Chapter 3: Tagging in Summer
Chapter 3: Tagging in Summer
About a year has passed since Yin has been born and things began to change in the Xiaolong household. Raven had been off on missions and rarely spent time with Tai or the twins. Yin suspected she would leave pretty soon, as Ruby was supposed to be born two and a half years after Yang's birth. Aside from that, a silent war had begun with Yin and Tai. Tai had been encouraging them both to try and say 'Daddy', 'Papa' or 'Dada'. All attempts have failed. Though that was mainly due to..
"Yaaaang, sweetie.. Saaaay.. 'Dada"" Tai cooed, face hovering over Yang.
"Yin! Yiiiin... Yiiinyin.." Yang happily replied.
"Aha.. Yeah, that's your sister. But what about 'Daaaada'?" Tai's face twitched.
"D...a...Yin..." Yang replied, spittle hitting Tai's face.
Yin, who was sitting up nearby smiled maliciously to herself.
'That's what you get for putting that fucking show on every day, you bastard.. I've been whispering my name to her every night for months. And you know what? Keep putting that show on and I'll get her to say Summer before she says Dada' Yin smirked to herself, watching Tai try and fail to get Yang to say his name.
He then switched his attention to Yin. Smile still twitching, he asked Yin to say it next.
"Yiiin? Can you say 'Dada'?" Tai asked sweetly.
"Daaaa... Mama.." Yin replied, looking down upon him.
"Urgh!...Daaada? Daddy?" Tai pleaded.
Yin rubbed her chin and softly snorted before sealing his fate.
"Ma-ma" With that, Tai fell to his knees dramatically.
"Whyyyy!? Aaaaaaahhaaawwww!!" Tai cried to the heavens, both hands grasping his blond locks and pulling in sheer frustration.
Unfortunately for him, Raven had walked downstairs, seeing his mental breakdown. She also noticed Yin laughing at him, with Yang laughing because her sister was.
"Tai.. what are you doing? Are you trying to get them to talk? They're one.." Raven sighed.
"They can.. Yin even said 'Mama' damn it!" Tai sulked.
"Wait, really?" Raven asked, looking to her baby look-alike.
"...Mama?" Yin said, seeing Raven's brows raise.
"..Oh..... so she did.." Raven cleared her throat and shrugged it off.
"Come on.. It's your first time hearing that, right?" Tai poked his head out of his hands and asked.
"So? She's smart. I'm.. glad. I have to go. Meeting with Ozpin." Raven sighed, turning away from her children.
"Will you be back tonight?" Tai asked.
"....Yes.." Raven answered after a long pause while grabbing Omen and opening the back door. She stopped for a few seconds before continuing on, not looking back.
'Ah. I guess it's time for her to get the milk and cigarettes. Sorry, Yang..' Yin apologized, feeling pity for her twin, who resumed her favorite passtime of poking and grabbing her once again.
-That night-
After having her dinner, Yin and Yang quickly fell asleep. Though Yin found herself waking up when she felt herself being lifted out of the crib. Her crimson eyes peered open to see Raven holding her in her arms and gazing at her face with a contemplative expression.
"Sorry to wake you, little one.. I'm just thinking." Raven whispered.
"You're... intelligent.. You only cry when you need something, you keep your sister happy and you're well behaved. Maybe... I can take you with me.." Raven muttered, oblivious to the widening of Yin's eyes.
"...Damn it.. No, I shouldn't. Why did this have to get so complicated? So hopeless.. I don't want you and your sister to be a pawn in his game. But you need to grow up strong. Strong enough to face any Grimm in your way, strong enough to see all the bullshit and choose your path." Raven whispered before laughing in a self depreciating manner.
"I'm going.. away for a while, Yin. Maybe someday.. I'll take you with me. But not now. Tai will move on.. Summer will get what she's wanted and you and your sister will get a real Mom. A better one.." Raven stroked Yin's cheek with her thumb, feeling her small hand gasp it.
'You're pretty dramatic. Oh, what the hell.. I've gotten attached to you all. Just don't expect this all the time. Unless I want something, maybe?' Yin thought before grabbing Raven's clothes and hugging her.
"Mama." Yin called out, hearing Raven's breath hitch.
"...I love you both." Raven muttered with a shuddering exhale, wiping her eyes before laying Yin down beside Yang.
"Goodbye.." Raven whispered, before unsheathing her blade and opening a red portal, stepping in shortly after.
'Eh.. Yang should be fine for now. Tai's probably gonna get all sad though. Maybe it won't be that bad though?' Yin thought to herself before shutting her eyes once more.
-Two months later-
Unfortunately for Yin, Tai had not been as okay as she had hoped. In fact, he was quite depressed. He had been trying to call her scroll for days and had even tried to get Qrow and Summer to help him find her, but it was useless. The note she left him had explained that she could not live the life of a Mother and returned to the Branwen tribe, to lead it. Of course, Summer and Qrow had been staying over to help him and the twins, but having been left a single father shook Tai to his core.
Fortunately for him, Summer was a very supportive friend who was more than happy to step up and take care of him and the twins. In fact, she had been encouraged to stay in the house, since Tai needed to take up a job, now that Raven wasn't bringing home any money.
"Tai? Turn off that awful show! Yin hates it." Summer called out as she walked from the kitchen to the living room, where Yin and Yang were seated on top of Tai's lap.
"Huh? She does..?" Tai asked, before looking at Yin's scrunched up expression.
"Oh.. I thought she was just concentrating.." Tai muttered, changing the channel from Caillou immediately.
'Thank you, Summer... Any longer and I'd have started my ain arc' Yin sighed in relief.
The nightmare was over.
"You know, I was thinking.. We should take the kids into town. They've been cooped up in here ever since they were born, right? Maybe a bit of stimulation will do them some good! I read it in a First time Mommies book." Summer cheerfully suggested.
'You're very quickly becoming my favorite person, Summer.. Stuck inside, watching teletubbies, Caillou and Four Square while Yang barfs, pokes and drools on me is driving me fucking insane..' Yin perked up, tempted to nod her small head.
"Ah, see!? Yin looks happier already. Let's get them dressed up and in their stroller!" Summer happily exclaimed before taking off to find the stroller.
"Haha.. What a woman.." Tai sighed in contentment as he picked the two up.
"Aaahaw!" Yang squealed in joy.
'Finally! I get to actually see how different this world is from the original!' Yin threw her arms
up in excitement.
-Patch Island-
The cabin house was off the beaten path from the rest of Patch. Though it was a ten minute
walk through a nice forest, Yin observed it wasn't that different from the original. It was when they finally entered the more crowded area of Patch did she notice a few things. Patch was not a village. No, it was reaching the upper limits of a town. Cobblestone ground, dozens of shops, busses, flying ships overhead and over a hundred people walking the streets, all
carrying on with their day.
'Damn! This is more of a hub than I thought. Must have drove off the Grimm nearby. I haven't even seen one in the backyard. Though Raven and Tai do go out back to do.. something. Technology seems a bit better too. Maybe that's why? I wonder what Vale looks like..' Yin wondered to herself, taking in the sight of Patch.
"...Just in, Leviathan has been spotted in the West Vacuo Sea. All non-Huntsmen and Military personnel are advised to avoid the area for the forseeable future" Yin caught a news report from a TV inside a nearby shop, instantly taking her attention.
"..The Mythical Grimm are quieter than usual. Think you'll catch a break, Sum?" Tai asked as they stopped and looked at the footage of an emormous armored white fin surfacing far out in
the ocean.
"Ozpin's been watching them. I don't usually face them head on. Any time I get close, they leave the area. A bunch of them are hibernating so I think we'll see a few good years of peace." Summer smiled and assured him before they continued on their walk.
'Mythical.. Grimm? This has some implications.. Does Salem control them? What are they? How powerful are they? Shiiiit.. I wanna grow up faster' Yin frowned, lost in her thoughts
until Yang poked her cheek to get attention.
Turning her gaze back to her sister, Yin felt a wave of uncertainty wash over her.
'Will you be strong enough to face them?' Yin sighed, exhaling nasally before catching Yang's finger and poking her right back, making the one year old burst into a fit of giggles.
-A year later-
Things got a bit more interesting since Yin learned about the greater world. Even if it was just
a little, she was expanding her knowledge. She now had the motor skills to change the channel when nobody was looking. Mostly to look at the news. Maybe because the original RWBY never delved into what kind of media was around, but Yin found it pretty lacklustre. Some basic websites here and there, some okay singers and artists. But it was lacking. Which she found strange, given the Kingdoms should want the common people to be happy, considering the Grimm are drawn to negativity.
She mainly stuck to the news. The rise of a peaceful White Fang, the new CEO of Schnee Dust Company, the dangerous Branwen tribe of Mistral. But nothing too fear inducing or depressing. Still, watching the news taught her a lot. But Yin figured she would have to go out
and experience the world herself when she gets older. Besides that, Summer and Tai got together, to nobody's surprise.
Yin had to cover her ears at night a month after Summer moved in. Yang had no idea what the
noises were so she hardly cared. Given how often Yin had to cover her ears, it was no surprise when Summer quickly became pregnant. And currently, Yin was watching her sister while seated in a chair outside of a Hospital room. Tai, of course, was right beside Summer, holding
her hand.
"..Hoou.. sounds... rough... in dere" And last but not least, Qrow was sitting next to Yin and
Yang, completely drunk.
"AAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGH!! TAI! THIS IS YOUR FAULT!! YOU DID THIS TO ME!!" Summer screamed, scaring Yang further into Yin's arms.
"SUMMER!! OW!! OW! SWEET BABY PLEASE COME OUT SOON OR DADDY WILL HAVE HIS
HAND BROKEN!" Tai yelled back in pain.
'I'm never having kids.. I swear to God' Yin shuddered as the yells of pain continued.
"Eheheh..." Qrow laughed to himself as a loud CRACK came from within the room.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!" Tai screamed once more.
"It's a girl..!" A doctor spoke up happily.
"Haah.... Haaaah... Oh.. she's beautiful!" Summer cooed, her tone taking a complete one-
eighty from how she sounded just a few seconds ago.
"Oooh.. It's doneee.. C'mon girls." Qrow laughed and scooped up Yin and Yang before walking into the room, where the doctors were cleaning the blood off the baby.
Tai had his right arm hanging limply beside him, but despite the pain, he happily took in the sight of Summer and their baby. Summer smiled at them and beckoned them closer. "Aww.. Yang, did Daddy scare you?" Summer asked the sniffling Yang, who shook her head
and looked down at the baby with interest.
"Hahaha.. Good. Yin, Yang.. meet your baby Sister, Ruby." Summer spoke softly, showing the
small silver eyed baby to them both.
'Welcome to the family, Ruby. May God have mercy on your soul'n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om