The Games We Play

DISCLAIMER: This story is NOT MINE IN ANY WAY. That honor has gone to the beautiful bastard Ryuugi. This has been pulled from his Spacebattle publishment. Anyway on with the show...errr read.

Fourth Interlude - Bianca Arc

It was amazing how much things changed, she thought as she made her final rounds through the house. And it was amazing how much they didn't.

Proving that old habits did in fact die hard, she'd quickly fall back into checking on the others before going to bed herself. It was an old tendency, born from being the oldest and needing to look after the others—but it was long since outdated. Even if she did nothing at all, she knew they'd be fine now, strong as they were.

But she checked on them anyway.

Olivia had fallen asleep with almost enviable ease. The only sign that she was at all put off by being back at home was that way her room seemed almost hazy, as if looking into a mirage. The moonlight swept in and refracted oddly, casting twisted shadows along the walls, and though the room was empty, there was a feeling of occupancy that surrounded Olivia, as if the room were packed with invisible figures. She stopped by the doorway for a moment before continuing on, knowing Olivia didn't need any help to feel safe.

When she came to Indigo's room, however, she made sure to go inside and check under the bed. Shadows slithered around her body like snakes, thick enough—real enough—that in places her limbs seemed to be consumed by them. In others, they actually were, drawing Indigo literally into the shadows and creeping over her skin. Partially submerged as she was, she seemed too thin, almost warped. It reminded her of the first time she'd seen her sister like this, when in the darkness she'd mistaken the shadows for blood and thought something horrible had happened to her sister.

But that was a long time ago and she knew better. Despite the rumors that had been born from their different Semblances, they'd always gotten along well—and she was thankful for her sister's power and how it kept her safe. Putting her hand on the floor beneath the bed, she watched as her sister's shadow moved to touch her own; a gesture of reassurance from Indigo's guardian angel.

Reaching up, she gently turned off Violet's old headphones and stood to leave her sister to sleep. Whatever nightmares she had, the shadows would tend to.

Azure's door was unsurprisingly open, extending an invitation that she silently took. Leaning against the doorframe, she looked into the still well-lit room and saw Azure leaning back against her bed rest, eyes heavy. Their gazes met for a moment, but this was almost traditional now and neither said a word even though there was no risk of actually waking anyone. In moments they both turned their attention back to the proceedings.

Her sister had summoned her friends, animating the contents of a few water bottles into something far more. Their amorphous forms were blue at the edges, but they darkened swiftly as they approached the center until they were pitch black but for the many spheres that served as their eyes. Those were pure orbs that glowed the color of the ocean and floated on the skin of the creatures, occasionally shifting position to better focus on their work. In a cleared section of the floor were scattered materials, with small blocks of metal, wood, and paper, as well as various other materials for them to make use of—and they had, forming things like mouths and claws to facilitate the process. Thus far, they'd shredded about a fourth of the blocks and had repurposed the remains into a series of miniature lathes, crucibles, forges, and various other implements. One of the small entities seemed to be using its own body to contain and mix chemicals, until the production of the glassware and basins were complete. Having watched the entire process several times, she estimated that they'd been at work for perhaps half an hour, and that it would be some time yet until they finished their end goal, whether by lulling Azure to sleep or by completing the construction of their broadcasting tower.

Either way, it was a process that never ceased to amaze her. When she'd gotten messages from her sister after first leaving for Signal, it had come as both a shock and a relief—and then she'd seen the full extent of Azure's power and it had left even that amazement in the dust. She'd known from the beginning that Azure would build great things, some day, and had spoken to a few friends at both Signal and Beacon to ensure she had the opportunity to excel.

And she had.

After perhaps ten minutes, she left, trusting that her sister's friends would shut off the lights when they were done.

Sienna's room she merely looked into, feeling the chill. It was silent in a way so deep it was hard to truly fathom, cold in a way that numbed at the touch, but her sister was then in the center, lost in her frozen sleep. She'd wake by morning, life and motion returning the moment it was time to rise, but for now she was still and gone. She whispered a goodnight at the door and moved on, swinging into Shani's room to straighten the covers she'd all but tossed from the bed. Her mouth was open and her limbs splayed to take up as much room as physically possible, but she seemed to be sleeping well enough. Knowing her sister as well as she did, she didn't hesitate to move her physically in the process of tucking her back into bed.

Finally, she moved onto Violet, who sat on her bed with her new headphones, listening to what was undoubtedly loud music. Her eyes were closed, but as she moved by her door, one of her eyes opened and light shined through the room from the glowing orb. She paused for a moment to look back at the first of her sisters, but there was no need to remind her of her bedtime any more so she just smiled slightly and nodded. Blinking her glowing eye, Violet smiled back, lifting a pair of fingers to her lips and then extending the fingers her way, blowing an imaginary kiss.

Having fulfilled her need to make her rounds, she went back in the direction of her room, pausing half way to lean against a wall and heave a silent sigh.

His room was still empty, even though it was approaching midnight. She wasn't worried, knowing he was surely safe in that…pocket dimension of his, but it had still been hours since he'd left. A part of her had expected him to return as soon as the shock wore off and another thought he'd come back once the storm rolled over, but there'd been no sign of him since his departure. It was an odd feeling, not knowing where he was or when he'd return.

But then, this entire day had been odd. They'd talked about it amongst themselves when he didn't return for supper, but it was still hard to wrap her head around. Her brother was Jian Bing, the wanted terrorist. Her brother was working with people like Ozpin and Grandmother, apparently as some kind of secret agent, tangling with the White Fang and terrifying figures like—apparently—Raven Branwen. His power apparently made him a video game character, whatever that really meant.

It was a lot to take in, but she understood the gist of it well enough. Her little brother had grown up, like the rest of them had, and he'd gotten stronger. Even if she struggled to understand his words and the true implications escaped her, she could understand that much, at least. She could even say that she was proud of the fact, glad that he had apparently found what he was looking for, at least in some sense.

But…she was sad, too. An odd feeling, especially for how conflicting it seemed, but one that was there nonetheless. She'd never wanted this life for him and had thought—or maybe hoped—that he'd find something else. There were lives that were…perhaps not as glamourous as being one of the defenders of mankind, but which certainly seemed to make one happier in the long run.

Because you don't live this life without losing anything, she thought. It doesn't matter how strong you are, how smart you are, or how lucky you are—you'll lose something eventually if you play this game long enough. It was just a matter of when and what. Eventually, something goes wrong or someone fucks up, and the biggest secret, the one that was hardest to swallow, was this: It doesn't have to be you. You don't have to be the one to make a mistake. You don't have to be the one that does something wrong or who messes up, but the consequences can still mess you up. You can do everything right and still lose, because someone on another team made a mistake or because of something completely beyond your control or simply because reality can be a ruthless bitch at times.

And sometimes, you don't even need to be involved to lose something.

She closed her eyes and pushed the memories away, gloved hand rising to her heart. As she did, though, she couldn't quite push aside the worry she felt for her little brother. She wondered how long it'd take for something to happen to him.

Perhaps something already had, she couldn't help but think. He'd said that he'd been on that mission with their father—as a healer, he'd claimed, but she knew he was more than that now. What happened to him?

Or was she over thinking things? He'd seemed relaxed when he'd revealed his secrets, happy even. Like it was nothing he couldn't handle.

But then, she'd seemed that way, too, every time she'd lied to him about her training. She hadn't wanted him to worry and she was sure he must have been thinking the same thing about them. They'd all done this at some point—take everything onto their shoulders because it would hurt less than making the others bear any of the weight. She understood that, truly, but…

She was torn from her thoughts as the light changed. It was a subtle thing, something perhaps no one else notice, but for her the world was startlingly bright, even at night. She felt almost like she was standing in an endless, white plain as light poured down around her, the brilliance broken only by dark shapes and shadows—buildings, trees, people. It was too much to truly keep track of, but she felt something stir as a new shadow appeared, close to her home.

Close to her family.

An instant after the sensation struck home, she swung around, a point of light erupting in her hand. She felt its birth not as her power focusing as so many people had told her it should feel, but as a pulling and a rending, a gate opening to that white plain. It grew from a pinprick, a tiny opening that she summoned power from, but it was nothing more than light seeping out beneath the proverbial doorway as she prepared herself. For a moment, however, she considered opening it further, to unleash a torrent of power that would erase the intruder—

But it was just a though, a reflex she'd long learned to bite down on. She wasn't the little girl whose power would merely blow holes through walls, any more; if she opened that doorway here, it would burn a scar across Vale and kill thousands. As she always did, she took a breath and held back the power, focusing so that only a small bit would pass through the opening, and in that split second she recognized the shadow, however vaguely.

Drawing back her power, the doorway closed, smoothing into the rippling pattern she felt around her body. Focusing harder, she slide herself further out of the brightness and then walked down the stairs just in time to see the door open.

"Jaune," She greeted quietly. "Welcome back."

He didn't seem surprised to see her.

"Sorry for being late," He replied, smiling slightly at her. "I got caught up in the middle of something, but I wanted to wish everyone good night. Going to bed early?"

She nodded slightly, watching him closely. As far as she could tell, he looked exactly the same as when he left, but there was something…different about him. Something hard to pin down.

"There was nothing on," She said at last. "So most of us decided to go to our rooms after supper and just use our scrolls. And you?"

"I don't sleep anymore," He answered back, shrugging slightly. "I don't need to eat or drink, either, if you can believe it."

She thought back to days lost in the deserts of Vacuo, of scorching days and frigid nights that she hid from in her world of light. Days without food, water, or anything else and yet it had been like no time at all had passed when she reached the city walls again. She nodded at him once.

"I can," She told him, slowly making her way down the stairs. "You'll be fine, though? You're sure?"

"I'm sure," He said and she took a seat on the stairs, watching her for a moment before joining her. His smile was slight but easy as he stared ahead, seemingly relaxed. "I've tested it pretty extensively. I've only slept three times in about six months or so and I feel fine. And whatever happens, my body's really good at healing, so…I'll be fine."

Even now, even this close and searching, she couldn't feel anything from him. No, that wasn't quite true; it wasn't an absence of presence, per se, but rather something that didn't stand out. He was there, but he seemed to blend easily into the world around him, something calm and natural. Even searching as she was, his Aura seemed as tranquil as the smooth surface of a still lake. It was a subtle thing—so subtle that when she'd first seen him, she hadn't picked up on it, hadn't noticed that anything was or should be different. But now…

She followed his gaze and stared out into the night outside their windows, wondering again about how much had and hadn't changed. Here they were again, the oldest and the youngest, so close and yet so far apart.

"You've gotten strong, Jaune," She spoke suddenly, but though his gaze turned her way, his eyes didn't change, almost as if he'd been expecting the words. "I'm proud of you."

"Aw, thanks," He said, bumping her shoulder as she voiced her earlier thoughts. "I'm proud of you, too."

She snorted, bumping him right back before resting an elbow on her knee and her chin on her palm.

"We didn't get a chance to talk about it, earlier," She brought up after a moment's consideration. "You have a minute?"

He leaned back, resting his elbows on the steps behind them even as he kicked out his legs.

"You're doing a lot of dangerous stuff, aren't you?" She asked, closing her eyes. "You talked like it was a joke, but…"

He sighed but didn't answer.

"It must be a family thing," She continued after a beat of silence. "To want to bear everything on our own and protect each other even if it hurts. I guess I don't have much right to call you out on it, so…so I won't. I won't tell you to stop, as long as you're sure you'll be okay. If you are, I'll trust you to handle it."

She opened her eyes to look at him and saw him considering her right back. She'd expected a quick answer, like Violet would have given, but he seemed to be choosing the words carefully. She was glad about that, at least, since it meant he was taking her words seriously, but it just reminded her of how much things had changed.

"What if I wasn't sure?" He asked, tone musing and curious in equal measure. "What if it was something I don't know will turn out okay but can't afford not to try?"

"Then if you were in danger, I would do everything I could to save you," She promised. "Even if it cost me my life. I decided on that a long time ago."

He sighed again and then gave her a half smile.

"Stuff like that is why I wouldn't want to call you for help," He told her before clicking his tongue. "I guess I'll just have to become strong enough to handle things on my own, then."

She huffed out a slight laugh and shifted her stare back forward.

"I'd say something about that not being the healthiest of mindsets," She began. "But I'm not really one to talk. Just remember that I…that we're here. Whatever else you are, you're our brother and if you need help, we're here."

"I know," He replied, his voice a low murmur that still seemed to carry. The smile on his lips hand faded, but the quality of the expression seemed to change. "And I'm here, too, you know. I've gotten stronger—strong enough to help you if you're in danger. Whatever happens, if you need me, I'll come running."

"It'd be really embarrassing to need to be saved by my little brother," She chuckled again. "But I'll keep it in mind."

They were silent for a minute and then she sighed, turning her head to face him.

"If something happens to you," She started only to pause. "If you find yourself in danger as Jian Bing—"

"I won't let it be traced back to any of you," He promised, eyes meeting her own. "I won't let my choices infringe upon your lives."

She frowned at him and shook her head.

"That's not what I meant."

"I know," He whispered and the smile he gave her was a bit sad. "But let's leave it at that, okay? It'd be embarrassing to get saved by my older sister, you know?"

She snorted again, rolling her eyes and looking away.

"If it comes to that, things will be very bad," He continued, tone changing again. To what, she wasn't sure; he was hard to read now. "So I'll try to avoid that, okay. But if it becomes necessary, I'll make arrangements for all of us. Okay?"

"Well, you are the one who's a secret agent," She replied. "I guess it's only natural to leave that stuff to you."

He nodded once and leaned his head back, to stare at the ceiling.

"I think I'll be going to Mistral soon," He abruptly said, seeming to think it made complete sense in the context of their conversation.

"Mistral?" She asked, surprised. "Why?"

"A lot of things seem to be pointing me that way," He said. "I've got a mission there and some opportunities. And Mom called Grandmother in for a reason."

Ah. That explained that inconsistency.

"Are you okay with that?" She wondered, frowning slightly as she looked at him.

"Yeah," He nodded. "One place is pretty much the same as any other to me, but it means I'll be able to see Grandmother more often, as well as Olivia, Indigo, and Violet. Not sure how long it'll last, anyway, but…it gives me a chance to grow and that's all I can really ask for."

She nodded slowly, still watching him.

"Are you going to Haven, then?" She asked. "I guess you probably don't need the help, but…"

He shrugged.

"Probably just do some independent study," He said. "Not to sound arrogant, but I don't think a school is going to teach me the things I really need to learn. But who knows? Even I'm not sure what I'm looking for."

"Ah," She said. "I hope you find it, regardless."

"I will," He swore. "No matter what it takes, I'll figure something out. That's why I've been training so hard, you know?"

She smiled at him and nodded, inclining her head towards him. But—

"Can you show me?" She asked before she could stop herself. "Your real power, I mean? I'm curious."

For the first time, one of her questions seemed to surprise him, if only for a split second. Then it was gone and he nodded, standing.

"Do you mean a fight?" He asked, tilting his head. "Or a demonstration?"

"I'd prefer a demonstration, if you're up for it," She said, shrugging a shoulder with a slight smile. "It's right before bed time and, well, my powers hard to use against the people I love."

He nodded again, seeming to understand and accept that before snapping his fingers. At once, many shadows vanished from her world of light and others grew in their place.

"Your pocket dimension again, correct?" She checked, lifting an eyebrow.

"My Naraka," He replied. "It's just you and me, more or less."

"More or less?"

He shrugged and one by one his Elementals began to appear around him. But they seemed different now, as if they'd aged years in the time since lunch. When she'd first seen them, she'd have guessed they were in their early teens at most, but now each of them seemed about Jaune's age. A side effect of the dimension or—

Giving a unified nod, they vanished as one, slipping away in moments.

"There," Jaune said easily, stretching. "That settles that. Now, let's see…I actually haven't had much of a chance to test it myself, but…"

Something like a mask fell away and light rose around her brother. The darkness of their home was cast away as if a star had been born within the walls and if they stepped outside, she'd have had no problems believing he'd have illuminated the neighborhood like the midday sun. From that light rose the tiger she'd seen earlier, shaping a form for itself from his Aura and surrounding his body like a shield. The light increased after a moment, both in size and motion, and she could feel power gathering.

More than that, she could see it. In the brightness from which she drew her power, this world was nothing but an array of countless shadows—but people were different. They were connected to it like she was—or connected to something like it, at least. If people were shadows in her world, then they were unique in that regard.

And Hunters, Aura users, were something even more special. She'd long since stopped mentioning the things she saw in her light, but that didn't mean they weren't there, with the shadows of people at her feet. Some of the councilors she'd spoken to had suggested it was just a side effect or her power; some of the experts had considered that it might be related to the mentality of the person she was observing. Even they had dismissed the thought after she described the images—and one had even put forth requests that she receive therapy.

But not Azure. Even when she'd described the image she'd seen overlaid with her sisters form—a creature with five spiderlike legs and four spindly arms, of four eyes and three mouths and batlike wings—Azure had taken her seriously and theorized that perhaps what she was seeing was the Aura of others, in a way beyond what anyone else could see; that she was seeing their very souls, beyond any disguises. She wasn't sure if she was comforted by that thought—by Violet's raging storm or Indigo's living shadows or the various other imagery she'd seen in her time as a hunter.

But what she saw when she looked at her brother went beyond any of them.

It was a figure of size beyond words, of eyes and mouths—the most massive figure she'd ever seen, brushing the sky of her world of light and then covering them with wings that stretched as far as her eyes could see. Were there a dozen of them? No, there were more; two or three times as many, of such colossal size she couldn't tell. But what really drew her attention were the eyes and the mouths that decorated the whole of its form; there were enough that there had to be hundreds of thousands, with eyes staring in every direction and mouths that constantly murmured words she couldn't hear. Even so, they wrote themselves on the beings skin and the air around it, sinking into space and flesh alike as it grew, and into the pages of the massive text it held in its hands.

In the world of shadows, her brother finished calling his power to himself and she blinked, smiling.

"Ready?" He asked, lifting a hand.

"Yeah," She said. "Though I've already seen what I wanted to. You're strong, Jaune—and you'll get stronger."

"Of course," He said, though he sounded happy. "I don't mind showing off a little though, if you want me to."

"Why don't I go first?" She offered. "It's only fair, since you showed me your own power. And if this world is empty, it's a good chance for me to cut loose. You mind?"

"Oh, please," He gestured for her to go ahead—and at once, she slid into the light, hand outstretched.