Red Roses, White Scales
A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.
John C. Maxwell
Chapter 6
Being a Leader
Team RWBY, minus Mikhail and Ruby was currently standing in their room, which will be their home for the next four years. Blake, Weiss and Yang were currently standing before their beds…..the reason… they had only four.
"This… could be problematic." Weiss said, while crossing her arms.
"Indeed." Blake agreed casually.
"Well I don't see a problem with it." Both girls looked at Yang with questioning eyes "What? Ruby and Mikhail are sharing a bed their entire life."
The heiress chocked on air, about the sudden declaration, while Blake looked completely perturbed.
"You mean….Ruby and Mikhail are sleeping together, even now at their age!?"
"Yup, Ice Queen, sometimes I snuggle myself to them, in their bed!" Without shame, Yang declared and put a fist on her chest.
'This is….'
'Not normal…' Blake thought, while suddenly remembering about a certain book from the Antiquity series. Lost Wisdom of Antiquity is about a pair of twins, older female twin and younger male twin that had an incestuous relationship with each other. It was wrong in so many ways, yet that book was so full of romance and feelings that even Ninjas of Love could not beat it. She tried her best, not to blush and shook her head in embarrassment. "By the way, where are your siblings? I didn't saw them after the ceremony."
"Dunno…the said they work on a baby or something….
"What!?" Both heiress and faunus-in-hiding shouted with a blush and dismay in their faces, when they heard the statement from their buxom teammate.
"And you're okay with it!?" Weiss asked with a paler face than she had before, while Blake nodded and somehow looked interested. That girl's head was too long in the gutter…
Yang looked for a moment at both girls and a big grin formed on her face "Relax, they are repairing Mikhail's weapon!" The brawler was amused by the flabbergasted faces of her teammates "Man, never thought you girls have such dirty minds, especially you Blakey. Your face said more than thousand yangs." She ended her teasing with a bad pun.
But it worked, Blake's face became a shade redder and Weiss' scowled.
Before they could yell at blonde about it, the door of their room opened and Mikhail and Ruby came in.
"Hey girls, here is your leader!" Mikhail puffed his chest; in his hand was a large suitcase."
"How is it going, Team RWBY!?" Ruby chirped.
"Mikhail!" Weiss nearly shouted, causing the boy almost to fall down.
"Y-yeah what is it?"
"Do you still share a bed with your sister!?" Weiss eyes slightly twitched, and Blake tried to look not interested, while still being interested.
That girl red too much smut…
"Yes!" Mikhail answered without shame; Weiss entire image of him shattered and she palmed her face.
'Of course, it was too good to be true…' She looked between them "Why?"
"Well…" He innocently tapped his chin "I'm used to it…" He said only the half-truth….Mikhail still had dreams about wars and fights, like Michael. He came to terms with his past. This is his future now, his family, his friends and comrades. He was at piece with it. But the dreams still haunted him. Yet when he sleeps with his sisters together, he didn't have them anymore…..sometimes….
Ruby hugged him from the side "The same with me, I can't sleep without him."
"Yeah," Yang called out and everybody saw that she put two beds together, so that she could sleep with her siblings "Mikhail is also a great heating pad and pillow."
The heiress groaned 'Am I the only one here who is sane?' She calmed a little bit down "What about your arm and back, didn't you tore some muscles?"
"They are already healed." Mikhail waved his hand.
"You have some….ah forget it…you are an indestructible monster….."
Meanwhile Blake noticed Mikhail suitcase. It was a large one, even bigger then he himself, probably over 2 m long. "What is in that suitcase?" She pointed at it.
Mikhail grinned with proud "Zero Rose. I and Ruby repaired and changed it…wanna see?"
Everyone nodded and Ruby couldn't wait to show her and Mikhail's baby.
He opened the case and showed the content.
In the suitcase, was a long one-edged sword with clockwork mechanism of indeterminate nature built into the space above the hilt. It had the same length as his uncle's. It looked like single-edged greatsword. The blade of the sword was obsidian-black, while the back of the sword was snow-white. The grip or handle of the sword was gun barrel, long enough so that it can be grabbed. There was another grip that was placed vertical, similar to that of a tonfa. It can be used with the reversed grip. The sword has also lines on it, meaning that it could be folded.
"You will now use a sword?" Weis asked.
"Nope!" Mikhail turned the weapon around, with the blade-body up, flicked the trigger and various gear-like sounds could be heard. The top-parts of blade retracted into itself, like his uncle's when he morphed his weapon back to put it back on his back, and at the same time, the muzzle extended to a longer barrel and a red scope emerged from it. With blade retracted, he could easily aim.
"A sniper rifle!" Ruby yelled out. Even though the sword can be used as a gun to, aiming with the sword in the reverse grip is too difficult.
Mikhail changed the caliber of is sniper-rifle to the same of Ruby's, so that the weapon was now lighter.
"Then what about the scythe?" Blake asked and Mikhail took again something out of the suitcase. It was a straight sword sheath or scabbard, slightly longer, thicker and broader like the main weapon, with the same color as the sword/sniper-rifle. But it was no normal sheath. The sheath looked mechanical with several gears and had the same colors and the same materials as the sword. On it was a grip, probably to hold it. The sword sheath looked massive almost like a club.
"A sheath?" Blake tilted her head.
"Yeah, but I had the idea…" He hesitated; he couldn't say that he the idea for this sheath was given to him from Raven, Yang's mother, but that was another story. "From our uncle." Blake tilted her head at the sudden hesitation but shrugged it off.
"Then how can it become a scythe?" Weiss asked.
"Easy!" Mikhail flicked the scabbard, and it morphed into a long staff/shaft, then he pulled the gun-tonfa-grip, and it extended itself 1 m, so that it was now vertical and the extended rifle muzzle pointed down. At the same time the blade extended back, split into sections and fold backwards, briefly taking on a curved scythe-like form and gained yellow/golden sharpened edges on the inside, while the outer edge took on a jagged, toothed appearance due to the folding. He attached muzzle-grip to the sheath/staff. When it made a click-sound, a sniper muzzle, extended from behind the blade, similar to Crescent Rose it her scythe-form. On the sides of the blade, was Mikhail's crest. (Look at the story image)
It had the elegance of Ruby's scythe and the feral style of their uncle's. It suited Mikhail, since dragon are majestic yet wild creatures. But Mikhail thought more of Zero's style. She was beautiful, elegant and deadly yet feral and bloodthirsty.
"Nice!" Yang eyed the weapon "It is like a hybrid between Ruby's and Uncle Qrow's scythe.
Blake quirked an eyebrow "Your uncle uses scythes, too?"
"Yeah, he taught me and Ruby how to use it."
"It's brilliant." Weiss complimented him, while taking a closer look on Zero's Rose
"Nah, without my sister, it wouldn't have been possible." He looked at Ruby and smiled.
"Oh come on, without your sense of aesthetics and plans it wouldn't have been possible." She slightly punched on the side in him laughed.
'Are they flirting?' Weiss asked herself, while shivering.
'Are they flirting?' These were Blake's thoughts.
"Enough flirting you two, let's unpack our stuff!" Yang appeared from behind and slung her arms around their necks.
And Team Ruby began to unpack their stuff.
Yang put a poster from her favorite boy group on the wall and looked at Mikhail who gave a thump up.
Weiss hanged a painting from Forever Fall on the wall. She looked to her leader who also gave a thump up. With pride she wrinkled her nose up.
Blake put her readings in the bookshelf; she took out Ninjas in Love, and looked around, so that no one could see her shame. Her amber eyes met, a ruby and silver eye. Mikhail shook his head in disappointment and gave a thump down.
Meanwhile Ruby finished putting a red blind on the windows, with help from Crescent Rose, she glanced to Mikhail who gave a thumps up. She smiled turned around and didn't notice, that she cut the blind horizontally.
Her twin made a thumps down and had a needle and threat in his other hand.
Mikhail took his tool kit from his chest out. Because the room was a little bit cramped he decided to make bunk beds for Weiss and Blake. With a screwdriver, some nails and other things it was quickly done.
After being finished, Team RWBY was looking at their room and home for four years; while Mikhail was finished with the beds and joined them.
"Done and done." He crossed his arms and smiled in satisfaction.
Blake quirked and eyebrow and smiled slightly amused "Being good with tools, I understand because you are a boy but being good with needle and threat, never saw a male good with those."
"Indeed." Weiss nodded
"Well," He twirled the screwdriver in his hand "If your sisters are a battle maniac and a happy-grimm-killing girl, you need to obtain such skills." Three pairs of eyes turned to the sisters who looked around while whistling innocently.
"So what now?" The heiress asked "Any wise words from our leader?"
"Yes," He nodded and faced the girls "First of all, the big fact. I am the only boy here," He looked at Weiss and Blake "Since I grew up with my sisters, there will be no problem with them but with you I will tell you this." Both girls became clairaudient "I will promise you, not to touch your stuff or any of your other belongings, I will respect your boundaries. If you are uncomfortable with some situations, I will not tell what, you can ask me, and I will leave the room so that you can take care of them."
The heiress and faunus looked surprised, how considerate Mikhail was.
"Regardless for changing and other things, I will go out of the room. And if you are showering or bathing, and you both still feel uncomfortable, even with the closed door, you can ask me and I will also leave so that you feel more secure."
Blake smiled "Don't worry I will not ask you such drastic measures, but still thanks."
Mikhail eyes wandered to Weiss.
"As Blake said, don't worry and thank you for being considerate. But I hope you will really not take advantage of this situation."
"I promise!" He pumped his fist.
Yang came from behind and put him into a headlock "Nah, don't worry, girls. Mikhail is not such a boy."
"Yeah, Mike is not a perv!" She threw herself on them, and the three siblings struggled and fell on the ground.
The faunus could only smirk 'They are really close, huh.'
While Weiss rolled her eyes "Then what about the shower time?"
Mikhail stood up, still with his sisters holding on his shoulders "Well I always shower quickly, so as a leader I say this; those who need it longer are the least, those who don't need it long are first. Is this okay?"
All girls nodded and. He walked towards the girls "As the leader of Team RWBY I will promise you to do my best. If you have problems, don't hesitate to talk with me, I will try my best to help you, all of you. He extended his hand and both girls shook it.
XXX
Evening
'I can't believe it, they took a shower together…..' These were still the thoughts of Blake when she looked at Mikhail and Ruby. Since Mikhail doesn't shower long, 5 or 10 min he took a one first, but his sister followed him, much to Weiss and her shock. Well it was useful and timesaving, it was….just…..she didn't just know what to do. Also the fact, that she glimpsed between her book, that she was currently reading, and Mikhail, who dried the hair of his twin, while having nothing to cover his entire upper body.
She admitted it, that Mikhail was attractive, very attractive. He was well built; he had muscular arms and good abs. How the water droplets on his snow-like skin and lustrous flame like hair flowed, his beautiful eyes….'Bad thoughts Blake….' She glanced back and sighed 'Is he really 15 years old….? He is also beautiful for a boy.'
Blake hadn't much experience of the opposite sex, the only man close to her, became a monster. She loved him like family and maybe even more than she admitted it. He was her mentor, partner and friend, but now he was devoured by his wrath and vengeful feelings. It almost broke her heart when she had to leave him and the White Fang, but she had no other choice…. But when she became acquainted with Mikhail, she had the fear that he would tell her secret to the others, but it wasn't the case. He didn't tell it his sisters, even though they are close and he is now the leader of the team. Also when she came to hear his wishes and what he had to endure, she knew that he would keep her secret safe. Mikhail was not like other boys in his age, he is more mature, reliable, kind, smart and he even understood the meanings Michael Peyt's books.
Meanwhile thought Weiss similar things, while observing the shirtless Mikhail; how he gently smiles at his twin sister, while drying her hair. 'Is this really the same person, Winter spoke so highly of? I never thought that he is so….' Her face flushed a bit when Mikhail noticed her stare and he smiled at the heiress. Weiss was normally used to the flirting of the opposite sex but she hadn't any relationship exp. When she attended parties or banquettes, many boys from different families, courted her. But those pigs were debauchees, swashbucklers or imposter who were only interested because she is a Schnee or in her body. Naturally she rejected them all. The thoughts of that buffoon Jaune came to her mind. But Mikhail was different, even though he is unhealthy close to his sisters. He was nice, caring and tender-hearted. Mikhail had the highest grade in the initiation, yet she and the team didn't know anything about the incident with Ramez. Well after seeing him, killing a Giant Nevermore alone, there was no way to ignore it. Not only this, when the met the two days ago, he called her Miss Weiss, not Schnee. He was respectful unlike his family and yet called her with her forename. 'Does he know my struggle from Winter?'
"So done, sis." Mikhail finished drying his sister's hair.
"Thank you!" Ruby stood up and hugged him.
Blake and Weiss couldn't help but blush, even though they were siblings, the heiress and faunus hadn't much close contact with boys. And seeing a girl, despite being his sister, hugging a half-naked male was probably a little bit much too stimulating for those inexperienced girls.
"So I am also finished." Mikhail quickly dried himself and put his tank-top on, much to the slight disappointment of Blake and Weiss. "You girls alright, your faces are a little bit red?"
"I am fine." The faunus hid her face behind her book and Weiss huffed and looked away.
Mikhail smirked; it is teasing time "Well if you want I could take off my shirt again."
Blake twitched and almost dropped her book and Weiss began to stutter while her cheeks were one shade redder than before.
"Hahaha, you are so easy to tease…" Mikhail took the brush and used it on his hair. Ruby pouted a little bit and tapped his shoulder. He bent his head, looked at her and sighed; Mikhail handed it to her and with a brilliant smile, Ruby started to groom her brother's hair.
Blake somehow felt warmth on her chest by seeing this. She grew up without knowing her parents; the White Fang took care of her and become her family
"Ah there is nothing better than a shower after a long day!" Yang finished her shower and came out of the bathroom. But only with her shorts and a towel around her neck that covered her nipples. In her hand was a hairdryer powered by heat dust.
The raven-haired faunus almost dropped her book again because of the sudden half-naked appearance of her partner.
"Wha….What are you doing you…..you exhibitionistic fiend!?" Weiss shouted with red face at the female blonde. "Cover yourself!"
"Relax Ice Queen," Yang stretched herself, causing her boobs to jiggle "We're all girls and it's not that Mikhail never saw me naked.
Ice blue and amber eyes wandered to the left and stopped on Mikhail who just shrugged. Ruby was already finished with his hair and began to play with it. Yang walked towards Mikhail and sat before him on the ground and handed the hairdryer. He took it and began to blow-dry it.
Weiss looked with bewilderment and jealousy at Yang's assets, which are somehow defying gravity. She looked at Yang's chest and then to her own and scowled. 'This family won the jackpot in genetics.' Yang had her bountiful chest, waist and hips and could be called 'I am sexy and we both know it'. Ruby was beautiful as her sister. Her legs and butt were even more toned than Yang's, possibly due her Semblance. Besides for her age, she already had B-cups, which made Weiss even more jealous and her snow-like skin was also something remarkable. She is someone you call 'A beautiful cutie' When she gets older, Ruby will definitely grow up into beautiful and lovely woman. And then there was the youngest member of their family. Mikhail was handsome no beautiful. He had the same feminine face as Ruby, due being twins. He had lustrous hair, which was yellow/gold-red, which looked soft and silky. His body was muscular, not too extreme, but she could see that he trained well. (Look at the link to Zerochan in my profile). His eyes were also something rare, a ruby and a silver eyes, it remembered her of a silver ring with a gem on it, which she owned. 'He is like gentle handsome nobleman or a prince from a fairy tales.' These were the words Weiss used to describe him. 'Seriously this family is blessed with looks….' She was now frustrated; Weiss laid herself on her bed and put the blanket over her, while looking at the other side.
Blake stopped reading, because of the hair-dryer she couldn't concentrate, also a little bit because of Yang, who leaned her head backwards, on her brother's lap.
When Mikhail was finished, he went with his hands and fingers through Yang's hair. She had slightly curled one, so he needed to be careful or he would rip off or split her hair when he used the brush.
Meanwhile his sister enjoyed the hair-care of her brother. Normally she wouldn't let a person touch her hair. For Yang, her hair was her pride. It was also needed for her Semblance. Only five people could touch it and these were her father, her uncle, her siblings and their passed mother. But there was another rule, regarding cutting her hair or care. Only Summer and Mikhail could do it. After their mother passed, Mikhail started to do it in their mother's place. She was really thankful to him. Mikhail learned to do so many things, when their mother wasn't there anymore. Cooking, baking, cleaning, laundry, sewing and other chores were done by him.
Ruby yawned, suddenly she felt something soft and warm around her. Mikhail engulfed her with one of his wings.
Her mind entered a state of bliss, has she curled herself in her brother's wing.
"Hey no wing-cuddling without me!" The moment Mikhail was finished with her hair; she took her tube-top and put it on. Mikhail sighed and his other wing engulfed. She shivered and entered a state of bliss as well. Her brother's wings were large, enough to cover an entire person.
Even now, his wings were his pride.
Suddenly he noticed the stares of Blake and Weiss "Is there something?" Blake looked down at Weiss and she did the same with Blake.
Since they saw him transform, there was something lingering in their mind and that was this.
"Can we touch… them?" Both girls asked in union and looked again at each other, surprised by their same question.
Both his sisters opened their eyes and looked in panic to their teammates.
'Mikhail doesn't like it, when somebody touches his wings, only our family can do it!' Yang thought, she remembered the day, when a random guy touched his wing.
Mikhail almost tore him apart. Only with the help of their father and uncle, they could restrict him, but after 3 hours, the damage he had done was big. But luckily that guy was a faunus hater, who insulted him, but when he was ignored, he had done it. Mikhail simply hates it, when somebody he doesn't know touches him, without his permission.
'It's the same with Yang's hair…' Ruby came out from his wings "Guys I think…."
"Sure." Mikhail simply gave his permission.
"What!" Ruby shouted in surprise.
"Mikhail you allowed it?" Yang was shocked as well.
"Yes, why are you suprised?"
"Well the last time someone touched them…."
"He touched me without permission; he was also a racist who said I am a vermin, so…."
Blake twitched a little bit, since she knew that Mikhail was insulted because he was like a faunus.
"Wait," the heiress spoke up "Why did someone say you are vermin?"
"Because I look like a faunus, you know long canines." He opened his mouth and pointed at his bad boys. "Besides my Semblence makes me a pseudo-faunus, you probably know that I have also night-vision."
"Yes, my sister told me about it…huh…." Weiss tilted her head, she doesn't trust faunus, but that doesn't mean she hates them. It just, no faunus she ever met gave her a reason to do so. In their eyes, she was just Schnee, an enemy, not Weiss. 'Well a pseudo-faunus, maybe …..' She shook her head "So is it really alright to touch your wings?"
"Sure!" He nodded "Don't be shy."
Blake jumped down from her upper bed and Weiss stood up and both get closer to Mikhail. He raised his wings and positioned them.
Both girls hesitated for second but shortly touched them.
Their eyes widened in surprise.
"They are warm and…" Blake spoke in a soft tone.
"And soft!" Ruby chipped in.
"Of course they are." Mikhail laughed a bit.
"Well," The white-haired girl was really surprised how good the felt "After yesterday, I couldn't help but being surprised.
"She is right…I thought they would be hard and raspy…" Blake hands wandered around. It was a pleasant feeling, no wonder why his sisters looked so relaxed.
"So, you….trust us?" The faunus asked with more surprise in her voice.
"Of course, we are Team RWBY, we are comrades and teammates. Trusting each other is significant."
Blake smiled slightly at her leader's declaration.
"Of course, with me on your side, our team will be on the top of Beacon!" The heiress puffed her chest in proud.
Team RWBY's leader could only smile.
"By the way, can you show us your claws?"
Mikhail nodded and activated his Semblance, transforming his hands "You can touch them of course."
Both of them took his hands/claws/talons and touched them.
"Seriously, how can scales be that smooth!? They are like marble!" All three siblings laughed because of Weiss' outburst.
Blake looked at the claws and scales "I like the black ones…"
"Figures, personally I like the white ones."
'Figures.' Blake thought.
"They are really hard." Weiss wondered 'I would like to take scale for research, maybe we could make some things with them…I mean those could easily pierce the armor of a Deathstalker.'
Blake looked at his claws and touched them 'They are smooth and hard, they feel like metal.'
"Yeah, my offensive and defensive abilities are rising the more I use my Semblance." He reduced the power of his Semblance and his scales and claws dissolved into flower petals "My Semblance is always active, because of this; I have more strength and stamina than a normal person.
"This means you have a large amount of Aura doesn't it?" The faunus was curious.
"Yup!"
"I would like to examine your Semblance in our research department, the fact that your scales don't disappear when they aren't on your body anymore is somehow strange."
"Yeah…sorry I don't really like researchers looking at me like some kind of guinea pig."
"Understandable." She also wouldn't like being in such a situation, because her Semblance is hereditary.
"Ahem," Everybody looked at Yang, who was crossing her arms and was raising an eyebrow "You girls are my teammates, but," She pointed at their hands "But shouldn't you let him go?"
Both girls looked at their hands, finally noticing that they held Mikhail's hands the entire time.
A big shit-eating grin decorated the brawlers face, when Blake's face blushed slightly Weiss jerked her hand away, glaring at the blonde beauty while having pink-dusted cheeks.
The raven-haired girl turned around, saying nothing while trying to hold a stoic face, she jumped up to her bed and went to sleep, while the white-haired girl glared as hard as she could, she huffed and stomped toward her bed and laid on it.
Both Yang and Mikhail glanced at each and broke almost in laughter out. Then suddenly he felt something on his back, he bent his head and saw that Ruby fell asleep and leaned on him.
"Let's sleep." His sister smiled and let herself fall on her bed.
Mikhail nodded and laid Ruby gently, left next to him, while Yang was right next to.
Both blondes feel asleep.
XXX
He was stronger than everybody, a serpent with scales, whiter than snow and darker than the night.
Jared by the loss of his beloved ones; tired of surviving every battle.
Once peaceful, turned to a creature that knew nothing but fighting and killing.
Shaking with the fear of another possible loss; burning with rage and anticipation to fill his grief with slaughtering.
He was so strong and kind, yet so scornful and wrathful.
Never once understood, never once being accepted by the world.
He who gave everything and gained nothing.
Being rejected by those very ones, he sworn to protect, yet in the end he even spilled their blood.
His heart was like gold, yet so frail like glass.
He was always alone, on the hill of cinders and corpses.
The world…died with him, and he died with the world….
Dreaming of his mother and first love…..
What was his purpose for living?
Yes….he never had one….
In the end he was nothing
But….a cursed monster
Maledicted to live in a never ending circle…..that bound him for all eternity
Feeding himself with the only memories of the only thing he never stopped loving
Another monster
A Queen of Flowers and Death
He was…..truly a
(How he lived and died…)
A lonely being…
Mikhail….you became strong.
Surprise another chapter! Hope you like it.
Honestly it was a pain in the a$$ to think about a weapon that was suitable.
I mean I wanted Mikhail to have a similar sword like Zero's, a sniper rifle because with his wings it would be beneficial and of course a scythe. Since I liked Qrow's scythe I made Mikhail's new one similar to it.
If someone his interested to make it into a Reading story pm.
If you have also question, pm me, too.