Full Disclosure: I DO NOT own any of the RWBY characters from the canon show. They belong to Rooster Teeth and the late Monty Oum, may he rest in peace. Any characters you see here that aren't in the canon show are my OC's.
"Blah"= Spoken
'Blah'Thoughts
"Blah" Dialogue in memory/ Scroll call
--Taiyang Xiao Long--
"You find him yet?"
Oh, for the love of--
"No, Qrow, we haven't found him yet." I said through gritted teeth and a forced smile, having responded to this exact same question for the 9th time, in the span of 10 minutes, "Have you?"
"Nope, no luck here." Qrow responded, the sound of a few books hitting the floor being audible through the call.
"We've already checked the combat training room, but he wasn't there. And there's no way he could've entered the dorm without any of us unlocking the door for him." I said before letting a sigh escape me, "Sum went to go check the cafeteria."
"And my sister?"
"Said she, and I quote, 'couldn't care less', before going off to the library." I said with an eye roll, "That was actually right before you called."
"Yeah, sounds like her." My partner commented, with the sound of more books falling soon after...wait..
"Qrow..where are you right now?"
"Our dorm." He replied simply, as if there was absolutely nothing wrong.
"Wha--?! Why?!"
"I had to take a dump." He replied before yawning. A powerful urge to facepalm myself grew within me, but was held back by a heavy sigh.
"Fine. But get over here. We need your help to find him too." I said.
"Bu--"
"Or do you want me to tell Raven that you touched her books?"
And like that, the call was over...honestly, I didn't even expect it to go that well. I heard books falling before, and put two-and-two together once Qrow told me he was at the dorm. I thought he'd just angrily grumble at the ultimatum. But immediate obedience?
I'm going to have to keep a mental note of this as the only time I've seen Qrow show anykind of fear towards Raven.
"Tai?" Summer's voice snapped me out of my mental noting, causing me to look up and see a curious, but slightly concerned look on her face, "You alright?
"Oh..yeah, I'm fine. Just zoned out a little, that's all." I reassured, my team leader surprisingly moving on quickly as she nodded, turned back around, and began to walk ahead of me. I tried to call out for her to slow down, but she seemingly didn't hear me, despite not only being not too far away, but also walking at a slightly faster than normal pace.
And so, catching up to her was easy.
"..so, I'm guessing you didn't find him at the cafeteria?" I asked.
I was well aware of how dumb the question sounded. Of course she didn't find him. Otherwise, he'd be here. But I needed something to start a conversation.
"Yeah, he wasn't there. But, it's not like there weren't any benefits." Summer said with a slight joyful rise in her voice at the end, "The lunch lady, said he passed by there during classes. Since he doesn't have a scroll, he couldn't pay for any food, but she took pity on him and let him take a few bananas and a glass of milk."
...What?
"What'd he have to do to get her to pity him?" I asked, slightly amazed.
"Tai, she's not that bad."
"She was in on the prank Qrow pulled on me last year!" I quickly exclaimed, though my team leader simply rose a brow.
"Can you really blame him? You tricked him into wearing a skirt before we even got into Beacon."
"But I--!"
"No buts." She interrupted, "You deserved it, and he got payback." My only response was to slump my shoulders in depression, "..but, getting back on topic, apparently Matthew was really hungry, and she couldn't help but give him the food."
"How hungry?"
"To quote her, 'His belly was roarin' like an Ursa Major'." Summer's imitation of the lunch lady's accent and joyful tone made me chuckle a little.
"But we still don't know where he is?" I asked, Summer shaking her head lightly in response as we turned a corner.
"Nope. Turns out, she heard him mention the library while he was there." She commented in a more cheerful tone, "If we're lucky, then Raven's already met up with him."
"If that's the case, then should we go to the library?" I asked. Summer hummed lightly for a few moments while pinching her chin lightly, a smile then coming to her face as she stopped humming.
"No."
...huh?
"Sum...are you sure? This is Raven we're talking about. The same girl who threatened me with violence just for giving her a nickname." I clarified, not knowing if Summer was genuinely alright.
"Yeah Tai, that Raven. I already know she can be...blunt, but helping Matthew's our mission, our responsibility. We ought to spend more time with him now so we can get more comfortable with him and have an easier time training him in the future." Summer explained. I was admittedly a bit surprised by her planning ahead of time, but I kept that to myself, "And besides, he's gotten one-on-one time with both you and Qrow. It's about time we got a turn." She finished with a smile. Though...
"Doesn't that make you last?" My comment made the leader of Team STRQ flinch, her head then drooping, and shoulders slouching, in depression.
Summer's only verbal response was to lightly groan, causing me to sweatdrop with a nervous smile.
'Hopefully things in the library are going well...'
--0--0--
--Matthew--
Yep, it's official; I'm lost.
This place is huge! I don't even know how I got here! I remember a hallway leading here, double doors, and a front desk. But after that? Zilch, nada, dick bupkus...wait what do those even mean?!!
'Ugh, never mind...'
I shook my head, not only shaking away the thoughts through a literal motion, but also slightly disheveling my already-messy hair. Focus regained, I walked down an aisle, a multitude of bookshelves on each side.
After almost half a minute of walking, I decided to just turn a corner and see what the hell I'd be able to find.
After all, I was really only hear to satisfy my boredom from a lack of anything else to do. I mean, I can't just train all day. I'm not a Sai--...Sai...what was I about to sa--
"Oof!" I let out a noise as I bumped into someone in front of me, the person I bumped into letting out the same noise as they dropped the book they were holding at my feet, "..oh, sorry about that.." I began, kneeling down to pick up the book they were holding. I grabbed the spine and took the opportunity to look at the cove--...wait...is this what I think it is..?
Ninja's of Love...Ninja's of Love...Ninja's of Love...
'...Blake?!'
A glimpse of hope made my head dart upwards to see the face of the owner of the boo--...oh..
'It's just you.' I thought in disappointment, red eyes looking into my brown ones. Yep, I just so happened to be lucky enough to run into Raven Branwen, of all people.
'Sure was hoping I'd get some one-on-one time with her one of these days.' I thought in a tone rich with sarcasm.
"And what is that supposed to mean?"
Ah...shit, did I say that out loud? And if I did, then which did I say?
"Oh! Nothing. I just..wasn't really expecting to see you.." My attempt to not piss her off seemed to work, as the female Branwen simply turned her back to me and walked away. I let out a light sigh and let my head droop, the sound of footsteps stopping immediately catching my attention.
"...are you just going to stand there?"
...oh shit, she's still here?
"..Uh--"
"The others are currently looking for you." Her voice sounded uninterested to some extent, "...although.."
"Although..?" I began in a curious tone, silently asking for her to continue.
"If Summer's come to the conclusion that you're here in the library..." Raven let out a light sigh, "then I'm willing to bet she'll tell Taiyang and my idiot brother not to search for you."
"..why?" I couldn't hide the disbelief in my tone.
And Raven didn't seem to blame me for it, judging by her lack of a response to my tone of voice.
"Knowing her, she probably thought the two of us having a one-on-one conversation would lead to us...bonding." I almost snickered at the look on her face when she said the word, as if she'd wanted to vomit. Her shiver immediately afterwards made it even harder to hold back a laugh.
Aside from that though, I gotta say--leaving me alone in a room with Raven...I know you're trying to be helpful, but dick move, Summer. Dick move.
"..I'm guessing that's a no-go?"
"Very much so." were her last words before turning and walking away, leaving me to my thoughts.
"..." I remained silent for a few moments before sighing and running a hand through my hair. I stood up and looked to the side, towards hundreds of books, all neatly organized side by side. I observed each one with a partial degree of interest, but really I was just skimming the titles and seeing if anything, by some miracle, clicked in my mind for some reason, as I lazily drew a finger down each of the books' spines while I read the cover to myself in my mind.
Most of them were ones which I, naturally, had absolutely no clue what they were about.
But at the same time...one stood out to me..
' "The Four Maidens"..?...why does this feel familiar to me? I mean, it shouldn't feel familiar...right?' I was admittedly hesitant to try to remember anything, with memories of both Taiyang's advice, and my past experiences with trying to force recollections, serving as a warning for me not to do so.
...but, I at least ought to try...
With a deep breath and calm exhale, I reached for the book, my fingers pinching the top of the spine as I moved it towards me just enough so that I could change my grip and grab the book by the spine and pull it out. I turned the book so that I could see the cover.
It was a hardback copy and the edges of the dark brown cover were somewhat rounded, indicating that it'd been used rather often. The title of the book, the same as on the spine, was present on the cover with one word above the other, all 3 words colored a shade of gold.
My fingers moved to the edge of the cover to turn it, but stopped just before they touched it. My resolve still made, however, I took another breath, though the exhale was quicker...and I opened the book.
--0--0--
--Raven Branwen--
...Dammit, I'm starting to feel a little pissed off. Now I'm angry at myself for thinking "pissed off". Qrow must be rubbing off on me...and now I'm just irritated by Qrow.
It's funny how things come full circle sometimes.
Speaking of my idiot brother..
"So, you already found him?" He asked, seeming a little irritated. Unfortunately for him, the feeling was mutual, but for a different reason.
"Yes, I did. He's somewhere in the library right now." I responded, my eyes never leaving my book...which I had admittedly hidden the cover of with that of another book...I'm not ashamed.
"You mean you ditched him?" My brother asked with a raised brow.
"I left him to his own devices." I heard a thump on the table a moment after my response, causing me to glance above my book to observe my brother, who had his face promptly planted onto the wooden table.
"..in other words, I more or less came here for nothing..." Qrow's words echoed a sense of exhaustion, but not genuine exhaustion. It was more exhaustion due to laziness than due to any hard work. A sigh soon followed Qrow's comment, as he lifted his head and leaned back in his chair. Though, right after that, my eyes returned to the pages of my guilty ple--...educational novel..
"Aren't you going to go look for him?" I asked.
"Eh, I probably should. Or at least, that's what Sum would want.." My brow twitched.
"Qrow...you're getting familiar with them. That'd better not become a problem once we graduate." I warned in a cold tone, my brother clicking his tongue in irritation as a response.
"..yeah..yeah, I know..." Qrow replied dejectedly before getting up from his seat and turning around to leave, stopping after one step, "...can I ask you something?"
I mentally groaned to myself and sighed aloud, "What?"
"What exactly do you have against him?" My fingers holding my book tensed ever so slightly in response to my brother's question, though I said nothing, "Ever since we met him, whenever possible, you've tried to avoid being near him. And when you couldn't do that, you've given him a nasty look any time the two of you made eye contact."
"Are you implying that I don't give nasty looks to anyone else?"
"...good point, but that's not what's important here." Qrow quickly noted, "My question is, what's up with you and him?"
"...it's none of your concern." I replied simply, my eyes still not having left my book, though I hadn't turned a single page from when the conversation started, nor read a single word. My brother simply sighed before leaving.
...at last, peace and quie--
"HOLY SHIT!!!"
...All of my hate...
--0--0--
--Matthew--
Holy shit...holy shit...HOLY SHIT!!!
Specific memories of RWBY came rushing back into my mind. Specifically about the tale of the four Maidens, though it wasn't anything I probably wouldn't have found out about in the book.
Even so, one memory still had me seated on the floor with my eyes wide and breathing a little heavily, my heart racing.
Ozpin is the Wizard.
...it took a bit for me to wrap my head around that, and I'm still not sure I've fully got a handle on that.
Considering that this story's actually not fiction, how old is Ozpin..? Maybe a few centuries...?
..No, never mind that. The more important question is, should I tell him I know? I mean, how am I supposed to tell him "Hey, I know you're the Wizard. How? Well, you and the rest of Remnant, including the world itself, are actually just fictional creations made by--"
"OW, FUCK!!" I whispered loudly and gripped my forehead, my fingers digging into my hair as a sharp, brief pain tore into my mind due to trying to remember the name of RWBY's creator.
I picked up the book and stood up, looking at the cover for a few moments, my hands shaking a little bit. With a quick exhale, I put the book back where I found it, an empty space awaiting it as I put the book back.
I remained standing in front of so-called fairy tale, pinching the bridge of my nose as I exhaled, knowing that my life just got a lot more...well, a lot more something...
-The End
A/N: Sup!! Sorry the chapter came out so late, and sorry that it's shorter than usual, but I've had school to worry about. But, it's here now, and I hope you all enjoyed. I don't really have much to talk about, so onward, to the comment responses!!!
Comment Responses:
YeTianshi: Uchiha indeed! But, Matthew won't be OP. Also, he ain't getting the Sharingan, just throwing that out there.
CaptainC0rv0: Interesting. Actually, to be honest, RWBY Fanfiction was the first I ever read, with the first story I ever read still being my favorite RWBY Fanfiction.
youngsavage: Glad to see the enthusiasm! And I have a feeling not many people, if not none, were expecting me to incorporate elements from Fullmetal.
bwburke94: Really? I never watched RWBY on Netflix, but I knew that Volumes 1 and 2 were on there. But I had no idea that RWBY came into Netflix on that very same day..