ACT II
Cinder had made many mistakes in the past.
She had stolen countless riches with no desire for their wealth. She had lied her way into places never meant for her. She had murdered both the innocent and the damned.
She had fallen hopelessly in love with someone she never could be with.
But she had to admit to herself that agreeing to play a game with Roman Torchwick was the worst mistake in her life.
"No, it's big. Actually, it can't be measured with any system known to mankind." He said smugly, his voice echoing on his cage's walls before it reached her ears.
"So, it's not a person. It's not an object. It isn't fictional…" Cinder frowned. She was very aware of how silly it was to play Twenty Questions with him, of all people, but a week of isolation on one of the world's most secure prisons had taken a toll on her. She would do anything to stray her thoughts from Ruby. "Is it a feeling?"
"Oh, finally! You're getting closer." Roman declared. "Too bad it took you fifteen questions. You're going to be really specific if you want to get the answer right."
"Is it how annoyed I am at you?" She asked pointedly, glaring at his direction, even though he couldn't see her.
"No. Sixteen."
"Is it how annoyed you are at me?"
"No, but you're getting really close!"
She rested her head against the wall behind her, racking her brain for any possible answers. After a minute of consideration, she sighed.
"I give up. What is it?"
"It's the disdain I feel for you!" Roman answered cheerfully. "Seriously, I do hate you. It was bad enough that you kept bossing me around before, but then you betrayed our cause for nothing."
Cinder opened her mouth to snap at him, but it just hung open. His statement angered her to no end, but she couldn't find a reasonable counter to it. What had she betrayed him for? Breaking Ruby's heart, ruining their mission at Beacon, and being thrown in prison?
"I hate this game." She stated coldly.
"Not as much as I hate you." Roman said. She didn't to see him to know he had the widest smile on his face.
"You would never dare say something like that if I were free."
"I would, actually. I can tell you've gone soft, Cinder. You wouldn't do anything to me."
Cinder's fingers closed around the edge of her seat, the metal turning red where it made contact with her skin. If she wanted to, she could melt her way out of the cage and make Roman regret every little infernal taunt he had subjected her with. She could just imagine the feeling of his bones cracking under her touch, his pained screams fading until there was no strength left in him…
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, emptying her mind of those horrible thoughts. Violence wasn't the way out of her cage.
"Come on, Miss Fall-in-love-with-the-enemy!" Roman sang. "It's your turn!"
"Okay." She thought for a few seconds. "I've got it."
"Is it a person?"
"Yes."
"Is it a girl?"
"Yes."
"Is it Ruby Rose?"
"…Go to hell, Roman."
"Stupid… Cinder!"
The whole of team Juniper covered their ears as Ruby let out a high-pitched scream and brought her scythe down on one of the gym's target dummies. The blade pierced its right shoulder, and the redhead's lips curved in a disturbingly wide smile as she examined it.
"I'm gonna hack some stuff here then kiss a random girl! Oh, it's so funny, she's so clueless!" She stuck out her tongue at the dummy, then pulled Crescent Rose back. Its arm flew right off its socket and towards Ren, who had barely enough time to duck under it. "Who's laughing now?"
Juniper shared a lot of doubtful looks, silently trying to decide who would intervene before Ruby completely annihilated her imaginary ex-girlfriend. After a few seconds, Jaune was confronted by his teammate's collective stare.
"Why me?" He whined quietly.
"You know her better than any of us. She needs a friend, Jaune." Pyrrha whispered, sidestepping a flying leg.
"You're our team leader." Ren added, swatting away a hand before it struck him.
"And she's crazy! I'm not getting near her!" The fact that Nora found Ruby too insane to deal with only made Jaune more fearful of his task. "Do it, or I'll break your legs!"
The blond boy gulped, having witnessed Nora's breaking of legs with his own eyes. He wondered if Dove's right knee had ever gone back to its former angle.
With a deep breath and a pat on the back by Pyrrha, Jaune turned to Ruby's direction and walked towards her. Hesitantly, he tapped her on the shoulder, then immediately raised his arms, as if he expected her to try to lope his head off.
Ruby looked over her shoulder, becoming very confused by how afraid and worried her friends looked.
"What's up, Jaune?" She asked.
"You." He blurted out, making his teammates cringe. "I mean, you're kinda… destroying that dummy."
"So?" She looked at the dummy – or more accurately, the few pieces of woods that were its remains. "The school has lots of these."
"Well, it's not about the dummy itself… It's about you speaking to it as if it were Cinder and then tearing it to pieces." He explained. "And, well, that's the third one you've done that with."
"So?" She repeated, as if she didn't really get the point of what he was saying. "Everyone deals with break ups differently. Some people cry, others destroy stuff. What's wrong with the way I'm dealing?"
She moved on to the next target dummy with quick steps – too quick. Coupled with the fact that she refused to make eye contact with him, it was clear to Jaune that she wasn't, in fact, dealing in any meaningful way.
"I get it that you feel like destroying stuff, Ruby, but I don't think that's the way you need to deal with… you know." Jaune rubbed his arms self-consciously. He was actually pretty familiar with this kind of situation. It came with having seven sisters, he presumed. "I think… I think you need to slow down."
"Slow down?" Ruby finally looked at him, and suddenly he felt a lot more like Target-Dummy-Jaune than Helpful-Guy-Friend-Jaune. "I don't want to slow down! I wanna destroy stuff, I wanna keep doing it until I don't feel this… stupid… feeling!" She dropped her scythe and gestured incoherently with her arms. "If I slow down, I'm just gonna… Gonna…"
There was a glimmer of tears in her eyes, but before he could do anything about it, she picked her weapon up and darted out of the gym. Jaune's shoulders dropped and he walked back to his teammates, feeling like the worst friend ever.
"You did the best you could, Jaune." Pyrrha offered kindly. "Maybe she just needs time."
Ren patted him on the shoulder and nodded. Their support was enough to make Jaune smile despite his disappointment.
"Yeah, right. You sucked, Jaune!" Nora exclaimed cheerfully. "No wonder you don't have a girlfriend."
Jaune sulked too much at the remark to notice Pyrrha's intense glaring at their lunatic teammate.
Light flooded the infirmary room, waking Blake up. She winced at the sudden brightness, turning to the side in an attempt to shy away from it.
"Sorry. I thought you were awake already. You aren't the heaviest of sleepers, as I recall."
A smile crept on Blake's face as she recognized Weiss's voice and forgot about the previous annoyance. She forced herself upright and focused her weary vision on the heiress, who had a platter of food on her hands.
"Let me help you." Weiss said quietly, putting the platter down and stepping to the side of her bed. She rearranged the pillows so they formed a pillar against the wall behind Blake. "Is that good?"
"Yeah… Thanks, Weiss." Blake muttered, then eyed the platter of food, amused by the sight of fish and milk. "And thanks for the food, too."
"Well, somebody's gotta do it."
Blake nodded silently. She hadn't seen Ruby and Yang since she revealed her knowledge of Cinder's identity, and she understood perfectly well that she deserved it. Weiss had taken up the duty of caring for her, bringing food and checking with the nurses for any problems, and she tried to pass it for only that – a duty.
The farce was very noticeable, though, what with Weiss only bringing her favorite foods and actually staying for a good while to talk with her. It was the first time they had spent time together, with none of her teammates or Juniper around too, and both were surprised by how relaxing it was, considering their previous history. They had never touched on their most recent argument, though.
"I mean it, Weiss." Blake gave her a sincere smile. "You didn't have to do any of this. I would understand if you just left me alone here."
Weiss opened her mouth to answer with some sharp retort or something similar, but she froze, staring at her teammate's smile.
"I- Well, that's what friends are for." She said, very aware of how lame that phrase sounded.
"Is that what we are?" Blake asked quietly. "Friends?"
"What else would we be?" Weiss answered quickly.
"Sworn enemies, probably. You know… Me, faunus. You, Schnee." The brunette clucked her tongue. "But we've gotten over that hurdle already, I guess."
The heiress nodded and sat down on a chair beside the bed. The platter laid in Blake's lap, untouched. Weiss' heartbeat quickened, knowing where this conversation lead to.
"Yes, we've gone over that." She managed to say, though her throat felt unusually dry.
"I'm… I'm sorry I brought that up when…" Blake paused, not knowing how to call their last conflict. She decided to just move on before their talk became too awkward. "It was stupid, and hypocritical. I'm always going on about equality, then I go and demean because you are a Schnee. I'm really sorry."
"It's okay. It was much better than my long tirades about how the White Fang are murderers and thieves!" Weiss smiled shakily, trying to lighten the mood, though she wasn't sure if she was experienced enough in that department. "Also, you were really stressed, right? What with keeping Cinder's secret and all that."
"That sucked too." Blake muttered, feeling like the worst person in the world.
"Hey! I said it's okay!" The heiress sat up straight and forced a solemn expression. "You are officially forgiven, Blake Belladonna."
The faunus smiled again, happy that Weiss, at least, was able to move past her wrongs so fast. She would still give Ruby and Yang all the time in the world, but she was happy to not have to be alone for so long.
Blake turned and began to eat her food. Weiss leaned back on her chair, sighing silently. She was both happy and disappointed that their conversation was over. They hadn't even mentioned the reason why they had actually fought, and she wasn't sure how to feel about it.
"Weiss…" The brunette spoke without looking at her. "Do you really have feelings for me?"
Weiss gasped and straightened so abruptly that her chair almost fell to the side. Despite the seriousness of her question, Blake couldn't help but be amused by the reaction.
"I-I uh, well, you know…" The heiress stammered. Her father would have slapped her on the back of her head if he ever witnessed something like that. "I… Think so? Do you have… feelings for me?"
"Yes." Blake answered firmly.
She took her fork to her mouth while Weiss stared at her. Then again. And again. The white-haired girl felt like snatching the platter and throwing it out the window.
"So?!" Weiss exclaimed, cringing at her voice crack.
"I don't know." Blake laid her fork down and looked at Weiss.
The heiress's agitation died down at that instant. By the way Blake had been speaking, she had assumed she didn't give the matter that much importance, but the way was staring at her now… Blake was as unsure and afraid as she was.
"Maybe…" Weiss cleared her throat. "Maybe we could go on a date…?"
"Yeah." Blake nodded. "That would be nice."
"Okay."
"Okay."
They looked away from each other, and because of that, both missed the other's ecstatic smiles. After a while, Blake resumed her eating, and Weiss sat by her side in pleasant silence.
Just as Blake finished her meal, the door to the room opened and Yang stepped in, a dutiful expression on her face.
"Ozpin's calling for all of us." She said emotionlessly. "Can she walk?"
Blake shrunk a little. Yang had always dealt with her troubles with rage – lots of rage – but she was just dismissive of Blake, not even directing a word at her. The faunus could only assume that meant she felt really betrayed and hurt.
"Can you?" Weiss redirected the question to her.
"I think so." Blake answered. "Might need some help, though."
"You can count on me."
Weiss took the platter away, then helped Blake to her feet slowly. As soon as she touched the ground, though, the faunus wobbled and started to fall. The heiress gritted her teeth and acted on instinct – and suddenly she was holding Blake on her arms.
Yang stared at the two, her mask of seriousness breaking briefly and being replaced by amusement and surprise.
"I must say, Weiss…" She chuckled. "You move fast. Do invite me for the wedding."
Weiss glared at her, but made no movement put Blake down. The faunus smiled to Yang, whose expression immediately closed. The blonde turned around and walked out of the room.
"Humph. How rude." Weiss remarked reprehensively, then looked down at Blake. "Let us go, my bride!"
"What?" Blake blurted out.
"Jeez, that was joke. I do jokes too, you know?" Weiss frowned.
"Oh. Sorry." Blake smiled charmingly. "Maybe one day I will be your bride, considering how fast you're moving."
The heiress blushed. She dedicated herself to avoiding Blake's smug stare as they made their way through Beacon.
When the monochrome pair arrived at Ozpin's office, Weiss dutifully put Blake down on a chair. The headmaster raised an eyebrow at the faunus' method of transportation, but made no comment about it.
Unfortunately, there were other people in the room who weren't as tactful. Qrow and Raven were leaning against a wall – him with a bored expression, her looking emotionlessly at a fixed point on the floor. He nudged his sister with an elbow and pointed towards the new arrivals.
"A Schnee and a faunus." He chuckled. "Who would have thought?"
"Really, Qrow?" She responded drily. "Really?"
"Excuse me for making jokes." He glared at her. "It's better than brooding around all day."
Blake straightened on her chair as she looked at Qrow.
"How do you know I'm a faunus?" She asked suspiciously.
He gestured towards the bow on her head.
"It's fairly obvious." He stated. "Really, I'm surprised that anyone would be fooled by that."
Blake smiled slightly as Weiss grumbled under her breath.
After a few more minutes, Ruby and Yang arrived. The redhead gave Blake a guarded look, but if she was meaning to say anything, she was too slow. As soon as they stepped in, Yang's eyes flew to Raven and turned red.
"What's she doing here?" She roared, then looked at Ozpin. "Is this a trick?"
"No, this is not a trick." The headmaster said. "I ask that you put aside all personal conflicts for the duration of this meeting. Can you do that, Yang?"
"I don't think I need any meetings, thank you." The blonde retorted bitterly, starting to turn towards the door.
"Yang, please." Raven spoke up softly. "After this is over, we can talk. I'll explain anything you want to know. Anything."
Yang looked at her mother silently, then nodded and sat down on a chair. Ruby started towards another, but she had a shiver run down her back. She looked up and noticed Raven staring at her.
"Why are you staring at me?" She asked nervously.
"Oh. I'm sorry." Raven blinked and shifted her weight. "I didn't mean to. You just look a lot like your mother." She looked towards Ozpin. "Do proceed, please."
As the young team took their seats, Ozpin sat on the edge of his desk, which caused was a small surprise to them. They knew he wasn't the strictest of headmasters, but he never appeared so casual. Ruby and Yang thought he only wanted to be comfortable for the duration of the meeting, but Weiss and Blake had a feeling the gesture had a deeper meaning – maybe Ozpin had come to respect them enough to drop all formalities around them.
"I called you here, team RWBY, because I don't suspect, but believe, that you've been going on self-proposed missions against the White Fang." He started. "Now, I should be reprimanding all of you, threatening to have you expelled for disobeying orders and putting yourselves at risks. But that's not my way. You're all Huntresses-in-training, and you're fully aware of what you're dealing with. Or so I expect."
He paused to give each of them a lasting stare. They fidgeted on their seats, but none broke under his examination. He leaned back and nodded, as if satisfied by their reactions.
"You've not only gone against the White Fang directly, but you've also, Ruby in particular, come in contact with Cinder Fall." Ozpin said. "She's an… interesting piece on the board."
"You mean she's a killer and a liar?" Yang corrected.
"I don't know. Perhaps you're right." The headmaster looked towards Blake briefly. "But perhaps you're being too quick to judge."
"I traced Fall's steps for many months, Ozpin, and I'm afraid I'm less open minded about her than you are." Raven interjected. "Nothing changes the fact that she has done more than a fair share of heinous crimes."
Ozpin looked ready to pose another argument, but Qrow gestured discreetly towards Ruby, who seemed to be almost disappearing against her chair.
"Moving on." The headmaster said. "I think it would be foolish and, frankly, a test in futility to keep you out of these matters. From now on, you'll be working for me, Qrow and Raven, against the White Fang."
"I've always dreamed of bossing my nieces around." Qrow laid a hand on his chin. "Oh, wait. I already do."
"Uhm… Sir, I don't want to question your judgment, but…" Weiss spoke up hesitantly. "We are first year students. Wouldn't it be wiser to recruit older students, or even better, fully-trained Huntsmen?"
"A valid point." Ozpin stated. "But in my many years as both Huntsman and headmaster, I've found that many, if not all, missions are accomplished by those with personal ties, not the most technically capable."
Weiss thought that method was most likely to get people killed than anything else, but she trusted her headmaster to know what was best for the situation.
"I can't force you into this arrangement, of course." Ozpin noted.
"I'll work with you." Blake said simply. She didn't need to voice her reasoning. Ozpin had suspected she was affiliated with the White Fang, and she doubted he didn't know the full truth now.
"I will too." Weiss followed. "Not only is this a job worthy of taking, but… Well, the White Fang has been harassing my family for a long time. It would be… fulfilling, to find some way to deal with them."
Yang stared towards Raven for a few seconds. She hadn't missed the subtler touches on Ozpin's proposal – they would be working not only for him, but also for Raven and Qrow. She was okay with taking orders from her uncle, even if he was aggravating at times, but her mother was another story…
"Okay…" She grumbled. "But I might abandon this mission at any moment."
"I hope you don't." Ozpin said softly. He looked at Ruby, who was silent as a stone and staring at nowhere in particular. "Miss Rose?"
She looked at him, and her silver eyes seemed to spark for a split second.
"Would this involve Cinder in any way?" She asked.
"I believe so, but-"
"I'm in." She answered immediately, then straightened her posture and said nothing more.
If Ozpin thought anything of her attitude, he didn't show it. Instead, the nodded and gestured satisfactorily to the team.
"That's all I wanted to discuss. I'll need some time to figure out our first step with Qrow and Raven. You'll be called as soon as we're ready." He said. "You're dismissed."
Yang immediately stood up and looked at Raven, prepared to demand her to keep her promise. To her surprise, though, Raven walked past her with quick steps, gripping her by the wrist. The blond girl looked nervously at her teammates before letting herself be pulled away.
Blake started to get up, and Weiss dove to support her. This time, the faunus managed to stay on her feet, though she leant heavily on the heiress.
"Ruby…" Blake spoke quietly. "…Can I move back to our room?"
The redhead looked at her with uncertainty. It was better than Yang's absolute lack of emotion, but it still wasn't what Blake wanted.
"Okay." Ruby allowed. "But Yang might object."
"I'll ask her afterwards." Blake said. "I'm sorry, Ruby."
"I know." The younger girl looked away. "You're forgiven."
Ruby walked out of the office, leaving Blake feeling worse than before.
"I don't think she meant that." She muttered.
"It'll take time." Weiss agreed softly. "I'll be there for you. You know that, right?"
Blake nodded and smiled gratefully. The two left the office, leaving only Ozpin and Qrow in it.
"Ah, the youth." Qrow reminisced. "Me, Raven, Taiyang and Summer… We had as much drama as these young ones."
"And double the amount of near-death situations." Ozpin added.
"Hey! That was what was fun about Beacon!" The Branwen protested. "Also, don't pretend to not be fond of these memories. I do recall you being rather… intimate, with Summer?"
"What?" Ozpin frowned. "I don't recall anything remotely like that. Unless you believed the old days' rumors…?"
"Rumors…" Qrow said suspiciously. "Sure…"
The headmaster shook his head in disbelief, wondering how anybody could come up with such ridiculous ideas.
I wonder if that ending humor was as funny to me as to 95% of you readers. Welp. I'm going with it!
Next chapter - we FINALLY hear Raven's story. Yay! By the way, Qrow's official character design has been revealed, so you might wanna check it out if you haven't yet, since he's in this story now. Also, Winter is Weiss' older sister. Thankfully I didn't include her in this story, or else she would be younger here, just like in Children of Summer.
Target-Dummy-sized thanks to everyone who reviewed, followed and favorited Falling Roses Burn Brighter!
-Zeroan