[X] Actually, while she was here, Yang had a few things she wanted to ask One. Things about Five, for instance.
"Go look at the hunting range." Yang assured Ruby. "You might have fun. I have some things I want to talk to One about."
Ruby frowned. "What kind of things?"
"Probably a lot of puns." Yang replied, with a smile.
Ruby gave her a serious look, which was all Yang needed to know that her attempts to distract Ruby with a joke had failed. "Be serious, Yang. This is about the whole thing with Five, isn't it?"
"...Yeah." Yang admitted.
It'd been ages since it happened, but Yang still had so many things she wanted to settle regarding the whole incident with Five. She still didn't even know why Five even took Ruby, beyond a dumb excuse about Ruby having pretty eyes. And as simple as it would be to just assume the cheap, petty answer was entirely in character for Five, that last meeting with Two that Yang had seen kinda made her think there was more to it.
At least, there better be some excuse, or Yang was going to beat the shit out of Five until she made up something plausible sounding.
"Don't worry." Yang decided, rubbing the back of her head. "It'll just be a quick conversation with One, not much else. I'll come join you before long, if you want."
"...Fine." Ruby decided, sighing as she took a step away. "But, Yang... Don't worry about things too much, okay?"
"I won't." Yang assured her. "Just want to sort a few things out. Have fun."
And with that, Yang walked away from Ruby for a bit, and exited the hall before long. Passing through a door, Yang looked around, and realised she wasn't entirely sure where to go.
Wandering around for a bit, Yang looked towards the wall, and noticed that there appeared to be a lot of paintings on the wall. Mostly family portraits, really, but also some solo portraits of Weiss, Winter, a woman who looked like their mother, and...
...Actually, it didn't look like there was any portraits of Jacques Schnee hanging on the wall. Weird. He was centre focus in most of the family portraits, but that was all he was appearing in. Strange.
There was probably a story about that, but on the other hand, Yang didn't really know the Schnee family, so it might be rude to stick her nose into whatever the backstory there is, as an outsider.
Oh look, stairs. Wonderful.
Walking up the stairs, Yang quickly found the area where One and Weiss had overlooked he gathering. There was nobody standing around there, and looking around, she had no idea where the two of them had ended up going afterwards.
"Hey." Yang called out, looking around. "Anyone know where One went to?"
At that comment, there was footsteps from nearby, and Yang wandered towards them. After a moment, she came to a door, which opened before Yang could reach towards it.
On the other side, there was a rather tall woman wearing some sort of butler uniform, pulling at her tie as she stepped forward.
"Yang Xiao Long." The tall woman noted. "That is who you are, correct?"
"That's me." Yang replied. "Do you know where One is?"
"Lady One is currently tending to Lady Schnee." The woman replied. "However, she has informed me of your status previously. I will inform her that you are requesting a meeting."
"Thanks." Yang nodded, as the tall woman closed the door.
...Wow, she looked rather nice in a suit. Was that how Yang looked when she tried wearing that fancy suit of hers? She should wear it more often. It's a great look on a good looking person, and Yang was a good looking person, so she was probably looked better in a suit than she initially expected.
The door opened a moment later, and One was standing on the other side.
"Yang." The Intoner noted, looking up to see Yang's eyes. "I do believe I know what you're planning on talking about. Please, follow me. Some privacy would be needed for this discussion."
"And this isn't private enough?" Yang asked.
"Not for what I think you want to talk about." One continued. "Follow me."
One walked past Yang, and turned to walk towards the stairs. Yang sighed, and walked behind One as she went.
"So where are we going then?" Yang asked.
"There are few places where this conversation can be had comfortably." One stated. "Weiss needs space, and I doubt you want to have this talk near Five, and that leaves the top floor."
The stairs took almost no time to climb, but with how impatient she was being, it felt like forever to Yang. Eventually, though, One lead her into a side room, an office with a great view of the front yard of the manor.
"Nice place." Yang noted. "Great view. Would be better if all those cars weren't gathering, but you're gonna be talking with the media eventually so I assume they're there for that."
"Indeed." One stated, stepping between Yang and the window. "Now, you wanted to talk about my sister, then?"
"Yours and mine." Yang replied. "You said you were going to do something to find out why Five kidnapped my sister. It's been months since then. Do you have anything yet?"
"Some information." One replied. "There's still some things I need to confirm before I accept the answer, however."
"So she told you?" Yang asked.
"I had my theories before the discussion began." One stated, taking a moment to tint the window by pressing a button next to it, causing the glass to turn black and reflective. "It was based on something Five expected Two to remember, after all. Though it's not so much something that Two forgot, so much as it something that Two hadn't thought about in a while, and thus not would have made the connection."
Looking into the reflection, One smiled a bit. "Isn't it curious, Yang? How much we overlook over the years? Especially things that could be considered important."
"Are you going somewhere with this?" Yang asked, crossing her arms in front of her. She was starting to get annoyed. "I don't really care about any curiosities of yours here. I just want to know why your sister took mine."
"I don't think Five was lying, when she talked about Ruby's eyes." One replied. "But she wasn't telling the entire truth either. I'm afraid I can't tell you the significance right now, but silver isn't a common eye colour, is it?"
"I guess." Yang shrugged. "You don't usually pay attention to people's eyes, though. They are kinda small, and it gets weird to stare at people like that."
One looked through the mirror to look back at Yang. It was weird, how the tint of the mirror made everything look one shade of dark or another. "And it's not the same colour as your eyes, or your fathers. Looking into your pasts for answers may be a waste of time. But what about Ruby's mother?"
Ruby's mother?
"I don't know." Yang replied. "I-"
"You don't know her eye colour?" One asked. "Do you have any pictures I could look at, then?"
"You're able to get access to records, can't you?" Yang asked. "Why ask me? Why not just find some pictures through official sources?"
"That's harder than you make it sound." One noted. "I may be in a position of power now, Yang, but a mindset is forged in the initial years of someone's life. You've spent your entire life inside the Kingdoms. All of my earliest memories were of the world outside."
Yang wasn't entirely sure where One was going with this, but stayed silent, giving One a cue to continue.
"Inside the Kingdoms, you have your whole life on record." One noted. "You have your birth certificates and the proof of your existence from the very first moment you existed, and every milestone you accomplish. You don't get that, outside of the Kingdoms. Where nobody can prove you exist. Where it's so easy to create an entirely new self, and have people be unable to confirm it false. My sisters all have their official records begin from the moment I brought them to Atlas. Zero still doesn't exist, as far as the government is confirmed."
"...I keep forgetting, that Two said you guys came from outside the Kingdoms originally." Yang admitted. "I guess all of that makes sense, then."
"I'm glad you see my point, then." One continued. "And that brings me to my main issue. The official documents for your sister are either incomplete, or have been hidden. Would you know anything about that?"
Yang frowned.
"I... Don't think so?" She replied. "I mean, I don't know why there'd be things missing there."
"I suspect it might be related." One built from there. "Someone in Vale knows the secret behind Five kidnapping your sister, and is concealing information regarding Ruby Rose to try and prevent that secret."
"Wouldn't that be suspicious?" Yang asked.
"Not at all." One continued. "Records may be able to prove every aspect of your life, but it's easy enough for the highest level of records to be misplaced. I investigated on a whim, and found similar issues with some of your records. The issue only arises in that I have been able to contact local sources to so much as have people tell me where Ruby was born, and someone without an idea that they should be investigating Ruby in the first place might just believe she was adopted from outside the Kingdoms, with how different she is compared to you and your father."
"I-" Yang began, before One interrupted her.
"Which leads me to my main issue." One sighed. "Without any of that documentation regarding Ruby's past, I haven't been able to find anything on her mother. Not even a name."
"Why's Ruby's mother important?" Yang asked, suddenly confused.
One was quiet for a bit, and Yang could see in the reflection, a look of realisation.
"...Well?" Yang asked.
"...Isn't it a curiosity?" One asked. "How many things we overlook in our memories? Some things you think would be vitally important to remember, but which always seem to slip our minds?"
"What's this got to do with anything?" Yang asked, starting to feel annoyed. She came in here to talk about why Five had kidnapped Ruby, but so far, all One had said was some nonsense about records and forgetfulness.
"Maybe nothing." One answered. "Maybe everything."
"You're speaking nonsense." Yang replied hotly, not even bothering to keep the annoyance out of her voice at this point.
"I can understand why you would think that." One noted. "I think I'm going to need to gather some more information before I explain, then. You seem to be having trouble following my train of thought."
"Maybe if you just answered straightly-"
"This conversation isn't getting us anywhere." One decided, turning away from the mirror. A press of the button lightened the tint and turned it into a window once more. "I'll take my leave now, Yang Xiao Long."
"Hold on." Yang replied, irritated. "You didn't answer my question at all!"
One paused at the door, and without looking back at Yang, spoke a closing remark.
"Perhaps you should investigate what makes those silver eyes so special, then? Torchwick was kind enough to enlighten me to some aspects of your hunt for Five, and Ozpin seems well aware of the secret. If you want to look for information regarding why Five took Ruby, why not start by looking into the person most likely responsible for keeping everyone in the dark?"
And with that, One left, leaving Yang to fume for a bit.
Was that all One was going to say about Five's actions? To ask Ozpin about it? Sure, Yang might be able to make do by just asking Qrow and asking him to ask Ozpin, but she didn't even say anything of importance there. Nothing about Five, just telling Yang to go look into Ruby a bit to see if she could solve the mystery herself.
God, what a headache that was. Yang rubbed her forehead a bit as she tried to ignore the conversation that just took place. She was starting to get all worked up over this again, and Ruby wanted her to keep a clear head in this regards.
Forget One. Yang was going to get something to eat, then go hunting with Ruby. Maybe blow off some steam like that.
It wasn't much longer after that, that the press briefing began. Yang may have been annoyed at One's complete lack of an answer, but she was curious to see where this end up going.
So, sitting at the side of the room next to Ruby and the rest of the cast, Yang looked over, as One and Weiss Schnee waited on stage, for the media to calm down.
"Thank you for your time." One decided eventually, looking over the crowd. Then, she took a step back, and allowed Weiss to step forward.
There was silence for a moment, as Weiss looked over the crowd of people who had gathered to hear her speak. Her hands were shaking, and Yang was vaguely aware of the fact that, in all of the announcements that had come since her father's death, Weiss hadn't spoken once.
Whatever this was, it must have been important enough for One to draw people's attention like this.
"...For all of history." Weiss spoke, her voice soft, but confident. Sure in it's message, but not in it's self, maybe? Or maybe Yang was over analysing it. "Humans have been just barely tolerating their own existence. On the back foot, always. Whenever we build up enough to control our own destiny, we wage war on ourselves to bring each other back down. The threat of the Grimm have been everpresent."
"This cannot continue."
Weiss paused after that comment, until One muttered something vaguely reassuring, causing the Schnee girl to go on.
"The Grimm have hounded mankind for too long. Throughout the Kingdoms, you can see this consensus growing. The Zeigen Schicksal movement is clear enough evidence that humanity is not satisfied to remain in the Kingdoms, afraid of the monsters in the dark. It is time to take a light to the shadows, and push back the darkness."
"The Schnee are supporting the ideals of Zeigen Schicksal." Weiss declared, looking forward. "And as part of the newest weapons deal with the Atlas military, their support shall also be counted upon. Let it be known. On this day, Atlas committed to the expansion of humanity's influence."
There was a moment of commotion from the crowd, as cameras started snapping faster and faster, and reporters started asking questions. Weiss fell silent in that moment, giving Yang time to think about that recent announcement.
Zeigen Schicksal had been a minor thing in Vale, not something Yang had considered much when she wasn't hearing the rumours. And now it was getting traction in Atlas, enough to have both Schnee and military backing. All at once, when previously, it had seemed like it was a doomed endeavour.
It was a shock, that something that could be thought about so little could so quickly be turned around into what was going to be the most important story for years to come, even if it failed from here. The Schnee family had already drawn the attention of the media in its completion, and now all that attention was going to be moved towards this movement, as it enacted its plan.
On the stage, One was smiling as she stepped forward. Pressing a button on a podium, One activated a projector which pointed behind her, with a holographic map of the the continent they were on. The map zoomed in, showing the distance between the city of Atlas and a mountain range to the north, outside of the borders of the Kingdom.
"Research has indicated this as an area of interest." One said simply, focusing on the mountain range. "A large amount of Grimm in Atlas flock around this mountain range. Experienced Hunters have investigated it over the years, and have determined it to be a likely spot for some of the most powerful Grimm on the continent. The area displays a large number of Grimm confident enough in their abilities to ignore Hunters in small numbers, and is situated near the ancient ruins of catacombs that predate the Four Kingdoms. It is here, that our efforts will be proven."
"It will take five days, for an army travelling in formation to reach this location safely." One continued. "In five days, the test will begin. It will be determined if humans are finally able to not just resist the tide bearing down on it, but if humanity can eradicate the tide itself."
"One promised." Two interrupted, her voice dead serious.
"I need my sisters." One explained.
"She never makes a promise she can't keep."
"With all of us together, we can start making a difference on this world."
"She promises me, one day, she'd make a plan and not let the Grimm hurt anyone ever again."
"...And in the years to come, we hope to write a legacy that puts that pace to shame."
...One planned this.
One planned all of this.
The Zeigen Schicksal movement hadn't started until after One gathered Two and Five to Atlas alongside Three and Four. As soon as Jacques Schnee dies, One takes advantage of it to stir up the media, grab their attention, then make this announcement.
She promised Two that she would destroy the Grimm, and she hadn't been lying.
She was going to try to do it. She was in the process of making it happen.
How deeply had that plan run? One clearly had some plan in mind. She'd somehow organised Atlas into working towards her goal, and had done everything she could to make the next step as big of a show as possible. With the other Kingdoms having some people who were acknowledging Zeigen Schicksal, if One succeeded, here, she'd be able to rally up supporters in the other Kingdoms as well.
This was...
This was big. It was really big.
"An airship will be alongside that army, for any reporter brave enough to dare follow in the hopes of reporting on the future as it is forged." One continued. "As well as another, for any of our dear contest winners, who will be able to witness the revolution which they one day may play a part in finishing."
Looking over the frenzied crowd of media, One's smile grew.
"This world is ours for the taking. And by the time this has all concluded, it will be ours."
History is in the making. Will Yang be there to witness it?
[X] Hell yes. She may have been frustrated with One early, but she wasn't going to miss this.
[X] No. She should stay behind. Investigate silver eyes. Contact Qrow and ask him to ask Ozpin, maybe.