Author's Note: I would like to apologize to my readers. There has been quite a debate on what the pairings should be. Several of the reviews calling for RWBYxJNPR after I said I'd do Pollination were the result of one person, who has since contacted me and apologized. I feel the reason it got to that point was because I wasn't firm enough in taking a stance and going forward with it.

Sisterhood was originally planned to be a simple side project to Dark Valkyrie, the result of a random thought about how neat it would be if Team RWBY were all sisters. There was a lot I hadn't planned out when I released the first chapter and a lot still isn't fully set in stone yet. Thus, I was uncertain of what to do about pairings. I know that incest is a very contentious issue and I myself have rolled my eyes at certain anime that added in pseudo-incest for seemingly no reason, so when there was early opposition to Pollination, I decided to backpedal to a safer option. I stilled wanted to do something unique and decided that RWBYxJNPR would be interesting.

That brought another backlash and people wanting Pollination, so I went back to that, only for another backlash to seemingly occur. While that one was mostly fake, and the poll on my profile is decisively in favor of Pollination, I feel I should have settled this issue myself sooner. The issue of the pairings has very much overshadowed the reviews for this story and I would very much like people's opinions on the other aspects of the story I'm introducing.

I apologize for all this and hope all of those wishing for RWBYxJNPR will continued to read and support this story. I ask for and appreciate any thoughts, ideas and constructive critiques as this story goes on.

Thank you all for giving this story of mine your time and attention, your words of praise and support really means a lot to me. Anyway, on to the chapter.


Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY.

Chapter 5: Tearful Reflections

The sun was beginning to set on the isle of Patch, painting the sky in brilliant portrait of red, orange and purple. An absolutely beautiful sight, if you bothered to pay it any mind.

Qrow Branwen was not paying it any attention, focusing instead on the path before him. The dirt road that led through the dense forest was one he had walked countless times, but this evening each step took a bit more effort then usual. Normally, he only had difficulty walking when he was drunk, but he was completely sober for the moment. That would be changing this evening, if the large paper bag he was carry was any indication, but for now it was a different weight pressing on him.

Eventually, he reached his destination; a large clearing at the end of the road with a wooden cottage at the centre. There was light coming from the living room window, but the place seemed emptier then it had ever been to Qrow.

Walking towards the front door, Qrow half expected it to be thrown open and have four young girls run out, excited that their Uncle Qrow was here to visit. They would practically jump on him, clinging to his arms and asking if he had missed them. They would then pull him inside to partake of whatever crazy game or activity they had been doing prior. That was how it had been for years and Qrow had honestly fooled himself into thinking that it would always be that way.

But no-one burst through the door to greet him. The large sparring field to the side of the house was empty of anyone getting in some evening exercise. No one was in the shed tinkering with the yellow motorcycle within, no one was lounging on the porch railing reading a book and there was no smoke in the air to indicate someone experimenting with new, explosive Dust mixtures.

The place almost seemed dead.

The plant boxes the lined the front the house contained much life though, a variety of flowers in red, white, purple and yellow. They were very well cared for, especially a small patch of white summer roses.

Suddenly, the whole world seemed to shift. Blinking, Qrow saw that it was now noon on a bright, sunny day and the planters were now empty of flowers. The soil within looked to be fresh and the wooden boards looked brand new.

Someone appeared around the corner of the house, a young woman wearing simple work clothes and a wide-brimmed hat. Following her was a gaggle of four young kids, smiling and laughing as they tagged along at her heels.

The woman put down the large tray of transplant flowers she had been carrying on the ledge of the planter and looked down at the girls.

"Now, are you all ready to plant your flowers?" she asked. The girls are shouted yes; They got to both plant pretty flowers and have permission to play in the dirt, so it was going to be great.

"Remember, you have to take care of these flowers. They are alive just like you are and need lots of love and attention. Be kind and gentle and they will grow up big and pretty." The four girls nodded and proceed to clamber over the planter and attack the soil with reckless abandon with their small gardening spades. They were quickly making a mess, both of the carefully tilled soil and of their clothes.

The woman sighed, smiling. She would let them have their fun before showing them how to properly plant their flowers. She noticed that one of the girls, the youngest and shortest, was having difficulty climbing up to join her sisters. The woman reached down and lifted the child up and held her close.

"Does my Little Rose need some help?" The little girl turned her head and pouted, not wanting to admit she was too little. She noticed Qrow standing there and her pout turned into a big smile, her hands starting to wave at him.

The woman turned to see what had gotten her daughter so excited and her silver eyes widened in surprise and delight.

"Girls, look! Your Uncle Qrow come to visit"

The three other girls looked over, faces and hands covered in soil, and beamed at their favorite uncle. Sure, he was their only uncle, but he was still the best at it.

There was Yang, her wild mane of hair shining in the sun, matching her bright smile. There was Blake, her cat-ears wiggling as she sat on the plant boxes' edge on all fours. That girl tended to act like a cat and Qrow wasn't sure if it was her Fanus nature or just that Blake thought it would be fun to act that way. Weiss was there too, her pale skin covered in her dirt and showing off an adorable gap-tooth smile as she had just lost a baby tooth.

Summer Rose was absolutely radiant. She clothes were simple, and she had no make-up on, but standing there, holding Ruby and surrounded by her children, she was more beautiful then ever before.

Qrow remembered that day well, how the girls had jumped on him and got dirt all over his pants. They had coerced him to help with the planting, ensuring that he got dirt everywhere. Taiyang had come out after a while and the two shared a cold beer as the girls took a lunch break. He had given Tai a good ribbing for getting the flower boxes built so fast while it was taking him so long to get started on the house extension and the new bedrooms.

Tai countered that it was completely different and that this was far easier then building new rooms, but Qrow knew the real reason. All four girls and Summer had asked for a place to grow flowers and Taiyang had jumped to fulfill their wish; they really had him wrapped around their finger. On the other hand, the girls were quite resistant about getting their own rooms, wanting to keep sharing the beds in Ruby and Yang's room like they had been for the last 2 years. Since they weren't pushing for it, Taiyang wasn't rushing to finish the extension, though he was adamant they all four girls get their own rooms eventually.

In many ways, that day had been just another day filled with fun and family. But it also captured the very essence of the Xiao Long-Rose family, of the love they shared with each other. And that image of Summer with her children, beautiful and pure, had remained with him all these years.

Just as suddenly as it appeared, the image was gone, leaving Qrow staring at the full flower bed in the waning light. He stumbled back several steps, his left hand grasping at his chest as an acute pain filled his heart.

He took several deep breathes and straightened up. If it was that bad for him, then it would be far worse for Tai. Wiping the wetness at the corner of his eyes, he hurried along and opened the front door.

It was as he expected, most of the lights were out except for in the living room. The TV was on and sitting on the couch in front of it was Taiyang. He was just sitting there, still as a board and staring at the screen. Zwei was curled up beside him and Qrow noticed that Tai was holding a dark wooden box in his lap.

Qrow took a seat next to Tai and reached into his paper box, pulling out two bottles of whisky. This wasn't bottom shelf or anything; top-grade alcohol was what he had brought. He usually never bothered with stuff like this but figured that it might help for tonight.

Qrow popped the top off one of the bottles and handed it to Tai. He took it without a word or looking at Qrow and immediately took a large swig of it. Normally, this would have resulted in Taiyang spitting out the whisky and cry out that 'it burns' in a comedic fashion. He really couldn't handle hard liquor but tonight took it without a problem.

Qrow sigh and took his own bottle, sipping it as he got comfortable. It was likely to be a long night.

On the TV, a home movie was playing. It was showing various scenes of the girls' as kids, a chronicle of their childhood. Like many parents, Taiyang and Summer had their hands always poised on the video recording button on their Scrolls, ready to record whatever their children did at a moment's notice. There were probably hundreds of hours of footage, all sorted meticulously by date, occasion and which girl was the central focus. The current video was just a highlight reel, one that Qrow suspected Taiyang had put together just recently.

On screen was the video of Weiss and Blake's first birthday with the Xiao-Long-Rose Family. They had decided on celebrate it on the day after the anniversary of the ship disaster that had them to Patch. They shared the birthday, so they were often referred to as twins despite the technicalities of their situation. Blake and Weiss embraced this notion whole-heartily, loving the idea of being twins alongside being sisters to Ruby and Yang.

The day before, on the anniversary itself, the mood in the house had been somber. Weiss and Blake just couldn't help but think back to that terrible night where they had lost everything and nothing anyone did could cheer them up.

Summer and Taiyang were feeling pretty bad about things too. They had promised to find those girls' family but after a year that hadn't much headway. The official investigation into the incident had found nothing; No ship manifest, no passenger or crew list. There was so much covered up in both Atlas and the Menagerie that the truth was impossible to find. Neither Tayang or Summer had been able to find much out on their own; they underestimated how much free time they would have for this when they had a full family to take care off. They didn't have the time or the resources to investigate things themselves and they were both reluctant to ask Ozpin for help, for a multitude of reasons.

So, they put everything into making Blake and Weiss's first birthday with them something special. It would just be the family plus Qrow, as Weiss and Blake hadn't managed to make any friends yet at school, but that didn't stop them from putting together several fun games and activities.

The image on the TV screen was Blake and Weiss blowing out the candles on their cake together. Taiyang was holding the camera while Summer got the knife to begin cutting the cake.

"So, what did you wish for?" Summer asked. Watching, Qrow felt his throat tighten a bit at hearing her voice. His memory of her was one thing, hearing it again, even through an electronic recording, was something else.

Weiss and Blake looked up at her, their eyes big and bright as only a child's could be. They looked at each other, silently discussing if they should tell; after all, it might not come true if they did.

"We…we wished that everyday could be like today. If we can't go back to our old homes, we want to stay here with Yang and Ruby…and with you…Mommy."

Summer dropped the knife and covered her mouth with both hands, tears welling in her eyes. "Y-you…It's your birthday," She croaked out, "You don't need to give me a gift."

It took several minutes for Summer to calm down, and for the adults to assure the children that she was alright, that she was crying happy tears. Taiyang had laughed at her reaction, so heart-felt and so Summer, but he really shouldn't have. Just a little while later, Blake called him Daddy and he almost dropped his Scroll.

That had been a very special day, in more ways then one.

The screen changed, and the new image almost made Qrow burst out laughing. He had heard of this particular incident but had never seen the footage that was taken.

The scene was of Taiyang standing beneath one of tree next to the house. Wrapping all four limbs around one of the outstretched branches was Blake. The audio on the scroll, held by Summer, couldn't pick up all the words but it was clear Taiyang was trying to coax her down, only for Blake to refute him by shouting "No!" over and over in a childish manner.

The cause of all this was held in Tai's hand, a small white stick with cotton swabs on each end. A simple device meant to harmlessly clean someone ears.

Harmless to everyone except Blake apparently. While none of the girls enjoyed getting their ears cleaned, Blake was a special case. She had fours ears that needed to be cared for and while her human ears could be cleaned with minimal fuss, her cat ears were far more sensitive. Taiyang had accidentally pushed the cotton swab a tiny bit too far and Blake took off like a rocket, running out of the house on all fours and scrambling up the nearest tree.

The camera shook slightly, and Summer wonderful laughter could be heard. It was such a ridiculous and funny situation. With Taiyang right under her, there was no worry of Blake falling and hurting herself, so she was free to laugh at her Tai's predicament.

The screen flickered and was replaced by an almost identical scene, Blake in a tree and refusing to come down. The difference was that it was now Summer standing below her, holding a cotton swab and trying to talk her down. She glared at the camera, now held by Taiyang, and seemed to dare him to laugh at her.

Thankfully both incidents ended without them having to call the fire department and explain how and why their daughter was stuck in a tree. It was remarkable that she could climb up so easy and so fast, showcasing her natural dexterity. Blake refused to let either of her parents touch her ears again, no matter how much they insisted they would be more careful next time.

The two adults didn't what to do and were at a complete loss until one day when Weiss simply took a cotton swab and cleaned her twin sister's ears with no problem. When her dumbfounded parents had asked how she did it, her reply was that it was easy; Blake was her twin sister, so of course she could clean her ears with no problem.

That wasn't really an answer, as Blake didn't let either Yang or Ruby do the same; only Weiss seemed able to handle her ears carefully and gently enough. Blake even seemed to enjoy it and looked forward to having her ears cleaned now.

As parents, they had to sometimes accept that they children could solve their problems in their own unique ways.

The next video showed the living room, the same one the two men were sitting in, but it was completely different. All the furniture had been overturned and shifted around, forming a small fort with pillows and blankets. It was quite the elaborate design, with a makeshift watchtower and draw bridge.

All in all, it was a fine fort for a group of kids to play at being 'bandits'.

"Hey girls. Having fun?" Taiyang asked, stepping into the room. He was fine with the girls rearranging the room for their games, if they put it all back when they were done.

His words and entry into the room set off a flurry of activity within the fort. Four heads poked up over the sides of the fort.

"An enemy approaches the fort! Battle stations!" Ruby called out, her adorable high-pitched voice somehow convoying a commanding tone. The others rush around inside their fort and Taiyang chuckled at their antics.

His laughter was cut-off as a pillow was launched from the fort towards him. Normally it would have bounced harmlessly off his chest and Taiyang would act like he was hurt for the girls' benefit.

Instead, the soft pillow hit him like a cannonball. He doubled over, dropping the Scroll as the wind was knock out of him. The camera slid across the ground but was still able to get a visible view of Taiyang as a second projectile hit him in the face and knocked him out cold. A loud whoop came from the fort and the girls ran over to their fallen father, tying him up and dragging him back to their fort.

The girls thought their father was only playing with them. How could they have hurt him; their father was big, strong and invincible.

It wasn't Taiyang's fault, as neither he nor his Aura had been expecting a shot from a fully functional trebuchet with a proper counter-weight system. Sure, it was a miniaturized version, small enough that Taiyang hadn't seen it behind the fort, but it still packed one hell of a punch. He was lucky they had used a pillow; if it was something harder, like a book, then something probably would have been broken.

It was certainly a strange sight that Summer came home too, Taiyang out cold and all trussed up, but not the strangest in either her or Taiyang's time as a parent.

Afterwards, the two were amazed that it had been Ruby who had put the mini siege engine together, out of only discard plastic, wood and rubber bands. Her sisters had helped, Blake and Weiss reading the bigger words of the book she had discovered the picture of the trebuchet in that she couldn't fully understand while Yang had helped get the materials and put it together.

But Ruby had been the one to fully understand how the mechanism worked by just the pictures alone and probably could have built the whole thing by herself eventually. She made sure that everything was put together properly and tweaked it to get as much power out of it as possible. She had no idea how much power it had, and it fell apart after the second shot, but it was an amazing accomplishment for a young child to do and the first hint at her natural aptitude for weapons.

The next scene was outdoors, on the main street of Patch's main town. A large crowed of people lined the street, Summer and Taiyang included with their Scrolls out. In the middle of the street was a line of young children on bicycles, all set for a day of racing.

It didn't work out that way, as when the starter pistol was sounded, a sheet of ice suddenly appeared on the ground and froze the wheels of all the bikes. All except for one, which took off right away down the road. It was Weiss, on her bike 'Stardust', sailing down the road into an easy first place, smiling at what would be a simple victory.

Not that simple, as the race officials immediately disqualified her for that stunt. She had argued furiously that using Dust wasn't against the rules and it was quite amusing seeing a 10-year-old girl brow-beating grown men with their own regulations. The number of angry parents and kids carried the day and Taiyang and Summer took Weiss home after giving their apologies.

On the way back, the two inquired where Weiss had gotten the Dust. After assuring her that they weren't angry, Weiss admitted to buying a small amount of Ice Dust with her allowance. Normally, that amount wouldn't have been enough to freeze all the other racers, but Weiss had modified the Dust using ingredients and equipment around the house, strengthen and directing the freezing effect. She had learned to do it from the books she had in town's library.

Tai and Summer were shocked; they knew Weiss was smart for her age but that was high level Dust chemistry. Both had been to Beacon and yet this was beyond them. It was amazing and soon after they got Weiss her own Dust chemistry book.

That may have been a mistake, as less then a week after that a loud explosion sounded at the edge of the treeline, the first of many. At the centre of the crater was smiling, soot-covered Weiss with a mad gleam in her eyes. They may have created a monster, but they would do anything to help their daughters become the best they could be.

The next scene had all the family gathered outside. Yang was at the centre of it all, holding a small car in one hand and a remote control in other. She had asked everyone to come outside to show off what she had been working on for the last few weeks. She placed the yellow RC car on the ground and turned it on.

The little car zipped along the ground, braking, turning and accelerating at an impressive rate. Yang's sisters commented on how cool it was and her parents were fairly impressed as well. They did wonder why such a simple toy needed such a large and complex looking remote to use.

Yang quickly showed them why when she pressed a button and the car transformed into a helicopter. It zoomed through the air, over her cheering sibling and her now very impressed parents. This was beyond any toy you could buy in the stores and the mechanical knowledge needed to make it was exceptional.

Yang wasn't done and pressed another button. Wings extended from the helicopter as a rocket engine appeared and ignited. The now miniature jet flew at high-speed, circling the house and the stunned family below. The camera was moving around frantically, trying to keep up.

Yang whooped in joy at seeing her invention working; she had spent weeks working on this. Her smile faded as she realized that the jet wasn't responding as well as it should have. The jet started to fly out of control and sped right towards the gathered family. The parents acted quickly and pushed their kids to the ground as the jet sped over their head, missing them and crashing through the window before ending up embedded in the wall.

Yang's was crestfallen, dropping her controller and hanging her head, waiting for her parent to begin berating her.

She was surprised when they instead they congratulated her on her work. They weren't angry at all about the window or wall, instead completely astonished that she had made something so complex. She looked at them dumbly as her sisters surrounded her, tugging on her arms and asking her if they could help make the next one.

A big smile appeared on the little blonde dragon's face as she excitedly explained how she had done it all. This was only the first of many inventions, as Yang had discovered she had a knack for mechanical engineering. Her motorcycle, Bumblebee was her masterpiece, built from the ground up and filled to the brim with all sorts of devices and functions that made it far more then just a motorbike.

The videos and image continued on and on, chronicling the lives of Taiyang's four beloved daughters. There was Weiss's first recital, with the whole audience silent and enraptured by her beautiful voice. Blake winning a youth literary award for her short stories before getting the gold at a gymnastics tournament. There was Yang crushing it at track and field and Weiss diligently practicing ballet. There was a video of when Ruby almost burned the school down during a parent-teacher conference while showing off a make-shift flamethrower she had made. To this day he had no idea who she got a hold of all the materials from around an elementary school, but it certainly made that one very interesting discussion with her teachers.

Reel after reel shows the girls, laughing, growing and being happy. Qrow felt that Taiyang should be proud beyond anything that he had given these girls such a great childhood, better then any member of Team STRQ had.

One of the last videos was one Taiyang had taken a couple of months after Blake and Weiss arrived. He had rushed home from work that day, not liking leaving Summer all alone with four kids all day. When he opened the door, the sight he saw stop his loud greeting in its tracks and he silently took out his Scroll.

The living room was covered in toys and board games, the result of a very fun-filled day. It had been so fun, that the participants were completely exhausted. Summer was laying down on the couch, fast asleep. The girls were also sharing in this afternoon nap; Ruby was curled up on her mother's chest, resting her head in the crook of Summer's neck. Weiss and Yang were laying on her stomach, arms wrapped around each other and Blake was curled up on the armrest, right above and around Summer's head.

It was a heartwarming sight and it had brought more then one tear to Taiyang's eyes that day.

Qrow always knew that Taiyang was a strong man. He may have joked about being the better Huntsmen and ribbed her mercilessly over how he couldn't handle his liquor, but he never doubted his teammates physical and inner strength.

Taiyang proved that strength to Qrow that night by lasting most of the video, and over three-quarters of his bottle whisky, before he finally broke down and started crying.

The whisky fell to the floor, some of the amber liquid spilling out if the bottle. Taiyang bowed his head and gripped his arms tightly as his tears fell on the wooden box on his lap. Zwei sat up, whining quietly as he looked up at Tai, his small dog face filled with concern. Qrow drank the last of his whisky in one go and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder.

Taiyang cried and cried. Those girls were his angels, the one who made this place his heaven. He had given everything for them and now they were gone, leaving him all alone. He wanted them back here, he wanted them small again, small enough that he could hold all four of them at once. He wanted to continue seeing them everyday, watching them interact and grow and being a family.

He wanted them here…where it was safe.

Taiyang kept his head down and eyes close, as he couldn't bare looking at either the image on screen or at the walls of the room. They were of course covered with individual and family pictures, alongside numerous awards, with medals and trophy lining the hallways of the house.

Taiyang's daughter were absolute geniuses in their own unique way. He knew that they were capable of doing anything they wanted, and it torn at him that they all chose the most dangerous profession on the planet. He had broken his back, working non-stop to support and encourage every one of his girls' interests and hobbies, hoping against hope they would follow a safer path.

They hadn't, so instead he had trained them as hard as he could, praying that it would be enough to keep them from the early grave that many young Huntsmen and Huntresses found themselves. That process had broken him down as well, but he done his best and their passing of Beacon's Initiation earlier today proved he had done his job well.

He just wished he didn't feel so empty and cold over it.

Music started coming from the TV and this finally made Taiyang look up. Wiping his eyes, he saw that the final video clip was playing. It showed the four girls all lined up in front of the couch, wearing a bright-array of clothes. The music was coming from a children's boombox right beside them, playing some pop song that the girls had become obsessed with.

Taiyang took several deep breathes, calming himself down somewhat.

"Something bad is coming, isn't it?" he asked Qrow, keeping his eyes on the screen. On screen the girls were trying to dance, stumbling over themselves and restarting several times.

"…Yeah…" was Qrow's answer. The last couple of missions he had been sent out on had painted a pretty bad picture of what was to come. He had another long-term deployment outside the Kingdoms coming up soon, so maybe he could finally get some useful information.

That meant that he wouldn't be around if something happened at Beacon.

Taiyang took another breathe. "I guess…we just have to believe that it will be alright." From his tone, it was clear that he didn't believe that. "I…I think I'll start taking missions again. It will keep me busy and I can start making some money… for once. I'll make sure to pay you back first."

"Tai, you don't-"

"Qrow, please…" Taiyang turned his head and the two men looked at each other for the first time that evening. They stared at one another for several moments before Qrow away with a sigh. Taiyang was a kind of person that, once his pride was wrapped up in something, he just couldn't be talked down.

Taiyang turned back to look at the TV. The girls had finally gotten things worked out and were dancing their made-up routine for their parents. It was an absolute mess, with the girls completely out of sync with each other. They still had big smiles on their faces, proving that they were having a blast being dancing idols.

The reason Taiyang had put this video for last was that, if he had asked the girls to repeat this little dance number, they would have done it flawlessly without any planning or practice. Those girls had such a strong connection now; they could move and think in perfect harmony with each other.

It reminded Taiyang, in these dark moments, that his daughters were strongest when they were together, and that being together was where they would be safest.

Taiyang patted Zwei's head, letting him know that he was okay, before placing his hands on the wooden box on his lap. He ran his hands along the smooth surface, still wet from his tears.

Inside was the last gift, the last labour of love from Summer Rose. It contained all the hopes, and all the fears, she held for her beloved daughters. It had hurt her in many ways, but she still pressed on ahead with making the box's contents.

No matter what, Summer had faith that Ruby, Weiss, Blake and Yang could overcome anything that stood in their way. Taiyang needed to have the same faith, to accept that his girls were all grown up now and believe that they could take care of themselves.

He prayed that he would never have to give the girls Summer's last gift, but he would be ready do if the time came. Until then, he would support his daughters with everything he had, and have faith that they would be able to handle whatever life threw at them.

Taiyang press a button on his scroll, which restarted the video on the TV from the beginning. He and leaned back in his seat and watched the video chronicle of his family again. His heart felt a little lighter now; he still feared and worried over the future, but he would try to have faith now.

It's all he could do now.


That's all for this fairly short chapter. I had originally planned for this to be the opening section of the next chapter, but I figured that the next chapter will be plenty long as is, and I wanted to get something out quick.

We get to see how the girls leaving for Beacon has affected their father and see some scenes of the girls growing up. We'll being see more of these past moments as the story goes on.

What's in the box? That's a secret for now.

As I said above in the Author's Note, I do appreciate any idea people have for this story and the characters, as there is a lot that I haven't full figured out yet. Both pairings for members of Team RWBY and Team JNPR are set now as Pollination and Juniper Berries. I would ask that the discussion for this fic move on to the other elements of the story. I appreciate immensely how passionate people are about these pairings and for this story, but I would like to know how the rest of the story is shaping up. I personally feel that I'm very bad at writing dialogue and action scenes, so I would like feedback on how those elements are turning out in this story.

Once again, thanks for reading and supporting this story. Please leave a review or PM with your thoughts and opinion; everything helps to keep this story going.