Cinder pov
The arrival at the belladonna's estate was an event cinder would never forget. Between the exhausting experience, and kali's reaction towards ruby's new state. 'still, i hope she's doing better today' zarathos replied. 'YOU WORRY TOO MUCH YOUNG CINDER. THE YOUNG ONE IS STRONG SHE CAN HANDLE THIS. JUST BE THERE WHEN SHE NEEDS YOU'
Cinder mentally thanked zarathos, and went to carry ruby to breakfast. "Morning mama! Sleep okay?" Cinder put on a brave face and said. "Yeah, how about you?" Ruby smiled and said. "Neo, em, velvet and blake have been really nice to me. Although... i miss training with them." Cinder picked up ruby and said. "How's... uh, how's the burns?" Ruby hugged cinder saying. "I'm fine mama, you didn't do anything wrong. The doctor said if you didn't do that, i would be dead. So you saved me."
Cinder kissed ruby's cheek saying. "Then we'll call it even, my little pyro gem." Ruby replied. "Plus you carrying me again is kinda nice, you haven't done that since i was a baby." Cinder smiled, and said. "Well... if you want mama daughter time more often, just tell me and i'll do my best." Ruby excitedly replied. "Really!?" Cinder nodded, and ruby hugged her again. "Mr belladonna and daddy have a surprise for you today." That piqued the young girls attention. "Oh? I can't wait! Daddy always gets me crazy presents."
Ruby pov
Cinder smiled, and they entered the main hall. ""Surprise!"" Shouted the two men. What they revealed was a wheelchair with a built in tray and cup holder. "Woah! What is it!?" Roman replied. "It's a wheelchair, you can sit in it and get pushed places. Think of it kinda like a stroller but for big girls." So cinder approached and set ruby in the seat. "It's also got motor control functionality and it can recline, me and your daddy wanted to get you the very best." Said ghira. "You did help save our homeland after all."
Ruby replied. "Really!?" Then kali came in with a box saying. "Yes you did sweetheart, you were very brave. And in fact you and your team will be getting an award later today." Ruby asked. "What kind of award? Because i would like ice cream for life!" Roman mumbled. "Neo's been a bad influence on her." But got swiftly elbowed, after a *CRASH* made the girl and her friends appear.
"Ow! How many times i gotta say don't sneak up on me with your semblanceses!" The group began high fiving at the success of sneaking up on a huntsman. "Are we really getting a reward miss kali?" Asked emerald. The mother of blake nodded, signing. [you are a great leader miss neo] the woman added verbally. "That's all the sign i know, but i wanted to inform you in your way dear." The tri colored girl bowed politely, and made a sign appear that said. (You honor me, but my sister deserves the praise. She is a great example of what a hero should be)
Then neo flipped the sign, and it had new words. (Velvet and blake also showcased excellent skill and bravery at risk to themselves. They're an inspiration to not only me, but soon faunus every where) the little girl in the wheelchair squealed. "Oh my gosh neo! That's sooooo cool! You can make signs now!" Neo spun around, and blew a real kiss mark towards ruby. It hit her cheek and broke with a light *poof* then she signed. [i've been practicing. what do you think?] She made a question mark appear above her head, moving up and down adorably.
"I think you're the coolest person i've ever seen!" Neo's question mark transformed into floating words that said (Ha ha ha ha!) As she mimed laughter in a heroic pose. The other girls seemed to pout, blake especially at ruby's comment. The adults all laughed, while kali and cinder smirked at blake's display of disappointment. "Well now, you and the rest of team NVEBR, will report to the center of town later." Ruby excitedly signed to neo. [that's near our ice cream place! ice cream for life!] Neo replied. [fingers crossed] with an accompanying floating hand with fingers crossed above her head.
Roman rolled his eyes behind her and got hit again after a second *CRASH* revealed neo turned around with the words (Ah Ha!) Above her, and emerald in Neo's original space having been her signing to ruby, neo hit his stomach. "Ow! Why are you like this!" He yelled running away from the girl. And the rest of the adults followed. "Ha take that dad! You got played by the illustrious beacon academy ice cream bandits!" Shouted emerald. Neo ran over and smugly signed. [That will teach him!] Ruby laughed saying. "You guys are the best sisters ever!" They then struck a pose, with neo making the words (illustrious beacon academy ice cream bandits!) Appear above both of them, in the color scheme of neapolitan and mint ice cream. *Flash!* velvet took their picture and said. "Man you girls all have awesome semblanceses!" Said velvet walking away with blake.
Ruby deflated a bit at that statement. Em said. "Hey, you can get past this ruby! Chin up okay." Then she left. Neo signed. [yeah! ain't nothing gonna keep my little sister down. just you wait we will get you new legs, and then you'll be like a literal speed machine!] Ruby somehow fire bursted into neo and hugged her while sobbing, saying. "I was so scared neo! Please don't tell mama, i hesitated and didn't push her away until the last second. The big thing scared me, i could've saved her and kept my legs and she wouldn't have cried. I'm not a good hero!" Neo held her sobbing sister, then sat her down and signed. [Ruby heroes have fear, it's the ability to act in spite of that fear that makes you amazing and brave]
Ruby clearly didn't believe her, so neo signed. [did mom tell you about your childhood?] Ruby nodded and said. "Yeah, and how i'm not her real daughter." Neo lightly flicked ruby's nose, and signed. [did she tell you about the orphanage?] Ruby nodded. [well that day was the first time since i was a little kid that i spoke. did you know that?] Ruby shook her head in shock. "What did you say?" Neo smiled and signed. [i signed telling mom, that if she didn't want you, then i would take you and raise you. because no matter what you were the most important thing in my life, still are. but after she started walking away i said] "no give ruby back." Choked out the older girl, before coughing violently.
Then she signed to her shell shocked sister. [i was beyond afraid of losing you. you are my sister, M.I.N.E no matter what anybody says about blood relation got it?] Ruby hugged her and said. "Yeah! Blood is gross anyways!" Neo smiled and signed. [yeah the grossest!] That caused ruby to laugh a little. So neo signed. [did you know mom was afraid once?] Ruby looked shocked and said. "No way! Really!?" Neo nodded. [yeah, she got scared of someone who tried to take you away, so she beat them and knocked them out! do you know who it was?" Ruby shook her head, completely invested in the tale. [oh just a lady named, glynda freaking goodwitch!] Ruby exclaimed. "What!!! Mama beat up miss glynda!"
Neo nodded and signed. [yep, miss goodwitch recognized your biological mothers outfit and license, then saw me holding you and attacked mom!] Ruby gasped and asked. "Then what!?" Neo stood up miming punches and then signed. [i told mom, kick her crazy ass. then mom went full mama ursai on her! she broke free from miss glynda's hold and used ghost fire punches until glynda's aura broke. then she said. listen well you bitch, no one talks about me in front of my daughters like that or tries to kidnap them!] Neo the smiled and continued. [and she headbutted glynda unconscious, and the crowd cheered. then mom met mister ozpin, and he gave her custody of us and then she started at beacon. then we met emerald, and later blake.]
Ruby looked speechless, but said. "Mama beat miss glynda because she was afraid of losing me?" Neo nodded and finished. [you see? if mom reacted before, maybe we could've escaped. but we would have still been broke, and we would never have met blake, velvet or emerald. it's because she hesitated that made her learn and become stronger. so you just have to do the same. you think you can be like mom?] Ruby nodded and said. "Not just mama! I'm going be like you and daddy and emerald too! but please don't tell anyone." Neo made her lips look like they were locked. "Thanks neo. You are my favorite of the family by the way, please don't tell anyone." Neo smirked and signed. [you are my favorite too]
After that the girls hugged for about five minutes just relishing each other's company. Then they proceeded to reunite with everyone else, and waited for the award ceremony.
Raven branwen pov
"Mom! Mom! Mama!" Screamed the energetic daughter of hers, while jumping on the bed. "Ughhh, yang. Please just be quiet for one day!" Said raven, getting up in bed. "No way! Now move your fat butt! We got plans for today!" Raven yawned, thinking. 'it's probably to late to leave again huh?' Deciding she was right, she spoke. "Call my butt fat again and i cut off your arm." Her impetuous daughter replied. "Ha! Yeah right. Nobody can beat me! Besides your fat butt can't catch my fast one!" Then she ran away, after blowing a raspberry at raven. "Grrr, that girl. She got all her stupid from tai... well... maybe some from qrow as well."
Speaking of the devil she got a text from him, that said. (Just sent a pair of bunny faunus too jail, and rehab. What's going on with your side of the world? And how's the little fireball?) She rolled her eye's, but smiled slightly. Her relationship with her brother was the one thing summers death gave her that made her truly happy. So she replied. (Gotta take my dumbass daughter and my dumbass husband shopping today. plz kill me) Then he responded. (Ha ha, maybe someone's age is catching up to her. After all you aren't no spring maiden at your age!) She glared and replied. (Ha ha, very funny. We're the same age dumbass, if i'm old so are you!)
His two part reply was. (...) and (well played sister... well played) she grinned and got dressed for the day. "Hey ray, morning!" She glared at tai and said. "What have i told you about that stupid nickname." He grinned and said. "Well ain't you just a, Ray! Of sunshine!" Yang laughed at her dad and added. "Oh, careful dad she might give you an angry, Peck! On the cheek!" Raven just died inside at their terrible humor. "Ha ha, my name is a birds name, real original." But yang said. "Hey mom? How was your time at, Beak-con academy!" Raven responded by opening a portal with her semblance saying. "Have fun shopping without me!" They tried to say something but got cut off by the portal closing.
"Well ain't this a surprise, what brings you here?" She smirked and fakely said. "Oh? I can't visit my dear twin brother?" He chuckled dryly saying. "The blonds making ya lose your mind?" She nodded, and he added. "Come on raven raising a little one ain't that hard." She glared at him and said. "Well if it's so easy care to enlighten me?" He smirked and said. "Ya just gotta be there for'em make them see you as epic and cool, then the rest is a cake walk!" She rolled her eye's 'right well we will see how you feel when you take care of a kid, and don't get to be the cool uncle' Raven then said "Please just distract me."
He then said. "Well wanna interrogate some abusive bunny bitch while i do the husband." She chuckled and said. "Sure, have fun *snrk* Doing, the husband." He laughed and said. "Hey! Phrasing isn't my strong suit. Heh, here's the file. Go get'em tiger." She took it, then got a text from tai, (jerk face, me and your daughter have an amazing sense of humor) she grinned and purposely didn't reply. "Alright here we go!"
Team NVEBR pov, award ceremony
"Thank you everyone who came here today, we are here to present these brave young women with an award for helping to save all of menagerie, and for going above and beyond the call of duty. Please welcome Neopolitan, Emerald, and Ruby Fall! And their incredible friends, Velvet scarlatina and my daughter blake belladonna!" The girls all stood in attention, like neo's leadership book taught them. Ghira then continued. "They tell me they're called team NBER, but for now they go by, NVEBR as they are including young miss velvet."
The crowd cheered and gave applause. Ghira then added. "As you all may see, miss ruby fall, my daughters best friend, was injured while saving her own mother, my bodyguard cinder fall." He gestured towards cinder. "Miss fall lost her own legs saving her mother's life. And so i wish to present miss fall with this medal!" He then held up a wooden container with a medal inside. "While we here in menagerie don't typically do things this way, me and my wife thought she deserved this as a true symbol of the faunus respect and appreciation of what she did. With this she will forever be welcome here, and neo and emerald along with ruby will have the right to purchase land and live amongst us faunus!"
The crowd murmured while some cheered. Ghira then said. "Many of you might find this wrong, and normally i would agree. However i would like you to listen to what my wife has to say on the matter." Ghira then stood next to his bodyguard cinder, and kali stepped forth with her bodyguard roman. "Ahem. Ladies and gentlemen, and anyone who wish to identify as anything else. This is indeed quite the departure of our typical traditions." The crowd looked to agree with her, so she continued. "But what many of you don't know, is that miss fall and her daughters have helped the faunus more then probably any human before them."
"It was thanks to young miss neo, and emerald. That we were able to get better wages and health care for faunus in vale." The crowd was confused. "Ahem!" They looked to her. "Neo emerald, if you'd please demonstrate?" They both stepped forward and made themselves look like kali, and ghira. The crowd gasped. Then the girls made each other look like winter and weiss schnee. Albeit with the words (we are dumbass schnees!) Above them. The crowd cheered and laughed. So kali continued. "You see it was these two who made it look like weiss schnee signed our petition and got us over nine thousand signatures!" The crowd was silent in shock. "But why would a human do that for us!?" Screamed someone from the crowd, causing more to agree.
"Because these girls are one of a kind. They're the daughters of my good friend cinder fall who many of you might remember from the vytal festival tournament, she almost beat winter schnee and subsequently humiliated her on live tv across the kingdoms." The crowd started excitedly murmuring. "Now if you would kindly direct your attention towards miss ruby fall." Ruby wheeled forward and said. "Um, hello pretty faunus people!" She was clearly nervous, causing the women in the audience to awe at her adorable timidity. "My mama fought to keep me alive, and raised me since she was fifteen. And my first real memory was helping my friend blake protest, but she taught me all about how mean humans are towards you guy's and i think that's completely unfair. So please don't hate me because i don't have cute ears or a tail."
The crowd laughed at how simple she viewed the simple differences between them. "As you can see, there isn't an ounce of hate in this girl. And we wish we could give her prosthetic legs like they do in atlas. But we hope that you would accept that the faunus owe a great debt to miss fall and her family don't you agree!?" The crowd roared in cheers. "So now let us present them with these five of a kind set of white fang medals of heroics! Ghira if you would." Then one by one he pinned their medals on them and congratulated them. "Miss fall i herby present you with this medal, wear it with pride and know that if even the whole human race stands against you, the faunus will always have your back. Is there anything more that i can do for you?" She ushered him close, and whispered something in his ear, causing him to stoicly nod.
He grabbed all the girls and hoisted them up, two on each arm, with ruby on his shoulders. He them declared. "And from this day forward these girls will be awarded at least one free quadruple scoop deluxe bowl a day, at the oum family ice cream shop for life!" The kids all cheered, while the crowd clapped and laughed at their innocent request. And after the ceremony the whole crowd went to the oum family ice cream shop, and after the girls were guaranteed their first order. They all sat down and enjoyed the happy day, where the whole crowd was eating ice cream and celebrating, ruby thought. 'you know, maybe neo was right. i'll get my legs back, and be normal agian. but seeing mama daddy and my team happy, that's far more valuable then my legs'
Cinder pov
Just then cinder and roman were the center of attention. Why well because he caught her as she slipped and they looked at each other, then kali started banging on her table chanting. "Kiss her! Kiss her! Kiss her!" And soon the whole restaurant joined in, even ruby and her team. So roman smiled and deeply kissed her. Causing everyone to cheer and he declared. "This is my girlfriend!" And the crowd went nuts, while cinder blushed but smiled. 'i have a boyfriend!? this is awesome!' And zarathos replied. 'CONGRATULATIONS CINDER FALL, MAY YOU TWO FIND TRUE HAPPINESS' She smiled and grabbed him and kissed him back. ""[Go mama!]"" Cheered her daughter's and just like that everything in her life was slightly normal again. At least for now.
Raven branwen pov
"Ugh that was not as fun as i'd have figured it'd be." She said now sulking slightly. Her brother said. "Well it's an abuse case, they're not typically sunshine and rainbows." Raven groaned, and he asked. "She wasn't fit for guardianship was she?" Raven responded. "No she isn't. Honestly it's just sad, she doesn't know what she's doing wrong. She was a prostitute who got, Rescued. As i'm sure the husband probably put it." He nodded. "He did, guy figured himself a hero. Not understanding that nobody can just instantly change who they are."
"Tch, men." Qrow replied. "I am one and i agree." They then sat in silence for a few minutes. "Give me the paperwork raven." She looked at him and said. "What? Why?" He smiled saying. "I'm not about to make a mother sign off on taking another woman's child. Especially one who just needs rehabilitation. I'm not that heartless." She hesitated, but ultimately gave in saying. "Thank you qrow." He smirked and said. "Nah, don't worry about it. You're my sister, and if you could become who you are now by trying, then i'm sure misses scarlatina can as well." She smirked realizing she could use his statement against him. 'time for a little childhood payback baby brother'
"Yeah you think so?" He nodded, and she came back with. "Care to take a bet?" He raised a brow at her saying. "What kind of bet raven?" His sister smiled innocently and said. "Well if you're certain she can make a full recovery and get parental rights back, then i got an offer... if you're interested?" He crossed his arms and said. "Depends on the bet." She then said. "You foster the kid. And if you do it for anytime less then two years or the mother gets guardianship i'll do whatever you want." And then she added. "And if it's anything more then two years or the father gets guardianship you do what i want. Namely quit drinking forever."
He paled, and shielded his flask saying. "You monster!" She smirked and said. "What's the matter qrow? Maybe we should've named you qhicken?" He groaned at her xiao long humor exposure, and said. "Fine! But if i win you... ah! You have learn to clean, cook and bake, and then do that for the rest of your marriage!" She reeled back, and said. "You monster!" He saw his opening and added. "If you'd prefer, i'll give you a second option. Become a teacher at beacon academy, and part of ozpins inner circle. After all he has the fall maiden there now." She glared her coldest look, and said. "So become some himbo's trophy wife, or a twisted old man's pawn. That's what it'd take for a chance to knock ya down a peg?"
He nodded stoicly. And raven began weighing her options 'on one hand this is a sure win for me, he will quit right away and then hello healthy liver, and goodbye the i told ya so's. but on the other ozpins toy maiden would be a much better option then dumb housework till tai-dyes heh... oh my gods it's spreading! best case i win, worst case i lose but maybe maiden work will give me alone time away from them!'
She extended her hand and said. "We have a deal, i'll be ozpins toy maiden, and you will give up drinking." He shook her hand and said. "Deal! Hah you're gonna feel dumb when you lose!" She replied. "Oh yeah? Well maybe your loss will be a, sobering. Experience for you!" They both shot mental lasers out of their eyes, freaking out the local vacuo police officers in the precinct.
Author's notes
Hello everyone! Kind of a long and busy chapter, but it will all really Pau off once we catch up to volume one. Trying to slow build everything and do it the mcu way. We gotta make a primary universe before we dive into the multiverse!
But many talking points here. Kali's kindness for helping her only other mom friend cinder, despite faunus tradition and values. Velvets parents losing custody, and her foster parent being qrow freaking branwen! And the bet between siblings over the future. Even ruby's new wheels! And cinder and roman becoming official! If you have any questions, ideas, or just wanna say hi. Leave a comment, vote, or hit me up on Twitter. @Atakdognumber1
But as always please join us next time for chapter 21. Newsflash. Damage control. Until then true believers excelsior!