The Princess' Rogue
A/N: And the final chapter is here! Well… not exactly. You'll see what I mean. :P Due to the nature of this chapter, expect some OoCness from our favorite characters.
Some of you were wondering when certain characters would be making an appearance. Well, this chapter should answer that. XD
Disclaimer: The characters and the worlds I write in do not belong to me. The stories that I write are intended for entertainment purposes. I do not make any money from them.
*** ~ Chapter 21: The Princess' Rogue ~ ***
~ Emerald Forest. Early Morning. ~
The forest was silent, the chatter of small animals and the buzzing of insects unsurprisingly absent as she walked through this unusually quiet place. Unlike the last time she was here, this time, Weiss was here of her own volition, the former princess choosing to cut through the Emerald Forest on her way to her real destination.
It was strange, how serene she felt as she passed ancient trees of budding green, this forest once haunting her worst nightmares. Now however, it was just peaceful, like any other forest, no sense of doom or gloom hanging over her head. And that left Weiss wondering. Was the Emerald Forest always this way, and her experience from before being nothing more than a matter of circumstance?
There were many stories about the Emerald Forest. Often, they were of people entering but never leaving, or about a select few who eventually found their way out, but after a much longer time than they thought. Weiss almost laughed out loud at that idea, the latter already having happened to her. Yet, despite the rumoured dangers of this place – Weiss also having experiencing some of that – she still came here willing, lacking all fear of what was to come. Why? Because Weiss knew this time, it would not be like before.
The rustling of leaves.
"Come out," Weiss said, stopping in the middle of a small clearing surrounded by trees, long grasses and wild flowers. "I know you are there."
Loose leaves fluttered and swirled in the air as a gentle wind blew through, but there was no sign Weiss' voyeur had heard her. Turning her gaze to the swaying branches overhead, she waited in silence for the other to make a move, patience one of the many things Weiss had developed over her time with a certain boisterous blonde. With her thoughts now on the once irritating rogue, Weiss quickly found her mind wandering back to the moment she first met the brawler, a small smile making the corner of the lips twitch. Things had been so much different back then, Weiss too naïve at the time to realize just how important that one meeting would be on the rest of her life.
Snapping out of her thoughts when a single leaf drifted through her line of sight, Weiss did a cursory sweep of the area around her, unsurprisingly noting she was still alone. Just as she was considering more persuasive methods to unveil her stalker, there came the soft pattering of feet on the earth covered ground, Weiss turning to the right to spy the very reason she chose this path in the first place.
"Yuo v'hae meco a n'gol ywa, Ces'rnisp," they said. "Febreo, yuo wken t'no ht'ta I vene stixeed."
Like Weiss remembered her, this person – or rather, this Faunus – was the same one from before. Garbed in gold and earthly browns, two rabbit ears rose from long brown locks, eyes of the same colour curious and warming as they looked at her. The girl's skin was tanned and smooth, Weiss inwardly questioning just how old the brunette was. While she didn't look that much older than Weiss herself, one could never tell with these forest folk.
"I'm sorry," Weiss said, pivoting on her feet to face the other fully. "I don't understand Faunus tongue."
The Faunus smiled, the girl tilting her head to the side as she spoke again.
"Do you understand me now, Weiss Schnee?"
Weiss' eyes widened in surprise.
"How do you know that name?" she demanded, now on guard. Her hand rested on Myrtenaster's hilt under her cloak.
Her smile never faltering, the brunette turned to the tree closest to her, resting her hand on the aged bark.
"When people in the forest talk, the trees listen." A fond rub. "And when the trees talk, I listen."
The hand on Myrtenaster's hilt loosened significantly, Weiss sensing no hostility coming from the other girl. Yet while she didn't feel overly threatened by the Faunus' presence, Weiss didn't completely drop her guard. That was something Yang ingrained her. Unless you knew the person personally, one could never be too careful. Even if you knew them on a personal level, there were still no guarantees.
After another fond pat, the brunette turned back to Weiss again.
"But you are not here to listen to the trees, are you Weiss Schnee?" the Faunus said. "You are here for something else."
Weiss regarded her hesitantly for a moment, before speaking again.
"You are correct," she said, giving the girl a curt nod. "I am not here to speak with the trees. I am here to confirm something. But first, may I get your name?"
The brunette smiled, the kind of smile which made Weiss wonder if there was a single mean bone in her body.
"I have been called many things in my time," the Faunus stated, her expression one of amusement. "Eth Y'dal fo eth Sretof. Eth Pirtsi Rep'kee. Eth Nelvet'vee Tibr'ba."
Leaving her spot next to the ancient tree as she said this, Weiss watched as the other girl took a few steps out of the shade, her gaze turned upwards. Reaching for the sky, as if to catch the sunlight peeking through the canopy of leaves overhead, the Faunus stayed that way for a few seconds, Weiss swearing the branches parted just enough to allow small orbs of light to float down from above, right into the Faunus' outstretched palm.
"That last one is my favorite," the brunette said, breaking Weiss out of her reverie.
Blinking to regain her focus, Weiss met the Faunus' warm gaze again, the orbs from before gone. Glancing upwards at the trees, Weiss found the branches as they were before, unmoving and swaying slightly in the breeze.
Had she been seeing things?
"Those names, however," the Faunus continued on, as if understanding Weiss' plight. "May be a bit… what is the word? Troublesome?"
The brunette looked away for a moment, her head tilted to the side in thought. As a result of that action, the Faunus' left ear drooped halfway, giving it a floppy look. It was cute.
"No matter," the other girl said, looking up again. "For you, Weiss Schnee, you may call me Velvet."
Weiss considered Velvet's words quietly, a multitude of thoughts circling in her head.
"Velvet," she began, her lips pursing in uncertainty. It felt so wrong referring to the Faunus like that, with no title of some sort to predicate her name. Weiss couldn't explain it, but somehow she felt Velvet deserved more respect than her name instilled.
"It was you, wasn't it?" Weiss said after a moment. "It was you who watched over us the last time I was here."
Velvet tilted her head again, her ears doing that cute floppy thing once more.
"And if it was?" the Faunus asked, her expression one of curious delight.
With her suspicions confirmed, Weiss sucked in a shuddering breath, closed her eyes, and bowed.
"Thank you," the ex-heiress said, her voice shaking. "Thank you for saving Yang."
Weiss would never forget the scene she came back to, after finding her way to the Juniper Tavern and bringing back help. There were bodies of Beowolves everywhere, Weiss estimating the total corpse count to be roughly a dozen. It was hard to tell what they were from a distance, especially in the torrential rain. But the moment she realized what she was seeing, Weiss nearly collapsed to her knees and passed out. Yang was barely alive when Weiss had left her, and for a pack of that size to come across the blonde in that state while she was gone...
"W-When I saw those d-dead B-B-Beowolves," Weiss began, tears brimming at the corners of her closed eyes. "I t-thought… I… I couldn't-"
The gods had to have been with the rogue that day, for much to Weiss' immense relief and surprise, Yang was not any more harmed than before. Instead, the Beowolves took the brunt of what occurred, splinters of wood and broken branches circling the place the blonde fitfully rested, the shredded bodies of the Grimm littering the area around that. Examining the marks in the ruptured earth and the slashes on the trees afterwards, Weiss couldn't but wonder if the forestry had suddenly come alive and gone to Yang's aid when the pack came across her. While such things were unheard of, trees moving on their own that is, Weiss had heard many stories of forest Faunus who commanded nature itself, Velvet seemingly one of them.
"If s-s-something had happened t-to her-"
Weiss flinched when she felt a hand on her shoulder, teary blue eyes immediately darting upwards to sympathetic brown ones.
"There is no need to thank me, Reet'lev," Velvet said, giving Weiss a sorrowful smile. "So please, raise your head and dry your eyes. There is already too much suffering in this world. I do what I can not to add to it."
At those words, Weiss felt the urge to cry harder, the ex-heiress just barely keeping herself in check. Velvet's warmth, the Faunus' kindness, was so refreshing to the former princess, especially as all she had known before now was cold emptiness. It wasn't always that way, but even so, for a time Weiss forgot what it was like to smile. That all changed of course, after she met a bungling (at the time) rogue by the name of Phoenix. It was truly amazing how much a person could change in only a few months.
Giving the Faunus a grateful smile, Weiss dried her tears on her sleeves, sniffling a few times.
"You don't know how much that means to me, Velvet," she said, once again bowing to the brunette. "Thank you. Somehow, I will return the kindness you bestowed upon Yang and I."
"Sweet, sweet Reet'lev," Velvet said, shaking her head. "Neither you nor Yang owe me anything. I am happy simply knowing that both of you are well."
At those words, Weiss straightened up, her brows furled in confusion.
"I don't understand," she said. "You… Why go so far for people you don't even know?"
Velvet's eyebrows raised, the Faunus clearly having not expected that question.
"Is it really so hard to believe?" the brunette asked.
Weiss fidgeted with her hands, looking down at her feet as she spoke.
"Well..." she swallowed nervously. "I was always told your kind never liked us humans much. That you would rather carry on like we never even existed."
Weiss looked up just as the Faunus made a noise of understanding.
"I see," Velvet said, Weiss growing weary at the smirk now stretched across the girl's face. "And do you always believe what you are told?"
It took a moment for Weiss to process those words, but when she did, her response was immediate.
"Don't be absurd!" she said, tilting up her chin in defiance. That was a complete lie of course, Weiss believing many a thing back in her days of living in the White Castle.
Velvet gave her a look.
Weiss scowled, the ex-heiress looking to the side. "Not anymore," she muttered to herself, though by the twitch of the Faunus' ears, it was clear Velvet also heard it.
"That's beside the point," Weiss said puffing out her cheeks. She looked away in embarrassment.
At the sound of laughter, Weiss quickly turned back to the brunette with a scowl, but that quickly faded into giggles of her own as something about Velvet's laughs immediately dissipated any anger she may have had.
"I am sorry," Velvet said, once her laughter died down. "I meant no harm. It is as you say. We Tket'Chi Ket'Nits do not usually seek out your kind, instead preferring the company of the trees and animals in the forest."
"And yet here you are," Weiss stated, the ex-princess raising an eyebrow. "With me."
A frown.
"Why?"
A wistful smile stretched across Velvet's face, the Faunus turning her back on Weiss again as she wandered off towards a patch of wild flowers nearby.
"I have lived for a very long time, Reet'lev," the brunette said, Velvet stooping down to inspect the colourful flora. "And during my time, I have seen many Os'Uls pass through this forest. Both living, and not."
While Weiss knew she should have asked Velvet what that comment meant, the former heiress couldn't but watch in fascination as the Faunus gently caressed all the flowers within reach. Each flower Velvet touched hummed and glowed with a light not previously seen before. Or perhaps it was just Weiss hadn't noticed that shimmering light until now, though somehow she knew that wasn't the case.
"People pass through here for many reasons," Velvet continued, giving the flowers her utmost attention. "Some because they were just passing through. Some to hide from what chases them. And then there are some, like you, who were just lost."
"Lost?" Weiss echoed, blinking at the brunette in confusion.
"Were you not lost, Weiss Schnee?" Velvet asked, glancing over her shoulder. "Before you found your way here?"
Weiss looked to the side for a moment, recalling the events which led to… well, everything.
"It's not like I came here of my own choice though," she said scowling, her thoughts going back to the mercenaries from Atlas.
"And yet you ended up here," Velvet said, standing up now, the Faunus making her way back to Weiss with something cupped in her hands. "And for the better, is that not right?"
Weiss looked at the Faunus in surprise before her expression softened.
"Yes," she said softly, a small smile gracing her lips. Things had certainly turned out for the better. And they were still getting better.
"It was for the better."
Velvet returned the smile, the brunette also reaching out to hold one of Weiss' hands in her own, palm up. Weiss didn't flinch when that happened, the former princess simply giving the other girl a curious look.
"I am glad," Velvet said, dropping something into Weiss' open palm. "The forest often draws troubled Os'Uls to it, but not all of them find peace. I am glad you found yours."
With her hand now released, Weiss looked down to find a long stemmed, naturally thornless rose. Unlike like the roses she saw many a time over the course of her life until now, this particular rose was a rich ruby red colour, the petals seemingly humming with life and… Aura? The petals were not yet open, not like a fully bloomed rose, but it felt as if they would any time now. The flower was just... waiting for the right moment, if that made any sense.
"Velvet?" Weiss said, blinking at the other girl. Despite not knowing what to make of this gesture, she was quick to cradle the delicate flower protectively in her grasp.
"For the Dargew'nin Sot'w," the Faunus said, Velvet's smile belaying far more wisdom than her appearance first let on.
"You will know what to do with it when the time is right," the brunette continued, taking a few slow steps away from Weiss, her hands held behind her back. "For now however, think of it as a gift. For finding that which you sought."
Looking down at the rose again, Weiss gingerly ran a finger along the outside of the flower's petals. They were soft, softer than anything she had ever touched before, Weiss absolutely captivated by this marvellous creation of nature.
"Run along now, Reet'lev," Velvet said, snapping Weiss out of her reverie. "Someone is waiting for you, are they not?"
Raising her gaze from the flower in her hand, Weiss was startled to find Velvet gone.
"Velvet?"
Spinning around in a circle, Weiss saw nothing but the trees and wild flowers peppering the tall grasses around her, all traces of the Faunus having disappeared with her. Blinking in confusion for a few seconds, waiting for a reply that would never come, Weiss eventually sighed, resigning herself to this most recent turn of events. Given where she was right now, this type of thing shouldn't really have come as a surprise. So after getting her wits about her, Weiss started down the beaten path for her final destination again, all the while staring at the rose in her hand, Weiss smiling as her thoughts drifted back to a certain buxom blonde.
~ The Town of Patch. Late Afternoon. ~
The Cat's Cradle Orphanage was a quaint, little place.
After making her way back to the Juniper Tavern to settle a few things, namely finding out where Yang was now, Weiss was on her way again, travelling the country side in search of the remarkably elusive rogue. It was quite the eye opener for the former princess, Weiss never having dealt with the peasants personally before. Ever since she was born, anything she desired was procured for her by the castle servants. But now that she was no longer royalty, Weiss quickly had to learn how to fend for herself.
And now she was here, standing outside of this curious place.
A building (an old church it seemed) mostly made up of a dark grey stone, the orphanage's roof was triangular in shape, wooden shingles aged with time providing shelter from the weather. Four sets of windows lined the length of the building, a newer, smaller extension including a window having been added after the originally building was constructed. Two large bronze bells hung from the belfry at the top most point of the roof on the left side, a wooden yet tastefully painted sign nailed above the double door entry way (also on the left side of the building) proclaiming it to be the place Weiss sought. All in all, it was a rather simple thing, but it felt like home.
Sucking in a shaky breath and fighting to keep her nerves in check, Weiss struggled to calm her thudding heart. The last time she saw Yang was almost a month ago now, the time apart making her feel fearful and nervous. Would Yang even recognize her now? Would Yang even remember her after all this time? Would-
Weiss shook her head. Who was she kidding? This was Yang she was talking about! Of course the blonde would remember her. Well… maybe. Hopefully. She would, right?
At the sound of a high pitched shriek, Weiss was jolted from her thoughts. Instantly gripping the hilt of Myrtenaster under her cloak, she looked up just as the double doors to the Cat's Cradle Orphanage burst open with a bang. Before she could even understand what was happening, childish giggles reached her ears, a blur of orange, black and green zipping straight through the now open doorway and straight into her.
"Ompf!"
Weiss barely felt the impact as the blur – a little girl – ran smack into her legs before hitting the ground on her behind. Fearing the girl had hurt herself, Weiss immediately knelt down, scanning the child for injuries.
"Are you alright?" she asked, all previous worries forgotten.
The little girl stared at Weiss open mouthed, brilliant green eyes wide with shock as a soft wind ruffled shoulder length locks of curly, orange hair. From what Weiss could tell, the child was maybe all of seven years old, the girl sporting an off white and grey long sleeve blouse and black pants with green highlights. For the most part, the little one seemed unharmed, but as Weiss was no healer, it was hard to tell.
"Sal-u-ta-tions!" the girl said after a few seconds, no waver of pain or hurt heard in her voice.
"Hello," Weiss said, breathing in relief to see the child was alright.
"My name is Penny!" the small child continued, absolutely beaming. "It's a pleasure to meet you!"
Weiss smiled.
"It's nice to meet you too, Penny," Weiss replied. "I'm Wei- I mean, my name is Winter Snow."
It was still a bit weird for Weiss, to refer to herself with a name not her own. Her first few introductions after leaving the Juniper Tavern were a complete disaster, Weiss left a fumbling, stuttering mess by the end of it. Never in her life had she been so mortified before, so utterly embarrassed in the presence of strangers, but she pushed on. Now it was almost second nature to her, her alter ego that is, but even so, there were times like now where she almost fell back on old habits and gave her birth name.
Realizing her first query had gone unanswered, Weiss looked Penny up and down again, her brows furling in concern.
"Are you alright?" she repeated, her lips pursing when she caught sight of dirt clinging to the little one's clothes. "Did you hurt yourself?"
The little redhead looked down at herself blinking, as if only now realizing she was on the ground. That did little to spoil her sunny attitude however, for soon she was looking up at Weiss again, her smile going from cheek to cheek.
"I'm wonderful! Thank you for asking!"
Weiss blinked at Penny for a few seconds, a soft chuckle escaping her throat at that response. Not quite what she was expecting, but somehow it fit the girl before her. Weiss held out a hand to Penny.
"Do you want to get up?" she asked, smiling again.
Looking down at herself once more, as if reassessing the situation, Penny nodded before taking Weiss' hand.
"Yes!" the little girl exclaimed.
The moment Penny was on her feet again, Weiss quickly dusted off the girl's clothes before standing herself. Now that that was all over, Weiss glanced around again, her eyes lingering briefly on the orphanage doors before drifting downwards to the little redhead absolutely beaming at her.
"Penny," Weiss began, hesitating slightly. "Do you-"
"Run away!" came a shout from inside the Cat's Cradle Orphanage.
At the sound of pattering feet, Weiss' gaze immediately darted upwards again. Just like before, minus the double doors banging open, a blur (this time yellow and white) dashed out from the Cat's Cradle Orphanage, a child running straight towards her and Penny.
"Run Penny!" the boy squealed. "He's coming this- Oh."
Sliding to a halt just inches from Penny, the first thing Weiss noted about this second child was his blonde hair and matching coloured monkey tail. A white shirt with the sleeves missing off hung open around the boy's shoulders, a faded pair of dark trousers cut off at the knees covering his legs.
"Uh…." the boy said in uncertainty.
Weiss turned to Penny.
"A friend of yours?" she asked, nodding to the little Faunus.
Penny's response was immediately, that innocent and wide smile of hers never leaving her face.
"Yes!" the redhead exclaimed. "This is friend Sun! He's-"
"RAWR!"
Weiss' hand went to Myrtenaster in an instant, the weapon humming in her grasp as she all but withdrew the Monyreak. While having never heard a beast or animal make quite a sound like that before, the former princess was reacting on instinct, her life previously having had its fair share of monsters, in all sorts of appearances. Only when Penny and Sun squealed, the two of them quickly hiding behind her legs giggling incessantly, did Weiss realize she had nothing to fear.
The thumping of heavy footsteps alerted the trio to their incoming guest, Weiss loosening her grip on her rapier now as she curiously eyed the orphanage's double doors. To her amusement, she watched as a fully grown man lumbered through the opening, his arms raised, his curled fingers clawing at the air dramatically. Raising an eyebrow, Weiss could not stop the smirk which stretched across her face as the man raised his face to the sky.
"AHWOO!" he howled, the man's short, spikey hair half concealing the sharp horns just above his white and red half mask. He was wearing a short sleeved, red shirt with worn black trousers and dusty, old boots.
"I am a mighty Alpha Beowolf!" the man bellowed, lowering his head after a few seconds and hunching forward. "And I'm going to eat- Oh."
Weiss had to bite her tongue to keep herself quiet as the Faunus, a Taurus no less, froze in his spot the moment he realized the children were not alone. Quickly straightening himself up and coughing into his fist, Weiss nearly burst into a fit of giggles herself when the Faunus speedily smoothed his shirt and pants out, pretending as if he hadn't been playing the Big Bad Beowolf with the children.
"Welcome to the Cat's Cradle Orphanage," the Taurus said, a faint pinkness on his cheeks. "Please, won't you join us inside?"
~ The Cat's Cradle Orphanage. Late Afternoon. ~
"Here you go."
A teacup and saucer were placed down in front of Weiss on the table.
"Thank you."
Wrapping her hands around the cup, Weiss smiled gratefully to her host as the sweet scent of apple and cinnamon greeted her nose. Raising the cup to her lips, she sipped from it quietly.
"Please excuse my husband Adam for earlier," the other with Weiss said. "It's not very often we get guests outside of the regular adoption days."
Looking up from her teacup, Weiss' eyes met a golden gaze. She smiled.
"No apologies are needed Ms. Belladonna," Weiss said, lowering her cup to the saucer again. She chuckled. "I thought his display earlier was rather adorable. It's nice to see the children are well taken care of, despite their circumstances."
Turning her gaze to the right, Weiss watched as Adam unsuccessfully tried to shoo away all the curious children from the door-less entryway. After catching the Taurus in the middle of playtime, Weiss was soon led inside the orphanage's kitchen to meet his wife. The dark haired Faunus, a Shadow Kat, had just finished preparing the afternoon snacks for the little ones when Weiss entered, and after a quick dispersal of treats, the two of them sat down at the sole wooden table of the room drinking tea. Three chairs of matching wood surrounded the table, but only two of them were currently occupied.
"It's not much," the cat Faunus said, drawing Weiss' attention back to her. "But we do what we can to give the children a better life than the streets."
Weiss nodded in understanding, the harsh memories of Yang's homeless days as a child briefly flashing to mind. They were gone as fast as they came, but the soul wrenching agony which came with them would remain a while longer.
"No child should ever have to experience such suffering," Weiss said, swallowing down the lump which had formed in her throat.
Weiss knew what it was like to have no one. That was the very same feeling which drove her from the White Castle in the first place all those months ago. Yet, at that time, she was an adult, someone who could reasonably take care of herself for the most part. But a child? She shuddered inwardly as she thought about Yang's memories again. No child should ever have to go through such things alone. Yet, it happened all the time.
"I agree," the Shadow Kat said, her gaze turned towards the children gathered at the entryway. "Sadly a lot of people forget they were children at one point, scared and helpless. And when they see the little ones out on the street, they turn a blind eye. It's heartbreaking."
Weiss frowned as the grip on her host's teacup went knuckle white.
"That is why we started this place," the Faunus said, her jaw clenched.
Wanting nothing more than to steer this conversation back to happier things, Weiss stared at the other girl for a moment, scrambling to come up with something to say. The Shadow Kat was adorned in a flowing white blouse, a wide black skirt covering her legs. Despite fitting rather loosely on the Faunus, the garments did little to detract from the girl's natural beauty, her cat-like ears and amber coloured eyes giving her an exotic look. Weiss' eyes quickly fell upon the Faunus' bulging stomach.
"If you don't mind me asking, Ms. Belladonna," Weiss began.
"Please," the cat Faunus said, turning back to Weiss. "Call me Blake."
Weiss smiled. "Blake," she repeated. "How far are you along?"
Looking down at her swollen stomach, Blake rubbed it fondly.
"About six months," the ravenette said, only affection in her voice. "While we love all the child under our care very much, there's nothing quite like having one of your own."
Weiss nodded, her smile widening as the other girl continued to rub her stomach lovingly.
"Congratulations to the both of you. You must be so excited."
"Thank you," Blake said graciously, Weiss marvelling at the Faunus' smile. "We are."
There was true happiness there, in the Shadow Kat's eyes, in her voice. It reminded Weiss very much of herself whenever she was with Yang, the smile on her face fading for a moment.
Yang…
"But enough about me," Blake said, drawing Weiss out of her thoughts. "As much as it's always nice to talk to someone my age, I highly doubt that's what you've come here to do."
Weiss chuckled at that comment, taking a sip from her tea again.
"Not exactly," she said. "Though it's not like this isn't nice. I don't have a lot of… friends… I can do this with."
Weiss solemnly looked down at her reflection in her teacup. She could count on one hand the number of people she considered friends. An overprotective information broker. His caring wife. A quiet bartender. And his hammer wielding partner. And a pun loving rogue. Would the latter still be considered her friend though? Would Yang ever think of her as something more?
Weiss was pulled out of her reverie by a hand encompassing her own. While she didn't flinch at that action, Weiss was still surprised. She wasn't used to this familiarity when it came to other people, only with Yang, but even that had taken some time to get used to. And now, that's all she craved.
"Perhaps we can continue this afterwards then," Blake said with a gentle pat and smile.
Weiss found herself effortlessly returning that smile, the former princess deeply touched by the Shadow Kat's selflessness.
"I'd like that. Very much."
Withdrawing her hand from Weiss', Blake quickly straightened her posture before settling in her chair once again.
"My husband tells me you're looking for someone," the Faunus said, taking a brief sip from her own teacup. "Perhaps a little one of your own? If any of ours have caught your attention, we'd be more than willing to make arrangements, after we confirm it's the best for everyone involved."
Weiss ran a finger along the edge of her teacup's saucer as she ordered her thoughts. Should she just come out and say it? Did Blake and Adam even know what Yang did in her spare time away from the orphanage? According to Jaune and Pyrrha, that seemed like the case. Yet, not once in their discussion so far had a third founder of the Cat's Cradle Orphanage come up. Were they ashamed of Yang? Or were they simply trying to cover her up?
Only one way to find out.
"Actually," Weiss said, taking a deep breath before tossing a lock of hair over her shoulder. She smiled. "I was looking for Yang. Do you know if she's around?"
A beat.
"Yang…?" Blake said carefully, her voice level. Amber coloured eyes narrowed a fraction.
"Yes," Weiss said, pretending as if she didn't notice the way the Shadow Kat's demeanour suddenly changed.
"Yang Xiao Long. She's about this tall, has long, golden hair, likes to talk a lot," Weiss said, complete with hand gestures. "She also has a fiery disposition. Do you know where she is?"
Another beat.
"You must be mistaken," a voice said off to Weiss' right.
Weiss turned to find Adam standing in the kitchen's entryway, except unlike before, it was just him alone. No children were in sight. Where the children disappeared to so suddenly, and how Weiss hadn't noticed that mattered little at this point. No, what truly mattered now was the man quietly looking down at her, the Faunus still wearing that Grimm half mask of his. Weiss supposed it was meant to make her feel intimidated, but it didn't. The sheathed sword in his hand did however, Weiss silently wondering when and how he came to acquire such a thing.
"There is no such person here."
"Winter Snow, was it?" Blake said, Weiss turning back to the Shadow Kat. "I think it's time you leave."
Blue eyes glanced back and forth between the two Faunus, Weiss silently assessing her options. While she had no doubt Blake would put up a good fight if push came to shove (she was a Shadow Kat after all), she highly doubted the pregnant Faunus would risk the well-being of her unborn child. No, the real threat right now was from Adam, Weiss still not that confident in her swordplay abilities despite Myrtenaster being a Monyreak.
"So soon?" Weiss commented, dragging out this situation as much as she could.
Weiss had to think quickly. If she left now, the opportunity to find Yang would most likely leave with her. She highly doubted the other townsfolk would be as helpful when it came to finding blonde brawler, the people of Patch knowing very little of the orphanage aside from where it was located and the names of the people running it. And don't even get her started on what Adam and Blake would do, if they let her leave here in one piece that is. Yet, if she stayed and risked a fight to uncover what the two Faunus were obviously hiding, there would be no doubt in Weiss' mind that one or more of the children would get hurt in the crossfire. And that was the last thing she wanted, to see another child harmed, especially after-
"Hey! Give that back!"
At the sound of a childish cackle, the thick tension in the room was broken. Before anyone could make heads or tails of what was happening, a familiar monkey Faunus darted into the room, chased by another child. Blake and Adam tensed at this intrusion, Weiss reacting exactly the opposite, the former princess breathing in relief at this momentary respite.
"Catch me if you can!" Sun exclaimed, leaping onto the table to escape his pursuer. In his hand was a green apple, the flesh of the fruit marred by a single bite.
Quickly pulling her teacup and saucer closer to her, to avoid them getting trampled, Weiss watched in hilarity as Sun danced around the table, evading the reaching hands of his playmate, all the while holding his prize out of reach.
"Sun!" Blake exclaimed, rising to her feet. "Get down from there! It's dangerous!"
With the agility of a monkey, Sun did an aerial flip to avoid Blake's reaching hands, the smaller Faunus deftly scrambling backwards, laughing all the while.
"You can't catch me!" Sun exclaimed, cackling some more. "Hahaha-ahh!"
So caught up in his taunting, Sun miscalculated his steps and backed up right over the edge of the table. He tumbled to the floor head first.
"Sun!"
Weiss just reacted. The moment the little child started to fall, her Aura flared, Myrtenaster resonating in response to its wielder. Not even a split second later, before Sun could fall even two inches, a white horizontal Dust glyph materialized underneath him, breaking his fall.
"Ompf!" the monkey Faunus grunted, flopping on the glyph back first. Sitting up in confusion after a moment, Sun looked down at the thing underneath him in shock. Then his startled gaze turned to Weiss, Adam, Blake and Sun's playmate also doing the same, making Weiss wince inwardly under their gazes.
Weiss silently chastised herself.
That wasn't supposed to happen. She wasn't supposed to have revealed her abilities to anyone. Not yet at least. If things were to go sideways, which seemed quite likely now, her Semblance was supposed to be her way out, her means of escape. Now that the Faunus knew of abilities, part of them at least, that probably wasn't possible anymore.
Slowly rising from her chair, Weiss blatantly ignored Adam and the way his hand darted to the hilt of his sword. Disregarding both older Faunus who continued to bore holes into her with their narrowed eyes, she made her way over to the still stunned monkey Faunus and lifted him from her glyph. Weiss set the boy down on the floor on his own two feet.
"Are you alright?" she asked while straightening out Sun's shirt.
The little Faunus could only nod dumbly as Weiss' Dust glyph faded into nothingness.
"I'm glad," Weiss said, kneeling down so she was eye level with the little child. "Next time, you should be more careful. All of us will be really sad if you got hurt. You don't want that, do you?"
"Nuh-uh," Sun said after finding his voice. He shook his head vehemently. "Sun would never do anything to make Miss Blake sad. Sun is a good boy!"
"That's good," Weiss said, giving the monkey boy a small smile. "Now run along you two."
A glance at Adam and Blake.
"The adults need to finish their talk."
With a nod from Adam and a smile from Blake, Sun scurried off with his friend in tow. Before he disappeared out of sight however, the monkey Faunus paused in the kitchen entryway before scrambling back to Weiss, much to the older Faunus' dismay.
"Thanks for saving me lady!" Sun said, giving Weiss his once bitten apple. It seemed he was warming up to her.
Sun grinned cheekily.
"That thing you did was neaters! Neaters than Adam's girly sword! Can you teach me how to do that?"
"Sun," Adam said firmly.
Weiss chuckled softly, the former princess clearly hearing the disgruntlement in the older Faunus' voice. Jealousy perhaps?
"Maybe another time Sun," she said, Weiss giving him a sympathetic look. "For now, you should go before you get in trouble."
"Awwww," Sun whined, pouting.
"Sun."
That was Blake this time.
Weiss looked at the Shadow Kat in concern. The pregnant woman was clearly not liking Sun's proximity to her, not to mention Adam was still threatening bodily harm should anything happen to the little Faunus. Not that Weiss would really hurt Sun, but the other two didn't know her well enough to know that.
Okay, time to try a new tactic.
"Sun," Weiss said, giving the boy a soft nudge. "Go on now. The faster I can finish talking with Adam and Blake, the faster I can show you how to do it."
At that statement, Sun's eyes lit up with glee, his scruffy tail perking up instantly.
"Why didn't you say so in the first place!?" he exclaimed, the little one nearly bouncing on his feet now.
Without warning the small blonde was off again, Sun zipping across the kitchen, only sparing a split second to reach out and grab his friend by the hand. Just before he darted around the corner out of the kitchen, dragging his companion with him, he skidded to a halt.
"Don't forget!" the boy said, pointing at Weiss. "You promised!"
And then he was gone, along with the other child, and Weiss was alone with the two other Faunus.
Looking down at the apple in her hand, Weiss couldn't but laugh as she stared at the one bite already taken out of it.
"Well," Weiss said, slowly rising to her feet again. She turned to Blake. "That was… something."
The flash of red steel.
Weiss closed her eyes and sighed.
So that was how it was going to be.
Opening her eyes again, Weiss quickly found the sharp end of Adam's sword hovering just an inch from the right side of her neck. The Taurus stood behind her, just out of arm's reach.
"Are we seriously going to be doing this?" Weiss asked, squeezing the bridge of her nose between her thumb and forefinger. "As in right here and right now?"
Unlike the typical knight's blade of this day and age, Adam's sword was long, thin and slightly curved. The blade itself was also a crimson colour, leaving Weiss to wonder if it had been dyed that way with blood or something else.
"Who are you?" Blake demanded, ignoring Weiss' question. The Faunus' amber eyes narrowed into slits.
"Really?" the Shadow Kat growled.
Weiss looked at Blake in exasperation, throwing up her hands.
"I already told you," she said. "My name is-"
"Hey guys?"
Weiss' voice died in her throat at the sound of that familiar, albeit groggy voice. Slow footsteps crept towards to the kitchen accompanying it, Weiss' heart beating that much faster in anticipation. Carelessly disregarding the sharp blade which threatened to decapitate her, Weiss turned her head towards the footsteps, just in time to watch another walk in.
"What's got Sun all excited?" Yang murmured with a yawn, the blonde rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she rounded the corner into the kitchen. "Something about someone teaching him how to-"
Yang froze in her steps, her lavender coloured eyes going wide the moment they met shimmering blue ones.
"Weiss…" the rogue said, her voice nearly cracking. "How…?"
Weiss' heart fluttered uncontrollably in her chest at the sound of her real name, just being in the blonde's proximity making the month long wait all the more worth it.
"Hi Yang," Weiss said, tears pooling in the corner of her eyes.
She was remembered. Yang remembered her. And Weiss was so damn happy.
Turning to face Yang fully, Weiss was quickly brought back to the reality of her situation when cold steel nicked at her neck. Adam's blade did not cut through her flesh like she expected though, Weiss' Aura ensuring none of her life blood was split. Not yet at least.
While most people would be frozen in fear at this point, what with their life being threatened and all, Weiss was not phased in the least.
Why?
Because Yang was here.
And because Yang was here, everything was going to be alright.
Weiss smiled at the rogue.
"Care to introduce me to your friends?"
A/N: Okay, so this wasn't the last chapter after all. When I finished the previous chapter, I thought I only had one chapter to go. But then I started to write this one and it quickly expanded out of control. Almost. :P So now there's another chapter left after this one. Surprise! XD
Some of you were wondering what/who that brown blur was from before. Well here you go! Velvet, for the purposes of this story, is a Thicket Kitten. (see below for more details)
Kittens are a type of Faunus that have rabbit-like features. They can leap great heights and traverse great distances very quickly. They are also more in tune with nature than other Faunus. If this was a true fantasy story, they would be elves. A Thicket Kitten is like a Forest/Woodland Elf.
Kats are a type of Faunus that have cat-like features. They are agile, stealthy, and fast. They are kind of like alchemists of sorts in this story. If this was a true fantasy story, they would be the elves. A Shadow Kat is like a dark elf.
The Taurus are a type of Faunus, ones with horns. They are naturally stronger than other Faunus and Humans. They are kind of like blacksmiths/weapon makers/mechanics of sorts in this story. If this was a true fantasy story, they would be the dwarves.
Faunus in this story represent the different races in normal fantasy stories such as dwarves and elves. All non-human races are Faunus in this story.
As for what Velvet said in Faunus tongue, here it is:
.
"Yuo v'hae meco a n'gol ywa, Ces'rnisp. Febreo, yuo wken t'no ht'ta I vene stixeed."
"You have come a long way, Princess. Before, you knew not that I even existed."
.
"Eth Y'dal fo eth Sretof. Eth Pirtsi Rep'kee. Eth Nelvet'vee Tibr'ba."
"The Lady of the Forest. The Spirit Keeper. The Velveteen Rabbit."
.
"Reet'lev"
"Leveret"
.
"Tket'Chi Ket'Nits"
"Thicket Kittens"
.
"Os'Uls"
"Souls"
.
"Dargew'nin Sot'w"
"Wandering Lost"
.
How did I come up with Faunus tongue? I simply rearranged the letters in each word and threw in random apostrophes and capitals from time to time. Lol.
"The Lady of the Forest" is a nod to "The Lady of the Lake" in Arthurian legend. She is said to have given King Arthur his sword Excalibur, enchanting Merlin, and raising Lancelot after the death of his father. In this story, Velvet is the protector and guide to lost souls, both living and not. In a sense she gives Weiss a sense of purpose and direction in life again, as well an important gift that will come into play the next chapter.
"The Velveteen Rabbit" is a reference to the story of the same name, which is what is assumed to be the origin of Velvet's name.
Leveret is what baby hares are called. I originally was going to have Velvet call Weiss a Kitten (that's actually what baby rabbits are called believe it or not, Kit for short) but found Leveret to sound cooler. :P Velvet calling Weiss a Leveret is akin to an adult referring to a kid as a child or young one. With Weiss being a relatively new Aura user, and Velvet knowing this, it seemed right for her to refer to Weiss like that.
I envision the Cat's Cradle Orphanage to look something like this (replace commas with periods): http'/clutch,open,ac,uk/schools/willen99/w_1520/medchu/church,jpg
Weiss' introduction to Penny was based on their first meeting in Volume 1.
Monyreak is Monty's full first name ('Monty' is his nickname). Given that Monty was the one who came up with the idea for RWBY, including their amazing weapons, I thought it was only natural to name these legendary weapons after him.
Sun's refers to Adam's sword as being girly due to the Adam's Wilt logo being embossed on it.
Yes that was Wilt and Blush Adam was wielding.