RWBY X FF14 Story: One shop Two worlds

Chapter 6

For Willow she would be loath to admit that her drinking had become an addiction. Most nights back home were spent with her reading a book, watching TV, or whatever else would distract her mind while downing a bottle of wine. She would drink during the day, drink before bed, and drink shortly after waking up.

What else were you supposed to do when you had your whole life taken away from you by your no good, conniving, dastardly husband? The man who was supposed to be your one and only? Who decided all he wanted from you was your name and the family business.

He couldn't even be bothered to be a good lay. She'd put up with it at first because she thought the marriage would make it, but after Weiss he gave up the ruse and only demanded it as a way to relieve his stress, never hers.

That was how Whitley was born.

But even that purpose seemed long gone now. He was too busy running the company or getting into politics or whatever it was he was doing now that got him into a position of power. She didn't care. He'd already ruined her life, what more could he do? He could take the rest of the manor if he wanted, just leave her with a room and a bottle of wine to drown her sorrows.

Even now, with her life tossed even further upside down by being transported to an entirely new world apparently, the soothing burn of wine helped ease some of her nerves.

Ameliance had just finished answering her questions to the best of her ability, and it just left Willow wanting to curl up into a tighter ball than she was already doing.

"So, let me see if I've got this straight," Willow grumbled as she watched the wine swirl in her glass, "I'm in another world entirely, with no money, no home, no family, nothing to my name… And as far as we are aware, I'm stuck here because neither of us know how I got here."

"That is the rough summary, yes." Ameliance nodded apologetically, though held up the card that Willow had arrived with. "Our only clue right now is this card that you found when you woke up today. One that looks remarkably similar to artwork found here in our world."

Willow scoffed at that, not caring at all about the origins of the card in the slightest. As far as she was concerned that card was a curse and her life would be so much better without it.

As she emptied another glass of wine she contemplated what was to become of her now. Did she even WANT to go back home? It's not like she'd been doing anything but rotting away in her room lately anyway. She barely saw her daughters, her husband only showed his face when he needed something, and Whitely was always following his father around like a lost puppy.

Aside from the fact she was officially broke and homeless, was she truly any worse off than she had been at home?

"I've got friends within the Studium who would be very interested in investigating this and we may be able to get a clue as to how you got here…" Ameliance's sentence trailed off as she saw Willow pouring herself yet another glass of wine, her brow furrowing with concern. "...Are you sure you should be drinking so much?"

Willow just scoffed at the insinuation, swirling the fresh glass before taking a sip of it.

"I can assure you I've had far more than this and been fine. In fact, before today is over, I may have to challenge my record." She said matter of factly, downing more of her glass to try and chase her annoying emotions away. Ameliance just continued to look at Willow with a worried look, thinking now that perhaps bringing a bottle of wine had been a bad idea.

"I understand you must be quite stressed with everything that is going on, but drinking your problems away won't help you, I can assure you that." Ameliance said sympathetically, hoping her words might reach Willow. 

Willow had heard it all before though and couldn't care less.

"You think this is the only thing I have to be stressed about?" Willow almost laughed, a tired smirk on her face. "My home life was far from ideal to begin with. Do you want me to tell you about it? About the grave my life has dug for me?"

Willow opened her mouth to respond as Willow chugged more of her glass but she started speaking before Willow could respond.

"It all started with my no good lousy snake of a husband," Willow hissed, staring at her nearly empty glass, "have you ever have a man bombard you with kindness and love and make you feel like you're the most beautiful and important person in the world, only to turn around and make you realize that he never actually loved you? That all he wanted was to use you and take everything that was yours?" Willow snatched the wine bottle and poured herself a fresh glass as she began to rant.

"He took ownership of the Schnee Dust Company out from under my nose, before I even noticed and could do anything to stop him. My kids don't stop in to see me anymore, with them being far too busy with their own accomplishments. Good for them but do they spare a thought for their mother? Of course not." Willow scoffed again, feeling her anger bubbling over. "No one needs me, no cares what happens to me, all I can do is just sit in my room and keep my mouth shut, so why not drink to pass the time? It's apparently all I'm good for anymore."

Willow downed the rest of her glass, feeling a lot of anger starting to burn away and be replaced with a seemingly endless sadness. She slumped into her chair, resting her head against the back and staring blankly up at the ceiling.

"Is anyone even going to notice that I'm missing? I don't think they'll care even if they do… Maybe it really is for the best that I'm here. At least this way I'll be out of their hair."

Willow felt a hand touch her shoulder, turning her head in surprise to see Ameliance looking down at her with a sympathetic smile. At some point she'd stood up and walked over to her and was now offering her an open hand.

She gently pulled Willow in close, letting her head rest against the stomach as she wrapped the fellow middle-aged woman in a comforting hug. Something so simple, so comforting, and so wonderful as a hug was something she hadn't felt in quite some time.

The warmth clashed against the infinite well of sadness deep within her and it caused her a kind of pain she hadn't felt in some time. It bubbled over and pricked her eyes with tears that slowly began to fall.

One tear after another, until soon a waterfall was coming from her eyes. She buried her head into Ameliance, wrapping her own arms around the woman as she cried, crying tears that had been pent up for more years than she could count. Ameliance just closed her eyes and gently stroked the back of Willow's hair, understanding just how much pain the woman was in.

There wasn't anything else to be said. The two of them just stayed there for the moment, letting emotions continue to pour out until they were all out and life could begin to move on once again.

The Forum had wrapped up its meeting for the day, the many members having spoken, discussed, and debated the various issues that were weighing on Sharlayan at the moment. Their meetings were, however, top secret to the general public at large due to the confidential nature of the topics they discussed. The public would not be informed of their decisions until after they had come to a consensus.

A consensus that could, and often did, take days, if not weeks or months to reach. If there was one thing Sharlyans were known for it was the glacial pace at which they got anything done.

It was a long standing tradition for Sharlayans to do things correctly, do them properly, and do them the right way the first time so as not to repeat the mistakes of their ancestors or cause unnecessary harm to the future. They were a people who focused first and foremost on knowledge and education, and put differences of opinion to the test in rigorous debates that would come over all the facts.

That was the Sharlyan way.

And one of the most respected members in Sharlayan, often seen as the current head of the forum, was none other than Fourchenault Leveilleur, son of Louisoix Leveilleur, a man well known on the continent of Eorzea for his aid in bringing about the end of the Seventh Umbral Era. 

Being the son of one of the most noble and celebrated mages of an era came with much pressure to live up to the legacy of their father and Fourchenault considered himself a man worthy of the task. He did, however, disagree with his father on one thing in particular, and that was the amount of aid Sharlayan was responsible for in aiding the other city-states of Eorzea.

Fourchenault believed first and foremost that Sharlayan should be tasked with ensuring not only the continued survival of the knowledge and legacy of Eorzea, but all of Hydaelyn as a star. This was the task he believed Sharlayan existed for and it was this task that his knowledge and learning had given him the expertise for.

It was with these thoughts in mind that the most recent meeting of the Forum had ended, with the decision being to put further funds towards sending gleaners out into the world to gather knowledge and artifacts for their research and storage. Though the reason for this increase in gleaners was kept a secret from the public, it was all for the greater good of Eorzea, of this Fourchenault was certain.

And it was after such a tiring day of discussion, debate, and the sharing of knowledge that he returned to his abode ready for an evening of rest with his adoring wife.

"Ah, Fourchenault, you're home!" Ameliance greeted her husband as he walked through their front door with a warm welcoming smile. She always heard word each time the Forum ended one of their many meetings which was how she knew he'd be there on time.

"Good evening dearest," Fourchenault spoke with a warm smile as he stepped up to his wife, always happy to see her, "my day went about as well as one could expect. There was much spirited debate but we were able to come to a satisfying consensus all the same."

"That's wonderful to hear darling," Ameliance nodded her head, always happy to hear a day went well at the Forum. The days where it did not go well usually meant there was trouble brewing somewhere in Sharlyan. "I, however, have had quite the strange day indeed."

"Oh? And what adventures have you found yourself getting into this day?" Fourchenalt tilted his head curiously.

"Why, I'd be hard pressed to believe it if it hadn't happened to me personally," Ameliance chuckled, "a strange woman fell out of a portal into our entryway."

"A portal?" Fourchenalt tilted his head curiously. "Surely you jest, not only would someone in Sharlyan have detected such a breach of aether, such a thing would suggest the woman was a voidsent."

"That was my assumption at first too, but nay, she is quite human, same as you or me," Ameliance nodded her head. "She knows not how or why she was summoned here, just that she finds herself far from home. So far away, in fact, that there is nowhere on Hydaelyn that she calls home."

"Now I know for certain you are pulling my leg," Fourchenalt laughed himself, rather enjoying the jest his wife was pulling, "no one would believe such a farcical tale, it nary stretches the imagination."

"And yet it's true," Willow's voice spoke from atop the stairs, much to Fourchenalt's surprise. He turned up to look at the white haired woman who was making her way down his stairs, to stand beside his wife. "Apologies for dropping in unannounced like this, I assure you it was out of my hands."

"Dear, this is Willow Schnee, hailing from a world called Remnant," Ameliance smiled, introducing Willow as courteously as she could. "Willow, this is my husband Fourchenalt."

"Hello," Willow said simply, still wishing she had a glass of wine in her hands. For his part Fourchenalt tilted his head as he examined the strange woman in his entranceway, thinking over the story his wife had told him as he did.

"My wife is not one to tell farcical tales often, so if she insists that this one is not a trick then I have every reason to believe her," Fourchenalt spoke seriously, his brows narrowing as he looked at her, "however if every word is true then it is quite serious that you have found your way into our home."

"Worry not dear, she is ever so much the victim in this instance," Ameliance spoke up to aleve her husband's suspicions, "I've been interrogating her since she awoke and have not found a single trace of lie or falsehood in any of her statements. Her story has been remarkably consistent as well."

"I beg your pardon? Interrogating me?" Willow scoffed, turning to look at Ameliance with a bit of anger. "Is that what you've been doing to me?"

"Well you didn't think I was just being laissez faire about a stranger entering my abode through a portal, did you?" Ameliance chuckled. "I can assure that the Leveillure estate is no stranger to trouble from far away lands and as such we take the utmost precautions to ensure the safety of not just our household but of Sharlyan as well. You needn't worry though, you passed all tests with flying colors."

"I should be so grateful…" Willow scoffed sarcastically, crossing her arms. "Is that why you allowed me to indulge in your wine? To see if the alcohol might loosen my lips for lies?"

"Well, that was part of it, though that was also before I found out about your proclivity towards the drink," Ameliance was apologetic as she referenced. Willow just shrugged her shoulders and let out a sigh at that.

"Whatever. As long as you know I had no part in coming here and would gladly return if possible."

"If I may ask, how did you come to be here?" Fourchenault tilted his head before crossing his arms. "'Tis not everyday that one falls through a portal, let alone creates one."

"Your wife asked the same and I'll tell you the same, I haven't the faintest clue." Willow grumbled, looking away from them both. "I woke up today, same as any other day except there was a card on my person. I was just about to go about my day when I found myself suddenly in Menagerie-" she turned to look at Forchelanaut and sighed, "-a place from my home which is apparently not the same as this place, it matters not. I tried to find out why I was transported there only to then find myself brought here. Frankly I've had enough of being teleported at random."

Fourchelnaut tilted his head curiously, putting his hand to his chin as he thought about the chain of events.

"And you suspect the card had something to do with your teleportation? Do you still have it on your person?"

"I have it here," Ameliance spoke up, pulling it from her pocket. "I thought it looked familiar though I couldn't quite place it without further research. Do you happen to recognize it?"

She handed the card to her husband who took it carefully and examined it. He paused for a moment before his face darkened, recognizing the shadowed figure etched upon the card.

"...You said this card just appeared in your bedroom?" He asked, a serious tone to his voice.

"Yes. I don't know where it came from or why it's bothering me. Frankly if I never saw the thing ever again I'd feel all the better." Willow grumbled, glaring at the wretched thing.

Fourchelnaut was quiet as he looked at Willow, before looking back at the card and staring at it further. 

"Do you recognize the card dear?" Ameliance asked curiously, recognizing the look on her husband's face.

"...Nay, the card itself is unfamiliar to me, but the figure depicted on it… I may recognize it but I will need to verify it for certain." It was his turn to pocket the card as he turned to Willow. "With this and my wife's testimony I have everything I need to verify you are who you say you are and that you hail from a distant star. I will do all in my power to see you returned to your home and we shall figure out how this mess came to be."

"...Well, uh… Thank you, then…" Willow said, feeling reassured that she wasn't just some spectacle to be made a mockery of. "How do you plan on doing that?"

"My business for the day is taken care of so I am free to conduct some research. If you'd be willing to join me to the studium then we can begin our research on this topic."

"Wait, like… Right now?" Willow asked, blinking. "You only just returned and you want to help me right away?"

"This matter is of grave importance, not just to Sharlyan but to the world at large. If you have been transported from a distant star then it stands to reason that you may not be the only one. The sooner we can solve this mystery the sooner we can ensure the safety of everyone."

Willow paused at that, remembering back in Menagerie the young girl who had met her at the shop. It seemed that both of them had been called by similar cards so Fourchelnaut's words were likely true. That girl may have also been teleported here, though clearly not to the same location as her.

"Very well," Willow sighed, letting it truly settle in that she didn't have much of a choice in the matter at this point. "I suppose there is no point in delaying the inevitable."

"I can assure that you're in no trouble nor in harm's way, especially if we can verify your story to be true." Fourchenault nodded. "While I trust my wife to the fullest extent it won't hurt for me to verify these claims for myself as well. It is the Sharlyan way to triple check every bit of information we can."

"You don't have to explain it, just lead the way already." Willow sighed, already getting a bit tired of this. She hoped that it wasn't going to be like this the entire time but she had a bad feeling it would be.

The Studium wasn't terribly far away, much to Willow's relief, the building being a mere walk across the open campus that had students and scholars alike milling about and heading to their various destinations. Stepping inside the building she was quickly met with memories of her own school days as she passed by classrooms and students going about their day.

It stirred something within her, memories of happier days. Back when she was just a student in High School, the notion that a bright future laid ahead of her. Sure, most of that future involved her running her Father's dust company but it still seemed so bright and wonderful at the time.

Bright up until she had met her husband and fell for his back-stabbing ways.

Still, part of her wished to rekindle some of those memories being so close to a place of learning once again. To be a bright-eyed and happy student, looking forward to gatherings and events and hang outs once more. She even missed tests and homework.

How low you life has to have fallen to miss tests and homework.

"Here we are," Fourchenault spoke up, breaking Willow from her memories and reverie. He opened a door that led into a space that was half office, half lab, with testing equipment to one side and a desk and bookshelf on the other. "This is my own private study here on campus. It doesn't receive much use these days but it is kept clean and ready for me should I find myself in need of it."

"And uh… What exactly are we going to be doing here?" Willow asked, a bit of hesitation in her voice. She had agreed to help him study the card but she didn't actually know what that entailed just yet.

"Well, first and foremost I intend to inspect you and the card for any residual traces of aether, see what magicks may have been involved in your teleportation." He spoke plainly, pulling the card out of his pocket and placing it down on his desk. Willow proceeded to cock an eyebrow at that.

"Magic?" She asked dismissively, unable to believe the man had said it with a straight face.

"Yes. Magic." He stated plainly, turning to face her again and inspecting her face. "Do not tell me you are unfamiliar with the subject."

"Magic is the work of fairy tales. It isn't real." Willow scoffed at the notion, shrugging her shoulders at him.

"Really now. You are saying that in your world you don't have anything akin to magic?" He tilted his head curiously.

"No. The closest thing we have is semblances and dust." She explained simply. "Both have very scientific explanations and can be studied as such. Part of the Schnee Dust Company was researching and manufacturing new ways to use and manipulate dust. There was never any reaction from dust that did not go exactly according to our research."

"And these 'semblances' you speak of, what are they?" Fourchelnaut asked curiously. "It is a term I am not familiar with."

"Well… I suppose if you've never seen one before it might appear to be something like magic," Willow explained, feeling herself already backpedaling a little. "Every person in Remnant is born with a semblance. Everyone has a different semblance and they do different things. Some grant enhanced speed, some can simply conjure fire, or even summon things. My family line was well known for the glyphs we could conjure that had a multitude of effects, from altering the environment, creating ice, or even summoning familiars we could manipulate."

"Fascinating. Your explanation of semblances seems to line up with our understanding of modern aether manipulation. Would you be willing to demonstrate it for me?" Fourchelnaut's curiosity had been peeked at this point. Willow for her part, simply sighed but complied, holding her hand out to activate her semblance.

However, where a glyph was supposed to spawn summoning a small sculpture made of ice, was nothing. Her brow furrowed as the mechanisms that normally ran through her body refused to cooperate and she tried multiple times to conjure them, moving her hand through the air repeatedly.

"What… It's not working," Willow's brow furrowed more. "I'm not stupid, I know how to do this, it's just… Not happening!"

"Hm, fascinating." Fourchelnaut murmured as he watched her. "Perhaps the mechanism for 'semblances' don't work in this world. In which case, it'll be more important than ever for me to examine your aether."

"...It won't hurt, will it?" Willow asked hesitantly.

"There should be no pain involved, it just simply will take time." Forchelnaut explained.

Willow sighed.

"Go ahead then." She grumbled.

This day was going from long to longer by the minute.