Chapter 63

"You're gonna' wear a trench in the floor if you keep pacing like that." Yang joked. She and Pyrrha were in the midst of baking bread for the traditional pre-fast Solstice meal. Formed into large rolls, it now sat in the oven, and all the pair could do was wait for it to cook. Yang had come up with a few ideas for her offering of food, but Pyrrha had insisted on the bread. Along with the costume, it was meant to help present Yang as a good Mistrali matron, to impress Pyrrha's parents. Perhaps if they liked Yang enough, the trip would not be as much of a disaster as Pyrrha feared.

"Sorry I...I don't have to tell you how nervous I am." Pyrrha apologized. "Maybe if I had a little wine to calm my nerves."

"We're leaving in a few hours." Yang warned. "You don't want to show up drunk."

"Maybe I do." Pyrrha sighed.

"Pyr...Pyrrha, it's gonna' be fine." Yang grabbed her by the shoulders, looking her in the eyes. "Whatever happens, we'll still have each other, and you'll always have a family here." She pulled Pyrrha into a hug, one readily accepted and returned.

"I just hate this." Pyrrha complained. "Stupid family drama...why can't they just accept me for who I am?"

"Maybe they will." Yang encouraged. "You'll never know until you tell them."

"I'm afraid...afraid they'll reject me...afraid they'll disown me." Pyrrha admitted.

"I know, and that's okay." Yang soothed. "I mean, I'd be kinda' concerned if you weren't."

Bing!

"Oh, the bread's ready!" Pyrrha pulled away from Yang. She slipped pot holders onto her hands and opened the over. Pyrrha slid the trays of rolls out and moved them to a cooling rack on the counter. She examined the golden-brown rolls and after removing a pot holder, gave one a quick poke. "They look done."

Yang approached and squeezed one of the rolls. "Shit, I think we overcooked them. It's rock solid."

"That's how it's supposed to be." Pyrrha noted. "This type of bread was used in ancient times for army rations. It's still used to this day in certain elite units. It's hard because there isn't a lot of water in it, which means it lasts longer before going bad."

Picking up one of the still very hot rolls with her prosthetic, Yang squeezed until she crushed it. "Is this even edible?"

"I'll admit, it's not exactly enjoyable." Pyrrha replied. "You're supposed to dip it in water or wine to soften it up a bit, which helps."

"So not only is it rock solid and unpalatable, you're supposed to get it wet too?" Yang groaned. "This might be the least enticing food I've ever heard of."

"I don't think anyone really enjoys eating it." Pyrrha explained. "It's just tradition. Mother always said it's delicious with peanut butter, but toppings like that aren't allowed at the pre-fast meal."

"Maybe I should eat something before we go, just in case." Yang suggested.

"That's not a bad idea." Pyrrha agreed. "I usually have a bigger than normal breakfast beforehand."

"I guess we can cook that next then." Yang said. "How does ham and eggs sound?"

"That sounds great." Pyrrha cheered. "We should probably make enough for everyone. I don't think they'll like the bread much either."

"You know, I'm a little annoyed I waited until today to bake this bread." Yang complained.

"Why?" Pyrrha asked.

"Because as hard as it is, I'm pretty sure you couldn't tell fresh baked from week old." Yang chuckled. "I can see why the army likes it though. If you run out of ammo these rolls would make for deadly projectiles."

The Nikos family owned a sizable property in a sparsely populated part of Patch. Though the land they owned was sprawling, their home was rather modest in size and appearance, an unremarkable two-story house just up a short driveway from the road. A tall, well-manicured hedge, now mostly bare and coated with snow, ringed the house and surrounding lawns, but did not come near to enclosing the entirety of the property. The tarmac of the driveway led to a detached garage, and connected to the house via a path paved with vibrant stones. Just before the door, the path widened into a large circle, featuring a mosaic of the family crest, a spear and shield. The house itself was of standard wooden construction, though it was decorated with a stone and brick facade.

Pyrrha walked up to the door, the others gathered behind her. She hesitated, taking a deep breath before knocking. In moments, the door was opened to reveal a tall, thin woman and a robust man. The woman was beautiful, stoic, with long and flowing red hair, despite the wrinkles of old age and some stray gray hairs. The man had clearly been quite the physical specimen in his day, though he now carried a beer belly. The woman smiled and stepped forward, she and Pyrrha clasping each other's wrists. "Pyrrha, it has been too long."

The man stepped up next, repeating the same greeting. "Welcome home."

"Mother, father." Pyrrha bowed her head.

"You've brought many guests." The woman observed.

"Allow me to introduce everyone." Pyrrha took a step back. Her speech was louder, more forceful than usual. "Mother, father, meet Yang, Ruby, Weiss, Blake, Nora and Jaune. You already know Ren. Everyone, meet my mother and father, Pandora and Theus."

"It's wonderful to meet you all." Pandora declared. "Any friend of Pyrrha's is a friend of ours." She seemed genuine in her enthusiasm, though Theus eyed Nora grudgingly as she clung to Ren's arm. "Please, come in, make yourselves at home. Lunch is about to begin." She cast her gaze to the boxes carried by some of the guests. "I see you've brought offerings. Theus will show you to the kitchen. You can drop them off there. I'll get out tunics for all of you."

"Yang has brought her own." Pyrrha noted, gesturing to Yang's backpack. "Along with a chaplet."

"Ah, our guest of honor, I should have known." Pandora smiled.

Pyrrha gave Yang a slight nudge and she stepped forward. "I baked some bread for the meal as well." Yang said, holding the box toward Pyrrha's mother.

"Thank you." Pandora took the box, handing it to Theus. "That's very thoughtful." She took a step back from the door. "Now, come in, come in."

The group headed into the house, finding themselves in a large entryway. Pandora headed up the stairs that clung to the far wall, while Theus split off toward a room to the left. "Alright, the kitchen is to the left, the dining room is straight ahead, the lounge and bathroom are to the right." Pyrrha directed. Ruby, Weiss, Blake, Ren and Jaune followed Theus into the kitchen. Ruby had prepared salad, Weiss brought expensive Vytalian wine, Blake traditional mead from Menagerie, Ren had made dumplings, and Jaune contributed freshly baked muffins. "Nora, why don't you go relax in the lounge?"

"Sweet, my feet are killing me." Nora agreed.

"Yang, let's head up to my room and get dressed." Pyrrha instructed.

"Alright." Yang nodded, following Pyrrha as she headed up the steps. "You alright? You seem tense."

"I'd be lying if I said I was alright." Pyrrha admitted. "But I'm not any less alright than I was back at the house."

"Well...try to relax." Yang suggested. "Your parents seem nice...well your mother does at least."

"I think she likes you already, so we're off to a good start." Pyrrha forced a laugh as she reached the top of the stairs and headed down the hallway toward her room. "And don't worry about my father. He's just annoyed that Nora's the one pregnant with Ren's child, not me. I think he wants grandchildren even more than my mother does."

"If that's supposed to make me worry less, it's not working." Yang noted.

"He'll follow whatever my mother says, so just worry about her." Pyrrha insisted. "She's very polite and welcoming but...tough to please." She opened a door, gesturing for Yang to head inside.

Yang did so, finding a sparsely decorated room. The walls were covered in simple paper with a geometric design at the borders, and there was a single bed flanked by two nighttables. A dresser stood against one of the walls, a closet door beside it. A desk with a simple wooden chair was situated below the window. The only decorations were framed medals, ribbons, diplomas and certificates, and a shelf filled with trophies. "Not a single poster?"

"My parents didn't want me to get distracted from what's important." Pyrrha explained. It seemed achievement was all they deemed important. "Just keep your head down and follow my lead. Then maybe everything will go alright."

"I don't like the idea of being a different person to impress your folks." Yang complained.

"I know, and I don't like it either." Pyrrha sighed. "But it's just for two days."

"So if they accept what you tell them, then I can go back to being myself?" Yang pressed. Pyrrha grimaced. "How long are we going to keep up the charade for them? Is it even worth it?"

"I don't know." Pyrrha admitted. "I just...I don't know."

After donning their costumes, Yang and Pyrrha joined the others in the lounge. Yang found her chaplet less than comfortable, and the tunic trapped too much heat. Pyrrha looked stunning though. She was regal in tunic and bronze circlet, the red sash tied around her waist swishing about as she moved. Pandora soon arrived with tunics for the others. She was already clad in her own, white like those worn by Pyrrha and Yang, but lined with gold and tied with a gold-lined red sash. She wore a diadem of interwoven white and purple silk around her head.

Pandora handed out the costumes, rather simple, white, one-size-fits-all versions with white sashes. "These tunics represent the uniforms worn by Mistrali soldiers during festivals and other celebrations." She explained. "As head of household, I am dressed as a Stratigos, a commanding general...though I only reached the rank of Lieutenant during my time in the service. Pyrrha, as my eldest daughter, is dressed as a Lochias, a Sergeant. My husband achieved that rank during his service, so he will dress similarly. The rest of you represent Stratiotis, foot soldiers. As guest of honor, Yang's chaplet mirrors one worn by a soldier decorated for gallantry." She paused before Blake and frowned. "I'm afraid I don't have the proper attire for a Faunus."

"Proper attire?" Blake asked. She was reflexively insulted, as distinctive clothing had been used in earlier eras to distinguish and discriminate against Faunus in some parts of the world.

"Yes, Faunus soldiers served in special, elite units." Pandora went on. "Given their natural night vision, they were often used as scouts, or employed to lead nighttime attacks. As such they wore black uniforms, and black tunics during celebrations."

"Are you sure they weren't just cannon fodder like in Atlas?" Blake pressed.

"Quite the opposite." Pandora shook her head. "Faunus soldiers were highly valued for their loyalty, ferocity, and combat skills. I was always fascinated by the history of their use. They fought alongside human soldiers, but also led nocturnal raids and other special missions. Powerful generals and politicians often hired Faunus bodyguards, and when Mistral was first unified, the Queen employed such a unit."

"Really?" Blake raised an eyebrow. "We never learned about any of this in history class."

"No?" Pandora asked. "Where did you grow up?"

"Atlas." Blake replied.

"Ah, that explains it." Pandora nodded. "Of course they wouldn't teach you something like that." Pandora shook her head. "The way Atlas has treated the Faunus is disgraceful. I won't pretend that there wasn't discrimination in Mistral, but not nearly to the same degree. From very early on, in the West at least, Faunus had almost all the rights of human citizens, excepting the right to vote or hold political office. Since the Great War they've enjoyed fully equal rights in all of Mistral."

"We're supposed to have equal rights in Atlas too." Blake noted. "That doesn't stop them from treating us like dirt."

"I would expect nothing less of the Atlesians." Pandora huffed. She glared at Weiss and Weiss glared back.

Before the situation could deteriorate further, Theus poked his head in. "The meal is ready. We may begin whenever you wish."

"...and a unit of elite Faunus cavalry covered the retreat of Sanctum's army." Pandora continued as Blake listened intently. "They took heavy losses but gave them enough time to reach the safety of their city walls. The survivors, their families, and the families of those who fell, all received full and unrestricted citizenship." She paused, noting that the guests were all milling about the table, not sitting. They must have been concerned about sitting in the wrong place. "Of course, seating arrangements…" She stood at one end of the table. "I'll be sitting here, my husband to my right. Yang will be seated at the other end, with Pyrrha at her right. The rest of you may sit wherever you wish."

Pandora, Theus, Yang and Pyrrha took their assigned places at the long, narrow table. Ren, Nora and Jaune sat beside Theus, while Ruby, Weiss and Blake sat beside Pyrrha. Along with place settings and glasses for everyone, there were a trio of dishes stacked high with rolls and two jugs of wine and two of water. Pandora remained standing as everyone else sat. Following the lead of Theus and Pyrrha, everyone else looked to Pandora as she waited for them to get settled.

Finally, Pandora cleared her throat. "Let us enjoy this meal of bread and wine, and be fortified against the trials ahead. May the Maidens bless and protect us."

"May the Maidens bless and protect us." Pyrrha, Theus and Ren said in unison, hastily joined by the others.

Pandora took her seat but still the guests hesitated. "Go on, eat." She smiled, gesturing toward the food before her.

Without even touching the bread, Pyrrha filled her glass with wine, and almost as quickly downed it. She immediately refilled it. To Yang it was a worrying sign, but she filled her own glass and grabbed a roll. The bread was not as inedible as Yang head feared, though it did dry out her mouth, requiring a sip of wine with every bite. Theus, Pandora, Pyrrha and Ren dipped their rolls before taking a bite, but Yang could not bring herself to do so, it just felt wrong. Weiss seemed to enjoy the wine, if not the bread, and was soon on her second glass. Ruby and Nora stuck to water, and Jaune switched over after finding the wine's taste to not be to his liking.

The actual eating part of the meal proved quite short. It seemed no one liked the bread very much, even Theus and Pandora, who stopped after two and one roll respectively. Pandora eyed the leftover rolls. "I had a love-hate relationship with these when I was in the service." She reminisced. "They're not very good on their own like this, but add a little peanut butter and they're to die for."

Pyrrha was onto her third glass of wine, but did not seem tipsy in the slightest. That did not stop Yang from worrying. If the others had noticed, they did not say anything either. "Thanks for the meal, and the hospitality Mrs. Nikos." Yang broke the somewhat uncomfortable silence.

"The pleasure is mine." Pandora responded. She looked around to check that there was no one still eating before she started a conversation. "Yang, Pyrrha told me about your accident. How is your recovery progressing?"

"I'm doing alright." Yang replied. "I just have some aches and pains sometimes, but I'm starting to get back into the swing of things. I never would have gotten this far without Pyrrha's help though."

"That's quite the prosthetic." Pandora observed. "It moves as if it's a natural part of your body."

Yang flexed her arm. "Yeah, it's a close second to the real thing."

"Cybernetics have come a long way since the Great War." Pandora declared. "If there's one bit of praise I can offer for Atlas, it's their dedication to helping their wounded soldiers."

"That's about the only nice thing I could say about them." Theus grumbled.

"We were your allies in the Great War." Weiss noted.

"Some allies." Theus scoffed. "Blundering around in the deserts of Vacuo instead of helping us take Vale."

"If the Mistrali army had abandoned its obsession with Patch and Vale, we could have captured Vacuo's massive dust mines." Weiss countered. "Then we would have been unstoppable. But no, you had to try to take a strategically useless island and an impregnable city."

"Well if you damn Atlesians-" Theus started.

"Regardless...we can all be thankful for Patch's independence, allowing Mistralis and Atlesians to gather together to celebrate...in peace." Pyrrha interrupted, firmly, shutting down the argument before it got out of hand.

"Well said." Pandora praised. "Weiss, I apologize for my husband and I. Mistral and Atlas have a...difficult history. It's hard to view Atlesians as anything other than the enemy."

"It's alright." Weiss shook her head. "My sister has the same sort of feelings about Mistral. It's just one of those things I guess."

Pandora nodded. "Indeed." She looked to Ren. "Ren, how are you doing?"

"Very well." Ren replied.

"Are you married or…" Pandora started.

"Nora and I are engaged." Ren answered. "The situation snuck up on us a bit."

"If only you'd stayed with Pyrrha." Theus sighed. It was becoming clear that he had enjoyed the wine a bit too much.

"Father, it's over, drop it." Pyrrha insisted.

"Did he cheat on you?!" Theus accused. "Did he cheat on you with this...this…"

Yang slammed her prosthetic fist on the table, jolting everyone's gaze directly to her. She leveled a glare at a surprised Theus, as Pandora pinched the bridge of her own nose. "This what? Go ahead and say it. I dare you."

Theus opened his mouth to speak, but did not get the chance. "Siopi!" Pandora barked. "Theus, enough. These people are our guests, and you will be polite."

"My apologies." Theus said softly, bowing his head.

Pandora took a deep breath. "Ren, are you still working at the gym?"

"Yes, and so is Nora." Ren replied. "That is, she will return after she gives birth."

"I'm still working at the gym too." Yang added. "Well, getting back into it. I had to take a break because of my arm. But now I'm working on a big project with the owner, and I think it's gonna' be great."

"Good, good, and you Jaune?" Pandora asked.

"Uh...I kinda' just do odd jobs." Jaune admitted.

"I'm sure you'll find something." Pandora encouraged. "Blake, what do you intend to do after you graduate?"

"Something in journalism." Blake answered. "I want to be an investigative reporter, but I understand that it can take time to break into something like that."

"The truth is vital, and knowledge is powerful." Pandora nodded. "Weiss?"

"I'm going to school for business, and I was thinking about getting into investing like my sister." Weiss replied.

"Ruby?" Pandora continued.

"I'm pretty good at art and stuff, and there's a lot I'm interested in but…" Ruby hesitated. "I just haven't figured out what I really want to do. It's hard, ya' know? I'm not even 18 and I have to figure out what I want to do for the rest of my life. It's a big decision, and I don't wanna' screw it up."

"I understand." Pandora offered a reassuring smile. "It is a big decision, and a big risk. But indecision is dangerous and destructive, and sometimes it's better to act decisively now than wait until you're sure."

"Wise words." Pyrrha muttered. "Mother, I have something to tell you." She took a deep breath and stood. "I will not be moving back in, or taking over the family business. I am...I'm staying with Yang. I love her...and I'm going to be with her." She leveled her gaze squarely at Pandora, who notably paled, frozen in shock.

Theus regained his senses quickly. "But she's a woman, how could you...this is unacceptable!" He bellowed.

Pyrrha sighed, removed her circlet, and placed it on the table before her. Blinking away tears, she looked down to hide her emotion. "This is not a choice I ever wanted to make, but if I must choose between this family and the love of my life, I choose love." She began to step away.

"You can't-" Theus shouted.

"Pyrrha, wait." Pandora interrupted. Pyrrha stopped in her tracks. "You're...in love with Yang?"

"Yes mother." Pyrrha nodded. "I know homosexuality is unacceptable, but I can't help who I love."

"She makes you happy?" Pandora asked. "You're happy with her?"

"Yes, happier than I've ever been." Pyrrha confirmed.

"Pyrrha, please, sit down." Pandora beseeched. Pyrrha sighed and took her seat. "This is all so sudden...why didn't you say anything before?"

"I was afraid you'd reject me...disown me." Pyrrha explained. "I put it off as long as I could, because I don't want to lose you, but…"

"Pyrrha, your father and I, we love you." Pandora declared.

"Do you?" Yang pressed. "You didn't even hug her. How long has it been since you've seen her? Have you ever hugged her? Have you ever done anything to show her that you love her?"

Pandora frowned and hung her head, remaining silent for a few moments. "We tried to raise Pyrrha the Mistrali way, but this isn't Mistral. We should have considered how it would affect her, but we didn't. Pyrrha...do you...think we don't love you?"

"I didn't want to think that…" Pyrrha vacillated.

"Then it seems we have failed you." Pandora admitted. "No child should have to question a parent's love."

"This is insane." Theus blustered. "How could you possibly-"

"Theus, enough." Pandora stood, glaring at her husband. Once he was sufficiently cowed, she turned back to Yang and Pyrrha. "Could I speak with the two of you, in private?" She requested.

Pyrrha looked to Yang, meeting her gaze, and received a nod. "Of course mother." Pyrrha agreed.

Smiling weakly at Ruby, Yang stood, following Pandora and Pyrrha out of the room.

The others remained at the table in a stunned silence. Finally Theus stood. "I...have a lot to think about." He departed too, heading to his room.

Ruby groaned. "This is really awkward."

Weiss poured herself another glass of wine.