Disclaimer: I own nothing!
"Come on, Yang, we're going to be late for school!" Ruby whined, banging on her sister's door excitedly.
She only waited long enough to hear a groan of acknowledgement, giggling and rushing down the stairs in a blur of red and black. She seated herself at the kitchen table, all smiles as Taiyang turned around and raised an eyebrow at her sudden appearance.
"Ruby, what have I told you..." He started with a sigh, though his eyes betrayed his amusement.
"No powers in the house!" She quoted without remorse, still smiling brightly at him. "I'm sorry, Dad. I'm just really excited for today!"
She clapped her hands, practically vibrating in her seat. Taiyang chuckled and shook his head, turning back to the stove and moving a pile of pancakes onto a plate before sliding them over to the red-and-black sugar monster he called a daughter. Her eyes sparkled and she drooled with delight, grabbing the syrup bottle and drowning her poor pancakes in the sticky substance.
"I understand, but try not to make a habit of it. We had enough trouble trying to get your sister to avoid using her powers indoors." Taiyang mused, reminiscing of the time not so long ago.
Yang was older, so it was only natural she manifested her powers first. Apparently, she took after him: flight and super-strength. But... there was the added caveat of heat vision and anger issues. His brow furrowed when he remembered her first temper tantrum. She had taken out an entire wall. He taught her how to control it, of course, but it took a lot of time and effort. Ruby's powers were slightly easier to deal with. He didn't have to worry about her destroying furniture. Unfortunately, she inherited her mother's power: speed. And he had no clue how to teach her how to control it, so it was mostly trial and error. When you take the energy of a child, and super-speed, you get one massive headache. But they pulled through.
And now, Ruby was sixteen, and she could officially start classes at Ozpin's School for Gifted Youngsters. The name was a bit of a mouthful, so Headmaster Ozpin just called it Beacon Academy. While he was generally relaxed, his Deputy Headmistress, Glynda, was a disciplinarian and made certain no rules were broken. Above all else, though, they cared for the children, and that's why he sent Yang there. And now, he was sending Ruby. He paused in his stirring of the pancake batter, looking over at his younger daughter with a wistful grin. He was happy for her, truly, but he also knew he would miss her terribly. At the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs, he resumed his mixing, and Yang entered the kitchen.
She had taken her time even after Ruby's warning. After all, she wasn't about to let anyone see her with bedhead. Not that she got bedhead, but still... it was the principle. Besides, she liked the feeling of brushing her hair. It calmed her. It didn't always, but when her mother... When Summer Rose started brushing her hair every night before bed, she learned to love the feeling. It always made her feel closer with Summer, even if she wasn't her biological mom. The smile Yang sported at seeing Ruby scarfing down pancakes faded to be replaced by a frown and a sigh. She quickly put the smile back on, sitting next to her sister and ruffling the younger girl's hair- and Ruby whined around the food in her mouth- but Taiyang didn't miss that look.
He knew it well. It was one he often wore himself, whenever he thought of Summer Rose. She had been a true hero. Out of everyone he knew, she was probably- no, definitely- the most kind, caring, and heroic. Not to say that he didn't do his fair share- he pulled his weight- but Raven and Qrow... well, it always felt like they never wanted powers. It was understandable; not everyone wanted powers. A lot of people wanted to be normal. They weren't the first, and they certainly wouldn't be the last. Raven tried to get that "normal" feeling with Taiyang, but when Yang was born... and she had his powers... Raven just left, without a word. She didn't say anything, but Taiyang knew she was disappointed. She wanted a "normal" child.
His grip tightened on the wooden spoon, and he had to take a deep breath and calm himself before he accidentally broke it. It had been a long time since he lost control of his strength, he wouldn't do it now. A quick glance assured him that neither of the girls noticed. They were too busy laughing and talking about all the adventures- and trouble- they'd be getting into when they got to Beacon.
"Don't cause too much trouble," He interrupted with a chuckle and a grin, "I don't want to get any phone calls about whirlwinds or uprooted trees."
Yang just laughed uproariously, while Ruby at least had the decency to look embarrassed.
"Relax, Dad, we're not gonna do anything like that. Right, sis?" Yang replied, grabbing Ruby and twisting her fist gently in her sister's hair.
Ruby squealed and squirmed, but Yang's grip was too strong.
"Yaaaang, cut it out! I'm not a kid anymore!" Ruby's whine made the comment pretty unbelievable to the two blondes.
"You will look after her, won't you?" Taiyang directed the question to his older daughter, concern clear in his voice.
Yang stopped with the teasing, releasing Ruby and reassuring her father with a smile and a thumbs-up.
"You got it! Anyone that causes trouble with Ruby will have to deal with me!" She smacked her fist into her other hand, clearly anticipating a future fight.
"You don't have to look after me all the time. I can take care of myself." Ruby pouted, feeling a bit put-out.
"I know you can, Ruby-roo." Yang hugged her sister to reassure her. "But I'm your big sis, so it's my job to look after you!"
She planted a slobbery kiss on Ruby's cheek, causing her to giggle and push away with an exaggerated "Ewwww!".
Taiyang smiled at the antics, feeling much better that Yang would be there to watch over Ruby if anything went wrong. Not that he expected something to go wrong at Beacon... He was worried when Yang went off by herself, too. Now they could look after one another. Of course, it also helped that Yang had made a few friends while she was there. Technically, she was two years ahead of Ruby in classes, but they didn't graduate like normal students. Instead, when the Professors decided they were ready, they were sent out on missions. These missions mostly dealt with saving people, providing relief from natural disasters, and, occasionally, fighting criminals.
Because of course bad people had powers, too, so this Academy was a way of preparing future generations to combat that. The idea was good on paper, but Taiyang wasn't sure how well it worked in practice. It seemed to be going well so far, based on what Yang had told him. He just hoped all these new responsibilities wouldn't overwhelm Ruby. When she attended Beacon, it would be the farthest she had been from their home island of Patch; not to mention the school offered room and board, so she could stay year-round if she wanted to.
"I know this is exciting for you, but remember this is always your home." He spoke softly, but captured both girls' attention with his words. "You can visit whenever you want, so don't be a stranger, okay? I know it's easy to forget about your boring old Dad." He chuckled at his self-deprecating humor.
So, he was pleasantly surprised when he found his arms full of his daughters hugging him tightly. Barely keeping tears out of his eyes, he hugged them back just as fiercely.
"You're not boring, Dad. You're the coolest guy I know." Yang's muffled voice came from his shoulder.
"Yeah, and you know Mom's cookie recipe, so you better have a batch ready whenever we come back!" Ruby announced brightly, smiling up at him while her silver eyes shone.
For a moment, Taiyang's breath caught in his throat. She really was the spitting image of her mother, and for a moment, he could imagine he was holding Summer Rose in his arms. But this wasn't a day to get lost in the past, this was a day to celebrate the future. He hugged his daughters one more time, and then he got to work helping them pack. They had the essentials ready to go, but it never hurt to double-check. And a good thing he did, too, because both girls had nearly left their Scrolls behind! He could only laugh and shake his head. The one way he had to communicate with them, and they nearly left it behind.
Finally, everything was ready. Bags were packed, and Yang and Ruby had them slung over their shoulders as they stood in the doorway. One final hug was a must- he wouldn't let them leave without it- and then, he was waving goodbye, watching his two daughters disappear down the dirt path. He continued waving, even when they had passed beyond his sight. Slowly, his hand lowered back to his side, and only now did he realize just how quiet everything was going to be now. Without someone else in the house... it would be incredibly lonely. He heard a small bark by his feet and looked down with a smile.
"Well..." He mused, kneeling to pet the corgi's ears, "At least I have you, Zwei."
Taiyang stood, sparing one last glance down the dirt road, sending his silent hopes on the wind, before turning and stepping inside, the small black and white dog hot on his heels.