Chapter Text
Patch was a quiet island with a population barely pushing past a hundred thousand. It was a relatively calm place and was a prime spot for those who wanted to retire. Grimm were only seen on rare occasions. Patch raised many hunters, but not all were accepted into prestigious academies. Many instead chose to stay on the island with their family and joined the local militia.
Within the forest was a quaint wooden cabin with three children running around: a bombastic blond girl, a silver-eyed girl with black hair and red tips, and the last was a young boy who looked older than both of them. He had thick and fluffy blond hair and wide icy blue eyes. The most noticeable feature was how far the lines of his mouth stretched
"GIMMIE BACK MY STUFF, YOU SHIT STAIN!" he roared.
"I’M TELLING DAD YOU’RE SWEARING AGAIN." yelled the blond child. In her clutches were a pair of round glasses with soft pink lenses and a shit eating Mischievous grin on her face
The youngest of the three merely seemed happy to be running around with her siblings.
"I WILL SHOVE YOUR HEAD IN MY MOUTH." To go along with this statement, his mouth opened with an audible pop as it stretched much wider than it should have as he picked up speed, arms stretched out ready to grab her.
"KYAAAAA" The blond girl, seemingly realizing how serious he was, screamed in fear and in her attempt to escape, seemingly didn’t notice the large rock in the ground and she gained quite a bit of air time as she tripped before falling to the ground, the glasses in her grip cracking and a gash appearing on her knees.
The boy slowed down, closing his mouth as he saw this.
"Oh shit," he muttered, quickly going to her side, ignoring the now broken glasses.
"Ummwuhh" She was barely able to contain her tears as her cheeks puffed up, her face turning red.
Taking a knee, he looked at the injury.
"Crap Tai's gonna kill me," He scooped her up into his arms, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pushed her head into the crook of his neck. As she began bawling soothingly, he rubbed her back, shushing her.
“It’s okay, Yang. It’s okay.” He said reassuringly, turning his head back. He called in the youngest of them.
“RUBY PLAYTIME IS OVER”
The small child, who was still running around, pouted slightly before running inside.
He locked the door behind him as he headed into the kitchen, still holding Yang. He looked through the cabinets before pulling out a first aid kit and setting her down on the couch, letting her legs rest on the table nearby.
"All right, this might hurt, but you’re strong, you’ll be fine, right?" As she nodded, he grabbed a wet cloth and began softly wiping her leg before rubbing an ointment on it, then applying a bandage, then wrapping it in a thin layer of bandages.
"See, it's not that bad. You’re so strong, Yang." A small smile bloomed on her face as she heard that.
"Is okay?"
He jumped a little, not noticing the sudden arrival of the silver-eyed girl staring at her sister.
"Uhh yeah, also ‘Is she okay'; is the correct way to say it in this context."
She hugged the boy, looking into his eyes.
"Ivory is he best!"
Ivory sighed, rubbing her head and tussling her hair.
"Yeah yeah, Ruby, I am the best"
There was a comfortable silence as he turned towards Yang.
"You still owe me a new pair of glasses," he said.
Yang stuck her tongue out.
Peaceful days are just like everything in the world, finite. He didn’t realize how badly he’d miss them.
Ivory stared at the closed coffin next to his side. Ruby and Yang, who held his hands, were both crying, but he simply stared blankly.
Apparently, there wasn’t even a body to recover. The entire funeral was just for show. A small handful of people showed up, hunters and civilians alike, all in the memory of his adoptive guardian, Summer Rose, Ruby's biological mother and Yang's stepmother. Compared to both of them, he barely knew her, but it still left him devastated. Such a kind woman met such a sad ending.
Idly, he looked back at the countless people who had attended. His eyes landed on a white-haired man who tightly clutched onto his cane. His face set into a frown.
The days after did not get easier. Taiyang, the father of both sisters and Summers' husband, had disappeared for almost a week before stumbling into the house, a dishevelled and drunken mess.
Ivory stared at him as Ruby approached her father.
"Daddy?" She asked softly.
Tai stirred, lifting himself up to look at Ruby. His face twisted into a thin line, the corners dipping into a frown.
"Hi honey, how are you?" He croaked, his voice sounding like cement being grinded against broken glass.
“Fine, where were you? " She muttered, and it was impossible not to notice how sad she sounded.
"Sorry, I just went out to think," he said, trying to reassure her with his hand perched upon her shoulder.
Ruby pulled away before making her way back to her room.
Taiyang sighed, his hands gripping onto his face. "Oum, what am I doing?" he harshly asked himself. He turned towards Ivory, a sad smile creeping onto his face.
"Hey, can you take care of Yang and Ruby for me?" He questioned
Ivory nodded.
"Good, I’m trusting this to you since you’re the oldest and all. I've got to sort some stuff out. " He went upstairs. The sound of a door opening and closing was the only sound in the house.
The next day he was gone