I do apologize about the continuing distance between updates. Real life and new video games keep getting in the way, one of which is genuinely my fault and the other i don't have much control over. But I'm still here! I'm still working! And this story is STILL ALIVE!
Yang was sitting in the living room in the early morning, catching all the old cartoons. It was about a month into break at this point, and she couldn't be happier. Taiyang and Ruby were actually getting along! Their family was all back together. Ruby walked into the room, already dressed, stretching. "Good morning, Yang."
"Good morning, sister!" Yang smiled.
"Where's dad?" Ruby asked.
"He had to go to Signal," Yang explained, "There using his classroom for the make-up school. Some jerk in the make-up classes took the teachers glasses and locked them in dad's desk. They need dad's key."
"Wouldn't the school have a copy?" Ruby asked.
"That's how the kid opened the desk in the first place," Yang nodded, "Then he swallowed it."
"Really dedicated troublemaker," Ruby replied, "Are you sure it's not you?"
"Shut up!"
"How long will he be gone?" Ruby asked.
"Pretty much all day," Yang informed her.
"Damn. I wanted to talk to him about visiting Menagerie," Ruby flopped over the back of the couch, her legs strung up and over the back, her head hanging upside-down by the floor.
"Well, maybe that means we can do something today?" Yang asked, "You've spent a lot of time with dad, and that's cool and all, but I kinda miss ya."
"What do you wanna do?" Ruby asked.
"I don't know… something more than watch TV," Yang shrugged.
"That does not help me," Ruby groaned, "You know I'm not good with that stuff."
"How did you and Blake ever make it?" Yang joked.
"Hey! It's not like there are diners in the middle of the Emerald Forest," Ruby elbowed her sister's leg, "Closest we'd get was whenever I'd bag a big buck. We would feast those nights, and whatever meat we didn't finish got turned into jerky."
"You know how to make deer jerky?" Yang acted surprised.
"No, that was all Blake." Ruby's answer genuinely surprised Yang. She thought her little sister could do everything at this point.
"That's it!" Yang shouted, her mind flaring.
"What does Blake's jerky have to do with anything?" Ruby asked, confused.
"No, hunting! You could teach me how to hunt!" Yang shouted.
"What, with a rifle? I've never hunted with a rifle, but I guess it won't be too hard," Ruby shrugged.
"No, with a bow!" Yang was bouncing with excitement.
Ruby slowly corrected herself on the couch so she could look Yang in the eye. "Do you even know how to use a bow?"
"We can start there," Yang shrugged.
"Do you have a bow?"
"Umm… we can start there?"
Sigh… "Fine. Let's go, dear sister," Ruby conceded.
"Yeah!" Yang jumped off the couch and practically ran to the door. Ruby shook her head, before grabbing both of their weapons and following.
"You're too tense."
"I'm fine."
"Hold you're arm like this."
"I said I'm fine!"
"Do you want to learn how to properly shoot this thing or not?"
Yang sighed in frustration. She hadn't even nocked one arrow yet, the past ten minutes being about how to hold the bow properly as well as the proper stance. "I just want to shoot something!"
"This isn't a gun, Yang. You have to be more patient," Ruby tried.
"You aren't! You shoot em' as fast as you nock 'em," Yang pointed out.
"I've also had six years of daily practical training and practice," Ruby reminded her, "This is your first day. And if you want to hit something, you need to take your time and breathe."
"Fine, fine. Sorry, I guess I'm not a good student," Yang lamented.
"If you're grades are any indication…" Ruby sported a teasing smile.
"Shut up…" her sister groaned.
"There ya go," Ruby carefully tugged and pushed at Yang's arms and legs, before straightening her back to set her stance.
"I have never seen you stand like this," Yang complained.
"Well, like you said," Ruby put Gilded Thorn's bow together and grabbed for an arrow, "You've never seen me hold my aim." She quickly nocked it, taking less than a second to settle into the exact same stance she just put her sister in.
"Show off…" Yang deadpanned.
"Now nock your arrow and look down the arrow-shaft, at the target." Ruby watched her sister try harder to follow her instructions. Yang took aim at the bullseye they painted on a nearby tree. "Now, your fingers-" THWANG!
Yang let go of the drawstring and watched the arrow fly… right past the tree and deep into the woods. "What the hell! My aim was perfect!"
"I didn't tell you to shoot yet," Ruby scolded.
"You mean there's more to this!?" Yang was genuinely surprised. "Give me a gun any day…"
"Does that mean you're giving up?" Ruby asked.
"No, of course not," the stubborn blonde answered quickly, "What about my fingers?"
"You're not supposed to grip the drawstring," Ruby's own bow didn't have a drawstring, so she picked up the spare practice bow to show Yang. "You're supposed to just use the tip of your fingers, the less the better. Just your index and middle to hold the arrow between is perfect. If you need to use your ring finger for more strength, that's fine too. Your pinky should not be on the string, and your thumb should be nowhere near it."
"Okay… like this?" Yang drew her bow using the tips of her first three fingers, and carefully took her ring finger off once drawn.
"Let me say right now, do not shoot," Ruby told her, "But yes, that is fine."
"If this is fine, why can't I shoot?" Yang asked.
"One last little detail, then you can let loose," Ruby assured her, "And therein is the lesson. You never hear anybody say they 'let go' of an arrow, right? It's always 'let fly' or 'let loose'."
"Okay…"
"You're not supposed to 'let go' of the string. Jerking your fingers off like that affects the shot," Ruby told her carefully, "Instead, lessen your grip lightly and let the string slide off your fingertips. The bow will take care of the rest."
"Okay. I can shoot now?" Yang double checked.
"Yes."
Yang took a deep breath, aimed, and didn't 'let go' but let loose. The arrow flew through the air and nailed the tree. It wasn't a bullseye, but it did hit the outer ring of the red design. "Oh my god! I did it! I hit!"
"Good. Now do it again," Ruby smiled, "And maybe tomorrow, we'll try with moving targets."
"What about hunting?" Yang asked.
"You shot one arrow successfully that didn't hit the bullseye," Ruby pointed out, "You have no practice against a moving target. You are barely going to injure a still buck, and you can forget hitting a rabbit."
"Alright, miss master of the forest," Yang teased, "I'll just follow. Show me how it's done."
"Don't walk so loudly," Ruby teased her sister, "You'll scare all the game off."
"I'm supposed to watch every single step so I don't step on a dry leaf or an old twig?" Yang asked in disbelief.
"Yes," Ruby nodded.
"Wait, you're being serious?"
"Hold up," Ruby held out her hand.
"What is it? I don't see any creature," Yang looked around.
"No, but there's this," Ruby pointed at a nearby bush. She walked up to it and pulled a blueberry of a branch, tossing it to Yang.
"Great. Berries. What do we do with these?" Yang asked.
"Look here… a whole patch of missing berries," Ruby pointed out.
"Maybe somebody came by and picked them?" Yang offered perspective.
"No… People usually either take few or the whole bush. And these crushed branches? That kind of damage looks like teeth. I think something fed here."
Yang looked around, trying to expand her search to anything that could help. "Hey Rubes… does that grass over there looked trampled on?"
Ruby looked the direction Yang's eyes tracked and saw a patch of taller grass with some points suspiciously crushed. "Yes it does…" The young redhead got close to the grass, examining it intently. "Tracks… pointing away from the bush… and a little piece of blueberry… still wet. This was recent, it may even be close by."
"That's good," Yang nodded.
"Maybe… The tracks are small…" Ruby examined them closely.
"What does that mean?" Yang asked.
"You don't hunt fawn, Yang," Ruby told her, "Whether or not does are fair game is a matter of debate or circumstance, but everyone agrees you don't hunt fawn."
"Have you hunted does?" Yang asked.
"Only when I was starving." Ruby answered, "Let's follow these tracks. We might still pick up larger game. Or at least a few rabbits along the way."
"So why not hunt fawns?" Yang asked.
"Population," Ruby answered matter-of-factly, "You need to give them a chance to grow and breed, or else people hunt the species to extinction."
"Wait, so fawns are like… kid deer?" Yang asked.
"Yup," Ruby nodded, ignorant of her sister's growing unease.
A little further up, they finally spotted brown fur in the distance. The girls quickly huddled into the brush, Ruby slowly readying her bow.
"Is that the same one that snacked on the bush?" Yang asked.
"We won't know for sure, though we might find fresh blueberries in it's stomach," Ruby deadpanned. The idea of cutting open the creature's stomach almost made Yang retch. "Trouble is," Ruby continued, unaware of Yang's continuing issues, "I can't tell if it's a doe or a fawn from this far back… Either way…"
Suddenly Yang gasped. A large, majestic looking buck with huge antlers suddenly stepped into view, interacting with the smaller deer they had been following.
"Aren't you a beauty…" Ruby smiled, readying an arrow.
"Wait…" Yang stalled, "We aren't going to kill the kid… but we are going to kill the kid's dad?"
Ruby finally noticed her sister's unease at this comment. The redhead was still raring to go, all the talk of hunting from all day long got her excited for this moment. She was sure Yang didn't want to actively suggest quitting either, and would let the redhead have her fun if she still wanted it. Except it was clear to Ruby now that the concept of animal families had a familiarizing effect on the blonde. Yang was inexperienced as a big game hunter, to her a family was a family.
Ruby was disappointed she wouldn't finish the hunt, but she put the arrow back into it's quiver. "Dad's probably home by now. He'll be wondering where we are."
"Right," Yang took the out, nodding fervently, "We should get back home."
Blake waited patiently at the Menagerie docks. The island didn't have proper airport, instead hosting airships at a widened wooden boardwalk when necessary. Soon enough Blake's waiting paid off, as the airship in from Vale finally arrived. The faunus smiled and waved as she watched a familiar redhead step off the ship. The second Ruby was clear of the airship, Blake ran to embrace her. "I missed you!"
"I missed you too, kitten," Ruby smiled and returned the hug.
Blake let go reluctantly, looking over her girlfriend. Her outfit was different than before. It seems rather than try to fix her damaged vest, she completely modified it. It was little more than a collection of straps with a full leather back, worn over her master's white jacket which was tucked into the waistband of her leather bottoms. Her hooded cape was attached to the new vest, and her grey skirt was swapped out with a white one to match her new top. "You look good."
"Heya, kitten!" Yang appeared behind Blake and slung one arm over the faunus's shoulders.
Blake forced the blonde's arm off with a scowl. "Only Ruby gets away with that nickname."
"So you're the Blake I've heard so much about?" A new voice called out. Blake turned to see the man who could only be Ruby's father.
"I am," Blake nodded, "It's good to meet you, sir."
"Tai is fine," Taiyang nodded, "Anyone who can make Ruby happy is fine by me."
Blake smiled. "Thank you, Tai."
"Place seems a little… crowded." Yang pointed out.
"Well… that's what happens when someone tries to shove an entire people onto an island, where only one-third of it habitable to begin with." Blake told her.
"It's that bad here?" Ruby asked incredulously.
"The desert is almost completely inhospitable," Blake told them, "And what does live there is generally very dangerous. Menagerie has the largest collection of unique and deadly wildlife."
"Well, where do you live?" Yang asked.
"Follow me," Blake took them into the streets. Yang noticed they were getting closer and closer to the big house at the center. Every time she thought Blake was taking them down a side street, she was really just avoiding a crowd. When the reached the big house, Yang still expect Blake to take some sharp turn. The blonde certainly didn't expect to be walking up the big house's steps.
The front door was already open, with Blake's mom waiting diligently at the entryway. "Hello! My name is Kali. My husband Ghira is busy, but he'll be there for dinner. Come in, come in! I can't wait to meet you all!"
"This is your house!?" Yang couldn't keep her voice down, "Are you rich!? Are you, like, Weiss rich!?"
"We're not quite that powerful," Kali answered, "Ghira is the chieftain of Menagerie, that's all."
"That's all?" Yang couldn't keep her wonderment suppressed, looking again at Blake. "Your dad happens to be high lord baron of Menagerie, but it's no big deal?"
Kali laughed, "You must be Yang."
"I must be?" Yang shifted tones, "What have you been telling them?"
"Only the truth, Yang," Blake teased.
"Don't worry, I've heard good things," Kali assured.
"Which one?" Ruby asked, "Good things or the truth?"
"Quiet you," Yang scolded.
"Which makes you Ruby," Kali smiled, "Blake hasn't shut up about you since she got home."
"Mom!" Blake turned bright red.
"Awww, I think it's sweet," Ruby teased.
"Says the woman who could barely tie three certain words together to save the dance," Blake grumbled.
"Hey now, that's not fair," Ruby crossed her arms.
"Sorry," Blake apologized, "I just… sorry."
"It's okay," Ruby nodded, "I still love ya."
"And you must be Taiyang, Ruby's father." Kali stared down the man intently, as if trying to read him.
"Um… yeah, it's nice to meet you," Taiyang held out his hand, nervous under the woman's powerful gaze.
"Hmm…" Kali kept her thoughts to herself. She clapped her hands together and threw on a big smile, focusing her attention on Ruby. "Dinner will be ready soon! Why don't I show you to your rooms?"
"I don't think your mother likes me…" Taiyang whispered to Blake.
Dinner was an interesting affair. Even Yang felt intimidated by Ghira Belladonna's strong presence, and she wasn't there to try and be liked like her sister and father. His stature, his robes, his house, and even his jawline and facial hair, all gave him a powerful air. "So, Ruby, what do you plan to do after Beacon?"
Blake reached out and took her girlfriends hand, giving it an encouraging squeeze. "Well, being a huntress has always sort of been the endgame for me. I just want to help people. Whatever I do, all I know is I want Blake there with me."
"My daughter doesn't exist to support you. What if she needs yours?" Ghira picked apart her answer.
"Has she told you about the bow?" Ruby responded. Blake's parents noticed her ears flatten on her head.
"No, she hasn't," Kali answered.
"The bow she almost used to hide her ears at Beacon, that I made her throw out?" Ruby confidently finished.
"Blake…" Ghira sounded a little disappointed.
"I'm sorry… I just didn't want to be judged," Blake told the table.
"And as far as supporting Blake," Ruby added, "my goal may stop with being a huntress, but if her goals are grander, of course I'll help her realize them."
"You love Blake very much, don't you?" Kali asked endearingly, trying to help Ruby out.
"I do…" Ruby nodded, "It kinda scared me at first how much. I didn't have good experiences with people I loved. I left my family for years, and my Master, the woman to trained me, died protecting me. 'Better to have loved and lost', though, right?"
"You were in a relationship with your Master?" Ghira asked.
"Oh no! God no," Ruby recovered, "I loved her more like a mother. A very strict mother that taught me how to use a sword."
"And your own mother?" Kali asked with maternal concern.
"Died when I was young. I don't really remember her," Ruby stated calmly.
"She was a wonderful woman," Taiyang spoke up, "You are so much like her."
Ruby smiled at the comment. Taiyang felt Kali staring daggers at him once again but shrugged it off.
The next morning, Ruby and her family were leaving to go back home. This time Blake's parents accompanied the group to the airship, where they and their daughter watched them take off.
"I like her," Ghira smiled, putting an arm around his daughter.
"Me, too…" Kali deadpanned, "but the father… I don't like him."
"Ruby says he's been doing a lot better," Blake defended, "They're getting along great."
"Well, perhaps having two more young girls in the house for a night flared my motherly instincts," Kali admitted, "but there was something… off about that man."