63

Chapter 63: Meeting the Family, Part 1

Beacon Airfield

It took a few moments for the reunited Belladonnas to pull away from each other and get back on their feet. Kali cupped Blake's face in her hands, her eyes misty as she beamed at her daughter. "Oh, Blake, look at you! You've grown up so beautifully." Her smile faded almost immediately, becoming more despondent as the seconds ticked by. "I'm so sorry I missed it."

Blake lifted her hand, putting it over her mother's. "It's okay, Mom," she softly assured with a small smile.

The words had the opposite effect she hoped for, Kali's cat-ears wilting as her face fell further. She moved her arms fully around Blake, pulling her daughter into a mother's embrace. She held onto Blake as tight as she could, just holding her as tears slid down her face. A deep purr built in the back of her throat, Kali letting it out without restraint.

Blake froze for a moment, surprised by both the action and the sound. Feeling her eyes start to water, she slowly returned the hug, resting her chin on her mother's shoulder. She leaned her head against Kali's, her eyes sliding shut as her purrs resonated with her mother's.

Ghira watched them both with a small smile, reveling in the fact that at long last, he was with the two people most important to him. He caught sight of Professors Ozpin and Goodwitch out the corner of his eye, embarrassed to have forgotten them so suddenly. "Eh… my apologies, sir. I didn't mean to ignore you."

Ozpin waved him off with a smile. "Don't be foolish, Chief. I understand that this is much more important than mere pleasantries." The Headmaster then looked over Ghira's shoulder, His kind smile gaining a bit of humor. "However, I believe there are other introductions you may soon need to attend to."

Ghira followed his gaze, just then noticing the group of onlookers gathered just a few paces away. His brow raised, his lips curving up as he recognized three of them. Looking back towards his wife and daughter, Ghira placed a hand on Blake's shoulder. "Blake?"

Blake turned her head, she and Kali pulling away from each other slightly to face him. Before he could say another word, though, Blake launched herself at him, wrapping her arms as far around him as she could. "Dad…" she murmured.

Ghira looked down at her in surprise, but quickly felt a tender smile form on his lips. He put his hand on the back of her head, gently rubbing his thumb against the base of one of her cat ears. "It's good to see you too, kitten." He moved his hand, tilting Blake's head up with a finger under her chin. He met her confused look with a more humorous grin. "But before we get a little too sappy, do you think you could introduce us?"

Blake blinked up at him, then followed his gaze as he looked over her head. Ghira had to hold in a laugh as Blake's cheeks turned red at the sight of her three Mates standing just behind her, each with smiles of varying sizes.

"Forget about us, Blakey?" Yang asked with a smirk.

Blake's blush deepened. "S-Sorry, girls. I just… w-when I Felt my parents…"

"It's okay, Blake," Ruby assured her. "Trust me, we get it."

"Although I am curious how exactly you 'Felt' them…" Weiss couldn't help but comment, her calm facade only slightly ruined by how her eyes darted quickly between Kali and Ghira.

Blake quickly nodded. "I can explain that later. But… first…" She took a deep breath, then turned so she could face them all. Smiling brightly, she gestured to her parents. "Girls, this is my father Ghira, and my mother Kali. Mom, Dad," She turned to fully face her parents, visibly nervous but keeping a proud smile on her face. "These… are my Mates." She walked to each of them, putting a hand on their shoulder as she introduced them. "Ruby Rose…"

"It's nice to finally meet you both!" Ruby exclaimed with her brightest smile.

"Yang Xiao Long…"

"What Rubes said," Yang affirmed, pulling off the impressive task of making a smirk look respectable. "Pleased to meet you."

"And…" Blake paused only slightly, fully registering the Nervousness pouring off of Weiss. She met Weiss's blue eyes with a reassuring smile, squeezing her shoulder slightly as she said, "This is Weiss Schnee."

Weiss swallow discreetly in a fruitless attempt to release her nerves. Mustering a small smile, she nodded respectfully to Blake's parents. "I-It's an honor, sir. M-Ma'am."

Weiss both cursed herself for stuttering and prided herself that that was all she did. She mentally prepared herself for the stiff response she was sure to receive, the cool yet respectful greeting caused by two strangers being forced to meet.

What she did not expect was to find two slender, strong arms wrapped around her moments after speaking.

"Oh, dear, there's no need to be so formal," Kali said in a mock scold, pulling Weiss into a quick, warm hug.

Weiss's whole body froze, her girlfriends all shooting her looks of understanding and concern when they felt the Shock and Confusion shoot through her. While her mind told her that she should try and return the hug, all Weiss could do was stand there, her eyes wide.

Kali's smile dimmed when she felt Weiss stiffen in her arms. She shot Blake a quick questioning look, which Blake could only respond to with a strange sad smile. Getting the message, Kali gave Weiss one last squeeze before releasing her, smiling in understanding. Before Weiss could really register what had happened, Kali had already moved to hug Ruby, which the speedster returned in force.

Weiss blinked a few times, trying to process what just happened. She felt Blake's hand on her shoulder, grounding her a bit. Before she could turn to look at her Faunus Mate, Ghira stepped forward, gently holding out his hand to her.

"A pleasure to meet you as well, Miss Schnee," He greeted, an easy-going smile on his lips.

Weiss looked up at him (and, boy, did she have to look up at him. He was even taller than Taiyang!), and she was fairly certain the only thing keeping her from freezing again was feeling Blake's hand on her shoulder, the Feelings of Support and Reassurance buzzing at the back of her mind from all three of her girlfriends. Schooling her expression, she reached for a handshake, frightfully aware of how his massive hand practically swallowed her own. "T-the same to you, sir."

Ghira's smile didn't falter, if anything growing wider as he said, "I've been wanting to meet you three for a while. Blake's told us so much about you."

Weiss's calm facade cracked just a little as she felt a new bolt of worry. "G-Good things?" she asked, not even sure herself if she was joking or not.

Ghira just grinned back at her. "Very good," he assured her.

Weiss's head perked up a little, a surprised look overtaking her face as her lips parted slightly. Slowly, a shy smile worked its way onto her face. Ghira nodded to her, before turning to greet Ruby as Kali moved on to Yang, who couldn't help but squeak slightly as Yang hugged her with a little more force than necessary.

From her place beside Weiss, Blake beamed, letting out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. She'd known in her heart that her parents wouldn't have any problem with Weiss, but there had still been that twisted little voice in the back of her mind, the defiant remnant of her White Fang days, that had whispered to her all the problems that could arise from having her Schnee heiress Mate meet the ruler of the Faunus people.

But now, being able to Feel both how her parents approved of her Mates and how her Mates were accepting her parents, removed yet another weight from her shoulders. Her face actually started to hurt from smiling as she watched Yang and her father playfully try to outmuscle each other in their handshake, her father letting out a surprised chuckle when he had to let go first.

It was only when Kali turned her attention to the surviving STRQ members that they hit a bit of a hiccup. "And I recognize you two from the pictures Ruby gave Blake! You're Ruby and Yang's father and uncle, correct?"

With a proud smile on his face, Taiyang went to speak. His words caught in his throat, however, when he saw Ruby look their way, her eyes wide. Tai hesitated, at a loss of what to say. Qrow shot him a look of sympathy.

After only a single beat of awkward silence, Ruby's happy voice suddenly cut through the quiet. "That's right!" She said, suddenly jumping between the two men. "Mr. Ghira, Mrs. Kali, this is our uncle Qrow and… and this is our dad, Taiyang."

Taiyang blinked in surprise, looking down sharply at Ruby. Ruby slowly met his gaze, her face unreadable to him for the first time in his life. He could see something dancing around in her eyes, but he couldn't quite make it out. Ruby held his gaze for what felt like an eternity, before slowly, agonizingly slowly, her lips curled up into a tiny, fragile smile that just barely reached her eyes. She gave a small nod.

Taiyang's brows shot up. His shoulders sagged as he gave a small smile of his own despite himself. She was giving him a chance, and he wasn't going to waste it. The second they had the opportunity, he needed to sit down with Ruby and let her say what she needed to say. Then they'd figure out exactly where they stood.

Whatever Kali thought of the brief interaction, she made no comment outside of giving Blake a quick questioning look. She instead turned her attention to the last person left, her ears dipping slightly in puzzlement. "And… please forgive me, but I don't recognize you."

Raven stared at the Faunus woman for a moment, acutely aware of just how rusty she was at social interaction. She could hear Qrow snicker behind her, likely since he was the only one who could tell that, despite how still and calm she was on the outside, she was squirming under Kali's golden gaze. With a subtle sigh, Raven said, "My name is Raven Branwen. I'm Yang's birth mother."

Kali's ears perked up. "Oh! Well, um… that's a surprise," she admitted, causing Raven to give her a curious look. "I was under the impression that you and your daughter were… estranged."

Out the corner of her eye, Raven saw Yang and Blake cringe. She shot them both a sideways glance, before looking back to Kali with as polite as smile as she could muster. "It's alright. This is a… recent development."

Off to the side, Ruby fidgeted uncomfortably. She felt like she should say something. Heck, part of her wanted to say something, but the myriad of emotions she had shoved away in lieu of meeting Blake's family was beginning to bubble again. Ruby looked to Yang for guidance, freely letting her Mates feel just how lost she felt. Yang could only offer an encouraging shrug, silently letting her know that whatever Ruby did, she was behind her.

Ruby let out a near-silent whine. To her surprise and embarrassment, one of Kali's cat ears flicked in her direction, making the Faunus mother give her a questioning look. Ruby hesitated, then took a small step towards Raven and Yang. "Sorry, ma'am. I just thought you both should know that, um…" She took a quick deep breath, then said rather quickly, "Raven is my mother too!"

Raven looked at her with a look of mild shock, while Yang quirked a slightly amused brow. Ruby's face reddened. She'd said that little louder than she meant to.

Though… Raven was smiling a little now. So… she did the right thing? Maybe?

Kali's head jerked back slightly, her cat ears shooting up. Behind her, Ghira rose a brow in interest. Kali looked between Ruby and Raven, appearing more confused by the second. "You'll have to forgive me," she said hesitantly. "but Blake told me your mother's name was Summer Rose."

Ruby shifted from foot to foot, biting her bottom lip. "It is, I mean, Mom's name was Summer Rose. But Raven is also my mother… sort of. It's… uh…". She looked between Raven and Yang for help, but they seem just as lost for what to say. She looked back at Qrow and Taiyang, but all they could offer was a shrug and a sheepish smile respectively.

For an awkward moment, all five remaining members of the team STRQ family look between each other, not one of them having a clue what to say. "It's…" Ruby tried again to say, only the trail off helplessly.

"Complicated," Yang finished her thought, grimacing slightly when she heard Raven speak along with her. The mother and daughter shared a brief look of bemused surprise but said nothing as they saw Ruby give a firm nod in agreement.

Kali tilted her head at them, looking slightly bemused herself. "Oh." Her face lit up almost immediately, her smile beaming as she said, "Well, I look forward to hearing about it!"

All of them blinked dumbly at the apparent easy acception, making Ghira smother a laugh. "Regardless, it's good to meet you all. We've been looking forward to seeing how our little family has expanded. In fact," He then turned towards Taiyang. "I understand you're a teacher at Signal Academy, Mr. Xiao Long?"

Taiyang blinked at him. "I am."

Ghira grinned, his amber eyes sparkling. "If you don't mind, I'd like to ask you a few questions on how things are run there. There's a pet project I've been considering back at home, and your expertise would be much appreciated."

At that, Taiyang shared his smile. "I'm happy to help any way I can. What do you want to know?"

Blake let out a small breath, grinning at the interaction. It was actually happening, her parents and her Mate's family seemed to be getting along! Though, she made a mental note to have a private talk between her and her Mates soon. Ruby was doing a good job at keeping it controlled, but Blake knew that she couldn't just keep holding all her concerning feelings down forever. Yang too. They were both holding back so much Confusion, Frustration, Hurt, very well contained Anger on Yang's part. Blake needed to talk to them before they really started hurting.

On a more positive note, the cat Faunus thankfully Felt Weiss start to calm down as the attention was drawn away from her, the heiress's heart beginning to slow to a reasonable pace, a relieved smile firmly on her lips. Blake thought about saying some quiet words of encouragement, when-

"Hey, Weiss!" Ruby suddenly shouted, her eyes shining brightly in that way Weiss recognized could only mean trouble. "Why don't you call Winter to come meet everyone?"

Blake barely stopped from rolling her eyes as Weiss's thought processes came to a dead stop, her wide blue eyes snapping to Ruby. "W-wh-wh-why would I do that?!" she stuttered out, her words completely failing her as a chill ran down her spine.

Ruby either did not notice her distress or did not care, replying just as brightly as before, "To have her meet everyone!"

As Weiss worked her mouth, trying to form words, Yang joined in, her ever-present smirk on full display. "Sounds like a pretty good idea to me. Me and Ruby's family's all here, and Blake's just showed up. Winter's in town, so why not?"

"B-Because… um…" Weiss racked her brain, trying to come up with a response and failing miserably. "Because she… she'll… I'll… I-I don't…"

"Don't have a reason?" Yank quipped helpfully.

Weiss shot her a cutting glare that was part-reprimand and part-desperation. "Does the fact that the very thought of her coming here terrifies me for some reason count?" she couldn't help but snark.

Yang's eyes narrowed, giving her a look of mock annoyance. Then she rolled her eyes, giving Weiss a more genuine look of confusion. "What's wrong with Winter showing up? She's awesome."

Weiss huffed as she crossed her arms, unable to muster more than a slight pout. "I don't know… Winter's still not sure how our relationship works. Having her meet my… in-laws, for lack of a better term," Her face screwed up briefly as if weirded out by her own words. "I want her to accept us. I guess I'm just scared that if she finds things too odd, she'll… leave."

Yang watched as Weiss's gaze fell to the ground, the heiress's shoulders slumping in defeat. She frowned at her, then put a hand on her shoulder, forcing Weiss to meet her eyes. "Hey," she said quietly, a gentle smile on her lips. "I think you need to give your big sister a bit more credit."

Weiss stared up at her uncertainly, when she felt Blake's hand fall on her other shoulder. She briefly met Blake's kind eyes, only to be distracted when Ruby squeezed her middle from behind, beaming at her. Through the Link, she could feel their silent agreement with Yang's words.

Weiss sighed heavily, then looked up at Yang ruefully. "Maybe…" she reluctantly conceded, the corner of her lips tugging up despite herself.

"Not that I wish to interrupt…"

Team RWBY jumped as apart when the calm, collected voice startled them. They turned around quickly, their faces reddening when they found Professor Ozpin standing just a few paces away with Professor Goodwitch at his side, amused smiles dancing on their lips.

"... But I'm afraid you're arguing a moot point. Specialist Winter is already on her way here."

In an instant, Weiss's face went sheet white. "She is?" she asked quietly, her voice squeaking.

Ozpin nodded kindly. "Yes. Along with General Ironwood. I called them in when the Belladonnas arrived so we could discuss a situation Huntsman Qrow informed me about."

At once, Qrow's head perked up, turning away from the discussion Taiyang and Ghira were having over how Signal Academy's curriculum was structured. "You're bringing Ironwood into this?"

Ozpin nodded, he and Goodwitch walking over to join the group. He pointedly ignored Raven as she tried to bore a hole through his head with her eyes. "Considering the circumstances and the possible impact on the city, I felt his assistance may be warranted. I don't like that he's brought his army to my city, but this kind of situation is exactly why he did so."

The air around the group seemed to change as all of the adult's gained a look of morose determination. Team RWBY looked around in confusion, Blake being the most concerned as she watched her mother's face darken.

"Is something going on that we don't know about?" Ruby asked, looking at Qrow but directing the question that everyone.

Qrow breathed a quick sigh. "We got a bit of a situation you four need to know about, kiddo." Then he smirked lightly. "Though, honestly, it might be kind of light compared to everything else you found out today."

Yang folded her arms, unamused. "What, more secrets?"

Qrow just chuckled. "No worries, kid. This is a new breed of crazy."

"Quite," Ozpin agreed. "If it's all right with everyone, I'd like to move this discussion to my office, away from possible prying eyes?"

Raven's face darkened. She went to say something, when Taiyang suddenly reached around her head, clamping his hand over her mouth. "That would be fine, Professor," he said, trying to ignore the red eyes glaring at him.

Ozpin quirked a brow at them, but simply nodded, starting to walk away with Goodwitch at his side. Taiyang and Qrow let out twin sighs of relief, before flinching when Raven growled.

"Tai, move your hand before I remove it."

Tai snatched back his hand as if she'd burned him, ducking his head under Raven's blazing gaze. Considering the height difference, Ruby and Yang would have found it funny if not for the genuine anger on Raven's face.

Qrow let out a breath through his nose, meeting her bright eyes with his smokey ones. "Rae, trust me, I get it. But we have bigger problems to deal with. We can't have you ripping Oz's head off right now."

Raven shifted her glare towards him, unwavering in her defiance.

Qrow wilted a little, exasperated, before whispering. "Can you at least hold off until we're sure some certain someones are out of mortal peril?" He very pointedly glanced to the side.

Raven followed his eyes, landing on Ruby and Yang, both looking confused, worried, and, most shocking of all to her, concerned. Her eyes softened almost instantly, her shoulders relaxing ever-so-slightly. She quickly looked away, scowling.

"...fine," she grumbled under her breath, then started walking after Ozpin and Goodwitch without another word, her eyes planted firmly on the concrete.

Taiyang grimaced as he watched her go. "I… better follow her, just in case." He quickly took off after Raven, shooting Ruby and Yang quick encouraging smiles.

Off to the side, Kali and Ghira watched the whole proceedings, first in interest, then in concern. "Are they all right, dear?" Kali asked their daughter.

Blake glanced between the retreating figures and her Mates, of whom only Yang could give a small shrug. "I... think so, Mom. They're just going through some… family drama?" She said it as more of a question, directed at Yang. The blonde snorted, unable to disagree.

Ghira looked over at Raven following the Professors. "That seems to be a bit of an understatement."

Qrow huffed under his breath as the group made their way out of the airfield. "I'm sorry about my sister," he muttered to the Faunas pair, hopefully low enough that Raven wouldn't hear him. "There's a lot of bad blood between those two. Having her be around Ozpin is going to be… fun."

Ghira chuckled lightly at Qrow's dry sarcasm. "So it would seem."

"Uncle Qrow?" Ruby asked, looking up at him. "Why is Raven so mad at Professor Ozpin?"

Qrow blinked down at her. "Uh… oh, boy. That's a very long story, kid." he rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, then raised his voice as he faced forward. "Raven, can I-?"

"Tell them what you want!" she shouted back irritably. Taiyang bent over slightly to say something to her, only to slump his shoulders when she glared at him.

Qrow winced. "Well, she's going to be in a bad mood for the rest of the day." He looked back down at his niece, well aware of the curious looks he was getting from the other RWBY's and the Belladonnas. "Well, kiddo, you want all the gory details you're going to have to ask Raven yourself, but if you want the super-short version?"

Ruby gave him a sharp nod.

Qrow sighed in resignation. "Raven thinks Ozpin knows what happened to Summer, and is keeping it from us."

Ruby's eyes widened, her pupils shrinking. Her mouth parted slightly in a silent gasp. Behind her, Yang's eyes bugged out, her head snapping towards the retreating forms of Raven and Ozpin.

Qrow gave them both a sad look. "Yeah. So, like I said. Having them both stuck in the same room? Fun times."

Ruby followed Yang's gaze, her mouth going dry. Her first instinct was to blast forward, barrage her… other mother… with questions, possibly join her in badgering Professor Ozpin for answers… but the thought of adding more unknowns on top of everything else swirling in her head threatened to turn her stomach. Instead, she decided to voice a different question, one that made her only slightly less nauseous.

"Uncle Qrow?" She quietly asked again, her suddenly soft voice making Qrow look down at her. "Is Roman Torchwick really our uncle?"

Qrow grimaced, letting out a deep breath. "Sorry to say, sweetheart, but he is." At both her and Yang's defiant frowns, he quickly added. "And that's all I'm saying on it. That's a whole other story that I don't have a place to tell. You want to know more, you're going to have to either ask Raven or the man himself."

Yang scowled deeply. "Oh, I got more than questions to give him," she growled, pounding her fist to her palm.

Just behind them, Ghira leaned over to whisper in Blake's ear. "Blake, isn't Torchwick the name of the man you all fought last week?"

Blake opened her mouth, but no words came out. She helplessly looked to Weiss, completely lost as to what to say.

Weiss just gave a small shrug, just as helpless. "It's… been an enlightening day," she finally managed to say.

"How the heck are we supposed to talk to him?" Ruby asked her uncle. "We spent all last week trying to find him, and when we finally did, he broke my leg!"

At that, Qrow's eyes narrowed, "Yeah, we're gonna be having a long talk about that pretty soon." He shook his head before meeting Ruby's eyes again. "And don't worry about finding him. We've already got that covered. In fact…"

Qrow smiled, but it wasn't one Ruby or Yang had ever seen before. It was a prideful smile, one that promised mischief.

"I just thought of a way for you and him to sit down and talk."

Beacon Main Courtyard

"So if you combine fire Dust with gravity Dust, you can make the flames go whatever direction you want instead of just straight up."

Jaune tilted his head in confusion, glaring down at his mess of paperwork. "Then why did it just go all over the place in class Friday?"

Pyrrha let out a discrete sigh, a small smile on her lips. "Because, Jaune, you need to use the gravity Dust first."

Jaune blinked, thinking her words over. "Oh… yeah, I guess that makes sense."

Pyrrha rolled her eyes as Jaune scribbled messily on his current paper, chuckling lightly. She looked across the picnic table to where Ren and Nora were dutifully reading their history and Dust textbooks, respectively. Well, Ren was. Nora had a manic grin on her face and seem to be doodling some detailed picture of her posing atop a slain Gryphon.

She was about to say something to Nora (mostly to remind her how Professor Peach had harped about how the hammer-swinging girl needed to know about more than Lightning Dust if she planned on passing her class) when someone spoke up behind her.

"Um, excuse me?"

Pyrrha turned to face the voice, along with the rest of her team. A blond monkey Faunus was smiling over their table, his golden tail twitching behind him. A blue-haired boy in a red jacket stood awkwardly next to him.

Pyrrha quirked a brow at him. "Can we help you?"

The monkey Faunus chuckled awkwardly. "Uh, maybe? Sorry to interrupt you guys, but I was just wondering something. You guys are friends with Team RWBY right?"

Pyrrha blinked, quickly glancing at the rest of her team. She noted Nora's eyes narrow slightly, her hands slowly reaching to where Magnhild sat at her side. Ren subtly grasped her wrist, leading it back on top of the table while Nora shot him an annoyed look. Jaune, oblivious to this, smiled up at the strangers. "We'd like to think so. We're Team JNPR. I'm Jaune, this is Pyrrha, Ren, and Nora."

The monkey Faunus smiled brightly at them. "Cool. I'm Sun Wukong, and this is my partner Neptune. We're friends of them too."

Neptune gave a small wave and a smile. "Hey."

"Again, sorry to bug you," Sun continued. "But we saw Blake run out of the school not too long ago, and she looked kind of freaked. And the rest of her team right behind her looking just as confused as we were. You guys know if there's something going on?"

At that, the JNPR's all shared a look, each showing varying degrees of worry. "We saw them earlier, too," Ren admitted.

"Yeah," Jeune added. "Heck, Blake nearly knocked me and Pyrrha over."

Pyrrha nodded in agreement. "We're just as lost as you are, I'm afraid."

Sun let out of harsh breath. "Damn. We were gonna see if they wanted to do something today, seeing them all run off like that… man, I hope nothing else went wrong."

Whatever Sun was going to say next was cut off when Nora suddenly jumped out of her seat, a massive grin on her face. "Wait a sec! I know you two! You helped Blake and the others fight off a giant war machine, right?"

Jaune, Pyrrha, and Ren all sat up straighter, their eyes widening.

Sun flinched a little at Nora's near-shout. "Uh, yeah. I guess they told you about that?"

"Yang did, while I was sparring with her and that Penny girl." She then sat back down in her seat, propping her head up on her hands as she pouted. "Man, you guys got all the fun! I would have liked to take a crack at that thing."

Neptune looked at her like she was crazy. "Oh, no you wouldn't. I was there, that thing was scary."

"That thing was awesome!" Nora countered, looking almost offended.

Sun chuckled at them both. "It wasn't exactly something we planned on doing. It just kind of… happened."

Nora pouted even deeper, then pointed a finger into Sun's nose, her eyes glinting. "Next time. Call us."

Son went cross-eyed trying to look at her finger. "Uh… sure."

"Uh, Nora?" Jaune piped in, looking a little exasperated. "Do we get a say in this?"

Nora's only response was a sharp glare, which made Jaune wilt.

"Of course not," he sighed.

Pyrrha chuckled at him, while Ren cracked a smile. Then, out the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a familiar face. "Hey, there's Blake and the others now." She then paused, perplexed.

Jaune followed her gaze, then blinked himself. "Whoa. Uh, any chance Blake has a giant in the family?"

Pyrrha couldn't deny the comment. As Blake walked up the main path to Beacon, she was flanked by a giant of a man nearly two feet taller than her, with the same black hair and golden eyes they'd come to recognize from Blake herself. On her other side, along with Weiss, was an older woman with the same hair and eyes, plus the same cat ears that Blake sported.

As Pyrrha watched, she noticed Yang and Ruby just ahead of them, surrounded by two men, one of which sporting a large sword on his back, and an angry-looking woman in battle attire. Strangest of all, Professors Ozpin and Goodwitch were at the head of the group, leading them.

The troubled looks on Yang and Ruby's faces drew concern from the group. "Do you think everything's alright?" Jaune asked, worry clear on his face.

"Dunno," Nora answered. Then she looked around them, confused. "Is it just me, or are people acting kind of weird all of a sudden?"

Everyone turned to look at her in confusion, only two then notice what she had. All around them, people were turning to watch the group go by, most with shocked looks on their faces. The courtyard had quieted some, the buzz of whispers starting to be heard.

The more Pyrrha looked, the more she started to realize… everyone looking towards Team RWBY in shock were Faunus. A fox Faunus paused midstep, his mouth hanging open. The rabbit Faunus they shared history class with, Velvet, stood agape halfway through a doorway, while her partner Coco just looked confused. A bear Faunus leaning against a tree in the corner of the courtyard, looking like any moment his eyes were going to pop out of his head.

Even Sun had his brow furrowed, looking frustrated. "I know that guy… I think. Dammit, why can't I…?"

"Uh… guys?

Everyone turned back towards the table. Ren was staring down at his open history book, turned to one of its last pages. His usually stoic face showed the barest hint of shock.

"I think I know where we've seen him before." He turned the book so everyone at the table could see it. They all peered down at it, focusing on the small picture at the corner of the page Ren was pointing to. Their eyes widened as they saw the same large man smiling up at them, their eyes bugging out when they read the caption below the photo.

Pictured Above: Chief Ghira Belladonna, the current ruler of Menagerie, the Faunus homeland.

They all stared in silence.

"Oh," Sun said faintly. "Yeah... that'll do it."

"Ghira Belladonna?" Jaune yelped, his mouth hanging open. "Blake's dad is a king?"

They all quickly looked back up, just in time to see the odd group enter the school.

They were all silent for a moment. It was Nora who finally broke the silence. "...does this mean we have to call Blake 'Your Highness' now?"

Ten minutes later

"Okay, we have a half-hour before Ironwood gets here. You girls ready?"

"I… guess. Yang?"

"More than ready. I need to air a few things out, 'Uncle' or not."

"*snort* Okay. Rae?"

"He just texted back. They're waiting for me to open a portal."

"Perfect. Tai?"

"Ready."

"Is this all truly necessary?"

"In this family, Miss Schnee? Yes. Yes, it is."

"...Blake, what have we gotten ourselves into?"

"Okay, enough talking. Rae… now."

Raven waved her hand through the air, a stormy cloud of red materializing in front of her. Seconds later, Roman Torchwick stepped through the maelstrom, bowler hat, cane and all. Flanked behind him were Neo and Ilia, the latter of which looked rather freaked out by their means of travel.

Roman was already talking as he walked through, smirk firmly in place. "So, anyone know what to do next? Because I'll admit, things didn't go exactly how I-hrk!"

Before Roman could say another word, he suddenly found himself being hoisted up by his arms, Qrow and Taiyang lifting him on either side. He yelped as they started dragging him across the room.

"What the-? Tai! Qrow! The hell do you think you're-gah!"

Roman suddenly found himself pushed through a doorway, nearly knocking him over. He whirled around just in time to see Taiyang and Qrow grinning at him, Neo's shocked look just behind them, before the door slammed shut. He rushed to it just as he heard the lock click.

It took Roman a second to register what just happened. Scowling, he pounded on the door. "Really?! Eighteen years later, we're doing this again?! What, are we back in Academy?"

Qrow's voice was much too peppy for the old drunk. "Yep!"

That made Roman pause. He looked up and around himself, registering Beacon's familiar architecture. "Oh." He then slammed his fist back on the door with even more force. "The hell you bring me back here for?! Do you know what Ozpin's gonna do to me if-"

"Um…"

Roman froze, his green eyes widening. All trace of hostility on his face was wiped away, replaced with cold shock.

"Mr. Torchwick?

…You've got to be kidding me.

Very slowly, Roman turned around. He was vaguely aware of Raven standing off in the back of the room, but her presence barely registered with him. His focus was entirely taken by the two young girls standing right in front of him.

Blonde hair. Tall. Lavender eyes blazing angrily, defiant.

Black hair. Familiar red highlights. Wide silver eyes shining, uncertain, worried… scared.

Scared… of him.

...shit.

A million things went through Roman's head, all his hastily made plans coming and going just as fast as they formed. The silence dragged on, until he said the only thing he could, softer than he'd ever sounded.

"...Hi."

Betaed by Covert Weapon

Old A/n: Damn, this one was hard to write. and I have a sinking feeling the next one ain't going to be any easier. Hope you all like it!