Here we are at Chapter 57. Now then, time for some bonding time between some members of Team RVWBY and Velvet's crew. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 57. Enjoy.
Chapter 57: Sisters
At the Xiao Long household late at night, Taiyang and Eizen sit at the kitchen table, having some tea and making some conversation.
"I'm surprised that Velvet is friends with someone like you," Taiyang notes, sipping his tea.
"What's that supposed to mean? Are you saying I'm old?" Eizen retorts.
"No…not exactly, more like…Older. I pretty sure you're a little younger than me," Taiyang corrects him.
Eizen raises an eyebrow, "If only you knew," he thinks. "So…Yang still hasn't put the arm on yet?" he asks, drinking his tea.
Taiyang sighs, "No…I was hoping that the prosthetic arm would help get her spirits back. Now, I'm not quite sure what to do. I can see that she's still struggling with her trauma from Beacon, but I thought it best to give her a little space. Let her take it at her own pace, even if that pace is a really slow one," he says in melancholy.
"Hmmm, Yang's been a fighter pretty much all her life. She's fought against Grimm and other opponents. She's had to do the dance with death plenty of times, I'm sure. However, this is the first time that death has come so close to taking her. Even for warriors, the first close call with death leaves more than just physical scars. It's the emotional scars that take the longest to heal. I've dealt with it, my comrades have dealt with it. All warriors have to deal with it. There's no escaping from it…from the Reaper," Eizen notes as he takes out his coin and flips it in the air before catching it, once again landing on tails.
Taiyang is about to reply before they hear a knock at the door. He goes to the front door and opens it, revealing Professor Port and Dr. Oobleck standing outside.
"Good evening Taiyang, it has been so long," Port greets him.
"Yes, yes, it is good to see an old student from Beacon. How have you been?" Oobleck adds.
Taiyang smiles a little bit, "It's good to see you guys too. Come on in, I'll make you some drinks," he welcomes them and they follow him to the kitchen to meet Eizen.
"It seems we're not the only surprise guests here. May I ask your name?" Port asks.
Eizen nods to him, "Eizen. I'm a friend of Velvet Crowe's. I heard she was a student at Beacon…Still sounds weird saying that, even now," he mutters the last part.
"Really? Velvet never really told us about her old friends. I just assumed that her only friends were all from Beacon," Port says as he and Oobleck sit down with Eizen.
"She wasn't always at Beacon. Well since you're here, I gotta ask…What was Velvet like at school?" Eizen asks.
Port chuckles, "Oh ho, you'll really need to pay attention to this one. You're gonna love this," Port says as he begins his stories (thankfully about Velvet, not himself).
…
In Atlas, Weiss looks out the window as the shattered moon is high in the sky. She looks over to her desk, finding a case on it. Opening it, she finds her rapier, Myrtenaster, inside, along with several cases of Dust.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" she hears behind her and looks back to see Eleanor and Zaveid standing by her door.
"Honestly, no I'm not…But I can't stand to be in this prison any longer. I can't stand being away from my friends any longer…I can't stay away from Yang any longer. I know she'll be angry with me when I see her again, and rightfully so. But, I need to atone for my mistake, for leaving her because I was scared. I am done with letting my father control my life," she says and closes her case. "I guess I should thank you…for making me realize what an idiot I was," she says.
"No sweat, just make it up to me by making it up to your girlfriend. That's how you can repay me," Zaveid jokes.
"Anyway, let's get going. The sooner we leave, the sooner we can find an airship to take us to Vale. Then it's off to Patch," Eleanor says.
Weiss nods and Zaveid returns to Eleanor's body. The two slowly walk out of Weiss' room, keeping an eye out for anyone that might spot them. They move through the halls of the manor, with Zaveid using his wind to widen their expanse by giving them a heads up if someone is nearby. Moving through the halls, they avoid a few staff members that get easily distracted by a sudden breeze from Zaveid. At one point, Weiss glances out one of the windows, and notices Ironwood exiting out the main entrance.
"Who's that?" Eleanor asks.
"General Ironwood, the headmaster of Atlas Academy, and commander of the Atlas military. He and my father are friends, though that friendship has quickly soured as of late. We can't let him spot us. Let's go," Weiss replies.
They continue to make their way through the building, eventually finding themselves in the library. Weiss starts looking around the shelves for something.
"If I recall correctly, there was a secret passageway built into this place in case we ever had to use it. Oh, but I can't quite remember how to open it exactly," Weiss lowly laments.
Just then, one of the bookshelves suddenly opens up, revealing a stone staircase inside, along with Weiss' butler, Klein.
"Perhaps, I can help, Miss Schnee," Klein says as he steps inside.
"Klein! What are you doing here?!" Weis quietly shouts.
"Zaveid, you were supposed to keep an eye out for anyone nearby!" Eleanor berates her partner.
"Hey, don't blame me. I couldn't sense his presence. How did he do that? And plus, he was hidden behind a wall that my winds couldn't get into. It's not my fault," Zaveid retorts.
"Klein, please, you can't tell me father," Weiss starts to freak out.
"It's okay, Miss Schnee. I'm here to help," Klein replies.
"You…You are?" Weiss asks, confused.
"My apologies, but I may have overheard a conversation or two between you and your new friend her. I knew were trying to escape, so I decided I'd help out," Klein calms her down.
"But…what about my father. If he finds out…" Weiss begins.
"It is my duty as your butler to assist you however I can. I practically raised you while your father was off doing his business. I could see that being caged in this place was destroying you, and that, I could not allow. While I have no idea who you're little friend is here, I can see that you aren't defensive with her and trust her, and that's good enough for me. Miss Schnee needs goods friends by her side, now more than ever," Klein explains. Weiss tears up a little bit and drops her stuff to hug him, which he returns in kind. "But, where are you planning on going again?" he asks as they separate.
"Patch, near Vale. Someone I…care about very much is there, waiting for me," Weiss replies.
"Then you'd best get on your way. Your father will not like this very much, and he may very well remove your inheritance to the company and give it to Whitley. Are you sure?" Klein asks.
"I swore that I would restore and uphold the honor of the Schnee name, but I can't do that by sitting locked up in a cage like my father wants. I'll do it…as a huntress," Weiss replies.
"…I supposed you won't have much family around here after this," Klein notes.
Weiss places a hand on his shoulder, "I'll always have you," she says.
Klein smiles, "You most certainly will," he says and they share one more embrace before letting go. "Go on, best that you get a move on. I'll cover your tracks here. Good luck," he says.
Weiss and Eleanor move into the secret passageway and watch as Klein closes the door. Moving through the hidden route, they eventually come out of a secret exit on the side of the house. Using the foliage and trees for cover, they make their way further and further from the manor, making sure that they aren't being followed along the way. Reaching the outer gate of the estate, Weiss conjures some glyphs to help them jump over it and finally getting out of this makeshift prison. However, as they get further away from the manor and make their way to the city, they come into an unexpected roadblock.
"Now, what do we have here?" they hear and look off to the side to see General Ironwood, magnum out and aimed at Eleanor. "You wouldn't be trying to kidnap the heiress to the SDC, now would you?" he asks calmly.
Eleanor prepares to defend Weiss, but Weiss stands in front of her, "Weiss, what are you," she begins.
"General Ironwood, this is not a kidnapping. More like…a rescue," Weiss says.
"Miss Schnee, care to explain?" Ironwood asks, a little perplexed.
"I'm leaving my home, and I've leaving Atlas. I'm going back to Vale, back to my teammates. This woman here is an old friend of my teammate, Velvet, and she's here to help me get out of here," Weiss replies.
Seeing that Weiss doesn't appear to be in any danger, Ironwood lowers his weapon, but still remains apprehensive, "Miss Schnee, are you sure you want to do this? Beacon is gone, and who knows what happened to your teammates since it fell. More importantly, you're the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company. Your father would not approve of this. You need to worry about your safety. You'll be safe here in Atlas," Ironwood tries to convince her.
"I'm not safe here, General. I've never been safe here. This place isn't my home, it never was. And as for my inheritance, I'm pretty sure that's gone now, but I can't let that stop me. And why should I just focus on my own safety? I became a huntress to protect the people. Their safety always comes before mine, and my teammate's wellbeing comes before mine," Weiss retorts.
"Miss Schnee, if you still want to become a huntress, then why not apply to Atlas Academy? You can finish your training there, like your sister," Ironwood offers.
Weiss softens a bit, "General…I appreciate the offer…but the only academy I will ever go to is Beacon. Since going there, I've learned that a lot of the things that I previously believed in were wrong. That I shouldn't rely on my last name anymore when it comes down to the most important stuff. I saw things that I could never see in Atlas. When I came back, the people here irritate me to no end, and it disgusts me that I used to be one of those people. I won't go back to being like that ever again…But most of all, I found people in Beacon that treated me like family more than my real one ever did, aside from my sister. I'm going to Vale because the people I care about need me, and because I am done being my father's puppet. And you can't stop me," Weiss replies, showing a determined expression.
Ironwood is a little surprised by her words, and after looking her in the eye, and seeing that no words from him will convince her otherwise, he relents, and holsters his weapon.
"I see I can't convince you. However, if you're plan is to get to Vale as soon as possible, you'll need some help with that," Ironwood says.
"Huh?" Eleanor and Weiss ask.
"I'll provide you with an airship to Vale. With my go ahead on it, you'll reach your destination much sooner than if you stowed away on one, and I highly doubt either of you know how to pilot an airship, correct?" Ironwood answers back.
Weiss and Eleanor are shocked by this, "But, why would you help us?" Eleanor asks.
"Call it a way of paying your sister back for her exemplary service to the kingdom. Right now, Winter is in Mistral, but I'm planning on recalling all my forces back to the kingdom soon and then I'm closing Atlas' borders. If you're gonna leave, it has to be now. Now then, we should get going before your father realizes you're gone," Ironwood says before he starts walking away.
Weiss and Eleanor glance at each other for a moment before deciding to follow the General. At least now they won't have to worry about finding a ship to take them to Vale.
…
Yang wakes up late at night after having another nightmare of when she lost her arm to Adam Taurus. She sits up and looks out the window before turning to her new arm, still sitting on her desk. However, she hears some noise downstairs and walks out with her jacket on and eventually finds her dad and Eizen talking with her old teachers, Port and Oobleck, in the kitchen. And from the laughing they were doing, it sounded like quite the conversation.
"Wait, wait, wait, are you telling me that Velvet actually wore a dress and went to a dance like a normal girl?" Eizen asks before he starts laughing again.
"Yes, I must admit it was quite a surprise given her personality, but she did it anyway. I believe it was for young Miss Rose. They were always close back at Beacon," Oobleck replies.
"Haha, I'd pay good money to see that. And if Magilou saw that, she'd never let Velvet live it down. I still find it hard to believe sometimes that she actually went to school. She knew a lot before that, but she was never a model student," Eizen notes, sipping his drink.
Just then, they all notice Yang leaning against the doorway, "Ah, Miss Xiao Long, come in. Come in. You must join us," Port greets her as the two teachers stand up.
"Yes, yes, sit down. We've been telling some interesting stories about our days back at Beacon. You must join us," Oobleck adds.
Yang walks in and sits on the counter next to Taiyang, "…So, what are you doing here?" Yang asks her teachers.
The two sit down, "Despite popular belief, teachers DO have a life outside the classroom," Oobleck replies.
"Professor Goodwitch is working around the clock to restore Beacon to its former glory. But, Mistral wasn't built in a day. And we all need some rest from time to time. Plus, it is actually a treat to meet one of Miss Crowe's old friends from her home. We've been going over stories about her with each other," Port adds.
"I'm not sure Velvet would like that," Yang notes.
"Of course she won't, that's the point. Besides, if she finds out, I'll deal with her," Eizen notes.
"Yes, Miss Crowe was certainly a…unique student back at Beacon. Reminds me of when the Branwen twins were still students there years ago. They were rather…interesting to say the least," Oobleck notes.
"That sure didn't seem to stop young Tai," Port says, making the two teachers laugh at his expense.
Taiyang loses some of his humor, "Hey, come on man, she's right here," he says, gesturing to Yang, who gets a little offended.
"Oh please, she's a mature young woman. If she can handle combat, she can handle a few jabs at her old man," Port replies in a joking tone.
"That's not the issue, Pete. And besides, she's still a teenager," Taiyang says.
"SHE is also in the room, and can be directly spoken too," she says before getting off the counter top. "And I think I've been through enough to be an adult at this point," she retorts, hand on her hip.
Taiyang sighs, "Adult or not, you've still gotta a long way to go before you're ready for the real world," he says.
"Oh my Gosh, does EVERY father figure just have the same three condescending phrases?" she says, getting irritated.
"YEAH! But we only use them when we mean it!" he says, getting angry, as does Yang.
"Is that so?" she says, gritting her teeth while the three onlookers look at each other with worry.
"As a matter of FACT, it IS so!" Taiyang replies, making Oobleck drink his cup, Port loosen his collar, and Eizen watching with some interest. "If you honestly think you're ready to go out there on your own, hah, then I guess you lost some brain cells along with that arm," he says, pointing at his head.
This makes Yang gasp, and the others look wide-eyed while Oobleck drops his drink, but then…
"You JERK," Yang jokes as she playfully punches him in the arm, the two laughing together.
Seeing that everything is okay, the rest of the group calm down before the Xiao Longs stop laughing.
"Yang…with that out of the way. Tell us…why haven't you put the arm on yet?" Eizen asks, getting serious.
"Oh, yes, yes! A piece of Atlas technology being given out like that is rare indeed, not to mention the effort it took into delivering it here. It seems a great many people want to see you return to normal," Oobleck says.
Yang looks away, sad, "I'm…scared. Everyone talks about me getting back to normal, and I appreciate it. But…THIS…is normal now," she says, gesturing to what's left of her right arm. "It's just taking me a while to get used to it," she says sadly.
"Well, normal is what you make of it," her father says, getting her attention.
"What is that supposed to mean? Do want me to just PRETEND like nothing happened? I lost a PART of me. A piece of me is GONE, and it's never coming back," Yang says.
"…Your right. It's not coming back," Taiyang says, lowering his head with his eyes closed. But then he opens them and raises his head. "But that doesn't have to stop you from becoming who you want to be. You're YANG. XIAO. LONG. My sunny little dragon. You can do whatever you put your mind to," he says, placing a supportive hand on her shoulder. "So whenever you're ready to stop MOPING, and get back out there…I'll be there for you," he says, pointing at her.
"…Well…what about your sister, Ruby?" Eizen asks.
"Huh?" Yang replies.
"Yang…I too have a little sister, much younger than me. Her name is Edna. You're lucky, you have a chance to see her again. But as for me, I'll probably never be able to see her again," Eizen says solemnly.
"What…do you mean?" Yang asks.
"My…semblance, the Reaper's curse, brings ill fortune to everyone around me. Your father told me about your uncle Qrow's semblance being bascially the same thing. I left my sister to protect her from my curse. But, the one time I came back to visit her, Grimm appeared and attacked us. I took her somewhere safe, and then I left. I would only put her in more danger if I stayed. I can't see her without endangering her…But you have a chance to be there for your sister. She's out there, fighting, and as an older sibling, I know she misses you. I know mine misses me. She's waiting for you, waiting for her big sister to be there by her side again. To help her in the fights to come. Do you think you can help her here, sitting around doing nothing?" Eizen asks her.
Yang glances away, "I…I…" she begins.
"Everyone feels fear, Yang. There's no shame in that. It comes and goes like any other emotion. What's important is how you handle it. Your sister is facing her fears. I believe you have the strength to face yours as well. I do know my students very well, after all," Port adds.
"Yang…I can't be there for my sister, but you can still be there for yours. If you won't put the arm on for yourself or for your father…then do it for Ruby. Do it for your sister," Eizen says.
Yang looks around at all of them, and thinks very hard about their words. About facing her fears. And about Ruby.
…
The next morning, Taiyang is outside, tending to his garden, while Eizen leans against the house next to him.
"You're more than welcome to help, you know," Taiyang offers, a little annoyed.
Eizen takes out his coin and flips it in the air, "Probably not a good idea," he says, catching the coin.
Just then, they hear the front door open up and look to see Yang walking out…now wearing her new prosthetic arm as she flexes it around a bit.
Taiyang stands up and joins Eizen.
"Alright then…Let's get started," Taiyang says.
"Now, we're making some progress," Eizen says.
And that's the chapter. Weiss and Eleanor make their escape, and Yang puts on the arm thanks to Eizen and her dad. As for the scene with Ironwood, I didn't really like writing it like that because I hate his metal guts, but it made sense for the chapter and the story, so I went with it. Anyway, now Weiss is on her way to Vale, and Yang renews her training. Will Weiss see her teammates again? Will Yang be able to face her fears? Until then, please Read and Review.
