AN: Well, here we are. Another couple of weeks, another chapter for your enjoyment!
Before we get started I'd like to give a very special shout-out to my Beta: Sangheilitat117. He has been beyond helpful to throughout this crazy process.
Now, without further ado, enjoy!
The sky was overcast, angry.
Not a single ray of sunlight managed to break its way through the immense cloud cover, the dark-gray puffs of vapor forming together to create a wall that was as impenetrable as it was impressive. The clouds shifted listlessly as the wind howled, sending small twigs and leaves fluttering across the pavement like they were nothing but toys to be played with.
Ruby eyed the sky with a wary gaze, her cloak flowing freely in the wind behind her.
This part of Patch had always been known for its 'flash thunderstorms,' something that she had experienced firsthand many times before. She hoped to avoid it today, however. She started walking faster, her boots scuffing across the ground as she went.
Her eyes wandered, taking in sights that were familiar yet somehow foreign at the same time. It had been years since she had last visited Signal and much to her surprise it had changed very little.
The same red bricked buildings that she had used when she attended the school still dotted the landscape, everything from the cafeteria, to the weapons forge, down to the classrooms. Although she did notice that some renovations had been added. Things such as new mortar, windows, and in some cases there was what appeared to be newer extensions to some of the buildings. They were all spread strategically around, making use of the limited acreage of the campus. There were no dorms.
That was one of the things that she had always liked about Signal over Beacon. It was smaller, more intimate.
She turned, following the walkway as it curved its way around the weapons forge. Her arm instinctively reached out, fingers following along the mortar channels that were left open between the bricks. A smile played at her lips, fond memories of the creation of Crescent Rose playing through her mind.
Thinking about her weapon caused her to think of home, the smile fell from her face almost instantly. Her hand moved away from the wall, falling to the small of her back where her weapon usually resided, its familiar weight absent from her hips. She had left her trusty weapon back in Vale, hoping that its presence would help to alleviate whatever worries her team might have.
Whatever worries Weiss might have.
Her frown deepened at the thought of her girlfriend. She had tried to sleep on the flight to Patch but found herself unable; her guilt at leaving Weiss in the dark had kept her up during the short ride.
It has to be this way though; I have to do this myself. I have to protect them! She reasoned with herself for what must have been the hundredth time that day. She was becoming exceedingly tired of it.
She closed her eyes, inhaling what she hoped to be a deep and calming breath in through her nose. She would have time to think and to deal with her guilt later. Right now she had a mission she had to…
"Ruby?"
"Sh…She's gone and I – I don't know…"
Weiss was crying freely now. Tears flowed down her face as she blubbered, her voice broken – a far cry from its usual tone of self-assured confidence.
Blake was at a loss; the normally statuesque heiress was falling apart right before her very eyes. Never before had she seen Weiss appear so…fragile. That was the only word that she could think of to adequately describe the heiress' state of being.
"What do you mean she's gone?" She asked, ducking her head down to try and find Weiss' baby-blues. The heiress shook her head, keeping her eyes hidden away behind ivory-hair and fluttering eyelids.
"Gone…she's not here…she's left." The words were mumbled, Weiss' voice barely breaking above what could be considered a whisper.
The Faunus' mind did it's best to wrap itself around the idea of Ruby just up and leaving. Ruby wouldn't just leave; she probably just went out somewhere…
"Weiss, I'm sure that she's just gone out-" Blake tried to voice her inner thoughts, an attempt to try and console her sobbing teammate. It backfired.
"No!" Weiss shrieked, her voice breaking even further than it already was.
Black stumbled back as Weiss shoved her, her back slamming against the wall. The Faunus, having been startled by Weiss' violent reaction, had no time to react before two frigid hands latched onto her arms. The icy-grip was bruising against her pale-skin, but she dared not move. The ferocity that had overcome Weiss' eyes kept her frozen in place.
"You don't get it!" Weiss choked out, body shaking with violent tremors. If they were a result of Weiss' fear or her anger Blake couldn't tell, all she knew for sure was this; Weiss was lashing out and she was the target.
"Her duffel is gone, along with some of her clothes! She's been acting distant for weeks!" Weiss cried, her voice wavering with a fresh set of tears. "She's barely been eating, she doesn't sleep, and whenever I ask her what's going on she won't tell me! She says, 'it's nothing.' She's lying to me Blake…"
She trailed off, a fresh set of unshed-tears brimming in her eyes. "I know she's lying…and it hurts. And I don't even know why she's doing it…what if…what if she's found some…" Weiss choked on the words, her tears falling harder than before. "What if there's someone else?"
Blake brought her arms up, easily breaking free of Weiss' weakening grasp; she wrapped the smaller girl in a tight embrace. She held her close as she continued to cry into her chest, the other girl nothing more than limp putty in her hands as her salty-tears dampened her yukata.
She whispered soft reassurances to her, her hands rubbing soothingly along Weiss' shuddering back. She did everything she could to try and stifle Weiss' tears, to get the smaller girl to calm down. Nothing worked, it made her feel helpless.
Useless.
In truth, she had noticed how Ruby had been acting differently. Living as closely together as they did for as long as they had made it almost impossible not to. What she wasn't aware of, however, were how the differences in Ruby's actions and attitude were affecting Weiss.
Though, reflecting back on the past few days. Weiss' hurt seemed to become painfully obvious to her, the long glances aimed at Ruby, the wringing of her hands, the way the heiress wouldn't respond to any of Yang's normal teasing's. All of Weiss' normal mannerisms had changed within the course of a few days.
All as a result of how Ruby had been acting.
How didn't I notice this? She mentally berated herself, guilt swelling up within her chest.
The sound of a door clicking open filled the air, the metallic clang mixing in sharp contrast with the organic sound of Weiss' soft whimpers.
Blake brought her head up, careful to not jostle the smaller girl who still clung to her – like a child clung to its mother. Her eyes moved to the door. She didn't have to wait long before a bedraggled Yang Xiao Long made her way out of her room and into the hallway.
The blonde was yawning, mouth open wide as one hand scratched at her stomach, while the other busied itself by rubbing the sleep from her tired-eyes.
Blake watched with baited breath as one lilac colored orb popped open followed closely by its twin.
Yang froze, blinking, as her head tilted curiously to one-side.
Had the situation been any different Blake would have laughed at how closely Yang's actions resembled that of a cat.
And she says I'm bad for it…
Blake could feel the weight of her gaze as it washed over her and Weiss. She could only watch as Yang's eyes lingered on Weiss' crying form for several moments, before finally snapping up to meet her own.
Recognizing the question that was poised in her girlfriend's eyes the Faunus did her best to answer with a shrug, but given her current position: sandwiched between Weiss and the wall, it was rather…difficult.
So she went for the next best thing, deciding to mouth; 'Ruby,' at the blonde girl.
"Uh-huh…" Yang said, clicking her tongue. Her hands rested on her hips as she quirked an eyebrow up, the look questioning, "So, what did I miss?"
"Ruby?"
The girl in question froze at the sound of the familiar voice, its tone as gravely as a rock quarry.
A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips as she turned round to face the man who was behind her.
The man was of a tall stature with strong-broad-shoulders, his height easily dwarfing the younger woman. His short-unkempt salt-and-pepper hair rustled in the wind. His body – save for his head – was hidden behind the black fabric of a weighted cloak. The cloak appeared almost like a void, absorbing any and all light that dared to touch it. It was armored as well, the collar extending up to protect the soft tissue of his neck.
His face was covered in scars, many of which Ruby knew the story to, each mark a sign of the many battles he had fought. The older ones were faint, having faded away over time into nothing more than angry little pink lines. An eye-patch rested over his right eye, a harrowing reminder of a particular battle that had gone very wrong. His remaining eye was gray, a dark gray, not at all unlike the clouds that billowed threateningly above.
All in all his presence demanded one thing: respect.
Fitting for a Headmaster.
"Ruby!" The man bolstered, his arms opening – pushing his weighted cloak aside with ease. "It is you!"
She did her best to stifle a giggle as the man swept her up off her feet, twirling her through the air – memories from her childhood briefly entered her mind. Finally, after the fifth revolution, he sat her down.
"Oh, my girl, it's so good to see you!" He said with a wide, toothy smile. He pulled back, one hand affectionately ruffling Ruby's hair.
She swatted the hand away, only to have another take its place. She laughed, "Uncle Qrow, stop!"
"Fine, fine." Qrow said, his hands retreating back into the sanctuary of his dusty-old-cloak.
Ruby beamed up at her Uncle, "It's good to see you to, by the way."
The man nodded, a hand reaching out to pat gently at Ruby's shoulder. "I must also say it's good to see you in one piece, you gave Tai and I quite the scare when we heard about what happened."
I bet it did, she quickly thought.
"Yeah," Ruby laughed, hoping all the while that it came across as genuine. She scratched the back of her head absently. "It wasn't exactly what I would call my best idea."
The conversation quieted after that, a somber mood falling over the air. Ruby toyed at a small pebble with her boot, her uncle's stare never leaving her. She did her best to put up a front, but it was proving to be more difficult than she had anticipated. The weight of his steely-gaze crashed against her defenses like a hurricane, cracking her resolve to the point of almost blurting out the questions she had come all this way to ask. She never had been good at keeping things from her Uncle, or her father for that matter.
Luckily for her, Qrow cleared his throat, ending the drawn out moment of silence. He looked around, his lone good eye darting around the surrounding landscape with pinpoint precision. "Now, where is the rest of your team? I swear I recall Tai saying that the four of you decided to remain together…"
His gaze once again settled upon Ruby. She panicked momentarily, "Uh…the team? Oh, yeah!"
Smooth, Rose, smooth. She internally chastised.
"It's just me. Everyone else stayed back in Vale to get ready for our trip to Atlas."
Ruby met her Uncle's gaze, fear of him calling her on the weak excuse slowly seeping into her being the longer they stood there. Finally, after several tense moments, understanding seemed to wash over his face.
"Oh, yes! The new Schnee Heir, I read about that recently." He crossed his arms over his chest, a hand, thoughtfully, stroking at his chin. "I wonder, what does Weiss think of all the commotion?"
Ruby opened her mouth to respond but promptly closed it, finding herself incapable of answering the question. She probed her mind; searching for any serious conversation she had had with Weiss concerning her to be baby brother. She came up blank.
Huh, I guess I've been too focused on the Omegas…I guess I'll have to ask her when I get back…
She looked back to her waiting Uncle, she found his expression curious.
"She's excited," she ignored how hollow the words tasted in her mouth, smiling. "Excited, but nervous."
Qrow nodded, "That's to be expected I suppose."
A blinding-flash enveloped them, forcing them both to look to the dark sky.
Ruby frowned as her eyes took in the sight that hung above her.
The clouds had gotten increasingly darker, becoming almost completely black as they shifted carelessly above them. It was like looking up into space on a night with a clear sky, except there were no stars.
Another flash streaked across the sky, illuminating everything for miles with its white-hot brilliance.
Ruby managed a count of three before a sound that resembled a mountain exploding erupted from the sky.
A shiver wormed its way down her spine.
"Perhaps," Qrow said, drawing Ruby's attention away from the thunderous storm that was brewing above them. "…Perhaps it would be best if we continued our conversation inside?"
Ruby thought he would never ask.
"So, let me get this straight," Yang said as she sat on the couch, her head leaning back against the cushion as she stared blankly at the roof. Her hands rubbed at her temples.
"My sister, who has been acting distant with someone who she adores and follows around like a long-lost puppy, is missing and we have absolutely no idea where she is?" Yang sat forward, her face a mixture of agitation and disbelief. "Oh, and to top it all off; she's left her most prized possession here as some type of…" She waved her hand around in the air. "Peace offering, so that we know she's okay?"
"That's pretty much it, yes." Blake replied coolly from her position on the love seat across from Yang, a silently sleeping Weiss clinging to her lithe form. When she had told Yang what was going on she had made the conscious decision to leave out the part where Weiss feared that Ruby might be cheating on her. She knew what reaction the accusation would pull from Yang.
And I don't need her mad ay Weiss right now; She thought to herself, Besides, Ruby would never cheat on Weiss.
Though there were still a lot of questions, and perhaps the most prominent one being, just exactly what was Crescent Rose still doing here when its owner was missing?
Admittedly they weren't really sure why Ruby had left Crescent Rose behind. The idea that she had done it in order to let them know that she was okay was the first theory they had come up with, and it had seemed to calm Weiss down somewhat… So, they went with it.
Yang slumped back against the couch, her already slouching posture becoming far worse. Yang sighed, exasperated; "It's too early for this type of thing…"
Blake silently agreed with her partner. I haven't even had my morning tea yet…
She froze as Weiss shifted restlessly against her, she could feel the hand at her hip tighten it's already firm grasp.
"…Ru…by…"
It wasn't the first time that Weiss had mumbled Ruby's name since she had fallen asleep and something told the Faunus that it wouldn't be the last either.
She looked to her slumbering teammate.
Blake could easily trace the worry-lines that creased Weiss's forehead; even in her sleeping state the heiress was a bundle of nerves. Lips and fingers twitched in rhythm to whatever Ruby-related dream that currently plagued her.
It had taken Weiss all of ten minutes to fall asleep once they had moved down to the living room. Something that Blake was silently grateful for, although she did wish that Weiss would loosen the death-grip that she had on her arm.
The Faunus flexed her fingers, quietly wincing as what felt like a million-pin-pricks shot up her arm.
Yang's head shot up, a light frown on her face. "You okay?"
Blake shifted, doing her best to get into a position that would allow blood flow to return to her arm.
"…Yeah," she responded after a moment of careful adjusting. She met Yang's gaze, the blonde had an eyebrow raised, the sparkle in her lilac pools telling Blake that she didn't buy her answer. "Really, I'm fine."
"Sure," Yang said, sarcasm evident in her tone. The blonde brawler stood and walked over toward the love-seat, stopping only to pick up one of the pillow's that rested on the couches end.
Blake watched in silence, her own eyebrow rising up as Yang drew near.
"What are you…?" The question died in her throat as Yang stopped, now standing directly in front of them.
Her girlfriend smirked, leaning down towards Weiss. "You'll see."
Blake watched with curious eyes as Yang leaned forward, her free hand coming up to gently wrap around Weiss's delicate wrist. Understanding quickly blossomed across the Faunus's face.
Yang giggled.
"I figured you'd catch on." Yang whispered, concentration dripping from her voice. "Now, when I say, move your arm. Okay?"
Blake gave a short-nod, doing her best to move as little as possible.
"Now!" Yang shouted in a whisper, her hands moving in a blur to pry Weiss' arms away from Blake's.
The Faunus wasted no time; as soon as Yang had made an opening she pulled her arm free. She basked in the pleasurable feeling of the blood flow returning to her arm, pins-and-needles combining with warmth that was beyond heavenly. She stood, desperately trying to rub some feeling back into her arm as she did.
"…Well if that isn't adorable."
She turned at the sound of Yang's cooing, eyes quickly discovering what had prompted the sentence from her partner's mouth.
Weiss was lying on her side on the couch, curled into a ball, with the pillow tucked tightly against her chest. Her ivory hair fell haphazardly into her face as she softly snored.
Blake felt a strange emotion build-up in her chest at the sight, an odd mixture of pity and joy. Happiness at the sight of Weiss peacefully resting, pity at knowing what had caused her current position.
"This has really taken a toll on her." She said, earning a hum from Yang.
"Yeah," the blonde said as a hand raked its way through her golden mane. Her brows furrowed, "I just…"
She shook her head.
Blake placed a hand on Yang's shoulder, giving the brawler a supportive-squeeze. "You, 'just,' what?"
"I just wish," Yang started out slowly, her voice betraying the worry that had built up inside her. "I just wish that we knew what Ruby was up to, you know?"
Blake nodded, her eyes falling back to where Weiss lay on the couch.
"Yeah, I do."
Silence reigned for a moment before Yang's stomach growled, forcing the blonde to blush.
"Well, I think I'm going to start breakfast." Yang said as she patted her stomach. "Eggs sound good to you?"
Blake gave a short nod, her eyes still focusing on Weiss' prone form.
"Alright, I'll be in the kitchen if you need me."
She didn't look as Yang walked away, though her ears did flick as Yang's bare feet padded quietly across the ground.
Her vision never strayed away from Weiss, her eyes watching every minute movement that the slumbering girl made.
I can't imagine what she must be going through… to have the person she cherishes most in the world to pull away and leave her in the dark like that. Her eyes darted to where Yang had disappeared through the door way, And here I am worried about Yang getting closer…
Her thoughts from when she was alone in her room came flooding back, filling her with more emotions than she was currently prepared to deal with.
Anger, hurt, worry, and most prominently guilt, filled her heart, causing the muscle to clench painfully. She stood there; content to just wallow in her vortex of emotions…
"Blake! Get in here!"
"Quite the storm wouldn't you say, Ruby?" The house shook as a crack of thunder sounded, almost drowning out the sound of her uncle's voice.
Qrow's house was a simple affair, a small one-story shack that resided just on the edge of Signal's campus. When the Academy Board had asked him to take over as Signal's Headmaster he had only had one condition; that he be allowed to live upon the grounds. The Board had readily agreed, and Ruby had to admit, it made getting away from thunderstorms really easy.
"Yeah," she called back, her eyes never leaving the window.
Rivulets of rain flowed down the glass, each one unique in its path and width. Ruby lazily traced the wider ones with a finger, the glass cool to the touch. The rain was thick, blanketing Signal in a veil that was as dark as the sky. Puddles splashed as small streams formed along the sides of the walkways, leading the rushing water to the drains that were battling to keep up with the near constant onslaught.
Lightning streaked throughout the sky, briefly illuminating the world with its brilliant blue haze. She played a game with each lightning strike, counting as many buildings and trees as she could before the light faded away and plunged the world back into a rain-soaked void. Though the game became harder when-
The house and window shook as the thunder sounded; its malevolent cry unlike anything Ruby had ever heard. It was all bass and reverb, easily echoing through the air until the next destructive-crash came.
"Had I known you were coming I would have made preparations," Qrow said as he entered the room, carrying a small tray between his hands. "As it is I'm afraid this is all I have."
Ruby turned from the window as her uncle set the tray down on the coffee table. She had to fight back the toothy smile that threatened to split across her face.
On the tray were two mugs filled to the brim with steaming coffee, along with a plate that was laden with cookies.
She looked to her uncle, excitement barely withheld in her voice. "Are those-?"
"Your father's famous double-chocolate-chips?" Qrow's lips split into a smile. "Why, yes. They are."
Ruby wasted no time after that; like a bird would do to a fish, she scooped one of the cookies up and threw it into her mouth. She moaned as the sugary treat collided with her taste buds. The chocolate within the cookie melted as soon as she bit into it, filling her mouth with its sweet flavor.
Qrow laughed, taking a seat in a chair that sat opposite Ruby. "If you could see your face right now!"
"Sh-," Ruby started, before stopping to swallow. "Shut up! …It's been a while since I've had dad's cookies!"
"That it has," Qrow said, as he grabbed one of the mugs for himself. He took a drink from the cup, setting it down onto one of the many round coasters that lay scattered across the table.
Ruby grabbed three more cookies, greedily shoving one into her mouth.
"I'd take it easy on those," Qrow warned. "What's on the plate is what we have."
She did a quick headcount, six on the plate and two in my hand… Her face fell as she realized just how few of her father's cookies were present. I guess I'll have to take it slow…
She set the two cookies that she held aside; removing the sinful temptation from her hand would help her take it slow. She took the remaining mug from the tray and drank. A warmth filled her body as the heated liquid slid its way down her throat, finishing she set it down on one of the leftover coasters.
Her eyes wandered then, glancing around the small space that served as the houses living room. It, much like the rest of the house, was sparsely decorated. A couple of chairs, a couch that was older than Ruby, and a coffee table – that was it.
Her Uncle had always lived what many called a spartan lifestyle. If something didn't have a practical purpose, Qrow didn't have it. He preferred to keep things that way. Keep it simple.
There was a flash followed by the sound of distant thunder.
"So how is Signal treating you?" Ruby asked, figuring it would be easier to ease into the conversation she had come to have rather than just diving straight in. Her Uncle eyed her over the rim of his mug.
"Things are going well." He said, taking a small sip, he placed the mug back down. He crossed his arms, gray-eyes zeroing in on Ruby.
She met his gaze evenly, doing everything in her power not to flinch under his piercing eyes. It wasn't the first time in her short life that she had found herself under her uncle's weighted gaze, and she was certain it wouldn't be the last either.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Qrow sighed, "I know why you are here Ruby. Ozpin called me and told me that I should be expecting a visit from you soon."
Ruby was dumbstruck.
Sure she had suspected that Ozpin might have contacted her Uncle, but she had never thought about how she would react if that were the case. "But…how? How would he have known that I would eventually come to you?"
Qrow laughed, "He was your teacher for four years my girl. He knows the traits that make you, you." He counted the points off on his fingers, "Fast learner, obsessive, and most importantly you'll do everything in your power to make sure your team can succeed. Including sometimes sticking your nose where it doesn't belong."
His face became serious, "So, why don't you just ask the question that you came here to ask?"
At her Uncle's prompt Ruby straightened her back, spine becoming as rigid as a bar of iron.
"Fine," she said. Expression hardening, "What do you know about Omegas?"
AN: What does he know indeed… MUAHAHAHAHAHAH !
Also, I know. TWO CLIFFHANGER'S IN A ROW!? ARE YOU INSANE?!
Yes. Yes, I am.
I promise that what I have coming is going to be awesome, at least I think it's awesome, just bear with me on this here.
So hopefully you guys enjoyed my take on Qrow. It was a little nerve-wracking to introduce a character we've never actually seen in the show before. The most I had to go on was that little snippet of him from Yang's flashback in Volume II.
Speaking of Volume II, there is something coming up in the next chapter that is directly inspired by something a character in Volume II said. I won't tell you the exact quote, as I feel that would give far too much away, but I will give you a hint: Caffeine.
Anyway, I'm rambling.
As always if you enjoyed it tell me what you liked and if you hated it tell me what you disliked. Any and all criticism helps, so long as it's constructive.
Welp, that's it for me. Have a good night!