What Lies Behind Those Eyes

An RWBY fanfiction

Prologue

Crystal's POV

To most, I may seem like a normal, optimistic teenage girl, but that is only my mask. When you finally get to know me, shattering that crystalline front, you realize that I am one of the most depressed, pessimistic teenagers you will ever meet. Not only that, but... I am a far cry from beauty compared to my older twin sister Ruby, and my older half-sister Yang. I have long, straight, waist-length black hair, streaked with midnight blue highlights, with side bangs covering my left eye. My eyes are the same color as the highlights in my hair, and I stand an inch taller than Ruby, despite being younger, at five foot three.

Tonight was the final night before I would board the airship that would take us to my new school, Beacon, leaving behind my old school, Signal, two years early. Ruby and I, as huntresses in training, were lucky to be able to pass the admissions test for Beacon being two years younger than the normal age required to enter Beacon. As I lie down in my bed, I think about the circumstances that lead me to this very moment...

Flashback

Third Person POV

Summer Rose was about to leave her two biological children, Ruby and Crystal Rose, and her daughter by marriage, Yang Xiao Long, to go on a mission.

"I'll be back soon. Please don't worry about me. I love you all." Summer stated comfortingly. Crystal fired back bitingly "You're always gone for days on end. So how do we know you WILL come back?" "Crystal! Don't say that in front of Ruby! You know how much she worries and you don't need to make her worry more!" Yang chided. Crystal, despite her young age was quite the precocious child, and realized the constant peril her mother was in working as a huntress. She understood that Summer was not invincible and any mission could well be her last.

Summer smiled, yet her eyes betrayed her inner grief. She did not wish for any of her children, biological or not, to live their lives worrying about her especially when they were so young. She wanted them to enjoy the simple pleasures of life before they had to focus on more serious matters. Even then she wanted them to live their lives to the fullest; being a huntress was a dangerous job and it was clear to her that all three girls wanted to follow in her footsteps.

"Crystal, Yang is right. There is no need to worry about me. I am a grown woman and a huntress, so am very capable of taking care of myself and my family. Have I ever broken a promise to you?" Crystal stated knowingly "Not to me, but you told Yang that her mother would return one day, and she's STILL searching for her." Summer frowned and lowered her tone of voice, a tone she only used when her children were misbehaving to let them know they were in trouble. "Crystal, you are never to speak of that in front of either of your sisters. Believe me, Yang's mother was a dear friend of mine and I miss her, but you will just serve to upset both your sisters by speaking about it."

Crystal put her hands on her hips defiantly and coldly said "No. I am my own person and you can't tell me what I can say or do." Summer lowered her voice further "You may be your own person but you live in my house under my rules until you are 18. Do you understand, young lady?" True to her biological age,Crystal stated "This is tyranny! This is completely and utterly unfair! We should be able to negotiate with you to rewrite your unjust constitution that you call the house rules! They should include the right to know when and where you're going and when and if you'll be back!" Then, true to her chronological age, Crystal dropped to the floor and began kicking and screaming at the top of her lungs.

Summer picked up the child, who continued to flail in her arms, and brought her to her room. "You are grounded until I come back, do you understand? You are prohibited from reading anything but picture books appropriate for children your age. Those adult nonfiction books you have been reading have been putting too many ideas into your head, and I don't care that your father says you need to be challenged with higher learning due to your IQ. You may also not join your sisters and father except for meals, and may only play quietly in your room while you reflect on what you have done. I'm disappointed in you, Crystal Rose."

"This is ridiculous!I wish you would just disappear!I hate you and never want to see you again." Crystal thundered. Crystal received only silence but heard her mother's sobs as she closed the door and walked away, and Ruby's sobs in the next room along with Yang's soothing voice. She burst into tears herself, wishing anyone in the world could understand her and the depth of knowledge she had. She was so wise and intelligent for one so young that only her sisters would play with her because the other children that lived nearby thought she was too weird, and made fun of her out of their envy of her exceptional intelligence.

She sank against the door and gradually fell asleep as her sobs faded, not being able to know that her horrible wish was going to be fulfilled...

Author's Note: So that's it for the prologue! I'm sorry it's so short but the next chapter will be longer. I hope you liked it! Please read and review, but...NO FLAMES! Thank you!