Chapter 11 - Meet the New Boss
Meet the New Boss
"And our biggest news story of the day: Aspen Emerald today took office as First Councillor. Mr Emerald was elected leader of the Liberal Conservative party unopposed in the third round of the leadership contest after his rivals, Leo Aquas and John Keller, withdrew after the second round of voting. The former Councillor of the Interior entered the First Councillor's official residence at Number 12, Regent Street, and received the traditional applause of the staff," Lisa Lavender declared, as the screen to her right showed a picture of the black front door of the official residence.
It had only been a couple of days since Sunset had been there in person but had failed to save Councillor Aris' career nevertheless.
Now, she sat in the dining hall, looking at her scroll as the news reported on the outcome of the leadership election and the assumption of office of the new leader of Vale.
In a more full dining hall, it might have been rude to have been looking at her scroll that way, but half the students — more than half, in the cases of the Atlas and Haven students — had gone home for a break before the start of the tournament, and so, the cafeteria was emptier than it had ever been to Sunset's recollection — but then, she'd been in Mistral for the break last semester, so she couldn't say how full or empty it had been at that time.
Besides, further detracting from the impression of impoliteness was the fact that Sunset wasn't the only one paying attention to her scroll and to the news on it. It was true that Jaune, Yang, Ren, and Nora didn't seem particularly fussed, but Pyrrha was listening politely on the other side of the table, Ruby leaned into Sunset's shoulder for a better look, while Cardin loomed over them, looking over Sunset's shoulder.
"What do you think it means?" Jaune asked.
"Nothing," Ren declared, without looking up from his noodles. "Leaders come and go, but nothing ever really changes."
"That's a rather cynical view, don't you think?" Sunset asked.
"I didn't say it was a bad thing," Ren replied. "The best government is one which gets out of the people's way and lets them live their lives without interference."
"Sounds like what people say when they don't want to pay their taxes," Cardin muttered.
"It sounds a lot like the mindset that dreamed of Oniyuri," Pyrrha observed.
Ren glanced at her, nodding his head. "My parents supported that endeavour and hoped that it would come to fruition."
"'Oniyuri'?" Yang asked. "What's that? I've never heard that name before. Is it a concept or a—"
"A place," Ren replied. "Or at least, it would have been."
"Several years ago, Mistral appeared to be in something of a crisis," Pyrrha said. "Crime was rising, and with it, the influence of wealthy crime lords who dared to expand their power into the upper slopes of the city and mingle with or threaten the traditional noble families. In fear, and out of disgust at the corruption of the Council and its failed policies that had led to this state of affairs, several prominent families, led by the Mings, planned to quit Mistral and found a new city where they could govern themselves as they saw fit."
"It was their hope that their success would attract more migrants," Ren added, "and that one day, Oniyuri would be prosperous enough to be acknowledged as a kingdom in its own right."
"How come no one's ever heard of this place?" asked Ruby.
"The grimm destroyed it before it was even finished being built," Ren growled. "Like Mountain Glenn, what was supposed to be a symbol of hope and new beginning became a cautionary tale of what happens to those who walk away from safety."
"Then … but what happened to Mistral?" Jaune asked. "I mean, it didn't seem that bad when we were there."
"The criminal element pushed their luck too far," Pyrrha said. "The death of Lord Rutulus shocked the wealthy and the powerful and galvanised them to save the city. The criminal leadership were cut down like wheat in harvest time, and the worst of the corruption was purged."
"So things did change, after all," Yang pointed out.
"For the powerful, perhaps," Ren allowed. "Not for ordinary people."
"That might be how it works in Mistral, but not here," Cardin insisted. "Here, the Council takes care of people, or it should, anyway."
"Leaders should always strive to take care of the people," Pyrrha said quietly.
"But that doesn't mean they always do," Ruby murmured.
"Do you know what this new guy is like?" Sunset asked. She didn't want to give away that she'd already met him, and besides, one single meeting — where he had been understandably bad-tempered — was hardly an appropriate basis to judge him.
"I … never really liked him that much," Cardin admitted.
Sunset glanced over her shoulder. "Because he was a faunus?"
Cardin winced. "Maybe. A little. But Councillor Aris seemed to trust him, so I guess he must be okay. Since he was her closest ally, I think we'll see more of the same but with an increased focus on security and defence, given … you know, everything that's gone on lately."
And why he has the job in the first place, Sunset thought.
Yang's eyes narrowed. "Can we afford all of that stuff, or is Dad going to have to pay more tax?"
"I don't know," Cardin admitted. "And it's Councillor Emerald's first day in the big office, so I doubt even he knows right now."
"Outside of the official residence," Lisa Lavender said, "the new First Councillor had this to say."
The image changed from Lisa Lavender in the studio to a video recording of the exterior of Regent Street, where Aspen Emerald, his antlers resplendent, was standing at a lectern branded with the emblem of the Kingdom of Vale.
His hands rested upon the wood, and his gaze travelled across what must have been a crowd of reporters. He didn't flinch as flashes went off in his face.
"My great-great grandfather," he said, "was a slave in Mantle. He risked everything to get himself and his family to Vale before the Great War. If he had been caught, he and they would have been put to death with incredible brutality, but they made the attempt anyway, as so many did, because to them, the reward was worth the risk. They came to Vale because, in Vale, they could be free; in Vale, they could be the equal of anyone; in Vale, they could prosper upon their own merits. That is what Vale meant to my ancestors and that is what Vale means to me: freedom, opportunity, and equality; and so, to the people of Vale, I say that my administration will champion those values and continue to make Vale a place where anyone can prosper through hard work and deserving merit.
"I would like to thank my predecessor, Novo Aris, for her sterling work rebuilding the Valish economy; with the foundations of our prosperity secure, we may go forward with confidence and with the ability to fulfil our programmes and our promises to the people of Vale."
He fell silent for a moment, and his grip upon the lectern seemed to tighten.
"I come to this, the highest office, amidst tragedy," he said, his voice dropping. "Vale has been attacked, in a way that is unprecedented in the history of this kingdom. I do not wish to overstate the seriousness of what occurred at the Breach; thanks to the efforts of our Atlesian allies and the students of Beacon Academy, Vale was saved, and the majority of Vale's people with it. We should all remember that and rejoice in it. Nevertheless, it is not enough to say that the overwhelming majority of the people of Vale were delivered from catastrophe. Unforgivable weaknesses in our military and our civil defences have been exposed, and I promise the people of Vale that my administration will do all it can to ensure those weaknesses are shored up with the utmost despatch. The first act of my administration, when I walk through that door, will be to order a public inquiry into the parlous state of our emergency infrastructure, to identify why a shelter meant to protect people from the grimm was breached by a grimm with such tragic loss of life, and whomsoever is found to be responsible will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. But I know that we cannot wait for the results of a public inquiry, and that is why my second act will be to order the Inspector-General of Public Works to conduct a full examination of every shelter in Vale and to do whatever is necessary to make them fit for purpose against any future calamities such as we have endured.
"More than that, my administration will immediately make contact with our counterparts in Atlas and Mistral with a view to purchasing additional warships to augment our Royal Navy, additional weapons to equip our forces for any eventuality, and instructors to fill in what appear to be unforgivable gaps in methodology and training. Although I pray to the god of my people that such an attack as we have endured does not occur again, I make this promise to the people of Vale that if it does, we will be prepared. Next time, I vow to you, we will save ourselves."
The picture cut back to Lisa Lavender in the studio. "In other news, the stock market closed three points up—"
Sunset shut her scroll.
"Sounds like Vale is going to have ships and guns, just like Atlas," Yang observed. "I wonder if they'll still need us."
"Sure they will!" Nora cried. "Remember how those soldiers just ran away and left us to do all the work on our training mission?"
"They'll probably try and make sure that doesn't happen again," Sunset said.
"But Atlas still needs huntsmen," Jaune pointed out. "And so will Vale."
"Unless they make us all Specialists," Ruby suggested gloomily.
"Would that be such a terrible thing?" Pyrrha asked. "It would not be my first choice, to be sure, but … it appears to work for them."
"I don't want to take orders," Ruby said. "I want to make my own decisions and do what's right."
"You take my orders," Sunset pointed out.
"But that's different," Ruby said. "I trust you."
You know just how to stick a dagger in me, don't you? Sunset did not reply.
"You're all reading far too much into this," Cardin informed them all. "He's talking about spending more on the military, not reorganising the whole kingdom so that it's just like Atlas. Didn't you hear what he said: freedom, opportunity—?"
"And equality," Sunset reminded him.
"Yes, yes, I heard that too," Cardin said. "My point is that huntsmen aren't going to be any less free under Councillor Emerald than they were before; Vale is going to be just as it was, just with a stronger national defence. And I, for one, think that's an unvarnished good thing."
XxXxX
General Ironwood opened the door, then took a step back. "After you, Oz."
Ozpin's smile was a little tight. "First into the dragon's den, James?"
"It won't be that bad," Ironwood replied. "Will it?"
"I think we'll soon find out, won't we?" Ozpin murmured, as he — despite the jibe — did lead the way inside.
Ironwood was a little surprised to be invited to the official residence — he hadn't thought that they were in that good odour with the new First Councillor — but perhaps it was simply a matter of Councillor Emerald not being settled in yet and not wanting to go to his office in the Palace for one meeting only to have to come back again. The room to which they had been directed was on the ground floor, and Ironwood was surprised to find that there was no desk, or any sort of working table, anywhere in sight. There were some chairs around the edges of the room, but mostly, for all its size, the room was empty, with a lot of bare beige carpet. To some extent, it reminded him of his own office back in Atlas Academy, except a little more homely in décor, but he had such a big office only partly to host large groups of visitors; mostly, it was because space in Atlas was at a premium, and so, having a big office marked the Headmaster of the academy as a man of influence and prestige.
He didn't expect that this room was empty for the same purpose.
"The work is done on the floor," Councillor Emerald declared. He was stood with his profile to Ironwood and Ozpin, looking out of the window at the Horse Guards' Parade which stood behind the street. His hands were clasped behind his back.
Ironwood shut the door behind him. "Mister Councillor?"
"You're wondering why there isn't a big table," Councillor Emerald guessed. "All of the papers are put on the floor, and everyone kneels or squats, doing their backs out in the process of fixing whatever crisis is currently in progress, like students pulling an all-nighter to get their essays done before deadline. It's much easier to move around that way than with a table and chairs clogging up the room — or perhaps it just seemed that way, and now, it's become a tradition that no one thinks to oppose. Good afternoon, gentlemen."
"Good afternoon, First Councillor," Ozpin said. "And congratulations upon your—"
"Don't you dare," Councillor Emerald growled. He paused for a moment. "I did not seek this office. I would have been quite content with my former position, or no position at all, so long as I knew that the government of Vale was in good hands. Novo Aris was a good woman."
"I have never suggested, nor heard it suggested otherwise," Ozpin offered diplomatically.
Councillor Emerald turned to face them. "I want you to know that I hold you both responsible for her downfall," he declared, "but you are both dug in deep and tight, and I do not have the desire to engage in the kind of drawn out struggle it would take in order to knock you both off your exalted perches, not when there is so much else that is more pressing for Vale. And besides, it would disturb the public at a time when we need calm and good spirits more than ever. But do not think I have forgotten, or forgiven."
Ozpin said nothing. Ironwood could understand that; it was difficult to know how to respond to someone calling you into their office to tell you how much they hate you, but he endeavoured to find a response anyway.
"Mister Councillor," he said. "May I ask what you think we should have told you earlier than we did? As soon as we heard back from our reconnaissance team that there was an imminent threat to the city, we notified the Council."
"You should have notified the Council that you were sending a reconnaissance team," Councillor Emerald declared. "And why."
"And what would the Council have done in response, Councillor?" General Ironwood asked.
"The Council would have asked why you were sending two teams of first year students instead of Valish huntsmen or some of your vaunted Atlesian Specialists," Councillor Emerald snarled. "Tell me, General Ironwood, is it the habit of the Atlesian military to have children fight their battles for them?"
Ironwood clasped his hands behind his back, mirroring the First Councillor's posture. "There were reasons for the assignment of Teams Sapphire and Rosepetal to that particular mission."
"Perhaps you'd like to share those reasons with the class?" Councillor Emerald suggested.
Ironwood cleared his throat. "The information that led us to investigate Mountain Glenn came to us through Blake Belladonna, our former mole in the White Fang," he lied. "She received communication from a contact of hers within the White Fang requesting a meeting within the ruins. Although it could have been a trap, Professor Ozpin and I nevertheless felt that it was worth following up on—"
"So you sent children because they were expendable, if it was a trap?" Councillor Emerald asked.
"I would never have sent any team if I didn't believe they could fight their way out of any danger they might get into," Ironwood replied, his voice rising slightly, "and besides, the two teams concerned had already carried out operations alongside Belladonna, and we believed that synergy might be advantageous."
Councillor Emerald was silent for a moment. "Is that right, Professor Ozpin?"
"It is, Mister Councillor," Ozpin said, his face inscrutable. "Our reasons were precisely as General Ironwood has described them."
Councillor Emerald's eyes narrowed. "Nevertheless," he said, "you placed the security of Vale in the hands of children."
"You may not like it, Mister Councillor, but I believe that we have been vindicated by events," Ironwood said.
He might regret having given RSPT the assignment himself, but he wasn't going to just stand there and let some Valish politician tell him to his face that they were incapable. Yes, the mission had gone less than perfectly, and Penny had been left in a state of damage, but none of that was known to Councillor Emerald, none of it should have concerned him even if he had.
"The team we sent to Mountain Glenn delivered sufficient warning of the incoming attack that Vale was defended with minimal casualties."
"Is that what you really believe?" Councillor Emerald demanded. "That your children did the best job they could?"
"I have no reason to believe otherwise," Ironwood said.
Councillor Emerald was silent for a moment. He turned away from both of them and walked to the far end of the room. His hands moved from behind him to out of sight, somewhere in front of him, obviously.
"You may be offended, General Ironwood, when I say that I don't trust your motives," he said. "I don't care if you're offended or not; I don't trust your motives. My ancestors came to Vale to get away from northern power."
"With respect, Mister Councillor, Atlas is not the Mantle that was before the war," Ironwood said.
"So you say," Councillor Emerald allowed. "So you may even believe. But though some of your methods may have changed, I believe that you people are as grasping and power-hungry as ever. You make yourself indispensable through the military might that you fund through the economic dependence of the other kingdoms upon the Schnee Dust Company, which you encourage. You dominate Remnant in ways that Mantle could scarcely have dreamt of. You lost the war, and yet, you have achieved all the things for which you went to war—"
"Mister Councillor," Ironwood interrupted him, "the Schnee Dust Company is not some arm of the Atlesian state—"
"And yet, your military has collaborated with the SDC on several research and development projects, has it not?" Councillor Emerald asked. "And the SDC also has a division producing military equipment, does it not?"
"Rather irrelevant, if I may say, Mister Councillor," Ozpin said. "Yes, the Atlesian military has commercial ties with the SDC; many, if not all, major organisations in Remnant have some commercial ties with the SDC, even here in Vale; Remnant's largest conglomerate can hardly be ignored. It is not evidence of a grand conspiracy or of hidden motives on the part of General Ironwood or Atlas. You know, Councillor, that I did not wish General Ironwood's presence here. You were present at the Council session where you and I voted against allowing the Atlesian forces to visit Vale in such strength. Events have proven us both wrong, and I am bound to say that, whatever disagreements General Ironwood and I might have had, I have never had cause to doubt the integrity of his motives.
"Atlas is imperfect, as Vale is imperfect, as all the creations of mankind are imperfect, for it is our very inability to reach perfection that keeps us striving to reach it and, in the reaching, improving ourselves and our works. As Atlas has improved upon the Mantle that was." Ozpin paused for a moment. "The crimes committed against your ancestors and your people were horrible, but they were Mantle's crimes, and cannot at the door of Atlas be laid."
Councillor Emerald took a few moments to reply. "Unfortunately, you are correct in one thing, Ozpin: events have proved us wrong. It sticks in my craw somewhat, but we needed you, General Ironwood. Much as I wish it were not so." He rounded on them both. "However, just because I require your presence, General, and just because I cannot remove you, Professor, does not mean that I will let things continue on as they have done. Novo allowed you both to keep making trouble for her right up until the moment you caused so much trouble it ended her career; I don't intend to make the same mistake. Enter!"
A door at the other end of the room opened to admit three men into the chamber. One of them Ironwood knew: his former Valish counterpart General Seaspray, the lately retired commander of the Valish Defence Force. He was not wearing a military uniform, but rather, a suit of well-tailored blue. The other two men were both wearing Valish uniforms, one — the taller of the two, with a shock of silver-white hair and large, almost bird-like wings coming from his back — had the two pips and a crown of a Valish colonel upon his shoulders, while the other — a bald deer faunus with red-brown eyes and a pair of antlers, somewhat more modest than the First Councillor's, growing out of the top of his head — possessed the pip over crossed sword and baton of a general. Evidently the latter, although not known to Ironwood, was Seaspray's replacement in command of the Defence Force.
"General Seaspray, I expect you both know," Councillor Emerald said. "But allow me to introduce General Blackthorn, formerly of the Patch Light Infantry, now appointed to command of the Valish Defence Forces, and Colonel Sky Beak Aris of the Mount Aris Light Dragoons."
Ironwood walked towards them. "A pleasure to meet you, gentlemen," he said, offering his hand to General Blackthorn. "How does it feel?"
General Blackthorn did not take his hand. "I hope you'll forgive me, General Ironwood, if I don't shake the hand of the man who has humiliated my army. I need your assistance, but don't expect me to like it."
Ironwood let his hand fall to his side. "That was not my intent, I assure you."
"Maybe not," Blackthorn allowed. "But it's what you did. And now I must restore pride and dignity to a force that has had both stripped away and been made a laughingstock."
Ironwood did not respond to that; rather, he said, "Mister Councillor, are there any more people going to come in and insult me? If there are, could we get them over with all at once? I do have work to do."
Colonel Sky Beak chuckled, although he seemed to be trying to hide it.
Councillor Emerald drew in a breath. "Colonel Aris," he said, "will be taking leave of his regiment, for a little while at least; I am seconding him to the Atlesian forces as our liaison officer. Through him, you will coordinate your actions with General Blackthorn and myself. I expect you to keep him abreast of all developments."
"Of course, Mister Councillor," Ironwood said. "All significant developments. Colonel."
Colonel Sky Beak offered his hand. "It will be a pleasure to work with you, General Ironwood."
Ironwood took the offered hand. "Likewise."
"And of course, you will see that the colonel is given accommodation aboard your flagship," Councillor Emerald added. "Where he can observe the conduct of your forces from the hub of their control."
Where he can spy on me, you mean, Ironwood thought. This was … not ideal, but at the same time, it was hardly a fatal blow. After all, everything he was keeping secret from the Valish Council, he was keeping secret from his own officers too, much as it pained him to do so. It might, perhaps, lead to a few less trips to Beacon and a few more video calls with Oz, but overall, it was nothing he couldn't handle.
"Of course," Ironwood said. "I'll make the arrangements at once." The colonel could snoop around as much as he wanted, but he wasn't going to find evidence of an Atlesian conspiracy because no such conspiracy existed.
"As for General Seaspray," Councillor Emerald continued, "he has graciously agreed to postpone spending time with his family in order to accept the newly created office of Inspector General of Schools, in which office he will reviewing all Combat Schools, and most especially Beacon Academy, to ensure that all standards are being adhered to and nothing untoward is occurring at this institution that is of such great importance to Vale."
Ozpin smiled. "I see. Well, if you do note anything that could be improved, I hope you'll let me know, General; at Beacon, we're always striving to improve the quality of education that our students receive."
Perhaps Emerald and his people didn't notice the slight tightness around Ozpin's eyes, the way his smile didn't quite reach. This was not good. It was one thing for Ironwood to call Oz from his office where Sky Beak couldn't listen in, but who was to say that Seaspray wouldn't badger Ozpin in his office? Not to mention what an outside observer might make of certain students going up to Ozpin's office much more frequently than others. And if Qrow showed up, what in the name of the gods would anyone outside their circle make of him?
This might be more difficult. The only consolation was it didn't seem that he was going to be living at Beacon full time.
"And at the end of his review," Councillor Emerald concluded, "General Seaspray will produce a report, with his recommendations on restructuring the organisation of Valish huntsmen and Beacon Academy in order to bring them both under a greater degree of Council oversight."
The smile faded from Ozpin's face. "Mister Councillor, the independence of Beacon Academy—"
"If the independence of Beacon Academy meant that much to you," Councillor Emerald said, "then perhaps you should not have abused it so recklessly. That's all; now both of you, get out."
"Thank you, Mister Councillor," Ironwood said softly, and then turned to go.
Ozpin led the way silently; he moved quickly enough, but did not speak until they were outside 12 Regent Street, feeling the light breeze upon their faces, slightly ruffling Ozpin's grey hair.
"Oz?" Ironwood murmured.
"'A greater degree of Council oversight,'" Ozpin muttered. "Has it really come to this?"
"They can't take the school away from you," Ironwood reminded him. "Not while I've got your back."
"No, they cannot, thank the gods," Ozpin murmured, "but they could force me to take orders from some general … and they could put my children in uniform."
Ironwood felt torn between a desire to reassure his old friend and a desire to defend the system under which he operated. "That's not necessarily what was meant," he said diplomatically. "And who knows? Seaspray might surprise you and recommend no changes to the current system."
"You and I both know that is highly unlikely, James," Ozpin said.
Ironwood was silent for a moment. "I know that you don't like the system I run," he said, "but it works for Atlas."
"Except that the number of non-Atlesian applicants to Atlas Academy has cratered since the Specialist system was instituted," Ozpin said. "You're driving non-Atlesians away, James; the only people who want to study at Atlas from outside of your kingdom are—"
"Wealthy Mistralians whose idea of what Atlas is like consists of 'it isn't all the things that we dislike about Mistral,'" Ironwood muttered.
"You have only yourself to blame for that James; you drive away not only non-Atlesians, but also Atlesians like Miss Schnee who are unwilling to submit to your control."
"And yet, I still have the best huntsmen and huntresses that I could ask for," Ironwood said.
"For now," Ozpin murmured. "If Beacon goes the same way as Atlas, if we, too, begin to drive outsiders away—"
"Then Leo will be very happy," Ironwood said.
Ozpin did not laugh. "It goes against everything that the Academies were founded to stand for."
"It might not go so far as that."
"Anything will be going too far," Ozpin said. "The huntsman system was intended to remove the monopoly on violence out of the control of governments to make it harder for them to start another war. Is this all it takes for them to forget that and close their hands around power once more?"
"Not necessarily," Ironwood said. "I think it's fair to say that Councillor Emerald doesn't like either of us, but if he really wanted a fight, then he could try and get you fired — and me, as well, if he really wanted to kick up a storm. I doubt that he'd get his way, but it seems like he isn't going to try because he has other priorities. He's a politician, Oz; he wants to be seen to be doing something because now is the time when it seems like Something Must Be Done, but if we can get through the Vytal Festival without any more hiccups, once everyone has had a good time and the Breach seems further away, then there won't seem like such a pressing need for action, and there'll be a dozen other things that have come up between now and then clamouring for his attention. It wouldn't surprise me if Seaspray's report, whatever it says, ends up mouldering in someone's bottom drawer."
Ozpin was silent for a moment. "I very much hope that you are correct, James. Certainly, I hope a good Vytal Festival will leave an equally good impression."
"I'll do my best," James promised. "Incidentally, and before the new liaison takes up his post on my ship, I'm going to assign a squad — not Rosepetal, a squad of my best specialists — to try and track down Cinder Fall. Since we don't know what she's planning, even if they can't find her, they might be able to keep her off balance and scrambling to stay ahead of them."
"Perhaps, if they can pick up her scent," Ozpin said. "I wasn't aware we had any leads."
"That is an issue," Ironwood admitted. "But Captain Ebi has a knack for getting lucky when it counts."
XxXxX
Sunset stopped her bike outside of the First Councillor's residence. She took her helmet off as she dismounted, letting her hair fall down her back as she approached the police officer on guard outside the gate.
"My name is Sunset Shimmer," she said. "The First Councillor is expecting me."
Not too long ago, she puffed out her chest in pride at being able to say that, at being expected by the leader of the kingdom.
No more. Not now.
The police officer looked at a list, presumably the names of expected callers. "I'll need to see some ID," he said.
Sunset pulled her scroll out of her jacket pocket and swiped through to her student's licence. Her photograph looked so smug, it was almost nostalgic. She held her scroll up for the police officer to see.
He looked at it, and then back at her. "Alright then." He walked through the gate, with Sunset following behind him, and buzzed at the door. "Sunset Shimmer to see the First Councillor."
There was no reply, but there was a mechanical click, and the door swung open slightly.
"In you go," the police officer said.
"Right," Sunset said softly as she pushed the door open the remainder of the way — it had surprised her the first time she'd come here how heavy it was; perhaps, it was armoured in some way against a terrorist attack — and stepped inside.
The door swung shut behind her, making her glad that her tail wasn't in a position to get caught in it.
It was night, the sky had been dark when she had arrived at the door, and in the hall, the lights were off. There was no one to greet her, nor even any sign of a cleaner at work.
But the stairs were right in front of her, and she knew the way. She climbed up them, ascending from the working rooms in which government could be conducted and into the living quarters where the First Councillor and his family lived. Did the First Councillor have a family?
The message that she had received from Skystar had been peremptory: the new First Councillor wished to see her. There had been no explanation as to why, although Sunset could guess that well enough, or what he planned to do to her once she arrived.
Perhaps Skystar didn't know; hopefully, she didn't. Otherwise, her silence would have to be taken as a sign of her disgust, and although Sunset had earned that disgust, she did not want it.
Just as she did not want to leave Beacon. No matter what Councillor Emerald chose to do to her, she hoped that it would not sever her ties with the place, with them.
He seems to want to keep things covered up, but I'm not sure he'd bother calling me here to tell me that he's decided to do nothing.
Not to mention, he seemed too angry to do nothing.
He was certainly a lot more upset at me than Novo. Or less understanding, anyway.
She finished climbing the stairs and pushed open the door into the sitting room to be confronted not only by Councillor Emerald, but also by a small boy, like the councillor, a deer faunus, with light brown hair and chocolate brown eyes and little nubs of antlers beginning to grow out of the top of his head, sprouting from amongst his hair like plants out of the soil. His eyes lit up as Sunset entered.
"Sunset Shimmer!" he cried. "It really is her!"
"Indeed it is," Councillor Emerald said, with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "What did I say? Now that I'm First Councillor, I can do anything. Welcome, Miss Shimmer; I don't believe you've met my son, Bramble."
"No, sir, I haven't," Sunset murmured. She knelt down on the floor, so that she and Bramble were at more of a height, although she was still a little taller than him. "It's a pleasure to meet you, young man."
"You're so amazing!" Bramble cried. "I've watched the video of you fighting Pyrrha a hundred times—"
"At least a hundred times," Councillor Emerald murmured.
"And it's so cool what you did with all of the laser beams flying out of your hands like that, and teleporting all over the place. I hope I get a semblance just like yours!"
"Oh, I think you'll have a semblance that's much cooler than mine," Sunset said. Since my actual semblance sucks, that shouldn't be too hard.
Bramble frowned sceptically. "That would be great, but I doubt it. I think you were robbed in the fight; you should have won, definitely."
Sunset shook her head. "When you say that you want a cool semblance, does that mean you intend to study combat at a combat school? Maybe go to Beacon?"
Bramble nodded. "If my dad will let me."
"Then one of the things you need to learn is that any semblance, no matter how powerful, can be overcome by a skilled, disciplined, serious opponent," Sunset informed him. "Pyrrha doesn't have any abilities as flashy as mine, but she's honed her body and her mind until they're as sharp as her weapons, and she reaps the rewards for that. The better girl won."
"I still think you're cooler than she is," Bramble said. "It's great having a faunus that I can look up to."
"I'm sure your father, the guy who now runs Vale, is happy to hear that."
"He knows what I mean," Bramble replied. "At school, I never get to be the huntsman when we play huntsman and grimm because all the other boys say that there are no faunus huntsmen, so I have to be a monster. But now I play as you, and I always win."
"Your classmates sound like charmers," Sunset muttered. She raised her voice to add, "I'm … flattered, really, and honoured too, and I'm certainly not going to say you can't be me on the playground, but anyone who tells you there are no great faunus huntsman is a moron; it's been my privilege to fight alongside some incredibly brave faunus. It's not just me, not by any means. So don't let anyone tell you that you can't, okay?"
"Quite so, Miss Shimmer," Councillor Emerald said. "Bramble, I need you to go to your room; Miss Shimmer and I need to have a grown-up conversation."
"Yes, Dad," Bramble said. He ran to the other door, then stopped and looked round to say, "And thank you for protecting us all against the grimm too!" Then he ran away, his footsteps echoing down the corridor.
He had left the door open. Councillor Emerald had to cross the room after him to shut it.
Sunset got to her feet. "Rather a heavy-handed way of making your point, sir."
"Is there a way of making my point that would not seem heavy-handed?" Councillor Emerald asked. Having closed the door, he turned to face her. "You were willing to kill my son."
"I didn't seek anyone's death, sir," Sunset insisted.
"You didn't care whether he lived or died," Councillor Emerald declared.
"And if the certain death of your son were to be placed in the scales against the possible fall of Vale — a Vale which you knew full well to be defended, and which you hoped had been forewarned — what would you choose, Councillor?" Sunset demanded, her ears pressing downwards.
Councillor Emerald stared at her, but did not reply.
"That's what I thought," Sunset said. "I admit that I made the wrong choice down in that tunnel, and if you wish to punish me, then I will accept punishment; but I will not accept judgement from the nine out of ten people who would have made the exact same choice that I did in that situation."
Ruby, if she knew the truth, would have the right to judge her; Sunset might even accept that Pyrrha would have the right to do so. But she would not be looked down upon by someone who was no better than her, but only luckier.
He could put her to death, that was fine, or whatever penalty the law set down, but she'd rather he didn't sneer at her while he was doing it.
Councillor Emerald walked towards her from the far door. "Perhaps that's why Novo wanted to go easy on you," he said softly. "Because she would have jeopardised the city for Skystar's sake. That, and she took pity on your youth. Do you think your youth should excuse your actions, Miss Shimmer? Do you think that you should be allowed to get away with it because you're just a child?"
"I think there are arguments as to whether I should have been there, but given that I was there, then no," Sunset said. "I knew what I was doing."
Councillor Emerald nodded. "I agree, and in a slightly perverted sense, I'm glad you possess the maturity to grasp that." He walked to a drinks cabinet and took out a decanter of some sort of brown-gold strong liquor and a single glass. "Do you have any family, Miss Shimmer?" he asked, as he unstopped the decanter and poured himself a glass of spirit.
"No, sir," Sunset murmured.
Councillor Emerald brushed aside his jacket and put one hand in his pocket as he took a drink. "Let me guess: your teammates are your family."
"You could say that," Sunset admitted quietly.
"My son is my only family," Councillor Emerald said. He took another drink. "Although … but nothing ever came of it. It would have been far too complicated for the children."
"If I may, sir," Sunset murmured. "Bramble's mother?"
"Hit by a drunk driver, when he was only four years old," Councillor Emerald growled. "She was on her way back from a party."
"I … I'm sorry."
"Why?" Councillor Emerald demanded curiously, hatefully. "You would have risked her life just the same as all the rest if she'd been alive."
Sunset had no reply to that; it was, after all, quite, quite true. So she said, "Did they catch the person responsible?"
"He served six months of an eighteen month sentence," Councillor Emerald muttered, as he knocked back the last of his liquor. "So you could say, Miss Shimmer, that I am used to people not being punished as I think they deserve."
Again, Sunset said nothing.
"Novo … was right," Councillor Emerald whispered. "About you, as about so much. Not, perhaps, about your guilt, but … you heard my son. You are, unworthy as you are, something of a role model: a powerful, capable faunus. And you look 'awesome,' shooting your lasers out of your hands." He smiled at her, and this time, the smile almost reached his eyes. "How can a humble politician like myself compare, droning on in legislative assemblies? Plus, as we have already discussed, you and your fellow students have been lauded for your contribution during the Breach … if people knew about your real contribution to the Breach, there would be … all kinds of negativity which we do not wish at this time. On top of which, there is no evidence, only your confession which you could recant at any time." He hesitated. "Does it seem fair to you, Miss Shimmer, that Sky Lark is dead, and yet, you not only live on but get to enjoy the life that should have been his? You say that you regret your crime, and yet, you are possessed of all the things for which you did that crime."
"No, sir," Sunset said. "It isn't fair."
"Then tell me something, Miss Shimmer," Councillor Emerald said. "I already know that you are not prepared to sacrifice those close to you for Vale, but are you prepared to die for it? Are you, alone, prepared to give your life to preserve this kingdom?"
Sunset said nothing for a moment. That was not a question she had expected to be asked. Death … death was not something she could embrace with a light heart. She was not Ruby, she wasn't even Pyrrha; she admired the Mistralian honour and the reverence for nobility, but that part of the Mistraliad that proclaimed 'let us go' was not a part of her cultural mindset; that heroic theme did not sing in her soul as it did for Pyrrha. And she certainly was not eager to follow in the footsteps of the admired dead who had gone before her.
And yet, if she said no, then she lost the last shred of credibility she possessed as a huntress in training. Death … death was frightening, and yet, at the same time … she'd let Adam stab her, she'd taken him away so that she could fight him alone with an uncertain outcome, she had looked death in the face.
Death for my friends, not for Vale.
Well, if I die, my friends will think well of me, which isn't guaranteed if the truth comes out. And if I wasn't prepared to die, then why did I write that embarrassing letter to Pyrrha?
You knew that you might die when you set out upon this road.
"Yes, sir," Sunset whispered. "Though I would rather not."
Councillor Emerald looked at her, and for a moment — for the first time — Sunset thought she saw a glimpse of pity on his face. "Well," he said, "that is what you signed up for, I believe."
"Probably, sir," Sunset murmured. "So how is it that you would have me die for Vale?"
"Gloriously, if possible, but if not, then of necessity," Councillor Emerald said. "As a huntress should. Your admirers may mourn you, but their image of you will endure untarnished."
My admirers. Not too long ago, I would have been as overjoyed to learn I had admirers as I would have been to be invited to the home of the First Councillor. "You are very generous, sir."
"How unfortunate to hear," Councillor Emerald muttered. "I will send you missions, for you and you alone; as First Councillor, I have access to the job board, I will … create a huntsman to accept those missions I judge suitably dangerous and assign them to you. You will not involve your teammates in this."
"No, I will not," Sunset said. "They played no part in my decision; they should not suffer for the consequences of it."
Councillor Emerald nodded. "If you succeed, then you will have done some good for Vale. If not … then the debt is paid. Do you understand?"
If there was one thing about this situation she regretted, it was that if she died on one of these missions for the First Councillor, she would be unable to keep her word to Lady Nikos. But that was hardly a reason to refuse. As for the rest … this was, in some respects, more generous than she deserved.
"I take it that it will never be over, sir."
Councillor Emerald shook his head. "I own you now, Miss Shimmer," he said. "And so does Vale."
Sunset bowed her head. "Then I shall await your instructions, First Councillor."