Chapter 4: Forging Bonds

The following day, the toll from spending so much time in the Metaverse held Farran and Ruby in a deep sleep well into the morning, almost making them late to class. Their teammates had agreed that it would be unacceptable to allow them to sleep through class, leaving Weiss to shake Farran awake, which would have led to more drastic means had her shouts not cut through the veil of sleep that was over him. Still, he was more than thankful for his own wakeup call, rather than Ruby's. The team leader ended up taking two showers that morning, the first in the form of a bucket of ice water from her sister, causing Farran to learn of and appreciate the cruelty between siblings.

Hours later, after a Dust Studies class with a surprisingly cordial Professor Peach, a starving Team RWBY plopped down at the lunch table, soon joined by an equally ravenous Team JNPR, who had been right on their heels on the way to class. The table remained rather quiet, save for the clinking of silverware on plates, until Jaune opened up his scroll to an online news site.

"Oh crap… Another one?" He muttered over a bite of scrambled eggs.

"Hmm? Another what, Jaune?" Pyrrha looked up at him.

"Oh, you know those accidents that've been happening all over for the past while?" he gestured to his scroll, "This says an airship just went down between Atlas and Vale. I guess the black box said there was nothing wrong with it either. Just communications went dark, then it went into a nosedive."

"Wait, Jaune..." Weiss' fork clattered to the table, "That airship, does the article say anything about who it belongs to?"

"Let's see…" He started skimming back through it, "Left Atlas at three this morning… scheduled to arrive at seven… Ship was owned by… Oh no. It was an SDC ship..."

"Who was on board?" She blurted out, "Does it say anything about the passengers?"

Jaune looked up from his scroll, "From the press release, it seems like it was just a cargo ship. Probably a lot of dust, unfortunately, but not all too many people. Definitely no big wigs, otherwise it'd be much bigger news."

Farran watched her shrink back into her seat and let out a sigh of relief, then he turned back to Jaune, "So… You said 'another one'? Have there been a ton of accidents lately?"

"That's one way of putting it, but how do you not know, Farran?" Pyrrha questioned as the rest of the table stared at him in disbelief, "These accidents have been all over the news for almost the past two years."

Oh, crap! I forgot they don't know about me… He laughed nervously, "Sorry, just didn't really pay attention to the news back in Atlas. Way too much negativity and politics. Not my kind of thing if I could avoid it."

She nodded solemnly, his statement apparently ringing true, "I guess I cannot blame you for that. Essentially, all sorts of accidents have been happening all over Remnant. Buildings caught on fire, cars and airships crashing, trains derailing, you name it. It's almost like a cloud of bad luck has been cast over Remnant itself…"

"Add to that everything the White Fang has been doing, and the increase of Grimm attacks outside of major city walls…" Yang added, glumly, "All active Huntsmen have been working damn near triple duty for a while now."

"I'm telling you guys!" Nora pounded on the table, "That's why the military in Atlas recruited a teenage ace detective. They need someone to investigate this stuff! I heard they were over in Mistral last week, looking into the White Fang."

"Ridiculous." Weiss rolled her eyes, "My sister works under General Ironwood herself! I can tell you for a fact any rumors of some so-called "ace detective" are unsubstantiated and completely untrue."

"I dunno, Weiss. There's plenty of rumors about it." Jaune rubbed the back of his neck, "It's a big deal all over the net. Whoever this detective is, they have to be super smart. Like the guys in those old crime dramas my dad watches all the time."

Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose, "Rumors on the internet. Of course. Just like all of those rumors by those who have 'relatives' at the Schnee Dust Company that say they're experimenting on a new kind of dust that increases men's testosterone. Tell me, do these rumors even give a name?"

"Those rumors aren't true?! But I already… Never mind." He tried to hide a blush, "A-Anyway, of course there hasn't been a name leaked! No way they'd compromise someone like that."

"Jaune, as much as I like some good fiction, real life isn't like your comic books." Blake mused, "If the military was going to have someone investigate, they would send one of their own. You know, someone they trained themselves to investigate that kind of stuff? Not some kid our age. Not to mention, they would have said something about their investigation to calm people down."

"I prefer to call them graphic novels, actually."

Yang snickered, "You're such a dork. Man, it doesn't matter what you call them. It's still all a load of… Hey, what the hell?!"

Yang bolted from her seat, running over to Farran, standing firm like she was looking for a fight. She was soon joined by the rest of the team, sans Ruby, all crowding around him. Farran spun around to see just what had gotten into all of them, when he saw Cardin Winchester walking up to the table, arms half-heartedly raised in mock surrender.

"You have a lot of nerve coming here alone after what you pulled yesterday." Weiss glared him down.

"Easy, easy." Cardin tried waving them off, "I didn't come looking for trouble. I just need to talk to him. That's all."

"Anything you have to say to him, you can say in front of the rest of us." Yang growled, earning a nod from the rest of the group.

"Look, I just… Fine." Cardin sighed, "Look, man. I just wanted to apologize, ok? That's it. I've just been through ten tons of shit lately, and I took it out on you. So I just wanted to say sorry for being an ass."

Yang, Weiss, and Blake dropped their guard, stunned. Farran, however, just grinned, "Man, don't even worry about it. I understand. But I'm not the one you need to say sorry to. You apologize to Velvet, yet?"

"No, I… I haven't seen her yet, today. Just saw you first. Probably gonna have to wait until she's not with her team. They already want to kill me as is, so I doubt they'd let me get a word in. Anyway, that's all I wanted. See ya."

Cardin tried to rush away, but Farran called to him, "Hey Cardin! How about once I'm cleared, you and me have a match, one on one? Settle the score that way."

"Your funeral, Transfer." He waved back at him, "Consider your challenge accepted."

Cardin scurried away while Farran returned to his breakfast. The rest of his team retook their seats, as they and Team JNPR stared at him, mouths agape as he nonchalantly ate his toasted bagel. It wasn't until he was almost finished eating that Weiss indignantly kicked him in the shin to grab his attention.

"What was that for?!"

"Farran." Weiss' voice was hollow, "What on Remnant just happened? You do realize that Cardin Winchester just apologized to you, correct?"

"Yea, why?"

"Cardin Winchester doesn't apologize to anyone!" She hissed, "No one in his family does! This is completely unprecedented."

"I don't know why you guys are making such a big deal out of this. Guy just said he was sorry for being a dick. That's all." He punctuated his non-interest with a gulp of orange juice.

While he was playing coy on the outside, Farran was screaming internally over what had just happened. Just as Viola had said the night before, after his Shadow had been defeated, Cardin had practically become a whole new person overnight. Had he not experienced the Metaverse himself, he wouldn't have believed it. Even still, while he was expecting some sort of a change, he wasn't expecting it to be so drastic, nor was he expecting it so soon. Apparently, Ruby had been thinking the same thing, as she excitedly dug out her scroll, and hurriedly typed out a message to Farran while the others resumed conversation around them.

R: Did that really just happen?! That has to be because of last night, right?!

F: It had to be. As absolutely insane as that world is, I can't think of any other reason as to why he just grew a conscience overnight.

R: This is incredible… So by using that world, the two of us can stop that jerk and save Velvet? That's what you and that girl (Viola?) were talking about, right?

F: Yeah. I'll let you know when I get some more information. Just don't say anything to anyone, and make sure you keep Crescent Rose with you.

Farran closed his scroll, pocketing it with a slow nod. Ruby's questions, as well as the whole Cardin incident, had his thoughts racing, which lasted all through lunch, and the entirety of the next class as well. Not that he missed any pertinent information, since the professor, Professor Port as Weiss had explained to him, blustered his way through tall tales of his day as a Huntsmen. The whole situation had solidified a lot of things he had been worrying about. First, all of the information Igor had provided him was correct. By accepting his Shadow, Farran gained his Persona, and thus the ability to change people's hearts. The effects were near instant, and were drastic, as if the target were an entirely different person.

While the validity of Igor's statements had a silver lining, there was still one major problem that came with them. Farran had almost been hoping that the mysterious man would be wrong because otherwise, he and Ruby were the only two people standing between Velvet, and a lifetime of hell being forced on her. The video they had watched would become true without them, and they had a very strict deadline to work with. After that, which was a little over three weeks away, there would be nothing they could do to help the poor girl. Even that would be no easy feat, as proven by their last trip to the Metaverse, since the Shadows proved to be deadly and large in number, and Shadow Richards was apparently stronger than any of them. In an instant, all of that had become an all too real problem for the two of them.

After class had let out, the team decided to go their separate ways for a bit, as each of the girls had their own plans for the evening. Although, they had been sure to warn Farran that should he not be at the dorm before dinner, without giving them prior warning, there would be consequences. Since he was the only one of the group without prior engagements, he decided he would head to the library to focus on his Dust Studies readings. Farran had found over the past two days that, as opposed to his other studies about the Grimm where it felt more like he was remembering the information, everything he learned about dust and its properties seemed to be brand new to him. While the new sensation excited him a bit, he knew it was necessary to bury himself in his textbooks, since he was essentially starting from square one.

He weaved his way through the labyrinths of bookshelves, making his way to an unoccupied study room in the very back of the library. Setting his bag down, he decided it would be best to start from the beginning of the textbook again, rereading the basics of fire dust. He stayed in that private little corner for quite some time, the peaceful atmosphere allowing him to focus entirely on his work, until he heard the door behind him open.

"I'll see you at the dining hall, Coco. Just going to study for a bit." He heard the familiar, accented voice of a girl behind him, "Oh, I'm sorry… I didn't realize this one was taken…"

He quickly spun around to see Velvet standing shyly in the doorway, looking like she was about to scurry off, "Hey, don't worry about it. I don't mind sharing the room if you don't." He reassured her with a smile.

"Um… Ok…" She meekly took a spot on the other end of the table he was sitting at.

Farran went back to his book, but found himself noticing Velvet glancing at him curiously, before quickly returning her vision to her own books. This went on for several minutes before he spoke up, "Is everything ok? I hope I'm not bugging you."

"N-No! That's not it…" She stammered, "Thank you for yesterday. When you stood up to Cardin, I mean. Nobody outside of my teammates have been willing to help me, what with his connection to the Security Chief here. So, thanks…"

"Don't mention it. First off, I didn't know anything about either of those assholes until afterwards." Velvet started to look downtrodden, but Farran waved a hand in front of her to keep her attention, "At least let me finish before you write me off, yea? I probably would have done it regardless."

"I'm sorry, but I just can't believe you…" She hung her head, "You're not a Faunus, and you don't really know me. Nobody would go through all that trouble. Not for someone like me."

"No, you're right. I'm human, and we just met. I guess… I just see life as too short for people to be anything but happy, and that goes double for people causing problems for others. If I can do something to help someone feel even a little bit better, then I'll do it. Richards be damned, I wasn't gonna sit there and watch that happen."

She giggled softly, "That sounds like some cheesy line from the superhero shows my kid brother watches."

"Hey, I'd say I'm doing a damn good job of it already with this whole Huntsman thing! Besides, didn't Cardin apologize to you today?"

"Y-Yea, he did. It was completely out of the blue. I almost thought he was p-planning something again. How did you…?" Her eyes shot wide open, "Hold on… You were the one that got him to do it? I can't believe this. How? And why would you go through all that trouble?"

"What can I say? I've got my secrets." He smirked, "But do you believe me now? I didn't do it for any ulterior motive or anything. Hell, I wasn't sure if I'd run into you again. Just did it so he would leave you alone."

"I guess you're right. Thank you… um?"

"Farran Park, from Team RWBY. Nice to finally meet you, Velvet." She gave him a questioning look, "Sorry, Ruby told me your name after everything that happened."

"No, not that. Team RWBY is an all-girls team, last I checked. Besides, where does 'Farran' fit in with RWBY?"

"Right, sorry." He rubbed the back of his neck, "I know, the whole naming thing got thrown off cause of me. I'm a transfer from Atlas. I didn't want to screw up the team name or anything after they were nice enough to take me in."

"Oh, I see. I can sort of remember Ruby saying something about that. She's a really nice girl. Blake too, from the few times I've been able to talk with her. I haven't had much time to meet your other teammates though." She brought a finger to her chin, thinking, "Tell you what. You say you have your secrets, but I have my own, you know. I'll share one with you, since you helped me out, and cause you're Ruby's friend."

Farran watched as she got up from her seat, and moved over to the wall next to him. She knelt down, and wrapped her fingers around one of the wooden panels at the bottom, giving it a slight pull, and removing it from the wall. She set it to the side to reveal a small metal tunnel, almost like an air vent, that led into the wall. Farran could swear he felt a slight breeze blowing through it.

"From what I can tell, I think this is an old maintenance crawlspace. It leads to my private hiding spot. I found it on the second day of classes. It leads outside, so there's usually a nice breeze coming through it, which means there's no dust or cobwebs, thankfully. Here, follow me. Oh, but…" She looked down at her skirt, already fluttering from the breeze. A slight blush popped up on her cheeks. "Why don't you go first?"

Farran nodded, sliding his textbook back into his bag, and bringing it with him. The crawlspace was long, and cramped, forcing him to military crawl the entire length. For the first time in his new life, he realized just how glad he was that he wasn't claustrophobic. Still, the light at the end, and the smell of fresh air kept him pressing onwards. Finally, after shimmying along for about twenty feet, he managed to pull himself out, finding himself in a small area, concrete walls on three sides, and a flight of steps ahead. He heard Velvet coming up behind him, so he stepped out of the way, helping her up once she finally clambered through. She led him up the stairs, up to a concrete platform, and one of the most beautiful sights he had ever seen. The platform was a gap in the castle's main tower, surrounded by pillars that connected the floor to the ceiling. In the center, an enormous metal cylinder rose from top to bottom, making the platform a walkway about ten feet wide around it. From where he was standing, he could see the city of Vale way off in the distance, and the sun setting towards the horizon over the sea, enveloping everything in fiery hues of orange and red. The crisp spring breeze blew softly by them, surprisingly not strong enough to chill them, given how high up they were. The whole of Beacon's campus stretched out before them, little dots that were students making their way around the green fields. Farran turned to Velvet, who was watching him with a smile.

"What do you think?"

"It's amazing, he replied, breathless, "The view up here is gorgeous. How did you find out about this place?"

"I went up to that study room to be alone for a bit. That's when I noticed a draft, and the panel was coming of slightly. Since the crawlspace was clean enough, I figured I'd investigate." She moved a windswept lock of hair out of her face, "Turns out this is one of the few places on campus without any security cameras, whether Director Richards doesn't know about it, or just hasn't come up here, I don't know. But the view is perfect for my photography, and I love coming up here whenever I get stressed."

"Is that why you were coming here today?"

She nodded, "Today was a long day. Even with Cardin apologizing, which was definitely a plus, might I add. I'm just really nervous about tomorrow."

Farran motioned over to the metal cylinder, "Want to talk about it?"

The two sat down, leaning against it, "There's not really much to talk about. I'm just going on my first mission tomorrow, and I've been getting really anxious about it."

"A mission? That's cool, but I thought us first years weren't allowed to go on them for a little bit yet?"

"What? I'm obviously a second year! Can't you tell from my mature charm and beauty?" She giggled, "No, I know what you mean. I was supposed to be a first year, but when we all arrived, I got called into Opzin's office. Apparently, there was an odd number of incoming students, and they didn't want to make a situation like yours. I thought I was going to be sent home, but he ended up fast tracking me a year!"

"Shit, really? That's awesome Velvet!" He shook his head, impressed, "I guess that means you're some seriously gifted Huntress, right?"

"No, nothing like that." She twiddled her thumbs, "Honestly, I just studied and practiced really hard before I came here. I grew up in a Faunus neighborhood in Vale, which wasn't the slums, but it wasn't far off. I knew I had to become a Huntress so I could get myself and my family out of there. Plus…" She let out a sad laugh, "I guess I have a little idealism like you do. Like when you said you want to help people feel better… so do I. That's always been a dream I've been chasing since I was little."

"I see…" He paused for a second, "So, what team are you on, Velvet? Do you guys have five members too?"

"Huh? Oh, I'm on Team CFVY. From what I've been able to gather, they had another teammate before me, but I don't know what happened. They don't like to talk about it. But they haven't been able to go on missions for a while, which is why they wanted to do one tomorrow. It's a little unnerving, really. Coco, our leader, said she made sure it wouldn't be too difficult, but it was still one rated for second years."

"Hey, no need to be so stressed about it. I'm sure you'll do just fine." He shrugged, "Look Velvet, whatever you think of yourself, I know you wouldn't have been picked for their team if you couldn't handle it. Ozpin believed in you, your team believed in you… Hell, I know it means next to nothing since we just met, but I know you're gonna do just fine. You'll probably show up those second year teammates of yours too!"

"Aww, that's so sweet. Thank you for the vote of confidence, Farran. You'd be surprised just how much it means. You know, I can see why Ruby let you on her team."

The two laughed, and kept talking for quite some time, watching the sun slowly set. As they talked, Farran could feel his resolve strengthening to take down Shadow Richards. Velvet had pushed herself, and placed all her determination into becoming a Huntress. All that time studying and practicing, just so she could help her family and other people. Yet Richards thought he'd ruin this poor girl's life, just for the sake of profit. It wasn't something he was just going to sit by and let happen so easily.

Just as the sun reached the tips of the waves on the horizon, Velvet stood up and brushed herself off, "Well, this has been fun, Farran. Unfortunately, I have to get going. Having dinner with the team, then right to bed. Early morning and all that."

"I hear ya. I was going to have to get out of here soon anyway. Weiss would have my head if I showed up late again tonight." Farran stretched his back until he heard a crack, "Hey, Velvet. I was wondering, whenever you get back from your mission, would you want to hang out sometime? I don't really know all too many people outside my team, so…"

"Sure, Farran. I actually had a lot of fun today. Here, give me your scroll." She took it and pulled out her own, handing Farran's back to him a few seconds later, "There, you have my number and I have yours. I'll let you know when we get back. I'll introduce you to the team, I think you'll like them. Say hi to Ruby for me, will you?"

"Will do." He walked towards the outside edge of the platform, garnering a raised eyebrow from Velvet, "By the way, since you shared this secret with me, I'll share one of mine."

"What are you talking- Hey!"

Mid-sentence, Farran interrupted her by jumping off the edge. He could hear her gasp in shock behind him. Before the effects of gravity could pull him down, he activated his Semblance. He hadn't even dropped a foot by the time he was able to get his wings moving enough for him to hover. He turned around, his arms spread wide, and a shit-eating grin plastered on his face.

Velvet shook her head, laughing, "You're such an asshole! You just about gave me a heart attack. How are you even doing that?"

"It's my Semblance. Not much of a secret, but hey, it still counts until I use it in class!"

"Well then, I'd ask you for a lift down, but…" She motioned to her skirt again, "Not really feeling like giving anyone a show. I'll take the normal way down, thanks."

"Fair point. Have fun taking the boring way." He snarked, eliciting another laugh from her, "I'll see you later Velvet. Good luck on your mission, yea?"

They said goodbye, and Farran hovered there, watching Velvet descend the stairs. Just before her head ducked out of view, he felt time stop around him again, and the voice in his mind rang clear once more.

"I am thou, thou art I…

Thou hast acquired a new vow.

It shall become a Beacon in the darkness

To lead you down the path to your own justice.

With the birth of the Star Persona,

You have obtained unforeseen power

That will allow you to remake your Fate anew."

Time started again as it finished, and Farran saw Velvet turn and give him one last smile before her head disappeared from view, the long rabbit ears of hers soon after. He shook the cobwebs out of his mind, and sped off towards the dorms, as fast as his wings could carry him. Now more than ever, Farran wanted Igor or Viola or someone connected to the Velvet Room to contact him. With each new bond, he grew increasingly curious about what they meant, and with each passing day, he grew more anxious about the approaching deadline.

For the next three days, Farran was unable to find respite, as the Velvet Room still proved unreachable. Every night, he would lie awake on his futon for hours, desperately trying to fall asleep in hopes that he would once again gain access to that blue room. Each morning would come far too quickly, his dreamless sleep interrupted by his teammates waking up for class. With exhaustion and anxiousness mounting, he found it increasingly difficult to pay attention in class. If not for Weiss' strictness, he may have forgotten about his studies entirely.

Thankfully on Friday, they were given the afternoon off as Professor Oobleck, who was supposed to teach the afternoon lecture, had gone with Team CFVY on their mission. While unusual for second years to have a professor with them, it was deemed necessary for Velvet's first mission. With an entire free afternoon, Farran decided it would be best to forget about the task at hand, and take a well needed nap. Once he made it back to the dorm, he buried himself under his blanket, and almost immediately drifted off to sleep.

After a few minutes, Farran found himself drifting in a dark void. Once he realized he was lucid, he became excited, hoping that he would finally receive some answers. Yet, the endless blue fog that usually preceded the Velvet Room did not appear. Instead, he could see a blue butterfly slowly gliding towards him. He tried to call out to it, knowing the blue butterfly as a symbol of the Velvet Room, but found himself unable to speak. The butterfly flitted its way around him, and Farran started to feel calm. Despite no words having been said, he could almost feel as if the butterfly were telling him to stay calm, that everything would be alright. Moments later, it disappeared, and he felt like his body was being sucked from the void.

Farran woke up to what felt like a piece of metal thumping against his shoulder and falling to the ground. He opened his eyes with a groan to see a scroll laying on the floor in front of him. He sat up and scanned the room, looking for where it came from, only to find Weiss. She was sitting on her bed, hugging her knees to her chest. She initially looked shocked to see Farran rise from under his blankets, but nonetheless resumed staring icily at the wall ahead of her.

"Hey, sorry. Just uh… was taking a nap. I found your scroll!" He laughed nervously, "Is everything ok?"

"Oh. Right. Thank you Farran." Her voice was monotone, "Yes, everything is fine."

He grabbed her scroll and got up, walking over to her bed and plopping down next to her, "You want to talk about it?"

"As I said," She took the scroll from him, "Everything is fine. There's nothing to talk about."

He sighed, "Look Weiss, you can sit there and say that all night, but I still know something's wrong. You really think I'm going to see you like this and just say, 'Nope, everything's fine! Just gonna go about my day now!' The other day, I had to put a lot of trust in you guys to talk about my past. Now, I feel like I actually belong here, cause I can trust all of you. All I'm asking is that you do the same for me. Besides, you woke me up from a nice relaxing nap by pelting me with your scroll. I'm not moving from this spot until you talk to me."

"Farran…" He could see a vein start to pop by her temple, "Very well. I am upset because of my family, and there's nothing you or I or anyone else can do about it. Satisfied?"

"You're going to have to do a lot better than that." He deadpanned.

She groaned, "Why do you care anyway? You've been walking around as if you were just lobotomized for the past few days. Perhaps you should take care of that first before you dig into other people's problems."

"I see your point. I just didn't realize it was that noticeable. I've just been stressed, thinking about how I can go about changing fate, I guess."

"Change fate? Ha. You're hilarious." She rested her chin between he knees, "It's impossible to change your fate. You just have to move on and accept it…"

"And now we're back to you." Weiss gave him a puzzled look, "Well, from the sound of things, you just tied what's eating you into my problem. Well?"

Weiss buried her face with a nearby pillow, groaning. Farran could swear he heard a muffled "Drat" as well. Finally, she threw the pillow at him with a glare, "Your persistence is obnoxious. You know that?" She only got a shrug in response, "Fine. I guess since you're not going to stop pestering me until I tell you… I am the Schnee family heiress. After my sister left to join the military, my father disowned her, making me the next head of the family name, fortune, company, you name it. That is my destiny…"

"That's not what you want, is it?" Farran asked, already knowing the answer.

"No. No it is not. Sitting behind a desk, doing paperwork, deciding the future of other people's livelihoods… It wasn't my ideal future to begin with. Not to mention that in order for me to not be disowned like Winter was, I have to be the exact kind of daughter my father expects me to be. Do as he says, talk as he says, think as he says..." Weiss' voice started to crack, but she soon regained her composure, "And it'll all be for nothing in the end. He'll end up arranging a marriage for me, making sure I go to whoever can offer him the most. Once I'm married, all the control that was to be mine would go to my husband, and that will be it. They'll have control of everything, and I'll be left to waste away… Just like my mother. Becoming a hostage to a loveless marriage in my own home, even the idea of being trapped behind the company desk for the rest of my life is preferable."

"I take it he wasn't happy with the idea of you coming to Beacon."

"Of course he wasn't. When I told him I'd be coming here and becoming a Huntress… I never saw him that livid before. He's been calling my scroll every few days since I left, telling me to come home. To go back to my destiny… I've been able to ignore it for all this time, and yet with his latest message… All the things he said… I just can't keep it in any more. The worst thing is that he's absolutely right. He always has been. I'm not strong enough to be a Huntress. I'm not Winter… Maybe it's my destiny because it's what's best for me…"

"Hey Weiss?" Farran waited until she turned to face him, then deftly flicked her on the forehead.

"What was that for?!" She rubbed the spot on her forehead, "So help me, if you left a mark, you and Myrtenaster are going to become very intimate tonight!"

"Because you're not being Weiss. You're being Mr. Schnee's daughter, and I need to speak to Weiss." He watched as she calmed down, "First off, the reason you can't hold all that in any more is because nobody can! Nobody should have to. All of that would tear anyone down. I'm amazed you managed this long. We're teammates for a reason, Weiss. Like I said, I put a lot of trust into you guys with my problems. Put your trust in me, and Ruby, Yang, and Blake too. We'll help you with anything."

"I appreciate that, Farran. I really do, but-"

"Second," He cut her off, "I disagree with you. You can change destiny. Hell, from where I'm sitting, it looks to me like you already started!"

Her face softened, "…I have? What do you mean?"

"Well, for starters, you're here. Despite your father obviously not wanting you to come here, you made the choice to do it anyway. Then there's this bed." He gestured at Ruby's bed precariously hanging above them, "I'm going to take a wild guess and say you were never allowed to have bunk beds as a kid. Yet here you are with this… interesting feat of engineering. And, you know, the fact you and I are having this conversation right now. Bet your dad wouldn't be thrilled to hear about you rooming with a guy, would he?"

She let out a soft laugh, "No, I don't think he would. Not that he would have had the choice had I ended up partnered with one during the entrance examination. And even so, it was Ruby's decision to bring you into the team. Not mine."

"Really? So you're saying she agreed to take me in without talking to the rest of you, and make sure you'd all be ok with it?"

"Well, no…"

"That's what I thought. So, after you checked my background, did you tell her you didn't want me joining?" She shook her head, "There we go! So there's three decisions, ones that you made on your own, that go against what your father would want. Weiss, you're a brilliant Huntress already. You're smart, you're strong for as small as you are, I've seen you fight in class. It's really impressive just how good you are. So, for all that destiny crap, I'd just say screw it. And if you ever need help doing something that you want to do, just because he would say no, come to me. Come to any of us. We'll help you out."

"Farran, I… No, you're right. Thank you." She dried her eyes, "Now that I think about it, it might be for the best if I started trying new things while I'm here at Beacon. There are plenty of things I never got to do growing up."

"That a girl! How about this, you make up a list of things you want to try, and since your father isn't here, you can give 'em all a go. Say good riddance to some 'fate' someone else had planned for you, you're living your life on your own. We could even get some help from the others, maybe they have some stuff for you to try. With your permission of course, don't want to force you to do anything you're uncomfortable with. How's that sound, Little Miss Rebel?" He finished with a wink.

She directed her index finger at his face, "Don't call me that." She paused, thinking, "Although, you are right. I think that might work. And in return, I'll help you out with your Dust Studies readings."

"N-No, you don't need to do that. I don't need anything in return."

"Yes, I do." She folded her arms, "Even if you want to just consider it me being selfish. I've noticed how you've been struggling with that class. You're lucky Professor Peach hasn't gone off on you after Sunday. Granted, I will admit she does get a bit spacey in class, so it's possible she forgot all about it by now. Still, as I've said before, I won't allow any of you to fall behind in class, and who better to teach you about dust than the heiress of the Schnee Dust Company herself? Deal?"

Damn, she's got me there… "Yea, it's a deal."

With their agreement sealed, time once again froze around Farran. The voice in his mind spoke, revealing that this newly forged bond was of the Fortune Arcana. Once time restarted, Weiss thought it best for the two of them to go over what he did know about dust, and go from there. Farran went over to his bag and pulled out his textbook and a notebook, quickly scribbling down a few notes about the bonds he'd already forged on the last page. The first chance he got, he'd have to look into what they all meant. For the time being, however, he needed to focus on the lengthy lecture on the properties of ice dust that Weiss was preparing for him.

The following day, Farran found himself spending his first Saturday as a student of Beacon Academy once again in the school's all but deserted library. It finally being the weekend, the library had been left almost exclusively to those antisocial or studious enough, in some cases both, to forego their free time with others in favor of continued reading. While the solitude did bring a sense of tranquility over him, Farran did not come here to catch up on his studies. Rather, he had a different mission in mind, two in fact, which had brought him here today. The first came to him this morning, in the form of a text from an unregistered number, telling him to check his mailbox. Due to the fact that he knew no one outside of the school, he had all but forgotten that he had a mailbox in the first place. The first floor of the dorms contained a wall of small metal lockboxes that acted as their mailboxes, each accessed by swiping their scroll. In Farran's, he found a blue, unmarked envelope. Inside was a small playing card, blue on one side, white on the other, an old, gnarled key, and an unsigned letter instructing him to take Ruby somewhere they wouldn't be seen, then tear the card in half and throw it to the ground. It seemed like this would be the day he would finally return to the Velvet Room.

He thought about it for a while, but ultimately narrowed it down to two choices. Since Richards had cameras all over campus, the only secure places they wouldn't be spotted by anyone would be the dorm's bathroom, or the platform Velvet had shown him. Given that the bathroom was hardly soundproof if they were to hold a meeting there, not to mention Yang would not be too pleased if she saw him enter or exit the bathroom with her sister, Farran had waited until after lunch when the rest of the team would be busy and texted Ruby to meet him in the library

Meanwhile, when he was waiting for Ruby to meet up with him, Farran decided to work on the day's second mission. He scoured the library, looking through the very back where the non-academic books were kept. After about fifteen minutes, he finally found what he was looking for: a book on fortune telling. He grabbed it, and took it to the study room connected to the crawlspace, flipping to the chapter on Tarot cards. From what he could tell, each of the bonds he had formed so far had been represented by one of the Major Arcana, of which there were twenty two, number between 0 and 21. So, with four bonds already, does that mean I still have another eighteen to go? And then what? He pulled out his notebook and started taking notes on the four he had found already. He became so engrossed in his note taking that he didn't notice when a certain small, black and red haired girl tiptoed into the room behind him.

"Soooo, what is it you wanted to talk about?" Ruby laughed as Farran leapt from his chair, his heart racing, "Surprised to see me? You're the one who told me to come here."

"Yeah, yeah, I know… Dust, please don't do that again." He knelt down and motioned for her to join him, pulling the panel off the wall, "Velvet showed me this the other day. It leads to this gap in the tower, and there's no security cameras there. Figured it's the perfect place to plan out what to do about that world."

"Oh, cool! So it's just through there? Let's go!"

Farran led Ruby through the crawlspace and out to the platform. While Ruby zipped about admiring the view, he looked about for the most secure place for them to do this. Ultimately, he decided that the enclosed area just outside the crawl space would be best, just on the off chance someone had any kind of line of sight to the platform. Once Ruby had rejoined him, Farran took the card from his pocket, ripped it in two, then threw it to the ground. As soon as it met concrete, the card erupted with blue flames that grew up to nearly the top of the stairs. After burning for a few seconds, the flames subsided, revealing a blonde girl in a blue dress, laying on her back on the ground in front of them.

Viola scrambled to her feet, scowling at Farran with her hands on her hips, "You were supposed to tear it with the blue side up!"

"Oh, was I? Sorry, I must have missed that part." Farran shrugged.

"It was clearly written in your instructions! Honestly…" She shook her head, "In any case, these cards are how you will enter the Velvet Room from now on. My Master will still summon you from time to time, but you will be free to enter on your own volition very soon. I will give you another card when that time comes, and you will receive a new one as you exit. By the way, where exactly are we?"

"It's a maintenance platform halfway up the tower. It's the only place I could find without cameras."

"Excellent thinking! Now…" She sat down on the steps behind her, "We need to get you two up to speed on what to do about the Metaverse."

"About time!" Ruby pouted, "It's been a week already! We need to do something before it's too late to help Velvet…"

Viola smiled weakly, "I know, and I'm sorry. Unfortunately it was necessary for us to hold off this week, until you have been fully healed, Farran. Besides, even though you haven't been able to enter the Metaverse, you've still been making progress, far more than my Master anticipated. You've already forged four bonds, have you not?"

Farran nodded "Yea, I have. I'm still not sure what any of it all means though. Igor never really explained it all too well. I've done a little reading of my own though. All of my bonds are related to Tarot cards?"

"Yes they are. I'm surprised you caught on to that so fast. The Tarot isn't as widely known on Remnant as it is elsewhere." Viola beamed, "You will find that the Arcana that each of your bonds represent will represent the journey taken by you and those you are bonding with. After all, the Arcana is the means by which all is revealed."

"What are you two talking about?" Ruby looked between the two, completely lost.

"Oh, of course. I'm sorry Ruby." Viola bowed, "You see, Farran has this power called the Wild Card. Essentially, what this means is that you can wield more than one Persona, Farran. Normally, that is impossible. Your bonds are what give you that ability. The more bonds you form, your heart will be able to hold Personas that represent those bonds. The stronger your bonds become, your heart will grow stronger, which will make you stronger as well.

"Wait… Doesn't that mean he's just hanging out with people to get stronger?"

"No, of course not! Nothing like that! Forming bonds with such a selfish motive would never increase the strength of your heart. It would need to be fully reciprocated from both sides for the bond to form, let alone grow stronger."

"I see…" Ruby nodded, then pouted, "That is so unfair! Why do you get more than one?!"

"Luck of the draw, I guess." Farran leaned against the wall, winking, "Besides, aren't you happy with Lupa?"

"I am, but that's beside the point." She crossed her arms and turned her back on him.

"In any case, your power is going to be instrumental in taking down the Palace ruler, Farran." Viola desperately tried to bring them back to the topic at hand, "Which is why my Master and I are elated at the progress you've made so far. When we next enter the Metaverse, you will find the true forms of the Shadows you will face are, in fact, Personas. Once you free them from the distortions, you can recruit those who belong to the same Arcana as your bonds to join our cause."

"Alright, that's all well and good, but when exactly do we go back?" Farran pulled out his scroll, "The video said everything between Velvet and Richards is going to happen on the 24th. The countdown looks like it's that way too. That means we only have nineteen days to do all of… whatever we need to do."

"You're right. For one, we won't really be able to take on the Palace ruler the next time we go in. You remember how the guards were summoned when you tried to access the elevator from the first floor? It's because you lacked suitable authorization to use it. So, what we'll need to do is scour the factory for the guard Shadow in charge, defeat it, and take its keycard. We could always just have you fly us up, but they most likely sealed any vulnerable points on the top of the tower, and we might need one later on anyway. We need to come up with a date where you two will both be free."

"I know!" Ruby pumped her fist, "How about Tuesday? I'll be free after class, and that gives you two days to strengthen your bonds, or whatever. Sound good?"

Farran nodded, "Yea. I'm going to the infirmary tomorrow, and I should get the all clear for combat then."

"Excellent. I'll make sure to meet you two in the Metaverse Tuesday afternoon. Make sure you enter from the same alleyway as last time, just to make sure you come in at the same place. Anywhere else, and who knows where you'll end up. Although…" Viola looked between Farran and Ruby, "It would be nice if we had more of you. Even one more Persona user would be a huge blessing."

"Yeah… I've been meaning to ask you about that, Farran." Ruby kicked at the ground, awkwardly, "What exactly do we tell the rest of the team? I hate keeping them in the dark about all this."

"I know how you feel, but…" Farran hummed, "It's not that I don't trust the others. I just don't want to drag them into something so dangerous. Hell, I wouldn't be bringing you along either, but I have a feeling you wouldn't let me go in alone."

"Of course not!" Ruby glowered at him, "Did you already forget about last time? You know, where you would have died if I weren't there to save your butt? You're not going in alone. If you try, I'm gonna come right in after you, and if anything happens to me, you're gonna have to explain to Yang how I got hurt and it's all your fault!"

"I know, I know. Damn, you aren't afraid to hit below the belt, are you?" Farran asked exasperated as Ruby just stuck her tongue out at him, "As for the others… This isn't going to be a one time thing, is it?"

Viola shook her head, "There is plenty of corruption in your world, Farran. You would not have been granted access to the Velvet Room if you didn't have a great journey ahead of you. Of course, no one can force you down that path. It's ultimately your choice, as our guest."

Farran let out a deep breath, "I suppose… after we get the keycard, we could bring one of them with us? I hate to do that, because facing my own Shadow sucked, I can't imagine it was any better for you, Ruby, and I wouldn't want anyone else to have to do it… But I'd imagine they might get suspicious of us disappearing every so often, Yang especially, and it would be bad if they found out about it on their own… At least then, they wouldn't have to worry about fighting anything strong right after confronting their Shadow. Just keep them outside the tower while it's happening…"

"Don't worry, Farran. We still have some time to think about it." Ruby patted him on the shoulder, "For now, we should just focus on Tuesday."

They all nodded, and Viola stood up, summoning the door to the Velvet Room once more. However, instead of entering, she suddenly turned to face them once more, hands folded behind her back, "I nearly forgot. Our dear guest, you must make the most of every opportunity to form bonds with those who will accompany you on your journey to justice. Myself included, should it not be a bother to you."

Farran raised an eyebrow, "Where's this 'dear guest' stuff coming from again? You were fine calling me by name a second ago."

"Whatever do you mean? I always show our dear guest the upmost respect, and abide by the etiquette expected of an attendant of the Velvet Room. After all, anything else is a sin, just as my Master told me." She motioned towards the door with her head.

Oh, so she's playing by Igor's rules whenever the door is around. Got it. "Sorry, sorry. You're right, Viola. Anyway, you were saying?"

"Since I will be working with you to achieve your justice, it would be for the best that we form a bond as well. I believe that friendships forged in fire are the strongest, are they not? That being the case, a bond between the two of us would prove to be an easy way for you to strengthen you heart. And…" She looked down, dejected.

"And…? And what?"

"Oh, nothing, nothing." She forced a smile and waved him off, "Anyway, what do you say? Shall we form a bond?" She offered him her hand.

Farran studied her for a second, then nodded, "Of course? I look forward to getting to know you, Viola."

They shook hands, and with it, Farran formed a bond with Viola, this time of the Sun Arcana. Farran looked into Viola's eyes as they shook hands, and could almost feel a sense of calming relief come over him for some reason he couldn't quite understand. Before he could consider it any more, Viola broke the handshake, and bid them farewell with a kind smile before disappearing into the Velvet Room. With their new goal in mind, Farran and Ruby went back through the crawlspace into the library, replacing the panel once they were through. Farran packed up his things, and went to the front desk to check out the fortune telling book he had found earlier. Had he not been so distracted with planning out the next few days, he might just have noticed a single strand of blonde hair laying across the open pages of the book before he closed it.

Author's Notes

Persona, Persona, Persona, Persona. Social Links, Social Links, Social Links, Social Links, Social Links. SOCIAL LINKS!

Hey Guys,

Real quick, wanted to give a huge shout out to /u/AStereotypicalGamer on Reddit. Last week during /r/RWBY's Writing Prompt Wednesday, they posted a bunch of write ups about Team CFVY. They were absolutely fantastic, and I really wanted to use them as backstory for Team CFVY in this fic. I asked them, and they said it was cool. So, thank you so much ASG, and if you don't mind getting spoiled on some of the things they'll be dealing with, I absolutely recommend checking out his write ups. They are seriously amazing.

Also, I'd honestly like to give you guys a bit of a chance to interact with this fic. Maybe not like major plot points, but little things absolutely. For example, the whole time freezing and "I am thou, thou art I" shtick from the social links/confidants. I decided to get rid of it after Velvet, cause there'd been three already and I figured you guys might get annoyed if I kept doing it, but maybe you liked it. So, just wanted to get your opinions on it (granted, I know most probably don't care either way). It's on my profile if you want to vote!

Second, I figured I'd do a little contest of sorts and let you guys name Farran's weapon. I haven't given it a name yet, and I figured it'd be a kinda cool little thing for you guys. So, starting tonight, I'll be accepting PM suggestions for a name, and next week I'll post a poll with the five that I liked the most. (Assuming I get five in the first place!) The winner will be the official name for his sword from then on!

Finally, and this is more to gauge interest than anything, but I was thinking... We've hit 35 followers on this story, and we're just now hitting the two week mark since I first posted! Again, I don't know how it compares, but that absolutely blows me away. So, my idea was, once this story hits 45 followers (No deadline, just between now and... whenever the story is finished), I was thinking of having you guys send in questions for the characters and, after we hit 50 followers, I'll post a little Q&A bit with the characters of RWBY: Hands of Fate. At least, those that have appeared to that point. It'd be an actual scene, set in the Velvet Room, with Igor and Viola reading your questions to everyone. It wouldn't be something that would affect the story, but I think it'd be a cool little thing for you guys, and it'd give me some more practice with the characters. So let me know what you all think!

Thank you all so much for supporting the story!

Inferno :D