Found out yesterday that this site tracks deleted chapters as updates. Kinda annoyed cause there technically was no update yesterday. Anyway onto the real update. Sorry this chapter took so long. Holidays and writing for Room: 205 ate up most of my time. You are all getting some Bumblebee this time and some more background, expect the next few chapters to be angst filled cause I'm covering Weiss and Blake's histories in the next few. Hope you all enjoy. The piano piece that Yang is playing is Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata. Enjoy the journey, keep moving forward and don't feed the guard dogs. - Phoenix Commander signing off.
Thanks to my friends in The Fellowship of the Meta for beta reading this chapter.
I DO NOT OWN RWBY IT IS THE SOLE PROPERTY OF ROOSTERTEETH PRODUCTIONS.
Chapter Nine: Past Worries
Three days after her conversation with Albus, Yang was sitting in one of the music rooms of Beacon. While it was true that she was more commonly found in the gym, she had another secret passion. The piano and orchestral pieces. As she sat down on the piano bench Yang pulled out a hair tie and pulled her unruly golden locks into a ponytail. "Time to see if I've still got the skill to play that piece." She thought, before playing the opening notes of the song.
She normally went to the gym and exercised when she had a lot on her mind. But after what Albus had told her Yang's normal method was not going to help. As the notes floated through the room, she mulled over the information. "So Blake has some sort of past with the White Fang. For some reason I don't care. I would have thought I'd be upset that she didn't at least tell me that she had a past with violent extremists. So why don't I feel anything but worried for her?" The blonde asked herself, thinking out loud.
"Thought I heard someone in here, wasn't expecting it to be you Yang." A voice called out from the door.
It startled Yang, making her miss a few notes before recovering her composure and returning to the melody of the song. "Hey there Blake. How long have you been standing there?" She asked.
"Long enough to know that you can actually play the piano really well, and also the fact that you're worried about something." Blake replied, a little surprised at Yang's talent.
"Yeah I have my mother to thank for that. She and Ruby's mother would always play or sing Ruby and I to sleep at night." Yang said, thinking about her family.
"Sorry if I'm asking something too personal but are you saying that Ruby isn't really related to you?" Blake asked, a little lost as to what Yang was saying.
"No not that. It's just…difficult to explain what the living situation with my family was." Yang replied, trying to think of a way to explain her family history.
"Try then. Our next class isn't till tomorrow." Blake said, pulling up a chair and sitting alongside her piano playing partner.
"Alright, just promise me you'll keep an open mind." Yang said, she waited until the cat faunus nodded in reply. After the nod Yang kept playing but as she did so she started to tell her friend about the Xiao Long-Rose family. "There were the five of us. My mother Raven, Ruby's mother Summer, our father Taiyang, Ruby and myself."
"Wait so your family was-?" Blake started to ask before Yang cut her off.
"Polygamous, yes. As far as me and Ruby were concerned we didn't care, even when others shunned our family. Our parents were happy, we were happy. It wasn't until after we were older that Ruby and I learned about how our social status was involved." Yang said a slight edge in her voice.
"What do you mean?" Blake asked, tilting her head slightly.
"My mother was born from the Gold Class, Summer was from the Silver Class; our father was from the Bronze. After a while I did some digging and it turned out that we were shunned not because of the way our family lived but, because of the fact that our family was a literal mixing of the classes." The blonde replied, trying to hold back the rising pain the memories were bringing.
"So you have the blood of a Gold Class citizen and Ruby of the Silver. But as the law says you inherit the class of your father." Blake stated, trying to make sense of the information along with the sight of Yang holding back her tears. "Maybe I shouldn't have brought up her family. This is hitting her hard."
"Yup, but that isn't the worst part. The worst part is the fact that the Council abused their power in order to separate our family." Yang's eyes flashed red, the music of her song getting louder as her fingers struck the keys with increasing force.
"What do you mean?" The black-clad faunus asked concerned.
"It was during the riots…during the chaos they sent their damn enforcers. They arrested my mother, they arrested Summer, and all of their charges were lies! I don't remember much from that night only gun fire, heat, screams, explosions and brief flashes of white and black. When the fighting was over they were gone, taken by the enforcers of the Council. A week later they...were executed...for crimes they didn't even commit. T-they didn't even get a chance to defend themselves!" Yang growled out almost shouting, giving up on trying to hold back her tears she brought the song to an end. Closing the cover of the piano with a thud, the sound filling the music room with a solemn thud.
"I'm sorry Yang, I shouldn't have brought those memories up." Blake said apologetically.
"That is why I am still worried about our choice to continue going against the ideology of Vale. I-I don't think I can handle going through that again!" Yang shouted before calming down a little, "I know I can't handle losing Ruby." She said, but silently thought, "I couldn't handle losing you either. That's why I don't care about your past. And if the Council or the White Fang want to try and harm you, Ruby, Weiss, or JNPR they'll need to get through me first!" Over the last few days Yang had, unlike Ruby, figured out exactly why she had developed a crush for the feline faunus she called her partner.
"I've told you already Yang, if anything or anyone comes after us we can handle it, besides we have JNPR, as well as Ozpin and Glynda. We aren't alone in this." Blake said, placing a hand on Yang's shoulder, and turning the young woman around and pulling her into a hug. "I remember those trials. Your family wasn't to blame the White Fang was...if I had known what they were planning before I left maybe I could have helped. But if those colors mean the what I think they do...we have all the help we need."
"I know, sometimes it's hard to shake old habits. Being the Bronze Class always had me, Ruby and our Dad fending for ourselves. I still have some difficulties relying on others that aren't already close to me." Yang said, shaking her head slightly and wiping away the tears after breaking the embrace. "Anyway that's enough of me crying over the past, what about you Kitty Cat, play any instruments?"
"I used to play the violin" Blake said quietly.
"Used to?" The brawler asked.
"I lost my last one a few years back. I haven't been able to play since." The faunus replied glumly. Blake had loved the instrument but when she left the White Fang and went into hiding she had to leave it behind.
"I bet you play incredibly well." Yang said, "Looks like I know what I'm doing tomorrow, should make a good birthday present." Ever since Blake had let slip that her birthday was coming up Yang had been looking for something to get her. It had been one of the reasons she had gone out into the city a few days earlier and now she had an idea of what to look for.
"Yang I know what you are thinking and don't." Blake said, a slight blush fading from the compliment.
"I have no idea what you are talking about Blake." Yang said, with a slight smile. She already knew which store to check first. A loud bang coming from one of the nearby rooms caught the pair's attention.
"Was that what I think it was?" Blake asked, as she and Yang sprinted to the room.
"Yup Plan A has begun." The blonde replied with a wide grin. "I can't wait to see what kind of ammo this will give me."
"How many other plans do you have?" Blake asked with concern, when they made it to the door.
"Only A through G. Let's just say you had better hope I don't need to use Plan G, I don't want to explain to Ozpin or Goodwitch why there is a crater in the main courtyard." Yang replied, as the door opened. The sight that met them was certainly going to give Yang ammunition for teasing her sister and her white-haired partner.
The red and white pair was currently stuck to the far wall of the room. They were pinned one atop the other by a cargo net that was anchored into the wall. "Xiao Long! I will turn your hair into icicles if you do not let us out of here!"
"Can't do that Princess not until Ruby says what she needs to!" Yang called back keeping clear of the trapped pair and Weiss' waving Myrtenaster.
"What are you talking about? What do you need to say Ruby?" Weiss asked, lowering her eyes to look at the younger girl who was currently splayed across her.
"I-I-I" Ruby stuttered, unable to form a proper reply to the pointed questions.
"Ok that is enough." Blake said, drawing Gambol Shroud and cutting the pair free. They quickly left the room before they could become victims of another of Yang's plans.
"Blake why did you let them go?" Yang whined slightly.
"Cause it wasn't working, your sister needs to tell her without feeling pressured or she never will." Blake said, her bow flattening as her ears tried to flatten themselves in annoyance.
"Maybe you're right. Well how about we some lunch I'm starving, my treat." Yang relented before perking up slightly.
"I swear you have a hollow leg with how much you eat. Lead the way Yang." Blake said, waving her toward the door with a chuckle.
"Hey I'm not as bad as you when fish is involved." Yang shot back playfully.
"And now I know what I'm having for lunch." Blake replied with a smirk, without missing a beat.
"There goes my budget for the day." Yang jokingly groaned.
"Stop complaining you know you like it when I join you for lunch." Blake said, turning around and pulling Yang along. The prospect of fish for lunch had her eager to get to a restaurant.
"No complaints there Kitten." The blonde replied without thinking.
"W-what was that?" Blake asked, releasing her grip on the blonde's hand. Not many called her that and the last one who did had been...close to her.
"Nothing now come on! Food awaits!" Yang replied waving off the question. She took up Blake's hand again and lead her down the hall towards the doors of the school and out into the city.