It's ALIIIIIIIVVVVEEEEE!
Well at least I am anyway.
Im not apologizing for disappearing or anything like that. Get over it.
But, I'm back bearing a new story
Thank you to my good friend Zortain, for helping me flesh out some bits of this.
Enough talking, time to read.
Please enjoy the product of my Sushi and Cognac induced hallucinations.
Disclaimer: I might own my computer but that's it.
Humanity.
It's a powerful word.
It can be used to describe great events and people whose stories and deeds are told and retold throughout the ages. But it also can be used to refer to some of the greatest tragedies and villains ever to have appeared.
Yet we use it to describe ourselves.
What does that say about us?
What is humanity?
What is a Human?
More importantly, Who gets to decide?
High within a tower of great fame sat two men. Men who had saved humanity from the encroaching darkness time and time again. Yet tonight their decisions would set up a chain of events that could ultimately bring humanity into a new age of prosperity, or bring about its untimely end.
"Ozpin, I'm telling you those girls deserve a chance!" The darker haired of the two stated as he bent over the desk in the room.
The man sitting behind the desk sighed into his hands. "And I'm telling you that I don't have the power to do that."
Qrow through his hands in the air in exhasperation. "And why not!? You're the headmaster, you can do whatever you want in this place!"
Ozpin sighed again. "What you are asking me to do is far outside the bounds of just a favor. There are reasons why this hasn't been done before. I need more than just the word of one Hunter with, questionable life habits."
"Sitting right there on your desk is a glowing letter of recommendation from the headmaster of Bastion combat school. With that and my personal support, what more could you need!?"Qrow asked in a demanding tone.
The silver haired headmaster looked at the folder on the desk for a moment before sighing again. "Why are you so insistent on this all the sudden?"
"Because they deserve this just as much as the next person." Qrow responded.
Ozpin looked up at his old friend. "And the fact that they are the children of your ex-teammates has nothing to do with it?"
The dark haired man practically growled, but then stopped and sighed. "Tai saved my life and the lives of a dozen other hunters, but he had to forge his admission papers. His daughters show just as much if not more promise than he did. I don't want to see that wasted. Do you?"
Ozpin closed his eyes and leaned onto his folded hands. "You have no idea the hell the council is going to raise because of this."
Qrow's eyebrows rose. "You'll do it?"
"Since you seem completely willing to bet what little reputation you have on them, I will allow them to enroll."
"Thank you Oz! You have-"
"Qrow." The headmaster locked eyes with his old friend. "There is a reason we had to expel Taiyang. If those girls step out of line I will have no choice. This is not Bastion, there will be no special exemptions for them, no matter their differences. Make sure they understand that."
Qrow's eyes narrowed. "I don't like what you're saying, but I'll tell them."
With that the darker haired man turned and left the room in silence leaving the Headmaster alone with his thoughts.
Once more he looked at the pictures of the two girls he had just accepted to his school. One a brawler in yellow, the other a girl hidden in a red cloak.
'Perhaps,' he mused, 'it's time for all of us to stand together.'
Three days later Qrow walked up to a small house set deep in the woods just outside a small town. He rapped his knuckles on the wooden door and waited. A minute later he knocked again. A minute later his dark brows creased in worry as he knocked a third time this time calling out to the residents.
"Hello? Tai? Anybody home?"
A rustle in the bushes behind him caused the hunter to spin and place his hand on his trusted weapon.
"Who's there? Tai? This isn't funny!"
Another rustle.
A black blur shot from the underbrush at the hunter aiming to bring him down with one pounce. It cried its battle cry.
"UNCLE QROOOOOOOWWWWW!"
Qrow heard this and felt something latch onto his arm. He rolled his eyes and lifted up his arm to inspect his attacker.
Wide and innocent silver eyes stared at him from a pale face framed with black hair. "Hi!"
"Really Ruby?" Qrow sighed. "You really shouldn't be sneaking up on people like that. You're going to get yourself in trouble someday."
Ruby just cocked her head to the side. "Nope!"
"Oh? Why not?"
"I have skills." Ruby replied completely serious.
Qrow just rolled his eyes again, before rustling the young girl's hair. "Can you get off?"
Ruby thought for a moment. "Only if you give me a cookie."
"Deal."
As the young girl let go the Hunter reached into one of his pouches and withdrew a chocolate chip cookie and handed it to her. It quickly disappeared.
"So where's your dad?" Qrow asked as Ruby wiped the crumbs from her face.
"Out back in the workshop I think" She responded.
Qrow grunted and made his way around the house to the small attached workshop at the back.
He knocked again and was quickly rewarded by the door opening and a blonde head appearing.
"Hey Tai."
The door opened fully as Taiyang Xiao Long exited the small workshop. "Qrow? What the hell are you doing here?"
Qrow looked a bit hurt. "What? I can't visit my old friend without having ulterior motives?"
"Not if you're sober you can't." Taiyang replied.
Qrow blinked and shrugged. "Fair enough I suppose."
Taiyang opened the back door to the house and beckoned his friend in. A minute later the two old friends sat in the living room drinks in hand.
"So what brings you here Qrow?"
Qrow poured some liquor from a flask into his tea before responding. "I'm here about your girls."
Taiyangs eyes narrowed. "I'd suggest you elaborate."
"Wow, over-protective dad much?"
Taiyang growled.
"Don't be so dramatic. I stopped by Bastion bout two months ago following a lead."
"So you were drunk."
"Was not."
"Were you outside your house?"
"Yes."
"Then you were drunk."
Qrow frowned but continued. "I saw the exam scores posted on the wall and I was pretty damn impressed. There are graduates from Beacon that can't score as high as your daughters did Tai."
A small smile appeared on the blondes face. "I know. Those two are something special. Of course none of the Huntsman academies will take them."
"What makes you so sure?"
Taiyang snorted and stared at his drink. "They're from Patch. That's all those assholes will ever see in them. That's all anyone sees in any of us. Especially after what happened with me all those years ago."
Qrow nodded slowly. "Yeah, a lot of people blame you for what happened. Put a lot of eyes on this little island of yours. Thankfully, Oz has always been a little different."
"What do you mean?"
"Well I figured I owed you one or two for saving my life that day. So I went and had a little chat with old the silver-head. Thought that maybe I could sweet talk him into letting your girls enroll."
A gleam of hope appeared in the blonde's eyes. "And? Will he let them in?"
Qrow took a deep breathe. "Yeah, he'll let them enroll."
"What's the catch?"
Qrow raised a brow. "What makes you think there's a catch?"
Taiyang laughed. "Every deal with the devil has its price."
The hunter laughed. "True enough. Though I don't think Oz is the devil, personally I think he is some sort of wizard. Anyway. The catch is that they are gonna have to be on their best behaviors. One slip up and he'll have to kick 'em out."
Taiyang rubbed his chin. "I'm not sure. What do you think Ruby?"
Popping up from behind the couch Qrow was sitting on Ruby made a mock pout. "I wouldn't do anything bad!"
Taiyang chuckled. "I know you wouldn't. I'm more worried about your sister."
"I'll keep her in line, I promise!" Ruby quickly retorted.
"I dunno."
Ruby pouted as moisture gathered in the corners of her eyes. "Pllllllleeeeeaaaaassssee?
Qrow looked at his niece. 'That is impressively cute.'
Taiyang rolled his eyes. "Oh, fine. Just try and keep your sister out of trouble."
A few hours later Qrow had left and Yang had come back from the local club, Taiyang decided that he needed to talk with his daughters. So he sat the two of them down at the kitchen table while he tried to figure out what to say.
"Are we in trouble?" Yang asked.
"No, not yet. That's what I hope to prevent." The father replied tiredly.
Ruby cocked her head to the side. "What do you mean?"
Taiyang sighed as he looked at his two daughters. "What I mean is that you two have an opportunity that no one around here has had for years. A chance to prove to everyone that things and people aren't always as they seem. I had my chance years ago and I screwed it up. I don't want you to make the same mistakes."
"Pffft, we can handle anything they throw at us. You've been training us since we were little and with our weapons and man-"Yang stated boldly before her father cut her off with a glare.
"Don't even start to think like that young lady. Yang, your arrogance is going to get you into trouble one of these days." The father stated coldly.
"For a long time we've been stuck out on this island just because we aren't 'normal'. They fear us, hate us even. It needs to change."He sighed deeply before looking at them with eyes full of emotion. "You two are the most skilled young ladies this island has seen in a long time. You have the best chances out of anyone around here to show the rest of the world who we really are. And to show the world that what you are doesn't matter so much as who you are. Show them who the people of Patch really are. Show them who you are. But be careful. Not everyone is as friendly or accepting as your uncle."
Yang smirked.
Ruby rubbed the back of her head. "No pressure or anything…"
Not a great prologue but I guarantee you have never seen a RWBY fic like this.
What happened to Taiyang long ago?
Why are people interested in Patch?
Why are the people feared?
Find the answers to these questions and more in the next installment!