WE DON'T OWN RWBY! IT IS THE SOLE PROPERTY OF ROOSTER TEETH! THANK YOU!
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Hey guys, here's an 'interesting' chapter. Classes start for us tomorrow, so updates will be a bit slower. Wish us luck at college! Internet cookies and love all around!
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To manticore-gurl071134:
Thanks! My brother did a real twist there.
To Cavetroll001:
So do I! And yeah, poor Weiss-y, I hope she's not sick for long. It's awful!
To EndlessChains:
Thank you! :D The village was fun to read and fun for my brother to write. He said he kind of wanted to show how some villages are able to sustain themselves outside the Kingdoms without it being overly complicated. It did raise quite a few questions, didn't it? I'm glad you liked the Freezerburn bit and how Yang is trying to avoid getting Ruby sick too. See ya in the new chapter!
To Jay aka Jordan:
Right?! Blake really needs to 'release the ears!' I mean obviously the village accepts Fauna so what's the deal? And holy cow! I wonder how Blake's going to tell Yang? Don't worry, Freezerburn WILL happen a bit more. They're just too cute! The cabin is a summer cabin, meaning no fireplace and remember, it's the middle of winter now in the story yet the team's able to go swimming like it's summer. But I'll admit, I REALLY WANT TO SEE THAT! EEEP!
To Vanitas Lunar:
I know! OUR BABY! If my brother doesn't write her better soon, I'm smashing one hand with a book! (That way he can use the other to write.) I liked Gates and Silvia too, though Silvia's name choice could have been better. Hehe! Yeah! I know, I never saw the RavenXSummer thing happening here. I mean, I ship that cause it's cute and all but the way it looked I thought Dark was going to keep towards Canon. Maybe that has something to do with Raven's appearance? Trust me, they'll be more Freezerburn and Ladybug! Oh, and Wolfenheart explained the eyes in a review. It's pretty amazing.
To Wolfenheart:
Thank you for pointing out the detail RT uses for the eyes. I hadn't noticed Yang's until you pointed that out. I had noticed Ruby's but hadn't put much thought behind it. Thank you for leaving a review, I'm glad to see you stuck around!
To Guest:
Thank you! Weiss is an awesome character! She's my fav too! My brother loves Blake cause 'she's an extremely difficult but well played character.' I think it's because he thinks she's cute. Lol And if that is your account than no worries!
To RWBY Fan Mode:
MWAHAHA! Gates was pretty cool if I do say so. It looks like Raven and Summer were a thing, wonder how Yang's gonna take it? Yeah, our little baby Weiss is pretty sick. I hope she gets better soon!
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"So your saying, my mother and Summer were…?" Yang said slowly, her calm reaction making Blake a bit apprehensive since she had expected a blow up of some kind. "No way. No. Just…Are you serious?" Yang asked, shoving herself off of the counter as she stood up and began to pace around the large room, making a path from the couch to the kitchen and back again.
"Yang, I'm only telling you what I was told. According to Silvia, Raven and Summer were," Blake tried to tell her and flinched slightly when Yang spun around.
"Were what, Blake? Together?" Yang growled, her eyes blazing red but Blake could see the hurt reflected there. "If they were so close that people thought they were married why did no one ever tell me? Why did Raven run and leave me with Dad? Why did she get with Summer? Why didn't they-" Yang stopped, throwing her hands in the air and growling in frustration before storming out of the cabin.
"I need air." Blake heard her mutter and flinched, her ears folding back, at the loud slamming of the door.
"Ang?" Ruby called out, peeking out of the bedroom to look around the space. Blake's shoulders slumped slightly as she turned the burner on low and walked over to Ruby. "Why 'Ang go?" Ruby asked as Blake knelt down in front of Ruby and brushed the girl's hair back out of her eyes, resting her hand on Ruby's head as innocent silver eyes looked up at her.
"Yang needed some air." Blake said, her voice sounding tired as she made to stand up and go back to cooking their meal. Before she could stand up completely, Ruby jumped up and latched onto her. "Ruby, what are you?" Blake trailed off as she felt Ruby trying to pull herself up and failing.
"I help!" Ruby said with a determined look as Blake wrapped one arm around her legs and lifted her up. "See?" Ruby said as she was finally able to reach Blake's ears and gave them a slightly harsh rub while kissing Blake's cheek.
"All bet'er now?" Ruby asked as Blake carefully removed Ruby's hand and flicked her ears to ease them.
"Ruby," Blake started, wanting to reprimand the child for grabbing her ears, but when she looked into the big hopeful eyes the desire wilted and she sighed. "Yes, much better." Blake said and smiled softly when Ruby's whole face lit up with a happy and proud smile.
"Just be more gentle next time." Blake said as she carried Ruby over to the counter, setting her down and away from the hot pan that was cooking cut up beef and smelled heavenly.
"What that?" Ruby asked, pointing to a pot simmering behind the pan as Blake stirred the meat around.
"Rice. Do you want to help me make some soup for Weiss?" Blake asked, smiling when Ruby started to nod her head. Blake walked over to the fridge and pulled out the small pot of soup Yang had made earlier. Really, all it needed was to be heated up, but it would keep Ruby busy. She hoped. "Make sure to stir it so all of it gets warm." Blake told her, handing her the smallest wooden spoon she could find and putting the pot on a low warmth.
"Okay!" Ruby chirped, very carefully stirring the soup while Blake added a few vegetables to the meat and making a sizzling sound. "Hot!" Ruby said, drawing Blake's attention over to her to see her rubbing her hand and pouting.
"Did it get you?" Blake asked, covering the pan with a lid before inspecting Ruby's hand. There was a slight redness around her knuckles but her Aura was doing quick to change that and as Blake watched the redness faded. "Better?" Blake asked as she gently kissed the knuckle and looked at Ruby.
"Uh huh." Ruby said smiling at Blake as the Faunus flicked her ears and turned back to the food. "When Rice get be'ter?" Ruby asked as she stirred the soup, her little tongue peeking out as she concentrated on the task.
"Soon." Blake said, making sure to block the hot oil from Ruby by using the lid as a shield. In the small silence, Blake let her thoughts wander. If Yang didn't return by the time dinner was ready, Blake would go looking for her.
"Bake?" A soft voice called out before coughing, reminding her of her other duties as soft footsteps slid towards her as she turned around.
"Weiss? What are you doing out of bed?" Blake asked as the moving blanket stumbled into her and pressed against her leg. Weiss had apparently decided to drag the small camp blanket with her when she crawled out of bed. The blanket was pulled around her much like Ruby's hooded cloak, though it dragged a few feet behind her much like a shadow would. "Still hurting, sweetheart?" Blake asked as she turned down the stove again, this time deeming the food done enough to eat and setting Ruby down off the counter.
"Hug?" Ruby asked, looking up at Blake for permission as she inched towards Weiss.
"Sorry, Ruby. But we don't need you sick too." Blake apologized, bending down to kiss Ruby's forehead before lifting Weiss up in her arms to let the child cling to her. Ruby pouted up at Blake, her big eyes telling the raven haired woman that she wanted to help as well. "Ruby, do you think you could get Weiss her medicine?" Blake asked, walking to the living room with Weiss while Ruby ran to the bedroom to grab the bottle of 'nasty' red cough syrup.
"Weiss, how do you feel?" Blake asked as she sat down, pushing the blanket back to look at Weiss and frowning at her red face and runny nose. Weiss whimpered a bit at the light now on her face, but managed to open her eyes and look up at Blake.
"Hurts." Weiss whimpered, her voice tired and frustrated all at once as she tried to tell Blake what was wrong. Blake sighed, understanding that Weiss was miserable and that even though she knew a good deal of Basic, she still didn't know everything. As she shot a quick message to Yang, telling her the food was ready and asking if she was alright, an idea occurred to her that she could try with Weiss.
"I'm going to touch a spot, okay? And I want you to tell me if it hurts." Blake said as Ruby came back into the room with the medicine in one hand, her large red cloak trailing behind her in the other, and a pillow gripped between her teeth. Blake had to smile at the sight, wishing she had a hand free so she could take a picture as Ruby tried to climb up onto the couch next to her. "Need help?" Blake asked as Ruby struggled, the toddler fiercely shaking her head no as she tried to figure out how to get on the couch with all three items.
"Alright." Blake said, letting Ruby figure it out and returning her attention to Weiss. "Here?" She asked, laying a finger on the child's head and getting a slight nod in response. Blake nodded, absently noting that though the fever was still there it was much less than before. "Does this hurt?" Blake asked, tapping Weiss' neck to ask about her throat, getting a nod she then tapped the child's chest and waited. Weiss nodded pouting as she tried to cuddle against Blake as the woman reached for the medicine.
"No," Weiss coughed as Blake tried to measure out a small portion of the liquid for Weiss. "Bad." She told Blake as she turned her head away from her. Blake hesitated, feeling a fight coming on if she tried to give Weiss the medicine and instead closed the medicine up. Leaning back, she let herself relax with Weiss in her lap and Ruby resting against her legs with the pillow under her.
"Story? P'ease Bake?" Ruby asked after a minute, making Blake blink as she was once again pulled out of her thoughts on Yang and reminded of her current situation. If Ruby and Weiss were themselves, Blake could easily go after Yang. Then again if they were themselves, none of them would be facing these issues.
"Hold on, let me go check my bag." Blake said, trying to recall what books she had packed as she made to stand up.
"I do it!" Ruby said, wiggling off the couch and running to the bedroom. Blake smiled a bit at Ruby's actions before sending a silent prayer up that Ruby didn't grab one of her adult novels.
"Weiss, do you think you can handle some soup?" Blake asked as Ruby searched for the book, looking down at the dozing child in her arms and softly brushing her hair behind her ears. Weiss slowly opened her eyes, the blue a bit hazy with fever as she scrunched up her nose and turned away, sneezing painfully when she did and startling Blake, not that she'd admit it. "C'mon, just a little bit." Blake said, standing up and carrying Weiss to the kitchen to fix a small mug of soup.
"Bake! Where the fairy book?" Ruby called out, walking out of the room with Weiss' toy ears in one hand and her old cloak trailing behind her.
"Let me fix Weiss some soup and then I'll find it. Do you want to eat yet?" Blake asked, already fixing a small plate for Ruby to eat as the red head climbed up onto the couch, carefully placing Weiss' ears down first.
"Cookies?" Ruby asked, popping up behind the couch to peek at Blake as she carefully walked over to set Weiss down in the recliner with her warm soup before returning to the kitchen to grab Ruby's plate.
"Maybe for dessert." Blake said as she walked around the couch to set the plate and fork in Ruby's lap. "Eat this first though." Blake said as Ruby glared at the veggies mixed into her food.
"But you have to eat all of it." Blake added when she saw Ruby start to push the vegetables away from her. Ruby gave her a pout, trying to get out of eating the 'dreaded' food and nearly succeeded if Blake hadn't been determined to keep Ruby as healthy as possible so she wouldn't get sick.
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Yang traveled along the beach, her thoughts too frustrated to let her keep track of her surroundings. All she cared about was the crush of the sand as it squeaked under her boots and the last of the burning sun settling around her as the mist from the cool ocean spray melted against her burning Aura.
Summer and Raven? Together? Her thoughts twisted, new questions mixed with the old as she walked, trying to force the thoughts away but at the same time wanting to figure it all out. Why hadn't anyone told her? Why hadn't Tai said something to her? Did he even know? Was he in on it? What if the reason Raven had left was because Yang hadn't looked like her? Everyone said Ruby looked just like Summer and she had stayed. Was Yang really not good enough? Was she that much of a mistake that her mother had abandoned her to start a life with another woman and have a child with her?
"ARGH!" Yang finally yelled, her eyes blazing red as she snapped and charged towards a distant tree. Engaging Ember Cecilia, she raised her fist to smash into the trunk, creating an echoing crash as the tree cracked and slowly toppled, sending birds and small animals alike scattering to escape. "I HATE YOU!" Yang screamed into the silent forest, the only sound answering her back being the sound of waves crashing onto the shore.
"Sorry you feel that way." A new voice spoke up, making Yang spin around and fire a round off in reflex. As if expecting the move, the man flipped out of range, turning to watch the round explode in the sand, sending the crushed rock particles up into the air as a lingering boom echoed around them.
"Ren! What're you? Oh Oum! I just- I am so sorry! Why are you here? Where are the others. Please tell me, I didn't hurt them. Oh Oum, I'm so sorry." Yang stuttered, looking at her weapon before disengaging the Gauntlets quickly. Ren waited, silent and ever patient, as Yang stumbled around and tried to apologize before he held up a hand to silence her.
"The others are at our camp nearby. We heard the tree and I came to investigate in case it was a Grimm. What's wrong?" Ren asked, his magenta eyes showing Yang his worry for her as she took a deep breath and just collapsed on the ground. Ren nodded, silently understanding that Yang needed a silent ear, and sat down beside her, both looking out at the ocean as the sun gave it a gleaming glow.
"Have you ever learned something that made you question everything you thought you had figured out?" Yang finally asked, pulling her knees up to her chest and crossing her arms over them to rest her chin. Her eyes were a deep purple as she looked out at the view, showing her own inner turmoil as she spoke. "Like, what if you thought you knew someone but then find out something new that made you rethink? Like what if Nora, didn't like wielding Magnhild? I mean, we all know she loves her hammer but what if she didn't but used it anyway?" Yang tried to explain to Ren as he listened.
"I cannot say I know what you feel, but what can I do to help?" Ren asked and watched as Yang sighed and closed her eyes, leaning against the boy in silence.
"Just…help me understand? I know that probably makes no sense but…" Yang trailed off, her voice soft and showing Ren just how confused and hurt she was. Ren nodded his head, silently urging Yang on to speak as they sat beside a destroyed tree and near a slightly smoking crater. "My real mom left me when I was little. I don't know much about her, but what I did know was that she at least stuck around till I could walk. She was my Uncle's twin sister and an amazing swordswoman and Dust user. She wasn't close to a lot of people and wanted to be a solo Huntress. She tried her hardest to get kicked off the team she was on." Yang admitted with a bit of a laugh before pulling out her scroll to show Ren a picture she had taken of an old photograph. There was a bit of a glare on it, but Ren could see a black haired woman with her hair pulled back teaching a blond baby to walk. He couldn't see the woman's face because of the angle the picture had been taken, but he could see the smiling face of the toddler as she looked up at the woman.
"I've been trying to find her. I'm not really sure why. Maybe to get answers." Yang admitted, letting her arm drop to the sand as she sniffed. "Anyway, I found out that I'm more like her than I thought. Her and Summer used to visit the village we're staying at. Everyone there's convinced they were married." Yang said, laughing weakly as she rubbed her eyes with one hand.
"Crazy, right? That means my mom left me for my little sister's mom." Yang said, tears starting to run down her face as she admitted the new source of her hurt. "No one even told me. I had to find out from Blake when some lady mentioned it." Yang said as Ren wrapped an arm around her and held her as she cried. It wasn't often that Yang, as a matter of fact, Ren could count on one hand how many times he had seen or heard of Yang crying in the three years he had known her.
"What if the reason no one said anything was because it wasn't true?" Ren asked after a while of just holding Yang as she cried and the sky turned to twilight. He was absently glad he had sent a message to the team to tell them he'd be a while. Otherwise he was sure they'd have been searching for him. Yang lifted her head up to look at him, curious on what he was saying. "As Hunters and Huntresses, it isn't uncommon for partners or teams to go undercover at times. What if that was what they did? To protect themselves or for other reasons, they had to be seen as such." Ren explained, watching Yang as she looked away and her brow furrowed a bit as she thought it over.
"So, it was a lie?" Yang asked in confusion and looked at Ren as he nodded. "But why?" Yang asked and got a shrug for an answer.
"It isn't something I can answer." Ren told her and decided to change the subject, feeling Yang would need to think the rest through for herself. "How are Weiss and Ruby?" He asked, genuinely curious to know about the toddler duo.
"Fine, or not so fine in Weiss' case." Yang told him, earning a questioning look from Ren. "Weiss has a cold and is thoroughly miserable. Ruby's fine." She clarified, running her hand down her face in an attempt to wipe the rest of the tears away.
"Why are you here?" Yang asked, leaning away from him as she recovered. "I thought you guys were on a mission near North Vale?" Yang asked, both Ren and her jumping to their feet at the sound of something moving through the foliage.
"Ren~!" Nora's voice called out, making both people relax a bit as they looked at one another, Yang with a sheepish grin and Ren with his usual calm look though it now sported a slight upturn of his lips.
"Yang! How are you?" Pyrrha greeted as Nora ran over to them and booped Ren playfully on the nose.
"Good, what're you guys doing here? I thought your mission was in North Vale?" Yang asked, looking at Jaune as he grinned and shrugged his shoulders.
"It was. We finished it yesterday and were heading back to Beacon this morning but Ozpin changed our flight so we'd come see you guys." Jaune said and Yang gave Pyrrha a questioning look when she noticed the Spartan rolling her eyes.
"Jaune demanded the Headmaster tell him how you all were." Pyrrha said with amusement as Yang gaped at the other blonde.
"Seriously? Jaune who can't kill a bug made a demand of Ozpin?" Yang asked and could barely make out the blush on the man's face.
"Not just Ozpin! But Glynda too! He mentioned something about a special video link too!" Nora added and Yang was stunned, her mind unable to process sweet, dumb Jaune blackmailing the Headmaster and Headmistress.
"Ha…HAHAHAHA!" Yang burst into laughter, Nora and Pyrrha joining her after a beat while Ren smiled and Jaune looked at his feet with a deep red face that Ren was sure going to lead to him passing out soon. "Okay, but seriously what happened?" Yang asked after she managed to regain control of herself, though a few laughs still escaped her.
"It's true, Jaune really did it. Though getting us sent to you wasn't part of his original plan." Pyrrha said with a knowing smile.
"I'm sorry, but you I can believe doing something like that but not Jaune-Jaune." Yang said, ignoring the sputtering coming from the blonde at the new nickname.
"I'll have you know, I can be very demanding!" Jaune said and clenched his jaw when Yang leaned up and patted him on the head.
"Sure," Yang spoke as if talking too Ruby or Weiss. "You guys want to come back to the cabin?" Yang asked, looking around at the four as the each migrated to their significant other, it was kind of cute though.
"We wouldn't want to impose." Pyrrha said quickly, making Yang scoff and wave her comment off.
"No worries, it might be a bit cramped but it can work. You guys can take the living room, me and Blake will take the bedroom." Yang told them, watching as they all looked at each other and silently communicated. "The couch pulls out into a bed and there's enough space for bed rolls." Yang added, and grinned as she saw a spark of interest light up in Pyrrha's eyes. Contrary to popular belief, the Spartan loved to lay out in bed, preferably with a sweet blonde knight to cuddle with.
"What about Ruby and Weiss? Where'll they sleep?" Jaune asked, already knowing he had lost but still making an attempt.
"They sleep with us. Weiss is a real cuddle bug." Yang told them, remembering that morning and waking up to find Ruby and Blake cuddled into her sides and Weiss on top of her and refusing to budge away from Yang. "C'mon, the cabin's back that away." Yang said, pointing behind her at the way she had come.
"How long have you been out here?" Pyrrha asked as Jaune turned to Ren and Nora to go back to their camp and gather up their things.
"Oh crap!" Yang exclaimed, pulling out her scroll to see a few messages there that she had missed earlier. The oldest one being an hour old while the newest was less than ten minutes ago. "Blake's gonna kill me." Yang moaned as Pyrrha looked over at the phone and winced at one of the texts.
"You go on ahead. Leave these every few meters and I'll be able to track you with my semblance." Pyrrha said, pulling out a cloth bag pull of strangely heavy, circular stones. "They're magnets, I use them to help train my semblance." Pyrrha told her as Yang tested the weight in her hand while spinning it around.
"You sure about this? I can talk to Blake later and lead you guys to the cabin." Yang said, putting the magnet back in the bag with a clink sound and holding it out to Pyrrha.
"Yes. We'll be there soon. Besides, our scrolls work within a five mile range so if anything comes up we'll call." Pyrrha told her, gently pushing the bag back as Yang bit her lip in thought.
"Alright. I'll see you in a bit then." Yang said and, with a grin and a wave, took off down the tree line, using the firmer ground there to pick up speed instead of going through the sand. If Pyrrha squinted, she could just make out the first magnet being dropped as the blond vanished in the distance.
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"What have you found out?" Cinder asked as a tall man in a black suit with red details appeared out of the shadows. The man grunted, his lips twisted into a frown of disgust as he dropped a heavily injured human down into the small patch of light in the warehouse. If it weren't for the whimper that came from them, Cinder would have thought them dead due to the amount of blood oozing or pouring from the slices on their person.
"Tell her." Adam growled, the red of his mask flashing with his Aura as he stepped forward and crushed the man's hand under his boots.
"Southern Vale! On the border with Vert! Coastline by the Defender Mountain Line! That's all I know! I swear!" The man gasped in agony, his words fast and echoing his pain before breaking off into a scream as Adam applied pressure further up the man's arm.
"Good," Cinder purred, her eyes showing her pleasure at the information as she stepped forward and bent down to look at the man, turning his face to look up at her as Adam stepped away. "Don't worry, the pain will be gone soon." Cinder told him with a pitying look as her finger burst into flame.
"No! Please! NO!" The man screamed as the fire began to consume him, racing up and down his body as if he were dry tinder. As his echoing screams faded into silence, Cinder turned away from the flames to look at Adam and her two lackeys behind him.
"Find her, and this time, make no mistakes." Cinder ordered, her eyes flashing as Adam, Mercury, and Emerald nodded at her. "We will not pass the chance of leaving the girl to Ozpin." Cinder told them and watched as they walked off, quickly disappearing into the shadows past the firelight.
"Why is Red so important? You said it yourself, she's a bonus for you." Roman said as he watched them from where he had been lounging near a few crates.
"Oh Roman, wouldn't you like to know?" Cinder asked with a smile as she turned her head to look back at him. "Have one of the Fang clean up the mess. I have work to do." She said and walked past him, her glass heels clicking with each step as Roman pulled out a cigar. It was a dark world he ran with, but he was going to do what he did best to survive; lie, cheat, and steal. Even if it meant switching sides.
'Fire burns silver. Watch yourself.' He wrote, sending the message to an old number he had memorized years ago. He just hoped it still worked, otherwise he'd need to talk to a stupid old bird.