Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY
Chapter 6: First Lessons
Morning came to Beacon Academy, banishing the darkness of night. It signaled the start of a new day and the time to wake up, even if you didn't want to.
With great reluctance, Weiss Xiao Long opened her eyes. She squinted at the bright light filling the room from the window and slowly sat up on her bed. She stretched both of her arms and yawned loudly. Weiss was many things, but a morning person wasn't one of them. She could, and did, get up early with the rest of her sisters for morning training, but it always took her the longest to get up and going. Yesterday had also been quite exhausting as well.
She tossed the blanket off her and sluggishly swung her legs over the side of the bed. She yawned again, her eyes half-closed as her mind lingered on the edge of full wakefulness.
Quick as lightening, her hand shot out and grabbed hold of something just out of her view beside her. Weiss turned her head to see what she had grabbed out of sheer instinct.
It was Ruby's hand. Her baby sister had silently moved right next to her and was holding something in front of her face, something that Weiss had grabbed hold of.
The white-haired girl's eyes widened before narrowing into icy slits as she saw what her sister was holding. It was a whistle, held only an inch from Ruby's lips. It was pretty clear that she had been preparing to blow that whistle right into Weiss's ear; an effective yet extremely annoying method of waking her up.
"No…" Weiss's words were a low growl, matching her icy stare.
Sweat quickly formed on Ruby's face. "Oh, Weiss! Y-your awake! That's…great. Y-yeah…now we can get started on a very important mission"
Ruby tried to back away, but Weiss kept her hand in a vice grip. They struggled briefly before Weiss let her go, causing the small girl to tumbled backwards.
"And what is so important that we need to be up at this hour? It's not even 7 o clock, is it?" A quick glance at the clock showed that Weiss was right on the money.
"Decorating!" Yang exclaimed, stepping forward with a bundle of posters in her arms. Blake stepped up beside her and Weiss noted that all three of her sisters had their uniforms on.
"We still need to unpack" Blake said, holding up one of her briefcases, which promptly opened and spilled all its contents onto the floor. "Aaaand clean…"
Ruby quickly scrambled to her feet, whistle in hand. She took a deep breathe, opening her mouth wide as she prepared to blow the whistle.
Weiss, still suffering from her morning grumpiness, was having none of that. With a quick chop, she hit Ruby's hand. The whistle was knocked out of her hand and shot right into Ruby's open mouth. The silver-eyed girl choked for a moment before spitting the whistle back out. It landed next to Blake's foot, who took a quick step back from the saliva- covered piece of metal.
Ruby gave Weiss a rueful look, but any anger she was trying to convey was lost due to her adorable pout. Weiss gave her own unapologetic smile before heading straight for the dorm's bathroom. She closed the door behind her and quickly got the shower started; it was time to fully wake up.
She threw off her nightgown and entered the shower, letting out a great sigh as the hot water ran down her body. Morning showers could be wonderful, simultaneously relaxing her and helping her wake up. Weiss could easily spend up to an hour just letting the water run down her, often to the irritation of her sisters as they waited for their turn.
Speaking of her sisters, the door to the bathroom opened and someone entered. With the curtains drawn and with all the steam, she couldn't tell one it was. She could easily use her Sense to find out, but she was still a bit too tired to use it right then and there.
The hazy figure placed something on the sink counter before quickly leaving, closing the door behind her. Weiss figured that she should hurry up; her sisters wanted to decorate and if she wasn't there to supervise, it was bound to be a disaster.
Weiss finished her shower in only ten minutes, very short for her, and quickly got about drying herself off. As she stepped out of the shower, she noticed that her Beacon uniform had been placed on the counter, neatly folded and ready for her. She gave a small smile before quickly getting dressed. She didn't bother putting her hair up, instead just exiting the bathroom.
She found her sisters still standing around, waiting for her. Ruby opened her mouth to say something, but Weiss held up a finger to halt her. The white-haired Xiao Long quickly moved to each of her sisters in turn, giving them a kiss on the cheek.
This was her way of giving thanks to them for setting her uniform out for her. Now only one of them had done it and she could have asked which one it was, but that would have resulted in her only giving one kiss. By thanking all of them, she gave out three kisses. Three was more then one, so the superiority of her approach was proven beyond a shadow of a doubt.
Weiss took her place beside Yang and Blake and waved her hand at Ruby, signalling that she could beginning speaking.
"Aaaalright! Weiss, Blake, Yang, and their fearless leader Ruby have begun their first mission!" Ruby thrusted her hand into the air, "Banzai!"
"Banzai!" Her sisters shouted back, mimicking her pose before the four got down to work.
The dorm room became a flurry of activity. Yang got to work putting up multiple posters on the wall, the most prominent being one of the 'Achieve Men', which was currently her favorite band. Blake was quickly filling up the bookshelf with all the books she brought with her, several bags worth in fact. That included her extensive collection of 'erotic' literature, which she made sure was more discreetly place; it wouldn't do for Ruby to casual pick one of them up and start reading it.
Speaking of the Red Reaper, she was focused on the window curtains, trying to get them into just the right position. It was an odd thing to focus on but was fine so long as she didn't start cutting them up with her scythe or anything.
Weiss looked over at her little sister as she unpacked her numerous bags. She was glad that Ruby seemed to have had a good night, and that they didn't to worry so much over last night's issue.
Flashback
The members of the newly minted Team RWBY opened the door to their dorm and filed in. While they were ecstatic at passing Initiation and even more that all four were on the same team, they were now dead tired. The naming ceremony had seemingly gone on forever and it was now late into the evening. All that they wanted to do was go to bed.
Thankfully, all of their luggage had been brought up to the dorm, so the four were quickly able to dig out their pajamas and get ready to sleep. Setting up and decorating the room could wait until tomorrow.
A thought came to Weiss just as she finished putting on her nightgown.
"Did anyone remember to pack Ruby's nightlight?"
Weiss's question brought a trio of blank stares, with Blake and Yang quickly realizing what it meant. They three elder sisters had packed their bags before finding out Ruby would be coming to Beacon with them, so none of them had her in mind when packing or had thought to double-check that Ruby had packed the essentials.
"Crap!" Yang exclaimed, "What to we do? I doubt Beacon has nightlights just laying around that we could borrow"
"We could use these desk lamps" Blake said, pointing at the study desk lining the walls, "but those might be too bright…"
"Guys, guys" Ruby said, stepping into the middle of the room, "you don't need to worry so much. I'm fifteen for crying out loud! I don't need a nightlight."
"You were using on in your room just a few nights ago" Blake replied, a smug look on her face.
"…Yes, well…I may prefer to have a nightlight on, but it's not like I need one or anything." Ruby argument really wasn't convincing her sisters.
To see if Ruby was telling the truth, Weiss quickly walked over to the doorway and flipped the light switch off. The room was plunged almost total darkness for five whole seconds before Weiss turned the lights back on.
Blake and Yang were still standing in the same spot as before. Ruby had latched herself on Yang, wrapping her arms and legs around her big sister with her eyes shut, shaking slightly. She opened her eyes when she noticed the lights were back on and looked around at her sisters.
"…This proves absolutely nothing…"
It all worked out in the end. They turned the lights in the bathroom on and left the door open a crack, letting just enough light in to help Ruby sleep. Even if it wasn't enough, she could easily crawl into bed with one of her sisters and sleep well that way.
Weiss chuckled silently to herself at the memory and continued to unpack. Her quiet laughter was replaced by a warm smile as she retrieved an old, and very worn, plush animal from her bag.
It was that plush Grimm toy that Ruby had given her on the night they first met. It was a silly thing, a toy based on the horrifying creatures of Grimm. Sure, there were several toys and such based on the bane of humanity, Ruby had a large number of them, but a stuffed animal for little children was absurd. Weiss was certain that her parents had pulled the toy out of a bargain bin, just one of many toys for their then new-born daughter.
The Beowolf plushie is question had been ripped, battered, repaired and washed innumerable times, with much of it's colour and softness gone. Yet Ruby still loved that toy and always said it was her favorite. Weiss had tried to return it to Ruby many times during their childhood, but she steadfastly refused; she had given that toy to Weiss, so it was Weiss's to keep.
This battered, ugly toy was beautiful in Weiss's eye. It was the first gift Ruby had given her, a simple but powerful act of kindness when the world was at its darkest for her. It was the symbol and foundation of the love that she held for Ruby, her little baby sister.
Weiss put the plushie down on a stack of textbooks and got back to unpacking. There was still a lot to do until this room was up to her standards.
After a while, the girls completed their unpacking and decorating and all four stepped back to admire their work. It was spoiled somewhat by the fact that their beds were stacked in a messy pile in the centre. It hadn't been intentional, just that they had constantly pushed the bed out of their way without realizing it.
"This isn't going to work" Weiss said, miffed that she hadn't notice this mess until it was right in front of them. She stepped up next to Blake, wrapping her left arm around her twin's waist and pulling her close. Blake mimicked Weiss's movement wrapping her arm around her waist as the two pondered this predicament. This wasn't a fully conscious action on their part.
"Maybe we should ditch some of our stuff?" Yang pondered, wrapping her arm around Ruby, who laid her head on her sister's shoulder. This too was an unconscious action, something the four did all the time.
"Maybe we could put all four beds together? Or replace them with one giant bed" Blake suggested. Weiss and Yang nodded at this; having one bed would makes things easy and simplify the often complex sleeping arrangements the sisters had. They had shared a room for several years and had often put the two beds there together to make one, so they could all sleep together.
"One bed would be better then putting the four together…" Ruby said after a few moments thinking. "But getting a large bed in here could be difficult…let's keep that idea on the backburner for now. Instead, how about we turn these into bunkbeds? Just like we always wanted before Dad built the extra rooms."
The three elder sisters looked at their younger sisters before looking at each other, smiles slowly widening on their face.
"That's sounds super awesome!" Yang shouted, pumping her fist into the air.
"Plus, it will be more efficient given our current situation and resources" Blake added, looking at Weiss. Logic was the best method to get Weiss to agree to anything, yet Blake didn't need to worry; her twin was smiling widely and excitedly.
"Let's do this" was all Weiss had to say on the matter. The four girls quickly dashed forward and got to work.
A very short time later, the girls stepped back and admired their work. They had agreed that each pair of bunks would be shared by partners and, after serious negotiations and a furious round of rock-paper-scissors, had agreed who got the top bunks. Ruby's bed was suspended above Weiss by a set of ropes and had a sheet over it with one of the lamps attached to it bed's headrest, giving Ruby privacy and a nightlight that wouldn't keep the others awake. Yang's bed was set above Blake's using four stacks of books that were left over from filling the bookshelf.
It was an incredibly unstable and unsafe setup.
"Good enough for now" was the general census among the four sisters. Even the perfectionist Weiss knew when it was best to just let things be for the moment.
"Now for our mission…classes" Ruby said stepping forward with a binder in her arms. "We have our first class at 9 o clock. It's only 8:30 now, so we have plenty of time. It supposes to be Grimm Studies with a…Professor Port. Now after that…"
Ruby continued on with her explanation their day's plan. Weiss picked up a hairbrush and, walking behind Ruby, started to brush her sister's hair. Ruby didn't halt with her talking, simply letting her sister do what she was doing.
With no prompting, Blake picked up her own hairbrush and Weiss's tiara-hairpin and began doing up her twin's hair. Yang did the same for Blake, brushing and braiding her sister's long dark hair.
This hair brushing train proceeded for several minutes as the girls did each others hair while discussing today's classes and what they expected. When they were all done, Weiss handed her brush forward to Ruby before grabbing the one Blake held out for her. Blake in turn took Yang's brush while the blonde girl walked over to one of the chairs.
Sitting down, Yang got comfortable as her three sisters slowly, and very gently, started brushing her hair. Yang's hair was special and thus needed very special care. Not just anyone could touch it; only those she trusted beyond anything could hope to brush her locks without getting burned. That effectively limited it to just her family and even then, they had to be careful not to pull or tug on her hair. The only hope of getting it done in a reasonable amount of time was if all three of Yang's sisters worked on it at once.
Yang sighed in contentment as she received the equivalent of a hair massage. It felt wonderful and was so relaxing that Yang almost felt herself falling back to sleep again.
A loud rumble from her stomach brought her back to the present, reminding her that she hadn't had breakfast yet. This set off a chain-reaction as her sisters' stomachs chimed in, letting them know that they too were hungry.
The girls shared a laugh as they finished with Yang's hair.
"Come one; let's go grab some grub. We got almost half an hour before class starts" Yang said as she got up.
"Yup, more then enough time to get a full meal in." Ruby commented as she gathered up her school supplies.
"But we must make sure when get to class on time." Weiss added, "It would be horrible to be late on the first day of class"
"Yeah" Blake said, opening the door to the hallway, "But who would be dumb enough to do that?"
The door to Professor Port's classroom burst open just as the 9-o clock bell sounded and Team JNPR almost tumbled in.
"Ah, good for you to show up" Professor Port said, eyeing the almost late students, "Please take a seat and we can begin.
Team JNPR shuffled on in, Jaune, Pyrrha and Ren all muttering apologies before quickly taking the empty seats next to Team RWBY.
"Now we may begin!" Port boomed, his voice easily reaching the very back of the large classroom. "Monsters! Deeeemons... Prowlers of the night! Yes, the creatures of Grimm have many names, but I merely refer to them as prey! Ha-ha!"
Professor Port lecture quickly devolved into a boisterous personal tale and so many students found their attention wandering. Ruby looked over at Jaune, whose right arm was in a cast and sling.
"Hey" she whispered, "are you doing okay?"
Jaune looked over at her, confused for a moment before realizing what she meant.
"Oh, yeah sure. Doesn't hurt at all now. School nurse said it would only take a week or so for it to heal up."
"That's good" Ruby said. Her eyes drifted toward the pencil held awkwardly in his left hand. "Are you going to be able to take notes?"
"I should be able to…maybe…you don't think anything important will be taught in only the first week, right?" Jaune didn't sound too sure of himself.
"Maybe, though I doubt anything useful will be discussed today." She tilted her head toward Port, who was still going on about some adventure from his youth. "If you want, you can borrow my notes."
Jaune smiled at her kind offer and opened his mouth to reply.
"Actually, you can use my notes!" Pyrrha interrupted. Both Jaune and Ruby looked over at the red-haired girl, who shrank back slightly. "I mean, we're partners so…it would be easier and more convenient for me to help you. But if you want to help, that's fine too" she quickly added.
Just beyond Pyrrha, Ruby saw that Nora was leaning towards them slightly, her mouth opens as if to say something. She closed her mouth and turned back to looking forward, causing Ruby to raise an eyebrow. Nora wasn't the kind of person to back down and leave something unsaid from what she had seen of her.
"That could work…" Jaune mused for a moment, "Or maybe we could all get together at the end of the week and go over everything. Like a study group with both teams. That sound good?"
Ruby nodded enthusiastically. "That sound great! We can all help each other and discuss any plans for the weekend afterwards"
"That…sounds lovely" Pyrrha said after a moment.
It really was; a way for all eight of them to help each other while spending time together. Pyrrha was overjoyed that, even after having her full name announced at the ceremony after Initiation, neither her team nor RWBY were acknowledging her fame or treating her different. Most likely none of them had made the connection yet and Pyrrha was happy to let them remain ignorant. For the first time in forever, she had a chance to make real friends and she wanted to spend as much time together with all of them as possible.
But she felt that she owed Jaune a serious debt. She had failed him in the Emerald Forest, failed to protect him as she should have, as both a protector of humanity and as his partner. He had suffered multiple injuries because she hadn't been doing her job. She even convinced herself that his broken arm was really her fault, that she should have prevent that situation somehow.
She wanted to, needed to, make it up to Jaune. Helping him take notes seemed like a perfect way to do that. While a study group would be better overall, she wouldn't be the only one helping Jaune. She needed something that she, and only she, could do for him in recompense. Maybe she could help him train?
Pyrrha shelved this for the moment as Jaune asked her to pass on this info to Nora and Ren, while Ruby did the same with her sisters. The response was universally positive and Jaune and Ruby agreed to talk more about it after class.
Ruby's sisters were okay with it because it was a good way to keep an eye of Jaune; easier to ensure that he didn't fall back into his perverted ways. Plus, Weiss wanted to spend time with Nora; she already had several new ideas that she wanted to run by her first.
The students returned to Professor Port's lecture, which continued to go on and on about inconsequently nonsense. Ruby wasn't the only person who found their eyes beginning to droop.
She was the only one with an attentive sister sitting next to her and Weiss's elbow to her side woke her up with a start.
"Come on Ruby, you have to pay attention" Weiss lightly chided.
"But it's sooooo boring!" Ruby countered, "He isn't saying anything related to fighting Grimm"
"Still, we are students of Beacon and we must not show poor behavior. We represent not only ourselves, but our team and family name. We must always be at our best".
As Weiss was quietly lecturing Ruby, Blake's left hand started slowly reaching out, snaking along the shared desk toward her twin's unattended pen. Without looking, Weiss lightly smacked her sister's hand, stopping her attempted theft.
Blake looked around startled, before realizing what had happened. She hadn't been fully conscious of the action and so looked away sheepishly. Weiss's words on being on one's best behavior could very well be directed at her and she didn't want another lecture about how she needed to keep her 'thieving' hands from wandering.
Yang noted this exchange and chuckled softly. She could always trust her sisters to provide her with entertainment. There certainly wasn't much of that coming from the teacher. Yang turned back the piece of paper set in front of her, which was filled with various doodles rather then serious notes.
She was preparing to add to this collection of artistic drawings when she realized that she wasn't holding her pencil anymore. It had been there just a few moments ago, so where could it have…
A soft tap on Blake's shoulder, coupled with a hard look, was enough to get the cat-girl to meekly pull the pencil in question out of her uniform jacket, muttering that she was only keeping it safe.
Yang took her pencil back without any recriminations and got back to her doodling. Blake never meant anything bad or mean when she took things from her sisters; she just couldn't help it sometimes. Getting mad wouldn't do any good, so Yang let it slide for now.
Class continued and Professor Port's story about his youthful adventures went on and on. Ruby felt herself beginning to nod off again and, not wanting another elbow to the ribs from Weiss, she decided to do something to keep her mind occupied. Seeing what Yang was doing, Ruby decided to do some doodling of her own.
Her pencil scribbled across her paper, her tongue sticking out as she concentrated. After several minutes, she put her pencil down and looked over her artistic labour. She tugged on Weiss's sleeve and held up her masterpiece for her to see.
Weiss looked at the paper Ruby was holding, and the picture drawn on it. It was a very simple figure of Professor Port, consisting mostly of a single large circle with stick arms and legs. The head was fairly detailed with a bushy beard and eyebrows, along with details of his coat. Under the drawing was the words "Professor Poop", with smell lines raising from the figure.
Weiss looked at the drawing for a long moment.
"Pfffttt!" was the sound that escaped her lips as she desperately tried to not laugh out loud. While she was the mature, elegant and graceful one, she still shared many things in common with her sisters, including her sense of humor.
"Miss Xiao Long!" The booming voice of Port brought the attentions of all the students to the front of the classroom.
"YES?!" Weiss, Yang and Blake called out in perfect unison. Professor Port faltered a bit at the triple response, coughing into his hand before speaking again.
"Weiss….do you believe you are the embodiment of a true Huntress? Are you honorable, dependable and courageous in the face of the forces of darkness?" Port waved his hand at the end in a dramatic flourish.
"Yes sir, I do!" Weiss proclaimed, standing up from her seat. The short pause caused by the three Xiao Long Sisters responding at once had given her time to compose herself. It was a defensive mechanism that the three had employed many times over the years, saving one of them from being admonished by a teacher for not paying attention.
"HO-HO! That's the spirit!" Port boomed, liking her answer. "If you truly believe that, perhaps you could demonstrate for all of us here. Please, retrieve your weapon from the locker room and meet up with the rest of class at the Grimm Combat Arena. There we will see if you can back up your claim."
Port clapped his hands together. The students eagerly packed up their things and followed him out of the classroom; seeing a fight against Grimm was a million times better then listening to Port's rambling.
Weiss quickly packed her school bags and handed it to Blake. With a few words of encouragements from her sisters, Weiss set out from the classroom on her own, heading towards the weapon lockers. She was unable to suppress a smirk as she cracked her knuckles together: it was time to show her classmate what a Xiao Long was made out of.
The Grimm Combat Arena was the main venue for controlled training against Grimm. It was different from the area used in the Combat Training class, which was effectively just a stage at the front of the room. This arena was box-shaped area set into the ground, with a railing set along the upper edge where the onlooking students stood along.
The Arena was set over twenty feet down, but that would have normally proved little obstacle for any Grimm in getting out and attacking the spectators. Thankfully, the energy shield enclosing the top Arena kept the Grimm trapped inside, making them instead focus on their human opponent. The shields could be dropped at a moments notice, and the hidden gun turrets in the ceiling activated to rip apart any Grimm with pinpoint accuracy before it seriously harmed a student.
As this was the first time this group of students had been here, they were all gawking at the room and all the high-tech equipment.
"Settle down Class, settle down." Port walked up to the end of room, the one that had a large screen taking up most of the wall. "You will all be getting very well acquainted with this room and all it has to offer soon enough. Please direct your attention down to the arena; the fight will begin in a moment."
As Port said this, a hidden door in the wall of enclosed arena opened and Weiss stepped out. She was in her combat clothes and had her weapon ready. Looking up, she saw her three sisters waving down at her from the railing.
"Kick some butt Weiss!" Yang shouted.
"Do your best!" Blake added, waving a little flag with 'RWBY' written. Weiss quirked an eyebrow at this but decided to let it go. She had long ago given up on questioning where her twin got every little strange thing she possessed.
Weiss attention was brought back to the arena as a trapdoor opened at the opposite end and a large cage was lifted up. The rattling and banging sounds coming from within proved that it contained a live Grimm.
"Weiss… are you ready?"
At the girl's determined nod, the professor hit a button on his Scroll and the cage collapsed, releasing the beast within.
Everyone could now see that it was a Boarbatusk. They were among the smallest species of Grimm, but only a fool would underestimate them. That compact frame contained a lot of muscles, all of it currently directed at a white-haired girl.
Weiss gave a smirk; this was her big test to prove she had what it took to be a Huntress? She could take this pig out in a heartbeat. That wouldn't be much of a showcase of her skills, so maybe it would be good to be a bit flashier.
Weiss hit the button on her sword hilt, transforming Myrtenaster into it's Grand Lance Mode. She heard cheers and shouts from above, including what she thought was Ruby. Probably just cheering her on or something. Nothing to worry about.
Weiss twirled her lance around a few times before getting ready to meet Grimm, which was charging right at her. Gripping the lance with both hands, she thrust the point directly at the Boarbatusk's eyes right as it entered her range.
With only a slight movement, the Boarbatusk deflected the thrust, causing the blade to scrape across its armoured forehead instead. Weiss was caught by surprise by this but was able to act quickly, twisting her body out of the way of the charging Grimm's tusks.
Weiss turned around, preparing another attack. She was again surprised to see that, instead of continuing its charge until it hit the wall, the Boarbatusk had managed to stop and turn almost on a dime. It was facing her head again, showing only it's armoured front.
The boar Grimm lunged forward, trying to gore Weiss with its tusks. Weiss leapt back, trying to get some distance to properly use her lance, but the Boarbatusk was able to stay just within her guard. Weiss was shocked they the tenacity of this Grimm and realized that she shouldn't have switched to her lance right off the bat.
With a wide sweep of its tusks, the Boarbatusk managed to knock Weiss's weapon from her hands. A second sweep knocked the girl off her feet. She quickly scrambled back up, just in time for the Grimm to ram right into her.
Surprised gasps came from the assembled students, but the Boarbatusk was probably the most surprised of all. One would easily assume that the short, delicate-looking girl would be blown over easily by the boar Grimm, not holding it back with her bare hands.
Weiss gritted her teeth as she gripped the Grimm's tusks, using every last bit of strength she had to prevent it from goring her. Even people who knew her often forgot that she went through the same training as Yang, and while she didn't have the monstrous strength of the blonde brawler, she had far more power then her small frame would suggest.
With a primal cry, Weiss tossed the Boarbatusk away, throwing it into the wall. She quickly got some distance and used her Semblance to retrieve her weapon. She was breathing heavily, her mind racing. She needed a way to end this fight quickly, before she was worn out too much.
There were more shouts coming from the sidelines. It was all just white noise to Weiss, completely worthless and annoying…
"Yeah, Weiss! Go for it's belly!" The voice of Blake cut throw it all, jolting Weiss mind into remember all the information about various Grimm weaknesses that she had rigorously studied over the years. She had been so focused on showing off her fighting prowess that she completely forgot that her greatest strength was her mind.
It was a good thing she had a wonderful twin sister to keep her grounded.
Weiss pointed the end of her lance at the ground in front of her, creating a large glyph and pouring Wind Dust into it. She took a step back from the now pale white glyph just as the Boarbatusk got back to its feet. She took a relaxed postured, even waving her hand at the Grimm to come and get her.
The Boarbatusk obliged and charged right at her, focused on nothing else but tearing her apart. Unfortunately, that meant it didn't notice the glyph until it was too late.
Weiss had turned her glyph into a contact mine, so the moment the Boarbatusk charged over it, it exploded with massive gust of wind. It was all directed upwards, so the boar was sent flying into the air.
Its ascent was cut short when it the energy shield, creating a brief flash of blue in the air before it started falling back to the ground. Weiss simply held her lance out in front of her, tip up, and watched with an impassive face as the Boarbatusk was implanted on Myrtenaster. The lance tip ripped through the unarmoured belly of the Grimm and it only struggled for a moment before dying.
With absolute casualness, Weiss tossed the dead Grimm away. It hit the floor with a thud and began to slowly dissolve.
"And Weiss Xiao Long is victorious!" Professor Port's voice boomed loud even without the loud speakers on. "That certainly was a spectacular finish, worthy of the Huntress name"
Port paused for a moment. "That will be all for today class. We will discuss future matches in this arena tomorrow, along with finishing my story of my gallant youth!"
The last part was greeted by a few groans which Port promptly ignored. He hit another button on his Scroll to open the door to the arena before taking his leave.
A minute later, Weiss exited the fighting pit and was back on the main floor. Immediately, she was surrounded by her sisters, who congratulated her while also checking her over for any injuries.
"Geez, you cut it a little close there, didn't you?" Yang remarked after making sure Weiss was okay.
"Yeah well, I wanted to put on a bit of a show. Not my smartest decision ever." Weiss turned and looked at Blake. "Thanks for the advice out there. I wouldn't have remembered where to stick that pig if it wasn't for you".
Instead of a smile and 'No problem sis' that she expected, Blake adopted a look of confusion; one that was adopted by both Ruby and Yang.
"…What?" Weiss asked. The only response she was got as her sisters folded their arms and turning away; Ruby especially looked like she was in a huff.
"What?!" she asked again, desperate to know what she had done wrong.
"You better get changed and cleaned up; we have our next class pretty soon" Yang said dismissively. In unison, Weiss's sisters turned on their heels and walked away, leaving Weiss grasping.
Weiss barely suppressed a loud groan as she angrily power-walked to the weapon lockers. She loved those three girls will every atom of her body, but they could also frustrate her to no end sometimes.
They were being so immature, not telling what mistake she had made. If she didn't know what she had done to offend, then how could she immediately start making it up? It was just a waste of time and energy.
No matter, she would find out what the problem was by the end of the day and come up with an appropriate way to make it up to Blake. Maybe buy her a couple cans of tuna?
Morning classes ended as lunchtime rolled around and the general mass of the student body headed towards the cafeteria.
"FINALLY!" Nora exclaimed loudly. "I am starving! Do you think they'll serve pancakes for lunch?"
"If you're lucky, they might" Jaune said, walking alongside with the rest of his and Ruby's team. The eight of them had just finished their last morning class and were making their way to the cafeteria. Because of their lateness, none of JNPR had been able to get any breakfast, so they were feeling the pinch as badly as Nora.
"If they served them for breakfast, they may have some leftover" Pyrrha added. The red-head felt especially bad about sleeping in, seeing it as her fault that her team missed the most important meal of the day.
"Yeah…what do they serve for breakfast around here? It any good?" Nora directed this question at RWBY, as they had been able to get breakfast that morning.
"Oh yeah, the food they served was great." Yang replied.
"It was quite a large and diverse lineup they offered. A tasty and healthy selection to be sure" Weiss added.
"They got nothing on Dad's cooking though" Ruby said quietly.
"True, but it was still plenty good. We tried everything on the menu" Blake finished.
JNPR nodded at all this; they were slowly getting used to the fact that the Sisters often added to and finished each other's sentences and thoughts.
Hold on…they tried everything on the menu? If their selection was as large as Weiss said it was, that would be a huge amount of food, several plates worth at least.
The four members of JNPR looked over at their very trim and fit companions. No way…they probably meant that each of them sampled several different dishes and so they effectively tried the whole menu. Or something like that…
The thought was pushed aside as the group entered the cafeteria, which was already filled with students all vying for food and places to eat. The group plowed on through, with Nora and Yang doing their fair share of shoving. The two teams separated to get their own food, with JNPR filling their plates and finding a table first.
Nora was ecstatic that they were indeed serving pancakes for lunch today and had piled her plate high with them. She was just able to dig in when she noticed that Jaune, who was sitting across from her, was having trouble holding his fork with his left hand.
This tampered Nora's spirits and she put her own utensils down. The only reason he had to deal with a broken arm was because of her. This was all her fault and she needed to make it up to him. However, whenever she tried to apologize, Jaune immediately stopped her and told her it was fine, that it wasn't her fault.
He was being a hundred percent genuine when he said that, and it show just how good of a person he was. It also made Nora feel even worse, knowing that she seriously hurt such a nice guy. She had to find a way to make it up to him, no matter what.
She had entertained the idea of helping him take notes, but the whole study group idea torpedoed that notion. It was certainly for the best; Nora knew her strengths and academic assistance was not one of them. She needed to do something that only she could do, give something only she could give him. Maybe help him train a bit; he was a bit on the scrawny side.
Nora's gazed lowered to the stack of pancakes before her. With the melting butter and near liter of syrup cover it, the stack was sparkling in the light, absolutely perfect and beautiful.
Nora repressed a loud sigh. The best way to atone for a mistake was the sacrifice something important to you and there were few things in this world that Nora loved more then pancakes. But if giving Jaune her pancakes was the first step in making up for her harmful blunder, then it was a price she was willing to pay.
Setting her knife and fork neatly on the table, Nora took a deep breath and pushed her plate towards Jaune.
The plate of perfect pancakes didn't move a single inch.
Nora was surprised and tried again, with the same result. It was if all her strength abandoned her and the plate was suddenly made of lead. What was going on? All she was accomplishing was to make her stomach rumble painfully, reminding that this stack of pancakes was originally meant to fill her empty belly.
Nora thought for a moment before taking up her utensils again and taking a small piece of a pancakes for herself. It was just a small piece, just something to give herself some energy before she tried pushing the plate again. This time, she succeeded in moving it half a centimeter. She quickly took another bite of pancakes; this could take awhile.
Neither Jaune nor Pyrrha noticed what Nora was doing, being preoccupied with their own meals. Ren, who was sitting beside Nora, did notice what she was doing, but decided not to ask. Sometimes it was just better to let Nora do whatever she wanted to do and not interfere.
"Hey guys! Thanks for saving us a seat" The approaching voice of Ruby alerted JNPR that their friends had finally gotten their food. They had sure taken their time.
"Hey, it was…no…problem…" Jaune's voice trailed off as he and his team fully saw Ruby and her sisters. Jaune, Pyrrha and Ren all shared the same stupefied expression on their face; Nora simply raised an eyebrow.
The cause of this was the plates that each member of RWBY was holding. Each one had a mountain of food piled on it, more then enough to feed several people. The Sisters were carrying them like it was nothing, putting the plates down on the table and taking the seats beside JNPR. They took a brief moment to get settled in before they dug into their meals with a gusto.
JNPR was captivated the scene before them, entranced by the sight of four girls packing away so much food at once with no problem. Even Ren, who was used to dealing with Nora's enormous appetite, was stunned at the gluttonous display. Nora for her part simply nodded, appreciating that there were others who understood the joys of stuffing their face with good food. The pink bomber took another bite of pancakes and got back to pushing the plate.
It was certainly a sight to behold, watching the Xiao Long Sisters eat, and they drew a fair number of stares. Each of the girls ate their food is a different manner; Ruby was shoveling the food in so fast it was all a blur. Yang was slower, but put much more food in each time, stuffing her face as much as possible without wasting a single crumb. Blake ate with only one hand, the other holding a book to the side that she was reading. Eating while reading wasn't the most unusual thing ever but filling your face rapidly while not taking your eyes off the page or getting even a speck of food on the paper, was a little eye raising.
Weiss was perhaps the most interesting case. Neither JNPR nor anyone else present had even seen someone stuff their face in such a neat and refined manner. She did exactly two clockwise rotation of her plate and one counter-clockwise before pausing briefly to dab her mouth with a napkin before starting all over. While she was definitely taking her time compared to her sisters, it was remarkable that she wasn't that far behind in polishing off her plate.
In only a few minutes, the four mountains of food were gone, consumed by the ravenous maws of Team RWBY. The girls leaned back and let out a content sigh of satisfaction.
"That was pretty good. Beacon sure know how to cook them" Yang commented.
"Still got nothing on Dad's cooking" Blake added, turning the page of her book. Her sisters nodded in agreement; nothing in the world could beat their father's cooking.
In unison, the four sisters got up, grabbed their empty plates and headed back towards the food line-up.
"W-where are you going" Jaune asked, still stunned by what he had just witnessed.
The Sisters of Team RWBY turned around and looked at him like he had just asked the dumbest, most obvious question in the world.
"Seconds, of course" was their shared response.
"The lunch menu's bigger then their breakfast one, so we couldn't fit everything onto one plate." Blake added nonchalantly, confirming to JNPR that each of them had indeed consumed the entire breakfast menu that morning.
Jaune watched dumbfounded as the Sisters walked away to get more food. There wasn't an ounce of excess fat of those girls, so where did they put it all?
The blonde boy was brought back to the table as he heard a clinking sound. Turning back and looking down, he saw that Nora had pushed her plate across the table, bumping into his own, still mostly filled plate.
Looking at her, Jaune saw that Nora was sweating and panting quite heavily, like she had finished a workout or something.
"Everything okay Nora?" he asked, "Do you need me to take your plate away or something?"
Nora looked up, confusion on her face. She thought for a moment that maybe Jaune didn't like pancakes, or something insane like that, until she looked down at the plate she had pushed across the table; the empty plate. All those 'little' bits to give her energy had resulted in her eating the whole thing.
Nora let out a cry before slamming her forehead onto the table. Even when she was trying to make things up, she just messed it all up. It really did seem that she ruined everything she touched; she really was just a monster that could only hurt people…
Ren saw what was going on and decided to speak up.
"I think…" Ren coughed lightly into his hand before continuing, "I think Nora was trying to give you some of her pancakes. They're her favorite and giving them to you was her way of saying sorry about your arm."
A small but fond smile appeared on Ren's face. "But I guess she was a little too hungry for that plan to work out."
Jaune looked back from Ren to Nora, a surprised and startled expression on his face.
"W-What? Nora! You didn't need to do anything like that. I know you didn't mean to hurt me and my arm's going to be just fine, so don't stress out about this, okay?"
The others of JNPR were a little shocked at the concern in Jaune's voice; he really didn't want Nora and any to be put out by his condition. One would expect a little resentment over what had happened, his arm had been broken after all, but Jaune didn't have even a shred of ill-will towards her.
Deciding that words may not be enough, Jaune decided to do something that always calmed his younger sisters down. Reaching across the table with his left hand, he gently patted the top of Nora's head.
Pyrrha blush and looked away, a little uncomfortable at this display and ashamed that she felt that way. If one was looking closely at Ren, they may have noticed a slight narrowing of the eyes.
For Nora, she was glad that her face was down on the table, as it hid her small blush.
"This…is kind of nice." She thought. "Ren's…never really done something like this before. I…think I like this."
It seemed that Team RWBY wouldn't be the only team to have a unique dynamic this year.
Afternoon classes came and went, followed by another rush to the cafeteria for dinner before things finally began to unwind during the evening. Most of the students headed back to their dorms, glad to finally relax after getting through their first day of school.
Weiss was taking a walk outside by herself. The beautiful red sunset was lost to her as she was instead deep in her own thoughts. Despite her best efforts, she still hadn't figured what she had said or done wrong; all she did was thank Blake for her advice during the fight and now all three of her sisters were being huffy with her.
Anyone outside of their family probably wouldn't notice anything different in how the Sisters were acting; they still appeared very close and affectionate to one another. Only something major could cause one of the Sisters to be completely shut-out by the others, so Weiss knew she hadn't screwed up royally at least.
Still, it was frustrating her to no end that they weren't telling what her mistake was. No matter how much she subtlety and not-so-subtlety asked Blake how she had offended her, she was constantly stonewalled.
Yang was no help either, simply telling her that she needed to apologize. She had apologized directly to Blake, but that hadn't changed anything. She probably should start on Ruby next; see if she could pry anything out of her little sister. She was going to get to the bottom of this, one way or another.
Weiss found herself back at the front entrance and noticed that Professor Port was there, looking at the sunset with his back to her. Weiss was about to leave, not wanting to disturb the teacher, when the older man turned around.
"Why, good evening Miss Xiao Long." He greeted her. "Out for a stroll, are we?"
"I…yes…I just needed so fresh air before heading back to the dorm." Weiss answered.
"Indeed? Is there something troubling you? My dear girl, confess your strife to me!"
Weiss down at the ground. "It's…nothing really. Just a simple family matter, is all"
Port quirked a bushy eyebrow as he walked up Weiss. "Normally such a thing would be a private matter, yes. But your family is also your Team here at Beacon, which does make it a concern for the School."
Weiss nodded; that was a valid point. "It's…nothing too serious. I think I said something to Blake after class that upset her. Yang and Ruby have taken her side and are giving me the cold-shoulder. They won't tell me what I said or did, so I don't know what I can do to apologize for it"
Letting out a loud sigh, Weiss rubbed her eyes. "It just a little aggravating for me, that's all. These little spats never last long between us, but I would think that we would have grown beyond this by now. We're at Beacon for crying out loud! Now is not the time to be acting all childish and immature."
"That is quite a predicament" Port mused, "It seems that you want to wish to make your sisters see reason, to go along with your line of thinking."
Weiss barked a weak laugh. "Yeah…that would be nice. Thing might go a bit smoother if they had to do what I told them."
"Do you think Ozpin made a mistake then?" Port asked, adopting a serious tone, "Do you believe you should have been made leader of Team RWBY and not Miss Rose?"
Weiss looked up with a start, completely thrown off by the question.
"W-w-what? N-No! Of course not. I trust Ruby completely: I love her! Sure, if I had been picked, I would do my absolute best and I know I would do well, but Ruby is the best one for the position."
Weiss looked at Port with a confused look. "Why are you talking about Ruby? This situation is about me and Blake. Ruby's a part of this, sure, but not that focus of this problem"
Port simply tilted his head slightly. "Weiss, I ended the class immediately after your victory. Normally, we would spend a few minutes as a class to go over the match, to examine what you did well and what may need work."
Weiss nodded; that was what they did back at Signal. She had briefly wondered why he didn't do it this time but had smugly assume it was because she had done so well. On reflection, that probably wasn't the case.
Port pulled out his Scroll. "I decided that a private lesson would be better in this case. There are multiple cameras in that Grimm Combat Arena that allows us to view the battle from every angle; including ones that focus on the audience."
Weiss was very confused by the direction this conversation was taking but said nothing as Port stepped forward and expanded his Scroll's screen. He held it up to Weiss just as a video began to play.
It was a recording of her fight with the Boarbatusk, but this particular angle shown focused mostly on the upper section of the arena, with the audience fully visible. Weiss could see her sisters stepping up to the railing and start cheering when she entered the arena.
"Kick some butt Weiss!" Yang's shout was crystal clear on the video, proving that camera's had high-quality microphones as well.
"Do your best!" Blake called out, waving the little flag that Weiss still had not idea where she got it from. Hearing and seeing the support her sisters were giving again her warmed her heart, but she didn't understand what point Professor Port was trying to make. The cage was raised into the Arena and the fight was about to begin.
"No Weiss!" Ruby cried out, "You don't have enough room down there for your Lance! Just stick with your rapier and wait for an opening"
Weiss was taken back by this; she could remember Yang and Blake cheering her on, but she didn't remember Ruby giving any battle advice. It was good advice too; she couldn't block effectively with her Lance and she realized only after things had gone south she should have stuck with her sword and not be focused on showing off.
But why hadn't she heard Ruby back there?
The fight continued, but the camera stayed focus on Ruby, who continued to call out ringside advice and tactics. Weiss was flabbergasted that she couldn't remember any of this; the fight would have gone much better if she had done what Ruby had tried to tell her to do.
"WEISS! The underside of the Boarbatusk is unarmoured" Ruby called out near the end of the fight.
"Yeah, Weiss! Go for it's belly!" Blake repeated.
This threw Weiss completely off. It hadn't been Blake that had help her remember the Boarbatusk's weak point and win the fight, it had been Ruby. But she had only heard Blake repeating Ruby's words, not Ruby herself. It hadn't been so loud and chaotic that she couldn't hear the audience properly, so what was going on?
"The problem, I believe" Port said, lowering the Scroll. "has less to do with your sisters being immature, and more with you"
The older Huntsman stepped up to Weiss and seemed to loom over her. "Miss Rose is your leader, and despite any and all personal feelings and dynamics, you are to obey her orders in a combat situation without hesitation."
Weiss nodded; that was how the how 'team leader' position worked, but what did that-
"But you seemed to think Ruby's words were merely suggestions to be ignored." Port continued, looking Weiss dead in the eye. "If her advice was suspect, that would be grounds to disregard them, but Miss Rose only provided sound tactics today. From my perspective, your leader's words went in one of your ears, and out the other.
Weiss's face flushed with anger. "How dare you! You don't know me, or my family! I would never ignore Ruby in such an important matter. I love her!"
"Oh yes, I have no doubt of the depths of you love for your sister" Port took a step back from Weiss. "But the evidence here shows that you don't respect her as your leader, as your equal as a Huntress. Part of you still thinks of her as simply your little baby sister; someone to be cared and nurtured, not giving battlefield instruction."
Weiss opened her mouth to protest, to shout that he was all wrong, but the words wouldn't come out. One benefit of being as intelligent as Weiss was that her mind could quickly process new information. It was acting more like a curse in this instance, as her mind instantly replayed through all her recent actions and applied Port's observations, allowing her to see her actions in a more objective light.
The answers it gave her weren't to her liking. Part of her had heard Ruby but had immediately filtered it out as being unimportant. All of Ruby's words, advice that was meant to help her fight, was just white noise to her.
Instead of a harsh rebuke at Professor Port, it was a strangled sob that came out of Weiss's mouth. This was quickly followed by several more as tears started to flow. She felled to her knees and covered her mouth with both hands, vainly attempting to hold her sobs in.
No wonder her sisters were mad at her; to them it seemed like she was blatantly ignoring Ruby and not giving her proper credit. They simply assumed Weiss was being stuck up little bitch, which even she admitted she could be at times, and figured that brushing her off was her just desserts.
But it was far more then that. Weiss knew that being a Huntress, being a hero, was Ruby's greatest dream. She had poured so much blood, sweat and tears into being the best warrior she could be and had been rewarded by attending Beacon two years early. It was an amazing achievement, one that clearly showed that she was one her way to becoming a great Huntress.
Yet, here Weiss was, effectively saying that Ruby couldn't do it. Part of her still though that Ruby was just a little girl and thus had no place fighting Grimm. She had automatically assumed that Ruby would have nothing useful or meaningful to say during that battle.
Thinking further back, Weiss realized that there were a few other times in the past year or so when she had done the same thing. It didn't happen often and during the battle in the Emerald Forest she had followed Ruby's lead completely, but the hard truth was that she did ignore Ruby at critical times. Even if she only did it rarely, what would happen if this was a during a serious battle? One or more of her sisters could be hurt or killed if she didn't follow her leader's order when she needed to.
All day she had been complaining that her sisters had been acting so immature, but that wasn't the case; she was the immature one.
Not believing in Ruby was that same as spitting on her dream, of telling her all her work was pointless. To do this to Ruby, the one who had given her hope when all seemed dark, who had warmed her when the icy cold had almost consumed her, was absolutely unforgivable.
Weiss Xiao Long was a vile, horrible, unlovable, unforgivable, terrible piece of shi-
"You are a truly kind and virtuous individual, my dear." Weiss looked up and saw Port was towering in front of her. His figure was imposing, but a big smile was showing through his bushy mustache. "Not matter what, I can tell that you are indeed Summer Rose's child".
Port reached out his hand and helped Weiss to her feet before handing her a red handkerchief. The girl wiped her eyes and blew her nose several times before speaking again.
"Y-you knew my mother?" she asked, her voice shaking and her eyes red.
"But of course! I may have only been a TA back then, but I was working here at Beacon when your Mother and Father were attending. My, the stories I could tell about all the trouble Team STRQ got up to during their fours years…well, that's for another time."
Port placed a comforting hand on Weiss's shoulder. "The biggest thing I noticed about Summer, beyond her skills in battle or leading a group, was the sheer amount of consideration and empathy she held for others. She dedicated everything to helping all those she could, doing her best to ensure everyone could smile happily. You and your sisters have inherited this same kind spirit, I know."
Weiss opened her mouth, confusing reigning on her tear-streaked face.
"Yes, yes" Port said, waving her oncoming protests down, "your recent actions have not been completely kind in regard to your younger sister, true. But I believe that it stems from your love of her, not anger or hatred. You want to always be there to protect Ruby and thus you are having difficulty accepting that she has grown up and can take care of herself. While having a negative effect, these actions are coming from a good place."
"But Weiss, no one comes to Beacon without some flaw in their technique or personality. Why, if you were absolutely perfect in every way, I would give you your Huntsmen license right now and send you on your way. But you are a normal human girl, with both the great faults and limitless potential that entails. If you are unable to overcome this particular fault today, then perhaps you can tomorrow. And if not, then the next day. You have as much time as you need to better yourself; and you have both your team and the staff at Beacon to help you. We all want to help you to be both the best Huntress and the best person you can be."
Weiss didn't know what to say and so simply nodded while wiping her nose a few more times. What could she really say to all that? The last few minutes had been one hell of an emotional rollercoaster. Perhaps in was true arrogance to assume that she was a completely good person; she had been raised well and had a loving and supportive family. But it seemed there were several of areas that she still needed lots of work on.
A small smile graced Weiss's face.
"Ah, there's your wonderful smile. It never failed to brighten the atmosphere when you were young and I'm glad that it's still the case."
Weiss nodded at the compliant before tilting her head in confusion.
"Wait…we met when I was younger? You said you knew my parents from their time at Beacon, but did you visit us on Patch? I can't remember meeting you before."
"Why yes, I did make a few visits down to Patch many years ago. I couldn't go often, and I haven't done so in years; both because of work and several other reasons. It was mostly around the winter holidays when I could make time to visit you all."
Weiss took a big step back and looked Professor Port up from head to toe, taking all his features in; Bushy eyebrows and mustache, a red suit, a large belly and a loud jolly laugh.
"…Santa?" Weiss said in a loud whisper.
"Ho Ho Ho! So, you do remember me! Yes, I played the part of good old Father Christmas for you and your sisters back when you were children. You four would sit on my lap and read me your Christmas wish lists. I remember yours was always quite long and detailed"
Weiss turned her head and blushed; she had been quite a demanding child.
"Think about what I have said this day" Port said, turning serious, "Think about your strengths and weaknesses and what you must do to overcome them. A good first step, I think, would be to patch things up with Miss Rose as soon as possible."
Weiss nodded and, seeing that she had taken his words to heart, Port bid her a good evening and departed. Weiss watched as the elder Huntsmen walked away. She felt bad now about laughing at Ruby's crude drawing of him. Professor Port may be less effective in a classroom, but he still was a fine teacher when it was most important. Plus, it turned out that he was actually the Santa Claus that had showed up at their house to give them gifts when she was a little girl.
Weiss frowned; if Port had been the one to visit them on Christmas, then that meant it wasn't the real Santa. Did that mean that…
Weiss slapped her cheeks lightly. "Come on! Just use logic and reason and the answer in clear. Of course, that wasn't the real Santa back then…the real one is way too busy to be visiting people homes"
Santa Claus had a difficult task each year, blasting though the hordes of Grimm in his heavy armed, rocket powered sled to deliver gifts to children and bright joy and light on the darkest day of the year. An incredibly important task that certainly took all of the man's time; thus, others had to dress up as him to keep the spirit of Christmas alive for all the children.
With the sheer scale of delivering presents to all Four Kingdom and all the villages in-between, there had to be some secret collision with both the Kingdoms' governments and the leading global businesses. Weiss was convinced that there was a hidden Christmas-Industrial Complex out there and was determined to get a slice of that pie when she founded the Xiao-Long Dust Company and led it to its rightful place as the biggest and greatest company in the world.
But, that was at least ten to fifteen years in the future. She had a much more pressing matter to attend to; apologizing to Ruby for being such an ass.
Coming up with suitable apology proved more difficult then Weiss wanted it to be; a simple "I'm sorry" or a plate of cookies just didn't seem like they would cut it. Ruby would certainly accept anything, cookies especially, but Weiss herself wouldn't be satisfied.
She laughed at herself; even when apologizing to others for her mistakes, she was still being selfish. She ended up walking around the school several more times, lost in thought, and it was late when she finally ended up back at the dorm room.
She opened the door slowly and quietly entered the dark room. A quick look showed that her sisters were all sleeping; Blake was curled up on her bunk while Yang sprawled out over hers. The sheet covering Ruby's bunk was drawn close, with the faint light of her lamp shining through.
Weiss sighed; looked like there would be no apology tonight. She walked softly to her own bunk and started to undress, removing her jacket and skirt. She threw this onto her bed and started to unbutton her shirt when she noticed something sitting on her pillow.
It was her Grimm plushie. She remembered placing on the shelf with her textbooks, so someone must have moved it to her bed; Ruby, most likely. She picked up the stuffed toy and gazed at it lovingly as memories flashed through her mind.
"Weiss!"
The young white-haired girl looked up from the large book she was reading and saw her little sister standing there, holding her shoes out in front of her.
"Geez, Ruby" Weiss put down her book and got up. "You need to learn to tie your shoes yourself. This is the last time, I swear, so watch closely…"
'Weiss! This problem is too hard! Can you please help me?"
"Ok, Ok. I'll help you with your homework, but I'm not solving it all for you. You have to learn to do it yourself. Now…what are you having trouble with?"
'Seriously, Weiss…why do I have to wear this stupid get-up? The skirt is fine, but these stupid 'lady stilts' are just…stupid!"
"Now Ruby, this 'stupid getup' is the symbol of refined and mature women; which you will become even if it kills me. Now yes, high-heels can take some getting use to but its fine with a little practice. Just follow my lead and you'll be fine"
Years of fun and love raced through Weiss mind, coalescing into two clear imagines. The first was of when she first met Ruby; holding out her favorite toy for her, innocent and pure. The second was of yesterday, of her standing on the rock as she led all of them into battle, confident and resolute.
The two images seemed in complete contrast with each other but also fit together perfectly. They were both parts of who Ruby was and Weiss needed to accept the while she was still her adorable and lovable baby sister, she was a capable warrior in her own right, well able to take of herself now.
Standing up straight and gripping the toy in one hand, Weiss reached out and slowly pulled back the sheet covering Ruby's bed. Even if she couldn't talk to her right now, she needed to see her.
She was shocked to see several sheets of papers laying on top of Ruby's pillow, surrounding the sleeping girl's head. With a pencil held loosely in her hand, it was clear that she had fallen asleep studying.
Weiss felt another stab in her heart. Ruby had probably gone on this late-night study binge because she felt she needed to prove herself to Weiss. It seemed that Weiss had been causing nothing but hardships for her little sister this day.
Weiss's gaze moved down from Ruby's face towards the rest of her body. She was laying on top of her blankets with her pajamas on.
Ruby wasn't so little anymore; she was already as tall as Weiss without her heels on. A quick look with her expert eyes showed that she was developing nicely, certainly more then she had at that age. Weiss could see that in a few more years, she would be an absolute bombshell; easily able to compete with Yang for position as the most attractive of the Xiao Long Sisters.
And one again, Weiss would be left behind by her sisters.
Weiss closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She needed to stop thinking like this. It was this self-centred thinking that created her Debt in the first place and started this current predicament. She had to accept that things were changing, no matter how much it terrified her.
Above all, Weiss was scared of being left behind, of being alone again. That cold feeling from that night twelve years ago was still there, at the edge of her being. It had only been there briefly, but Weiss feared it's return more then anything.
That was probably why she was having such difficulty seeing that Ruby had grown up. Even if Yang and Blake matured and outgrew her, she would always have Ruby who needed to her care and protect. She wanted to be needed; she needed to be needed. If her family didn't need her anymore, what did she have left?
But that was all wrong. Her family loved her and would always be there for her. That was the first lesson she had learn as part of the Xiao Long Family. She wouldn't be abandoned or left behind by her sisters, no matter what. They would love and support her, and she would do the same for them.
Weiss opened her eyes and gentle brushed a strand of hair from Ruby's peaceful face.
The young girl's eyes fluttered open at the familiar touch and she groggily looked at the figure by her bed.
"W-Weiss? Weiss! I was just-" Ruby jolt into wakefulness and rush exclamation was halted by Weiss placing her finger against Ruby's lips.
"Ruby…I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I trust you and believe in you. You may be my little sister, but you're my leader first and foremost. You're all grown up now and I need to acknowledge that fact. Its just sometimes my big, stupid brain doesn't want to listen".
Weiss gave Ruby a small smile before taking a deep breath. "I…I promise to do better; to be better. I swear, I change and be completely different from-"
"No!" Ruby whispered loudly, stopping Weiss in her tracks. "Don't change. Never change. I love you just the way you are."
Ruby lifted herself up slightly on her elbows and stared intensely at Weiss.
"Maybe I don't need you to tie my shoes anymore, but I still need you as you."
Ruby reached out with her right hand and gently caressed her sister's cheek.
"You…. My amazing, intelligence, silly, overbearing, perfectionist of a sister." Ruby's hand gently cupped Weiss's cheek. "My Weiss…"
Weiss managed to keep the tears from her eyes; she had cried enough for one day. Instead, she took hold of Ruby's hand and gently kissed her fingers and knuckles before gripping it firmly.
"I promise…I won't change, but I will be better. I will believe in you; not some or most but all of the time. Maybe I won't be able to do it tomorrow or the next day, but I will be the best partner you could ever ask for"
A long moment past as the two siblings simply looked at one another. There was much more that could be said; more declarations from Weiss, promises to talk it over with Yang and Blake and even an apology from Ruby for not being more forthcoming over why she had been upset. For now, however, it was enough for one night. With a quick kiss on the cheek, Weiss retreated back to her own bunk.
Her face reappeared a moment later and she tapped one of the scattered papers with a finger.
"That's wrong by the way." She said in a far too cheery tone before leaning forward and pointed at other question. "And that's wrong…and this part could have been expressed much better…"
"Weiss…" Ruby said flatly.
"No whining. You told me not to change, so I'll do what I always do; expect the best from you. As both your sister and the best partner ever, I'm not resting until you can do this perfectly. Now, scooch over."
Ruby rolled her eyes but still made room for Weiss, who promptly hauled herself up beside Ruby. She handed the Grimm doll that was still in her hand to Ruby as she closed the blanket screen and settled in. Ruby took it and immediately held it closely, a half-smile forming on her face.
It turned out there were many words left to be said, though ones focused on academic problems rather then personal ones. That was fine for now. The deeper problems hadn't been fully resolved yet, but it had been acknowledged and accepted. They would deal with it in due time.
They would handled it like they did with every challenge life threw at them; together as a family.
That's it for this chapter, sorry it took so long. With both work and school picking up, it may be a long while before I can get something new out. I want to focus on Dark Valkyrie next, but I won't be promising anything.
I will be following the basic structure of the show in regard to the flow of events in this story, so the early focus is on Weiss, followed by some for Jaune and JNPR and then to Blake. I will try to ensure that one-character doesn't steal all the spotlight, but I'm just not comfortable with completely diverging from the show yet. With my writing style and limitations, I find focusing on one thing at a time to be far easier, so I apologize if things go slowly or some characters get push aside in favor of others in the short-term.
In this version of Remnant, I envision Christmas as taking place on the Winter Solstice and emerged as a mean to keep people from having negative thoughts on the darkest day of the year and thus attract the Grimm. Santa Claus also has more of a warrior image given the violent nature of Remnant. This is all just a fun little idea I had for one moment in this chapter, but I might go into more detail later. Maybe the group will meet up with the real Santa on their post-season 3 travels, a la Chronicles of Narnia?
I again apologize for any and all spelling and grammar mistakes in this chapter. Proofreading is a weakness of mine and I doubt I'll be improving much in the near future. I ask for your patience and understanding; I do re-read and edit my chapters after I release them. If there are any glaring problems, please shoot me a PM and I will fix it immediately.
That's all for now. Please leave a Review or PM and tell me how you think things are turning out in this story.