Chapter 4: Communication
"Is this the best you can do!? If this is the best that you got, then you should quit while you can! A Huntress or Hunter isn't weak! They never give up! They don't stop! Honor, selflessness, and sacrifice! These are the bare minimum!"
Turning her head, Weiss screamed at the struggling formation of kids jogging behind her. Most faces were tied and panting. The blonde Faunus boy though smiled widely at her. Weiss raised a white eyebrow at that, but turned her head back around.
She believed she might have found her new calling in life.
She had thought that taking care of a bunch of kids would be annoying. Like dealing with a bunch of Rubys… but this was fun and not nearly as annoying.
A large smile was on her face as she jogged down Beacon's outdoor paths. A few confused Beacon students looking at her and the trailing formation of kids behind her in bafflement. From behind, team JNPR was following and helping any kid that completely fell off from the formation.
"M-Ms. Schnee! This is fun! You're really cool being able to run this fast for this long! You must train a lot! Its good I can keep up with you right!?" An excited voice, that she was now very familiar with, called from behind her.
Weiss turned her head. Naruto, still with his beaming smile was once again talking to her much like Ruby did when they had first met. Full of excitement and childish honesty. It was less annoying when it came from an actual child.
"Uhhh… yes?" Weiss answered.
The snow-haired girl frowned, seeing from over Naruto's head, that team JNPR was once again snickering.
They had been doing that whenever Naruto talked to her, she wasn't sure why though. Perhaps they thought it was funny that a child was constantly talking to her? Regardless of Naruto seeming to constantly be trying to get her attention, she needed to pay attention to the other kids. Most were not doing nearly as well as the blonde Faunus boy with the jog.
It was strange to her; she had done this and more at their age on her manor's track. Then again perhaps it was the climate? Vale summers' were often underestimated. They had started the run early in the morning, but the heat had picked up quickly.
"We will take a break here." Weiss said, wiping sweat from her brow and putting her hands on her hips as the rest of the kids (and Jaune) staggered to a stop and collapsed in the nearby grass and dirt.
The Schnee had to hold herself back from yelling at them. Showing such weakness… it bothered her.
Her icy blue eyes trailed over all of the huffing kids, before they settled on one that she could not tolerate seeing such a pathetic display from. A fellow Atlassian from a respectable and old house.
"Hinata! Stand up! Don't you have any self-respect!?" Weiss yelled and marched over to the nearly collapsed girl.
Short black hair and half-closed white eyes, the younger girl was practically shaking in exhaustion. On her knees and sweating like she was in Vacuo. Weiss wasn't sure why, but just looking at the younger girl angered her.
"Y-Yes, ma'am." The girl said weakly, standing with shaking knees.
Weiss clicked her teeth.
Team JNPR frowned at her, but she didn't care.
"They are all doing very well Weiss. Perhaps we should be… more understanding?" Pyrrha spoke up, surprising Weiss. If any knew anything about the importance of didicated training it should be the red-haired girl.
Then again, she dealt with and trained Jaune on a daily basis…
The Schnee decided to ignore the spartan and return her attention to Hinata.
"What would you do if your family saw you right now!? You can't show weakness! Haven't you been taught that!?" Weiss said glaring down at her.
"Y-Yes ma'am." Hinata said weakly, her eyes downcast.
Nora came up and placed a hand on the white-eyed girl's shoulder and glared at Weiss.
"Why are you being so mean to her!? It not like you're the fastest girl ever! Ruby makes you look like a snail!"
For a moment Weiss pictured Ruby in Hinata's place. Both had the same sad, kicked puppy face when she yelled at them.
It was annoying and so was Nora.
"Whatever. I expect better from you."
Weiss turned away from the younger girl and walked to the front of the formation as team JNPR stared at her back silently.
"Drink water everyone! We are not even half way done and we will be picking up the pace!"
The kids groaned in unison and Weiss had to control herself once again from snapping at them. Ren luckily was efficient at going around and helping the kids (and Jaune) to their feet quickly.
"With a little water and controlled breathing, you may be surprised at how long you can run for." Weiss heard the calming boy say.
She took a moment to breath herself.
She was normally the weakest one physically in a group. Especially when she compared herself to RWBY or the more respectable and capable teams. The fact that these kids were weaker physically than even her…
Weiss shook her head.
She was older and had trained for far longer than them. Why was their weakness bothering her so much?
"Hey… Ms. Weiss?"
Weiss turned to the small voice. It was the blonde Faunus boy yet again.
"Shouldn't you… be a little nicer? I mean… Hinata and rest are trying their best you know?" The younger boy questioned, looking her in the eyes with his sky blue.
Weiss paused for a few moments in surprise. She quickly recovered however and glared down at him with piercing sapphire eyes.
"No. Weakness gets other people killed and hurt. You can't accept weakness in yourself or others."
"But I mean… isn't Hinata from Atlas to? Just like you? Shouldn't you be easier on her then?" Naruto asked, glancing over at the still panting Atlassian girl.
"No, it doesn't. In fact, it means the opposite. When you relate to someone or are close to them, it means you need to keep them accountable. Family or friends. You are letting them down if you let them be weak. It's your responsibility to make them strong. If your friend or family fails, it's your fault."
Weiss said the words without even thinking of them. They flowed from her lips and even took her by surprise. She wasn't sure where they had come from.
The Beacon student quickly turned away and started jogging again, before Naruto could comment on her confused and conflicted face.
"Rest is over. Double time!"
The kids (and Jaune) groaned in unison but jogged after her anyway.
Ruby walked along the side of her older sister in the streets of Vale.
It was still fairly early in the morning, so not too many people were out and about.
Despite what was quickly tuning into a pleasant day, Yang's mood seemed to be dropping as the sun was rising.
Ruby had no idea what was going on, but quickly sensed the sudden change in mood from both her older sister and from Blake. The two had stopped talking to each other since the afternoon yesterday. Whatever was happening between the two partners, Ruby knew this time that it was worse than their normal arguments. Neither Yang, nor Blake seemed angry; just sad.
"I wonder if Weiss is having fun with the summer kids? I'm surprised she was willing to help out team JNPR with them." Ruby said as the pair entered into a street that hosted a café Weiss had taken her too once. It was a little to girly for her tastes, but it was quiet with lots of space. The hot chocolates were good to.
"Huh? Oh, yeah… maybe." Yang mumbled at her.
Ruby sighed at the lack of real response.
This was really bad. Angry Yang she could handle and help. She knew how to talk and calm down angry Yang.
Sad Yang though? It wasn't something she could remember ever seeing before. She had no idea how to handle it. Yang was the one who cheered her up. The reverse had never been true until now.
In silence the sisters came to the café Weiss liked and sat down in a corner by a window. It wasn't long before two drinks came that were more sugar than coffee. Nursing the beverages, the two sat in silence, both knowing that a talk was coming. Neither however quite knowing how to start it, or how it would go.
Ruby opened her mouth to speak after half her cup was gone, but Yang interrupted her.
"I don't want to talk about it, Ruby."
Ruby winched.
"Wow… this is… serious, isn't it?" Ruby whispered, slightly hurt, but more concerned with Yang's coldness.
"It won't affect the team. I just… need some space from Blake for a little bit… and a chance to think." The blonde put her hand on her head as if suffering from a headache.
"Ok…" Ruby mumbled feeling a little defeated already.
A minute later she had finished her drink and had decided to just ask the question and get it off her mind before it festered.
"Did… you and Blake, break up or something?"
Yang nearly choked on her coffee at the question. Her face turned red, and she glared at her little sister.
"N-No! That's not what is going on!"
"Really? Then what in Dust is!?"
The two glared at each other after their respective outbursts. Yang was the first to give in and sighed.
"It's… honestly private Ruby. I would be betraying Blake by saying anything about it. Its really not my place to tell."
Ruby let go of her glare and sighed as well.
"Ok… I just, don't think I've ever seen you sad like this before." Ruby whispered, annoyed and disappointed in herself that it seemed like there was truly nothing that she could do for her sister or Blake.
"Sorry. Just, Blake's thing… Dragged up a lot of memories. I don't know how to feel or what to do right now."
Blonde finished her drink and stood.
Ruby followed and stared at her sister's back as they made their way back to Beacon.
She was even more confused now. The only thing that ever-made Yang upset or sad in the past were their moms. Did Blake get contacted by her mom and was refusing to respond or something?
The red-capped girl looked up into the sky and sighed.
She could try to talk to Blake, it was intimidating though to try when Yang had already and this was the result.
If it was family related, then it really wasn't any of her business. Just sitting back and waiting for whatever was going on to blow over though? What kind of leader or friend did that?
Still… what if she made things worse? Yang was better at social stuff anyway. Normally when she struggled with people she went to Yang for help! Clearly, she was in way over her head trying to help with whatever was happening with Blake.
The leader of team RWBY looked down at her knees as she walked.
Once again, she wondered why she was in charge. The best she ever seemed to be capable of doing was barely holding the team together. Keeping everyone safe and happy was all she wanted. At least right now she knew where everyone was.
When her and Yang had left this morning, Blake had been up and reading. More silent and with a melancholic air around her… but at least Ruby knew where she was. Blake had a history of disappearing after all.
She hoped Blake would be ok, and that this would all pass by them soon.
Blake was sitting on the edge of one of Beacon's towers.
She had a Birdseye view of the training field that Weiss and JNPR were using for the kids.
The princess like girl had from Blake's view gone full drill instructor mode. Blake hadn't known the human had it in her, but she was honestly impressed with how well Weiss was taking charge. She almost felt a little bad for the kids that were being put through training that a Beacon student wouldn't scoff at. Runs, sprints, an obstacle course, partner carries, and random Grimm autonomy lessons for breaks.
Team JNPR had been regulated to teachers aids for the most part. Weiss only conceded to the teacher spot light for weapon demonstrations. A minor power struggle seemed to be going on between Weiss and Pyrrha as well. Though Weiss was clearly winning it, much to Blake's surprise.
Blake couldn't lie, it was an interesting watch. Especially seeing… him, after all these years. Happily going along with the training with bright blue eyes and happily pointing ears that seemed to focus in on any and every word spoken or shouted from Weiss. He seemed to be paying such close attention to the human heiress, that Blake wasn't too worried about being spotted or discovered.
The (even more now) disguised Faunus adjusted her glasses and face mask. Hair tied in a pony tail, she thought her new look worked well to hide her identity, but she still wasn't taking any chances. If he discovered, she was here… well she was making sure that wasn't going to happen.
Her only weak point right now was if someone brought up her, or said her full name while Naruto was around. There were plenty of Blakes and Belladonnas in Remnant though. She could pass it off as a coincident. It wasn't like she would give him a chance to confirm it was her either.
"Naruto! That isn't how you get through that obstacle!" Weiss screeched, causing Blake's hidden ears to flicker towards the human girl.
The Faunus boy had become strong, Blake noted.
He was one of the best when it came to stamina, speed, and coordination among the kids. That didn't stop him from seemingly getting in trouble with Weiss every five minutes though. He constantly interrupted the Schnee or did a task in an unconventional way that the human girl couldn't seem to accept.
Blake was impressed, he hadn't failed any of the workouts or tasks. Simply completed them in a way that irritated Weiss.
Blake respected anything that irritated Weiss.
"But I can climb it this way and faster to!" Naruto called back towards Weiss, hanging upside down from a climbing tower.
"And break your neck in the process! Don't blame me if you get hurt!" Weiss scoffed, putting her hands on her hips as she continued to glare up at the boy.
"Yes, ma'am!" Naruto sang, seeming happy from the attention.
As Blake watched Naruto and Weiss argue from afar. A flicker of jealousy went through her chest.
Weiss of all people looking after Naruto…
It was a weird thing to be annoyed by, but she was.
There was nothing she could do about it though. It was objectively good as well for the Schnee to interact with a Faunus. Likely, good as well for Naruto to be around so many humans to. He would have far more positive and normal interactions with humans than she did. He was on a path that was already much better than hers.
So why was she so sad right now?
It was a great thing to know he was doing so well. Better that it was without her…
Blake watched the kids training for the day end. They began to scatter and were free to walk around the campus for a few hours before the sun set. Two of the kids stayed behind to talk with Weiss. Blake was annoyed to see one of the kids was Naruto.
Frowning, Blake stood and decided she was done for the day as well. It hadn't gone as bad as she thought it would. Especially with Yang being upset with her.
She wondered if their relationship and even friendship was over now.
Blake couldn't blame the human girl for ending it. She knew she had done something that was very similar to what Yang's own mother had done to her. The similarity was obvious, and she was positive that Yang greatly disapproved of what she was currently doing.
Hiding from Naruto and letting Weiss of all people teach and take care of him.
She disappeared from the roof top, trying to leave her annoyance at Weiss behind as well.
"You did… acceptable Hinata. Though you need a lot of work! So, keep up your efforts from today! You may be a Huntress yet!" Weiss put her hands on hips and looked down on the sweaty and dirt covered Atlassian girl.
"Y-Yes, ma'am…" The girl said sadly, causing Weiss to frown.
She wasn't sure what to say as the younger girl walked away downcast.
If Weiss had been praised like that by Winter, she would have been over the broken moon. It didn't seem the short haired girl had been motivated by her words at all though.
Deep in thought on how her praise might have been better worded; she was pulled from her thoughts seeing a spiky mess of blonde hair and Faunus ears entering her vision from the side.
"Ummm… Ms. Weiss?"
Weiss turned her blue eyes to the Faunus boy.
"It would be Ms. Schnee… but I suppose its fine if you call me that. You did very well today. Your discipline needs a lot of work, but you have impressive physical abilities for your age."
Weiss was surprised to see the boy blush as he looked up at her shyly.
"T-Thank you. I just wanted to say…" The blonde paused before taking a deep breath.
"You are the prettiest girl I have ever seen and super cool and strong! Will you go out with me!" Naruto practically screamed as Weiss took a frantic step back.
"W-What!?" Weiss stuttered, completely caught off guard at the sudden and seemingly random confession.
Her face flushed red as she looked around for some kind of help.
She saw Hinata nearby who in turn was looking at the two with a stunned expression on her face. JNPR was as well, but clearly dying from laughter as they struggled to hold in their laughs at her sudden predicament.
"I said your amazing and cool and pretty so please- "
"Ok, ok! I heard the first time!" Weiss interrupted, more embarrassed than she could ever remember being in her life.
Pearls of laughter were starting to burst out from JNPR. Nora falling to her knees and holding her stomach in pain from trying to contain the laughter.
Instinct had Weiss take a step forward and whack the boy on top of the head.
"You… dolt! I'm way too old for you!"
The groaned and rubbed his head, orange aura flashing a little from the impact.
"And you shouldn't just shout something like that out for everyone to here!" Weiss finished, crossing her arms, and looking away from the short boy, eyes narrowed, and cheeks still flushed red.
"I… I'm sorry." The Faunus boy mumbled, seeming crestfallen.
Weiss glanced over at him.
He seemed heartbroken. She didn't need to be an expert on Faunus either to figure out that lowered ears meant sadness. He was just a silly kid with a crush on her apparently. It wouldn't be right to be too harsh on him she supposed.
Sighing, she uncrossed her arms and turned her face to him again.
"But… thanks. It's very sweet of you." Weiss said softly, giving a small smile to the boy.
The change was instantaneous in Naruto at her small words. Eyes shining and ears standing tall again.
"I'll become stronger and older and ask you out again! So just wait for me, ok? You can believe it! I'll be the best Hunter you've ever seen!" The blonde shouted at her again before taking off suddenly.
"W-Wait… that's not what I meant to..." Weiss uselessly trailed off.
Naruto was already running away to dust knows where and was swiftly out of her sight. The Schnee was left with a hand up and mouth ajar as she tried to wrap her head around what had just happened.
Her eyes went back to Hinata who was also staring at her with a confused look on her face.
JNPR lost their battle, and the clearing was soon filled with laughter
"P-Please don't tell anyone about this…" Weiss begged all of them.
Yang walked alone down a Beacon pathway outside.
It was getting late, and the sun was coming down. She didn't want to return to the dorm just yet though. Her mind still felt like a mess. Her feelings tangled with conflicting anger, sadness, and regret.
The blonde boxer walked to the grove that herself and Blake would often go to for privacy. It was almost like a secret spot for the both of them. It felt like it was hidden from the rest of Beacon, even though any and all couples in the school knew about it.
She wasn't sure why she had come here; she was supposed to be avoiding Blake, wasn't she? She certainly wasn't trying to seek her out right now.
Yang needed to figure out how to feel about Blake's past… and her present.
She… couldn't agree with Blake's choices. Not with what she did, and not with what she was doing now.
Yang knew far to well what it was like to be abandoned by a mother. Both by one who didn't mean to, and by one that did. She could forgive one, but not the other. Not yet, if ever.
She had wondered for years what type of person could abandon their child and just leave. Hell, it was one of her life's goals to find her mother and ask that very question to her. In some weird way she had an answer now.
A person like Blake could do that.
She wondered if she now hated Blake.
Yang suddenly stopped walking and punched a tree as hard as she could.
Her fist tore through the bark and exploded out the other side, showering the green foliage with sharp, broken splitters.
Eyes red and breathing heavily. The boxer struggled to regain control. She wanted to let loose and destroy everything around her. A deep, sweltering anger burned inside her. She literally shook with it. She was so angry, so pissed.
Pissed off that Blake was the type of person to abandon a kid. It wasn't hers by blood, but Yang had grown up without knowing that Summer was her mom until she died. She knew how little stuff like blood really mattered in the end.
Blake did to… she hadn't tried to downplay her relationship with her… kid. She had admitted she cared for him. Loved him as family. Yet, still she was avoiding him.
If he was anything like Yang, she was sure it was one of the boy's deepest wishes to be reunited with Blake. How could it not be? Did Blake not understand that? Or was her fear simply greater than the wishes of someone she considered her child? If so, how did that not make Blake the worst kind of coward?
A very big part of Yang wished the tree she had just punched was Blake. Another smaller, but deeper part just wanted to hold her partner and cry.
That thought caused tears to form in her now purple eyes.
Old pain mixing with new. The last time she felt this kind of sadness had been when she was just a child; struggling to understand a new, and much harsher world. One without a mother.
Yang sat down next to the wounded tree she had punched and cried for a few minutes.
She returned to the dorm later, feeling a little better.
She didn't hate Blake, she decided. She only hated whatever was keeping her from doing what was right. The fear, the shame, whatever it was. She decided to hate that.
She also knew what she would have to do.
Even if Blake in turn would hate her for it…
Hello all! Got to write a longer chapter! This is a pretty fun plot to write for so I'm hoping I will get to continue it. I actually had another commission for this story just with Weiss in Blake's place. I likely wont put it up on here though since the stories are so similar. Put if that one gets a few more updates I might add it in the future for all to see.
Thank you to KiraTakamiya, Eaglezaruma, puckett2833, a Guest, napalm creations, and jonathandeleondelossantos for your reviews!
Of course a thanks as well for everyone that follows and favorites!
