RWBY: The Missing Chapters

Brother of the Beast: When Wedding Bells Ring

When Wedding Bells Ring:

"I'm not ready for this." You say as you attempt to tie the fabric around your neck into anything resembling a bow. "God, I am not ready for this. And this damn noose around my neck isn't helping!" You shout, giving up on the bowtie and throwing it to the ground.

"Relax (F/N)." Weiss Schnee says, moving over to your wheelchair and picking your bowtie from the floor, tying it around your neck. "Everything will be fine."

"Fine?" You scoff. "Fine? The most important day of my life and I can't even tie a stupid bowtie. I guess Ozpin failed to teach me how to do that without my eyesight, not that it would make much of a difference. On top of that, our maid of honor is nowhere to be seen, Neptune and Sun broke the ice sculpture, Ruby already ate her way through half of the dessert, meaning Blake has to play clean up and meanwhile I'm stuck in this stupid chair!"

You pound your fist on the handle of the wheelchair in anger. It's been a few months since your final confrontation with your brother, Adam Taurus, a confrontation that left you paralyzed from the waist down. After many long discussions with numerous doctors, you were forced to come to the terms with the fact that you would likely never walk again. Ilia's whip had completely severed the nerves in your spine from T-11 to L-1. Not even General Ironwood, with his immense influence in Atlas', Remnant's leading figure in scientific and medical research, could offer any more than his apologies and the most capable of wheelchairs.

Through it all, Blake remained strong as a rock. Though she was horrified when the doctors informed her of the extent of your injuries, she refused to give up on you, even when you had suggested her leaving you and finding someone who could provide her with children, something she had always wanted, something you could no longer give her. Instead, she had lashed out at you for even suggesting such a thing and had insisted the date of your wedding be advanced to as soon as possible. And that's where you were now, on the island of Menagerie, preparing to be wed to Blake in just over an hour's time.

All of Blake's friends, as well as many of your former colleagues from the White Fang who survived Adam's purge, had been invited to your wedding. Of course all of Team RWBY was present, as well as Team JNPR, CFVY, and SSSN. Ghira, as chieftain of Menagerie, would be officiating your wedding. Blake had asked Yang to be her maid of honor, to which Yang had been all to eager to agree to. Meanwhile, Ruby, Pyrrha, and Velvet would serve as the other bridesmaids. The groomsmen consisted of Jaune, Ren, and Yatsuhashi. You had great difficulty in deciding who should be your best man. With Adam gone and no other family to speak of, you could think of no one. Normally, Ghira would have been your first choice, but he would be presiding, Kali instead would walk Blake down the aisle. In the end, unorthodox as it may seem, you had asked Weiss to be your best man. Since the fall of Salem, the two of you had worked very closely as you helped her see the world, not as her father saw it, but for herself. She had assured you that she would do everything she could to change the SDC's stance on Faunus rights, from that of prejudice to one of equality. Thus, it only seemed fitting that she act as your confidante and keeper of your trust on this important day.

"Hey, relax." Weiss says, kneeling down and grabbing your hand with her own. "Everything is going to be fine. Yang is out replacing the dessert that Ruby ate, and I have people tending to the ice sculpture. So stop worrying, Blake loves you and that's all that matters."

"You're right." You sigh apologetically. "I'm sorry I lost my temper with you."

"That's quite alright." She says in a very diplomatic matter. "Now, assuming that Winter and the General are on time, which they always are, they should be here in just a few minutes."

"Ironwood?" You ask, confused. "Why's he coming here? The wedding takes place at the Belladonna's, not here."

"I know that, but he has something for you for the ceremony."

Sure enough, a few minutes later and promptly on the hour, there comes a knock on the door, followed by General Ironwood and his ever present second in command, Lieutenant Winter Schnee, stepping into the room.

"General." You say dryly. "Forgive me for not standing."

You can sense Winter scowling at your brash attitude, but the General dismisses it.

"No need (F/N)." Ironwood says with a wave of his hand. "I just came to wish you good luck on your big day. And to give you something." He adds.

Walking further into the room, Ironwood moves to stand next to you. Reaching into his inside pocket, her procures a small triangular device. Made of black metal, it's about the size of his hand, the corners rounded. The device is like nothing you've has ever seen, nor like anything you've ever heard, tasted, smelled, or felt. Given Atlas' reputation, you figured the device was mechanical in nature, but you could hear no sounds of an electrical current running through the wires, no taste of copper you would get from most wiring.

"What is it?" You ask as General Ironwood hands it to you.

"It's a neural interface." Ironwood explains. "Place this directly on your skin, over the area where the damage to your spine was sustained, and it will connect the nerves, integrating into your central nervous system and bridging over the damaged tissue."

"You mean with this," you turn the device over in your hand, "I can... I can..."

"You can stand." Ironwood finishes for you. "Now this is just a prototype, it'll only allow you to walk and stand. Don't try to do anything to crazy, if you end up overworking it, it may short circuit and fry. Our scientists are working on a more permanent model, and it probably won't be perfected for quite a few years but, I thought deserved to stand on your wedding day."

"I don't know what to say." You say, tears forming in your eyes.

"You don't need to say anything." The General says with a smile. "Just try it out."

Trying to contain the overwhelming sense of hope, preparing yourself in case it might fail, you lift the back of your white tuxedo shirt and place the cool metal over the scar on your lower back.

Time Skip

Needless to say, everyone was surprised to see you walking towards the front of the aisle. Ghira, a large smile on his face, embraced you in a large hug, being careful not to squeeze too tightly. Your wedding was being held outside, just in front of the stairs of the Belladonna's large home. Around one-hundred-fifty wooden, cushioned chairs had been placed in front of the house, all lined in neat rows. A long white carpet had been rolled out in a large gap between the chairs, making the aisle for Blake to walk down. Being on your feet again did nothing to calm your nerves, if anything it made you more self-conscious about how you were carrying yourself, worried that you might look unpresentable. Nervously shifting your weight between your feet and smoothing out the front of your jacket, it seemed like no time at all before the wedding march was being played, the sounds of around one-hundred people rising to their feet sounding through the open sky. There were many gasps which signified Blake's arrival as she passed through a white arch that stood at the beginning of the aisle.

You heard a gasp as Blake saw you on your feet, waiting for you next to her father. Though you couldn't see Blake with your eyes, your other senses painted a beautiful painting as you 'watched' her walk down the aisle. Tears were already flowing freely down both your eyes and you wondered how you were supposed to make it through the rest of the ceremony. After a few short seconds, Blake joined you at the front of the aisle, extending her hands which you took in your own. Ghira began speaking. He spoke of love and partnership and faith. The rest of his words you couldn't hear, too focused on the feel of Blakes soft hands in your own, the scent of her perfume and the sound of her heartbeat. The ceremony seemed to pass in no time at all. Vows were exchanged and the words 'I do' falling freely from your lips without hesitation. As your lips met Blake's, everything else melted away. The cheers from the crowd never reached your ears as you embraced your now wife, the kiss lasting seemingly an eternity.