Legal Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or any of the show's characters. They are the rightful properties of Rooster Teeth. The True Runes and any other Suikoden-related lore that pops up in this fic are the rightful properties of Konami.
Chapter Twenty-Two:
"A formal dinner?" Clover asked as he raised his eyebrow at the preening Jacques Schnee's sudden announcement in the palace's audience chamber, wondering if he'd heard it correctly.
The Schnee patriarch gripped the lapels of his shirt smugly, standing as tall and proud as he possibly could, "Why, of course!" He replied snidely, "We have to get the word out of your appointment to Royal Consort as soon as possible, and what better way than to celebrate with a grand feast?"
From where she was standing nearby, Robyn quirked an unimpressed eyebrow upwards, "Are you really sure now is the best time for something so frivolous?" She asked, her disapproval evident in both tone and body language.
Jacques shot her an annoyed look for having interrupted him, "Why, whatever do you mean. Ms. Hill?" He asked, clearly not having any idea as to why no one else was thrilled with the party notion.
The tan-skinned blonde stared at the oldest Schnee as if he'd grown another head, "The situation here is still pretty bleak, what with those murders still occurring in Mantle and the borders being closed." She explained slowly, as if relaying the information to an idiot, arms crossed over her chest as she scoffed, "Do you seriously think now is a good time to party?"
Jacques practically sneered at the Happy Huntress' leader, his white mustache pulling down along the edges of his face, "All the more reason to then, in order to instill some good cheer to the public with this wondrous news!" He explained as if that was the simplest concept in the world.
Robyn scoffed once more as she rolled her violet eyes, "You nobles have messed up priorities." She said, not remotely under her breath. Clover smiled appreciatively at her ever present honesty.
The older noble was clearly not amused as his eyes narrowed in Robyn's direction, "It hardly matters what you think so much as it does what His Majesty thinks." Jacques reminded the taller woman smugly.
Winter took an instinctive step between the two glaring people, placing a consoling hand on Robyn's shoulder as she looked over at the monarch in question who had remained pensively silent throughout this exchange, "Your Majesty?" She questioned, searching the monarch for any clue as to what he was thinking.
James Ironwood shifted in his seat, his blue eyes flickering briefly over to Clover at his side as if considering something, "I do agree that it is important to keep up appearances even at this time." He finally said at length.
Jacques smirked triumphantly while Robyn rolled her eyes as Winter squeezed her shoulder all the more comfortingly, "Would be nice if we could do both." The blonde muttered, loud enough for everyone in the chamber to hear.
"I assure you, we're looking into the matter of the murders as effectively as we can, Ms. Hill."
As Ironwood continued explaining his position to the de facto leader of Mantle, Penny waved her arm in the air until the mer's attention landed on her before she stepped closer to her adopted brother, "A party sounds exciting!" She loudly whispered to Clover, eyes positively gleaming, "Oh, I cannot wait to inform Ruby and the others when they come back!"
This new bit of information caused Clover to raise his eyebrow slightly, "You mean she's gone somewhere?" He asked, clearly ignorant of the comings and goings outside of the castle anymore.
A concerned look flitted across the girl's face at the mer's question, her green eyes flitting from him to Ironwood questioningly, "Yes?" Penny finally responded, "Huntsman Branwen took her and a few others on a scouting mission on the outskirts of the border two days ago."
Clover blinked in surprise, frowning slightly. It was news to him, but then again, he'd been kept more out of the loop thanks to no longer being the Ace Ops captain than he'd like. "I'm sure they'll be fine, Clover," Ironwood said as a way to comfort the younger man, "Qrow is used to such missions, and the younger fighters are surprisingly capable."
Clover smiled tentatively, though he couldn't help the growing sense of unease building up in his stomach, "I...I'm sure you're right, James." He finally acquiesced, realizing there was no point in pushing the conversation anymore.
Penny reached out to squeeze both of his hands reassuringly, positively beaming, "We should go and visit Father and Maria at the workshop today, Clover!" She exclaimed happily, "It has been too long since you've been there last!"
His smile became more genuine at the eagerness in her words, and he squeezed her hands back, "I'd love to, Penny, but I think I need to go home and rest first." Clover said sadly, as if he was resigned to this new role. It had only been a few hours since he'd last been at his new home, but he found an inexplicable need to return there all the same now. He'd noticed it growing every time he stepped away for even just the briefest of moments.
Concern filled the eyes of Winter, Robyn, and Penny at his words as Penny looked down towards the floor dejectedly, "Oh, I see." She finally said, although she didn't hide the hurt in her voice.
Winter raised an eyebrow, looking at him critically, "Are you all right, Clover?" She asked quietly, her tone indicating she feared she already was well aware of the answer.
"Yeah, you haven't been back to Mantle in a while now." Robyn observed, her eyebrow raised inquisitively in concern for her childhood friend.
"I'm sure Clover is just trying to adjust to his new role." Ironwood pointed out then, an odd look of pride in his voice.
Clover smiled more for Penny's sake, "I'll come and visit Father soon, all right?" He assured her, wanting to put his little sister's mind at ease.
Penny looked at him hesitantly for a moment before smiling in turn as well and stepping away, "All right then!" She said, clearly happy with the prospect of Clover visiting soon.
That seemed to end the meeting, and the others began filing out of the room as the familiar figure of Arthur Watts stepped inside the chamber. The lanky man and Jacques exchanged a curt nod, Winter's eyes narrowing slightly when Watts smirked in her direction. Robyn quickly stepped between them and grasped Winter's hand tightly in her own as the two women disappeared down the corridor.
Arthur bowed half-heartedly to Ironwood when it was just them and Clover left in the space, "Your Majesty," he drawled, "I hope I haven't come at a bad time. I have another dosage ready, you see."
Ironwood held out his hand and the small vial of Grimm Water was placed in it. He held it aloft for a few seconds before motioning for Clover to approach. The brown-haired mer did so, though he inwardly wondered why a rather horrific thrill of craving seemed to be intermixed with the usual trepidation he felt about his new medication now.
"Well," Joanna said as she drew back the fur-lined curtain that had been attempting to keep some of the heat from escaping from the room beyond, "Come on in, I suppose." The others shuffled into the warm space after her, grateful to be out of the frigid cold of Solitas. They were in a small outpost on the outskirts of the Kingdom of Atlas, in a building that served as inn, restaurant, and general store all at once. The owner motioned to a side-room as soon as the tall, dark-skinned woman had entered the space, a silent nod of recognized greeting passing between them. Qrow supposed he shouldn't have been too surprised to learn that the Happy Huntress actually haled from here, after all it was settlements such as this around the area that kept the twin cities functioning.
"Look who finally made it!" Taiyang's cheerful voice rang out in the room, the blond and Raven seated at the table in its middle.
The bandit leader across from Taiyang merely smirked, "Took you long enough." She stated derisively instead. Qrow rolled his light red eyes at Raven's attitude. It was somewhat comforting to see she hadn't changed, as well as frustrating.
"Dad!" Ruby and Yang both clambered over to their father, the tan-skinned man pulling them into a tight embrace as Raven looked on with an unreadable expression. The black-haired woman was caught off-guard when Ruby pulled away from her father to quickly pull her into a hug as well. It didn't last nearly as long, but Raven gaping like a fish with her arms hanging limply at her sides was priceless imagery to Qrow.
"She really is just like her mom, huh?" Soul Eater's bearer stated proudly as he, Blake, Oscar, Joanna, and May all seated themselves at the table as well.
Ruby beamed happily at the remark while Raven mutely nodded, her surprised expression morphing back into its usual guarded one as the brunette pulled away to sit by her sister and father once more. Raven brought her cup of tea to her lips to try and hide the slight tinge of pink on her cheeks futilely with the steam, "Now what was so important it couldn't wait until we'd actually gotten to Atlas, baby brother?" She asked carefully as soon as she put the cup down.
Qrow sighed, "If you two hadn't decided to take the scenic route, you'd have been there already with your semblance." He reminded her.
"It couldn't be helped." Tai spoke up apologetically as Raven's red eyes narrowed as if Qrow had been outright challenging her, "We'd heard rumors of Grimm sightings along the border, and well..."
"Jimmy's too preoccupied with maintaining security around the cities and not the outskirts. I get it." Qrow nodded his head solemnly at Tai's unfinished explanation.
"Who knows what might have happened to places like this if we'd had to wait for reports to reach Atlas." May noted, frowning slightly at the thought as she looked over to gauge Joanna's reaction to her remark.
Joanna seemed to notice her comrade's concern, for she smiled slightly and placed her hand over hers on the table, "It wouldn't have been pretty, that's for sure." She agreed as she glanced at the two newcomers they'd met up with then, "You have my thanks."
Raven scoffed before Tai could say anything, "Keep your thanks." She said, "If it wasn't for that idiot's softheartedness, we'd have immediately traveled to the twin cities."
"That's just Raven talk for 'I'm too embarrassed to say what I really feel'." Tai teased then, wincing only slightly when Raven kicked him underneath the table.
"Still though, it was good to have skilled fighters close by." Joanna said gratefully, opting to ignore Raven's cold remarks.
"You didn't answer my question." The vampire noted to Qrow, her red eyes narrowing, "Did something happen in Atlas?"
"You could say that." Qrow muttered as he glanced at the kids around them, all of whom gave him encouraging nods, "I actually wanted to talk to you about the Rune of Punishment."
"Ah." His sister's hand settled around her cup again, a teasing lilt in her tone, "You've become attached to the bearer."
Qrow opted to ignore her last comment, though his eyes narrowed slightly all the same, "How can it reach its Forgiveness Phase?" He asked, cutting to the chase.
Raven stared over at Oscar briefly in a speculative fashion, causing both Blake and Yang to put their hands on the fidgeting boy's shoulders encouragingly, "Ozpin's heir couldn't explain that?" She finally asked, clearly unimpressed as her dark red eyes narrowed.
"I didn't exactly get any of his memories when I inherited the Back Gate Rune." The fourteen-year-old boy said nervously, clearly uncomfortable with Raven's attention.
"Not even a journal or anything? How curious." Raven commented, mulling over this new information as if it somehow changed her perception on how Oscar had acquired his True Rune.
Yang crossed her arms over her chest and regarded her birth mother defiantly, "He wasn't even in Vale when he was chosen." She explained, wanting Raven to lay off on judging Oscar.
Qrow's twin sister's eyebrows quirked up in genuine surprise, "First the True Wind Rune acts strangely and now this?" She questioned, "There's clearly a lot about the Runes we don't yet know."
"But you do know something about the Forgiveness Phase, don't you?" Qrow asked once more, trying to bring her focus to the topic at hand while hoping desperation didn't creep into his voice as he clenched his hands into fists.
Raven regarded her brother carefully, "You must have really claimed him, brother." She murmured, something that sounded vaguely like pity lingering just at the edge of her tone.
Qrow ignored the eyes on him around the table, his face heating up, "That's neither here nor there, Rae." He managed to get out, "I'd just like to prevent the stubborn idiot from getting himself killed if I can."
She sighed and looked into her now drained cup, "As far as I know, the miracle needed to initiate the Forgiveness Phase can be brought about by bringing as many of the remaining True Runes together as possible." Raven informed them, "The energies in calling upon all of them at once, along with a large gesture of forgiveness on the part of the Rune of Punishment's bearer, should theoretically kickstart it."
"But the True Water Rune is currently missing." Blake noted quietly, looking over at Yang as understanding dawned on both their features, "And several of the Runes are currently with the Land of Darkness."
Raven nodded at the Faunus girl's assessment, "And therein lies the issue as to why it is such a rare occurrence in the first place." She stated, cutting straight to the point in that effective way Raven was so good at it.
Tai mulled over this news, tapping a finger thoughtfully on the surface of the table as he regarded the suddenly dejected air all around them, "Rare," he said, "But not necessarily impossible."
Ruby's silver eyes lit up at her father's remark, the young woman jumping up from the table, "That's right! There's still a chance!" She exclaimed happily.
May raised an eyebrow in question, "How do you figure?" She asked, clearly not having reached the same conclusion as Qrow's youngest niece.
Ruby beamed over at May, "First we find the True Water Rune like we've planned." She informed the group matter-of-factly, "Then we try to get the other True Runes to come to us!"
"Aren't we trying to avoid them getting into Atlas though?" Joanna asked, exchanging a baffled look with May, "That's the whole point of the borders closing, isn't it?"
"But it won't work." Yang said, her violet eyes lit up in understanding then, "If anything, Ironwood's plan to gather as many True Runes to Atlas as possible will just bring Salem's forces here in the long run."
"To collect them all." Oscar finished for her, wide-eyed.
Joanna rolled her eyes, "Which is just great to hear." She muttered mostly to herself as she crossed her arms over her chest in frustration.
"It could be, in a way!" Ruby exclaimed, silver eyes gleaming, "We can prepare for them ahead of time, and with all the Runes gathered in one place..."
"The odds of the Forgiveness Phase being activated goes up monumentally." Blake finished for Ruby, her own golden eyes lighting up at the realization.
"You act as though there's any amount of preparing that would be appropriate." Raven said, scoffing at the notion though she didn't immediately leave the table in annoyance.
Qrow felt both trepidation and hope in equal measures fill his chest, "It's worth a shot, at least." He finally got out, "If they're going to be coming anyways, we might as well try to take advantage of it." The others nodded then while Raven rolled her dark red eyes, but she opted to remain silent on the subject all the same.
"First things first though," May muttered, her eyes narrowing, "We've got to find the True Water Rune or the whole thing's moot."
That would be easier said than done, Qrow knew, but they still had to try. Not just for that stubborn mer's fate, but for all of theirs. Otherwise, they'd have absolutely no hope against Salem when she finally got there.
The dinner was off to as good a start as Clover figured it would go, all things considered. Jacques Schnee had insisted that they have the event at the Schnee Manor, no doubt to once again show how incredibly well off his family was and just how much clout they still had within the Council of Nobles. Clover had arrived with Ironwood and Winter, the Ace Operatives serving as something along the lines of escorts. It had been nice seeing them again, though he'd been disappointed to find out that they'd be remaining in the grand hall on standby instead of accompanying the other three into the dining hall.
"Hey, at least we got to see each other again though!" Elm stated happily enough as she clasped Clover's shoulder briefly before he moved towards the imposing double doors, "No need to be a stranger, Captain, you hear?"
The other three nodded their heads in quick agreement, and Clover couldn't help but feel touched by the sentiment, "Thank you." He said to all of them, teal eyes gleaming.
They were right too, of course. He really should visit more often. He'd been busy recently, yes, but that was no excuse. Neither was the pull his new home seemed to be having on him every time he visited it. He knew it was an effect of the Grimm Water, and the very notion made him sick.
The Ace Ops group saluted as he was gently pulled along by Ironwood into the dining room, the opulence of which even put the one at the palace to shame. Already seated at the large table with more plates than he'd expected was a sulking Robyn. The tall woman seemed very out of place there with arms crossed over her chest and violet eyes narrowed. Sitting next to her was, surprisingly, a rather uncomfortable-looking Whitley.
Robyn's expression lightened slightly at the sight of Clover and especially Winter, "About time you guys showed up." She said in way of greeting.
Winter sat down next to Mantle's leader on the opposite side of where her little brother sat, quirking an eyebrow, "I'm surprised you haven't stabbed anyone yet." She said in a joking tone that Clover was surprised to hear coming from the oldest Schnee sibling.
Robyn scoffed, a smirk on her lips, "Oh, believe me," she stage-whispered to Winter, "I've been tempted." Whitley not-too-subtly moved his chair farther away then, causing amusement to dance in the two women's eyes, "I didn't mean you, kiddo." The tan blonde informed him, a smirk on her face.
"Oh." Whitely said, his body visibly relaxing at her words.
"Yet." Robyn couldn't help but tease further, her violet eyes clearly amused as the boy's face paled considerably and Clover felt a short burst of pity for him.
Ironwood had moved further down the table to converse with Jacques and some other members of the Council of Nobles, leaving Clover to wonder if it would be all right to sit down across from his two friends just then. He was fairly certain there was most likely assigned seating, but...
The doors to the dining room opened once more, effectively cutting off his thoughts as an apparently large group entered the space behind him. "Ah." Robyn said, looking over at who they were as if she'd been expecting them, "I was wondering when the cavalry would show up." Clover raised an eyebrow at her words, turning to see who it was that had just joined the party.
"Clover, Robyn, Winter!" Penny happily exclaimed as she bounded over from the large gathering, "It is so good to see you! Everyone was able to make it!" Sure enough, the assembled group consisted of all of Penny's young knight friends, and standing amongst them as if he was a glorified chaperone was...
Qrow's red eyes fell on Clover at that same moment, and the breath froze in the mer's throat.
Author's Notes: A bit more story exposition this time around, but yay for Raven and Taiyang making it back into the plot! :) Thank you for reading, and friendly comments are always appreciated! :D