Silence. That's all there was when Catalaya's mother gave the women the news. Ruby was running through contingency plans in her head, praying she can keep her team safe, that she can see Penny again. Blake was fearful, her thoughts falling towards the worse case scenarios, she wanted to run. Yang was furious, her hair was igniting embers falling from her shoulders, they weren't prepared for this. Weiss, was frozen, all thought had come to a screeching halt.
What remained was only fear, for her friends, for her life, and for her lover. The team glanced in unison at the silent shifter, they could feel her aura pulsing, her body shaking with what could be either fear or anger, both most likely. Weiss could hear Jakal through the link; she was furious, growling and snapping within her host's mind. Cat's claws retracted and disappeared as her eyes flickered between a blinding white and a frightening black. The air around her was cold, something that was never common with the pyro. Alicia sighed and glanced at her youngest daughter, she'd expected her to be angry, maybe even fearful. Yet, the look in her changing eyes only told her that her child didn't know whether to be or not.
"Ember? Dear?" She called out to her child quietly. Her voice was soft and soothing, she was using her Siren ability to try and soothe the soon to be raging beast. Catalaya didn't acknowledge her mother, subconsciously resisting against the calming magic trying to take hold. Catalaya's own fear being fueled by Jakal's anger, causing their shared magic to slowly become uncontrollable.
Team RWBY and Alicia, sans Weiss, took a step back when her aura formed around her. Weiss took a step forward, unafraid of her girlfriend. "Catalaya? Jakal?" She addressed the both of them, figuring it best to get both of their attention on her.
The shifter didn't respond only growled and turned towards the door. Alicia had taken a step forward, believing her daughter about to rampage. The women in the room being surprised when she ran out of the room and into the city, not stopping running full force into the surrounding forests. Weiss let out a breath of relief, "Don't worry."
She told the others who looked at her strangely, "She's going to calm down."
Alicia tilted her head, "Link?" Weiss nodded and gestured for her to continue on.
"Let me show you to somewhere you can rest. We'll have to discuss this when my daughter returns from her rampage." Alicia said as she walked on. Team RWBY followed after silently, unsure how to proceed without knowing where Catalaya was. A small servant girl scurried silently down the hall, large mouse ears and a thin tail adorned her body. "Lili, dear?"
The mouse girl stopped and turned to the leader's wife, "Y-yes, Miss?"
Alicia chuckled at the girl, "Please tell the cooks to prepare a dinner for my guests and daughter."
Lili nodded meekly, "Should I have the other children attend?"
Alicia frowned but nodded, "All of them if you don't mind?" Lili seemed to shiver before nodding rapidly and scurrying off. Yang nudged Ruby forward, trying to get out of speaking to the strange woman. Ruby pushed her backwards and walked forward to the imposing woman. "Um, will Catalaya's siblings be attending?"
Alicia nodded stiffly, "They must." She perked as they neared a large door. "This is where you girls will stay."
She pushed open the wood doors and ushered them in. The room was built with an oak interior. There were seven large beds made of animal skin and feathers. Ruby awed at the designs, while Blake traced over some of the carvings in the wall. "This was the room some of my eldest slept in as a child. They shouldn't mind you all in here." The women shrugged, they were just glad to have actualbedsto sleep in.
Weiss turned to the woman, "And Cat?" Alicia tilted her head, soon realizing she was speaking of Black Flame- it would be hard to get used to the new name she went by. "Her's is down the hall from here. She always did enjoy being away from the others."
Weiss nodded, trying to find why that seemed so odd for her lover. Alicia left the room, leaving the girls to their own devices. "So..." Yang started to speak, splayed out across the bed nearest the window. "Anyone else confused why Catalaya made this place out to be so dangerous?"
Ruby shrugged, "Her mom seems nice. Though I can't say anything about her siblings, since we haven't met them yet."
Blake sat next to Yang, "I don't know. She gave me a weird feeling. That servant girl seemed scared of her, too."
The three looked to Weiss who was staring intently at a painting on the adjacent wall. "Weiss?" Ruby asked, shuffling off the bed towards her partner. She stopped behind her, tilting her head at the painting she was staring so intently at. It was of thirteen children all sitting side by side together. Various sizes of smiles on their faces; from soft to eager. They were lined up together in between who they recognized as Alicia and who they assumed was their father.
He was barely a head taller than Alicia and was pretty intimidating. He had dark, untamed black hair that seemed more like a mane than hair. He had dark red eyes and both arms and one leg covered in tattoos. In front of him coming up to his waistline was a young Catalaya. She wasn't smiling, her expression more like a grimace-Weiss noted that the man had a discreetly placed claw in her shoulder, probably to keep her from running away.
Hiding your pain behind a smile even back then, huh?Blake thought to herself, she could clearly see the pained expression on the young girl's face. Weiss said nothing, turning away to leave the photo alone when she saw him; Jinsè.
She could tell it was him by his bright golden eyes and hair. He was holding Cat's free right hand, and glaring at the man from the corner of his eye.He looks like he's trying to comfort her."They don't really look alike." Ruby said, trying to break the tension in the room.
Yang nodded, "Yeah, they really don't. Although, I do see what she means by not standing out much here."
Blake nodded, walking back towards one of the beds,"Let's rest a bit. It was a long walk here."
The girls begrudgingly walked to the beds, Weiss taking another look at the photo before crawling into the welcoming fur covers. She felt odd, over the past year, she'd become used to Catalaya or Jakal sleeping next to her holding her close to their chest. The ice mage tossed an turned for a while and sighed, staring at the ceiling,This is going to be a long night.She thought to herself as she struggled to fall asleep.
3 Hours Later
Knock! Knock! Knock!
"Pardon me, young Misses. But the dinner will be starting soon." It took Blake a moment to register someone was trying to wake them up. Like her feline counterpart, it was difficult for her to want to leave the comfort of the bed. She slid from underneath the covers and opened the door to find a startled little mouse shifter, the same one from earlier. "Um, Lili right?"
She nodded shakily, "Yes, miss."
Blake rubbed some sleep from her eyes,"I'll get them up. When do we have to be there?"
Lili took a deep breath, "I will notify you, miss." Blake nodded and thanked the little woman once more before turning back into the room to wake her team for this dinner. This task would take tact and precise excision. "WAKE UP!" The other women woke with small shrieks. Weiss falling to the ground with a thud and a groan. "The heck, Blake?" Ruby questioned as she rubbed her face. "The dinner will be starting soon and it takes to long to wake you up individually."
Yang shuffled herself out of bed and plucked her girlfriend's side before stretching and starting to get herself ready. Weiss stood up, yawning, and streched, sighing when she heard a few satisfying clicks and cracks. She went over to her bag, none of them had anything fancy. The only other thing besides their Huntress outfits were nightclothes and some pairs of jeans, shirts and a few outfits they had left over from the tradepost.
After around twenty minutes of trying to find something that would work, the girls were ready. Ruby herself wore a red long-sleeved shirt, dark jeans and her usual cloak. Weiss wore a pale blue and white plaid shirt, dark blue pants, and had fixed the briads in her hair that she'd had done when in troll territory, she was quite fond of the style. Blake wore a white t-shirt beneath a black long-sleeved vest and black pants, she was wearing the violet necklace Yang bought for her years ago. Yang, wore a yellow shirt, her orange scarf, and brown shorts; not much of a change from her combat outfit. There was a knocking on their door, Ruby opened it to see the servant girl, Lili. "Hey there, Lili."
Lili shyly waved, "I-I'm here to escort you all to the dinner. Please follow me." The four women followed after the fidgeting shifter down several halls and down a spiral staircase. They came upon a grand dining hall, the table was wood and long, chairs to seat twenty. "Ah! There you are."
Alicia said, "Please, sit. My children will be arriving in a moment." They nodded and sat down, marveling at the intricate designs.
Lili bowed at the matriarch and scurried out the large wooden doors, her ears twitching. A second later she pushed open the door with minor struggle and spoke, "May I present, Marcus, White Vision." A five foot five man walked in. He had grey skin like his mother, slicked back hair, and not a single tattoo besides his familial markings.Not a fighter?Ruby thought to herself.
Marcus handed his mother a bouquet of flowers and sat in the seat on her left. "Greetings, ladies." He said in a gravely voice.
The women said their own greetings as more people came in. "Jaime, Silent Storm." Jaime, clearly Marcus' twin, said nothing and waved at the women, handing his mother some flowers.
The introductions went on for a while. Next came, Thomas, Soundless Storm. With his grey hair and blue eyes. He walked right past his mother with a sigh, sitting in front of Yang.
Kaine, Nature's Heart came right behind him, he was much shorter and wore no shirt proudly displaying his scarred torso.
With wide, swaying hips came the triplets, Angela, Eye of Eagle. Dana, Speed of Wind. And the eldest triplet Mariana, Voice of Sirens. All three with black hair and red eyes. Carbon copies of their father. They smiled and gave Alicia flowers as well, sitting down together.
Eyeing team RWBY with confusion and disdain. Once more the large doors opened and in came a young man, in his late twenties, with a military crew cut and green eyes. "Haniir, Glass Spirit." He walked with sass, placing a kiss on his mothers cheek before taking a seat. He winked at Ruby, causing her to shiver in disgust under his gaze.
Then came two young women together, "May I introduce Ayoanna, Stone Will." Ayoanna waltzed right in, bumping into Lili who scrambled to get back up. Ayoanna didn't even apologize. After quickly dusting herself off, the mouse shifter continued.
"Gia, Turbulent Sea." Gia looked a bit more like Catalaya. With her caramel colored skin and red eyes. Her hair was a light purple, long and weaving down her back. She placed a crumpled daisy in Alicia's hand, plopping down next to Ruby with a tired sigh. Alicia glared at the woman quietly, perking up only when the dor opened once more.
"May I present, Alex, Steel Mind." Lili said nervously. An average sized young woman walked in. Dark glasses resting on the bridge of her nose, red hair in a messy bun, and a blue book in her hands. She smiled affectionately at Lili, who tried her best to hide her blush.
Alex placed a daisy in Alicia's hands and sat down across from Gia. Blake looked around, there were three empty seats. One, she presumed was for the father, another for Catalaya, she could only assume the third belonged to Jinsè. They probably didn't want to move it. "Now that you're here, I have something very important to discuss with you all." Alicia said in a professional tone.
Gia rolled her eyes, "It had better beveryimportant. I had to leave my patients."
Alex just flipped a page and spoke montonously, "If it was that important, why isn't Black Flame and Father here?"
Haniir nodded, "Yeah. Where is Father and that little weakling?"
Ayoanna smacked his shoulder, "Watch your tongue, brother. I highly doubt she won't hesitate to kick your ass again." The rest of Alicia children chuckled and giggled. Marcus smiled, "She has a point, brother. You shouldn't underestimate the young one." They nodded and Haniir grumbled. "So," Angela started, "where are they anyway? And who are those girls?"
Alicia sighed, "Black Flame is out trying to calm herself. And your father is missing." The room went quiet at that.
Alicia attempted to difuse the tension by answering the second question, "This is Team RWBY. Their companions of Black Flame. They came to help." The team introduced themselves, trying to ignore the odd stares they were getting. Haniir leaned over the table, taking a deep sniff of the newcomers.
He snorted and sat back down, "You don't seem like much. Especially the pale one." Yang was going to say something when Ruby spoke up,"We are four of the greatest warriors the Nexus has. You on the other hand, don't look like you could fight your way out a paper bag." It was silent for a moment before the Cheiftain's children, sans Haniir, burst out laughing, Alicia included.
Haniir growled low, "You human peice of-" he had leapt towards the rose when shadows appeared around his wrists and twisted his arms around. He fell to the ground with a thump. Haniir stood and tried again only to be stopped by a burst of flames pushing him backwards, and tossing him into a small whirlwind of rose petals. His siblings didn't act, afraid to step into the mess he caused. Haniir rolled over and spat out a glob of blood. He would've tried again had it not been for the ice dragon that appeared behind the team. "Try to attack us again, and you won't live to see the sunrise." Weiss said, her eyes blazing blue and the room growing cold.
Beside her Blake was smirking, subtly tightening the shadows around his wrists. Yang was literally smoking, as Ruby only smiled and spoke in the sweetest voice possible. "As you can see we're not the inexperienced children you think we are. So, don't expect us to allow you, or anyone else, to treat us as such. Understood?" Haniir shakily nodded, his siblings doing the same, all of them both impressed and fearful at the display. Ruby seemed satisfied.
She leaned back in her chair and nodded once. Blake pulled her shadows back to her as Yang's flames dimmed, her eyes turning from the crazed crimson back to the calming lilac. Weiss begrudginly dispelled the dragon, the being shrinking back into her. She hadn't thought the temporary displacement spell would work as well as it did. Judging by her smirk, she'd be using it more often.
Gia looked between Haniir, who was avoiding eye contact, and the platinum blonde woman, Weiss. "I won't be getting on your bad side anytime soon." She chuckled as the rest chuckled as well. Alicia smiled at the interactions between them,Those women are much stronger than they look. I just hope they survive the Council.
She thought to herself as servers came and placed food in front of them, she had them put some at her youngest's spot, just in case. As they are in moderate silence, swapping stories and laughs, Weiss perked and turned to the doors, stopping the conversation. Yang shared a sly smile with Blake and Ruby as Catalaya entered the dining hall. She had the same thing from earlier on, now with a few cuts and small tears.
She said nothing to no one, plopped down in the chair next to Weiss and slammed her head into the table. Weiss moved her plate backwards just before her forehead came in contact with the wood. Cat groaned in both pain and frustration, from the impact and the fact that she would have to deal with her family.
"You alright?" Weiss asked concerned for her girlfriend. Catalaya grumbled, sitting up, and leaned her head on Weiss' shoulder. "I'm fine, Snow." Weiss didn't believe it but sighed anyway. She looked the shifter up and down before putting more food on her plate and gave it to her.
"Thanks, love." Cat began to dig into her food, hungry after her impromptu rampage. Weiss pushed a few peices of her hair back into place, earning a satisfied purr from the shifter. She ignored the stares she was getting from some at the table and continued to have a muffled conversation with her team.
Marcus, for all the calm he exudes, was the very definiton of angry. "What the hell are you doing?! Letting yourself be treated like a pet?! By a human of all people?!" Catalaya looked at her brother, her mouth full of food. She raised a finger, telling him to wait. She swallowed A mouthful, took a drink of water and looked at him with the most bored look he'd ever seen. "I like being petted. It's soothing. Why does it bother you?"
Haniir had gotten up and moved to stand near Alicia just as Marcus shouted, "You're soiling the family name! Not only associating with a group of humans, but in a relationship with one! With a small, pale, useless-"
There was a blur of motion and a loud snarl. When the dust settled, the shifters and humans could see Marcus being held by his throat against a wall. The wall was cracked and peices fell to the ground. Marcus was gritting his teeth, claws digging into Catalaya's wrist, trying to get her off. She wasn't snarling or growling, her face was neutral but furious. She squeezed tighter as he clawed her across the face. She wiped a bit of blood off with her free hand, looking at her brother with disinterest.
"Stop struggling and I stop squeezing." She said calmly, her brother only stopping as her claws threatened to peirce skin. "You know how long its been since I've been here, brother?" Marcus raised a brow as she answered herself, "Sixteen years. Sixteen years since I was a small child, when I couldn't defend myself or others."
She leaned in close, "I've seen many things in my time. I've seen Death take innocents, felt his cold breathe on my own skin, pulling me close." She stared at her arms, covered in scars. "I've fought in wars, destroyed enemies you couldn't even dream of. I conquered countless lands and demons who wished for my flesh." She smiled darkly, "You're a diplomat dressing as a warrior. Me, I'm the one they fear when my name is spoken. The one they call when devil's need to be disciplined."
She pointed at team RWBY who was watching with interest alongside the other shifter. "Ruby. The fastest fighter, killer. It's not that you see her when it's too late. You never see her." Marcus glanced at the blonde woman as she continued, "Yang. The embodiment of a righteous fire. Armies fall to her flames."
Yang smiled, her eyes flashing crimson for a second when she spoke about Blake. "Blake. A living shadow, one who doesn't just control darkness, she is shadow, just as they are her. She could block the sun for years if she wished." Blake blushed under the praise, as foreboding as it sounded.
Cat took a deep breath, "Then there's Weiss. My Snow.The Winter Knight."Marcus gaped as did everyone sans Alicia. "The greatest mage you will ever meet, master of winter elements. One who holds the heart of a dragon in her chest."
Cat looked at him with disdain and determination, "She is my Snow. And I am her Wolf. I am herGuardian, so I'll be damned if I let you talk shit about her." She dropped the man and walked back to her spot with a growl.
"Also," Marcus looked at her from the floor, "I go by Catalaya now." The shifter plopped back into her chair, pulled Weiss onto her lap and nuzzled her hair. Weiss looked more like a tomato then, embarassed beyond comprehension.
The Next Morning
"Why are they doing this, again?" Weiss asked Lili as they stood on the sidelines of the arena. She had awoken later than her team that morning, all the excitement from the previous night tiring her out more than she thought. Yang and Blake were out of Black Onyx territory, scouting the incoming Council of Nine convoy. Ruby was speaking with Alicia, Ozpin, Coco, Jaune and Ironwood. Discussing the information they've gathered and the best ways to proceed. Weiss herself had been dragged to the arena at around eleven-thirty. The siblings wanted to spar with each other and her, see what's changed in the years they've been gone.
Which consisted of them getting their butts handed to them by a bored looking Catalaya. She rolled her eyes when Haniir sat next to her on the bench, nursing a cut face as the wounds slowly closed up. "She's changed a lot since I last saw her." Weiss raised a brow, barely looking from the fights, "How so?"
Haniir chuckled, "Asides from the fact that we're getting our butt kicked?" He looked thoughtful, "She's stronger, not just physically. She's created a stable relationship with her beast." Haniir flinched as his baby sister grabbed Jaime and slammed him into the arena floor, one handed. She looked up and smirked at Weiss with a wink. The ice mage blushed and rolled her eyes playfully.
Haniir chuckled, "She's found someone she really cares for." He said, giving Weiss a knowing look. The ice mage blushed deeper, as the shifter smiled and sighed. "Black-I mean Catalaya. Catalaya really has changed, she grown so much all these years."
Weiss nodded, "From what I've heard, yes, yes she has." The mage had a thought then,"She doesn't share much of her life though, didn't talk about you guys much either. Well, exept for Jinsè."
Haniir paused in watching the fight, "She talked to you about him?" She nodded, "About everything? Even how he died?"
Weiss nodded, unsure how that had to do with anything. Haniir looked her up and down and gave her a sad smile, "She must really love you. She wouldn't talk about his death with anyone when it happened. Losing Jinsè was hard on everyone, but, it really broke her."
He watched as Cat started playfully bantering with Dana as they sparred, a smile on her face. "She was broken when she left, harsh and cold. Yet, it seemsyouput her back together." Haniir looked at Weiss with the most sincere and grateful look on his face. "Thank you for taking care of Little Ember." Weiss placed a hand on his shoulder.
"It's nothing. If it wasn't for her, I would never have come here, I would still be surrounded by my friends and yet, be the loneliest if all. We fixed each other." He nodded, agreeing wholeheartedly with her sentiment.
Slam!
The two jumped and looked to see the wolf shifter had thrown Dana into a wall. Cat had a strange look on her face, not quite fear but not quite anger either. Dana pulled herself from the wall with a smirk, sauntering her way over to her little sister. The rest watched as she leaned in and whispered into her sister's ear, a ferocious grin in her face. Catalaya was shaking, Weiss could see that and had started to stand, ready to intervene when Cat snarled and grabbed Dana by her throat.
She could hear her angrily whisper, "Don't even think about it, you bitch." She dropped her to the ground and stomped off towards the benches. She grabbed her duffel and shuffled away angrily. Weiss tried to speak with her through the link and was shut out so violently that she flinched back.
Weiss watched her girlfriend stomp away from the arena, rubbing her wrists and snarling. She could hear the other siblings quarreling with each other over what happened. Weiss, however, was more focused on the tears she saw falling from her wolf's eyes. She looked back at a smirking Dana with anger and confusion.What in the hell did she say to her?