Chapter 4

April 9th, Beacon Academy

"Alright then," Shion declares, "I think that concludes today's sessions."

Summer nodded her head. For the past few days it's been like this. Shion would take her morning session, she'd wait all day, watching students from the window, take her afternoon sessions, then she'd spend the evening with her family.

Overall, Shion states that there seemed to be hostility between the two sides of Summer, only bearable due to their shared desire to protect Summer's children. Without that…well, Light Summer did talk about how Dark attempted to 'delete' her, which Shion blatantly described as straight up murder. Dark gave no response to it.

"Is there anything else you'd like to discuss? We won't be having any sessions tomorrow?"

Summer tilted her head. "Why?"

"Didn't Ozpin tell you? The Atlas scientist will be arriving tomorrow. I doubt I'll be able to get any sessions while he's busy with you," Shion's shoulders slumped, "Which sucks. It would've been nice to see you under a more…scientific scope."

Summer's brow would've furrowed if she had one. "You do realize I'm still here, right?"

"Of course I do. But you still haven't answered my question."

Summer turned to the side, watching students passing by down below.

"It's Ruby. She's been getting less and less sleep these past few days."

"Yes, team RWBY seems to be pushing hard in their studies."

"Too hard, if you ask me. She wants to prove to me that she'll be the best."

"Have you talked with her about it?"

"Of course I have. But she has my stubbornness. She'll give a smile, saying she's alright, and maybe she would be…but she's dealing with all of this on top of being at Beacon two years early. Being moved two years ahead is already a difficult task. Add in all the stress that she's been through, and-"

Shion nodded. "It is a daunting task. However, the best I can offer you, you've already been doing. Be with her. Talk to her."

'She's got that right,' Light thought, 'Anything we could tell her would actually make things worse.'

'Such as Salem. As much as we should tell her, it's clear that it'll only push Ruby further. And pushing too hard won't help anyone.'

"And, if talking to Ruby still doesn't work, then talk to your other daughter, or your husband. These people may find solutions that you can't."

Summer gave a low growl, not to Shion, but to herself. Though Shion took it the wrong way, as he put his hands up.

"Now, now. I'll put a request to the Headmaster, see if I can get Ruby and Yang to have some counseling sessions."

Summer nodded, and Shion was about to open the door…only for it to slide open, revealing Yang.

"Hey, Mr. Z."

Shion's eye twitched, much to Summer's amusement. "Miss Xiao Long." With that, Shion walked past her, allowing Yang to enter, the door closing behind.

"Hey, mom."

"Hello, Yang. I was expecting your sister."

"Yeah, Ruby is looking over some of her homework. Should be done in a bit."

"And how is your sister?"

"She's…doing fine."

The tone made it clear that there was more.

"Yang…"

Yang sighed. She never could keep something from Summer.

"It's the other students. They've been keeping their distance from us. The only other team who actually talked to us everyday is team JNPR."

"That's the one with the Nikos girl, right? Ruby's first friend."

"Yeah, which is a godsend. Having friends outside our team worked wonders for Ruby. But…" Yang was interrupted by a yawn.

"Getting tired already?" Summer snarked, "It's barely evening."

"Yeah, well, barely got any sleep last night."

'I can see where this is going.' Dark commented with an 'I told you so' attitude.

"Ruby."

"Yeah. She kept us up for half the night, trying to think of team combos. We've only been a team for barely a week and-"

"And she's acting like you guys should already be a well oiled machine."

"Yeah. How did you know?"

"Raven was like that when we first formed."

Yang flinched. She still didn't know where she stood about her birth mother. She at first wanted nothing to do with her once Summer got back, but…the letter she left made things complicated.

"Wha-What was Raven like, back at Beacon?"

Summer chuckled, though it disturbed Yang.

"It wasn't easy. From the moment we became partners, it felt like I was bashing against a brick wall."

"Oh, you were partners?"

"Who else? Qrow's got his Semblance, and Tai's sense of direction was worse than my sense of driving."

"Hey, dad's gotten better at directions. But, what do you mean by Qrow's 'semblance'?"

"...I didn't mean to say that. It's not my secret to tell."

Yang nodded. She didn't like it, but she could simply ask him once they were done talking. And once she finds him. Despite being in the same city, he was practically all over the place.

"But yes, me and Raven were partners. And, despite Ozpin naming me as leader, she tried to take charge immediately. At first, I simply let it happen, because I had no idea how to be a leader. I was always the 'lone wolf' type of person."

Yang smiled, "Yeah, Ruby had the same idea. How did you and Raven work it out?"

"Your uncle's terrible advice."

"Huh?"

"He simply said 'I need to loosen her up a bit'. He didn't expect that I would end up starting a prank war."

Yang looked at Summer like she was insane. "What?"

"Just don't ever ask Glynda where she got that purple cape of hers. And, if you do, don't tell her that I told you about it."

Yang had devious thoughts come to her. 'I've got to find out what happened. If it's as golden as I think it is, Ruby'll-' At the thought of Ruby, Yang's smile turned sour.

"What is it?"

"...When you…disappeared, dad…none of us took it well. I think Ruby took it the least hard because she didn't really understand it at the time. Uncle Qrow took the drinking, and dad just…shut downed. I, well-"

"You had to raise her."

Due to Summer's condition, it came across as almost condescending, not sympathetically.

Yang started messing with her hair. "Yeah."

Summer stood up, and wrapped Yang in a hug, nearly enveloping the girl. It certainly didn't help that Summer was three feet taller than Yang.

"What are you-?"

"Thank you, Yang. I was being selfish, and I ended up leaving you two. Yet, instead of grieving yourself, you took charge, and helped your little sister."

"I just…did what I thought you would do."

"You did far better than what I did. What I did got me in this situation. And, you know what the worst part about this is?"

Yang didn't want to ask. When she didn't reply, Summer continued anyway.

"I still remember the recipe."

Yang's eyes glistened. She was referring to her cookie recipe. If Summer was the best at one thing, it was cookie baking.

"I remember every detail, done to the second…and I can't make them anymore."

Yang knelt down to Summer. "It's alright, mom."

Summer shook her head. "No, it isn't. I missed so much of your lives, and there's nothing I can do to repay it. There's no way to create new memories. I can't go walking around Patch to see how much has changed, go see old friends, go with you to movies, arcades, NOTHING!"

Summer's intent may have been sorrow, but, when she instinctively made a claw mark on the panel, Yang read that as anger.

"And now, everyone is going to be looking at my little girls."

Yang didn't notice it, but Summer's spinal bones got longer.

"Ruby…this isn't what I wanted for her."

Yang's eyes widened. "What do you mean? Ruby adores you, I adore you."

"..."

"..."

"...I'll tell you about it, one day."

Yang's concern was evident, but she wasn't about to backtalk her mom, not now, so she only nodded.

"Okay. Well, I'll go find Ruby, and we'll talk more."

As Yang turned, Summer suddenly lunged an arm forward, gripping Yang's. Such was the suddenness of it that Yang almost instinctively went to punch the Grimm-Yang stopped herself.

'It's not a Grimm. It's Mom.'

"Yang, be careful who you trust."

"What?"

"It's simple…Sometimes the most generous people are the ones most dangerous."

"Mom, I don't understand."

"Just…protect your sister. No matter what. Promise me."

Yang knelt down. "I promise, mom." 'Though I have no idea why she's so paranoid. I mean, I get why, but why here, at probably the safest place in all of Vale.'

With that, Yang left the room. However, as she got down the steps, she halted, her eyes widening.

'Unless…there's someone here that mom doesn't trust. But who would that be?'

Meanwhile, back in Summer's room.

'Dude, the FUCK!?' L-Summer roared.

'I do not regret my actions.' R-Summer retorted.

'Why the hell would you even say that to Yang? Now she's going to be looking over her shoulder trying to find an enemy that isn't there!'

'Good. If we did more of that, we probably wouldn't be in this mess.'

'Being paranoid wasn't our problem. Like you told me, it was because of my-original Summer's protagonist syndrome. As well as Ozpin being-...Oh,' L-Summer's tone took a condescending tone, 'So that's what this is about.'

'Of course it's about him.'

'Well, at the very least you had enough restraint to not tell Yang to not trust Ozpin. Brothers know what madness that would've brought.'

'Making sure our daughters know not to trust him should be an important lesson.'

'Even if we have a hard time trusting him, we shouldn't saddle our daughters into that mess. Otherwise, Yang may end up doing something that will really hurt herself, Ruby, or us. You know, for being the 'logical' side of me, you seem to be a bit rash when it comes to social interactions.'

'That insult would work if I was the logical side. I'm simply the Huntress in you.'

'Regardless, Ozpin's already going to have a hard time getting us to stay here, he doesn't need you making it more difficult!'

Said headmaster rubbed a hand down his face. The paperwork for the Atlas transfer students had just finished, and he was exhausted. From having to deal with Jacque Schnee calling up a storm about his injured daughter (funny how he didn't find out until now about that), to Council paperwork for bypassing the Council in letting a foreign military ship into Vale, to his more 'private' work involving a certain ex-wife, he was not having a calm day. And, if the beeping on his desk was any indication, it was going to get longer.

Pressing it, he saw a red haired woman with dark, purple eyes.

"Ah, Councilwoman Shepard. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Cut the crap, Ozpin. We've worked together for too long for that. What's going on?"

'Ah, that.' "I'm afraid I don't exactly know what you mean?"

"That bull might fly past Lang and Udina, but not me. I know you too well."

"That you do. We graduated the same year, after all."

"Yes. And, after graduation, you nearly went into isolation before coming back as Beacon's Headmaster a year later. I may be ignorant, but I'm not blind. Tyrian Callows, a mass murderer who escaped years ago under 'classified' circumstances? That alone would be suspicious, but having him involved in this mess? The excuse of 'bandits' won't work on me, because someone like Tyrian wouldn't remain hidden with 'bandits' for long. Then the timing of the attack on Patch, with the Hound…I'm sorry, Ozpin, but the dots are connecting, and you're clearly hiding something."

'Yes, you are a little too observant for your own good, old friend.' "We all hide secrets, Miss Shepard."

"Yes, but your secrets seem to be getting people in danger."

Ozpin gave the briefest change in face. Considering that one of his secrets is what resulted in Summer's condition, that was an unintentional low blow.

"Even if what you said was true, what do you propose I do about it?"

Janet narrowed her eyes. "It's been clear to the Council that you and the other headmaster of the Huntsmen Academies have an agenda. Come clean with the Council about what these meetings are about. You know that Lang and Udina are both looking to discredit you, and the Hound situation is giving them their jumping off point. As if they didn't have enough on you with the Belladonna girl."

"Why, Janet, I was unaware that you were so interested in how the Academies run their curriculums. If you wish to have your input in advancing Huntsmen training, you're welcome to our next meeting."

Ozpin could see Janet's left arm tighten, a sign that she was clenching her fist.

"Ozpin, this game isn't amusing. One of these days, someone's going to do something irreparable, and you won't be able to talk your way out of it."

Ozpin raised an eyebrow. If he didn't know any better, he'd consider that a veiled threat. But this was Janet he was talking to. She just didn't want her school time rival to come crashing down, when she could do something about it. However…

"Well, if it's a game, then I'm lost on its end goal. Now, if you don't mind, I have some exchange students to greet."

Janet merely scowled as Ozpin hung up. He had, long ago, considered bringing Janet in on the shadow war. However, her campaign for a Council seat had destroyed that chance. Janet was a good…acquaintance, but, when she saw a threat, she had a tendency to do her own thing, damn the consequences. Luckily, that attitude won her a lot of support from the everyday working class. But, when it comes to this shadow war…

"You'd never be able to keep it quiet, Janet." Ozpin saw an Atlesian dropship approaching one of Beacon's landing pads.

Ozpin got up, heading for the elevator. It was time for him to welcome the exchange students.

Author's Notes: This much shorter chapter is due to me deciding to try a different approaching to writing this volume. The main issue is that Volume 1 of RWBY is really a slice of life until the last couple of episodes. And I've been trying to turn a slice of life into an actual narrative. I'll be changing that strategy. So expect much shorter chapters until we actually get into the meat of the story.