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in. We are drawing near to the end of the story Goodwitch told me- though I strongly suspect even the narrative she spun for me doesn't reach the true end of things. I'll explain later, as we draw closer to that elusive 'end.' Before that, have a listen to her latest speech.
"The most beautiful thing about treasure is its own existence. It exists to be found. Is there anything more beautiful than discovering treasure? Can there be an ultimate treasure- a treasure that leaves the one who discovers it eternally happy? Of course there is- we all know it.
"Some say that such a treasure lies within us. Each and every one of us. And how strange would that be? For the greatest treasure of all to be so near? To be so hard to find, so difficult to attain..."
Chapter XXX
The Picture in the Cave
The Library was dead silent as Trifa laid down next to Yang, eyeing her closely to gauge just how awake she really was. Fox was still unconscious behind her, blood leaking from the top of his head. Yang didn't seem too much better- she could do just about anything she wanted without any resistance. The thought made her smirk.
She hesitated when Yang grunted, slowly turning- Trifa rose up and took a position over her, waiting.
Yang struggled to open a pair of bleary eyes, and smiled faintly. "B...Blake?"
Trifa couldn't help grinning- this was just perfect. She got to play with her prey before killing her. "Yes- yes, it's me, Yang. I'm here."
"Blake...!"
"I'm here, Yang..."
She produced a length of wire, and wrapped it around Yang's throat.
Yang awoke entirely, all blurriness vanishing from her eyes. She immediately began to struggle, but Trifa had the advantage.
Her eyes began to rake around the rest of the room, searching for something to help her out of this situation- they first fell on the gun Trifa had just used to knock Fox out. She reached out for it, but Trifa saw what she was doing and pulled her away. Her fingers brushed against the gun, but only succeeded in knocking it to the floor.
Yang struggled and managed to rise to her feet, Trifa clinging onto her back and pulling the wire as taut as she could. She staggered, and managed to slam her assailant against the wall, moving her just enough to slam her elbow into Trifa's sternum. Once, twice, a third time. Trifa's grip slackened, giving Yang enough wiggle room to grab her and swing her around to the other side, capitalizing on it by delivering a quick, sharp punch to the face. She turned and grabbed the largest tome immediately available from the nearest bookshelf, and threw it at Trifa's head with all her might.
Trifa landed on a nearby sofa, and had just begun to rise when the book connected with her forehead- a hardcover spanning over a thousand pages. She slumped over and moved no more.
The adrenaline gone, Yang entered a haze. Her brain began pounding at her skull as if desperate for release. The remarkably dim light of the Library suddenly seemed blinding, and she felt the overwhelming urge to vomit- she only narrowly fought it down. She had more important things to take care of.
XXXX
Mitsuru awoke that morning and immediately set about making some coffee with her own machine- she never went anywhere without it. Nonetheless, before it was finished, she heard someone knocking on her door. "Room service!"
She smirked, recognizing Weiss's voice. "Please, come in!"
Weiss entered, smiling. "I hope your sleep was untroubled? Our goal at Austin is to make your stay as comfortable and enjoyable as possible."
"Stellar, thank you," Mitsuru nodded. "...Weiss, do you remember your grandfather?"
"Of course- I loved him," Weiss smiled nostalgically- truly, her grandfather and her sister were the only members of her family she'd ever felt particularly close to- at least, until recently.
"As did I," Mitsuru agreed. "He was one of the wisest men I've ever met. He once told me something that has stuck with me ever since- 'If you bring a hammer, it's best to bring nails as well.'"
"I'm afraid I don't understand," Weiss admitted.
"It means that one should always be ready to finish anything that they start," Mitsuru explained with a smirk. "You entering my room, for instance."
"I believe I'm ready," Weiss nodded.
"'To thine own self be true,'" Mitsuru quoted. "He told me that as well."
"I'm always true to myself," Weiss insisted.
"I believe you," Mitsuru agreed. "You're a beautiful, intelligent young woman."
Weiss struggled not to beam at the praise. "...Anything else?"
"There is a... magic about you. Magic enough for me to form a plan- perhaps, a flight at sunset and dinner for two?"
"I'd like that," Weiss said- perfectly honestly, "but I have a meeting with my mother in the library later."
"It was a yes or no question, Weiss."
"...Yes," Weiss decided. "Absolutely, yes."
She grinned as she turned back towards the door. She paused before leaving entirely. "Oh, and Mitsuru?"
"Yes?"
"If you're bringing a hammer, be sure to bring some nails as well."
XXXX
The sun was shining when Yang brought a hogtied Trifa into the police station, reporting that Fox would be spending the morning at the hospital. She personally spent the early dawn trying to interrogate Trifa, but between her uncooperativeness and herself having the mother of all hangovers, she wasn't making much progress.
She was still rubbing her head as she left the interrogation room and bumped into Ruby, looking concerned. "So... did you get anything out of her?"
I got two things outta her- Jack and shit. Jack left town," Yang grumbled. "She wants to speak to the Menagerian consulate."
"In Vale?" Ruby asked in surprise.
"I'm getting used to this kinda bull, honestly," Yang muttered. "But... I don't get it. Why would Sienna want me dead?"
"For once, I think I have an easy answer for that," Ruby sighed. "She was jealous."
"Jealous?" Yang asked, then seemed to realize. "Oh... jealous. Right."
Ruby grinned and pulled her into a tight hug. "I'm so glad you're back, Yang!"
"Not so tight," Yang objected weakly. "I'm still not feeling good..."
"I'd imagine," Ruby agreed, stepping back. Yang did, indeed, look awful- most of her face was ghost-white except for the large red circles around her bloodshot eyes. Her hair was wild and untamed, and several of the buttons on her jacket were placed in the wrong hole. "Listen... why not go home, get something to eat, take a nice, long, assassin-free nap?"
"Nah, I just need some coffee and a little food, I'll be good to go," Yang shook her head.
Ruby fought down a smirk. Time to show her sister how they handled hangovers at the Guild. "Yang, I'm gonna tell you the best cure for a hangover- take a glass of nearly frozen tomato juice, throw in a couple oysters, swig that down." Yang's face was starting to turn green. "Breathe in, breathe out. Next, a big, heaping helping of sweetbread, saute'd with chestnuts and Mistralian bacon, serve with a side of big ol' biscuits smothered in dripping, chunky gravy. Now, here's where things get tricky- you need some anchovies- the smellier, the better, and you're gonna wanna-"
Yang raised a hand to silence her, then turned and sprinted to the bathroom.
Ruby finally revealed her smirk. "Get it out, Yang, get it all out..."
XXXX
When Yang had finished in the restroom, they headed to her office to find Michelle Wukong holding a small tree. "Whatcha got there?" Yang asked raspily.
"A bonsai tree- from Blake, according to the letter," Michelle smiled sadly. "Thought it might help a bit."
She set it down, then produced a bottle of water. "Take this, Yang, you need to keep your fluids up."
Yang took the bottle and a couple reluctant sips.
"Good news," Michelle began, "Fox is gonna be fine. He should be good to come back this afternoon, I just recommend keeping him away from anything strenuous for a couple days."
"That is good news," Yang nodded. She'd very nearly panicked when she saw Fox on the floor with blood pooling around his head.
"...And the bad news?" Ruby asked tentatively.
"Emerald Sustrai was at my house," Michelle grimaced.
It seemed to take Yang about ten seconds to recognize the name, but when she did, she immediately snapped to attention. "When?"
"Yesterday," Michelle reported. "He left a chess piece with Sun."
She handed it to Ruby, tag in place. Ruby bit her lip. "She's closing in... we're gonna have to publish our next move today."
"THANKS, NORA!" came a remarkably loud voice from the hallway.
Yang groaned. "Oh, God, just what I needed..."
Ruby shot her a look of sympathy, but couldn't help beaming when she turned to the door just in time to see Maria Calavera stepping into the office, wearing a wide smile of her own. "GOOD TO SEE YOU, RUBES!"
"GOOD TO SEE YOU, TOO, MARIA!" Ruby shook her hand.
"SORRY TO INTERRUPT YOU ALL, LADIES, BUT RUBES, I'M OFFICIALLY HANDING OVER THE CLASSIFIED PORTION OF EMERALD SUSTRAI'S DOSSIER!"
Ruby nodded as she accepted a folder full of documents. "You have a good time in Argus?"
"I'M ON TEMPORARY LEAVE FROM ARGUS! THERE'S QUITE A BIT GOING ON OVER THERE!"
XXXX
Emerald drummed her fingers, listening intently through a single earbud. "I wondered if the hag would show up..."
The earbud was connected to a laptop setup kept in a briefcase. She glowered at the screen as Adam staggered over to her with a beer. "Godammit, Ruby... why won't you just play fair?"
XXXX
"WHEN EMERALD WAS COMITTED," Maria reported, "THE DOCTORS DISCOVERD SHE WAS ON A UNIQUE DRUG OF HER OWN DESIGN, BASED PRIMARILY ON LUSUS NATURAE!"
Michelle perked up. "The same drug Torchwick was on?"
"PARDON?"
"TORCHWICK USED THE SAME DRUG!" Ruby repeated.
"EXACTLY!" Maria nodded. "BUT THEY FIGURED THE DRUG WAS BEING USED TO FAKE AN ILLNESS- JUST LIKE YOU SUSPECTED! A SCHIZOID MANEUVER, IF YOU WILL!"
Ruby continued flicking through the dossier. One phrase caught her eye eventually. "The Red Gulch Project?"
She looked up at Maria. "WHAT WAS EMERALD DOING WITH THE RED GULCH PROJECT?"
"THE GUILD LENT HER TO THE AIR FORCE A COUPLE YEARS BEFORE YOU JOINED! A WHITE ROSE MISSION, FOR SURE! HER REPORTS FROM THAT TIME ARE ALL BLACKED OUT FOR THE KINGDOM'S SECURITY."
"Red Gulch- so, Emerald was investigating UFOs?" Yang asked through narrowed eyes- she was holding a cold cloth to her forehad with one hand and struggling to drink some water with the other.
"Just like Joseph Winchester," Ruby nodded. She looked to Maria. "There are some weird links coming out, Maria."
"AH, LINKS- LIKE SAUSAGE! I ALWAYS PREFERRED PATTIES, MYSELF!" Maria announced helpfully. "SPEAKING OF, BREAKFAST SOUNDS LIKE AN EXCELLENT IDEA!"
She turned to point at Yang, but lost her train of thought when she spotted the bonsai tree. "OH, BANSAI! REMINDS ME OF THOSE OLD WAR MOVIES- BONSAAAAAAAAIIIIIIII!"
She leaned over and screamed the word into the tree itself.
XXXX
Emerald screamed and quickly wrenched the bud from her ear. "Old... bitch!"
XXXX
Yang and Michelle rose to their feet. "Well... if it's breakfast you're after, looks like we're heading to Coco's."
"WONDERFUL IDEA! MIND IF WE RIDE WITH YOU?" Maria requested.
"Cruiser's right outside..."
Ruby made to follow, but Maria held her up, closing the door. "HANG ON THERE, RUBES. WINTER WASN'T LYING WHEN SHE SAID THIS TOWN LOOKS GOOD ON YOU- BUT IT'S ABOUT TIME TO DUST OFF YOUR WORK CLOTHES. FLYNT'S CLEARED YOU, AND WITH EMERALD GOING ROGUE, WE NEED YOU BACK ON THE TEAM!"
"You mean...?!"
Maria smiled, producing a box. "RUBES, IT GIVES ME GREAT PLEASURE TO WELCOME YOU BACK TO THE VYTAL HUNTER'S GUILD!"
She opened the box to reveal Ruby's badge and gun. Ruby's hands shook for joy as she accepted them both.
"Maria... thank you."
"WE ARE GOING TO FIND EMERALD, RUBES! WE WILL PURSUE..."
Ruby smiled and joined her boss. "CAPTURE... AND INCARCERATE!"
They flashed their customary thumbs-up at each other before turning and following Yang out to her cruiser.
XXXX
In their wake, Emerald had finally gotten over her earlier rage, and was now shuffling a deck of cards while Adam sat across from her, motionless, speechless.
She finished shuffling, picked up twenty, and fanned them out, waving her hand over them as if performing a magic trick. "Adam... pick three."
Adam listlessly reached out and took the one on the far right. Then, roughly in the middle. Finally, the far left.
"One... two... three," Emerald counted out, placing the remaining cards to the side. She flipped the first card, revealing the Queen of Clubs- with a small picture of Pyrrha's face printed over the queen's. "Queen Pyrrha Nikos," she announced.
She moved to the second card, revealing the Queen of Diamonds. "Queen Weiss Schnee."
Finally, the Queen of Spades. "And... Queen Velvet Scarlatina. Go on, Adam... try to find the last queen, why don't you?"
She grabbed the remaining cards and fanned them out again.
Adam slowly reached out and grabbed the fourth card from the right, turning it over to reveal the Queen of Hearts. "Queen Ruby Rose," Emerald scoffed.
She produced a flyer and laid it on the table above them all. "The Ms. Vale pageant," she sneered. "What does the winner get?"
Adam wasn't paying any mind- he was looking at the Queen of Spades- at Velvet.
Emerald paid no mind to this- she was still commenting. "You get a dozen roses... a scholarship to the college of your choice... the accolades of your peers... the knowledge that you're an absolute disgrace... and... oh, I know! You get to die."
Adam looked back up at her, eyes flicking from her back to the picture of Velvet. Emerald still wasn't paying any attention- she had picked up a knife and plunged it into the Queen of Hearts. "A royal execution, courtesy of the Black Lodge."
She picked up Ruby's card with the knife and placed it above the others. "And Ruby... you're going to watch."
Adam was certainly watching... and deep within his chest, a new emotion was born- one that he had no familiarity with, one that he struggled to understand.
All he understood was that he wasn't going to let this maniac kill his wife.
XXXX
Fei Wukong's handicap meant he couldn't drive a car by himself- luckily, Sun had his license, so when he needed a lift to the Austin hotel, his son was only too happy to provide.
Sun helped his father into his wheelchair. "Thanks, Sun," Fei smiled. "Now... wait in the car. I shouldn't be long."
Sun nodded... then waited for him to be at a safe distance before following him into the hotel. Curiosity burned- why did his father need to come to the hotel today? He'd made up a story about looking into reservations for his anniversary with Michelle, but Sun was very good at detecting lies. More likely, this had something to do with Willow's impromptu visit the other day. Sun was determined to know for sure.
His father went through the lobby and down a hall, where he was intercepted by Willow, currently gnawing on a carrot. Even from the distance, Sun could hear his father. "Willow, we need to talk."
Willow adjusted the carrot and grabbed hold of Fei's wheelchair, guiding him to the elevator, Sun watching closely. He needed to find Weiss- it was becoming clear he wouldn't solve this mystery without her help.
At the other end of the lobby, the concierge was seeing Neon and Sky out. "And how was everything, sir?"
"Just fine," Sky answered curtly, with the air of someone who just wanted to get out as soon as he could.
"Unbelievable!" Neon crowed cheerfully around a large sucker. The concierge said nothing more- he was just glad Neon hadn't destroyed anything else through the night.
With them gone, Sun stepped up. "I need to talk to Weiss Schnee."
"Oh, she's in the back," the concierge explained. "Hold up- I'll get her for you."
A minute later, there she was. "Oh, Sun! Do you need something?"
"Listen, Weiss... this is gonna sound weird..."
Weiss rolled her eyes. "Sun, after the month I've had, you could tell me you need help fighting off some evil Martians, and I'd probably believe you."
Sun snorted. "Fair point. Listen, uh... my dad's kinda visiting your mom. You happen to know why?"
Weiss blinked in surprise. "Your father... mother? No, I can't say I was aware they even knew each other."
"Neither did I, 'til your mom stopped by my place yesterday. She and Dad had a nice chat at the front door. Couldn't make out much of what they were saying."
"And now he's coming to the hotel to visit her?"
"Yup, that's what it looks like."
"Perhaps he's merely volunteering assistance with the Stop Hienton campaign."
"I doubt it," Sun shook his head. "If that was it, he'd have told me something. He hasn't said jack."
Weiss pursed her lips. "When... exactly... did he arrive?"
"Only a couple minutes ago."
Weiss nodded, as if she'd come to a firm decision. "Right... Sun, follow me."
XXXX
Never in a million years did Weiss think she'd be showing off her secret passages through the hotel to anyone, let alone Sun Wukong, but these were strange times. She guided him to the upper floors as quickly as she could and ushered him through the secret door without preamble, guiding him to an area just outside her parents' office. She removed a loose board, allowing them to peer through and listen in.
"I can't accept these," Fei was saying- there was a bundle of paper in his hands.
"They're your letters," Willow insisted. "They were written for you, not anybody else."
"I don't want them- I'm not keeping them in my house anymore, Willow."
"It's been twenty years," Willow argued. "What has begotten this change?"
"I could ask the same thing," Fei retorted. "Why the sudden change in the great Willow Schnee? Why the sudden focus on the past? Why risk ripping apart old wounds?"
Willow sighed heavily, then stood in front of Fei for a moment, before kneeling. "Fei... is it truly so hard to believe that I might turn over a new leaf?"
"Talk is cheap, Willow- something you have proven time and time again."
"Of course I understand that. That's why I want my actions to speak for me! I've had an epiphany, Fei- I've been wrong all these years, and now it's time to try and redeem myself!"
"I'm glad to hear that... but I don't want to see you accidentally make things worse in the meantime."
"Fei... I understand now. You should have been the best thing to ever happen to me..."
"Don't. Willow, don't."
"...Have you told him?"
"No. Nor do I intend to. In fact, I want you to promise me you won't tell him, either. That's not a burden I want him to live with. I don't want to see you at my house again. Stay away from him."
Willow nodded. "I... understand."
Finally, Weiss and Sun pulled back. Weiss's eyes were narrowed. "Well, clearly something fishy is going on."
"Yeah..." Sun agreed. "And I plan on getting to the bottom of it."
XXXX
As they stepped into Coco's Diner, Maria decided to offer some professional advice of her own. "YANG, THE BEST CURE I'VE EVER COME ACROSS FOR A HANGOVER WAS RAW MEAT- PLENTY OF IT! BREAK AN EGG ON IT, THROW IN SOME SALTED ANCHOVIES, TABASCO AND WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE! WE CAN ORDER SOME IF YOU WANT!"
Yang wasn't paying attention- she was sprinting for the bathroom, paying no heed to the disgusted look on Goodwitch's face as she attempted to eat her own morning meal in peace.
"SHE'S GOTTA GET IT ALL OUT, RUBES," Maria offered by way of explanation as they chose a booth near the window.
"I know," Ruby nodded. "I was doing the same thing earlier."
"COME TO THINK OF IT, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M IN THE MOOD FOR? A STEAK RARE ENOUGH TO SELL AT THE MARKET!"
"Well, you've come to the right place?" Ruby grinned, flashing a thumbs up.
"GOOD DEAL."
They sat. As they waited to be served, Maria's eyes wandered around the diner, taking everything in. Her silver eyes brightened. "HOLY SMOKES, WHO IS THAT?"
Ruby glanced over to see Velvet bringing Goodwitch some extra toast. "Oh, that's Velvet Scarlatina."
Maria fingered her hearing aid- Ruby sighed. "VELVET SCARLATINA!"
She caught Velvet's attention, for what it was worth. But Maria was still talking. "SHE'S QUITE THE BEAUTY! REMINDS ME OF THAT STATUE WITHOUT THE ARMS!"
"You mean the Venus de Milo?"
"I BELIEVE THE NAME WAS MILO... SOMETHING. BUT FORGET ABOUT THAT! SEEING HER MAKES ME WISH I SPOKE SOME MISTRALIAN! WELL, I'M GONNA TRY ANYWAYS!"
Ruby chuckled. "Good luck with that."
Maria stood and headed to the counter. "HELLO!"
Velvet jumped at the loud voice, turning to face the new customer with surprise.
"I WAS WONDERING IF I COULD TROUBLE YOU FOR A CUP OF STRONG BLACK COFFEE? I THOUGHT I MIGHT TRY TO ENGAGE YOU WITH AN AMUSING ANECDOTE WHILE I WAS AT IT."
Velvet glanced over at Ruby, who did her best to communicate that she was not, in fact, in imminent danger- it was best to just go with the flow.
"MY NAME'S MARIA CALAVERA, AND I COULDN'T HELP BUT NOTICE YOU FROM THE BOOTH. SEEING YOU UP CLOSE, I NOW FEEL AS THOUGH MY STOMACH IS FULL OF BUMBLEBEES!"
Velvet was shrinking on the spot. "There... there's no need to shout, Ms. Calavera- I can hear you just fine."
Maria's eyes widened. "I... I HEARD THAT!"
Velvet blinked rapidly in confusion. "Do... do you want anything besides coffee?"
"I'M HEARING YOU PERFECTLY!" Maria declared.
"And I can hear you, too, please-"
"YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND-"
At last, Maria seemed to notice the discomfort she was causing, and lowered her voice as much as she could. Ruby guessed she could no longer hear herself.
"You don't understand, Ms. Scarlatina- do you see these? These things in my ear?" She pointed dramatically at her hearing aid.
"I... yes! Yes I do!" Velvet nodded, seeming very much as though she was just humoring her.
"For twenty years now, I've been asking people to please speak up, but for some reason, I can hear you loud and clear! Please, say something else!"
She removed the hearing aid altogether.
Velvet looked around, trying to think of something to say. "Er... would you like pie with your coffee?"
Maria grinned. "Good Lord, I hear you perfectly! This must be some miracle! A phenomenon!"
"If it's miracles you seek, you've certainly come to the right town," Goodwitch decided to throw in her two cents.
"WHAT'S THAT?" Maria asked, glancing towards her.
Goodwitch narrowed her eyes slightly. "This strawberry pie is a miracle!"
"WOULD YOU PLEASE ASK THE LADY WITH THE LOG TO SPEAK UP?"
"Oh- the pie," Velvet translated. "She was talking about the strawberry pie."
"I heard you again!" Maria's eyes lit up. "I heard you again!"
Despite herself, Velvet found herself laughing. "So... about that pie?"
"Lots of pie!" Maria nodded. "Lots and lots of pie!"
Maria slid into a seat at the counter. Ruby rolled her eyes, and, figuring she was on her own for now, grabbed a napkin and a pen, and began to doodle.
By a sheer whim, she found herself drawing Goodwitch's tattoo- the pair of mountains, almost simulating the two mountains overlooking the town of Vale. Then, at a further whim, she began to draw in the triangles from Major Winchester's tattoo- but not quite as they'd appeared on it. She drew them, not as triangles pointing towards a center, but as diamonds stacked upon one another. One cradled between the mountains, one standing on top, and one beneath.
She leaned back, gazing at the doodle, wondering why she'd suddenly felt so compelled to draw such an image. Her eyes flicked to the window, and lit up. She rushed and pressed her face against the glass.
At last, Yang left the bathroom, looking very harried as she made her way to her sister's booth. "Whatcha seein', sis?" she asked groggily.
"Chickadee!" Ruby grinned. "There's a chickadee on the store over there!"
Yang slid into the booth across from her and peered out the window. "Nah, I think that's a finch."
"Nope, it's definitely a chickadee."
They turned to see Marie standing there, a pot of coffee in her hand. Ruby's face immediately brightened. "Hi!"
"Hello," Marie nodded. "Cream and five sugars?"
"Yup!" Ruby agreed eagerly. Her smile grew as the coffee poured into her mug.
"You have any recommendations for a hangover?" Yang grumbled.
"Prayer," Marie snorted.
"I guess that's about the best you can do," Ruby laughed.
"...Well, I'll take some black coffee anyways," Yang decided, still rubbing her aching head. Marie nodded and turned over a mug on the table, filling it up.
"So, how are you doing today?" Ruby asked.
"Feeling... off," Marie admitted. "It's odd being back in the real world after those years in private school. I'm not sure where I am- or rather, I know where I am, but not how."
"I see..."
Marie rolled her eyes. "Listen to me. I've been out of the world so long, I've forgotten how to even talk. You ask how I am, I'm not supposed to tell you how I am, I'm supposed to say, 'I'm fine, thanks. How are you?'"
"Fine, thanks," Ruby grinned.
Marie gave a small snort through her nose. "I'm sure you think I'm strange-"
"No, nonono!" Ruby quickly shook her head.
"Well, correct me if I'm wrong, but I doubt you'd tell me I was strange even if you thought I was."
"You are wrong," Ruby concurred. "I'm completely honest- if I thought you were strange, I'd tell you."
Marie tilted her head. "Would you, now?"
"Absolutely."
"Alright... and what'll you have, blondie?"
If Yang found the nickname rude, she was too hungover to care. "Let's do some waffles and milk. Just don't tell Nora- she'll say I betrayed her."
"Classic breakfast," Marie nodded. "And you?"
"I'll see her waffles," Ruby decided. "Just slightly burned, and... I'd like to tell you a joke."
Yang's eyes widened as she looked past her haze at her sister, looking up at their waitress and trying to tell a joke.
"Two polar bears were taking a bath together in a tub. One polar bear turns to the other and says, "Can you pass the soap?"
"Er, Marie, can you help me over here?"
"I HEARD THAT!"
Marie turned to see Maria still talking Velvet's ears off. "Hold that thought, I'll be right back," she promised.
The second she was gone, Yang flashed a grin at her sister. "So, Rubes... how long have you been in love with her?"
Ruby turned violently red and began spluttering. "Yang- who said anything about love?"
"I don't need any fancy-pants huntress training to recognize my sister trying to pick someone up," Yang chuckled. "You're trying to tell her a joke!"
"D-did I?" Ruby asked, pointedly looking the other way. Yang beamed- God, it felt good to be in the teasing position again!"
"So, what did the second polar bear say?"
Marie was back. Ruby turned even redder, fighting it down as she attempted to finish her joke. "So, the first polar bear says, 'Can you pass the soap,' and the second polar bear says, 'No soap, radio!'"
Yang laughed at the sheer ridiculousness of the joke- she imagined that Marie's laugh was for a similar reason. "I rest my case," she whispered to herself.
At the counter, Velvet was still speaking with Maria. "Would you like some more pie? Perhaps even a whole one?"
"THAT SOUNDS WONDERFUL, MS. SCARLATINA! BRING ME SOME PAPER AND A PENCIL WHILE YOU'RE AT IT, I PLAN ON WRITING AN EPIC POEM ABOUT THIS PIE!"
Marie continued laughing for about ten seconds, until her eye landed on Ruby's napkin-doodle. "Oh- I see you've been to Owl Cave."
"I've been where?" Ruby asked, caught off guard.
"That design," Marie clarified, pointing to the napkin in question. "It's just like the one up in Owl Cave."
Seeing that Ruby didn't seem to recognize the name, she turned back to the kitchen. Yang leaned forward. "Here, let me see that..."
Ruby nodded, handing her the napkin. "I put the Major's tattoo together with the Log Lady's," she explained.
Yang tilted her head as she took in the image. "Yeah... it's an exact match for the Owl Cave Glyph. One of this town's hidden wonders."
Ruby's eyes widened. "Yang... I need to see that glyph."
XXXX
Sun was pleasantly surprised when he returned home to find Pyrrha standing outside. "Pyrrha- good to see ya! You can come right in if you-"
"I'm afraid... I'm not here for long," Pyrrha shook her head. "Sun... I'm leaving."
Sun's heart dropped. "Already?"
"Not right now, but... I don't think I should come in right now. I need to leave this town- at least for a while. I'm going to spend the next week or so taking care of a few loose ends, then... I'm off to Vacuo." She looked away sadly. "I... don't think we should see each other in the meantime."
"I understand," Sun promised with a sad smile. "And... I'll wait for you. As long as it takes. You go out there and take the world by storm. I'm sure you'll have a million stories when you make it back."
"I'm sure I will," Pyrrha nodded, forcing a smile. "I... see you then."
Sun watched as she hopped on her motorcycle and took off. Despite his words, he felt his stomach sinking as he entered the front door.
Michelle was waiting for him, a sympathetic look already on her face. "You okay, son?"
"Everything's fine," he assured her. "We're all just... doing what we need to do."
Michelle ushered him to the sofa, allowing him to lower his head into her lap. "She'll be back. She'll be back, I'm sure of it."
Sun bit his lip, and decided his need to know was greater. "Mom... mind if I ask you something?"
"Fire away, kiddo."
"How does Dad know Willow Schnee?"
Sun sensed his mother's hesitation. "I... don't think he does. Not very well, at least."
"She was here yesterday. They were talking like... like old friends."
"Ah, you know your dad, he does all sorts of work with local charities... I'm sure they've bumped into each other every now and again."
"Then Dad went to talk to her at the Austin this morning."
Sun could sense the unease in his mother's voice now. "Probably something to do with that Stop Hienton thing Willow's started up. Yeah... in fact, I know that's what it is. He told me at breakfast."
Sun didn't know who she was trying to convince- him, or herself.
*DING-DONG!*
Sun rose to his feet and went to the door. He turned back to the living room with a bouquet of flowers in his arms. "The mailman," he noted dryly. "For Dad, no card. Should I get some water for them?"
XXXX
Weiss, meanwhile, was busy going through the library, searching for a book to read. She found one that looked interesting, and was on the verge of turning to leave when she bumped into a woman- not too much taller than her, with red eyes and dark skin.
"Oh, sorry!" she apologized quickly.
"Don't worry about it," the woman waved her hand. "It was my fault- I've always been a bit short-sighted. Monika Afton, at your service."
"Weiss Schnee. A pleasure."
"What brings you here, Ms. Schnee?"
"Research on civil disobedience."
Ms. Afton smiled. "Good for you. It's the role of the young to disobey, isn't it?"
"Are you a professor?" Weiss asked.
"Yes, though I specialize in poetry," Afton replied.
"Well, that works out wonderfully!" Weiss suddenly smiled. "I received a poem the other day- maybe you recognize it?"
"I can certainly try," Afton agreed.
Weiss reached into her bag and produced a copy of the letter she, Velvet, and Pyrrha had received- they had each written down the poem in full, in an effort to figure out what it actually meant.
"Do you mind reading it? Like I said, I'm rather near-sighted..."
"Okay," Weiss shrugged. She lifted the paper up, cleared her throat, and began to read.
"See the mountains kiss high Heaven,
And the waves clasp one another.
No sister-flower would be forgiven
if it disdained its brother.
As the sunlight clasps the earth,
and the moonbeams kiss the sea-"
Afton interrupted. "What is all this sweet work worth, if thou kiss not me?"
Weiss blinked. "Yes... exactly. You know it?"
"I certainly do. It's a classic of Emily Dickinson. You know, standing there, reciting her words... you almost look like a queen."
Weiss never felt particularly comfortable receiving compliments like these, but for some reason, it felt especially uncomfortable coming from this woman. "Thank you, I suppose."
She glanced around. "I... should be going. It was nice meeting you."
"I'm sure we'll meet again," Emerald shrugged with a smile. "We'll meet again- don't know where, don't know when, but I know we'll meet again some sunny day."
"Of course," Weiss nodded, quickly bowing out.
XXXX
Marie was going around, cleaning the countertop, when she spied a flyer for the Miss Vale pageant. She picked it up, turning it over and examining it.
"Thinking of entering?"
Most people would likely have jumped if they'd been snuck up on with as much success as Velvet had just snuck up on her- but she barely batted a lid.
"I don't think so. I have enough going on in my own life without throwing a stupid contest like this into the mix."
Velvet laughed lightly. "I guess you never encountered anything like that in private school."
"You guess correctly."
"So, what's it like being back in civilization?" Velvet couldn't help asking.
"It was a private school, not a cave," Marie pointed out. "We had some leisure... thought, admittedly, trying to tell anyone what I did with that leisure time was like speaking to a parole officer."
"Sorry if I brought up some bad memories," Velvet apologized.
"No, no, that's fine," Marie waved aside. "But... what do you know about Ruby Rose?"
Velvet looked up with a smile. "Oh- are you interested?"
"I struggle to understand why that was your first conclusion."
"Oh, nothing- I just saw the way she looked at you earlier- and you didn't look like you were exactly hating it."
"I'm not interested in romance, Velvet. Drop it."
Marie headed back to the kitchen, Velvet smiling brightly as she watched her go.
XXXX
Fox finally returned to the police station mid-afternoon- to a very strange sight. Ren was standing in the lobby, looking up as Nora dangled on a rope tied from the ceiling, about five feet above the ground, slowly lowering herself. They were both wearing hard hats.
"Did I... miss something?" he asked.
"Oh, Fox!" Nora smiled brightly as she turned around on the rope, struggling to keep him in sight. "Are you okay? Yang told us you got a bonk on the noggin!"
"Yeah, I'm fine, I just need to keep away from... strenuous activity..."
"You shoulda been at the Great Weasel Riot last night! Willow brought a hoard of weasels in to the Austin Hotel-"
"One, it was in a cage," Ren put in.
"-They were all rabid and frothing at the mouth!"
"It was in perfectly fine health."
"It jumped up and started trying to maul Neptune, then dashed out into the crowd!"
"He overreacted to a nibble, then the rest of the crowd overreacted as well."
"Ren was a hero!" Nora declared proudly- she'd probably have her hands on her hips, except her arms were busy struggling to maintain her balance on the rope. "Did a heckuva lot more than Neptune, at least..."
"It's our job to keep the peace," Ren reminded her. "We've faced far more threatening things than a simple pine weasel."
"Indeed," Fox agreed. "Speaking of... what's with all the gear?"
"We're going spelunking!" Nora chirped happily.
"Isn't that... dangerous?" Fox asked, glancing at Ren. "You know, with her... condition?"
"She's only a couple months in," Ren assured him. "We're not going too far in- Ruby wants to see the Owl Cave Glyph."
"I see-"
*THUD!*
Nora had let the rope go too quickly, and thudded to the ground. "I'm okay!"
Fox glanced at Ren. "...But keep a close eye on her anyways."
"Of course," Ren nodded into his facepalm.
XXXX
Back in Yang's office, she was trying to solve her way through a book of chess puzzles when Ruby entered in her spelunking gear. "We all ready to go, Yang?" she asked cheerily.
"Dad just called in our next move," Yang announced.
Ruby observed the board on the table Yang wasn't using. "Expose a pawn to her bishop, huh?"
"It's your call, Rubes- should we reconsider?"
"No, Dad knows what he's doing. She takes that pawn, she loses her bishop- and her initial advantage."
"I see..."
"You feeling better?"
"I feel like Nora spent last night hammering a railroad spike through my ear."
"Then a descent into a cool, subterranean cave is just what the doctor ordered!" Ruby beamed, breaking out another hard hat.
"You sure Maria can make it?" Yang asked.
"Maria's not coming," Ruby shook her head. "Velvet insisted on taking her to see Michelle about her hearing problems. If she can do something about it, I'd say she should be considered for a Nobel Prize."
XXXX
Just outside of the Austin hotel, Whitley had commandeered a portion of the waterfall. He had set up several cardboard cutouts of buffalo, and was currently shooting at it with a toy bow and arrow. He wore his headdress and, before every shot, let out a tribal war cry.
Willow watched from a distance, waiting. Finally, she heard the door open behind her, and smiled. "Weiss."
"You asked to see me, mother?"
Willow turned to her, munching on a carrot. "What do you know... about King Arthur?"
"I have studied some of the Arthurian mythos on my own time, certainly," Weiss shrugged, curious where her mother was going with this.
"One of the most legendary kings of all," Willow mused. "Perhaps most famously, he formed the Knights of the Round Table- round, so that everyone would be viewed as equal. He relied on his knights as much as they did on him- in part, to tell him the cold, hard truth, no matter how difficult it may be to hear. It is only with the assistance of his knights that he was able to rule as long- and as splendidly- as he did."
"I suppose you don't consider Father to be a knight?" Weiss guessed.
"Jacques has nothing to do with why I called you here," Willow waved aside. "Weiss, what I seek is the unvarnished truth. I believe that you are the best man for the job."
Weiss didn't even bother correcting the error- she felt a balloon of joy inflating inside her- it had been years since her mother had seemed so... sincere. "Me?"
"Weiss... I don't need you to tell me how abysmal I have been as a mother. In fact, when have I ever been a mother to you at all? When have I ever treated you as anything other than another asset to the company? When have I ever been anything but a sleazy rapscallion?"
Weiss struggled to find the words to respond to that. "Well, certainly, there were times, but-"
"There's no need to sugarcoat it, Weiss. But I've changed. I am determined to put that all behind me- to become a better person. The sort of mother who doesn't demand your respect, but earns it. And I intend to earn it.
"I think back... and remember Jaune. I think about Raven... I think of all the mistakes I've made. Winter doesn't even wish to speak to me anymore- but I don't want to be that woman any longer. I want to build a new life- a life of happiness for our family, to restore honor to the Schnee name. And Weiss... I want you to help me make that happen- if you're willing."
Weiss hesitated, but one simple word from her mother broke her resolve. "...Please?"
Weiss broke into a grin. "Mother... I'm your man."
"Excellent!" Willow brightened, hugging her tight- it was more wonderful than anything Weiss ever expected- "Weiss, pack a bag and head out to the airport! The plane leaves in an hour!"
And there it went. "My what now?"
The door to the office opened, and Mitsuru stepped in. Willow grinned. "Ah, Mitsuru- just the woman I wanted to see!"
"Hello, Willow- Weiss."
"Um- Mother-" Weiss struggled to verbalize what she was feeling right now, without driving Mitsuru away.
Willow didn't seem to notice her inner turmoil. "Best to hurry, Weiss- the plane leaves in an hour!" She turned to Mitsuru, not breaking her pace. "Weiss is on her way to Vytal tonight! She's having breakfast with the environmentalists! We're taking the pine weasel across the kingdom!"
"Oh- wonderful." Even Mitsuru didn't seem to know exactly what to say. "Good... good hustle, Weiss."
"Mother, I'm not certain I can leave on such short notice!" Weiss finally forced out.
It was difficult to tell if Willow had even heard her- she suddenly whipped out a notebook and headed across the room to hand it to her daughter. "Here are the particulars- time, place, etcetera. I have faith you'll bring back good news."
Weiss took a deep, shaky breath. "Good news... yes, of course."
Willow kissed her on her forehead, but Weiss could no longer tell whether it was sincere or not. "I... suppose I'd better go," she decided, hurrying out of the room.
In her absence, Willow ushered Mitsuru in, and sat her on the sofa.
"Feeling okay, Willow?" Mitsuru asked tentatively.
"I feel... good!" Willow declared. "I'm... filled to the brim with a feeling of... of goodness!" She took another bite of carrot. "Like... like a Christmas tree. And yet... at the end of the day, I look in the mirror, and realize... I really don't know how to be good."
"I've seen far worse starts than this," Mitsuru shrugged.
"Mitsuru... how do you do it? What's the secret? How does... someone like me get to where you are?"
Mitsuru shrugged. "Keep an eye on your heart... always tell the truth..."
"I was just discussing such a thing with Weiss," Willow nodded. "The truth... a powerful, dangerous thing... yet always preferable to lies?"
"Indeed," Mitsuru confirmed. "Start with the hardest truth- no sense beating around the bush."
"Splendid," Willow muttered to herself, nibbling on the carrot a little more. "Indeed... tell the truth, and begin by diving straight into the deep end..."
"Willow, I'm falling in love with your daughter."
"Fine example, Mitsuru, fine example. That would be a difficult truth."
"And it is," Mitsuru agreed.
Willow hesitated, dropping her carrot to the ground. "Oh. I see. That is the truth."
"Yes."
For a moment, Mitsuru wondered if Willow was about to explode.
She broke into a beaming smile instead. She produced two more carrots from her purse- she helped herself to one, and handed the other over to her. "Funny little world, isn't it?"
"Funny... indeed."
From the outside, they heard Whitley give off another scream as he fired his latest arrow.
XXXX
It was late afternoon by the time Ruby, Yang, Ren, and Nora arrived at Owl Cave, but the moment they crossed the threshold, it seemed as though it suddenly became midnight.
As Ren promised, there wasn't much actual climbing involved to get to where the glyph was- Ruby was fairly certain a child could make it with enough know-how. In fact, if Ren was to be believed, teenagers finding their way in was a somewhat common occurrence.
"There aren't gonna be any... actual owls in here, are there, Ren?" Nora asked as they climbed down.
"I doubt it, Nora," Ren spoke assuringly.
"It's just... you know how owls and I... don't really get along..."
"I know, Nora. Don't worry- if there are any, I won't let them get you."
Finally, they touched down in the central cave- marginally narrow (if one could consider roughly fifteen feet to be narrow), but very tall and long.
"Think of it this way, Nora- we used to play here all the time as kids. Were there any owls here then?"
"I guess not..."
"This place is incredible!" Ruby exclaimed, silver eyes alight. "Where's the glyph?"
"A little further in..."
They circled a corner, and Ruby's eyes suddenly widened. "Yang- Yang! Uncle Qrow- Uncle Qrow was here!"
"What?" Yang asked, aghast.
Ruby dashed to a nearby wall, where words had been etched into the stone- We live inside a dream.
"Yang, this was Uncle Qrow- he said this to us right before he disappeared! We live inside a dream..."
"Can you tell when he was here?"
"No... no, I can't. Could have been a few days, could have been a couple years." Ruby hung her head.
Yang placed a hand on her shoulder. Ren gave them a moment before clearing his throat. "The glyph is over here."
Ruby straightened up immediately, following Ren to the opposite wall- compared to the rest of the cave, it was rather flat, and, sure enough, there was the glyph.
It was, indeed, identical to her earlier doodle. It stretched from the floor to the ceiling- a distance of ten to fifteen feet. It was a pattern of diamonds standing on top of each other, point-to-point. About halfway up- right about Ruby's eye level- was a diamond cradled between two mountains. The uppermost diamond, meanwhile, had another symbol carved above it- an image clearly representing flame.
"Two symbols," Ruby mused, "combined into one. But... why?"
"Hell if I know," Yang shrugged. "This thing's been here longer than the town- dates back to the native tribes."
"The tattoos asked us a question," Ruby insisted. "And this... this is the answer."
*HOOT, HOOT!*
Everyone spun around, looking for the source of the noise. Nora had brought a pickaxe into the cave with her- she was suddenly clenching it tightly. "Ren..."
"Stay calm, Nora," Ren responded, placing a hand on her shoulder.
An owl appeared, swooping in from the cave's entrance, no longer hooting, but emitting an odd chittering noise as it bore down upon them.
Nora screamed and began swinging the pickaxe like a madwoman. "Get it away from me, get it away from me, GET IT AWAY FROM ME!"
It went up into the darkness, then swooped back down. Nora saw it fly towards the glyph, and swung- her pickaxe made direct contact with the flame symbol at the top.
Sparks flew as the pick buried itself into the stone. To everyone's relief, the owl seemed to have disappeared- but now Nora was struggling to get her pick back.
"Guys- my pickaxe- it's stuck!" she grunted as she pulled with all her might.
Ruby, however, was more interested in what was happening lower down- the diamond cradled between the mountains was moving- specifically, it was moving outwards. Sand and dust poured from behind it as it pushed away from the rest of the wall, eventually falling to the ground with a resounding thud.
"My God..." Ren quietly exclaimed, his eyes wide with awe.
Where the diamond had been was now a diamond-shaped alcove- at the very back was another fire symbol. From the center sprouted a cylindrical protrusion, stretching all the way to where the original wall had once been. On its outer edge facing them was yet another symbol- and Ruby felt strongly she had seen this one before.
Just like the outer glyph, it centered on a diamond- just one this time around. From the top edges of the diamond were two odd protrusions- not at all like the mountains from the original glyph. They looked more like horns, or perhaps wings.
"What... is that?" Nora asked.
"No idea... but it looks... familiar, somehow," Yang muttered.
Ruby felt as much awe as the others- but she couldn't fight a smile either. "Yang... there's no such thing as coincidence. There are no accidents. Through everything that's happened, I've felt the hand of fate- I don't know where this will lead us, but I'm sure it will be somewhere as wonderful as it is strange."
From outside the cave, an owl cried.
XXXX
Marie was somewhat nervous as she walked into the Austin Hotel's Gold Room, making her way to the bar.
"What can I get for you?" the bartender asked.
"I... I'm not entirely sure. I'm... something of a first-timer."
She had already produced her ID in response to the unasked question.
"Rum is popular tonight," the bartender suggested, glancing at the ID.
"Then I'll take that, please," Marie decided.
"Rum it is- I'll throw in a tonic, too. Tell you what- first one's on me."
"How dangerous..."
Ruby, on the other hand, was practically skipping as she entered the room, chatting into her recorder. "Oscar, it's Thursday. Just after nine. I'm just getting back after an expedition into Owl Cave. It's a long story- I'll have to tell you the whole thing later. Y'see, there was a pair of tattoos..."
She faltered when she spied Marie at the bar. "Er... yeah. Get back to you later, Oscar."
She hurried over and took a seat. "Hello, Marie."
"Oh- Ms. Rose."
"Ruby, please. I guess... I guess there's no point offering you a drink, huh?"
"I'm good- I have a rum and tonic. I remember that one of the teachers would always spike his tea with rum- somehow, it never threw him off his lectures. I thought it sounded exotic, so..."
Ruby couldn't help laughing. "A whole new world out here, isn't it?"
"It's very different," Marie agreed. "The music, the people... the way they talk and laugh. The way they love. To me, it's all like... a foreign language, I guess you could say."
"Reminds me of when I first went to Vytal City," Ruby recalled. "I grew up here for thirteen years before moving out for special huntress training- it was a big shock. I've always wondered what I might do different if I could go back, but... it is what it is."
"I think we all wonder that," Marie nodded. She reached out for her drink, exposing the scar on her wrist. Ruby saw it again, and this time, wasn't able to hide her gaze.
Marie saw it, and quickly withdrew her wrist into her sleeve. "It was... a moment of weakness. Part of me worries what will happen if I feel that way again."
Ruby nodded in understanding. "If you... want to talk about it... I can lend an ear."
Marie shook her head. "You seem like a good person, but... I don't think I'm ready for that. Not yet."
"At your leisure," Ruby nodded. "But... I'd be glad to help- if you want."
"You should know that I'm stubborn. Very willful."
"I can guarantee I've worked with worse."
"Some people think I'm strange."
"Some people know I'm strange."
Ruby grinned when she earned another laugh.
When her laughter died down, Marie followed up with, "I won't always make sense... or meet expectations."
"I have no expectations," Ruby shook her head.
Marie smiled gently. "Then... I accept your offer."
XXXX
Night fell, and another person made their way into Owl Cave- Emerald, on her own. Adam was tied up back at the shack- she wasn't running the risk of her errand boy breaking free.
Her flashlight took in as much of the cave as it could. If Ruby was interested in this cave, it had to be important- and she had information Ruby didn't.
"Well," she muttered as she found the glyph- the alcove still in place. "Half-assed as always. You should have known there was more to the puzzle..."
She swung her flashlight around, and discovered the message on the opposite wall- We live inside a dream. "Qrow... of course you were here, too."
She reached into a pocket and produced a small notebook with Qrow Branwen's handwriting all over it. She flipped to a page where he had drawn a symbol very similar to the image on the cylindrical protrusion in the alcove- except the wings were on the bottom, rather than the top.
She looked from the book to the alcove. "The symbol, inverted..."
She reached out and grabbed hold of the cylinder, and began to twist. Dust and dirt shook off as she slowly turned it- steadily, it became easier, until the symbol matched the one in Qrow's book.
She stood back as a loud rumbling began to fill the cave- Nora's pickaxe finally dislodged as sand came spurting out of the hole it had once occupied.
Emerald made no effort to conceal her smirk as the wall continued to slide and crumble away, revealing the cave's true secret beneath.
XXXX
Pleasledkf mrhpae;dogjk,fls;ozmrds;lkxcHng[aidhoj'sjgr[ptjurep4444
this Is the WATeR, ANd tHIS Is tHE Well.
DRINk deEP And DESCend.
tHE HorSe iS The WHitE OF The EYES
dARknEsS withIn.
