Revised on: August 13, 2018
THIS CHAPTER IS MASSIVE. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED.
Water. Earth. Fire. Air.
Long ago, the four nations coexisted in harmony. Together, they stood against the forces of Grimm, creatures of nightmare hailing from another world.
Only the Avatar could master all four elements. Only he could banish the Grimm. But when the world needed him most… he vanished.
Remnant learned to truly fear the Grimm. And just as it seemed like things couldn't get any worse… The Fire Nation attacked.
Fifteen years have passed since chaos descended upon Remnant, but now a new Avatar awakens: my daughter, a young airbender named Ruby. And although her airbending skills are great, she still has a lot to learn before she's able to save anyone.
But I believe that Ruby can save the world.
Book Two: Earth
Chapter Fifteen: The Tales of Vale
The Tale of Weiss
Bread was underrated, Weiss found. It wasn't the tastiest of foods, sure, but it wasn't bad either. It was an excellent source of energy before a long day of work, and it was so easy and quick to consume. Truly, bread was the unsung hero of the modern breakfast.
Unfortunately, bread could not make time go any faster. That, perhaps, was its one shortcoming. Oh, well. All things must have flaws – much like her.
"Heya!"
The door of the house flew open, and in came Ruby, wearing a particularly wide smile on her face – not a rare sight, but not an unwelcome one either. Weiss took another bite of her bread, quietly wondering how anyone could be so upbeat all the time. She certainly wasn't able of doing the same.
Maybe if she ate more bread, she could get there?
"Hey, Weiss! Just who I was looking for!" Ruby said, walking over to the dining table. "Now that is an early breakfast if I've ever seen one! Haha!"
Weiss munched on her bread a little more. Was she supposed to be amused? She was, a little. Not that she'd let Ruby know.
"Anyway…" Ruby said. "I was wondering… If you could teach me the swamp-crocodile stance today!" She thrust out her arms and swung them up and down, clashing them against each other.
Was that supposed to mimic a crocodile's mouth? Ruby needed to work on her theatric skills. Though she supposed it had conveyed the meaning well enough. Weiss tore what remained of her bread in half.
"…So, yeah… Can we do that today?" Ruby asked. "Please?"
Weiss finished her bread.
"Sorry, not today," she said. "I have something I must do at the palace. A meeting to attend which, unlike your training, cannot be postponed."
"But… a meeting? Like, another one of those boring war talks?" Ruby frowned. "Why wasn't I invited?"
"I suppose they need only my contribution this time," Weiss said, and she couldn't help but smile vainly. "I am the princess of the Water Tribe, after all. It's only expected that the Earth Queen would request my vision about the important matters that shall dictate the future of both our nations." She paused. "Do you want some bread? It's very good."
"Uh, no thanks. And wow." Ruby nodded in admiration. "I guess I kinda forgot that you're a princess… You are pretty important, Weiss!"
"Right?" Weiss' smile widened. "We'll train tomorrow, Ruby." She eyed the girl weirdly. "But I must tell you, there's no such thing as a swamp-crocodile stance. Wherever did you get that idea?"
"There isn't?" Ruby frowned. "I thought every animal from the ocean had a waterbending stance."
"Ruby, the swamp-crocodile…" Weiss sighed. "Never mind. I'll leave you to figure that out yourself. I'll be going now."
"Oh, okay," Ruby seemed a little disappointed, but she still smiled supportively at Weiss as she made for the front door. "Have fun at your super important meeting!"
"I don't know about fun, but I will aim to impress, as always." Weiss raised her chin smugly. "Heed my words: Jaws. Will. Drop."
Weiss was quite lost.
First off, when she arrived at the room she'd been invited to in the Earth Palace, she found it to be much… humbler, than the ones that had held the meetings she'd attended with Ruby and Cinder. In fact, it was so small, there was almost no space for her to navigate around the strategy table to find her seat.
Secondly, there were a lot less people than she'd expected, the group not passing a half-dozen. She only barely recognized them from previous meetings, and couldn't recall any names. Their uniforms did tell her they were all members of the Earth Army, but they were far from being Generals.
The Earth Queen, too, was nowhere to be seen.
What troubled her most, however, was that as soon as she was seated and her presence was recognized, the discussion started – and she wondered if she hadn't shown up to the wrong meeting, barely following talks of sea charts and Grimm horde patterns and cargo ratios and manpower management…
And then, after she didn't know how many hours of that, she had a stack of scrolls put in front of her, the ink on them looking at least a couple weeks old.
"Your signature, if you may, Princess."
It was a wonder that Weiss even found the presence of mind to speak. If her father was present, he would have promptly chastised her for sounding so obviously confused in front of these simple officers. "Is… is that all? There's… nothing else to be discussed?"
She eyed the officers hopefully. Surely, there had to be something she could contribute to the conversation. If not, why would she have been called here?
"No, I don't believe we missed anything," one of the officers said. "We only need a Water Tribe royal signature now. Frankly, the talks have been going on for so long, we're all just glad to finally be getting onto new ground!"
Weiss took the pen she was offered and, before signing, skimmed through the first document. The words made sense, she supposed, but their objective was lost on her. But she had to appear important, if only for her dignity's sake.
She didn't fail to notice the Earth Queen's signature was already there. So she had been involved in these talks, but Weiss could imagine she had been a lot more involved than her. And, above the Queen's signature… was her sister's name.
Of course. There had to be a representative from the North Pole for the Earth Kingdom to coordinate with. It only made sense that person would be Winter. She was, after all, a Commander of the Water Tribe Army, and she had spent a lot of time traveling the globe. Weiss could bet Winter had made many connections in the Earth Kingdom.
Weiss didn't have the strength to be bitter for more than a few seconds. Without so much as a sigh, she signed the first document, then went on to the second one, not even bothering to read it this time, and so on she went…
A half hour later, Weiss was back at the house, but she found herself unable to open the door and go inside. She could hear people talking and laughing inside, but she'd never felt so ashamed in her life before. She certainly wasn't about to go in and ruin their fun.
So she sat down on the porch, wrapped her arms around her legs and rested her chin on top of her knees. If she waited long enough, night would fall, everyone would go to sleep, and then she would be able to go inside and pretend nothing was wrong. She could tell them she'd been busy all day… at her super important meeting… which she had been very needed at…
She was so absorbed in her self-pity, Weiss didn't notice the door had opened until a particularly loud laugh reached her ears, and suddenly she noticed Ruby was sitting beside her, looking at her like she was a lost cub.
"Weiss? What's that sad face for?"
"What sad face? I don't know what you're talking about." Weiss looked away. "I'm fine."
Ruby pouted. "You can't lie to me, Weiss. I know all your faces, and right now you're wearing your sad face. What happened? Did you miss your meeting? Did a Grimm invade the palace?" her eyes widened. "Did you show up at the meeting without your pants and didn't realize until it was too late?!"
"No! None of that!" Weiss said. "Ruby, I don't even wear pants."
"Oh, yeah. How could I forget that?" Ruby laughed nervously. Suddenly, her eyes narrowed at Weiss, and the princess shrank away a little. "So you admit you're sad! I knew it. Explain yourself, or consider our friendship terminated!"
Weiss shook her head reprehensively. Sometimes she worried about the influence she had on the Avatar. She remembered Ruby had been a much gentler girl when they'd first met. Her growing up was mostly a good thing, of course, but Weiss did resent it during moments like this.
"I'm not sad, I just…" Weiss looked away. "I've been stupid."
"Whaaat?" Ruby snorted, as if she'd heard the most outrageous statement in history. "The only stupid thing here is you saying that." She shrugged. "But okay. I will humor you and hear what you have to say – even if you are wrong."
"I didn't ask you to do that,"
Ruby looked at her crossly. "Excuse me, do you want our friendship terminated?"
Weiss sighed. She was such a bad influence on Ruby. "It's just that… You know I have a hard time talking about this kind of stuff, Ruby." She paused. "I… I thought I had gotten better, you know? I used to hide who I really was. How I truly felt and the things I cared about… stuff like that. But then I met you and went on this crazy journey and we got to the North Pole, and I thought… That's not me anymore. I'm Weiss – and I'm totally okay with that."
"I… really am not following you, Weiss." Ruby tilted her head, puzzled.
"What I mean is, I convinced myself I am this super important person, because my father gave me this ambassador job, but it doesn't mean anything. It's just a stupid title, anybody from the Water Tribe could do it! It's… just like being a princess, I guess," Weiss said. "I don't have any real war experience. I don't know how to forge alliances or manage troops or negotiate treaties… I'm only good for signing things. That's all I'm here for."
Weiss bit her lip. It wasn't like those thoughts hadn't been in her mind all day, but putting them into words really, really hurt. She had half the mind to forget all about the shame she was feeling, go inside, and just crawl into her bed and only get up the next week.
"I take it back. You're acting really stupid right now."
Weiss whipped around to face Ruby again. "What did you just say?!"
"You heard it," Ruby said, crossing her arms. "You think you're not important? You're wrong. So what if you don't know all that war stuff? That stuff is boring anyway. That is what anyone can do." She humphed. "Who's my waterbending teacher? Who's the person that's always stopping Jaune from poisoning himself with wild berries? Who makes sure we don't eat too much on the road so we don't starve to death later?"
"Ruby…" Weiss frowned. "That's all fine, but-"
"No buts! Frankly, it's kinda upsetting that you think you're that replaceable. Like I'd not care if it was anyone else here instead of you," Ruby got up. "You're important to me. To all of us. So you really shouldn't be out here feeling this way. Come have fun inside already."
Like often happened when she was with Ruby, Weiss was rendered speechless. There was a hundred ways she could think of to reprimand Ruby for being so insensitive regarding her feelings, but Weiss was too touched to do that.
To think, such a stupid girl could make her feel this way…
"Fine," Weiss said, getting up. "You're terrible, Ruby. You know that, don't you?"
"Sorry, was I too harsh?" Ruby bowed her head a little, twiddling her thumbs. "I was trying to act like you do when I'm being emotional, but I don't think I'm half as good as you at that…"
"I'll take that as a compliment." Weiss smiled. "And you were perfect."
"Yay!" Ruby clapped her hands. "Maybe as a thank you, you could teach me the swamp-crocodile stance?"
"Ruby, I already told you…" Weiss stopped herself. "You know what? Okay. We'll invent a stance just for you." She shook her head. "The things you put me through, Avatar…"
Ruby smiled at her, then turned and walked inside. Weiss waited, listening to the cheerful voices coming from the house, and for a moment she was floored that, between all the places on Remnant, she had ended up here. She didn't really believe in blessings, but maybe…
With a smile on her lips, Weiss followed Ruby inside.
The Tale of Yang
"This is stupid."
Yang hit the wooden dummy on the chest, causing it to rock back and forth precariously on its base. Her knuckles stung from the impact, but she brushed that off easily.
"Really? This is stupid?" Her father huffed behind her. "I'll have you know I spent precious time, money and sweat preparing this training regimen just for you! I carved these dummies myself, using only my wit and a knife I – ahem – borrowed from the neighbor." He huffed again, even louder. "I am quite hurt that my own daughter cares so little about all the trouble I go through for her good. A thankless job, I declare!"
"Oh, quit your drama, old man," Yang turned around so he could see it when she rolled her eyes. "I'm not falling for your theatrics. I know you paid a guy to make this stuff. You couldn't carve a straight square if you tried to!"
"The brass on this girl!" Taiyang gasped. "…Still, the price was not kind to my pocket, Yang. Is it not working, really? Not at all?"
Yang sighed. "Yeah, it's not. I've been going all out on these things for half an hour at least, and nothing's happened. I can't do to these dummies what I did to jerk-face Cardin Winchester." She spun around to glare at her lifeless targets. "It's not the training that's stupid. It's good for me to keep in shape – thanks for that. It's just… this whole situation is stupid."
Yang crossed her arms. She had told herself not to get frustrated if nothing came out of this exercise, but it was hard to keep her word when it actually happened. It had been weeks since she'd lost her ability to firebend, but still she had made no meaningful advance towards getting it back. And no matter how much she told herself to be patient, it was hard to do so in the face of constant failure.
"To be honest, I hardly expected your firebending to return this easily," her father said, coming to her side and resting a hand on her shoulder. "Like I told you, a person's bending comes from a place within themselves, their spirit – not their physical body. Those two are not completely unrelated, of course, but unless your psyche is defined by how many push-ups you can do, your body's change will have little to no impact on your spirit."
"Dad, you know I can't follow you when you start rambling about spirits and all that nonsense," Yang replied grumpily. "The only thing I got now was that it's my fault for not being strong enough in spirit to get my bending back - or something like that. Thanks, Dad."
"Again, you're confusing spiritual strength with physical strength," he said sagely, and Yang had a sudden mental image of her father dressed like a monk, hiding his hands-on long sleeves opposite of each other and the top of his head hidden by an absurdly big hat. "Your spirit doesn't get stronger, nor does it get weaker. It… changes, like the tides. Sometimes your spirit will shine like the sun… a moment later, it will be as black as that horrible coffee they sell on the corner at five o'clock on week days. Dragons almighty, how can someone drink such-"
"Dad, stick to the point," Yang interrupted. "Actually, don't. You weren't making sense anyway." She raised her hands. "I'll just keep training. Something's gotta happen eventually."
"Ah, yes, the wisest of plans… throwing yourself against a wall until you are the wall!" Taiyang threw a punch at the air and shouted incoherently. "…Wait, what the heck am I saying? Why do you even listen to me, Yang?"
Yang looked at him and shrugged. She asked herself that question far too often for her own comfort.
"Alright, I'll just leave you to do your thing. I'm not an overbearing dad, after all." He flashed her a smile. Yang chose not to dispute the statement. "I'll be cooking something fancy tonight. Something involving fish, because I got the sweetest deal on some tuna from a guy on the corner – same corner with the coffee, but thankfully they weren't selling right then." He sighed in relief. "We should all eat together. You, me and Blake."
"Sure," Yang looked at him weirdly. "That's… the same thing we do every night."
"…Right. See you later ant-alligator!"
In the blink of an eye, Taiyang was out of the room. Yang winced, hearing him stomping down the stairs towards the kitchen. Her father could be really weird sometimes.
Taking a deep breath, Yang turned back to face her current dummy. Although she wasn't upset at her father – he was probably right about everything he had said – listening to him hadn't encouraged her at all. If anything, it had done the opposite.
Strength of spirit… A place within… She didn't have any of that.
A sudden anger rose to the surface, and she brought her leg up in a wide arc, connecting a kick at where the dummy's ear would be, if it had one. Her leg rumbled at the impact, and she flinched as the dummy's head flew from its neck and hit the wall next to the door, shattering noisily.
"What was that?!" her father shouted from downstairs. "Yang, are you okay?!"
"Y-yeah!" Yang gulped. "Don't worry about it, it was nothing!"
She really hoped the carpenter hadn't charged him too much.
After another hour of fruitless training, Yang decided to call it quits for the day. Overtaxing her body wouldn't bring her bending back, it would only hurt her. So she took a bath and after that, a nap, and when she woke up again, it was nighttime, and a new, sweet scent reached her room from downstairs.
"Hmm." She sat up in her bed, the enticing scent getting her awake quickly. "Dad does not disappoint."
A change to a fresh set of clothes and a quick combing of her hair later, she was hopping down the stairs two steps at a time. Yang stopped at the kitchen's doorway and looked in, but there was nobody nor anything there.
She sniffed the air and found that the scent was coming from the living room behind her instead, and when she turned around, she found Blake setting a glass pot down on the dinner table, which itself was… unusually decorated for a family dinner. Candles and shining silverware… Something wasn't right.
"Hey." Yang stepped into the living room, looking around curiously. "What's going on, Blake?"
Blake looked up at her, seemingly only noticing her presence now. Her cat ears twitched as her eyes darted from right to left, scouring the living room and the windows, before she stood straight and gave Yang a little smile.
"Hi. What do you mean, what's going on?"
"What's with the fancy table?" Yang asked. She approached the table and looked down at the pot. She couldn't quite describe what she was looking at – a mix of spongy yellow and a little faint blue here and there, some spices sprinkled on top… "And what's this?"
"That's, ah… That's our dinner," Blake said slowly. "It's a local recipe from the… west coast islands. It's very good, I promise. Well, it's supposed to be good – I've never made it myself, but I was taught how to by…" She paused. "Your dad helped too."
"Well, I see no reason not to trust you," Yang said. She was a little skeptical still, but if Blake had cooked the meal herself, she owed it to her to at least try it. "Where is Dad anyway? I thought this was supposed to be a family dinner – well, not family exactly, but you get what I mean…"
Yang bit her tongue, wishing she could take that last part back. What an insensible thing to say, after all the time she had spent with Blake. But if Blake was offended, she didn't show it. She didn't even seem to be paying much attention to Yang – in fact, her eyes were everywhere but Yang.
"Your father had an emergency," Blake said.
"An emergency? At this hour?" Yang frowned. "That doesn't sound good."
"It's a very dire situation. That's all he would say," Blake stated firmly. "But he insisted we eat without him. Just the two of us." She sat down on her chair and grabbed her silverware. "It's all very unfortunate."
Yang stood still for a moment, not knowing exactly how to proceed. It was now very clear to her what was going on, even if it was a little difficult to believe. Not the part about her dad's involvement – she should have figured he was plotting something when he told her about dinner earlier. But that Blake had connived with him to get to this point…
Maybe she was looking too much into it. It was just dinner with a friend. Her best friend. And her father only wanted her to spend some quality time with Blake – her friend - without him around for once. Yeah, that was it.
"Alrighty. It's his loss," Yang said. "I bet he's devastated he can't enjoy your awesome cooking."
"I… would hold any praise until you've taken a bite," Blake replied, looking at the pot self-consciously.
"Oh, I'm sure it's more than fine. Can't be worse than Dad's cooking."
Yang bent down over the table and took a sniff of the food. The smell did not match its looks at all. In fact, now that she was so close, she could tell that it was not coming from the food at all. It was like… some kind of flower. Roses? Lilies? Or…
She looked at Blake, and the faunus matched her stare, completely silent.
This wasn't dinner with a friend.
Blake's food was good. It wasn't the best thing Yang had ever tasted, but it was a welcome change after the meager dinners they'd been having lately. And considering that it was the first time Blake made the food, things could only get better in the future. A few more dinners like this, and she would have the recipe mastered.
Yes, Yang would like more of these dinners.
"I'm really glad you liked it," Blake said, putting the empty pot on the kitchen sink. "I'll be honest, I was really worried you weren't going to like it. I've only ever cooked simple meals, never something as fancy as this."
"That's a sad thing to hear." Yang grinned. "So much squandered potential… But now that I know you have the touch, we're gonna have to make this a frequent occurrence."
"I don't know about that. It was my first time." Blake shrugged. "Beginner's luck, probably."
"Nope. You're not getting away that easy. You're gonna cook for us again, no arguing." Yang crossed her arms. "And if I ever hear you talking yourself down like that again, I'll…"
Yang paused. She meant to end that with a threat, but nothing appropriate was coming to mind. That, and she wasn't exactly in the mindset to be so brutish with Blake. Most of the time, Yang had no problem saying whatever was on her mind.
This was not one of those times.
"Yes?" Blake turned around to face her, and Yang was suddenly aware how close they were. Just a step or two forward, and… "What would you to do to me, Yang?"
Yang pursed her lips, somehow unable to look away from Blake's eyes. It seemed like half her brainpower had fizzled away all of a sudden, and the remaining half wasn't working very well anymore either.
Go on, now's your chance!
This is a little too fast…
Who cares, go for it.
She'll take the lead.
No, Blake is not going to take the lead.
This is all a big misunderstanding.
Just do it already!
"U-uh, I w-would…" Yang stuttered. Her mouth felt way too dry. "…give you a pep talk. T-to cheer you up." She gulped. "G-good night."
Blake tilted her head a little. "…Good night?"
"I'm, uh, exhausted. From working out. And having fun. With you," Yang said. "Bye."
Blake smirked. "See you tomorrow."
Yang backed away towards the doorway. Halfway there, she realized what she was doing and spun around, then walked away with measured steps. As soon as she was out of Blake's sight, she jumped onto the stairs and raced up the steps and into her room, closing the door behind her and pressing her back to it.
That freaking smirk! She hated it so much. Why did Blake have to be so clever? She was probably laughing right now, thinking that she had played Yang so well. Well, she was wrong! Blake had not succeeded. Yang had not fallen for her wicked wiles, and she never would!
Never never never never.
Never.
…Why did she feel so warm?
The Tale of Pyrrha and Cinder
Pyrrha stood on the porch of the house, stretching her arms above her head leisurely. This was an excellent morning. The sun was shining, the air was especially fresh, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. It was in days like these she resented how connected to the earth she was. Sometimes she wished she could soar away from the ground, like Ruby did, and reach for the stars.
"Having a nice time?"
Cinder appeared beside her, leaning easily on the porch. Pyrrha finished stretching and looked at her companion. She still didn't quite know how to feel about Cinder. Firebenders weren't exactly her favorite kind of people, especially those that used their abilities for evil. But that wasn't who Cinder was today… As far as it appeared.
"Of course," Pyrrha said. "How could I not enjoy this? Today… It feels incredible."
"I suppose it does, now that you mention it." Cinder hummed. "It's easy to take mornings like this for granted. Especially when your life is so chaotic." She paused. "Are you doing anything today, Pyrrha?"
Pyrrha tried to keep her reaction to a minimum, but she was so surprised, it was hard to keep a straight face. "No, I don't have anything planned. Why do you ask?"
"I was wondering if you wanted to spend time together, just the two of us," Cinder said. "We haven't gotten to know each other much, have we? I would like to remedy that."
"I… I guess that would be nice," Pyrrha said. She wondered if she would have replied differently had she more time to think of an answer. Probably not – Cinder's suggestion was unusual, but Pyrrha couldn't see anything necessarily wrong with it. "Did you have something in mind?"
"Well, I've seen you fight a little, and I've been hearing a lot about the Invincible Girl from Mistral, but that's as far as I've gotten to know your strength." Cinder smirked. "A friendly spar. What do you say?"
That was Cinder's idea of spending time with a friend? She shouldn't be so surprised, Pyrrha supposed. From what she gathered, Cinder hadn't had many friends in the past – if any at all. She probably didn't know any better.
Pyrrha had to admit, strange as it was, the idea intrigued her. She couldn't deny that she had been wondering how capable Cinder was too. And the best training was facing new opponents. The more unique they were, the better.
"That sounds great," Pyrrha said. "But there's not much space around here, and I don't think the Queen would like you showing off your firebending so openly. We should find someplace better."
"I was just about to suggest that. Good to know you're so forward-thinking, Pyrrha Nikos," Cinder nodded. "Somewhere near the northern wall, perhaps?"
"That should do." Pyrrha looked around. "Hey, Jaune!"
The boy was practicing with his sword on the courtyard, not too distant from them, his shirt thrown on the ground beside him. Him being there might or might not have been why Pyrrha had come to the porch in the first place.
"Hello, Pyrrha." He turned around, flashing a charming smile, and leaned on his sword. As soon as he saw Cinder was beside her, however, he lost his balance and fell on his side. "A-and Cinder! Hello to you too!"
"Hello," Cinder said amusedly. "Nice morning down there too?"
"Yes, very!" Jaune exclaimed. "D-did you want something, Pyrrha?"
"Cinder and I are going to spar. Would you like to come along and watch?" Pyrrha asked.
"Uh, you know what, that sounds awesome, truly it does, but I'm… preoccupied." Jaune rolled on the ground, turning his back to them and curling up. "Have fun, girls!"
Pyrrha nodded, a little disappointed, then came down the porch and started heading off the house's limits. She looked back to see if Cinder was following her, and saw she was now crouching beside Jaune, tapping his bare arm gently.
"Thank you, my shining knight," Cinder said solemnly. "You have a productive day too."
"T-thanks…"
Cinder got up and joined Pyrrha again. Pyrrha put her hands on her hips and set a stern look on her. She herself wasn't sure what message she was trying to convey, but it certainly wasn't anything nice.
"What?" Cinder said, the tips of her lips curving upwards ever so slightly. "I was only joking."
"Jaune is not just a target for mockery," Pyrrha stated. "It's okay to joke around, but…"
"But? Why, Pyrrha, you seem to be taking the joke a little personally." Cinder winked. "Although… One might think your issue is not with the joke, but something else entirely. But maybe I'm just jumping to conclusions. Let's find our battleground, Invincible Girl."
Pyrrha pursed her lips. She was beginning to feel much more comfortable with the idea of hitting Cinder repeatedly and without mercy.
In a friendly manner.
"This seems like a good enough spot."
Pyrrha looked around. To the north was a section of the wall that separated the Middle and Lower Rings, and to the south was the conjunction of houses they had come from. Between them was a nearly empty space, with rocky soil that was only seldom interrupted by a small patch of grass or pond. A place designed to buffer an invading army's advance, in case the Lower Ring was invaded and the wall was broken through.
"Agreed," Pyrrha said, turning to Cinder. "Shall we set up some rules?"
"I demand you not hold back. Any ability you have in your repertoire, you are free to use," Cinder said. "However, I will refrain from utilizing a few advanced techniques."
"Really? That's a little arrogant, don't you think?" Pyrrha asked.
Cinder raised an eyebrow. "Would you prefer I throw lightning at you, then?"
Pyrrha looked at Cinder, sure that she was joking. But Cinder looked completely serious – which wasn't exactly out of the norm, even when she was being humorous, but Pyrrha could tell she meant what she said.
"Okay, I see your point. We should have a safe word, in case one of us gets hurt, or you want to give up." Pyrrha smirked. "And I do mean you."
"Oh, getting feisty now, are you?" Cinder said. "Alright, if one of us should wish to forfeit the match, we need only yell… knight."
"Haha. I see what you did there." Pyrrha rolled her eyes. "Anything else?"
"Nothing on my part. Shall we get started?"
They stared at each other, Cinder with the utmost confidence written in her eyes, and Pyrrha with the certainty that she was going to beat that arrogance out of her soon enough.
What could she say? She was competitive by nature.
Pyrrha was the one to take the initiative, launching a chunk of the ground towards Cinder with a kick. The firebender tore the rock apart with a stream of flames, then waited patiently as the dust settled. When the air was cleared, Cinder saw Pyrrha coming from up high, a fist poised to strike her over the head.
Hitting the ground with the back of her foot, Cinder released a burst of fire to propel herself forward and under her opponent, then turned around just as Pyrrha landed. Cinder continue to further the distance between them, throwing two fireballs that forced Pyrrha to take out her shield and block.
The girl was smart. She must have figured the best advantage she had was to close the distance between them and force Cinder to fight her up-close, where she had her shield and Cinder had only her fists. A good plan, if a little presumptuous.
Cinder reversed direction, now heading straight towards Pyrrha. Remarkably, the earthbender was not caught by surprise, instead immediately raising her shield to prepare herself from an attack. Cinder redirected her flames once again, using them to shoot upwards just as they were about to collide. She spun in the air and thrust out her hand in a chopping motion towards the exposed back of Pyrrha's neck.
Her hand met metal, and she landed on her knees clumsily. Gritting her teeth, she looked up – Pyrrha was turning around, her leg making a wide arc already. Cinder dropped completely, dodging the rocky projectile thrown at her, then somersaulted to her feet and countered with a stream of fire.
She heard the metallic noise too late – Pyrrha's shield came cutting through the flames and struck her on the shoulder, sending her reeling back. The ground rumbled beneath Cinder's feet, and she felt a fist connect to the small of her back. She fell on her knees, fury suddenly exploding from within…
Barely thinking, she joined the index and middle fingers of her right hand, rose to her feet, and brought them just beneath Pyrrha's jaw. The redhead girl dropped her shield and raised her hands, eyes wide with fear.
A small spark flew from Cinder's fingertips. "Knight."
She lowered her hand and took a step back. That had been stupid. But she hadn't expected Pyrrha to put up such a fight.
"Sorry," Cinder said. "I got a little lost there. You had me in a corner, I was growing desperate…" She bowed her head. "You won fair and square."
"Not really," Pyrrha said, her heart still beating like crazy. "You would have killed me if this were a real battle."
"In that case, you also had plenty of chances to bash my head in with your shield." Cinder noted. "Don't cut yourself short, Pyrrha. I already made that mistake for you."
Pyrrha frowned. She knew for sure she wouldn't have done anything all that different in a real battle – certainly nothing as brutal as what Cinder was suggesting. But she supposed Cinder had a different perspective of such situations. Maybe she wasn't so wrong.
"Tell me, Pyrrha," Cinder said, sitting down on the ground. "How did you become a metalbender? I've never met one before. Is it a family trait, or…?"
"No, I wasn't born able to metalbend. But, then again, I wasn't born being able to earthbend either," Pyrrha said, sitting beside her. "The two are not separate, you see. Metalbending is just… trickier. An advanced form. Like your lightning, I guess."
"Ah. That makes sense." Cinder nodded. "But lightning is not as uncommon. Many firebending masters can do it. As far as I'm aware, you're the only metalbender in history."
"Well… yeah. I guess I am." Pyrrha looked away. "You're not trying to flatter me just because you almost melted my face off, are you?"
"Not at all." Cinder elbowed her lightly. "I have no problem flattering those who deserve it. It's that simple."
Pyrrha hummed under her breath. Their spar had done nothing to help clear up how she felt about Cinder. If anything, the firebender was more of a mystery now than ever before.
"You know, considering the company he keeps, trying to impress him is probably not going to get you any positive results," Cinder said, now lying on her back. "I suggest a more direct approach. And if you're not ready for that… Well, you never know when time will run out." She shrugged. "Just some advice, woman to woman."
Pyrrha stared at her in confusion for a moment, until it dawned on her what Cinder was talking about. "I… have no idea what you're talking about," she said, turning her face away to hide her blushing cheeks.
"Sure you don't, Invincible Girl."
Cinder Fall was a mystery, and again, Pyrrha couldn't tell whether she was being serious or not…
But maybe she made a good point.
"Thank you, Cinder. You're… a lot friendlier than you appear at first," Pyrrha said hesitantly.
"I will take that as a compliment." Cinder smirked. She stood up and offered Pyrrha a hand. "Now… Would you care for a rematch?"
The Tale of Ruby
Ruby was tired. She had thought attending war strategy meetings would be easy as eating cake, especially after all the Grimm and people she'd been fighting since she'd woken up in the cold waters of the South Pole… But that was before she'd actually gotten to it.
Meetings were boring. It was just a bunch of people – high-ranking officials of the army and members of the Vale court, and sometimes the Queen herself – talking and talking and talking about all manners of things, and Ruby only understood a tenth of all that, but that didn't mean she had anything meaningful to contribute even in these occasions.
More than boring, however, the meetings were frustrating. Ruby thought herself a very patient person, but she was beginning to change her mind, as despite her having attended weeks' worth of war meetings, nothing seemed to have changed. There was no concrete plan on how to continue the fight against the Fire Nation, much less retaking Atlas. Maybe it was because she would rather discuss hugs and friendship instead of war, but it felt like nothing had moved forward at all since she'd come to Vale.
Weiss shared the same frustration, but hers seemed to come from an understanding of how slow matters like these could be, rather than plain impatience like Ruby's. On the other hand, Cinder seemed entirely unaffected. Seeing as she was the only one in the group with actual war experience, Ruby decided to follow her example and not make a fuss – for now.
Still, she was tired. Today she hadn't had any company in the palace. Weiss had stayed at the house to see about some messages to send to the Water Tribe, and Cinder had been to meetings separate from Ruby's. The only thing worse than listening to noblemen discussing the logistics of transporting cabbage to feed the army's advance, was doing so without friends.
But now she was free. As she walked away from the shuttle station and headed down the Middle Ring, Ruby could barely contain a sigh of contentment, remembering how soft and peaceful and easy to sleep on her favorite tree branch behind the house was. She couldn't wait to lie down and-
"Avatar! Avatar! Please, will you help us?"
Ruby stopped in her tracks and bowed her head in disappointment, but only for a moment. She forced herself to smile and turned around, and saw a middle-aged woman walking fast towards her, her hands clasped together in front of her chest. The woman stopped before her, breathing with difficulty, but she seemed very relieved.
"You're… you're the Avatar, aren't you?" the woman asked. "Yes… You look just like people say! Red hair, silver eyes… Unless I'm mistaken?"
"Nope, that's me. Avatar Ruby, at your service!" Ruby said. "You need help?"
"Yes. I'm… I'm so sorry to bother you, it's just… I don't know where else to go at this point." The woman shook her head. "You see, there's a monster going around. A Grimm…"
"A Grimm?" Ruby repeated. It was no surprise, really. Though she would have liked if people asked her to rescue their cat-beaver from the top of a tree from time to time. "That's my specialty. But isn't it the city guard's job to take care of Grimm around here?"
"It is, and we've asked for their help, but they couldn't kill the Grimm. It was too strong – I think some soldiers got hurt badly…" the woman said. "They gave up hunting it down. Said that the Grimm wasn't going out of its way to get people anyway, so it wasn't that big of a deal, but they're wrong. Just earlier today, it almost got my boy…"
The woman shuddered, and Ruby noticed there was a little boy peeking from behind her, grabbing at his mother's skirt. He noticed Ruby looking at him and jumped, his eyes going wide.
"I see." Ruby nodded. "Where's this Grimm, ma'am?"
The woman frowned. "Huh? Don't you wanna find out more before you go after it?"
"Not really. Whatever this Grimm is, I'm pretty sure I can handle it, and the more time that passes, the more likely it is that someone gets hurt," Ruby said. "It's my job to make sure that doesn't happen. So if you know where the Grimm is, I'd really like to know."
"Well, it moves around, like they all do, I guess," the mother said. "But there might be a place where you can track it down. I don't think you're gonna like it, though…"
"Freaking sewers, really?"
Ruby spat at the dirty water and rubbed her arms and legs. She had just dropped through a manhole, and just the smell was almost enough to make her spew out her lunch. How many people lived in the Middle Ring? Hundreds, thousands? And all their waste ended up down here. The Air Temples' system had been much nicer than this… As far as she had been taught, that is.
"Okay. Just ignore it, Ruby, power through," she whispered to herself. "Find the Grimm, kill it, save good people. A little stink isn't gonna stop you."
She started walking, and soon the smell became the least of her problems. The lack of light was a more immediate concern. Ruby extended her hand in front of her and snapped her fingers, trying to conjure a small flame, like she had done back at Beacon Tower, but nothing happened.
She didn't let that failure deter her. There were more ways to see than with her eyes. She could feel the air currents running through the sewer tunnels in front of and behind her, and with a tap of her foot, she was able to roughly make out her surroundings through earthbending.
But the tunnels weren't the only thing she felt. A deep rumble shook her, so powerful that even without earthbending she would have noticed it. Something was moving nearby. Something big and heavy… something evil…
She didn't need any bending to find her way to her target, as a light feeling at the back of her head guided her through the darkness, growing surer and surer with each step. Soon, she came to a halt, and waited.
Three pairs of red eyes shone in the darkness ahead of her, and a croak echoed throughout the sewers. Ruby took out her staff and released its blade. Time to fight.
Something cut through the air, heading straight at her at breakneck speed. Ruby jumped over whatever it was, letting the wind carry her high up, and spun around to connect her feet to the ceiling. The impact let her get a new sense of her surroundings, and after's a few seconds' thinking, she was pretty sure what her target was.
A giant, disgusting toad.
Ruby kicked against the ceiling, boosting herself towards the Grimm. She swung her staff, releasing a rush of wind towards the beast to disorient it before she struck – but she only slashed through thin air and landed back on the concrete floor beside the waste. The Grimm had moved, faster than she had expected considering its size.
Its movement was no mystery, as its steps made the tunnels shake all around Ruby, forcing her to bend down so as not to stumble and fall. She looked through the darkness, to the walls and the ceiling, trying to catch a glimpse of the toad's eyes – there!
She started to raise her staff, but suddenly something slimy wrapped her left arm. Ruby didn't have time to be disgusted. The next second, she was off the ground, being pulled violently through the air towards the Grimm. Thinking fast, Ruby thrust out her feet to produce an air current, changing her trajectory. She slammed against a wall, and the thing around her arm let go. Though she tried, she couldn't stop herself from falling into the dirty water.
Ruby couldn't remember a feeling more unpleasant than this. Sure, there was pain, but this was something else entirely. If she could, she would have jumped out of her body right then and there and never returned – or at least until someone gave her body a very thorough bath.
Even as her stomach turned and turned, a feeling bigger than disgust rose inside her, something she was deeply familiar with, but that she never had been able to describe. There was one image she could associate with it – Grimm – and that was all she needed.
Moved by instinct, Ruby raised her free hand above her head and closed it around the Grimm's slimy tongue – she was suddenly aware that was what had grabbed her before. Not wasting a second, she brought her staff up, slicing the tongue. The Grimm made a horrible noise and dropped onto the water, producing a great splash.
Everything went grey.
And then she was standing on the toad's head, her blade pressed against the space between its many eyes. A thoughtless swing of her staff – and the Grimm turned to smoke under her.
Ruby dropped back into the water, once again aware of herself and in how disgusting of a situation she was. Her stomach caught up to her, and she had to draw on all her strength and happy thoughts to keep herself from throwing up.
She didn't care how big or strong any Grimm she faced in the future might be, this one was, without a doubt, the worst one ever.
After finding her way back to the surface through another manhole, Ruby tried her best to bend all the waste and disgusting residue off her, but after half an hour, she still couldn't bear to smell herself. Her fate was sealed - she was going to be like this for weeks, it seemed.
However, she couldn't call it a day yet. She still needed to tell the mother who had come to her that the matter was settled. Hoping her disgusting state of being would be forgiven, Ruby followed the directions she was given to a small house on the outskirts of the Middle Ring.
She knocked on the door, and while she waited, looked up at the night sky, eager to go back home and rest at last. She was so tired now, but also happy. She had helped someone today, and there was no better feeling in the world than that.
The door opened, and the mother looked at her, astounded. "Avatar! Is… is it you?"
"Do I look that bad?" Ruby giggled. "Yeah. You were right, the sewers suck. But I got rid of the Grimm."
"You did?" the woman gasped. "But so quickly? You did say you weren't going to wait, but still… You aren't hurt, are you?"
"No, I'm just disgusting," Ruby said. "Sorry, I'm probably infecting your house with this smell."
"Oh, Avatar, never mind that! I am so, so grateful! My boy can play in the streets again without me having to worry!" The mother wiped her eyes with a hand. "To be honest, when I heard the Avatar was just a fifteen-year-old girl, I thought… Well, no wonder the world is in the state it is today! But now I can see that's not the case at all. You give me hope, Avatar. Thank you so much!"
Ruby smiled at the woman and bowed her head a little. She never knew what to say or do in these situations. It was almost better when people didn't like her.
"Well, uh… If you need anything else, just look for me, okay? I'll be more than happy to help with whatever," Ruby said. "I should go take a really long bath now."
"You should," the mother said. "May the future be kind to you, Avatar."
Ruby nodded cheerfully and turned around. She started down the steps of the house, a new spring in her walk. Nothing put her in a better mood than-
"Oh, that's a shame…" she heard the mother say behind her. "Your cloak…"
Ruby looked back confusedly, then lowered her eyes, trying to get a good look at her back. Her cloak was nearly torn into two pieces, only held together by the thinnest fabric at the very top.
Her breath stopped.
All noise ceased.
The world became a blur before her eyes.
She stomped down the street towards the house – her home – but it wasn't really her home, it never had been and never would be – and the people inside weren't her family and would never be her family – she was alone now – had always been…
She ripped the cloak off her shoulders and threw it on the street, then stormed inside the house, slamming the door behind her.
"Ruby? What are you doing?"
Slowly, Ruby opened her eyes. Weiss was crouching beside her, staring at her like she was a being from another planet. Ruby blinked a few times, then sat up. "What do you mean, what am I doing?"
"You were sleeping on the floor," Weiss said. "I know you prefer trees, but this is a new level of weird. Care to explain?"
"Huh?"
Ruby looked around, and everything came back to her. Mother needing help. Sewer Grimm. And…
A sick feeling sank down her stomach.
"I… I was just tired," she mumbled.
"So tired you couldn't climb onto your tree? Or the sofa, for that matter?" Weiss sighed. "Never mind. What got you so tired? I was a little worried when you didn't come back last night. I waited a long time, but…"
"Oh, I was just doing Avatar stuff," Ruby said quietly. "No biggie. Promise."
"Hmm." Weiss stood up. "Well, I found your cloak on the porch. Guess you were so tired you didn't notice it slipped off your shoulders. Here it is."
Before Ruby could say anything, Weiss reached for something on the living room table beside them and tossed it at her.
Ruby's cloak fell on her lap, clean, soft, and whole. She looked down at it, thinking she was seeing things – she had just woken up, after all – or maybe she was still dreaming?
"What's with that look?" Weiss asked. "You're acting unusually weird, Ruby, even for your standards."
"My cloak… It got ripped last night!" Ruby looked up. "Weiss, did you fix it?"
"What? No, I didn't," Weiss said.
"Jaune? Pyrrha? Cinder?"
"They're all still sleeping." Weiss crossed her arms. "I did think it looked nicer than usual. Are you sure you ripped it, Ruby?"
"Yes, I am very sure." Ruby shook her head in disbelief. "Who fixed it, then…?"
Maybe she was thinking about it all wrong, and this wasn't her cloak at all. But at closer inspection, she could see the old trace of where it had been damaged last night, as well as all the tiny accidents that it had endured over the years. Everything was mended so well, it was like the cloak was brand new.
"I don't know, Ruby. You should just be grateful, is what I think," Weiss said. "Now, get up. We can't have you inside the house smelling like this. Goodness, Ruby, what did you get up to last night?!"
"I was fulfilling my Avatar duties!" Ruby protested. "You can't blame me for getting a little stinky for the greater good!"
"It's always Avatar duties with you!" Weiss scoffed. "Oops, I broke your favorite hairbrush, Weiss. But it was because of my Avatar duties, okay? Please forgive me!"
"I already told you, there was a Beowolf going through your bag!" Ruby said. "If I hadn't intervened, a lot more stuff would have been broken!"
"Whatever. You know what you did, Miss Avatar." Weiss snapped her fingers. "Up. Bath. Do not make me treat you like a dog."
Ruby bit her tongue to stop herself from saying that Weiss was treating her like a dog, already. With a groan, she got on her feet, and took perverse pleasure in how Weiss had to pinch her nose as she walked past.
Before she left the house, Ruby looked down at her cloak and pressed it tightly against her cheek. The familiar smell and warmth brought a smile to her face.
It was good to be home.
The Tale of Jaune
Jaune kicked a rock lazily as he walked on the streets of the middle ring, his hands on his pockets and head bowed low. This really was a boring, dreadful day, but he really shouldn't be surprised at this point. It seemed every day was like this lately.
Sorry, Jaune, I can't right now. I'm spent after all the training I did yesterday.
No. I have more important matters to attend to at the palace. Perhaps we can hang out together in a few years, once the fate of the world is not at stake.
I'm teaching Ruby some advanced earthbending techniques today, sorry. Maybe later. Unless you want to watch?
You must be really desperate if you're coming to me. But I'm afraid I don't fit your definition of… fun.
Jaune shuddered. He really had tried all his options, but nobody had time for him. It was funny – now that they were safe and didn't have to move every minute of every day, he was seeing far less of his friends. He understood why, and he didn't resent them for doing things that were of real importance… but he couldn't help but feel useless.
Everyone had their roles. He was just there to… be a friend. And, as it turned out, nobody needed that right now.
"Oh, well." He kicked the rock further away. "At least I get good food every day and there are no Grimm trying to kill me. Who am I to complain?"
The rock hit a curb and jumped up, flying over a fence to land in the grassy courtyard of a house. Jaune stopped to look, and a moment later, sighed in resignation. Yes, he was going to go chasing after a rock. This was his life now.
He stepped onto the sidewalk, then moved one leg over the fence, holding onto the wood, expecting it to crumble under his weight any second. Fortunately, that did not happen, and he managed to put both feet back on the ground. His shoes sank halfway through muddy soil, and the grass swept wall past his knees, almost reaching his stomach. Suddenly, Jaune was very aware of the loud cricketing of bugs all around him, and his skin started to itch all over.
Swallowing dry, he looked up, but what he saw only made him feel worse. A house stood at the other side of the courtyard, and it looked like it had been abandoned even longer before the lawn, with wooden walls that didn't seem nearly sturdy enough to hold up the ceiling, and windows so dusty he could see nothing on the other side. It was a far cry from the rest of the properties in the Middle Ring.
"Okay. That's a, uh… nice sight." Jaune put his hands on his hips and breathed out slowly. "You know what. I don't think any rock is worth this."
He started to turn, but a strange noise caught his attention. It was so quiet, for a moment he thought he had imagined it, but then it happened again, and there was no mistaking what it was. Jaune took a deep breath, then turned back around and walked further into the courtyard, approaching the house.
As he neared the house, he found the child, hiding under the steps that lead into the front door. She was trembling all over, with her arms wrapped around her knees, eyes puffed and red. Jaune looked around, trying to find whatever she was afraid of, but aside from the house, there was nothing he thought could elicit such fear.
"Hey," he said softly, and she looked up at him, eyes going wide. Jaune raised a hand amicably, then slowly lowered into a crouch in front of her. "Sorry for startling you. I heard you crying… Is something wrong?"
"I'm not crying!" the girl exclaimed, raising her chin proudly. "I don't cry. Crying is for babies!"
"Well, yeah, crying is pretty much the only thing babies do." Jaune shrugged. "So, if you're not crying… What's up? Why are you down there?"
"It's none of your business! Leave me alone!" The girl backed away slightly, fixing him with a scalding stare.
Jaune sighed. This was what he got for going out of his way to help a stranger. But as annoying as this little girl was being, he wasn't about to leave her alone in the state she was.
"Look, it's okay if you're scared. I'm not gonna judge you. Just…" He gestured at the courtyard. "I don't think you should be hanging out here, especially on your own. Doesn't look like a nice plane for anyone to be, don't you agree?"
"I don't care." The girl crossed her arms vehemently. "I can't go… There's something I need to do."
"What is it, then? Maybe I can help you out."
The girl looked at him, as if trying to discern whether he was being serious or not. Eventually, she uncrossed her arms and crawled out of her hiding place. She stood up, and though she refused to look at him, her posture was much less hostile.
"I need to go into that house and get something," she said. "It'll be really quick."
"Okay." Jaune looked at the house. It was even worse from up close. Just his luck that helping the girl meant going inside such a creepy place. "What are we looking for? It'll go faster if you tell me what it looks like."
"I already told you, it's none of your business! Just go with me and watch my back, okay?" The girl pursed her lips. "They say a family of Grimm lives inside this house, and they eat anyone who goes in uninvited. But if we don't make a noise…"
Jaune nodded, deciding to humor the girl rather than trying to explain to her that wasn't how Grimm worked. He doubted she would even listen to him, anyway.
He went up the steps and peered through the slightly ajar door, wondering if there was anyone, or anything, inside. There was no way Grimm were hiding there, but that didn't mean something else wasn't. He wished he had his sword with him…
"Okay, take my hand," he said, pushing the door open. "We don't wanna get separated in the dark."
The girl made a show of glaring at him, but the quickness with which she obeyed him betrayed her true feelings. Jaune went in, and as darkness shrouded them, he felt the girl's hand squeeze his fingers hard.
"You've got any idea where the thing is?" he asked.
"Shh! The Grimm!" the girl whispered, her voice filled with fear. "T-the back room! G-go, before they find us!"
Jaune walked through the darkness, feeling the space in front of him with his hand. His fingers brushed against a wall, and as he explored it further, he soon found the corner of a doorway. He squeezed the girl's hand and went through, and now he could vaguely make out a long hallway. Several rooms sprung on both sides, and one at the very end.
"Y-you know what…" the girl started walking backward. "I d-don't need to go, you can do it alone…"
"Nope. You're not bailing now!" Jaune said. "You have to be brave, or else you're gonna get eaten."
"B-but…" The girl hugged his leg. "Okay… Let's go!"
Jaune walked forward, ignoring the other doors as he went for the last one. It was weird – if it was any other situation, he would be scared out of his mind, but having to take care of this child seemed to have brought another side of him, and he wasn't hesitating at all.
He reached the door and pushed it open. It dragged against the floor, producing a shrill noise, and eventually came to a halt. He looked in, but couldn't make out anything in the dark.
"Well? Where is it?" he asked.
The girl swayed back and forth on the balls of her feet, biting her lip nervously. Jaune patted her encouragingly on the back, and she looked up at him, tears welling up in her eyes. He smiled at her and nodded.
She shuffled into the room, disappearing in the darkness for a few seconds, then came running back to him, nearly knocking him over as she wrapped herself around his torso. "I got it go go go go go!"
Jaune ran back the way they'd came and jumped out the the front door. As soon as they were in the open, the girl let go of him and started spinning and jumping in place, laughing in delight. Jaune looked at her and saw she was holding a rag doll of a girl in her hands.
"Huh." Jaune walked to the girl. "So that's what you were looking for."
"Yes. Her name's Sapphire, 'cause her eyes are really really blue…" The girl looked up at him, a challenge written in her eyes. "…and she's not silly!"
"Yeah, of course not. I never said she was!" Jaune chuckled. "How did Sapphire end up inside that place anyway?"
The girl pursed her lips and stared at the doll for a while, as if she were having a very intense conversation with it. Finally, she nodded and looked at him again.
"My friends caught me playing with Sapphire and they took her… you know, just as a joke…" She blushed. "But then I started crying, and they said I was being a baby, and they ran away with her. They said if I wanted Sapphire back, I just needed to get her from inside the house, but I was never going to do that… since I'm a baby and all…"
Jaune frowned. It had been a while, but he had some childhood memories of being the target of pranks like that too. It seemed that no matter which nation they were from, children could be even crueler than adults sometimes.
"Listen, I think these kids you said are your friends… Well, they're not really your friends at all." Jaune crouched in front of her. "I think they're very stupid to treat you like that. You can do much better."
"They were right, though." The girl's eyes welled up with tears. "If you hadn't shown up, I would never have gone inside…"
"So what? I wouldn't go in there alone either!" Jaune shook his head. "More importantly, this stuff about crying and babies… that's stupid! Everybody cries, that's just a fact – and there's nothing wrong with that." He paused. "Let me tell you something. My friends are all really, really strong. Like, they could kill that Grimm family from the house without breaking a sweat. That strong. And guess what, they all cry sometimes. And that's why I'm not ashamed to be afraid or sad or dumb from time to time – because if they can do that and still be the strongest people I know, then so can I!"
For a moment, the girl just stared at him, blinking sporadically.
"That's kinda dumb," she muttered, and her lips curved into a shy smile. "But also kinda very smart…"
"I know, right?" Jaune grinned. "It's part of my charm." He got up and patted the girl on the head. "Alright, so what you're gonna do now is get out of this place, find your supposed friends, give them a very stern talking-to, and if they don't apologize, you have my permission to smack them across the face with Sapphire. Understood?"
The girl brightened up immediately. "Yes, sir! I will do exactly as you say!" She smiled at him, then turned around and ran out of the courtyard, disappearing around the street corner.
Jaune whistled. In hindsight, maybe he shouldn't have encouraged a little girl to use violence against her friends just because of a stupid prank. It wasn't exactly what one would call a good formative experience. Ruby would not be proud. Best to omit that part of the story when he shared it later.
Then again, he probably wouldn't tell anyone about it. With all the exciting and important business everyone was busy with, they probably wouldn't care about any boring story he had to tell.
Oh, well.
"Now where's that stupid rock?"
The Tale of Taiyang
There was one thing to be said about the box-lifting-and-moving profession. It really built character.
And that was literally the only thing there was to be said about it.
"Oof," Taiyang said, setting his last assigned box for the morning period. "Alright, boys, that's my part done for now! Tell the boss-man I'll be back soon."
"Already, Mister Lee?" one of his coworkers said, wiping the sweat off his brow. "You're a powerhouse, you are! I've barely gotten through half of my load and you're already done!"
"Well, I've got motivation to spare. My daughter isn't gonna feed herself!" Taiyang laughed. "I mean, she will, but you get what I mean. Anyway, I'm going to the market. Be back in an hour."
"Sure thing. Maybe I'll have matched you by then… maybe…"
Taiyang nodded, making for the exit of the warehouse. But as he reached it, he stopped briefly to look back at his coworkers – one in particular, just a boy, couldn't be older than Yang. He was normally very energetic, but today he looked strangely pale, and he hadn't said a single word the entire morning.
"You okay there, pal?" Taiyang called. "You're looking kinda bad. Coming down with the sickness, maybe?"
"Huh? N-no, Mister Lee." The boy looked at him and nearly lost his grasp on his box. "I'm just… It's nothing, really! Haha!"
"If you say so." Taiyang shrugged. "See you later, boys."
He got out, waited a moment, then looked back into the warehouse. The boy was sweating heavily now, and his eyes were darting all over the place, like he thought someone might jump him at any second. Something was wrong with him, no doubt about it.
Well. That was a problem for later.
As much as Taiyang liked going to the Lower Ring market, he didn't have much time to peruse its many stalls this lovely afternoon. He already knew what he wanted today, and he needed to get to all of it fast if he wanted everything to work out perfectly, and he wanted to get back to work sooner rather than later.
His first stop was at the carpenter who had made him the custom dummies for Yang's training. He had paid him half in advance, and was paying the other half now that the job was done. It was a little pricey, but he would have gladly paid more for such good craftsmanship. He did slip in a couple more coins than the agreed amount, and if the carpenter noticed, he didn't say a thing.
After that, Taiyang paid a visit to the street kids who had carried the dummies to the house and paid them for the job. He'd seen them looking miserable a few days prior and had offered them the job. As payment, he gave them a ball for them to play with. Hopefully they wouldn't be nearly as bored from now on. Although, knowing kids, they'd probably find a way to ruin the thing fast.
With his debts settled, Taiyang went to a fish stall and selected some good-looking tuna for his planned dinner tonight – well, not his dinner, but that was beside the point. He went ahead and got some spices too. Blake would probably appreciate that.
Lastly, he bought a little vial of perfume he'd seen the other day. It was an odd idea, yes, but he didn't see anything wrong with it. He might as well go all in with the plan.
At the end of his shopping spree, Taiyang still had half of his money left. He had been saving up for a few weeks now, thinking he'd need a lot more than ended up being necessary. Perhaps he could buy that bull-tiger coat he'd been dreaming about lately…
He would give that some thought. First, he needed to go back to work and deal with some loose ends.
"Hey, pal."
The boy jumped so high, Taiyang had the strangest feeling he might be an airbender. But then he came back to the ground and turned around, sweat pouring down his nose and cheeks, and Taiyang knew that was just his imagination playing games on him.
"M-Mister Lee…" The boy gulped. "I didn't see you w-were back…"
"I've been back for more than an hour. Already finished my load, actually." Taiyang pointed to his neat stack of boxes at the corner of the warehouse. "You must be in some trouble if you didn't notice until now, Mister… What's your name again?"
"I-it's… Lee." The boy smiled nervously. "F-funny coincidence, right?"
"Right." Either the boy was using a fake name too, or Lee was even more common than Taiyang had thought. "So, what are you in trouble for?"
"W-what? I'm not in trouble, Mister Lee. Why would you think that?"
Taiyang crossed his arms and stared him in the eyes, hoping that he would drop the act, but Lee continued to fidget nervously in place. Deciding to take a more drastic approach to the problem, Taiyang took him by the shoulder and lead him out of the warehouse.
"Alright, are you more comfortable here? Nobody's gonna hear us, and I'm not gonna tell anyone what you say," he said. "That face you're wearing, I know it well. You're not just nervous, you're desperate. You were in an impossible situation and somehow got yourself into an even worse one. Now you're freaking over it. But if you tell me, I might be able to help."
"I… You're right, Mister Lee. I'm in deep trouble, and it's all my fault," Lee said. "My auntie, she's sick, really sick. She's always been. We always were able to get the stuff to help her, though… until now. My da lost his job last month, and the price for the herbs got even higher 'cause of the war… now my pay can't cover it…"
"I'm very sorry to hear that," Taiyang said. "Here, take this."
He took his coin bag and handed it to Lee. The boy looked at it, then at him, his eyes going wide. "B-but Mister Lee, I can't accept this… Didn't you say you have a d-daughter to feed?"
"I was joking. Yan- Leena is working her own job, if the going gets tough, she can rely on herself for a while." Taiyang stepped back, lifting his hands way out of reach. "I'm not taking the money back. It's yours. Hopefully it'll cover what you're lacking for a couple months."
"Mister Lee… Thank you so much!" Lee looked away, grimacing. "But the thing is, that's not all my troubles… You see, I really needed to get the money, so I got talking with some guys. They were interested in this warehouse - it's got a lot of expensive stuff inside, you know… And I know how to get in, seeing as I work here…"
"You agreed to let them inside to rob the place." Taiyang shook his head. "The pay was good, I hope?"
"Yeah, I guess… But I shouldn't have agreed. It was wrong. I know my whole family would disown me if they learned about it, even if it helped my auntie," Lee said. "But maybe I can give them this money and they'll back off. I know it's kinda messed up, but you did say you weren't taking it back no matter what, Mister Lee…"
"Forget that idea. When are they coming to rob the warehouse?"
"Tonight, actually. One hour from nightfall, was the agreement." Lee frowned. "Mister Lee, you're not thinking of confronting those guys, are you? They're a really mean bunch. I think a couple of them might be benders, too!"
"Doesn't matter to me. Here's what's gonna happen, Lee," Taiyang said. "You're gonna finish your shift, go buy your aunt her medicine, and then you're gonna enjoy a nice night with your family. Got it?"
Lee stared at him, stunned. Slowly, he nodded his head, then mumbled a thank you and walked back inside. Taiyang took a deep breath, wondering just why he could never keep out of other people's troubles.
It was good that Yang wasn't entirely happy about the new training regimen. Yes, she wasn't getting results, and from the sounds of things that was causing some property damage already, but he would be far more worried if she was all radiant suddenly. She wasn't supposed to be satisfied until her firebending was back, and Taiyang would wait patiently for as long as it took for that to happen.
Meanwhile, he could still work on making her life as wonderful as it could be. This was the motivation behind his latest plan. But even so, it wasn't for her good only.
"Are you sure about this, Mister Xiao Long?" Blake said, looking down at the fresh tuna dubiously. "When I told you about the recipe, I wasn't saying you should make it… let alone me…"
"That's why neither you nor I are making it. We are making it. It will be a joint effort!" Taiyang said. "What do you say about it? Yang was very pleased when I told her we would be having a special dinner tonight. It would really make her day, I think."
For just a second, Blake's ears shot up atop of her head, then settled down again. He knew he hadn't just imagined that, though, because suddenly Blake seemed very interest in the color of the tablecloth.
"Okay," she said quietly. "If you think we're not gonna mess it up…"
"Oh, we will do great!" Taiyang patted her on the shoulder. "Just as a warning, though, it will probably turn out that I won't be able to attend dinner." He grinned. "And by probably, I mean surely. It'll be just you and Yang."
The slightest hint of a frown appeared on Blake's forehead. "Okay… What will you be doing?"
"Nothing you should worry about, trust me. Oh, and you'll find candles on that drawer over there, I believe. You should be able to light those without my help," Taiyang said. "Also, you'll find a gift from me in your room. Something nice you might want to use tonight. But it's your choice, of course!"
"What? Mister Xiao Long, are you…?" Blake stopped herself. "This is a prank. Yang's around the corner, isn't she?"
"Nope. I'm being completely serious," Taiyang said. "You're part of the family, Blake. I'm just hoping you two don't take too long to make it official! Eh? Eh?"
Blake stared at him, mouth agape. She looked torn between being mortified, suspicious, and amused, which nearly had him rolling on the floor laughing. Seeing Blake's reaction was half the reason he was doing this, and so far, she hadn't disappointed.
"We… should start making the thing… dinner… fish," Blake said.
"Yep. Let's get to work."
Taiyang saw them approaching the warehouse right when Lee told him they would. They were boys and girls, some of them way too young to be involved in this mess, and they all carried tools in their hands, brandished as weapons – crowbars, wrenches, shovels… Lee himself wasn't among them. Good – he had taken his advice after all.
As they stopped near the entrance of the warehouse, one of them stepped forward, a girl who looked the oldest of the bunch. She looked around with a glare in her eyes, then shook her head and turned to look at her friends.
"The idiot didn't show up. We can't back off now, though, this is our best opportunity. Let's break in with what we brought."
The group responded with a series of cheers and waves, but before they could get to work, Taiyang stepped out of the shadows, putting himself between them and the warehouse.
"Sorry, kiddos. I don't think I can let that happen."
"And who are you, old man?" The leader whipped around to face him. "Whatever, it doesn't matter – just step aside, forget you saw any of us, or else you're gonna get hurt."
"Threatening an old man? That's not a very nice thing to do," Taiyang said. "Come on, guys, I don't want things to go bad here. You can quit now before you've made any serious mistakes."
"We ain't listening to you! I didn't wanna have to hurt you, but you're forcing my hand!" the girl growled. "Leave, or else I'm gonna crush you with my earthbending powers!"
"Okay. You can go ahead and try, then."
The girl lifted her hands in front of her face and held them there, arms trembling. A drop of sweat rolled down her forehead. Taiyang smiled at her.
"C-come on, guys!" she yelled suddenly. "Get him out of the way already!"
Taiyang wasn't surprised about that turn of events, but the speed at which the girl's friends obeyed was quite shocking. It seemed she wasn't leader just because of her age. Regardless, moral and trust wouldn't win this fight for them.
As the they reached him, Taiyang was careful to repel them with only a fraction of his strength. These kids weren't as tough and disciplined as Yang or Blake. Even without his firebending, there was a real chance he could hurt them. So he stuck to taking their weapons off their hands and shoving or knocking them away, and once they were all on the floor, he looked at the leader again.
"Well that was fun, and exercise is always good for a guy my age," he said, cracking his neck. "You're not really an earthbender, are you?"
The girl glared at him for a moment, then dropped her fists and bowed her head in shame.
"Just as I thought. Lying about your power can get you around a lot of trouble, but in the end it's just a trick. Besides, some people that would take real offense to you pretending you're a bender," Taiyang said. "I get it, though. Just judge your opponents better next time, okay?"
"I'm… We're very sorry, mister," she mumbled. "Please don't report us to the guards. Or… at least let the rest of them leave. I'm the one who came up with the plan."
"Now, now. I'm not gonna get you into trouble. You already did a fine job of that yourself." Taiyang walked to her, offering a friendly smile. "You didn't do any real harm to anyone, and I know all of you probably have your reasons to be doing this stuff. But stealing isn't the way to solve your hardships. Finding honest work might be hard, but you'll learn that it's much more rewarding than the alternative."
The girl nodded hesitantly.
"Good. Now scram, and don't ever try anything like this again," he said. "Next time you'll probably not find someone as cool and hip as me."
The girl nodded again, then started getting her friends up from the floor. Once they were all up, she turned back to him and mumbled what sounded like another apology, then they all left in a hurry.
Alone once again, Taiyang sighed in contentment. Another good deed done. He had no way to know whether the kids would heed his advice, but he was hoping for the best. If that girl was half as good of a leader as she appeared, she would keep the rest in line from now on.
The confrontation with the kids had taken a lot less time than he had expected, though, and now he found himself with the whole night ahead of him. He could go back home and join the girls' dinner, but that would defeat the purpose of it. Although it would be pretty funny to see their reactions to him suddenly barging in.
There was another thing he could do, his original plan for the night before he got involved with Lee's troubles. It wasn't a good thing for him to do, not exactly, and he was sure he would feel worse for it in the long run…
But he wasn't nearly as strong-willed as he liked to think. Already regretting his decision, Taiyang walked away from the warehouse, heading towards the Middle Ring.
It was a nice house. Nice courtyard too. And if he was correct, there was a pond near the back which looked very pleasant for a quick swim. He bet it was cozy inside too, much more than the house they were borrowing from Sun.
Taiyang shook his head. He shouldn't be here. All it took would be one person seeing him, and everything would change drastically. Maybe that's why he had come here, why he was staying for so long, just staring and hoping for it to happen…
But that wasn't what Yang wanted. It wasn't what she needed right now. And he had to do what was best for his daughter. Even if it meant…
He stopped that train of thought, forcing himself to turn around. It had been long enough. He would have to be satisfied with what he'd seen. Now, it was time to leave. But just as he was about to go, a new sound made him look back, and he saw… her.
Ruby was practically running down the street, her steps like thunder against the pavement, cheeks glistening with tears. She stopped for just a second in front of the house to throw something at the ground, then stormed inside, slamming the door behind her.
It took a long time for Taiyang to find the strength to move again. Slowly, he walked towards the house. What he wouldn't give to walk inside there and wrap her in a hug, to tell her that everything would be okay…
But it wasn't the right time, and she had lived fifteen years without him by her side. He wasn't so self-centered as to think she needed him. That wasn't his place, and the knowledge of that hurt him more than anything.
He looked down at the ground. Lying there was a red cloak, barely holding itself together.
"Summer…"
He bent down and picked up the cloak. It wasn't his place to be with Ruby, but that didn't mean he couldn't do something nice for her. It wouldn't make up for fifteen years, but… it would be a good start.
Taiyang closed the door gently behind him, not wanting to make any more noise than was necessary. The girls were sleeping by now, hopefully, and he didn't want to ruin their dreams. Lifting himself on the tip of his toes, Taiyang edged towards the stairs.
"Mister Xiao Long?"
He stopped before the first step and looked towards the living room. Blake was sitting on the sofa, seeming a little uneasy.
"Blake. I didn't think you'd be up still," Taiyang said. "What are you doing down here?"
"Nothing. Just can't sleep," Blake replied. "What's that on your hand?"
Taiyang looked down at Ruby's cloak. If he wanted to fix it and get it back to Ruby before dawn, he needed to act fast, but… Blake looked like she could use some company.
"A gift for a friend." He put the cloak down on the stairs, then went to sit down on the sofa beside Blake. "What's on your mind? Did the dinner not go well?"
"No, it went excellent. It was very… fun, I guess." Blake frowned. "Mister Xiao Long, I didn't jump to conclusions, right? You meant tonight to be like a…" She paused, as if the next word was particularly difficult to get out. "…date. For me and Yang. Right?"
"Yeah, that was the gist of it. I mean, it didn't have to be a date, it would be just as good if it was just a good time between friends… but I was hoping it would be more, yes," Taiyang said. "I know Yang cares for you a great deal. And, correct me if I'm mistaken, you care for her in the same way. So I thought, why not do something about it?"
Blake didn't reply. She was completely still, but her eyes looked very much alive with a myriad of emotions.
"I can't guess how you're feeling, Blake, but here's what I can tell you." Taiyang leaned towards her. "Love is the most complicated thing in the world. Sometimes, it's the most wonderful thing ever, and you wonder how anyone could ever live without it… and other times, it can cause a whole lot of pain. Too much pain, to the point that it might be better if that love never existed at all."
"That's… very insightful, Mister Xiao Long," Blake said hesitantly. "I'm not sure what I'm supposed to take from it, though."
"Just that it's okay to feel strange about your feelings. You can take as long as you need to understand them, and that's completely fine." He smiled sadly. "I'm sorry if I thrust you into this before you were ready. I shouldn't have been so careless."
"No, it's okay. I think it's good that you did it. It's… forced me to think differently about some things," Blake said. "But you could have been a little gentler on the build-up, yes."
Taiyang shrugged. She had a point, but there wasn't a doubt in his mind that Yang and Blake would have kept circling each other forever if he hadn't taken action.
"Well, it was a good talk, Blake," Taiyang said, getting up. "I would like to continue it, but there's something I need to see to."
"Now? It's past midnight, I'm pretty sure," Blake noted. "Don't you ever rest, Mister Xiao Long?"
"Not today, Blake. Not today."
Fixing the cloak was no easy task. Not only had it been somehow badly damaged recently, but time had also taken its toll on it. If this were one of his clothes, Taiyang would have given up immediately and instead bought a replacement, but that wasn't the case. Ruby clearly cared about this cloak, so in extension, he cared about it too.
In his youth, he had protested endlessly when his family had insisted he take lessons on disciplines such as etiquette, wardrobe, and sewing. Those were, after all, not things a real man cared about! But that had been a long time ago. Today, he was very grateful he'd had the opportunity to undertake such training, and with such good teachers to boot.
He pulled everything he had in his arsenal to get the cloak to an even better shape than before it had been destroyed. He worked tirelessly, often casting a look out the window of his room, expecting to find the sun rising any time now, signaling that he was too late. But that had yet to happen – there was still hope.
Finally, he finished, and the cloak was whole once again. He had also pressed and polished it, giving it a much sharper look. He looked out the window again – still nighttime, but barely so. He needed to run, now!
The skies were turning blue when Taiyang finally reached the house in the Middle Ring. He was so delirious from the running and lack of sleep, he almost barged right inside, but caught himself when his foot fell on the first step leading up to the porch.
He stood there for a moment, pondering on what to do instead. Perhaps he should knock on the door and hand it to whoever answered? No, that would be as bad as walking inside. He could find someone else to deliver the cloak for him… but then Ruby might ask them who had sent them, and she would probably figure out it was him from a description alone.
There was an obvious solution, of course. The problem was, just like before, he was hoping something would go wrong, that he would get so see her reaction, then take her to Yang, and from there…
He hung the cloak on the porch, turned around, and walked away. It hurt, but… it was good enough for her, so it was good enough for him.
The Tale of Blake
It was a quiet day. There were barely any people roaming the streets of the Middle Ring, and even less going inside Banana Business. Maybe it was the weather – the sky had been gray since Blake had woken up, and she could see storm clouds gathering in the distance. Soon, the pouring would begin, and Banana Business would be lucky to have any business at all.
How terrible.
It wasn't that Blake didn't take her job seriously. As long as Sun trusted and paid her fairly, she would take it seriously. But standing outside the restaurant, leaning against a wall with her arms crossed and throwing mean looks at anyone vaguely suspicious that came too close wasn't exactly the most engaging way to spend eight hours every day. She had entertained the thought of bringing a book with her, but Sun probably wouldn't appreciate that.
Maybe this weather was a good thing. If the storm turned out half as bad as it looked, Sun was probably going to close the restaurant and she would get to go inside until it cleared, and she would have Yang to keep her company. Anything was better than standing guard, but that, in particular, sounded like a good use of her time.
And it wasn't like anybody would try to rob the place when it was-
"Hey, get back here!"
The door of the restaurant burst open beside her, and a small shadow passed by, so fast Blake's eyes could barely keep up with it. Sun came running a moment later, looking bewildered.
"Blake! Did you see her?!" he exclaimed. "Where did she go?"
"She?" Blake asked.
"A little girl! I caught her taking a handful of bananas from the storage at the back," Sun said. "That little scamp… Who does she think he is, stealing from honest-working people just like that?! She's not the Earth Queen!"
"I'm pretty sure that's not what the Earth Queen does, Sun." Blake grinned. "Unless you're making political commentary?"
"What? Stop it, Blake! Stop using words to confuse me!" Sun shook his head, his tail whipping through the air nervously behind him. "We can't afford to just let people steal from us like that. It's hard enough to meet bottom line with the stock we have… If it gets any lower…"
Blake doubted the situation was as dire as Sun thought, but he was already distraught enough, so she wasn't about to argue with him about it. She looked at the sky and the approaching clouds, then sighed. The things she did for friendship.
"I'll get your bananas back, Sun. She can't have run far - I'll ask around if anyone has seen her," she said. "Can you hold down the fort while I'm away?"
"Yeah, of course," Sun said. "But are you sure you wanna do this? Looks like things are gonna get real spooky soon. I don't want you to put yourself at risk just for some bananas."
"Don't worry about it. I'll come back or take shelter somewhere if it gets rough," Blake assured. "But you'd better up my pay this week."
"Now wait a second, I never asked you to-"
"And I get to bring a book to work from now on. It's that, or the bananas are lost forever."
"…Fine. Just go already."
Of course, asking around for help wasn't half as easy as Blake had thought at first. A year ago, she would have known better, but spending time away from the big cities with Yang and her father had made her forget.
Most of the people she approached on the street didn't even stoop to look at her. When they did, their faces quickly twisted in disgust when they realized what she was, then they scurried away like she'd never been there. It was so typical, Blake couldn't even be offended after the first couple times it happened.
The few people that talked didn't have much information to share, if any at all. Blake got the sense they only gave her the time of day out of some weird sense of obligation – it was like they had to help her because she was a faunus. It was almost worse than how the others treated her.
But eventually, she did get something useful from an old vendor who claimed to know the girl – a little one of your kind, always scurrying around, dirty all over. Apparently, her hiding place was in an alleyway nearby. Blake left for there while the vendor was still busy badmouthing the girl.
When she got there, raindrops were starting to fall from the sky, and a thunder boomed in the distance. Near the middle of the alleyway was a stack of used boxes and newspapers. Blake saw the girl sitting under it, her attention on something she was holding under her chin.
"Hey," Blake called, making sure not to sound too threatening. "I'm here to talk."
The girl jumped to her feet, knocking over the boxes. Something fell between her feet – a half-eaten banana. Blake looked at it, then back at the girl's face, and the moment they crossed eyes, she knew this wasn't going to go as she hoped.
"Don't-" Blake raised her arms in front of her face, blocking a box kicked her way. When her vision was clear again, she saw the girl's ankle disappearing over the corner at the other end of the alleyway. "Wait! I'm not here to hurt you!"
She gave chase, catching sight of the girl again once she was out of the alleyway. The streets were completely empty now, the rain having become a full-blown storm in a matter of seconds. Ponds were starting to form on the uneven spaces on the ground, and water was running down roofs like waterfalls.
"Get back!" Blake yelled, her priorities changing once she realized the situation they were in. "You're gonna get hurt if you keep this up!"
"No! Leave me alone!" the girl yelled back at her.
Blake sprinted even harder, her superior age and height allowing her to catch up to the girl in just a few seconds, but just as she was about to grab her, she lost her footing and went sliding on the inundated street. Blake reached out with her hand, breaking her fall, then looked up, her soaked hair partly blocking her vision.
Her heart stopped beating for a moment when she saw the girl again. She wasn't on the street anymore – somehow, she had managed to climb onto the tiled rooftop of a house, holding a bag of what Blake assumed were the stolen bananas above her head.
"Hey! Get down here!" Blake yelled. "It's not safe up there!"
"Whatever! I-I'm not scared!" the girl replied. "Leave me alone, and I'll get down! But only if you leave!"
As good as that sounded, Blake knew that solution wasn't nearly enough. She couldn't walk away until she knew the kid was safe. "How are you getting down? The rooftop's all wet, you're gonna slide and fall, and there's no telling what might happen then!"
"I don't care! I'll find a way down!" There was a thunder, quickly followed by lightning that briefly blinded Blake. "M-maybe I'll just stay up here! I-it's not like anyone cares what happens to me a-anyway!"
"Come on, kid! You know that's not true!" Blake shouted. "I care! Why else would I be here?"
"To take back your bananas! My bananas!"
"I don't care about your stupid bananas! You can keep them, they weren't even mine in the first place!" Blake spread her arms. "Come on! I'll catch you!"
The girl looked down at her, then up at the sky. Another thunder – another lightning. "O-okay! I'm going!"
She jumped, and Blake stumbled forward to match her descent. She only barely caught the girl, and it was wonder she didn't collapse under her weight. Gritting her teeth, Blake lifted the girl higher, feeling little arms wrap around her neck, and started down the street towards the space below a shop's canopy.
Blake put the girl down, and immediately she backed away, stopping just at the edge of the canopy where the rain couldn't touch her. As Blake's watched, the girl's skin turned red, then blue.
A little one of your kind. Of course. Everything made sense now. The girl was a chameleon faunus – that was how she had snuck into the restaurant without anyone else noticing. And why she was so desperate…
"Hey, you don't need to be scared. Not anymore. I meant it when I told you I wasn't going to hurt you," Blake said, crouching so she was eye-level with the girl. "What's your name?"
The girl looked at her suspiciously, as if wondering what use Blake could have for knowing her name. "It's… it's Ilia."
"Ilia. My name's Blake. Do you know where your parents are?"
"They're gone. Left to fight in the war. At least that's what the soldiers told me." Ilia glared at her own feet, her fists trembling at her sides. "I know they were lying to me."
"I'm sorry, Ilia. I really am," Blake said softly. "You have to understand, you aren't going to get anyone's attention by stealing things, or by pulling dangerous stunts like you did back there. Not the good kind of attention, at least. You have to ask for help when you need it."
"I tried that! I already told you, nobody cares! Everyone ignores me like I'm invisible!" Ilia stomped her foot, her skin turning red once again.
"I would have helped you if you had asked me. But you didn't, so… who's really in the wrong here?" Blake paused. "I know how you feel. You think the whole world is against you. And, yeah, you're not wrong to feel that way… but there are people who care, and they don't have to be faunus like me. You can't give up looking just because most people are terrible." She offered Ilia a hand. "Can you blame them for not making an effort when you aren't either?"
As Ilia's breathing calmed, her skin turned from red to yellow, then back to its regular tone. She stepped forward and took Blake's hand.
"Now, we're gonna wait for the storm to get a little gentler, and then we're gonna go back to the restaurant. I'm sure my friend Sun will be happy to help you… once you've apologized to him, that is," Blake said.
"I don't know…" Ilia looked at her dubiously. "That guy seemed really stupid, to be honest."
"I don't know about stupid, but he's certainly… different." Blake smiled. "That's why we like him, anyway."
A few minutes later, there was a short lull in the storm. It lasted just long enough for Blake to get to the restaurant, Ilia in tow. The girl was putting on a brave face, but she had yet to let go of Blake's hand. How long had she been alone in the streets, that she was so attached to the first person that came to her aid?
They walked inside, both soaked to the bone, and Blake was almost immediately captured in a bear-hug from Yang. Blake waited a few seconds, enjoying her friend's warmth, before tapping her in the back, asking to be released.
"I swear, Blake. For someone as smart as you, you can be so dumb sometimes!" Yang stepped back, her eyes a gentle red. "What were you thinking, running into that storm?"
"I didn't run into it. It started while I was out there," Blake said. "Thanks for worrying about me."
"Don't you thank me! You're unbelievable. Simply unbelievable!" Yang shook her head. "And all for a pair of bananas."
"To be fair, it was way more than a pair. Six pairs at least," Blake said. "And that wasn't all I brought back."
She looked back at Ilia and nodded for her to come forward. Grudgingly, Ilia obeyed, looking up at Yang as if gauging how not-stupid she was.
"Oh, you adopted a kid, Blake? I always thought you were the type." Yang leaned on her knees, smiling at Ilia. "And aren't you the sweetest little thing I've ever seen!"
"I'm not a baby. I'm, like, eleven," Ilia said dryly. "What are you, twelve?"
"And she has your sass too, Blake!" Yang offered a hand. "I'm Yang. Pleasure to meet you!"
Ilia rolled her eyes. "Ilia." She took Yang's hand, and her eyes widened. "Woah, you're really hot – I mean, your hand!" She turned red. "Your hand is hot."
Yang straightened up, her lips parting into a huge smile. She winked at Blake, who could only roll her eyes and turn around to look for Sun. She didn't disagree with Ilia, but Blake didn't have the energy to engage in that kind of conversation right now.
"Where's Sun?" Blake asked. "I need to talk to him."
"No you don't," Ilia whispered. "Can't we just pretend he doesn't exist?"
"Did somebody say my name?" The kitchen door opened, and Sun strode out, wearing a bandana, an apron, and a… handyman's belt? "Ladies, I am proud to inform I just fixed seven ceiling leaks! Banana Business will not fall today, and neither will our spirits!" He stopped before them. "Blake, I'm so glad you're alive and I don't have to deal with the guilt of letting you go into that storm, never to be seen again. Also, where are my bananas?"
Blake gestured at Ilia. Sun's tail shot upward, and he crossed his arms, fixing a stern glare on Ilia. It seemed to have the opposite effect of what he intended, as Ilia just sighed and tossed her bag to him.
"I'm sorry I stole from you," she said quickly. "I was hungry, but I didn't have any money. Anyway, I should have tried asking for help first."
"Hmm… Okay. Apology accepted." Sun opened the bag and selected a banana from within it. "Want it?"
Ilia cocked her head in disbelief, then turned to look at Blake. "You said he wasn't stupid."
"Hey, now! Do you want food or not?" Sun glared at her. "Kids these days, I tell you. Can't even accept charity right!"
Ilia took the banana from him and started peeling it, seeming quite content in ignoring Sun now that she had what she wanted from him.
"Hey, Blake," Yang said. "You're gonna get a cold if you don't get dry. Want me to get you a towel?"
"Yes, thanks," Blake replied. "Get one for Ilia too while you're at it."
"Of course!" Yang winked at Ilia. "How could I not offer my assistance to this cutie-pie?"
Ilia's skin turned bright pink, and she suddenly she seemed even more interested in her banana than before.
Blake shook her head. Today hadn't turned out to be a quiet day after all. Although the storm seemed to be calming for good now, if her ears weren't mistaken…
Blake walked to the front door and stepped outside, taking a deep breath of the light rain that was still falling. It wouldn't be long before the skies cleared, and they could go home to-
The sound of a boot stomping on a puddle broke her from her thoughts. Blake looked around, and quickly her eyes found the origin of the noise – a man was walking towards her, a full head taller than she was. A katana hung from his waist, and the upper half of his face was concealed behind a white and red mask.
"Blake. It's been a long time."
Wait, it's over already? What the heck, man! Is this fanfiction, or a newspaper strip?
So this chapter was a thing. There's a lot I could say about it, but I think the best way to do that without rambling is to express how much I love the original The Tales of Ba Sing Se. That episode has always been my favorite. Always. From the little character moments of Sokka haiku-battling and Aang being the Avatar in one of the silliest ways the show ever portrayed, to the brilliance that was The Tale of Zuko and, you know it, The Tale of Iroh...
(leaves from the vine...)
...it's everything that is excellent about AtLA magnified in twenty-four minutes. And, sincerely, I could never match how good it was. I think it will take a long time for someone to successfully recreate that feeling that came over so many people when Iroh sat down on that hill, prepared the memorial to his lost son, and sang.
No, I could never match something like that. And that's okay. Because, as I've said a few times before, my objective here is not to just remake AtLA with RWBY characters, or to mash the two universes together and just hope for the best, or anything like that. If I did any of that, it only would result in a disservice to both series, and to myself.
The Legend of Remnant has, at its core, always been a tribute to those two things which I love so much.
This is my own thing. It's not perfect, and I don't intend it to be. Hopefully I've succeeded in making my own Tales of Ba Sing Se. For now, in my heart, I believe I did. I hope you agree with me.
-Zeroan