During the working hours of the bakery, a lot of Faunus customers said that my bat ears looked cute and that I'm more responsible than kids that they know. Even human customers had said that I looked cute. It got a bit annoying though, that they are calling me cute like I was a young girl even though I'm a lot older than I look, as I'm not very tall and have the facial features of a young child. This makes everyone believe that I'm barely in my teens, however I am in my mid to late teens; in a couple of months, it will be my 16th. Thankfully, none of our customers were put off with my bat ears nor my lack of sight, though a couple of human boys thought it was clever to play a prank on me... Papa soon dealt with them.
That was until that fateful day.
***
As the store was about to close for the evening, Papa dragged me to the back of the bakery, where he gave me a long box.
"Here Fran, I know you wanted this forever ago but better late than never." Papa said as he handed me the gift. He had to bend down so I could reach it.
"What is it?"
"Unwrap it and you'll find out." He said as my bat ears flattened down as I nodded my head. I then tore into the wrapping paper unveiling something that felt like a string at one end of it. I recoiled as my hand touched it.
"H-Hey be careful. It needs tightening." He said as he grabbed it from me. "It's a bow. I had it made for you after all those times that you said that you wanted to go to Beacon like your Mother and me. I had arrows specially made for you too." He continued as he handed it to me. "Here, the bow should be tightened now."
I nodded my head and held it by the grip, Papa fastened my quiver to my back and handed an arrow to me. It felt heavier than a practice bow.
"Yeah, I was like that when I picked my weapon, yours is special however. Not only is it a Bow, but it transforms into a Shotgun for short-ranged attacks. The Bow should feel like the same as those that you have been practising with. With all the training you have undertaken, I thought that you should have this." Papa said as I resumed my stance that I used for a practice bow. I let loose a couple of arrows before I heard Mama squeal out in pain. My ears must have given away that something was wrong.
"Fran?! What's wrong?"
I didn't answer as I ran towards Mama, and heard Papa's feet from behind me. As we got to the store Mama's body signal had gotten considerably weaker than it was before. That wasn't the only thing that I detected, however, standing near Mama's body signal was Adam's.
I then felt Papa body signal charge at Adam's. "You bastard! You will not harm my family. Fran... Take your mother upstairs. I'll deal with this... Now go!" Papa growled out. I hesitated for a second... but gradually picked up Mama. I noticed that Mama was wincing as I tried to steady her. I immediately carried Mama upstairs to my room. When we got to my room, I lost my grip on Mama so she immediately slipped to the floor. She didn't move.
"Mama… Come on get up... Why aren't you moving?" Tears were running down my eyes. I could sense a rumble and a struggle from downstairs. Suddenly I felt a tug on my arm. I then sensed Mama's familiar body signal had grabbed onto me.
"Y... You n-need to g-go.! U-Use your M-Maiden powers... I trained... Ugh!" I could feel a form of liquid spat onto my hand. Then I could sense more noises coming from the stairs below, there was what sounded like a struggle, a shriek then nothing. Silence. Papa...?! Please be alright! I then picked up on a familiar body signal slowly ascending the remains of the staircase. The body Signal wasn't Papa's though. No... Papa!
Then it seemed that even in her gravely weakened state, Mama could pick onto Adam's body signal and Papa's death, as did I but more clearly. "F-Fran... listen...your Father and I want you to go to Beacon Academy... Find Ozpin... Trust him... Be a Huntress... Go... G-Get away… Ugh." Mama said through strained breaths before I felt more blood cover my arm. Suddenly, with the last ounce of her strength, Mama pushed me out a smashed window, forcing me to use my large bat wings on my back. This must have been how Adam got in.
As I glided to a nearby building, I looked back and saw Adam cut down Mama, clean in half... M-Mama... No!
No... I have to be strong and find this Ozpin at Beacon Academy. I have to do what Mama said. I turned away from my home that I have stayed in for a year after we left the White Fang. With tears falling down my face, remembering those pleasant moments before all of this happened.
Why would Adam kill my parents?! That question filled my head as I flew away from the place that I have called home. Mama... Papa... I won't let you down. I said to myself as I brushed the tears in my eyes away, instead they were filled with a burning desire for revenge and my heart was filled with determination. I will find this Ozpin and I will join Beacon Academy and become a Huntress. I will make you both proud of me, Mama... Papa... watch over me.
***
By the time I had figured out how to get to Beacon, it was already day time. Thankfully, I had somehow managed to get to the airship port, however I had no way to get on the airship. I had no Lien, no way of getting to Beacon and no way of getting to meet this Ozpin. Most importantly, I did not feed on Papa or from a blood pack the day prior, which was worrying, because I don't know how long I could last. At least I had managed to hide my bat wings underneath my cloak.
"Hello there... Miss." I turned to the owner's voice as I scanned his body signal, but I tried to keep my eyes away from their view... That was when I discovered that there was someone next to him. As I scanned the other person's body signal, I figured out that it was a Woman.
"Good Morning. Is there something that we can help you, Miss?" I heard the woman ask.
"It's okay Miss, I don't want to cause either of you trouble. I just need to find a way onto the airship, so I can get to Beacon Academy. I've got to meet someone there, you see. Someone called Ozpin. M-Mama said I could trust him... b-before she d-died." I said as tears started to form in my eyes, but I quickly wiped them away before, hopefully any of them noticed.
I must have said something as I accidently caused them to seem taken aback. I heard the older woman whisper, "This person could be dangerous." With the way she sounded like she was being put off by me.
To ease the older woman's worry, and mine, I heard the man let out a small laugh. "Nonsense, Glynda. I don't think she means us harm, I rather think that she is actually quite hungry."
Wait... How did he know? Does he know I'm a vampire bat Faunus?
"Why don't you follow us, we'll take you to this 'Ozpin'." The man said as I heard his footsteps away from where I was standing. Reluctantly, I followed the man and the woman's footsteps.
After a while of listening to the man and the woman's footsteps and their small conversations, I heard their footsteps stop.
"Ah Ozpin's office... Or should I say my office. Now why don't you tell me who you are?" The same man from before asked.
Wait... he's Ozpin... Why did he not tell me from the start?
"You're probably wondering why we didn't announce ourselves. We or should I say, I wanted to get a better feeling on who you are as a person. It seems like you have traveled far to get here."
I nodded my head. "You could say that. Mama and Papa said that I should come here and trust you."
"Your Mother and Father are very wise. How do they know me...? If I can ask?" I nodded my head, keeping my ears and wings covered, however my wings were starting to hurt now. "Mama and Papa were Huntsman and Huntress. That was before they... they—" Memories of Mama's and Papa's death play back in my head as tears start to form. I wiped them away before either of them noticed. "They were killed by the current Faunus leader, Adam Taurus."
"I suppose you have proof for this accusation?" Glynda said sternly.
I nodded my head again. Okay Fran. They seem like nice people, you can trust them. I reached for the bow, that I knotted to keep my cloak around me and pulled on it. I pulled off my cloak, revealing my bat ears, wings and combat gear. My wings flapped happily, that they were finally let loose. My ears stayed straight atop of my head while my wings flapped in the exposed air. I heard the woman next to me let out a small gasp.
My combat gear was very light, which made moving around with my Bow and Quiver very easy. Papa designed my combat gear, stating that "It needs to be strong but light to fit my combat style." Papa said he made my combat gear to be composed of a short, long-sleeved brown jacket with a golden zipper, brown pants and black leggings with a golden detail. Underneath my jacket was a black, semi-translucent undershirt, along with golden spaulders and vambraces on both arms, as well as a similar belt. The tops of my leggings are edged with a similar band with my heels and toes are likewise protected.
"I was in the White Fang. I had grown up with him, so I know when I recognise a familiar body signal. He was the one that cut down Mama and Papa."
"What did you say your name is again?" Ozpin asked.
"Fran. Frandoll Scarlet." I answered, which seemed to cause him distress.
"You're the daughter of Marcus and Rumila Scarlet? They're dead?!" He shakily asked.
How does he know Mama and Papa?
I nodded my head. Ears flapping in my head. "How do you know Mama and Papa?" I heard him let out a small sigh before he answered.
"I taught them here at Beacon. Glynda, will you please retrieve a blood pack from the infirmary. I think Miss Scarlet is hungry." He asked as I heard Miss Glynda footsteps walk away from Ozpin and I. Once I heard the door to Ozpin's office shut, I turned back to Ozpin's body signal. How did he know that I haven't fed on anything today?
He must have sensed my thought as he answered. "I remember your Mother had often forgotten to feed from a blood pack while she was on her mission with her team. I'm sorry. You must be quite hungry."
I shook my head. "No. It's my fault. I should have said so earlier."
Miss Goodwitch soon returned with what I presume was a blood pack, as she handed a bag of what felt like liquid to me. Ozpin clarified that it was indeed a blood pack so I sank my fangs into it. I immediately felt a rush of energy as my hunger disappeared.
"Thank you." I said to them both.
They could have left me to rot but they didn't. They must have known Mama and Papa quite well. Well more than just teachers and students.
"It's no trouble. Now if you don't mind, you said before that Rumila said that you could trust us. What did she mean by that?" Ozpin asked. Right Fran, you can do this.
I raised my left hand and summoned an ice spear. I heard Ozpin immediately stand up from his chair as Miss Goodwitch let out an audible gasp. "When Mama, Papa and I left the White Fang, we started a Bakery on the outskirts of Vale. One day, when our work had ended, a woman fell into our store. Papa said she was clutching her stomach as there was a deep slash across her chest. Mama rushed to find bandages and something to help her with the pain, while Papa ran outside to try and find who did this. I stayed with the woman. I tried to comfort her, saying that she was going to be alright. The woman however, wasn't listening. She grabbed onto my arm and said that it's my turn now. Then she died as Mama came back with bandages and something to clean her wound. Mama was too late. Suddenly I couldn't sense the woman's body signal from her body, but I could sense it around me. Then Mama said, I blacked out. Mama then explained to me about the story of the Four Maidens. That, the woman was the Winter Maiden and now that I am the Winter Maiden. Whenever I wasn't training with Papa, I was training with Mama on how to use my Winter Maiden powers."
"So, you have full control of your Maiden powers... Interesting. Previously you said that Marcus was training you. What did you mean by that?" Ozpin asked.
"After we all left the White Fang, Papa wanted to continue my training to defend myself. While Mama helped me with my Maiden Powers, Papa helped me to train my combat on test dummies." I said as I pulled out my Bow from my back.
"I see. So, Rumila and Marcus have trained you exceptionally well. Now the one big problem that you might face is your lack of sight." Ozpin pointed out.
"Ozpin... Don't be so rude! It's obviously hard for her." Miss Goodwitch said as I felt her tap on my shoulder.
"Umm. It's alright Miss Goodwitch. I've lived with it my whole life. It's just something that I've had to adapt to. Even in the White Fang it was tough. I was instead trained to use my other senses to know what is coming. Mama and Papa told me stories of their time here as Huntsman and Huntress. They told me about their Semblances. Mama's was to disappear and reappear, while Papa's was his brute strength."
"And what about you? What is your Semblance?" Ozpin asked.
"Mama and Papa tried everything but we couldn't get it to emerge."
"I see... I see. How do you see? You mentioned before that you 'see' with a body sense? What is that?" Miss Goodwitch asked.
"I can detect people's life energy and find where they are. But it can only be used at a short range." I said as I heard Ozpin stand from his chair.
"That's your Semblance, yet in its current state it will need to be improved. Thankfully I know just the man. Glynda gets a word out to Qrow. Meanwhile Frandoll, why don't you stay here. I will have some of the staff prepare you a room until you can enrol here."
What! I'm staying at Beacon? I'm going to be trained as a Huntress?
"W-Why? You can't suggest that I can be a Huntress. I can't see. I mean I can fight, sure. But what use is there with a Huntress that can't see."
"With proper training, even a sightless Huntress can be the most dangerous of all. Now follow me to your quarters, you will need to be up bright and early for your training with Qrow. A little word of advice; don't bring up his family and everything should be fine." Ozpin said as I felt him pull on my arm, ushering me to follow him.
I'm going to be trained as a Huntress. I can't believe it. I hope that you will be proud of me, Mama, Papa.