Broken Wings Ch. 9: Guardian

The days to follow Weiss' discussion with Blake were filled with nothing that fell outside of the norm. RWBY went to their classes, the team fulfilled their training exercises and they studied. Ruby spent her free time tinkering with Crescent Rose, Yang spent her free time elsewhere and Blake spent her free time reading. Weiss always kept to either studying or sleeping when she had moments to spare. She did everything she could to distance herself more and more from her teammates getting personal with her. It was not and never would be something she would feel comfortable with.

The worst part for Weiss and her routine was how close it was getting to having to trim her wings again. She knew that it had to happen on Sunday, her last free day for a week. While she wanted to attempt to push to see how long she could conceal her wings, she also knew that another week could mean very bad things for her.

Waking up on Friday morning left her with a sense of impending doom. She was two days away from her next session and after how poorly the last one had gone, she wanted nothing to do with a second time around.

You'll be okay, Weiss thought to herself. This time your team will keep their distance. If not, scream, cry and crumple to the ground. She paused, allowing herself a somber smile. At least I won't have to act that much if it comes to it.

Friday's were usually quieter days for her, however. The team had less to do and often times just hung out and killed time. Both Ruby and Blake had departed from the room, however Yang was staying behind and lying in her bed.

Weiss had picked up a textbook and started to scan through it to refresh herself of the information inside of it. Professor Peach's class was one of her weakest classes as plant knowledge was not where she excelled. It was a field that she hadn't had any experience with at the Schnee Palace in her private studies. For whatever reason, her father didn't see knowing about what plants did, what you could eat to survive and what plants would kill you.

Weiss heard the loud clunking of boots and briefly brought her eyes up to see Yang walking across the room towards the window. Weiss looked away and focused on the text in her book again.

"It's really nice outside today," Yang said aloud. Weiss glanced up at Yang again, unsure whether or not Yang was talking to her or just wondering aloud. "Don't you think Weiss?" Weiss smiled and nodded.

"Yes today is lovely," Weiss said.

"'Lovely,'" Yang said, mocking Weiss' inflection and tone. "'Is it a lovely day?'" Weiss glared at Yang who had made no effort to stifle her chuckle, even at the glare. "Sorry, you just sound hilariously royal when you say 'Lovely.'"

"Royal?" Weiss asked.

"Yeah, like you were born a queen or something."

"Yang that's not how royalty works. You're born a princess, not a queen. It's not actually possible to be born a queen."

"What if-?" Yang stopped herself and furrowed her brow. "Yeah I guess you have to come out of someone's uterus and that person is probably the queen." She looked down at the ground in deep concentration. "What about a king?"

"What?"

"Can you be born a king? Like you come out of the womb and bam, you're royalty." Weiss stared flatly at Yang, baffled by the question.

"I… I don't think so?" Weiss said. "You have to be of a certain age before you become the king or queen anyways. If you're 5 and your parents die, a filler takes over the crown for you until you're of age." Weiss thought for an extra moment before adding on, "That's how it works in every system I know about at least."

"That makes a lot more sense," Yang said. "Then someone who is literally seconds old taking over a kingdom." Weiss looked back down at her book but was distracted by what Yang had said.

"What do you mean by sounding royal?" Weiss asked, looking back at Yang.

"Huh?" Yang asked.

"How do I sound royal?"

"Oh like you were raised in a super fancy, super strict place that preached having a nice sounding vocabulary." Weiss stared at Yang, focusing in more and more as she concentrated on the brawler and what she had said.

Is Yang messing with me? Weiss wondered. Does she… Understand any of this?

"Do you know where I was raised?" Weiss asked. Yang shrugged.

"The Schnee homestead?" Yang replied, leaving the end of her sentence as a question. "I don't really know anything about it, honestly." Weiss sighed.

"The Schnee Palace," she clarified. "My grandfather had the place built when the Schnee Dust Company took off, had it modeled after a palace to remind those nearby who we were."

"So you were raised in a royal place?" Weiss nodded and went back to her book. Silence returned and Weiss let out a breath of relief.

There was a pressure that built within her every time that her upbringing was brought up. She felt fear filling her mind, anxiety rushing through her stomach and sadness flooding her eyes, but when she was able to hold even that pressure went away.

Plants held her attention for a few more moments before something struck her as odd.

"Why are you here?" Weiss asked, looking up at Yang.

"Uh," Yang said. "I guess it is one of-."

"No why are you still in our dorm on a Friday?" Yang's eyes widened in understanding. She gave Weiss a small grin before gathering her answer.

"Concern."

"Huh?"

"Concern for you, from the team." Yang got up and walked over to Blake's bed, sitting directly across from Weiss. "You don't seem to be the most well put together of people."

"Thanks," Weiss said dryly.

"You can't defend yourself against this one Weiss." Weiss bit her lip and sighed, knowing that she had to admit defeat. After breaking down seemingly twice a week, Weiss couldn't argue her stability as a human.

"So you're my babysitter?"

"Just for today," Yang said. "Everybody else had their one-on-one 'Weiss we love you' session but me so far."

"So you are going to sit here and spill your heart out to me in hopes of making me love me more? Because let me tell you how that's gone for every-wait how do you know about those?" Yang shrugged.

"Blake and Ruby gave me the overviews." Weiss sighed and closed her eyes.

I don't get any breaks, she thought. They're going to wear me down eventually. Why couldn't they just not care?

"But I'm not here for that," Yang said.

"Pardon?" Weiss said.

"I'm not gonna sit here and spill my heart out to you because from what I've heard, that doesn't end too well." Weiss watched as Yang got up and walked over to Weiss' bed, taking a seat right next to her. Yang's arms opened up with an open invitation to Weiss.

"What are you doing?" Weiss asked.

"Do you want a hug?" Yang asked.

"Huh?"

"Do you want a hug?"

"Why would I want a hug?"

"Because hugs help. Ask Ruby." Weiss stared at Yang flatly.

What the hell is Yang doing?

"I figured you'd freak-out if I just did it," Yang admitted.

Why is this where the line gets drawn for Yang? Why is she trying so hard?

"So… Should I put my arms down?"

Why do you care?

Despite herself, Weiss moved forward and hugged Yang, who promptly hugged her back. It wasn't the bone crushing bear hug that she had come to expect Yang to give Ruby. It was nurturing, it was soft, it felt… Welcoming.

I imagine this is what a hug from your mother would feel like.

Yang said nothing to Weiss, just let her sit in her arms with her head on Yang's shoulder. Her eyes were closed as she took in the warmth of another human holding her close.

"Thank you," Weiss whispered.

"Of course," Yang said with a small smile. "Everyone needs a hug from time to time." Weiss let out a single breath, lifting a weight from within her. "Your back is bonier than I thought it would be."

Oh no…

Weiss let go of Yang and pushed herself away from Yang.

"Sorry," she said quickly. "My bones are just very prominent."

"I wasn't complaining," Yang said, realizing that she misspoke.

No, no you would be if you knew.

"You're okay," Weiss said. "Just… I don't do well when engaging in stuff like that." She wrapped herself up into a hug, locking Yang out of her personal space. "Can you… Go back to Blake's bed? Or the window? Or your bed?" Yang nodded and made her way up her own bunk bed.

Weiss laid down in her bed and closed her eyes, uncrossing her arms as she moved. It wasn't Yang's fault but that didn't stop her from wanting to blame Yang. She offered a safe space to Weiss, a loving space, but she still gave Weiss a reminder for what rested on her back. No matter what she tried, her safe spaced were invaded. The only time she ever truly felt safe was in the arms of Rosanne.

That's not fair to Yang. Yang doesn't know… How could she know? A Faunus with the last name of Schnee is an extraordinarily accurate use of the word irony. She sighed and felt a desperate need to escape to the land of slumber but she wasn't tired in the slightest. Weiss opened her eyes and opened up her book again.

She let out a small yelp when the first page she turned to was no longer filled with her plant information, but with images of her being hugged by her parents. She was young, it must have been before her wings grew out.

What the hell is this?

Hugs, her mother's face voice rang in her head. You said you imagined that's what it felt like to have a mother hug you, this is what it looks like. Do you remember these, Weissy?

Stop… Get out of my mind.

Your memories do not ever leave you, her father's voice followed up. It wasn't as deep and stern as it normally sounded, this time it had an edge of care within it. They remain with you, only some remain so deep that you can never access them again. All of the good has been blurred out by the later chapters.

Weiss started to flip through the book, seeing the hugs in the early pages replaced with her father cutting off her wings, the mountains of books she was forced to study, her hours in fencing practice and so many other horrid memories that plagued her every day.

All of the good was not used and discarded in the beginning, her mother said. Weiss turned the page one more time and saw pages filled with Eds, pages filled with her and Rosanne, pages filled with her and her team.

I don't understand, Weiss thought.

Perhaps you are not meant to, her father said. Not quite yet.

But you always have had guardians, her mother said. We only served that role for a brief few pages in your history. There are several more chapters you have to write Weiss, your new guardians are here to nurture you the way you always wanted us to.

Do not fear Weiss, her father said. We are never far, your memories will never leave you. You will always understand why you need guardians.

Weiss turned the page again and saw a single image filling two pages. Weiss was kneeling on the ground, her jacket on top of Myrtenaster as it was protruding from the ground next to her. She only spent a few moments studying that section until she locked eyes with the focal piece of the art. Her wings were fully grown, sprouted and beautiful from her back. It was an image she had seen many times, all through materials aside from flesh, bone and feathers. These were proper wings, a complete image of what she would look like.

But why am I crying?

Weiss' face in the drawing was riddled with misery. Her eyes sprouted tears, plentiful tears that seemed to be developing from the sheer shock value of what had become of her.

This image is not meant to be literal, her father's voice echoed.

This is merely a reminder of what awaits you, her mother added. You are never to fully leave this state Weiss. Not as long as those wings keep coming back and you continue to be a Schnee.

Try as you might, you will never be able to run Weiss. These memories will shackle you forever.

No, Weiss thought. No… There has to be…

"ARGH!"

Weiss yelled and threw her book across the room, slamming into the base of the dresser that sat by their window. Weiss let out heavy breaths, her face riddled with sweat and her eyes wide. The voices of her parents had vacated her cluttered mind, leaving Weiss with some relief.

She felt the heat of Yang's confused and concerned stare before even turning to face her. She met eyes with Yang and smiled apologetically.

"Plants are frustrating," she explained. Yang nodded, not wanting to pursue further but clearly doubting what Weiss had told her.

Why can't I just be left alone?

She got up and went to retrieve her book, relieved to see that the pages were once again about plants.

One day I'll be free… I just need… Space… And air…

I just need to be breathe.

End: Next update for this will almost undoubtedly be after RTX since I am going and have to do a lot of stuff before hand. Hope you enjoyed and real quick, if I opened up writing commissions would anyone be interested in them? Questions, comments and feedback is always appreciated.