RWBY: The Verdant Light of Remnant
Chapter 17: The Little Things in Life
Author's Notes: Before i start, sorry this chapter took so long, alot of stuff happened & they won't stop anytime soon. But on the good end to this, the next 2 following chapters will release back to back in a span of -1 week. Yeah, C17 was going on for far longer than i wanted, so i splitted into 2 separate chapters, with Chapter 18 almost being finished & hopefully being released in a span of a few days at most.
Now, i'd like to thank a specific comment on the Fanfiction side of things... I'd name that individual, but they're here as a Guest, so i can't ACTUALLY give them a proper shout out... Anyways, this person gave me some tipbits about sword play, incluiding the fact that Blake's swords are actually Chokutos (One handed Katanas) not an actual katana as i've kept referring to. They also gave me some tips on fighting choreography with weapons as well, so i'm grateful for that as well. I'll definitely keep that in mind in the future if my shitty memory doesn't tell me to go fuck myself!
I hope you guys like heartwarming scenes & fluffs, cause we have some of that coming this chapter, so let us not waste anymore time & begin this chapter, remember folks.
The following is a non-profit Alternate Universe fanfiction.
RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, Warner Bros. & the late Monty Oum. While Fire Emblem: Three Houses is owned by Nintendo, Intelligent Systems & Koei Tecmo. Please support the original release.
Also, major spoilers for both RWBY & Fire Emblem: Three Houses, specifically the Verdant Wind Route. If you haven't caught up with either of them, it's recommended that you catch up with both of them before reading this story.
& On that note, enjoy this chapter.
Thanks to Ozpin's blessings, The Garnet Papillons were allowed to take a day off to relax & get their minds off from recent events for a moment. They all got into their city outfits & later headed off, starting at Buccellati's Flowing Waves to have an incredible luncheon. Blake however was the only one who didn't go, wanting nothing to do with this nonsense & after having yet another argument with Weiss, she stormed off to who knows where.
Even so, The Garnet Papillons enjoyed the time they were having together & their little group date was far from over, as they still had some plans before they head back home. Unbeknownst to them is that a small girl with brown & pink colored hair is lurking in the alleyways of the Kingdom Capital of Vale, one with a very malicious & bloodthirsty air around her… What is she planning to do? Will she encounter our heroes when they least expect? Find out all & more now!
Our story begins with Blake walking around the open fields of the Valean Central Park. The Valean Central Park was a massive, wide opened area with many different sections. The park itself is location just in the middle of the Kingdom Capital, it has a huge open grass field, an area where there are many trees & bushes around, full of fruits where the people are free to take & eat whenever they can, a massive flower field, a very large lake with a water fountain thrown in the mix, said lake being divided into 3 big sections due to how big it is; which consists of a swimming area, a fishing/boat riding area & the one where you just enjoy the view, which is where the fountain is located. There's also a small marketplace around the main walkway of the park, where you can sit on benches, play in the playgrounds, even eat & drink at a café that resides there.
Blake herself is sitting on her own on one of the taller trees of the park, enjoying the view from high above while eating an apple. The apples here in Vale are delicious, fruits this amazing were rather sparce in her land of birth. After her confrontation with Byleth, she didn't stop thinking about what she said, mainly about the facts that Blake constantly contradicts herself & that despite what she thinks, Byleth states that she's there to help her, not fight her. A lot has been in Blake's mind as of late & now, it's starting to piss her off a little bit since she really doesn't want to think about any of this.
Blake: What a pain in the ass, that talk with Byleth made me go lost in thought… Gods, why do I feel this way? It's not like I've ever been talked down like that before!
After taking another bite of her apple, she finds her answer as she looks down somberly.
Blake: No, I know why… It's because she was telling the truth, I really am putting a lot of facades… Even though it's necessary for me to survive in this world, that doesn't make it any easier… *Groans in frustration* No! these are my burdens to carry, not theirs! I'm not gonna put their lives on the line for my sake, it's not like they can actually help me…
As Blake finished eating her apple, she reaches something from her blazer, it was an old photograph… Or rather, a couple of photographs. We don't see what she's seeing, but we do see Blake's reaction to all of these photographs. She suddenly begins to tear up as she looks at the last one, which was her most recently taken photograph.
Blake: {Noel… It was all my fault… I'm sorry…}
Blake dried the forming tears in her eyes before putting the photographs back inside of her blazer, not wanting to relive those moments anymore at the moment. But it's kinda difficult, especially since she feels that this will happen once again should she show some vulnerability around The Garnet Papillons. She's afraid of the inevitable & she hates it, so she must mask these emotions & put up these facades for as long as she can.
Cut to a few minutes later where Blake is just walking around the woods of the park, wishing to witness the beautiful greenery of this park from up close. But as she simply minds her own business, she suddenly stops & turns around to see a couple of punks bullying a child. The camera then pans to the scene where a small Faunus girl is being harassed by 3 punk human teenagers that tower over the Faunus Girl they're currently harassing, said Faunus Girl's traits being many black spots around her body & a cheetah tail. This small girl is a Cheetah Faunus, one that has many bruises as well due to the constant bullying that she's currently dealing with right now.
Punk Teen A: Tch, you Sub-humans disgust me! Do you have any idea what you people have done to us in the last 5 years of our lives?!
Cheetah Girl: Wha- what are you talking about? I've done no harm to any of you!
Punk Teen B: Oh? So you're stupid on top of being a disgusting bag of hair?! You think we don't know about The White Fang? Just be honest, you're with them, aren't you?
Cheetah Girl: O- of course not! I'd never ally myself with them! It's because of them that-
The Cheetah Girl looks down somberly, almost to the point of tears as she remembers why she's now all alone… & How she hates The White Fang for it… The third & final punk then grabs her by her hair, glaring her in the eyes while the small girl screeches in pain for having her hair pulled like that.
Punk Teen C: Oh, pipe it down, kitten! Nobody cares about whatever happened to you! Your kind doesn't deserve any ounce of compassion, you all deserved the gallows!
The punk then gets an idea, a very messed up idea at that.
Punk Teen C: Wait, I know! *Turns to his friends* What if we go turn her in to the local authorities & claim that she's a White Fang spy?
The Cheetah Girl's expression changed one from slight defiance to one of absolute fear, the mere look at her face makes the punks laugh at her misery.
Punk Teen B: Ooh~, I like the sound of that! This'd be a spectacle to behold!
Punk Teen A: I've heard of many stories of what happens to Faunus that are caged like the animals they all are, I'm sure this brat will fit in just fine!
They all just keep laughing as the Cheetah Girl starts to tear up, feeling the hopelessness of the situation. But suddenly, when all seems lost, she notices a tall young woman with long, jet black hair towering behind the 3 punks who are still laughing.
Blake: Oh? Are you sure you brats aren't confusing that girl with yourselves? If you ask me, you little shits would fit in those comfy cells a lot more than her.
The 3 punks suddenly stopped laughing as they all turned around to see Blake, looking down at them with a death glare that can shatter mountains into pieces with ease. The punk girl in particular just scoffs at her sudden appearance, mocking her for coming here to help the small Cheetah Girl.
Punk Teen B: & Who the hell are you supposed to be? This isn't any of your business, so why don't you just leave us the hell alone?
Blake: You should learn how to speak to your manners, brat! *Sighs* Look, I'm not in the best of moods right now & you 3 aren't really helping me alleviate this issue. So I'll be giving you all one chance to let go of that kid's hair & leave now! Before I make you!
The first punk just laughs his ass off at Blake's threat before going over to her & putting his hand on her shoulder before speaking smugly.
Punk Teen A: Listen, old hag. We're just doing what needs to be done, that brat is a filthy Half-breed who's a spy of the White Fang & so, she must face justice for her crimes. Tell you what, you help us turn her over & you'll get a part of the reward, what do you say?
Blake raises a brow while a faint smirk grows from her lips.
Blake: Oh~? A reward, you say? Tell me, brat. What's the reward of turning in a Faunus over to the authorities? Regardless of whether or not they work for the White Fang?
The Punk Girl suddenly appears next to her friend's side to answer Blake's question.
Punk Teen B: I'd say around 300 thousand Lien, give or take. We'll give you a good amount if you help us out, so how about it?
Blake hums as she then smirks before replying.
Blake: This is quite the offer, but I have but a single issue with it…
The 3 punks look at each other before the boy next to Blake speaks up.
Punk Teen A: Oh yeah? What's tha-
The punk didn't get to finish what he was going to say as he's then suddenly gut punched by Blake, she hit him so hard that he coughed up before falling completely unconscious.
Blake: THAT'S FOR CALLING ME AN "OLD HAG"! YOU PUNY SACK OF SHIT!
Both the remaining punks immediately get taken aback by one of their comrades getting slammed in the stomach & going down soon after, while the Cheetah Girl is just at awe that someone would do this for her, without even thinking about it! The Punk Girl just goes up to Blake & begins calling her out, little did she know that she'd be next.
Punk Teen B: What the fuck, lady!? We were just offering you a good deal & you respond us by doing this?! What the hell is wrong with you?!
Blake: Aside from the fact that I want nothing to do with racist jackasses who harass an innocent girl just because of her heritage & your false claims, no. There's nothing wrong with me… The 3 of you however won't be as fortunate, I can promise you that much!
Punk Teen B: What the- Now listen here, you bitch! You think you can get away with-
When the Punk Girl started talking back at Blake, she was pointy her finger right at the young Ronin's face. This was a very bad decision… For the Punk girl, as Blake was hearing whatever bullshit came out of this teen's mouth, Blake just grabbed her forearm & like with Cardin a earlier this month, broke the arm. Making the girl cry in pain as she falls down to the ground while holding her broken arm.
Punk Teen B: AAAAAAARGH! MY ARM! MY GODDAMN ARM! AAAAAAAAARGH!
After seeing his 2 friends being taken out like that, he becomes terrified of what fate awaits him as Blake shifts focus to him. But since he's still holding the Cheetah Girl by the hair, this gives him an idea as he suddenly draws a pocket knife from his pocket & immediately points at the girl's neck, which makes her horrified by the fact that she's now being taken hostage.
Punk Teen C: S- STAY BACK, YOU CRAZY BITCH! Get any closer & the Half-breed dies!
While the small girl is clearly terrified from this whole situation, Blake was anything but! If anything, she looked very smug & even started laughing a little bit, which caused both confusion & anger from the Punk currently holding the small girl hostage.
Blake: Heheh… Hahahahahah… HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!
Punk Teen C: What the- what's so funny?! I'm being serious here, goddamnit!
Blake: Oh- Sorry, I just think it's hilarious that someone like you can take yourself so seriously, yet have jackshit to back up your ridiculous claims!
Punk Teen C: What did you just say?!
Instead of using words to prove her point, Blake decided to suddenly disappear from his line of sight, almost as if she wasn't even there to begin with. He starts looking around for a bit before he suddenly felt someone grab him by his hair & hold him high in the air, making him scream in pain as his hair is getting pulled. The culprit behind this being Blake, who looks as calm as collected as possible despite being really pissed off right now.
Punk Teen C: Ow! What are you do- ow! Let me go, you psychopath!
That only makes Blake pull the Punk even higher, which made him scream in even more pain than he already was. As for the Cheetah Girl, she's more so scared of how brutal Blake is being here. She appreciates the help, sure! But at the same time, holy shit!
Blake: Drop the dagger & let the kid go first, unless you want to become bald quicker!
Blake pulls the Punk's hair even harder to prove her statement, which was finally enough for the Punk to do as she said & drops the dagger to the ground & lets go of the kid.
Punk Teen C: Argh! Okay, okay! Here! You can have her back, okay?! I'm sorry!
Blake raises an eyebrow as he looks at the brat in the eyes before speaking.
Blake: "You're sorry", huh? & What are you sorry for?
Punk Teen C: I'm sorry for harassing that little girl & threatening to send her to the local authorities & accusing her of being a spy, that's what I'm sorry! Honest!
Blake looks at the Punk, who has a very horrified expression on his face from him & his friends getting taken out by Blake just like that. After a few more seconds of looking at his eyes, dreaded in fear, she smirks while looking down at the Punk.
Blake: Okay, I believe you.
The Punk is very relieved & overjoyed at the response at first… Only for Blake to suddenly pull him back & then throwing the Punk to the air, sending him flying until he crashed in one of the park's lakes that wasn't too far off from here. It created such a big splash that it even started raining some droplets of water in that direction for a few seconds.
The first Punk eventually regains consciousness, alongside the girl with the broken arm & they see Blake looking down on them, glaring at them with the coldest & lifeless glare someone could imagine. They stay frozen in fear for a bit longer, until they eventually ran away as fast as they could. Leaving Blake to adjust her blazer while the Cheetah Girl watches everything that has happened & is just in pure, utter disbelief.
Blake: Didn't their parents teach those punks any manners? Damn brats!
Blake's attention then shifts to the small Cheetah Girl, who immediately freezes in fear at first. But her fears are almost swiftly absolved as Blake's tone suddenly becomes softer.
Blake: Can you still stand? They didn't go to rough on you, did they?
Cheetah Girl: Huh? N- No, I'm alright! I'm just-
The Cheetah Girl then gets up & begins dusting herself off, Blake then begins walking away herself, feeling that her job is done.
Blake: Alright then, now go back to your parents & don't cause any more trouble, okay?
The Cheetah Girl's expression suddenly changed as she stopped dusting herself, a tonal shift that Blake notices right away. She turns around & noticed through the little girl's body language that something's wrong & so, Blake turns back around & helps the kid dust herself off a little bit, which catches the small child by surprise.
Blake: Let me guess, your parents aren't around anymore, are they?
The little girl looks at Blake in the eye before looking down & nodding, answering Blake's question. Blake begins adjusting the girl's hair after she finished dusting her off.
Blake: I see… I'm sorry for what happened, I know what that's like…
The little girl looks at Blake with a surprised look in her face after hearing that. But then she looks at Blake's eyes & how the pupils are that of a cat. This lady is a Faunus?!
Cheetah Girl: Y- you're… Like me?
Blake suddenly stops fixing the girl's hair when she heard that & looks back at her eyes, she sometimes forgets that Faunus can easily tell one another apart through their eyes. The young Ronin nods at the girl's response before continuing to fix her hair.
Blake: Yeah, I am… I just don't want other people to find out, that's all.
Cheetah Girl: Why not?
Blake looks away for a moment before answering the little girl's question.
Blake: It's-… A long story…
After a minute or 2, Blake finishes fixing the small girls hair. It looks really beautiful now, not to different from how Gayelette's hair's usually like.
Blake: So kid, ya got a name?
The little girl looked at Blake for a moment before responding, while also running her hand in her recently fixed hair & running her foot on the ground a bit.
Cellie: Uh… Celeritas, Celeritas Gele. But everyone just call me Cellie.
Editor's Note: Celeritas is Latin for "Speed", while Gele is Dutch for "Yellow".
Blake smiles at the soft speaking young girl before saying her name as well.
Blake: Cellie, huh? That's a really sweet name, my name is Blake.
Cellie smiles at hearing Blake talking to her in such a soft tone, just as the latter gets up & motions her to come along. The young Cheetah Faunus does so as they start walking through the park together, maybe heading out of the room was worth it for Blake.
Cut back to the Garnet Papillons walking out of Buccellati's flowing waves, all with their bellies full. Especially Yang, Nora & Ruby who are happily rubbing their stuffed tummies as they're walking through the Valean Beach's sidewalk.
Ruby: Oof, I'm stuffed! It's a good thing we aren't having any fighting classes with Prof. Goodwitch when we head back, getting hit in the gut right now would really suck!
Yang: Well, the first thing I'll do when we do our late sparring matches later this evening is punching you guys in the gut!
Ruby: Yang, I'm serious! I feel like I'm about to blow up here…
Yang: Heheheh, yeah, I know. I'm just messing with ya, Sis. Ya'know I'd never go that rough on ya, right?
As Yang says that, she wraps an arm around her Little Sister's shoulders & pulls her close. While being pulled close by her Sister, Ruby laughs cheerfully while trying to break out of Yang's strong hold & blushing sheepishly.
Ruby: Hahahahahah! Yang, come on! You're embarrassing me~!
Byleth smiles at the sight of The Rose Xiao-Long Sisters goofing off, remembering how things were back in Fódlan. She was hesitant about this whole mission at first, but now? She's really glad to be a part of this if it means spending time with these kids.
Weiss & the others take some deep breaths, feeling really full from the large luncheon she just had. Ren in particular seems to be jotting down some notes, probably some new recipes he'll try out in the future?
Weiss: Dear god, I've never eaten a meal this amazing in years! I was spectacle of this style of food at first & yet, here we are.
Pyrrha: I've certainly enjoyed Buccellati's as well, but I do not believe that it would've tasted as good if I ate all by myself instead.
Weiss looks at Pyrrha confusingly before asking.
Weiss: What's that supposed to mean?
Pyrrha: *Giggles* Why have all of that delicious food for myself if I can eat it together with my friends instead? If you ask me, moments like these bring people closer to each other & strengthens their bond. Wouldn't you agree?
Weiss takes a moment to think about what Pyrrha just said & smiles before replying.
Weiss: Yeah, I couldn't agree more.
Gayelette & Sothis are walking together side by side, who are also by Byleth's side funny enough. Like Byleth, The Rose Xiao-Long Sisters & especially Nora, Sothis feels like she had just eaten a giant mountain bear in a single bite.
Sothis: Man, that felt good! I can't remember the last time I ate such good food before Sis & I came to Vale, that stuff was delicious!
Gayelette: This was the first time I had a proper seafood meal myself; I could never imagine that something could be this delicious! I must take Mother here someday, I'm sure she would love it.
Byleth: I'm sure she would, I'm really happy that you were able to come along today.
Gayelette: *Chuckles* I haven't been outside of home for so long, it almost feels like a fresh new experience… One that I'm adoring every moment of it.
Byleth kneels down & headpats Gayelette, making her giggle & blush sheepishly.
Byleth: Is that so? I'm glad to hear it.
Gayelette: Hahahahahah! Come on, Prof. Eisner, I'm not that much of a kid.
Sothis: Don't let it get to you, Gayelette. She's like that with almost every kid.
Byleth eventually stops spoiling Gayelette & places a comforting arm on her shoulder.
Byleth: In all seriousness, thank you for being here with us. I know you're technically not an official Beacon student since you're still underaged, but it's just as Ruby told you earlier: "You're one of us, don't let anyone tell you otherwise!" Remember that, okay?
Gayelette looks at Byleth in awe after hearing what she just said before smiling brightly.
Gayelette: Y- Yes Ma'am! I'll remember it well.
Byleth shoots the young girl a wink before standing back up & continue to walk alongside her students, all the while looking at the beach coast to her right. There was a coast back at Fódlan, but it was never one that felt this free. Something the others take notice after they realize that Byleth is going a little slower than the rest of them, with Ruby being the one who approaches her professor.
Ruby: Hey um-… Professor? Is there something the matter?
Byleth looks at Ruby for a moment before looking back at the beach.
Byleth: Oh, it's nothing to be worried about… I'm just taking in the view, if you will… It's just- This place is so beautiful, ya'know?
Ruby: Huh? You mean that beach? Yeah, it's beautiful alright.
Byleth: Not just the beach, I'm talking about all of Vale.
Ruby is a little taken aback by that before Byleth faces Ruby & continues what she means.
Byleth: Look around us, Ruby. From hundreds to thousands of people walking around the city, who are just enjoying their lives, there's so many different people to meet in this land. Everywhere I see, there's something new to learn & appreciate. Like the place we just ate at, the many forests that surrounds us & even that beach over there. I guess I'm just realizing how… Alive a town or city can be, ya'know?
After a brief moment of silence, Ruby chuckles at the response before replying & going next to her, wishing to see the crashing waves of the beach as well.
Ruby: Yeah, I do. I get that a lot myself, especially when I'm just "rolling around at the speed of sound" on my free time. Sometimes, you just wanna sit down & appreciate the many wonders life can offer… Like that beach for example, coasts that pretty are hard to come across nowadays because of The Creatures of Grimm.
Ruby then looks down at her right hand before continuing.
Ruby: But with that being said, you can't be stuck around in one place forever. Sooner or later, you gotta get out of your comfort zone & realize your true potential in the outside world… If you stay in the same place for the rest of your life, you'll never grow up… Life is something you can only get once & so, it should be treasured above all else!
Byleth looks at Ruby both in curiosity & at awe, listening to every word she's saying.
Byleth: Do you really believe that every life on this world should be treasured? That every life has a purpose & a meaning?
Ruby: Without a shadow of a doubt! I believe that everyone in Remnant has a reason for existing, be it big or small, they have a purpose in life! All they have to do is find it & they'll be good to go, especially if they're dead-set on their goals! *Looks up in the sky* Everyone has a right to life, everyone deserves a chance to fulfill their wishes & most important of all, everyone has their own destiny to forge, a destiny only they can forge! That's one thing I'll never stop believing, even in the last moments of my life!
When Ruby finished her speech, Byleth can't help but seeing an image of Claude through the young Huntress-in-training & as she does so, a small, yet very powerful smile grows on her face. She wonders how come they've never met one another until now… Well- outside of the rules of multiverse & space-time.
Byleth: I swear… You're so much like Claude.
Ruby suddenly looks back at Byleth looking all confused.
Ruby: Claude?
Byleth shakes her head as she begins going back to the group, who are pretty far ahead of them at this point.
Byleth: Another old student of mine, as well as my most cherished friend. I'll tell you about him another time, okay?
Ruby smiles before she follows Byleth.
Ruby: Okay.
They eventually catch up with the group, only for them to hear Weiss' whining about them suddenly stopping for no reason. They both just roll their eyes while ignoring, which triggers her even more while the other students laugh it off.
After some more walking around the city, they eventually go to the entrance of the Valean Central Park. By the looks of it, there seems to be a big open market of sorts today. Which takes the interest of the students, mostly Pyrrha who looks pretty excited. Which is definitely a surprise for the team, especially Jaune & Weiss.
Pyrrha: Ooh~! It looks like the park has some traveling merchants today, there's so many of them around here!
Jaune: I'm surprised you'd be into this kind of stuff, Pyrrha. No offense, but you never stroke me as someone who'd have any interest in shopping
Pyrrha looks back at Jaune cheerfully before shaking her head.
Pyrrha: Oh, I'm not usually into these kinds of things. However, I love seeing an open marketplace like this. We had a lot of those back home, I always enjoyed going around to see what these people have to offer.
Ruby: Yeah, Vale does that quite a lot. They celebrate different cultures on certain days to bring people together, both native Valeans & anyone from a foreign land. In Vale, we're all welcomed to enjoy the world around us, that's our motto!
Sothis just rolls her eyes while having a smirk on her face as Ruby said that, seeing how cheesy Ruby is being right now.
Sothis: You're really stretching these cheesy anime lines, aren't you?
Ruby: But I like cheesy anime lines…
Sothis: Hahahah! I'm just messing with ya, kid! Don't let it get it to ya… So, are we going in or not? This place looks pretty big.
Yang: It is, The Valean Central Park is massive, containing many different sections. You can easily get lost in this place, especially if you're not familiar to your surroundings.
Byleth: So, like a maze?
Ruby: Not exactly. Each section is recognizable enough to know where you are, the problem is that the place is pretty big. But hey, it's great for playing around the plains or having a nice picnic while appreciating the nice views.
Byleth: I see… Honestly, I just wanna go around & see what the place has to offer.
Weiss: I guess I can stick around Pyrrha & look at what the marketplace has, there could be something that interests me.
After thinking about it a little bit, Ruby thinks of a way in how this could go down.
Ruby: Why don't we split up? One group stays around here the market place, while the others come with me & I show you guys around the place?
Everyone else looked at each other before they looked back at Ruby, with Byleth being the first to say something about her idea.
Byleth: Yeah, that can work. Then we can all meet up back here & with how Ruby & Yang know this place inside out, I don't think we'll have to worry about getting lost.
Pyrrha: I can't see why not. Weiss is coming to look around the marketplace & whatever else that interests us, who wishes to come with us?
Ren: I'm going with you guys. It's been a while since I've been into an open market, I'm also hoping I get to find other Valean cuisines I can find around here.
Nora comically pops up right next to Ren from behind, looking all cheerful & waving her hand to Pyrrha & Weiss.
Nora: If Ren is coming, I'm coming too!
Ren smirks smugly while tilting his head back at Nora.
Ren: Yeah, because you'd cause a lot of trouble if I didn't keep an eye on you.
Nora puffs her cheeks in annoyance from Ren's teasing.
Nora: Oi! I'm not a little kid anymore!
Ren: You are to me.
Nora pouts quietly while blushing. She hates being spoiled by Ren, but she loves it at the same time as well. It's a pretty weird feeling. Yang then goes towards them as well, wanting to look around the market as well & to be their Park Guide so to say.
Yang: I'll be going with them too; I want to see what they have in-store as well. Maybe some new merch for my collection?
Ruby looks smug before replying to Yang.
Ruby: Like more Fire Emblem Figurines for your Waifu Figurine Collection?
Yang: Yeah, like tha- Wait, HEY! Come on Ruby, did you have to go there?!
Yang blushes madly while her eyes glow Red, completely angry & embarrassed by what Ruby had just said.
Ruby: Sorry, couldn't help myself. That leaves Jaune, Gayelette, Sothis & Prof. Eisner with me, right? Assuming you wanna come along, of course.
Jaune: I'm in. I'd love to see what the park is like.
Byleth: Same here… & I'm bringing Sothis for the same reasons Ren is bringing Nora with him, God knows what these 2 can do together one of these days.
Sothis: You're just jealous that I have a lot more personality & development than you.
The mood went silent as Byleth widens her eyes in shock from Sothis' comment while the other students just go "Ooh~" from the latter's sudden roast. Byleth simply adjusts her hair before she looks down at Sothis.
Byleth: I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear that.
Byleth then goes towards Gayelette, kneeling down to her level before asking her.
Byleth: What about you Gayelette? Wanna go see the rest of the park with us or go with Pyrrha to see what they can find in the market?
Gayelette: Oh- Well… I guess I could come with you guys, I'd love to see what this park has to offer with you guys.
Byleth smiles before getting back up & looking back at Pyrrha.
Byleth: We'll meet up back here. You kids take care of yourselves while I'm gone, okay?
Pyrrha: Of course, I hope you all have fun as well.
They both shake hands before Byleth went off on her own while Ruby, Jaune, Sothis & Gayelette follow her, just as Pyrrha begins walking around the marketplace along with the others who stayed with her. This marketplace almost feels like a festival of sorts, there's so many shops that sells many different things, like many kinds of anime & manga merchandize or different kinds of jewelry for instance.
Pyrrha's attention is somewhere else however, as she eventually spots a shop where they sell very well detailed wood carved animals & figures. She loved these when she was younger, she & her family occasionally collects them whenever they could. Ren takes notice of Pyrrha's interests & decides to go see how she's doing.
Ren: They're really beautiful, aren't they? Those things were everywhere back in my place, my father occasionally did a few himself on his free time.
Pyrrha: Really? That's news to me, do you have any with you back in our dorms?
Ren somberly looks down before shaking his head.
Ren: I'm afraid not… When we were invaded, everything was destroyed in sight… The only thing I have left from my Father is this hunting dagger.
Ren takes out the dagger he always takes with him from his pocket to let Pyrrha take a closer look at it. She takes it from his hand & unsheathes it, seeing the blade itself from up close. The blade was of high quality & it looked pretty sharp, as any hunting dagger should be like.
Pyrrha: Wow, Ren… This is quite the fine blade, it's not every day where I see a hunting dagger of such high caliber. By the looks of it, it looks like it was sharped recently.
As she says that, Pyrrha hands back the dagger to Ren, who puts it back in his pocket once kindly takes his Father's keepsake back.
Ren: Yeah, I sharped it last night while you & Jaune were out in the training grounds. As for my Mother, I unfortunately don't have any kind of keepsake…
Pyrrha looks sadly at Ren, feeling sympathy towards her fellow student & friend.
Pyrrha: Didn't you or Nora had anywhere else to go? Like any form of relatives that lived somewhere else?
Ren: If we did, we never found it… Nora & I were traveling on our own ever since that night, every day was a struggle for us… That's not even going on the trouble we had to go through whenever a civil conflict occurred in Anima, we always try our best to avoid them as much as possible.
Before Ren continued, he suddenly drew one of his Stormflowers out as a small, yet gentle smile grows on his face. That's when Pyrrha takes notice of the softness on Ren's face at that moment, this is the first time she has seen him like this.
Ren: We did find somewhere where we could call home for a while, though. During our travels, a blind old woman took us in & raised us until we could properly take care of ourselves, she was the one who properly trained us & helped us forge our own weapons. Come to think of it, we don't know a lot about her, let alone why she even helped us in the first place. When we were ready, she just left us after bidding goodbye. It was almost as if she was never there, I wonder if she's still around.
Ren then takes notice of Pyrrha's expression, which was a little confused & baffled. Ren blushes a bit before looking away sheepishly.
Ren: Ah, my apologies. I guess I'm really bad at being "The Quiet One", aren't I?
Pyrrha just chuckles at how adorable Ren sounded just now before responding.
Pyrrha: No, it's quite alright. It's nice to hear you talk more often, ya'know? With that said, however, there's nothing wrong in being a little quiet every now & then. I'm glad you & Nora found some place to call home before coming here, that makes your trials & tribulations all the more worth it, does it not?
Ren looks back at Pyrrha with a shocked expression on his face before smiling again.
Ren: Yeah, it does.
Pyrrha smiles softly at Ren's response before her focus goes back to the wood carved figurines & animals she was looking at. As she decides to talk to the Shopkeep so that she & ren could do some shopping, we see how Weiss, Nora & Yang are doing at the moment. Weiss has her eyes set on some jewelry, Yang is looking through some anime merch & Nora is just seeing how they're doing, not really thinking of something she wants for herself right now. Yang takes notice of this & decides to go talk to her.
Yang: Hey Nora, ya doing okay?
Nora suddenly wakes up back to reality as she notices Yang approaching her.
Nora: Huh? Oh, yeah! I'm alright... Just not interest in doing any shopping, that's all.
Yang: I see… Well, that's alright. Not everyone is really into that kind of stuff, ya'know?
Nora thinks about something for a moment before looking at Yang.
Nora: Hey Yang… Can I ask you something?
Yang looks at Nora & gives her a nod.
Yang: Huh? Yeah, sure! Ask away.
Nora: What is it like to have a family? Like- a Mom & a Dad? More importantly, siblings?
Yang is taken aback by this question, not expecting this from Nora at all. But then she remembers something they talked about back in their first day.
Yang: Is this about what happened to you & Ren when you were little kids?
Nora gives her a small nod, confirming to be the case. Yang simply smiles cheerfully as she wraps an arm around Nora's shoulders & brings her closer.
Yang: Alright, I'll try my best explaining it to you. To be completely honest, it really depends from person to person since not every family is the same, not every family is very… Shall we say- supporting… But mine was… My Mom wasn't around for long, but I'll always remember the times she, Ruby & I used to go around Patch, eat sweets, read stories or whatever else we find to do. My Dad is a really cool guy, albeit a bit embarrassing at times… Despite that, he's the best Father I could as for & I'm sure Ruby feels the same way. Then there's our Uncle, who's easily the coolest Uncle ever. That guy let us get away with so much when we were growing up, it was utter chaos.
Nora: Your family sounds really awesome, no wonder you & Ruby are so laid back & cheerful compared to the rest of us… *Blushes* Actually, I'm not really all that different.
Yang chuckles before letting go of Nora & patting her on the back.
Yang: Of course not, you're the craziest girl I know & that's a compliment!
Nora: Heheh, thanks Yang. Ya'know, I sometimes usually see you & Pyrrha as Big Sisters. I never really had anyone I could go to, even before I met Ren… To be completely honest, life was really rough for me for as long as I can remember…
Yang has a more sympathetic expression in her face as she places a comforting hand on Nora's shoulder, which shocks the small gingerbread girl.
Yang: Well… Things are different now, you don't have to be alone anymore, right?
Nora looks at Yang with a surprised expression on her face before smiling brightly.
Nora: Yeah, I don't. I don't have just Ren anymore... I have all of you as well & I know Ren feels the same way, even if he's not the best at showing it.
Yang smiles at Nora's words, happy to have cheered her up a little bit. But then she smirks before she moves her face closer to Nora's ear so she could whisper something to her.
Yang: {Say, be honest with me… You & Ren, you guys are a thing, right?}
Nora blushes madly at that question before looking back at Yang.
Nora: W- WHAT?! No, come on Yang! It's nothing like that, really! We're not really like- together-together shall we say… *Blushes even harder* For now, anyways…
Yang: {Ah~, so you guys do have something going on! Come on, tell me more! I wanna know all of the good stuff, I promise that it'll be a secret between us!}
Nora: Well, what about you?! Don't you occasionally hit on girls back at school?!
Yang: Yeah, but that's mostly just for fun… I'm not really trying to go after a genuine relationship, I'd be a total disaster in those circumstances.
Nora looks a little serious at Yang, starting to feel a little bad for her.
Nora: Wow, that's… Actually kind of sad…
Yang: Eh, not really. I know I'm a huge flirt & all, but I was never really into romance & neither is Ruby for that matter… *Smirks* If anything, she's even worse than me in that department. I don't know if it's because she's actually dense or if she really just doesn't care about it… Then again, I made sure anyone who did try to hit her learned to back the hell off when they're supposed to.
Nora: Hahahahahah! I'll say, you're pretty protective of Ruby. When we were growing up, I was always being looked after by Ren, he was such a Mom back then.
Yang: I mean, he's still kind of is now & so does Pyrrha. I'm surprised she can be like that too; I wouldn't be surprised if she had a younger sibling herself.
As Yang & Nora keep talking to each other, Weiss finishes her small jewelry shopping before going to see what they're talking about.
Weiss: What are you both blabbering about? You 2 are talking a little too loud.
Yang: Oh! Sorry about that, Weiss. Didn't mean to distract you from your own thing.
Weiss: No, it's quite alright. I'm actually finished, what this marketplace has is simply incredible & at such a reasonable price as well. Stuff like this back in Atlas would've costed around 10 times of whatever Vale's prices are.
Nora: Wow! That sounds like a lot of money. it's a good thing you're rich, right?
Weiss looks away while having a slightly uncomfortable expression on her face.
Weiss: Y- Yeah… When it comes to buying stuff you need, being rich is quite the blessing.
Nora doesn't quite get why Weiss is feeling a little down, but Yang picks it up immediately. She goes to Weiss & tries to comfort her.
Yang: Hey Weiss… Listen… I know we don't have the best relationship here & I know how much we can get in each other's throats, but-… Um…
Yang struggles a bit to say something that won't make Weiss get the wrong idea given how easily triggered she can get, but Weiss herself just smiles at Yang before speaking her own mind.
Weiss: It's alright… I'm starting to understand that bloodlines don't make a true family. I admit that I'm still grasping on that concept, but-… Thanks for letting me have this chance to be myself, instead of an Imperial Noble.
Yang looks back at Weiss before smiling softly at her response.
Yang: Heh, that's what friends are for. So, what did you end up buying?
Weiss reaches from her small bag where she takes out a small shell bracelet, as well as a pair of starfish shaped earrings. Their quality speaks for itself as it looks like it was made by the gods themselves for how beautiful these are.
Yang: Wow, those look pretty. Didn't know you were into that kind of jewelry.
Weiss: Well… My Grandfather occasionally brought some souvenirs for us whenever he went on a mission outside of Solitas, he always brought me the strangest, yet most fascinating things he could find… So when I found these, I felt a little nostalgic…
Yang: Your Grandfather sounds like a really cool guy, I wish I still had the chance to meet him… That's one thing we can all relate to an extent, we all lost someone precious to us; being a parent, a sibling, a close friend, ETC… Quite the coincidence, huh?
Weiss chuckles at Yang's response before responding.
Weiss: Yes, it does. When I first came here, I only really cared about myself & my goals. I didn't plan on making any friends. I only wanted to make my grandfather proud, that's all… But then I learned that doing everything by myself isn't as good as I initially believed.
Nora: Yeah, because you stopped being such a snooty downer all the time!
Weiss glares at Nora as she groans in frustration from what she said.
Weiss: My point is that unlike before, I'm willing to seek guidance when is necessary.
Yang: Yeah, but-… *Smirks* You're still our sassy little rich girl, even now.
Weiss huffs as she crosses her arms & looks away, but deep down, Yang's words reached out to her. Byleth was right, maybe she isn't completely hopeless here in Vale. As Nora's chuckling from seeing Weiss being all pouty, Yang eventually starts heading back to the small market she was in before.
Yang: Alright, since Weiss has finished her shopping, I might as well finish mine.
Weiss: *Sighs* I swear, where does she get the money to buy those figurines?
Nora: I don't know, but she sure likes collecting them!
As the 2 girls watch Yang choose the merchandizing she wishes to buy, a very sly smirk grows on Nora's face, something Weiss catches on & feels a little suspicious about it.
Nora: So, what do you think she does when she's alone in the-
Weiss immediately summons a small glyph on Nora's mouth to shut her up before she says something incredibly stupid & revolting, as well as blushing madly at the thought of what Nora was most likely going to suggest.
Weiss: I don't know & I sure as bloody hell do not wish to know! I swear, you people can have such revolting thoughts on your minds at times…
After a few seconds, Yang comes with a bag full of bought goods of her own. But she notices the small glyph on Nora's mouth, making her a little confused.
Yang: Hey guys, I'm ba- wait, why does Nora have a glyph on her mouth?
Weiss: Oh, pay no mind. The small brat just needed to have a clearer mind, that's all.
With that, Weiss releases Nora from her "grip" with a snap of a finger. Nora groans a bit in annoyance from being interrupted like that.
Weiss: Now then, let us see what else they could have, shall we?
Yang: Heh, you died & made you the leader?
Despite the joke, Yang still followed Weiss around. At least until the other 3 decided to tag along as they went off to somewhere else around the market place.
As for Ruby's group, we see them walking around the large grass fields of the park where people usually have picnics & play around or what not. Gayelette in particular is blown away from witnessing so many people going around just enjoying whatever they are doing, be it a couple just walking around talking about whatever's on their mind, a small family enjoying their time together while eating a nice picnic, ETC. Gayelette has never seen so many people just- enjoy life, it was a true sight to behold.
Gayelette: Wow~! There are so many people around here, it's all so beautiful!
Jaune: Huh? You mean you've never seen people having fun around the park like this?
Gayelette: *Shakes her head* I was always secluded from the outside world, be it my Father's distain of me "wasting my time out there" or my lack of social skills… To be frank, I never thought Mother would allow me to ever go out for something like this…
Ruby: Prof. Goodwitch can be a pain to deal with, but she always means well… Even if it would be better if she didn't talk in that tone of hers so much…
Jaune immediately freaks out at what Ruby just said in front of Gayelette, not wanting to get on neither Goodwitch's bad sides anytime soon.
Jaune: Ruby! You can't just talk about someone's Mom in front of their kid like that!
Gayelette: No, no, it's quite alright Jaune. I admit, my Mother can be quite stubborn at times… But even though she has difficulties of showing it, she does care for those around her, be it her allies, superiors, her students-
Sothis: & Her Daughter, right?
Gayelette blushes sheepishly a little at Sothis' comment.
Ruby: Actually, I don't think we ever asked you. If it's okay to ask, who is your Dad?
Gayelette looked at Ruby curiously before she continued?
Ruby: Jaune & I learned from Goodwitch that you 2 are actually from Atlas & that Prof. Goodwitch herself is Weiss' Godmother, but she didn't tell us about who your Dad is. From how you talk about him, he doesn't sound like the most compassionate dude.
Sothis: Oh yeah, he sounds like a total prick!... Although, she didn't give me his name.
Ruby, Jaune & especially Byleth look at Sothis curiously as she said that. As they stopped to begin thinking about it, Gayelette just comes up & says it.
Gayelette: I… told Sothis a little bit about my life in Atlas, including how my Father was.
Jaune: You did?! Huh, didn't expect that from you… Well- not that you can't tell other people about your life, it's just that- due to how shy & quiet you are, I thought that-
Gayelette just starts laughing at Jaune randomly saying words to try & make sure she doesn't get upset at him, only to have the opposite effect instead.
Gayelette: It's quite alright, Jaune. Please, pay no mind.
[Music: "Kairi 3" from Kingdom Hearts 1.5 Remix]
They all continued walking through the grass fields as the mood starts to get a little quiet before Gayelette spoke once again, just as she takes a small flower.
Gayelette: My life was much like this flower… Stuck & isolated in one place, one where I couldn't truly call my home… Unless I was "perfect" in the eyes of Atlesian Society, I was as good as useless… Even now, I still feel that way…
Ruby: Huh? But why? You don't live in Atlas anymore.
Gayelette: Some changes are harder to get accustomed than others… Even though I'm no longer at Atlas, I was still all by myself for the last 5 years… All I had was my Mother… For the longest time, I thought I could never find the strength to forge my own path & even now, I'm still scared… Scared to disappoint my Mother, to fail His Majesty & I-… *Sighs* I still don't know what to do, what I want in my life… & That scares me…
They all look at Gayelette with a concerned look on their faces, not knowing what should say to cheer her up… Except for Ruby, who looked pretty serious as Gayelette expressed her insecurities to the rest of the group & she knows just the thing that can help her. Gayelette herself eventually shakes her head & tries to lighten the mood.
Gayelette: Ah, my apologies. I shouldn't have wasted your time with my own personal struggles… You all must have struggles as well, yet none of you let that-
Gayelette doesn't get to finish what she was about to say as Ruby suddenly grabs her by the arm & dragging her away, slowly picking up some speed.
Gayelette: What in the- Ruby?! What are you doing?! I can't run as that fast!
Ruby: Don't worry, just raise your head & run!
Gayelette looked up at Ruby in awe after she heard those words: "Just raise your head & run" & so, she raised her hand & begin picking up the pace alongside Ruby. Ruby isn't exactly taking her somewhere specifically; she's just having her run. Jaune feels a little spectacle about this, but Sothis & Byleth believe that Ruby knows what she's doing.
Jaune: Uh… Professor? Are you sure about this?
Byleth: I'm sure Ruby has a plan. Come on, let's follow them.
Jaune: Huh? Well, okay.
The other 3 followed to where Gayelette & Ruby are running, albeit at a slower pace since they didn't want to make themselves all sweaty in a day where they're supposed to be taking a break from the action. As for Ruby & Gayelette themselves, Gayelette has never felt so… Free, to put it bluntly. Running as fast as this feels good, really good, in fact. It's a good thing she isn't wearing high heels, because she'd have a twisted ankle if that was the case.
After a few more minutes of running, the 2 of them are found by themselves at another part of the Valean Central Park, not too far from the rivers. Ruby is standing up stretching her arms, while Gayelette is sitting down & catching her breath.
Ruby: So, how do it feel? Feeling any better?
Gayelette: Y- Yes! I've never run this fast before in my life, it was wonderful! Is this why you like running as fast as you do?
Ruby chuckles as she scratches the back of her hair.
Ruby: It's something like that, yeah.
As Gayelette was catching her breath, Byleth, Sothis & Jaune had arrived. They all take notice of the tired out Gayelette & the warmed-up Ruby taking that sweet fresh air.
Jaune: Oof!... I swear Ruby… You're way too fast for your own good sometimes.
Byleth smiles at the 3 children as her attention goes to the tired Gayelette.
Byleth: So, Gayelette… Are you having fun in this "group date" of ours?
Gayelette looks at Byleth & nods excitingly.
Gayelette: It's been wonderful, I hope we get to do something like this again.
Byleth: I'm sure we will, I can promise you that.
While Gayelette is feeling a little better from running as fast as she did, Ruby goes sit right next to her & place a hand on her shoulder.
Ruby: Gayelette, can I share something with you for a minute?
Gayelette looks at Ruby confusingly before nodding, just as Ruby adjusts her jacket & begins pointing at the bright blue sky as she begins her speech.
Ruby: Nothing starts until you take action! If you have time to worry, then run! Run towards your goals as fast as you can & never turn back! You only have one life & you never know when it can all end for you, which is why you must live your life to the fullest!
Gayelette looks at Ruby at awe from what she just said, about her way of living. Living as free as you want, without any restrictions holding you back, enjoying life to the fullest. In Gayelette's eyes, that way of living embodies the kind of person Gayelette wishes to become, to be herself & live her life the way she wants. As Ruby's wrapping up her little speech, she looks back at Gayelette with a smile on her face & pointing at her own head.
Ruby: At least… That's my way of living, so I'm sharing it with you. Got it memorized?
A big smile grows on Gayelette's face after Ruby asked that question, to which Gayelette nodded in response. Ruby certainly liked that look on the young Goodwitch's face & so did the others, seeing her smile more made them want to smile as well. Ruby gets back up & offers Gayelette her hand, to which she takes it & gets back up as well. The 5 of them decided to walk around the Valean Central Park a little more before they decided to regroup with the others back at the Marketplace.
[Music end]
Meanwhile, Blake is watching Cellie letting her legs get a little refreshing by having them submerged in the lake & play around a bit. Blake is sitting right behind her doing while reading a novel, one titled "A Man with Two Souls". It's about 2 individuals who share the same body & they constantly fight for control of said body, it's a great book.
Blake: So Cellie, do you live around here or something?
Cellie: Y- Yes… My Aunt is one of the people who work in this park, I live with her…
Blake: What is she like?
Cellie: She's really nice… Although, we're only together around early mornings & the evenings… She works a lot in the late mornings & afternoons, so I usually just stay around here on my own… It wasn't always this way back when-…
Cellie holds the urge to tear up again as she begins to think of her parents again, which is something Blake picks up as she puts her novel aside & goes to sit right next to her.
Blake: Don't you have any friends? Or anyone else to turn to for help?
Cellie slowly shakes her head, wiping out the small tears that were forming in her eyes.
Blake: & How old are you?
Cellie: I-… I'm eight…
Blake: I see…
Blake struggles to what to say, not being very good at speaking about this kind of stuff to other people, let alone a kid that's half her age. Cellie then looks up at Blake as she thinks about something.
Cellie: Um… Why did you help me back there?
Blake looks at Cellie confusingly before she thinks of an answer as she headpatted Cellie.
Blake: No reason… I just hate seeing punks harassing a kid, that's all…
Cellie gets a little confused by that response.
Blake: I've been in your position before, kid… Feeling powerless, being hated by others simply because you exist, not having many people to seek comfort… It hurts a lot…
Cellie: But then… How come you're so strong? Could I ever be strong like you?
Blake looks down looking a little more serious than she usually is.
Blake: I'm not very strong, kid… & Even if I was, I wouldn't want you ending up like me…
Cellie: What's that supposed to mean?
Blake adjusts her hair a little as she struggles to find an answer to Cellie's question.
Blake: It's-… A little complicated… Look, just- don't let anyone like those punks get to your head, okay? They're the kind of people who don't care about who you are, but rather what you are & how they see you that way… I know we just met, but from what I see, you're a sweet girl. Only a heartless monster would try to hurt someone like that.
Cellie looks down sadly as she looks plays with her fingers.
Cellie: That's what Mom used to tell me whenever I got hurt…
Blake raises an eyebrow in curiosity as Cellie continues.
Cellie: Mom & Dad always helped me after I felt bad… Whenever someone's mean to me, they were always there to make me feel better… I didn't have any friends, but I had them… & That was enough for me… But then-… Then they were taken away from me…
Blake: Is it okay if I asked what happened?...
Cellie begins to shake in anger as faint tears begin to form in her eyes & gritting her teeth.
Cellie: It was those monsters of the Fang!... Mom & Dad didn't want anything to do with those bad people, yet they took them away from me!... They never did anything wrong, so why?... Why were they taken away from me?!... It's not fair!
Cellie drops her face in between her knees & arms as she begins to cry. The mere sight of seeing this poor girl who lost her parents because of the White Fang sent shivers down Blake's spine, she thought that The Fang didn't attack innocent Faunus… Well, nobody except for maybe… Him!... Blake hesitantly reaches her arm out to her, but it's shaking, she can't quite reach her due to this feeling of guilt that she has given what she did in the past as The Manslayer.
Despite her nervousness, she eventually finds the courage to place a comforting hand on Cellie's shoulder, to which Cellie suddenly stops sobbing as she looks back at Blake, who's looking at her with a soft, empathetic expression on her face.
Blake: Cellie, there's something that I wish to tell you, something that I think you need to hear… Will you listen to me for a moment?
Cellie rubs her eyes to dry her tears before nodding at Blake, she takes a deep breath before she looked back at the lake with a somber expression on her face.
Blake: When I was your age, I was living the life of a normal girl who had a loving family. A Father, a Mother & most notably, a Big Brother. I looked up to him for being as strong, yet gentle as anyone could be. He always dreamed of being a Huntsman who traveled around the world with a crew of his own & have as so many adventures that the average person could only dream of, not unlike a Pirate. He was my hero & I wanted to be just like him! Brave, strong, kind, determined, inspiring… He was everything to me…
Blake then looks down while closing her eyes as she relives her memory.
Blake: But then one day, he went on a foreign land a meeting, since our Father couldn't attend meeting at the time… My Brother went to that land & a few days later, what came back home was his severed head…
Cellie covers her mouth in horror as she gasps at what Blake just said.
Blake: On that day, a part of me died as well… I was never the same afterwards, I couldn't stop crying for what happened to my Brother, resenting my Parents for not doing anything to stop him, let alone avenge his death & cursing the monsters who took him away from me! Even now, that pain still lingers within me & I'm certain that this pain will never go away… All of this happened because one individual closed their heart…
Cellie's face grows softer as she looks at Blake, feeling sorry for what she went through & losing someone important to her just like Cellie herself has. She thinks a bit about what Blake said in the end, about the individual closing their heart.
Cellie: "All because they closed their heart…"
Blake: Those who died can never come back to life, no matter how much you ask for them to come back… You cannot go back a mere moment in the past to try & prevent something like this from happening, that's not how the world works… Despite that, you can still forge your own future.
Cellie then gets a little confused before Blake continued.
Blake: To put it simply, you're still alive. You may not understand this now, but you will find to understand its value as you grow older. There will come a time where your tears will dry, where you've already accepted what happened… That's when you must make a choice, a choice only you can make!
Cellie: A choice only I can make?
Blake nods as she begins running her hand through Cellie's hair.
Blake: Yeah… Nobody can decide your life for you, that's something only you can do… It will never have any instantaneous results & the path you chose will be difficult… But as long as you never stop fighting, there's little that can stop you.
Cellie: Do you truly believe that?
Blake chuckles as she starts softly drying Cellie's tears with her thumbs.
Blake: To be honest, I still have my doubts… But I know a kid who's a few years younger than me who perfectly embodies that way of living & if she can do it, so can you!
& For the first time since her parents were still alive, Cellie smiles. After hearing the words of this young woman who saved her earlier simply because she felt that it was the right thing to do, who knew that there were people like that in the world? Just as Blake was about to pull her hand away after she finished drying Cellie's faint tears, the little cheetah girl jumps to Blake, wrapping her arms around the Young Ronin's face & making her very flustered by this sudden act of kindness from a little girl she just met a few hours ago.
After a moment or 2, Blake's face softens a little & she reciprocates the embrace, holding back the small girl in her arms & caressing her head. Cellie snuggles her face in between Blake's chest & the crook of her neck, feeling the warmth of her arms.
Cellie: {Ms. Blake, you're so warm…}
Blake's already flustered face gets a little redder at that comment, but she still keeps her soft smile as she begins running her hand through Cellie's hair.
Blake: {Don't call me "Ms.", Kid… I'm not that old, just call me Blake.}
Cellie: {Okay.}
After another minute or 2 of holding each other, Blake puts the little girl down as she takes the socks & shoes that were on the side & begins drying Cellie's feet.
Blake: Now come on, let's dry these little feet & get you back home to your Aunt.
Cellie: Hey, I'm 8! I'm not that little!
Blake couldn't help but smile that that pouty comment from Cellie as she finishes drying her feet & helps the little girl put her socks & shoes back on.
Blake: Well, you are to me. From the perspective of a normal person who's just passing through & suddenly see us from afar, they'd think we're Sisters.
Cellie looks back at Blake with a surprised look in her face when she said that someone could confuse them for Sisters. She can't quite explain it, but the thought of having Blake as a Big Sister makes her really happen… However, Blake's a student at Beacon Academy, she probably wouldn't have time to waste on someone like her… Would she? Once Blake is finished putting the socks & shoes back onto Cellie's feet, the Young Ronin gets up & extends her hand to Cellie, to which Cellie takes it as she's pulled back up.
Blake: So, does your Aunt live anywhere close from here?
Cellie: Uh, no. Her cabin is actually in the park itself; she lives here.
Blake is surprised by that notion. She didn't know there were parks where their workers could have a place to stay in, she thought that those were exclusive to bigger & more… Forest…ish parks, but it appears that she was proven wrong. Cellie then points at the big woods northeast from where they are now.
Cellie: It's right over there, not too deep into that forest.
Blake: Alright, let's go. She's probably worried sick about you.
Cellie nods as Blake begins taking her to the woods, where her Aunt's house is. During their way back, Cellie begins thinking back to what Blake said about them being confused into being Sisters, that's something that still hasn't left her mind. After a while, she looks back up at Blake & asks her something.
Cellie: Uh… Blake? Can I ask you something?
Blake suddenly stops to look down at Cellie & nod, with Cellie looking away blushing.
Cellie: Well… When you were putting my shoes back on, you said that a normal person would probably think of us as Sisters, right?...
Blake: Yeah, I did… What about it?
Cellie' blush gets a little stronger as she finds the right words to say what she wants to say to Blake, but she eventually finds the courage & looks back at Blake.
Cellie: Well… Is it okay if-…? If I call you "Big Sis"? or something like that?
Blake's eyes widen in shock at that request, let this girl see herself as her "Big Sister"? An average person would probably belittle Cellie or something along those lines, but not Blake. Her face grows soft as she kneels back down to Cellie's level & begins patting her on the head, catching both Cellie's attention & surprise.
Blake: If it makes you feel any better, then that's fine by me.
Cellie: You-… You really mean that?
Blake nods in response to Cellie's question.
Blake: Tell you what; whenever I have the time, I'll come by & pay you a visit. That way, you won't be as lonely as you were. How does that sound?
Cellie's face glows up in excitement as a big smile grows in her face. Not only is this new friend that she just made said that she'll come to see her whenever she can, but also said that she can call Blake her "Big Sister". Cellie excitingly jumps at Blake & giving her yet another big hug, wrapping her arms around Blake's neck & shoulders.
Cellie: Hahahah! Big Sis! I have a Big Sister now! Please come a lot so we can play, okay?
Blake is once again taken aback by the little girl suddenly hugging her at first, but a soft smile grows on her face once she holds her "Little Sister" back & begin to soothingly run her hand through Cellie's hair once again.
Blake: Alright, calm down. I'll come back whenever I'm free from school work, mostly on Sundays. You be on your best behavior & stay out of trouble when I'm away, okay?
Cellie nods at Blake's comment as she snuggles in Blake's arms, feeling the warmth of her kind embrace. They stay like this for a little while until a small yawn is heard, said yawn coming from Cellie.
Blake: Tired already, huh?
Cellie: *Yawns* {A little…}
Blake then scoops up the little cheetah girl in her arms & starts carrying her like a Mother holding her little kid, with Cellie slowly getting sleepier & sleepier.
Blake: Come on, little one. Let's get you home so you can get to bed.
Cellie slowly nods as she slowly begins to fall asleep, just as Blake begins to walk towards where her cabin is supposed to be. As Blake is carrying the sleeping child in her arms, she begins thinking about it a little more as she looks at the sleeping Cellie for a moment.
Blake: (This is very strange, something like this has never happened to be before… Who'd thought that I'd be so good with kids, this must be something I got from Mom & Dad. No, it doesn't matter what it is or where it came from. I'm not really sure of why I even bothered with this girl & to be honest, I couldn't care less. It's kids like her that need guidance & comfort the most; if this girl wants me to be her "Big Sister", then so be it!)
As Blake mentally reassures herself, Cellie's cheetah tail suddenly begins to move. Blake takes notice of this & looks back at the sleeping Cheetah Faunus in her arms, she smiles when she sees her cute little tail wag around, it was really adorable. Blake looks back at where she's going before she continues walking towards her next destination as the sun begins to set at The Kingdom Capital of Vale.
[Music: "Organization 13 Destati" from Kingdom Hearts 3: Re-Mind]
We cut to another part of Sanus, one far away from the Kingdom of Vale. We see a ruined city being filled with Grimm, said ruined city looking like it's about to fall apart… Literally! We see the Fall Empress looking down at the ruined city, looking down at the Creatures of Grimm. During her little quiet moment, her 2 hooded "henchmen" come to see her.
Hooded Girl: Your Majesty, it appears that The Phantom Pumpkins are about to begin their attack at Vale. If our intel is correct, then The Scepter of Okami is located there.
Hooded Boy: The fact that such a valuable artifact would be in a national museum like that? It's like they're asking for trouble!
Fall Empress: Yes, I'm aware… Hopefully the Scepter is there, but it wouldn't be a huge loss if it wasn't actually there either. We'd just have to find its true location, that's all. However, I must admit… Whoever found that Scepter & thought it was just a fancy relic from the past & shipped it into Vale of all places must've been the fool of all fools!
When The Fall Empress finished talking, the Hooded Boy asks her something… All the while feeling a little tense, knowing what he's about to do may be considered treason.
Hooded Boy: About that, there's something that I must ask of you, if I may… Pardon my rudeness, Your Majesty, but-… Are you sure that this Scepter isn't some form of fake? Are you sure if it even exists?!
The Hooded Girl suddenly gets pissed at her partner's remark & snaps at him.
Hooded Girl: What are you saying?! Are you losing faith in our Empress?!
Hooded Boy: Of course not, I'd never think of doing such a thing! But think about it, why would something as valuable as something called "The Scepter of Okami" would be in a local museum of all things?! Don't you think this is some sort of trap?!
The Hooded Girl looks down concerned, not really having a rebuttal to his question. That's when The Fall Empress approaches them both & places a hand on their shoulders.
Fall Empress: Fret not, my dear friends. While I understand your concerns, I know that we will get what we're after. Whether it be in that museum or some other location, we can still change the world if we never stop fighting… & Besides, it's a good opportunity for that Orange-haired pest to test his new toy… I just hope he doesn't bite more than he can chew, I already have my hands full as it is.
Hooded Girl: Okay, but-… What about her? Aren't you worried about what her?
The Fall Empress sighs as she lets go of her subjects & looks back at the ruined city below.
Fall Empress: I'll admit, that girl is one massive thorn on my side… Even so, she's not someone I'd wish to have as an enemy. She's strong & very dangerous, I can only pray to the heavens that she does what I say & hold back her… "Urges"... However, I have my eyes set on something else entirely. Those 2 girls who suddenly appeared last month, they're quite the interesting folk, yes? If we manage to recruit them to our ranks, then we'll be one step closer to "Heaven". There's also that girl with the Silver Eyes… I can't put my finger on it, but I know I've seen her somewhere in the past... *Sighs* No matter, our main focus right now is those traveling Sisters that now reside in Beacon Academy.
Hooded Boy: So, what do you want us to do? Do you want us to go capture them?
Fall Empress: No, I'm afraid that'd be far too dangerous given who we're up against. I suggest we lay low before we can truly move out at August, during The Huntsmen Academies' Second Semester. For now, it'd be best to keep using Roman's thugs to do the dirty work as we gather any information that could be of use to us from the shadows.
The Fall Empress tilts her head back at her subjects as she smiles under her mask.
Fall Empress: But in due time, our plans can finally take action. High Leader Sienna Khan shall provide us with forces starting at June, giving us even more power to fight against our enemies… Once they arrive, our gateway to Heaven will finally open! For now, we must lay low & keep an eye on those brats & their blue-haired teacher.
Both of the hooded youths bowed before their Empress, showing their devotion to her. The Fall Empress turns back & returns to her usual sightseeing, looking at the Creatures of Grimm from above, seeing them tear down an already ruined land. The Fall Empress clutches her fist at the sight of those creatures, finding them disgusting monsters that only know to destroy whatever's on their way. She looks at the moody weather above, confident that one day, those clouds will break across all of Remnant & The Dawn of The New World the Fall Empress seeks will rise from the depths of despair.
[Music end]
Who is the Fall Empress & why does she seem to have an interest on The Eisner Sisters? Why did she say she had a possible connection with Ruby Rose & what is this "Heaven" she's speaking of? Will our heroes be prepared for when The Fall Empress & her subjects finally commence their attack or are they doomed to fall by their hands? Find out all & more next time on RWBY: The Verdant Light of Remnant!
RWBY: The Verdant Light of Remnant - Chapter 17: The Little Things in Life - End
Author's Notes: Aw, that was very sweet, wasn't it? Ya'know? It was nice to FINALLY write Blake as someone kinder & softer than how i usually write her. I study alot of character & story tropes on my free time & one of my favorites is The Loner, which fits Blake to a tee in my opinion. Overly Sarcastic Productions made an amazing video diving into this trop & how it works in the narrative, so i highly recommend checking it out to get a better grasp on how i write this version of Blake.
Another thing i wanna point out is how Ruby is handled here. I've said this before, Ruby is the Flat Character Protagonist of this show. Her role is to be a source of inspiration to those around her & help them become better versions of themselves... The only problem is that the actual show BARELY does that! AT ALL! Especially in volumes 4 & 5, where she's basically a LITERAL background character. As much as i love her speech in V8, it still doesn't feel right. TPoynt (The guy who helps me with this story from time to time) mentioned how it doesn't make alot of sense for Ruby to do that specifically since outside of people who know her directly (which isn't even ALOT, might i add) Anyone watching this wouldn't or shouldn't care about ANYTHING she's actually saying & to a certain extent, i agree & the reason behind this is because Ruby isn't written like an ACTUAL Flat Character Protagonist, despite the fact that the show constantly says that she's this supposed beacon of hope & an inspiration to her allies... keyword being SAYS.
RWBY is pretty iffy on Show, Don't Tell. Sometimes, they do it right, but do it wrong on others & Ruby's character arc is mostly the latter in certain aspects & as you can probably tell, i'm not a big fan of that! Which is why i HAD to expend on her being a Flat Character MC in this story, because she actually NEEDS it. Am i doing a good enough job? I'd like to think so, yes. But i'm not perfect & i'm not even a true professional writer like Miles, Kerry & Eddy. I don't have the experience that THEY have, i'm pratically a ROOKIE!... That said, i'm still confident in my abilities as a writer (to a certain extent) & i'm not planning on throwing the towel anytime soon.
Oh & for those asking about Blake's brutal brutality in the beginning, may i remind you that she did the same with Cardin a few chapters ago. Blake isn't exactly kind with racist pricks, no matter WHO they may be. If you act racist around THIS version of Blake, prepare to have a long week stuck in the hospital... Also, expect her to grow a little softer as the chapters go by, just wanted to point that out. Anyways, that's all the time i have for you guys at the moment, gotta finish C18 in 1- weeks time & help Mark with the upcoming Valentine's Audio Drama. This has been Remnant Bardock & until our next meeting, have a WONDERFUL day, my friends!