We do not own RWBY or any other copyright content. All rights to it go to Monty Oum, Viz Media, and their original owners. All OCs are owned by us.
Writing credits go to Uzumaki Ricky, Monsterhuntergod, Sharad the hedgehog, and SlimShady2015.
Tiger King and Dragon Queen
Volume 1 Chapter 3: Steps to Independence
It is a time in every young man's life where they must go to the fitters to get their first uniform. For a Sōtora man, it is a requirement. Or so the elders always say in their cranky hazes. In the fitters of Signal Academy, Azura was deep in the bowels of the fitting room, encased in its shielding curtains. Azura's prodigious family, along with his two cute friends, waited for him. Some were waiting more impatiently than others.
"How slow can that old lady be? The paint's gonna curl off the walls before she's done." Ruby groaned dreadfully, throwing her head back in frustration.
"Easy, Rubes. She's probably just trying to make sure it's a perfect fit." Yang reassured her younger sister.
"Are you almost done in there?!" Ruby yelled impatiently, tapping her foot.
"Ruby…!" Yang hissed out under her breath.
"Nearly done, dear. Not used to someone with such girthy shoulders to get fabric around." a kind voice answered her.
"Patience please, Lady Ruby. One must not rush perfection." Verdant told the younger girl calmly.
"Why is everyone so focused on perfection? Anyone ever heard of good enough?" Ruby asked, looking at the group of four around her.
"Well, it needs to fit right, or it'll make Azzy unhappy to wear it." Aqua replied innocently.
"It is a test of patience for Azura as well. I remember the last time we took him to the fitters." Azolum mused.
"I was six and it was for a wedding, Father! That is not a fair comparison!" a flustered voice came from behind the curtains.
"Soon you will become married to the art of combat, my child. It is a perfectly fair comparison." his father answered with a cunning smile.
You could almost feel Azura rolling his eyes at his father's reply. Thus, the fitting continued in relative silence for several more minutes. Ruby could not help but pace back and forth impatiently as they waited. Finally, the elderly seamstress's voice called out to them.
"Hold still, young man. This trim is almost finished." the woman sternly warned.
"Yes, ma'am. Honestly, I am very much looking forward to seeing how I look." Azura's voice replied.
"Great, more waiting." Ruby muttered.
"I do wish Azura would get married to a proper woman instead of combat though, Azolum. Combat doesn't get me grandchildren." Verdant said, looking at her husband with a disdainful glare.
"Now, darling. This is what the boy wants. I am absolutely positive the right woman for him will come along when the time is right. In fact, she might be even closer than you think…" Azolum replied with a playful smirk at Yang for reasons Ruby did not quite understand.
"True. It would be nice to get more hair colors than just blue in the family." Verdant answered playfully back, pulling out her fan and fanning herself a bit.
"Why are you two still talking!?" Azura snapped from inside the curtains.
Yang just giggled at that. "What's wrong, big guy? A little afraid of commitment?" she asked with a playful grin.
"No. I am afraid of freezer burned pizza, my twin brother's gym socks, and the cold, dark abyss that is my journal. Forget the last part…" Azura said hastily, realizing he said the quiet part aloud.
The five outside of the curtain tried to hold back a mix of laughter and concern at that. Though they were mostly just concerned at the last bit. Finally, after another minute, the elderly seamstress called out one last time.
"Alright. Everything is done to my satisfaction. Is it to yours, young master Sōtora? Look in the mirror and tell me if anything needs a last-minute touch up before you show the world." she said with noticeable pride.
"Wow! I love this! It looks great!" Azura replied happily.
"Well don't keep us in suspense, handsome. Come out and show us how it looks on you." Yang replied with a grin.
"I like this girl already." Verdant said from behind her fan.
"I don't get it." Ruby asked in utter clueless confusion.
"You will one day, Lady Ruby. When you are older." Azolum replied with a smile.
"Why does everyone always say that to me?" Ruby asked with a huff.
With the confidence bred into every fiber of a samurai's soul, the curtains were parted with a rattle and roar. It hit the small entourage all at once. True its deep, varnished gray overtone was not the most outwardly appealing, but combined with the ember orange trim and his striking shade of blue. The high collar, clean fit and simplicity of its design was only more appealing. Somehow to Ruby, it fit him, yet it seemingly tried to hide something that no one was addressing. The fact that Azura walked out with a bit of swagger and forwardness unbecoming of him was enough to show Ruby that he hid something in his heart.
Yang, however, smirked at the sight of him. "Looking good, big boy. Though I'd recommend popping the collar and loosening the top two buttons. Looks a little constricting." she replied playfully.
"I am afraid, fair lady, that you keep your desires a hint closer to heart. In case the dragon singes herself with her own flames." Azura answered with a small smirk.
Yang and Ruby were both surprised by that reply. Did he… just flirt back with Yang? Where was this newfound confidence coming from?
"So how do I look, everyone?" Azura asked, spinning around a bit to show off the full view.
"Well… you look incredible in it, Azura. You make our academy's uniform look hot." Yang replied with a grin, quickly recovering.
"Didn't he just tell you…" Ruby tried to say, before getting cut off by her sister.
"Oh, shush Rubes. Nothing wrong with a little playful flirting." Yang replied with a smile.
"Little as in small doses or little exposure? Because you're not doing a good job at moderation on either front, my dear." Verdant answered playfully.
Yang smiled at that. "Just trying to help with his confidence while being honest. After all, he seems like he doesn't get enough compliments with how bad he normally is at taking them." she replied playfully back.
"Lady Xiao Long. I get plenty of compliments. Far more than any person should get in a lifetime. I simply wish to exemplify the dying virtue known as humility. For, without it, a samurai cannot hope to follow Bushidō. If a samurai cannot follow bushidō, then frankly what is the point?" Azura said, firming up his resolve and tone all of a sudden.
"Easy, hot stuff. No need to get so serious. I'm just giving compliments where they're due." Yang replied with surprise before giving a smile.
"Compliments are best handed out like chocolates. Gifting too many too fast, and everyone gets sick of them. In moderation, then even the simplest and plainest heart of chocolate stands as a treat for a king." Azura answered.
"... Just how are you single?" Yang replied with a grin.
"Very carefully." Azura answered cryptically.
"Are you alright, Azura?" Ruby asked, a hint of concern hovering in her voice.
"Of course I am, Lady Rose. Why wouldn't I be?" Azura replied in confusion.
"Then why don't you act like this normally? Why do you need a uniform to be like this?" Ruby asked.
Azura flinched at that. "I… don't really want to talk about it…" Azura replied a bit nervously.
"Well, regardless, that uniform suits you well, my son. Almost as though you were born to wear it." Azolum said with a smile, quickly changing the subject.
"Oh, the trim is divine. And the color is a wonderful contrast to your hair and eyes." Verdant continued with a smile.
"Azzy looks cool!" Aqua replied happily.
Azura smiled at that. "Thank you all." He then turned to look at the seamstress and bowed.
"Now that I have your measurements, I'll begin work on your set of spares. Do not worry, I'll have them delivered to your address." the seamstress said.
Azura then realized something when she said that. "That reminds me. We still need to go shopping around for a place for me here on Patch while I am going to school here." he told his parents.
"We can grab dad. He knows some people around Patch who rent out places. Maybe that will help you?" Ruby offered nervously.
The aristocratic warriors present were surprised at the offer while Yang had the biggest grin on her face. "Well Ruby, I am definitely going to be getting you something nice for your next birthday." the buxom blonde whispered to her little sister.
"If it's another dress, then I'll pass." Ruby whispered back.
"Come on, Rubes. You look cute in dresses." Yang replied.
"You girls don't have to go through so much trouble for us." Azolum replied politely.
"Oh, but we want to. We'd like to be of assistance." Yang replied with a smile.
"You really don't have to." Azolum told them.
"We know, but we want to. Please, let us lend a hand." Yang said firmly, but politely.
With that, Azolum smiled and bowed. "Then we would be honored to have your assistance." he replied as the rest of the family bowed.
"So, when are you guys able to come house hunting?" Ruby asked.
"Tomorrow would be absolutely perfect, dear. We've finished moving into our home near the city of Vale." Verdant replied with a smile.
"Then, as the honored host to be in such great company, you four have a wonderful evening. And the Xiao Long household can't wait to be graced with your company again." Yang said with a deep and humble bow.
The Next Day: Xiao Long-Rose Cabin
It was a bit of a tense day in the Xiao Long household. As soon as Taiyang learned what Yang and Ruby had offered to do, he went into a small panic and began making sure everything was in order for the arrival of the aristocratic warrior family. He even told them to make sure to pick out something nice to wear for their day out house hunting with them for reasons his daughters did not understand. Currently, they were all wearing a bit more formal wear than they usually did while they waited for their guests to arrive.
"Yang! Did you find yours and Ruby's dresses from my cousin's wedding!?" Tai yelled from the living room, getting his tie sorted out.
"I got 'em, dad! The two sundresses, right?" his eldest asked in reply.
"Yes. Make sure Ruby wears it straight this time! Honestly, you two girls." Tai said, muttering under breath the last part.
"Why do I have to wear a dress for house hunting!?" Ruby yelled.
"Because we're going to be helping a family of Mistrali nobles find a temporary place here on Patch for a member of their household! We need to make a better impression after Yang's blatant flirting!" Taiyang replied, straightening out a more formal dress shirt that he was wearing.
"Oh, come on, it was a bit more subtle than that!" Yang shot back from up the hall.
"Yang, you have the subtlety of a rhino!" Ruby replied in frustration.
"Well, this rhino is gonna march up there and cut the skirt length of that dress if you don't get it on fast! Maybe some of the dock boys would like a better look at you, Ruby!?" Yang shot back at her sister.
Ruby was surprisingly silent about that as Yang stepped out, allowing her father to see what she had on. Walking out on a pair of short golden yellow heels, Yang wore a shockingly conservative, yet flowing sundress of a similar color. Its simplicity, however, was more to draw out the exceptionality of its wearer's features, something Yang was always keen on.
"Not what I would have chosen, but it will do." Yang said, flipping her hair back a bit.
"Yang, please try to behave yourself today." Taiyang groaned in frustration.
Yang simply grinned in response. "Around a handsome, sweet guy who likes my jokes? No promises, dad…" she replied with a wink and a giggle.
"How you haven't made me a grandfather early, I'll never know." Tai sighed, shaking his head.
"Oh, come on, dad. You know I'm more responsible than that. I'm just having a little fun." Yang replied with a pout.
"Can you say that with Azura?" Tai asked.
"Well… maybe. We'll see how things go as I get to know him better…" Yang responded with a smile.
"Let's get this over with…" Ruby groans from the hallway.
The two looked up to see what Ruby was wearing. Like her sister, she was in a simple flowing sundress of her own shade of red. However, what was added was a ribbon bow up by her collar, adding to her cute and innocent look.
Yang grinned playfully. "You look so cute and pretty in that, Ruby." Yang teased.
"Keep it to yourself, Yang." Ruby said with a sigh.
The two girls then looked at their father. Clad in a business casual gray and blue plaid shirt, and equally styled gray pants, he cut something striking. His basic tie, having clearly not been used in a while, was meticulously put on. Turning on his teaching shoes, he made for the door.
"Alright, girls. Let's get ready. They'll be here any minute now." Tai said sternly.
Nodding, his two daughters sat down to relax as they waited for their guests. Taiyang was pacing nervously while the girls tried to relax. Soon, they heard a knock at the door, thus signaling the arrival of their guests.
"They're here…!" Taiyang said, taking a deep breath as he and the girls got up.
Straightening themselves out, the family of three stood together as Taiyang opened the door to greet their guests. At their doorstep stood the noble family of seven. The very first thing they noticed was that Azura was in his formal suit from the previous day, washed, ironed, and neatly pressed for the day. On his back were his ōdachi and a katana crossed in an x with his wakizashi going right down the middle. His hair was combed back perfectly, showing off his scarred, handsome features for all to see.
"Greetings, Lord Sōtora. I hope your travels were pleasant." Tai said humbly.
"Indeed, they were, Taiyang. You and your daughters have our gratitude for offering to aid us in this matter." Azolum replied, offering Taiyang his hand to shake.
"Well, what can I say? Daughters have a mind of their own." Tai said as he shook his counterpart's hand.
Azura smiled more calmly than Yang and Ruby were used to. "Greetings, Lady Xiao Long, Lady Rose. Thank you for having us and offering your assistance." Azura said politely with a bow.
"The honor is all ours, Lord Azura." Yang replied with a playful smile, putting her hand out as Azura took it and kissed the back of it.
"Anything to help a friend in need." Ruby said with a warm smile.
Azura smiled warmly at that. "I'm honored that you two already view me as a friend, Lady Rose." he told the younger girl honestly.
"Can we get going? I don't like being in a monkey suit." Argent grumbled, hating being in formal wear.
"If you keep running your mouth today, Argent, then you'll try my patience, and I might just turn you into a monkey suit." Verdant warned sternly, clearly not in the mood today for her youngest son's antics.
Argent flinched at that, then bowed and addressed the Xiao Long-Rose family. "My apologies, Lord Taiyang. To you as well, Lady Yang and Lady Ruby." he told them, this time being much more respectful.
"Apology accepted, young samurai." Tai answered simply.
"You don't need to worry. We understand." Yang replied with a smile.
"I see we have new faces to meet." Ruby said simply, looking at the oldest Sōtora siblings and the younger one that addressed them.
"My name is Sōtora Argent. I'm Azura's younger brother and Aqua's older brother." The young, silver haired samurai said politely with a bow.
"Sōtora Quain, at your service." the giant monk answered with a simple bow.
"Sōtora Lazuli. It's a pleasure to meet you all. My little brother Azura told us about you three." the pale azure haired bombshell of a female samurai told them with a bow.
"It's a pleasure to meet you all." Ruby answered chipperly.
"Oh, definitely. Your brother Azura's such a sweet guy." Yang replied with a smile, making Azura blush ever so slightly.
"Now then, shall we all get started?" Tai asked.
"Let's. Lead the way please, Taiyang." Azolum replied with his signature aristocratic smile.
Afterwards, the two-family units piled into their vehicles and were off. The Sōtora followed behind Tai to several places owned by old family friends. Of the many properties they rented due to the high demand for rentals for Signal, only three Taiyang figured would be good enough to show the samurai. The first one was a bust as Argent found an old floorboard and fell through to the basement. After much apologizing and fishing the lad out of the basement with Quain's fishing rod, they tried again.
The second one was not much better, as Aqua became fascinated by a buzzing noise in a wall. Azura and Lazuli, however, made a hasty retreat with her as they found a hive of Lancers. Normally the samurai would fight, but as soon as the Queen showed up, they decided this one should be left for the Exterminator Huntsmen. Again, Taiyang and the homeowner apologized profusely. While the youngsters were getting annoyed, Azolum and Verdant shockingly did not mind. If anything, it was a good bit of variety.
The final one was surprisingly close to the Xiao Long-Rose cabin. Normally, Tai would have started there, but he figured after a long day of house hunting, it would be better to start farthest away first. Immediately, the aesthetic-minded family was more impressed by it. It was much more well designed and cosmetically minded.
In fact, it had a hint of the Mistrali rhythms and styles that invoked their homeland. To Azura, the energy of the place felt right. As the main group followed the homeowner, Argent and Aqua being kept on a short leash, Azura was left with the Patch sisters. Not that he minded.
"Sorry about the other two places, Azura…" Ruby nervously said.
"No need to apologize, Lady Rose. A little excitement never killed anyone." Azura replied with a smile.
"What if they have a weak heart?" Ruby asked innocently.
Azura chuckled a bit at that. "Okay, that would most definitely be an exception." he replied.
"Well, one thing's for sure. The last place sure made quite the buzz." Yang said with a grin, making Azura chuckle.
"I'm going to attack you." Ruby said, squinting at her sister for that one.
"Oh, come on, Ruby. Don't bee like that in front of Azura." Yang replied, making Azura fight back a snort of laughter.
"Correction. I'm going to kill you." Ruby restated at the continued pun.
"Come on, Ruby. You remember what dad said about beehaving." Yang smirked, wagging her finger at her sister as Azura cracked up laughing.
"Hahahahahah! Excellent wordplay, Lady Xiao Long!" Azura replied, trying to calm down from his laughing fit.
"Azura, are you dying in there!?" Argent yelled.
"Of laughter, maybe! Lady Xiao Long is hilarious!" Azura replied with a mirthful smile.
"That is literally the first time anyone has ever said that." Ruby muttered.
Because of the antics between himself and the girls, Azura's eyes immediately caught sight of the kitchen. His gaze drawn to it, Azura started to calm down and headed right for it. Stepping in, he took a good, long look at the kitchen. Inspecting it carefully to see if it suited his standards.
To most Sōtora, its lack of size and extensive amenities would have turned them off entirely. But to Azura, being only a single person, it did not mean as much to him. What did was the decor. While the outside of the house had the feeling of Mistral, the kitchen was anything but. Great boards of polished, auburn red oak covering the kitchen floor in a hard, yet stylish platform. The trim and walls were equally rustic, utilizing vast amounts of well-crafted mountain pine. He swore he could still smell the mountain air coming from the boards. Finally, the furniture and counter tops were made of a striking black walnut. Its deep, dark color only matched by its overpowering elegance and aura.
His inspection complete, Azura smiled brightly at the sight before him. "This is my kitchen…!" He declared.
"Well, that was fast." Ruby said in shock.
"You like it?" Yang asked with a smile.
"Oh, I love it! I can't help but picture myself cooking in here! It's perfect!" Azura declared proudly.
"Well, I guess you better get your parents attention then." Ruby said, unsure what else to do.
"I shall return soon. Father, mother! You have got to come look at the kitchen!" Azura called out as he ran down the hall.
Yang giggled as they watched the blue shogun leave. "Well, looks like somebody loves to cook." she replied playfully.
"This is gonna be a long school year." Ruby muttered.
A Few Days Later, Azura's New Cabin
Azura's family and the Xiao Long-Rose family, in their normal everyday wear, were helping Azura move into his new place. They were moving in boxes with him, as well as some furniture Azura and his family had managed to procure. Quain and Azolum were busy moving in a couch that Azura had purchased while Taiyang and Azura brought in a one-person recliner. Setting the recliner down after finding a good spot for it, Azura stepped back with Taiyang to take a look.
"Everything is starting to come together nicely." Azura said with a smile on his face.
"What, adding more splinter hazards to this place?" Argent asked, carrying in another box.
"Just some extra comforts to the place to help make myself more at home, little brother." Azura replied with a smile.
"Argent, I swear to the gods move your butt, or I'll put this couch on top of you! You're in the way again!" Quain grunted as he wrangled with the couch through the back door finally.
"Patience, my son." Azolum cautioned.
"Then tell the golden child to move already." Quain grunted.
"You should probably move before elder brother gets more upset, Argent." Azura advised wisely.
"For a monk, he somehow has the hottest temper of all." Argent grumbled, getting out of their way before going to get another box.
As he did, Azura moved the box aside so that his brother and father could get through. Looking at the side, he saw the label and smiled before moving to the fireplace mantle with it. Opening the box, he began taking out some picture frames and putting them up on the mantle. As Yang passed with another box, she set it down with a smile as she looked at the pictures Azura was putting up.
One was a picture of Azura and his family with an unfamiliar face having Azura in a headlock while giving him a noogie. He was only slightly taller than Azura with long, spiky silver hair, Verdant's emerald-green eyes, and ever so slightly sharper facial features. Other than that, he looked just like Azura. She smiled when she noticed that both boys had smiles of their own on their faces.
"Friend of yours?" Yang asked.
"Brother, actually. My twin brother Kenshi, to be exact." Azura replied with a smile.
"I can see the family resemblance. But personally, I think you're more handsome than he is." Yang said with a playful grin, making Azura blush a bit.
"Th-Thank you, Lady Xiao Long." Azura stuttered out with a smile.
Yang then moved to help Azura start putting picture frames up on the mantle. The next one was Azura and Kenshi together, the slightly taller twin having his arm resting on Azura's shoulder as the twins stood side by side. Next was the twins with Argent, the younger brother showing off a pair of hand axes and a katana. After that was the twins with both of the younger Sōtora siblings, both Argent and Aqua giving two peace signs to the camera with the biggest grins on their faces while a wide smiling Kenshi had a hand on Argent's head and a smiling Azura placed a gentle hand on Aqua's head.
Next up was a picture of Azura with two twins much taller than him, both standing at most likely nearly seven feet tall. Both had farmer's tans and big, bulking frames. One had bracers with Dust mechanisms on them and both had a metal kanabō. The calmer looking of the two hulking twins gave a slight smile and a thumbs up to the camera, his kanabō held over his shoulder, while the more excitable looking twin had a wide smile and was in a kabuki stance with his on his back. Between them stood Azura, a smile on his face as he seemed to be holding in laughter at the kabuki-stanced twin's antics.
Yang smiled and giggled at the sight. "Now I know these have to be friends of yours." She replied.
Azura smiled back. "Best friends, retainers, and future bodyguards, to be specific. The two are Yamashita Kohaku and Yamashita Gamatotsuka. I call them 'Yama and Gama,' for short. That is Yama on the left giving the thumbs up while the goofball on the right is Gama" Azura explained.
Yang giggled at that. "Well, you certainly know how to pick your retainers and friends, Azura." She said with a grin.
Azura chuckled as he went back to taking out pictures along with Yang. As Yang pulled another picture from the box, she looked down at it and found something that caught her interest. It was a picture of a slightly younger Azura with a short girl who, despite only coming up to the start of Azura's rib cage, looked to be around the same age as him. She had short, dark red hair, dark red eyes, and red colored cat ears on her head that denoted her Faunus heritage. She wore a red colored dress with a combat skirt a bit longer than Ruby's. In her hand, she had a segmented blade with smaller, fang-like blades jutting out along the edge. Along her combat skirt, she had dueling knives strapped to her person. Azura had her pulled close in a one-armed hug as the girl was blushing ever so slightly and smiling brightly at the camera, a smile of his own on his face.
"Is that your girlfriend?" Yang asked, turning her head to the young samurai.
Azura, oblivious to Yang's discomfort, shrugged. "Not at all. Just a remarkably close childhood friend. That is Sōtora Guren, an Onna Musha of the Watanabe Family of my clan." he told her with a smile.
"And those are…?" Yang asked, trying not to make it sound awkward and failing.
"Oh, right. Not a lot of people outside of eastern Mistral even know about Onna Bugeisha, much less Onna Musha. Onna Musha are female samurai or wives of samurai that are allowed to go to the battlefield to fight alongside the men rather than stay behind to protect the home like normal Onna Bugeisha. In fact, some of the most famous warriors in eastern Mistral were actually Onna Musha." Azura explained, trying his best to not overload Yang with information.
"Well, she has to be quite strong to keep up with you to be a close friend." Yang said.
Azura chuckled at that. "She is. To be honest, she kind of scares me sometimes." he replied.
"Don't worry, I'll try not to scare you too much then." Yang said with a smile.
Azura chuckled and smiled back, but his smile quickly became a sad look at the sight of the next picture he pulled out. Yang looked over his shoulder to see what he was looking at. In the picture was a younger Azura at about ten years old standing with a pale ten-year-old boy with blood red eyes and jet-black hair. He wore armor similar to Azura's and had a chokutō sheathed at his hip. The two stood together with big smiles, standing back-to-back with their arms crossed. The most noticeable feature about the pale boy, however, was the large black bat wings coming out of his back.
"Who's this?" Yang asked, concerned about the look Azura was giving.
"Just… an old friend…" Azura replied sadly, putting the picture up face down on the mantle.
Yang, seeing Azura needed a bit of time alone, excused herself silently before heading off. The fact Azura did not make much note of it, or protest was all the proof she needed. She soon arrived at the spare bedroom, which was being used as a sorting room for his stuff.
"How's everything going in here?" Yang asked.
"Things are going great, sis. We've pretty much figured out where everything has to go. Lady Verdant is in the kitchen unpacking everything needed there." Ruby replied with a smile.
"That's good to hear. Glad to see people are in good spirits." Yang said, trying to put on a brave face with the new knowledge she had acquired.
"How is Azzy?" Aqua asked.
"He's doing good. He just needed some time to personalize his surroundings." Yang answered.
"Personalize his surroundings…?" Aqua questioned, confused by the big words.
"Make the place his own." Yang clarified, dredging up the old tactics of dealing with a much younger Ruby.
Aqua nodded before going back to looking at the labels on the boxes to figure out what was supposed to go where. Ruby, sensing something more was up, gave her big sister a look. Yang replied by mouthing 'tell you later.' Nodding, Ruby addressed Azura's big sister.
"So, Lazuli. Is there any good advice you can give to help us make sure Azura settles into Patch better?" Ruby asked.
Lazuli smiled at that, happy her little brother had made such caring friends. "First of all, if it takes him some time to truly open up to you, don't try to force him unless it feels urgent. He has… trust issues." she told them a bit sadly.
Yang raised an eyebrow at this. "Define 'trust issues,' please." the buxom blonde replied.
"Azzy's been hurt before. Hurt in ways nobody ever should be…" Aqua replied with the angriest look on her face for a six-year-old.
"I understand… anything else…?" Ruby asked nervously.
"He loves reading and cooking. In fact, he has a small personal library back home in Mistral and a couple of cookbooks packed away in the boxes for the kitchen." Lazuli told the two Patch sisters.
"Any more for good measure?" Ruby asked.
"Just make sure he knows he can talk to you if he needs to. That'll help a lot." Lazuli replied with a smile.
"Good to know. I think Azura might need a bit of help. I'll be back." Yang said, before heading off.
"Right behind you, sis." Ruby replied, going with Yang to check on Azura.
Soon, the two Xiao Long-Rose sisters arrived to see Azura grabbing one of several boxes with "Azura's bedroom" written on the side. Seeing them, Azura gave a slight smile.
"Oh… hello, Lady Xiao Long, Lady Rose. Would either of you mind helping me with these, please?" he asked, seeming a bit better compared to earlier when Yang last saw him.
"Of course, Azura. Let me help you with that." Yang said, taking one of the boxes with Ruby following suit.
The three headed towards Azura's bedroom and set the boxes down on the floor. With his bed already moved in, a queen size to account for Azura's height, the three began unpacking the boxes. They saw Azura pull out a picture of a slightly younger version of him and his twin brother Kenshi, the two boys having bright smiles on their faces while surrounded by two packs worth of puppies. Yang and Ruby smiled big at the adorable picture.
"Who's that in the picture with you, Azura?" Ruby asked with a smile.
"That's his twin Kenshi. And that's a lot of puppies." Yang replied.
Azura smiled as he set the picture down on his nightstand, in view of where he would look to turn off his alarm clock. "Yes indeed. Part of training to become a samurai in our clan is raising and training your own pack of hunting dogs. That is my pack on the left with me and Ken's pack on the right with him." Azura explained.
"Lucky." Ruby pouted in jealousy.
"We have Zwei, Ruby." Yang reminded her little sister with a giggle and a smile.
"But he has a lot." Ruby moaned.
"Where would we even put that many puppies? And I don't even wanna know what taking care of them would be like." Yang replied with a grin.
"It is not easy; I will tell you that much. Especially when you deal with the larger breeds." Azura warned with a smile.
"One day I'm gonna have more puppies. That, I promise you." Ruby resolved.
Azura and Yang chuckled at that. "We'll see about that, Lady Rose." Azura replied in amusement.
"So, if that's your brother, then why isn't he here?" Ruby asked.
"Simple: Kenshi is going to a combat school in Mistral and did not want to transfer schools with the move. So, he stayed behind at the clan estate in Mistral." Azura replied, surprising the two Patch sisters.
"Do you miss him?" Ruby asked.
"Of course I do. He's my brother. We have been together literally since we were in the womb together and shared the same room and bunk bed until we were twelve." Azura replied.
"Are you worried about him?" Yang asked, raising an eyebrow.
Azura shrugged at that. "Not really. I may be the older twin, but Kenshi's a big boy now. He can take care of himself." he replied, much to the shock of the Patch sisters.
"That's quite the leap of faith…" Yang said, a bit shocked.
"I may technically be the big brother, but I cannot always be around to hold Ken's hand for him. Eventually, he must stand on his own two feet. Make his own mistakes and learn from them. Sure, I will be ready to come running if he gets himself into too much trouble, but, in order for him to be independent, he cannot always be counting on his big brothers and big sister to save him." Azura explained.
"That's… something to think about…" Yang said thoughtfully.
"I wish I could have something like that…" Ruby said, her voice trailing off.
Before Yang could comment on that, she came across something in one of the boxes. A haori, black in color with an azure, blue roaring tiger head crest on it and the kanji for "Tiger" above the symbol. Looking down at it in surprise, Yang then looked at Azura.
"Hey, that is my haori from the clan's security forces. I was wondering where I put that…" Azura said with a smile.
"Security forces? As in, like, the military kind?" Ruby asked curiously.
"Well, yes. I went to my clan's Raijin military academy while I was going through my training to become a full-fledged samurai." Azura explained.
"That is so cool!" Ruby squealed.
"You certainly don't carry yourself like you were in the military for long." Yang pointed out.
"Well, I was only in it for about two or three years. I requested a transfer near the city of Vale for the move and have been working on an honorable discharge so that I can work on becoming a Huntsman. If I ever miss it, I can just reenlist after I graduate from Beacon." Azura told them.
"So, you can get back in?" Ruby asked.
Azura nodded at that. "Not only that, but more than just samurai can be in it. Peasants in our lands and common folk can also enlist." Azura explained.
"Huh… that's interesting." Yang replied with a smile.
Before anything else could be said, a ringing sound was heard. Reaching into his pocket, Azura pulled out his scroll. The number he saw surprised him.
"It's from my C.O. Hang on, please." Azura told the Patch sisters before answering the call.
"Hello, sir! You needed something from me? Yes. Yes, I am settling in nicely… what…?" Azura said, his expression slowly going from serious to surprised.
"Is everything okay?" Ruby asked.
Azura held up his finger, nonverbally asking for a moment. "I see… I see… I will give it some thought. Thank you, sir." Azura replied, seemingly shocked as his commanding officer hung up.
"Is everything okay, Azura?" Yang asked him firmly.
"Everything is fine. It is just… my C.O just told me that I have been recommended for Officer's School…" a shocked Azura told the two Patch sisters, much to their disbelief.
To Be Continued...