Chapter 64: A light upon the darkness of the heart
Enjoy the chapter, ladies and gentlemen!
The terrible case (Raven Branwen)
Her daughter was late.
It wasn't time for dinner yet, but the girl was late, and it wasn't something that really was a bother, but the two women sitting on the couch were giving her looks. Kali had made herself comfortable in the chair and was striking up a conversation with Rowena, Sienna having appeared as well, wearing a leather jacket and jeans, something contrary to her usual style, her short hair making her look different from before, a few patches sown onto the jacket.
"I'll go and see what's keeping Jaune."
A small smile on the devilishly powerful woman's lips was the result, as she got up. She didn't like the woman much, given how easy it had felt to nearly die, the pain of having the blood inside her freeze up and deliver her a jolt of pain that hadn't gone away swiftly, the portal shimmering into existence, as the change warped her form.
It had been embarrassing to shift mid-orgasm, she realized, as the pleasurable feeling sort of pushed through her and she was a bird. She found herself in a park, flapping her wings and finding a tree to sit on. A bird's view was different, and she peered around, watching carefully for her daughter and the young man to which she had been linked, the brief pulse of her Semblance telling her that they were close.
The bench had a shopping bag on it, and her daughter was currently wrapped up in a kiss with the young man who she had been intimate with. It was beautiful to see her daughter be willing to do something so bold in public, wonderful to see that daring, that care and gentleness that she'd had with her husband once. Things had been different before…
"Tai?"
She'd worn the dress, just because Huntsmen gear wouldn't fit a date. It wasn't like she wanted to impress him by being civilized, not like in the camp, with the rest of the tribe. Her eyes sought out the man's eyes, the jacket and the rugged style that he wore usually during the outings that she and her twin brother were forced to go on absent, something a little more formal.
"Hey there, Rae. Ready for our date?"
It wasn't a date. It was just an outing with dinner, and she wasn't thinking about giving her womanhood up yet. She was a proud member of the Tribe, and Summer was… was a close friend. The woman was vicious and cruel, yet optimistic and bright at times. A real killer, someone who could strike fear into the hearts of people with a glare, someone she might call a sister.
"I'm not- It's not a date!"
It was an outing. She'd had makeup done by one of her classmates. Qrow had been sent to observe Summer, who had decided that she needed some more venom for her weapons. Venom? On weapons? Madness!
"Sure it's not, Raven. You look good, though."
She only let him see her red cheeks after she'd stopped the beating of her heart in her chest through some of the exercises that Summer had been teaching her. There was wisdom in Summer, their team leader. She was… pleasant.
It wasn't unpleasant to think that there was a reward for her service. The Tribe's chieftain had instructed them to learn the way of the Huntsmen, to come back to the tribe. Qrow was weak. He didn't have the killer instinct. She'd be the better twin.
"You don't look unpleasant, you piece of garbage."
He was weak emotionally. He was strong in flesh, but there was a weakness, a childish nature that seemed to draw out those emotions. It fueled his strength, making him stronger than she was. She'd never won a fight, because he'd smile at her again and then go 'Time for you to take a dirt nap, Raven', even though the sparring ring did not have dirt.
"Sure thing, Rae. That's the girl who got her towel nicked by Summer yesterday, all tough and rough Raven Branwen."
She grabbed his hand and held it. It was not a date, but she was… allowing an escort. It was the first time that they'd went out alone, together. She wasn't calling it a date, but… It was an escort, for a dinner. She hadn't made herself too pretty for a man, after all, she was Raven, the next chieftain, once the other one had been killed. The strong survived.
She watched the two teenagers, feeling a stab inside her heart as she saw Yang lean closer. She couldn't hear what they were saying very well due to the distance and them keeping mostly to whispers, but the expression on the young man's face was much like Taiyang's had been.
The teenagers dueled with their tongues a duel of life and death, her heart clenching a little at the sight. Her daughter was much like her, but she was of an age with the young man that had slipped himself into the cracks of her shattered heart. Summer's daughter was pregnant by her former husband, or well, should've been pregnant.
"I know, I know… I'll fix it tomorrow."
It wasn't normal, she knew. She shouldn't love two people, but she loved Taiyang and Summer. Her little brother didn't know what to do, weak and a bad luck charm as always. It had been stupid, but she'd confided in him, only to be laughed at.
"It's fine, Rae. We can always make another one. They're disposable, not meant to be something that would last. "
It was when the Mission called, even though they were twenty now. Summer was power, Summer was strength. She'd been weak, and Summer was strong. She was so weak in the eyes of the tribe now, craving for the touch of another woman.
"You're my sister, Raven. We don't share blood, but we are in the Order together. You're the first inductee for the Rose in a hundred and seventeen years…"
She did what she had to. Her lips pressed against her partner, whose silver eyes peered into hers as the kiss lasted. It was a slow burning in the back of her mind as the silver eclipsed everything and she felt nothing but the cool distance, as Summer pulled away, wiping her lips.
"It'll be fine, Raven. Let's go and hunt. The Mission continues, and we are told to slay."
It was blood that coated her lips hours later, the body rolled off her with the push of her sister in spirit's hands, leaving her to get back up, the Huntsman's body left mostly intact, as the red cloak was tightened.
"Careful, Rae… Wouldn't want to make you get scratches, my dear… Now, about that mask… Look at what I've got!"
The mask was a little more ornate than the previous one, which had been unadorned by anything. There was a small silver stripe on the side of it, running from the corner to the front. Clearly, there was something that'd be special about the mask that Summer was offering her, surrounded by the carnage of the compound that they had raided on higher orders, the look of pride on Summer's face making her feel queasy.
"Thanks. What… what does it mean? The stripe?"
The masks were designed to be easily foldable and washable, the mechanism of their construction a part of the weapon shift. The stripe stood out, the tang of blood in her mouth, the blood just leaving a bitter taste in her eyes.
Summer was a refined machine of death. Someone who could kill her in a flash and not give much more thought to it than just an 'oh, what a sad moment' before she'd move on again. Efficient, brutal, more than fitting.
"It's to show that you're worthy of being the Summer Rose's partner, Rae. Don't worry, the Grandmaster will bestow a gift upon you. You're the Summer Rose's partner, and you're not a member of the family… so you'll be given a gift! Don't worry, the light doesn't hurt!"
She hadn't known back then, the sacrifices she would make. Taiyang had been kind. He'd been what she needed, even after that horrible moment when the light blinded her and Summer's will was imposed. He'd been kind, strong and said the right things that she needed to hear. She was Raven Branwen, a woman.
Seeing the two teenagers on the bench and watching them for a while was just bringing up the memories of a time that'd long-since been gone, the soft kisses that Yang gave to Jaune bringing her heart pain and warmth at the same time.
She could see herself sitting on the couch at the house in Patch, leaving not a single moment for herself, as she watched the man who had claimed her heart and her love, sitting with the babe on his lap. It was stifling. It was stifling and she had yearned to be free. Her daughter did not deserve weakness, and the tribe had called her once more. It had been a severing, a cutting off of that weakness, even with Summer barely speaking to her.
She'd made the decision to leave, hadn't she? She had. She'd decided to leave, because it had been necessary. The tribe needed her. They had needed her, and she'd had to give her child up for the Tribe, because the fittest always survived.
"Go, Raven. Go back to the tribe. You've given us the heir to your line. Raise the next one to be inducted, strong and pure."
Hopelessness, as she looked at the young child that'd been torn from her grasp, several of the other members of the Rose gathered. The Summer Rose was pregnant, and she had to give up her child. The silver eyes of the Rose looked at her, Summer's body in motion. She had to go, and-
The blades dug into the armour of the Wilting Rose, piercing through it and letting one of the Rose fall down. A small smile on Summer's face, as the sword was pulled free and the other one drove into the next, the white cloak turning red slowly as the woman bled out, the wound there to kill, the blood leaking through the torn cloth.
She tore Yang from the arms of the Rose clan member, aware that her Aura flared as she turned away. A dust round exploded against her back, the armour that she wore below the katana as insurance covering the blow, the babe in her arms starting to cry.
"Bring her home, Rae! I'll take care of them… I am still the Rose that blooms red in the summer!"
She limped a little when she'd come home. Three of the Rose had barred her way, and her blade had tasted their blood once more. It was hard, fighting with a baby in her hands, and she was happy that Taiyang wasn't present. Qrow came to greet her, aware of the blood on her body.
"Take her and keep her safe, Qrow. I'm going back to the tribe. Tell Summer… Tell Summer that there was no other way. Good luck, you'll need it, you stupid little bad luck charm."
Summer would care for her child, as she did… she did what she had to. It was survival of the fittest, the strongest, and she would be the one who would follow the orders. Summer had said that things will be taken care of, so she would trust her. She'd watch, silently, as her daughter grew.
She was back with the tribe again with a slash of her sword, the murderers and bandits greeting her as an old friend. It had only been five years since they had been parted from them, but she had not taken Qrow with her.
"Take me to the chieftain. Raven of the Branwen is back."
She would find strength. Her daughter would be strong too under Summer's care.
She watched the two teenagers, both blissfully unaware of the crimes that she herself had committed over the years she'd been alive, the truths that she'd been forced to witness and realize that the world had not been kind to her. Were these memories the truth, or was it merely something to cope with the stress that she had been under?
'The truth between the lies spun to deceive the world…'
She watched them talk and then took flight, creating another portal and flying through, entering Mistral city once more, the temperature difference making her wings flutter a little due to the heat of the place, the sight of Summer in the shape of Beornir sitting at the corner of a fountain, the morning warmth not as it should be, but still intense.
She cawed twice, settling on the stone next to Summer. Gazing at the woman in a younger woman's fleshy shell, Summer only acknowledged her by throwing her a small treat, rubbing the crest on her head, before she took wing. Three strokes meant that she'd move in a short while and would find her.
Summer made sense of the world for her. She was afraid that she'd lost sight of what was the most important. She turned back into her human form after she'd found a quiet spot, leaning against the wall and waiting for Summer.
"Trying to catch a guy, Raven?"
Summer's voice was light, the pale-skinned woman appearing at her side once more to haunt her dreams, as Raven looked at her.
"I want to talk, Summer. And… And we'll have dinner with Jaune afterwards."
Summer nodded, ringing arms with her, the cloak fluttering in the slight breeze. There was a brief smile on Raven's face that was wiped off when she saw Shay swagger up to her looking like he meant business.
"Boss… We've got a little problem…"
'This'll just make us late for dinner.'
This guy was Qrow 2.0, with even less luck with the ladies than her brother. At least Qrow actually got laid. Shay D. Mann was anything but lucky. Qrow got lucky from time to time.
Not that the foursome had been anything but embarrassing, but it was what Summer had wanted.
You never denied Summer.
The dinner preparations (Yang Xiao Long)
It was bad of her to forget about the time, but it'd been cathartic to feel like she was seen for someone real, rather than what she was. The guy she was kissing was burdened by the weight of something that was heavier than she'd ever expected, her lips finding his own with unerring accuracy, kissing him softly.
It wasn't bad to try this. It was better than with her dad, forcing her down and making her pop out a baby… She couldn't accept that, even if there'd be a 'nice guy' who'd do the trick. Jaune at least was honest about what he was, rather than her father, who turned out to not be what he'd said he was.
'This is a mess.'
She'd have to make something to guard against interference, because it would just end in a drama, if things were left as they were. She pulled herself away from Jaune, watching him carefully, not giving him time to speak up, pressing her finger to his lips.
"You're going to be okay. Mom likes you, I- hell, I'm trying to like you, and we've known each other for like… three weeks and a bit? I've known your older sister for longer, but… But I want you to know that I'll try."
She was seriously considering it, at any rate. He was dependable. Solid. Rowena had said that he would be there for her, and she didn't think that she could trust her little sister anymore. Ruby had been…
'She's still my little sister, but…'
But what if Ruby started to act like she wanted Yang to get pregnant with her? Yang could suffer a lot for the people she loved, but to get pregnant by her father because her little sister wanted her to? That went too far.
He looked at her with his red eyes, the pale skin lighting up in the fading sunlight. It'd been a while since they'd been on the bench, just kissing and enjoying the presence of each other. It had felt… it was normal. She was just a girl and he was a boy she might like.
He'd fucked her mom, too.
She wasn't going to immediately cast blame on him, because her mother was a strong woman who did not show her weakness openly, but he'd still been with her mom. She was going to be going down the path of her mother, and Ruby wasn't… well.
"Let's see where things go, okay? Let's not rush too quickly into things, because you need to experience life… I've been a bit hasty. Lost an arm, made friends… Met your moms. They're great, too."
Yang knew that, as she slid off his lap and settled against him, his sunglasses put back on. She watched with fascination as the smile on his lips turned just a little brighter, clearly having an amused thought about her.
"And, yeah. If you're not afraid of me…"
There was a deep concern and worry in his tone at that moment, and she felt like he was just worrying too much, as she grabbed an arm and pulled him close. It wasn't something that she could fix, but he was someone who did not see what was in front of him at times.
"Who'd be afraid of a cute guy who's got some issues, huh? So what if you're struggling with a lot of responsibilities? You're still a guy who I'd give a shot, because… huh, well, why not? Not like there's a lot of eligible guys that'd meet my eye at Beacon anyways. It's a total taco fest there."
'I wonder whether it was intentional…'
She was growing paranoid. Too much knowledge in the hands of one man who stewarded the Order of Slayers of which she was now a part of. Ozpin seemed to have the knowledge that she lacked, but he did not share it with anyone out of fear of his plans being exposed. She glanced at the shopping bag that was set next to her, a soft nudge to the good-looking guy next to her.
"We should get the food back to your mom."
She slipped up again, even as Jaune snorted softly. The thought seemed to be amusing to him, as he shook his head lightly.
"Just because I'm sleeping with your moms, doesn't mean that they'll be acting like they are mine, Yang. But… heh, we should get back, just in case. Rowe can be a little bit antsy if she doesn't get things in order. She's got a bit of a perfectionist streak, heh."
She felt bad for him, knowing that his real mother was waiting for him, that she was going to cook food for him and love him, unless he was told the truth. The truth would hurt him, as it hurt his real mom. At least her mom was honest about who she was.
"She's a bit like my mom, you know. She pretended to be our mom for a while to get services off our back."
He grabbed the handle of the shopping bag and lifted it up onto his lap, the soft smile on his lips really too damn cute, as the sunglasses glittered in the reflection of the fading sun's light.
"Sometimes, I'd have liked it if she was my mom. She's sacrificing her own personal time for all of us, and I hope that she'll find someone worthy to settle down with. She's not someone who can just settle for some dumpy-looking man, he's got to be strong and able to make her smile."
The wistful look on his face was enough to make her own heartstrings feel a sharp tug, as he looked at her with an expression of weariness blinking in his eyes like a sign.
"And… And I've- I love her. She's my oldest sister, and I'm… I just want her to be happy."
'She is happy whenever you are around.'
The woman's love for her son was so great that it eclipsed everything else. Rowena Arc lived for her son, for his happiness, and she did not tell him about how things were. Yang didn't know how to deal with it, but Jaune loved older women, and his heart was big. No matter the stresses of life, he'd fought through them, and he'd commanded powers that she didn't even know about.
"And what if she'll be happy with you? What if she wants to live her life at your side?"
He looked confused, tired, a little worn out suddenly, as if the question had hit him in the painful regions on his body. It wasn't something that she noticed immediately, but it was a malaise that seemed to wrack him, his whole body tensing up at the thought.
"I'm not worthy of my older sister. She's… She's the best Huntress I know. She was… Damn, she is so great, Yang, so great that I'd think that she was an angel sent down by the Gods. Always a smile, always willing to entertain me. She doesn't deserve someone like me, someone…"
Her hand covered his mouth, as he was starting to go down that path of self-loathing once again, shaking her head. The guy was too involved with his own burdens, in her mind. Weiss had suffered, Ruby was going crazier and into a fantasy world and Blake started to feel okay again after being depression Debby for nearly two semesters. She wasn't going to see him just go and dismiss it, even if it was wrong.
"She can decide for herself if she wants to be with you, and so can you. If she says no, then that's it. You've slept with my mom, with Summer, with… damn, you even slept with Blake's mom. What's so bad about that, huh? If you two want to do it, do it. I'm not going to be caring for you like the time Blake tried to kill herself and I've had to be standing guard over her so she wouldn't do it again."
It'd slipped out, his eyes looking worriedly at her, clearly disturbed by the thought of Blake trying to kill herself, or just… well, she wasn't one to really worry about that, pulling her hand away from his mouth.
"That's… that's not good. I'm… I've… I'll talk with her. Bianca and Ashley will have to be called as well, if we're going to be making a stand. Father isn't unreasonable, but…"
He sounded tired. She saw the look on his face change a little to something that was a bit more than exhausted, as his hand adjusted the glasses.
"Don't get carried away, dude. You're someone that they depend on. Mom likes you, and Summer does too, I think."
She'd hope that this would be something of a mending moment for him, something to keep him grounded in the reality that the world had, with how his life had been. She hadn't heard much about the things that had gone on, they'd been too intimate for there to be any conversation, but… but he must have suffered with the burden of the dark power that he had.
To make Grimm, creatures of destruction and negativity, you had to know what to do with that negativity, she guessed. She wasn't a scientist, and he'd probably explain it better than she could, but it would take a force of will to resist the urge to use the power within him for his own benefit.
"I hope that she does. I'm… I don't want her to hate me. Bianca and Ashley wouldn't ever hate me, and Rowe and Heather are their older sisters, but- She's talking about Aspirant Wife candidates, and that's just a bit scary. The obligations of a royal are different from mere nobility."
That made her be reminded of her dad, who was his father's brother.
"Your father is my uncle… So, does that mean I'm like a princess as well?"
A shaking of his head, as if something amusing had just been said, the smile on his lips broadening a little.
"It's a direct line of succession. The patriarchal line is direct, so your father would at most be known as a Prince of the house of d'Arc-Night. Rowena is the Princess-heir, and I am the prince, given that my father is officially the Prince of the Royal House of d'Arc-Night… well, that's the best I can describe it."
That made some sense. Primary line, and keeping power in one branch of the family. Yang could get that.
"So, eh, what's the dynamic between your sisters and you? If you just discount yourself as a child of your father, and say, put yourself as Rowena's son? How'd things be?"
He seemed to give it some thought, as he tapped his finger to his cheek, starting to walk. She didn't hurry to catch up, her hand grabbing his own, holding the shopping bag up with him.
"Heather would be the second princess, down to Azure, who would be the seventh princess. I'd inherit still, if I was Rowena's son. She'd be the primary inheritor and I would be her child, so I'd be still a prince. You'd be a cousin, so you'd probably be similar to Whitney in status. A duchess, probably…"
She might be a duchess… which sounded fancy. Maybe get a few jewels, a fur coat or something, be a big bad-ass noblewoman, kicking ass and beating faces.
"I'm in… I'm in the same gig as your big sis."
The Order. It would be with her, and she'd be with them now, after she'd passed the trial. He gave a small nod, acknowledging that she was a member of the Order, his expression set in a tense look.
"They are raised ignorant of things. Father is… He's involved with it as well, I think. There's just the Mission for them, the mission to drive out the darkness in the world. The Grimm, those who wish to harm the grand plan."
The fake arm was raised, and turned around, the fingers wriggling a few times. He looked at his hand, watching the fingers for a longer moment before he shifted it a little, running it through his hair.
"I've… I was there, Yang. My sister was there too, and she's… she's a great woman, but she's also consumed by the Order. She wanted to save me, so I wouldn't…"
He shook a little, a tremor going through his body as he seemed to depress himself with the thought.
'Damn it, you're not going to be sad about it.'
"Whatever it is, she's here, and she's healthy. She'll make sure that you're okay, first and foremost. I'm not going to give up on my new stepdad."
She was joking with the term, but his head turned to her.
"She's broken on the inside too. She shouldn't love me that much, but she does. What she did went against everything that was normal in her world, all for me."
He worried for his sister, probably just as much as she worried for her little sister. Ruby was denying reality, perhaps affected by Mountain Glenn, or just the loss of her friend Rubedo. There was a moment of silence between them, as she patted him on the shoulder, encouragingly.
"I know that feeling, dude. You think that you've got something, but then it turns out to be false. I'm definitely fond of guys, but since I dated Blake… Yeah, I definitely don't mind both, but guys are just that little bit more stable?"
A soft snort, as he shook his head lightly at the thought.
"Watch out, or Kali will try to play with you. That woman's got a mind that's as wicked as they come and is like a protective mother hen."
There was little doubt about that, Yang thought, remembering the golden eyes and the fear that she'd felt. Not ever going to try that, nope. That woman was spooky.
"Does it ever get hard, loving that many women?"
He snickered softly. He seemed to find that amusing.
"I'd be teased until I got hard, for them to love me."
The punch might've been a playful one, but the 'Hey!' that she gave was reciprocated with a little chuckle.
"No, it's… We still have this schedule. Kali gets a day, and Whitney does too, but other than that… Your mom has been affectionate. She likes to lay in my arms and just stare at me. It's…"
'Damn you and that charming smile. It should be banned.'
He turned to her and gave that smile, trying to win her heart unintentionally. It was working too.
"She's not a bad woman. Lonely. Cowardly at some moments, afraid to be judged. When she's in bed with me, I'm… We had a rocky start. She did things with me that- that weren't really cool, you know?"
She couldn't really imagine what it was like, but her mother had always been someone who seemed to embody the element of 'cool' and 'strength'. A bit like Uncle Qrow, but without the constant moments of evading them and things going wrong.
"I wouldn't know, Daddy. I've not had sex with a guy yet."
She wanted to. If her mom wanted him, then she'd consider it. It was better than her dad. She'd kept the man going and functional for all those years, even with how he had slumped in depression thanks to her mother leaving, his moods despairing and difficult to deal with.
"I'm not much. I'm a guy who fucked his own sister, who's sleeping with your mom."
He was disparaging himself once again, and she didn't like it. Her eyes checked her surroundings, watching for the people around them.
"And you're the guy who keeps them safe, daddy. If mom feels comfortable with you, you've got to be a good person. I'll… I'll consider it. You better be gentle, you bastard."
He winced a little. Perhaps calling him a bastard wasn't a good idea. Yang was about to apologize, but he shook his head.
"I'll make it wonderful for you, Yang. I'm… I'm sure that you'll have to be back soon, because of the curfew that was installed due to the events of earlier. It'll be dinner and then…"
She put her best smile on and her hand brushed through his hair.
"I'll be making sure that you feel how Yang Xiao Long fucks later, buddy. Promise me that it'll be gentle, and I'll prepare myself, okay?"
She was going to try and see where this would lead. She was sure that it would be better than being with her own father.
The dinner of champions (Jaune d'Arc-Night)
Jaune set the groceries onto the counter, Rowena already up and walking over to him, starting to put them in the neat order as she always did, her fingers sliding over the surface without stopping, standing there like a solid and steadfast woman, her head turning to him and smiling.
"Did you enjoy kissing Yang?"
It was hard not to flush at the thought of that kiss. They'd kissed a lot, and it was nice. His usual situation was with a woman older than him, old enough to have children his age (which he knew personally), so Rowena asking the question made it a little bit harder on him.
"Well… She's Yang, so…"
A soft laugh, as she started to get the chopping board and cut the vegetables up, neatly working with her attention only half-there, as she always did. Her fingers continued to move with delicate motions, her eyes shimmering with that delight.
"She's Yang, eh?"
'Damn it, I had to say it. She won't let go of that yet…'
His sister's head turned, grabbing the meat and starting on it, preparing it immediately with little pause. Kali appeared from the shadows, handing something to Sienna, and then disappearing into the shadows once more, her presence flickering out of the place immediately, as she went for Whitney again, passing a message to Sienna and giving him a look that told him so much about her that it was almost unfair now to deny her the next time that she asked for a night with him.
"Doesn't she look pretty?"
He looked at Yang, who was talking to Sienna about something, the Faunus woman's eyes going to him and speaking plainly, her body language showing not much irritation, though there was an undercurrent of something like that in her. The darkness of the vitae tenebris inside her roiled, as her anger lurked below the surface like a volcano, Yang's expression warm as she engaged, the woman apparently telling her something amusing, because her face lit up with a smile.
"She does. She's… She's been asking questions. You cared for her, Rowe… And-"
He didn't want to think about it. He didn't want to acknowledge that there might be a possibility, that there might be a chance that he was a bastard-born child of Rowena. He'd be adopted by his father and mother, but… But who was his father?
Sage Arc had been distant, to all of his children. It wasn't easy to imagine the man doing something exciting with his children, and his mother had been warm, but it'd never been that instinctual warmth that it'd been with Rowena.
'You love your sister like that…'
He was a sick man, thinking about it, and whether she was his mother or not, he was still sick for even thinking about it.
"Jaune?"
Rowena was close to him, her body pressed against him. He smelled spices, as her arms wrapped around him and she kissed him, fully on the lips. She tasted a little like blood and more, as her eyes looked into his own red ones, a deep blue colour.
"You'll always be my little Jaune. Heather and I will never let you down."
He could trust his older sister. Whatever she told him was the truth, always. She'd never lie to him.
"I know. You're my big sister."
She didn't deny it. He felt easier now, knowing that she wasn't like, his mother who'd been forced to birth a child for the grand plan. It would be…
He had a brief vision of himself and Rowena going to bed together, Rowena mumbling something about him returning to the place where he'd come from, the thought… well, it wasn't a bad thought. Raven had sort of stoked that flame with the older sister thing. It wasn't…
'I'm turning into a depraved hedonist. I'm glad that some people can still contain themselves. Raven is a good woman to talk to.'
She wasn't an Acolyte, fully, but she was someone who cared for the goal ahead. Summer had decided that she would be the one who supported him, so she'd be the one who'd bring Raven into the gathering around him.
"I will never abandon you, Jaune. Even if the world turns against you, you will always have me at your side."
The words of the warriors at the gates, those words that had been spoken to denote eternal loyalty and undying love for one person, characteristic of the royal vows. Marriages were for life and it was not done for a queen to divorce their royal husband.
"I know, Ro."
She kissed his cheek chastely.
"Sit down with Heather. Talk. Dinner will be ready soon, and I want my little man to eat up and be strong."
He couldn't help but feel that she was treating him like a child, but then again… He didn't mind being spoiled by his big sister a little. It was an indulgent nature that she had. He imagined that if he'd asked her whether she'd like to sleep with him again, she'd be half-way undressed before he'd finished the sentence.
"Hey there, little brother."
Heather was warm as she hugged him, smelling of smoke and flame, her body warmer, and he noticed a set of pink lingerie below the clothes she wore. She'd always worn something like that, and he didn't think it suited her very well, but if she liked it…
"Hey there, Heather. I love you."
The words had to be said. He didn't know whether he'd meet with them again, because their job was dangerous, more dangerous now that he knew. Huntsmen were in danger all the time due to the Grimm, and the Order was just an additional layer of danger on top of that.
His older sister's eyes showed more than her often stern-faced countenance could, as she gave him a one-armed hug. She was warmer than most people, something that he attributed to her Semblance. If Rowena could control water and blood and liquids, then Heather could do something with heat or fire.
"Jaune? We'll stay with you for tonight. Rowena wants to have… family time."
He glanced at his older sister, who was busy trying to whip up a sauce like a good housewife should, her eyes focused on the pan as she stirred, her attention slipping to him and a smile appearing on her lips, as she continued to work on the sauce, her motions a little faster, and he could feel a bit of ease get into him.
"I missed you guys. Bianca and Ashley are on my side. I should give them a call… Well, you'd better do it. I want to see mom again, but with dad- It's hard, you know? Dad would probably inform the headmaster of my being alive still…"
Heather nodded softly, understanding things, her Scroll pulled out from somewhere, the call started a moment later. With how she was seated, the wall behind her, it was still nondescript enough to merely be a place where she was sat.
"Hey Bi, I thought I'd give a call…"
His sister Bianca answered, sounding like she was a little annoyed.
"What do you guys need, Heather? New rounds? We're going to be coming from Vytal, so if you need something custom-ordered, we'll have to say 'nope' for now."
Heather shook her head lightly, looking at her sister.
"I've met your visitor. I just want to call to inform you that they arrived safely in Vale."
Bianca seemed to get the hint, a soft 'aha' from her.
"Good, they came by with their partners, and they took Rowe's card for money. Have you met up with them yet, or? Mom's saying that we're going to be going to Vale in a day or so, after the preparations are done."
He shrugged a little. If Rowena wanted her card back, she could have it. If he asked Whitney, she could set them up with a personal account with enough Lien in it, probably, or Raven could fund them. A bandit leader would have some means to fund themselves, because people needed to eat.
"I'm sitting next to one of them, a friend of yours."
He waved, and he could hear Bianca's soft laugh.
"Met the fiancé yet? She went on a knee in front of him, and it was so cute. I can send the recording, if you'd really like?"
Heather made an affirmative smile, and then turned the Scroll to him. Bianca was holding the Scroll up, half of her upper body covered in an apron that'd been Dust-proof, a set of goggles on that made her look a little like some strange bug.
"Hey there, cutie. How's the company of my big sisters, huh?"
He laughed softly.
"Great."
Heather turned the Scroll back to herself, as she made the signal for a ceasing of the talk, Bianca undoubtedly getting it.
"Rowena is functional once again. She's back, Bianca."
There was happiness in Heather's voice as she spoke, her face relaxing more, leaving no trace of the weariness that she'd felt before, the strictness of her features much more eased with those words.
"That's great… Did… Did she… get fixed?"
Heather merely nodded once before she started to ask questions about when they would be arriving at Vale, the questions varying from 'Mother will bring her weapons' to 'will you bring the Fire-Dust Type II ammunition?', a few loose questions that made little sense in the big scheme of things.
"Dinner is ready! Get seated, we've got a lot of food for all of you!"
Rowena called for dinner, and he'd better get seated. The look of Rowena setting the food out on the table was maternal and warm, and the thought of her being his mother rose again, as did the feelings inside his lower body, Rowena's expression warm.
'I'm sick…'
"I love you, Jaune."
He was definitely sick in the head, as he responded to those four words, his sister's hands steering him to the seat next to her own, Heather sitting down at his side, leaving the other chairs to be used by the other women. Raven hadn't returned yet, apparently having gone out in search of him and probably waylaid again.
"I love you too, big sis."
He'd do what felt good. He was already damned with the Vitae Tenebris inside him, so if Rowena wanted to make things physical…
'I'm sick. She's my older sister, but she loves me so much.'
The emotions from her were like a beacon of heat and warmth, the flames of the dark emotions tempered by the light that shone from within Rowena's core. It was a mixture, but it was warmth, care and much like Kali, a deep sense of yearning.
"I'm grateful that we're mostly all here for dinner, ladies."
He wanted to say a few words, and the portal that appeared in the room suddenly was only a brief interruption. Raven and Summer stepped through, the latter covered in blood, Raven's mask covered in several streaks of it.
"Sorry that we're late. We had to murder a few people."
A regrettable fact, but something that could not be avoided with the job that they did. It was not something that he would acknowledge as a fact, but he trusted Summer and Raven to do what was right, Summer sitting down after the announcement, hearing a sharp clearing of the throat from Rowena.
"Stand. I'll clean you up."
Water rushed, brushing over Summer's clothing and a red colour entered the bubble of water, condensed through the humidity in the air, wrapping around Raven as well with a single motion o the hand of his older sister, his oldest sister giving a small 'Your turn, Heather' to her younger sister, the air heating up, the steam hissing softly as the women were flash-dried, Summer's face pouty.
"That's a neat trick, but I think you made my hair frizzy! I don't like that!"
He supposed that some adjustment might be needed in their powers, but Rowena did not tolerate messes at the table. She was always neat and orderly, so it'd just be something Summer had to worry about on her own.
"Use a conditioner. I've got dry hair as well, it's an unfortunate side-effect."
Heather's helpful advice didn't seem to make Summer feel better, as the woman sighed and started to fill her plate.
"I'm happy that you're all here, and… well, I'd ask Kali whether she and Whitney could join us, but there's too much scrutiny on her. I'd have liked her to meet with my sisters. Rowe, you're going to love her."
Yang snickered softly. He gave her a curious look.
"Love her like you love her, undoubtedly. You'll be in bed together, if I know you."
Raven's mask was off, so the disapproving look on the mother's face showed clearly what she thought about that, shaking her head lightly.
"If I know him, you'll be joining me. He has a charming attitude. Not unworthy of you, I might add."
Yang flushed a little as she was undoubtedly imagining it, as he was imagining taking Whitney and Rowena at the same time. Rowena's hand brushed over his thigh in a caressing manner, a soft little murmur from her to comfort him.
"He has several spouses lined up for him. If he wishes to take liberty with Yang, she will have to wait."
'Wait, I do?'
Rowena looked at him as if it made sense.
"What? Who?"
Rowena smiled in her most indulgent way, the one that usually said that she'd do whatever it took to make him happy.
"Myself, of course. Heather as well. When you were made into the Vessel, the contract was signed and sealed by father in order to produce the strongest heirs."
Heather's serious expression told him that it was not a joke, and he sighed.
"If you don't want to marry me, I can understand. I'm-"
Rowena made a sound like a hissing cat, her eyes glinting with emotions lurking behind them, a shiver going through her body at the thought.
"No. I will marry you. You are the only man in this world that I will love."
She was his sister, and she was to be a bride. It would have been a way out for her, if he had offered to annul the arrangement, but she was stern and serious in it, her hands having found his and pulled him closer.
"Nobody will stop it. Nobody. The Order may come, but they will find a grave there. You're the only one in this world that matters to me, next to Heather. All others are but chaff to the wind."
Sienna made a disapproving sound, and Rowena fixed her with a look.
"You can be the house-pet if you want. I always wanted to have a pet tiger."
The middle finger given to Rowena made a chuckle come from his sister, her fingers brushing over his hands gently, seizing his fingers in his own.
"No, I'll never stop loving you, Jaune. Even if you hate me, I'll still keep loving you."
The smile on her lips was one that he'd not seen before. It was a smile that reminded him of a woman who had loved someone so much that she had sacrificed her kingdom for that love.
"WHY! WHY?! IT SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED LIKE THIS, OZYMANDIAS!"
The crumbling vestiges of the room started to fade away as the resonance burst apart, the calculations unclear. The power seared the stone, as they stood there, her eyes watching the man as he raised the sword higher.
"Because it gives me the power to make things right in this world! You don't understand, S-!"
He kissed his oldest sister on the lips, feeling the warmth of her lips, aware that her arms were snaking around him and pulling him close. She loved him, as the Grand Witch had loved the Grand Wizard. It was fate, something that could not be chosen otherwise, as his sister's warmth wrapped around him like a comfortable blanket.
He was a sick bastard for loving his sister as a woman, but at least he was not someone who'd be a motherfucker. Yang implying that Rowena was his mother… Rowena was his sister, and nothing more than that.
He could love his sister.
This wasn't a Mistralian tragedy, after all.
The burdensome crisis (Ruby Rose)
She was going to be a heroine!
She would keep the world safe, with her friend and partner Pyrrha. Rubedo had died, but it was all for the best that she didn't know what kind of icky-sticky stuff Ruby was learning. Yang was out into town, searching for something with the creepy cousins that Ruby really didn't like, whilst Ruby was busy with learning important stuff.
"What is the third doctrine, Miss Rose?"
The voice of the Headmaster, or rather, the Grandmaster, filled her ears, as she looked at the board in front of her. It was silly, but it was also kind of fun. She liked these personal lessons, even if she wasn't a fully invested member yet, like mom had been.
"No opposition of the Shadow must remain. Whenever you encounter one of the tainted ones, purify them with the blade."
The man's finger moved a little pawn on the board, moving it along the line, a hand pulling out a small candy and handing it to her.
"Good, good. You will be like your mother, Ruby. The Summer Rose was a great asset until she went missing and was deemed lost, and we only discovered you months before. You can be the hero, just like your mother."
She would be, as the headmaster's sweet candy made her feel a little better. It wasn't something that most other people got, but the man was almost like a grandfather to her, even with his duties as the Grandmaster. He genuinely cared for the world, even if the people didn't know what he was.
"And… and what about Pyrrha? I'd like her to be my partner, if it's possible. She's got… She's got that spark in her, and-"
There was a complex look on the man's face, as she held her breath in excitement, the man's fingers moving another pawn on the board, for her to judge the position.
"Miss Nikos is not yet ripened, Ruby. She is a candidate, of course, but I would really be happy if you were to learn from Rowena d'Arc-Night more about how to wield your weapon. Your combat is still lacking, and she is one of the most capable scythe-masters that is alive. I know that you do not like her much, but she has obeyed the mission's final directives."
The woman was evil!
Nobody should have an evil weapon like that and not know that they were evil! It was just like in the stories. The ring started to glimmer again, and she felt a lightheadedness suddenly come up. Too much candy, probably.
"It's the choice I am making, Ruby… my dear child, we will need a good and bright spirit like you at the forefront, or all will be lost."
She had a choice, and it was there. She'd have to learn from the wicked and spooky lady that was Jaune's mommy… But she wouldn't like it! She wouldn't like to learn from her anything, but she would! And when the woman's back was turned, she'd kill the evil woman!
"I hope that you can learn, child. There is much controversy around the eldest daughter of the d'Arc-Night, yet her skill in the weapons that she has mastered easily would place her above your uncle in the rankings, if she cared for such things."
Ruby frowned, taking another candy, moving one of the pawns according as she saw fit. It wasn't a good strategy game on the board in front of her, but the man made her play it to 'soothe her mind' a little.
There would be a prince on a white horse for her too, and there'd be fun, nice things and babies. Daddy said that the baby would be starting to show in a month's time, if she was a good girl. She'd be a good girl, because it was important.
'We'll be a good team, Pyrrha.'
"Well… Alright."
There was something of a grudging agreement in her voice, knowing that being fussy wouldn't work a thing against the Grandmaster's decree. The man was a little old-fashioned, but she'd be a good member of the Order, of course. Pyrrha would know what it was like to be a good Slayer, because she had that instinct in her.
It was silly, of course. Silly to think that she could want to be like that with a girl. They were both girls, after all, and they'd be sisters. Ruby, Yang and Pyrrha.
"Of course, things will be alright. You will have to learn under the woman to become the Rose that blooms."
She was going to be the best Rose, of course.
The world needed a hero, and it'd be team RWBY's Ruby Rose!
I was sick last week, so there were no updates. I'd like to assume that people are at the very least, more interested in Cyanide actually living than their story updates. So, I hope that I'll be better, that there'll not be any Corona Virus coming for me, and that I'll stay safe and sound, as I hope all of you will be as well! It's tough times, but we can do it!
Leave a review if you'd like!
