Currently, Team RWBY found all four members situated within their very own dorm room. Blake and Weiss were sitting on their side of the room- specifically on the bed belonging to the Schnee heiress herself. Ruby was relaxing on the edge of her bunk bed with her legs dangling down the side, whilst Yang was resting on the floor beside her own bed with her back pressed up against the bed frame.
However, they weren't the only ones occupying the Team RWBY dorm room. Qrow Branwen was also there, in all of his battered glory. The elder huntsman was leaning against a wall with a frown on his face as he spoke to the team of girls about recent events. While it was visibly apparent to all parties that Qrow Branwen was not completely healed following the debacle with Laplace, both of his nieces were very happy to see him standing nonetheless.
"...I'm glad you're okay, Qrow." Yang gave the man a bright sunny smile. Following all the developments that had arose during their stay in Vale, it was blatantly obvious that the two girls seeing their Uncle all well and good was like a breath of fresh air for them.
Blake and Weiss, however, only had the word of Yang and Ruby to go for- both claiming that the grizzled huntsman standing in their room was a long time family friend. Considering it was one of the rare instances where both sisters were in mutual agreement, the two remaining members of team RWBY decided to give them the benefit of the doubt. Besides, they didn't believe that a man like this supposed Qrow Branwen would ever listen to them if they did voice any objections to his sudden appearance.
Ruby herself was grinning like a fool, something that all three of her team mates had only seen her display around Kirakishou ever since the odd little blonde arrived on the docks so long ago. While it was nice to see Ruby happy once again, most of her team was just relieved to see the girl feeling like that about someone other than the crazed blonde.
"Oh! So much has happened Qrow!" Ruby said, now that they were all sitting together she felt that she could speak up. Throwing her arms up wildly, she continued, "You're not going to believe it all, oh oum! Gah, it's been soooo cool! I even got my hair done!"
There was a momentary pause as Yang tensed, looking down and balling her hands into fists.
"Heh. And here I though you two would have flunked in the first week," Qrow retorted teasingly, drawing playful frowns from the two half sisters, Yang thankfully relaxing at the direction that the huntsman chose. "But, despite how much I want to learn all about your time in Beacon so far, especially how you partnered with the Schnee heiress and a former White Fang insurgent alongside your sister, we have other more important things to discuss in the moment. We all need to get caught up to speed as to what's happened recently."
The exasperated looks sent towards Ruby and Yang from their respective team mates spoke of exactly how they believed Qrow Branwen knew of their pasts. Ruby's mood visibly souring was enough to stop any accusations, however. Qrow raised a brow at the typically energetic girl. The atmosphere, which had previously been rather light considering how the two sisters were acting, darkened considerably at her noticeably distressed mood.
"Oh. I get it. Right. I almost forgot." Ruby jumped down from her position on the bed. "I'll go get Kirakishou. Just give me a sec, then we can start the real talk."
Before any of the girls could think to protest, Ruby was already marching away. Blake was able to spot a hard frown on her face- the young leader's expression locked tightly and her eyes visibly narrowed. It was clear, considering her posture, that the leader was expecting some clear resistance from them and was blatantly prepared for the worst. Ruby's actions heavily reminded her of how Blake herself had acted when she had inadvertently disclosed her faunus heritage and prior leanings with the White Fang.
"Wait, Ruby, that's the-"
A door slammed shut. Blake winced. It would seem she was proven right, though she took no pleasure in the action. Not even ten minutes into Qrow's arrival in Beacon Academy and already they were treading on thin ice. Weiss shot the faunus a solemn look, shaking her head and putting a comforting hand on Blake's shoulder to steady her raging nerves.
"...Bathroom." Yang finished, sighing heavily.
"Err," Qrow looked around at all the resigned expressions present in the room, "we just gonna ignore that, or..?"
Weiss took the time to answer, seeing that neither Blake nor Yang appeared to be comfortable discussing things at the moment. "Likely Ruby is going to spill some water in the bathroom, or perhaps turn the sink on to achieve the same effect. Kirakishou has previously demonstrated an ability to appear though water. Teleportation, in a sense. It is quite unsettling in appearance."
Yang scoffed. "Unsettling. Yeah, right. Downright creepy more like it. So much for being under house arrest, when you can just teleport around whenever you want. Who knows what she's been up to, while everyone thinks she's just stuck in her room playing wannabe hairdresser with my baby sister?" she grumbled bitterly.
"Teleportation, huh?" Qrow mused, scratching his chin. "Strange type of semblance to have, you know. Also pretty damn rare nowadays. Only know of one other person that can do something like that, but it doesn't involve any kind of catalyst for it to take effect."
Yang looked down at the significant look that her Uncle was sending her. She knew exactly what person that Qrow was talking about.
"Raven Branwen," she muttered, drawing looks from Weiss and Blake from the hard edge audible in her distressed voice. "Look, it's nothing. Raven's got nothing to do with this mess. Let's just move on and deal with the immediate problem."
Qrow nodded along with the other girls following Yang's proclamation, though his expression seemed slightly downcast. All that Weiss and Blake could understand was that the subject of Raven Branwen, the person who shared a last name with the huntsman currently sharing their room, was completely off limits to speak about at this given time.
They shared a look. Once again, a new subject had been added to their growing list of topics to investigate. How long would this one take, they wondered?
"So. Back to the situation with Ruby. Has she always been like this since she came to Beacon?"
"Oum, no," Weiss responded with a heavy sigh, waving her hand dismissively. She seemed relieved to have a different subject to talk about. "When she came to Beacon, she was this wonderful happy-go-lucky kid just like everyone else. She babbled on like a dolt, but her foundations were solid. While I was surprised to discover Ruby was not only a part of my team but also leading it, after some careful deliberation I was able to affirm that she had the potential to become a great huntress after a lot of work."
"-Weiss got scolded by Professor Port." both Yang and Blake chimed in immediately, drawing a furious betrayed glare from the Schnee Heiress.
"I did not!" she crossed her arms, huffing indignantly. "The good professor only saw fit to remind me of the value of teamwork, rather than simply aiming to lead the team."
Qrow just chuckled. "Alright, kiddos. We're not assigning blame here. Though, hm, I'm not surprised the Ice Queen's little sister is a carbon copy of ol' big-and-special," he muttered the final part with a touch of amusement.
"Weiss has a sister?" Yang asked, surprised. Though she did note that Blake didn't appear as surprised. Perhaps the two girls had discussed it with each other during a previous time and simply failed to mention it to her. Considering how things had gone recently, it wasn't entirely out of the question for such a thing to have merely slipped their minds.
From what she knew, both Weiss and Blake were hanging out a fair bit after class. Extra studies or something. Though Yang wasn't entirely certain, considering her grades were already pretty good so she hadn't ever bothered to attend a single meeting in favour of hitting a few extra rounds at the gym instead.
Besides, if it was just some Schnee-speak for 'hanging out together' then Yang wasn't just going to stick her nose in the Heiress's business. The two girls had softened up immensely following the whole reveal about Blake's prior history with the White Fang and she didn't want to cause all of that development to spiral accidentally. Her numerous conflicts with Ruby had taught Yang the value of knowing when to hold her tongue, especially around friends.
"Oh, she totally has a sister. Quite the character as well. Her name is Winter Schnee, pride of the Atlesian Military," Qrow scoffed out a laugh, before raising up his hands in mock-surrender at the furious glare being sent his way by Weiss Schnee herself. "Hey, get off my britches, little girl. I'm not mocking your big sis, I'm mocking her employers. Bunch of sellouts, the lot of them. Winter herself isn't half bad, though she can be a pain to spar against."
"You better not be mocking my big sister. Even if you are a trained huntsman I will not tolerate such disrespectful behaviour in my presence," Weiss hissed threateningly, though to the rest of the girls the expression just looked cute in their eyes. They could easily tell she didn't stand a chance against a battle-hardened huntsman like Qrow Branwen.
"Huh. You got some balls on you, kid," Qrow praised in his own way, smirking. "Seems like Ol' Oz picked a good enough team, at least."
"Picked?" Blake spoke up, tilting her head to the side curiously. "What are you talking about? It was random. We partnered up with the first person we saw during the orientation. Though somehow I managed to see your oaf of a niece first."
Yang feigned mock hurt at Blake's teasing tone, whilst Qrow merely shook his head.
"Sure, whatever you say, kitten." he shrugged, before stretching a bit to relieve his muscles. "Well, back to it. What's going on with Ruby?"
Yang sighed. "It's the little girl that Ruby's with. Ever since they got together a bit after orientation, Ruby has been... different. Colder, almost. She fights with me practically all the time. I barely even recognise her anymore. Especially with that stupid hairstyle."
Qrow almost tripped.
"Wait, together? You're saying Ruby's dating?"
Yang nodded. "Yeah. Surprised me too. Especially after last time," she answered, before quickly glancing around at the other girls and seeing their faces. "Oh, I told all them about what happened with Ruby's last, er, crush. They know."
"And despite her history with romance, she's managed to keep in a relationship with this mystery girl?" Qrow looked confused. No, the girls didn't think that was an appropriate word. He seemed completely floored at the sheer idea. To both Weiss and Yang, it seemed almost alarming that it had prompted such a strong reaction. Was the idea of Ruby dating somebody enough to cause a response like that?
Yang ran a hand though her hair, laughing cynically. "That's just it. Their relationship hasn't just survived. Oh no, that'd be too easy. It's flourished. Somehow, despite all the baggage that both girls have in spades, they were somehow able to move past all that and stick together like glue. It's not healthy, not for Rubes and certainly not for Kirakishou."
Qrow whistled. "Sheesh. Harsh words coming from you, Yang. I'm not the kinda guy to know much about healthy relationships, but even to me it does sound rather-"
The sound of the bathroom door creaking open was enough to silence the grizzled huntsman and draw the attention of Team RWBY to their leader, who had walked back into the bedroom with Kirakishou right beside her.
Yang could spot that Ruby's lips were puffy and there was a tiny blush across her cheeks. Coupled by the delighted smile firmly planted on Kirakishou's face it was clear that Ruby had given the girl her own special greeting in the bathroom.
Qrow pushed up from his resting position against the wall, though he didn't step towards the girls.
"So. You're the mystery girl that's captivated my niece, huh? You don't look like much."
The smaller blonde blinked in apparent confusion, briefly turning to Ruby who was shrugging her shoulders, before turning back to face Qrow's stare. Her eye held an intensity inside it that felt remarkably unsettling to the hunter- an intensity rarely seen in civilised folk.
"...Liar."
Weiss went to grasp her weapon as the atmosphere abruptly thickened, however all she ended up grabbing was the hand of a surprised faunus. Nevertheless, the heiress didn't bother letting go of Blake's hand. Kirakishou could be a girl of few words, or a girl of many. Neither of which were typically good to hear for anyone, unless one was named Ruby Rose.
"What do you mean?" Qrow asked, raising a brow whilst his tone displayed apparent disinterest.
"You witness with your own eyes a beautiful pure rose and, rather than speak the truth as you so blatantly desire, you instead choose to say mean words and belittle her. Ruby said you would be difficult to handle, but she did not say you were a liar. Was she wrong, little Qrow? Do you lie to yourself?"
Four sets of eyes turned to Ruby in accusation, who was blushing in embarrassment at all the attention.
Qrow shrugged his shoulders, faking out a yawn. "Well… I don't know exactly what little Ruby has told you, but I'm really not the social type. Neither do I give a damn about what you think you know about me. Frankly, all I care about is how you're treating my niece."
Said niece audibly groaned, massaging her temples. "Can we please not do the anxious parental figure routine?"
Kirakishou giggled, leaning up against Ruby's side and possessively clutching the young trainee huntress. "Ruby is treated extremely well," she answered- pointedly ignoring Ruby's question in favour of speaking to Qrow. "Everything I have done since my arrival in Vale has been for her sake. Everything has endured in order to bring a smile to her lips. Is such love not worthy of your approval, Qrow Branwen~?"
Yang was beginning to pick up on the tense atmosphere, shifting uncomfortably as the silence following Kirakishou's words seemed to stretch on far past their welcome point. Weiss and Blake were staring at the frowning huntsman, who was eyeing the hold Kirakishou had on Ruby. To the eyes of the trainee huntress team, Kirakishou seemed to be smothering Ruby in her presence, whilst the girl herself seemed to be blushing rather pointedly.
"And how exactly did you arrive in Vale?" Qrow eventually asked.
Kirakishou's grip on Ruby tightened slightly, but her smile never faded. If anything, the small blonde appeared rather amused by the way things were going- seemingly ignorant of the discomfort on all the other members surrounding her. Either that, or such a thing simply didn't bother the odd girl whatsoever in favour of tending to her partner.
"You know how I arrived here, silly," Kirakishou answered, playing with the braid in Ruby's recently styled hair. "Why seek to ask a rose something you already know? It is not at all what my darling reaper sought to hear when she brought me into this singular moment."
Ruby squirmed at the ministrations, her blush growing to the roots of her hair. "Kira please…"
"It's alright Ruby," Qrow interrupted, waving his hand in a flourish seemingly to dismiss her concerns altogether, "we're just having a civilised conversation here. Nothing to be all worried about. No problems whatsoever. Isn't that right?"
Kirakishou gave a slow nod, seemingly waiting for Qrow to finish. Though she did seem noticeably intrigued. Weiss and Blake relaxed somewhat- impressed at the masterful manoeuvring of an unhinged entity by Qrow Branwen. They supposed he had likely dealt with all manner of difficult individuals throughout his travels as a huntsman.
Although Ruby's big sister seemed less comfortable with the situation, her hands weren't clenched into fists anymore. Which was probably a step in the right direction. Hopefully. The last thing anybody wanted was for a fight to break out in the middle of Team RWBY's dorm room.
"Exactly," Qrow nodded. "So, in the interest of making sure that everybody is up to date with what you know, could you tell us all about how you arrived in Vale?"
A slow blink. Huh. Interesting turn of events. Team RWBY had thought that Qrow had wanted to talk about his encounter with Laplace. Not to interrogate Kirakishou. The tiny blonde herself seemed noticeably surprised, before her expression calmed into a small smile. Kirakishou detached from Ruby and walked over toward the nearby window, pulling the curtains across to dim the room.
"...A pure rose arrived at Vale's borders inside a cargo crate, aboard a vessel filled with eighty-three small souls."
Qrow glanced around at group of girls, seeing recognition flaring in their eyes. Blake, Yang and Weiss appeared to all be studiously going through their memories, whilst Ruby looked entirely disinterested with the current flow of the conversation. Likely given her closer relationship with Kirakishou it was obvious his niece was privy to more information about Kirakishou's history- enough for the mere mention of it to others being enough to bore her entirely.
The final statement regarding crew count had drawn some raised eyebrows, once again from all members of Team RWBY barring their leader. Either Ruby knew about the number, or didn't particularly care. Regardless, it seemed to be an avenue worth exploring.
"Eighty-three, you say?" Qrow spoke up, seemingly drawing the girl out of her thoughts from his sudden tone, "That's rather specific, don't you think?"
Kirakishou blinked at him. "Would you prefer that a rose is inaccurate in her answers? In which case, this conversation will give you nothing. I am only doing what my darling reaper has requested of me."
"I think he's just surprised that you knew the crew count," Blake chimed in helpfully.
The small blonde clapped her hands to her cheeks, "Ah~ That makes more sense. Well, while a little rose sat confined in her cargo crate, there was little more to do than count those around her. Once she was found by a lowly crewman, she was able to confirm the amount. Though I hardly see how it all matters."
"Wait-" Ruby interrupted, drawing intrigue from all the girls in the room along with her Uncle. She seemed almost surprised. Had she not known something about Kirakishou's story? "You were confined? In a cargo crate?"
Kirakishou nodded, an ounce of hesitation present within her childlike voice. "...Yes."
Her followup question was immediate. There was concern in her voice. Along with anger.
"F-For how long?"
"...Not long," Kirakishou answered, looking down. "I am not entirely certain. I did not bother to check. Around fifteen hours, if I am to hazard a guess."
"Fifteen hours?" Qrow repeated, narrowing his eyes. "Average time from Vacuo to Vale by sea is three to four weeks."
A long blank stare was the girl's answer at first, as she drew herself back into the conversation that had been going on outside her thoughts. "...That is the first thing a pure rose can remember. Sitting in the dark. Counting unheard voices and silent sounds."
"So you don't remember how you got on the boat in the first place?" Yang asked.
"No."
There was a silence in the room as everyone present digested the information that Kirakishou had supplied, frowns on their faces. Ruby marched over to her partner and brought an arm around the blonde in support. Qrow and Yang shot each other a look at the action- they had quite the sneaking suspicion on what was going around in Ruby's head.
A lone girl, trapped in a room and unable to escape. It was a part of Ruby's rather painful past that all overseeing parties had long since wished to forget about- yet it was clear that Ruby herself had never forgotten.
"Which means that you don't know exactly how you got on that boat, or into that cargo crate," Blake surmised, drawing a nod from the blonde. "...I see. Did you feel any pain when you woke up? A headache? Soreness?"
Qrow nodded along. It was clear that the young faunus suspected kidnapping. It would have made sense after all, plus it would account for Kirakishou's lack of memories. But his own investigation had turned up far worse revelations than a simple kidnapping ring. Though it was best not to drop too many surprised on the group and instead let them collectively reach the same point together.
Kirakishou turned away from Ruby's concerned gaze, facing Blake and Weiss. Her hands moved down to cover her chest as her lone eye closed. "...Here," Kirakishou whispered, "it hurt here, so very much. Why did it hurt? I don't understand. Nothing injured me..."
She's not talking about physical pain, Qrow realised, she's talking about emotional trauma.
Judging by the uncomfortable expressions on Team RWBY's faces, Ruby herself included, all the girls had realised exactly what Kirakishou was implying. Her choice of wording in particular had caught the curious eye of the Schnee Heiress.
"What's the last thing you remember before you woke up in the cargo crate?" Yang asked, piping up for the first time in a while. Though her voice did sound noticeably subdued in light of the recent revelations from Kirakishou.
"Sakurada Jun," the blonde girl answered immediately. Curiously enough, Qrow and the girls could see both Ruby and Kirakishou herself tensing up upon mention of the name. They could only wonder what meaning the name held for them. What had Kirakishou told Ruby in private to cause such a reaction?
"An old flame?" Qrow asked, idly taking a swig from his flask. Yang shot him a dirty look- she didn't want her Uncle drinking in front of Ruby.
There was a pause as Kirakishou looked confused at his words for a moment, before she slowly bobbed her head. "The analogy is strange, but yes. In a way, I suppose he could have been considered as such. Sakurada Jun was to be mine. A flame to grant warmth to one who desperately needed it. He was to grant me freedom. But my beloved sisters interfered and corrupted him."
To be mine.
Her choice of wording hadn't been ignored. Not by a single occupant in the room. Whilst one felt a surge of affection for her partner, the others were far less comfortable with the declaration. It spoke of an unstable soul trying to forge bonds whilst having no understanding of a healthy relationship. Considering their team leader -and in Yang's cause her baby sister- was stuck in the middle of all of it was an uncomfortable scenario bound for failure in their eyes.
"Freedom?" Weiss questioned, "Freedom from what?"
Ruby's eyes hardened immediately. "...What did they do to you, Kira?"
"Hm? Ah. My beloved sisters did not confine me, Ruby. Though they may have wished for such in the past. No, instead that honour belongs to Father. Unlike my six sisters who were able to experience the world's treasures through movement of limb, their youngest little sister has been confined ever since her very creation."
"You were imprisoned since birth?" Weiss breathed, looking aghast. "...No wonder there are no records with your name," she muttered lowly. Blake frowned alongside the Schnee heiress, having gone through her own channels and achieved similar results.
"In a sense~" Kirakishou answered with a cute nod, seemingly oblivious to the horrified expressions present in the room. "The youngest sister was able to glance outwards and view the world through her power, but was unable to interact with the world itself. A pure, weak little maiden deserving the sympathy of the outside world," Kirakishou muttered, her smile diminishing slightly as she spoke. "However, when a little rose found one who had the potential to release her from her prison, her other sisters were unable to accept such a travesty."
"Travesty," Qrow grunted, vague amusement in his gruff voice. "Rather poetic choice of phrasing right there. Go on."
Kirakishou blinked at the man, glancing over to Ruby who was also staring at her Uncle with a scrunched up face. Ruby didn't look happy. The little blonde grabbed Ruby's hand, drawing a start from the girl and turning her attention on Kirakishou herself- as was right in her mind. Ruby didn't need to focus on dolls that were making her unhappy, when she had a pure doll to play with.
"But it is all in the past. Sakurada Jun was able to assist even prior to the other roses choosing to influence him, thus I was able to go outside and experience the world for the first time. I remember… brightness. Jun was inside a large room with many lights. My sisters were upset with my appearance and fought me. I was very confused, but ultimately a pure rose's defeat led her into the waiting arms of a darling reaper who chose to nurture and protect a wounded rose with her guiding silver light."
Ruby smiled warmly at the blonde girl, though there was an undercurrent of worry within her mind. For all that Kirakishou had poured her heart out to Ruby's teammates and even Uncle Qrow while he was being a jerk, Kirakishou's grip on her hand was very soft. There wasn't any particular inflation in her voice, unlike the impassioned moments the two girls had spent together without prying eyes in the way. Her voice had momentarily warmed upon mentioning Ruby herself, but it was still far too little emotion to display for an otherwise emotional story.
Was she lying to them in some way? She didn't even know if Kirakishou was even capable of telling a lie in the first place. Or was it merely summarising an event that had more motives than what she was letting on? That seemed far more feasible in her mind. Even if Kira's sisters were jerks, Ruby didn't know a single person that would downright attack family on the first mention.
Then again, she didn't particularly care at the moment. People had hurt her partner. Her lover. Somehow Ruby knew that part at least had been true- Kirakishou had spoken about it when alone with her and the pain in her voice was too strong to fake. She was… no, pissed would be an understatement- despite all the times that Yang's used that word when in a big fight. Instead, Ruby found herself downright furious. How dare they hurt her beautiful partner? Just when she was finally free!
What kind of sisters could do such a thing? Why would someone choose such jealous dolls over Kirakishou? Who is this Jun person? How could someone be so wrong? So twisted?
No wonder why the utter mention of the name Sakurada Jun sent such rage coursing through her veins. Perhaps on some low, instinctual level below her consciousness, she knew the pain that Kirakishou had experienced just by how the girl pronounced the name in the first place? It was a bit of a stretch, but it was the only explanation she had at the moment.
This wasn't the first time that Ruby had heard the name, either. Each time she had felt the same heated response from her body.
"And how does this Laplace creature fit into all of this?" Weiss questioned. "If you were imprisoned all of your life, until recently, how do you know of this creature?"
Ruby shot the heiress a look, uncomfortable at how quickly the conversation had shifted away from her doll's feelings and emotions in favour of digging out some horrid conflict. She didn't understand why Weiss even was interested in Laplace in the first place. It wasn't as if her dainty little glyph semblance could do anything to a monster like Laplace anyway.
"To ask something like that is state you have no knowledge about what the Laplace-no-ma creature truly is," Kirakishou shook her head, pouting adorably. "A shame, too, that you all now wish to learn about it. Would you not have all preferred to focus instead upon a pure rose and her intentions towards the one whom she loves?"
Yang's eyes narrowed. The fellow blonde had been staring straight at her as she said it. Smiling, too. Daring. Challenging.
"Well," Yang crossed her arms, "this Laplace thing that everyone's talking about supposedly has it out for my baby sister. We need to know about it, so that we can protect Ruby. The thing supposedly killed the Summer d-" Ruby shot her a heated glare, "Summer. Right after we got her back. I don't want to have to deal with the idea that it'll try and get my baby sister too."
"Wait, what?" Qrow stood straight, his eyes wide. "This Laplace figure killed Summer? What are you talking about? That's not what I heard."
Kirakishou shook her head. "To assume that it was anything less that Laplace's influence that destroyed Summer Rose after everything I did to bring her back is a really silly thought. Anything that has to do with one of Rozen's daughters always involves Laplace in some way. Perhaps it may not have personally committed the act, but it was Laplace's words that guided the blade that broke Summer Rose."
"Then we definitely need to learn about Laplace," Blake crossed her arms. "If Laplace is capable of sending others to do its work, then even though it may be gone for now there's the possibility that it's still got a second inside man to carry out the job, so to speak."
A harsh realisation settled across the room. If the figure was capable of possessing others and manipulating those around it to act in its stead, there was a high chance that their brief window of peace was all just an illusion.
"To understand Laplace is to understand eventuality," Kirakishou answered, walking over and picking up a small book from the nearby bookshelf before dropping it on the floor. "Try as you might to stop the book from falling, the book still falls eventually. No matter how much you wish otherwise, no matter how many times you extend the length between the beginning and the end, the book still falls in the end. That is Laplace-no-ma. An unending event. Unceasing motion. You can extend the duration of the event, but you can never truly stop it."
"But you and Ruby were able to stop it," Qrow countered. "Ruby was able to fight it off and you were able to drive it away. If it's as strong as you say, then that shouldn't have been possible."
"Ruby and I did not win against the creature. No, it merely chose to depart when I removed it from your body. Likely under the assumption that what it came here to do had succeeded. Why continue to play in a game you have already stabilised? To manipulate things any further would go against Laplace's core functionality."
"And what is its core functionality?" Yang questioned.
"The Alice Game," Kirakishou answered in a fervent tone. "Laplace mustensure that the Alice Game continues to run smoothly. It is the contract for which it is bound. It must know every variable, assess every possibility and ensure that the wheel keeps turning. For what is life for a bound creature than the duty to which it is bound? Without the game, it is nothing."
Laplace's Demon, or Laplace-no-ma as Kirakishou called it, was a referee. According to her, it had been solely devoted to ensuring that the Alice Game continues to play. Somehow, this desire led to creature into attacking the Summer Rose doll though an intermediary, whom Qrow personally knew to be Raven Branwen. The idea that it had successfully manipulated his sister, the leader of his tribe, was nothing short of horrifying. Those bandits listened to everything Raven said like it was gospel, to manipulate Raven meant that Laplace had the combined force of the entire tribe on its side through a single medium.
To Ruby and the others whom had learnt through Yang, they believed that Laplace had manipulated Taiyang Xiao-Long into killing Summer Rose. It had convinced a man into killing his wife after she had only been recently revived. While Yang, Blake and Weiss were still partially on the fence about the 'Summer doll actually being Summer Rose' spiel, they could only imagine how a widowed husband would have felt after doing the deed and seeing the doll body of his late wife.
What would he be thinking now? Could he feel solace, knowing that he destroyed a shadow of a bad memory, without knowing the true gravity of his actions? It was a horrid thing to imagine.
"...So that's what it meant," Ruby muttered, getting looks from her team. "E-Er, during the fight with Laplace it kept talking about the Alice Game. How it needed to take certain actions to ensure the Alice Game continues to play out. It was upset about what Kirakishou had done. It didn't want me and Kirakishou to be together."
Yang snorted at that last part, though a harsh glare from the other three members of Team RWBY was enough to keep her quiet. Qrow merely raised a brow at his oldest niece, who waved him off. Somehow he doubted that the only thing Yang was going to do was correct Ruby's grammar.
"Right…" Qrow muttered. "So, to summarise; this creature wants this supposed Alice Game to continue to play out. To do so, it'll manipulate and potentially kill anyone in its way in order to achieve that purpose. It hates what you've done with Summer Rose and, thus, killed Summer by proxy. It's a master manipulator and strong enough for you to consider it frankly impossible to fight against, only delay. That all about right, blondie?"
Kirakishou blinked at the nickname, whilst Ruby snickered in an uncharacteristic moment of amusement. "...While I disprove of your title for a pure rose, your summary is indeed correct."
"Then, my final question is this," Qrow continued, pausing for a moment to glance around at the trainee huntresses before settling back on Kirakishou, "what is the Alice Game?"
Weiss, Blake and Yang glanced at Ruby momentarily. Briefly after waking up Ruby had offhandedly mentioned the Alice Game. It had been the trigger which led to their team leader finally opening up about Kirakishou and Laplace, but ultimately hadn't known much about the Alice Game itself, only that it somehow involved both Kirakishou and the Laplace figure.
Something about Kirakishou had shifted upon Qrow mentioning the Alice Game. Her singular eye had hardened and the smile had slipped from her face. At first, the three girls and Qrow had assumed that Kirakishou was sad about it, that it held painful memories, but there wasn't any visible reaction on her face barring the hardened edge to her eye. No frowns nor smiles nor thinning of lips.
Ruby herself seemed sad. Curious, but sad. Almost as if she didn't want to know.
"The Alice Game is Father's grand design," Kirakishou answered. "His final solution to the problem that ailed him for a great many years. It is a solution that ends in failure for all involved in it, though due to Laplace's influence it stubbornly refuses to fade away."
"But what is it?" Qrow pressed, "What it about? Why is Laplace so concerned about it to possess my body and ride it halfway across the oum-damned planet just to get to you and Ruby? What does this Alice Game mean for Ruby?"
Kirakishou moved back to Ruby, grabbing her hands and pulled her close- in a hug more reminiscent of a young child clutching a security blanket than an actual embrace between two lovers.
"It is Father's plan to find the perfect girl." Kirakishou explained, her head resting against Ruby's shoulder, "...Many years ago, Father lost his firstborn daughter. In his grief, he sought not to move forward but to chase the fleeting image of his departed child by creating more daughters in the hopes of recreating her. Though each was… flawed. Junk. A pitiful illusion of the reality he so desperately craved."
"He had more kids to replace his firstborn? Sheesh. What a horrible way to go about it. Those poor girls," Yang ran a hand through her hair.
Kirakishou nodded against Ruby's embrace. It was a rare instance where the two blonds appeared to be on some degree of agreement with one another. "Yes. However, in his grief he eventually lost track of his initial goal of resurrecting his firstborn. He became obsessed with crafting the perfect girl- however only his firstborn child could be perfect in his eyes, thus his goal was impossible."
Oum. Weiss thought, disgusted with this man, she can't even call it anything other than CRAFTING a perfect girl. He was shaping them, through and through. How horrid. She paused, before having to restrain a morbid chuckle. Perhaps my own father learnt his parental skills from Kirakishou's father. Would make sense. They're both awful people. Though I cannot help but wonder how isolating Kirakishou since her birth would shape her to be like his firstborn.
"Grief can drive a man to do a great many things," Qrow remarked after a short pause, likely speaking from experience given the morose tone in his voice. "Must have hit him pretty hard. So, what about this Alice Game? You said it was his plan to find the perfect girl?"
The small blonde gave a tiny nod, detaching from Ruby's embrace to turn and face the man.
"The Alice Game was Father's final decree. He said that we each held within our bodies a spark of perfection, a Rosa Mystica. He said that in order for Alice to be created, one would need to possess all seven rosa mysticae within their body at any single time. They would become more pure than any gem, more noble than any flower, unspoiled and flawless. Thus, Father wished for us to fight for the right to become Alice- his perfect girl, his daughter. Only then, would he love us."
"He wanted you all to kill each other?!" Ruby gasped, horrified. "How could any parent ever want that for his daughters?! What the hell is wrong with him?!"
Weiss was too disgusted to even respond, Blake being in the same boat at the heiress at the present moment.
"...He actually asked his own daughters to kill each other?" Yang spat out, growling. "What a pathetic excuse for a man. He doesn't deserve the right to call himself your father. He's a madman."
"None of his daughters would agree with your words," Kirakishou shook her head, looking off to the side. "They wish to achieve his goal, if only to attain Father's love. Even if they wanted to, they could not break away from the Alice Game, not the Laplace-no-ma around. Thus, all of Rozen's daughters will compete to become Alice. It cannot be stopped. Even whilst I exist so far away, Laplace's presence means that sooner or later the Alice Game will continue."
"We're not going to let that happen," Weiss remarked suddenly, standing up and marching over to the girl with a resolute look in her eyes.
Blake and Yang looked at one another, before nodding slowly and moving to stand beside the Schnee Heiress.
"Look, I may not like you that much but even I know that something as insane as forcing sisters to kill each other is a little bit more crazy than you dating my little sister," Yang admitted, crossing her arms. "I still don't like your involvement with Rubes, but if this Laplace figure is going to come after her just for being around you, then I'm going to have to deal with it. Like it or not, I know you're strong. You stopped Laplace once, whether you admit it or not, and I believe you can stop that creature again."
"...Yang…" Kirakishou muttered, glancing between the taller blonde and Weiss with some degree of bafflement. "I-I don't… You shouldn't… This doesn't-"
"I get that you're confused," Yang said gently. She looked over the Ruby, who looked apprehensive of her sudden change of heart. Oum, that was putting it lightly. The dark-haired team leader looked more like an animal trying to decide whether to lash out or not. Nevertheless, she swallowed her discomfort and continued speaking. "But for now, just understand that I'll agree to a temporary truce. You and Rubes shouldn't have to deal with this all on your own. We'll help out, as best we can."
Weiss and Blake nodded, smiles on their faces. "You can count on us," they said, before blinking at each other and blushing ever so slightly. Yang giggled at the interaction, her face quickly shifting into a teasing expression.
Qrow gave a low smile from his spot on the other side of the room. "Eh. You're an interesting one, I'll certainly admit to that. Got a hell of a backstory and I'm definitely not stupid enough to believe you aren't hiding some serious revelations, but for now I agree that this Laplace figure is a bigger threat. So for now you get a pass."
Ruby smiled. But on the inside, she couldn't help but wonder, was any of it real? Allegiances could change in a heartbeat- the incident with Summer's death had told her that much. While her team and Qrow were on board right now, how would they react when they heard the truth about everything? Would Kirakishou ever even tell them the truth?
She, like her Uncle, wasn't stupid. Kirakishou hadn't told them everything- not in the slightest. But, for now, it had been enough to convince everyone to accept Kirakishou's actions.
Had that been the point all along? Had that been Kirakishou's intention from the start?
A/N:
Hello again. So, as you can all see through the lack of line breaks, this is all one big scene. Qrow Branwen is a bit of a legendary figure, both in the context of this story and for the RWBY series as a whole. With his appearance comes some interesting developments. Sure, he's a bit of a jokester but he knows how to get the ball rolling and stamp down any outward reactions he has about what he learns. Considering how everything developed in this chapter, you can see the results of his particular line of questioning.
The Alice Game. Oh, this is going to be fun.
We've hit the 200K words mark with this chapter as well, by the way. Thank you all so very much for your support throughout the development of this story. When I first started writing Paved with Good Intentions, I doubted I'd even reach 10K. Let alone get to twenty times that amount. Just looking at the number feels so... jarring, you know? It's a strange feeling. But nice. Very nice.
See you all next time~