Chapter 43
Fairy Tale's End
Fireworks exploded in the night sky, scattering across The City of Vale and drowning out the tens of thousands of spectators in the floating arena. Civilians from all across Remnant had come to see the spectacle of a lifetime, but more importantly they had come to pay their respects to the latest generation of huntsmen, as well as those that had given their lives before them.
Established on the back of an Atlesian Dreadnaught, Amity Coliseum hung above Beacon Academy's airfield like an ornament on a Christmas tree. The impossible structure shined brightly with blue and white lights in honor of the northern kingdom from which it hailed, but emerald green, obsidian black, and saffron yellow were also represented along with the emblem of the Schnee Dust Company.
Several dozen transport ships were docked parallel to the bowl-shaped coliseum while military craft were docked alongside the Dreadnaught. Even those partying on the beaches of Patch could see the super structure and hear the thunderous applause in between volleys of fireworks, and every Grimm within a hundred miles paused when the first team of over three hundred entered the arena, led by the top ranked freshman team's leader, a teenage girl wearing a red hood and cape.
"Don't trip. Don't pick your nose. Don't cry. Don't mess up." Ruby had been repeating this mantra since the day before when she learned that she would be leading more than a thousand huntsmen in-training into the coliseum for the opening ceremony in front of more people than in her very worst nightmares. Even worse yet were the cameras following her and knowing that millions of people from every kingdom and territory were currently watching her every movement. Had she thought of the millions who would be rewatching the opening ceremony in the centuries to come, Ruby would've likely passed out again.
She did her best to walk straight and at an even pace but occasionally a subtle glyph was needed to hurry her along or reel her back. These were the only times Ruby would lift her eyes off the ground and allow the cameras to see under her hood, but she'd quickly look back down whenever her eyes would begin to water or she'd see something as horrible as her face on the hundreds of big screens surrounding the arena.
Occasionally she'd see Weiss on screen dressed elegantly in formal huntress attire looking as though this was all very much beneath her and that she had more important business to attend to elsewhere, but Ruby was one of a select few that could see through the performance to the elated, albeit nervous-looking smile hidden from the rest of the world.
Behind her, Blake wore the hood from her jacket to better cover her ears, as well as offer some protection from the roar of the crowd, but unlike Ruby, she found herself smiling at the sea of humanity, imagining how they might react if she suddenly revealed her ears to the world.
Yang was the only one who acknowledged her adoring fans, waving to the crowd while blowing kisses into the cameras. Her aura was as bright as the spotlights and fireworks overhead, and the crowd was reacting to her every movement like puppets on a string.
"A girl could get used to this," she yelled loud enough for her teammates to hear, which for Yang might as well have been her usual indoor voice.
Ruby and Blake weren't too sure they agreed, but all the same were relieved that as usual their partners were attracting most of the attention. Ruby could've fallen on her face and nobody would've noticed, but just in case Weiss saved herself from the embarrassment with a preemptive gravity glyph.
When the cameras panned away from Yang there was an audible groan from her, the audience, and the rest of Remnant as she was instead replaced by a tall young man in recently polished armor. Yang growled over her shoulder and Jaune nearly swallowed his tongue and tripped when the crowd erupted again, the roar rivalling that of Yang's introduction if not louder.
A tug on his metallic armor was all that kept him upright, and he grinned sheepishly behind him at Pyrrha who was dutifully waving to her adoring fans. If the dozens of interviews and sponsorships hadn't been enough, there were even girls and young women in the crowd cosplaying as the four time Mistralian champion, and Jaune couldn't help but occasionally gawk at them only to be pushed along by Nora, who like Yang seemed to think the audience had come specifically to see her. Ren meanwhile stoically brought up the rear, smiling politely but otherwise just wanting to get the night over with.
Ahead of them, Yang couldn't help sulking that the crowd's reaction for Pyrrha had been even louder than even her own, but she was quick to remind herself that would change once the title of 'Invincible Girl' went to its rightful owner. Along with the accompanying sponsorships...
Too soon for her but not soon enough for Ruby, the team found their positions in front of a raised platform where all the headmasters and combat instructors stood at attention. Professor Ozpin stood nearest to the approaching students as his academy and kingdom were playing host to the Vytal Festival, but just behind him were General Ironwood and two figures that caused both her and Yang to stand up a little straighter.
The first was a middle aged man with a graying mop of hair and mustache reminiscent of a lion's mane. Yang had only met the man briefly as a child at her grandfather's funeral, but even then a fire had kindled within her. An indescribable kinship with Leonardo Lionheart, headmaster of Haven Academy and rightful heir to the crown of Mistral. Even if the blood of royalty and Maidens in her veins had been diluted over the years, the lion inside of her wanted to roar, and Yang couldn't help glancing around as she suddenly sensed distant relatives entering the coliseum, but none with more fanfare than 'The Platinum Lion' herself, Arslan Altan...
"This little sun dragon's gonna burn you all alive." She grinned wickedly.
Ruby's eyes barely acknowledged Leonardo Lionheart, and instead she was focused on the near seven foot tall man standing with the other combat instructors, Hazel Rainart. The man solely responsible for Team STRQ's first and only loss in the Vytal Festival, and the man that had sent her mother to the hospital in doing so...
She shuddered and quickly averted her gaze as if afraid he might sense her. Instead she fixed her eyes to a more pleasant sight, that being Shade Academy's new headmistress, Dorothy Yarborough. The woman in a black and white checkered dress and pointed hat had been in the graduating class behind her mother by a year or two, and along with being Glynda Goodwitch's former teammate, was another close family friend and former babysitter.
Ruby glowed with pride just being able to stand before them, even Hazel Rainart. Every single one of them were heroes of legend that would be remembered not only for their exemplary deeds as huntsmen, but also for passing the torch to the next generation and the generation after that.
She found herself so caught up in the spectacle of it all that she completely missed the second year students entering the arena, and jumped when a roar even louder than her sister and Pyrrha's shook the Dreadnaught underneath them and caused every faunus in Vale to cover their ears.
Ruby stood on her tiptoes trying to see just who it was that so captivated the crowd, and finally glanced up at the monitors to see Coco Adel leading Team CFVY and the final group of students onto what many considered their battlefield.
The first and second year students all let out simultaneous breaths as they all shared the same thought when they caught sight of the young man most likely to win the Vytal Festival. Following close behind Velvet Scarlatina and Fox Alistair was a seven foot tall Mistralian man with a bronze greatsword strapped to his back longer than some competitors were tall, and an aura shield that even Yang thought looked impenetrable.
Yatsuhashi Daichi, the top ranked student at Beacon Academy, and besides a single loss to the previous Vytal Festival champion, was undefeated and without a single blemish on his record.
The gentle giant ignored the attention he and his teammates were receiving, saving it for his leader who much like Yang and Nora seemed to think tens of thousands in attendance had gathered specifically to see her, but besides lowering her trademark sunglasses enough to give the camera a sultry wink, ignored what might as well have been any other day being the local celebrities that they were.
Velvet meanwhile as a rabbit faunus with antenna-like ears grimaced at the overwhelming ovation but did her best to smile and wave, as did the blind Fox who could see through his aura much like a bat's echolocation, but seemed to appreciate the noise about as much as Velvet.
Once Ruby began being able to hear herself think again she was suddenly reminded that she had not only led the entire freshman class of all four academy's out into the arena, but also Team CFVY and the other third year students. The people in attendance and watching around the world may have intimidated Ruby more than any Grimm she had ever faced, but the over three hundred huntsman teams gathered around scared her even more. She was the youngest, least experienced student on the battlefield, and yet she had been given the undeserved honor of leading them into battle...
Her stomach sank even lower seeing a few dozen easels being propped up among the teams, but particularly the third years. On them were portraits of their fallen teammates and partners with wreaths hanging over them, a centuries old custom that went beyond simple tradition. Each of the fallen had loved and been loved more than any non-huntsman watching could ever understand, and with a part of their souls still alive within their teammates but particularly their partners, it was only right for them to be there in person as well as spirit.
Once the final third year student was in place, a platform behind the headmasters and combat instructors began to rise and the final group of students made their presence known. This group had the largest amount of easels set up, but these were distinct in having medals and other honors pinned to the portraits by their respective kingdoms.
Some of the seniors to Ruby's horror were all alone on stage, their teammates being represented by portraits and sometimes broken weapons. Others didn't even have a single representative...
Many of them had prosthetic arms or legs, and a few had obviously been forced to retire before their careers could officially even begin, but upon graduation they would be given official huntsmen commissions as if they had retired before the end of their first tours. Although technically still students, seniors were considered probationary huntsmen, and would receive their licenses on the first day of the new year.
Although she did her best to hide it, Ruby couldn't help shedding a few tears. Too many young men and women were missing partners and teammates, as well as parts of themselves, all in the name of keeping their loved ones and complete strangers safe and unaware of the dangers around them. A worthy cause, or so she and everyone standing there hoped.
Not a single one of the probationary huntsmen seemed particularly happy to be on stage, and while they all wore formal huntsmen attire just like their younger peers, none seemed to have gone out of their way to look like anything more than professional monster slayers. And perhaps it was just Ruby's imagination, but they all seemed to be staring at the underclassmen, pitying them, with many of their stares being directed toward the youngest freshmen of them all.
"That's going to be us someday," Ruby murmured, the knot in her stomach tightening.
"Hell yeah it is!" Yang agreed, oblivious to her sister's sudden nausea.
Some of the previous year's graduation class were also on stage but only a few dozen. Because the Vytal Festival was biannual, their class had missed out on being honored during the opening ceremony, but very few if any seemed to care. These veteran huntsmen had only done what was required of them, and only because of a promise made to the people whose portraits they had set up.
Together again on the world's biggest stage one final time. This way everyone would know their sacrifice...
Ruby found it unlikely that the festival organizers would've wanted the entire graduating class from the prior year on stage even if they hadn't been busy as in all likelihood there would've been almost as many portraits on stage as huntsmen. Even the fourth years were only on stage out of obligation, and once the celebrations were over they'd return to their security details around the city, counting down the days until they received their licenses.
A final volley of fireworks exploded overhead as the final fourth year student was properly introduced. Despite all the huntsmen and extra security around the coliseum, Ruby couldn't help but flinch as the sound reminded her of dust cannons, and she wondered how many others in attendance were having to control their fight or flight instincts.
She supposed the White Fang's recent terrorist attack would have had anyone a tad jumpy, especially if they have nearly been turned into fireworks themselves. There wouldn't be such an enticing opportunity to kill so many huntsmen and politicians and other important people for another two years, and she couldn't help glancing up at the sky for unmarked bullheads and Nevermores.
She shook her head at the ridiculous notion of another terrorist attack when so much security was in the sky that night, and continued glancing around, finally appreciating where she was until she heard the call for a moment of silence in honor of the fallen that made such an event even possible and had given their lives so that all might live for a better tomorrow.
Ruby bowed her head and prayed that the world would get even better still, and that all her friends and family would be there when that day finally came. Peeking an eye open however, it struck her that of the over one thousand students she had led out, a quarter of them would be dead or retired by the time she was their age.
'They're all so young,' she thought to herself. Normally Ruby looked at even other freshmen as being so much older than herself, practically adults in comparison, but now everyone looked like kids even if they'd long since left childhood behind them.
She stood with her head bowed for a few moments longer after the silence had ended, and had her hood forcefully removed by Weiss once Vale's national anthem began to play. Weiss hushed those around her by singing along and raised her voice when it came time for the frozen kingdom in the north, which was played on a violin by a girl about Ruby's age with platinum blond hair and wearing an emerald green dress. Evidently she had heard Weiss' singing as after bowing to the audience she gave another especially for her.
After the anthems had been played and the applause were at their apex, a young woman accompanied by a massive trophy was raised from the depths of the coliseum. It took Ruby and the rest of the competitors a solid minute or two to pry their eyes off the most illustrious prize a huntsman could win to notice the dark skinned woman presenting it, and immediately forgot all about the trophy.
The former champion four years prior...
Carmine Esclados...
The fiery redhead was the most famous huntress on Remnant, with clothing brands, perfume, and even Saturday morning cartoons to her name, and nearest her, Glynda Goodwitch was beaming at her former pupil and protégé.
With the flick of her wrist, a pair of swords unsheathed themselves from around Carmine's waist and began dancing around her, showcasing her mastery of telekinetic glyphs. She soon joined them, and the longer they danced the more hypnotizing and provocative their movements became.
Carmine Esclados had been named sexiest huntress on Remnant several years in a row, with even Ruby knowing this due to her sister who was currently recording the performance. Ruby blinked several times after breaking the spell, and along with Blake and Weiss began comparing the short-shorts, thigh high boots, ammo belt, vest, revealing top, and even the way they styled their hair.
"At least you have the sense not to wear a chainmail bikini," Weiss lamented.
Both their auras were brighter than spotlights, but although her friends were less than enthused by the dancing, Carmine along with likely being the most famous woman on Remnant was also one of the strongest huntresses currently serving. A single swing from her telekinetic blades could cleave even Deathstalkers in half, and she'd been on more successful missions than even her most die hard fans like Yang and Coco couldn't remember them all.
Shortly thereafter following a lengthy speech that would be more remembered for its visuals than it's substance, the headmasters of all four academies made inspiring speeches before introducing the two hundred and fifty-six teams and duos competing in the tournament in the order that they had been registered.
Forgetting what their own registration numbers had been as her sister had taken care of that for them, Ruby held her breath until there came a tap on her shoulder. "We're next!" Yang squealed.
"Team RWBY!" said Professor Ozpin emphatically, smiling down at them. "Led by their leader Ruby Rose with her partner Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, and Yang Xiao Long!"
The audience and fellow students cheered loudly while the multitude of screens showed footage of them training, and Ruby pulled her hood back on when she saw her student ID with chocolate stained lips.
"You've got to be kidding," said Weiss and Blake in unison.
"It's not my fault!" Ruby began. "I didn't-"
They pointed at the screen just as Leonardo Lionheart was moving on to the next team from Haven, but even a mere second could feel like an eternity to Ruby Rose.
"Team RWBY, group entry number sixty-nine," she read aloud. "Individual entrants sixty-six, sixty-seven, sixty-eight, and sixty-nine..."
They all turned to Yang who was flying little flags with 'Team RWBY!' and their respective colors stitched on the sides, as well as 'sixty-nine, sixty-nine'. From up on the stage, Carmine Esclados gave her a wink and an approving nod.
*sniff*
Yang grabbed her sister and friends in a bear hug and squeezed. "Now THIS is the best day ever!"
The celebrations continued late into the night and it wouldn't be until evening of the next day that they'd finally begin to settle down. After the opening ceremony concluded with a firework display that caused even the most placid of huntsmen to reach for their weapons, the transport ships were filled by the thousands and began dropping civilians off all across the city below which was shining brighter than ever.
All around Beacon students were gathering in large groups seemingly unaware that they were to do battle the day after next, once all the partying was out of their systems and they'd had time to recover. Even while giving each other hugs and congratulations however, the professors from all four academies were keen to keep an eye out for any foul play, or more often than not, to keep their students' natural rowdiness to a minimum.
Regardless of experience level all huntsmen were united during the Vytal Festival Tournament, but to an outsider it could often be difficult to tell the difference between attempted murder and good natured horseplay. Sometimes even a few professors couldn't resist the urge to join in and relive the days of their youth, but the more tempered professors were quick to remind them of their place. If they personally couldn't indulge themselves then neither could anyone else.
In truth the professors were just happy that the opening ceremony hadn't become yet another battle royale to crown an unofficial champion as then they'd have to make it look as though their attempts to stop the unregulated brawl wasn't to earn the crown themselves. Ever since the 'No excessively violent physical contact between students the week of the tournament' ruling had been put into place, the battle royale had generally been saved for the closing ceremony, which was open to all students, professors, and active huntsmen willing to risk life and limb to dethrone Peter Port from his decades long reign of terror.
Yang as expected was in the middle of the moshpit as if it were just an ordinary day back at Signal, but even her more reserved teammates couldn't help joining in the festivities even if they occasionally had to be dragged away from the sidelines.
It was well past midnight before the students finally began dispersing into their usual social groups but very few if any returned to the dorms. Team RWBY meanwhile found themselves alone at the front gates, Yang still bouncing to the rhythm of the music as if having lost control of her body.
"Where is he?" Yang groaned. "I'm losing valuable party time here and can feel myself sobering up. By the time I make it back to the party, Glynda will probably have confiscated all the booze."
"Pity," said Blake and Weiss in unison, giggling when they realized a moment later.
The pair were sitting by the curb tapping their feet and humming along while watching students cannonball into the fountain. Yang had dried off almost immediately after moon bathing but others weren't quite so fortunate and were running around in an attempt to stay warm. Ruby was the only one actively watching the road which wound its way up the sides of the cliff like a snake and had been mostly abandoned for the past hour.
*twitch*
Having been watching Blake's ears as much as the actual road, Ruby turned to the faunus who suddenly began concentrating. "Does your dad drive the same kind of motorcycle as Yang?" she asked, not wanting to hear an essay on bikes when she still had a buzz going herself.
Ruby shrugged, having never had much interest in motorcycles, and Yang shook her head as if offended. "Bumblebee's an Infernus 5200, also known as THE tough chick bike. Dad's is a classic 3800. It's what finally convinced the toughest chick of all to marry him. Fun fact about the 3800, it's the only bike to-"
"Whatever it is," she interrupted, "it's coming this way."
It wasn't but a moment later that Ruby and even Yang heard the familiar engine's roar, and when the motorcycle crested the hill it was as though the sun had risen early. Both Blake and Weiss shielded their eyes but their partners immediately began running toward the spotlight, with Yang quickly overtaking her sister.
A moment after the yellow and black bike came to an abrupt halt, and before the tall rider could even fully stand up, he held out his arms to catch the incoming ordinance.
"Daddy!" Yang leaped into her father's arms and swung from his neck, giggling as he effortlessly spun her around.
Ruby waited in front of them while the two laughed practically to the point of hysterics. Blake and Weiss arrived a moment later, marveling at the sudden change in Yang's demeanor, but also flinching at how tightly they were embracing one another.
After a few rotations in which the girls had to duck so that they weren't decapitated by Yang's legs, the pair finally came to a halt and Yang shifted her weight so that Ruby could fit in beside her. She hesitated for half a moment, but with a smile she leaped into the air and tackled them with as much force as a pillow striking a dragon.
Their father laughed as he lifted his girls into the air and spun them around until even those watching were dizzy. "It's so good to see you girls!" he said, nuzzling their foreheads together. He set them down but kept an arm around them each, and gave the onlookers a crooked grin not unlike his eldest daughter's.
"You two must be Blake and Weiss. You don't know how long I've waited to meet my baby girls' partners. Seems like just yesterday I was changing their diapers."
"DAD!"
"Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr. Xiao Long." Weiss curtsied, and after Yang's indignation passed she shot the heiress a lopsided grin as she'd heard that same tone of voice from teenage girls and women seemingly all her life.
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Xiao Long," Blake stuttered, deciding to bow in Mistralian fashion in order to hide her pinkish cheeks.
"Please, it's Taiyang, or preferably just Tai," he said. "Even in the classroom I hate formalities. You kids are the ones putting your lives on the line, not me."
He held out his hand to Blake who went to shake it, but unexpectedly Tai lifted it and kissed the back of her hand, and did the same for Weiss when she held out hers not but a moment later.
The pair giggled and did their best to hide their bright faces from their partners, but they had long since gotten used to their classmates being flustered around their father. Ruby tended not to notice as much, but Yang heard so many bawdy comments about their dad that she hardly even rolled her eyes or pretended to vomit anymore.
A warm halo of sunlight and warmth surrounded Taiyang much like his eldest daughter, making him easy on the eyes but also radiating warmth to all those around him. Now that the others got to study him closer, Taiyang appeared to either be in his late twenties or early thirties despite pushing forty, a testament to his aura. He wore a brown leather vest with nothing underneath, showing off sculpted muscles and a bronze tan even darker than Yang's. His blue eyes were as gentle as they were kind, and around his neck was a gold chain with a wedding band made for a more slender finger. Around his left ring finger was a matching band, and on his bicep was a tattoo of a burning heart, the Xiao Long family crest, and within it a pair of black wings and a white rose in between.
As Blake and Weiss continued gushing and stumbling over their words, Taiyang squeezed his daughters, delighted that everything they had told him about their partners was true and even better than he could've hoped.
"I hope you two haven't minded corgi-sitting the past month," he said, ruffling Ruby's hair. "Ozpin asked a favor from me at the last minute and I didn't want to burden any of Zwei's usual dog sitters."
"Not a problem at all," said Weiss.
"Absolutely none," Blake added. "He's like part of the team."
Yang chuckled and sent her a message through her aura, causing Blake's cheeks to redden even more.
"I know you girls are gonna be busy with the tournament the day after tomorrow, so if he's too much trouble I can take him back to Signal with me."
"I think we're good," Yang said, giving her partner a wink. "And it's about time you got back. What happened? Get distracted by women half your age again?"
Taiyang grinned as an elbow bounced off his chest. "As a matter of fact I did, but I had two lovely young ladies waiting for me here that kept me from getting too distracted."
"You talking about me and Rubes or your secretary and receptionist?"
With a mischievous smirk that was all too familiar to Blake and Weiss, the arm around Yang suddenly found itself wrapped around her neck and she was pulled into a headlock with a fist buried in her mane. Ruby, having anticipated this, ran toward her teammates and pulled them to safety.
"Get her, Dad!"
Yang freed herself with another elbow to the sternum and the two began trading bone shattering blows before tying up.
"Alright, Sweetie," Tai said, his manic grin matching his daughter's. "Let's see if you're actually worth the tuition your dear old dad's paying."
The pair flared their auras causing the others to be nearly knocked off their feet as the two dragons exerted their willpower upon each other. The concrete began cracking as neither gave up an inch, but not seeing an end in sight the two separated and began sizing one another up as if for the very first time.
"Good, you're not immediately switching to your semblance like you used to, and you're more patient too. Remind me to thank Glynda by taking her out for a drink sometime."
Yang struck but was careful not to overextend or give her faster, more experienced opponent an opportunity to counter strike. With a lower center of gravity she was able to move through most of his punches and uppercuts and land a few of her own, but even the strongest of blows merely caused the other to skid across the pavement.
"Are they always like this?" Weiss asked, disappointed by the familial resemblance but all too happy to cheer Taiyang on.
"Pretty much," Ruby said. "Dad hasn't beaten her since she turned seventeen, and wrestling is one of the few things we could always do with him even when he was having a bad day."
Blake, much like Weiss, couldn't help but admire the aging huntsman, as well as how similar the student was to the teacher. While Taiyang was clearly faster and more experienced, it was just as obvious that Yang was stronger and had more stamina, not to mention was much more durable.
"Ow! What the hell was that for?"
"For punching me in the nose!" Tai said in a nasally voice.
"You punched ME in the nose!"
"Yeah, well, you punch harder now, Sweetie! From now on I cheat like your uncle!"
They exchanged another flurry of blows that even Ruby and Blake struggled to keep up with, ending with Yang attempting to take her father's head off with a kick only for him to catch her foot. He spun trying to take her down to the ground but she rotated with him and freed herself with a kick to the chest. Before either could fully regain their balance, both lunged forward and began trying to grapple each other to the ground.
Back in the dorm, the girls wrestled and play-fought almost every night, but even during their most heated brawls Yang was always careful to keep her strength in check and give the other girls at least some semblance of a fighting chance. With her father however, Yang was just barely holding her own, and seemed quick to try and get the fight back on her feet again.
The pair continued to grapple with their arms locked, inches from each other's face when with mighty roars their foreheads collided and cracked like thunder.
Weiss and Blake covered their eyes and tried not to scream as Tai stumbled drunkenly before falling on his backside while Yang's knees shook and her body spasmed. She shook her head several times and blinked with her now crimson eyes, and the girls all took a step back when they saw that her pupils had disappeared.
"Ow," Tai grumbled. With some effort he pushed himself up onto his wobbly legs and laid a hand on his daughter to steady the both. "Not bad, Sweetie," he slurred, "but just so you know, I took it easy on you."
Yang took several deep breaths with her face hidden from her father, and waited several moments before finally looking up at him with a forced smile but hardly a trace of crimson.
"Bull," she laughed. "You haven't gone easy on me since I was twelve, and that's the reason I'm the huntress I am today. I love you, Daddy!" Her smile turned genuine but studying his daughter, Tai frowned as his eyes suddenly became glossy and unfocused.
Yang coughed which snapped him out of his trance, and returning the smile Taiyang kissed her atop the head where a small bruise was beginning to form but would likely be gone within the hour.
"I'm so proud of you, Sweetie, and so is your mom and Summer." He pointed toward his heart and his aura flickered as if winking. Behind them, Ruby's aura reacted similarly but she seemed to be the only one who noticed.
Tai swallowed, suddenly having difficulty breathing, and seemed lost for a moment before glancing at Ruby, who smiled awkwardly and fought to control the familiar aura within her.
'Hello, old friend,' it seemed to say.
"Well, Ruby-" Tai cleared his throat- "the last air taxi back to Signal leaves in less than an hour. Unless you're fast enough to run on water now we'd probably better catch it. Oh, and I told the lady at the flower shop that we'd be stopping by tonight. She said to just let ourselves in and leave the money on the counter."
Ruby nodded and turned to Weiss who was having difficulty looking at her. "It's just for tonight, Weiss. I'll be back before noon, and you all still have celebrating to do."
"I know, it's just-"
"-just that this will be the longest and farthest we've been apart in over a month," Ruby said quietly. "I know, and I don't like it either, but I need to see my mom one last time before the tournament. I'll be back before you know it, and we'll all pass out together. Sound good?"
Weiss looked as though she might've had more to say but Ruby saved her the humiliation of stuttering by hugging her. Both girls buried their faces in the crooks of each other's necks before pressing their foreheads together, a brief conversation taking place just between the two of them. After quick goodbye kisses they separated and Weiss quickly wiped her eyes and adjusted her jacket as though upset about the wrinkles, and looked away when she caught the others beaming at her, including Taiyang who seemed to have something in his eye as well.
Following a goodbye hug and kiss to Blake, Ruby paused for a moment before leaping into Yang's arms who lifted her off the ground and spun her around. "Leave some roses for my mom too, will ya?"
Ruby nodded. "Always."
The two kissed farewell, and after kissing his eldest daughter, Tai hugged their partners who were perhaps disappointed not to receive the same kind of affection. Afterward Tai guided a reluctant Ruby to his motorcycle and helped her onto the back. He saluted the team before starting the engine, and Ruby waved goodbye as they drove off, tears stinging her eyes as she got one final look at her teammates and Beacon Academy.
"I'll see you soon!" she yelled. "It's only for a few hours!"
The pair disappeared, taking the morning sun with them, and leaving the three young women standing out in the cold.
*sniff*
"Why must she always make everything so difficult," Weiss said, handing out tissues. "I know she won't be gone long, b-but-"
"I know, Weiss. I know..."
Yang wrapped an arm around them both listening as the bike's engine got further and further away. With their heads leaning against one another they prepared to make their way back to the celebrations when Yang came to a sudden halt.
"What's wrong?" Blake asked, looking up.
A black bird in the night sky was following Ruby and Tai, and Yang's heart skipped when she couldn't tell whether it was a dusty old crow or molting raven...
Nestled in The City of Vale's residential district was a neighborhood that had recently come to be known as 'King's Fall' after an Alpha King Taijitu had been slain in the middle of its busiest avenue, its carcass so large it had taken nearly a day to fully dissipate.
Several homes had been lost as well as more than a dozen residents, but had it not been for four young huntresses in-training it was widely believed that several hundred more would've been lost, if not the entire community itself.
It had taken weeks for all the rubble to be cleared and salvaging anything worth keeping, but no labor had been more taxing than the clearing of vehicles, trashcans, and remnants of people's homes from atop one of the city's many breaches. A team of soldiers led by huntsmen had entered the shaft after it had all been cleared, and along with several other teams who'd entered other breaches, fought their way through the Grimm infested tunnels back to Mt. Glenn before sealing any and all tunnels leading back to The City of Vale.
After 'The Battle of the Breach' had been won, or survived from the civilians' perspective, and the streets cleared and homes rebuilt, life had slowly returned to normal for the people of Vale, but all around 'King's Fall' were red flags hanging in honor of their savior, with little boys and especially girls running around in red hoods playing huntsmen all around the neighborhood.
One such young girl was playing in the playground outside her family's apartment with a red blanket being used as a hood and cape, pretending she was the woman who had led every single huntsmen in-training into Amity Coliseum. She ran around imagining herself running faster than even the speed of light with rose petals blowing in her wake, and ignored the occasional call from her mother to come back inside. She and her sister had been allowed to stay up late to watch the opening ceremonies just as they had two years before and two years before that, but playing huntress outside hadn't been part of the arrangement.
"In a minute, Mom!" she called, running in a circle just like the red caped huntress had when sealing the breach, thereby saving the entire City of Vale if not all of Remnant. "Zoom! Zoom! Zoom!"
"Psst!"
"Huh?" She turned and saw a shadowy figure standing outside of the fence in the alley. She took a step back and ran around to the other side of the teeter totter. "H-hello?"
"Hello," a young woman's voice echoed back. "My name's Ruby Rose. What's your name?"
The girl's face lit up and she ran outside the gate just shy of the dark alley. "Ruby! Oh my gosh! I just saw you on TV! You might not remember but you gave me and my sister autographs! You saved our lives!"
"It's okay little girl. I'm here now..." .
"My name's Angelica by the way. Would you like to meet my mom and dad?"
The figure remained silent and the girl stepped forward, peering at the hooded figure in the dark. "Miss Ruby, ma'am? Is everything alright?"
"Mommy!" Ruby called, her voice suddenly a much higher pitch. "I just made a funny friend! It's a talking black dog! Come and see!"
"Just a minute, Sweetie," another voice called from the alley.
Angelica took a step away from the shadows, her knees suddenly trembling but she couldn't quite explain why.
"Ruby?"
From the darkness emerged a massive clawed hand that covered the girl's mouth and wrapped around her entire head. She tried to scream to no avail, and she was lifted in the air as a pair of red eyes and an impossibly large mouth opened wide.
"Never forget, Sweetie. Mommy loves you..."
(A/N: Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed. The opening ceremony of the Vytal Festival Tournament is something I really wanted to see in canon, and I thought celebrating the end of Team RWBY's road to recovery with fireworks would be a fitting end. I also wanted to make the tournament feel bigger than just a biannual event. It's about honoring the huntsmen of the future as much as the past and present, and has a "celebration of life" feel to it which fits with Remnant being a dark setting but also a society that has just accepted it as a part of life. I also thought Taiyang riding in on a motorcycle and "play-fighting" with Yang would be a good introduction for him, and also a good way to carry over the situation regarding Ruby's parentage which I'll get into in just a moment. While I like to think of Yang as being a "Daddy's girl", I think Ruby's relationship with Tai would be more strained due to her not having as loud or strong a personality as the Xiao Longs seem to have, and I think Tai is generally just better with people who can be a strong personality for him to bounce/feed off of due to his struggles with depression. I just don't think Tai and Ruby's personalities would bounce off each other as well, which is why I've referenced a few times that Ruby struggles being alone with her dad for long periods of time.
The situation regarding who is Ruby's father was something I intentionally left ambiguous and didn't reference in my author's note the previous chapter because I knew it was going to carry over here and because it's a plot thread I'd like to carry over into a Volume 3 pseudo-novelization should I continue writing the narrative. Qrow will obviously have a BIG role in that story just as he did in canon, only bigger, but I wanted to sneak this plot thread into the story as it relates to Summer and her backstory, and possibly another character who played an important role in Volume 3. In my opinion, Ruby already knows who her biological father is, but knows that it isn't Yang's place to tell her, and although tired of lies and secrets, she would prefer sitting down with her family and talking everything out. What's most important to Ruby is her relationship with Yang, and nothing would change that or the relationship she has with Tai and Qrow.
Apologies for the bit of nightmare fuel there at the end but The Mimic has been long overdue to make an appearance, and it's been a minor subplot in "The Patchwork Prodigy" that young girls wearing red have been going missing, and now we know why. We also now know that The Mimic was there in Patchwork the day Ruby and Summer died, though we don't know why, or why it allowed Ruby to survive for that matter. This will be answered should I ever get around to writing a Volume 3 pseudo-novelization, but should you have any questions regarding The Mimic or any other plot thread I'd be more than happy to try and answer them. Also, the chapter's title "Fairy Tale's End" and the ending of this chapter is a subtle nod to "Red Like Roses Part 2" and the line "This little fairy tale doesn't seem to end well".
Although there's still an epilogue to come I consider Chapter 43 the final chapter of "The Patchwork Prodigy". Chapter 44 will leave off where Volume 3 began, with Ruby visiting her mother's memorial, but this was where Team RWBY's story comes to an end. It breaks my heart as this story has been such a big part of my life for five and a half years now, but on the other hand it feels like a weight being lifted from my shoulders. Apologies for how long it took to get here, and for any growing pains that may have been experienced as I grew as a writer. I've done my best to write the best story I possibly could, and I've tried to do better with every chapter. Thank you everyone for reading and for all the words of encouragement over the years. You don't know how much they helped after a particularly difficult editing session, or whenever I was feeling down as a person. I've been writing RWBY fanfiction for over six and a half years, and in that time I've lost friends and family who unfortunately couldn't see the end of this story. It breaks my heart but I dedicate this story to them and hope I've made them proud. And I hope I've made you proud as well.
I don't know where exactly I go from here, besides finishing Chapter 44 of course, but I have a novel or two waiting for me to finish, as well as several fanfics I've been neglecting. Thank you for all the love and support, friends. Much love to all of you, and God bless.
All credit goes to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who has blessed me with this story and all of you wonderful readers. God bless)
