44
Sea travel on Remnant was altogether a strange affair. It was less safe than air travel, prone to attacks by sea based Grimm, but somehow less dangerous than traveling by land. Though typically it was taught that it was survivor bias because most Grimm attacks at sea were all or nothing. For the most part it was pretty peaceful as long as you didn't run into a Sea Feilong, Jaws, or any Nautili. However there were no Grimm on the sea at the moment. In fact, it was a sunny midafternoon with the sun beginning to approach the horizon. No matter which direction someone looked, all that could be seen was water as the large ship cut through the waves with its powerful engine.
Ruby had been on the water before but she had never been on a voyage. The most she had ever been on was the ferry between Patch and Vale, and that was an hour at most. She had been on the sea for several days.
And she was not happy.
Ruby grumbled as she leaned against the railing, her chin on her hands as she looked at a lot of nothing. The novelty of sea travel had worn off and now all she had been left with was boredom and a great deal of annoyance. She winced as a giggled carried on the breeze and she wished she could be anywhere else but instead she was stuck on the boat.
"Everything okay?"
Ruby turned around to find Carmine, two water bottles in hand and offering her one. She gave the woman a glare, "What do you think?"
Carmine shrugged, "I thought you would have gotten used to it by now."
"Used to it?" She seethed, "Why would I be used to it?!"
"Well… I mean you've had plenty of time."
"Nothing!" She stressed, squeezing the word out as she stretched it, "Nothing could have prepared me for this!"
"That's a little naive, isn't it?"
"I'm fifteen!" She cried out, "I'm scarred for life now! Why couldn't you have let me keep my innocence?!"
Carmine rolled her eyes, turning to the side, "Quit being dramatic, it's not that bad."
"Does it look not that bad to you?!" Ruby pointed to the side where, near the prow of the ship, their father was standing. Taiyang was smiling as he emphatically related some story to a tro of women of varying ages, the youngest being a crewmember of the ship around Carmine's age.
Ruby watched in horror as they hung on his every word, giggling when he pulled out his scroll to show them pictures of his daughters, no doubt telling them embarrassing stories of when they were younger. She just hoped they were about Yang, but didn't have the heart to find out.
"It's not like anything's gonna happen." Even CArmine looked a little squeamish, "You know how devoted he is to Mom."
"It doesn't change the fact that people have been flirting with him this entire time!"
She had been excited, at first, to learn that she was going on a mission with her dad. It was something Ruby had always wanted to do, fight Grimm as a family, but she had forgotten one, crucial, detail.
Taiyang Xiao-Long was a ladies' man.
It wasn't even something he did on purpose or knowingly. The force of his personality just attracted people, men and women alike. It was ridiculous the amount of people that approached him for one reason or another. It hadn't been that bad when they had left Vale, the bullhead flying them out to Kingsport. But as soon as they set sail from eastern Sanus was when all of the trouble started.
Wherever he went, Taiyang built a friendly relationship. The crew was the first to succumb, chatting with him idly as they went about their duties. On the second day, a few Jaws showed up. A young boy fell into the water when they rammed the ship and her father had been the fastest to jump in after him. That particular stunt had earned him the adoration of many of the passengers. Ever since he had been wrapped up in telling stories to all who would listen. All the while ignorant of the effect he was having on those around him, which was the source of Ruby's dismay.
"Couldn't we have brought Uncle Qrow?" Ruby whined.
"Absolutely not."Carmine shook her head, "I don't want his semblance anywhere near a boat."
"Semblance?"
"Yeah. I mean can you imagine bad luck on a voyage like this?" The older huntress shivered, "No thanks."
"Bad luck?" Ruby tilted her head, eyes slowly widening as a whole lot of things started making a lot more sense, "Wait, that's Uncle Qrow's semblance?!"
"Dammit." Carmine's palm found her face, "I forgot you didn't know."
"Are you telling me that that time when Crescent Rose jammed during my training was him? He told me I needed to work on the design!"
"Yeah. And that time with the couch, he blamed it on Zwei, but it was really him."
Ruby gasped, her hand coming up to her mouth, "Not Zwei! I called him a bad dog for that!"
"Yeah…" Carmine trailed off, "You're gonna get him back once we're back at Beacon, aren't you?"
"Of course."
Carmine chuckled, "Well besides that. There's nothing I can do about Dad. We just have to deal with it. How's Yang doing with it?"
"Hasn't noticed." Ruby went back to scowling at the ocean, "She's been spending all her time with Weiss."
"Aww, is someone jealous?"
"Weiss is my partner!" Ruby protested, sulking further. The trip hadn't been nearly as fun as she had hoped. Not with Carmine trying to corner her all the time. This was just the latest in a long line of attempts to talk to her and she knew it. She just wasn't ready for it.
"And she'll always be your partner." Carmine settled in next to her, propping her foot up as she closed her eye against the warm breeze, "It's hard to blame her for distracting herself with her new girlfriend. Not with where we're going."
Ruby grumbled something that could, if one stretched the meaning, could be interpreted as assent.
"Never would've thought it'd be Yang, though."
"Who did you think it would be?" Ruby asked, she couldn't help herself.
"Maybe Neptune. She was definitely smitten in my time. Maybe Jaune, eventually."
"Jaune?" Ruby raised her eyebrows, Jaune may have been obsessed with Weiss but the feelings had never been returned.
"Eh, yeah. Maybe. Things never got that far though. 'S far as I remember, Weiss never dated anyone." Carmine turned her head to her younger self, "A lot's changed."
That left the young girl to chew on the inside of her cheek thoughtfully. Hearing about what could have been was rather strange. It felt so bizarre and impossible. Of course Weiss and Yang would date, it was obvious to her. She had seen the way they looked at each other before the dance. The idea of that never happening was something she had trouble wrapping her head around.
A lot had changed. That much was apparent. A young boy ran past them, chased by a girl of similar age. The pair of faunus children giggling and shrieking as they raced towards the prow of the ship. Her eyes naturally followed them as they grabbed onto the railings, practically climbing it as they pointed and yelled. It garnered enough attention and soon a small group of people were gathering to look in that direction.
Ruby and Carmine looked at each other as they heard the excitement making their way over. It was obvious what people were excited about. Though it was barely visible, just a bump on the horizon, they could see land.
Menagerie was in sight.
Over the course of the next few hours, the landmass grew in their view. Slowly it became bigger and bigger. They even spotted a few other ships, a fishing vessel that trawled the coastal waters. The ship sailed around the edge of the smaller continent, making its way south. By the time the Kuo Kuana came into view, it was late in the evening. Carmine gathered everyone together as they glided into the bay. The water was a brilliant, clear blue and ships were moving in for the night. As the large ship slowed to a stop at the dock, Ruby stood with her team near the gangplank.
A subtle look confirmed that Yang had a firm hold of Weiss' hand. Ruby's partner was stiff and nervous. She had spent the entire voyage with Yang avoiding the other passengers, not wanted to advertise her presence as much as possible. Bloke, on the other hand, looked almost as nervous. Her feline ears were flicking back and forth as she crossed her arms, waiting in silence. Taiyang stood on one side of her team, having a casual conversation with one of the other passengers. He looked like he was comfortable as could be and she envied her father's confidence. Carmine was right next to her, her eye scanning the docks of Kuo Kuana.
Despite being later in the evening the wooden docks of the bay were bustling. Dockworkers scurried to and fro as they unloaded ships of their cargo, primarily fish or crab. Some other faunus could be spotted waiting for the ship to disembark. It was a small crowd, families waiting for passengers as they waved their arms or signs to catch attention. One of the young boys must have spotted someone they knew because she could hear him yelling out for his mother as he practically climbed overboard.
Among the crowd, two people stood out. A tall man with black hair and a short bear stood towering above the others. The people around him gave a wide berth, except for the woman next to him who caught her eye more than he did. She was the spitting image of Blake. Two black feline ears stood atop her raven haired head, golden earrings adorning them as she smiled and waved excitedly. If it wasn't obvious by their resemblance, then the sight of Blake shrinking back was confirmation. She could even see Yang hook her arm through Blake's, just in case.
Like a prisoner being marched to their sentence, Blake was escorted down the gangplank as everyone disembarked. The man, Blake's father no doubt, was unreadable. His arms crossed as they walked up to the two of them. Yang pushed Blake forward towards the two of them, her faunus team mate stumbling forwards.
"Hey Mom. Dad. I-"
Whatever she was about to say was cut off as her mother rushed forwards, disregarding the flinch it caused in her daughter, and brought her into a tight embrace. Ruby couldn't help but smile, even as she felt a twinge of jealousy while watching the display. It made her miss Summer.
"Welcome home, Blake." Her mother whispered, "I'm so glad you're okay."
That was all it took to break Blake, the girl slowly wrapping arms around her mother and her father stepping forward to embrace the both of him in his massive arms. He easily stood a head taller than Taiyang but despite the stern look on his face, she could spot the slight curl of a smile at the edge of his lips.
"And welcome to all of you." The man rumbled, speaking up for the first time as he pulled away. Though he addressed them, his hands never left his daughter and wife, "Welcome to Menagerie, Professor Rose, Huntsman Xiao-Long, and team RWBY. I'm glad that it appears your voyage was safe.I am Chieftain Ghira Belladonna. This is my wife Kali."
Carmine stepped forwards with a smirk, holding out a hand for him to shake, "A pleasure, Mr. Belladonna. We're all happy to be here."
"Excellent. I suppose you all must be tired from your trip. Let me show you to our residence, we've prepared rooms for all of you there."
The large man beckoned for them to follow as he stepped out. Kali took a hold of her daughter's arm with a beaming smile, her head resting on Blake's shoulder. She conversed quietly with her as they walked but it was easy to tell the woman was over the moon to have her daughter back, safe and sound.
-SY-
"So that's your team, hm?"
Blake's mother nearly whispered to her as they walked arm in arm down the central road of Kuo Kuana. It had changed in the years since she had last been, but in the way of some shops being built, names on buildings changing, or new structures erected in the distance. The place was a bit bigger but the overall atmosphere remained the same as it had when she was a child. Lanter strung up across the street flicked with flame as the light slowly started to dwindle. The large road they were on led all the way up to her home at the top of the hill overlooking the entire city.
"Yeah." Blake was struggling to answer, to find something to talk about. It all felt so overwhelming. When she had left Kuo, it had felt like she would never be back. She had even made her peace with the idea but now she found herself strolling down the road with her mother like she was ten years old again.
"Tell me about them!"
Her mother was as excitable as always. She had expected recrimination or blame but instead she was acting like nothing bad had happened between them, "Well, Ruby's our leader. She's the one with the red cape. Then there's Yang, the blonde. She's Ruby's sister and my partner. The one holding her hand is-"
"Weiss Schnee, right?" The cheerful smile never left Kali's face.
"Yeah. That's Weiss. She's Ruby's partner."
Out of the corner of her eye she noticed how her mother's smile faltered, "And you're… okay with it?"
She spared a glance over, and then backwards at Weiss. Their eyes met briefly and she felt a spike of protectiveness run through her, "Weiss isn't that bad. She's a really kind person."
Kali stared at her for a few moments, her expression unreadable, "You've changed."
"Well it has been four years…"
"And you've grown up."
Blake felt her heart sink. She didn't deserve being praised like that, "I'm sorry Mom." She finally apologized, "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have left."
"Everyone makes mistakes, Blake." Kali soothed her daughter with a kind smile, "Your father and I still love you. I mean look at you now. Becoming a huntress, helping people. I'm proud of you. You took a detour but you made the right decision in the end."
She had to grit her teeth and close her eyes to prevent the tears that threatened to spill out from falling. It felt too easy, like her parents should have been angry with her or shouted at her. Instead here she was being comforted by a mother she hadn't seen in so long. Kali, for her part, was content to let her daughter be.
-SY-
"Tell me more about why you're here." Ghira said as he eased himself down behind his desk. It was a nice carved piece made of some type of exotic wood that was probably only found on Menagerie. The office of the chieftain was a simple place with a large bookshelf along one wall filled with what looked like history and law books.
The Belladonna home was gorgeous, a little fact Blake had never told her. Carmine dimly remembered her saying it had burned down years ago, it was a shame. She had never had the chance to meet the Belladonnas for more than a brief conversation. The wicker chair she was settled down on was rather comfy with a burgundy cushion, her father in the one next to her. Team RWBY was busy settling into their rooms, despite the stares they had earned from the guards.
Or rather one member of their team had garnered attention. Humans with white hair were rather conspicuous after all. Despite any secret reservations he might have had, Ghira had been rather explicit that the entirety of team RWBY was to be treated equally under his roof. Carmine appreciated it a lot, even if she already knew he was a good man.
"Well we figured since we had your wayward daughter, it might be beneficial to open up connections with Menagerie." Carmine answered smoothly.
"Are you trying to use my daughter for politics?" There was a dangerous edge to his voice.
"No, sir." Carmine sat forward, "First of all this is a Beacon mission. It hasn't been sanctioned by the City of Vale. And Second, I would never put Blake in a position where she might get hurt."
Ghira sat thoughtfully for a moment, his dark eyes regarding her and she held his gaze as he did so, "Beacon is still a part of Vale. Is your Headmaster not worried this might put a strain between Vale and Atlas?"
"It might." Carmine allowed, "However, Ozpin is willing to take the risk if it means improving relationships with Menagerie. His hope is that it will be the first step in improving the lives of faunus in Vale."
"And how does my daughter factor into this?"
"How can she not?" She answered back, "Blake would involve herself even if we tried to keep her out of it. So we figured if it was going to be anyone in Beacon it might as well be her."
"I think we should be happy our baby girl is home." Kali chimed in as she pushed through the door, tray laden with teacups and a steaming kettle in her hands. She set the tray down on the desk, pouring out the aromatic tea with the grace of someone who had done it countless times.
"Of course, dear." Ghira nodded, taking the tea and inhaling the scent, "I'm just concerned about what other notices these humans might have."
Blake's mother giggled as she settled beside her husband, her smile not quite reaching her eyes, "Blake wouldn't trust them if they were going to hurt the faunus."
Carmine nearly choked on the sip of tea she was taking, eye bugging out in surprise, "Well you two certainly don't mince words."
"I've enough experience reading people, young lady." Ghira set his cup down, "Now why don't you tell me why you're really here?"
She looked to her father for help but Taiyang was giving her the look like he was going to follow her lead. Some help he was. It was with a rueful sigh that she finished a sip of the tea, and it really was good tea, before deciding on what to tell the leader of Menagerie.
"What I'm about to say isn't well known." She picked her words carefully, if she couldn't trust Blake's parents, she couldn't trust anyone, "We recently learned that there are some very ancient Grimm that exist on Remnant. They are very few in number but are exceedingly dangerous. My task is to locate them."
"And what of my daughter's team?"
"They are here for multiple reasons. The first is to give me an excuse to visit Menagerie and find this Grimm. The second is what we've already stated. We hope to ease relations between Menagerie and Vale."
"Are you planning to take her team with you?" Kali wore a serious look as she regarded her.
"No." Carmine shook her head, "It is a task I will accomplish alone. Huntsman Xiao-Long is here to oversee team RWBY's mission while I find and confirm the existence of this Grimm."
"Confirm? Not destroy?" Ghira caught on to her wording and she felt a little uneasy as she bit her lip.
"Like I said, these Grimm are very ancient. I'm sure you know that Grimm grow in strength and intelligence as they age?" She waited for the two of them to nod before continuing, "Well these Grimm have existed for thousands of years. While my… semblance allows me to fight them it would be dangerous for both myself and the people of Menagerie if I did."
"You are concerned it may provoke them? If so, why do this at all?"
"Right now these Grimm are dormant but we have concerns that that may not be for long. That is why we are trying to collect as much information as possible before we act." She was lying through her teeth now but the actual truth would be too hard to believe and take too long to convince them. Besides, it was close enough to make sense in the first place.
"I hope you can understand that I have my reservations, Huntress Rose. I am responsible for the people of Menagerie and a threat like this one cannot be ignored. I cannot in good conscience put them in danger."
"I understand Chieftain Belladonna, but we truly do think this threat is imminent. The Grimm will become active at some point which is why we need to find them. I promise you that I will do everything in my power to keep the people of Menagerie out of harm's way."
Ghira regarded her for a moment, contemplating silently as he did so. The sun had set on the tropical city, the lights of Kuo Kuana outside the window a warm relief in the darkness. Kali stood by her spouse, her hand rubbing along his shoulder as he thought and came to a decision.
"Very well." He finally intoned, "But I'm afraid I will need to inform the White Fang of this Grimm as well."
Carmine flinched and that wasn't lost on the two of them, "Oh dear." Kali spoke, "You have issues with the White Fang?"
"Well, there was a terrorist attack in Vale just last week…" Carmine trailed off, "The White Fang there tried to loose Grimm into the city."
She watched as both of their eyes widened in shock and horror.
-SY-
"High Leader. You have an urgent communication."
Sienna Khan looked up from her desk. She had a throne but it was more for show than anything else, most of her time was occupied by paperwork and logistics. She needed to ensure that the entirety of the White Fang worked off of the same vision, that the leader of each cell knew what they were allowed to do, what would further their cause and what would hinder it. It was not a welcome sight to find Corsac or Fennec bursting into her office with some sort of emergency.
It made her wonder what, exactly, had gone wrong this time. Had their cell in Mantle been exposed or rooted out? Had the crime families of Mistral banded together? There was easily a hundred different things that could demand her immediate attention so as she gave Corsac her attention with a raised brow, she set said her ergonomic pen.
"What is it, Albain?"
"An emergency call from Belladonna, High Leader Khan. He says it is most urgent and he sounds… furious."
Her first thought had been Grimm but Ghira would not have been angry if there had been an attack. Her next thought, and one that had her own blood boiling, was that her people must have caused some incident in Kuo Kuana. The White Fang often acted as a peacekeeping force on Menagerie, protecting the faunus from Grimm. Even without a proper academy, they were able to train capable fighters as well as protect their own. But that didn't mean that every White Fang member was suited to the role. Occasionally there would be friction with the citizens, though it was rare. She always carefully chose who was stationed in Kuo.
With a breath to steady herself and prepare to make nice with Ghira, she told the Albains to let the call through to her personal terminal. While things had been tense ever since she had assumed command of the White Fang from Ghira, they had always been required to at least work together in the best interest of Menagerie. It had led to an awkward but non-hostile working relationship.
That was why, when she answered the call, she was not prepared for the earsplitting roar that came through the speakers.