I heard several knocks on my door, and I walked over and opened it to see two faces I didn't expect.
"Hey, Dad." Yang and Rhea greeted in sync, looking exhausted as they supported each other. I quickly ushered my daughters inside, hugging both of them tightly.
"I'm so glad to see you safe." I smiled, then pulled away and looked Rhea over carefully. Yang held up a large bottle of pills.
"A friend of mine in Vale got her some medicine to help with the hallucinations and fits." She admitted. "They're working pretty well, and they should help until we get Rhea's head back on straight... We need to give her a Raven-detox. It's time to wake up the Xiao-Long half." I smiled, crossing my arms.
"Well... You've come to the right place. If there's one thing you need to know about Xiao-Longs, it's that we're stubborn assholes. We're gonna fix your head or die trying."
"Joy." Rhea forced a smile. "Where do we begin?" Yang punched Rhea's arm, smirking deviously.
"New outfit."
"Wait, what?"
/\/\/\/\
After a good night of rest, I waited outside Yang's door, arms crossed and rolling my eyes as I heard my twin-daughters arguing.
"I am NOT wearing that!"
"Hey, Xiao-Longs show skin!"
"Yes, but I am not becoming a walking/talking perv-magnet like you!"
"Hey, I'll try something new if you try something new. I'll try to be a little bit more... Modest. Okay?"
"... Fine. But that's WAY too Xiao-Long for me."
"Okay, okay... I don't own a lot of blue and black stuff, okay? Brown, orange, and yellow are my things."
"I know... What about that?" The sounds of hangers moving around. "That, that, and maybe this?"
"Hmm... Try it on. Let's see."
/\
When my daughters finally emerged from the room, I was surprised by both of their outfits.
Yang was dressed in black leggings, her normal brown boots, orange socks, and purple bandana overlapping. Over that, she wore a brown leather jacket with her old yellow shirt and orange scarf. Her old brown belt with the brown and white fans was at her waist, and her EmberCelica were on her wrists, a black fingerless-glove on her real hand. Her hair was back in its normal style, and Yang smiled brightly, placing her hands on her hips and looking more like herself than she had in months.
Rhea wore something... A lot like Yang's outfit, actually. She was also wearing black jeans, along with black boots (less bulky than Yang's with narrower tips) that went up to her thighs and had silver tips and laces going all the way up. Dark-blue socks rose up over the boot's like Yang's orange ones, and a light-blue bandanna adorned her left leg. Above that, she wore a dark-blue shirt designed just like Yang's, having added her emblem (a black bird in flight) in a mirror-reflection of where Yang had hers. Over the shirt she wore a black-denim jacket, black fingerless-gloves and her silver FrostBite on her hands/wrists. At her waist was her belt and the sheath for SilverWing, the dark-blue panel with her emblem branching out with the black, winglike-fan. Her hair fell in its usual, feathery shape. Rhea raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms, looking down at the outfit.
"I'm still not sure about this."
"You look fine!" Yang assured. "Less like Mom, more like me! The transformation is beginning!"
"... At least Sun won't make fun of my skirt-length, anymore."
"He did what?" I glared. Rhea tensed up, and I sighed. "It's a start. Now... What's something else that Rhea does that's too much like her mother?" Yang look at me, expression serious.
"... I think we need to play Remnant: the Game."
"Uh..." Rhea laughed nervously. "That isn't such a great idea, Yang." I raised an eyebrow, and Yang nudged Rhea, smirking. "... I get really into it, okay? I can't help it."
"That's the least of our concerns." I waved it off. "You use those swords a lot, don't you?" Rhea slowly nodded. "You have gauntlets, too?" Rhea nodded again. "Your mother's idea?" Rhea surprisingly shook her head.
"They were mine... I used to think I was really good at punching things, but Mom insisted upon me learning how to wield swords."
"Figures, Raven trying to stamp that part of your genetics out..." I rolled my eyes, smiling. "It's time to teach you how to fight like a Xiao-Long."
/\
We stood in the backyard training-field, and I held SilverWing hostage, leaving Rhea only her FrostBite to defend herself as Yang got into a fighting-stance, smirking.
"Um..." Rhea raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" Yang nodded excitedly, smiling.
"Sure! We just have to wake up those old instincts!" She activated EmberCelica and slammed her fists together. Rhea hesitated, then did the same with her gauntlets.
Both of my daughters got into fighting stances, and while Yang's was more relaxed, Rhea's had the stiffness of a swordsman.
"Relax!" I shouted to her. "Think like a Xiao-Long! It's all a game!" Rhea shot a glare at me.
"But it's not! This is serious!"
"Just go with the flow!" Yang grinned. "Go on instinct! Play the game!" Yang charged, Rhea dodging and activating her gauntlets, glaring. Yang turned back and gestured for her to smile.
Rhea growled and charged as Yang did, the girls meeting head-on and fighting hand-to-hand. Rhea was still fighting seriously, and the dark-twin was surprised as Yang laughed and managed to knock her back.
"How?!"
"Just go with it!" Yang smiled. "Fight like I do! Wake up the inner Xiao-Long!" Rhea glared at her.
"What if there is no inner Xiao-Long?! I'm hardwired like a Branwen!"
Her eyes were turning red, and I noticed something strange. The blue fumes rising from her hair weren't an icy mist. What the Hell..?
"Well, break the hardwire!" Yang marched up and shoved Rhea back, the older twin's eyes glowing red and hair igniting, the younger twin falling as her eyes turned blood red. "Because if you don't, if you don't take the weight of the world off you shoulders, you will go insane! And if that happens, you will probably die! Do you want to die, Rhea?!"
"No!" Rhea stood, gripping the sides of her head before trying to calm herself down. Yang punched her shoulder and sent her skidding back.
"Then, snap out of it!" Yang snarled. "You want to know the only reason why I'm not as crazy as you?!" Rhea's eyes were starting to glow as she became angrier and angrier, but Yang was in no way finished with her. "It's because, whether you've realized it or not, I've balanced both sides of myself!"
Rhea's glowing eyes widened as Yang was wrapped in a cloak of spinning golden, white, and brown feathers. A falcon flew into the air, looking like a completely normal bird except for its right wing, which had some feathers that shone like gold, signifying the synthetic arm. The falcon flew around the sky above the field, letting out a piercing cry before landing in front of Rhea, changing back into a calm Yang.
"You..?" Rhea stared. Yang nodded, eyes glowing red again as she reared a fist back, determined.
"Now, it's your turn." Yang threw the punch, only for a hand to catch it. Rhea looked up, eyes glowing a brilliant red as blue and black fire tipped with gold curled off her hair, and she smirked before rearing her own punch back and knocking Yang across the yard.
Yang got up as Rhea laughed and charged, both of them meeting head-on and fighting hand to hand. Rhea's moves were more instinctual and reflexive that calculated, the girls mirror images as the fought.
I smiled as this happened, crossing my arms and beaming. I knew I was right in manipulating the choosing of my daughters' names.
Yang Niǎo Xiao-Long.
Rhea Yin Branwen.
My little birds, my little dragons... Raven would never take any of them away from me, ever again.
/\/\/\/\
When the girls finished sparring (a tie, of course), they were completely exhausted. I guess fighting for four solid hours does that to a person. Man, were my kids competitive...
Yang decided that the next thing that should be fixed about Rhea was her appetite because apparently, she ate like a bird.
I'll wait a moment for you to laugh at that amazing joke, curtesy of the one and only Taiyang Xiao-Long.
"Come on!" Yang urged her twin as we sat down at dinner. "You may be fast, but you need to build up some muscle! What were you and Mom living on?!"
"Well, we were living in the wilderness most of the time, so we lived on whatever we could find. Game-animals, berries, wild plants. Once, during a drought, I convinced myself to try dry leaves and tree-bark." Rhea noticed us staring and raised an eyebrow, looking confused by our shock. "What?"
"Yeah, you need some steak." Yang started loading her sister's plate, genuinely concerned. "Mashed-potatoes with gravy, corn, a roll or two, and anything else you can think of! Have you really never tried any of this stuff until Beacon?!"
"... Mom would get me noodles on my birthday." Rhea shrugged. I face-palmed, shaking my head and taking mental-notes of everything. Qrow was not going to be happy about this.
I could tell that he was growing to like the dark-haired girl, which meant that he would soon be as protective over Rhea as he was over Yang and Ruby. Which was really protective.
/\
Later that night, while Rhea and Yang stayed in Yang's room (sleeping in a poorly crafted bunk-bed), I passed by the room and...
"Yang?" I heard Rhea ask, and I peered into the room to see her looking at her twin as they stood beside the beds. "I... I need to write some letters. I want to let everyone know that I'm okay, and that I'm so, so sorry."
"They aren't mad at you, Rhea." Yang sighed, shaking her head. "They know you weren't yourself."
"... That doesn't mean that I shouldn't apologize." Rhea bowed her head. "I... Said some thing I shouldn't have. I scared and hurt so many people I care about. Even if I wasn't myself, I remember. I remember what I said and did, their faces... I need to say sorry." Yang slowly smiled.
"How many envelopes do you need?"
"Four."
"Who for?"
"Ruby and JNPR, Weiss, Blake and Adam, and SSSN and Brice."
"Of course."
/\/\/\/\
Ruby's silver eyes teared up as she looked down at the blue envelope, quickly opening it and drawing a blue slip of paper as Team JNPR gathered around her, eyes wide.
'Hey guys,
Yeah... I've got some good news and some bad news. The good news is that I'm not as crazy as we thought, and the bad news is that you're all stuck with me. I'm baaaack... Did you miss me?
I'm with Yang and Dad on Patch, and I'm on some meds that prevent the crazy from coming out, so I should be good. No more murderous rampages and hallucinations for me...
I'm so, so sorry. I shouldn't have let my emotions control me, I shouldn't have listened to Raven, I should have run away, and I shouldn't have let myself sink to the level I did. I'm sorry for all that I said and did, and I know that you will never forgive me, but that's not going to make me any less sorry.
So, I'm being rehabilitated, and when I'm better, you can bet your sorry asses that Yang and I will be out there fighting alongside you.
Hopefully, I can at least attempt to make up for everything I've done. I miss you Ruby, Jaune, Ren, Nora, and Pyrrha. Stay safe.
Oh, and... If my baby sister gets hurt, Team JNPR, I will rip your spines out and beat you with them. Then, I'll break your legs.
See you soon,
Rhea Branwen.'
"She's okay." Ruby whispered, tears racing down her face in streams. Pyrrha frowned, taking the letter.
"She thinks we're angry with her?" The Amazon asked. "She wasn't in her right mind. Of course we aren't mad." Jaune nodded, crossing his arms.
"Well... I am a little mad about the whole slapping-me-across-the-face-and-screaming-at-me thing, but I think she was in her right mind when she did that, and I was being an idiot."
"She told me to kill her if she got out of control." Nora admitted, then sighed in relief. "I'm glad she's okay." Ren nodded in agreement.
"She certainly sounds better."
/\
Weiss stared at the blue envelope, a small smile slowly crossing her face as she tore it open with a letter-opener and drew a blue slip of paper.
'Hey Weiss,
So... I guess I sorta became the new Ice Queen, huh? I left without saying goodbye, and I'm sorry.
I'm sorry for everything. All the shit I've given you, all of the things I've said. You didn't deserve it, just like I don't deserve your forgiveness or your friendship.
I'm safe, I'm with my Dad and Yang, and I'm getting treatment for my violent fits and hallucinations. I think I'll be alright, just as long as Yang and Dad stop trying to teach me how to be a Xiao-Long.
Right... I kinda light on fire, now. It's a long story.
I hope you're alright, and I can't wait for the day when Team RWBBY gets back together and kicks some ass, ending this for good.
Your teammate and hopefully still your friend,
Rhea Branwen.'
Weiss raised a hand and wiped a tear away, beaming.
"Y-you complete dunce..."
/\
Blake and Adam smiled as Blake tore the envelope open, Adam quickly grabbing the paper from his ex-partner.
'Hey guys,
I'm so, so sorry. I can't believe what I did. I tried to kill you. My teammate and close friend, and arguably one of my best friends. I'm still pissed at you, Adam.
I don't know what came over me. I don't know what was wrong, but the good news is that Yang found me and snapped me back. I'm on meds that'll keep me stable, and I think I'm going to be alright.
I'm sorry. For everything I said and did, for scaring you (admit it, Adam), and for everything else.
Adam, I shouldn't have done what I did. I'll never forgive you for hurting Yang and Blake and betraying me when we were young, but you're trying to be better. Maybe someday, with luck, we can have another one of our encounters where I kick your ass for fun, not to kill you.
Be safe, and keep doing what you're doing. It might just be one small part of the White Fang that's changing, but every little bit helps. I'm so proud of both of you.
See you soon,
Rhea Branwen.'
Adam and Blake exchanged glances.
"Looks like she's back." Blake grinned. Her companion shook his head, actually looking happy.
"No, it's not just that... She's finally stepped out of Raven's shadow." Adam smiled. "That's the girl who saved my life. That's the real Rhea Branwen."
/\
Sun's eyes widened as he opened the blue envelope, pulling out two slips of paper: one yellow and one blue. He hid the yellow as his teammates and Brice peered down at the blue one.
'Hey guys,
I am such a bitch. I really am. I'm so, so sorry for everything that happened in the forest.
Sun, Neptune, Sage, Scarlet: I was cruel, I said some things that I shouldn't have, I ran, and I'm sorry. I mean, you guys are some of my best friends. I shouldn't have treated you like that, crazy or no.
Brice, I tried to kill you. You were going through so much, and what did I do? I got angry and tried to stab you (which is what you wanted at the time, but I still feel bad). I hope you can forgive me now that you're in recovery.
By the way... You're not the only one in recovery. Yang managed to hunt me down and bring me back to Patch, and I'm on some medication that's preventing the violent fits and the hallucinations until I've recovered. I'm also having a Raven-detox, trying to balance the Xiao-Long side of me, so the next time you see me, I might be a bit different. In a good way. A really, really good way.
I know you might never forgive me for what I've done, but that won't make me any less sorry.
I hope to fight alongside you again soon,
Rhea Brawen.'
"YES!" Neptune cheered. "She's back and she's ready to kick some ass!" As Sage, Scarlet, Brice, and Neptune talked, Sun walked away from them and opened the yellow slip of paper.
'Sun,
I can't believe all the effort you went through to try to snap me out of that madness, to try and get me to come back. Now that I have a clear head, I see that you were right and you were only trying to help.
I'm sorry. I was low, and I was cruel, and you didn't deserve my attitude or those things I said. You're one of my best friends, and I treated you like dirt.
But you still tried. I don't know if you're stubborn or just as crazy as I am, but I saw you trying to find me even after I left. I worry, you know? I kept tabs on everyone, and I saw your efforts... I don't deserve a friend like you.
Hopefully, the next time we see each other, I'll be a different girl. I'll be what I always wanted: my own person, free from Raven's influence and free to be who I am. Whoever that is. I have no idea, but my hair lights on fire when I'm really angry, now. If I'm just angry, it's ice, but you get the picture. I'm changing.
That won't stop me from kicking your ass the next time we spar, just so you know. I still want a rematch for the tournament fiasco. One where, hopefully, neither of us go crazy and tries to kill the other person. That would be bad. I don't want to guilt-trip you, but getting shot sucked.
Be careful, Sun. Be safe. Don't do anything really stupid and get yourself killed. I might just have to bring you back to life and kill you again... I guess that's me worrying, again.
Hopefully still your friend,
Rhea Branwen.
P.S: Blake's fine, just in case you wanted to know. She's hiding out with her old partner, Adam Taurus, while he restores his sector of the White Fang to the old ways of dignity and diplomacy. If you want to find them for any reason, they're all hiding in some redwood forest in southern Mistral.'
Sun smiled, only for Neptune to smirk over ha shoulder and snatch the letter, laughing as he read it, Sun fighting to get it back from his partner.
"Oooh... Looks like Blake's hanging out with her ex-boyfriend." Neptune smiled deviously. "But at least you've got a backup-girl!"
Sun glared venomously at his partner, turning slightly red as his teammates laughed at him.
"Rhea's just a friend! And Adam's just Blake's friend! And I would never think of Rhea as a backup-girl!"
"Just keep telling yourself that, buddy! She might think of you as a friend, but that smile told me all I need to know about your end of it!"
"SHUT UP!"
/\/\/\/\
I smiled, shaking my head and crossing my arms as Rhea wrote her letters.
Slowly but surely, we were teaching her how to be a normal teenager, and a real Xiao-Long.
Well, Rhea's trying her best to snap back into sanity. But will it last? I only own my OC. ghost83 owns Brice. Please read, review, check out my other stories, etc. Thanks!
By the way, according to Google Translate, Niǎo means bird in Chinese. I don't really trust Google Translate, so I apologize to anyone who knows what really it means. I hope it's not an insult or anything like that.