Interlude 1: The Other Side of History

-Eleven Years Ago-

I wanna stay with Bruce

Yang had seen it coming from a mile away, but it hurt no less to hear it. Qrow felt it too. The journey back to Patch was filled with a heavy silence. Qrow in particular was not looking forward to telling Taiyang. He had barely managed to convince the young father not to fall into depths of alcohol, and he feared losing Ruby would tip the man back over the edge. As they approached the front door, the silence only got heavier as Qrow's anxiety grew.

Taiyang answered the door quickly, his hopeful face falling as he noticed the missing daughter. "Where's Ruby?"

"Apparently, Bruce went through similar trauma when he was younger," Qrow explained. "He said he could help her."

"You let him keep her," Taiyang accused, "without even asking me!?"

"It was her choice," Qrow insisted.

"Bullsh-!"

"Tai!"

The father fell silent.

"It was her choice. She said she wanted to stay. She spoke, Tai, and she wasn't even holding Summ's hood. If being with Bruce has already done that much, what's the harm in letting him help?"

"I'm not helpless, Qrow," Taiyang argued. "I can afford therapy for her. I can be there for her. I'm her father, dammit!"

"No one is saying Bruce will replace you," Qrow assured.

Concern shone behind Taiyang's eyes.

"I trust him," Qrow pressed.

After a moment, Taiyang finally nodded. He was still unsure, but he trusted his old teammate.

Yang didn't know what to think. She couldn't imagine Ruby abandoning her birth family. But Qrow didn't overhear the conversation between her sister and Bruce like she did. She couldn't help but wonder how long Ruby would be away.

She couldn't help but worry that Ruby may never come home.

-Seven Years Ago-

The years between had not been entirely kind. While Yang had managed to bounce back and recover some of her cheerful optimism, Qrow had slowly become less sure of his decision to allow Ruby to stay behind, and Tai, who had been unsure, to begin with, began to grow resentful.

At first, visits were frequent. After just a few weeks, it suddenly seemed Ruby was unwilling to journey to Patch, but the Xiao Long family visiting Wayne Manor was still common. Then, even that began to wane. Video calls became the only way any of them saw the youngest daughter. And now, in recent weeks, Ruby had even begun to miss those.

But Yang refused to dwell on that now. Today was another scheduled call with her little sister, and she wanted her to meet with only smiles and positivity. As the hour neared, Yang, Taiyang, and Qrow settled around the consol set up on the dining table. The call was sent, and it rang.

And rang.

And rang…

Yang frowned. Ruby promised she wouldn't miss this one. Just as Taiyang was about to reach over and cancel the call, Ruby suddenly picked up.

"Sorry," she quickly apologizes in a now-familiar monotone. "My, uh, therapy, ran a little late."

The way Ruby spoke vaguely of what exactly Bruce did to help her far from eased Qrow's growing anxiety. "As long as it's helping… it is helping, right?"

Ruby nodded wordlessly.

Yang couldn't help but notice Ruby wasn't looking at the screen. "Whatcha got there, Rubes?"

"Huh?" Ruby looked back up, almost like she was surprised they were still talking. "Oh, just some extra reading."

Ruby's attention returned to her off-screen book. Taiyang frowned. "Well… reading what?"

Ruby held up the book so they could read the cover without having to break her own concentration on its pages.

"Intro to Circuit Theory?" Qrow read the title. "That's a bit advanced for someone your age, isn't it? What exactly is the old guy teaching you?"

Ruby shrugged. "A bit of everything." Something else off-screen suddenly caught the youngest's attention. "I have to go," she deadpanned and ended the video call before anyone could protest.

Taiyang frowned. "I don't like this. She didn't even talk to us, she was just… there."

"Barely…" Qrow agreed.

"It's not all bad, right?" Yang tried to salvage things. "At least her therapy seems to be working!"

"Is it?" Taiyang questioned. "There was no emotion to her voice. We don't even really know what Bruce is doing to help!"

"Well, I doubt he would actively hide it from us," Yang argued. Neither Taiyang nor Qrow seemed convinced. "Oh, come on! Look, the next call, we'll just ask! They can't not tell us if we ask outright, right?"

Taiyang and Qrow traded glances, sharing a silent conversation. Yang wasn't exactly right, but they had no proof she was wrong either. At the very least, there were few other plans on the table. So they resolved to insist on answers during the next call. Unfortunately for them, Ruby would miss that next call.

And the one after that.

And the one after that…

After just over an entire month of silence, Qrow had finally had enough. He marched up the drive to Wayne Manor, intent on seeing Ruby one way or the other. He was going to get answers and, if necessary, take back Ruby by force. His knocks on the door were answered by none other than the old man himself. "Bruce."

"Qrow," Bruce nodded.

"I want to talk to Ruby," the huntsmen spat.

Bruce frowned. "I'm afraid that's not possible."

"Excuse me!? Where is she!?"

"I sent her away to a specialist."

"A specialist!?"

Qrow's seething did nothing to affect the Wayne patriarch, who simply placed a calming hand on the angry huntsman's shoulder. "I promised you I would do everything in my power to help her. I'm sure you noticed that while she became calmer, she also became more distant."

The open admittance caught Qrow off guard, enough for him to lower it and hear Bruce out.

"She was beyond what I could do alone," Bruce continued. "I am sorry, I should have consulted you. But time was of the essence."

"Where is it?" Qrow asked.

"It's a very specialized facility, the kind of place that doesn't allow scrolls or visitors. I can help you if you wish to send her letters."

"Where is it?" Qrow demanded.

Bruce took a precautionary step back before answering. "I'm afraid I can't tell you."

That certainly didn't help Qrow's mood. "I didn't let her stay with you so you could take over her life."

"I know. And for what it's worth, I am sorry." Bruce sounded genuinely solemn.

The huntsman raised his fist but didn't throw it. He knew assaulting Bruce wouldn't help anything. Instead, he dropped it and turned to walk away. As he left, he shot one last venomous line over his shoulder. "It isn't worth much."

Qrow returned to Patch, where Taiyang was waiting. No words were exchanged. Taiyang wasn't ready for the details, he knew the most important part already from the fact that Ruby wasn't with Qrow.

"You trust him, huh?" the father finally cut once the silence became too thick.

"I did," Qrow lamented. "I'm sorry."

Taiyang scowled and threw open his alcohol cabinet. While he poured himself a drink, he noticed his former teammate's expression. It was clear Qrow was beating himself up over this just as much as he was. With a sigh, he pulled down and filled up a second glass. "I'm sorry too," he offered along with the second drink.

Qrow took it, and the two drank in silence.

-One Week Ago-

Yang idled away on the Xiao Long's couch. She was already packed to head to Beacon in what was only days now, and found herself with an ever-rarer 'lazy day'. As with most of her lazy days, her mind was filled with thoughts of her sister. To say that Ruby even had a relationship with her family anymore was generous, but Yang refused to let go of her optimism. She would see her sister again someday, she knew it. And she didn't want that meeting to be mired by sour emotions.

That's not to say Yang was naive, but she knew that at least the fault was not Bruce's or Ruby's alone. If Taiyang had been more present in those first few weeks, if Qrow was a little firmer and more focused on the 'here and now' of the time…

If I had been a better sister…

But bitterness wouldn't heal what had been fractured. She couldn't even bring herself to be angry at Bruce like her father and uncle were. She just wanted her sister, her family, to be whole once more.

As Yang lounged away, her father flicked through channels on the television. Picture after picture of nothing catching anyone's attention until…

"That was the Wayne building!"

Qrow walked out of the kitchen in time to see Yang snatch the remote out of Taiyang's hand. She flicked back a few channels until the image reappeared. The Wayne Industries building, with people crowding the foreground and a podium on the steps.

"A press conference?" Taiyang deducted.

"Do you think we'll see Ruby?" Yang theorized, excited at the possibility of seeing her sister for the first time in years.

Taiyang and Qrow perked up the thought, the former sitting up in his seat and the latter leaning over the back of the couch. All three watched the television intently.

After what felt like an agonizing eternity (but was really only two minutes) Bruce Wayne finally appeared from the side of the screen, flanked by Wayne Ind. executives. Standing just behind Bruce, wearing what appeared to be foriegn formal business dress, was Ruby. She looks so much older than I remember… My little sister has grown up.

The on-screen crowd was hushed as Bruce stepped up to the podium. "Today I have a very important announcement. Though if you'll allow an old man to reminisce first, we'll get to what today is about soon enough. I doubt many of you recognize the young girl standing behind me. We met in unfortunate circumstances. A tragedy befell her, a tragedy much like the one I experienced so many years ago… Shared trauma bound us, and I decided to do everything in my power to help her. In that time, she has come to live with me, and she has grown into a fine young woman. And even though we're not blood, I have come to see her as a daughter…"

"She already has a father…" Taiyang suddenly cut through clenched teeth. Qrow didn't add anything, though his fist did clench.

Yang didn't like it either, but she couldn't say it didn't make some sense after all this time.

"As for why we are here today. It's time for me to formally announce Ruby Rose as heiress to my company, my fortune, and my legacy."

"WHAT!?" All three residents of the Xiao Long cabin jumped to their feet, shouting their surprise in unison. It was one of those things that seemed obvious in retrospect, though in the heat of the moment none of them could claim they expected it. Wayne was one of a very few of the wealthiest legacies on all of Remnant, and now instead of defaulting to a handful of investors and directors, it sat squarely on the shoulders of Yang's sister, Taiyang's daughter, Qrow's niece, Ruby Rose.

"I'm sure you would like to hear from Ruby herself," Bruce continued, gesturing for the young Rose to step forward.

Ruby took her place in front of the mics. "Hi! Obviously, I'm not ready to take over yet, I'm only the heiress after all…"

Surprises continued as Yang noted Ruby's voice carried more than cold indifference. She seemed energetic and cheerful, slightly nervous, and ultimately she sounded happy. "Maybe that mysterious rehab of his was the right move after all…"

Taiyang and Qrow didn't seem to take the thought positively, but they didn't argue it either.

"But when the time comes, I'll do everything in my power to uphold the values that built Wayne Industries," Ruby continued on-screen, smiling to the press. She looked back to Bruce before quietly adding, "after all... it's my dad's legacy."

It's my dad's legacy.

The line seemed to crush Taiyang, who slowly collapsed back onto the couch. Qrow was less than readable with his own expression. Yang could only describe her feelings as 'mixed'. Again, she couldn't say it didn't make some sense. But if Ruby truly saw Bruce as her father, and called him such in public, what did that mean for them? They were blood, that had to count for something?

Right?

For the first time in seven years, Yang was less sure about seeing Ruby again. Despite the younger girl being back in Vale, something about the announcement made Ruby feel farther away than ever.

-Present Day-

"Remnant to Xiao Long? Hello?"

Yang was broken out of her thoughts by one of her friends. It had become a common occurrence since that press conference. Thinking about where her sister was now, how she could ever hope to be with her again, had become very distracting. Her memories of the last eleven years even more so. Sometimes it was hard to believe just how long it had been…

"Yang!"

The blonde brawler had almost fallen back into her reverie as if to prove her very train of thought. "I'm here! What's up?"

"We're almost there!"

Yang looked out the bulkhead's window to confirm that, in fact, they were nearly at their destination. Beacon Huntsmen Academy, the training grounds for the future defenders of their world. Yang had decided a long time ago that being strong for her sister meant physical strength as well, and didn't hesitate to sign up as a warrior. But what good will that all do me now… now that-

Yang violently shook her head, ending that line of thought on her own for once. She couldn't change what was done, and she had worked too hard getting into Beacon to abandon it now.

She ignored the guilt bubbling to the surface at ignoring thoughts of her sister in favor of allowing herself to be excited about attending the prestigious academy.

Once the bulkhead landed, Yang was one of the first students to step off. She admired the tall towers and the shining architecture. It was like a castle from one of Summer's fairy tales, and she couldn't wait to see what kind of trouble she would get into.

Yang's friend tapped her shoulder to get her attention. "What's up?" Yang asked, turning to face her. Her friend could only point, jaw dropped open, at an approaching airship.

No way.

An airship with Wayne Industries branding.

"No way…"

Yang's jaw fell open as well as she watched the ship approach the airdocks for a landing. Her feet carried her as if by instinct, quickly breaking into a full run to approach the craft. She had to be there as the door opened. She had to see.

And see she did. The door opened to drop off the new student. She was wearing the same clothes she had at the press release, though with the small additions of some accented armor and a shoulder cape. An engraved, curved sword hung from her belt and she held a bulky, high-tech briefcase in her hand. Yang visually traced back up to familiar dark hair and unique silver irises.

Yang could still hardly believe her eyes. Her little sister had come to Beacon.

Hi everyone! This scene was actually meant to be the start of the chapter, but it got so long to the point that we decided to make it an interlude. This chapter was also written entirely by my buddy VengfulFate! I hope you enjoy and as always, reviews are always welcomed!