We do not own RWBY or any other copyright content. All rights to it go to Monty Oum, Viz Media, and their original owners. All OCs are owned by us.
Writing credits go to Uzumaki Ricky, Monsterhuntergod, Sharad the hedgehog, and Traines, as well as Kima Whitehawk Jordan on Facebook. And a very special shoutout and thank you to 501awezome and Mega Ghost from Fanfiction.Net for all your support.
Tiger King and Dragon Queen
Volume 1 Chapter 16: Rally Onwards
With conviction only those in fear can, the trio of Yang, Tai, and Azura rushed through the city. However, to add salt upon the wound of having to run through Vale, they saw Verdant already at the police station. To her side was a crimson haired, suit dressed man with the Sōtora clan symbol badge on his front dress pocket. Though this did not please Azura one bit.
"Mother!? Why did you not pick us up at the air pad!?" Azura yelled.
"I had to pick up the attorney. The Vale Branch only has five." Verdant answered simply.
"How rich are you people?" Yang asked with a raised eyebrow.
"That is for me to vaguely know, and you to never find out." Azura answered. "Pleased to meet you, mister…"
The attorney bowed a bit before extending his hand to Azura. "Sōtora Amranth of the Takahashi Family, sir. Attorney-at-Law. I've heard much about you." He introduced himself as Azura took his hand and shook it.
"Because who has not. Right, let us go and keep Ruby from going to jail." Azura said, turning to enter.
"Let's just hope this isn't too bad…" Tai sighed.
"I've handled worse, Mr. Xiao Long. When you handle Akazaru lawyers on the prosecution, you can handle anything. They have a mean right hook." Amaranth answered.
"I can never tell when you people are joking or being serious." Tai said before talking in.
"Yes, quite." The lawyer answered as the group filed in.
As they entered the lobby, they were motioned into the waiting room. Standing there the group saw both Glynda and Ozpin waiting for them. Amaranth, however, walked on, ushered in by police into the room where they all knew Ruby was likely being held. Once the door was opened, he disappeared into the room.
"I'm terribly sorry for the disturbance this evening. Though I wasn't expecting Zodiac company." Ozpin said, his gaze slowly turning to Verdant and Azura.
Azura nodded in slight deference to Ozpin. "Professor Goodwitch, Professor Ozpin, sir. It is an honor to meet you both." He replied, bowing a bit.
"It's good to meet you too young…" Ozpin said, though dropping off at the name.
"Azura, sir. Sōtora Azura of the Azure Family. But I am sure you probably already knew that, considering your connections." Azura replied, not buying into the act.
"Ah, yes. Forgive me, young Azura. There are many people on enrollment coming into next year. One would say a bumper crop, wouldn't you agree, Glynda?" Ozpin said curtly.
"Annoyingly so, but we will manage." Glynda said.
Tai cut in: "Oz? Why are you here? What happened to Ruby?" He asked, his tone a bit sharp.
"I merely got involved because of your daughter's involvement with stopping a Dust robbery while not being a licensed Huntress." Ozpin explained far sterner, the sudden change of tone catching even Tai off guard.
"Ruby did what!?" Yang yelled in sheer disbelief.
"Apparently, Ruby is taking up a few of your bad habits, Yang." Azura jokingly said.
"I've corrupted my own baby sister!" Yang wailed in despair.
Tai patted her shoulder in comfort as he eyed Ozpin suspiciously.
"You didn't do this, Yang. Ruby is an agent of chaos all her own." Tai said with a fond smile. "Let's just hope we can get her out of trouble."
"That's even worse!!" Yang yelled back.
"Easy, Yang. Ruby was probably doing what she thought was right. Granted she did so through illegal means, but still…" Azura replied to his blonde friend, trying to be comforting.
"All of the apprehended criminals are in intensive care, most of them have a concussion, and one thinks they're a goldfish." Glynda explained.
"MY BABY SISTER'S GOING TO JAIL FOR ASSAULT AND BATTERY! SHE WON'T LAST A DAY IN PRISON! SHE'S TOO SWEET AND PURE!" Yang screamed in a panic right next to Azura.
Azura flinched at that. "Okay, Yang. Loud. Loud." He replied, nursing his aching ears.
"Don't worry, she's not going to prison. In fact, I gave her the choice to take the admission test for entry into Beacon." Ozpin explained, trying to stone-face his way through a growing headache.
"RUBY MIGHT GET INTO BEACON WITH ME!?" Yang screamed with jubilation, doing a complete one-eighty and pumping her fist.
Azura covered his ears in pain. "Okay, Yang? That is right in my ear. Please stop." He complained.
"Miss Xiao Long, stop yelling." Glynda sternly said and, with almost mystic efficiency, Yang clammed up.
"Thank you, Glynda." Ozpin said simply.
"You're welcome." Glynda answered in kind.
Tai simply quirked an eyebrow at the whole situation. It all was so… sudden and convenient for his tastes.
"I gave her the choice, and I have given her time to think about it." Ozpin explained.
"She's still in the interrogation room?" Verdant asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Standard police procedure." Glynda answered.
"Well, when can she go home?" Tai asked in concern.
"Likely very soon." Ozpin answered cryptically.
Meanwhile: In the Interrogation Room
Ruby nervously tapped her feet together as the foreboding mood set back in again. Even though she was not in trouble and now deciding on if she was going to simply try out for Beacon, the dark isolated room made her heart rate go up. Part of her wondered if it was some kind of trick, like it was a test or something. Part of her wanted to decline it, to try and get into Beacon like everyone else. But the loudest part of her wanted to get to Beacon now, to go help people now, to be with Yang and Azura. The prospect of her being stuck in Signal felt akin to this room, small, dark, and lonely.
So lost in her own thoughts that when the door was opened, Ruby nearly jumped out of her skin. To her shock, a well-dressed crimson haired man with a suitcase came in. The shiny, silver Sōtora badge on his front suit pocket stood out in the harsh light above her. He gave her a warm smile as he sat down, putting his suitcase down next to him.
"Miss Rose. I am Sōtora Amaranth of the Takahashi Family, Attorney-at-Law. Your friend, Lord Azura, had his mother bring me down here to represent you should you need legal counsel tonight." Amaranth told the fifteen-year-old girl, extending his hand to her in introduction.
"Sōtora's can be lawyers? What, like combat lawyers? Can you use a sword!?" Ruby asked, getting increasingly manic.
"I am not a warrior Sōtora, but all Zodiacs are trained in self-defense from the moment we can walk properly. And my weapons of choice are actually billy clubs." He explained.
"I told Yang that that wasn't just on TV." Ruby muttered before the man snapped her into focus.
"Miss Rose, as my client, I need you to explain to me exactly what happened this evening." Amaranth told her.
"You're not gonna tell my dad and sister, right?" Ruby asked, a hint sheepishly.
"Of course not. Attorney-client confidentiality." He replied back.
"I snuck out of the house to go get my sister and my friend a present to celebrate them getting into Beacon. Hopped on the airship ferry to Vale, and I admit I probably spent too long trying to find a place. Then I stopped in the Dust Til Dawn shop, and I may have gotten distracted listening to music and reading weapon magazines. I heard Vale Rangefinder's Limited was coming out with a new marksmen rifle and…" Ruby said, near the end beginning to trail off before Amaranth had to step in.
"I see. And what happened next that led to you finding yourself here tonight?" He said, stopping her from going on a tangent.
"Then there was a weird dude in a bicycle helmet making manic hand signals at me, holding a pistol at my head and saying he wanted to rob me after I asked him." Ruby deadpan straight answered.
"So, instead of handing anything over, you resisted and defended yourself?" Amaranth asked, trying to make a case for a possible defense.
"Does it count as a fight if he got sent into the next county?" Ruby asked.
Amaranth sighed. "Alright, that complicates things a bit. But I think I can still make a case for self-defense and an attempt at citizen's arrest. What happened next?" He replied.
"Well, as I fought them off, I made sure to get the people and then proceeded to kick their butts. It wasn't hard. Sure, they had surplus Atlesian gear and were clearly paramilitary, but it's clear they weren't there for a fight. They only had a couple of clips each. If they were expecting a real fight, you'd think they'd bring more." Ruby continued.
Amaranth nodded, beginning to see how he could build a defense if necessary. "Go on." He politely urged her.
"Then there was a guy with a bowler hat and a gun cane that I chased that eventually got away with the rest of them in a bullhead airship. Though I wouldn't have likely made it if it wasn't for Miss Glynda." Ruby said, growing more nervous at his lack of speaking.
"And that's how you ended up here, correct?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes… Do you have any more cookies? I'm hungry." Ruby asked.
Amaranth chuckled a bit at the question. "I think I know all I need to, Miss Rose. This seems like a pretty clear-cut case of self-defense and trying to protect other civilians until the proper authorities arrived. Such acts of heroism would be child's play for me to defend in court if it were to come to that." He answered with a smile.
"So, I shouldn't tell you about Professor Ozpin's offer then?" Ruby nervously asked.
"Offer?" Amaranth asked, raising an eyebrow.
"He was impressed with what I did and gave me an offer to potentially take the test to get into Beacon…" Ruby nervously said.
"Oh, acknowledgement and recommendation from one of Vale's most esteemed Huntsmen and the Headmaster of Beacon? Even better. Thank you, Miss Rose." He replied, a bit more chipperly.
"Are you a criminal lawyer, or a 'criminal' lawyer?" Ruby asked, making air quotes at the second mention of criminal.
"I merely defend those who need and deserve it." Amaranth replied with a gentle smile.
"Can I come with you? I think I've made my decision…" Ruby said with a gulp.
"Of course. And I'm sure that, whatever decision you've made on this, it was the right one." He replied, standing up and going to open the door for Ruby.
With that, she stood up and followed the strangely not blue Sōtora out the door. It felt invigorating stepping into the hallway, finally getting to breathe in the fresh air and feel less harsh light. The feeling was, however, so tantalizingly brief as she was immediately smothered by a suddenly appearing golden form.
"RUBY, I WAS SO SCARED! I WAS AFRAID THEY WERE GONNA CART YOU OFF TO THE BIG HOUSE AND STICK YOU IN A CELL WITH SOME BROAD NAMED PETUNIA!" Yang screamed in relief, not noticing that she was suffocating her baby sister or the fact that Ruby was tapping on her arm to be let go.
"I'll have you know that I have an aunt named Petunia and she is a very sweet, polite, and upstanding woman!" Azura replied indignantly.
"Yang! Air! Vision! Fading! Going towards… the light…!" Ruby choked out through her sister's gorillan death hug.
Upon hearing what Ruby said, Yang immediately released her so that her baby sis could breathe. "Sorry…" She replied sheepishly.
Ruby breathed heavily and slumped into her sister's arms as she caught her breath. Looking up, however, she saw her dad, Azura, Verdant, Ozpin and Glynda. She gulped nervously, as this was worse than she thought it would happen.
"Um… Dad, I can explain…" Ruby nervously said.
"You can explain all you want, but you're still in trouble for worrying us." Tai replied sternly, but with a relieved tone.
"How is that trouble worthy!? At least the property damage wasn't my fault, unlike Yang!" Ruby yelled.
"Hey!" Yang replied indignantly.
"I'm still paying for the damage to that bar for you…" Azura muttered, shaking his head.
"Besides, he pointed a gun at me!? What was I supposed to do!?" Ruby yelled.
"He pointed a gun at you!? Are you okay!? DID HE SHOOT AT YOU!?" Yang demanded, looking her baby sister over for any signs of injury.
"Well, it was a 9mm, so it does have a buff against poor people…" Ruby said, trying to tell a joke, only for Yang to snap.
"Not the time for jokes, Rubes!" Yang shot back like a mother hen.
"Says the woman who can walk around saying Yang bang in front of a literal samurai lord." Ruby shot back, rolling her eyes.
Yang blushed and smacked her baby sister upside the head for that comment.
"OW! It was under control. The worst thing they had was a six-gauge shotgun. Thing looked so old it could cosplay as a cannon from the Great War." Ruby said nonchalantly, while Yang further went ballistic.
"What!? You could've gotten seriously hurt! TELL ME EVERYTHING, RUBY!" Yang replied in a panic, grabbing Ruby and shaking her violently.
"I-I did ch-chase off a g-guy with a b-b-bowler hat…" Ruby said through the near spine shattering shaking.
"Torchwick!?" Tai shouted and rushed over to Ruby before taking her from Yang's hands and starting to shake her: "TELL ME EVERYTHING!"
"Too! Fast! Getting! Sick!" Ruby yelled through the violent shaking.
Tai released Ruby with a simple "Sorry." along with an apologetic smile.
"What's the big deal? They didn't even have any grenades…" Ruby started before Azura cut her off.
"Quit while you are behind, Ruby." Azura told her, trying to warn her.
"Miss Rose, forgive me for intruding upon your family dynamics, but do you have a decision upon my offer." Ozpin said, cutting in before Yang or Tai could start up again.
"Yes… I accept your offer to take the test." Ruby nervously said.
"Splendid. Tomorrow we can set up a date for both the physical and academic evaluations." Ozpin answered with a smile.
"T-Thank you for this opportunity." Ruby nervously said.
"But of course." Ozpin said, giving them all a bow of the head before he and Glynda made brief goodbyes to leave.
"So much for getting gifts tonight…" Ruby muttered under her breath as Ozpin and Glynda left the five to their own devices.
Azura smiled. "I know a place nearby we can look at. Do not worry, it is not expensive." He told her.
"It's not the same though now that you guys know." Ruby sighed sadly.
"Rubes, the idea of getting to go to Beacon together with you is all the gift we need." Yang told her little sister with a smile.
"Really?" Ruby asked, perking up a bit at hearing her big sister say that.
"Of course. But we do plan on helping you prepare for the evaluations to make sure you can pass." Azura replied with a smile of his own.
"We're definitely going to have our work cut out for us." Tai said while smiling happily at his youngest.
"Mr. Xiao Long. My card. In case you require legal counsel." Amaranth said, handing Tai his business card.
"Why do I have a feeling I'm going to be seeing him a lot more in the future?" Tai complained as he pocketed the card while Amaranth left.
Meanwhile: With Ozpin and Glynda
As the pair walked out of the police station, Glynda could not help but get a weird feeling about all of this. Sure, she had seen Ruby's performance, but was it really worth all this hassle with the police and setting up an impromptu evaluation? Finally, her curiosity got better of her and turned to speak to Ozpin.
"Ozpin… are you sure that this is a good idea?" The tall woman asked her superior.
Ozpin raised an eyebrow as he turned to look at her. "Why do you ask, Glynda?" He questioned back.
"Do we really need Tai worrying up a storm with everything else that has happened?" Glynda asked.
"If worse comes to pass, we can simply offer him a position at Beacon so that he can help keep an eye on both of his daughters and their development. I believe that the hand-to-hand combat instructor Professor River is hoping to retire soon. Besides, as long as she is out there, we will need all the help we can get. And talent like Miss Rose's does not come along very often." Ozpin replied.
"What about Fall? Is it really wise to bring a last-minute student into all this insanity, a child no less?" Glynda asked curtly.
"Child or not, she will be dragged in eventually. Just like all the others, due to her fear of them. Better to have her where we can keep an eye on her and prepare her for what is coming." Ozpin replied, nonverbally acknowledging Glynda's point.
Glynda simply sighed, being too exhausted by the night's events to argue. Ozpin nodded sadly, the years and countless mistakes beginning to weigh on him. "What is Fall's condition? How is she doing?" He asked her, hoping to shift the subject a bit.
"She's… stable, at the very least. The poor girl is lucky to be alive." Glynda said with a sad shake of her head.
Ozpin nodded, taking in the information. "And what about… it? Does it all seem to be there?" He asked, wanting to make sure he had a complete update.
"Half of it is just… Gone." Glynda told him in complete bewilderment. "How is that even possible?"
Ozpin sighed heavily. "It appears that she may have had someone get her hands on it for her. She has been quite busy as well, apparently. We may have to find another worthy candidate to take up Fall's mantle if she cannot recover…" He responded, sounding much older than he appeared on the surface.
"But the method you're suggesting, will she survive it?" Glynda asked in concern, her morphed into a sad, almost pained expression.
Ozpin shook his head sadly. "I do not know. But, if we leave her to suffer like this while still having the other half, it will only make things worse in the long run. At least, this way, we can make sure that they will be passed onto a suitable host rather than ending up in her clutches…" He replied, a deep sense of empathy in his voice.
Ozpin then looked at Glynda. "What of the next generation of the Knights of Light and Darkness? Do we have anything more on them?" He asked her.
Glynda's expression changed from forlorn to resolute as she began to answer. "We know where four are, unfortunately one of them is untrained. We do know where the other three are, they're safe. We don't know where the other four missing Knights are, unfortunately."
Ozpin nodded in understanding. "And what of the status of the other three Knights we know the locations of?" He asked.
"One of them is already attending Beacon, the untrained fellow will be joining Beacon soon, the third will also be attending Beacon soon, and the fourth is going to be attending Haven. I will say the last two are rather unruly and quite a handful from what I read in the reports." Glynda finished her report with a tired sigh.
Ozpin heaved a heavy sigh at the news. "Unfortunately, it appears that things are about to get… interesting…" He replied, looking solemnly up at the moon.
"Yes, it seems we'll have our work cut out for us." Glynda said.
To Be Continued…