I actually have a decent reason for the delay this time! You see, I was halfway done with this chapter when I decided I didn't like anything about it, scrapped the whole thing, and started from scratch. I'm much happier with this version, please enjoy!
Weiss simply stared out the window from Ozpin's office as she took in everything she had just been told. She suddenly wished she had gone to Haven, or even Shade. Maybe then she wouldn't have been dragged into a crazy mess involving magic, maidens, and other dire secrets. Secrets she now had to keep. "So, you want me to lie to my own sister?" Weiss asked, turning to the Headmaster.
"I doubt it will come to that," Ozpin assured her. "She has no reason to believe you're involved unless James has been letting her in on secrets."
"And if he has? If she asks me what happened? If you trusted the General, why not trust Winter?" Weiss pushed.
Glynda frowned. "For the record, Weiss, I agree with you. However, we decided as a group to play things close to the chest. We trusted the General once, yes… but his actions lately far from inspired trust. He should not have told Winter without at least informing us…"
"But we have no idea what he's done," Qrow finished the thought. "He made unilateral decisions regarding Ruby and Penny. Who's to say they were the only ones? We don't know who he talked to or what he told them."
"Essentially," Ozpin picked, "we're wary of which of the General's opinions his second in command may take as gospel."
"She's not like that!" Weiss defended.
"How sure are you?" Blake spoke up. "Are you certain she's not just a blind spot for you?"
Weiss looked hurt. "Blake… after everything that's happened between us, do you still doubt me?"
"I don't doubt you," Blake assured. "You've done a lot to change, to grow. I know you. But I don't know your sister. Not to mention I've seen the things Atlas has done regarding my kind. Your sister had Ironwood's ear, and he didn't seem to be hearing a lot of dissenting opinions."
The truth of Blake's words his Weiss like a ton of bricks. Weiss had more freedom than ever to think for herself and grow, but was that because she left her family or because she left Atlas? Did Winter's career go so well because she was simply a yes-man? Weiss loved her sister, she was the only family Weiss respected. But she hadn't talked to her in months… months where many of Weiss's opinions had changed.
Would they still even get along?
"I know these aren't happy thoughts to have," Ozpin layered a comforting tone.
"Just promise me that you aren't just pre-judging," Weiss demanded. "Promise me that if she does end up appearing trustworthy, we'll tell her the truth."
"That was always the plan," Glynda informed her. "Assume the worst but hope for the best. This is only an act of precaution."
Weiss sighed. That would have to do.
"I have a question," Yang raised her hand.
Ozpin raised an eyebrow and the classroom gesture before nodding.
"You're all worried he told her about the Maidens, and I get that. But what about the Keyblade?"
The room was silent.
"I mean, Ironwood didn't actually fall to the Ringleader, Maiden Thief, whatever we're calling her," Yang continued. "But we saw what telling you guys about Darkness did to him."
"Are you suggesting that even if she proves trustworthy, we lie to her and say he was killed by our enemy?" Ozpin questioned.
"I don't know," Yang shook her head. "I'm just saying… you guys do a seem a bit more casual with your secrets than Rubes is with hers."
Ruby stepped forward. "When I told my team about my magic, I made sure not to drop any details about your secrets. I treated those secrets as though they were yours to tell. Please show me the same respect."
Ozpin, Qrow and Glynda looked to each other, having a silent conversation with gestures. Ozpin eventually responded, "when you put it like that, it wouldn't be fair of us to refuse. I promise no one will hear your secrets from any mouth but yours."
Ruby breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you."
"This isn't gunna be easy," Qrow argued.
"None of this has been easy," Glynda pointed out. "Although, and perhaps this is unfair of me, I do blame James. If he had only showed as much trust as he demanded, none of this would have happened."
"His paranoia is what called the Darkness to him," Ruby explained. "If I hadn't shared my own secrets, maybe he wouldn't have fallen…"
"You couldn't have known that beforehand," Ozpin reassured.
"But I should have!" Ruby countered. "That's exactly why we keep our secrets. Anyone can fall to Darkness." Ruby's eyes fell to her own hands. "Anyone…"
Blake frowned, knowing that Ruby was thinking about what they learned of the Black Coat, Crona. Their experience at the Death Weapon Meister Academy reinforced Ruby's belief in properly keeping her own secrets. They agreed to keep all they learned a secret, even from their allies on Remnant. Blake decided to completely feign ignorance about what she experienced after falling through the portal, if only to avoid Weiss asking her questions.
By now Weiss had returned to looking out the window. She cast her gaze skyward in time to see an elegant ship inching toward the airdocks. A smile breached her face. "Even with all this… I am still excited to see her."
"Well, let's go then!" Yang attempted to keep the mood cheery. "We'll all go! I'm sure Winter wants to meet the team anyways."
"That sounds like… an idea." Weiss agreed tenuously. She looked to Ozpin, "we are done here, correct?"
Ozpin smiled and nodded. "Go enjoy your time with your sister."
"Thank you, Professor," Weiss bowed her head slightly. Team RWBY filed out of Ozpin's office and followed Weiss through the halls toward the courtyard.
They walked with relative silence, with Yang falling slightly behind. "Hm?" Ruby turned toward her sister, "what is it?"
Yang raised her eyebrow at Ruby. "What is what?"
"You called for me?" Ruby pointed out as though it were obvious.
Yang was only further confused. "Uh, no I didn't?"
"Really?" Ruby crossed her arms. "I could have sworn I just heard you call my name…"
Yang looked behind her, and saw there was no one else in the hall besides the four of them. She turned back to Ruby and shrugged. "I dunno what to tell ya, sis."
"Huh," Ruby furrowed her brow. She could have sworn she heard something. Maybe I'm just tired…
Team RWBY managed to meet Winter's airship just as the loading ramp descended. They were a mixture of nerves and excitement as the woman of the hour stepped out of the airship. Her silver hair, striking blue eyes, and elegant demeanor meant she could only be the elder Schnee sister. Her custom white military dress also spoke of her rank, as well as the robotic guards that flanked either side. Winter seemed lost in thought until she noticed Weiss.
"Winter!" Weiss cried out. "It's so good to see you!"
Something dangerously close to a smile graced Winter's lips. "Hello, sister. Is this your team?"
"Yes!" Weiss smiled, before turning and pointed them out one by one. "Blake Belladonna, Blake's partner Yang Xiao Long, Yang's sister as well as my partner, Ruby Rose!"
"Ah, Ms. Rose," Winter turned to her, "I gather you are this team's leader?"
"That's right!" Ruby nodded.
"I see…"
Winter fixed a determined stare onto Ruby, studying the young girl for all she was worth. Ruby returned the gaze at first, but quickly found herself looking toward Weiss. Then back at Winter. Then toward Weiss again. Just as the stretch of silence was growing uncomfortable, Ruby did something that shocked Weiss and Winter both.
Ruby dared to snicker.
Winter immediately frowned. "Is something funny here?"
"What!? No, no!" Ruby tried to recover, "it's just that a lot about how Weiss acted when we first met makes a lot more sense now. She was trying to be like her big sis!"
Winter's face transformed into one of genuine amusement. "Is that so…?"
Weiss's jaw dropped in pure horror. "I-I assure you I haven't the faintest idea just what she is talking about!"
Winter smile kept. "And just how was she acting?"
"All cool and confident," Ruby gleefully shared.
"Perhaps a little too confident," Blake added.
"She's still a bit of a know-it-all," Yang teased.
Weiss scowled and crossed. "You don't seem to mind when I'm helping you cram study!"
"Your threats no longer work on me, fair Schnee," Yang goaded. "We all know you'll still help me for the sake of the team."
Weiss actually growled, making Winter completely break composure and begin laughing. "Is that how you see me, little sister?"
"Is it really so wrong to look up to you?" Weiss countered. "Besides, I really feel as though I've come into my own these past months."
"Oh really?" Winter questioned. "How so?"
"Well," Weiss saw an opportunity here to test her evolving morals against her sister. "My opinions on the faunus are a big one."
Winter's face turned more serious. "Are you saying you've softened your stance on the White Fang?"
"Absolutely not," Weiss crossed her arms. "I've softened my stance on the faunus."
"Is there a difference?" Winter asked carefully.
"Of course there is!" Weiss argued without hesitation. "The White Fang is not all faunus. Just because they're loud doesn't mean they represent everyone, it doesn't even mean they represent the majority. Their leadership may be psychotic extremists, but I don't doubt most of the rank and file only participate because they feel they have no other choice. That we have given them no other choice."
Winter's expression softened again, a different smile setting on her features. "You really have grown, Weiss. I'm proud."
Weiss's arms uncrossed slowly. "You were… testing me?"
"I do apologize for the deception," Winter offered. "Before you left Atlas, you were closer to father than I think you would appreciate hearing." For a brief moment Winter's eye found Blake's bow. She looked back to Weiss, "it seems Beacon has truly been good for you."
Weiss smiled.
"I also must apologize for cutting this short," Winter announced. "I do need to speak to your headmaster, urgently. But, when I do find time… tea? Just the two of us?"
"I'm looking forward to it," Weiss agreed.
Weiss and Winter walked ahead, busy planning their teatime. The rest of team RWBY quickly fell behind them and out of earshot. "That was a promising start?" Yang offered hopefully.
"She does seem more open minded than I had assumed," Blake admitted. She hadn't missed Winter glancing at her bow.
"I still don't know if I'd be willing to talk about Darkness and the Keyblade," Ruby confessed. "I'm kinda waiting to see how Ozpin and Co. handle things."
"At least she seems kind. Certainly smiled more than Ironwood ever did," Yang pointed out.
Ruby…
The young Keyblade wielder stopped short and spun around.
"Rubes?" Yang noted the action. "You okay?"
"Did either of you hear that?" Ruby asked.
"Hear what?" Blake answered.
"I swear, someone's calling out to me…" Ruby crossed her arms, her gaze panning over the courtyard.
She didn't see the originator of the voice, but she did see something else. A certain orange-haired android speaking animatedly with two of the classmates Ruby recognized from Initiation. "Penny! I can't believe I forgot about Penny!"
"What about Penny?" Yang questioned.
"You two go on ahead!" Ruby waved her teammates off without answering. "I gotta go speak with her!"
Yang and Blake shared a look of confusion. Yang only shrugged, letting the event roll off her back. Blake followed Yang back to the dorm since she had nothing better to do.
"Penny!" Ruby cried out.
The android spun around, her eyes and smile widening in tandem. "Friend Ruby!" Penny returned the enthusiastic greeting and tackled Ruby to the ground.
"Ah!" Ruby screamed as she went down, nearly crushed by her metal friend. "Ow…"
"Sorry!" Penny quickly realized her mistake and helped Ruby to her feet. "I am so glad you returned, friend Ruby! I was so worried about you and Blake!"
"We're fine, Penny, but what about you!?" Ruby countered. "Should you even be out in the open? Shouldn't you be hiding or something? Winter just arrived, she's gotta know about you, right?"
"It is good to know Winter is here, but ultimately that no longer matters!" Penny excitedly informed Ruby.
"Wait, really?" Ruby asked. "I thought the General had to like… free you, or something. I really thought that whole thing bungled your chances."
Penny looked guilty for a brief moment. "Please understand, I'm not trying to say that the General's fate was anything but tragic… but contrary to your belief, him vanishing the way he did turned out to be a great advantage for me."
"What happened?" Ruby asked.
"You see, very few people in Atlas know the truth about me," Penny began explaining. "Aside from a handful of high-ranking officers and lab technicians, most everybody believes I'm a normal student who happens to get preferential treatment from the General."
"Okay," Ruby's responded only as much as she needed to show she was listening.
"With the General gone, all of his duties naturally fall to his second in command. However, because Winter is spearheading the investigation, she can't take the additional responsibilities either," Penny continued.
"So they pass on to a third in command?" Ruby guessed.
Penny shook her head. "There is no redundancy beyond Winter. Instead, all of the General's day-to-day has been split up between various high-ranking officers and a few elite civilians. Father learned that transfer requests have fallen into the duties of Atlas's council representative."
Penny pulled out a scroll and practically shoved the screen in Ruby face. After her eyes adjusted, she read the screen quickly. "A Beacon student ID!?"
"The council representative had no reason to believe I was anything other than human, and no reason to block my request. Headmaster Ozpin had it pushed through as quickly as he could, and it came through just this morning! Now I'm Penny Polendina, human, and new Beacon student!" Penny was practically hopping at the thought of it. "Even Winter and the General would find it nearly impossible to drag me back to Atlas against my will, not without revealing what I am at least."
"Then why wouldn't they?" Ruby asked.
"Ozpin assures me that it would result in many troubles for them if the truth got out," Penny answered. "The damage to inter-kingdom trust alone is enough to discourage them. So as long as I keep the secret myself, it's already too late for them to touch me."
"I can't believe this," Ruby admitted. "I honestly didn't think it would be this easy."
Penny smiled. "But it wasn't easy. Standing up to Ironwood, leaving Atlas behind… it's the hardest thing I've ever done. And I couldn't have done it without you…" The android quickly pulled Ruby into a deep hug. "None of this would have been possible without you. Thank you for everything, Ruby."
Ruby returned the hug. After all the recent chaos, it was beyond relieving to know something had managed to go right. It was enough to re-spark the wielder's wavering hope. It reminded her that the world wasn't against her, that she wasn't destined to fail. As the hug ended, both of them were wearing smiles a mile wide.
Ruby.
"Yeah?" Ruby responded toward Penny.
"Hm?" Penny looked to her. "Yeah what?"
"Didn't… that wasn't you, was it?"
"What wasn't me?" Penny asked, her head tilting.
"Nothing, nevermind," Ruby quickly shook her head. That's definitely not my imagination… what's going on?
"Friend Ruby, are you okay?" Penny questioned.
Ruby shook her head and found her smile again. "I'm fine! So, how does this work for you anyway? Have you got a dorm? A team?"
The pair continued to catch up as the sun began to set. Penny was excited for the next chapter of her life. And Ruby was curious as to what this strange voice meant for hers.