Third time's a charm

Weekly trips with his family were as necessary for Jonathan as they were for his family. The opportunity to get away from his busy surroundings, even if only for a couple of days, was not an opportunity Jonathan could easily neglect.

No, of course, Jonathan was generally enjoying his current life. With his satisfying job, and his beautiful, intelligent, very mature and well-adjusted daughters not giving him any trouble, life was good. Though maybe that had to do with his status as the King of Glenn? Hmm, come to think of it, even if someone had caught Neo trying to smoke behind the school, which she probably was doing, even Jonathan himself had once done, the teachers might just not want to report it to Jonathan...

Hmm, perhaps he should inquire with the school about it? After all, it was a school sponsored entirely by his money, they shouldn't keep information from him. Or should they? There are kinda things that a parent doesn't really want to know… Never mind, unnecessary thoughts!

All in all, Jonathan loved his life, quiet experimentation, close family, no problems with money or other resources, high social standing, popular love, a whole heap of quintessence at short notice to whatever he wants with. In short, any way you look at it, Jonathan was living a decent life even when judged with the highest standards.

Still, that's not to say that his life was completely perfect.

For one, his second-in-command's old age, and the upheaval of Mount Glenn's politics that would come from it. He could delay Aisa's death, but not indefinitely, he could not grant her immortality, and though the crisis of the succession of power only loomed on the horizon for now, it's still a huge problem. Five more years, or with any luck, a whole ten, it might seem far away… But one day it would happen.

Second, Ozpin and his incomprehensible movements and requests. No, he wasn't pushing or forcing Jonathan to do anything… But Jonathan knows, though he'd never once delved into the politics of the Order, had heard from the Old Man about what powerful entities over several hundred years old were capable of doing. Even for the best of intentions.

And lastly, and perhaps the one with no easy solution, the heated diplomatic situation his Kingdom is in. Even after personally meeting Ironwood as one of Ozpin's confidants, the tension between Glenn and Atlas had not gone anywhere better. And to add more fuel to the fire, Jacques' actions and the contradictory statements from the Mistral Council, that they simultaneously approved and disapproved of Jonathan's position, only served to make the situation worse…

So, was it any wonder that Jonathan liked to get out of this environment periodically? Well, if it was also combined with spending time together and visiting new places in other countries, much the better.

In general, Jonathan thought of each such little trip as a little holiday. An occasion when he could cease to care about anything more important than what he wanted to visit first, the local handmade confectionery shop or a tour of the local Hunter history museum?

Was he aware that one day on such a trip, the reality of his situation would somehow interfere with his holiday? At the very least he suspected it, but he sincerely tried to banish these thoughts from his mind, ignoring them.

After all, he was on holiday! He was not supposed to engage in any matters of national importance. After all, it's not like states-ending threats were just created every day, right? What are the chances that there would be another lonely little tramp that would be meeting him on his way?

Given his luck, he shouldn't have tempted fate.

Though, perhaps the fact that he put such an occasion as equal in severity as a Grimm Tide, says much about him.

But, really, what are the chances? People have lived their entire lives without encountering such a thing even once at all. Why was he the only one to have that system fail?

First Cinder, then Neo, and now, Nora… Well, they do say that the third time's the charm…

Anyway, what could Jonathan do in this case? What should he do?

Well, he could turn away and forget this meeting like a bad dream. After all, he had already saved two little girls. You could say that his plans for doing good deeds were not just fulfilled, but even over-fulfilled.

It was still possible to do a small good deed, something that wouldn't particularly strain him personally. Something like feeding Nora, or even giving her money for new clothes or something. A one-off attraction of his generosity…

So what are we going to do, Jonathan bani Hermetica?

Or should he risk getting into another big problem with unknown prospects, like what happened with Cinder and Neo, third time's the charm after all. Should he risk that because of… all because of…

Maybe because you're a good man, Jonathan Goodman?

Jonathan sincerely hoped that he was a good man. But he did not know for sure, because a strict criterion for being a 'good' man did not exist.

He was an important and prominent political figure, an influential and beloved face of an entire country. He had an image, he had his problems and needs, and Jonathan was not stupid. There were poor starving children, poor cripples, abandoned puppies and dozens, hundreds and thousands more things that make your heart burst just thinking about them. Things that many people would like to avoid, but these things existed, one way or another. And Jonathan, truthfully speaking, did not have the time to help them all.

While the average person might be sad at the sight of a poor abandoned kitten, very few people would sacrifice their time and money to help. And, even the most thoughtful of kennel workers, would not take home all the unfortunate kittens they found. Because it's difficult, inconvenient, or simply because they don't have enough time or energy for them, and many more other reasons, and all of them are valid in one way or another.

Jonathan has already adopted two children, not even from an orphanage, but from conditions that are most likely even worse than the average abandoned children. You could even say that in this matter, he has already fulfilled his duties…

But another one? Would it ever end at this rate?

Jonathan sighed slowly. No. Enough is enough. He already has two daughters, he'll settle for two.

However, before he could voice them out, Jonathan's mental verdict was interrupted by Cinder's words.

"Her," As she spoke, Cinder's finger was pointed at Nora, who immediately flinched at such a gesture. And Jonathan couldn't contain his emotions, screaming out loud. "What?!"

Neo threw a look at Cinder, clearly indicating that if she could, she would also have cried out like Jonathan.

And while some small part of Jonathan rejoiced for a second that he was able to instill in Cinder the humanistic ideals of helping others. A much larger part of his personality grabbed his head with a cry of 'No, not like that, not like that!'

But, fortunately for Jonathan, before he could give off any inappropriate response, he asked the important question. "In what way, Cinder?"

And if it was in answer to that question that Cinder now said that she wanted a new baby sister, well… Jonathan would probably think very seriously about the principles of parenting and his abilities as a father. Or more specifically, his lack of one.

But fortunately, at least for Jonathan's mind, Cinder answered differently. In fact, in a way that solved his dilemma perfectly. "Jonathan, you can get Nora into your orphanage, can't you?"

Jonathan blinked before exhaling very slowly. Well, at least his decision not to take any new children into his family didn't clash with Cinder's opinion. "Yes, of course…"

After which, realizing and remembering that Nora was a very real person right next to him right now, Jonathan turned to her and tried to smile. At least, in an effort to regain the fraction of that fragile contact the two of them had established a second ago. "Nora, You… You're not hungry? If you want, I can bring you to a place where you can get some food."

Of course such an abrupt change in the topic of conversation couldn't go so easily unnoticed, but Jonathan, trying not to lose the moment, continued his thought. "And a shower, and a home. We can also look for your relatives. But, in the meantime, you can come with us, we have food and a place for you that is better than your shelter. I promise…"

'Why do I sound like a pedophile every time I try to make contact with a child?' Jonathan mentally sighed with a sense of defeat. But Nora, although she may have managed to learn some things on the street, still, nodded slowly. "Okay, but… You won't be angry? I didn't do anything bad…"

Jonathan only sighed. He wasn't even sure what he felt more at the sight of this childish naivety and simultaneous awe in the face of an adult. Relief? Sadness? Ignoring the complex feeling he's having, Jonathan slowly nodded. "Yes, honestly… I give you my most honest word, we have food and a clean soft warm bed…"

Perhaps the repeated mention of food, or maybe Jonathan's calming voice, or some other factor that Jonathan himself did not know about, but Nora, after a second of hesitation, nodded slowly and then took a step towards Jonathan.

Jonathan just sighed, and then shifted his gaze to Neo, who didn't look particularly pleased with this turn of events, but didn't look unhappy either. And then to Cinder, who was just looking at Nora with an attentive and even appraising look. Cinder clearly owed him an explanation for her actions.

Well, whatever her reasoning, their holiday in this village had definitely just come to an end. Jonathan could already imagine the headache that this bout of random luck would cause him…

Fortunately for Jonathan, his status as the main and sole owner and director of the orphanage did give him a great deal of preferential treatment. He didn't even have to explain where he found the child, just the word that he happened to meet a tramp on the outskirts of Glenn, and Nora was allocated a bed, a quality meal, and a shower. Additionally, she was quickly assigned doctors and a psychologist to look after her.

Though, perhaps, this was more due to Glenn's unique situation? Yes, it had been three years since the Super-Horde, and in that time there had already been several campaigns to locate and provide for orphans left without parents because of what had happened. But even now, from time to time, another such person could still be located…

And yet, even when we know that there are still people needing help from our own Kingdom, we pulled some girl from another settlement and another state. Indeed, a man who knows and a man who sees are two different people, aren't they, Jonathan?

Jonathan sighed, well he at least could rest easier now that Nora had been placed in the hands of people more professionally trained than him and at least that problem had been solved.

Of course, there was no question of going back to Kuroyuri again. Thankfully, neither Neo nor Cinder were particularly upset about this. Neo, after she had returned home, had already asked permission from Jonathan to meet her friend, she did not even seem to pay attention to what had happened in Kuroyuri with Nora. But, with Cinder, Jonathan wanted to discuss what had happened.

Jonathan genuinely considered himself a father to Cinder, not by blood, but rather by the role he played. And, even so, he could say confidently enough that not every father could have established such a close and trusting relationship with his daughter. However, the reason for this was not so much because of Jonathan's special abilities, but because of the unique circumstances in which they had met, began and continued their relationship.

And while Jonathan always hoped for the best and could sometimes willingly show blindness to some things. He was still astute enough and familiar enough with Cinder to know that saying 'I want her as a birthday present for me' did not mean 'As my birthday present, help this girl in such a sad life situation'. Even if Cinder did eventually decide to act on the life attitude promoted by Jonathan, she would certainly not consider such an act a gift to her. And given that Cinder was… a somewhat peculiar child in terms of her perception of reality, Miss Sunny's legacy could not be erased so easily, the meaning of her words could be perceived in… different ways.

The most innocuous one being that Cinder decided to simply get rid of the prospect of a 'gift from Jonathan', which she could not think of a use for. Instead, deciding to show her understanding of the doctrines promoted by Jonathan.

A less innocuous example being, well… There were too many to list.

In any case, Jonathan in no way wanted to give Cinder the impression that he was unhappy with her decision, even if she did such an act out of selfish motives, she still did a good deed. But, just in case, Jonathan himself still decided to make sure whether her act had the most uncomfortable reasons for it.

So after making sure that Neo, unperturbed by such complex psychological matters, had long since retired to attend to her own business, Jonathan slowly made his way to the living room. Tapping his cane all the way before finding Cinder sitting at a small coffee table, consuming biscuits of her own making. Cinder, noticing Jonathan's approach, set her things aside, then looked at him intently.

Jonathan, aware that Cinder herself was aware of the inevitability and probably the necessity of such a conversation, only sighed as he made his way to his seat. As he took a seat, he looked intently at Cinder before speaking. "I in no way condemn your decision, Cinder, but…"

"You're wondering about the reason for my request?" Cinder, clever as she is, of course understood Jonathan's unspoken question. These last three years, not only had Jonathan himself managed to learn Cinder's way of thinking, the opposite was also true. "Okay… The real reason is that I want to test my ability."

"Your ability in what?" Jonathan blinked in confusion, but still kept his reaction under control, choosing rather to let Cinder explain more.

"In parenting," Cinder, not in the least embarrassed, just began to curl her fingers and continued. "In managing people, in teaching and…"

In 'training', animal training pretty much remained unspoken, but the meaning was loud and clear, making Jonathan sigh sadly.

It was quite normal for children to aspire to having pets, to have a desire for responsibility, or even for a new object of socialization. But usually children thought of cats or dogs, not other children in that vein. An orphanage is not a kennel… Jonathan's kennel analogy worked all too well, and caused unintended damage to himself. Maybe he should revisit the budget… Anyway, he needs to investigate further about Cinder's view on this matter.

"Cinder," Jonathan sighed, "You do realize that this is a living person, don't you?"

At least Jonathan had managed to give Cinder a little understanding of empathy before this, so she nodded. "I don't plan on treating her badly, and I understand that Nora is a human. But I need this experience. After all, I'll probably get a management position in the future…"

Jonathan sighed, Cinder herself spoke of this fact as something as if it had already happened and was unambiguous. And she was probably right. It might even happen soon, in a few short years. By the time Cinder becomes a full-grown adult, she would inevitably gain serious political power as Jonathan's firstborn. And even if Cinder did not become a minister, somehow, there's no way that she wouldn't get the position of Secretary of something or a similar position. There's almost no future where Cinder wouldn't be in a position of power and influence.

In any case, Jonathan was not going to, and could not, strictly speaking, send her to work in some low-paid position without his support as some misguided way to 'teach' her.

Maybe because he was not a strict enough educator, or maybe because it was actually impossible and pointless. Not that he needed to teach Cinder on how to reach new heights on her own while not relying on his money or reputation. Jonathan was not blind to Cinder's desire for power and influence. There are those that needed to be 'kicked' out of the nest, so to speak. And there are those that needed to be restrained before they decided to take flight prematurely.

Cinder's definitely part of the latter group.

"So I need to get management experience, before I start work," Cinder's words were completely out of step with her age, but also logical enough that Jonathan could only agree with them.

"Cinder, but it's not a pet, it's a living person," Jonathan still had something to say to her anyway. "You can't just start managing a child for the sake of training. I believe you might make a good manager one day, but you can't just start raising a child to be your own… protégé, especially when you are a child yourself."

Cinder thought for a moment, clearly pondering Jonathan's words. Although Jonathan had managed to at least give her some notes of empathy, it was perhaps not enough. Jonathan could see that Cinder saw nothing wrong with picking up an orphan who happened to come along her way and trying to raise her to be something useful to herself in the future…

For some reason, that thought struck a chord in Jonathan's heart. Why?

"But it's for my birthday present, isn't it?" Cinder gave a rather strong counter-argument, causing Jonathan to exhale slowly through his nose.

"Yes," He nodded, before continuing. "But a person can't be a gift."

It seemed impossible to change Jonathan's mind on this side as well, but Cinder only changed her tactics.

"Why can't arranging her upbringing be considered a gift to me? I understand that she is a living and thinking person, but I'm not going to harm her. One way or another, she also needs socialization, and I need the experience. And it's not like I'll be isolating her or try to hide what I'm teaching her. On the contrary, I will be all for your control of what is going on."

Jonathan only covered his eyes at these words.

So, was it a bad thing to purposefully raise a child to be a suitable protégé?

If so, we have already done that kind of thing, haven't we, Jonathan? Cinder before your eyes is quite deserving of the title 'protégé', isn't she?

Yes, Jonathan, even though he didn't intend to, has clearly taken a similar path with Cinder. But he didn't mean to do such a thing, it just happened by accident, a side effect of the way they interacted and Cinder's upbringing.

Does it make a difference if the intentions between two actions differ, if it ends with the same results?

Jonathan slowly brought his palms to his temples and rubbed them.

Think about it. A lonely girl in an unfamiliar city, her relatives you will of course look for. But, if she ended up alone on the street, without the ability to count at least, and while having a set of specific skills, then she has probably been on the street for quite some time. Why? Two possibilities. One, she has no relatives, surviving ones at least. It is unlikely that she was somehow able to get to the new settlement through the Grimm on her own. Perhaps they died in another destruction of a settlement, after which she got here as part of some caravan of survivors, and ended up on the street because no one wanted to hang another hungry mouth around their necks. Second, her relatives are alive, but she ended up on the street, with no knowledge of whether they were alive or not. Perhaps even for the same reason as the first possibility, not wanting another hungry mouth. Maybe she even was just thrown out on the street at an early age?

A story that could be found in this world on every corner…

Either way, she would end up in an orphanage, in which case, judging by her appearance, she would end up in a new society and in a new country, not at all ready to make a new social circle. And, since we've decided not to hang another problem around our necks, doesn't Cinder's request offer an ideal option? The girl needs a nurturer, a friend, and a role model, and Cinder needs… Let's not call it a 'pet' but a 'junior companion' she needed to be responsible for. Such a role develops empathy, compassion, teaches responsibility, and who knows, maybe she will really benefit from such an experience in the future?

Jonathan exhaled as he opened his eyes and then shifted his gaze to Cinder,- "Ok, I'll allow it, but only if several conditions are met."

"First," Jonathan held up one finger for emphasis. "You must remember that this is a living person, a child who has survived a terrible tragedy."

Cinder only nodded at these words, at least Jonathan had managed to instill in her mind the value of human life. Or at least he wanted to hope so.

"Secondly," Jonathan unfolded his other finger. "No putting pressure on her, no forcing her to do anything she doesn't want to do, and certainly no violence or psychological pressure."

Hearing these words, Cinder seems to be in deep thought for a moment. Jonathan hoped that she was only surprised by Jonathan's distrust, rather than her actually seriously considering such methods in the past, and was now trying to compensate for their removal from her plan.

"And thirdly," Jonathan dropped his hand and sighed, "I think you won't mind if I communicate with her from time to time…"

"Sure," Cinder just nodded, "I understand the need for periodical checks. I would even have suggested it myself."

Jonathan sighed slowly. He wanted to hope that he had made the right choice. He really wanted to hope so, but.

If his choice here was mistaken, could he even change the consequences?

Jonathan did not have an answer to that question.

The conversation with Cinder and his decision left an unpleasant taste in Jonathan's mouth, which neither a good dinner at his favorite restaurant nor his attempt at experimentation could wash away. Every time he's enjoying something, his thoughts somehow keep returning to the already seemingly finished conversation. Before long, he, having given up, finally decided to discuss his trouble with someone.

But, Jonathan's list of friends… wasn't great.

I mean, sure, he got along greatly with Ghira, and was not that estranged with Ozpin and Ironwood. But they weren't friends with him. At least not the kind of friends he could turn to with his mental and spiritual torment. He could, during casual conversation, exchange a few words with them about Cinder if she wanted a dog. But pouring out his soul to them? Unlikely.

Then there was Aisa, the de facto ruler of Glenn. Jonathan could talk to her frankly enough, but the problem was that Aisa saw the world from a utilitarian perspective. She evaluates everything, including people's lives, in terms of efficiency, necessity, and quality. Perhaps to be expected of a military officer.

She would have unequivocally approved of Jonathan's choice. It would have been foolish of Jonathan not to be able to see that Aisa wanted to one day hand over her power not to Jonathan but to Cinder herself. So, for Aisa, Cinder wanting to gain experience in cultivating protégés and loyal supporters from a very young age, was something that she would greatly approve of.

And there were many other acquaintances Jonathan could think of, say, the manager of the orphanage, or the headmaster of his school, but Jonathan's acquaintance with them was even more superficial.

In such cases, the average person, and the Jonathan of the past, would have chosen alcohol as a method of dealing with such trouble. But, seeing as Jonathan couldn't handle even one glass of beer, something he had learned the hard way, at best he would have been instantly drunk, falling asleep on the spot, but far less positive reactions were also possible.

So instead of such a pastime, having warned his daughters that he would not be back until late in the evening, Jonathan opted for a long walk full of reflection instead.

Although, seeing as he couldn't do such a thing in Glenn, being a king and a national hero attracts a certain amount of attention. Nor can he do it in Mistral, Vale, Menagerie or even Mantle. In the latter two, he was only slightly less famous than in Glenn. The choices of locales were growing thin…

Seeing as, he wouldn't be setting foot in Vacuo again anytime soon, by choice at least. The sunburns didn't fully wear off his skin the last time he visited until a few weeks later, another weakness of his body.

Perhaps the most ironic thing was for Jonathan to find himself in Atlas.

The place where it all began…

In Atlas, Jonathan's face was not on the front pages of the newspapers, his kingdom wasn't even officially recognized! So he was largely unknown in Atlas.

So, it made an ideal place for his place of retreat, which was particularly ironic. The most appropriate place for him to ruminate on his thoughts, was the headquarters of his worst enemy, Jacques Schnee.

Not that he was going to break into Jacques' mansion, of course.

But if he wanted to clear his mind a little, there was probably no better place than where it all started. It was even somewhat poetic in a way.

And so, Jonathan found himself strolling slowly through the streets of Atlas, looking around and around the very spot where the very hotel where it all started had once stood.

The building, however, had burned down and not been rebuilt, with its remains long ago being demolished and cleared. For a long time now, the hotel had been replaced by an elite spa. Though given that this was Atlas, the adjective 'elite' could perhaps be omitted.

What is he talking about? It's Atlas, of course the word 'elite' needed to be plastered all over the place.

"Ha!" Jonathan grinned at the situation he's in. "A rich and powerful national hero of royal blood has secretly escaped to a remote little town for the elites… At least that's a similarity in both worlds."

The walk through Atlas was no conversation with a psychologist, but it could still improve Jonathan's mental state. And although moving around with a cane with his condition was taking a heavy toll on his stamina, it was at least fruitful. A few hours later, having finally calmed his mind, Jonathan still came to the conclusion that he had done nothing wrong, and nothing bad had happened, in essence. He had helped Cinder, and he had helped Nora, and there was no point in him worrying.

Yes, maybe the discussion with Cinder wasn't exactly an ordinary dialogue, instead something which would be hard to find on Earth or in an ordinary family. But he wasn't on Earth, and his family wasn't exactly ordinary either, so there was no point in worrying about it either.

It's just… sometimes problems pile up all at once. And the mountain piles up until some random little stone falls, dragging the whole avalanche of thoughts with it. There was nothing wrong or negative about that either, he wasn't an iron-man, nor did he have the power to simply ignore his doubts and charge ahead. Sometimes, it all tumbles, and he needs time to sort his mind…

But in the end, after all the thinking, Jonathan was able to calm down and regain his composure. After which, after walking around the streets a bit more and buying some cake for the girls, and for Nora. After all, even if he decides to leave it to Cinder, the least he could have done was buying her cake.

His head cleared, he returned home.

On the other side of the world, Kuroyuri was destroyed by a Grimm attack, only hours after Jonathan had left the village in the company of the three girls.

Sadly, no one was left alive from the destroyed village.