Greetings, dear readers. Among my many interests that constantly bicker for my attention, RWBY has recently been foremost among them, so I thought I'd do this little way off future universe fic for your reading delight and professional consideration. I started writing this before Christmas with the intention of publishing it before Christmas but, you know, work, Christmas, The Force Awakens, Christmas, life & Christmas all got in the way, sooo... Better late than never! Enjoy!
All non-original characters and places belong to Rooster Teeth, and the cover art is used with gratitude towards Tekhuma, even though I can't find them on DeviantArt again to say so.
Blake was curled up on her bed, the soft fabric of her duvet wrapped around her folded legs. The book she was reading was propped up in front of her, resting on her thighs, a mug of hot cocoa warming her hands. She could feel the cold from outside through her silky black yukata, but she didn't mind. In fact, she rather liked the holiday season, despite the fact that no one on Remnant could even remember what the holiday was in aid of. She turned her amber eyes to look out at the snow gently falling, accumulating on the windowsill. It was almost picture perfect.
She smiled and returned to her book, a history of the Menagerie Exodus. Despite the rather dark theme, she found it strangely fascinating. Perhaps it gave her a better view of the world with the realisation that things were once much worse for her people than they were today. Although most of that feeling she attributed to her friends, the people that she now lived with in the large house they rented in downtown Vale. Her teammates, Ruby, Weiss and Yang were probably downstairs in the dining room, locked in another epic battle of Remnant Wars with Jaune. Pyrrha was probably calling her mother – it was the weekend, the usual time she set aside for such things. Ren was at work, teaching in the local huntsman school, investing his training in educating future Huntsmen and Huntresses after his injury took him from active service, and Nora was probably still at the store, buying all the things they needed for their first holiday celebration together. All in all, life was good. It was damn near perfect, save for one minor issue…
She was lifted from her reverie by someone rapping on her door.
"Knock, knock!" Yang's cheerful voice came through, before letting herself into the room. The last five years hadn't changed Yang much. She was still the loud, boisterous happy-go-lucky brawler she had been when they'd first met in the Emerald Forest. Physically she was also largely the same. She'd put on a little more muscle since – the result of extensive physical conditioning from their time in Beacon – but other than that she was the same. Same blonde hair that no one dared touch, same big purple eyes – well, most of the time anyway – that gave away so many of her emotions. The same big heart that had saved Blake in more ways than one.
"Hey, Yang." Blake smiled up at her partner.
"Wow, eleven thirty a.m. and you're still in your pyjamas." Yang commented, although Blake could never tell if she was surprised or impressed when she said such things.
"It is Saturday, Yang." She pointed out. "I'm allowed to lie in once in a week, aren't I?"
"True enough." Yang chuckled. "Mind if I join you?"
"Sure." Blake gestured to the free side of the double bed, which Yang gracelessly flopped onto. "How'd the game go?"
"Meh." Yang reported. "Ruby and Jaune brokered an alliance early on, and once they'd taken Vacuo, we had no chance. Especially with that traitor Weiss holding out on me all the time." Blake chuckled at Yang's faux animosity. She had never truly mastered the nuances of Remnant Wars, and perhaps it was for the best. She never liked being in conflict with her friends, in any way. "What'cha reading?"
"This? A Brief History of the Menagerie Exodus."
"Wow, deep stuff. Isn't that a little dark for this time of the morning?"
"Not really. Reading this reminds me that things are a lot better than I think they are."
"That's true." Yang smiled gently up at her. "I'm glad you're seeing things that way, Blakey. Especially after all the effort it took to get you out of that damned bow." Blake smiled sheepishly, her cat ears flicking gently as they instinctively twitched towards the noises throughout the house. In their third year, after the Kingdoms enacted new pro-equality laws, heavily enforcing equal rights for all Faunus and pardoning most of the former White Fang supporters, Blake had become comfortable enough with her Faunus nature that they had finally convinced her to remove her bow for good. For the last two years, she had proudly put her ears on show, and relished in her newfound freedom.
"And I'm grateful that you did." Blake nodded at Yang.
"You do look better without it." Yang agreed. She looked at her fingers nonchalantly, and Blake mentally braced herself for the proposal that she knew was about to follow. "So, Blakey, the girls and I are heading out on the town tonight. You wanna come with?"
"Yang, you know that clubbing is hardly my scene."
"Who said we were going clubbing?" Yang tried to ask innocently. Blake's piercing deadpan look saw straight through it. "Ok, so we might be going clubbing. What's wrong with that?"
"There's nothing wrong with it, and I wish you a good time as always."
"Come on, Blake, why don't you join us? You'll have a good time." Yang looked up at her with those big eyes that were almost on the verge of begging her. "It won't be as bad as last time, I swear."
"Yang, Ren and I had to bail you, Ruby and Weiss out of jail, and Weiss couldn't remember her real name for three days."
"Like I said!" Yang sighed, Blake's obstinate view of their social lives ever a difficult challenge to surmount. "Look, I know that the party scene is hardly your thing, but going out without you just seems, wrong, you know? Besides, after last time it would kinda be a good idea to have someone that we know will stop us from doing anything too crazy."
"You mean like tearing up Junior's club? Again?"
"He should have reinforced his tables better."
"Or drunkenly buying everything in that sex store?"
"Fun times!" Yang beamed at the memory.
"Or climbing the statue in the centre of Beacon's courtyard and shouting "Oobleck's hot shit!" to the entire Academy alumni?"
"Ok, maybe that last one wasn't exactly one of our best moments." She winced as she remembered the talk that Ozpin had given them the next day. And Glynda. And Uncle Qrow. "…Which is exactly why you should come out with us! You can stop us from doing something really stupid." Yang enthused, still not giving up on her quiet friend. Blake sighed, wondering if Yang's admittedly good point was actually worth following through. She looked over at her wardrobe, seeing in her mind's eye the purple party dress she had worn to their graduation party and just how good it looked on her.
"Alright, I'll go." Blake braced herself for the barrage of squeals that was about to hit her.
"Yes! You're gonna have so much fun!"
"Just, try to go easy on the alcohol, ok?" Blake pleaded with her eyes as much as her voice. "As much as I don't mind bailing you out, I'd rather only hear about your many drunken adventures from the duty sergeant, not experience them first hand."
"Fair enough. I promise I will not drink too much." Yang relented. "Not that I can guarantee Ruby and Weiss won't agree to that."
"You'd think a Schnee would have a little more self-respect."
"True. But, then again, after that fracas with her dad…" The two girls winced internally, remembering the last time Weiss' father had been mentioned. Halfway through their third year, he had tried to pull Weiss out of Beacon, believing it was taking her too far away from the company. Turns out he was right; they had rather hotly argued the subject, and it had even turned violent. Fortunately, her father was no match for her three years of combat training at Beacon, or the fact that her sister had intervened before things got too messy. The first the girls had heard of it was when Winter had half-dragged, half-carried Weiss back to their dorm, blood trailing from her forehead and from Myrtenaster's blade, only one source her own. After she recovered, she denounced her claim to the company and refused to have anything more to do with it or her father.
"Well, anyway, we're heading out around six, so be ready for then." Yang said whilst getting up to go. She turned back for a moment at the door. "Why don't you wear that party dress you wore to graduation? I guarantee you'll turn heads in that." She winked at her partner, before closing the door behind her. And there was the minor issue again.
Yang had never had any trouble with relationships: every time she went out with the girls on a night out that didn't end with them behind bars, she always managed to hook up with someone. Often they wouldn't hear from her again until she came back the next afternoon. Weiss, while still a little aloof regarding men, had entertained a few boyfriends – and one secret girlfriend that they absolutely knew nothing about – over the years. Jaune had finally gotten clued up towards Pyrrha, with a little help from, well, everybody, and they had been together since their sophomore year. Ren and Nora were, well, whatever they were. Even Ruby had gotten lucky on occasion, though she was careful to keep her sister at arm's length over the subject. Apparently, Yang could be a little sensitive toward boys who had taken an interest in her sister in their youth; the mental image Blake had gleaned was of Ruby nervously looking back on a trail of bloodied corpses. But Blake…
Blake had never been very good with relationships. In fact, she'd go so far as to say she was absolutely terrible with them. She had once tried her luck one of the many online dating websites. The guy seemed nice. Tall, brunette, intelligent, charismatic, or at least so his profile had said. She had agreed to a date, but when the time came she got so nervous that she locked herself in her room for the entire evening. Perhaps it was her introverted nature, perhaps it was her general mistrust for strangers. Although, if she was being honest, it was, most likely, because of him…
No, stop it Blake! Stop that shit now! Don't you dare go there! She mentally chastised herself. She could already feel her heart beginning to race, her breathing becoming rapid and shallow. It had been years since she last saw him, and he still haunted her. He still hung over her, like a dark, deep shadow that she couldn't escape from…
That's it. You're definitely going out with the girls tonight. Her subconscious ordered her. You need to let loose, girl. She opened her eyes that she had barely noticed had been screwed up tight in panic, and looked around herself with renewed vigour. If I'm going out clubbing, I'm going to need to prepare.
She got out of bed, and immediately went over to her wardrobe to decide what she would wear. Which didn't take long, considering her wardrobe consisted of her combat gear, her other combat gear, two yukatas, the party dress, the dress she wore to the ball in their first year, and two, maybe three t-shirts, trousers and shorts.
So, the party dress it is. She looked at her feet. And maybe some new shoes. I'll ask Weiss where she shops. The next job was, of course, makeup. She opened a draw in her dresser and brought out – Ah. That's right. I don't even use eyeliner anymore. Another thing to go shopping for.
Just as she had decided that it might be worth sacrificing her monthly 'new book fund' stipend to buy the things she needed for tonight, her bedroom door burst open, and she was tackled to the floor by a speeding rose petal-propelled missile she had come to interpret as the typical arrival of Ruby.
"Ohmygod Blake! You're coming out clubbing with us! It's gonna be so amazing! You're gonna love it! Oh, I can't wait I can't wait I can't wait!" Ruby squealed without taking a single breath.
"Oh, for goodness' sake, give her some room to breathe, you dolt!" Said a disembodied voice that was obviously Weiss. It was obvious even without seeing her that she was only humorously annoyed, and when Ruby finally let go of the poor Faunus she had pinned to the floor, Blake could see a small smile grace Weiss' teardrop face.
Of all of them, Weiss and Ruby had changed the most since they had first met. Whereas before Weiss had been pretty in an almost dainty kind of way (not that anyone would ever say that to her face – not even Jaune), now it was clear exactly how much she and her sister were alike. Weiss had filled out into her full adult body now; her legs were clearly toned, again the universal result of huntress training, her upper body had become equally more defined, and those hips were made to stop the hearts of every man she passed in the street. The fact that she had abandoned her beloved combat skirt in favour of a more chic white blouse and ¾ length jeans and finally decided to wear her hair down, only served to accentuate her killer body. And as for Ruby...
Ruby had grown up fast in Beacon, and Blake was damned if it hadn't worked wonders for her. When they had first met, she was still a young girl, all wide-eyed, knobbly knees and the picture of innocence. Although her personality hadn't changed all that much, her body had undergone an immense transformation, namely an incredible growth spurt that now put her at eye-level with Pyrrha. Her legs had filled out, much the way her sister's had, and whilst her bust wasn't as, prominent, as Yang's, she now had 'a rack to be proud of', as Yang had quite brazenly put it. She had also let her hair grow out, letting it fall to the middle of her back when it wasn't tied up in a loose braid.
"I know, I know. But Blake's coming clubbing with us!" She smiled back at Weiss.
"I know. I still can't quite believe it, but I know." Weiss chuckled at Blake's irritated expression. "But before we get there…" Before Blake could stop her, Weiss had walked over to her wardrobe and flung its doors wide.
"Oh no." Weiss whimpered.
"What's wrong Weiss?" Ruby was at her arm in a second, her concern genuine as ever.
"Don't look Ruby, it's horrifying." Weiss turned away from the wardrobe dramatically, eyes shut in an expression of horror and despondency. Ruby, meanwhile examined the contents of the wardrobe herself, giving it a more critical eye-over.
"Hmmm." Ruby scratched her chin thoughtfully. "It is a bit bare."
"What's wrong with my wardrobe?" Blake asked her accusingly, now standing next to her shoulder.
"Well, it's just that… Umm." Ruby screwed her face up, trying to think of the easiest way to explain it. "How do I explain it? Well, Weiss' wardrobe is more like…"
"So big it could contain an entire fantasy land inside of it?"
"Yeah, pretty much." Ruby looked at Weiss, who was now pretending to faint onto Blake's bed. "Weiss, I think this calls for an intervention." Weiss snapped up like a shot, her fake faint-headedness gone in an instant.
"An intervention, you say?" Weiss grinned at Ruby, who returned the expression before turning to look down at Blake.
"Blake, get dressed." Ruby said. "We're taking you to the mall."
"Yes, Mother, I've bought the cards for Byza and Orchid." Pyrrha spoke into her scroll. "Of course, I mailed them yesterday, they should arrive in the next couple of days. I told you before, I'm coming home on the 19th. Of course Jaune is coming, we agreed. Every other year we'd stay with each other's parents over the holiday." Her boyfriend leaned over the back of the sofa at the mention of his name, placing a small, sweet kiss on her forehead, which she returned with a contented smile. "I'm doing most of my gift shopping in Vale. Uh-huh. I'm locking my cases before we leave the house. You know what Byza can be like when he suspects there are unwrapped presents for him lying around." She chuckled softly with her mother on the other end, wrapping her free arm around Jaune as he sat next to her. "I'll make sure to do just that. I'm heading into town later to pick up our tickets anyway. Of course. I'll see you on the 21st. I love you too, Mother. Bye." She pressed the 'end call' button on her scroll, before gently tossing it onto the coffee table and snuggling deeply into Jaune's warm sweater. Closing her eyes, she inhaled deeply, taking in the flowery scent of his freshly laundered pullover. "Do you have everything ready for the holiday?"
"Just about." Jaune answered, gently caressing the skin above her right hip. "I may need some pointers on what to get for your mom, though." Pyrrha thought for a moment, wondering what Jaune could get for her mother that she didn't already have.
"I'm afraid I can't help you much there, Jaune." Pyrrha admitted. "Although, the fact that you're getting her anything will go a long way towards impressing her." Jaune laughed at that.
"Please, I don't need to impress your mother." Jaune reassured, well, himself if he was being completely honest. "She was happy enough that you'd found someone who you couldn't scare off." Pyrrha looked at him in faux innocent shock.
"I don't scare people off."
"Honey, you do when you try to date them."
"That's not my fault." Pyrrha murmured, snuggling deeper into her boyfriend's warm embrace.
"I know, Pyrrha." Jaune soothed the gladiatrix. "I know." Jaune's attention was caught briefly by the newscast on the holoscreen.
"Despite the best efforts of workers and volunteers, the Vermillion Pass remains blocked by heavy snowfall. All ground traffic out to the eastern area of Mistral has been suspended until further notice.
In other news, the convicted war criminal Roman Torchwick, once infamous for being the mastermind of the White Fang's attempt to destroy the kingdom of Vale several years ago, continues to evade the authorities. However, Cardin Winchester, the leader of the team pursuing the terrorist leader, believes that he has cornered him in the ruins of Mountain Glenn. Commander Winchester couldn't be contacted directly for an interview, but has once again appealed to the public to remain vigilant for any sightings of Torchwick, and if he is spotted to contact the authorities immediately. The commander has also warned against approaching him in any way, describing Torchwick as an exceptionally dangerous individual with little self-restraint and no consideration for civilian casualties."
"Looks like Cardin's having a busy holiday." Jaune commented.
"So it would seem." Pyrrha said. "He's made quite the name for himself in the Interpol Network."
"That he has." Jaune mused. "His entire team has, for that matter."
"So you heard the good news too?!" Jaune and Pyrrha smiled ruefully as Nora's P.A. system of a voice rang through the house.
"What good news?" Pyrrha called back, the pair of them getting up from the sofa and entering the kitchen to help their teammate with her festive shopping.
"Haven't you heard?" Nora asked, confused for a moment before her face lit up as she realised they didn't know yet. "You don't know yet!"
"I assume we're about to find out any second now." Jaune quipped, his sarcasm going completely over Nora's head as she tried to contain her excitement, her whole body quivering with excitement.
"You remember that Sun and the guys stopped in Vale's aeroport for a couple of hours on their way back to Mistral?" Jaune and Pyrrha nodded blankly, only vaguely remembering Nora talking about it. "Well, the snowstorm is apparently a lot worse at flying altitude, so all flights eastbound have been cancelled."
"Wait, cancelled?!" Jaune and Pyrrha both adopted a look of utter shock, alarmed at the news and not excited like Nora. "How is that a good thing?"
"Because they can spend the holiday season with us!" Nora squealed, bouncing up and down in excitement. They looked at each other, their expressions of horror replaced with excited smiles.
"That is good news." Pyrrha laughed. "Where are they staying?"
"Oh, they were looking for a hotel when I bumped into them on Main Street."
"What? Nora, why didn't you invite them to stay with us?!" Jaune turned to grab his coat and shoes, fully prepared to run out into the biting cold to stop his friends from wasting money on a hotel, only to bump into –
"Dude, relax." Neptune gave Jaune his famous charming smile. "She already did."
"And so remember, the careful and precise application of your aura as a shield is far more effective and efficient than simply raising a wide physical barrier to protect yourself." Ren was lecturing his students, or rather those who were dedicated enough to turn up to his optional Saturday afternoon sessions. "Although an impractical technique against ranged projectiles, such as bullets, arrows and nevermore feather spears, when against an opponent striking at close range, the minimalistic application of your aura in this way will extend your aura reserves considerably. This advantage is exceptionally formidable in extended combat, and may mean the difference between life and death in the field. Any questions?" Opal, a fox Faunus who was training as a martial artist, raised her hand.
"Have you ever used this technique in battle before, sir?" She asked.
"As it so happens, I used it against a King Taijitu in the Emerald Forest, during my initiation into Beacon. I channelled my aura exclusively into the palms of my hands, and used them to hold back the creature by its fangs." There were several gasps of astonishment amongst the students. For the inexperienced, Ren mused, being that close to a Grimm, especially one so powerful, must sound impressive.
"It's just, it doesn't seem the most practical technique." Opal continued. "It sounds like it requires a lot of concentration, far more than is readily available in the heat of combat."
"It may seem so, but fighting Grimm is not the messy chaos of human war." Ren explained. "It's less like warfare and more like hunting, appropriately enough." His small joke earned a few chuckles around the lecture theatre. "Facing Grimm that powerful is rare, even in the wilder parts of the world, so you will more often than not attack these creatures one-on-one rather than in a large group. Also, their rarity means that they are often prioritised in search and destroy missions, meaning you are likely prepared to attack such targets specifically. That being said, such a skill requires focus. Fortunately, it is an ability that can be practised." Ren flared his aura in demonstration, the violet hue surrounding his slim body, before focussing it into two flares emanating from his extended index fingers. "With regular practise, the sensation of aura shield focussing can become a familiar habit, like becoming fluent in another language, or learning to play an instrument. In time, it can even become instinctual, to the point where you do not have to consciously use it; when you need it, it shall simply be there." He let the flares dissipate, checking his wristwatch as he did so. "And I believe that is all the time we have for today. I shouldn't need to remind you that your assignment on Grimm anatomy is due on Monday." There were a few groans amongst the gathered students, as the realisation that their weekends had just been condemned to essay writing hit them again. "However, considering it is the festive season, I'll extend the deadline to Friday afternoon." He smiled at the relieved faces that now dominated the auditorium. "I shall see you first thing Monday morning. Class dismissed." As Ren gathered his lecture notes and packed them into his satchel, his scroll buzzed. He didn't even have to look at it to know that Nora had messaged him. Guess what?! The message read.
If we're out of pancakes, I'll buy some from the store on the way home. He swiftly typed and sent to her. Not a minute later, he received a reply.
No, silly. I went shopping today, didn't I? We've got visitors! Intrigued, Ren quickly messaged her back, asking who was visiting. Twenty seconds later, he received a reply. It was simply a photo, taken on Nora's scroll, showing herself and her arm wrapped tightly around a slightly unnerved Scarlet. Ren smiled. It had been far too long since their teams had last been together.
Bad weather cancelled flight? His friendship with Nora meant he was able to absorb most of the information that poured endlessly out of her mouth when she talked at him, more so than the others.
Of course. What else? Ren chuckled at his partner's response – although he understood her well enough, she assumed that everyone had Ren's masterful understanding of her personality.
I'll be home shortly. Just finishing up. He messaged her, before putting his scroll in his pocket, putting on his thick winter coat and closing his satchel. The satchel in his left hand, he picked up the ornate cane leaning next to his desk, before slowly limping out of the lecture hall. He waved goodbye to the duty receptionist before walking out into the heavy snowfall. No wonder their flight was cancelled. Ren thought to himself. He put the collar in his coat up, in a paltry effort to stave off the cold, and carefully made his way to the house. It was only five minutes and three streets away, but in this weather, with treacherous ice and snow underfoot, it was not going to be easy going. His bad leg wouldn't help either.
"Having a little trouble there?" It took a moment for Ren to recognise the voice, and when he did he turned to see a tall man with messy white hair and a green jacket standing behind me, a carefree smile adorning his face.
"Professor Ozpin." Ren greeted his old headmaster, his surprise obvious in his tone. "What brings you down into Vale?"
"I often go into Vale, Ren. Do you honestly believe I spend all of my time in my office?" Ren and Ozpin chuckled. "With the holidays upon us, and a distinct lull in my duties, I needed to get out for some fresh air."
"So, naturally, you chose to take a relaxing walk around the city during the worst snowstorm in fifty years?" Ren gave him a questioning look. It said, I know it's no coincidence that your 'walk' took you right past the school I teach at.
"Naturally." Ozpin answered, but his own look said, I know you know, Ren. We've long since given up trying to deceive each other. Ren realised that the headmaster had intentionally bumped into him, and that his reason for doing so was of great importance.
"Perhaps I could invite you back for a drink, Professor. Just for old times' sake." Ren offered.
"Perhaps you could." Ozpin smiled, knowing Ren had understood his covert intentions, before gesturing for Ren to lead on. The two Huntsmen walked side by side down the snow-covered road, their canes leaving a dotted trail in the snow behind them.
"You're coming at a good time, Professor." Ren said. "Team SSSN found themselves stranded here by the storm, and are now staying with us until it passes."
"Really?" Ozpin's eyes took on a more distinctive gleam. "How… fortuitous."
So, yes. I absolutely know exactly where I'm going with this. Yes! (Shifty eyes). Feedback is much appreciated. So are suggestions and requests. Virtual cookies are up for grabs.