AN:
I know this one took a bit to come out and for that I am sorry...Been busy with work and rewrote this one like...three times? lol...Anyways I hope this chapter can hold you out for the next one, with holidays being over I will be going back to the story after this side step into the holiday life. I know I did skip over Halloween but there is always next year ;)
Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY!
Years Ago…
Yang covered her eyes, afraid to see her Mother, Raven, in a new light…
"Yang, my daughter, open your eyes and see what your love has brought," Raven said in a low cruel voice.
"You didn't have to kill him…" Yang said quietly and remained still with her eyes closed.
"My daughter actually has a heart? That is what caused this young boy's death." Raven spat as she threw the boy's heart at his father's feet. "Everyone should know by now to not fall for my family or death claims you…" Raven looked from her daughter to the man standing before her. "I am sorry for your loss but this is the price you pay for when one falls in love with us."
The man kept his eyes down to the ground, focusing on his son's heart. "We will always follow you, Raven..." The man said with tears trailing down his face.
Yang looked down. "I am so sorry…" She whispered and Raven stared at her.
"Never say you are sorry." Raven spat and hit her daughter in front of her whole group of bandits.
Yang gritted her teeth and flashed her fangs at her mother. "I am the reason he lost his son so is it not right? Taiyang and Summer always taught us to say sorry when it is our fault."
Raven narrowed her eyes. "In our tent. Now."
Yang growled low but left the safety of everyone around her and into the dark world of her mother's tent. "Mother, please. It's Christmas."
"Don't, Yang. I warned you on falling in love. Always keep to yourself and not let anyone but family get close."
"Ruby isn't our blood but she isn't affected by this," Yang said and looked down.
"Oddly it might be a blessing Oum left us even though we are cursed as Vampires too." Raven sat down in front of her daughter. "Also never speak of them again…"
"Who?" Yang asked but didn't look at her Mother since she knew exactly who.
Raven growled and slammed Yang against the ground. "Don't you ever dare cross me or you will face the same fate, Yang."
Yang's eyes flashed red and she struck Raven off of her and bolted out of the tent.
Hours later into the cold Winter of the outskirts of the city known as Vale a young man knelt down next to a small child.
"Firecracker."
The child didn't move but kept crying and shielding her eyes from the world around her.
"Yang…You know better to run off and to spend the holidays alone. It is meant for family, Ruby will be so upset."
Yang looked up at the man and gave a small smile. "Uncle Qrow. Ruby is always upset when she doesn't have one of us near her. So why are you here?"
Qrow smiled and ruffled his niece's yellow mane of hair. "I came looking for her older sister who is missing out on all the fun."
"Uncle Qrow…Why does Mother…"
"Act like a bitch?" Qrow smirked when he saw Yang tried to not smile or laugh but failed miserably. "She wasn't always like that…Losing your Father and Summer…hurt her so bad she became so dark…so cold." Qrow looked down.
"She loved them both?" Yang asked and looked at Qrow.
"Yes, she loved your father and Summer like family but they ended up meeting a dark fate. She is trying to have you avoid our pain."
"Our? You loved Summer, didn't you?" Yang asked and looked down.
"I did but Taiyang beat me to it and with Ruby on the way I left it be, however, they both suffered at our family's curse," Qrow said quietly with pain full in his voice.
"I'm sorry for bringing it up, Uncle Qrow." Yang closed her eyes.
Qrow smiled and ruffled her hair. "It is okay, Firecracker." Qrow looked out to the outskirts of Vale and the lights of the city were in full view. "No matter what happens when you get older, Yang, just know this curse won't always be around. One day you will meet someone who could possibly break this old curse. Maybe not the Vampire part but at least not…die."
Yang looked up at her Uncle Qrow and saw sadness fill his eyes once again. "So you are saying in our family that whoever we fall in love with…is sealed with the curse of death. Why?"
Qrow pulled out his flask and took a swig of his drink. "That I don't know, Firecracker. It happened years ago before you and Ruby were born. Back in our days at Beacon Academy when it was first built. The Headmaster changed your mother and I into…magical birds but while he gave our team gifts another dark element cursed us into Vampires and only our family suffered losing everyone we love. Ruby seems to be the only one not affected."
Yang nodded and looked out at Vale. "So because of the death of my father and Summer…We live like Bandits?"
Qrow chuckled and looked at his niece. "Your mother is also the leader of this group of Bandits. It was passed down to our family over the centuries. To her with our curse and Vampire traits it's just safer to live outside of the Kingdoms."
Yang looked down and sighed. "Ruby wants to explore the Kingdoms and see all it has to offer like Summer told her years ago. When we get older and able to travel away from Mother and her group of Bandits, Ruby will be happy."
Qrow smiled and ruffled his niece's hair and pulled her up from the snow. "As long as you remember to check in with me I don't care what happens. You two will always be family to me."
Yang smiled and hugged her Uncle."You will always be family, Uncle Qrow. Now let's go see Ruby and do this Christmas thing for her."
Qrow chuckled and walked with his niece into the snow back to camp. "At least this holiday is once a year but family is always forever."
-CPz-
Yang shot straight up in her bunk, breathing hard and looking around the dorm room to see it was still early in the morning. Christmas Day… Yang thought as she looked across the dorm to Ruby resting in her top bunk above the Heiress. Yang felt her own bunk shake slightly with small movements her own partner made below her.
Yang slowly jumped down to the floor on her bare feet and tried to clear her mind of the dream from earlier.
"Yang?"
Yang looked up and saw Ruby hanging tiredly from her bunk, still somewhat asleep. "Ruby, it's okay," Yang whispered as she slowly pushed Ruby back to her bun and pulled the covers over her.
"Don't leave again," Ruby said quietly as she fell back asleep.
Yang inwardly sighed but nodded. She wasn't going to run this time. Not when they had people around who actually cared for them and not on this holiday again. Even though celebrating any holiday or birthdays got harder for Yang since it all reminded her of her mother, of the pain she felt all those years ago. To never be with anyone…
Yang shook her head again and walked over to her shared closet with Blake since Yang barely had anything but her school uniform and a few combat gears she held onto over the years.
Yang smiled to herself as she pulled out two gifts for each person on her team. Ruby's was wrapped in red wrapping paper, Weiss' was wrapped in white wrapping paper, and Blake's was wrapped in black wrapping paper.
"Yang."
Yang froze as she turned to see Ruby standing over her with a huge grin plastered on her face, her fangs in clear view.
"Really Sis? Putting gifts in your mouth?" Ruby chuckled as she took one of the black boxes from Yang's hand so the other black one hanging by the bow in Yang's mouth fell to her free hand.
"Thanks, Rubes." Yang stuck out her tongue. "But why are you even up? You were just asleep."
Ruby smiled and pulled out her bag full of gifts. "I wanted to put these out before the others woke up and I heard you get up. Was it the dream again?" Ruby asked as she set down their gifts around the medium size tree off to the side.
Yang looked up at Ruby and watched her focus on rearranging the gifts so it didn't look like a mess. "Kind of…It was back when we were outside of Vale during the snow with Mother and Uncle Qrow."
"When you ran away but never told me why?" Ruby asked and sat next to Yang against the wall and waited for Weiss and Blake to wake up.
"Uncle Qrow never told you?" Yang asked and looked at Ruby who shook her head. "Mother ripped out a young boy's heart out when he went to kiss me."
Ruby stared at Yang in horror and looked down. "They said he was attacked by Grimm though…"
Yang half smiled at the memory of that day and shivered slightly. "No…Raven did. To make it very clear to never fall in love with anyone in our bloodline. Otherwise, your fate is sealed by death." Yang said quietly and looked over at Blake who slept soundlessly but her cat ears twitched slightly.
Ruby tilted her head and looked at Yang. "Wait…Is that how Taiyang and Mother died?"
Yang sighed and looked at Ruby. "Honestly I don't know. Raven believes that but Uncle Qrow and others told me it was by Human's hands. Either way, both could be the reason we lost them."
"Summer was more of a mother than Raven…" Ruby said quietly and looked down at her hands. "She wouldn't have hurt some boy for kissing you."
Yang closed her eyes but gave a small smile. "Not a day goes by that I don't miss them. They also did give us Zwei."
Ruby's eyes lit up and she looked at Yang with a wide grin. "Yang please?"
Yang smirked and looked at their partners sleeping still. "It'll wake them up."
Ruby gave her best puppy pout and Yang sighed.
"All these years and I still can't tell you no…" Yang pulled out her necklace from her pocket that held half her emblem.
Ruby pulled her emblem necklace out and both girls set down their necklaces next to each other on the floor.
"Ready?" Yang asked and Ruby nodded.
Both took a step back and waited.
Waited…
And waited…
Lights formed on the wooden floor of their dorm room and around the necklaces formed their clashed emblems.
Ruby jumped a little next to Yang with excitement as her eyes lit up even more. "Yanggggg."
Yang smiled and watched the lights slowly fade away on the floor and their room grew darker than before.
A small like figured form on the floor over their necklace that moved to around the figure's neck in a shape of a collar.
Ruby squealed and almost ran to the dark figure before Yang grabbed her arm.
"Wait, Rubes."
Ruby pouted but waited like she was told and her eyes got wide when there was a tail wagging. "Zwei!"
Small barks came from the figure as it ran across the room and tackled both sisters to the floor.
Yang smiled and stroked his ears. "There is our little hellhound."
Zwei wagged his tail and bit gently onto Ruby's fingers who giggled.
"See Yang he still knows who we are." Ruby looked down while slowly stroking Zwei's fur. "I'm sorry it has been too long since we last called you, Zwei."
Zwei nuzzled his muzzle into Ruby's hand and whimpered.
"What is with all this noise?" Weiss asked sounding very annoyed as she got up from her bunk. Her eyes stopped on the small corgi in both Ruby's and Yang's lap. "Is that…"
Ruby smiled wide and jumped up to her feet with Zwei in her arms. "Our hellhound."
Yang chuckled at Weiss' fear looked face. "She meant our dog. He is a hellhound but he doesn't attack unless order too."
Weiss looked at Ruby and Yang then at Zwei. "But he is an a…cute little puppy!" Weiss jumped from her bed and tackled Ruby who lost Zwei to Weiss.
Blake groaned and slowly got up from her bed and looked at the rest of the team. "It is too early for this…"
Yang smirked and looked at Zwei getting smothered in love by Weiss and Ruby pouting at the display. At least this holiday is once a year but family is always forever. Yang thought and tilted her head when she felt arms wrapped around her from behind.
"Please tell me that is not a dog," Blake said low with her cat ears twitching.
Yang looked over her shoulder at Blake and flashed her grin, showing fangs and all. "It is a hellhound?"
Blake groaned and buried her face into Yang's shoulder. "Please Oum no…"
Yang chuckled and looked at Weiss and Ruby hugging Zwei in between them. "He is harmless, KittyCat."
Blake pouted and looked at Yang. "Do we really have to keep him?"
Yang smiled and looked at her partner. "Come on guys let's get this holiday over with.
Ruby's eyes widen and she ran to the tree in a petal of red roses. "You guys get to open mine first!"
Weiss kept Zwei in her arms and sat down next to Ruby. "Fine but you get to open mine next."
Yang sighed and sat down against the wall and Blake sat beside her. "You can sit with the others you know," Yang whispered when Ruby and Weiss started a small fight over who opens what when.
"I prefer to sit away from that…thing…" Blake mumbled under her breath and looked at Yang who smirked at her.
"You mean Ice Queen or Rubes?" Yang said jokingly and pulled Blake closer to her side who slowly eased at the touch.
"All three," Blake said with a small smile.
"Hey, we can hear you two," Weiss said and the black and yellow duo snickered.
"Sorry, Mom," Blake said.
"Anyways let's carry on with this," Weiss said and kept Zwei in her lap who was wagging his tail.
Yang smiled and looked out the window at the snow falling with the sun slowly coming up. She narrowed her eyes and saw a blackbird sitting on a tree branch right outside their window with red eyes staring back at her.
"Yang!"
Yang turned her head in time to see a small box tossed her way but Blake caught it before it hit Yang. "Heh, thanks," Yang said and took the box from Blake.
"Everything okay?" Blake asked and Yang just gave her a smile.
"Nothing I can't handle," Yang said and looked up at Ruby who was smiling at her. "Rubes, you should be the one opening yours since you are the child out of us all."
Ruby pouted but stuck her tongue out at Yang. "Are not."
Weiss and Blake both smirked and looked at Ruby. "Vampire or not you kind of are more childish than all of us," Weiss said and Ruby pouted more.
"I can wait beside we never get to…" Ruby looked down and Yang smiled.
"It's okay, Rubes. I know." Yang said and Ruby looked up at her. "'At least this holiday is once a year but family is always forever.' Right?"
Ruby nodded but flashed her sister a smile. "Yep." She said popping the 'p'.
Yang smiled back and threw a red box at Ruby. "Let's all just tear open into these gifts and go outside with Team JNPR and have fun in the snow."
Ruby's eyes lit up and Weiss and Blake groaned at the idea of being cold.
"Only because it's for the holiday spirit," Weiss said and Blake nodded.
Yang and Ruby both shared a grin and nodded as all four of Team RWBY tore into their gifts.
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