The Seventh Circle
Chapter 17
A silver eye blearily opened as light began to spill from the spaces between the blinds. Red rubbed the sleep from her eye, then stretched before lying back down in her bed. A quick glance at the nearby clock showed that it was just after nine in the morning. Late for her, but she had little else to do besides sleep in – she hadn't yet been cleared to leave the hospital, and if last night had been any indication, the staff at Beacon took their hospital guidelines very seriously.
She appreciated what her family had tried to do, but getting into an argument with the nurse when she tried to get them to leave instead of letting them spend the night in Red's room wasn't exactly helpful. Thankfully, they had listened when she had told them that she'd be fine, and that they could go. Ozpin had set the two adults up in an unoccupied room, and Yang had returned to her dorm.
Her family… she was still unsure of what to think of them. The wolf had spent so long being afraid that they would hate her, and to see that they still loved her was… unnerving, to a certain degree. It was almost impossible for her to believe that they could still love somebody who was responsible for as much evil as she was.
A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts.
"Red, are you awake? We brought you some breakfast."
Despite her misgivings, Red's ears perked up at the sound of her father's voice, and she sat up a bit straighter. She may not have understood how they could still love her, but that didn't mean that their love was unappreciated. Quite the contrary, in fact – after ten years without genuine affection, it felt good to be surrounded by family.
Also, hugs. Hugs were nice. She really wanted to hug them some more, even if it felt wrong for her to do so.
"Y-yes," Red replied softly.
The door opened slowly, allowing the three of them entry. Yang came in first, carrying a tray of food in one hand. Upon seeing it – and more importantly, upon smelling it – Red's stomach growled loudly. Her dad came in next, cracking a smile when he heard it.
"Someone's hungry."
Red said nothing, merely nodding in response. In all the excitement the day before, there hadn't really been a chance for her to eat anything substantial… and, having just woken up from a coma, she had been famished.
Yang gently placed the tray down on Red's lap, and the wolf wasted no time in digging in. She was eating so fast that it actually took her a minute to realize what she was eating – eggs, bacon, and toast. Nothing special, but hungry as she was, it tasted absolutely divine.
Yang threw an arm around her shoulders, making her pause for a moment. Swallowing what was in her mouth, Red put her fork down and hesitantly reached out with one hand, only to freeze halfway there and pull her arm back slightly. Seeing it, Yang frowned.
"It's okay, Red. You can hug me if you want."
That part of her was back again, she realized – the one that reminded her just how little she deserved to love them, and to be loved by them. It was screaming at her, demanding that she push them away once more, that she suffer for all that she had done. Red was about to do exactly that – to pull away, and go back to simply eating her food… but she made the mistake of gazing into her sister's eyes, and in that moment she realized just how much Yang needed it, too. And that was enough to break her resolve.
Red brought both arms up, pulling her sister close. The two embraced for a few seconds before Yang pulled apart and motioned to the tray of food; again, Red needed no further invitation, and she once again turned back to her meal, finishing it in record time.
She was left feeling satisfied, and not just because her belly was full.
"So," Tai said, picking up the empty tray and setting it aside, "we talked to the doctors on our way in. They said you're due to be released today, provided your stitches and bandages have held."
"They'll be here in a bit to examine your injuries," Qrow added. "But until then, it's just the three of us."
Red caught a whiff of alcohol on his breath, which made her frown. Was he really drinking already? Looking closer, she could see that his face appeared slightly reddened, and he looked a bit tipsy. That was certainly cause for concern.
"Actually..." came a voice from behind them, interrupting her thoughts. Turning, all of them found Coco and Velvet standing there. "...We figured we'd stop by before we shipped out," Velvet said.
Coco nodded. "Yeah. Wanted to check up on her, and meet her folks. Is that okay?"
"Oh, like you even need to ask," Yang said. "Come on in. No Yatsu or Fox?"
"Goodwitch has them checking over everything," Velvet said, stepping into the room and pulling the door closed behind her and Coco. "Apparently, things have started to pick up where we're going. We were actually supposed to leave a bit earlier, but she stopped us and made us start packing extra gear."
"Sounds rough," Tai said, standing up. "I'm Tai, by the way. I'm Yang and Red's dad, even if I don't resemble either of them very much – they take after their mothers more than me. Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you," the two second-years replied in unison.
Yang raised an eyebrow. "Surprised that comment about us having different mothers didn't catch your attention."
Coco waved her off. "Oh, I noticed something was up already – no offense, but none of you look anything alike. I just didn't comment on it, since I have no room to talk regarding family situations."
Velvet shrugged. "It's none of my business."
Yang chuckled. "Heh. I should've known that's how you two would react, I guess."
Seeing a lull in the conversation, Qrow stepped forwards.
"Name's Qrow," he said with a grunt. "I'm their uncle… well, Yang's uncle – Red and I don't have the same blood."
"Still family, though," Tai insisted.
"And I wouldn't have it any other way. Anyway, from what Yang told me when she filled me in last night, I have your team to thank for reaching out to Red."
"Hardly," Velvet replied, shaking her head. "Blake was the one who set everything up. We just did what we could."
"Besides, we owed her one after she stood up for Velvet," Coco added.
"Regardless, you have our thanks."
Coco's expression fell. "...Probably not the best to thank me." She motioned towards Red. "If I'd been faster-"
"Whoa, now," Taiyang said, holding up a hand. "Let me stop you there. I get that you feel bad for Red getting hurt, but you're not looking at the positive side."
"Positive side?"
"Yeah. You managed to get in and get her out, and all of your friends made it out alive."
"But-"
"No 'buts,'" Tai admonished. "You did good. The people you cared about got to come home. With something like this, that's all you can ask for."
Both girls looked like they wanted to argue for a moment, but that soon gave way to resignation. "...You're right," Coco admitted.
"Trust me, I've been there before," Tai said. He motioned to Qrow. "So has he. The older you get, the more you come to appreciate just how much of a win it is getting all your people out of there. At the end of the day, there's nothing better."
"You sound like a teacher and a dad," Yang interjected.
"I am a teacher and a dad."
"Whatever, old man."
"'Old man?'" Tai echoed. "Well, why don't we step into the ring and I'll show you what this old man can do?"
"What, so I can kick your butt? Bring it on!"
Qrow, noticing everyone else's bewildered looks, simply smirked. "They do this all the time," he said. "Honestly, I'm surprised it took them this long to resort to this. Guess yesterday's excitement took more out of them than I thought."
"Alright, that's it," Tai announced. "C'mere!"
He suddenly lunged forwards, grabbing Yang and putting her in a headlock. She struggled in his grasp, but it was no use; he was too use. He brought one of his hands up, placing his knuckles against her head.
"Not the hair! Uncle Qrow, help!" she protested, to no avail; the noogie came, and there was nothing she could do about it.
Qrow leaned in to whisper to them. "Yeah, best not to try that yourself – Tai's the only one I've seen be allowed to touch her hair without getting thrown through a wall."
Velvet raised an eyebrow. "Speaking from experience?"
"That easy to tell? I'm still paying off the damages to that hair salon..."
Coco opened her mouth to add something, only for a small noise to cut her off. She turned towards it, bewildered. Everyone else did the same, instantly pausing in whatever they were doing, their eyes going wide. Their gazes all settled on Red.
And to their amazement, the wolf was staring at her sister and father, a small smile on her face.
A wide smirk crossed Coco's face. She folded her arms across her chest, turning to Tai. "Well, congrats – I'm pretty sure that's the first time anyone's ever heard her laugh at Beacon."
Red actually blinked out of surprise, as if she couldn't believe she had just smiled. It faded almost as quickly as it came, but it was there – the fact that everyone else looked overjoyed to have seen it was proof enough of that.
It felt odd, feeling the tinges of happiness after so long. It wasn't entirely unwelcome, she just didn't really know what to make of it. It made her feel slightly guilty – after all, her happiness ultimately came at the expense of the people she had killed.
But despite that guilt, she couldn't help but feel a small sense of longing once the feeling faded.
Yang took advantage of the moment to free herself from her father's hold. She walked over to the nearby bathroom, frowning when she saw herself in the mirror. After a moment, she shrugged.
"Worth it," she declared, pulling a comb out of her pocket and trying in vain to straighten out her frazzled hair.
Tai dusted himself off. "So, is there anything in particular you two wanted to say to Red before you left?"
Velvet shook her head. "Not really," she admitted. "We just wanted to check on her and make sure she was doing okay."
"...Doing fine," Red said softly.
"Better than fine, I'd say," Coco replied. "You look a million times better, kiddo – like a huge weight's been taken off your shoulders. I mean, you actually look like you were able to get some real sleep for once! And you're not smiling anymore, but I can just tell that you look a lot better. Does it feel that way?"
Red tentatively nodded. She knew exactly what was responsible for her sudden change in demeanor, too – a huge did feel like it had been taken off her shoulders, in more ways than one.
"...Good to see them again," she said.
"I'll bet. How are your injuries? They feeling any better?"
Again, the wolf nodded. "...Doctors might let me leave today."
"No fooling? Well, once you're out, we're heading into town – I've gotta get you some new clothes; the old ones are kinda ruined."
Coco had clearly intended her comment to be lighthearted, but it didn't have that effect. Immediately, Red's expression fell, and she looked down at her feet.
"...Not just my blood on them," she said softly.
Coco blinked in surprise, a look of horror slowly crossing her face. "Ohmigosh, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean it like that! It's not your fault! Please, don't be sad!"
She took a step forward, but Velvet stopped her with an outstretched hand. Turning to Tai, she said, "Sorry; Coco has a bad habit of-"
Tai just shook his head. "No, please don't feel bad – it was a simple mistake, I get it. Red's just… not in a good place right now. She's… volatile."
Coco's shoulders slumped. She let out a sigh, then opened her mouth to say something, only to be cut off by her and Velvet's scrolls buzzing. Both of them retrieved their respective devices, their mouths straightening when they read the messages on them.
Again, Coco sighed. "That's our cue to leave. Again, I'm really sorry about-"
"Really, don't feel bad," Tai said. "I know you didn't mean it." He stood up straight. "When you come back, could you stop by again? Red could use some friends right now."
Both girls nodded. "Of course," Velvet said. She turned to Red and gave her a wave. "We'll see you when we get back, okay?"
The wolf didn't respond, instead continuing to stare at her legs blankly while Yang ran a hand through her hair. Velvet frowned, her ears drooping, and she wordlessly stepped out into the hall. Coco followed behind her, the whole time cursing herself under her breath, only interrupting to give Red a quick goodbye and a muttered apology before leaving.
"Well, that could have gone better," Qrow said aloud.
"Qrow," Tai said harshly.
"Well, it could've." He frowned. "And we were making good progress, too."
"Somehow, I doubt that this is something that's going to be solved in a single morning. It's not fair to blame her for this, and you know it."
"Progress…?" Red asked.
Tai stepped forward, gently taking hold of one of her hands. "We… know about your plans," he stated. "What you intend to do, that is. Ozpin's video told us everything."
"We're worried about you, Red," Yang admitted. "We're afraid you might try to hurt yourself again."
Red looked away, exhaling. "...What I deserve."
"Don't say that," Tai harshly rebuked. "Sweetie, it's not your fault."
"How is it not my fault?" Ruby spat. "They would all still be alive if not for me."
"You were forced into it and didn't have a choice."
"There's always a choice."
"Hardly," Qrow said. "You were force-fed propaganda for years, brainwashed into becoming something you never would have been otherwise. The only person blaming you for that is yourself; everyone else knows better."
Qrow stood up, then gently placed a hand on her shoulder. Red flinched, continuing to look away. Sighing, Qrow continued.
"Ozpin called General Ironwood. He said the General wanted to arrest you and try you for the things you did. When Ozpin told him what had happened to you, you know what he did?" Red shook her head. "He immediately changed his mind. Red, General Ironwood has more reason to hate you than anybody here, yet even he can't bring himself to blame you for anything you did. Do you see what I'm trying to say?"
Hesitantly, Red nodded. Qrow sighed, bringing his hand up to ruffle her hair. She flinched, flicking her ears, but otherwise didn't react.
"I don't think you believe me, but that's okay. We'll convince you one way or the other."
The door to the room opened, causing them all to turn towards the noise. Several nurses and a doctor were standing there, all of them staring at Red.
"We're here to check her injuries," the doctor said. "Would you all mind stepping out for bit? We shouldn't be more than a few minutes."
The three of them spared a glance towards Red, but eventually nodded.
"We'll be right outside," Taiyang said before leaning in and giving her a kiss on her forehead.
"We're going to have to do something," Qrow said as soon as the door shut behind them.
"Like what?" Yang asked.
"Well, for starters, just spending time around her would be good. It won't be enough, but it's a start."
"Problem is, she hates herself," Tai pointed out sadly. "I don't even know where to start with that."
They all nodded silently. After a moment, Qrow turned to Yang.
"What does she like to do?"
"Not much," Yang admitted. "She goes to class, trains, and reads. Our whole team has been pulled out of class until further notice, she can't do much training because she's injured and because all of her weapons were left behind at the compound, and reading isn't exactly a group activity."
"Great..." Qrow sighed. "Any ideas?"
Taiyang thought for a bit, then stood up straight. "Outside of getting her to meet with Ozpin? Nothing yet."
Before the others could say anything further, the door opened. The medical team stepped out, the doctor pulling his surgical mask off his face as he turned to look at them.
"Well?" Qrow asked.
"For someone who was clinically dead, she looks good," the doctor said. After a moment for everyone to breathe a sigh of relief, he continued. "The laceration on her leg has healed up nicely, as have her bullet wounds – those stitches can be safely removed in a few days. Her stomach is going to take longer to heal; be sure she doesn't do anything too strenuous until it's completely fixed in about a week. It will leave a horrible scar, but that's a small price to pay given the alternative.
"Her ribs, meanwhile, will need to stay wrapped for at least a week. There will be some pain and shortness of breath, but so long as she takes her medicine, it shouldn't be too bad."
"And her eye?" Taiyang asked.
"That's where she got lucky. Thankfully it was just some shrapnel, and it wasn't moving too fast. We pulled it all out, then stitched up her eye. Those stitches will dissolve on their own in about three weeks, so there will be no need to come back and get them removed."
"What about her vision? Is there any lasting damage?"
The doctor shook his head. "None that we could find. Again, she got lucky. She'll have to wear the medicated patch for a few more days, but beyond some short-term tenderness and sensitivity to light, there shouldn't be any complications once it's gone, and even then only for a bit."
The three of them relaxed. "When can she leave the hospital?" Yang asked.
"As soon as we get a wheelchair in here to carry her out, and some crutches for her to use until her leg is better."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Yang took off running. She returned not even a minute later with a wheelchair in tow, along with a pair of crutches tucked under her arm.
Taiyang frowned. "Tell me you didn't just take those from anywhere."
"Oh, please. I asked a nurse and she told me where to get them. Honestly, you treat me like I'm some kind of delinquent."
"Well, you did beat down an entire bar," Qrow pointed out, slurring his words slightly.
Yang blanched, and Tai's frown deepened. "What was that?" he asked.
"Uncle Qrow!" Yang protested.
Qrow blinked. "...Oh, whoops. Sorry, Firecracker; forgot he didn't know."
"I feel like I should be seething with rage, but at this point, I really don't care so long as you're okay," Tai deadpanned. "That being said, you're grounded. No trips into Vale for two weeks… after Ozpin starts letting you all leave campus again, of course."
Yang pouted, and Qrow snickered. "Says the man who put the entire Atlas council in the emergency room and earned himself a lifetime ban from an entire kingdom as a result."
"Don't act like they didn't deserve it after what they did to Summer. Now, c'mon; I want to see Red again."
Nobody argued. The three of them stepped back into the room. Red perked up upon seeing them, and they each gave her a smile.
"Hey, honey," Taiyang said. "It's time for you to leave the hospital. Are you ready to go?"
The wolf nodded. He brought the wheelchair over to her, then gently picked her up and placed her in it.
"...Can walk on my own."
"I know, sweetie. But they won't let you leave unless you're in a wheelchair. Just sit back and let us take over for now, okay?"
Red offered no further protests, instead settling into her chair and letting her father push her through the hallways of Beacon's hospital wing. After a few minutes of walking, the four of them emerged out into the courtyard. Red blinked as the cool air hit her face for the first time in days, sighing as the scent of the outdoors filled her nose.
"That's step one," Yang said. "Crutches next."
"...Do I have to…?"
"Unless you want to split your stitches open, yes."
Yang handed Qrow the crutches, then moved over to Red's front. Gripping under the wolf's arms, Yang gently pulled her to her feet, then took the crutches from Qrow and handed them to her. To her surprise, Red seemed to know how to use them already.
"You sure you don't need anyone to show you what to do with those?" Yang asked.
Red shook her head. "No… used them before, in the White Fang. Had to after training sometimes."
"That bastard..." Tai hissed under his breath. "If I ever see him again..."
"Don't," Red warned. "He's a lot stronger than all of you. I won't let you fight him."
"And we won't let you fight him, either," Qrow said sternly.
The alcohol was still on his breath, enough that it was starting to make her worried. Still, there were other things to worry about. Red said nothing further, instead looking down at the floor. Tai sighed, his anger disappearing, then rested a hand on her shoulder.
"Hey, forget about that," he said. "Let's focus on something else, like getting you some clothes. I'm sure you want to get out of that hospital gown."
The wolf hesitated. "...Clothes are in my room."
"Okay, let's go get 'em."
"...Weiss might be there."
"I'll go," Yang offered immediately. "Did you have any requests?"
Red went to shake her head, then stopped herself. "...Cloak. Don't care what I wear underneath."
"Got it. I'll be right back."
She took off, all while Tai and Qrow eyed Red with surprise.
"You like cloaks?" Tai asked, earning a nod. His expression softened, and he looked around, his gaze settling on the nearby gardens. "Hey, why don't we wait for her over there? There's something I want to share with you, Red."
The ex-assassin didn't offer any arguments. The three of them began moving towards the gardens, though Red only made it a few steps before Qrow swept her up into a princess carry. She gave him a confused glance, and he merely shrugged.
"Faster this way."
She didn't protest his logic. Moments later, the three of them settled onto a bench in front of an array of colorful flowers, Red in the middle and her father and uncle on either side of her. Tai looped one arm around her shoulders and pulled her close; she leaned in, resting her head against his shoulder. Qrow, meanwhile, crossed one leg over the other and folded his arms across his chest. Once they were settled, Tai reached into his pocket and pulled out his scroll, then opened a file on it before showing it to Red.
"Your comment about cloaks made me think of something. Do you remember this?" he asked.
Red looked at the picture, almost immediately finding herself stunned into silence. Shakily, she nodded, sniffling as she did so.
It was a picture from her fifth birthday party. There was her in the middle, in the process of blowing out the candles on her cake. Yang was right next to to her, a wide smile showing off a pair of missing front baby teeth, the young blonde having lost them the night before when the two of them had been playing and she had tripped. On her right was her father, carrying a large present in his hands. And right behind her and Yang…
Red's gaze settled on her mother's face. Summer was smiling widely, one hand looped around her and the other around Yang. The adult wolf Faunus was grinning like it was the happiest moment in her life. Sniffling once more, Red brought a hand up to brush at her eye.
Tai gently rubbed her shoulder, then swiped one finger across his scroll. "How about this one?"
It was another image, this one from a few months before the last. Her and Yang were once again the focal point, though this time they were both covered in mud – a product of Yang's desire to play outside even though it had been raining heavily just a bit before. They were both grinning widely, uncaring of the fact that they were covered in filth. Behind them, Summer stood, the front of her white cloak stained with mud up to Yang's height and her face buried in one hand; Red could see the corners of her mouth tilted upwards in an amused smile.
Again, Tai swiped on his scroll. This time, it was a more subdued picture. Summer was sitting on the couch, fast asleep. She had one arm draped around a much younger Yang, who was leaned against her, similarly asleep. In her other arm, she held a red-and-black-haired toddler bundled up in blankets.
Red swallowed the lump in her throat, then looked up at her father. "...Why are you showing me this…?"
Taiyang sighed, pocketing his scroll. "Summer always loved you and your sister. No matter what, that would never change. You two were the light of her life."
Red shifted uncomfortably. "...She wouldn't love me if she were here."
"That's not true," Tai said gently. "I knew Summer better than anyone. She could never hate you. If she were here, she would be blaming herself for not protecting you."
"B-but it's not her fault!" Red protested. "She tried, but-"
"I know, sweetie," Taiyang cut in. "But trust me when I say that Summer would still blame herself, even if nobody else ever would."
"Sound familiar?" Qrow asked.
Red stared, dumbfounded. Speechless, she looked away.
She wanted to tell them that it was different for her. Her mother had actually been a good person – she hadn't turned into a killer just because someone had told her to. Red wasn't like her at all. She wanted to say that, but she couldn't – she knew they would never accept it, no matter how true it was.
Tai seemed to sense her discomfort and sighed, leaning in to kiss her on her forehead. "Red, believe me when I say that no matter what you think, Summer would still love you, the same way we all still do."
Red choked back a sob, blinking away tears. Tai brought his other arm up, pulling her into a hug.
"It's not your fault, honey," he said gently. "Please believe me."
"I-I'm sorry..." Red said, her voice shaking. "I just…"
Tai didn't let her finish, instead choosing to tighten the hug and let her gently cry into his shoulder. He exchanged a glance with Qrow.
Both of them knew this wasn't going to be easy, but neither one was going to give up.
Blake looked up from her book, frowning. Across from her, Weiss continued to lie on her bed, lost in thought and staring up at nothing. It didn't take the ravenette much to guess what the heiress was thinking about. And while the two of them weren't friends by any means even if they were now far from enemies, Weiss had her sympathy, both because of what she had gone through and because she now had nobody to help her through it – Coco's team was away on a mission, and Jaune's team was busy preparing for their own. Yang, meanwhile, was busy with her family, and Red… well, the less said about Red, the better.
Honestly, it was actually really sad. Weiss was clearly very lonely and unsure of what to do. The only thing stopping Blake from reaching out to her, their lack of a mutual friendship notwithstanding, was the fact that she didn't want to risk jeopardizing what they already had – it was a tenuous relationship even before the incident with the White Fang, to say nothing of what it was like now.
The door suddenly opened, causing both girls to look up. Upon seeing that it was Yang, Weiss sat bolt upright.
"Yang!"
"Hey, Weiss," Yang said, not even stopping as she moved over to her closet. "Feeling better?"
"Actually, I was hoping we could talk?"
To her dismay, Yang shook her head. "Can't; I'm just here to get clothes for Red, since she's still in her gown. I'm sorry, but can we talk later?"
Weiss deflated. "...Sure."
"Great." Having retrieved Red's clothes, Yang slung them over her shoulder before walking over and giving Weiss a one-armed hug. "See you later, Weiss."
"...Yeah. See you."
The blonde stepped out of the room, leaving Weiss and Blake alone once more. Weiss watched her go, looking very much like a kicked puppy. Blake's mouth tightened. Weiss went to lie down, and Blake sighed, marking her place in her book before standing up and moving over to her.
Tenuous relationship or not, she was tired of watching this. The risk of ruining everything was worth it if it helped Weiss feel better.
"Alright," she said, approaching Weiss' bed and taking a seat. "What's on your mind?"
Weiss blinked, looking at her with a confused expression. Blake sighed. "I know we're not exactly friends, but we are teammates, and we agreed to be cordial to each other. Something is clearly bothering you, and I can tell you want to talk to somebody about it. I'm willing to listen."
Weiss looked unsure, but she eventually sighed, nodding. "...I'm just not sure what to think, you know?"
"About Red, you mean?"
"Yeah."
"Weiss, she had every chance to try to kill you here at Beacon, and she never tried to."
"I know, but..."
She trailed off. Blake gave her a sympathetic expression. "Do you blame her?"
Weiss shook her head. "No, I don't. I mean, how could I? She was forced into it as a child – there's no way I can blame her for it. But at the same time..."
"You're still afraid of her," Blake observed.
The heiress nodded. "Yes."
Blake frowned. It wasn't exactly rational of her, but Blake could see why she felt that way – Red was responsible for the source of her trauma, so it was understandable.
Weiss looked down at the floor. "I just… could really use a friend right now, you know? I wish Yang was here… I get why she can't be, but still..."
Blake wished that, too – Yang being here would make this whole thing a lot easier. They both understood why she couldn't be here, of course, but that didn't make things any easier. Still, in Yang's absence, someone else was going to have to step up.
And it was starting to look like that someone was going to have to be Blake. As uncomfortable as it would be for both of them, she couldn't deny that Weiss needed a friend, and one on her team at that.
Sighing, Blake stood up. "Right, I think that's enough." Weiss gave her a confused look, and she added, "You're too caught up in your own thoughts. You need a break. So, the two of us are going to do something together."
"...Okay?" Weiss said, confused. "What did you have in mind?"
Well, she hadn't outright refused, so this was already going better than what Blake had in mind.
The heiress sighed, motioning to her legs. "I can't exactly do much thanks to my legs, and I doubt Ozpin is going to let us off-campus any time soon."
That was a problem. Blake considered taking her to Beacon's library, but Weiss needed something to take her mind off of things, not another chance to get lost in her own thoughts. Unfortunately, that didn't leave much of chance for anything else – Weiss couldn't exactly work out, and neither of them could go into town, either. Looking around, Blake's gaze settled on Gambol Shroud, lying sheathed on her bed. A thought popped into her head – not a very good one, but in the absence of anything else, what else did she have?
Sighing in resignation, Blake turned to Weiss. "We're going shooting."
Weiss blinked. "...Shooting?"
"Yes, shooting. You interested?"
Weiss looked like she didn't know what to think. Blake didn't blame her – no doubt it was something she had never done before. Plus, even for a pair of Huntresses, it was a bit of a weird request – most people at Beacon were past the point of simply visiting a gun range, and while Beacon did have a range to practice on, it was barely used compared to the combat arenas.
Then, to Blake's surprise, she nodded softly. "...I mean, I'm willing to give it a chance… If nothing else, it's something to do, I guess..."
Blake exhaled. "Okay, let's go."
She helped Weiss into her wheelchair, slid Gambol Shroud onto its spot on her back, and then the two of them set off.
This is either the best idea you've ever had or the worst, Blake thought to herself as they went.
Blake had hoped that stepping into the gun range would have made things less awkward, but it had only made things even worse. Weiss seemed to feel the same way if the expression on her face was any indication – clearly, she was only here because the alternative was even worse. Sighing, Blake wheeled her over to the nearest lane and set her weapon down on the table, along with several spare magazines and boxes of bullets.
"Right," Blake began, "Have you ever fired a gun before?"
Unsurprisingly, Weiss shook her head. "The closest I've ever gotten is using certain kinds of Dust with Myrtenaster."
"Well, this is a bit different." Blake picked up Gambol Shroud, ejecting the magazine and clearing the chambered round, which she put back into the mag. "First off, the rules: don't point it at anything you don't want to destroy, keep your finger off the trigger until you're ready to fire, be aware of your target and what's behind it, and the gun is always loaded."
"What do you mean?"
"What?"
"That last one. What do you mean, the gun is always loaded?"
"It's a figure of speech. It means to always treat the weapon like it's loaded even if you just unloaded it."
"Any reason for that?"
"Because the one time you're absolutely, unflinchingly sure you've completely emptied it will be the one time you left a round in the chamber by mistake, and then someone is going to get hurt."
"Oh." Weiss paused. "Anything else I need to know?"
Honestly, it was amazing how well Weiss was taking this whole thing – not a single complaint so far, even if she clearly wasn't at all into it. Blake picked up Gambol Shroud along with one of the magazines, offering both to Weiss; the heiress carefully took both in her hands, staring at them with uncertainty before looking up at Blake.
"Go ahead and load up," Blake said, pointing at the mag. "That part goes into the grip – push it in until it locks into place."
Weiss nodded, doing as she was told. "Am I ready to shoot now?"
"Not quite. Pull back on the slide – that's the top part. Be careful around the blade."
The heiress did as she was instructed, pulling back on the slide until it wouldn't go back anymore, then letting it slam forward. She looked at Blake to be sure she did the right thing, and the ravenette nodded.
"Alright, you've got a round chambered and fourteen in reserve. Normally there'd be a safety to disengage, but there isn't one on my gun."
"There isn't?"
"Well, there is, but it's just another piece mounted on the trigger. It keeps the gun from going off on its own, but it won't stop it from going off if you pull the trigger."
Weiss raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything. "Okay. So, am I ready to fire?"
"Yes. Just aim downrange at the target and pull the trig-"
Blake was cut off by a gunshot. Weiss jumped, clearly not expecting the noise, though she thankfully managed to keep a hold on Gambol Shroud. A red blush crept across her face.
"Louder than I expected," Weiss explained.
"Ten-millimeter tends to be somewhat snappy," Blake offered. "Thankfully, aura protects our ears, otherwise the noise would damage them. Do you want to take another shot?"
Weiss nodded, and the cat Faunus motioned for her to go for it. Weiss took a deep breath, raised the gun, and fired again. The round completely missed the target, causing Blake to raise an eyebrow.
"Feel free to keep going, Weiss. I've got plenty of bullets."
Again, the heiress shot; again, her round landed outside the target. Something was definitely up considering they were only shooting at about seven yards.
"Hold on, Weiss," Blake said, stepping up next to her. "Can you tell me how you're shooting?"
"I'm… pulling the trigger?" Weiss offered, confused.
"No, I meant your technique. What are you aiming at?"
"The target."
Blake resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Okay, how are you aiming?"
Weiss shrugged. "I'm kind of just eyeballing it, to be honest. Not really sure how else to operate it."
"You're not using the sights?"
"Sights?"
Blake paused. After a moment, she sighed. "...Okay, I think a bit more instruction is required."
The next ten minutes were occupied with Blake teaching her teammate basic shooting technique, doing things such as walking her through how to aim, how to hold the gun, and adjusting her stance. Finally, at the end of it, Blake stepped back from the firing line.
"Try again, Weiss. See if you can get it in the center."
Weiss nodded, then brought the gun up for the first time in ten minutes. She pulled the trigger, and Blake blinked in surprise when she saw the perfect bullseye.
Weiss turned to her. "Was that good?"
"Uh, yeah," Blake said, somewhat dumbfounded.
"Mind if I try again?"
"Go right ahead."
Over the next few minutes, Weiss fired off the rest of the mag in silence, each hit striking close to where the bullseye was. It was impressive for a beginner. When the slide finally locked back, Weiss placed it down on the table and turned towards Blake.
"Is that it?"
"Only if you want it to be," Blake said. "We can keep going if you'd like."
"...I don't know if I'm comfortable with using all your ammo, to be honest."
"That's alright. We can leave if you want."
"Actually..." Weiss said, somewhat bashfully. "...It's more enjoyable than I thought it would be. At the very least, it's tough to focus on my thoughts when I'm so focused on trying to hit the target. I just don't like using all your ammo."
"Oh. Well, I'm sure we can rent some weapons and ammo from the school. I can go check."
"Please," Weiss said. "I'd go with you, but..."
She motioned to her legs. Blake nodded. "Don't worry about it, Weiss. I'll just be a minute. Do you have any requests?"
Weiss went to shrug, but seemed to reconsider it. "If they have something similar to Myrtenaster-"
"I'll get it," Blake promised, stepping out the firing lane and heading towards the front of the range.
"Thanks."
A few minutes later, Blake came back, carrying a few new guns and boxes of bullets in her arms. Approaching Weiss' lane, she dumped everything on the table, smirking slightly when she saw Weiss' bewildered expression.
"Figured I'd get a little bit of everything for you to try," Blake said. She shrugged. "Who knows, maybe by the end of all this you'll be getting one of your own."
Weiss sighed. "...Maybe it's more likely than you think."
Blake's grin disappeared. "Something wrong?"
"It's…" Weiss shook her head. "...Back when Red saved me, she had to leave me behind at one point. She tried to give me a gun to defend myself with, but I didn't know how to use it. I've never felt so defenseless in my life, not even back in Atlas."
"Weiss," Blake said gently, interrupting her. "That won't happen again, okay? We're all here for you."
Weiss blinked, then nodded. "...Thank you."
She looked down at the table, focusing on a revolver. Picking it up, she turned it over in her hand. "So, how does this one work? It looks similar to Myrtenaster."
Seeing that she wasn't as uneasy as she had been, Blake relaxed. "I'll show you."
The next few hours were spent walking Weiss through how the various different guns Blake had rented worked. Eventually, Weiss zeroed in on her favorite – the revolver she had picked up from earlier. Once she had narrowed it down, she refused to shoot anything else, saying the revolver simply felt the most natural to her.
The heiress finished off what was left in the gun. Next to her, Blake emptied the rest of her magazine, then set Gambol Shroud down on the table. Weiss flicked open the cylinder of her handgun, and after confirming that it was empty, put it down and turned towards Blake.
"Well, that was… more fun than I expected," the heiress admitted. "Plus, I suppose learning to shoot was something I was going to have to do eventually if I'm going to train as a Huntress."
Blake nodded. "Do you feel a bit better?"
"I do, actually. Thank you. I know we're not exactly friends, and you didn't have to do this-"
"You're my teammate, Weiss," Blake interrupted. "Even if we aren't friends, I'm not about to let you go through this alone… even if it is somewhat awkward right now."
"It's only going to be awkward at first."
Silence settled over the two of them. Finally, Weiss sighed.
"...I know it might be a bit too much to ask, but can we spend some more time together? I don't want to be alone…"
"It's not too much at all," Blake replied. She picked up Gambol Shroud, then placed it on her back. Motioning to the weapons on the table, she said, "Let me just return those, then we'll go get food or something."
Weiss nodded, and Blake set about gathering up the guns. She reached for the revolver, and out of the corner of her eye, saw a thoughtful expression come over the white-haired girl's face as she pulled out her scroll and began tapping away on it. Thinking nothing of it, Blake simply continued gathering up all the weapons, then stepped out for a moment to return them. Once that was done, she stepped back into the range, just in time to see Weiss put away her scroll. Stepping behind her, Blake began wheeling her towards the cafeteria, the whole time lost in thought.
Even just a few days ago, she would have considered spending this much time alone with Weiss to be like pulling teeth – they might not have been enemies anymore, but they were opposites on a fundamental level, and both of them had irreconcilable differences even if the two of them had agreed to keep their opinions to themselves for the sake of team cohesion. Now, though, Blake wasn't sure what to think. Sure, they had spent most of the time shooting, only pausing to make occasional small talk, but it had been far from painful. At times, it had been downright enjoyable, and not just because she could see that it was helping Weiss relax.
The two of them reached the cafeteria, and Blake shook her head. She was just being a good teammate, as was Weiss. There was nothing else to it. In the back of her head, though, she had to admit that the idea of being friends with Weiss wouldn't be that bad; the heiress had changed dramatically over the past few weeks. Still, that was nothing more than an idle thought.
There was just no way the two of them could be friends after all that had happened between them… or so she thought.
Somehow, no matter how much she tried to convince herself otherwise, Blake couldn't help but feel like they were both forcing what was left of their animosity at this point.
Red shifted nervously in her borrowed bed. A few hours had passed since she had left the hospital, and the day had been quiet – she had expressed a desire to get a little extra sleep, so her dad had carried her over to the room that Ozpin had given him and Qrow, then left her alone. She was thankful for the solitude, even if sleep hadn't come easy – she was still a little uncomfortable around her family, and the last thing she wanted was to see Weiss right now. Getting away from it all for a bit had truly been a blessing, and the little bit of extra sleep she had managed to get towards the end was even more so.
Still, it had to come to an end eventually. About an hour after falling asleep, she was awakened by the door opening, and Yang stepping in. The two locked eyes; Yang blinked, surprised to find her awake, though her expression quickly relaxed.
"Did you sleep well?"
Not really, but she didn't want Yang to worry. Red nodded.
"That's good." Yang walked over to the bed, then gave her a quick hug before passing Red her crutches and helping her to her feet. "Ozpin has been talking with Dad and Uncle Qrow. Apparently, if it's okay with you, he'd like for the two of you to meet today."
"Will all of you be there?"
"That depends. Do you want us to be?"
Red shook her head. "N-not yet..."
She had already revealed what was in her head once, and that had been hard enough. It was clear that they all wanted her to get help from Ozpin, but she wasn't sure she'd be able to talk if they were all there with her.
Her uncertainty and shame must have shown on her face, because Yang was at her side immediately.
"Hey," Yang said gently, "You don't have anything to feel bad about, okay? We all understand that this is hard for you. It's fine if you aren't ready for us to know what you're talking about with Ozpin."
"What if..." Red hesitated. "...What if I'm never ready?"
"That's okay, sis," Yang repeated. Again, she pulled her into a hug. The guilt came back full force, but Red found herself unable to say or do anything through the lump that had formed in her throat. "We'll love you no matter what."
Red said nothing, instead directing her gaze down to the floor. Yang broke the hug, then patted her on the shoulder. "So, do you want to meet with Ozpin?" The wolf nodded. "Alright, let's go."
The trip to Opzin's office took a bit more time than usual due to Red's use of crutches. Upon arriving, they found Taiyang and Qrow already waiting there. After a quick greeting, the two of them assured her that they would be waiting for her downstairs, then sent her on her way.
Exiting the elevator into Ozpin's office, Red found him waiting expectantly, two steaming mugs on his desk. His gaze traveled from his computer over to her.
"Miss Canis," he greeted. "I apologize for the sudden request, as well as the fact that we couldn't meet under happier circumstances."
Red nodded, limping over to the one good seat across from him. Settling into her chair, Ozpin passed her one of the mugs.
"Coffee. Before she left, Miss Adel made sure to make me aware of how you like it. I hope you find it acceptable."
The wolf brought the mug to her lips and took a sip. It wasn't bad – mostly black, with a little bit of sugar and cream. Now that she thought about it, it could have used a bit more of each, but it was still good. More importantly, it gave her something to grasp – holding it helped keep her hands from shaking.
To say she was nervous was an understatement. This was the first time she was meeting with Ozpin since he had learned the truth, and while he had been lenient with her, there was no guarantee that he would continue to be, especially given that she had essentially been lying to him for months.
Despite her best efforts, Ozpin seemed to see that she was nervous. Frowning, he placed his mug down on the table.
"Please, relax," he gently said. "Rest assured, you aren't being punished."
"Why…?" Red asked.
"Because this isn't your fault," Ozpin bluntly stated. "I know you don't believe that, but it is the truth."
Red said nothing. Ozpin sighed. "You are not the only one to go through something like this, you know. And just like you, I never blamed any of the others for it, either."
"Others…?"
"Your uncle, and his sister. They came from a tribe of bandits before coming to Beacon, and both of them had a double-digit body count as of their first year due to partaking in raids back with their tribe. I would explain further, but this is something your uncle is best off personally talking about with you. Can you give me a promise that you will ask him soon after this is over?"
Red nodded, and Ozpin relaxed. "Good. Now then, let us begin."
"Where do you want to start?"
"From the beginning," Ozpin said, leaning forward in his seat.
"Tell me everything, Miss Canis."
Taiyang let out a dissatisfied grunt as he paced back-and-forth in the lobby. Every passing second brought with it more madness – he couldn't stand the idea of one of his daughters going through what was no doubt a very tumultuous time for her, all while he was unable to be by her side.
Yang and Qrow had gone off to spar at Qrow's request. It was very clear what he was trying to do – that is, keep Yang from freaking out the same way Taiyang was. They had both offered for him to come with them, but he couldn't, not when Red was so close and might need him. Thankfully, they had both understood, neither one arguing when he had opted to take a seat in one of the chairs in the lobby and simply wait for her.
Of course, it hadn't taken long for his fears to become too much for him to take, hence his pacing. He just couldn't keep his mind off of Red, and what she was going through right now – no doubt that Ozpin was having her recall everything that had happened to her in excruciating detail. He understood why it was necessary, but the thought that his little girl was going to have to relive her nightmare of a life all over again made him feel-
"Tai?"
At the sound of the voice, Taiyang instantly paused, turning towards its origin. "Glynda."
The deputy headmistress looked back at him from behind her glasses, her normally impassive and stern look replaced with one of concern. "You're pacing," she observed. "What's wrong?"
Tai couldn't help but chuckle bitterly. "That obvious, huh?"
"No offense, but you're not a hard man to read. You wear your heart on your sleeve, and I don't just mean the tattoo on your arm."
Placing the stack of folders she was carrying down on a nearby chair, she walked over to him, then gently forced him to sit before taking a seat next to him.
"Talk to me," she said. "It's clear there's something on your mind."
Taiyang blinked, surprised. "Um… sorry, but this seems a bit-"
"Out-of-character for me?" He nodded. Her expression softened a bit more. "It is, I admit, but what good would it do here? You aren't a child in need of disciplining, last I checked."
"True," he conceded.
"Then start talking. It's clear you need to vent, and I'm all ears."
Taiyang was reluctant at first, but eventually he sighed. "...I'm worried about her."
"As you should be," Glynda instantly replied. "That poor girl has been through so much, it's a shame that she isn't completely broken. I suppose that's just proof that she's truly Summer's daughter – I don't think anyone but her and Summer would have been able to make it through the way she did."
Taiyang's face fell. "She almost didn't..."
"Hey," Glynda said, resting a hand on his shoulder. "She's here now, that's all that matters. That means she can get better. The only way things end like that is if we do nothing, and I know you and your family well enough to know that you'll do whatever it takes to reach her."
"I know, but… damn it, I just… I feel so bad, you know?" He sighed irritably. "My little girl is in there, suffering in a way that I can't do anything to help with."
"That's not true," she admonished. "Just because her problems are in her head doesn't mean you can't do anything for her. Do you have any idea how much you simply being here and telling her you love her has done for her? For the first time since I've seen Red enter the school, she looks somewhat happy. You might not be able to tell because you haven't seen her for a long time, but I'm her teacher, and I see her almost every day. And I can assure you, compared to how she used to look, she looks positively radiant now."
"T-that's..." Tai trailed off, a lump forming in his throat. "...How bad-"
Glynda's expression turned sympathetic. "...Bad," she admitted. "The poor girl was walking around with a permanent thousand-yard stare. She wasn't sleeping, either – she had constant dark rings under her eyes. She was jumpy and anxious, constantly checking over her shoulder for something that wasn't there."
"And… she's a bit better now?"
"She's a lot better now," Glynda assured. "You have no idea just how much you've managed to change her in the short time you've been here. Trust me, Tai – you're doing as much as you can in this situation." To his surprise, Glynda actually cracked a faint, barely-noticeable smile. "Compared to how she's been treated in the past, you're practically spoiling her."
"Spoiling her…?"
The deputy headmistress nodded. "I don't mean to make it sound like a bad thing, of course – after all that she's been through, she deserves to be spoiled a bit. Anything to show her just how much she's loved."
Again, Taiyang sighed. "It's just… it's hard," he admitted. "I thought I was ready for anything, but this…?" He shook his head. "I don't know where to even begin with this..."
"Then here's some advice," Glynda replied. "Whatever you're doing now? Keep doing it. Tai, listen to me – you're doing great. You're giving her everything she needs that you're capable of giving her, and you're letting Ozpin – a professional – handle the parts you can't. I don't think you can do much more than you already are. You're a good father, and you're doing everything you can for her."
"It doesn't feel like enough."
"It will be," she assured. "Give it time, and let Ozpin pick up the slack. Trust me, you'll start to notice the changes sooner than later."
Taiyang wasn't sure what to say to that. Part of him wanted to try arguing with her some more… but for the life of him, he couldn't think of anything. After a few seconds of silence, he sighed, then turned to Glynda and gave her a faint grin.
"Thanks, Glynda."
She waved him off. "No thanks necessary – I'm merely helping out an old colleague."
"You can call us friends, you know. I'm pretty sure we're friends at this point, especially given that you were a guest at both my weddings."
Glynda flushed red, pushing her glasses up. "Y-yes, well..." Standing up, she picked up the folders from the chair next to her. "...I'm sorry to cut this talk a bit short, but I have important paperwork to do, and Gods know Ozpin won't be doing it – I swear, I'm the only one actually keeping this school running most days."
Taiyang chuckled. "I can believe that. Thanks for the help, Glynda."
The deputy headmistress nodded softly before walking away. Taiyang watched her go, and once she was out of view, relaxed a bit. Her talk had definitely helped a lot, though there was still plenty of doubt in his mind.
He would just have to see how Red's session with Ozpin would went, and from there, do what he could for her. That was all he could do, after all.
A few hours later, Red emerged from the elevator, looking somewhat downcast. To everyone's surprise, Ozpin followed after her.
"Oz?" Qrow asked. "There something you have to talk about with us?"
"Indeed, there is," the headmaster said. He motioned to Yang. "Miss Xiao Long, why don't you and Miss Canis go get something to eat? It is late, and something tells me neither of you have eaten much today."
"Sure," Yang said, approaching her sister. "C'mon, Red."
The two of them stepped out, leaving just the three men in the lobby. Once they were out if earshot, Tai turned towards Ozpin.
"What do we need to know? Did it go well? How bad is she?"
"It is hard to answer all of that after just one session."
"But you have a hunch."
"Indeed, I do. In addition, Miss Canis has expressed a desire for me to share the results of our sessions together with you – she is uncomfortable with you sitting in and with telling you herself, but she still wants you to be aware of what happens in them, so I shall see to it that it happens."
"Cut to the chase, Oz," Qrow stated, impatient. "What's the deal?"
"She spent ten years training under a psychopath, and five of them as a child soldier. I think you can guess."
"PTSD?"
"To an extent."
Tai brought one hand up to rub at his eyes. Qrow brought one hand up and patted him on the shoulder, earning a grateful look in return.
"Anything else?" Qrow asked.
"Depression, anxiety, self-esteem so low it would be more accurate to refer to it as self-hatred… everything you would expect a young girl to suffer after going through what she did."
"And you can help her?" Tai questioned.
"Yes, I can. If it's okay with you, I would like to start her off on some medication that I believe would-"
"Do it, please. Whatever you think will help."
Oz nodded in understanding. "Very well, I will fill out a prescription for her immediately. However, you two should monitor her for any adverse side effects."
"We will," Qrow promised.
"Oz, there's something I have to ask," Tai implored.
"Ask away."
"Do you think she's fit to stay as a Huntress?"
Silence settled over the other two. Qrow and Tai exchanged glances, then looked at Ozpin. The headmaster sighed.
"...That is a difficult question to answer at this stage," Ozpin admitted.
"Please," Tai begged. "If you think she's not, we'll take her out of Beacon immediately. She can stay at home with me, maybe get into a regular school on Patch and get a degree there or something. Whatever's best for her, Yang and I will support her in it."
"Same," Qrow said. "If being a Huntress is bad for her mental state, then she shouldn't be here."
Ozpin considered their words, then sighed once more. "...Again, it's tough to say this early. But I would wait before taking any kind of drastic action – we can work to overcome her trauma, and her friends are all at Beacon. Taking her away from them may only exacerbate the problem, even if she's close enough to see them occasionally outside of school. Plus, as odd as it is to say, putting her in with civilians may be even worse than keeping her here – at least at Beacon, she has a support network of people who understand her. The odds of her getting that with civilians are slim, to say the least. They barely understand Huntsmen; asking them to try and understand her is a very tall order."
Tai's shoulders slackened. "I understand. It feels wrong to say, but I'm willing to wait. Anything to ensure that we're making the right choice."
"We trust you, Oz," Qrow added. "We know you'll do the right thing."
Ozpin nodded. "I will see to it that I do. Now, I have nothing else. If you'll excuse me, I have a report to finish."
With that, the three men went their separate ways.
Only when he was in the elevator did Ozpin allow his neutral demeanor to fall, replaced with one of remorse.
A short while later, and the family was back together again, Red and Yang having returned from getting food… not that the wolf had done much eating – talking about her past had killed her appetite. Yang had tried to get her to eat something, but she simply hadn't had the energy to do more than nibble at her food. Idly, she was aware of her sister reporting this to her father; he turned, a concerned look on his face, and addressed her.
"Do you feel okay, Red?"
The wolf looked down at the floor, shaking her head. Her session with Ozpin, while productive, had brought all her feelings back once more. Again, she found herself crushed beneath the weight of all her regrets.
There was a way out – she had discovered it just the day before. It was just a matter of asking. Of course, that was the problem – asking felt unnatural, even wrong. It felt like she was requesting something she didn't deserve, regardless of the fact that she knew her family would readily give in to her request if she simply vocalized it.
Her father frowned. "Red, honey, is there something we can do to help?"
The wolf hesitated. "...I..."
It was on the tip of her tongue. Part of her wanted to say it, to stop her own suffering before it became overpowering, but another part kept reminding her that however she felt, she deserved to feel that way. To her, asking for relief was as selfish as her family readily providing for her in spite of her past was confusing. Thus, she was left in conflict with herself – one side telling her one thing, and another telling her something else.
Eventually, one of them won out.
Shaking her head, Red sighed, not looking up from the ground. "...Can we go somewhere quiet? And… can you hold me when we get there...? Would that be okay...?"
Her own request surprised her; it wasn't something she had consciously wanted to ask, it had just slipped out. It felt wrong to say it, for so many reasons. As soon as the words had left her mouth, the guilt came back once more.
"Sure, honey," Taiyang said immediately. He turned to Qrow and Yang. "We'll go to the room Ozpin has for us. Sound good?"
Both of them nodded, and Taiyang wasted no time in scooping Red up into his arms and carrying her towards the room. She was surprised at first, but after a few seconds, settled into his grasp.
As wrong as it felt to be shown compassion like this, she found it impossible to turn it down. And that left her feeling absolutely awful.
Eventually, the four of them arrived at the dorm room. Qrow unlocked the door and they stepped inside, Taiyang immediately carrying Red over to one of the beds. He climbed in himself, then made enough room for her as well; she settled in next to him, leaning against him as he gently pulled her close with one arm and kissed her between her ears.
"Feel comfortable?" he asked.
Red nodded slightly. Again, none of this felt right for someone like her, but her desire for love won out over her feelings of guilt. Sighing, she moved closer to her father, then closed her eyes. She wasn't tired in the slightest, but it felt nice – too nice, in fact – to simply be close to her dad again after so long.
Taiyang suddenly shifted slightly, causing her to open her one good eye and give him a questioning glance. He smiled down at her.
"I brought something for you," he said. "Do you mind if I get it? It's in my bag."
She didn't want to let him go, but she nodded all the same, knowing he wouldn't be long. He ruffled her hair, then stood up and walked over to his bag, retrieving a bundle of red cloth from it.
"I wanted to give you this earlier, but I never got the chance," he began. "Do you remember when you were younger? You used to love playing with Summer's cloak. Eventually, she promised to get you one of your own at some point. She'd be happy to see that you got one yourself."
Red didn't reply, instead casting a glance down at what she was wearing. It was nothing fancy – just a brown cloak that Coco had bought for her – but the fact that it was a gift from a friend made her treasure it greatly. It was one of several that Coco had gotten for her – apparently, her mother had launched a line of cloaks, but they weren't selling all that well, so Coco would often just take whatever wasn't selling at the store and give it to her instead of keeping it in the back or on the shelf.
Just as well, because the cloak she had worn to the docks was stained beyond repair after what happened in the compound. It served its purpose of covering Weiss, but that hadn't spared it from being splashed with blood and gore during Red's rampage.
Shaking that thought from her head, Red turned back towards her father, who held up the bundle of red and unfolded it, revealing that it was a bright red cloak.
"Unfortunately, Summer never got the chance to make you one herself. However, this is the next best thing. White was always her favorite, but she had an array of different colors lined up in case she felt like changing things up."
Red's eyes widened. "Y-you mean..."
Tai grinned. "Yup – this is one of Summer's old cloaks. I think you should have it – it's what she would want."
The wolf felt her heart skip a beat. Frantically, she looked around the room, only to find that Yang and Qrow were both wearing similar grins to her father. Clearly, they were hoping that she'd be happy.
Unfortunately, it was the opposite.
Hanging her head, Red fidgeted uncomfortably in her spot on the bed. "I-it's nice of you, b-but I can't… could never..."
Immediately, Tai's grin faded. "Red, sweetie, what's wrong?"
"...E-everything," Red said, sniffling. "I… I d-don't understand why you're all treating me this way. H-how can you still care, after everything I did? I d-don't deserve your love, or to be reminded of M-Mom… You s-should hate me..."
Tai gently placed Summer's cloak down, then approached her and pulled her into a gentle embrace. "Shh," he said softly. "It's okay."
"I-it's not..."
"It will be." He leaned in, kissing her on the forehead. "I know that it's hard for you to accept, but none of us need a reason to love you – we just do, and we always will. And, as much as you may not want to admit it, you deserve to be loved – by us, and by your friends. There's nothing wrong with that – you have nothing to feel guilty about, no matter what you may think. Nothing will ever change that."
"It's unconditional, too," Qrow added. "No matter what you've done, or what you think of yourself, we'll always care about you. You and your sister are the two most important people in the world to your father and I, and that will always be the case."
Yang stepped in, putting her arms around both her dad and Red. "They're right, Sis," she said. "I get that you're confused, but there's really nothing to understand – we love you, and we don't need a reason for it other than you're family."
"Y-you barely know me..." Red stammered out. "T-the real me, that is..."
"Are you sure?" Tai asked. "Because I spent five years around you before the White Fang had a chance to fill your head full of lies, and I can confidently say that if it weren't for them, you'd be the same person I knew back then. As far as I'm concerned, that's the real you."
"Y-you're wrong..." Red softly countered. "I'm a k-killer… natural-born. It's who I am."
"That's not true."
"It is… I c-can't wear Mom's cloak – s-she was a good person, not like me..."
"Oh, honey…" Tai said, kissing her between her ears once more. "Come here."
Red didn't get a chance to say anything further, as her father picked her up and gently placed her back down in the bed, then laid next to her. He motioned for Yang to join them, which the blonde did, settling in on Red's other side. Red opened her mouth to say something, but Tai just shook his head.
"Just relax," he said gently. "Fall asleep if you want. But for now, I just want you to close your eyes and try to calm down."
He reached up with one finger, brushing away tears she didn't even know she'd started to shed. Sniffling, Red nestled herself further in the crook of his arm. Her gaze happened to meet with Qrow's, and she found him staring at her, deep in thought. Turning away, Red closed her eyes, trying her best to do what her father told her and just relax.
It was hard, especially since she wasn't tired at first, but eventually she managed to fall asleep in the grasp of her father and sister.
And while the voice in her head was still there, reminding her of just how little she deserved this, it was a lot fainter than it had been before.
That night, Weiss laid awake in her bed, unable to fall asleep. Her legs were throbbing in pain – dull aches this time; a far cry from the sheer agony they had been in when that man had first shattered her knees. They were getting better day by day, but there was still plenty of healing to do, and until they were completely fixed, there would still be some persistent aches and pains.
But despite that, she knew better than to blame them for why she couldn't sleep.
Weiss cast a glance to her side, frowning when she saw the empty bed standing there. She got that Yang had something else she needed to focus on right now, but that didn't change the fact that Weiss desperately missed her friend. The others had tried to make time for her, but they were so busy these days that their time was limited… and, at the risk of sounding ungrateful, none of them could replace Yang. She appreciated that all of them had tried, but it just wasn't the same, and it would be.
And then there was the other matter, the big Goliath in the room.
Weiss' gaze shifted past Blake's sleeping form and settled on the other unoccupied bed in the room. As it did, she felt her heart rate quicken, though she was careful to try and calm herself down.
It didn't make sense for her to fear Red, she knew – not only had Red refused to harm her at all during these months, but she had also been the only one that Red had ever let go during her tenure with the White Fang. That, plus the fact that Red had come back for her at the compound, even getting disemboweled and dying in the process… yes, Weiss knew that logically, she had nothing to fear from Red.
But that didn't change the fact that she was still conflicted about her.
It wasn't easy to break out of the mindset she had found herself in two years ago. Red had really hurt her, both on an emotional and a mental level. She sometimes still had nightmares about the attack on her convoy. The compound incident aside, it was still the worst moment of her life by far.
Which just made how she felt even worse.
She owed Red, she knew. The wolf had done something that Weiss could never repay. If it weren't for her, Weiss would have experienced far worse things than just torture. But even beyond that, it was clear from what Red had told them that if anyone was the real victim here, it was Red herself. She would never see it that way, but Weiss knew better. She had seen it in the wolf's eyes many times before, she realized – that resigned look, of someone who believed they were already dead and was simply carrying out the motions before death finally claimed them.
The thought of it made Weiss shudder. Red was only two years younger than her, yet she had been through so much… in fact, she was still going through so much, trapped in a personal hell of her own making.
Suddenly, the heiress became aware of the fact that her mind had just been made up for her. If she was already sympathizing with Red, then…
...Then she had nothing left to wonder about, she realized. That was it – that was the simple truth. On a certain level, it was tough to accept – that the person who had caused her so much pain was an even bigger victim than she was, and that Weiss' own pain paled in comparison to theirs… but at the same time, it brought with it a sense of closure. She could live with that, she decided. Now all that was left to do was help Red live with it. And as soon as she was ready, Weiss promised herself, that's exactly what she would do.
She couldn't ever repay Red for everything the wolf Faunus had done for her, but this would be a good start.
Ilia flinched as another scream echoed down the hall. It had been hours since they had started, yet she knew she would never get used to them.
Across from her, the large snake Faunus scoffed. "Ignore it – his punishment for failing."
The chameleon Faunus simply nodded, doing her best not to show how afraid of this man she was. She had seen him at work before, and the last thing she wanted was to be on the receiving end of it. At the same time, she couldn't help but feel some sympathy for Adam – losing his arm was one thing, but having to sit through getting a cybernetic grafted to his shoulder was an entirely different kind of pain. She couldn't imagine the hell Adam was going through right now, having each individual nerve wired up to his new cybernetic, then having to troubleshoot it, and then having to do it all again if it wasn't working as intended… the very thought made her shudder. And to have to do it all with painkillers because they needed the anesthetic for those more wounded than him… it was almost too much.
At least, that was what Almost had said. She suspected that he simply wanted Adam to suffer for letting the wolf Faunus and the Schnee go, but she wouldn't dare voice that out loud.
"How is the plan progressing?" he asked, taking her by surprise.
Recovering, Ilia replied, "It's coming along. The Dust is being transported to Mountain Glenn without issue, and we have the train up and running."
"Excellent. We will launch the plan into motion shortly. Before then, you will head back to Menagerie."
"Menagerie? I thought I was needed here."
"You will be needed there more. We anticipate that Atlas will attempt to retaliate, and are attempting to shore up our defenses for if they do."
"I understand." Ilia frowned. "And the woman?"
Almost scoffed. "We will work with her for now, only because she is offering us the information we need to accomplish our goal. Once she is no longer useful, I will deal with her myself. Understand?"
"Yes."
"Good. Now, get going – there is a boat waiting for you at the harbor carrying many of our brothers and sisters. You are in command of all of them."
She nodded. "I'll leave immediately."
He said nothing, merely waving her off before turning back towards the litany of documents scattered over the table. Ilia risked a glance over towards them, but couldn't discern much about what they were saying – Almost and Adam had been tight-lipped about what the plan would accomplish aside from allowing them to strike back at the humans in a substantial way. Obviously, they intended to crash the train through the primarily human-occupied portion of the Vale business distract, but that was where her knowledge of the plan ended.
Another scream echoed down the hall, causing her to wince. Without thinking, she quickened her pace. Whatever Almost and Adam had planned, it wasn't her place to question it, nor did she want to – she couldn't bring herself to care about what happened to a bunch of humans in the first place, but she was also afraid of what Almost would do to her if she showed dissent. There were several unanswered questions she had, such as what that black-haired woman in the red dress had to do with anything, but she was fine with not knowing given the circumstances.
Ilia exited the warehouse, breathing a sigh of relief as Adam's screams faded away more with every passing step. If Almost wanted her to go to Menagerie, then she was more than happy to.
Anything to get away from him.
For some reason, while writing the scene with Tai and Glynda, all I could think of was 'Is there a ship name for these two?' I couldn't find one, so I decided to make one. So, from here on out, I will henceforth be referring to Tai/Glynda as 'Magic Dragon', because it not only fits the ship, but I'm also a big Sodom fan. Expect to see it used just this once and never again by anybody, not even me.
Anyway, there's not a whole lot to say. Pretty subdued compared to the last two chapters, but there's still plenty of emotional problems to go around. Poor Red is clearly still suffering but luckily they all know exactly what the problem is, and what they need to do in order to help her. That will go a very long way to helping her break out of this mindset she's trapped herself in.
Also, I know that a lot of you are excited for the talk with Ironwood, and trust me when I say that that's on its way. I will deliver, don't worry.
Besides that, there's more of the family moments I promised. Nothing like last chapter, but come on, there's no way I'm gonna match that any time soon. But there's some more Summer info for you, and some family time to go with it.
And speaking of last chapter, I have to say this: I asked for feedback, and holy shit, you guys fucking delivered. Thank you all so much. I honestly don't know what to say to show my appreciation, because whatever I try to come up with, it doesn't seem good enough. Seriously, you all shattered whatever expectations I had in terms of feedback, it was absolutely unreal. If your goal was to make me pumped to deliver a seriously kick-ass Part 2 as thanks, then congrats, you've accomplished that mission.
Basically, you're all wonderful people and I'm glad that I get to share my work with you.
Anyway, I don't have much else. Stay gold, everyone.
Next update: Saturday, July 18.