A/N: Chapter 58 of REKT. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or teams of RWBY, they belong to Rooster Teeth and Monty Oum. What I do own are the characters and teams of my OCs: REKT, GTSY, KACE and DAZE. I also claim Ingrid, Teo, Reina's parents and aunt as well.
Special thanks to the reviewers and to the readers who Fav/Alert this story, I really appreciate it.
Chapter 58: Painful Days and Nights
Inside the Schnee mansion...
"Chin up! Spine straight! Eyes always forward!" Jacques barked as he watched Weiss maneuver about the house, hands clasped tightly behind his back. Every morning and every other evening, he set her back into her routine just like how she was taught when she was little. The man decided to start way back to the basics, much to his daughter's obvious disgust. "Has your years in Beacon turn you into a limp puppet? Why is your posture slouching? I haven't seen a sadder Schnee in my life!"
This is insufferable! How dare he yells and orders me around so early! The heiress growled to herself as she carried herself like the proud, regal Schnee she was suppose to embody. Tilting her head up, keeping her core tight, she walked until she stood right before the older male and said, "Was that little display up to your standards, Father?"
"Don't make a mockery out of me, Weiss. A Schnee must always put on an air of authority and high status, the others would make a fool out of you if you don't. Your competitors won't hold your hand, they want to chop it off if necessary." Jacques told her, eyes narrowing in all seriousness. "In this world, there can be no such thing as friendship, it's strictly business."
He hasn't change one bit since I was gone. In fact, I believe his behavior has gotten worse!
"Besides, your chores are far from over. I think it would be a great opportunity if you accompany me to my next outing." Jacques chuckled, stroking his mustache with a hand at the thought. "My associates haven't seen you in a long time...it would be nice if you made your appearance and show them just how, mature and ladylike, you've become."
"May I remind you that I never once forgot your teachings when it came to fighting?" She stated airily, putting on her snobbish attitude that once irritated her teammates. "Even if I don't walk with royalty, I won't hold back on the battlefield."
"I thought we had this conversation before of not talking about your huntress days."
"And you're absolutely correct, we promised not to talk about training as a huntress. However, we never agree on not talking about training to becoming a better heiress for the company."
"Hmmmmmm. Atta girl, now you have your head on straight." Jacques smirked, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "Unlike Winter who decided to rebel and ran off toiling in Jimmy's footsteps." Reaching out he placed a firm hand on his second child's shoulder. "I'm glad you are next in line for the Schnee Dust Company. Don't make me regret it."
"Of course, Father..." She slightly winced at the prominent pressure he was applying to her. It would be wise to say Jacques had an ice-cold grip when he wanted to.
"Just so you are aware, I had Ironwood go ahead and revoke all your traveling privileges. I wanted to make sure your convoluted thoughts doesn't give you a spark of hope to rebel and escape by yourself. With the boundaries closed off to the other kingdoms, I doubt you'll ever need them reinstated." Weiss gaped at her father with disbelief, her lower jaw hanging slack.
"I beg your pardon?!"
"Needless to say, if you do need to travel for business purposes, you are to be accompanied by either myself or Whitley at all times." Jacques continued speaking, ignoring his daughter's outburst. "Can't have you make a fool of yourself. Now then, I believe we're done here. I am pleased with this start to your re-training, however you are far from being perfect. You're free to roam around, I'll have Klein come and fetch you when needed."
"Funny how you claim that I am free...but within this household, am I really?" Leaving the rhetorical question up into the air, she promptly turned on her heels and walked off with whatever dignity she could salvage. Walking, no storming, through the hallways she could barely keep her emotions in check. Never in her life had she gotten her flying privileges revoked. "How dare he do that to me! I can't believe this! This is unacceptable!"
"Well hello there, dear sister of mine. Seems to me like your little outing with Father has been...less than adequate based on your facial expression?" A pompous drawl reached her ears and she didn't hold back an elongated sigh to showcase her feelings. "Now now, don't take that attitude with me; I shouldn't be on the receiving end of your tantrums. After all, it's been a while since I've seen you. Or Winter for that matter. You've grown exceptionally beautiful."
"Whitley, you don't even like me...surprisingly you don't even like Winter for that matter. You've always been like that." She stated, folding her arms over her chest as she stared at the young male. "What gives? I sense a trick coming from you."
"Rather hurtful words, don't you think? Can a little brother not express some love to his siblings?" He said while clutching his chest in mock hurt, the light of playfulness clearly glistening within his eyes. "Oh my dearest sister, whatever shall I do with you?"
"Tch! Just get to the point." She said as she rolled her eyes, deciding to not humor him anymore. She had been in a bad mood since leaving her father's office, running into her brother Whitley just aggravated her emotions even further. "I've had a rough morning and I would appreciate it if you let me go to my room."
"Yearning for that peace and solitude huh, dear sister?" Whitley chuckled into his hand, watching the familiar icy-blue orbs get even colder. "I wouldn't blame you, you've been through...oh how should I put it to you gently? Some troubling, and possibly traumatic times..."
"Like you're one to talk, you'll never experience the things I have when I was out there."
"You're right, I actually won't! And probably never will." He waved a hand airily, his nose turned into the air for dramatic reasons. "Oh poor little me, not able to be out and about in the world like either one of my beautiful sisters. Always following Father's footsteps like an obedient dog. Quite disheartening don't you think?"
"I won't have you patronize me like this."
"Very well, seeing as you clearly aren't in a stable state of mind for a decent conversation, I will take that as my cue of leaving you alone." The young male turned on his heels and walked off, leaving his sister standing by herself. Coming to a pause, he spun around and made a mock bow. "Until again, my dear sister. I look forward to having more peaceful talks."
Weiss continued to watch her brother's back as he ambled off whistling a small tune, her nostrils slightly flaring. Once he left and she could no longer hear his footsteps she allowed herself to ease back. It was unnatural for her to lose her control, when was the last time she let herself to lash out like that? Letting her legs drag her back to her room at a slower almost painful pace, she felt numb to everything around her.
Oh Ruby...She willed herself not to cry at the thought of her beloved leader, closing the door behind her. Making quick work of crossing the distance, she threw herself onto her bed that would not be called lady-like. Hugging the bed sheets with her fingers, she turned her head to see her scroll laying on the wardrobe face down, just like her.
After a few minutes of trying to collect herself, she rolled over, stood up, and swiped her device in one fluid motion. Taking it back to bed, she laid down more gently this time and turned it on for the first time. The background screen saver, something Weiss herself haven't even noticed up till now, depicted a time Weiss attempted to warm up to her teammates. The heiress had a semi-scowl on her face, while Ruby had the complete opposite; Yang and Blake were in the back with smiles of their own.
"I...I miss you guys...even Yang's painful jokes..." Weiss whimpered, her vision blurred as tears dribbled down and clashed with the screen. She held her device close to her, close to her chest as she attempted to get through the pain by herself. "I...I'd do anything...to be by your sides again..."
Meanwhile in Patch...
A comfortable-sized log cabin resides somewhere deep within the woods, smoke whispering up through the chimney as an indication of a tamed fire. Outside the window, large sunflowers proudly stemmed from their dirt containers, their faces turned toward the low-setting sun. A warm breeze blew past Efram as he finished his daily meditation, wiping the small ounces of sweat with a damp cloth.
His first impression on Taiyang was, awkward to say the least. When the older blond rushed into the hospital room and noticed another male by his daughter's bedside, of course the father jumped to instant conclusions. There was no way in the hell of Remnant his little girl was dating a boy. Of course, Efram quickly explained his reasons for being by Yang's side, thereby removing any lingering doubts and apprehension from Tai's mind.
The transport ride back to Patch was entirely silent, Taiyang sitting where he can keep a sharp eye on Yang while giving small instructions to the pilot. Qrow had been leaning against the wall, gazing solemnly at Ruby who laid in a separate cot. Both sisters haven't opened their eyes yet, but the small rise and fall of their chests was reassuring. Efram kept his distance from the others, sitting on the bench with his scroll in hand shuffling through photos.
"Hey, you're back." An older blond spoke as he watched the huntsman enter through the front door, folding up an old newsletter he had been glossing over. Taiyang Xiao Long, father of both Ruby and Yang, was a teacher back at Signal Academy. When he heard of what happened, he immediately asked for a leave and rushed out to be of assistance. "How was your time to yourself?"
"Very peaceful, and definitely a much needed change." Efram replied, shutting the door behind him and walked toward the kitchen. Taiyang followed after him, grabbing two cups from the dish rack as he walked by. The huntsmen let out a small groan before stating, "Though...I'd say it's still far from over. The things I witnessed and experienced are still fresh."
"It's been only four days since our arrival back home, of course things won't just disappear that quickly. Here, drink this." He glanced up as a cup of warm liquid greeted him followed by Taiyang's impish grin. "I brewed some tea while you were upstairs earlier taking care of her. Didn't have time to give it to you because you dashed right out the door."
"Thank you very much." Efram smiled slightly and took a sip. "Oh wow, this is pretty good."
"Right? It's been my favorite blend. Is...Is Yang doing well?" asked Taiyang after a minute of silence, wrapping his hands around his own cup. He opted to leaning against the counter instead of taking a seat at the table. "Has she said anything?"
"...for now, I believe so. She didn't make too much of a fuss in the bath, I promise I didn't peek..." Efram sighed, dragging a hand through his hair and gently tugged at a tussle. "But I'm going to be honest...I don't think Yang's okay at all. I don't think any of us will be...not after what happened."
"What you kids went through...I couldn't even begin to imagine." The older Xiao Long nodded his head in agreement, the corners of his mouth slowly folding over into a frown. "Beacon...the other professors...even Headmaster Ozpin, who was nowhere to be found that day. Everything...taken just like that."
"And I'm sure it's about to get worse." Efram turned so that he stared up to where the rooms were. He once opted to sleep outside instead of taking comfort inside the log adobe, but the older male didn't abide by that request. So, the man of the sea ended up taking residency on the couch.
"You know, in the years I've been a student at Beacon, I wouldn't have imagine something like this to happen. Sure Ozpin never let loose any important information, feared it would disrupt the public and chaos would ensure."
"Isn't that all the more reason to keep our mouths shut? To make sure we can deal with the crowd control." A drunken drawl spoke, drawing the other males to look. Qrow leaned against the doorway, looking more tired and disgruntled like he hadn't been able to sleep. "Sometimes it's better to be blissfully ignorant."
"Yeah and look where that got us: School is in shambles, the you-know-what power falling into enemy hands, my daughter lost her goddamn arm, my other daughter went off on a quest to Haven, and god knows where the hell your sister is." Tai quipped, almost daring his teammate to refute those claims. "Summer somehow knew the fight against Salem was brewing over the horizon and it was only a matter of time before that witch made her moves!"
"Who's Salem?" Efram questioned, glancing between the two of them. The older males turned their heads to look at one another, an unidentifiable expression passing between their eyes as if they were in a telepathic argument. "What fight and what power are you two getting at?"
"Tai, you had better watch that mouth of yours. This is why I can't say a lot of things around you." Qrow frowned disapprovingly once he found his voice, his threatening glare losing its effect on Taiyang. "You say too much."
"Maybe I say too little. Quit leaving me in the dark...you left Summer in the dark too." Taiyang replied gruffly, settling back in his seat and sighed tiredly. "You and Raven were always like that even back in our student days...must be a trait that runs in the Branwen blood."
"Relax buddy, I'll head out and get out of your hair before you know it." He dug around his coat pocket before pulling out his trusty flask. Unscrewing the top, he took a swig before wiping off the corner of his mouth with the back of a hand. "Ahhhh~ Now that hit the sweet spot."
"But seriously, who is Salem? Why hasn't anyone talked about these things?" Efram pushed a little further, hoping to squeeze some more answers out.
"Well then, I'll take that as my cue to leave. By now Ruby and her friends should still be on the road." Qrow pushed himself off the wall and shuffle his way towards the door, stumbling a bit due to the alcohol. "The journey to Mistral is a long and harsh one."
"God damn it Qrow, why do you always leave your mess behind for me to clean up?!" Taiyang shouted, watching the Branwen come to a stop. The blond looked to be a mixture of hurt and anger. "Seriously, you haven't changed much besides the insane amount of alcohol you consume. You ever think about the condition of your liver?"
"Honestly, this mess is entirely Ozpin's from the very start, we just happen to be the unlucky generation. The adults and those who knew from behind the scenes are entirely responsible. And drinking is my way of cooping with the amount of shit piled on my shoulders." Qrow looked back over his shoulder and added, "Besides, what are best partners for? Check ya'll later." With a wave of the hand, he left with his ragged red cape aflutter.
"You two seem extremely close. Is it true that you guys were a part of the strongest team in Beacon?" Efram notes as the blond sighed in defeat, one hand over his face. "Ruby and Yang didn't say much on your back story."
"You could say that, I don't remember the last time I told anyone about our successes." came the muffled voice before Taiyang removed his hand. "Team STRQ, led by Ruby's late mother Summer Rose, graduated top of our class. By then we were professional huntsmen and huntresses, molded and meticulously formulated by Ozpin to be utilized in his fight against Salem."
"So...we have been limited in knowing about the history of our school, limited in how this long feudal war came to be. We've been studying about Grimm and their behaviors, studying about different fighting techniques...but we never learn about this."
"That, kiddo, is a long story that I'm sure would have taken more than just a year's worth of curriculum."
"Oh sure, take all the time in the world. We'll wait even longer." Efram watched the shoulders tense up at the sound of sarcasm that escaped his lips. He followed it up with, "If the ones responsible didn't want something like this to happen, then we should have studied it as much as we could in our classes. History seems to be repeating itself."
Taiyang opened his mouth to refute the claim but then closed it and pondered his thoughts. A few minutes prior into the evening, he noted that he too was upset with the amount of secrecy kept from him. There were times in his life where he wanted to yell and curse the world for being the only one who wasn't in on the plan; he felt like he was more cursed than Qrow and it was nothing short of aggravating. However, he slowly learned that by putting his trust in his teammates, he never questioned their motives and assumed that whatever it was they were doing behind his back was for the greater good. He looked at the younger male who was waiting for him to speak. But there was nothing he could say to prove the statement wrong.
"Sorry...I am just angry about the lack of importance...especially the lack of urgency." Efram told him after a few more minutes of silence, sensing the awkwardness in the air. He knew that talking about something he had minimal knowledge of could be a touchy subject to others, but there was no way it won't be brought back up. "I wish...if I had known more...I would have done something differently."
"We all wish we could have taken something back, or alter something for a different effect. And I don't blame you for feeling that way. I truly wish that I could have saved my children during Beacon's demise...not to mention saving every other student caught in the whole ordeal." Taiyang said after putting his thoughts together. He then asked, "Any plans for tomorrow?"
"...Perhaps trying to decode my scroll a little more." replied Efram, a little glad for the change of subject. He spoke to Taiyang a little bit about the mysterious scroll and how he himself didn't understand the words yet two days after touching down in Patch. "Each one of us received our own little puzzle to crack, but between that and preparing for the tournament we haven't had the time to get together."
"Then I suggest going to bed early tonight so you can have a clean start tomorrow." The older male rubbed the back of his neck in sheepishness with a hand and added, "Sorry if I can't be of any more help. Had I known I'd have a guest come over, I would've been more hospitable."
"Don't be sorry about that, I really appreciate everything you have done thus far; this situation affects you too, and you're doing your best. No one could have predicted it to have happened the way it did." Efram replied, quickly washing his cup and hanging it on the rack. Making his way towards the living room, he changed out of his usual attire and donned borrowed shirts and shorts from Taiyang. Peeling back the quilt blanket he nestled in tight and said, "See you in the morning, I guess."
"Yeah, I'll see you in the morning." The older blond nodded in agreement and made his way up the wooden steps, making sure to turn off the lights. As he made his way towards his own bedroom – his feet making very soft thuds against the wooden surface – he made sure to pause briefly outside his daughter's room. Turning the knob ever so silently he took a peak inside, accidentally letting the door squeak. Soft moonlight trickled in through the open window, allowing his eyes to go straight towards the bed.
Yang was currently laying under the covers, with the top of her head located near the backboard, and her only forearm laying over the soft material. Wrapped around the pale flesh was a prominent black ribbon illuminated by a slice of moonlight, tied off in a small bow. Taiyang had been informed by Efram that no matter what Yang should not throw the object away, hinting at just how important it was for the blonde; he believed that the only occasion for the object to come off is when Yang takes a shower. She didn't turn her head at the noise of the opening door, keeping her eyes focus on something outside.
"Good night, my little sunny dragon. I hope you feel better soon." The father whispered softly, not anticipating a verbal response from his daughter and closed the door. Yang let out a slow shaky breath instead.
