What was that all about?

For several minutes, Weiss was left to ponder what just happened. An enemy pirate crew invaded their ship and stole money from them. Weiss wasn't even that bothered by the fact that they got robbed. She was bothered because he crewmates were disturbed by that captain.

Sienna.

The nasty pirate robbed them. What the hell else has she done to get her crew so angry? For now, Weiss supposed she had to deal with not being told anything. Her crewmates made it clear that they needed some time alone.

I was so caught up in myself, that I didn't think about them and their problems. How selfish.

Until now, Weiss had mainly worried about her own safety. About escaping her last name. Now, she had a crew to worry about. She had friends to worry about. Not just herself. The realization ached, yet she felt a sense of yearning. This is truly what it felt like to have friends.

Her heart felt warm until a sudden chill engulfed her. That's when she looked to the sky. The clouds were gray and the wind rushed. At least they'd already set sail. If they stayed any longer, Sienna would have forced them out of her territory.

It might be dangerous to sail in a storm, but the Thorns were confident enough to do so. The Howling Thorn had been through countless storms. This one may be no challenge.

Deep in thought, Weiss sat on a lounge chair on the deck. There was nothing like watching an incoming storm. The sight had always mesmerized her. The darkened clouds, the calmness before, the tides rocking the ship.

I'm the worst, the former heiress thought. They were so worried about me, yet I didn't consider them.

After a sigh, Weiss curled into herself.

"Mind if I take a seat?"

"Blake," Weiss greeted, somewhat shocked she didn't notice her approach. "Go ahead."

The faunus looked a little worried as she sat next to her. "You like watching storms, too?"

"Mhm," Weiss hummed. "How's Yang?"

"The best she can be at the moment, I guess," Blake replied.

"That's not reassuring," the former heiress said.

That earned a light chuckle. Yellow eyes met blue in a worried gaze.

"This must be strange for you."

All Weiss did was shrug. "A bit. I wish I knew more about the situation is all."

"I can tell you some," Blake reassured. "The Khans- they're… cruel, horrible pirates. Our worst enemies. We're definitely not their only enemy, though. They've made lots of questionable decisions and even outright murder."

The revelation caused Weiss' eyes to go wide. "How do you know that?"

That's when the faunus visibly stiffened as she curled into herself. "I was once a member of the Khans."

Pure shock flashed across Weiss' face. Blake fully expected that and waited for her inevitable reaction. Perhaps she would only get a scolding.

"Sienna was once your captain?" Weiss asked, which earned a nod. "Does Ruby, Yang, and Qrow know this?"

"Of course they know," Blake replied like it was obvious, not wanting to keep secrets from her crew. "After I escaped, I ended up on some random island. I still have no idea how. The Thorns happened to be in the area and saved me."

"And that's when you joined?" Weiss wanted to clarify.

"Mhm," Blake revealed. "I wasn't exactly eager to join, but Ruby and Yang are unlike any other pirates I've met. Something told me to take the chance. I'm glad I did."

"I'm glad you did, too," Weiss said genuinely, which earned a skeptical look. "If you weren't here, I'd go insane."

That earned another giggle.

"Listen," the faunus said evenly. "Sienna is the worst of them all. Don't take her lightly."

"What exactly did she do to make the entire crew despise her?" Weiss asked.

"Well," Blake started, choosing her words carefully. "Ruby, Yang, and Qrow didn't like Sienna even before they met me. Their hatred runs deep. It's up to them to tell you. It's not my place."

"I see…"

Determined, Weiss stood from the lounge chair. When she did, the first raindrops fell from the gray sky.

"What're you going to do?" the faunus asked, curious.

"I'm going to talk to Ruby," Weiss said, unable to forget her sad face. "She may not tell me, but she needs someone to be with her right now."

From those words, Blake smiled. Ruby was someone who preferred comfort with someone rather than being alone.

With a plan, Weiss unwrapped the red hood Ruby had lent her.

"Good luck," Blake said.

After nodding, the former heiress headed inside the ship. Her dunce was probably in her room. She stood outside the door. It was quiet. She supposed that was a good sign.

Hesitantly, Weiss knocked a few times.

There was a quiet. "Come in."

When the door opened, Ruby's eyes lit up like she wasn't expecting her guest to be Weiss. She was probably expecting Yang.

"Hey, Weiss."

Gradually, Weiss shut the door. "Hey, Ruby. Are you doing okay?"

Ruby sat on her bed, letting her feet dangle above the wooden floor. "I've had better days, that's for sure," she offered a grin.

Dunce, Weiss thought. Don't force a smile for my sake.

To be closer to her, Weiss sat next to her on the soft mattress. The blankets were fluffy and warm. Ruby's head was down, which made her look so vulnerable. It broke Weiss' heart.

Weiss draped the red cloak over Ruby as if to protect her.

"Thanks," Ruby said as she clutched the cape like it was her lifeline.

"No, thank you," Weiss easily replied. "You don't hand out your cape to just anyone."

"That's right," Ruby said, which earned a blush. "It was my mom's when she was alive."

"I'm so sorry," Weiss said sadly. "I had no idea…"

From being on this ship, Weiss figured Ruby's parents weren't around. Neither were Yang's or Blake's. They only had uncle Qrow. A strange dynamic. One she hoped to know more about.

"It's been a while since her death," Ruby informed.

"If you don't mind me asking…" Weiss almost mumbled, knowing this was a sensitive topic. "How'd she die?"

From the question, Ruby pulled up her knees and sank her head between them.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," the former heiress reassured. "Death is a painful wound that never heals."

"No, it's okay," Ruby replied after a deep breath. "I should tell you. You'll find out eventually, anyways."

To show her gratitude, Weiss placed a hand on top of her own. From the sudden contact, Ruby deeply blushed and genuinely smiled. That is the smile Weiss was hoping to see. It made her heart skip a beat.

"The first thing you should know is that Yang and I share a dad. We're half-sisters."

"I figured," Weiss said, genuinely interested. She had an inkling that they were somehow related. There were many similarities and differences between the two.

"A long, long, time ago, my mom, my dad, and Yang's mom were pirates," Ruby revealed.

"I'm not surprised," Weiss replied with a small smile.

That earned a chuckle. "Yeah," Ruby grinned. "The pirate life suited them, but it was dangerous back then. Even more than it is now."

"I'd imagine."

"Obviously, they were on a pirate crew," Ruby said. "But not an ordinary pirate crew. They were with the Khans."

A gasp.

"Yeah," Ruby said, fully expecting her shocked reaction. "The Khans were different back then. When my mom, dad, and Yang's mom disagreed with the shift in power, they wanted to leave."

"Was it because of Sienna?" Weiss asked, fully invested in the story.

"Mhm," Ruby answered. "The captain before Sienna was Sienna's father. He was killed by his one and only daughter."

"How awful," Weiss mumbled, gaining a grip on the situation.

Ruby nodded. "Sienna killed her own blood because of greed. Not only that, she killed my parents and Yang's mom, Raven."

Dreadful silence. The air was heavy. Almost suffocating. Weiss almost felt sick as she gripped her hand tighter.

"They tried to leave the Khans and start their own crew," Ruby continued. "My mom was going to call themselves the Thorns."

From that, Weiss noted that Ruby was continuing her mom's legacy by claiming the same name for

her own crew.

"I see…"

"Earlier, Sienna talked about her first two rules," Ruby recalled as she held her gaze with her crewmate. "The first rule of being a pirate is knowing your enemies. The second rule is knowing where to tread safely. Her third rule is unwritten. Her crewmates learn it the hard way. She doesn't let anyone quit her crew. You leave, you die."

"Is- is that why your parents were killed?" Weiss asked, distressed.

"Yeah."

"But what about Blake?" Weiss asked, which earned a shocked expression. "She's with us. How did she get away when your parents couldn't?"

"She was comfortable enough to tell you that, huh?" Ruby asked, relief washing over her. "I'm honestly still not sure how Blake got away."

Interested, Weiss asked. "She's never told you?"

"She's never been able to talk about it," Ruby replied. "I'm assuming her stealthiness and the fact that she doesn't attach to people easily might've helped her escape. I don't know. And we might not ever know."

If whatever happened to Blake was so bad that she couldn't talk about it, they couldn't imagine what might've transpired. This made Weiss think about their previous interaction a little earlier.

"Sienna greeted her, but Blake didn't look happy about that," Weiss commented.

Ruby only shrugged. "Sienna might have respect for her because she escaped. I don't know what her warped thinking is, though. It makes no sense. As you saw earlier, Yang wants Sienna dead."

"Do you?" Weiss asked.

A shrug.

"It's hard to explain," the captain elaborated. "I guess if I hate anyone on Remnant, it would be Sienna. And your father. I wouldn't mind if she was gone, but I don't want to encourage murder."

"That's understandable," Weiss agreed as she leaned back on the mattress.

There were a few moments of silence as the pair sat side-by-side. When it was quiet, Weiss realized she was still holding her hand and got flustered.

"C-come here," Weiss stuttered as she stood, dragging Ruby to stand.

"Weeeeeeiss," Ruby drawled jokingly. "Where are we going?"

"We're going to play your favorite video game and you're going to like it," the former heiress informed. "I don't care if you don't want to, we're-"

"Ohboyohboyohboyohboy, I can't wait!" Ruby beamed with a wide grin. She was so chipper, it was a complete turnaround from a few seconds before. "I'm gonna kick your butt!"

"Probably," Weiss admitted, having never played a video game in her life.

Eager, Ruby darted out of her room and to the common area. In a rush, Weiss called after her.

"Wait up, will you?!"


There ya go! Some good 'ol backstories. It's not very fleshed out right now but it'll come in full circle eventually :D

Stay dandy,

~Toto