[X] Two called Yang and asked for a favour. She hadn't been able to get answers out of Five, and thought some help might do the trick.
Sitting in the waiting area, Yang shuffled slightly in her seat.
Her father had been reluctant to let her come, but he knew the people in charge of the cells, so she was being watched, at least. Two herself was on her way, though she was kind of late.
Next to Yang's seat, next to her armrest, was a cane. A walking stick, though not one she really needed. It was a precaution more than anything, just in case one of the wounds hadn't healed properly. If she twisted her leg wrong and reopened a wound. It wasn't really required, but it was better to have it just in case. Besides, it stopped Ruby from worrying, and she'd been through enough already.
Two had been having a bad time, too. It'd been three days since Yang had woken up, and Two had called her yesterday to ask her to help her with this. Whatever Five's deal is, nobody had gotten answers, and Two had tried every second day to try and get some answers out of her sister.
Yang didn't know if her presence would make any difference, but she was willing to try it. She would have wanted to visit Five eventually anyway, since nobody had any real answers yet. Yang wanted answers. Her sister had been taken and nobody knew why, even still. That wasn't good enough. Yang didn't want any more unanswered questions in her life.
She sighed, looking up at the roof, listening to the sound of a ticking clock nearby.
She was glad Ruby was okay, at least. Or, well, as good as she could be. She was doing her best. It was amazing, how strong she was being about the whole incident. She was jumpy at times, distracted at others, and even if she tried to hide it, it was obvious at times that she wasn't coping too well. She'd try to clean up afterwards, but she sometimes looked like she had been crying after she'd been left alone for a bit.
Not that she was alone often. She didn't seem to want to go too far from people, and nobody seemed to want to go too far from her. Uncle Qrow had dropped by more often than usual to check on her. Understandable, given how Ruby had been taken when she was out of his sight for like five minutes. Perfectly understandable, that he'd get worried about what was going on when he wasn't watching.
There were so many people who were blaming themselves over the incident. Yang was sure she could have stopped it if she was there, Qrow was convinced if they had kept closer watch he could have prevented it, Ruby wouldn't stop blaming herself...
Yang's father was the only person who hadn't blatantly tried to accept blame, but that doesn't mean he wasn't blaming himself. Yang remembered how he had shut down after her mother disappeared, and when...
Well, he had a history. A person doesn't just magically stop being depressed like that, all that really would have changed is that Taiyang would have tried to ignore it in order to try and make people think he was alright.
...Kinda like how Ruby was obviously hiding how hard she was taking things. And how Yang was trying to not let people know how bad off she was.
She just...
Dito had beaten her down so easily. She'd been hurt so bad, and he'd played with her. Held Ruby hostage and used it to make her sit there and take it. He'd even gone and fucking cut her hair, despite how completely pointless it was, just to drive in how much control he'd had.
It was infuriating. She loved her hair. She had great hair. It was long, beautiful. One of her best qualities. What was the fucking point in tearing it off, apart from being an asshole?
Yang was glad that Dito had taken a few heavy hits. Kinda pissed off that he had recovered before Yang had, but he was locked in a cell kept away from everyone so it was blatantly clear who the real winner was here.
The door opened, and Two walked in, wearing a blue tuxedo of some kind while holding a box of chocolates.
"Hi, Yang." She said, waving her entire arm. "Sorry I'm late. Cent wanted me to look professional, but I needed to wash this outfit and let it dry and then I forgot where I left it and... Well, I'm here now."
"No problem." Yang replied. "Let's go meet your sister, then."
Two nodded, putting the box of chocolates through a window in the wall and passing it through to the guard on the other side. He opened the box, nodded at Two and Yang, and pressed a button to open a door.
The steel door opened slowly with a beeping sound, and the two walked through.
"I'm feeling a bit under-dressed." Yang noted, looking at the suit Two was wearing.
Two frowned, looking at Yang's clothes.
"As in, I'm wearing casual things, while you're looking all fancy." Yang explained. "It's a figure of speech."
"Ooh." Two nodded. "Sorry, I'm not the best with stuff like that. Not the sharpest brick in the shed."
Yang looked at her for a moment.
"I realised I made a mistake in there somewhere but I'm not sure where so lets just move on."
Yang nodded, and they continued through another set of steel doors that opened up as the ones behind them closed. On the other side, the guard passed through the box of chocolates.
"Thank you!" Two chirped. "Hey, do you want one?"
The guard shook his head. "Sorry. Not allowed to eat on the job. I'm told you're trustworthy, but it's regulation. In case someone tried spiking someone to take me out while I'm on patrol."
"Ah." Two nodded. "I see. Maybe keep one for when you go home, then?"
The guard paused, then shrugged. "Eh, why not. Just leave it on that side of the window so anyone watching video footage knows I'm not breaking the rules."
Two nodded, putting a chocolate on the outside of the window, pointing it out while smiling towards a camera in the corner, emphasising it heavily. Then she closed the box of chocolates, tied a ribbon around it, and turned back towards the other side of the room.
"Meeting Room Three, right?" Two asked. The guard nodded.
"Okay. Let's go, Yang." Two said, walking through said door. Yang entered a moment later.
There was an empty room, with a glass wall halfway through. There was a table attached to the glass, with a small space for passing things back and forth. Sitting on the over side was Five, wearing an orange outfit but having the top few buttons undone for obvious reasons.
"Ah, Two." Five moaned. "It's so good to see you. Don't you think you're overdressed? Is this your way of punishing me?"
...Is she implying-
No, no, don't think about it, she's trying to cause a distraction probably.
Hopefully.
"Cut the crap." Yang spoke up.
"And you brought a guest!" Five continued. "Oh, did something happen to your hair? I liked it better when it was longe-"
Yang growled, as she glared at Five. "Enough of that."
"Do you want something nice?" Two asked, passing through the box of chocolates. Five ignored them.
"Are you the bad cop?" Five asked. "I think you might need to punish me to get some answers. I've been such a bad girl-"
"The hell is wrong with you?" Yang asked. "This isn't some weird creepy thing. I want some answers."
"And what do I get out of it?"
"Technically speaking." Yang began. "I'm an assistant Huntress who participated in arresting you. You know what that means? If I give a recommendation as to your sentencing, bail, whatever, people listen. So if I said you've failed to co-operate and are making things difficult, I can suggest they give you a maximum sentence and most likely keep you isolated."
"Oh, please." Five chuckled. "They'd at least-"
"You have addictive songs that essentially turns into mind control." Yang continued. "I can totally make the case that you're too risky and need to be locked away somewhere deep, far away from everyone else."
Five's smile faltered for a moment, then reappeared. "Oh, please, don't tease me, I might get all-"
Yang punched the glass, shaking it but not breaking it. It was made of stronger stuff then that.
"Don't fucking toy with me!" Yang snapped. "Talk. You took my sister. Why?"
Five smiled. "Oh, isn't it obvious? She's so cute-"
"Five." Two spoke softly. Sadly. "Please."
The blonde sister looked at the blue one, and said nothing.
"Everyone's so upset." Two continued. "People want to know things, and if people are angry at you, things could be worse and... Please, I just want to make everyone happy."
"Of course you do." Five repeated. "You're too busy taking what you know to try and make things right, you miss things that are obvious is you have to put the slightest thought into it."
Two's face fell. "Five... All you've told people is that Ruby's cute and had cute eyes, why-"
"Why does there have to be more to it?" Five asked.
"Five..." Two questioned quietly.
There was a knock on the door behind them, and Yang turned back to it.
Who was there? Some guard? This had to be important, then.
"Come in." Yang asked.
The door opened, and a woman in white walked in. Five gasped, and when Two looked around as she did so, going still.
"There you are." The woman said, looking up over at the two Intoners, her white hair parting to reveal the mark on her forehead.
I
"One!" Two called, jumping up and pulling the woman into a hug. "You're here! But-"
One hugged her back, and interrupted her words. "I've been looking for you. Both of you. I heard about what happened."
"One..." Five muttered under her breath. "I..."
One disentangled herself from Two for a moment, looking over at her sister past the glass.
"Five." She said. "I'm sorry. I should have found you sooner. I promised that you'd always be able to enjoy life, and then we lost enough other. I should have been there for you."
"I-"
"Don't speak." One interrupted. "I should have been there, but I'm disappointed it came to this. I'm going to make things right, but I need you to just do what I say."
"Um." Yang stepped forward. "Excuse me?"
"I've talked with your government." One continued. "And paid her bail. I'm taking my sister home, and will deal with things in Atlas."
"You think you can-"
"I understand." One interrupted. "I'll talk with you in a moment. Five, go back to your cell. People will be along shortly. They'll take you to my airship soon."
Five looks at her, suprised.
"We'll talk more there." One continued. "Go, now."
Five was slow to stand, but did so, walking off after a moment.
"Two." One continued. "Winter has told me that you're looking after an orphanage?"
"You know Winter?" Two asked.
One nodded. "I've been organising a place for them in Atlas. It'll be a while, and I'll understand if you want to stay here to watch them until then. But there's place for you."
Two blubbered for a moment, tears falling from her eyes out of the sheer joy of it. One pulled her into another hug. "I've missed you."
"I- You-"
"I've already found Three and Four." One continued. "It's just you, Five and Zero to go."
Two nodded in the hug, and didn't move away.
The small white-haired woman looked back at Yang.
"Miss Xiao Long?" One asked. "Is it okay if I call you Yang?"
"...Yes?" Yang replied. "What's going on-"
"I apologise for what's happened." One continued. "Rest assured, I intend to pay you back. I have... Friends, lets say, in Atlas. I've already gotten the full story. There's people already working on making a cybernetic replacement arm for your uncle, and I promise, I'll get Five's side of the story out of her."
"Um." She objected. "What's just happened? Who are you? What-"
One held up a finger to interrupt her, and looked up to her taller sister.
"Two." She began. "Can you give me a minute? We can catch up in private in a moment."
Two blinked, then nodded. "O-Of course, One! I'll just step out..."
The blue Intoner stepped out, and left. Now with her full attention on Yang, One continued.
"There's a lot to explain." One stated. "But I'll keep it simple, for now. Please don't hold Five's actions against her-"
"She kidnapped my sister!" Yang shouted, suddenly feeling angry.
"I understand." One assured her. "I really do. But I need my sister, Yang. The Intoners need to reunite."
"Why?" Yang asked. "I've heard a lot about you Intoners, but why does that mean Five just gets to-"
"Haven't you thought it strange?" Five asked. "That Two and Five both had the power over song?"
Yang paused. "...You mean their Semblance?"
One shook her head. "The Intoner's magic and your Semblances are completely different. And while there are families who have been bred so that they always inherit certain abilities, they are usually listed and known, aren't they?"
"What are you saying?" Yang asked.
"I need my sisters." One explained. "Even ignoring how they are my sisters... Well, you didn't see it, but the potential in their song nearly levelled half of Mountain Glenn during a conflict between two of them, when they weren't trying to kill each other. With all of us together, we can start making a difference on this world."
"What are you talking about?" Yang asked.
"Watch the news over the next few months." One advised her." We'll be making splashes in Atlas soon. I won't be able to find Zero if she doesn't want to be found, so I'll have to begin without her to draw her attention..."
Yang waited, as One trailed off, before the woman in white refocused.
"The point is, I'm sorry about what Five has done to your family." One continued. "I will make this up to you, don't fear. And Two seems close to you, so I am sure we will meet again."
"Are you just leaving?" Yang asked.
"Do we have anything else to talk about?" One asked.
Yang was silent.
"Exactly." One finished. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to talk with my sister."
And so the white-haired Intoner left the room, leaving Yang alone with her thoughts.
"And then Yang does nothing for a few months." The girl writing the report said with a sigh. "I mean, her perspective will be needed to see how she, Ruby, and those around them develop, but... When do they become relevant again, sir?"
The old man took a sip of his drink. "We'll get to it in time. For now, though, I do believe its time we looked into what Miss Nikos is doing."
The girl's eyes lit up. "Oh, yes! I've been looking forward to this, I've been studying the tournament in my spare time-"
"We don't have time to cover the entire tournament."
The girl's face fell. '...Huh? But how Miss Nikos beat the sunlight guy was-"
"Impressive, yes." The old man noted. "Certainly, the control over the battlefield she displayed there was impressive. But the relevant portions of the tournament are the aftermath of the final battle."
"...Well, I'm writing that one." The girl insisted. "Or some of it, at least. I thought it was a cool fight. And besides, I'm pretty sure Pyrrha's foe there turned out to be important in the aftermath as well."
The old man nodded. "Very will, do as you wish."
Turning back to her page, the young woman got out a new pen and started writing.
We will now begin Pyrrha Gaiden: Toy Soldiers Playing War. Our dear Tournament Champion is in her hardest fight yet, in the final round. At which point does this segment begin?
[X] At the start of the fight, so I can write the whole thing.
[X] Halfway through, so that we can get to the aftermath quickly.