A/N: Hello, everyone! I wanted to address the anonymous review first. For Sun to lose his shirt, wouldn't he have to wear one in first place? :P All joking aside, thank you for the suggestion. Since I intend to introduce more people to the pen (Spoilers!), I'll add it to the list of ideas. As for Ruby messing with Weiss's personality, hasn't she suffered enough? No? Sweet, an excuse for a Weiss torture chapter (Not real torture, spare me the hate mail)! My knee jerk reaction to your personality suggestion was a definite no, but as I was writing this I thought of an amusing way I could use the idea. It might be a while before we get to it, but I'm definitely going to use it. If anyone else has a suggestion for a use of the pen or even just a scene you want to see, feel free to either leave a review or send a message! I'm always looking for more ideas. Just remember the rating. Sorry Blake, you can't use the pen to recreate the Ninjas of Love. As for shipping, as of right now I have none planned. However, stories tend to go their own way, so who knows? Warning, I might have run a bit wild with this chapter.
"Yyaaaaannnngggggg! I wanna stay! What they get into another fight? They could get hurt and as Team Leader, it's my responsibility to protect them." Ruby had managed to wrap her arms and legs around the doorknob, hanging on for dear life. Despite her sister's best effort, there was no way to pull her free from the door without breaking it.
"Come on, Ruby. The sooner we get breakfast, the sooner we can return. If they're fighting, we'll spray them with water. They'll be fine." Yang sighed at Ruby's actions. Fine. Time to cheat. "Rubes, I heard they have strawberries this morning." The corridor suddenly filled with rose petals.
Ruby was waiting at the end of the corridor, jamming the call button for the elevator. "We're going miss the strawberries, Yang! Can't this thing move any faster!"
Yang chuckled to herself. Her younger sister was easy to handle if you knew the right strings to pull. By the time Yang reached the elevator, the lift had reached the floor. Ruby was already in the elevator, hopping in place, pressing the ground floor like a madwoman. "Rubes, remember to wait for me. We have to bring food back to the others." Ruby waited for the elevator to reach its destination in uncharacteristic stoicness. Yang walked from the elevator, following the flood of petals lining the floor. Ruby was fortunate that her petals only last for a few minutes. Otherwise, Glynda would be making her spend every night cleaning the academy. By the time Yang reached the cafeteria, Ruby was running away from the cafeteria. She was carrying two trays of food including a large bowl of sweetened strawberries.
"Let'sgoYang! Ihaveeverything!" The excitement of the morning and the prospect of strawberries had Ruby running on the walls. "The strawberries are all mine, my precious," she whispered.
Yang grabbed her cape, stopping her sister. The bowl wobbled for a brief perilous moment, but righted itself, much to her relief. The last time someone had spilled Ruby's strawberries, the Grimm population on Patch vanished. "Slow down. We have some time and no one is going to eat your strawberries." The huntress sisters walked back towards the elevators, much too slow for Ruby's preference. Yang had learned years ago her sister's cape could make a respectable leash, as long as you were careful.
Jaune was exiting the elevator, just as they reached the elevator. "Hi, Ruby! Hi, Yang!" Jaune greeted them. "I was hoping to catch you. I was wondering if your team wanted to hang out today? Pyrrha wanted to catch a movie in Vale and I thought it'd be fun to do it as a group."
"Oh, hi Jaune," Ruby started. "We'd love to, but umm-"
"Blake's, uhh, cousin is in town today and we were going to show her around Vale. We'll hang next time, though," Yang finished the thought, walking onto the open elevator. "You could take just Pyrrha to the movie. You know, as friends," she shouted out the closing doors. Captain Oblivious would catch on.
"Yang, do you ever wish there was more of you? Like duplicates so we could spend with Team JNPR and Blake and Weiss," Ruby questioned her sister. The notion of disappointing one of her friends weighed on her mind. Jaune had sounded so eager for the company. Instead, he'll have to watch it with his partner.
"Ruby, if there were more of you running around, I think we might die from cuteness overload." Yang burst into laughter thinking about Weiss's reaction to more Rubies running around. The heiress would be in the mental ward after one week. Ruby looked ahead, lost in her thoughts.
The two sisters returned to the dorm, ready to eat and start the day. Ruby slammed the door open, somehow managing to not drop any food, then stopped. Curious, Yang hurried to see what had caught Ruby's attention. Within the room, Blake was finishing up the disguise for Weiss. Blake had made a pair of Mistralian Braids running down the sides of her head. She parted them right in front of the cat ears, drawing attention from the face. The two braids were woven together at the back. Her hair was dyed a cascade of white snow, hints of ebony and rays of sunshine offering a hint of contrast. Her adorable ears were on full display. Blake had applied a bit of light pink blush to her cheekbones, nose and chin. She wore a touch of purple eyeliner. Gone were Weiss's typical white combat skirt. In its place, she wore a loose fitting sapphire blue blouse and black slacks. Around her neck was a silver necklace with a small silver rapier amulet on it. The disguise drew attention to the natural curves of Weiss's face, away from the eyes.
"Wow, you look amazing," Yang muttered while pushing her sister into the room. She closed the door and placed the food on the table.
"Thank you. Despite the morning, I can still look respectable," Weiss said, glaring at Blake. Blake handed her a mirror, so she could see the finished product.
"Are you sure you're alright with this? We can fix it in a moment," Blake asked, trying to catch Weiss's eyes for the first time since this morning.
"I'm fine Blake. I just need some time."
"Are you sure? Because you still have the 'I'm going to kill someone' look," Ruby intervened. It was a look she had become familiar with, having mastered the art of pestering Weiss. She never intended to annoy her, but Ruby had a gift.
"Gah! Will you just let it go? You changed me without permission! Yes, I'm upset. How would you feel if I changed you into a human?" Weiss snarled at her fellow faunus.
"I… I'm sorry, Weiss," Blake whispered, audible only to the two faunus. Seeing Ruby between her and the door, she took a step towards the only escape route, the window, only to be thwarted by a glyph.
"But, you thought you were doing me a favor. Just talk to us before you do something like this again," Weiss sighed. "We're a team. We should be able to trust each other. But you need to learn your lesson. Ruby, will your father need a place for Zwei to stay? I think we might have room in the dorm for such a cute little fur ball," Weiss said, a sly smile creeping across her face. Blake blanched at the thought of the dog staying in their room.
"Umm, will you two be alright?" Ruby hesitantly asked, all thoughts about the strawberries fleeing before her friends' trouble.
Weiss looked at Blake, then back to her partner. "We'll be fine. People make mistakes all the time. As long as we learn from them, we'll be fine." Weiss broke into an honest smile. "You taught me that, Ruby. Besides, I wanted a vacation. So, thank you, Blake. But we can't use that cursed pen again. If it can change my race, what can't it do?"
"We could put limits on it. No changes without both parties' permission," the leader of Team Ruby suggested.
"We'll talk about it later," her partner responded. If Weiss had her way, that pen would be locked away for good.
Ruby, Blake and Yang descended on the food, a ravenous plague of locusts. Weiss selected a more modest breakfast and ate with grace enough to make a feline blush. Ruby regarded the new faunus with a thoughtful gaze. "Weiss, what are we going to call you? We can't use your name."
She paused for a moment. "Ceinwen Eira, I think. It's a translation of my name, but it is a common name."
"You invented that name rather quickly, kitty cat. Any particular reason why?" Yang asked. Weiss just glared at the brawler, begging her to press the point. After this morning, she chose to let sleeping cats lie. "Fine, keep your secrets."
Blake walked over to her bookshelf and rearranged them a bit. She returned, holding a piece of Weiss's diary with fuchsia colored ink. "Weiss, I want you to have this. It's the paper that controls your transformation. If you want to change back now, you can." The paper read, 'Weiss Schnee should feel our pain.'
"Feel our pain? Blake, is there something you want to tell us?" Blake was always ready to help the team, but she struggled to let others into her heart. Blake shook her head, then returned to her breakfast. Once breakfast was devoured, the team left the dorm. Ruby darted back into the room, returning with a pair of silver framed sunglasses.
She handed to glasses to Weiss telling her, "These are photosynthesis lenses, completely fake. They change color outside so you can hide your pretty eyes."
"Photosynthesis? Like the plants? I think you mean photochromic. Thank you, Ruby." Weiss offered her partner a rare hug. The warmth of another person felt so good.
The team reached Vale just as the sun was reaching its zenith. Summer in Vale was breathtaking, clear blue skies with nary a cloud, crisp clear water. The summer heat had driven everyone into the various shops and stores. A gentle sea breeze was just enough to make it bearable. The scent of fresh fish wafted through parts of the city, not that the two feline faunus minded too much. "So, we're here. What do we want to do?" Ruby looked at each her teammates in turn.
"Well, I wanted to get some new books."
"If we intend to have Zwei for a while, we'll need some food." At the mention of Evil Incarnate, Blake slipped behind Yang.
"I could use some more ammo for my sweetheart. Oooo, and we'll need a weapon for We - err, Ceinwen, since she can't use her usual weapon." Ruby's mind started racing at the possibilities. Claws? No, that might be considered a hate crime in light of recent events. Weiss would certainly see it as one. A flaming sword? A gun? A flaming gun that shoots swords? At last, she could get her partner to upgrade from a rapier. A sword that wasn't a gun? The brilliant revolving dust dispenser was the only form of innovation. Ruby sighed at the thought. The classics were cool, but weapons have souls too. They should be allowed to show off a bit. A little creativity never hurt anyone. Except for Crescent Rose's flamethrower, but Forever Fall would grow back, right?
"Fine. We get some books, get food for the most adorable creature in the world, then stop by the weapon shop. Then we drag Ruby away, kicking and screaming, and get lunch."
Ruby pouted at Weiss. "Ceinwen, stop being so, umm Weiss cold. Weapons are cool and you know it. What kind of weapon do you want?"
"A rapier. Like the one I intend to continue using." She made a point to ignore the atrocious pun. If she started to ignore them, maybe the sisters would just stop. That was as likely as Weiss adopting a baby Beowulf as a pet, but it was worth a chance. They do enjoy their attention, after all.
"A rapier with a gun for a hilt?"
"A rapier. Not every weapon needs a gun. And I don't need another weapon. My situation, if you will, isn't permanent."
"What about a rapier with a grappling hook like Blake?" Weiss glared at Ruby in response. "Got it. Just a boring rapier."
"Boring? A rapier is a classic weapon. It requires both grace and elegance to use one. A gun or one of your attachments would throw the balance off."
Argent eyes brightened. "If you're concerned about balance, I could-"
The much-maligned heiress pinched the bridge of her nose. "No, Ruby. Just no."
"We could go to A Novel Experience . It's next door to Dogs Days of Summer so you could get the monster's food while I shop for books," Blake suggested.
"Ugh, must everyone make terrible puns?"
Yang lifted her nose and said, "You just have no appreciation for the finer things in life."
"Puns are not one of the finer things. Puns are an abomination, unfit for Grimm. Especially yours."
The journey to the terribly named bookstore continued in this manner for the better part of an hour. It was blessed with a waterside property, along the edge of the industrial and commercial district. The lighthearted banter fell into a comfortable silence, allowing Weiss a chance to reflect. It still amazed her that a team of misfits and pranksters had ever managed to worm their way into her heart.
"Yang, could you get Zwei's food? We can get the books for Blake, then get lunch," Ruby asked her sister.
"You mean, so we can go to the weapon store sooner," Yang replied. "I'll take care of it, don't worry about it. Just make sure our kittens aren't late for lunch."
"HEY!" Both cat faunus shouted at Yang. The blonde boxer just waved at the trio over her shoulder as she walked into the pet shop.
The Dog Days of Summer was a medium sized pet store, almost indistinguishable from any other similar store, save the pet rescue facility in the back. It was one of only two such facilities in the kingdom, specializing in cat adoptions. Upon entering, a bored teenager greeted her. "Good morning and welcome to the Dog Days of Summer." The young man brightened as soon as he laid eyes on the golden beauty. "How can I help you?" The man finished, a lecherous grin on his face. She supposed he was trying to be charming, but he just managed to be creepy.
"Hello. I'm looking for dog food. Any chance you have a sale on?"
"Yes, ma'am! Aisle four, a third of the way down." Yang sprinted down the aisle and picked up enough food to last Zwei a week. She returned to the register to pay. "Miss, we have a special. If pretty girls give me their number, they can get a free sample of our new catnip."
A satisfying click of a gauntlet shotgun extending echoed throughout the shop. "My number? Well, Ember Cecila would have to approve of anyone I could date. Wanna find out?" She had no patience for objectification.
"Umm did I say number? I meant with the purchase of an item." He rang her in order with the speed of man fearing for his life. A moment later, she walked out of the pet shop with a bag of dog food and a little sample of catnip.
She was greeted by a puzzling sight. Her sister had wrapped herself in her cloak so completely only her sunburned face was visible. The snow cat faunus was just as red and was sputtering at a smug Blake. "You read that smut? Oh, dear Oum, is that what you've been reading the entire time?" Yang enveloped her sister in a bear hug.
"Kitten, what did you do to my dear sister?"
"All I did was let them read a chapter from my new book, The Bawdy Bard."
"Oh. Is it one of your hidden books?" The bookworm nodded in agreement.
"You knew! All this time, you knew what she was reading. Oh no, was that book from earlier one of those?"
"Your majesty, not all are precious innocent snowflakes. Ruby, are you alright?"
"What was she doing with Professor Goodwitch's weapon?" The youngest member of Team RWBY shook her head, desperate to shake an image. "Nevermind, let's just eat and forget this ever happened."
"I, for one, think that is an excellent idea. I know exactly where we should eat."
Weiss dragged her team to a high-class restaurant called Les Poisson de Chat. It was a small Mistralian five star restaurant, nestled into the border between the upper-class district and the commercial district. As such, the restaurant was a bit of a diamond in the rough. It had garnered a reputation for a bit more private dining experience. After a brief conversation with the hostess, the huntresses claimed a table in the corner farthest from the entrance, partially obscured by a low wall. A waitress left them menus and took their drink orders. Before she could leave, Weiss said, "Miss, could you make sure there is no fish in any of our orders today? I'm allergic and even the scent can trigger it." She reassured Weiss and left to get their drink orders fulfilled.
Blake shot Weiss a hurt look. "You aren't allergic to fish." She glanced down at the menu. "You did this intentionally, didn't you? They have freshly caught tuna, too. How could you?" Blake could smell them, like mana from the heavens. She could even hear the sizzle of the fish. It was tantamount to torture.
"Oh, did I not mention? I'm allergic to losing choice. It's terrible, I break out in flashes of domination and pettiness." The young heiress shot her teammate a smug smile in victory.
Yang coughed, sounding like "cat fight", drawing the ire of both cat faunus. "What? I didn't say anything. Ow, Ruby! Don't kick me."
"Ladies, please tell me you learned enough manners to not embarrass. I enjoy the food here, and I would appreciate it if you would not get us thrown out."
The waitress soon returned with a gentleman in a black suit, wearing an apologetic smile. The man, speaking with a Mistralian accent said, "Ladies, I must apologize, but the kitchen is closing for the day. I must ask you to leave."
Blake gave a sad, knowing smile and started to stand when Weiss reached out to stop her. "There are dozens of patrons here. There is no way you are closing the restaurant mid-day."
"I'm sorry ma'am, but we do not serve animals. Leave before I have to contact the police."
"Animals? I may have cat ears, but I am not some filthy animal! I am a person with rights. I will -"
"Ceinwen, it isn't worth it. We'll find somewhere else." The team left the restaurant without further incident. She walked with the grace of a queen, but every muscle was rigid in rage. The patrons could feel something terrible was coming, all save one. One woman, hair as white as snow, glanced at the retreating team and smirked as if this was an amusing bard's tale.
"Well, that was a thing."
"Not now, Yang. Let's just return to Beacon. I'll cook something for us." Weiss's melodic voice fell flat, crushed by the humiliation.
"You can cook?" Her excitable partner bounced in front of the team. "Ohcanwehavecookies?"
"I'll have you know I am an excellent cook."
"Then why haven't you cooked anything before?"
"You... I... Silence."
"Kitty got claws!"
"Dammit, Yang. Enough with your Grimm forsaken puns."
A/N: Since France wouldn't exist in this world, I'm substituting Mistral for France, so Mistral braid is just a French braid.
Thanks for reading! Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and I'll see you next time with Cat-astrophe!