Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY
Chapter 21: Duty and Purpose
Pyrrha Nikos kept her breathing even and her pulse steady as she moved. She had done this so often that it was routine for her, no matter how many elements were introduced. It was all just simple movement, of moving her body in just the right way at the right time. Only recently had she come to appreciate how similar it was to dance, of moving with rhythm and purpose. There was beauty in that, and she was now starting to enjoy what had before been her duty.
The members of Team CRDL were not enjoying themselves or appreciating the similarities between dance and fighting. They were far too busy trying to hit Pyrrha…and were failing miserably.
Pyrrha ducked under Dove's sword while twisting her body to avoid Sky's spear. She spun around her sword and shield knocking her opponents away. Russel tried to dash in with his daggers, but Pyrrha continued her spin while raising her leg, kicking the boy in the head and sending him sprawling to the ground.
Cardin rushed in, swinging his mace wildly, wanting nothing more than to swat her away like an annoying fly. Pyrrha wasn't letting that happen, twisting and spinning away at the last second, making Cardin hit nothing but air.
Still, he was pushing her back and Pyrrha found herself backed to the edge of the stage arena. For a moment, it looked like she was trapped and with a wicked grin, Cardin lifted his mace above his head and brought it down with all his strength.
The Champion of Mistral wasn't so easily cornered and, with what appeared to be casual ease, she turned sideways, the mace missing her by the thinnest of margins before it slammed into the floor, becoming embedded there. Pyrrha stepped onto the now immobilized weapon and used it as a platform to jump up and onto Cardin's shoulders. The large male had no time to react before Pyrrha kicked off, soaring into the air while Cardin was sent tumbling forward, falling off the edge of the arena.
Flipping in mid-air, Pyrrha threw her shield at Sky, who was still getting his bearing. The bronze disc hit him in the head, knocking him down and ricocheting off, hitting Dove as well.
Landing, Pyrrha switched her sword into rifle mode and took aim at Russel, who had just gotten to his feet, daggers held loosely in his hands as he tried to clear his head. Two shots rang out and both his daggers were shot out of his hands. Realizing he was disarmed, and his teammates were all down, he held his arms up in surrender.
The buzzer rang out and the electronic screen above the stage read out the winner: Pyrrha Nikos.
Pyrrha relaxed slightly and took several steady breaths. She wasn't winded and hadn't taken any damage at all. It was yet another flawless victory for the 'Invincible Champion'.
She felt…good. For a long time, winning matches like these had just been part of her 'duty', something to perform with little joy to be taken. Even for an incredible feat such as this, taking on four opponents at once without getting hit, was a regular thing for her before coming to Beacon and something she hadn't taken much pride in before.
Now, she felt she could take some satisfaction with her performance. She had used her strength and skill, the products of her intense training, to overcome the challenge that had been presented to her. It was an accomplishment and she, for the first time, started to see it as something that she owned, that was hers completely.
Her team was looking out across the Combat Room's seating, in the middle of the clapping student body. They were cheering the loudest and, alongside Team RWBY, were waving flags and banners with JNPR's name on them.
She still had no idea where on earth RWBY had gotten such items but decided not to ask. She had seen thousands of fans hold up banners and placards, chanting her family name until it left her ears ringing but seeing those few dear friends cheering her success meant more than all the championships in the world.
"Well done, Miss Nikos," Professor Goodwitch said, walking onto the stage with her Scroll open. "Another fantastic display. The minimum amount of movement for the maximum effect. Now, Class, I hope you were all paying attention, as such things are vital in combat against large groups of Grimm. You need to conserve your energy to survive what can easily become a battle of endurance while still putting pressure on your foe to win the fight as quickly as possible."
The Deputy Headmistress looked over the assembled class in the theater seating, noting that more than one student suddenly grabbing their notebooks and writing quickly, having been too busy watching the fight to do so before.
Glynda turned towards the defeated party.
"Team CRDL…your performance was somewhat lackluster. While your individual skills are competent enough, you are seriously lacking in proper teamwork. Simply attacking the same target at the same time isn't enough; you need to have a proper plan and coordination if you wish to succeed. Numbers and brute strength will not suffice in a real combat situation."
Dove, Sky and Russel all nodded their head glumly as they retrieved their weapons. They weren't seriously injured, and they still had plenty of Aura left, but they had been knocked down or disarmed in such a short time they had no chance to recover, making it an undeniable defeat.
Glynda continued.
"Mr. Winchester, you especially need to improve on your leadership qualities. You didn't communicate with your team and almost knocked Mr. Thrush down with one of your wild swings. You need to be more aware…Mr. Winchester? Mr. Winchester!"
Cardin had risen back up from where he had fallen off the side of the stage. He wasn't listening at all to Goodwitch, just glaring daggers at Pyrrha. He grabbed his mace, still embedded into the stage's floor and pulled it free, leaving a deep gash.
"Cardin? Dude, listen up!"
Russel's voice finally got through to Cardin and he turned towards Goodwitch.
The Professor glared at the young man; her hand was dangerously close to grabbing her riding crop. Ignoring the Deputy Headmistress and looking like you were going to continue a fight was something one didn't do if you value your place at Beacon.
After a long moment, Cardin holstered his mace and walked towards his team, avoiding Goodwitch's gaze but sending one last glare at Pyrrha.
Glynda could only sigh at this childish and unhelpful behavior.
"Team CRDL…you may head to the locker room and secure your equipment. You are dismissed from the rest of class."
CRDL all murmured their assent, leaving the classroom as quickly as they could without appearing to be hurrying. They had been humiliated and were eager to get out and forget about this as quickly as possible.
Goodwitch did her best to suppress another sigh. That team was going to be trouble that much was clear. She didn't know how to handle them, as both a direct and indirect approach had drawbacks. It would have to be discussed at the next facility meeting.
"Anyway," the Professor said, turning back to the class, "We still have some time left, so we'll hold another match. Miss Nikos, are you still good to fight?"
Pyrrha nodded enthusiastically. She couldn't explain it, but she felt good and wanted to keep it going.
Goodwitch turned to scan the class, looking for someone to match against Pyrrha. She couldn't just pick someone at random, as then Pyrrha would likely win the match immediately and thus the class would learn nothing.
Her gaze went to Pyrrha's team, as she knew they could put up a good fight. Nora already had a win over her teammate, but the destructive aftermath made her hesitant to make that match-up again anytime soon. Jaune Arc had improved greatly in the last few months, but he still wasn't up to the same level as the others, in her opinion.
Then there was Lie Ren, who wouldn't be fighting in front of a crowd anytime soon. The given reason was they had broken their left arm during a team training session over the weekend. Their arm was secured with both a cast and a sling and, given the previous instances of broken arms among Team JNPR, was completely believable.
Goodwitch and the rest of the staff knew the truth that it was just a means of covertly covering Ren's chest. Having abandoned tight chest binding, another means of hiding their breasts was needed. The sweater loaned from Jaune helped some, but the sling and cast gave reason and excuse for something to be covering their chest at all times, leaving the student body none the wiser and Ren's secret remaining safe.
A temporary solution, to be sure. Much more would need to be done to find a way for Ren to engage in training and physical exercises in a safe and healthy way.
But that was for another time, for right now she needed to find an opponent for Pyrrha. The most likely candidates are those next to JNPR, the Xiao Long Sisters.
Those girls had already proven themselves against Pyrrha in the first week of classes. Goodwitch had steered away from arranging matches between Team RWBY and JNPR, both due to the bad taste it had left from forcing Pyrrha to fight her friends back-to-back so soon into term and due to the knowledge that the two teams were regularly training with each other.
Still, it would be good to see how far they had come since and if the results would turn out differently than before. The Professor scanned the sisters, wondering which one she should pick.
She noticed that Blake seemed distant, unfocused and not paying attention to the rest of the class. While there were certainly many serious issues going on within the RWBY-JNPR group that was no excuse in her mind to be slacking in class. A sudden fight against one of the best students would be a great wake-up call.
As Goodwitch came to this conclusion, another group assessed the situation. Cinder's group had successfully infiltrated Beacon with their fake Haven transcripts and IDs. They could plot the downfall of Beacon right under Ozpin's nose and keep an eye on potential threats to their plan. That includes seeing who might be considered as a candidate for the next Fall Maiden and this Pyrrha Nikos was certainly impressive on the surface.
Cinder looked over at Mercury, who met her gaze with a knowing smirk. He knew what he had to do, and he started to raise his hand to volunteer to be Pyrrha's opponent.
"I'll do it, Professor Goodwitch!"
Both Goodwitch and Mercury were surprised by the outburst and they, along with the rest of the class, looked over to see Jaune Arc standing up, volunteering to fight.
"What? Jaune what are you…" Pyrrha started before Goodwitch cut her off.
"Mr. Arc, it's not necessary for you to fight your partner in class. I'm sure your personal spars with Miss Nikos are more than sufficient…"
"That's just it, sparring only gets you so far. I need to test myself fully if I'm going to improve." Jaune replied. "I need to fight, no holds bars. What better place than in class?"
Goodwitch didn't have an immediate answer, and so Jaune quickly headed to the stage, pulling his weapon and armour out of his schoolbag as he want. He had been planning on this and was prepared, not giving either Goodwitch or Pyrrha the time to fully object.
In record time, Jaune was fully equipped and leapt unto the stage, ready to fight.
"Jaune, y-you…you don't need to do this. You're training is going great so far…there's no need to risk…"
"It's not enough," Jaune argued. "You hold back when we spar, I know it. If… something big happens again, I need to do better and be better. Simply tapping our swords and shuffling our feet isn't going to cut it. I need to push myself to the limit."
Pyrrha didn't respond, knowing that there was truth there. She was enthusiastic about training and instructing Jaune in swordplay, but she did hold back a lot in spars. She just didn't want to hurt her friends.
Jaune decided to try a different tack and gave a big, cocky grin.
"Unless…you're scared that I might beat you in a no-holds-bar fight."
The classroom when silent at this boast was said. Pyrrha was still for a long moment before her left eye started twitching slightly.
"…Alright…" She said, rolling her shoulders and getting into a fighting stance, "Let's do this."
In the audience, Jaune's friends looked on with a mix of confusion and worry.
"Oh…that boy is dead," Yang said, several students surrounding her nodding in agreement. Pyrrha was an extremely kind person who normally wouldn't hurt a fly but throwing that kind of shade against her was likely to bring out an angry response.
That wasn't completely true. Jaune's words had pricked her, but it wasn't anger or rage filling her. She…she wanted this. She wanted to test herself, to show all that she was to Jaune, and to see all that he was. It was like the feeling she had in the previous match against CRDL but greater, due to it being Jaune she was facing off against. She wasn't worried about the outcome, not about the victory but instead just the thrill of the fight itself.
Professor Goodwitch could only sigh at what she saw as youthful over-eagerness. Neither had gotten her permission for this fight to commence and she was well in her rights to stop the whole thing.
Instead, she tapped on her Scroll and stepped back, deciding that letting these kids blow off steam here was for the best. She was genuinely curious to see how far Jaune had come in his training, though she and everyone else still expected a very short match.
In that, they were correct, but not in the way they envisioned.
The buzzer rang and the teammates rushed forward, their shields clashing with a thunderous crash. The two pushed against each other in the center of the stage for several moments; Pyrrha was very strong with the muscle definition to prove it, but Jaune had made great gains and was both taller and heavier, letting him slowly win this contest.
Pyrrha twisted her stance, turning her body sideways and letting Jaune stumble forward, off-balance at the sudden shift. Pyrrha raised her swords, aiming for a solid hit on Jaune's back.
Jaune countered by hooking his leg around Pyrrha's, throwing her off balance just as he was falling. The result was that Pyrrha's aim was spoiled, and both stumbled away from each other.
A moment to recover and the two were charging again. Pyrrha threw her shield, making Jaune stop and raise his shield to block. The bronze shield was deflected and Pyrrha followed up with a kick to the side of Jaune's shield, knocking it aside before spinning around with her sword, aiming for a hit to Jaune's chest.
Jaune blocked with his sword and closed the distance between them. Too close for either sword or shield, the blonde instead head-butted the Mistral Champion, sending the surprised redhead stumbling backwards. She recovered just enough to barely duck under Jaune's follow-up sword duck, rolling away and recovering her shield.
She stood back up, a bit winded and a bit dirty from her short roll, with a brilliant smile on her face. She was enjoying this.
The two clashed again, exchanging sword strikes and shield bashes. Pyrrha had the upper hand, getting a nick here and side blow there, slowly chipping away at Jaune's Aura. If this continued, Jaune was sure to lose.
Knowing this, Jaune gave a powerful kick to Pyrrha who blocked it but was still pushed back. He then pulled back his left arm and…threw his shield at Pyrrha.
Pyrrha, and everyone else, were surprised by this sudden tactic, as Jaune's white shield wasn't suited for such a thing at all. Pyrrha barely had time to bat the flying piece of metal away, leaving her off-balanced.
Seizing his chance, Jaune gripped his sword in two hands, planted his feet firmly and swung with all his might.
Just like Pyrrha had been training him.
It was a mighty blow, Pyrrha just barely getting her shield up in time. She was knocked backward, skidding along the floor to the stage's edge. A notable shockwave had been released, which impressed everyone. Jaune had certainly made a lot of progress since the beginning.
It wasn't enough. It was clear as day that Pyrrha wasn't knocked out by the attack and would quickly recover. Without his shield, Jaune would be less effective in defending himself and would lose the match in short order.
It was like a script had already been written and the actors merely had to play their parts. Pyrrha`s victory was practically an assured outcome…it was simply her destiny to win.
At least, it was…until she hit a little shag.
Before she could halt her backward momentum and regain her footing, her foot hit the large gash that Cardin`s mace had left on the floor from his failed attack. She immediately lost her balance and fell off the side of the stage, in the same place that Cardin had fallen in.
Cardin`s Folly had become Cardin`s Revenge, though it was a pity he wasn`t around to see it.
The entire room was deadly silent, no one moving or reacting as the buzzer rang out as the electronic display floated above the stage.
Winner by Ring-out – Jaune Arc.
"I…I did it," Jaune said in a loud whisper, more to himself than anyone else.
"He did it…" Goodwitch remarked, a flabbergasted expression on her usually stern face.
"He did it…" the entire student body said in unison, disbelief rampant across the whole room at this impossible upset.
Professor Goodwitch, ever the professional, was the first to recover and stepped onto the stage and addressed the class.
"Well, that was…an unexpected resolution. Let that be a lesson to everyone that nothing is certain in a battle and that anything can happen," she turned towards Jaune. "Mr. Arc, that was…an unqiue victory but your strategy had some serious flaws. You left yourself exposed from your little gambit and it was largely by luck that you won. You can never rely on such things if you want to survive. Still…congratulations, you've certainly come a long way."
With a small nod to the still-shocked blonde, she turned to face Pyrrha.
"Now Miss Nikos, it goes without saying that one must always be mindful of their surroundings, so you don't…Miss Nikos?"
Goodwitch now noticed that Pyrrha hadn't gotten back onto the stage. The place she had fallen was dimly lit and neither she nor anyone in the audience could see her.
Jaune quickly dash to the edge of the stage and peered down, looking for his partner and hoping she wasn't hurt.
He didn't need to worry about that.
"AMAZING!"
With a loud shout, Pyrrha jumped straight up into the air like a Jack-in-the-Box. Jaune fell onto his back in surprise as Pyrrha neatly landed on the stage and immediately started gushing.
"Oh my god, oh my god! You were incredible Jaune! You blocked my attack and then did that wild trick with your shield and oh, that swing was insane! My arm is still numb and how you used the damaged floor to knock me out, that was pure genius and…"
Pyrrha finally noticed that Jaune was laying on his back some distance away. From this position, she was physically talking down to him. Talking down to people was the height of rudeness and Pyrrha was no rude girl, no sir. In her somewhat altered state of mind, she figured that the best solution was to get down on Jaune's level, so she dropped to her hands and knees and started crawling toward him.
Confused and still in shock, Jaune tried to scramble back but was quickly overtaken by Pyrrha. Climbing on top of Jaune, she straddled his waist and pinned his arms down, putting her face just inches away from his own.
"I'm so proud of you! We have got to celebrate this, oh, we could go to that new restaurant on the North side of the Vale…or we could have a picnic in the park, the weather's been fantastic lately. We can go shopping afterwards, we need to get you some good clothes for the upcoming dance. I'm taking Nora of course but I'm definitely having a dance with you, so we need to look our best."
Pyrrha's eyes were shining, and her smile was wide and genuine. Her pure joy was a wonder to behold and Jaune would have been so happy for her…if the circumstances had been slightly different.
"Miss Nikos," Goodwitch said, stepping forward, "Perhaps this isn't the best time for…"
"Please Professor, I would appreciate it if you didn't rudely interrupt us during such an important and personal conversation; it's most unbecoming of a Beacon instruction and sets a poor example for others."
Silence again engulfed the classroom, this time from the sheer brazenness of the normally extremely polite and proper Pyrrha Nikos. One just didn't talk back to the Beacon staff, and one didn't do it to the Deputy Headmistress.
Glynda Goodwitch could only stare in pure shock, her mind taking several moments to process what had been said and who had said it. This was not something she was used to, as her reputation often preceded her and kept the students in line. Coming from the otherwise perfectly behaved Pyrrha and she was struck dumb, barely able to understand what was happening.
She did eventually sort her mind out, and the Professor's face turned from shock into an angry grimace, her eyes in a hard glare while her hand moved towards her riding crop. She would put this brat in her place and show that no one disrespects her in her classroom.
"Oh…that girl is dead," Yang said, breaking the silence among the students as the scene began to unfold. The others near her could only nod dumbly, too shocked to do anything else.
Jaune was able to see where this was heading and gathered himself as much as possible to head it off.
"Pyrrha? Pyrrha! I think…the Professor is just politely pointing out that this might not be the best location to be having this…important and personal conversation."
Pyrrha turned to look at Jaune, so close their noses were almost touching.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
Jaune just pointed to the side. Pyrrha followed his finger, seeing the large audience of students looking at them.
"Oh… that's right…we're in class," the redhead said, sitting up. She clasped her hand in front of her chest before closing her eyes. A moment later, her face turned the same shade as her hair, her brain finally realized both what she had done and where she was.
Another moment of silence passed before a concerned Jaune gently poked that still girl sitting on his chest. Pyrrha fell over, stiff as a board and completely unconscious, having fainted from sheer embarrassment.
Goodwitch couldn't suppress a deep sigh this time.
"Mr. Arc…please take your partner back to the dorms to recover. Everyone else…class is dismissed."
With that, the Deputy Headmistress quickly exited the classroom. She would quickly finish all her work for the day before fixing herself a stiff drink.
She wasn't the only one out of sorts from this strange spectacle, as Cinder Falls looked down at the fallen Champion as her team and friends climbed onto the stage to help. It was so…bizarre and didn't showcase how good Pyrrha was. Her reputation was still spectacular, and she doubted that it was all fake or something, but they would need to find a way to test her before she could be added to the list.
Until then, she and her team would just have to closely monitor Pyrrha and the entire group she was with.
On the stage, Pyrrha's friends surrounded their fallen comrade, their worry fading quickly as they realized that she wasn't hurt. After discussing it among the group, Nora lifted the ridged girl over her shoulder and carried her out like she was a plank of wood.
Ren and Jaune followed her, after assuring Team RWBY that they would let them know when Pyrrha woke up, hopefully by dinner time.
For Jaune, his mind was still a swirl of emotions, brought on by a very beautiful and attractive girl sitting on top of him, her face barely inches away. He had acknowledged that his partner was an extremely beautiful and sexy person and this little incident had hammered it home with full force. He would be taking several long, very cold showers to help deal with these feelings.
The Sisters watched their friends depart, small smiles on their faces.
"Well…that was certainly one way for a class to end," Weiss said, "Honestly I didn't think Pyrrha had it in her…a bold strategy to be sure."
"I hope she doesn't get in trouble," Ruby commented, "I mean, talking back to Professor Goodwitch like that…"
"I'm sure she'll be fine," Yang stated confidently, "This is P-Money, 'Little Miss Perfect'. I doubt they'll do anything harsh or drastic to her over words said in the heat of the moment. If anything, her credibility with the other students will skyrocket from this, proving she isn't just some super formal and polite doll."
Yang took a few steps away from the other and started throwing out a few practice punches.
"But damn, that was a pretty good match regardless. Vomit Boy's really come a long way. Shame we didn't get a shot in class today, I'm really fired up now. What say we head to the gym and get some sparring in?"
Weiss and Ruby nodded at this suggestion, readying and willing to get some practice in before dinner.
"Actually, I think I'm going to head to the library. There's…some stuff I need to look up…for a school project," Blake said, already turning to leave.
"Wait, we don't have a project…" Weiss scratch her head before turning to her twin. "Blake, what's going on?"
"Nothing going on," the black Xiao Long insisted, "I just want to get ahead in my studying. Don't worry so much…I'll be back in time for dinner."
Not waiting for a reply, Blake quickly left the classroom, leaving her sisters with much to worry about.
They had noticed that Blake had been more withdrawn since the fight with the Paladin. She had been staying out late, spending all her free time at the library. When she did return to the dorm, she was barely getting any sleep and was hardly focusing on class. With everything that had happened on the weekend, they hadn't immediately noticed it over the last few days but now it was crystal clear.
"Our little kitten is taking all the responsibility onto herself," Yang said, folding her arms.
"She knows she isn't to blame for things going sideways but she still wants to make up for it by figuring out the Red Fang operation all by herself," Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. "What am I going to do with that girl?"
"Should we all follow and confront her? She's gotta see reason and let up a bit, at least until we can all put our heads together and work out a plan," Ruby suggested.
"Don't worry, I got this," Yang said and started to walk away before stopping and turning back. "If that's okay with you, Ruby?"
Ruby raised an eyebrow. Why would she be asking her specifically for permission?
"Oh…right…I'm Team Leader."
"Ummm…Yes. If you think you can convince Blake to ease up and not feel so guilty, then go for it. If it doesn't work, then we'll try a different tack with all three of us. Sound good?"
Weiss and Yang nodded. While the white Xiao Long wanted to help her twin herself, she was willing to let her big sister take a shot at it first.
Yang quickly dashed out of the classroom, making a quick stop at the dorms to pick up an important piece of equipment before making her way to the library.
Blake was sitting at one of the library's computers, going through any information she could get on Mountain Glenn. Despite the battle-filled ending, their investigation hadn't been a failure. She had gotten information that the Red Fang's base was to the southeast of Vale, straight from the bull-Faunus's mouth. Combined with the information that Weiss and Yang had managed to get, the desolate satellite city was their best bet.
There were still a hundred more questions that needed to be answered, alongside a mountain of logical issues that needed to be solved for them to even think about going there to investigate. They didn't have enough to simply tip off the authorities and hope they would take care of the Red Fang; this was a dangerous and condemned area after all. They had to go there and at least find some solid evidence.
Blake was trying to figure all of this out, but the words on the computer screen were beginning to blur together. She rubbed her eyes, trying to suppress the wave of tiredness that was washing over her. She had been at this for the last few days, non-stop, but hadn't made much progress. There were just so many angles to go over, and so many different sources to look at; it was too much for just one person.
The black Xiao Long shook her head. This was her burden to bear. It was her fault that her family and friends had been put in such danger, in pursuit of her desire to avenge Tuckson and stop the Red Fang. Because of her, Ren had suffered both physical and emotional pain; the notion that having their secret exposed might be for the best being cold comfort. The fact remained that they had been hurt by what had happened and responsibility fell to the one who had pushed them to investigate the Red Fang.
She couldn't stop this pursuit of the Red Fang, too many lives were riding on it, but she couldn't enforce any more hardships on friends and family.
She had to do this…for her friends…for her sisters…her sisters…her sisters…
With a jolt, Blake sat up straight, having almost dozed off and fallen from her chair. She slapped her cheeks to help focus and returned to the old city plans for Mountain Glenn she had managed to dig up. She was going over every inch of the official designs, trying to see if there was anything they could use.
She noticed that there was a red dot on her screen, which contrasted with the grainy black and white of the scanned blueprints. She thought for a moment that it was just a little glitch before it started moving.
The cat Faunus had to suppress the urge to reach out and grab the intangible dot, which made her realize that it was from a laser pointer. She thought for a moment that someone was just playing around or had accidentally turned in on, but then the red dot moved in a slow, deliberate pattern.
Blake realized that the laser pointer was being used specifically on her and she knew exactly who was doing it.
"Oh, no, no, no. You are not doing this to me."
The red dot danced across the computer screen, making Blake's hand twitch and her frown deepen.
"Don't do this…don't do this…"
The dot suddenly vanished, and Blake let out a sigh of relief, thinking that maybe this was just a mistake or an accident.
The laser dot returned a second later and moved across the screen quickly, obscuring the blueprint in a red blur. Blake slammed her fist down hard on the computer desk.
"Bitch, I will put itching powder in your bra again and lock all the bathroom doors so you can't wash it off!"
The dot moved off the screen, across the desk and down to the floor. Blake got out of her chair and followed it, intending to give her sister a piece of her mind. If her mind had been less addled, she could have followed her senses to easily find Yang, but a lack of sleep and an abundance of frustration made her take the simpler path of just following the laser pointer, despite that being exactly what Yang wanted.
In short order, Blake found herself standing in front of the yellow Xiao Long. Yang smiled and spun the laser pointer in her hand before holstering it in her pocket like it was a revolver.
"Hello!" she said, smiling widely at her little sister.
Blake just folded her arms and tapped her foot while scowling.
"I could report you to Professor Goodwitch; this could be considered discrimination and harassment."
The threat lacked any real force or intent, letting Yang easily wave it away.
"You were the one who chose to follow it," she replied before turning and walking away. She looked back and waved at Blake to follow. "Come on…we need to talk."
Blake followed along, knowing there was no point in resisting. She knew what this was about and knew what was going to happen. It was inevitable, given just who her teammates were and part of her knew it would lead up to this. Still, she wasn't going to just yield right away, she knew what she was doing was vital, if not exactly right.
Yang took them outside the library and into an empty classroom. She walked to the chalkboard, grabbed a piece of white chalk and start drawing. The next few moments were silent except for the gentle scraping of chalk on the board.
"It's tough…taking on everything, isn't it?"
Blake grimaced, knowing where this was going but tried to stay firm.
"Yeah…it is. But sometimes you must do it, to take as much as possible if you want to do some real good."
Yang didn't immediately respond, continuing her drawing for a moment before speaking.
"Kinda like what Mom was like, right?"
A stab of pain, dulled by time but still real, hit Blake in the chest.
"Y-yeah…she was a real super mom…"
"Baker of cookies and slayer of giant monster…she could do it all," Yang remarked, back still to Blake.
"I…I can't stop Yang, I can't!" Blake said, barely keeping herself from shouting.
"I'm not asking you to stop, I'm asking you to slow down."
"I don't have the luxury of slowing down!"
"It's not a luxury; it's a necessity,"
Blake scowled, knowing it was true but still not wanting to budge.
"The necessity is stopping Torchwick and the Red Fang. I…I need to do this. I'm the one who dragged everyone into this mess, and I need to do everything I can to fix it. I'm already asking a lot from everyone…too much…so a couple of sleepless nights is an acceptable price to pay if it means nobody getting hurt."
"So, you're going to just rush into all this and try to stubbornly force everything to work?"
Yang finished her drawing and Blake saw that it was a sketch of their uncle Qrow's emblem.
Most people made the mistake of thinking Yang was just a dumb blonde. While not up to the same artistic levels as Weiss, Yang was competent in drawing complex designs, having sketched innumerable blueprints for Bumblebee and other gadgets. This emblem was far simpler to make, though it carried a lot of emotional weight.
"Yang…I…" Blake's throat tightened, memories of that horrible day flooding back.
"When Mom…left…I thought it was all my fault… that I had been a bad girl and that was why she didn't come home. I felt…that it was up to me to fix things…as the big sister,"
Yang's voice was remarkably level, though Blake was sure that intense emotions were playing across her face.
"When I found out about Raven, I thought that was the answer… that we could have a new Mom and that would stop the hurt. I'm not sure if you remember but I pretty much bullied you, Weiss and Ruby into coming along. I was so stubborn, so focused on this one thing that I didn't even consider what might happen if I was wrong."
Finally, Yang turned to look at Blake. Her eyes weren't blazing red but instead sad violet, filled with remorse and understanding. It broke Blake's heart to see this, to see the pain her sister, her big sister, still carried within her and which she had dragged back to the surface.
"I…I…" Blake choked, tears falling down her face. "I don't want to do the same thing…I don't want to put you and the others in danger. But if I do nothing…then…"
Blake clenched her fists as her body started shaking.
"I'm…I'm not the sole hero of this story…I can't be. It can't be that my problems, the issues that I bring up, become the overwhelming concern of everyone. I can't be the single most important thing in this narrative."
She was falling back on her playwright instincts, speaking in overly dramatic and literary terms. This just served to highlight the sheer hypocrisy of her actions even more. By trying to take all of this on herself, to spare her sisters' worry and added danger, she had done the opposite. They were more worried than before and may have resorted to desperate measures to stop or at least keep up with her.
It was too much, and Blake felt tears beginning to fall down her cheeks and her knees started to shake, her strength abandoning her. She was falling, the weight of her follies too much to bear right now, the darkness beginning to envelop her.
She didn't hit the ground because, just as always, her family was there to catch her. Strong arms wrapped around her, and her face was pressed against soft, warm skin. She hugged back, embracing the warmth and safety of her sister.
Her sister…her big sister…her Yang.
Yang held her little sister for several minutes, her head buried deep in her cleavage. She gently stroked her hair, softly whispering that everything was all right.
Finally, Blake lifted her head, all but a few tears have dried up, which Yang gently brushed away.
"This story…will never be just about one," the blonde said, "not about two or even three…it will always be the four of us. Now and always. If one of us stumbles and falls, the others will be there to pick them up. You never have to do things alone…because you're never alone."
Blake nodded. She knew that fact as innately as she knew how to breathe. She knew that doing this was wrong and wasteful, that simply letting her sisters help her was the best course of action but her guilt over this whole affair had clouded her vision. She had been blind and stubborn in trying to find the quickest path, not seeing how much pain it was causing herself and those she cared for the most.
It was a good thing she had such a great big sister to catch her.
"So…" Yang, brushing a strand of Blake's hair back into place, "What are you going to do?
"I'm…" Blake took a deep breath, "I'm going to slow down. I'll take a break and I'll let you and the others help in dealing with this whole mess.
"Good girl," Yang replied, stroking one of Blake's cat ears affectionately, before stepping away. "That going to work out great because we're going to be busy helping with the School Dance coming up!"
"Wait…What?" Blake was confused, she hadn't heard any discussion of this before.
"Oh, I volunteered Team RWBY to help Team CFVY with getting things ready for the dance. Their last mission went into overtime, and they need the extra hands."
"Okay, I'm fine with that but…did you tell Ruby this? She is the team leader after all."
"It will be fine…the two of us will be telling her later today!" Yang flashed a bright smile.
Blake sighed. Having the two of them break the news would make things a lot easier and lessen any anger Ruby or Weiss might have at having this sprung on them.
"Fine, fine…I guess I owe you," Blake said, shaking her head. "Helping out with the Dance is the least I can do…least I won't have to break out the itching powder now…"
Blake had whispered that last part, but Yang still caught it, her brow furrowing in confusion.
"Itching powder? What does that have…no…?" Realization shone in her eyes, and she pointed a finger at her sister. "That was you! You were the one who put itching powder in my sports bra during the last track meet at Signal! You little brat!"
"What's the big deal?" Blake waved her hand, trying to appear nonchalant, "You won that race…set a school record for the 100-meter dash too."
"That was because I was so desperate to get to the showers and wash it off that I ran as fast as I could! I must have knocked down three doors in the rush and made a big embarrassing spectacle of myself!"
"Well, that's just what you get for eating my pudding," Blake replied, non-apologetic.
"That was my pudding!" Yang roared.
"No, it was mine, I'm sure of it!" Blake replied, not backing down.
It looked like the two siblings, so recently reconciled, appeared on the brink of fisticuffs. It was Yang who broke off first, letting out a breath and looking off to the side.
"You've been a real naughty little kitten… there's only one thing to do…" Yang flashed a wicked smile, "And that's…TICKLES!"
With lightning speed, Yang's hands darted out and poked all of Blake's ticklish spots, places she had memorized since childhood.
"What…haha…stop that! Yang, that…haha, too much!" Blake tried to swat her hands away, but Yang kept up the pressure, moving her hands from one place to the other so fast and seemingly at random that no defence could be mounted.
In desperation, Blake moved in to cinch with Yang, embracing the blonde to stop her relentless attack. The sudden movement caught Yang by surprise and off-balance, resulting in the two falling to the fall.
A moment of silence followed, Blake, laying on top of Yang before the two burst out in laughter. All the tension and stress flowed out, leaving their hearts lighter and spirits lifted. Blake nuzzled her head against Yang's soft chest, while the blonde wrapped her arms around the cat-Faunus.
"Thanks…I needed this…"
"No problem. Just doing my job as a big sister."
"…Love you…" Blake whispered, closing her eyes and relaxing further.
"Love you too," Yang replied, a reply she never failed to give.
A few moments passed and Yang looked down, a bit confused. Blake wasn't getting up and instead was laying there, breathing gently and letting out a noise that sounded a lot like purring.
She had fallen asleep. She had been working late and going with minimal sleep for the last few days. Finding herself in such a comfortable and safe place, her body had immediately fallen into a peaceful slumber.
"All right…a quick catnap should be fine," Yang said softly, gently stroking Blake's head as her sister got comfortable.
All's well that ends well. Truthfully, Ruby and Weiss could have confronted Blake with her and the result would have been the same. It wasn't like she had gone completely off the track, just a little off course and only needed a little push to get back on the right path. It happened now and then to all of them.
This could have been resolved if they all worked together but…no this was fine. It was her job after all, as the big sister of the family, to protect and care for them. It was her job…her duty…
Blake shifted slightly in her sleep, moving her body and making Yang wince. Her little sister was putting pressure on part of her lower stomach, right where she had gotten a nasty bruise from the fight with the Paladin. It was healing up just fine but having someone laying right on it still hurt quite a bit.
The fact that it was Blake was a bit poetic, as Yang had gotten that particular injury while blocking an attack that had been aimed at her.
That wasn't all; she had sprained her wrist and fractured one of her toes in that same battle, also from taking hits meant for her sisters or from pushing her attacks to keep the Paladin's attention on her and not on her family.
This was all fine, she was used to having lots of injuries at once and her body and Aura had become adept at healing all wounds. She had grown skilled at hiding all her injuries from her sisters, no easy feat when being naked or semi-naked around one another was a common occurrence. They were used to seeing Yang a bit battered and bruised, she was a brawler after all, but they didn't know the full extent of what Yang put herself through.
That was exactly the way Yang wanted it to be.
Yang's Semblance, Burn, was the ability to absorb the attacks of her enemy and use it to strike back. That was perfect, as that was her duty, to take all the pain directed at her sisters' and then use it to destroy any who dared to raise a hand against them. That was her duty, her destiny, her purpose as the big sister; to protect her little sisters at all costs, no matter what happened to her.
If she could, with just a touch of her hand turn their lives to gold, she would…even if she had to lose that same hand.
She would give up everything, break every bone, shed every drop of blood, and lose all her limbs if it meant keeping her family safe. She had failed in that duty once when they were children searching for Raven and had learned a hard lesson from her father about how much harm she could unintendedly cause; she needed to control the Fire, or she would burn those closest to her.
When she said that this story was about the four of them, it was the truth. They each had a role to play, and hers was to protect the others at all costs. It was the least she could do, to make up for all the pain and suffering she had caused them in the past. It was a worthy goal, protecting her sisters, who were more talented, more intelligent, and more beautiful than herself.
Sure, Yang had the 'blonde bimbo' look down pat but there was more to beauty than that. Compared to Weiss's sophistication, Blake's gracefulness and Ruby's purity, all Yang had was a good body, surface-level stuff only.
It was fine…it was fine. This was her duty, her destiny, and she would gladly fulfill it. If her sisters were safe and happy, nothing else mattered.
On the floor of the empty classroom, Yang merely accepted her fate. The notion of slightly moving Blake to not put so much pressure on her sore spots didn't even cross her mind. She would suffer any hardships, big or small if it meant making things just a bit easier for her sisters.
So, the yellow Xiao Long lay there, in mild discomfort, happy to have pulled her sister from blindly following a path to self-destruction…willfully ignorant of the fact that she was doing just that herself.
The Xiao Long Sisterhood was a beautiful and powerful thing, but it had darker dimensions. It would all come to a head, sooner or later, but right now, simple peace reigned.
That's it for this chapter. We get another funny reaction from Pyrrha to being defeated, finally building up the JaunexPyrrha relationship. Next is Yang pulling Blake out of her post-fight funk in a slightly different, endearing way while also showing a darker side to her feelings and actions. Yang has been changed the least so far in my story, so this adds a bit more to her character going forward and gives her obstacles to overcome alongside the rest of Team RWBY.
More small adventures will follow, with the RWBY and JNPR dealing further with the new situation and building up to the Dance.
I've added a short vignette to this chapter, which I'm calling a 'Deleted Scene'. This is a story that is fully in canon with the main plot of Sisterhood. I had originally planned it to be part of the original set of vignettes, but it didn't pan out. This is set between Volume 1 and 2, so both Ren's gender and Weiss's sexuality are still under wraps.
Deleted Scene: A Song of Weiss and Water
Flashback
Summer Rose wiped her forehead as the hot sun shined down upon her. Weeding the flower garden wasn't an easy task but she was finally done and could take a break. She grabbed her bottle of water and started heading back inside when she saw something coming around the side of the house.
It was Yang, pulling a red wagon behind her. In the wagon were Weiss and Ruby, with Blake helping push the vehicle from behind.
Looking at her children, Summer knew exactly what they had been up to while she had been working in the garden.
Yang, Ruby and Blake all had white pillowcases hanging off their shoulders in imitation of Summer's white cloak. Weiss on the other hand, had a black sheet over her shoulders and her face was covered with random dashes of black and white makeup. The final touch was a pair of crooked paper mâché horns sticking from her forehead.
The girls had just finished a game of 'Huntsmen and Grimm'. Weiss had been playing the 'Bad Grimm', while her sisters had been the 'Good Huntresses' that had chased her down. Now they were hauling her away to 'jail', where all naughty Grimm go to.
It brought an indescribable feeling of pride and joy that her children's ideal of a Huntress was herself. Less joyful was Weiss's make-shift Grimm face paint, which was clear proof that her make-up cabinet had, once again, been raided.
A disciplinary matter for another day, as the four girls smiled brightly at seeing their mother.
"You girls having fun?" Summer asked, walking towards the children while taking a sip of her water bottle.
"Yes! We managed to appa…appa… appa-hand the naughty Grimm," Yang said joyfully, stumbling a bit on the bigger words.
"I would have gotten away with my nefarious Grimm plans, if not for you meddling kids!" Weiss shouted indignantly, keeping in character. "And your mangy…wait we don't have a dog…Mommy, can we get a puppy?"
The four girls looked at their mother with hope-filled expressions.
"…Ask your father…" Summer replied, remorselessly passing the buck to Tai. She hid her smile at her children's visible disappointment by taking another large swig of water.
"Anyway, we need to take this evil Grimm to prison where she belongs," Blake said, pushing the back of the wagon slightly to get the game back on track.
"That's right!" Ruby declared, standing up in the wagon next to Weiss, "We have to take you to horn-y jail!"
The four innocent children looked on in confusion as Summer suddenly spat out her water and started coughing.
"Wha…WHAT?!" she finally croaked out, looking at her girls in horror.
'Horn-y jail…because she had horns," Ruby explained, tapping one of Weiss's fake horns.
"If she had wings, she would go to wing-y jail," Blake said.
"And those with tails go to tail-y jail," Yang added.
"That's how it works…right?" Weiss asked, tilting her head, an action her sisters mimicked.
Four sets of young eyes bore into Summer Rose, curious eyes that expected, nay, demanded a satisfactory answer.
Summer collected herself as quickly as she could, standing up straight and clearing her throat.
"Ummm….Yes! Of course, of course, of course! Those Grimm with horns go to…horn-y jail," she cringed slightly at saying those words but pressed on. "A-anyway, you girls should head inside and get cleaned up before your father gets home. If you put everything away neatly, then we can get all ice cream later."
The four children's faces lit up as Summer deployed the parent's Ultimate Weapon. They rushed inside, the wagon taking the turn on two wheels as Yang pulled it as hard as she could. Weiss and Ruby whooped in joy at the experience, while Blake was hanging on from behind.
Summer watched her children disappear into the house; confident they wouldn't hurt themselves.
It was only when they were fully out of sight that Summer sighed deeply and slumped against the door frame, mentally drained.
She loved those kids to death but damn if they didn't say the darndest things sometimes. Even for a seasoned Huntress, capable of destroying hordes of Grimm by herself, they could be a bit too much.
Taking a deep breath, Summer straightened up and walked inside. She took solace that it would still be many years before she had to worry about those kids being hormonal, and even then, she would never have to worry about Weiss.
While she was just as loud and wild as her sisters, the Little Snow Angel of the family always maintained a sophisticated and refined manner.
Yes, if there was one thing she could be sure of, it was that Weiss would never have to be locked up in 'Horny Jail".
Present Day
Weiss Xiao Long strode down the changing rooms of Beacon confidently, her hands working to fix the light blue hair tie to her ponytail.
It wasn't just her tiara hairpin that had been swapped out. Instead of her usual white dress and jacket, she had a light blue bikini top and bottoms, complete with frills along the edges. Normally, this wouldn't have been acceptable attire in Beacon but today was different.
Today was Pool Day.
Beacon Academy was equipped with a full-size athletic swimming pool. Its stated purpose was to aid in training against aquatic Grimm but was also used for swimming exercises. It had been closed all semester for cleaning and renovation but was finally open for use.
Normally, the student would be required to wear the school-regulation swimwear, which was a particularly unappealing dark grey one-piece for the girls. Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on your view, the shipment of new swimsuits had been delayed. Not wanting to deny the students the use of the pool after waiting so long, Beacon staff allowed the students to bring their personal swimwear instead. The first few classes were only going to be basic swimming exercises, so it would all be fine.
The changing room was empty besides the white-haired girl. As always, she had taken the longest to get ready, taking what seemed like ages in the changing stall to get her swimwear on. Alongside making sure her bikini was both on correctly and fitted in such a way to be most flattering to her figure, she had also taken the time to apply some light makeup. It was waterproof and of her design and make, so it was guaranteed to stay on perfectly no matter how wet she got.
Why wear makeup at the pool? Because, according to Weiss, it was important to always look your best, no matter the situation.
She finished fixing her hair and picked up her pace. She was eager to get out there and show everyone what she could do; she was a very confident swimmer.
Still, she was far better at winter sports and for a moment she considered grabbing some Ice Dust. She could wait until everyone was in the water and throw the Dust in, freezing everyone in place. She could skate around her immobilized classmates, showing off her skills and being as smug as she wanted.
She shelved the idea for now, for time and logistical reasons, and stood in front of the double doors leading to the pool. She cracked her knuckles before pushing the doors open, ready to show everyone what Weiss Xiao Long was made of.
The rest of the class was there, standing or sitting along the pool in their teams or small groups. A few were already in the pool, either slowly doing laps or just floating leisurely, but most were waiting for the Professor to arrive.
Half of the students were, of course, male. A large group of young men bare-chested with short trucks on would, to some, be quite the attractive sight. Weiss barely noticed them, having no interest whatsoever.
There was the presence of one male she took note of, alongside the absence of another.
Ren had called in sick today and so wasn't there at the pool. It was a real shame and a bit of a surprise, as Ren had been perfectly fine the day before. Nora had been the one to inform them that Ren wouldn't be joining them at the pool. Even Jaune and Pyrrha had been caught off guard, not having heard anything about being ill that morning.
It was coming from Nora, so they could trust her, but it still seemed odd and out of left field. Weiss wondered if something else was up, like if Ren was a bad swimmer and didn't want to be embarrassed in front of the class.
Or maybe he didn't want to be seen in public with just swim trucks on; he was quite a reserved person, so maybe being half-naked in front of people was too much.
All perfectly acceptable reasons to be sure, she and the others just wished for more information. They all cared about Ren and wanted him to be okay, though it was difficult with how distant he could be.
An issue for another day, as there was plenty to occupy her mind right now.
The other male she noticed was Jaune. Like the others, he was bare-chested and only wearing a pair of black and white swim trucks. He was cutting quite the figure, with well-defined muscles and abs beginning to show; his training was paying off.
Weiss didn't look at Jaune with desire or lust but instead with pride; proud of the accomplishment he had achieved in his time at Beacon, the physical result of his hard work on display. An accomplished she had played a part in, so she could take some smug satisfaction at that. She was, honestly, happy for him and looked forward to how much further he would go.
Of course, men were only half of the equation here at the pool. The other half were the girls, all wearing swimsuits, all displaying their amazing figures. Be it one piece or two, the swimsuits showed off each girl amazing's body. Everyone one of them could have been a model, with smooth skin, fine breasts and wonderful muscles; an absolute feast for the eyes.
It was there, standing in the doorway to the pool, that Weiss remembered something very important.
"That's right…I'm a Useless Lesbian…Fuck!"
The heat began to rise within the white Xiao Long, her repressed sexual desires bubbling to the surface at this display of fine feminine forms.
"Keep it together, keep it together. Don't do anything stupid or…Damn, that girl's got a fine rack!" Weiss's mind went blank for a moment, just staring before she reeled it back in. "No, no! I must keep my cool, I can't let people know…not yet…"
She looked around the room, trying to find something to distract her mind. Her eyes went back to Jaune, and she found that her sisters were nearby. She rushed over, once again seeking solace with her family.
Of course, her sisters were nothing to sneeze at either. With Yang in a yellow bikini, Blake in a purple one and Ruby in a red one-piece with a small, attached skirt, they were the epitome of beauty. They easily outshone everyone else here, in her humble and objective opinion.
The only reason she wasn't getting hot and bothered by them was…was…was…
Weiss's mind went blank for a moment as if it had run into an obstacle and, instead of going through it, went around. She only blatantly realized that she had walked the distance to her team and so decided to just shove this weird feeling to the side.
"About time you got here," Yang said, doing some warm-up stretches, "I was beginning to think the class would be over before you got ready."
"Yeah, seriously, do you really need to have make-up on?" Blake added, giving her sister a wiry smile.
"But of course, my dear sister, after all-"
"It's always important to look your best, no matter the situation," her three sisters interrupted, "we know, we know."
Weiss pouted a bit at this, before just shaking her head and beginning her warm-up stretches.
"Anyway, what's the plan? Are we doing specific exercises, or do we have free rein?" Weiss asked.
"Not sure yet," Jaune answered, "We're all still waiting for the Professor to arrive."
Weiss looked at Jaune and realized that Ren wasn't the only JNPR member absent.
"Hey, where's Pyrrha and Nora?"
"Pyrrha's doing a quick lap in the pool," Ruby said, pointing at the body of water, "and Nora is…"
"Right here!"
Everyone jumped a little as the pink bomber leapt into view.
"Jeez, give us a little warning next time," Blake chided.
"Sorry, but you won't believe what I found. There is a supply closet over there with a bunch of pool toys! Beach balls of every size, big inflatable animals and a whole bunch of pool noodles. We should totally have a pool noodle fight!"
Everyone smiled and laughed at Nora's suggestion, agreeing that they could have lots of fun if the Professor let them use the pool toys.
Everyone except Weiss, who was too busy just staring at her friend. The white and pink bikini that she was wearing left nothing to the imagination, leaving the stunning beauty of the wonderful short stack open to all.
In her boundless joy, Nora was hopping up and down, which was causing her large breasts to jiggle profusely. The movement was so great that it almost seems like something would slip out eventually.
That thought and image caused Weiss's eye to twitch slightly.
"Oh, is everyone here now?"
The sudden voice caused Weiss to turn towards the pool, seeing that it was Pyrrha. There was a pool ladder right next to where the group was standing, and she was climbing out of the pool. With a green two-piece on, she looked like a sexy, muscular Amazon Goddess emerging from the water.
A sexy muscular Amazon Goddess…who was soaking wet. Trails of water flowed down the exquisite muscle definition of the redhead, making Weiss's other eye start to twitch.
She broke her gaze, looking around for something to distract herself while the others greeted Pyrrha. She found it in the form of the approaching Coco and Velvet, the latter almost hiding behind the Team CFVY leader.
It was the oddly of it that helped pull Weiss's mind out of the gutter, as while a bit shy she didn't think Velvet was the kind to try and hide.
She certainly wasn't any less attractive than the other girls here. The light brown one-piece fit her well and went together with the tan two-piece that Coco was wearing. Fashion coordination had certainly been a factor here, but it still wasn't clear why Velvet was unhappy.
"Seriously Coco, why did you make me wear this?" the bunny girl asked.
"Because you look great in it. Consider it a gift from me to you," Coco answered, striding forward without worry. She was still wearing her sunglasses and beret and was leading her partner to the other side of the pool where the rest of her team was waiting. This would take them past RWBY and JNPR, letting them hear what was being said.
"This was a gift I could have don't without. It's only because it was a gift that I tried it on…wait, did you give it to me just to guilt me into putting it on!" Velvet, indigent.
"Of course not," Coco replied, her bright smile saying otherwise, "This was all just a great fashion choice, that's all."
"That's bull," the otherwise polite girl response, pouting her cheeks and glaring at her friend. "This is all super embarrassing for me, not to mention insensitive to Faunus.
That comment got everyone's attention and the group looked toward the approaching pair, wondering what she meant. Velvet look perfectly fine, the swimsuit hugging her body well and complimenting her figure.
Coco just shrugged off the criticism, instead waving a hand in greeting to RWBY and JNPR.
Velvet strode forward, stopping Coco in her track and standing in front of her.
"That's not it. This is a very personal thing, and you can't just brush it off,"
With her back to the group, they could now see what the issue was. On the back of Velvet's swimsuit, right above her butt, was an adorable little cotton tail. They could see why Velvet would be embarrassed by it, but also why Coco made her wear it; it fit her so well.
Coco just smiled as Velvet started to vent. She wasn't being insensitive or uncaring to her friend, she just wanted her to break out of her shell and be more confident in showing off her great figure.
One person was taking notes. Weiss's eyes were glued to Velvet's rear, the bunny tail doing well in highlighting her first-rate rump. With Velvet getting more worked up and animated in her argument with Coco, her butt was swaying back and forth.
Both of Weiss's eyes started to twitch.
"Furthermore-", Velvet's tirade was cut short by a loud splash. Turning around, she saw that Weiss had fallen into the pool.
Not dived into it but fell flat. It almost seemed that she lay on the top of the water for a full moment before slowly sinking beneath, a trail of bubbles marking her passage.
Weiss Xiao Long: 0
Velvet's Bunny Butt: 2
Everyone just stared at the scene for several moments, not sure what was happening.
"Is she… all right?" Pyrrha asked, confused and concerned.
The Xiao Long Sisters looked at one another before sighing.
"I'll get her," Yang said and quickly dove into the pool. In short order, she was back with Weiss over her shoulder. She pulled them out of the water and laid her stricken sibling on the ground.
Weiss didn't appear hurt, but her face was bright red, and her eyes were wide. Without ceremony, Blake placed her foot on Weiss's stomach and pressed down, causing a small fountain of water to escape from her twin's lips.
Finally, her senses returned, and she sat up, coughing the rest of the pool water out.
"Lock me up in Horny Jail and throw away the key," Weiss mentally lamented, frustrated that she couldn't control her emotions. Was she just completely useless when it came to this?
Everyone was surprised when Weiss suddenly jumped to her feet and pumped her fists, looking like she was about to start fighting.
"NO! I am Weiss Xiao Long. I'm going to create a business empire that will dominate the Dust, Fashion and Music Industries, not to mention becoming a world-renown Huntress. A fine piece of ass isn't enough to stop me!"
Weiss's internal motivation speech, and any questions by the others, were cut off as the Professor finally arrived.
"Settle down, settle down class. While we're not going to be going with a strict regime today, there will be no careless tomfoolery, do you understand?"
The stern voice of Glynda Goodwitch cut through all conversation and prompted all to look in her direction. No one answered her question, as everyone, boy and girl alike, were left staring with mouths open. This caused the older woman to sigh bitterly, doing her best to keep an embarrassed blush off her face.
As the Professor for the class today, she was wearing a swimsuit, and unlike the students, hers was an official school-issued one. It was a bright red lifeguard one-piece, the same one would find at a beach or a public pool.
That wasn't what was drawing everyone's attention. It was the fact that this swimsuit appeared to be about half a size too small. It hugged the blonde woman's body tightly, showing all her curves off. There was a generous cut in the front, revealing a deep cleavage that was almost spilling out of the tight fabric.
Everyone at Beacon acknowledged that the Deputy Headmistress was a beautiful woman, but it was now hitting home just how stunning she was. Everyone, boy and girl alike, was struck dumb.
Not for the first time that day, Glynda cursed Beacon's procurement department. Not only had the students' official swimsuits been delayed, but the instructors had as well. Only one male and one female suit had been delivered. The female suit was the wrong size for everyone, either far too small or too big, like for the diminutive Professor Peach. Glynda was the best fit, as it wasn't too tight to make it uncomfortable, just embarrassing to be seen like this in front of the students.
It was better than the alternative, as the male suit was several sizes too small for everyone, being more akin to a speedo than trunks. As it had originally been Professor Port who had been selected to supervise the pool, the results could have been disastrous.
Having students attempt to drown themselves to escape such a horrible sight would have, among other things, negatively impacted Beacon's academic standings. So, Glynda Goodwitch did her duty and wore the swimsuit.
To the unasked question of why she simply didn't bring her own personal swimsuit like the students, official policy be damned, the answer was that any clothing that she had available was more risqué than this tight one-piece. She did have a life outside of Beacon, one she was keen to keep hidden as much as possible.
She had suffered long missions through the ceaseless horde of vicious Grimms and survived, she could survive this too. If any of the boys got too distracted, or too bold, she did have her riding crop held tightly in her hand…just in case.
"Stop gawking and pay attention. You are all still in class, not at the beach, so I expect you all to give it your all and behave like proper Huntsmen and Huntresses should," Goodwitch's voice rang out through the large room, cutting through the shock and stupor the student had been in. "We will be going through basic swimming exercises for the first half, so line up in your teams at the far end before-"
Her instructions were cut off by a loud splashing sound. She and everyone else looked over and saw that, once again, Weiss Xiao Long had fallen into the pool, face-first.
Once again, she seemed to lay on the surface of the water for a moment before, once again, slowly sinking to the moment. A small trail of steam seemed to be emanating from the spot she had fallen in like something hot had been tossed into the cold water.
A very long moment of silence passed, everyone just looking at where the white-hair girl had sunk, not sure what had happened.
Finally, with a flick of her riding crop, Goodwitch used her Semblance to fish the girl out of the pool, dropping her next to her team. Weiss lay still on the ground, eyes wide and her whole-body beet red, steam coming off her over-heated head. Ruby pushed firmly with one foot on Weiss's stomach, making a fountain of water erupt from her lips.
Goodwitch could only sigh and shake her head, wondering if it would have been better to have Professor Port do this class after all.
As it was, this was just another day at Beacon.
That's it for this little comedic chapter. Weiss has definitely become my favourite character to write, with all the things I added to her. More will be coming in the future, so please leave a review or PM and tell me what you think.
Thanks again.