Leader

Sitting comfortably on her couch, Serah watched the day unfold from her Dyad's point of view. Her brow creased with worry as she watched Eric descend upon him, then the screen abruptly went black. A few seconds of silence, and in a flash of purple particles, Raishun materialized in the middle of the room. His unconscious body dropped the floor with a dull thud.

"Hm. Yeah, I expected as much. But you did your best."

Moving her index finger in an upwards motion caused him to levitate off the ground, another movement, and he began to float towards her. Carefully, she gently maneuvered him down, so his head rested on her lap. With a satisfied smile, she turned her attention back towards the TV. The machine had flickered to life again and was showing a re-run of the day's events.Humming a soft tune, she began to run her fingers through his hair.

Time passed, and the young Legion eventually opened his eyes. He groaned, both in pain and exhaustion, as the memories of his fight resurfaced. One thought, in particular, stung his pride, and he covered his eyes with the back of his hand to hide the tears in the corner of his eyes."I can't believe I was so powerless back there."

"It's not so surprising if you ask me." Though she spoke calmly, her voice carried a hint of sadness. Her fingers idly twirled around a loose strand of hair by his forehead. "You don't have their training or their experience in battle. You fight by relying on the techniques you saw on TV, and those fighting scenes in your plays."

"Ouch, way to be blunt." He sighed and removed his hand from his eyes. "But I know you're right; it's lucky I ended up in a school focused on training fighters. And I'm going to need all the training I can get if I want to get revenge on that creepy guy!"

"Mhm. And I'll be right beside you when you land the killing blow. I'm your sword; there's no greater pleasure for me than to help you."

"I'll be counting on you, Serah!" He smiled, then paused as he suddenly realized that he was looking up at the purple-haired girl. "S-Serah, why am I on your lap?"

"What's the matter, don't you like it?" She teased, "Don't my thighs feel soft under your head? This is the perfect position if I want to pamper my precious Dyad."

"I don't dislike it, but er- um... I just don't think it's appropriate right now is all!!" He quickly sat up and did his best to focus on something other than his over-affectionate Dyad. Silently, he made a mental note never to let his guard down around her, lest she turn him into a delinquent.

Serah giggled and ruffled his hair playfully. "You don't have to get so flustered, you know. But getting back to the topic at hand, we did learn something from your fight with Eric."

"What did we learn?"

"That he used three abilities throughout the fight. Summoning his sickle, canceling your semblance, and controlling embers." She held up three fingers, one for each ability, and continued to explain. "We can assume that the sickle and the embers come from the same ability since his sickle also seemed to be generating heat."

"Yeah, I can see that. But what about the semblance cancellation?" He asked curiously.

"That's the odd one out. It isn't like the other abilities, so it can't be the same semblance. Since a person can only have one semblance, that can only mean one thing." Her crimson-eyes looked into his, "He might be a Legion as well."

"WHAT! But Ozpin said that I was the only Legion this year!" Raishun stared at her wide-eyed.

"I can't be 100 percent certain." She pressed her index finger to her lip, then fell backward onto Raishun's lap. "I didn't see a gem on his sickle, so it's safe to say that's not his main weapon. He's probably hiding his Imperial Arm."

Her hand went down to the golden ring around her neck. "We Imperial Arms can impart gifts onto our Dyads. Our semblance, a better aura, possession, heightened reflexes, things like that."

"That would explain all the powers." He frowned and gently flicked her forehead, eliciting a cute yelp. "Why didn't we do that during my fight?"

"There's no power without sacrifice, for us Imperial Arms to impart our gifts, we need an offering. It can be almost anything really, but for me, it's emotions. The stronger they are, the more power I can draw out." She gently flicked his nose, causing him to flinch, "I used my last offering to unlock you semblance an aura. Without it, you probably would've died in that forest."

She let out a tired yawn, grabbed his wrist, and moved it on top of her head. "All this thinking is making me sleepy. Please just let me stay like this until I fall asleep, Raishun."

Raishun nodded and began to slowly stroke her hair. "Thank you for everything, Serah. If it weren't for you, things would be pretty lonely around here."

He stopped speaking; she had already fallen asleep. He sighed and continued to stroke her hair. "For someone who's been asleep for so long, I thought you'd be more energetic." Suddenly he yawned as well. He was feeling tired as well.

[I think... I'll take a little rest myself.]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Daylight broke through the windows of the infirmary and shined onto the face of a sleeping Raishun. He groaned in discomfort as he was forced awake. The muscles in his arms and legs felt sore from his fight, and the light pouring in was blinding. He scrunched up his face as the scent of rubbing alcohol stung his nostrils.

"Ah! You're finally awake."

A gloved hand moved the wall of white sheets that surrounded him to the side, revealing a young girl who couldn't have been more than a few years older than Raishun. She had wild, messy pale-blonde colored hair, several strands of which obscured her pink eyes. Her white lab coat shifted as she moved beside his bed, revealing a golden caduceus stitched into the right breast pocket of her red dress shirt.

"You really are something special. I didn't expect you to be awake for another day or so." She babbled, her eyes frantically looking over what seemed to be an oversized scroll.

"So, I was out for a day, huh." He let out a defeated sigh, "Man, that guy did a number on me.""You've been unconscious for two days."

She took a seat on the edge of his bed, "It's a remarkably short amount of time considering the condition you were in." Her rose-colored eyes looked at him with cold calculation. "During an altercation involving another student, your aura was completely exhausted, including what you had in reserve. It would have taken any other Huntsmen or Huntress in training at least twice the time to recover."

"Oh, that's probably because I'm a Legion!" He laughed sheepishly, "We tend to be above average after bonding with our partners."

"Unlikely. I discovered something fascinating with your results!" She seemed to suddenly perk up as he spoke, the coldness in her eyes instantly replaced with an excited brightness Raishun had only seen before with Alisa. "I've never met a Huntsmen in training, let alone a Legion, who had such a small aura reserve!!"

"What..." Raishun stared at her in confusion, then shock. "Can you repeat that for me, I don't think I heard you right."

"The level of aura you possess is considered to be the norm for a child around 3 to 4 years of age. Since aura grows with a person as they train, the value is mainly used as a unit to measure growth." She leaned closer, her face now only inches from his. "Is it alright for me to run some tests on you!? Oh, why am I asking I already am! With your unique condition, we could create breakthroughs in aura training techniques, and help future generations of Huntsmen train for-"

She spoke faster and faster, her words becoming more and more complex with every sentence. Eventually, Raishun couldn't understand a word she was saying, the death grip she had on his shoulders didn't help either.

"Er, don't you think you're a little close,Doctor?" He winced in discomfort and tried to push her away, only to have her tighten her grip in return.

She straddled his legs and pressed her forehead against his."So what do you say, partner!?! Are you with me?"

"Please back up a bit. I wouldn't want people to get the wrong idea!"

As if on cue, the door to the infirmary slid open with a small hiss, and the rest of team Regalia walked inside.

"Good Morning Doctor Coral," Laura called out in a formal tone. She maneuvered through the cramped room, sliding past many stacks of documents and binders that littered the ground, before turning the corner of a wall of sheets. "Has Raishun's condition improved at... all..." Her voice trailed off weakly, as she saw the Doctor and her patient inches apart.

"I can explain!" Raishun blurted, as he pushed past the blonde-haired Doctor. "I promise it's not what it looks like!"

Alisa walked to Laura's side with an annoyed expression. "Laura! What's the big deal, it's super cramped back here! You're blocking the-- OH!" Looking upon the pair in bed, her face flushed a deep red, and she scratched her cheek nervously. "Ahaha. It looks like we've got the wrong room!" She awkwardly turned on her heel and rushed out of the room. "Come on Gil, let's get out of here!"

The sound of two pairs of footsteps hurrying out of the room was heard, followed by the door sliding shut.

Laura looked down at her leader and partner in disgust. "It would seem you've finally awakened." Each one of her words dripped with spite and filled him with guilt. "Perhaps it would've been better to let you perish at Eric's hand. Maybe then we wouldn't have a lecher as our leader!"

Her hands were so tightly clenched at her sides, that her knuckles had turned white. Raishun thought she was going to hit him for a moment, but with a loud huff, she turned on her heel and stormed out of the infirmary.

He threw off his sheets, planning to go after her, but the Doctor's hand on his chest stopped him."Don't. Leave her be for now." She sighed and hung her head in shame. "I'm sorry. I got carried away in my research again. I'll stop by your room later to tell your team what happened."

"It's fine. We're not on the best terms ever since I became our leader." He lamented, before throwing himself back onto his bed. "What did she mean by 'let me perish at his blade?'"

"You were sent here because you fainted and dropped your aura when you believed the other student was going to kill you." Coral stood and walked to her desk in the corner of the infirmary. "That girl in white, Laura was it? She jumped into the arena and deflected his blade before it could take your life." She chuckled wryly. "'No one lays a hand on my partner!' She yelled that right as Glynda ordered you to be brought here."

Raishun bit his lip, guilt filling his stomach like a stone. "I see... Thank you for patching me up Doctor."

"It's a pleasure." Her hand appeared from behind the wall of sheets and pointed to a chest at the foot of his bed. "You're belongings are in there. You're free to leave after you get dressed. Just make sure to come back in a week for a checkup." She paused, "And make sure to pick up your Imperial Arm from the arena."

"You guys didn't bring it here?"

"Of course not." She stated calmly, "Everyone knows that touching a bonded Imperial Arm without one of your own is certain death."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Laura threw open the doors to the headmaster's office. She was seething with anger from the actions of her partner. [How could a buffoon like him become our leader? I must make this right!]

Ozpin looked up at her from his desk with a confused expression. He opened his mouth to speak only to be cut off when she slammed her hands against his desk. The wood splintered and cracked beneath her hands with an ugly sound.

"I demand that you make me the leader of Team Regalia in place of Raishun!" She declared, "He's completely unfit to lead a team!"

"Hmm... This is news to me." He sipped from his mug while thoughtfully tapping his cane on the floor. "I'll investigate your claim, but I must ask what triggered this reaction of yours?"

"His fight against a Huntsmen was completely one-sided, he hesitates when important decisions need to be made in the field, and I caught him attempting to have illicit relations with Doctor Coral."

"...Is that all?" Ozpin inquired.

When she didn't speak, he took it as a sign for him to continue.

"He may be a Legion, but he's still in training. It would be preposterous to expect him to be a perfect fighter. As for the Doctor, she tends to get rather excited whenever a unique specimen falls into her hands." His cold, calculating eyes stared into hers. "Are you certain there are no other, underlying, reasons for your outburst?"

"No." She hissed, "I believe I've presented you with enough evidence to support my claims. If you want to verify them, my teammates would be more than happy to collaborate my story."

"Then it's safe for me to assume that you've considered the consequences of your actions? It may just be me, but you seem to be rather agitated at the moment, my desk can attest to that." He gestured towards the door with his mug, "Perhaps you should take some time to carefully-"

"Agitated or not, I know what I'm doing!" She yelled, and a sudden wave of pressure exploded throughout the room. Furniture rattled, and Ozpin could feel a weight on his shoulders. "Why!? Why would you make someone like him, our leader!?"

The headmaster's expression suddenly hardened, his narrowed eyes stared at her with an icy coldness to them. "Listen well, Ms. Izuna. Every decision I make is carefully calculated; there is nothing I do by accident or by mistake. I chose Raishun because I saw potential in him... potential that if properly cultivated, could make him one of the strongest Huntsmen in the history of Remnant."

Her expression soured, "I disagree."

"I... Will consider your request for a change in leadership." He leaned back in his chair, "I'll inform you once I reach a decision. You're free to go, though next time you decide to visit, I advise that you make an appointment with my secretary."

The white-haired girl's eyes drifted to the ruined desk in front of her. "I'll have it replaced." She said with a hint of guilt in her voice. She bowed, then turned on her heel and left through the double door, using her semblance to throw them shut behind her.

She took several steps, then leaned her back against the wall, and slid to the floor. "It's okay. This is just one more step forward." Sucking in a shaky breath, her hand reached into the pocket of her blazer and pulled free her scroll. A few taps on the holographic screen and an all too familiar image appeared. "I'll be able to join you soon, just please wait a little longer." Pressing the cold metal to her forehead, she couldn't help but let out a choked sob.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Dinner was the busiest time of day in the dining hall. Hundreds of students crowded together on long tables to converse over a hot meal after a long day's work. Seated in the turbulent sea of students, Team Regalia ate their dinners in silence. While both Raishun and Coral had explained the situation to the team, Laura still refused to believe he had no sinful intentions. Luckily, Alisa had laughed off the incident as a stroke of bad luck, and Gil simply didn't care enough to make a fuss.

"L-Laura." Raishun said cautiously, "It was all just an accident, if I made you angry somehow, tell me what I did so I can make it right."

"What I'm displeased with is how you're unqualified to be our leader. As such, I've come up with a solution to our problem." She smiled politely, but her eyes were cold and determined. Rising to her feet with her hand resting on her chest, she stared down at her team, "I'm happy to announce that I'll be taking over as Team Regalia's leader from now on!"

The group stared at her in shock, and even Gil seemed surprised by her sudden declaration."Really!? Have uh, you talked to Ozpin about it and everything?" Raishun smiled awkwardly, unsure of how to feel about his current situation.

"He agreed to the change the moment I suggested it." She lied confidently, "Consider this a blessing Raishun. Your abilities as a Huntsmen aren't on par with our other classmates, let alone other Legions. As the better Huntress, it's my responsibility to fill the Leader position until you are fit to lead."

"Hey, Laura!" Alisa spoke up in shock, "Come on you don't have to be so harsh on-"

"No, it's alright Alisa. She's right." Fists clenched underneath the table, he discreetly took a breath to steady himself, then smiled brightly. "I'm still not used to being a Legion, so it's probably for the best! Besides, being the leader kinda stresses me out!" He looked towards Laura and smiled, "Thanks for taking that load off my shoulders, Laura! I'm surprised you want the burden of being the leader, it's really just a pain in the-"

In a flash, the white-haired girl leaned over the table and slapped him hard across the face, creating a loud crack that attracted the attention of nearby students.

"AGH! What the hell was that for!" Raishun yelped in pain. Nursing his stinging cheek with his hand, he rose to his feet with anger burning in his belly, ready to give her a piece of his mind. His anger was instantly replaced by shock when he saw tears begin to form in the corners of her eyes. "Laura... are you-"

"How inconsiderate can you be!" She choked out, her usually noble features were contorted into a frightening glare. "You were our leader, and you only thought of it as a burden!?!" She was yelling now, her tears freely flowing down her cheeks and onto the table below. "People train their whole lives to become leaders... I trained my whole life to become a leader!! Leaders are supposed to be paragons of what it means to be Huntsmen, noble and brave!! And you treated it as some sort of curse!"

Raishun stumbled backward over his chair and fell onto the floor of the dining hall. His eyes were staring widely in fear at the white-haired girl. "Laura, I'm sorry!! I didn't know it-"

"You stole my future away from me without even working from it!! Just because you found a stupid Imperial Arm in the forest doesn't make you a greater Huntsmen than I am!!" She sucked in a few heavy breaths, "I'm ashamed even to call my partner!! It seems I misjudged you from the start." She stormed out of the dining hall and disappeared around a corner.

Raishun stared blankly into space with a fear-filled expression. Slowly he opened his mouth and turned to speak to Gil, only to receive a dirty look in return.

"Don't come back to the dorm; just stay away from us." He stood and walked off after his cousin.

Alisa, unsure of what to do in the situation, patted Raishun awkwardly on the shoulder. "I'll go talk to them and see if I can work something out." Was all she said before running off after her fleeing teammates.

He felt crushed as if the floor underneath him had fallen away, and he was in free fall. Slowly he raised his gaze and saw that a crowd had formed around him. Dozens of pairs of eyes focused on him, he wrapped his arms around himself and curled into a ball.

[No... Just leave me alone!!]

He blinked, and suddenly he was lying on the grass outside the dining hall. Without stopping to question it, he scrambled to his feet and ran away from the building.