The Seventh Arc (An Arc Sisters Fanfiction)

Violet: Secret

"Vi, Aly called again?"

Her father looked skeptical, but Violet didn't falter for a second. "Yeah, she wanted to know how I was, if I had submitted my application for another school yet, stuff like that."

Her mother appeared in the doorway as well, and the blonde Huntress-in-training, sensing an interrogation, cleared the call number and rearranged the recent calls behind her back.

"Kiara and Marina wanted you to watch them spar in the barn outside, sweetie."

Violet nodded, slipped her scroll into her pocket and stood, avoiding her parents eyes as she went and leaving both of her parents standing in the hallway.

As soon as Violet stepped foot in the barn, her two closest sisters closed the door as fast as they could, and Kiara had a huge grin on her face.

"Is she really coming?" Marina, skeptical as usual, crossed her arms and leaned against a support beam.

Violet nodded. "She told me herself. Any time now."

Kiara sighed. "Anyone else I should go get?"

Marina shook her head rapidly.  "No, too risky. Our cover story only included the three of us."

"Are we sure that our parents won't want to see her? I think they should still be glad she's okay..."

"We'll judge that later. For now, it has to be just the three of us." Violet sighed, bringing out her sword, much like Jaune's, minus the heirloom value. "Let's get to sparring so we're actually sweaty when and if they come out here."

Kiara drew her own sword and stood by Violet as Marina followed suit. Both older girls exchanged a look before attacking the younger Arc in sync.

Marina fought with two swords, being one of the most skilled fighters in their family, her speed and skill almost getting her accepted to Beacon the same year as Jaune.

Violet blocked a strike from Marina and remembered the day their parents had turned down Ozpin's offer for a scholarship. They didn't want their children to be Huntresses, but humored their training for reasons unknown to Violet.

They only got through a few rounds of half-hearted base-level sparring back and forth before the barn door creaked. Kiara stopped immediately, the muscle of the three of them, and ran to open it.

A figure in a dark scarlet hood lurked in the shadows of the doorway, standing alert. They rushed inside, and Kiara closed the door as fast as she could.

"M...Mira?" Marina's swords clattered to the floor and a hand rose to her mouth in shock.

"Didn't think I'd actually come?" The figure waited until the door was completely closed before lowering her hood and revealing the familiar face Violet had kept in her memory her entire life.

A grin spread across Mira's face, and tears sprang to Marina's eyes first as the youngest of the four of them dove into the oldest's arms.

"I missed you so much!"

"I know. I'm sorry, I couldn't come back." Mira bit her lip, and tears sprang to her eyes as well, shocking Violet, who had never seen her cry before.

"Why couldn't you?" Kiara drew closer, resting a hand on Marina's shoulder in support.

"I...I don't even know if I can show you." Mira sighed as Marina pulled back and was replaced by Violet.

"You still can't trust us?" Violet blinked tears out of her own eyes and pulled back with a skeptical look on her face. "Mira, come on. We're your family, you should be able to tell us why you didn't visit."

"Fine." Mira took a deep breath, waving to the hay bales behind them. "First, take a seat. I know Marina will at least pretend to faint."

They did, and Violet crossed her arms expectantly. "Well?"

Kiara's eyes widened in her direction, but Mira didn't seem fazed at all. Instead, she sighed again and continued.

"You know who Raven Branwen is, right?"

Marina gasped, fanning her face. "Wait, you joined bandits?"

"I didn't seek them out. Raven found me, took me in after I almost got myself killed fighting an alpha Grimm. After that, I just stayed with them." Mira rested her feet on another hay bale and leaned back, for the first time starting to relax.

Violet nodded. "But you said that you couldn't show us something. That's not all, is it?"

Mira laughed. "No, that's not all. The other part...is a little hard to believe."

"Try us. Jaune's out being a Hunter and a hero, I think anything else is believable." Kiara smirked, trying to lighten the mood and prompting a laugh from all of them.

"Okay." Mira paused, taking a deep breath and closing her eyes for a moment before starting.

"You all know the story of the Four Maidens, right?"

Wow, I could work for Rooster Teeth with all these cliffhangers c: Next chapter, Mira explains where the heck she's been! Hope you guys enjoyed, and I'll see you Bookworms in the next chapter!