Here's chapter 74, everyone.

"She's getting better at it." Yang commented, smiling as she watched Weiss using glyphs, though not as fast as she wanted to, since the glyphs only appeared half the time she actually tried using them. "You wanna join in on that or not, Shadowcat?"

Blake sighed, since she wasn't always fond of that nickname. "I think I'll sit out this time. Still, it's honestly surprising to see." She watched Weiss with a smile, since she thought about the night before and the long talk they had.

"The glyphs? Yeah, same here. We'll figure out why she can do that one day." Yang said, looking on at her sister and closest friend training together. "Honestly, I don't mind sitting back either. Gives us time to recover from those boring classes."

"Those 'boring' classes will help us more than you think," Blake defended, though she knew what Yang meant. "But I'll agree that Port's classes can be a bit hard to stay awake through."

Yang grinned and nodded. "Truth, right there."

Weiss held Myrtenaster as tight as she could, while holding out one hand forward. She focused on her glyphs, wanting several to appear in front of her, and while the number was not met, she at least got three of the seven she wanted. "I guess that's a start…"

Ruby heard her and walked over, smiling at the glyphs in front of them. "A start? This is way more. You only made one before, and it's been only a few days, and poof! You can make three like it's nothing."

She was right. It was nothing, but only because she was training for many years. In comparison to Willow's training, Weiss had that advantage to her. "How are my aura levels?"

"Let's see." Ruby pulled her scroll out and was pleasantly surprised as she showed her partner. "Look, not even down twenty percent yet. See, you're getting better."

Weiss stared at the small screen and nodded, but that wasn't enough in her mind. "Like I said, it's a start. I'd like to actually reach a point where the amount of glyphs I want can appear." She wasn't thinking about normal combat classes at that point. "Out there, I can't make a mistake and try to land on a glyph that won't appear, or try to block an attack only for the glyph to not be big enough to block it."

Ruby understood that well enough. "Right. Well, maybe I can help by shooting at a certain spot, and you can try using a glyph to block it. Placement is key too, right?"

The white haired teen smiled, since she could see Ruby was always paying attention, even if it seemed like she wasn't at times. "Yes… I do like that idea. Thank you, Ruby." She leaned over and kissed her cheek as a reward in her own way.

She was used to receiving kisses from Weiss, so Ruby simply smiled back. "I like those kind of thank yous." Ruby giggled a little and readied Crescent Rose. "Soooo, where should I shoot?"

"Hmm. Well, why don't you decide? It was your idea after all." Weiss said in an encouraging tone, but before Ruby could choose, Weiss received a message on her scroll. "Hmm?" She checked it and was surprised to see that her mom wanted her to meet her outside. "W-What? My mom is here." She put her scroll away and looked to Ruby.

"Really? Well come on then!" Ruby took her partner's hand and started running over to the exit, while Blake and Yang seemed confused since they didn't hear that Weiss got a message from her mom.

"Follow them?" Yang asked and Blake simply shrugged. "Seems pretty important." She got up and offered her hand to the cat Faunus. "I don't wanna miss it, so wanna join me, Shadowcat?"

Blake playfully rolled her eyes, since she knew Yang wasn't about to let up on the nickname. "Sure." She accepted her hand and they both followed far behind.

Weiss, while happy that her mom was visiting, wondered why she would be. "Do you think it's about my glyphs?" She had decided to ask her partner as they were still running towards the front of the school. "And slow down, you dolt."

Ruby did so and thought about it herself. "I'm not sure, but does there have to be a reason? Your mom is here again." She knew how much Weiss loved her mother, since Willow made it her mission to give the girl the best life she could give her.

"I guess there's no reason to really question it, but just how she sent me the message. All it said was meet me outside." Weiss explained. "Do you think she meant to send it to my brother or father?"

"Nah, since..." Ruby got outside with her girlfriend and looked around. "...She's right over there, with my mom. Remember, it's the weekend." Ruby loved that her mother was working at Beacon, since she would always be able to see her each week, something she wished Weiss could have with her mom.

Summer noticed the two and waved them over. "There they are." She glanced back at Willow. "Everything is gonna be fine. Trust me. Snowflake won't ever hate you for this."

Willow didn't seem too sure, and she could feel her heart racing. "You can't know that…"

The blacksmith frowned in response. "Come on. You-." She cut herself off when she realized Ruby and Weiss were about to get to them, so she turned to greet them. "Hi, girls. I brought a special guest today."

Weiss smiled, while Willow rolled her eyes. Ruby on the other hand took the initiative and hugged her mother. "Mom, I can't wait to show you these new designs. I know you can't pick all of them, but I feel like one of them might work."

Summer giggled and rubbed her daughter's back. "You say that a lot, little rose, but I don't doubt one day I'll figure out a way to really give Crescent Rose an upgrade."

Ruby grinned up at her mom and Weiss took a step towards hers. "Mom, I'm really happy you're here, but what made you want to come over today?"

Willow almost wanted to cry when Weiss called her mom. "I-I need to talk to you, Snowflake, but later…" She put on a fake smile, and leaned in to hug her daughter. "For now I'd like to just spend time with my daughter."

Weiss was taken aback. Her mother was only ever like that when her 'father' would argue in front of her. "Mom? What's wrong? I-Is it about my glyphs?"

Last week, Summer had learned of Weiss' ability to use her family's semblance. "No, but… I'm really happy to know you have it now." Willow held her smile and pulled away from the embrace. "Would you like to show me, sweetie?"

She needed a reason to not talk about Lazuria immediately, and seeing her daughter using her new semblance would be just how to do that. "Oh, well I suppose I can, but I'm still not doing that great with it…"

Ruby reached over and poked her cheek. "She's being modest. I've watched her train every day since and she's doing really well." Her praise made Weiss blush a bit, and Summer grinned.

"I'm actually really interested to see what you can do too, Snowflake." Summer was an encouraging one to say the least.

Weiss nodded and held her hand out, her palm facing up as she focused on a smaller glyph. It appeared moments later, and Willow watched the small glyph spinning in her daughter's hand. "You really can use glyphs…" Willow quietly said, fighting back a few tears, and Weiss frowned since she noticed her mother's reaction.

"Mom?" Weiss made the glyph disappear and she was about to reach out to her, but Willow did first and cried, unable to stop herself from letting her tears fall. "M-Mom, what's wrong?" She was growing even more worried by the second, and as she tried to pull away, Willow didn't want to let her go.

Ruby was shocked by that and wanted to help, but Summer held her back. "Mom, she's-." Upon looking up to her mother's face, she saw a hint of sadness in those silver eyes.

"I know… This is something they need to talk about, little rose." Summer took Ruby's hand and walked her away. "Please let them."

Hearing her mother speaking like that meant whatever Willow was about to talk about with her daughter was something she couldn't be apart of right away. "I… Okay…"

"Mom, please tell me what's going on… Please." Weiss begged her mother, who kept crying as she held her daughter.

"Y-You know I love you… No matter what. I'll love you always, and no one can tell me otherwise, my little snowflake." Willow didn't care if anyone saw them. She felt that the risk of telling Weiss meant she'd never view her as her mom, so she was right to cry. "I'm sorry for what your father has done… I'm sorry for not keeping Whitley away from his influence. I'm sorry for all the lies."

Weiss was afraid of what was happening, since her mother never broke down like this in front of her. "M-Mom, calm down. What are you talking about? You've never lied to me."

Willow could tell her daughter wasn't handling her breaking down, so she took a few breaths and pulled away. "A lie is for one to not know the other person isn't telling the truth… I have lied to you, my little snowflake… And I am so, so very sorry."

Just hearing and seeing how her mother was reacting made the white haired teen instinctively wrap her arms around her. "Mom, it's… It's okay. You know I'd never be mad at you for a few lies. I love you, mom."

"I love you too…" Willow couldn't hug her back at that point, since just that small outburst she had was taxing on her, due to what she was trying to tell her. "You make me so proud."

Weiss buried her face into her mom's shoulder, wishing she wouldn't be saying those words since she had no idea why her mom was having an outburst in the first place. "Mother, please calm down."

Willow slowly let go of her daughter. "I'm sorry… I just… There's a lot to say."

"Whatever it is, it can't be that bad, mother." Weiss continued to call her mother, since she had to during serious situations like that.

"Would you forgive someone, not me, anyone out in the world who's lied to you for years?" Willow asked, hating herself for how she was handling it, but she couldn't keep things secret anymore.

"I-I… It depends I guess. But I don't care about lies, mom. If you lied, then you did and it won't matter because I swear I won't be angry." Weiss assured, though she couldn't know what was going to happen.

"Do you remember what I told you… About how for your birth, it was announced at a special grand opening?" Weiss nodded, thinking that couldn't be the lie, so she let her mom continue. "That day… The news of your birth, it was a lie…"

Weiss was confused, while Blake and Yang had gotten outside at that point, both about to walk over to Willow and Weiss, but Summer called them over. They didn't know what was up, but they chose not to get involved just yet.

"So… The lie was just that my birth wasn't announced on a grand opening? Mom, why would you be so worried about that? I don't care if it was or wasn't." Weiss stated.

"That's not the lie…" Willow cried more, and she knelt down, and her daughter followed her down as well. "You're my daughter… And I love you so very much, but… The lie is that I was not the one to give birth to you…"

Weiss' heart dropped, and every sound she could hear was simply gone, replaced by the soft wind that blew by. "What… Are you talking about?"

"Sweetie, you're-."

"No, what are you talking about?" Weiss stood up and took a step back. "Mother, that's clearly a lie right there. I can use our family's semblance, and I already know father wasn't born a Schnee, so explain that if you weren't the one to birth me."

Willow understood her reaction, but she lowered her head. It was hard to explain, why she had the ability to use glyphs, but in the end, she still had to tell the truth. "I don't know how you are able to use glyphs, Snowflake… But your mother-."

"No! Stop saying these things. You're my mother, and that's it." Weiss demanded, and she watched her mother stand up. "I don't want to hear this anymore. Now come on and-."

"Look at me." Willow was as serious as she could be, and nothing was going to be able to stop her at that point. "I am not the woman who gave birth to you, but I raised you since you were a baby. Just let me expl-."

Weiss stopped her mom when she stomped her foot against the ground, while tears of her own fell. "Stop it already! This isn't funny anymore, mom!" Willow's heart broke when Weiss swapped back to calling her mom, and she felt her daughter run up and hug her. "Please stop it… Please stop with this joke…"

Ruby was taken aback, as well as Blake and Yang who looked to Summer for answers. "I'm sorry, you three… It's not my place to say. Just let them talk and you'll know, I promise."

"Please… Please stop." Weiss begged harder and harder, wishing her mom was just playing a cruel joke on her. "You're my mom… You are!"

Willow hugged her as hard as she could, and she brought her daughter as close as she could. "I am, but… Not by blood. You'll always be my little snowflake, my daughter, no matter what anyone says, but you deserve to know the truth…"

Weiss couldn't accept that, not in the way it was happening, and she shook her head. "No more… This isn't real. I have our family's semblance! You're my mom, Winter is my sister… Whitley is my brother. Father-."

"He is not your father!" Willow seethed, refusing to let Jacques be included in the family Weiss has grown with. "But yes… Winter is your sister, and Whitley is your brother. You are their sister, love and all."

"Then stop saying that you aren't the one who birthed me... You had to have." Weiss said as soft as possible, since she was crying harder at that point.

"Is it wrong to tell you… Is it better to continue a lie that's gone on for seventeen years?" Willow questioned, and Weiss froze.

Weiss pulled away, examining her mom's face as she could tell she wasn't lying, and that it wasn't just a cruel joke. "No…" She shook her head, not wanting any of it to be real. "I'm just having a nightmare… That's all…" Weiss started taking a few steps back.

"Snowflake, please… Don't run." Willow could tell she was thinking about it, so she reached out to her, only for Weiss to slap her hand away, something that almost made her heart stop.

"Shut up…" Weiss growled, unable to quell her anger. "This isn't real. It's not!"

"It is. Your mother loved you, but she… She had to leave you behind. Do you truly believe I would lie to you-." Willow stopped when Weiss conjured up a glyph in front of her.

Weiss was taking a few heavy breaths, as she was shaking all over. "Lying. That's what you're doing right now, and my mom would never lie to me!"

Willow stood there, feeling every emotion from her daughter. "I don't deserve to be called your mom… You have every right to be angry at me, my Snowflake. If you don't love me anymore… I under-."

Weiss dropped the glyph and lowered her arm, staring at her mother in shock. "This… This isn't a nightmare, is it?" She sounded defeated, and Willow simply stood there, wishing she could go back in time to tell Weiss the truth back then.

"No, it's not a nightmare." Willow took a few steps forward, and Weiss didn't move as her mom swept a few white strands from her forehead. "Your mother wanted me to raise you because she… She couldn't." Tears couldn't shed anymore, and she wiped a few from Weiss' face. "I've always loved you as my own, because… You are my daughter. My little Weiss."

"Mom…" Weiss slowly fell to her knees, the same as when her mom had moments ago, and Willow followed her down just like Weiss had. "Mom, why… Why are you saying this… You're-."

"Yes. I am your mother. Because no matter… Blood is not what makes a family." Willow spoke truth, and she could see the pain in her daughter's eyes. "Your birth mother loved you so much… But she couldn't keep you. So she entrusted you to me, and from the moment I saw you, I was so happy."

Weiss sat there in silence as her mom would brush a few loose strands away.

"You were so small back then…" Willow could finally feel the tears falling again. "And your mother was so happy you would live a happy life, so I eventually accepted, and took you in. Because I knew, I knew from the moment I saw you, that I would always love you."

A few moments passed, and Weiss raised her head up, looking directly into her mother's eyes. "You're my mom…"

Willow's eyes widened, and she felt Weiss grab her arms to keep her still. "Weiss…"

"You… Are my mom. No one else." Weiss declared, and she was still shaking. "I don't care… If you didn't give birth to me… You… You are my mom!" She cried again and buried her face into her mother's stomach when she dove at her, and Willow gasped at what she said.

"Weiss…" Willow could only say her daughter's name as she lowered her head and kissed the top of her head.

"Please don't go…" Weiss begged, and Willow nodded, confirming she wasn't going anywhere. "You're my mom… You're my mom." She repeated those words like her life depended on it, and Willow kept nodding each time she would say it.

"Yes... I am, sweetie. I am and I'm not going anywhere." Willow could feel Weiss' heart racing, as well as her own. "Just know-."

"I don't want to hear anymore… You're my mom and that's that…" Weiss voiced cracked, and she rubbed her cheek on her mom's stomach. "I love you, mommy…"

Willow was shaking, but when she heard Weiss call her that, she had to be strong. Her daughter was afraid, and to truly be her mother, Willow had to be strong, so she took a breath. "I love you too, my little snowflake. Just relax… Mommy's here." Weiss was trying to calm down, and Willow rubbed her back. "Sweetie, I am so sorry… For telling you this now. But please, calm down for mommy… Calm down and I promise everything will be okay."

Weiss was taking calmer breaths, and after a few moments, she pulled away and wiped her eyes. "Mom?"

She knew her daughter was looking for guidance, so she nodded and took both her hands in her own. "I'm right here… If there's anything you want to ask-."

"Do you love me?" Weiss asked, and Willow didn't hesitate.

"Yes. I do love you." Willow squeezed her daughter's hands. "I love you, your sister loves you, and your brother loves you…"

"Father doesn't…" Weiss knew.

Willow bit her lip. "Don't call that man your father. He does not deserve to call you his own." She had a deep hatred that grew for Jacques every day, since even then it was affecting her daughter.

Weiss sniffled, not letting that part hurt her as much, since she's known her father wasn't considered a good father. "Why now…"

"Because… Because I've thought about her… Your birth mother. I've thought about the day she asked me to take you in, and the day I brought you home." Willow sighed. "I held you that night, and you cried… I wanted nothing more than to give you back to her, but… She couldn't keep you."

"Why not?" Weiss had to ask.

"I-I…" Willow trailed off, not able to tell her that truth yet, since even she didn't know if Lazuria was alive. "I don't even know if she's alive, Weiss… It's something that she couldn't risk."

"Me…" Weiss let out a somber laugh, and she looked up at the clouds. "What was her name…"

"Lazuria… Lazuria Okami." Willow sniffled as well, wondering how her daughter would react to finally knowing her birth mother's name.

Weiss said the name to herself a few times in her head, but then she looked to Yang specifically. "Yang… Her mom left, and Mrs. Rose raised her. But she still calls both of them mom…" She took a breath and turned back to face her mother. "What about… My father?"

Willow shook her head. "I don't know… The day that I was asked to take you in, all that I was told was that he blamed himself for your mother being unable to raise you… I'm sorry, snowflake."

"I see…" Weiss sighed, and she let her mom's hands go to let them drop. "My semblance… My first semblance."

"Is because of your birth mother." Willow answered her, and Weiss felt her accomplishments of breaking through the Schnee family semblance fall apart. "But you've made me so proud… Because you have two-."

"I shouldn't." Weiss stopped her. "I shouldn't have two semblances. Was she a Schnee? You said her last name was Okami. So… Did she take my father's last name?"

Willow truly couldn't answer how Weiss got the ability to use glyphs, but she could at least tell her more of the truth. "No, she kept her last name. She wasn't a Schnee, and neither was your father."

"Then how?" Weiss questioned, her voice matching that of Willow's at that point, hurt and unable to raise it.

"I don't know." Willow kissed her forehead again. "I can tell you… More, but we should go insi-." She stopped when Weiss shook her head. "Sweetie, I-."

"Please stay." Weiss pleaded and she scooted back a bit. She closed her eyes and focused, so the familiar light encompassed her body and a moment later, she appeared as a white wolf again. "Please."

Willow could see Lazuria at that point, for just a second as her daughter was in full view. "I will." Willow sat down properly and Weiss laid her head down on her mother's lap, so she began rubbing her daughter's white fur. "Mommy's here."

Weiss knew that, and while she was in pain, she at least knew the truth. The truth that Willow would always be her mom. "I love you, mom."

"And I love you, my little snowflake."

The seventeen year lie is over, and it only took 74 chapters of this story for Weiss to learn the truth, well, most of the truth. As she still has more to learn of her birth mother, much more. This chapter is longer than usual seeing as it was a very important one, so yay for that.

Also I got my RTX badge, since I'm actually going this year! While I have my issues with RWBY, I'm still gonna try to enjoy it there, as there is a lot to offer, so to people who will also be going, hope you guys have a good time there too.

To JJ- Yeah, you'd be right with that. Being that close, that they consider each other sisters was what drove Lazuria to request Willow be the one to take Weiss in. And yes, Blake's parents will be involved at one point. Just gotta get there. Weiss and Blake have grown in the time they've gotten to know each other, and I'm glad that I got them to this point as friends.

I hoped you all enjoyed chapter 74. Remember, reviews are welcomed, but not required. See you all in chapter 75.