Hello dear readers and followers, happy Episunday! (Episode-Sunday), TheBrokenBottle here with a new chapter!
First of all, I can't thank you guys enough. I never imagined I'd be able to say that after 2 chapters, this story has managed to get over 170 followers. I'm so amazed!
Then, my deepest apologies for making you all wait. A lot of stuff is going on in my life, some good, some bad, but I'm sorting it out. I'm really happy you guys stick with me, and still enjoy my stories! You are all the best!
Finally I feel I ought to say something. I assume most of you have heard about the terrible attacks in Paris, last Friday night. I hope it will only get better from here on, and all my prayers go to the fallen people, and to their friends and families.
Pray for Paris!
Read, Review, Follow, Favourite and Enjoy!
With a sigh, Yang forced her heavy eyelids open and blinked at the world, the morning sunshine lighting up her room through a small window. She had no idea what time it was, but judging by the position of the sun it was long before she was supposed to get up and walk Zwei.
Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes Yang pushed herself up onto her elbows and looked across at the adjacent room where Ruby would normally be sleeping. Typically Ruby would be deep in slumber, curled up under a worn-out blanket and snoring ever so slightly, but today the younger girl was already up and halfway dressed. Yang continued to watch with tired eyes as the redhead slipped on her hood and sat down to put on a pair of boots. Why on earth was Ruby up this early?
Ruby reached under her pillow and retrieved a creamy-white object, placing it in one of the pouches in her belt before hurrying to the balcony and slowly descending the building, leaving a perplexed Yang to just stare in confusion. Was Ruby going to lighten a few pockets already? Yang doubted it: that wasn't her sister's style, and she'd expect Ruby to at least say bye to her before leaving. No, something was up; Yang was certain of it, and she'd wager it had something to do with whatever Ruby had hidden beneath her pillow.
Yawning with her mouth wide open, Yang flopped back down onto her pillow. She'd get to the bottom of what was going on in good time, but it was too late to catch up to Ruby, and she'd work a lot better after a few more hours of sleep.
"Zwei!" Ruby called out, her voice resonating around the ruined building she was residing in. The midday heat shone down fiercely on Vale, especially anywhere away from the ocean breeze, and the young girl had sought shelter. Earlier she'd taken Zwei, one of the many stray dogs that subsisted off scraps in the Flooded District, for a walk. This had quickly turned into Zwei throwing himself boldly into the stagnant water that surrounded them, and whilst Ruby wasn't worried for his safety, the prospect of cleaning an all-too familiar stench from his thick coat was not an appealing one.
"Hey Rubes, what you doing?" A voice called from above her, and Ruby looked up to see her sister casually clambering through the remnants of the roof.
"Oh, hey Yang. Just looking for Zwei."
Yang nodded before climbing down and sitting next to Ruby. The two sisters sat in silence, only the audible splashing of Zwei somewhere nearby shattering the serenity, and Ruby leant against her older sibling.
"I heard you met up with Blake."
Yang's tone was perfectly even, but Ruby could sense that all was not as it seemed. Ever since the mysterious faunus named Blake had turned up at their doorstep, offering to supply them with the essentials they sorely needed in exchange for a cut of any money they made, their lives had been greatly improved. People were now able to eat on a daily basis, and even occasionally get a few basic luxuries. Proper blankets replaced mere sackcloth, fresh food superseded rooting through bins for scraps and for the first time since they set foot in Vale, Ruby felt like things were going to get better.
Blake's methods were unknown, as was what she did with the money. Everything about her was shrouded in secrecy, and the only time anyone ever saw her was when they negotiated supplies. Within the Flooded District rumours abounded about just what her true agenda was and whether it had anything to do with them, but most were content just to accept this blessing for what it was. Yang was different. Something about Blake fascinated the fiery blonde; it was evident in how she acted around the faunus, and Ruby had her suspicions as to what it was that tantalised her sister so but she couldn't be sure just yet.
"Yes, I was just getting some more cans of food with the money I got with Jaune the other week. We're running low on beans, tinned vegetables and tuna."
Yang glanced momentarily at Ruby but said nothing, instead returning her gaze to the algae infested lake that surrounded them. It was eerily quiet, with even Zwei's splashing around having died down to leave a silence blanketing them all.
"You think he's finished swimming for one day?" Yang asked awkwardly.
"I guess so. He should be along in a second."
No sooner had the words left Ruby's mouth when the exuberant form of Zwei emerged from the murky water and bounded over to them, his normally sleek fur matted with mud and algae. It seemed her earlier prediction about the state of Zwei had been correct, and Ruby shuddered at the thought of cleaning him: fresh water wasn't something they had in abundance.
The two of them set off back towards their home, Zwei trying desperately to keep up. Skin prickled and burnt in the scorching sun, and Ruby could feel the exposed rooftops getting hotter and hotter beneath her feet. Soon it would be unbearable.
They neared the street of relatively undestroyed houses that served as living quarters for the people of the Flooded District, Yang ducking into the remnants of a nearby shop and following the hidden pathway that had been built within. Following the flood, the homeless residents had created a maze of tunnels and corridors that crisscrossed through the entire district and into the heart of Vale. They enabled not only safe passage in the murky depths of night, they also provided the thieves that lived there a way to infiltrate shops and houses. More than a few times Ruby owed her freedom to a well-hidden trapdoor or a secret passage that led away from the city.
With a cry Ruby stumbled, a loose stone slipping beneath her feet and sending her sprawling to the ground. Her shoulder impacted hard with the solid surface and she winced as jolts of pain shot through her arm.
"Woah Rubes, are you okay?" Yang's concerned voice sounded, followed by hurried footsteps in her direction.
"Oww….." She moaned.
"I'll take that as a yes. What even happened?"
"I don't know, I think I tripped on something."
Feeling Yang's supportive arms around her, Ruby gently pushed herself up. The floor upon which she had rather ungracefully taken a tumble belonged to an old butchers; the various meat hooks that still hung from the ruined ceiling having rusted away to almost nothing. A thin layer of muted-grey mould clung to the walls and floor, darkening the already gloomy building. Unfortunately for Ruby, this also made the creamy white wallet that now lay on the floor stand out that much more.
Even in the relative gloom of the shop, the polished silver and glistening jewels on the wallet shone like the stars, and Yang instantly recognised it as the same object she saw Ruby taking with her earlier.
"What's this?" Yang asked, more to herself than to Ruby, and she plucked Weiss' wallet from the floor.
"Wait!" Ruby exclaimed, eagre to stop Yang from finding out just who it belonged to.
"Huh? Rubes what's wrong?"
"Erm… I need that wallet back…" She mumbled pathetically, suddenly embarrassed at the whole situation. Yang smirked at her little sister, holding the wallet high up in the air and out of reach of Ruby.
"Oh? If you want it come and ge-" Yang began, stopping right in the middle of her sentence as a flurry of roses rushed passed her, and before she could register what was happening she felt the soft leather ripped from her hand and Ruby was standing a few feet in front of her, the wallet clasped tightly in her hands.
"Okay!" She chirped with a smile.
For a second it looked as though Yang was about to object, but she shrugged it off and followed her sister through the maze of tunnels that would eventually lead them back home, the soft padding of Zwei's paws following close behind.
All the way home, Yang couldn't keep the smirk off her face. She thought it endearing how her little sister didn't suspect a thing, and she fully intended to exploit that innocence. Whatever was going on with the wallet she wanted to know, and Yang just had to watch and wait for Ruby to mess up. She chuckled to herself; this promised to be fun.
It was a clear night over Vale. Around about 6 in the evening a gentle breeze from the ocean had drifted in, carrying away the cloud cover and leaving the ground below exposed. Thousands of glittering stars illuminated the sleeping city, and from the balcony of her apartment, Weiss could see for miles. She liked to stare out over the harbour on nights like these, the reflection of the moon in the sea shimmering with the rolling waves. Today had been a hard day spent desperately trying to find any lead on the Rose Thief with no result, and it was beginning to affect her a lot more than she wanted to admit. Earlier she'd almost lashed out at Neptune when he (yet again) asked her on a date, and all the officers in the force kept their distance.
Weiss sighed, leaning against the balcony. Being humiliated the other day had only intensified her desire to catch this thief, and this desire had turned into obsession. She had barely slept since then, her mind constantly haunted by her failure.
The faint ringing of her cell phone caught her attention and she hurried inside, rummaging around in her handbag until she found it. She vaguely recognised the number but for the life of her she couldn't remember where from.
"Hello, Weiss Schnee." She answered automatically.
"Hey beautiful."
"Neptune. For the last time. Do. Not. Call. This. Phone." She stated, her voice calm but with a dangerous undertone. Right now she REALLY didn't want to have to deal with his inane chatter, and the insufferable pickup lines that were undoubtedly coming her way were most definitely unwelcome.
"Woah, you said I could call you if I found out anything about the Rose Thief." He replied, somehow shocked that Weiss might not want to talk to him when she had some time to herself.
"Go on then." Weiss mumbled after a brief pause.
"There's been a break-in at the Winchester estate. Apparently whoever did it left a trail of rose petals all over the house and Mr. Winchester asked for you specifically."
Hmm. She'd hoped there'd be more to go on but at least it was something. Hanging up on Neptune without a word she grabbed her coat and her badge, a new-found sense of determination burning within her. With any luck the thief had slipped up this time and she could finally bring this infuriating case to a close.
Given how clear the night was, Weiss had decided to walk from her apartment to the Winchester estate. The breeze that had earlier served to refresh Weiss now picked up in intensity, clawing at her exposed skin and whirling her hair around in front of her face, forcing her to seek refuge in a secluded alley for a few minutes until the wind died down once more. It was only a short walk through the winding streets to her destination and the young officer could feel her heart pounding in anticipation as she neared the imposing mansion silhouetted against the majestic blues of the night sky.
The Winchesters had a fearsome reputation throughout Vale, though in truth it was only partially deserved. Several generations ago, Eamon Winchester had indeed been a ruthless and merciless mayor to the town, but since then the family had simply kept themselves to themselves and merely used the terror their name held to their advantage. That being said, Cardin Winchester, son of Christopher Winchester and heir to the estate, was renown as an arrogant bully, and Weiss had less than fond memories of being in the same school as him.
Upon arriving at the ancient and gnarled wooden door that barred the entrance to the estate Weiss briefly composed herself before swiftly knocking on the darkened oak. After a few seconds she heard hurried shuffling before the door was wrenched open, a pale light illuminating the threshold.
"Are you the police? Are you Weiss Schnee?" A frail voice called out, and Weiss watched as an aged man squinted at her, his wrinkled and liver-spotted hands clinging tightly to the door for support.
"Y-yes." She answered awkwardly, still in shock at seeing the hunched form of Christopher Winchester. He rarely appeared in public, but in the five years since she'd last seen him it looked like he'd aged twenty.
"Good, good. Come in then." He replied, leaving the door open for Weiss to close behind her. A decorative walking stick lay against the stone walls of the entrance and Christopher used it to help himself along, his weak arms and legs shaking violently with every deliberate, laboured step. It seemed that his age was finally catching up to him, and likely he wasn't long for this world. What that would mean for both the Winchester estate and Vale itself Weiss wasn't sure, but anything involving Cardin was unlikely to go well.
A spacious hallway led to a vast hall, portraits of long-dead ancestors lining the walls. Most of the wallpaper had peeled away, and what little remained had faded from its original burgundy to a pale red. Further evidence that the place was falling into disrepair could be found in the furniture, with several pieces lying broken against the wall. It would appear that in his twilight years Mr. Winchester was unable to look after the place by himself. Weiss followed him through a door at the far end of the room and to the foot of a grand staircase, ornate carvings decorating the banister. Above them an enormous chandelier swung gently in the draft, each glittering crystal briefly catching the dim light from the hall and shimmering.
"Up there." He gestured at the worn steps before returning to the warmth of the great hall.
Flicking her flashlight on, Weiss instantly noticed something on the cold stone floor, something that sent her heart racing. Rose petals, several of them. Bending down to get a better look Weiss hesitated when she got nearer, for instead of the red she was so familiar with, these petals were a shade of violet. Bringing one closer to the light, Weiss turned it over in her hands, inspecting it fully. From initial appearance the colouring looked to be natural but she'd let the lab back at the station examine them properly.
On every third step of the stairs lay a single rose petal, purple like the rest, and Weiss' infuriation at not catching the criminal who was taunting her so began to surface again. The colouration had to mean something but what that could be she had no idea.
The trail led to the top of the stairs and into a nearby room. Proceeding with caution, Weiss gently pushed against the treated timber and peered into what seemed to be a bedroom. Judging by the size of the room and intricacy of the carving on the four-poster bed, she surmised it was either the master bedroom or the guest room, and even though the majesty it had in its prime was now long gone there was no denying the presence it must once have had.
The rose petals led to the bed, a few dozen forming a pile upon which rested a gorgeous red velvet box that spoke of decadence and luxury, an envelope right next to it. Heart in her mouth Weiss inched into the room, her mind filled with possibilities as to what might lay inside. As she neared the bed she was able to make out the writing on the envelope.
"Weiss Schnee"
The calligraphy was beautiful, each letter seeming to flow across the page in almost a dance, and with trembling fingers she reached out to grasp it. Her fingers brushed across the paper as she turned it over and hesitantly opened it. Inside was a letter, written in the same beautiful handwriting as the envelope, and Weiss eagerly scanned the paper.
"My dearest Weiss,
It has been most enjoyable engaging with you, but now I think it's time we met. As proof of my honourable intentions, please enjoy this little gift.
(P.S, I'm sorry it's bought from the money in your wallet. I'll make up for that.)
Yours,
The Rose Thief"
This is where things start to get interesting, and I must say I really loved writing this chapter, and I hope you had just as much fun reading it!
See you next time!
TheBrokenBottle Out!