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It had all started on that day. It was all a blur to him how quickly things seemed to be. Yet in a way it was all like a dream, but a nightmare that was hard to wake up from. Everywhere he turned in that wooden home they had lived in. The warmth was gone, the lingering smells of the cookies she would make were gone.
His hands shook. As he collapsed into the worn sofa, he could still remember her laugh as she raced around the house with their kids. Holding his hands to his face, the man struggled to hold back the bitter tears.
The sky was dark outside, and his kids were resting. But the house... it just wouldn't leave his mind for a moment. And Taiyang wondered.
'Do I really want to stay here? She's gone, and the man who she likely answered to is...' Taiyang exhaled loudly, leaning further back into the sofa running his hands through his week old stubble, the coarse feeling woke him up just a bit. He truly wondered, what was best for his kids in that moment. A part of him recognized it might be cruel to move out of the home that they grew up in. But if he stayed... what would happen to him? 'What if it gets to me... what if I become so despondant... that I fail them?' Taiyang missed her more than ever at times like this. She wasn't just the leader because she always knew what to do.
But in moments like this where he was at his lowest... She always inspired him to do better.
"Tai..." Summer said back then, her sweet smile accentuated by her rosy cheeks. Her silver eyes glimmered with mischief.
"Summer... I..." Taiyang was cut off with a slap to the chin. "OW! Summer what the-" Another slap. "Quit it-" Slap! Taiyang's right eye twitched, as Summer threw another slap, this time however, Taiyang dodged out of the way! Leaping to the left and then he tackled Summer, laughing triumphantly, as he pinned her down. "Got ya..." He blushed at the smirk she was wearing.
"Glad you're learning buttercup." Summer giggled as she noticed Taiyang's confusion. "Well it's obvious ain't it? If you keep getting hurt in the same place? Then don't just stay there." She then grabbed him by his shoulders, and then much to his embarassment, flipped him over, and started strangling him in a chokehold while Raven and Qrow laughed in the background.
Taiyang laughed wiping away the tears, as he remembered that fond memory. And now it clicked into place for him. He knew what he had to do! He needed to be the best father he could be for his girls. Just like being there for his team. With his decision made, it was clear what needed to happen next. And so fate was changed that day.
So My Name is Ruby Rose! Here's my story!
"So when I was a kid... I lost my mom... It really hurt papa. It hurt my big sis too. But yeah, after a while. We moved to ATLASSSSSSSS! WOO! Things were awesome! I loved it all! The tech! The cool sci fi weapons?! Heck yeah! It was awesome as floof! That being said, there were some things that got crazy. Met a jerky girl known as Weiss, accidentally got mud on her skirt. She yelled at me, Yang piled drived her. We eventually became friends though, Whitley her little bro was pretty cool. Me and him traveled around Atlas and Mantle a lot. Got into a wee bit of trouble" Ruby gulped at the intense stare that Winter gave the duo.
Whitley was rubbing his hair, his face covered in soot.
"And you ran into Polendina how?" Winter crossed her arms, her severe icy stare being colder than the winters that battered Solitas.
"I was getting to that..." Ruby rubbed her head.
"We ran into one of my Father's mines." Whitley said.
"Why were you there?" Winter asked her little bro with some concern in her voice. Whitley in response pouted and looked the other way. 'OH MY GOSHHHHH MY LITTLE BRO IS SO CUTE!!!' Winter coughed harshly, calming herself.
"Sooo yeah. We saw some nasty stuff going down there... Like they were going to brand this one Faunus. We tried talking to them, but no one wants to talk to kids." Winter sighed at that, why would anyone listen to pre teens, sometimes Winter wondered why this little girl was so crazy. Then she remembered her so-called uncle, and she resisted the urge to grit her teeth.
"Continue." Winter said.
"So then I figured I would test out my newest toys. And Whitley would call that meanie Jacques. But well..." Ruby laughed nervously.
"Things got hectic." Whitley interjected. "Ruby's collection went off early, made the whole factory pink, fires were everywhere, and didn't expect the robots to grow fifty feet tall, and I am not even sure how she made a portable black hole box. Penny was out flying and noticed the commotion, Ciel followed her, and well... then we had to fight against those jerk workers. And I don't regret anything!" Winter and Whitley looked at each other intensely for a few seconds.
"Leave us." She said to the guards, who nodded seriously and left. The tension in the room was thick enough to cut through with a knife.
And then Winter quickly high fived her little bro and fist bumped Ruby.
"You really shouldn't be doing that though. This is as bad as the time Yang got into a street brawl with that Robyn character." Winter said with a sigh.
"It wasn't like we were gonna let Faunus get branded!" Ruby protested.
"I know!" Winter said, and rubbed her forehead. "But the SDC is gonna raise a fit over this. And I am going to have a talk with the General to-" She barely heard the footsteps behind her.
"That won't be neccesary." Ironwood stated, with a wry smirk.
"Sir?!" Winter didn't expect to see him here of all places.
"I looked at the reports. You little tykes created a lot of damage, while troublesome. You kids could also be a pretty good team with enough training. So then. Winter. As an up and coming specialist. I will assign you to be their instructor." Ironwood patted her on the shoulder, and then winked at Ruby, whose silver eyes only beamed brighter, as she began shaking Whitley in sheer excitement!
And like that, The Great Team WISP would be born. But their adventures are a story for another day.
