Location: Patch, Vale - Haven, Mistral
February 4th - April 17th

Old, white shoes pound against the ground, kicking up grass and dirt as she runs through the forest. Silver eyes squint against the darkness as it gets darker as she runs farther away from the houses behind her and deeper into the woods. Her heart felt like it was about to jump out of her chest and her nerves were shot.

She swears she hears the thudding of heavy feet running up behind her and her breath quickens as she urges herself to run faster, breaking into a sweat as her legs quickly become numb. Why did she run? That was stupid. It was always going to catch you, all it takes is a simple trip-

Her foot crashes something beneath the fallen leaves and her body plummets to the ground, colliding with the earth with a hard thud. Of course, of course, she tripped while she was running from what was trying to kill her, because, apparently, that doesn't only happen in movies. There is a dark, shadowy figure looming above her, reminding her why she'd run in the first place.

Oh shit. She was dead.

"Get away from me!" Fear rushes through her like a bullet and she shrieks, swinging her leg out in an attempt to kick their legs out from beneath them. The shadowy figure steps back, expectedly avoiding the hit as she scrambles back to her feet.

A loud laugh sounds from behind her before she could get a good footing. A familiar laugh. Realization sweeps in and she groans in humiliation, she turns around as a woman dressed in red removes her hood.

"Good job, Iris. You're dead now."

"Good job?!"

Her mother glances at her and giggles again, "You took off with your tail between your legs, like a scared little puppy."

Well, if she'd thought to bring her weapon with her, she would've attacked her stalker with no hesitation. Okay, maybe a little hesitation, she's not a murderer.

"It's called common sense! Not funny, Mom!" She snaps back defensively.

"It was pretty funny," Ruby replies, stepping by her.

"Of course, you think it is funny." Iris grumbles, "Come on, we need to get back to camp. No more tri-" She lets out a scream when she hears a rattling noise and a beaten skeleton drops in front of her, swinging. " Mom !"

"What a brave ten-year-old you are." Ruby laughs, "Don't worry, Flower, it's just a Halloween decoration. They take the kids down this road on the hayride."

"It's not Halloween," Iris points out cautiously, "why would that still be there…?"

Seeming to notice the apprehension on the child's face, Ruby offers a reassuring smile. "Sometimes they forget a few decorations, nothing to be concerned about."

Iris bristles in annoyance. "Then why did it fall down in front of me?!"

"Because you triggered it," Ruby informs her, gesturing at the wire she'd tripped over, "it was just a little delayed." She turns away and starts back toward the house.

Humiliation washed over the child. She smiles in embarrassment as heat rushes to her face. "Oh…" She clears her throat and falls in line next to her mother. "So, uhm, how was my speed? Without using my semblance?"

"You're fast," Ruby compliments her, "a lot faster than any other child your age, that's for sure. However," she smirks a little and thumps the ten-year-old in the forehead, "I would pay attention to my surroundings."

"I did!"

Ruby rolls her eyes, amused. She starts back down the trail, heading for their house. "Sure you did," Iris huffs in annoyance, and the brunette giggles again, "anyway, your training is going really well. Your mother can help you with the sensory thing when she wakes up. That's something she had to work on as well."

Iris raises a brow, "She's still asleep? She never slept this long when I was a kid."

Amusement flickers across the woman's face. She spares her a glance, Iris notices the mischief in her eyes. "That's because she had you waking her up," Ruby points out, laughing again when Iris sticks her tongue out at her in protest, "she was usually never an early riser. Always would act like her day was ruined if you got her up early."

The two of them break through the forest line and a two-story cabin comes into view with the rising sun positioned just above the building.

"Really?" Iris asks, befuddled. "She was always an early riser-"

"Iris! Aunt Ruby!"

Silver eyes dart to the driveway, locating a familiar yellow vehicle parked on the gravel, facing the exit. Two children are racing toward her as fast as their feet will carry them, one bearing golden hair and blue eyes, the other one having curly dark brown locks with matching brown eyes.

"Summer, Marron!" Ruby greets enthusiastically, kneeling and preparing herself for the oncoming tackle from the twins.

"Hope you don't mind watching them for an hour or two," Yang calls from the car, "they have been begging to come over all week."

Ruby looks at Iris in silence and the ten-year-old momentarily freezes. She'd forgotten that today was her birthday, and it was her decision whether or not they could stay. Iris' gaze drifts over to the excited twins, grunting when Marron hugs her side as tight as he could. They were so happy to see her, she couldn't say no.

Oh, what the heck.

"Sure." Iris relents, covering her ears with a smile on her face when the twins whoop their response.


"She's asleep…"

Weiss cracks one eye open, with blurry vision glancing to the doorway where she heard voices. Recognizing the weight of the steps and the quiet giggling, she closes her eyes again and a small smile ghosts her lips.

She braces her body, focusing on the children's growing presence. They stop, and she can hear hushed whispers being exchanged. One of them steps closer.

A few seconds tick by.

" Hrrah !" Summer's voice shouts as she launches herself at the bed, aiming to land on top of her supposedly asleep aunt. Having predicted the child's attack, Weiss easily rolls over onto her other side. Summer topples over the mattress and hits the floor with a shout.

Marron's loud cackling fills the room as Weiss sits up. Iris quickly rounds the bed to check on her cousin, stifling her own amusement until she knew the blonde was all right. Summer is dazed, but she is uninjured.

"I told you she wasn't asleep!" Marron calls as he climbs over the bed, dropping into the floor next to his sister with a smirk on his face.

Summer scowls at him. "You said nothing ! You liar!"

Noticing a familiar red figure at the doorway, Weiss' eyes gradually move from the twins and her daughter to focus on her wife. Silver eyes watch them with an amused smile on her face and a steaming hot cup of coffee positioned just before her lips.

Weiss smirks a little, her hand over her chest in mock offense. "You were going to let them do that to me?" She asks, feigning a hurt tone.

Ruby's lip twitches as mischief flashes through her eyes, "Yep."

Weiss scoffs, "Lovely."

"Mama," Iris' voice pulls Weiss' attention back to the trio at the edge of the bed, "Summer and Marron want a story about when you were out on the run!"

Summer's blue eyes light up and the blonde-haired child scrambles into the bed as her smaller twin brother attempts to follow her. The child brushes strands of her dark-rooted hair out of her eyes as she settles on the bed.

Weiss' heart turns with dread, her pulse thrumming through her body as loud screeches erupt through her mind. Her nerves only ease when she hears Ruby's footsteps approach from behind. She clears her throat, "Wanna hear the story about how I slit a Griffon open?" She asks with a playful tone.

The younger of the children squeal excitedly as the other grimace, "Yes! Yes!" Marron pleads, using his sister's head as a prop to hold himself up. "Did you see its innards?! Did blood fly everywhere?!"

Summer gags. "Did it stink?!"

"Very much so!" Weiss wrinkles her nose for emphasis. "Grimm don't necessarily have blood , however…"

Ruby speaks up, "It's like this black, gooey liquid that can burn you like acid."

Iris agrees, "They don't have guts and galore because they lack a heart and a soul."

Summer's brows pull together in confusion as she processes the information. She and her brother exchange a puzzled glance, "Then how are they killed…?"

Upon hearing the question, a childlike squeal escapes Ruby's throat and silver eyes snap toward Weiss, she grins excitedly and her knees fidget impatiently. Weiss sighs and waves her wrist, giving the brunette the green light to continue.

Ruby shoots to her feet. "Grimm were created by this witch more than a hundred years ago, but the pools she used to create them once belonged to the God of Darkness!" The twins are seated in front of her, listening intently. "Despite lacking innards , they have this sac of magic in the center of their bodies, fueling their black blood through them. Some have green sacs of acid for blood!"

Weiss moves off the bed and to the dresser as Ruby continues her explanation.

"This is their life source, it is connected to the makeshift brain that controls them." Ruby makes a spin gesture with her arms as if she were wielding Crescent Rose. "This is why you always hack off the head or slice through the upper body!"

She holds up one finger, "Be careful, though! Sometimes, the Grimm can spawn a new head or limbs!"

Marron leans away as the information settles in his brain. Iris lets out a loud cackle and Summer's eyes whip over to her, baffled by the ten-year-old's reaction.

"That's horrifying!" Marron exclaims, looking to his white-haired aunt for confirmation. "She's lying, right?!"

"Nope." Iris answers.

"She's right," Weiss confirms, grabbing the brush from the dresser.

"So how did you find the Griffon?" Summer asks as the brown-haired boy shudders in disgust, pressing into his twin's back in an attempt to find comfort. The blonde girl grunts and glares over her shoulder at Marron. " Now who's grossed out?!"

Weiss hums, approaching the duo as Ruby steps aside. Iris climbs up on the bed behind her cousins, laying on her side with her arm propped beneath her.

It wouldn't hurt to tell a brief story. She could exaggerate a bit.

"Imagine being all alone, in the dark, dangerous streets of Remnant," Weiss starts as she sets her coffee down, Ruby switches the lights off as the white-haired woman ambles toward the children. A sense of unease fills the air, and Weiss' voice becomes low and hushed. "Everything is quiet… People and animals alike, fast asleep in their warm beds."

Marron piques up, "Except you and Iris!"

"Except me," Weiss half-agrees, "your cousin wasn't born yet."

Summer interrupts, "Where was she?"

Iris rolls her eyes, "I wasn't born yet, I was still in her belly."

Marron's brow twitches, and he exchanges a questioning look with his sister, searching her for an explanation. He looks back to his aunt, unaware of Ruby swiftly approaching behind him. "Why was she in-"

The twins yelp as Ruby collapses on the bed between them, causing the mattress to bounce and nearly throw them off. "Now," the brunette giggles as Marron quickly clings to her side as if he was going to fall off, "do you two brats want to know where babies come from and have your mother kill us, or do you want to hear a Grimm story?"

Their responses were quick, shouting in unison. "Grimm!"


"Thank you for watching them. I know they can be a bit of a handful…" Yang grimaces a little, her teeth gritting together as her brows twitch in pre-exhaustion. "Did they cause any trouble?"

"Nah, no trouble at all," Ruby answers with a wave of her hand, "Iris loves having them over! I don't think she cares about the age gap."

"Damn little brats tried to attack me!" Weiss calls from the couch, her eyes never leaving the book positioned in her lap.

Yang laughs, "Of course they did!"

Summer stops at Ruby's side, looking between her mother and aunt in confusion. The blonde tilts her head a little, questioning. "Aunty Ruby?" The brunette looks down at her niece in acknowledgment, "Mom said I'm named after your Mom. Why am I named after your Mom if you're not my Mom?"

A small grin pulls at the corners of Ruby's lips, she lifts her brows, smug, "Yes, Yang , why?"

Summer's blue eyes look to Yang, awaiting her answer.

The woman scoffs, "We've been over this! She was my Mom too!"

Summer frowns, bewildered. "Grandpa said Raven was your Mom. You have two Moms and a Dad?"

Yang is taken aback, "He told you about Raven?" Summer nods. "I, uhm… Well…" Her voice cracks, but she remains physically unfazed in order not to worry her daughter. She averts her gaze for a moment, pulling herself back together. "Look, sweetheart, I'll tell you when we get home, okay? You and your brother…"

"Uhm… Okay." Summer murmurs, slipping by her mother and running to the car, where her brother is already seated.

"Anyway," Yang clears her throat, "Iris is ten today, isn't she? Have you and Weiss discussed another child?"

Well, that was sudden.

Weiss lifts her head from her book, her gaze meeting with Ruby's unreadable pair of silver when she turns around. Weiss' attention moves to Iris as she comes running down the staircase carrying a toy in her hands.

"We've talked about it a time or two… We'd have to see how Iris feels about it before we make any decisions."

"Understandable," Yang agrees, grunting as Iris shoves by her and runs toward the vehicle, calling for Marron, "I think she'd be a good big sister, looking at how she treats her cousins."

Weiss scoffs, finally pitching into the conversation. "Willow thought that Winter would be a good big sister. Look what happened."

Ruby rolls her eyes with a smile on her face, "Remember when she was all excited to see Winter showing up at Beacon?"

"Yep!" Yang chirps. "Like a little puppy."

"That was more than a decade ago." Weiss tells them as Iris strolls back over to them, Marron joyfully laughing behind her as he plays with his almost-forgotten toy, "Shit has happened since then."

Yang hums, sounding concerned. "That was nearly five years ago; are you still mad at her?"

Weiss bristles, a low growl escaping from between her teeth. "I trusted Winter to help me, but all she did was cause unnecessary trauma because it was all her idea!"

Iris' voice pierces her mind, chilling her to the bone. "I miss Aunt Winter…"

Winter may have inadvertently messed everything up, but she had always been a good and loving aunt toward her niece. Iris was always ecstatic seeing her airship and would jump into her arms the moment the doors opened.

It has been five months since the child has seen her aunt.

Weiss sighs, "I'll try to talk to her tomorrow…"

Iris' silver eyes brightened, "Really?"

'For you…' Weiss cracks a smile, "Really."

"Well," Yang announces with a clap of her hands, "I think it's time I get the twins back home!" Her brows pull together, looking down at her ten-year-old niece. "Are you sure you wouldn't rather spend the big ten with the rest of your family?"

Iris shakes her head with a smile, "I wanna stay with Mama."

Weiss' heart almost melts.

Yang chuckles, "Well alright! We'll see you all later, then!" She gives a wave as she approaches her vehicle, peering into the backseats to ensure that her children have everything they'd come over with.

"Wanna try to make a cake?" Ruby suggests, shutting the door and turning to look at Iris.

Adrenaline rushes through the ten-year-old.

"Yeah!" Iris answers excitedly, bouncing a little on her heels before following Ruby back into the house. "We can make chocolate with strawberry icing!"

Weiss sighs, "You are your mother's daughter…"

"And you're helping!" Iris calls to her as Ruby enters the kitchen, laughing when Weiss scoffs. "You can decorate the cake!"

Ruby giggles, "Good. She can't bake or cook to save her life."

"I beg your pardon," Weiss says with a falsely offended tone, "I learned how to cook while I was in Vacuo."

Iris sticks her tongue out. "Vacuo uses bugs as a spice and a meal! Uncle Sun told me so!"

"What did you even eat when you were raising her?" Ruby asks, opening the cabinet to retrieve the cake mix as Weiss leans against the counter. " Chips ?"

Weiss rolls her eyes, amused. "I'll have you know that I learned how to skin and prepare meat from a wild animal," she informs the brunette, whose eyes widen in disbelief and astonishment, "it is a skill that I was taught to do while in Vacuo."

"Yeah!" Iris piques up in agreement, her silver eyes glimmering with pride. "It was really good! My favorite was deer!"

Weiss groans, "Ugh, those were a pain in the ass to catch…" She rubs at her temple, " Killing for food was my last resort. I don't like killing."

Ruby's brow twitches in bewilderment. She sets the cake mix down and removes a bowl from beneath the counter, "Well, if you knew how to hunt, why were you starving when we found you?"

The pale woman's heart plummets. She shouldn't have revealed that. She clears her throat as Iris hugs her side in an attempt to offer support. "Remember how I said I was injured in the flood that destroyed Sandcaster…?"

Ruby nods.

"The wound did not heal properly, and it affected my tracking and hunting ability." Weiss' gaze drifts to Iris, who meets her eyes in questioning. "Iris also developed separation anxiety… I could not be away from her for an extended period of time."

Ruby is quiet for a moment. "Oh."

"Did you tell her about my training?" Iris suddenly piques up, her demeanor changing. Her silver eyes sparkle with excitement. "I'm almost ready!"

Weiss lifts a brow, amused. "Oh?" She acts, feigning ignorance. "What're you ready for?"

"I'm almost ready to go to a huntsman school!" Iris exclaims, bouncing on her heels. "Mom said she went to Beacon when she was fifteen! Could I do that too?"

"Perhaps," Weiss answers quietly, stroking Iris' hair back and out of her bright silver eyes. Her chest flutters with happiness when her daughter giggles. "but I don't want you growing up too fast, okay?"

"Why not?"

The woman lifts a brow, "Because if you grow up, it means I'm old."

Iris tilts her head, her words cause Ruby to spit out her coffee in a fit of hyena-like laughter. "But you are old."

Weiss scoffs, "And you're a little brat like your mother, too!"

The child smiles this time, speaking positively. "But you love me."

"Yeah, I do."


[7 Years Later]

Time flew by fast.

Iris started her first huntsman school when she was twelve, very quickly becoming one of the top students in her classroom. Thanks to experience, and Ruby's teachings, she was able to distinguish types of Grimm and their weaknesses long before the class began to study the specific Grimm species.

Her progress amazed her professors, but they were quite concerned about the reason behind Iris' knowledge considering she would drop random facts regarding the species as if she had been up close to one. Logically, many children would have already seen Grimm by the time they were twelve, but according to her professors, no child had been able to answer college-Esque questions regarding them.

Ruby passed the child's expertise off, she insisted that she had taught her everything she knows, and Iris, being a willing student, was eager to learn. The professors decided to believe the reasoning and the subject was forgotten.

Iris was offered the chance to skip several grades when she was thirteen, but she rejected it in order to stay back with the friends she had made throughout the years.

When Iris was fourteen, she received the news that she was going to become a big sister. The white-haired teen was a little confused at first, as she had always grown up as an only child. After a few days of processing, she was walking around claiming that she was going to be the 'best big sister ever'.

A few months after she turned fifteen, Kirsi was born. The older girl was overjoyed and fell in love with her dark-haired sister immediately.

She held up to her promise and learned everything she could about being a sister from her cousin, Summer.

At seventeen, Iris gathered in the lounge with her friends to open their letters from their chosen Huntsman schools. All but one of them was accepted, but the rejected girl easily shrugged it off and chose to learn how to work at her mother's company instead.

The group split, one heading to a school in Vacuo, another one choosing to attend an Atlesian school, but Iris and Aureolin - who had become her friend when she was eleven - were accepted into Haven Academy.

Iris was excited, needless to say. She spoke of her plans for the first day nearly every hour of every day before it was time to head to Mistral. She had gone through at least fifty decisions before she chose to allow the events to play out their own way.

Eventually, the day came and she had to be dropped off at Haven. As proud as she was of her, Weiss' heart wasn't ready.

"We're here! We're here!"

There was already a large crowd gathered at the entrance, a few lined up and others beyond the gate and grouping together.

"Get your head back in this car before I drag you back in here!"

A loud laugh erupts from behind Weiss' seat, "Make me!"

Weiss glances up into the rearview mirror, Iris meets her eyes for a split moment before slowly sliding back into the vehicle. "Sorry…"

"I did not take all that time brushing and styling your hair for you to get it windblown!" Weiss scolds. Iris shrinks into her seat, silver eyes glaring over at her baby sister when the one-year-old starts to laugh. She couldn't understand full sentences yet, but Kirsi knew that her sister had just gotten in trouble.

"Okay, calm down, both of you," Ruby says lightly as she pulls into a parking space. "So," she looks back at Iris as the seventeen-year-old scrambles to grab her stuff from the floorboard, "do you want us to walk you up there?"

Iris looks at them for a moment, smiling a little. "Uhm…" She speaks nervously, her social anxiety kicking in, "Mama…"

Mirth floods her body like lightning, and Weiss lets out a hyena-like cackle. "You think you're all grown up, and then you want your Mama. You're five, that's it."

Iris sticks her tongue out at her before getting out of the car. "Excuse you, I am grown up!" She says as Weiss shuts the door, her gaze meeting her with her daughters for a second. Iris smirks, "I am a bit taller, aren't I?"

Weiss sidesteps her, "Don't get cocky, I can still beat your ass in combat."

"But one day, I'll be right on par with you and Mom!" Iris exclaims excitedly, following behind her like a child. "Won't I?"

Weiss stops, glancing over her shoulder. Iris' bright eyes meet hers, waiting happily for her confirmation. The glimmer seems to die down a little the longer Weiss remains silent.

"Yeah." Weiss agrees, turning away from her. "I just can't believe you're not my little girl anymore…"

"Yeah." Weiss agrees, turning away from her and leading the white-haired teen to the front gates. She speaks quietly, hoping Iris wouldn't hear her. "I just can't believe you're not my little girl anymore…"

"Mama…" Iris murmurs, quickening her steps to cut Weiss' path off. She smiles warmly, despite the conflict flickering through her eyes. It was clear that part of her wanted to agree that she wasn't a child anymore, but-

"I'll always be your little girl."

Weiss' heart stops.

"Iris Rose?!"

The teenager's head swivels to the front gate, seeing a man with a clipboard scanning the crowd. He calls out a few more names on the roster, but they seem to fall on deaf ears.

"I gotta go!" Iris bounces in anticipation, glee flashing across her face. "Bye!" She kicks into a run, making it halfway to the gate before skidding to a stop. She looks back, her gaze meeting with her mother's. Iris hesitates for a moment, peering back at the professor to ensure she has a little bit of time to spare.

"Iris, go-" Weiss is silenced by the seventeen-year-old breaking into a run back to her. "Wait, what're you-"

Iris' arms embrace her tightly, the force of her body colliding with Weiss' causing the woman to take a few steps back. She awkwardly returns the hug, confused.

"I love you, Mama."

Iris pushes away and races back to the gate, joining up with Aureolin just before another group is called out to board the airships.

Weiss remains motionless, watching as the airship her daughter had climbed abroad lifts off into her air. Her heart skips a beat and her body grows cold, yet there is a satisfying warmth spreading through her soul.

. . . .

Weiss' heart expands as she sits up, her eyes never leaving the form of her baby as the woman hands the crying infant over to her, resting the newborn, swaddled in a warm, pink blanket, into her arms. The sudden weight and the cry of momentary distress cause reality to her like a cold wave.

Taking in the newborn's features, she strokes her child's cheek with her thumb. The warmth feels unreal. Her heart beats rapidly within her and the world around her slowly begins to deafen.

Tears sting at the corners of her light blue eyes as she gazes down at the newborn cradled gently, letting out a wet laugh when the baby's face wrinkles up in confusion, unfocused eyes darting around in perplexity.

"Hello…"

She brushes the soggy, shimmering white locks out of the infant's face.

"I love you…" The newborn child's moans subsided to delicate cries of disarray; Weiss swore she'd gone to paradise when baby blue orbs flicked up at her, brimming interest and bewilderment. "You need a name, don't you?"

The infant's temples wrinkle together and her pudgy little hands reach up, Weiss pauses for a long moment before cautiously bringing her hand up, watching in awe as the newborn's soft hands wrapped around her index finger. An electrical spark courses through her veins and tears prick at the corners of her eyes.

"Iris… Iris Rose…"

. . . .

"Are you ready to go outside?"

"No!"

"Alright, well, I'm going on out." She says as she approaches the door and opens it, stepping outside and around the corner.

A cry comes from the caravan and Weiss peers around inside, chuckling when she sees Iris crawling towards the door, calling for her. Weiss moves around back into Iris' sight and the baby's head slowly moves up to look at her, "I'm here." Weiss giggles as she lifts the child up and into her arms; Iris clings to her and buries her little face into her shoulder.

"No bye-bye."

. . . .

"Ma-ma!"

"Yeah..." Weiss whispers as an indescribable emotion flows through her, her heart warming and a giggle escaping her as tears sting at her eyes. "Mama..."

. . . .

"How does it rain?" She asks curiously, sounding sad, "Is the sky sad? Is it crying? Did we do something, Mama?"

"No, baby, the sky isn't crying…"

"Then why is it raining…?"

Weiss lets out a breath, "Pretty clouds drink water."

"Ohhh!" She says happily, now seated on her hands and knees, "So when it rains, that means the clouds are just peeing!"

The words cause a snort to rush out before Weiss can stop it, followed by several body-wracking convulsions of stifled laughter. Oh god, she can't breathe. Turning away from her daughter, she rolls over on her side and audible giggles escape, mirth flooding her body.

"Mama?"

Weiss shakes her head, speaking through a coughing fit of laughter, her face and sides were beginning to hurt now. "Oh Gods, I'm never seeing rain the same again."

. . . .

"I made a promise, and I intend to keep it." Weiss stands to her feet and steps towards the water, summoning her Arma Gigas as she steps into the water.

She smiles when Iris' eyes light up with hidden hope.

W eiss chuckles, "Well, come on, you said you wanted to play, didn't you?"

The child scrambles to her feet and barely makes it into the water before she trips over her shoes, falling in with a splash.

Iris lifts her head, droplets running down from her ivory hair as confusion contorts across her face.

Iris breaks into a run, splashing through the water and she races towards Weiss and cupping her hands beneath the surface.

Calculating which direction the splash would be sent in, Weiss moves in the opposite and avoids the hit. She laughs when Iris cries out at her in shock. "Mama!"

. . . .

"Mama! We don't have prey!"

"We don't?" Weiss taps her chin in feigned thought, "Well, I must be imagining things!" She glances up at Iris again, she pokes her forehead. "Perhaps you're not even real."

"I am real!" Iris protests.

Weiss allows the horror to cross over her features again, she jerks her head to the side frantically as though she were searching for something. "Oh! Where did she go?" Dread and worry are placed into her voice exaggeratingly, while Iris is laughing and pulling at her sleeve. "My baby girl's disappeared! No! She was just here!" She exclaims overdramatically.

"Mama! I'm right here!"

. . . .

"Iris…"

The child's eyes blink open, having heard her mother's voice. There are visible circles beneath the child's eyelids, her body is groggy and refuses to move. Iris lifts her head, her gaze immediately finding Weiss on the right side of Willow. Recognition sparks in her expression. "Mama…"

"I'm here, baby…"

Weiss carefully kneels in front of her as the tired girl moves toward her. She reaches her hand out, resting her palm atop her daughter's head, caressing her dark-rooted hair as Iris' eyes begin to grow heavy again. She's content, the vivid restlessness that had caused her body to tense slowly relaxes as she soaks in her mother's presence, slipping back into her dream world.

"I'm here…" Weiss repeats, her voice cracking. She rests her forehead against Iris', listening to the sound of her breathing to reassure herself that Iris was okay. Iris has fallen asleep. "I've got you…"

. . . .

Weiss' voice cracks, tears filling her eyes.

"I love you too, Flower…"


Questions

1. Do Weiss and Ruby ever get married?
They do! Three years after Weiss' return. Iris was the flower girl!

2. Did Weiss ever get her Huntress license?
She wanted to relax for a while before putting herself back out there like that. She got her Huntress license when Iris was eight, and also became an official member of RWBY as a huntsmen group.

3. What's something you really struggled with while writing the characterization of Weiss as a mother and as a runaway?
Trying to write that she is not a bad mother and showing that she is just stressed killed me. So, I tried to portray what kind of mom she is through the way Iris acts.

4. Where'd Iris's personality come from? Organically developed or was it inspired by other sources?
Iris' personality actually developed on its own. I originally planned for her to be antisocial and very introverted due to her upbringing, but she turned out to be a social little girl who loves to make new friends.

5. Did you plan out a journey of sorts for Weiss? Like how long she'd be gone or did you have an idea of what regions or areas she'd be in?
I've had the idea of 'single mother out on the run' forming in my head since I was 13-14. So, most of the locations were already decided, all I did was match the location up with the region depending on its general surroundings. Example: Southspear being a desert best suited Vacuo.

6. Does Iris grow up and get to be a relatively normal (as much as can be) happy girl?
You tell me XD

Details You Might Have Missed:

[W]hite [I]nstinct. Weiss. Iris

Remember when Weiss was attacked by the Ursa that almost killed her? Iris' silver eyes were activated there! Her power is not and will never be as powerful as Ruby's, so she did not completely vanquish the Grimm, she only severed its paws and permanently disabled it.

Ruby and Weiss are connected by aura! Ruby's aura crackling (notice that it only happened when Weiss was hurt. Their auras are connected because it required them to intertwine in order to create Iris)

In chapter 10, when Iris was born, Ruby knew deep down that the baby she was holding was her own. Iris left an 'imprint' on her.

Weiss has told Iris several stories about Ruby, as indicated by the way Iris reacts to hearing 'Your Mom'. This is why Iris recognized her.

The two families Ruby saved in Sandcaster are Jewel's family and Ena and her kids, as implied in the previous chapter.

Faline, Ena, and Gobo are based on Bambi!

Winter suspects Iris to belong to someone else until her eyes begin to turn silver as she didn't fully believe that two women would be able to conceive a child.

Robyn and Winter are dating!

The fight Winter mentions when Iris is born is a reference to volume 7.

Fun Facts:

1.) Iris first activated her semblance when she was playing with her mother, a few weeks after she turned five. It kicked in and she blasted herself into a bush! Scared her mother half to death, but she was okay, though.

2.) Ruby carried Kirsi! This is a nod toward the unwritten future of my other fic, My Princess.

3.) Kirsi means "amaranth blossoms/frost".

4.) Iris becomes the leader of Team IYCE

[I]ris Rose

Aureolin [Y]ale

Jewel [C]oal (!)

Bei [E]tchman

5.) Koamaru references Jewel when she mentions a little girl around Iris' age, but Jewel never showed up on the first day of school.

6.) Part of Winter's dialogue in "Breakaway" is a reference to "My Princess"!

- ("He could take your child from you when they're born, he has connections all over Remnant.")

7.) Weiss' Arma Gigas in this story is loosely linked with Nicholas Schnee's soul. The small implications can be seen here:

Curious, she opens her eyes again and sees her human-sized Arma Gigas standing next to her, a pile of bare tree limbs in front of it. Her brows crease together in bewilderment and she looks down at the wood. It was firewood. 'When did I…?' She shakes her head, fixing her gaze on them. "I don't remember summoning you…" She murmurs, the summon only stares at her and its head turns to the right.

(and)

She lets out a shriek as a mighty wave of water crashes down on her back, sending chills up her spine and turning her skin cold.

Wiping the dripping water out of her face by brushing her faded, violet bangs back, she turns around to see her knight standing behind her. "I swear, somehow, you have your own soul."

8.) The flood scene in Rain of Steel is inspired by the true story "The Impossible".

9.) Iris is intended to have a form of ADHD.

10.) "My Princess" was entirely inspired by bits and pieces of "White Instinct".