Don't worry! I haven't forgotten about this little fic! I've just been swarmed with college and commissions, so I've had little free time to get to writing more of this, but I've written several chapters in advance now, so I feel comfortable enough to post another! Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.
Chapter 6. A Flock Of Four
After Yang had managed to groom Weiss to sleep, the little bird was never scared of the big dog again.
Blake took note of how Weiss' attitude toward the retriever changed after that. She stopped deliberately trying to avoid Yang, and she wasn't afraid to sit near or even on her, even when the dog was asleep.
Being around smaller creatures like Ruby and Weiss, Yang was sure to be competent about her own bulk – even when she slept, she was unconsciously aware of where the others were in regards to herself.
Over the several days since Yang had officially moved in, the four of them had formed a symbiotic relationship.
Yang was big enough to intimidate any pesky animals straying around the yard during their afternoon naps. Just like she'd done with Adam on the first day, she would fend off pesky cats who were looking for a fight with Blake or an easy meal with one of the other two.
She also wasn't afraid to growl at a fox scurrying through the yard one day that had gotten a bit too close for comfort. Blake knew she herself wouldn't have had the guts to do it, so she was extremely thankful for Yang's courage.
Being the medium-sized one of the group, Blake accomplished some of the things Yang's size didn't allow her to. Whenever they were playing outside together with their toys, Blake was the only one quick and strong enough to catch a ball before it rolled into the street or down a sewer.
The same was true for when they bounced too high and got stuck up in a tree. If Yang couldn't knock it down by bumping her flank into the trunk of the tree, she'd boost Blake onto her back. The cat would climb up to knock the toy down into Yang's waiting jaws, then cleanly jump down into the grass in a graceful landing.
Yang would always joke during those times, saying things like, "Hey, I'm the retriever here, but you fetch better than me!"
Ruby was smaller and had a lot of tricks of her own. On hotter days, she was the one able to climb up the window sills and use her tiny claws to crank the screen open. She did the opposite and cranked them closed on cooler days. Her fingers allowed her to accomplish a lot of tasks the others couldn't, including reaching itches Yang or Blake couldn't scratch for themselves.
Being only a hair's breadth smaller than Ruby – though she'd never allow anyone to say it aloud – Weiss was also good at cleaning off the others.
She didn't exactly groom like Blake or Yang would with their tongues, but Weiss was an expert and pulling out burs and thorns from everyone's fur. Her beak was precise and quick, and even the few times when there would be pain involved in tugging out a thorn, Weiss always made sure it was over in a second.
She was always content to help out her companions whenever they needed it.
But Weiss still couldn't help but feel helpless most of the time. If there was ever trouble, she was always the first one the others hid or stood in front of.
The others could run if need be, but Weiss wasn't quick on her feet at all. Without her wings, she would only make a clumsy fool of herself if she tried to flee.
They always had to carry her around or let her hop on their backs in order to reach something. When she couldn't even manage that on her own, Ruby would have to crawl up and help guide Weiss.
The bird hated being babied like this. She knew her friends didn't mean to do it – they only wanted to keep her safe and prevent her wing from getting even more injured. But Weiss was starting to think it might never get better.
Initially, after Blake's humans had taken her in and fixed it up a bit, she'd thought it would heal soon afterward. But now, more than a week had passed, and it still wasn't back to normal.
That morning, she'd asked Yang to help her onto the window sill, which was where Weiss presently sat. She liked to sit there and watch the other birds flitting about outside.
But it also hurt her to see them flying so freely.
The others sat together on the carpet across the room, watching her little white back. Yang's ears and tail were drooping, Blake's shoulders slouched, and Ruby's whiskers fell.
"When's her wing gonna get better?" she mumbled. "It's been long enough now, don't you think?"
"I thought the same thing," Blake sighed.
"It's weird," Yang added. "Back when I was living with my old humans, the kid next door had a pet bird who broke its wing. But it got better faster than Weiss' is..."
"I'm worried..." Ruby sniffled. "What if it keeps hurting her forever? What if she never flies again?"
"Don't say that," Blake soothed, wrapping her tail around the distraught mouse. "She'll get better. But it might be best if we ask for a little help."
"Help?" Yang repeated. "What do you mean?"
Blake flicked an ear at them, checked to make sure Weiss wasn't aware of their plans, then stood to her paws.
"Come with me."
Blake led them to the kitchen. Ruby scuttled up to ride on Yang's shoulder.
Their humans were both outside at the moment tending to their garden. Blake led her companions to them, then started to meow pitifully. Yang quickly caught on and followed along, whimpering and whining to get the humans' attention.
Both of them looked up and pushed their glasses back up onto their noses. The woman was nearest to them, and she addressed the animals with a sympathetic tone.
"What seems to be the matter, my dears?"
Blake mewed again, then stood. Yang did the same, indicating they wanted the humans to follow them elsewhere.
The humans seemed to understand. They abandoned their gardening tools for the moment, stood, and dusted themselves off.
Blake led them all back inside, then paused at the far end of the living room. She stared out at Weiss alone on the window sill, preening her hurt wing. Yang gave a low whine, then whimpered again. Ruby looked up at the humans with wide silver eyes like saucers and twitched her whiskers imploringly.
The woman chuckled softly. "I see. You're worried about her wing."
Yang whimpered again. The woman patted the retriever's head gently, then did the same for Blake, and finally scratched under Ruby's chin.
"Well, don't worry. We're arranging an appointment at the vet's in just a few days."
"Perhaps we should move it up to tomorrow?" the man offered.
The woman paused, looked at each of the animals, and then nodded.
"Yes. I think that would be best. Let's call now."
As they headed off together into the kitchen, Yang, Blake, and Ruby all perked up.
"I think it worked!" Yang barked excitedly. "It worked, didn't it? I remember that word. What was it?"
"The met?" Ruby guessed.
"Vet," Blake corrected. "It's... well..." She shuddered a little at a few unpleasant memories of her own, then shook her head. "It's not always the nicest place to be, but I think it could really help Weiss get better."
"So they can fix her wing?!" Ruby piped.
"Hopefully," Blake nodded.
Yang grunted and shuffled her paws.
"I've heard they fix a lot of things..."
"Yang!" Blake hissed in warning. "Not in front of Ruby."
"Sorry, sorry!"
"Huh? What did Yang mean, Blake?"
"Nothing," Blake purred quickly. "Don't worry about it."
Ruby shrugged, then scuttled across the living room toward Weiss. Blake flicked her tail and smacked Yang in the face as she followed. The dog snorted in laughter before trotting after them.
For the rest of the day, the three of them stuck close to Weiss. They didn't tell her about the planned trip to the vet tomorrow for fear of offending her or making her uncomfortable.
But they did make sure to nap under her favorite tree in a patch of sunshine.
Yang laid on her side and let the little bird make a makeshift nest in her fur. Blake groomed Weiss' back softly and let out a soothing purr. Ruby cuddled close to her smaller friend and snuggled under Weiss' good wing.
And even though Weiss was still feeling upset about her wing, she made sure to enjoy the presence and kindness of her friends for all it was worth.
Being with them reminded her of being back with her old flock. She'd curl up in her nest, oftentimes with some of her companions. During cold, windy nights, they would sing songs, huddle together, and ruffle one another's feathers until they were fluffy enough to sleep comfortably with.
Weiss still missed those times with her flock.
But as she closed her eyes and pulled Ruby closer to her side, savored the sound of Blake's purr, and the feeling of Yang's warmth, Weiss realized she'd found a flock of her own.
A/N: Yes, even as a dog, Yang makes inappropriate jokes. Gosh, that one was fun to throw in there, hehe~
As for the humans, at first, since this stroy started as a drabble, I tried not to specify the humans too much. But as I write more, I find I'm imagining them as being Ozpin and Glynda (not married perhaps, just living together and looking out for their animals like good guardians).
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