I don't own RWBY but I'm sure that everyone already knows this to be true.

January 2016

There's something oddly beautiful about a girl in front of a gravestone. The open, unhidden expression of sorrow on her face. The slightly clenched hands at her side. The dip of her head towards the cold stone before her as the gentle breeze tousled her dark hair. She was a splash of color in an otherwise dull landscape – her red cloak sticking out sorely amongst the winter background. The girl knelt down slowly, carefully before the grey stone. She knew the words there, the name on it; she'd read it more than enough times over the years to have them etched into her mind for the rest of her life. No doubt they would be.

Bringing up her left hand, she kissed her index and middle fingers before placing them just to the left of the grave's name. Then with those same fingers, she traced the carved letters slowly as if she were trying to memorize every indent on the rough surface. Summer Rose. Ten letters belonging to a person that could have meant so much more to her – had meant so much more to the people around her.

Her mother.

Instead, all she had was this stone on this cliff with Summer's name on it. It was a beautiful spot no matter the season, though the girl would admit that the best time to visit had to be during the fall. With the forest preparing itself for the colder months ahead, the changing colors of the leaves from green to oranges, yellows, reds, and finally brown made the trip for her so much more worth it. Unlike the cold air of the moment that had her pulling her cloak that bit closer to her body, a few months ago she would let the crimson fabric trail behind her at the whim of the breeze. She preferred the crunch of the leaves under her laced boots as she walked to looking behind her and seeing her trail in the snow as well.

It would be sometime next fall again when she'd be able to come back for another visit. She'd probably be accompanied by her sister, though the blonde would more than likely stay back a few steps to give her the space the older girl thought she needed. Maybe she would even bring her dad along, if she could get him out of the house long enough. But she didn't come here to worry about him, though he was part of the reason. No… she was here to tell a stone with her mother's name on it about her life since her last visit and the things she would hope to do between now and her next.

"Hello again… Mom."

Speaking to her 'mother' was always a bit weird. She could never tell if she was doing it right. Growing up, her dad would sometimes bring her and her sister along when he had the sudden interest in coming to see the grave. Just like she was now, he would kneel before the gravestone and touch the cold letters of Summer's name. He would speak to it just like it was another person. He would say his piece, wait, and respond – almost as if he could just hear Summer answering him. Perhaps he could. He had known her far longer than she or Yang had so maybe he knew exactly what she would say and how she would say it.

But Ruby hadn't known her. She just knew of her. She knew the stories her father would tell her about Summer, how the woman was tender, gentle with her actions. He told her how Summer would always speak so calmly and listened intently during conversations. Her father told her how Summer would care so much for everyone, showing concern for strangers and offering assistance no matter the circumstance. She would have been someone for her to look up to. Summer would have been a person she would be proud to call her mother and mean it.

But she could only learn so much about Summer through stories. Yang would try to help sometimes when their dad went into one of his moods and would close himself off for weeks at a time. Yang was two years older than her so she had time to get to know Summer, if only for a little bit. The blonde was maybe four or five at the time of Summer's death but she became so much older in the years to come. She would come to stand in as a mother figure for the girl and Ruby could never thank her enough for that. Yang would take her out to play and teach her some of the games Summer had taught her. The blonde even told her of the times she would help Summer do chores or run errands into town. Summer would always give Yang a task or teach her something new so that she could help. So that she could feel like she was doing something. Summer taught her how to be responsible safely. In turn, Yang used what she learned from their mother to raise Ruby.

So if she pretended for a moment that Yang was Summer, maybe talking to this gravestone wouldn't feel so awkward. But Yang's personality conflicted too much with how their dad described Summer's. Yang was not Summer.

"It's been a few months since we've seen each other, huh…"

Just a little over three months now if she remembered correctly. She'd last made the trek sometime at the end of last September and now it was just passed the beginning of January. She'd grown some since then; finally managing that last growth spurt she was hoping to get. Her hair had gotten longer, too, but that was only because she'd been putting off cutting it for a while now.

"Dad's been ok, you know. He probably comes to visit you a lot more than I do so there probably isn't much I can say about him that you don't already know. Yang is well… Being Yang," she chuckled, "She called me a few nights ago just to check up on me. Even as a sophomore in college, she still makes time for me. You know, she made the worst joke I've heard yet during that call. And I swear, I heard her roommate groan in the background. It was just that bad, but I won't say it because…"

She trailed off there. It was hard to hold a conversation with only one person.

"This is just awkward. I don't even know why I bother." She settled for the truth. "I come out here every few months and pretend to talk to my mom, and why? Why do I keep doing this?" She glared at the stone, "You aren't here. You are never here. You won't be here. I shouldn't be here, either. But I keep coming back because I'm lonely!

I don't have many friends because I'm not good at making them. Yang went off to college so that leaves me with dad but since I look so much like you now, he wants to spend even less time with me than he did before. Uncle Qrow doesn't come around that often. So I'm just stuck with a stone with your name on it to vent to since I don't have anyone else that will listen. And pretty soon, I won't even have this block to yell at either!"

The girl planted her hands on the ground, sinking her palms into the snow and feeling the cold seep into her limbs. She half laugh and half sighed, bowing her head so that she could look at her hands and not at the stone that could only say Summer Rose. What would Summer have said to that if she could answer? Would her mom be comforting? Encouraging? Would she argue? Or would she just stay quiet? It would be impossible to know. "Look I-I'm… Sorry about that. I didn't mean to make it seem like I'm mad at you. You can't help not being here and I need to learn to deal with my own problems. I just don't see the point in coming out here and basically talking to myself. If it wasn't for dad, I never would have started doing this in the first place."

She sighed as she got to her feet. "I'm just gonna go. Next time… Well, we'll see."

That was the first time she'd ever just snapped at her 'mom' before. If there was anything that had ever made her feel sillier than just talking to the gravestone – it had to be yelling at it. Her dad probably wouldn't have liked her little show of irritation. Yang probably would have played momma bear and tried to comfort her. But as it was, she embraced the silence and solitude of the moment just before she turned and walked away. She would be back again next fall.

The brief periods of fresh air between the mansion, limousine, airport, and jet weren't enough. But as she stepped out of the terminal and over to the car she'd left behind a month prior, she relished the distance between herself and her family. Throwing her luggage into her trunk, she let herself take a second to take in the freedom she once again had. She was no longer in Atlas.

This was Vale.

She could relax, if only just a little. Her father wouldn't be around to trouble her with his poorly veiled commands hidden behind what he thought were helpful suggestions. He would always come up with tasks for her to do that would benefit the family. Maybe she could stand it more if he were to be more direct with her, but his roundabout way of speaking just left her feeling put out. There was a fine line between telling her to do something and asking her to. And her father just always seemed to be treading on it.

Then there was her mother. The woman was far more distant than her father. At least her father would try to talk to her, even if it was only for her to be forced into agreeing to another one of his ideas. Their relationship was strained whereas her relationship with her mother was nonexistent. Her mother was content to leave her be. They had nothing in common so why bother? The older woman was more than happy with her routine of drinking to her heart's content in the garden without the added complications of dealing with her family. If she wouldn't try, then Weiss wouldn't either.

Outside of her parents, she supposed that she had spent most of her vacation with her brother. If anything, she thought that the boy was a lot like their father, though he was way more expressive with his body language. And a bit more direct. Whitley, like the rest of their family of five, had white hair, a pale complexion, and icy blue eyes. He was tall and lanky as a boy of his age was normally found to be and seemed awkward in his own skin. He would only get taller and she hoped for his sake that he filled out or at least got used to the added inches. Still, after the last few weeks with him, she could see just how much their father was influencing him. He would sometimes slip into the same roundabout way of speech the older Schnee had, and there was the beginning of a calculating gleam in his eyes. Whitley may have been the youngest, but in time he would soon be a force to be reckoned with.

And to make matters worse, Winter hadn't once dropped by for a visit. Though, really, she shouldn't have been surprised by that at all. Of course her sister wouldn't just pop up at the mansion for a cup of tea and a nice chat. The relationship between the older girl and their parents were just as tense, if not more so, than her own. Things just hadn't been the same between them since the day Winter had made her intentions to join the military known. Then they had only gotten worse when the older girl had gone behind their backs and enlisted. It was only days after that that Weiss had been made heir.

But with all the bad, there was some good to come out of going home for the break. She got to see Klein again. The man was just one of a number of butlers her father employed, but he was her favorite. She would miss him and his supportive attitude. She would especially miss how he would cheer her up after another talk with her father. Klein was more of a father figure than her own father. It would be spring before she'd get to see him again.

Deciding that she'd spent enough time reminiscing, Weiss started her car and turned the radio to a classical station, letting the sounds of string and percussion instruments drown out her thoughts. She could think later as she focused on unpacking and preparing for classes. Right now, she just wanted to drive and in a way, put even more distance between her and the Schnee mansion.

Weiss drove slowly. Snow had piled up everywhere, bathing the city in the white powdery substance. Snow plows had done their part in clearing the streets earlier, but she was still wary. Snow wasn't what she worried about. Snow was fine. Being from Atlas, she was accustomed to it, she'd grown up surround by it for most of the year. She knew snow as well as she knew her basic fencing techniques. And that was why she was so cautious. Because under this unassuming blanket of frost lied patches of black ice. And that was a problem.

There were a number of routes she could have taken to get back to her apartment, but she chose the one that took her through the heart of the city. It wasn't the longest route but it was far from the shortest. As she drove, going well below the speed limit, she saw that most businesses were open though the streets were mostly empty. Being a college town, most of its traffic came from the students attending university. With a week left in the break, it would appear that most of the student body had yet to return.

She smiled bitterly. She could have been one of them. But as her life was known to show her, her plans meant nearly nothing when held up against her father's wishes. With his 'assistance' she had managed to get her baccalaureate degree alongside her high school diploma. Then as a 'favor' to her future, he'd immediately assigned her a role in the family company to better prepare her for the future. Of course, he had also made his desire known that she would continue her academic career as well, though she would have to do it online. The only good thing about any of this was that she'd managed to convince him to let her move to Vale.

That conversation was one that she did not remember fondly, but most interactions with her father were occasions she tried to forget.

The town was as empty as the mansion. Weiss found that she appreciated this loneliness far more than what she felt at home. Slowing down even more, she took a right and pulled over. Just a few feet from her car rested her favorite coffee shop. The door of the small business was decorated in the common themes of red and green that most people associated with the season. The inside was cozy and welcomed her with its inviting warmth and the smell of freshly brewed coffee. It served to further relax her.

"I want to move to Vale."

Well, she did say that she would say it during dinner, but maybe blurting it out at the start wasn't her brightest of ideas. Maybe she should have started with some small talk. As it was, her parents were staring at her with clear confusion. Her mother placed the bowl of salad she was holding back on their table, bringing her hands to rest in her lap before cocking her head to the side. Her father, who would usually sit with his arms crossed across his broad chest settled for leaning his weight on his elbows as he leant forward onto the table. His eyebrows furrowed as he regarded her.

"Why would you want to do that?" He asked. His deep voice floated across the room, wrapping her both in familiar comfort and a sense of anxiety. From his expression, she could tell that he wasn't against the idea as of yet, just curious. Curious was good.

"I just want a change of pace, you know?" The girl started. She'd come up with points to argue her case over the last few months and felt that she was fully prepared for this conversation. But that confidence fled her almost as soon as the words had come from her mouth. Now she felt that she was slowly floundering. Clenching her hands in her lap under the table, where her parents couldn't see, she steeled herself. It was now or never. "I've lived in Menagerie all my life. This is all I know. But I know that there is more to Remnant than just this and I want to see it."

"But sweetheart, is moving to another kingdom really necessary? Why not just take a vacation to Vale once Spring Break hits? That should give you plenty of time to tour the city and take in the sights."

Her mom had a valid point but it wasn't anything that she hadn't thought about before. "I want to do more than just see tourist attractions. I want to get know the culture and people that live there. I want to experience what Vale has to offer at my own pace." She felt herself grow surer with every sentence. "It isn't about just that though… It's just that I've always been here. And everyone here knows me as your daughter. I want to go somewhere and be known for being me for once."

"And moving to Vale is how you want to accomplish that?" Her father asked. She'd missed the moment he'd crossed his arms, but his eyes were closed now and he was nodding his head slowly as if he'd finally figured out the mysteries of their world. "That sounds like something you'd want to do," he smiled, "You are definitely my daughter. I, too, did my fair share of traveling when I was your age."

"Is this your way of giving me permission?"

The tall man merely laughed. "Even if I don't, that wouldn't stop you, would it?"

The girl looked away bashfully. He was right. She was determined to strike out on her own one way or another. Still, having their blessings for the trip would be nice.

"Blake," her father regained her attention, "I won't stop you. I know I couldn't if I tried. You're old enough to make your own decisions and more than able enough to take care of yourself. So you have my permission to move to wherever you want, be that Vale or even Atlas. I won't say no. But as your father, at least let me help you start off."

"How would you do that?"

He looked at her seriously. "I'm sure that you know that our kind isn't appreciated everywhere which is why I'm assuming you chose to go to Vale over the other kingdoms," he paused and gauged her, "Besides Vacuo, it's the next best place for us all things considered. Once you leave Menagerie, you won't always be welcomed into places with smiles and open arms. It will be hard and you need to be able to survive. And what is the first piece of survival?"

"Having a place to stay."

"Good. Then what?"

"I would say food, but in order to get that I would need money. Actually, I need money to even find somewhere to stay for a while. So before anything else, I would need a job."

"That's my girl – brilliant as always. But finding any of those things aren't easy, and it'll be even harder on you because of your heritage. So I propose that you give me until the end of summer. Let me see what I can do for you."

That seemed easy enough to agree with. She was all set to sail out and just make due when she'd made it to dry land again, but if her dad was willing to assist her in this, then she wouldn't say no. Honestly, she'd been surprised that he'd been so supportive of the idea so far. With a wide smile, the girl stood and walked over to her father. In a rare display of affection, she threw her arms around his shoulders and hugged him for all that she was worth, "Thank you."

Not for the first time was Yang rethinking her decision of staying on campus for the break. Snagging a ticket for a boat to patch would have been simple enough and she would have been home in hours. But she needed this time to herself. Her roommate wouldn't be back for a while so she was free to lounge around in her sports bra and boy shorts to her heart's content. Thankfully, the dorms were still mostly warm even though most of its occupants were out for the time being.

She reached over with her right hand and flicked the volume knob on her small radio up a few notches. No one would care if she blasted her boy band music loudly right now. More than likely, no one was around to care. Frankly the only person that would have a problem with it was the short girl currently walking somewhere out in town doing whatever it was she like to do during her free time. The blonde considered the bed on the opposite side of the room, looking towards the posters that were painstakingly hung and rehung until they were absolutely level and straight. Her roommate was a nerd, that was for sure. And she had a serious thing for gaming. Probably the only reason she stayed back as well was because the internet speed was faster on campus than it was at her home.

She didn't dislike her roommate even though they were so different. She could appreciate the quiet and occasionally snarky girl. They respected each other's boundaries. She couldn't ask for a better roommate. But she just wished that the girl would get out more. Being an extrovert herself, she couldn't really understand the other girl's homebody lifestyle. Yang wanted to introduce her to Vale's nightlife. She wanted to show her how fun social interactions could be. She wanted to help the girl come out of her shell.

Heh. Even when her roommate wasn't around she was still in her thoughts. Yang hummed, now that she thought about it, the other girl didn't have a lot of friends. She was a lot like Ruby – a loner that meant well but wasn't good at expressing herself. It was probably that likeness that had her so interested in helping her. Though, that was where their similarities ended as they had nothing else in common from her perspective.

Staring back at the off white ceiling that could be found in every dorm room, she let her thoughts blend into the melody flooding the small room. Ruby would be finishing high school soon. The younger girl had expressed interest in coming to the same university as the blonde, but she had no faith in herself. Yang had no doubt that she would be accepted and she'd let her know as much when she'd called a few days back. Ruby had always been a bright girl when she'd decided to apply herself to something. This time would be no different. Anyway, Ruby would be getting her acceptance letter soon since it was around that time again. And yes, it would be an acceptance letter because it couldn't be anything else.

If anything, regardless of the outcome, she just wanted Ruby to get out of Patch. If she could have brought the younger girl along with her when she'd left two years ago, she would have in a heartbeat. The situation at home wasn't toxic per say, just not the picture of a perfect family dynamic. Sure they had their dad, but he was the problem. She couldn't hate him for it, though. At least he stuck around and would sometimes try to be there for them. He made sure they got in school and didn't starve to death. He gave them things they'd asked for and sometimes took them out to the beach. He tried.

But that didn't change the fact that he would shut them out so often. Or the fact that he became an alcoholic for a few years. If it wasn't for Uncle Qrow finally coming around and setting him straight, she had no idea what would have happened to her and Ruby. Funny that it took a high functioning alcoholic to set another straight. But Uncle Qrow had made it work. Their dad got off the drinks and tried to get back into life. She could see that it was hard on him with her just being another color palette of her mother and Ruby practically becoming the spitting image of Summer. She had no idea what it was like for him to be stuck with her after her mother walked out on them, but she could remember just how broken he'd became after Summer's death. It hurt them all, but he never fully recovered.

He probably stuck to himself now more than ever. Over the years, Ruby had really come to look like Summer and Yang just knew that as they got older, the similarities would only become clearer. She knew that Ruby knew that as well. It was a shame that Summer left them so soon; Ruby wouldn't be able to fully appreciate the resemblance since she couldn't remember their mom. But Yang would make sure that she knew that looking like Summer was something to be proud of, no matter how much their unintentionally dad made it seem like it wasn't.

There would be time for all of that later, though. For now, she had to think about what she would do with this next semester. There were things that needed to be done, and namely, roommates that needed to be opened up.

So, hello again all...

This is the first RWBY fanfic that I've decided to actually upload (though its far from the first one I've written this year). I'm not sure how I feel about it and I'm definitely not sure where its going, but I'm going to ride it to wherever the words take me.

The updates don't have a schedule at the moment and I really doubt that they ever will. I'll post when I have something that I feel will work after I've looked it over a few times and edited the chapters. The good news is that I'm well into chapter two so hopefully that will come out soon, but don't quote me on that.

With that being said, I'll just leave it at that. -Alynna