Mama Yang-9
Read the Previous Chapter before this one. Chapter is shorter because I thought that be a good place to end it.
It was a bright and sunny day out in the streets of Vale, as Team RWBY, plus Athena Saffron Cub, were walking down the sidewalk, and admiring the decorations and preparations for the joyful occasion of the exchange students coming from other Kingdoms for the Vytal Festival.
It had been a month and a half since Athena's scare with the Rapier Wasps in the Forever Falls Forest. Jaune had served his punishment, which had been greatly reduced thanks to the fact he was being blackmailed. As for Team CRDL's Families… Let's just say Yang didn't feel too sorry for feeding the four to Saffron, when seeing how their families reacted to knowing the four had died as a team.
"The Vytal Festival. Oh this is absolutely wonderful." Weiss said, looking up at the banner.
"I don't think I've ever seen you smile this much Weiss. It's kinda weirding me out." Ruby said.
"How could you 'not' smile? A festival dedicated to the cultures of the world. There will be dances, parades, a tournament. Oh the amount of planning and organization that goes into this event is simply breath taking." Weiss exclaimed.
"You really know how to take a good thing, and make it sound boring." Yang said.
"She's has a work fetish." Athena exclaimed, holding onto Yang's hand.
"Quiet, both of you." Weiss stated.
"Remind me again why we're spending our Friday afternoon visiting the stupid docks?" Yang asked. "This is cutting into Athena's training."
"Ugh, they smell like fish." Ruby groaned, pinching her nose.
"Rotten dead fish." Athena stated, pinching her nose, with Saffron trying to cover her own. "Try having heightened senses."
"I hear ya sweetie." Yang said, covering her own mouth and nose.
"I've heard that students visiting from Vacuo will be arriving by ship today. An' as a representative of Beacon I feel as though it is my solemn duty to welcome them to this fine Kingdom." Weiss exclaimed.
"She wants to spy on them so she'll have the upper hand in the tournament." Blake translated.
"I knew it." Athena said accusingly, pointing a finger at Weiss.
"Ah, you can't prove that." Weiss said.
"You just admitted to it, by saying that." Yang smiled.
"I don't hear any denial." Athena smiled.
"Whoa." Ruby said gaining their attention, as she spotted a ruined Dust Shop.
With curiosity getting the better of them, they went to the location, stopping short of the Yellow Police Tape, spotting a detective on the other side writing something down on his digital pad.
"What happened here?" Ruby inquired.
"Robbery. Second Dust shop to be hit this week. This place is turning into a jungle." The Detective said, walking off to his partner.
"That's terrible." Yang said with a disapproving scoff.
"They left all the money again."
"Huh?" Ruby turned her head, towards the duo of detectives, hearing what the second one said.
"Yeah, just doesn't make a lick o' sense. Who needs that much Dust?"
"I dunno, ya know what I mean?"
"You thinking the uh, White Fang?"
"Yeah, I'm thinking we don't get paid enough."
"Hmph, the White Fang. What an awful bunch of degenerates." Weiss exclaimed.
"What's your problem?" Blake asked.
"My problem? I simply don't care for the criminally insane." Weiss said.
"They White Fang, is hardly a bunch of psychopaths. They're a collection of misguided Faunus." Blake said.
"Misguided? They want to wipe humanity off the face of the planet." Weiss exclaimed.
"Only a splinter group wants that Weiss. The main objective for the White Fang, is to be shown respect, not discrimination." Ruby said.
"Hey Ice-Queen." Yang said getting a little testy. "You've got two Faunus on this five person team, with short tempers for racism, so you'd better choose your next words carefully." Yang exclaimed. "There's no actual evidence that supports the theory of the White Fang, being the ones responsible for these robberies."
"Yang's right. It could very well be that Torchwhick guy I ran into a week before school started. The police haven't caught him yet, and he was robbing a store of its Dust when I stopped him, he didn't even touch the money." Ruby said. "That adds up with these hits. So it's more than likely him."
"That still doesn't change the fact that the White Fang, are a bunch of scum. Those Faunus only know how to lie, cheat, and steal." Weiss said, before being punched in the face, and sent to the ground.
"I warned you to be careful about what you said next Weiss." Yang exclaimed.
"Hey. Stop that Faunus." Someone called out from the docks.
All members of Team RWBY, turned and ran to the docks, and looked to the boat the voice came from, and saw a blonde, golden tailed monkey Faunus, running across the deck, before jumping onto the edge of the ship.
"Thanks for the ride guys." He said, before jumping off, towards the docks, and running up before jumping onto a light post, and hanging there by his tail.
"You no-good stowaway." One of the sailors shouted to him.
"Hey, a "no-good" would have been caught. I'm a great stowaway." The monkey boy said, peeling a banana, before leaning to the side, avoiding a rock being thrown at him as the two detectives from before came to confront him.
"Hey. Get down from there, this instant." The monkey Faunus only responded by throwing the banana peel in his face, before swinging up and giving off a mischievous laugh. When he was done with his laughing, he jumped from the light post, and landed further on the docks, running up to the mainland. Passing by Team RWBY along the way, and giving Blake a wink, before he tripped over Saffron, who Athena put down and told to intercept him.
With the Faunus boy on the ground, the authorities caught up to him, and put him in cuffs as Athena picked Saffron back up.
"I tripped over a cosplaying cat?" He questioned.
"That's what you get for flirting with mom's girlfriend." Athena said, blowing a raspberry at him, with Saffron in her arms.
"Screw this." He said, slipping free of the authorities and running off again, down the street. "I'm not gonna end up in jail and ruin my chances at participating in the Vytal Tournament."
"Well Weiss, you wanted to see the competition, and there it goes." Yang said.
"Quick, we have to observe him." Weiss cried out, as she started running after the Monkey Faunus with the rest of her team, minus Athena, following closely behind.
"Okay, don't grow too big to cause a panic." She told Saffron, who grew to be the same size as the bike she saw in one of the stores. She hopped onto Saffron's back, and the Panther Grimm went chasing after the monkey like everyone else.
Rounding a sharp corner, Weiss wasn't watching where she was going, before she ran into someone. Looking up from where she fell, Weiss slammed her fist into the ground.
"No, he got away." Weiss cursed as the rest of Team RWBY stopped behind her.
"Uh, Weiss?" Yang said, pointing to the ground.
Weiss looked down, and yelped, getting up on her feet when she realized she was on another girl.
"Salutations." The girl smiled.
"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to run into you." Weiss exclaimed.
"Um… hello." Ruby said.
"Are you… okay?" Yang asked.
"I'm wonderful. Thank you for asking." She said.
"Do you wanna get up? I can help you up." Athena said, hopping down from Saffron.
"I would like to get up. But I'm fine on my own." The girl said, before curling back, and pushing up with her hand, arching through the air a bit, and landing on her feet.
Everyone took a single step back.
"My name is Penny, it's a pleasure to meet you." The girl said.
"Hi Penny, I'm Ruby."
"I'm Weiss."
"Blake."
"Are you sure you didn't hit your head?" Yang asked, before Blake backhanded her in the ribs. "Oh, I'm Yang."
"I'm Athena, this is Saffron." Athena said, with Saffron back to cub size and in her arms
"It's a pleasure to meet you."
"You said that already." Athena exclaimed.
"So I did." Penny said.
"Well, sorry for running into you." Weiss said.
"Take care friend."
"By nice lady." Athena waved her off, before walking with the rest of Team RWBY.
"She was… weird." Yang said after they were a good distance away from Penny.
"Mom. You're judging her based on one interaction. You tell me not to do that." Athena said.
"You're right sweetie, I'm sorry." Yang said apologetically. "That was kinda hypocritical of me."
"Hypo-what?" Athena asked.
"A word that means, one person disapproves of something, but does the same thing themselves." Penny said, appearing in front of them.
"Gah, Penny."
"What did you call me?" Penny asked.
"Oh, I'm really sorry I didn't think you could hear me." Yang said, as Weiss kept looking back to Penny, then to where they left her, trying to make sense of how she got there so fast.
"No, not you." Penny said, looking to Yang, before walking up to Ruby. "You."
"Me? I-I don't know, I- what I- um, I uh-"
"You called me "friend". Am I really your friend?" Penny asked.
"Umm…" Ruby looked behind Penny to see her teammates motioning for her to say no, while Athena just looked confused at what they were doing. "Ya sure. Why not?"
Weiss, Blake, and Yang fell to the ground, with Athena following with her head, looking at them like they'd lost their minds.
"Ahaha. Sen-sational." Penny cheered. "We can paint our nails, and try on clothes, and talk about cute boys."
"Ooh, is this what it was like when you met me?" Ruby asked Weiss as the heiress picked herself up.
"No." Weiss simply said. "She seems 'far' more coordinated."
"So Penny, what are you doing in Vale?" Yang asked.
"I'm here to fight in the tournament." Penny said.
"Wait, you're fighting in the tournament?" Weiss inquired.
"I'm combat ready." Penny said, giving a salute.
"Forgive me, but you hardly look the part." Weiss said.
"Says the rich girl, wearing a dress." Blake exclaimed.
"It's a combat skirt." Weiss defended.
"Yeah." Ruby said, coming up beside her, giving a down low high five to Weiss.
"Wait, a minute." Weiss said. "If you're here for the tournament, does that mean you know that monkey-tailed… rapscallion?" Weiss questioned shaking Penny.
"The who?" Penny asked.
"The filthy Faunus from the boat." Weiss said.
"Why do you keep saying that?" Blake questioned.
"Huh?"
"Stop calling him a rapscallion. Stop calling him a degenerate. He's a person." Blake said.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Would you like me to stop referring to the trashcan as a trashcan, or this lamppost as a lamppost?" Weiss questioned.
"Stop it." Blake retorted.
"Weiss…" Yang said with a growl. "Watch your tongue."
"Stop what? He clearly broke the law. Give him time, he'll probably join up with those other Faunus in the White Fang." Weiss exclaimed.
"You ignorant, selfish, racist little piece of shit." Blake growled, clenching a fist before turning around and storming off.
"How dare you talk to me like that. I am your teammate." Weiss said, chasing after her.
"You are a judgemental little girl." Blake said.
"What in the world makes you say that?"
"The mere fact that you would sort that Faunus boy with the terrorist group, solely based on his species, makes you just as much of a scoundrel as you believe him to be." Blake stated.
"We should go. Athena's getting antsy watching them bicker." Yang said.
"Where are we going?" Penny asked.
"You're going wherever you need to. While my team and I are gonna go back to our dorms." Ruby explained. "Hopefully this will all blow over by night time and they'll have made up by then."
"So you admit it; the White Fang 'is' just a radical group of terrorists." Weiss said.
"That's not what I meant and you know it." Blake said.
~Later~
"I don't understand why this is causing such a problem." Weiss exclaimed.
It had been hours since the argument between the two teammates of RWBY began, and they hadn't stopped bickering. It was put on hold during dinner so they wouldn't cause a scene in the cafeteria, but it quickly picked back up when they left the dining hall, and made their way to Blake, Ruby, and Weiss's dorm room, and Yang was starting to get very annoyed with how self-righteous, Weiss was acting in accusing the Faunus of all being nothing more than criminals, and that all her claims about them were 100% true. Even Athena, doing her homework, was on the breaking point of having a meltdown.
"That 'is' the problem." Blake said.
"You realize, you're defending an organization that hates humanity, don't you?" Weiss questioned. "The Faunus of the White Fang, are pure evil."
"There's no such thing, as "Pure Evil". Why do you think they hare humanity so much? It's because of people like Cardin, people like 'you' that force the White Fang, to take such drastic measures." Blake stated.
"People like me?" Weiss questioned, sounding offended.
"You're discriminatory."
"I'm a victim." Weiss said, before the sound of wood snapping caught her attention, and she looked to see a very annoyed Yang.
"Explain. Now. Unless you have proper claims to be saying that, I will be taking offense." Yang stated.
"You want to know 'why' I despise the White Fang? Why I don't particularly trust the Faunus?" Weiss questioned. "It's because they've been at war with my family for years. War. As in actual bloodshed. My grandfather's company has had a target painted across its back for as long as I can remember, and ever since I was a child, I've watched family and friends disappear, board members executed, an entire train car full of Dust… stolen. An' every day, my father would come home furious, and that made for a very difficult childhood." Weiss said, slamming her fist on the bookshelf.
"Boo-fucking-hoo. Cry me a river."
Everyone's eyes widened, when they heard Athena say that, and turned around to look at her, and angry expression on her face.
"You think you had a difficult childhood? For as long as I can remember, I've been hunted, persecuted, terrorized, treated like an animal, abused by humans, enslaved in Dust Mines, and branded and tormented, put through hours of unending pain. You think your life was rough, but you don't actually know what it's like to have a rough childhood. You have no actual clue, what it's like to restlessly sleep, in fear of being attacked by humans, and Grimm alike. So don't go whining about, daddy, not showering you with affections, and claiming it made for a rough childhood. Because I've been to hell and back more times than anyone alive today." Athena exclaimed.
"Shut your mouth Athena. The adults are talking." Weiss said.
"No. You wanna know what it's like to actually know fear? Then fine." Athena said, before she ran at Weiss, using her lightning, and grabbing her ankle, biting through the boot's material, and piercing her skin, causing Weiss to lose her balance and fall back, onto her bed, lightly hitting her head on the frame above her.
"Athena no." Yang said, pulling her daughter off Weiss.
"Let go." Athena said, struggling out of Yang's grip, and running for the door. "Enjoy life as a Faunus, Weiss."
After that, Athena slammed the door behind her, running down the halls, and to the courtyard, stopping where the statue of the Beacon Founders were. Walking up to the statue, Athena turned around and sat on the ground, leaning her back against it as she curled up in the fetal position, and began to cry.
She didn't like having to relive those traumatic memories from her past, especially when she had her outburst towards Weiss, about how her life was a cakewalk compared to hers. Athena was so caught up in her emotional distress, she wasn't aware of the person kneeling in front of her, until they wrapped their arms around her, and brought the child in for a hug. Athena looked up and through tear blurred eyes, saw it was Blake, her bow gone, revealing the car ears on the top of her head.
"It's gonna be okay." Blake said, holding her close. "We're gonna be spending the weekend together. Weiss went on a bit of a tirade about the Faunus again, and I kinda snapped, accidentally revealing that I'm a Faunus."
"Does my mom hate me now?" Athena asked hugging Blake back.
"Actually, Yang was kinda mad at Weiss. We all have our hardships, but she was upset with Weiss, for claiming she's more of a victim than you, just because her father didn't pay her any attention." Blake exclaimed.
"She's lucky she even has two parents." Athena exclaimed, tightening the hug.
"The point is we don't fully know what her life back in Atlas was like. So we can't really judge her. But you're right, your past was a lot worse than hers." Blake said, rubbing Athena's back. 'I can feel the branding scar on her back, I can understand why she'd have that outburst when Weiss said her childhood wasn't easy.'
"It's not fair." Athena cried. "Weiss is always so mean to everyone, and thinks she's above all of us. But why does she get to get away with it?"
"Professor Blacksteel can't punish her for reasons involving him being a Faunus, and her being a Schnee. It'd be seen as singling her out, in the public eye." Blake sighed, understanding her frustration. "C'mon, Yang won't be expecting us back at the dorm for a couple days. We're going into Vale, for a little bonding time, just you and I."
"I knew you would look better without the bow."