Impromptu hiatus due to Volume 3 feels, College, and a fractured ankle.
Disclaimer: RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth, fine folks following a great man's playbook. Bálor belongs to me, the bum who fractured his ankle while running to class
Ruby and Weiss would be making their over to the Academy landing docks with the heiress currently in a fluster as they red and white duo approached the now-landing aircraft. "Weiss, what's wrong?" The crimsonette was genuinely at a loss for her partner's current shift in behavior, said confusion would be only made worse as Anders grimly stood next to the red hood with a crestfallen expression on his own face. "Who the heck is on this ship?" The shaggy-haired bookworm would sigh and simply hold up three fingers before counting them down to zero as the hangar door opened as a woman looking somewhat like an older version of Weiss would step down from the landing ramp of the Bullhead while being flanked by four Atleasian Knights.
"Winter!" Weiss would call out to the pale-haired woman with an exuberant look upon her face, even as Ruby looked on in surprise as the older female turned around to face the now-trio of individuals.
"Your sister?" The silver-eyed Huntress would watch as the older Schnee made her way over to them with a stoic look upon her face while observing them in a cold fashion.
"I'm so glad you're here-" The younger heiress would speak in obvious joy at the fact that her elder sibling would step away from the iron walls of Atlas to pay her a visit, but her joy would quickly shift to one of formality as Weiss would curtsy to the woman as if she were of more Noble blood. "Your presence honors us."
Ruby wouldn't react visibly to this second shift in attitude, though it did strike her as odd that for two individuals who were related to one another that there was so very little warmth between them.
"Beacon, the air is..different." Winter would say this while looking around at the semi-deserted area they were now standing in, not reacting in the slightest as Weiss hit Ruby in the arm for making a bit of a weather joke. This wouldn't phase the older Huntress in the slightest as the final two members of her entourage finally stepped out from the landed Bullhead with matching smirks. "It's about time you two finally decided to get out of the damn supply closet, don't think your behavior will go undisciplined just because we're on foreign ground."
Anders would shift uncomfortably as the two remaining members of his team would cast their predatory gazes his way, his grip upon the heavy tome tightening as the Schnee sisters exchanged words and what supposedly passed for pleasantries between them.
Which apparently included a whack to the head for the younger woman.
"Silence you boob! I didn't ask about your marks, I asked you how you were doing: Are you eating well, have you made any friends?" Winter's expression would change to a warmer one as she looked at the two individuals standing beside her younger sister, even though she had already sent Anders to Vale ahead of time just to scope out the current security measures that General Ironwood had instituted in preparation for the Vytal Festival. "Hmm, Casia's gone AWOL again. No doubt off on one of her quests to satisfy that bizarre pudding craving of hers." The older woman would wait patiently for the younger Huntress's response even as Weiss looked a tad flustered by the response.
"Well..there's Ruby." Weiss would gesture to her crimsonette-haired partner and leader of Team RWBY, who would simply smile and push in the lump that was forming on the younger Schnee's head with a giggle. "O-oh, and there's Anders here too..he seems like a good friend…in the making."
The shaggy-haired Huntsman would step back with a quick shake of his head in denial as he was looking for the closest exit out of this unbelievably tense situation. "What the heck, I LITERALLY JUST MET YOU WOMAN!" Luckily for him, Winter would dismiss his rushed inclusion into Weiss's circle of friends in favor of looking over Ruby with a shrewd and interrogative glare.
"Ruby Rose, somehow this is..exactly what I expected in terms of a leader." The elder Schnee would sigh even as the crimsonette did her best to curtsy and appease Winter's apparent lofty standards toward her. "Hmm it was my understanding that you would all be assembled here in my presence." Winter would fold her hands behind her back and look down upon Anders with an impatient glower, the raven-headed bookworm wilting under the weight of her gaze like a dying plant. "Well Mauve, what do you have to say for yourself?!"
Both Red and White would exchange brief looks of confusion before the cookie-loving Huntress would look over to the less-than-confident young man beside her, watching him take a definitive gulp of air before sighing and looking up at the pale-haired woman. "Andy, how the heck do you know Weiss's sister?" Her query would be met with a look of clear disdain from the bookworm as he clutched his tome tightly as he closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Dammit Evie…dealing with the boss lady was always your job." Anders would snap his fingers and summon a stand to rest his book upon before standing up straighter then his laid back demeanor would usually allow. "Second-class Ensign of the Winter Brigade, Anders Mauve at your service!"
Bálor would growl in annoyance as he caught a very familiar stench on the wind, it was one that belonged only in the depths of his memories as he and the pudding-fanatic Evie Casia made their way to Beacon's courtyard. "That smell, that disgusting smell." The wolf Faunus would shake his head quickly as the bitter memories of his childhood began to bubble up to the surface, his muscles tensing in barely restrained fury as he heard an echo of the old man's voice.
"Impudent little shit, you're just as weak as your whore of a mother!" Instinctively his hand would go to his cheek as he felt the sting of the demon's leather belt, even though it was clearly a flashback that he found himself trapped in the pain was very much real to the amber-eyed soldier-turned-Huntsman. "You'll never be as great a man as me, filthy little runt!" He could hear the whistle of air being cut as Jack readied his belt for another strike, raising his hand high overhead to deliver a devastating shot.
Only to hear a voice call out in the darkness of his horrid past.
"You need to stop!" The frightened wolf Faunus would recognize the lithe form of his mother, her own silver hair draped past her shoulders as she held the angry swordsman's belt-arm in place. "Please sweetheart, compose yourself!" The silver-haired woman would be doing her best to restrain her husband's wrath while looking down at her wounded son. "Bálor!" A new voice would beckon to him, causing the scene in front of him to wash away and reveal that he was standing in Beacon's Courtyard with various individuals surrounded by an amber-colored glow and desperately trying to stay grounded. "You need to snap out of it!" The wolf would slowly shake off the nightmarish fog surrounding him as he looked down to see Ruby clutching his hands tightly even as the reaper herself was being lifted into the air slowly, somewhere along the way his Semblance had kicked in while he was suffering and was now trying to send everyone in the area away. "Bálor, please COME BACK TO ME!" Her voice would pierce what remained of the shadows of his childhood and bring him (and the poor souls captured by his ability) back down to solid ground.
"Ruby..? I…I don't know what happened-" The stunned young man would look around at the chaos surrounding them: many students were glaring at him in annoyance while slowly getting to their feet, Weiss on the other hand would be looking on in annoyance at a dark-haired older Huntsman. But just as he was about to question just what kind of situation he had somehow zombie-walked his way into, Ruby would hug the wolf Faunus tightly as her forehead rested against his abs. "…I hate that you're taller then me, I feel like such a kid when we're like this."
Bálor would smile sheepishly before pulling away from her huge and getting down on one knee, surprising a few individuals in the crowd before enveloping her in a hug of his own and feeling her lay her head down upon his shoulder. "There, all better." He would wince, feeling the crimsonette step on his foot in annoyance. "I get it, stop treating you like a friggin child." For a moment the two of them would be lost in the embrace, the world metaphorically falling away as they held one another as a pair of lovers would do when reuniting after a long period of time apart.
"Umm..excuse me, can I get some help here?" A meek voice would call out from the tree above the quiet couple, causing Bálor to remember that he hadn't exactly arrived here on his own. "Hello? Bálor..? Little red hooded girl..?" An amber glow would surround the brunette-haired worshipper of 'Maidens' as she would be safely lowered down to the ground while breathing an audible sigh of relief. "Wow, all that tension's given me a craving for pudding!" Evie would say this enthusiastically as she stood up and dusted off her dress.
"Is there anything that doesn't cause you to crave pudding Evie, I must've dropped at least forty Lien on your cravings back at the booth." The silver-haired wolf would sigh happily as her eyes simply lit up at the memory of four bowls of pudding without having to worry about money issues. "You're almost as bad as my little Rose here- OW!" He would grimace in agony as the crimsonette stomped on his foot once more, whimpering as he hopped around on his uninjured foot, leaving the dessert-loving nun completely lost at Ruby's sudden change in attitude before remembering one odd little detail of when Evelisse had met the wolf herself. "Ahh, you must be the cookie-loving girl that he was talking about." The brunette-headed woman would walk up to the crimsonette and smile politely as she held out her hand. "My name's Evelisse Casia, Evie for short.."
Evie would watch curiously as the crimsonette looked her up and down, even going as far as to walk around her in a circle as if trying to inspect her like a piece of meat.
"…Weird, I kinda figured all that pudding would go to your hips in some way…" Ruby would grin as the brunette looked down at her in horror at her remark, almost as if she were trying to decide whether she should be offended or not before the red hood smiled pleasantly. "Just kidding, so how do you know my boy- duhhhh I mean BEST BUDDY EVER!" The silver-eyed girl would laugh nervously as the new girl simply looked on in confusion (and slight worry) as she looked to the wolf Faunus just to make sure he hadn't heard any of her terrible faux pas, only to see him looking over at the courtyard quietly.
"Guys..we may have a problem here." The amber-eyed young man would frown at the scene that was slowly playing out before him, a disturbingly familiar scent lingering in the air as the Huntresses joined him.
Weiss Schnee couldn't possibly feel any more embarrassed then she did in that moment.
Firstly, there was the fact that her newest annoyance was in-fact was an undercover member of her sister's personal honor guard and seemed less then proud of that fact.
"To think this mangy shag of hair has a spot in Winter's honor guard, has she lost her marbles while I was away from Atlas or what?"
Then, following that horrid reveal came a sudden outburst of telekinesis that had no doubt been caused by that blasted wolf Faunus. Especially since Ruby had decided to run off and investigate the matter, only for the sporadic floating to subside no more than a few minutes later.
"Of course it would end up being that idiot, it isn't like Goodwitch would lose her mind and try to telekinetically kill us all or anything."
But perhaps the worst part of the entire ordeal was the strange drunkard who had ripped the head off of an Atlesian Knight with nothing more then his bare hands, and was now mouthing off to her sister while her so-called honor guard stood there without so much as drawing a single weapon.
"I see you're still getting rookies to do your dirty work Ice Queen, then again you rich types don't exactly enjoy getting your hands dirty now do you?" The raven-haired man would look upon the less-than-ready Honor Guard with disdain before stepping forward.
"Why aren't you people doing anything, my family's honor is being sullied and yet you three are standing there like useless DOLLS!" Weiss would go to unsheathe Myrtenaster, only to feel a firm hand upon her shoulder as Anders stood beside her while leafing through his tome with his free hand. "Let go of me right now you filthy mongrel!" The younger heiress was infuriated as she continued to try and draw her weapon despite his firm grip.
"Yeah, you're gonna wanna listen up here Schnee Jr. because you're obviously out of touch on how this Honor Guard crap works." Anders would stay quiet even as Winter drew her weapon, threatening to remove the man's tongue and grinning as her assailant simply gestured for her to bring it on. "We're not here to look out for your big sister's well being, nor are we here to stand up for the less-then-lofty ideals that the SDC uphold with every business decision." He would gently push Weiss aside as both Winter and the strange drunk went blow for blow even at high speeds. "Winter chose three of us for the simple fact that we managed to survive in a battle against her for three minutes, the last and missing member of our unit was the only one to successfully make her yield."
Weiss would frown, realizing that if what he were saying were true: Then with the obvious exception of their leader, the remaining members were just basically meat shields for Winter's benefit. "How can you continue to serve her, knowing that there's a good chance that you may not come back whenever you go into the field?"
Anders would sigh and turn his head away slightly, slamming his tome shut as if he had done so a thousand times over. "Because, some of us have no other place to go." He would go quiet as Ruby, Bálor and, a slightly pale brunette would join them in watching the madness. "About time you got here Evie, thanks to you going AWOL and hunting for pudding I had to deal with the boss lady. Needless to say you're pretty much on everyone's shit list."
Ruby would look on in confusion as the two veterans moved faster then the eye can see, leaving the three newcomers at a loss over what was transpiring. "Weiss, what's going on?"
The heiress would sigh and explain the situation as best she could, purposely ignoring the part where their shaggy-haired friend revealed his true identity as she took notice of the brunette's sudden frown.
"Whoever this guy is, he's insanely strong..and drunker then my asshat of a father may he rot in Hell." The wolf would ball his fists and begin to fall back into the crowd when Ruby suddenly let loose a squeal of happiness, causing him to pause mid-step.
"GET HER UNCLE QROW!" Ruby would shout this even as her partner cheered for the man's opponent, causing him to stand beside Evie as the battle moved further down the courtyard as the two switched to firing bullets at one another.
"Oh I knew something like this would happen, my prayer beads are never wrong!" The pudding-loving Huntress would pull out her rosary and frown at the knots she would see, a clear-cut sign of troubling things to come for all of them. "I really wish Miss Winter did better to keep her temper in check, or at least waited until I came back!" They would all proceed to dodge the two frenzied warriors as the battle once again hit the ground running once again.
"Aren't nuns supposed to be pacifists?" The wolf would ask this offhandedly even as the older pale-haired woman was readying what looked like a very fast and powerful attack while the man called Qrow stood there with a confident smirk, as if waiting for her to strike him down. "He's really not gonna move?" As Winter sped in for a killing blow Bálor felt torn on whether or not to save this drunkard who also happened to be his closest friend's uncle, on the one hand he had a great dislike for alcohol and the poor souls who consumed it like it was their lifeblood..but it was also Ruby's UNCLE! "Fuck it!" Reaching back to unsheathe his Shadow Waltz and go charging in to defend the man.
"Schnee!" The voice of General James Ironwood would pierce the tension in the air, causing the elder Schnee to stop her attack as she was dangerously close to Qrow's neck and Balor was in the midst of trying to make the save and sending him skidding to the ground in an embarrassed heap instead. "Oww, my face."
Ironwood would ignore the young man's whimpers of agony while walking over to his subordinate as the elder Schnee quickly stood at attention, unaware that Qrow was smirking at the scene playing out in front of him. "General, he started the altercation!" Winter's voice would remain firm even as Qrow casually spoke up behind her.
"That's actually not true." This would continue on for a little longer as a clearly flustered Bálor slowly climbed back to his feet to find Ozpin and Goodwitch standing beside him, the amber-eyed young man would stay quiet as the two professors dispersed the crowd and repaired the damaged to the courtyard respectively.
"Man, this day just keeps getting more and more bizarre." Looking around he would see friends being reacquainted with loved ones, catching up with fellow teammates, or just generally enjoying the highs that came from watching a good day of battles. "Makes me wish I had more people in my life to open up to in my own life…" The wolf Faunus would pick up his weapon and sheathe it, catching Evie talking excitedly with the two individuals in Winter Schnee's entourage as well as the strange young man that stood by Ruby and Weiss throughout the entire skirmish.
"You shouldn't dwell on dark thoughts." Ozpin would place a paternal hand upon the young man's shoulder, not minding the sudden yip of surprise that the wolf let loose. "My boy you've come a long way from being the human scalpel Vacuo tried to mold you into, and while things may seem lonely at certain points..never forget that you have a whole Academy's worth of family to call upon in times of need." The bespectacled man would start walking back alongside Goodwitch, the general, and a less than pleased Winter Schnee in toe, leaving his Faunus ward even more disheartened at the reunions playing out behind him.
"An academy's worth of family huh, I think he missed the part where all but a handful of them are dying to see me given das boot."
Lady Moonlight would be listening to the sounds of a heated argument as she made her way up in the elevator, judging by what the scarred woman allowed herself to hear it would seem that Qrow had once again gotten himself into a spot of trouble. "That man always did have a flare for showmanship, almost reminds me of Jack during his more sober days." The doors would open to an infuriated Winter who would glare daggers at the cloaked woman as the pale-haired woman entered the elevator as she exited it, quickly catching the eye of an exasperated Goodwitch as she did. "I see things are as lively as ever between you boys." An audible 'humph!' could be heard as Lady lazily leaned against the wall. "Hello to you too Glynda dear."
Qrow would groan upon hearing the fluttery, ditzy tones that belonged to the cloaked woman he thought he had left behind at the bar. "Godammit woman, do you insist on haunting me like some depraved necrophiliac wraith from Hell?!"
All eyes would suddenly shift to the red eyed drunk with more than a little sense of 'what the heck' that permeated the room thanks to his statement. "What, technically she's dead!" Ironwood would shake his head and turn back to Ozpin, who was now comfortably sitting behind his desk watching the general's holographic representation of the fleet he had brought with him "As I was saying before, my ships are a symbol of strength and because of this our enemies will know fear." The general seemed to truly feel pride at the holographic fleet floating above their heads, only for Qrow once again to prove to be the dissenting opinion between them all with an audible laugh.
"You really think our enemies will be afraid of your little ships, I've been out there..I've seen the creatures she's made and they are fear." For a moment, the two men seemed to tense at their differing conclusions, soundlessly daring one another to make a move before Ozpin spoke up. "And it is fear that brings forth the Grimm, wouldn't you agree Lady?"
The cloaked woman would go sour-faced underneath her hood before facing the group assembled before her, deciding instead to avoid his question entirely as she narrowed her amber eyes at the group. "Ozzie, you seem to forget that the Grimm aren't our only problem here..after all sweet little Autumn is-" She would stop as she felt Qrow's heated gaze upon her, but this would only cause her to grin despite the drunkard's less then obvious attempt to restrain himself from attacking the woman. "Was attacked in broad daylight while someone was getting himself all nice and tuckered up for the bar maiden that night, now if my blood had been asked to guard your dear Maidens then we wouldn't be having this conversation now would we dearies?"
Goodwitch would clench her teeth visibly at the hooded woman's words, neither woman particularly liked the other, especially given that Lady's current audacity mirrored the type of attitude she received from the woman's son up until recently. "If we were to leave something of this magnitude up to your tribe of nomads we would never see hide nor hair of them ever again!" Lady would let out a high pitched laugh at the crop-wielding Huntress's accusations before letting her yellow eyes shimmer beneath her hood.
"But Glynda dear, I assumed that was the whole point of your little Order: To keep the four most powerful women in our world today safe from prying eyes, who better to accomplish this task then a nomadic tribe like ours?" She would spread her hands outward as she slowly walked forward, staring down each member of the group as she did. "Unlike the good general here, we don't rely on pathetic metal dolls to survive, and because we're constantly on the move we're less then likely to be spotted..like certain individuals." Lady would sigh happily as she felt Qrow's sword at the back of her neck. "Oooh sweetie, it's a nice toy..but Jack's at least had style to them." She would quickly leap onto Ozpin's desk to avoid an attempt to cut her neck, turning back to the angered Qrow with a crooked smile. "You know what they say after all: It's not the size of the sword, it's how you use it."
To his credit, Qrow would snicker at the innuendo and gesture at her to 'come and get it'. "Tell you what Lady, why don't you come down here and I'll show you just how well I can use this sword of mine!"
The hooded woman would cackle in response to his taunt and lick her lips playfully at her opponent before skillfully leaping over him and landing right back at the elevator door. "Qrow..honey, I'm just too much woman for you to handle. Be a good boy and go back to wasting your impulses on the Schnee woman, she seems to be just the kind of thing that appreciates someone with such..obvious shortcomings." The elevator doors would open as Lady smiled triumphantly before making her exit.
Yeah so, Brawl in the Family was another of my so-so chapters (strictly my opinion) so I'm basically calling an audible and painting with broad brush strokes, to those of you who liked the episode: Great, fantastic, wonderful. But it just didn't do it for me, and while Dissonance falls in line with the canon of Volume 3, it's not a straight novelization. My OC's are involved, the events of the first few fanfics are mentioned and there will be chapters to cover the time that wasn't shown on-screen (although how I'm gonna cover Chapter 7 of volume 3 is a logistical nightmare) If this isn't your cup of tea, I completely understand.
The great thing about fanfiction is that there's something for everyone.