Chapter 62

Summer and Ruby joined the others at the table, bringing platters carrying the homemade fried chicken tenders that made up the day's lunch. The table was quite crowded, never intended to seat seven, and the group were arrayed on mismatched chairs. "Do we have plans for Mistrali Solstice?" Ruby asked.

"Raven is having her get-together as usual." Summer replied.

"Mistrali Solstice?" Weiss asked.

"Yes, Mistralis celebrate Solstice on the night of the last full moon before the solstice proper." Pyrrha explained. "It's an old tradition that-"

"Me and Pyr have plans." Yang interrupted. "We're taking Ren, Jaune and Nora to Pyrrha's parents' place. We're gonna' have a traditional family argument with her homophobe parents."

"Yang!" Pyrrha admonished, slapping her on the shoulder.

"Hey, I thought we were saving that for the bedroom." Yang smirked. Pyrrha slapped her again, harder. "I mean, it's what's happening."

"You could be less blunt." Pyrrha huffed. She took a deep breath, then turned to address the others. "My parents will not approve of my relationship with Yang, as they have not approved of many of my life choices. I fear they will disown me. Regardless, I can't avoid telling them for any longer, and I'm not going to back down. I hope to sway them to my side, but that does not seem likely. Yang, Ren, Nora and Jaune will be accompanying me for moral support, and you may as well if you wish."

"So, wanna' come watch the fireworks?" Yang asked. Pyrrha rolled her eyes.

"Of course we'll come." Ruby declared. "We're behind you, no matter what." She looked to Weiss and Blake, who nodded their agreement.

"Winter and I can come as well, if it'll help." Summer offered.

"No, that's alright." Pyrrha shook her head. "Don't disappoint Raven on my account. Besides, it's probably best if Winter doesn't attend. My parents will be sufficiently annoyed by Weiss' presence."

"Wha...why?" Weiss demanded. "They don't even know me!"

"They hate Atlesians." Pyrrha replied.

"Why?" Ruby asked.

"Western Mistral and Atlas have a...let's call it a history of conflict." Pyrrha explained. "It goes back centuries, millennia if the legends are to be believed."

"But we were allies in the Great War." Weiss countered.

"Allies of convenience, and not very good allies either." Pyrrha noted.

"Mistral cost Atlas the war." Weiss declared.

"And Mistralis blame the defeat on Atlas." Pyrrha insisted. "There's no point arguing about it. They can't stand Atlesians, and that's all there is to it."

"How come we never heard any of this stuff?" Ruby asked. "Our dad's Mistrali."

"Eastern Mistralis tend not to hold the same grudges." Pyrrha answered. "Honestly, the ones who care probably resent Western Mistralis more, even if our Solstice celebrations commemorate cooperative victory in a battle against Atlas."

"That's ridiculous, if something so momentous happened, I'd know about it." Weiss scoffed. "Why didn't we learn any of this in history?"

"Probably because your side lost." Pyrrha theorized. "It was centuries ago, and the battle has taken on a semi-mythical status for Mistralis, so perhaps Atlesians prefer to write it off as just a legend."

"She makes a good point." Blake noted. "When did they ever teach us anything negative about Atlas?"

"I guess that makes sense." Weiss sighed. "I'm going to end up in an argument with your parents whether I like it or not, aren't I?"

"I wouldn't bet against it." Pyrrha admitted. "You don't have to come."

"No, I want to spend the holiday with Blake and Ruby, and I want to be there for you too." Weiss shook her head. "I can deal with some discomfort for your sake."

"Oh, do we need to bring gifts?" Ruby asked.

"Not gifts persay." Pyrrha replied. "It is traditional for guests to bring some kind of food or drink, though, since you're all under 20, you're still technically children, and I think that exempts you."

"I am not a child." Weiss huffed.

"Pyr, you got me that lame costume, do they need outfits too?" Yang asked.

"It's not lame, it's traditional." Pyrrha protested. Yang's grin told her the argument was a dead end, and she sighed. "No, my family has several reserved for guests. You'll be able to borrow those."

"So why did I need my own?" Yang pressed.

"Because you're trying to impress them." Pyrrha answered. "Yours is made of the finest cloth, and your circlet marks you as my guest of honor."

"I wish it wasn't so baggy." Yang complained.

"I told you, you wear it over your clothes." Pyrrha responded. "You won't complain about the size when you have to put it over a winter coat."

"I still think it should have a boob window." Yang pouted.

"My parents would find such a thing abhorrent!" Pyrrha exclaimed.

"I guess they didn't see the dress Weiss got you then." Yang smirked. Pyrrha blushed and shrunk in her chair.

"So, what does Raven do for Solstice?" Winter cut in, changing the subject for Pyrrha's sake.

"We usually just go to her house, have dinner, a few drinks, and chat." Summer shrugged. "More than anything, it's an excuse to get everyone together."

"That sounds lovely." Winter smiled. "Pyrrha, what do your parents do for Solstice?"

"Well it starts with a traditional lunch of bread and wine." Pyrrha replied. "Then, we spend the night fasting and in prayer. The adult women go out to pray at the family shrine overnight and return to the house in the morning. Then there's a big feast for lunch. That's pretty much it."

"Fasting and praying?" Yang groaned. "That doesn't sound like a celebration."

"It's a religious observance Yang." Pyrrha noted. "It's the holiest night of the year."

"I'm not religious." Weiss warned. "Is that going to cause a problem?"

"As long as you don't announce that, and avoid antagonizing my parents, you should be fine." Pyrrha answered. "You won't be coming to the shrine, so it shouldn't be an issue."

"Why not?" Weiss demanded. "I may not be religious, but I still want to participate in-"

"You're not an adult, and you're not Mistrali." Pyrrha cut her off. "That's all there is to it. Yang will be allowed to go, and Nora if she wants, but the rest of you will have to remain at the house."

"I didn't know Nora was Mistrali." Ruby tilted her head in confusion.

"She's not, but Ren is." Pyrrha explained. "They've agreed to marry, and have already had intercourse, so by Mistrali tradition, they're already married. That makes Nora Mistrali through Ren."

"So all we have to do is agree to get married and we already are?" Yang asked. "That's a lot easier than I was expecting. So, how about it?"

"Yang...try to be serious." Pyrrha sighed. "There's no gay marriage in Mistrali culture, at least not in the West. The Easterners have their...own traditions."

"They sound like a lot more fun." Yang suggested.

"They are." Pyrrha confirmed. "Some Eastern sects even celebrate Solstice with ritual orgies."

"Damnit, why couldn't you be Eastern…" Yang grumbled.

"At what point in the festivities are you planning to tell them about Yang?" Summer asked. "It would make for an awkward time if you told them right at the start."

"I was planning to wait for the feast." Pyrrha replied. "That's when everyone is usually in the best mood, maybe that'll soften the blow."

"This is awful, telling your parents who you love shouldn't require 'softening the blow.'" Ruby declared. "You're so nice Pyrrha...it's not fair that your parents are putting you through this."

Yang sighed. "I think that's something we all agree on."

Sun's sister Solara had a large-ish house in one of the suburbs that ringed Atlas. It was a remarkable upgrade from the place where she and Sun had grown up. Even with a large family that included five children, their parents could only afford a tiny apartment in one of the city's worst neighborhoods. Sun's mother never had a job, she was too busy raising all her kids, and his father was only employed some of the time, even then making little. Putting food on the table had been a struggle, and much of the time government subsidies had been the only thing keeping them afloat.

Solara had been the first to break free of poverty's chains. She went to college on scholarship, just as Sun currently was, and moved on to law school, where she graduated at the top of her class. Now she worked for a successful law firm and made a six figure salary. It was enough to pay for her new home and much more. She had offered her parents money, to help them find a better place to live, but they refused, not wanting to be a drain on their daughter. Instead they accepted some small sums and had sent two of their older children to live with Solara, though Sun had since moved out, off to university and on his way to joining his sister in success.

When Sun and Neon arrived at Solara's, the whole family was there, Sun's parents, his older brother, younger sister and younger brother. His older brother Helios still lived in Solara's basement, working construction for a local company. Younger sister Xihe was just starting high school, and younger brother Shenyi was still in middle school. It was a happy reunion, the one time all year when the whole family would be together. Happily, the family took an immediate liking to Neon.

Neon shared Sun and his siblings' boundless enthusiasm and energy, and the group had fun rough housing and climbing the trees in the backyard. Solara had a more sober temperament than her siblings, and mostly just watched and hoped none of the others hurt themselves. She liked Neon's cheerful personality, and was happy Sun finally had a steady girlfriend. It was all going rather well, but there was trouble ahead.

A few days after arriving, Neon's heat began. The house had a room set aside for just such a purpose, so it was not a terribly big deal. Then after just two days it was over. Neon was back, a little tired, but her usual happy-go-lucky self. Sun was a bit worn out as well, but that did not stop him from running around with the others. But Solara was worried, and even if they did not show it, she knew her parents were too. Neon's heat had been short, too short, and that could be a problem.

Sun ducked into the house, taking a break from the game of frisbee that had developed in the backyard. He opened the fridge and grabbed a bottle of sports drink, downing it in seconds before wiping the sweat from his brow. He tossed the bottle in the bin and looked up to find himself face-to-face with his sister. The look on her face told him it was time for one of her lectures. "Hey sis, what's up?"

"So, your girlfriend had her heat." Solara noted.

"Yep." Sun nodded.

"It was awfully short." Solara observed.

"Sure was." Sun agreed.

"You know what that means, don't you?" Solara pressed.

"I do." Sun confirmed.

Solara sighed and put her hand to her forehead, clearly trying not to get angry at Sun. "Sun...you knocked her up."

"As planned." Sun declared.

Solara took a deep breath, then another. "Before I freak out, I'm going to give you a chance to explain."

"Neon hates heat, and the meds that take the edge off make her sick." Sun said. "She decided it would be easier if I got her pregnant, then she got an abortion."

"...and you're okay with that?" Solara asked.

"More or less." Sun shrugged.

"More or less?" Solara pressed.

"Wouldn't be my strategy of choice, but it's her body." Sun elaborated. "I'm on board with it."

"I hope you two thought this through." Solara warned. "This is serious."

"We didn't really." Sun admitted. "At least I didn't."

All Solara could do was heave an exasperated sigh.

Summer and Ruby went out shopping, planning to spend some quality mother/daughter time together. Winter had taken Weiss and Blake out to purchase their offerings for the trip to the Nikos house. With Ruby having already decided she would prepare a salad, something she could do in minutes, there was time to spend with her mother. After browsing a clothing shop, they stopped at a cafe for some hot chocolate and cake. The establishment was mostly empty, and the pair settled into a cozy booth near the back.

"I caught her wearing it so much I just gave it to her, and took this one instead." Ruby pinched the white hoodie she wore, before taking another sip of her drink.

"But you always loved that hoodie." Summer observed. "You'd wear it late into the spring, and in the Summer!" She rolled her eyes.

"I liked it because it was comfy and big." Ruby explained. "I could just hide in it and no one could look at my face when I was anxious. But I got older, Penny and Yang helped make me more confident, and I didn't really need that comfort anymore, so I haven't been wearing it as much."

"You never told me you had anxiety issues." Summer frowned.

"I was self conscious about them." Ruby admitted. "Thinking about it made me feel even more anxious, so I just tried to hide that too. But Yang is Yang and Penny always made me feel good about myself, and eventually it just...stopped. Like I just found this confidence and peace and never lost it again." She leaned into her mother's side, snuggling into her warmth.

"I had confidence issues of my own growing up." Summer confided. "I still do sometimes. But Yang, Pyrrha and Winter are always there to keep me going...but I wish you were home more often to help too." She wrapped an arm around her daughter, leaning down to plant a kiss on her temple. "I'll never get used to waking up and not being able to hold you."

"We just have to make the most of holidays, and get as many hugs in as possible!" Ruby cheered.

"Between Yang, Blake and Weiss, I'll be hard pressed to steal you away." Summer chuckled. "They all want you for themselves, and I have to pull the mother/daughter quality time card to get some privacy."

Ruby joined her mother in a laugh. "Weiss has my hoodie and Blake to hug upto, and Yang has Pyrrha. They can live without me for a while. I missed my mummy too."

"What do you think they're doing right now?" Summer asked.

"Well, they're probably done shopping…" Ruby surmised. "Blakey's definitely reading. Weiss is either lying in her lap or...on her butt."

"Her butt?" Summer snickered.

"It's a comfy butt!" Ruby laughed.

"But what if she farts?" Summer smirked.

"Oh God no stop!" Ruby playfully shoved Summer, who cackled. "They'll live without me, they're...like me and Yang, if we weren't really sisters."

"Oh...how so?" Summer asked.

"Well...Yang and I love each other, we always have and we always will." Ruby explained. "Blake and Weiss are the same, but they're not blood sisters at all, and they've always loved each other romantically. The only thing that stopped them was fear of taking advantage of each other, which was understandable. Neither of them knew the other felt like that, and didn't want to force it out of obligation. So they just tried to live as sisters and hopefully find someone else, appreciate what they have and all."

"And what about you and Weiss?" Summer pressed.

"She was my best friend, and I loved her, even if she was a bit awkward and cold sometimes, and I still do." Ruby replied. "It's just a little more now. I kick myself for not seeing it before though, my best friend was in love with me, and I didn't see it? I didn't even realize just why she wore my hoodie so much until the day I gave it to her." Her voice became lower, thicker with emotion. "It wasn't because it was comfortable and warm, it was mine, it looked and felt and smelled like me, and when I wasn't there she could wear it and have that piece of me around her."

Ruby paused, sniffling. She took a deep breath and continued. "She'll love that hoodie more than I ever did because it's a part of me, because she loves me, and I love her, so I gave it to her...I really do love her mum, she's so warm when she opens up, cute when she's comfortable, beautiful all the time, and the new hair, God I loved when she would let her hair down but running my fingers through the buzz just feels so satisfying, and Weiss brushes my hair every night and started braiding it so it doesn't get in my face, and it's making me like having long hair just so she can touch it so much…"

Ruby trailed off, taking a shaky breath. "When Blake and I talked, after Weiss told us how she felt, I said I can love her just as much as Blake does...I didn't expect to fall so hard so fast. But then again, I fell for Blake just as easily...we just clicked, and Weiss and I have too. I'm in love with her mum, I'm in love with both of them, and it feels amazing."

"Have you told her that?" Summer asked.

"Oh fudge, oh no, no I haven't, I need to tell her!" Ruby panicked.

"You do, and you should, but first you should consider how to go about it, and talk to Blake." Summer advised. "She'll be delighted to know you feel as strongly as she does."

"Yeah, yeah, I should...we...I should take her on a date, just the two of us." Ruby nodded. "I mean, I know how it sounds but Blake and I have had so much time alone together, and Blake and Weiss have had so much time together, but Weiss and I? We've never had much alone time, we, or I was always with Blake, and now we're always all together. I think Weiss deserves some time just with me. I know Blake's okay with that. We had a talk about some things a while ago and while we haven't done those things yet, we will eventually because Weiss is into those and Blake isn't-"

"Ruby." Summer cut in.

"Huh?" Ruby asked.

"Deep breaths, you're rambling a little." Summer chuckled.

"Oh, oops, heh...woooh, this is...big." Ruby tried to calm down. "Hehe, I feel so...nervous, but excited!"

"That's probably the cake rush." Summer suggested.

Ruby laughed. "Probably, probably that too."