Larger Issues
AN: It's been a while but we're back with a new chapter! Gonna have a little fun here.
Talks
Yang went out with Saffron to help get the take out they ordered for dinner. Oscar came along too, if only because he wanted to see more of the city for a bit.
"You have no idea how much so many mouths to feed is murder on the budget." The elder blonde groaned as they walked.
"Well… maybe not with so many people but I do know the budget problem. Small family." Yang tells her, they had been hitting it off as friends quite well as they were both elder siblings and ran households.
"You said your father teaches?"
"At Signal Academy, yeah."
"And your mother?"
"Eeehhh… recently returned to us… with an adopted daughter."
"Oh, umm… that sounds complicated."
"It is. But the short version is that after she had me, she got scared and ran, eventually the guilt and shame got to her so she adopted a pair of twins… one of them died. Then we came across her on a mission and we wound up giving her a second chance."
"Oh my."
"Yeah, things are a bit tense but so far have been going alright."
"And what about you, Oscar? You've been quiet." Saffron tries to change the subject.
"What about me? I was just a farmer a few months ago and now I'm with a bunch of Huntsmen going around the world."
The mother didn't know how to take that, let alone respond to it.
"Way to oversimplify it." Yang gives the boy a light punch to the shoulder.
"Now I think I know why Dad didn't want any of us becoming Huntsmen." Saffron pinched the bridge of her nose. "It takes a certain brand of crazy to do it."
"Ha! You got that right!" Yang laughs as she pats the woman on the back.
"Some more than others." Oscar mumbled as he thought of Nora and her cackling laugh and wild trains of thought.
A few seconds later, the three of them walked in the door of the restaurant where they were going to pick up their order, just missing a familiar face who had seen better days who came around the corner a moment later with a backpack and a guandao on his back.
—
Denko trekked through the snow, glad that the warmth of the day had melted some of it, following his old tracks as he carried the jug of Dust fuel on his back. He had gotten something to eat and drink while in Argus, as well as checking the worst of his injuries.
In short, he was a mess. Several bandages were wrapped around his arms and legs and his torso to keep them from the outside air, though they did help as a layer of insulation from the cold. His shirt and shorts were torn and tattered and his armor would need some repairs, not to mention the condition of Raijin and Sprite after such an exchange of attacks.
Then he finally reached the Scarab and used his scroll to open the canopy, finding the girls inside were snacking and playing cards. They immediately stopped and stared at him.
"What the hell happened to you, bro?!" Itazura was the first to react, getting out of the vehicle and began looking him over. The sisters were right behind her, Anya taking the pack with the fuel from him.
"Adam Taurus happened." The blonde says as he leans against the metal.
"He's here?" Talon asks as she looks around, a hand drifting towards her swords.
"In the general region? Probably unless he was flown out. But he's in no better shape than me."
"You didn't stop him?"
"Sis, he ambushed me not too far from the city. We fought and got blasted to opposite sides of a gorge."
"So now what? We're just letting him go?" Anya began to fill the fuel tank of the Scarab.
"I had time to think about what to do about him." Denko states tiredly. "Unfortunately, there isn't much we can do unless he follows through with his orders to kill us." He saw the reactions from the girls at that news. "I just happened to be the first one to be isolated from the rest of the team, so just be wary if you are going anywhere alone."
"But you beat the tar out of him, right?" Anya had to ask.
"As much as he beat me." He sighs. "Then we both just had to walk away since we couldn't fight anymore."
"Alright, please tell me that you told someone about him." Itazura pleaded with her brother. "Besides us."
"…."
"Your stunned silence is very reassuring, bro." Itazura gives him a light slap to the back of his head.
Anya threw the jug into the back of the Scarab now that she was done. "Whatever, we can drive to town now and resupply while telling the Atlas goons what happened."
Denko was able to get some sleep during the ride but it was nearly dark by the time they arrived in Argus.
"So let me get this straight." A tired soldier in a booth by the gate. "Adam Taurus of the White Fang attacked you after your car ran out of Dust and you had to walk here to get enough to drive into town. Is that right?"
"Yes sir." Denko nods.
"And you didn't report this while you were here before is…?"
"Slipped my mind. We've been fighting Grimm almost nonstop for days, with little to no sleep. I just got in here, got the fuel, and left to warn my team since he revealed that he had orders to kill us."
"And you didn't warn your team with your scroll?"
"Got stuck in a dead spot." Itazura spoke up. "Could barely get static on the radio."
"Alright, I'll send your report to my superiors and let them make the decisions. Have a good rest in the city."
The man turned away and sent the report, dismissing the team of Huntsmen without a further word.
"Great, if that guy was there before, he'd have been just as helpful." Talon grumbled as they walk, all but following their noses to the nearest restaurant for a late dinner then found a hotel to stay the night.
—
"I never did show you too much of my old school, did I?" Pyrrha asks as she ate breakfast with Jaune. It was a bit inconvenient that they slept in separate homes but at least they were neighbors.
"Not that I can remember. Why?" The blonde took a bite of his cereal.
"I figured that it might be best to stop in while I'm here, talk to some of my old teachers, and we could make repairs on our weapons and armor."
Ruby sat up straight at the mention of repairs. "Oh! Oh! Oh! I wanna go!"
"Ruby, sit down." Weiss dragged the excited girl back down onto her seat with a heavy thud.
As much as Pyrrha had wanted to make the outing a date of sorts, she couldn't deny their friends from coming along. Perhaps she could show them to the workshop and then take Jaune around. Besides, there was a question nagging her about her boyfriend that needed to be answered and going to Sanctum would be the easiest way to get it done.
"I don't mind." Jaune replies with a shrug. If she wanted to take him somewhere, he'd follow.
"That sounds grand. If anyone else wants to come, I'll show you to the workshop." The tall redhead says with a smile, getting a small chorus of affirmative consent.
Within an hour, the meal was finished and the dishes cleaned and put away before the Huntsmen in training left the Cotta-Arc and Nikos homes for the local Academy.
Sanctum Academy turned out to be the tallest building in the city, though not by much but the main governmental offices were all located together a short distance away. But like most of the city, buildings went for height instead of width to save on space.
The Academy itself looked like it was a grand old temple built of marble with large columns and a squared roof with a peak… stacked several times over. The walls are quite solid to prevent prying eyes and wind from getting through. But the marble was more of a decorative design that was used throughout the building as the teams found when they entered.
Even the security desk at the entrance looked to be part of a column from the front.
Yet despite that, the pristine marble floors shone under the lights set into the walls, designed to look like torches complete with flame-shaped glass set onto bronze fixtures. Statues made of bronze and marble dotted the floorspace and around the large fountain in the center, the symbol of Mistral- the stylized Lamp- sat in the center with an actual flame in the center even as water ran down around it. If one looked closer, there was the symbol of Atlas- a spear set over a gear- made up the floor of the fountain under the shallow pool.
The few windows that the floor has, potted plants sat underneath, some with brightly colored flowers while others vary in hues and shapes of their leaves and branches.
"Welcome to Sanctum Academy!" Pyrrha announced to her friends proudly.
"Wow, is everything really in this one building?" Yang had to ask since she was far more used to the wide distribution of a school layout with a number of buildings for different classes and functions. She knew Signal and Beacon Academies quite well from her time attending them and their campuses are quite expansive. Haven she had explored less of but that had plenty of space to roam in and out of the buildings.
"Well… you may have noticed that Argus doesn't have the most room to expand, so most of the construction went up." Pyrrha explained.
"Let's not stand here all day! I wanna see more!" Nora demanded with a raised fist, followed by a laughing Ruby and Yang.
The next level held a few classrooms where the standard subjects were taught such as math, history, science, and basic health class. Needless to say, there wasn't much enthusiasm here.
Next floor held a library which Blake, Weiss, and Ren were all for checking out. The one above that held a gymnasium full of equipment that made use of the space available, Nora and Yang being interested in getting a brief workout.
Next floor is the one Ruby wanted most- The Forge. It held a small classroom where students could design their weapons and armor before going to the much larger room with the equipment needed to make their chosen gear.
Said girl was bouncing in place as she looked around, counting the anvils and the sets of hammers, taking note of the ingots of various metals stacked neatly by the window where some of them shined.
"Well now!" A loud, deep voice boomed through the hot room. "Who do we have here?"
"Professor Estus!" Pyrrha greeted the man with a smile.
"Ah, Pyrrha Nikos!" The tall, bald and burly man spread his arms for a hug as he walked over to the group with a notable limp in his right leg.
"It's good to see you again."
"Ha! Same sentiment from me." He pulled back from the hug. "I see you've grown since you were here last." He teased with a smile. "But from what I could see, that hasn't slowed you down any."
She blushed at the mention of her weight but knew he meant well, especially with the compliment immediately after. "It took some adjusting to but we increased our training when it happened."
"Ha! I could tell from that squeeze you gave me! And you've been busy since Beacon, if those reports from Haven are to be believed."
"You heard about that?"
"Hard not to, kiddo! When something like that happens at a Huntsman Academy, ALL of the others will know soon after." He pat her on the shoulder. "You'll have to tell be what really happened there, when you get the chance."
"Hey Pyrrha? Who is this?" Jaune asks, putting a pause to the student/teacher catch up.
"I'm sorry!" The Spartan blushed as she forgot her manners. "This is Professor Humphrey Estus, the Forge Master of Sanctum."
Everyone gave their greetings and introduced themselves before the Forge Master noticed Ruby looking around, clearly in awe and wanting to explore and use the equipment. "So, have you kids come to repair your gear?"
"Yes!" Ruby shouts with her hand raised, making the man laugh.
"Aren't you a little young to be out and about as a Huntress? Plenty of my students are older than you."
"I'm seventeen!" She replies with a huff and pout.
"Exactly my point. But I do remember you from the Tournament. That cloak of yours is a dead giveaway."
"And?" Yang came to her sister's defense with a slight edge of warning in her tone.
"She did pretty well from what I saw." The man had both been honest and had caught the warning. "Though it probably would have helped you in the doubles round if she had fought, her speed and range would have been a major game changer."
The sisters and Weiss blinked at what he said, realizing in a few seconds of thought that he was correct. Weiss may have the greatest versatility on the team thanks to combining Dust with her Glyphs but she couldn't take hits very well and her sword limited her reach to where she would be hit more. Ruby was more predictable given she would either slash with her scythe or shoot bullets but the scythe's reach would keep her from immediate return attacks while also having enough force to break or weaken attempts to defend her opponents, much like her high caliber bullets which she could swap ammo types on the fly. Add that to her semblance to move around quickly and she would have been a great partner to go with Yang's durability and strength for close range combat, covering each other well while mixing up attacks.
"Hehehehe…." Ruby began to laugh as she rubbed the back of her head nervously. "We kinda drew straws to decide who went on in the tournament."
"I thought you said you put it to a vote?" Ren asks with a raised finger.
"We voted to let chance choose for us." The young leader corrected him, causing everyone to look at her skeptically aside from her own team who slapped their foreheads in exasperation.
"Are… we sure she should really be trusted as a team leader?" Oscar quietly asks but was overheard.
"What's wrong with my leadership?" The girl turned to face him, with tears welling up in her eyes.
"Well…. We could make a list." Weiss grins deviously as she pulls out her scroll and was ready to take notes.
"Nonononono! Not here!" The cloaked girl begs as she latches onto Weiss' arm, 'coincidentally' keeping her hand from being able to type.
"Oh fine you big baby, we'll do it when we get home and try to work it out." The heiress relents, causing the group to laugh. "In private."
"We'll do it in private?!" Ruby's sudden enthusiasm was cut short by Yang snickering behind her, barely holding the worst back, as was Nora. But all it took was an icy glare from Weiss to make them stop… and an elbow to the ribs from Blake and Ren, respectively.
"What's with all the racket out here when we don't have class?" A man burst out the small office in the corner, only to stop dead in his tracks once he saw the crowd.
"Abe! Come see who paid us a visit!" Estus waves the man over. "This is my assistant teacher and the man who will be taking over my class when I retire at the end of the next school year."
"Abe Stasis. Nice to meet you all." Abe is nearly as tall as his fellow professor but also much more wiry with a thick head of grey hair and beard. "And what are you all doing here?"
"We were hoping to get some repairs and maintenance done on our weapons." Blake replied since she was standing the closest to him.
"These are the kids that helped to defend Haven a few weeks back." Estus informed his colleague.
"Ah, right. Now they look familiar." Abe scratched his arm. "We have two hours until class starts so you're free to use what you need. Just clean up and clear out before then, got it?"
"Yes sir!" The group chorused.
"Good. I'm pretty sure Hemp will stick around to help you with whatever you need. I'm going to the teachers lounge and getting a nap."
"Hemp?" Blake questions the name.
"Ah, it's an old nickname that I've had for years." Humphrey waves his hands. "More something to do with my semblance and a bit of play on my name." He demonstrates, his hands trailing smoke as they moved before he stopped it. "Anyway, Abe needs his sleep after pulling an all-nighter. Who's staying here?"
Ruby was quick to step forward, followed by Yang, Nora, and Oscar.
"Library." Weiss states, being joined by Blake and Ren.
"We're going to the range." Pyrrha took hold of Jaune's hand. Despite his surprise at the change in plan, the blonde rolled with it. 'Hemp' Estus saw their joined hands and how they comfortably stood close, along with Pyrrha's small smile and nod, which led to the man's smile grow even wider.
"All right. You crazy kids go have your fun, we have work to do." With that dismissal from the Forge Master, the groups split up for their chosen destinations.
—-
"It's not bad being able to sit back and relax for once." Qrow comments as he stretches from his seat on the couch. He and Ray were the ones left with the responsibility of looking after the Relic while the kids were out while Maria helped Saffron around the house or would go talk with Thetis.
Of course, that came with something else to do as only a few minutes later he was changing a diaper.
"Oh jeez kid, what did you eat?"
Adrian just laughed at the question before releasing a small puff of gas that made the man gag.
—-
"So… what are we doing here?" Jaune asks as he looks around the range that made up half of the floor. Overall, it didn't look much different from the one at Beacon beside knowing that they are several stories higher and a fresher coat of paint on the walls.
"I just want to find out something." She went over to a wall that was full of rotating lockers. "I know that back at Beacon we tried to get you some ranged options."
"Alright Jaune, this is just a simple pistol. No Dust rounds, no attachments, just a bare bones gun."
She assumes a firing position with her feet spread and both hands on the weapon, keeping it pointed down range as she stares down the iron sights, and fires.
Then she fired at the target until the magazine was empty.
"Did you see how I did that? I'd like for you to try." She ejected the magazine and set it next to a full one on the counter in front of her along with the pistol as the target rolled up so they could clearly see where she had shot it- all nine bullets had hit center mass.
The blonde stepped up and loaded the weapon and tried to mimic what Pyrrha had done, with limited success as she only adjusted his stance slightly. Slowly, he took aim at the reset target and pulled the trigger.
"Go on." Pyrrha encouraged him when he looked back for her approval. He proceeded to shoot until he was empty and brought the target forward as he set the gun down.
Pyrrha felt sweat drop when she saw the target… only three had hit the target and only one of those even hit the human silhouette low on the arm.
Three more rounds of hitting the target barely showed any improvement, half of the shots would hit the target but no more than two would ever leave their mark in the silhouette.
Yang suggested that they try a shotgun. The first time, Jaune was knocked onto his butt by the kickback. A few more shells fired before the target came up to see clearly… that he clearly wasn't having better luck.
Ren suggested an automatic weapon… and soon wish he hadn't as Jaune showed that he couldn't control the burst of fire.
Nora wanted him to try a grenade launcher… but the school didn't stock such weapons for students to try. Yet while she pouted… and everyone let out a sigh of relief, Ruby tried to get Jaune to use a rifle after ensuring that the scope was aligned correctly.
"How can you MISS?! It's only a fifty meter shot! I was testing its accuracy at three times the distance!"
To be fair, he did better as every bullet hit the target, just anywhere that would barely clip the silhouette.
"It's like his Semblance is to not hit a target when shooting a gun!" Nora screams as she couldn't decide if she should cry out of frustration or laugh at the ridiculousness of it all.
"Yeah… I remember. Kinda wish I didn't." The blonde replied with a small shrug at the end.
"But I saw you on the train shooting down Griffons with little more than a slingshot." She stressed the last word as if she found it hard to believe.
"Oh that? I umm… used to shoot cans and bottles all the time at home…and at pests."
"Wait… you could shoot mice with a slingshot?"
"And with a bow my sisters gave me when I was ten."
The Spartan stared at her knightly boyfriend incredulously. "And yet you came to Beacon with a sword and shield only?"
"Hehehe… not one of my better ideas now that perspective is out." He couldn't help but feel embarrassed, slumping as a result.
"Show me." She demanded as she took a bow from a locker and a quiver of arrows from another.
Jaune took the weapons from Pyrrha and walked over to the range, giving the bow a few pulls on the string to test the weight of it and loosened his shoulders. A target was set at twenty five meters, a solid one rather than holographic like those back at Beacon, and the blonde took an arrow and notched it.
His right arm pulled back keeping level with the floor as his left held the bow steadily in front of him. He let out a breath and loosed the arrow, letting them both watch as it flew and struck just above the heart of the target.
Pyrrha couldn't believe her eyes, seeing her boyfriend who could barely hit the target at all with a firearm almost casually make an excellent shot with a bow. "Do it again."
And he did, hitting just under the heart this time. And he did again and again until the quiver was empty. Only now the target held ten arrows in the chest with a pair in both eyes.
"I gotta admit, I felt a bit rusty with those first few shots but then it came back to me." Jaune stretched his arms, oblivious to Pyrrha staring at the target.
"A-Again!" She had to be sure and set the target at seventy five meters, the furthest distance the range offered.
Once more the arrows hit their intended targets easily. And a third round when Pyrrha set the target to move. And a fourth round where obstacles would block the multiple moving targets.
"H-how?"
"I dunno, practice?" He shrugs. "Wanna try?" He offered the bow to her, which she took without hesitation.
The target was reset to twenty five meters and Pyrrha readied herself, drawing the arrow back and taking aim. Then she released.
THWAK!
"AH! MM MNNB!" She cried out at first before clamping her lips shut for the rest, nearly dropping the bow as she clutched at her right breast.
Jaune didn't need a translator to know what she had tried to keep from saying, he had seen it happen. Still, he took the bow from her and held her to him with a hug.
Pyrrha had forgotten to take in account how much her chest had grown since going to Beacon, let alone since the last time she had tried shooting a bow, thus leading to the painful spot on her chest. It didn't help her mood any to see that instead of hitting the target at all, she had gotten the arrow lodged in the ceiling… somehow.
Aura was great for defending one's body from most physical harm but it didn't do anything about experiencing pain. At least it helped to heal wounds faster… not so much with embarrassment.
Pyrrha leaned into the embrace and rested her head on his shoulder as she waited out the sting to her chest and pride.
Jaune waited a few minutes before asking. "So… want to try again?"
And apparently, Pyrrha was as bad with bows as Jaune is with guns. She was lucky to hit the target at all, even with her boyfriend coaching her as she had done before with him.
"You know." She began as they put away the equipment. "You could always change your choice of weapons. You have definitely increased your skills with a sword and shield and that upgrade you got vastly improved your offensive capabilities."
"Yeah, at the cost of my defense. You pointed that out back then."
"Haha, true." She leaned her shoulder against his as they walked to the elevator. "Then perhaps we should get you a bow so our team has more long distance capability."
"Hmm… not a bad idea." He wrapped an arm around her in a side hug as they stepped in so they could go down.
"Certainly a better idea than trying to falsify one's way into Beacon." She giggles.
"Aw, come on! You're not gonna let that go, are you?"
"And why should I? If you didn't, we wouldn't be together, would we?" She gave him a sly smile that he couldn't resist before she turned to wrap her arms around his neck and pulled him in for a kiss.
—-
In the library, Ren smoothly broke off to find his own reading material, apparently finding something in the historical section to pass the time. Blake followed Weiss as she found something else to read, grabbing a book she didn't bother looking at the title of before they sat themselves in the plush chairs that were available in a corner, almost isolated from the rest of the library.
Both girls took comfort in that the chairs were designed to be wide, enough that their ample bottoms could fit easily, even though Weiss' rump and thighs molded themselves to the seat and filled it, not that Blake was much better.
They opened their books and the heiress began to read but tension grew slowly until Weiss looked to her friend and found her staring at her book without actually seeing it. "Is something wrong?" She had to ask.
Blake squirmed in her seat, not giving the groans from the furniture any mind as she was busy sorting her thoughts. "Weiss… I-I don't really know what to say."
Intrigued, the heiress set her book to the side, it wasn't as if she had gotten far. "About what?"
"I've… been a bad teammate and friend."
"Oh…ooohhh!" It took a second but Weiss suddenly knew what she was talking about. "Are you worried about what Yang said back at the farm?"
"Weiss… it's about more than just that." Blake insisted. "But she was right."
"I know we were stressed out but she shouldn't have said those kinds of things."
"No… they may not have been nice but they needed to be said." Amber eyes stared at the floor for a while before looking up to lock onto the concerned icy blue. "Did you know that back at Ruby's party, when we went out to eat at that restaurant, the two of us had a talk?"
"No."
"Looking back, she was really trying to be the bigger person." She paused as if expecting a joke involving something about the fact that they are rather big girls, but there was none. "There was so much that she could have said but she just didn't want to bring all of that up… just glad that our team is back together."
"That's it?"
Blake blushed in embarrassment at the memory. "Well… she did give me a jab to the gut."
"Ha! There it is." Weiss couldn't help but to laugh at that knowing that the blonde was rather physical.
"Weiss…" Blake's tone ended the mirth quickly. "I-I lied so much to all of you."
"Do you mean about hiding your cute little ears?" She reached over and stroked the nearest with her finger once.
"There was that but also everything with the White Fang."
"And I told you that 'I don't care' back then. Yes, you were part of them but you left and now fight them."
"Weiss, please… just listen to me." As much as she would have appreciated the humor interjected into the conversation, she simply found that it made things even harder. "Yesterday… I came to the realization about how much I've been lying to you all."
"Please don't say that you've been lying to Sun."
Blake gave her friend a small smile. "That's the thing, I noticed that he's the only person who I was really honest to since we met."
"Well, that's a relief. Can't imagine anyone who'd be happy getting into a relationship like that if one of them was lying to the other all the time."
"That would be a disaster, not even fit for a story outside of how not to have a relationship." Blake finally cracked a smile.
Weiss' smile faded. "To be honest, since we're on the subject… that is pretty much the relationship that my parents have."
"What?!"
"Keep your voice down, this is a library." The heiress instantly hushed the Faunus. "But it's true… my father admitted that he only married my mother for her money and the Company… on my tenth birthday."
Blake's fists tightened until her knuckles were white. "I hope you realize that saying stuff like that just might make me slip back to my old White Fang mindset if we ever get near him knowing that?"
"I'm aware now." Weiss' eyes held a glimmer of mischief. "I'm sure that there are others who have their own grievances who would like to savor his punishment."
The way she said that let Blake know that there was more going on but Weiss wasn't telling her. However, the girl did have a strong claim since she had been stuck by his side for so long, forced to watch as the man oppressed her family.
"But… I don't mind your idea as a backup."
"Good." Blake calmed down as she leaned back in her chair. "But back to the original topic."
Weiss wiggled in her seat a little, her mind briefly thinking that if she were wearing a swimsuit she'd look more like a woman stuck waist deep in skin colored gelatin… her lower half jiggled like it enough when she didn't wear her supportive tights.
"My lies… it feels like that was all I did back at Beacon to you and everyone else."
Weiss put a comforting hand on Blake's shoulder. "Well, you may have started that way but some of the truth came out. I'll admit that I needed that slap to the face to knock out the racist views I held."
"Still could have been better."
"Maybe." Her hand moved from shoulder to poking soft ribs. "But it wasn't all bad for you. You spent a weekend with your future boyfriend, openly fought against the White Fang, and made me a better friend to you and other Faunus."
Blake let a smile grace her lips as she pushed the cold fingers away. "Okay, you're right there."
"Of course I am!" Weiss chirped happily.
The smile faded from the cat's lips. "But it's everything else I did." She took a deep breath. "You, Ruby, and Yang were taking the time to help investigate the White Fang with me."
"Can't forget your man was helping."
"Of course not." She couldn't help but to roll her eyes, though glad that Weiss was interjecting to keep her from going too far into a depression. "But even as you all were doing that, I still kept things from you. I had extensive notes on what I knew about the White Fang, what they did… everything. I practically had an entire chapter devoted just to Adam!"
She paused as she caught her breath, trying to calm herself down, Weiss rubbing her shoulder again helping.
"If I had shared that with you… just warning you all about Adam… maybe Yang wouldn't have lost her arm."
Weiss squeezed the soft shoulder much harder than needed but it did as intended- giving Blake a new focus, an icy glare that made her stop talking.
"Blake… part of me wants to slap your head for what you did by keeping us in the dark when we went out of our way to help you. In fact…" Weiss paused to flick her wrist and rapped her knuckles on Blake's skull quickly. "At the same time, we can't change the past."
The girl leaned back in her seat. "But do you really think that Yang would have reacted any differently if I had been in your place then? Or Ruby? Jaune, Nora, or Ren?"
"Not really."
"Good. Now you can stop this pity party for yourself and start working to be proud of who you are."
"That's what I want help with."
"Hmm…" Weiss taps her chin. "Well, admitting that you have a problem is the first step and you want to fix that problem, so that's good. Now, it's more of a matter of breaking the bad habits… though you have some practice thanks to Sun."
"You're making it sound easy." Blake gave the girl a slightly annoyed look.
"Hey, you came to me for help and I have some experience with this sort of thing. It wasn't easy letting go of my past prejudices after having them reinforced for years… most of my life really. But the thing is, I'm proud of who I am now and look back at those… thoughts with disdain, disappointment at who I used to be." She took Blake's hand in her own and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Remember that we are sisters now and we look out for each other."
Golden eyes welled up with tears that threatened to fall. "Thank you."
"No problem. I'll be here to help you all the way."
"Do… you think Yang will forgive me?"
"For everything that happened? More than likely." Weiss paused as she locked eyes with Blake. "At the same time, she's not going to forget and that will affect how she reacts. Doing right by her will help repair your friendship and keep it strong but we also have to remember that she had those scars long before we ever met her and they helped shape who she is today just as your time in the White Fang did to you."
Blake nodded in acceptance before she found herself wrapped up in a hug. "Huh?"
"Just remember that you are not alone. You have Sun, your parents, and the rest of us to help you through this." Weiss tells her, glad that the embrace was returned.
"I… I'll do my best."
"And that is all we ask."
"Thanks Weiss."
"You're welcome, Sis."
—
Ruby and the others who had stayed at the forge were waiting for the elevator to descend since it was nearly time to leave. When the doors opened with a small chime, they were surprised to find Jaune and Pyrrha caught up in a deep kiss and arms wrapped tightly.
"Love in an elevator
Livin' it up when I'm going down!
Love in an elevator
Livin' it up till I hit the ground!"
Nora's little song shocked the couple so they broke off their kiss and embrace loosened so they could look at their friends watching them. Nora grinned proudly from the lyrics she provided while Yang was all smiles with a thumbs up while fistbumping Nora with the other. Ruby had been surprised but happy for them, Oscar matching the young Reaper.
"Looks like someone's having a good time." Yang smirks as she steps in, followed by the others. "But sorry for breaking it up early, we need to get the bookworms."
Despite the embarrassment from having been caught in the act of intimacy, the couple could take joy in that their relationship was supported by their friends.
The doors closed just as a team of young Huntsmen walked out from the stairs. "Is this where we can restock on ammunition, Dust, and repair our gear?" Itazura asks Estus since he was standing by the door of the classroom.
"Hmm? Yeah, you can do all of that here but…" He glances at the clock on the wall. "You have about ten minutes to do anything, got a class coming in."
"Okay, we can get ammo and Dust then. When can we come back to make repairs?" The little fox inquired.
"Come back in five hours, classes will be over then."
"Alright, thanks!" They quickly obtained what they needed, taking advantage of the massive discount offered by the facility and left just as students began walking in.
The elevator was occupied by the number of students moving around and the stairs were crowded, the din of feet and dozens of conversations echoed through the stairwell. But through it all, Itazura's sensitive ears picked up familiar voices but she couldn't find the source despite how close she thought they were.
—
Later that evening, after team DAIT had been able to get some repairs done on their weapons and armor, they had decided to go to a restaurant for dinner.
"So… how do you think they are doing?" Talon asks as they wait for their order of drinks, their meals already taken by the waitress to be cooked.
"Which 'they' are you referring to?" Anya gave her sister an annoyed look for being so vague.
"The other teams, what else?" The chubby girl gave her brooding sister a smack on the arm. "They should all be sitting comfortably in Vale, Vacuo, Menagerie, and Atlas by now."
The fox pulled out her scroll. "I already got an alert from Glynda that Tai's group had already stopped by her with their delivery. Same with Kali. Sun's group too."
"Would've thought that Sun would have been the last to call." Anya shrugged.
"Give the guy some credit, he's come a long way since we first met him." Talon insists.
"Maybe."
While the sisters were going back and forth, Denko took out his scroll and piled up his contacts, absently noting a blonde woman with an orange shirt walking by with a brown haired toddler in her arms and a diaper bag and heading for the bathroom.
—
"Mmm… smells like barbecue!" Yang licks her lips in anticipation of the meal to come.
"Just as long as it's not too hot." Weiss was not one who had much of a tolerance for spice.
"Honey barbecue would be good for you." Ruby suggests having a preference for sweeter things too.
"Come on! Bring on the heat!" Nora raised her fists in the air, drawing attention from her outburst before they entered the establishment.
"I certainly wouldn't mind if the spices are hot, just so long as they don't hide the flavors." Pyrrha was looking forward to filling her stomach, especially since she had Jaune by her side.
Jaune draped an arm over her shoulders. "Sounds like a good idea to me."
A few minutes later, the group was seated and orders taken, mostly content to wait quietly as they watched the projected television screens displaying local news, news from around the world, some show, or some sports which included recordings of past Vytal Tournaments.
"Huh?" Yang felt her scroll start to buzz in her pocket and the ringtone was mostly drowned out by the din of the other patrons. But when she saw who was calling her, she quickly perked up and answered. "Hey Babe!"
"Hey to you too." She heard him chuckle on the other end, though it sounded a bit noisy wherever Denko was at, just as it was for her. "How are you guys doing?"
"Not bad. Got some of our gear fixed up and ammo replenished today."
"Nice, we had to do the same since we were essentially running on empty."
"Things that bad?"
"Trail for Her goons had gone cold but then we kept getting attacked by waves of Grimm."
"Are you okay?"
"We're more tired than anything, though I had a big fight yesterday that I'm feeling now."
"Want me to kiss your boo-boos?" She teased, getting the girls closest to her to giggle.
"I wouldn't say no to some cuddles at least."
"Unfortunately, that doesn't seem like it will happen anytime soon."
"So… how is Atlas? Covered in snow yet?"
"No idea haven't gotten to see it yet."
"What? Did you get stuck in Mantle?"
"Ummm… no." She replied nervously.
"Then where are you?"
"Argus."
"…."
"Denko? You there?"
"Yeah, I'm here."
"Oh good, I thought we lost connection."
"I'm here in Argus."
"What? Where?"
"A barbecue place called Bulgogi."
"Umm… that's where we're at now."
Both blondes quickly stood up to look around the restaurant, finding each other only a few steps away, if one doesn't count the short wall between them.
"Hey."
"Hey."
"We'll talk after we're done here."
"Saw a place for ice cream on the way here."
"Deal."
Itazura looked to be equal parts miffed and happy. "They better have a good reason for being here instead of being in Atlas."
AN: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. We get a small tour of Sanctum Academy- an incomplete tour, Jaune and Pyrrha have some fun at the range, Ruby gets to work at a forge (Go ahead and guess the basis of the teachers names), Blake and Weiss have a deep talk about improving oneself, Dait arrives in Argus, and a fair amount of food.
Song used was 'Love in an Elevator' by Aerosmith
Reviews are welcome!