Prelude to War-A Point Where it Breaks

A Chapter by Miles W.

A Critical moment in the times leading into the coming War of Seasons.

Today Marks a Celebration

Of the Accomplishments of Young Warriors

But the Presence of A Person Reveals Many Things

More Pieces of the Larger Puzzle

And More Cracks in the Rift.

Graduation of Team BEAT

The audience applauded as Professor Ozpin continued to read off the names of the students graduating. Nathan sat in the nosebleeds applauding as his daughter’s name got announced. But as soon as Ember finished walking across the stage, he got up and left. Nobody else paid attention to him leaving. He simply headed out into the hallway and started walking past the many pillars on his way out of the building.

“And where do you think you’re going?” a voice cut in catching Nathan by surprise He stopped and turned around to see Miles leaning up against one of the pillars that was out of his line of sight.

“Better question” Nathan said cracking his neck.  “What are you doing here?”
            “Well first and foremost Aurora wanted to see Gray and Hera while we were still in town and secondly, your wife invited me since you apparently couldn’t be bothered to show up to your own daughters graduation.”
            “Well, I showed up.  Happy now?”
            “So why are you up here in the rafters and not with your family?”
            “I have a therapy session in a few minutes…..”
            “Don’t play with me Nathan” Miles said moving from his position on the pillar and taking a few steps towards Nathan.  “Yang told me.  You didn’t go to her finals match at the Vytal Festival, you’ve barely been home when your daughter is able to come home and visit, let alone when your son is home from school on the very island you live on.”
            “What do you care?  It’s my life.”
            “You’re pushing your family out.  I want to know why.”
            “I’m not pushing anybody out!”
            “They why aren’t you with them?!  They’re your family!”
            “BECAUSE MY DAUGHTER REMINDS ME OF EMBER!”  Nathan yelled at the top of his lungs.  This more than likely would have been heard by everyone in the theater, but it got drowned out by the thunderous sound of cheers and applause signaling that the event had come to an end.
            “Look Miles, ever since everything happened in Atlas all those years ago, it’s been tough for me.  After what Whitley did and what Weiss went through, it brought back memories of Aequo.  Memories of Ember, my teacher.”
            “What does that have to do with you leaving your family?”

“I feel like I need to do something. We beat the Order on Vytal all those years ago, but I feel like Ember is still unavenged. And until I do avenge her, I don’t have any family at all.”

“That has got to be the dumbest excuse I’ve ever heard from anyone about why they would abandon their family.”

“She was my whole world Miles. And I need to make the people who hurt her pay for taking her away from me.”

“That was then. But now, you have a family just inside those walls who love you dearly, and you’re turning your back on them.”

“They don’t understand what I’ve gone through. They don’t understand or support me or my mission. They keep trying to put me down and keep me from reaching my true goal.”

“You’re delusional. They aren’t trying to put you down at all. They’re trying to help you. But from what I’ve heard, you’ve twisted just about any form of attempts to help you or concern about your actions and have twisted them into ideas that you are being attacked.”

“If they truly loved me, they would support me and my mission!”

“It’s because they love you that they’re trying to stop you from doing what you have been doing!  And are you honestly going to try and do this whole avenging mission by yourself if they don’t support you?”
            “No.  I’ve been rallying a group to try and track down the remaining members of the Order.”
            “The Order is dead.  We destroyed them when we were kids Nathan.”
            “No.  Jacob told me.  They’re out there.  And so long as even a single member still draws breath, Ember is still unavenged.”
            “Correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t it Adam who killed her?  And the rest of your family for that matter?  And if my memory serves me right, you sliced him in half.  We avenged her Nathan.  We avenged all of them.  Your family from back then is at peace.  What matters is that you are there for your family now.”
            “So you don’t think I should try to take down the Order, is that it?”
            “I think that you have a daughter and a son who both think the world of you sitting in there with your wife who gave up an arm to try and save you because of your own inexperience.  If you keep living in the past, you’re doomed to be trapped by it forever.”  Miles then started walking towards the exit.
            “I want you to join my group Miles” Nathan said.  Miles stopped in his tracks.  “We have information about them.  We can find them.  This is my destiny.  I am done trying to act like everything is fine when it isn’t.  And I know you feel that way too.  I know you still haven’t gotten over Aequo.”

“Maybe I haven’t. But I choose to focus on making sure nothing like that never happens to my family. I won’t let my family die again.” Nathan, almost as if he ignored Miles’ previous statement, stretched out his hand.

“Join me.  We can avenge our families.  Bring an end to our suffering.”  Miles didn’t even turn around.  He simply sighed.
            “The only person suffering here Nathan, is you.  You suffer in your own pits of despair.  You suffer in this delusion that chasing something long gone and abandoning those who care about you now will free you.  But it won’t.  It will only create more hurt in your heart.  And one day, you will find out that your actions have consequences.”  Miles continued to walk forward.  Nathan lowered his hand.
            “If you aren’t with me, then I want nothing to do with you.  Unless you support me unconditionally, you were never really my friend.”  Miles didn’t stop walking.
            “If that’s your definition of a friend, then you are far more gone than I thought.”  Miles reached the stairs leading down to the ground floor.  He didn’t look back even for a second.  “Goodbye Nathan.”

Miles reached the bottom of the stairs.  The students had already started to flow out from the auditorium.  There were a lot of hugs, a lot of smiles, and a lot of tears.  Miles smiled and made a beeline for his friends when he saw Yang hugging her daughter to the point where Ember was being lifted off the ground by her mother.
            “Mom!  Need air!”  Ember started turning blue as her mother continued to crush her.  But fortunately for her, Yang released her so that she could breathe normally again.  Everybody continued to shower Ember with hugs and celebrations.  Arri finally managed to weave her way through the crowd as well and joined the rest of them.  Everybody was hugging one another, and enjoying the others company.  Miles managed to smile a little bit, but it was clear on his face that something was wrong.  Yang noticed it right away.  She pulled Miles aside and into the staircase away from everybody.
            “He was here, wasn’t he?”  Yang said with sadness in her voice.
            “Yes.  And he is completely dead set on following through with his mission.”
            “He’s told me bits and pieces about it.  I just wish there was more that I could do to help him.”
            “So what are you going to do now?”
            “I won’t join him on his crusade.  Ember needs help getting herself situated now that she’s graduated, I’ve got a few years to get Gray ready for his school years.  And since my husband is clearly caught up in his own world, I’m going to have a lot on my plate.”
            “I’m sorry.”  Miles said placing his hand on Yang’s shoulder.  She smiled.
            “It’ll be fine.”  Yang said wiping a few tears from her eyes.  “My father raised me and Ruby pretty much by himself since Summer died, I have a good idea of how I should take care of my kids.”  Yang tried to keep smiling, but it was impossible to deny her emotions.  Miles gave her a hug as she let her emotions go.

Nathan continued to walk through the streets, the excitement of Beacon Academy still creating an energy that could be felt in the town. He looked back one last time, and turned away. His Scroll vibrated and he pulled it out, answering the call.

“You were right” he said with a growl. “I should have listened to you from the beginning. He was never really my friend. Now then, what names do you have on the list for the Sons of Aequo?”

The Shadows Begin to Grow.

One Who Was Once Content

Now Grows More and More Bitter.

The Memories of the Past

Shall Soon Plunge the Present

Into Despair.

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