maglev train built along the same elevated highways that Weiss first traveled on when she arrived in Vale - sadly, it was not yet connected to the residential district. "It's always fun letting her come up with the most insane stories. It keeps her busy."
"I'm sure she can be a bit of a handful, but I feel like you two care a lot about each other."
Before she knew it, Weiss found herself seated next to Ren, while Jaune and Blake took the two seats across them with Nora seated on the single chair across the aisle.
"Indeed, Nora is…very precious to me." Ren's impassive face softened as he gazed warmly at the bubbly girl. "We've been together for a long time."
"Oh my, together as in together?" Weiss couldn't help but tease, and Ren sighed tiredly.
"No, we are not together together. She's like a sister…and a best friend I suppose."
"Ren, you live together, right?" Weiss asked, causing the boy to nod. "For a long time? And you are not related by blood? She is super clingy to you and likes getting pampered?" Ren continued to nod, his face growing more solemn the more she talked. "Well, I'm by no means an expert when it comes to any kind of relationship, but that sounds like someone who thinks of you as more of a friend."
"Oh? And what do you think Nora thinks about me then."
"Well, it's obvious." Weiss looked at the tired face of Ren like he was stupid not to have realized it. "She thinks of you as her father."
Silence, and suddenly, Weiss realized that the three others were also listening in but she only had eyes for the orange-haired girl whose face was red from shock, before gradually morphing into a grin and burst into giggles.
"Well, that explains a lot." Ren turned aggrieved at his friend's boisterous laughter and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "If that's what it feels like to have a rambunctious daughter, then I shudder what getting married would be like."
"Hey, I'm an awesome daughter and can prove it!"
Nora jumped and stood in front of Ren, but it was at this moment that the train departed and she ended up falling on his lap. The girl stammered and blushed madly, which made Weiss frown - she expected the girl who seemed to love leeching from her friend to use the chance to tease the boy a bit more. She glanced across her, finding Blake and Jaune talking seriously about something, clearly bored with Nora's antics.
At least until Nora decided she suddenly grew too shy speaking to her friend and barged into their conversation, leaving a confused Ren behind. Weiss also looked confused; Nora acting like a blushing maiden was opposite of what she thought of her character. Regardless, this was a good opportunity to speak to the expert aura user beside her.
"So, Ren. Tell me more about your Aura skills. Especially that strike you gave me to win you the duel, how did it bypass my defenses? I still had a lot of aura, and not to sound like I'm gloating, but I think I have nearly half again your own aura reserves."
"Sure, but only if you tell me more about your glyphs." Weiss easily nodded, "Now, what do you know about aura projection?"
"Hmm, well, if we're using Glyphs as a basis, it requires a structured formula to express our will upon the world. We don't exactly know why making certain diagrams or symbols with aura causes such a phenomenon, but it just works, and if the structure is somehow damaged or incomplete, the aura dissipates." Weiss tapped her fingers on her knee as the black-haired boy nodded along, smiling at the impromptu lesson. "But the aura that you projected felt more…primitive? Unstructured? I'm not sure how to explain it."
"You are close, aura projection is as simple as it is complicated." Ren formed a globe of pink light over his palm, grabbing the attention of the rest of their group. "Anyone with a large enough reserve can project their aura out of their body, but it requires a lot of training and discipline to shape it into a useful tool."
The pink globe morphed into a crude shape of a crane, then a tiger, then a dog. It was not at all detailed, but more like the stick figures Weiss would draw as a child, yet it was still phenomenal. "Such control…I don't think I can easily form something like that."
"And you should never try it without preparation because aura, at its core, is volatile." To emphasize, Ren clenched his fist causing the aura shape to pop like a balloon, sending a light gust of wind into their faces. "As for how I managed to hurt you through your defense and aura, that is an advanced method of aura projection."
"Aura does not normally defend against other aura." Jaune suddenly spoke as he gazed at Ren. "This stunt cost you about five percent of your reserves, yet your control truly is phenomenal."
"Thank you, and yes, aura automatically defends against physical or mundane attacks. But to protect yourself from aura attacks, you have to not only consciously defend yourself but also understand the attack method."
"I see. It's almost like forming a glyph but in my case, Schnees have an unusually high affinity with glyph making. I think my mother mentioned that for normal people, forming glyphs starts as a shapeless form like you did Ren, but for Schnees, we completely skip that step and easily get the end product." Weiss raised her hand and easily willed a simple spark glyph to form in her palm before focusing on disentangling the mathematical formula keeping the glyph intact. The result was it melting into a shapeless light blue sphere that shook as Weiss did her best to keep it stable.
Noticing the rest of her group watching, she explained further. "Right now, I have to fight against every instinct in me to prevent the aura from forming into a glyph." After a few more seconds, Weiss willed the aura back into her body as she sighed heavily. "I think that's the best I can do for now."
"It wasn't a bad attempt and I am confident you can learn it in time." Jaune raised his own hand and a globe of powerful golden aura formed in his palm that utterly dwarfed hers or Ren's in sheer weight. "I am not particularly good at aura manipulation myself, but my semblance does give me advantages. I also knew a woman back home who was an expert in projecting Aura like you could, Ren."
"Oh?" Ren sat up straight as his face lit up. "Was she a faunus? Particularly a fox faunus with two traits in the ears and a tail? Black hair and green eyes?"
Jaune withdrew his Aura and stared at the Mistralian boy incredulously. "Okay, that was way too specific. How do you know Kilika of all people?"
"She saved me and Nora years ago. Never really taught me, but she practiced her Aura techniques long enough in front of me that I picked up on her methods." Ren had a nostalgic smile on his face, "Aura projection just like me, more like I'm the copycat. She later introduced us to Professor Goodwitch who sponsored us here in Pharos."
"Interesting, I knew Kilika traveled around a lot before settling in Massalia, but I never thought I would meet a student of hers. Talk about fate."
Weiss had no idea who Kilika was and neither did Blake for that matter which surprised her; considering what Jaune and Ren were saying, that faunus woman seemed like a pretty big deal yet the cat faunus had never heard about her.
Nora, on the other hand, was surprisingly subdued as she coughed awkwardly, "Calling us her students is generous. That woman is scary."
"And yet you learned more from her than I did." Ren deadpanned at her, "Breaking people's legs was not something you picked up out of nowhere."
"Ah yes," For the first time since Weiss had met him, Jaune shivered in fear. "The Kilika method for swift recovery and body reinforcement. The amount of broken bones I suffered…"
"Yeah," Weiss and Blake stared at Jaune, Nora, and Ren as they shuddered. Was that Kilika woman really that scary?
"Anyway, what about your Aura?"
"Oh, right." Jaune reignited his palm causing his Aura to shine even stronger. "My main talent lies in imbuing my aura into other materials to strengthen them." Jaune grabbed a plastic knife from the seat and his aura surrounded it protectively for a few seconds… until it disintegrated before their eyes. "Sadly, not many things can withstand my aura."
"Taking aside how absurdly potent your aura is," Ren's face was sweaty as Jaune allowed his aura to dissipate into the compartment, giving them a pleasantly warm feeling that contrasted with the cool air coming from the vents. "There is another method to project aura outside your body and that is, as Jaune just showcased, aura reinforcement. Some people can even send aura attacks flying at their enemies from a distance, usually with the help of a sharp blade."
"Aura slashes," Blake nodded as she patted her weapon.
"Oh yeah," Nora piped in. "You used that a lot in our fight. Shame it tired you so quickly."
"I did not tire!" Blake insisted indignantly, "I merely found it served no purpose and switched tactics."
"Sure, sure, so you weren't heaving with exhaustion when I nearly smashed Magnhild into your knees?"
"No, I was not." Blake folded her arms petulantly, "And what kind of maniac aims for the kneecaps during a friendly spar?"
"ME! WAHAHAHAHA!"
As Nora and Blake bantered, with Jaune unfortunately stuck between them, Weiss turned back to Ren. "So what do you recommend to improve my aura control?"
"There are many exercises you can follow, but I take it you've been tutored heavily in that, right? Particularly in a logical and systematic method, almost as if it was a science." Weiss nodded, many of her tutors were former huntsmen or military men whose main priority was discipline and efficiency. "While that is certainly a good way to increase your control, a better method is through meditation."
"Meditation?" Weiss looked strangely at the man - she had heard a lot of queer tales about Mistralian and Vacuoan mysticism but he looked dead serious. "You mean like in those films that come out of Mistral about the monks sitting uncomfortably on a balanced pile of rocks?"
Lie Ren sighed as he rubbed his eyes, "No, and please do not compare what those posers do with actual meditation, even if balancing acts do have some places in–never mind. I know many in Atlas, and even Vale, frown on this, preferring to find a scientific explanation than the more commonly accepted theory, but you understand that aura is the projection of one's soul, correct?"
Naturally, Weiss wanted to object and go on a tirade about how there was no proof of the soul's existence…nor was there any proof to deny its existence, and neither had the finest minds in Atlas figured out the origins of aura. In fact, after her discussion with Jaune, Weiss was now leaning more towards the existence of souls after all.
She hesitantly nodded allowing Ren to continue, "Meditation is to become closer to your soul. To understand your deepest desires and regrets, to acknowledge your flaws and accept your virtues. To learn when to be modest and humble, and when to be proud and ardent. Doing so, makes you more attuned to your soul, and aura, allowing you better control in not just combat, but many other aspects of life."
"Is that how you keep yourself calm?" Jaune suddenly asked, even as Nora and Blake were practically standing over his shoulders as they argued back and forth about how unhealthy, or healthy, pancakes were - how the heck did their conversation evolve to that?
"That, and my semblance helps." Ren shrugged, "Regardless, as you become more attuned to your aura, you will be able to form better abilities with it. Aura sensing, being able to pick on people's emotions or intentions which is crucial if you attempt to unlock someone's aura, better senses all around, some even gain a form of precognition."
"Hmm, very interesting. I know a girl who could use Aura to walk up walls and dangle from the ceiling as if gravity did not exist." Jaune chuckled even as Weiss gawked at such a handy ability. "She taught me how to do it, and while I can barely make it work, I doubt I'll be able to use it in combat any time soon."
"Fascinating. I would love to learn more about it if you don't mind?"
"Certainly. Once in Beacon, we will have all the training facilities we would desire."
As Ren and Jaune continued their discussion regarding Aura control, Weiss nodded along, finding herself learning a lot more than she ever thought she would today. Soon, they arrived at their station and Jaune led them through the streets to a neat looking building overlooking the Emerald River. It was quite large, almost the size of a supermarket, with a large flashy sign that said, "C 's Dusty Trinkets".
Curiously, there was a police car parked outside.
"Well, here we are. This place sells Dust and all kinds of weapons, trinkets, and gadgets that cater to any aspiring huntsman. They even have a shooting range underground, if you want to try out your purchases."
Jaune grinned as he approached the door and pushed it open. A chime greeted them as they entered along with an excited greeting.
"Oh hey, Jaune! Haven't seen you in a while."
Weiss stared at the rabbit faunus talking to two older men by the counter, one of them was the familiar Detective Munier, which explained the police car outside. There were a few customers who gave the feeling of Aura users around the store, but she recognized Officer Seeker speaking to an equally tall girl dressed most fashionably.
"Hey Meg. And Captain Montgomery! I haven't seen you in weeks."
"Come now, lad. I'm as much a captain as Cherif here."
Jaune approached the counter to properly greet his friends, Blake seemed wary as she stared at the cop but Nora had grabbed her arm and marched forward. Ren simply sighed beside her before they followed along.
"Detective Cherif. I did not expect to see you here."
"Just meeting with old friends." Cherif Munier nodded to her and Jaune before turning to the other man. "Well, Herbert. I'm glad you are onboard with this. I will expect you and your men at the precinct later."
"Excellent. I was already bored out of my mind doing nothing over the past month. This Torchwick fellow seems like a real menace as well. Drive safe, Cherif."
The detective nodded, "Will do. Thank you for accommodating us, Mrs Scarlatina. Mr Daichi, I will also be expecting you later tonight." A very tall Mistralian man nodded. "Raya, let's go."
The tall woman bid farewell to the younger looking girl wearing shades indoors before exiting the store with her superior. Weiss turned as Jaune coughed for attention.
"Everyone, this is Herbert Montgomery. He commanded the defense at Celdic during the Grimm attacks last month." Jaune introduced the elderly man who looked like a jolly grandfather yet still held himself well for his age. "This is Megan Scarlatina, one of the owners of this fine establishment and an utter daredevil with a machine gun."
"Oh my, you're making this old lady blush, Jaune." The rabbit faunus giggled before waving a similar looking rabbit faunus girl their age over, and three more people joined her - including the tall girl, and even taller boy, from earlier. "This is my daughter, Velvet, and her team. They will be starting their second year in Beacon."
The younger rabbit faunus smiled in greeting.
"How do you do? I'm Velvet, this hanger on is Coco Adel." Velvet gestured with her head at the tall girl who moved over to lean on her shoulders and greeted them with a, "Hello there, cuties."
Weiss inspected the girl. She had brown eyes covered with shades, short brown hair that had a garish caramel dye on one of the strands and, Weiss grumbled to herself, like all Vale women she had met so far, an ample chest that was further accentuated by her height. Glancing at the rabbit faunus, she too sported an impressive pair under her kind face.
"This is Fox Alistair." Velvet continued, deaf to Weiss' inner monologue. Fox was a tall (What's with that team of very tall huntsmen? Were all huntsmen supposed to be so tall?!) dark-skinned young man with red hair and white eyes (was he blind?) who nodded stoically. "And the big fellow is Yatsuhashi Daichi."
The very Mistralian looking and sounding fellow was indeed huge, even taller than Jaune by at least half a foot! Still, he also appeared polite as he nodded with a greeting.
"A pleasure to meet you. I'm Jaune Arc and this is Weiss Schnee, Lie Ren, and–"
"Ya-helloo! It's Nora time!" The orange haired girl with an overabundance of energy jumped forward with a greeting. "So, how does Jaune here know you Mrs Rabbit? Gasp! Could it be? I know he's a playa, but this is just–"
Cue, Lie Ren smacking her head and dragging her backwards, "I apologize for this menace's lack of control and I promise she will conduct herself better." Ren glared at the energetic girl who was rubbing her head petulantly. "No pancakes if you don't behave."
The way the girl's eyes widened and stood straight like a soldier in the yard made Weiss giggle. It was such an effective method too. Weiss would have felt sympathy for her considering they were both the same height… if not for the massive pair she carried that bounced around with all her exciting hopping.
And the girl was not Valean this time! What gives?
"My, what an energetic young lady." Mrs Scarlatina held her cheek as she smiled coyly at Ren. "Your girlfriend?"
Cue, Nora blushing like mad and Ren sighing tiredly. "Apparently, I'm more of her guardian than anything."
A few chuckles before Jaune turned back to Montgomery. "So, Captain. What have you been up to? Have you reconnected with your daughter?"
"Oh yeah, I found her quickly enough. Coco here is my granddaughter," The fashionable girl grinned. "We were just about ready to leave as well."
"Yep, it was great talking to you again, Meg." Coco let go of Velvet, gave the older rabbit-faunus a hug that Weiss felt was longer than was appropriate, yet Meg did not seem to mind judging by her smile, before joining her grandfather. "We have a long day ahead of us."
"Detective Munier seemed interested in you." Weiss hummed thoughtfully, "I know the police force seems to be underfunded lately, I take it he offered you a job?"
"Smart girl! Yes, me and the rest of my men will be joining him as temporary officers. While we are not trained policemen, we have experience in keeping the peace."
"I take it that not many of you guys have been able to find a proper job after your dismissal?"
"Sadly, no, which made it easy for us to take Munier's offer." Herbert Montgomery then glanced at the time, "I'm sorry, but I really do need to go if I want to have time to rally the men for this job."
"Yeah, same here." Coco sighed dramatically before grabbing her two male teammates arms. "I'll see you around, Velvet. Let's go see what the good cop has in store for us, boys."
The two tall huntsmen in training nodded silently, and Weiss wondered if they were just shy or was it a simple case of not having enough energy to deal with someone as outgoing as Coco looked to be. Glancing at Ren and remembering the dynamic between him and Nora, she wagered it was the latter.
Once the rest of her team was gone, Velvet turned to Jaune and her mother. "So, how do you know each other? And what was that about a machine gun?"
"Ah, that's a long and gruesome story." Suddenly, Meg's smile turned stiff as her eyes grew dull and she lowered her head - even her bunny ears looked sad. "Celdic was supposed to be just another business run, but it ended up turning into a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I would not wish upon anyone."
"You never did tell me what happened. Aunty Tanya refused to elaborate, other than you surviving a Grimm attack."
"Attack is an understatement." Blake scoffed, causing everyone to turn to her, even as Meg's eyes widened in recognition.
"I knew I recognized you. Blake, right? You were with us when that final Grimm horde attacked."
"Horde?" Velvet and Nora echoed, the latter surprisingly serious for once. A few minutes of explanation later, and everyone was staring at the innocent looking woman in a new light.
"Wow, I would love to see you shooting at Grimm while cracking jokes at the men dying around you." Nora's eyes were shining as she looked at the rabbit-faunus in awe.
"Well, good thing she made a recording of the entire battle." Jaune chimed in, even as the woman blushed prettily that surprisingly made her appear far younger than she looked. "What happened to that recording, by the way? I know Qrow mentioned purchasing it from you, but surely, you kept a copy for yourself?"
"I did, but let's not talk about this anymore. Once you enroll in Beacon, Tanya mentioned that her husband will go over it in school. Yes, even your class, Velvet. Something about Peter needing to edit it and make it properly presentable for students and the media." Weiss wondered who Tanya or Peter were, but the storeowner was clearly done with the topic. "Now, Velvet, why don't you be a dear and help our customers with what they need? Jaune, I have managed to secure part of your order, but it's still difficult to procure that material."
"Thanks, Meg." Jaune withdrew his gun, and placed it on the counter. "The gun is still in excellent condition, but I look forward to working with Zemurium. I'm just too accustomed to using a shield."
"My, I do wonder why you bother with a gun when you have that sword to…"
"So, what are you guys looking for?"
Weiss turned to Velvet as she approached her, Blake, Nora, and Ren. She shook her head inwardly, while she was curious about Jaune's conversation and the mention of a sword and Zemurium, it was rude to listen in on others. It was time for her to stock up on Dust. Jaune had agreed to lend her enough money to top off her reserves but she insisted on paying it back. Checking the time, Weiss noticed she had a few more hours before her shift at Junior's.
At least she managed to secure her position in initiation. Now all she needed was to pass it, and rake in enough cash doing the weekly missions she heard about and pay back all her debts!
.
.
.
Later that evening
"I'm so tired!"
Weiss stretched her arms as she and Jaune entered the Wayward Mermaid. Another uneventful night at Junior's though she managed to earn a cool £300 this time thanks to her singing and tips. Jaune had ended up falling asleep midway through her performance, and while it slightly miffed her, she was far more amused after knowing about his sleep troubles.
Once they finished at Meg's shop, they invited Ren and the rest to join them, but Nora had insisted she and Blake had plans (which apparently the cat faunus had no clue about), while Ren decided he would go home for a nap.
"Tell me about it." Jaune yawned as they approached the welcoming desk where the receptionist waved them over. "Where's Becky?"
"Still sick. May I have your keys?"
Exchanging a glance with Jaune, they both provided the receptionist with their key cards which he scanned on a device that beeped once, nodded, then returned them. "Welcome back. I regret to inform you that the prices for the rooms have gone up again."
"How much this time?" Weiss groaned, wondering if she was going to lose her hard-earned cash so quickly - she already owed Jaune nearly £2000 for the bullhead ticket as well the Dust purchases.
"£150." The man replied apologetically and hurried to explain at her shocked face. "Due to the recent attack, the insurance company had increased the monthly premium. Not to mention, there hasn't been as many fishermen around since then, and we don't think they will come back any time soon. Most of them ply their trade in other wharves, causing us to purchase supplies from elsewhere."
Weiss felt extreme guilt about the whole affair. So far, no one had really blamed her for the attack, but she still believed it was her fault since she was the one that Nancy Green targeted in that whole fiasco. If she was not here, then she would have never attacked this place.
"Alright, here you go." Weiss counted out £150 and placed it on the counter. Jaune did the same, though he seemed to stare at the closed door behind the desk. As the receptionist counted the money, Weiss nudged him with her elbow questioningly.
"Nothing, I just worry about Becky. Her aura, even sealed, seems unstable." He whispered to her just as the man finished counting and placing the money in a strongbox, before raising his voice. "Have you found out what is wrong with Becky?"
"She still insists it's just the flu, but the cook thinks it's something more serious." The man replied. Weiss was tired of calling him that in her mind, so she glanced at his name tag, finding it to be Thomas. "I'm sure she will get better in time, Miss Chang is far more durable than people give her credit for."
"Very well, if something happens to her, do let us know." Jaune nodded to the man and moved on to his room before stopping as he found her standing where she was. "Weiss?"
"Do you mind if we take a look at her?" Weiss did not like that Becky was hurting, especially after all the grief she had caused the vulgar woman, who took it all in stride. Granted, Weiss was not amused when the woman had confiscated her belongings, but that was easily brushed aside as she recalled the woman fighting against overwhelming odds while injured, simply because she refused to hand over one of her tenants.
"I'm not sure if that's a good idea." Thomas glanced at Jaune who stood behind her in support. "I mean, who knows what illness she has. It could be infectious and–"
"And we are Aura users. Trust me, no mere flu or virus would be able to infect us." Jaune assured the man who nodded hesitantly and opened the door for them. Once they entered, they found Rebecca Chang breathing heavily in her bed, covered in thick blankets with an ice pack on her forehead. Jaune turned to her. "Weiss? What's the plan?"
"Plan? I haven't the foggiest idea."
Weiss had no idea what drove her to approach the sick woman. She only planned to check on her, to assuage the guilt she felt over what happened. Yet, Ren's words rang in her head. Meditation. It had nothing to do with sitting in a funny posture and humming for some spirits to give you sagely wisdom. It was about coming to terms with your flaws, your guilt, your sins…and acknowledge them.
It wasn't enough!
Weiss removed the ice pack and placed her palm on the woman's burning forehead. What good was acknowledging and accepting her mistakes, if she did not strive to correct them - to make amends?
Actions speak far louder than words.
Aura bloomed on her hand, and Weiss willed it to flow into Becky, whose eyes slowly opened in confusion. But Weiss knew it would not be enough, for she could already feel the woman resisting her, rejecting her, confusion clouded her mind, suspicion and distrust filled her veins. Weiss could feel her aura reserves being drained as they poured into the woman, yet found nothing to hold onto. No willing soul, no aura to invite her in, and Weiss could feel Becky beginning to panic at her intrusion.
So she did what she did best and sang.
In shadows cast by deeds undone,
I face the weight of sins I've spun.
With humble heart, I seek the light,
To turn my wrongs from dark to right.
Each step I take on paths anew,
Redeems the soul, both scarred and true.
In truth, I find the strength to mend,
And walk the road that leads to end.
Now charged to live with purpose, Just,
To hold my heart and actions' trust!
At the final line, Weiss poured all of her aura into the woman, all of her intent and will, to let Becky know that she meant no harm. That she was a friend!
Suddenly, the aura that had seemed to be blasting everywhere found something and latched onto it.
And Becky gasped as her own aura exploded.
Weiss cut off the flow, feeling the familiar exhaustion that came with emptying her aura, and nearly collapsed if not for Jaune steadying her. Before she could even thank him, she felt her reserves climbing back to maximum, and sighed in comfort.
"W-What have you done to me?"
They turned to the shocked-looking Becky, now sat upright as she gazed at her palms with wide eyes. She was no longer sweaty, the unhealthy flush on her face faded away to rosy tanned skin. Becky threw away the blankets on her, showing that she only wore her underwear even when sick, before tearing at the bandages covering her leg, showing her skin knitting itself even as they watched.
"Weiss here unlocked your aura." Jaune chortled, "What was it you told us this morning? Looks like you won't be paying for your room anymore, Weiss."
Weiss looked in confusion before remembering Becky's promise this morning…and judging by the woman's eyes that now gazed at her in worship, she too did not forget.
Yet Weiss did not really care about that. She did not go all out to unlock Becky's Aura so she could save on some Lien.
"How are you feeling, Becky?"
The older woman woke from her trance, her glazed eyes staring at her hands in wonder. "Like I've never been ill in the first place. I've never felt better in my life. So much power…And the aches! I didn't even realize I had a bad shoulder until I could move it so flexibly now."
As Becky continued inspecting herself in wonder, Weiss couldn't help but smile. It was but a first step, but she felt it was in the right direction towards making it up to the woman. Suddenly, Weiss yawned and swayed on her feet.
"I think it's time for you to go to bed. Even with my boost, you are still exhausted from today." Jaune's voice seemed to come from far away as he nearly carried her. "I suggest you also go back to sleep Becky. You are not as healthy as you think, it's just your body getting the equivalent of an adrenaline shot. You will have plenty of time to explore your powers later."
"Yeah…"
Becky sounded out of it but before she knew it, Weiss was already snoring away in her bed, a warm hand patting her head before the blissful nothingness of sleep took her.
Weiss and Blake have a heart-to-heart. It does not go as bad as expected, so there's that, but there's no way they would both be all friendly like after one discussion.
The Faunus attack on the mine is not canon but rather a setup for a future character.
Jaune cares more about being a Huntsman than politics, no matter who is in the right.
The Vale police plot shall continue to run in the background, but I won't be focusing too much on it.
In an attempt to improve her aura control, Weiss ends up gaining an eternally loyal follower.
Unlocking aura was such a strange thing, as the show made it seem like it was super easy, barely an inconvenience. If that was so, then why didn't huntsmen unlock people's aura during times of crisis like the Breach, Vale and Atlas' fall? I get that people with aura are like beacons to the Grimm, but if the Grimm are already attacking, might as well go all out.
Which brings me to this convoluted way of explaining the whole thing \_(ツ)/
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