Chapter 9: The Stray
sakuraphoenix: We are almost done with this thing!
Detroid: Yeah but then we have two more volumes to do after this one
sakuraphoenix: Three if you count volume 4 once that's finished
Detroid: True but that won't happen for awhile
sakuraphoenix: True, but we could either keep talking, or hit the disclaimer.
Detroid: Right
Disclaimer: We do not own RWBY at all. RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth and Monty Oum. We only own our OC's.
sakuraphoenix: So sit back, relax, and… who's POV is it gonna be in this time?
Detroid: Hmm…. Rani's?
sakuraphoenix: Okay! So enjoy!
Detroid: What my sexy fennekin said!
We were all walking around through downtown Vale, and everything looked so festive! I can't believe the Vytal Festival is just around the corner.
"The Vytal Festival! Oh this is absolutely wonderful!" Weiss exclaimed in glee
"I don't think I've ever seen you smile this much Weiss." Ruby pointed out
"Nor have I, and that's already scaring me…" I trailed off
"How could you 'not' smile? A festival dedicated to the cultures of the worlds! There will be dances, parades, a tournament! Oh the amount of planning and organization that goes into this event is simply breathtaking." Weiss said
"*sigh* You really know how to take a good thing and make it sound boring." Yang commented.
"Not to sound like Weiss for a minute but I…. kinda agree with her. My parents told me how much fun the Vytal Festival was for them when they attended Beacon." Sapphira said while looking away
"Everyone has their own opinion." Towa said
"Quiet you." Weiss told Yang
"Remind me again why we're spending our Friday afternoon visiting the stupid docks?" Yang asked
"Ugh, they smell like fish." Ruby said while holding her nose
"I have to agree on that Ruby." Natasha said while covering her nose as well
"Well, I like the smell of fish." Towa said
"Is it because of you-know-what?" I asked her
"Yes, it's because of you-know-what." Towa admitted sheepishly
"I've heard that the students from Vacou will be arriving by ship today." Weiss said
"And let me guess, as part of Beacon, you want to greet them?" Sapphira asked
"She wants to spy on them so she'll have the upper hand in the tournament." Blake said
"Ah! You can't prove that!" Weiss exclaimed
"Whoa." Ruby said as she looked away from the docks
"Whoa is right." I said as we looked at what remained of a crime scene
We all walked over to the crime scene, and it looked like it was a Dust shop.
"What happened here?" Sapphira asked the officer
"Robbery. Second Dust shop to be hit this week. This place is turning into a jungle." The detective said
"*scoughs* That's terrible." said Yang
"They left all the money again." A second detective said.
"Huh?" Ruby and Towa wondered out loud
"Yeah, just doesn't make a lick o' sense. Who needs that much Dust?" The first detective asked
"I dunno. Ya know what I mean?" The second detective asked
"You thinking the uh, White Fang?" The first detective asked while waving around his service weapon
"Ya, I'm thinking we don't get paid enough." The second detective said
"Hmph. The White Fang. What an awful bunch of degenerates." Weiss said
"What's your problem?" Blake and I asked in unison
"My problem? I simply don't care for the criminally insane." said Weiss
"The White Fang is hardly a bunch of psychopaths. They're a collection of misguided Faunus." Blake said while crossing her arms.
"Finally! Someone who agrees with me!" I exclaimed
"Misguided?! They want to wipe humanity off the face of the planet!" Weiss said
"So then they're 'very' misguided." Blake and I said in unison
"Either way, it doesn't explain why they would rob a Dust shop in the middle of downtown Vale." said Blake
"Hmm. Blake's got a point you know." Sapphira said
"Besides, the police never caught that Torchwick guy I ran into a few months ago…" said Ruby
"So you think it was the Torchwick dude with terrible fashion sense?" Towa asked
Natasha was cracking up a bit about what Towa said.
"That's true but he wouldn't do this." Natasha said
"And it doesn't change the fact that the White Fang are a bunch of scum. Those Faunus only know how to lie, cheat, and steal." Weiss said
"That is so not true, Weiss. Or did you forget my father's Dust company hires Faunus to work?" I asked Weiss
Weiss was about to say something when we heard something from the docks.
"Hey! Stop that Faunus!" One of the sailors exclaimed
We ran for the docks and saw a Faunus with blonde hair, an open button up shirt revealing his muscles, and a monkey tail running on a ship, then jumping overboard, well more like about to.
"Thanks for the ride, guys! Hehe." The guy Faunus told the sailors
"You no-good stowaway!" Another one of the sailors exclaimed
And… now he was hanging. Literally. And eating a banana. This is no time for a snack!
"Hey! A 'no-good' stow-away would have been caught. I'm a great stowaway." The guy said before he dodged a rock thrown at him
"Hey! Get down from there this instant." The first detective said
And that's when he got a banana to the face. And then a foot chase. And then he winked at Blake! Is she…
"Well Weiss, you wanted to see the competition and there it goes." Yang said
"Quick! We have to observe him!" exclaimed Weiss
Ruby, Weiss, Yang, Sapphira, Towa, and Natasha quickly ran after him, while Blake and I were trailing behind.
"So… there's something I wanna ask, but I think I'll wait if you're uncomfortable to answer it." I said to Blake
"And what will that be?" Blake asked me
"Are you a Faunus?" I asked her as we kept running
"I… I am but can you keep it a secret?" Blake asked me
"I'm not the kind of girl who spills secrets." I said as we were about to catch up to the others
Once we had, Weiss ran into a girl with orange hair, but didn't seem to care as the monkey Faunus got away.
"No! He got away!" Weiss said
"Uuuhh, Weiss…?" Yang asked her while pointing to the girl
"Euh!" Weiss exclaimed as she jumped away from the girl
"Salutations!" The girl said to us
"Um, hello." said Sapphira
"Are you… okay?" Towa asked the girl
"I'm wonderful. Thank you for asking." The girl said
"Do you… wanna get up?" Yang asked the girl
"Yes." The girl said before she pushed using her hands to get up as we backed away a bit as she said:
"My name is Penny. It's a pleasure to meet you!"
"Hi Penny. I'm Ruby." Ruby introduced
"I'm Weiss." Weiss said
"Blake." Blake said
"Are you sure you didn't hit your head?" Yang asked before Blake hit her in the arm before she said:
"Oh, I'm Yang."
"Name's Sapphira." Sapphira said, introducing herself
"I'm Towa." Towa said
"Rani." I said
"Natasha." Natasha said to Penny
"It's a pleasure to meet you!" Penny exclaimed
"You already said that." Weiss told Penny
"So I did!" Penny exclaimed
"Well, sorry for running into you." Weiss said
"Take care, friend!" Ruby exclaimed
We all began walking away from her. Okay, something is off about that girl.
"She was… weird." Yang said
"I know." said Natasha
"Now. Where did that Faunus riffraff run off to?" Weiss wondered
"You make it sound like every Faunus is out to get you." I scolded before we all saw Penny suddenly in front of us!
"What did you call me?" Penny asked
"Oh, I'm really sorry, I definitely didn't think you heard me." Yang said
"No, not you…" Penny said before moving to Ruby and said:
"You."
"Me?! I - I don't know, I - what I - um, uh-" Ruby tried to say
"You called me 'friend'. Am I really your friend?" Penny asked
"Umm…." Ruby began to say
We were all either shaking our heads or waving with our hands 'no'. I hope she gets it...
"Ya, sure! Why not?" said Ruby
Cue the gong effect and the anime fall! Times seven! What is she thinking?!
"Ahaha! Sen-sational! We can paint our nails, and try on clothes, and talk about cute boys!" Penny said
"Ooh, is this what it was like when you met me?" Ruby asked Weiss
"Minus the sarcasm?" I asked Ruby
"No, she seems 'far' more coordinated." Weiss told Ruby
"Soo, what are you doing in Vale?" Yang asked Penny
"I'm here to fight in the tournament." Penny answered
"Wait… you're… fighting in the tournament?" Sapphira asked her
"I'm combat ready!" Penny exclaimed
"Forgive me, but you hardly look the part." Weiss said
"Says the girl wearing a dress." Blake said
"It's a 'combat skirt'." Weiss pointed out
"Yeah!" Ruby and Sapphira said as they give Weiss a down low five
"Wait a sec before you do something you'll regret, Weiss." I said
"Wait a minute. If you're here for the tournament, does that mean you know that monkey-tailed… rapscallion?" Weiss asked Penny
"The who?" Penny asked
"The filthy faunus from the boat!" Weiss exclaimed
"Weiss, that's enough!" I exclaimed
"Why do you keep saying that?" Blake asked
"Huh?" asked Weiss
"Stop calling him a rapscallion. Stop calling him a degenerate." Blake said.
"Yeah, that Faunus is still a person!" I exclaimed
"Oh, I'm sorry. Would you like me to stop referring to the trashcan as a trashcan or this lamppost as a lamppost?" Weiss asked sarcastically
"Stop it!" exclaimed Blake
"Stop what? He clearly broke the law. Give him time, he'll probably join up with those other Faunus in the White Fang." Weiss said arrogantly
"*growls* You ignorant little brat!" Blake yelled as she walked away
"How dare you talk to me like that! I am your teammate." Weiss said as she walked toward Blake
"You are a judgemental little girl." Blake said
"What in the world makes you say that?!" Weiss exclaimed
"Oh man… this is gonna take a while." I said
"Uhh, I think we should probably go." said Yang
"The mere fact that you would sort that faunus boy with the terrorist group solely based on his species makes you just as much of a scoundrel as you believe him to be." Blake told Weiss
"Where are we going?" Penny asked us
"So you admit it, the White Fang 'is' just a radical group of terrorists." Weiss replied
"That's not what I meant and you know it." Blake said to Weiss
And once we were back in the dorms, and Blake and Weiss were still fighting.
"How long has this fight been going on?" Sapphira asked
"Hours." I said
"Can they stop soon?" Towa asked
"That 'is' the problem!" Blake said to Weiss
"You realize you're defending an organization that hates humanity, don't you?" Weiss asked Blake
"They don't hate humanity. They hate people like you, Weiss." I said
"That's what you'd like to think, Rani. The Faunus of the White Fang are pure evil." Weiss said
"There's no such thing as 'pure evil'! Why do you think they hate humanity so much? It's because of people like Cardin, people like 'you' that force the White Fang to take such drastic measures!" Blake told Weiss furiously
"People like me?" Weiss asked
"You're discriminatory!" Blake said
"I'm a victim! You want to know 'why' I despise the White Fang? Why I don't particularly trust the faunus? It's because they've been at war with my family for years. War. As in actual bloodshed. My grandfather's company has had a target painted across its back for as long as I can remember. And ever since I was a child, I've watched family friends disappear, board members executed, an entire train car full of Dust… stolen. And every day, my father would come home furious, and that made for a very difficult childhood." Weiss then exclaimed
"Weiss, I-" Ruby began to say
"No! Rani's family had it easy! They never had targets on their backs! What was your childhood like, Rani?" Weiss demanded
"Like… a normal one I guess. But you're wrong about me. My family hired Faunus because we wanted to give them equal chances to have a life. They're people. And nearly had targets on our backs too Weiss! Why do you think the White Fang stayed away from the Soiree company? It's because a member had snuck into the usual work staff. We didn't know until that person came in with a complaint that one of our employees was abusing their Faunus co-workers. After I pretended to be an employee, that man was fired on the spot. We treat the Faunus fairly, not like animals like your father has done!" I exclaimed
"You want to know why I despise the white fang?! It's because they're a bunch of liars! Thieves!" Weiss told Blake
"Hey! I had that same treatment for me in my childhood!" Natasha said to Weiss
"It's not like you're the child of a criminal or a murderer!" Weiss then exclaimed
"What would you do if I was a child of a criminal?" Natasha asked
"Turn you in! If you were a criminal's daughter, you're just as bad as they are!" Weiss exclaimed
"You want to know why I didn't want to tell you my name when you guys first met me?" Natasha asked
"Natasha, if it's too uncomfortable, we understand." Towa said
"If she doesn't want to say anything, then she's just like the filthy Faunus of the White Fang." Weiss said
"Well maybe we were just tired of being pushed around!" Blake yelled
"And you're right Weiss. I'm just as bad as the White Fang." Natasha said
The room was just too silent as Blake inadvertently revealed her secret, while we saw Natasha was on the verge of tears.
"I…" Natasha tried to say
And that was when they ran out the room!
"Blake! Wait! Come back!" Ruby exclaimed as she ran to the door
"Natasha!" Towa exclaimed as she ran after them
I looked out and saw Towa transform into her cat form as she ran after Blake and Natasha. I hope they'll be okay…
"Look what you've done now, Schnee." I said while glaring at Weiss
"They were our friends." Sapphira said
And now she really has an enemy for life.
Natasha's POV
Blake and I ran all the way to the statue in front of the school, as I closed my eyes trying so hard not to cry.
"I… I guess you want to know what I meant by "I'm just as bad as the White Fang", right?" I asked Blake
"I think I know. You're Torchwick's daughter, aren't you?" Blake asked me as I looked at her in shock
"How did you…" I started to say
"Meow?" We then heard as we turned around to see Towa in her cat form, looking like she was going to cry
"Is that the cat Cardin hurt?" Blake asked me
"Yeah but it's better now." I said
"Meow?" Towa meowed as she pawed toward me
"Just… leave us, please." I said as I pointed my hands towards Towa
"Mrow…" Towa said as her ears dropped
"I'm sorry for this in advance." I said as I blasted Towa with water from my hands
"Mrow!" Towa exclaimed as she fell into the fountain
"Let's leave this place." I told Blake
"One sec." Blake said
I watched her fish Towa from the fountain, and saw her take off her bow and tie it around Towa's neck… and I couldn't look away from Blake's cat ears. They were so cute! Wait a minute, how was I gonna explain Towa?!
"I knew you would look better without the bow." The Faunus from the boat said
I tearfully looked at Towa as I scratched her in between her ears before running away with Blake and the Faunus from the boat. I didn't even look back as she mewed, as if she were telling me to come back.
Sapphira's POV
I woke up to see Towa, actually in her human form and not next to me, and she looked like she was crying. I can see why… Natasha never came back.
"Ooohh…" I said
We've been looking everywhere, but… where are they?
"They've been gone all weekend." Ruby said
"This is terrible…" Towa said sadly
"Blake and Natasha are big girls. I'm sure they can handle themselves." Weiss said
"Wanna bet how far I can toss you with my staff, Schnee?" Rani asked angrily
"Weiss, come on. Blake's one of our teammates and Natasha is our friend." Yang said
"Are they? We all heard what they said." Weiss said.
"Weiss." Ruby and Rani said in unison
"Maybe they are, maybe they aren't." Yang said
"Either way, they're missing and we need to find them." I said
"But where are they?" Towa asked
"A member of the White Fang. Right underneath our noses! Did you know she was a Faunus, Rani?" Weiss asked her
"For the one millionth time, no!" Rani exclaimed
"Then a daughter of a criminal underneath our noses as well." Weiss said
"I just hope they're okay." Ruby said
Me too, Ruby… me too...
Natasha's POV
We took a sip of our tea at a local cafe, the Faunus using his tail to hold up his tea cup.
"So, you wanna know more about me." Blake said
Not that I blame this guy...
sakuraphoenix: Just one more chapter...
Detroid: Two actually. You forgot the epilogue for this fanfic
sakuraphoenix: Whoops
Detroid: Point is, we're almost done so until next time, I'm Detroid…
sakuraphoenix: And I'm sakuraphoenix! Both of us saying we heart you, signing off for now. See ya later, Feraligatr!
Detroid: Chao!