RWBY: Grey Chapter 13
"Yuri... you aren't even dressed! Class is in thirty minutes!" Ruby called to the quiet young man sitting in the corner of the room. His head tilted up to her. "My uniform doesn't fit... I need to figure out what to do with it." He commented. "You should just give it to Professor Goodwitch. She can get it remade." Yang said, straightening the bow on the her uniform. "I'm aware of that... but it's not exactly simple to explain growing almost eight inches in less than a few weeks, is it?" He laughed. "He has a point... most people grow a few centimeters in a year... not almost a foot in a month... not to mention... his face has changed quite a bit. That doesn't just happen out of the blue." Blake noted.
"I already spoke to her... give it to me, Yuri... I'll bring it to her while you four head to class." Weiss said. Yuri tossed her the over-shirt and pants. "So it's fine for me to just wear my cloak and other things?" He asked. "Just until she gets them re-sized." Weiss explained. He nodded, then stood up, making his way across the room and opening the window. "Alright... let me go wash up... I'll meet up with you girls in a bit." He said, before hoisting himself over the sill. He disappeared over the side. "Can he not use a door?" Weiss sighed. "You should be used to that by now." Ruby laughed.
Blake gave a short huff outside of the classroom. Meet up with you in a bit, my ass. He's only on time if it's something important to him. Ah well... he won't be too late, probab- oh, there he is. Yuri rounded the corner of the hall, clad in his still-tattered brown cloak. She smiled and waved to him, as she wasn't sure if he knew which class to go to. He waved back, then shortly after was standing next to her. "Let's go... it's the first time I've ever been in a classroom... I'd hate to start off with a screw up." He laughed.
They walked slowly into the class. "Ah... there they are, Ms. Belladonna, and Mr...?" The Professor began. Yuri lowered his hood, his hair flowing wildly over his shoulders. "Yuri Kallen." He said. "Ah... excellent... you are the young man that the Headmaster brought in, despite your lack of training." He said. "Yes, sir." Yuri nodded. "Well... you and Ms. Belladonna can have a seat next to one another, oh... I'm Professor Port, by the way." He said. Yuri nodded. The two climbed the short steps to their desks in the back of the classroom.
Port began his ramblings about how to deal with certain types of Grimm, stopping at what seemed like every pause to explain his personal encounters with each of them. Yuri found it quite annoying, and wondered just how much time the man was wasting with each tangent. Eventually he came to a pause, then raised his gaze to Yuri. "Yuri... I like to begin each school year reminding the students exactly what they're up against when it comes to the Grimm. So... would you be so kind as to show us all here, exactly why you were chosen?"
Yuri stood, running his hands over his face, then untied his cloak. As it dropped to the ground, Weiss nearly choked as she saw what he had on underneath. Isn't that... what he wore when we went to dinner? He jumped down the staircase, pivoting his body to land facing the far wall. "They're over there... right, professor?" He asked, motioning to the cages on the far wall. "Ursa... three of them..." He pushed his nose upwards. "Two mature... one adolescent." He continued. "Very good... now... how well do you fight them?" Port asked.
He pressed a small button on a panel next to the cages, and each door slowly opened. Almost immediately, one of the large creatures lunged out. As its black form charged at Yuri, he unsheathed his jitte. His left hand wrapped around the hilt, then with what seemed like no motion, he caught the monster underneath its chin with the tip, pressing his foot against its skull. "Do me a favor... die." He laughed, spinning once and slamming the tip of the jitte on its face, cracking the white skull.
"One." He said. The others came came bursting from their cages, but Yuri seemed less than concerned with them. He popped the blade from the rod, then let the rod fall to the ground. He took one step, then disappeared. Port looked quite amused at the young man's abilities. It's been a while since someone so... naturally strong came to this school... we have many wonderful up-and-coming warriors... but this boy... is special... that's why I trust your judgment, Ozpin... it just seems like you always get it right.
Yuri pivoted himself, turning horizontally. His blade stripping into the flesh of the closest Ursa. His foot caught the neck of the one opposite him, the blade slicing clean through his target, and his kick sending the other clean to the class' ceiling. One final upward swing brought the blade through the remaining Ursa's spine. His feet tapped against the ground silently, as the rest of the class stared in awe. Weiss' eyes were tracing the pattern her teammate took to defeat the creatures. Huh... he told me he had problems with Grimm... I sure didn't see it.
Professor Port clapped his hands together once. "Well done, Mr. Kallen. Now... a question for you... Huntsman and Huntresses are trained in efficiency, however you seemed to isolate your targets instead. In the beginning, you goaded the first Ursa out with a simple gesture, immediately placing distance between it and the others. Once you eliminated it, and the other two began their advance, you distanced them vertically, making it easier to deal with them individually... despite their closeness to you horizontally, Ursa don't jump well, making the one on the ground and in the air easy targets for you. My question for you... is where did you learn that?"
His question, along with the detailed explanation of Yuri's actions, had the attention of the entire class. "Because... one thing you learn... after a multitude of fights with people... is that it's easier to win three one-on-one fights... than it is to win one three-on-one fight. It's a theory of averages." Yuri explained. Port nodded. "Indeed... people are much more unpredictable than Grimm. So... isolating an opponent takes more work... but is safer. Either way... well done." He said. Yuri gave a nod of appreciation, then began his way back up to his desk. Yang turned to him and gave him a thumbs up. "You kick ass." She whispered to him as he passed.
He grinned in response to her praise. The rest of the class passed rather uneventfully, and as soon as Port dismissed them, Yuri and Yang scrambled for the classroom door, nearly tackling a few students out of the way as they did. Weiss sighed as they disappeared out into the hall. "They really don't have any self control... do they?" She asked no one in particular. After a few graphic images slipped into the her thoughts, she found herself envious of Yang, although she didn't quite understand why. Didn't Yang say that Blake or I could have him? I don't get it... for someone so nonchalant about her feelings towards him... she sure spends a lot of time with him.
Yang chased the young man down the hall, Weiss had finally given him her note, and she knew it, now all she had to do was tell him exactly what she wanted. The little game they were playing continued across multiple floors, as they rocketed through crowds, him almost always just out of reach. Eventually however, she managed to corner him on the rooftop, where she had originally planned on challenging him. Panting, she threw her arms around his neck, kissing him rather forcefully. He didn't complain, instead wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling him closer.
As she explored his mouth as much as possible with her own, her mind questioned whether she really wanted to do as she had planned. But as she finally pulled away from him, she had already decided to move ahead. She propped herself on her back foot. "So... listen..." She began. "I've been thinking about things... you know... between us... ugh! This is so much harder to say for real than it is in my head!" She complained. "It's alright, lover... I'm not going anywhere... take your time." Yuri laughed. "Okay... I... want you to... seduce... Blake and Weiss." She said.
Yuri's response was one of pure laughter. "Whoa, whoa, whoa... holy... oh my fuck my sides... wa- wait... you're serious?" He asked. A little embarrassed that she hadn't been taken seriously... she nodded. "Oh... alright... it's just... it sounded more like a challenge than a request." He noted. She immediately regained her confidence, puffing herself out. "It is a challenge... both of them seem to be vying for what you've got in your pants. Me personally... I want to see where it goes." She laughed. He burst into a similar fit of laughter, then after a moment, regained his composure.
"Alrighty... I guess... that I accept your challenge... but... are you really okay with it?" He asked. She made a face that only reflected uncertainty, then she took his cheeks by her palms. "I... I love you, Yuri... but I'm not in love with you." She stated. He nodded. "I understand. Well... I guess the question is... do you... still want us to... you know... get together even when I'm... seducing them?" He asked. She looked taken aback. "I'm not giving you up that easy, so definitely... you and I aren't... breaking up, per se. I just want you to... actively try to get in their pants." She said.
He nodded. "Huh... that's fine... I think... I can do that... Yeah... hmmm... I... yeah... definitely." He said. His now rambling thought process confused Yang. "Definitely what?" He grinned. "I'm definitely going for Weiss first." He finished. She looked at him, then broke into a grin of her own. "Well... I look forward to seeing you work your magic." She said. He grinned. "Do you... want me to work some of my magic right now?" He asked. She gave him a rather cheeky grin, then threw her arms back around his neck. "I think we've got some time... how about right here?"
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"Ruby! Hurry up, do you want to be late to meet his parents? You're our team leader for fucks sake!" Yang screamed down the hall. "Sorry... I want to make a good first impression, right?" Ruby called back. "It's okay, Yang, really. They aren't going to be upset because we're ten minutes late... alright? We'll be fine, love." He said. Yang sighed, and Weiss and Blake looked to each other and shrugged. She was still pretty much a kid, and sometimes it showed.
As the group boarded the airship, Yang wondered exactly what Yuri's parents were like. She could only really imagine his mother, as Weiss gave a brief description of what she looked like a while ago. "Are your parents even going to like us?" Ruby asked. "I like you, isn't that enough?" He countered. She giggled in return, giving up any worry about on the topic. They began to relax as the airship launched into the sky.
Yuri sighed as he thought about his family, his mind twisting and turning in a labyrinth of self loathing. Some son I've been... huh. Well... at least I get to see the kids again... they're all fourteen now... it's really crazy... finally seeing them after so long... well... most of them anyway. "Yuri?" Blake asked. He shook his head, trying to collect himself. "Sorry... did I doze off?" He asked. She nodded, a little nervous. "Umm... your mother is a Faunus, right?" She asked. "Yeah... all of my siblings are too... I'm the only one out of six children to be a pure blooded human." He told her.
"So... did your dad, like... cheat on your mom or something?" Yang asked. Yuri chuckled. "No... my mom has a pretty clear memory of the day she gave birth to me... besides... I was a twin." He said. "Really? I never met her." Weiss noted. "Yeah... it's a bit more complicated than I want to get into." He said. She dropped the matter, as it visibly uneasy. She made a mental note of it. I... should keep that in mind, I don't want to dredge up any bad memories. "We're here!" Ruby called out.
"Wow, leave it to the rich girl to get us here in less than fifteen minutes. We did have to cross an ocean you know." Yuri laughed. "Well I apologize for using my vast wealth to make things a little easier for us. Also... don't you cross an ocean every time you go to the Menagerie?" She asked. "Ahh, it's fine... your vast wealth isn't what makes you cute anyway. And yes I do... but I use my legs." He laughed. They disembarked from the aircraft, pausing to ensure no one left anything of importance. "Hey... is that your mom?" Yang asked, pointing to a balcony on the building a few hundred meters away. "Oh, yeah it is, I don't know how you saw her though. HEY, MOM!" Yuri called out.
He called for another few seconds before she realized who he was. She leapt onto the balcony railing, then sprung off of it. All of the girls gave a cry of shock, but Yuri was steadfast. That's right... Mom's a Royal like me... She bounced a little as she landed on the pad, but righted herself with no difficulty. "Hey there, kids!" She giggled. She really hasn't changed at all... completely serious on the job... then as soon as she clocks out she's just a mother. She looked at Yuri for a moment, then literally tackled him to the ground. He jumped to his feet, holding her against him. "Hey Mom.." He whispered through a stream of tears.
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Yuri's mother directed them through their enormous home, which she had brought them to after proper introductions. They entered a large living room, and sat down on various surfaces, most notably Yang on Yuri's lap. Diana seemed surprised, but not in the least upset. "Are you two?" She asked, not finishing the question. "Nope... let's just say we... really like each other." Yuri said. Her eyes opened just a little wider, but she nodded. A knock came from the other end of the house. "Hey! Anyone home, I brought the young ones!" Came a shout from the other end of the house.
A head full of long silver hair poked her head around the corner of the room. "Big... Brother?" She asked. Yuri looked her over. "A-Anna!" He grinned. The girl charged at him with even more reckless abandon than her mother. He shifted Yang off of him, letting her slide down onto the couch they were occupying. The girl threw herself around him, obviously desperate to keep him there. "Hey... hey. I'm not going anywhere, and I'll come back even when I do."
He broke into a grin, and lifted the small girl into the air. Despite her and her siblings being Ruby's age, she in particular was always a small girl. The rest of his siblings darted into the room, crowding around their older brother. They seemingly had something to show him, and began dragging him away. "Oh... they've taken him already... oh well, I suppose I'll be able to chat with him... given time." Came a gruff voice from around the corner.
The voice, which belonged to a man just a few inches shorter than Yuri, boomed through the house with authority. He stepped through the home as though he owned it, and as Weiss had already realized, he did. "Uh... Mr. Greymoor? Why... am I just realizing who you are now!?" She groaned. "Hey there, Ms. Schnee, good to see you looking as healthy as your sister." He smiled. He was a tall man, standing more than a foot taller than his wife, with flowing gray hair that was near identical to Yuri's. His face was that of a man with plenty of happiness in his life, with heavy laugh lines drawing the shape of his cheek. However, other than his hair, it was difficult to ascertain exactly what qualities Yuri had inherited from him.
Weiss stood up, gesturing to the pair. "I'll introduce them on a more professional level, everyone, this is Diana Greymoor, head of our Dust Medical Applications Department." She said, waving her hand towards the small woman. "This, is Marx Greymoor, head of the Schnee Dust Company's Research and Development Division." She explained. "It's a pleasure to meet you all." He said. "Although... I was told Drake had become friends with four girls... yet I only see three." He said.
Yang turned, immediately realizing who of the four had disappeared. She gave a laugh then waved it away. "Ruby's just a kid... let her get to know Yuri's siblings." She said. "Oh, you aren't worried about your little sister taking your boyfriend?" Weiss asked, before instantly remembering who exactly was with them. "Oh... I'm so sorry. I shouldn't be so... forthcoming about his private life, especially if you don't approve." She apologized. "Why I wouldn't I approve? He's an adult." The man noted.
"You don't care what he does?" Yang asked. He shook his head. "It's not that I don't care... but when he left us... he was still a child... to me... the fact that he was able to stay alive and stay his course, despite being so young... makes me incredibly proud." He smiled. "So... Anna has tackled him literally both times she's seen him. I could understand the first time, when I brought him to the Headquarters, but this instance, coupled with the fact that she also seems to be the first one to come running." Weiss started. "Now... I remember you talking about one of your sons and your daughters being really close... but again, I thought you meant one of her quadruplet siblings. So... how did Yuri and her get like that?" She finished.
"Well... it's not difficult to explain... you see, Drake was born a twin, he had a sister, who we are no longer on speaking terms with. Anyway, when he was born, saying that he was underweight would be an egregious mistake... he was four pounds, five ounces. It was one of the most terrifying moments of my life to have a doctor tell me that my beloved newborn son could die at any moment... but... eventually, despite constantly being told that my son would probably die... he prevailed, and grew up to become a pretty healthy young man." She explained, before taking a breath.
"When our daughter, Anna, was born... she had almost identical circumstances, the only difference being her current state. She gets sick constantly, she's incredibly small for her age, and she's physically inferior in almost every way. Even still... she's our daughter, and we love her. Not to mention how hurt Drake would be if anything ever happened to her." Marx noted. "When she was born, she weighed even less than he did. The night Diana went into labor, Drake, at three years old, insisted that he be able to be with his mother during the delivery, so we let him." He continued.
"Anna was the last child to be born, and Drake had helped with the other children, but... he wouldn't let her go. The doctors had an enormous amount of trouble getting her from him to was her and get her checked up. Even when they were done, he demanded that they give her to him. That was the night that he named her Anna. He didn't let her go for a week after that. He was the first to feed her, the first to bathe her. Hell... his name was even her first word. The bond they share... maybe it's a little saddening that my daughter loves my son a bit more than her mother or father... but considering how Drake was there for her... it's understandable." He smiled.
"Hey! Where's Anna's room? She's getting tired." Yuri called out. "Oh... it's the third room on the right, at the very top of the stairs, dear!" Diana called out. "Thanks, I'll come back down after I put her to bed." He said. "Heh... you see... little things like that... if it involves her or her siblings... he'll do just about anything." She giggled. "They're the reason he acts the way he does." She said. "What do you mean?" Weiss asked. "Well... I bet if you asked him why he does things he does in the Menagerie, he'll probably say that it's so he can protect the people of the world. Well... in my eyes... I think he does it for them... they're Faunus... and will have to live in a world that hates them... that is... unless he changes it." She finished.
"What... kind of Faunus are you, ma'am?" Blake asked. "Oh... my family, with the exception of Marx and Drake, are Wolf Faunus, dear. But... I don't think you specifically have anything to worry about." She said. "WAIT! You can..." Blake began. "Oh my... did you think you were hiding it? You're wearing a bow... and you're almost an adult, the smell is thick on you, and your eyes are almost exactly like mine. Now... I don't know why you hide it... but there's no reason to at this point. I'm almost certain that Drake knows." She said. "Yuri, what species is Blake!?" Yang called out. "Uhh... I'm pretty sure she's a Cat Faunus... she smells like one at least... I don't mean you stink or anything, Blake! But... it's something I realized the day we met." He said.
He came bounding down the stairs, skidding to a halt as he turned the corner. "You... you knew?" Blake asked, her face steeped in embarrassment. "Yeah... although I didn't bother you about it, since you seemed to have personal reasons to hide it." He explained. He shrugged. "I don't care that you're a Faunus, because to me you're just a person... but I do understand that not everyone is so comfortable with who they are just yet... I really want to change that... so that people can be proud of who they are... I... don't want you to feel the need to hide... Blake." He said.
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Before the group knew it, several hours had come and gone, and Yuri stretched his arms over his head. "Alright guys... I think it's about time we head out." He said. "Ahhh... it's been so good to see you all." Diana sighed. She stood and wrapped herself around her son. "I'll miss you my baby." She said. He pulled her tightly. "It'll be alright... I do intend to come back, but it'll be a few weeks." He said. "Big... brother." Anna's almost silent voice sang out. "Little One... you got back up. Come here." He said. She leapt across the room, again tackling Yuri to the ground. "Okay, okay... I'm leaving in a minute sweetie." He said. He lifted her up as he stood, keeping her steady as he did. "Goo- goodbye, Brother Drake." She said.
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The rest of the day passed casually, the group returned to the Academy, had dinner and eventually went to sleep. It wasn't until morning that an unexpected event occurred. Knock. Knock! "Mr. Kallen... a package arrived for you. I believe that it's from an... Anna... Greymoor." Ms. Goodwitch called from the other side of the door. Yuri sprang up from his relaxed position against the wall, and flung the door open. A box was immediately thrust into his face, and he reeled back to avoid being hit. He took the box in his hands, it was long, and slender... but heavy. "Uhh... thank you, Ms. Goodwitch." He said.
He began closing the door, but she caught it with her foot, handing him another bag. "Your uniform... when Ms. Schnee explained the changes that you underwent, I was rather skeptical that they were as drastic as she implied... I can see I was wrong... your uniform should fit you if I did measurements correctly." She said. Yuri was only half-listening, already tearing into the package that he had been given.
As he pulled the long sheath from the box. It was a solid silver, with a black hilt accented with purple Dust stones. A small note fell out of the box as he tossed it aside. He gently set the blade on the ground, then reached for the note. He unfolded the small piece of paper, and without hesitation, read the note aloud.
"Dear Brother,
I pray this gift finds you well.
I've been practicing my smithing techniques everyday since the day you left nine years ago.
This blade is the work that I am most proud of.
I wanted to name it Drake...
But instead... I name it Hope.
Hope... because you give me Hope.
And I believe that you are the best Hope for our family.
I know you try so hard... and I know it hurts so much... even if you never tell me.
I love you, Drake.
Please don't forget to come home.
Love, Your Sister, Anna."
The tears in Yuri's eyes were offset by the grin on his face. "Hey... are you alright?" Blake asked. He nodded. "Yeah... she's just never usually that wordy... so I know she's serious." He laughed. He slid his foot underneath the sheath, then popped it up to his hand. As he pulled the blade from the sheath, his eyes seemingly became wider with each inch that he viewed. "Wow... baby sister of mine... you really are something... aren't you?" He said. Its solid steel blade was intricate, not to mention beautiful. A long set of folded notches ran along the length of the edge, forming a small gray wave that clashed elegantly with the silver steel.
He slid the sword back into its sheath. "Any reason in particular that she chose a katana?" Ruby asked. "It was the particular sword type that my father taught how to smith." He explained. "When you create a sword by hand, it's an unbelievably deep process, if you aren't prepared for it... it shows in the final production from your efforts... A katana... however, is even more intimate. Every fold on the steel, every swing of your hammer... every simple dip in the cooling well... it has to be perfect, or the blade suffers. My sister put her heart and soul into this blade... and it shows." He smiled.
"So... are you going to use that as your melee weapon now?" Yang asked. "Well... I'll probably use both... the jitte is unbeatable against blades... and I know for a fact that this blade will serve me well." He stated. "MR. KALLEN." Ms. Goodwitch said sternly. "Yes, ma'am?" He responded. "The Headmaster has requested your presence in his office... please come with me. You four are to report to class as normal. That is all." She said. "Well... I'll see you girls later." Yuri said, giving them a wave goodbye.
I wonder what old man Ozpin wants... I hope nothing's wrong.