I'm alive! It's... it's been hectic, and crazy and chaotic and just all around BUSY. I'm so sorry that I've left things for so long, I'd hoped to have a chapter out back in late January, but things with the move just got in the way.

The good news? I'm finally done moving, and things are mostly unpacked. Still some boxes and rearranging that'll need to be done, but that's a huge weight off my shoulders.

The bad news? I've been recruited as caretaker for my baby nephews a lot now that we're all living in one house, and so it's hard to find time to actually write.

Hopefully as things calm down here and we all get settled, that'll loosen up. I hope you all enjoy this chapter, feel free to comment if you want. Hopefully this is the start of many more chapters coming soon!

"Why again do you want me here?" Ruby looked up at Weiss, who had a curious look on her face. The younger girl didn't blame her partner, it probably did seem weird that she requested her instead of Yang, or, at least, the entire team.

"I just…" Ruby shifted slightly in her seat beside her partner, eyes glancing back down at the leatherbound notebook on the table they shared in the library. "This stuff is about my family's semblance, right? You also have a hereditary semblance, so I guess I just kind of thought that it might help having someone with some experience."

"I don't really think that my experience with my family's semblance will be able to provide much assistance, Ruby." Weiss admitted, Ruby's expression falling slightly before the Atlesian gave her a smile. "Still, I'll do what I can, and besides that, we haven't gotten to spend much time together. This way we can, uh, hang out."

"Yeah!" Ruby chirped cheerfully, grinning widely as her partner took a seat beside her. "Right, let's get started!"

Weiss nodded, and Ruby turned her attention towards the notebook. Opening to the first page, she was a bit surprised by how simple, even sloppy, handwriting was.

Dear diary,

Father gave you to me today, for my eighth birthday! He says that it's important to write down things, because it will make me remember them better. I don't think he's really right, but that's okay! I'm still happy to have you.

Mom was out again today. I miss her a lot, but dad says that what she does is important for keeping moral up in the outer villages. I know that it's important for us to be present in difficult times, but I wish that it didn't mean mom had to be away so much. She missed my birthday! She never misses Braith's birthday, but I guess that's because she's older.

Dad had that strange look in his eyes again, when he thinks I don't see. It's like he's looking far away, but he's just staring at the wall. I wish I could help him, but he always says he's okay when I ask! I just want to help him smile like he used to when we were younger.

Braith gave me a dagger after my party, but she said I couldn't tell dad, because I wasn't supposed to have it. She's still determined to be a knight, even though she's the princess. I wish I could be a knight, but dad always shoos me when I try to watch them train in the courtyard.

I hope she'll be able to find time to train me, maybe if I'm good enough, dad won't mind! That way, I can always fight by her side, even if the war keeps going even longer.

Thanks for listening! Do you listen? I'm not sure if that's what I should say, you're a book.

Oh well.

Aurora Rhosyn

"Well, this wasn't what I was expecting." Weiss admitted, earning a nervous chuckle from Ruby. "You'd think your uncle would've given you something a little more precise for learning your semblance than this."

"I guess he just hadn't really given them a good look." Ruby surmised, not sure why her uncle wouldn't have read them himself. Maybe he never really worried about it since he didn't want to be a Huntsman? "I had no idea my grandmother was so old."

"Really?" Weiss sounded a bit surprised to hear that, which only made Ruby feel a little more awkward. It wasn't her fault that she never really got to know anything about her mom's family! "I suppose every family is a bit different. Still… she must have been quite old when she had your mother if she was alive during the Great War."

"Yeah, I guess." Ruby replied with a shrug. She wasn't exactly the best with history, but even she knew that the Great War ended eighty years ago, and her mom was born about forty years after that. "Let's keep going?"

Weiss nodded at her suggestion, and the two turned back to the writing. The next few pages were mostly similar things, talking about Aurora's father being sad, or Braith training. Ruby was a little curious why her cousin was named after her grandmother's older sister, but figured it was probably just a family name or something.

Then they came across an entry that was clearly written in more refined handwriting .

I can't believe I forgot this old thing just a few days after starting it. Now it's been a whole two years!

I guess dad was right, I am a bit skittish. Not that there's anything wrong with that! I just misplaced it and had other things on my mind. He's a lot like that, too.

Braith is accompanying the knights to Fort Prosper. It's her first time going out with the knights, and she's really excited. I hope she'll bring me back a souvenier, not that I really know what she could bring back from a fort, but it'll be great no matter what.

Oh! Hopefully mom will come by again, soon. I wanted to ask her to help with my semblance, since Braith is going to be away for the next couple of weeks. Maybe I can surprise Braith with something she hasn't seen, since she's been so focused on her training that she hasn't used hers much.

"Well, that's promising!" Ruby chirped cheerfully, turning to the next page before Weiss could comment. Her Atlesian partner's face had become a little contorted like it always did when she was thinking about something that was on the edge of her mind, so Ruby figured it would be fine to keep going.

I was able to finally talk to mom about helping me with my semblance. She agreed, but she seemed so weird again. It's like she doesn't like looking at me or something. I wish I knew what I'd done wrong.

She said there's three facets to our family's semblance, as it has been since our ancestor founded the kingdom.

The first is Scatter. It allows us to move really fast and… disemble? I'm not sure how to spell it. We become a lot of rose petals and we can move really quick, but that's not all we can do. We can also become immatera imat I'm not sure what it was but mom said it let us fit through places other people couldn't and make it so we can't be touched.

The second is Wither. It sounds really ominous! Mom said that when we've bonded with a weapon, we can contain the power of attacks we've blocked, and unleash it all out at once. It sounds really cool, but I wonder why it has such a spooky name.

The third is Bloom. Mom showed me how it works, and it was really weird! She had to use a crystal of Plant Dust, but instead of how it usually works to manipulate already present plants, mom was able to grow vines of a rose hedge from her wrists. She looked like she was struggling, maybe she was out of practice?

It was nice speaking to her, maybe if I keep it up, she'll be able to look at me better. I hope so.

Ruby frowned. Why was her great-grandmother so cold towards her grandmother back then? She couldn't understand that sort of mindset, but the grim expression on Weiss gave the younger girl the impression that she could. That thought made Ruby sad, and she gently placed her hand over Weiss' and gave an encouraging squeeze.

"Thank you." Weiss said quietly, before her expression lightened, and she gave Ruby a small smile. "I… Let's focus on what's important. It sounds like we have an impression of what your semblance can do, now."

"Yeah!" Ruby nodded, smiling brightly at the chance to divert away from the unhappy topic and towards something better. "I guess I've mostly been… Scattering? Huh. Uncle Qrow and I always called my semblance "Petal Burst," but I guess that's just part of Scatter."

"Yes, I'd say that you've at least gotten some experience with it, both for moving, and simply being immaterial." Weiss agreed, her eyes darting over the rest of the entry again. "I'm not sure how we can train this… Wither very much, your fighting style is more geared towards dodging than blocking, so I don't think you've ever really managed to produce it."

"I had no idea I could do that, but…" Ruby frowned, recalling what Blake had told her about her time in the White Fang, the first time she'd experienced someone's death. She felt a lump in her throat as her mind began to wander, and she shook her head as she tried to clear her thoughts. "Nevermind. Um, what about this last one? I've never really… tried to use Plant Dust or anything."

"I'm… not sure." Weiss admitted, frowning. "It might be something similar to how my family's semblance works, or perhaps one of the more unsavory semblances I've heard of that rely on blood to fuel them. We can try practicing with Plant Dust later, but keep in mind that you might not be able to do it successfully right away."

"Hopefully it's not the second thing," Ruby chuckled sheepishly, before looking down towards the notebook again. "Let's see if we can get more information from the next entries!"

I talked to mom some more today! She helped me with Scattering a little! It was really nice. She even smiled!

Then dad came in, and she seemed sad again. I wish I knew why. Are they not happy? I thought parents were supposed to be happy together.

I kept practicing with my Scattering for a while after she left, even if it wasn't as nice as when she was here to give me advice. Apparently, if I'm not careful, I can lose my grip on things, but whatever I'm wearing will always stick with me. I wonder why.

I wrote Braith a letter! I know she probably won't get it for a while, but, I don't think that matters. She'll recognize that I sent it, and be proud, I'm sure. I've definitely gotten better with my handwriting. I miss her a lot, but having Thorn with me makes it a little easier. I'm so glad she gave me her, I'll always treasure her. When I keep her nearby, it feels like I can sleep a little easier.

I'm going to try talking to mom again tomorrow. I really want to make Braith proud by showing off what our semblance can do!

"Well, that definitely sounds familiar." Weiss stated fondly, earning a pout from Ruby.

"I don't have to sleep with Crescent Rose every night anymore!" She bumbled, before realizing what she'd said. "Oh, um, not that I ever did! Yeah… right. Um, I think that Thorn must be the dagger her sister gave her?"

"That was my guess, but I was talking about the semblance." Weiss chuckled, which only made Ruby feel more embarrassed. "Don't worry, we can just pretend that I was talking about how you always sleep with that stuffed Grimm that Jaune and Pyrrha got you."

"That's because it's like having them nearby when I sleep." Ruby grumbled, though she couldn't deny her friend's assertion. "Let's, um, let's keep going."

I couldn't find mom, but dad found me when I was looking. He said that he'd help out as much as he could, even though he doesn't have our semblance.

He told me that, sometimes, our semblances can be influenced by our emotions. Other times, we need to focus on certain concepts until we get to the point that it's second nature.

It was different than how mom had said, but she didn't really go into explaining beyond showing me, and while Scattering is easy to get my head around, Withering and Blooming aren't. Dad saw me training with Scattering for a bit more before he stopped me and asked if I wanted to try something else.

I guess he could see how bored I was just doing that when there were other things I was interested in. I told him yes, and after giving me a ring with some Plant Dust encrusted in it, he sat down across from me with his legs crossed, asking that I do the same. I was curious to see what he was planning, so I did as he asked of course.

He told me to shut my eyes and try to think about the garden mom likes to relax in, try to think of the smells of the flowers and feel of the breeze on my cheeks. He told me to try to create. It felt weird when he said that, like he was saying something else. Like it was more important. I wasn't sure why, but I did my best, I focused on what he'd said, tried to imagine the texture of mom's favorite roses, of the ways their stems were lined with thorns, how their flowers seemed to brighten up in her presence.

I opened my eyes and found nothing had grown in my hands, and felt pretty disappointed, but dad said it was okay and gave me a hug. He said that I should keep trying, that he was sure I would get it eventually. I wasn't so sure, but thanked him anyways, since it was nice to just have the chance to spend more time with him.

I just wish I could spend time with both him and mom at the same time. It feels like dad worries about her, even if there's something wrong.

"It's unusual that her father would have advice to give, but it seemed important." Weiss noted, frowning. Ruby nodded, but her mind was elsewhere. "Ruby, is something wrong?"

"Oh, uh, no, not really." Ruby bumbled, dipping her head into her hood a little. Of course Weiss would notice that something was wrong. "My mind's just wandering. Let's focus on the important stuff."

That wasn't entirely accurate, but she didn't want to confess to Weiss that she was starting to realize why the king and queen were having such a difficult time together, and that only made her feel even worse for her grandmother.

I saw mom today, but she was talking with someone I don't recognize. He was a knight, I think, with long blonde hair. She looked happy.

Dad saw me watching, and led me away. I think he noticed I saw he was sad, because he started smiling but it seemed like he was faking it.

He promised to help me more with my semblance if I wanted, but first he wanted to take me with him to the castle's library. I guess he found out I'd been neglecting my studies a bit since I unlocked my semblance, but he doesn't seem mad at all.

He tried to help me with my maths but I just don't get it, and I was worried he'd be disappointed like my tutors were, but he wasn't at all! He said that some people just can't do the same things as other people, and that it was okay. He even said he'd find me a new tutor if my current one didn't get that.

After that, we tried working on my semblance again. He sat across from me like he did yesterday, doing his best to couch me, but after an hour it didn't seem to have worked at all.

I don't know if it will work, but I'm glad to keep spending time with him.

Ruby pursed her lips, not sure if this was helping much at all. She would definitely try what her grandmother had written, but so far it felt like it wasn't helping much. Hopefully her great-grandmother would go into more detail sometime soon and Aurora would convey more efficient explanations.

I DID IT!

I was practicing with dad again, and kept focusing on trying to create that feeling of the garden again, but nothing was working. Then I thought about Braith and how much I missed her and all the times we would spend together, when she'd read to me and help me study when I was having trouble.

I didn't even mean to, but I drew Thorn from where I had her concealed, not with my hand, but with a vine from my hand. Well, wrist, but still. It was… weird. And it disappeared pretty soon after, it didn't hurt or anything, but it surprised me enough that I made a funny noise, and that made dad open his eyes and see what I'd done.

He was disappointed that I hid the dagger that Braith gave me, but he wasn't mad or anything. He even promised to help me train, if I really wanted. He told me he was proud of me for using my semblance, but I'm still not entirely sure about how I did it.

When I Scatter, I'm not really thinking of anything, but with this, I was thinking of how important Braith was as my big sister. I wasn't able to repeat it, but this was a big step, I'm sure that I'll be able to figure it out.

"Well, that's better!" Ruby chirped cheerfully. It didn't seem that her grandmother was entirely sure how she'd done it, but that was a good first step.

"Hmm, I'm not sure how much that actually reveals, but the first step is important." Weiss noted, giving Ruby a reassuring smile. "Do you want to keep going? I'll see about acquiring some Plant Dust for later."

"Maybe a few more entries." Ruby suggested, though more to herself than Weiss. "Trying to rush through it all at once will probably cause me to miss a few things."

"That sounds reasonable enough." Weiss agreed, and the duo turned their attention back on the book. The next few entries were similar, most describing Aurora's time spent with her father trying to properly use the Bloom facet of the family semblance, or how much she missed spending time with her sister.

Then they reached an entry that was harder to read, the ink distorted by tears.

Dad came into my room this morning, after I'd gotten ready for the day. His expression was weird, and he tried to say one thing, before instead telling me about how important it is that I always love my family, even when they're gone.

It didn't make sense why he said that. I thought he was maybe worried about going out to fight in the war himself or something, but then I saw mom in the garden.

She was crying, and when she saw me, she wrapped me in her arms and held me close while she wept. I didn't understand until she'd calmed down enough to tell me what was wrong. Fort Prosper was attacked by Mantle last night.

She didn't say what happened but

I

I don't think my sister is coming home

It's not fair

She was only sixteen

She was supposed to help me prepare for my birthday in a couple weeks

I was supposed to surprise her with our semblance, but what's the point anymore

What am I supposed to do now

Oh. Ruby frowned and she heard Weiss' breath shorten. Looking over to her friend, Ruby gave her a nervous hug. "Are you okay, Weiss?" She asked quietly, the Atlesian responding only by shaking her head. "What's wrong."

"I… I think I got reminded a little too much of myself." Weiss replied softly. "She… her dad is a lot better, but I… my mom was… similarly distant, and the way that she kept talking about her sister, it reminded me a lot of how I look up to Winter. I guess I got… caught up a little in that, and finding out that her older sister was gone… it… I'm so scared that one day I'll wake up, and Winter will be gone."

"Weiss…" Ruby sighed, before gently patting her friend's shoulder. "I… All of us, when we become Huntsmen and Huntresses, there's… There's a risk that we might not come home."

"When mom… When mom didn't come back home, Yang and I had to find that out the hard way." Ruby lamented quietly, though she was quick to continue with some levity in her voice. "But that doesn't mean Winter won't. Your sister is an excellent Huntress, right? We have to believe that that will be enough."

"What the king said, about… about always loving family, even when they're gone. It reminds me a little of what my dad told me, when… when my mom wasn't going to be coming back." Ruby said quietly. "My dad doesn't like to talk about my mom, about… about what he's lost. I guess in his own way, that's just how he tries to avoid confronting that loss."

"But Pyrrha told me that there's another way. That even though we should always mourn those we lose, we should also celebrate the moments we had with them. I… I don't like to think that our team will break up one day like my parents' team did, that… that one of us might die, but that's also the life we've chosen, and instead of being sad, I want to try celebrating that as much as I can, even if the worst happens."

"We'll always be Team RWBY, and your sister will always be your sister, no matter what."

"You guys are done a little early." Yang noted, though the levity in her voice was short lived as she noticed her sister's eyes were somewhat red from tears. "Hey, is something wrong?"

"Oh, it's…" Ruby's eyes darted towards the ground, which definitely wasn't assuaging any fears on her big sister's mind. "Just something we read. I think it hit home a little for Weiss."

"And what about you? Are you okay?"

"I… yeah. I'm just… thinking about mom." Ruby admitted, and Yang pulled her sister into a comforting hug.

"Do you want to talk about that?" Yang asked, her little sister nodding gently. "Let's find somewhere a little better for talking, okay?"

With another nod from Ruby, Yang led her sister silently to their dorm room, the trip through the campus from the library to the dormitory accentuated by more of the uncomfortable automatons their uncle had deployed for "Ruby's safety." Yang wasn't sure that was really why he did it, part of her was sure it was just a response to the increased presence of Atlesian forces, and he still gave her a bad vibe over all.

Thankfully, the dorm room was empty, so Yang didn't have to ask Blake to leave for a bit, and while she was curious where Weiss had gone, she was more concerned with her sister. Priorities and all.

Leading Ruby to Blake's bed, the two took a seat, Yang quick to wrap her arm around her sister in a side embrace, doing her best to keep supportive. "I miss her a lot." The blonde said quietly, offering her little sister a small smile. "I miss the days when she would come home from a mission, and just as quickly play with me and you despite being tired."

"I wish I could remember her." Ruby lamented quietly, Yang's heart sinking at those words, the blonde quick to tighten the hug slightly.

"I wish you could, too, Ruby." Yang said quietly. "She would've been so proud of you."

"Yang, can you tell me a story?" Ruby asked, leaning into her sister's embrace. "About mom?"

"Sure I can, sis." Yang nodded, smiling gently as she brushed a hand through her sister's hair. "It's been awhile since we've done this, but I guess we have been pretty busy."

"Yeah," Ruby murmured in agreement. "We have."

"Hmmmm, where to start?" Yang pondered aloud, looking up towards the ceiling. "I've already told so many, I don't know how many I have left." The blonde admitted, doing her best not to let her expression fall. While Ruby didn't have many memories of their mother, Yang didn't exactly have a grand selection to choose from either, even if she included ones that involved Raven as well. "Well… how about, the time mom was getting ready for your second birthday, and she came into the kitchen to see Uncle Qrow passed out on the table, with the bowl of cookie dough empty after he ate it all?"

"What?" Ruby gasped in faux-indignation, a hand to her chest dramatically. "Surely Uncle Qrow knew not to get between mom and her cookies!"

"One would think, after four years on her Team at Beacon, and another four or so living with her and dad." Yang laughed, shaking her head in pretend disappointment. "If you heard him tell it, he had landed there, as if he had just… flown in through the window or something! He tried to blame dad, but dad knows better than to cross his wife when it comes to baked treats."

Ruby giggled, playfully shoving her sister. "Come on! Tell me something true, there's no way Uncle Qrow would've thought he could get away with that."

"No, I'm serious! He said he landed there and everything. I guess he must've been really tired after a hunt." Yang chuckled, playfully ruffling her sister's hair before returning to the one armed embrace they'd been in. "Mom could have been angry, but instead she just made him help make another batch of cookies, but they tasted so funny because he swapped the salt and the sugar, that she never asked him to help again."

"Huh, dad doesn't let him cook, either, if he can avoid it." Ruby noted, a somewhat pensive expression on her face. "Do you have any other stories to tell?"

"Yeah, sure! Just give me a moment." Yang asked, privately trying to think of what next to tell her sister.

They spent the next hour or so talking, some of the stories more questionable in their authenticity, but all well intentioned.

"Winter?"

Looking up, the Atlesian Specialist had a brow raised as she met eyes with her younger sister. It was unusual for Weiss to come meet her unannounced, but she supposed that General Ironwood hadn't been concerned, given she was here now. A part of her was curious if this had been something Penny had set up again, but given the lack of the cheerful girl, Winter dismissed it, turning her attention fully to her sister.

"Good evening, Weiss. Was there something you needed?"

"I…" Weiss' face fell slightly, which earned a slight frown from Winter, not the familiar frown of dissatisfaction that her sister hadn't succeeded at something she thought she ought to (she was really trying not to hold her to such severe standards so much), but rather one of concern. "It's nothing of consequence."

"Nonsense." Winter cut off her sister's attempt at a retreat, offering a slight smile that she hoped was supportive. "The General clearly thought that it was worth allowing you on board, so that means it's absolutely of consequence, and… regardless of that, you may speak your mind, Weiss. You are my sister, and I want to know that you're okay, with or without General Ironwood's permission."

"Winter!" The Specialist was a bit surprised by the sudden embrace her sister had given her, though that her sister was becoming more and more accepting of physical affection was a good thing, one she hoped she would get accustomed to as well. "I'm sorry, it feels silly, but, I'm just… I'm worried about you."

"Worried about me?" That was a surprise. Winter knew that sometimes Weiss had an almost childish impression of how strong she really was, so to hear that her sister was worried was unexpected. "Has something happened?"

"Aside from everything surrounding the festival and now the recent revelations regarding my partner?" Weiss forced out a laugh, though it was accompanied by a clear absence of joy on her face. "I just… Ruby and I were reading something, a journal from the time of the Great War, and it… it made me realize that… you're a soldier, and there's a chance that one day, you might go off and… and not return."

"Weiss…" Winter wasn't sure how to respond, silence reigning over the room for several long seconds. Gently, the Specialist gave her sister an awkward hug, her arms somewhat stiff in her motions, but she wanted to convey as much comfort as she could to the younger girl. "It is true, one day, I could lose my life in service of Atlas, but that… that is the price that we must pay, to ensure that all of Remnant benefits from the advances made by our great Kingdom."

"Make no mistake, though," she quickly added one, realizing that her first words may not have been the most reassuring. "I intend to live a long, fulfilling life. I appreciate that you're concerned, and… I want you to know that I worry about you, too. I know that sometimes, I can be… too harsh towards you, because of how much I worry about you. That isn't an excuse for the way I've scolded you in the past, but, I will do my best in the future to find a better way of expressing it."

Weiss didn't respond, merely returning the rigid embrace Winter had given her, the older woman surprised by the strength of her sister's grip. Being hugged so tightly was still rather unfamiliar, after so long. "Weiss?" The younger girl looked up at her sister, waiting for her to continue. "Would you like to stay a little longer? We can… have some… sister time."

"That sounds delightful." Weiss nodded, their embrace ending. After a few moments of waiting, the younger girl coughed awkwardly. "I don't suppose you have any ideas of what to do for "sister time," do you?" She asked, Winter sheepishly shaking her head.

"I suppose I'll need to ask Yang for suggestions. How about for tonight, we talk about the latest books we've read? Are you still a fan of those silly romance novels?" At the wide-eyed cough the older woman gave, Weiss gave an almost impish grin. Truly, her time at Beacon had greater effects than Winter had realized. "Maybe you can give suggestions to Blake, anything to get her off that silly series with the ninjas."

Winter's expression relaxed as she thought up some retort that she could turn against her sister, the two spending the evening talking, until Weiss had to return to the campus proper.