Chapter 9

"Yang?"

The blonde turned to look at Harry.

It was a few days after Harry had comforted her after her nightmare. And the two teens had settled into a routine. In the morning, after breakfast, the Yang would train Harry in hand-to-hand combat, or the two of them would just sit together and meditate as they attempted to find their inner-animals. They would then eat lunch together. After lunch, the two would do their own things. For Yang, this usually included either working on a design for a new set of gauntlets, working on Bumblebee, or spending more time meditating to find her inner animal.

As far as Yang knew, Harry spent his time reading books on weapon design. He probably did other things, but Yang wasn't aware of them.

They'd eat dinner together, and then just spend the time before they went to bed lazing about. They'd either watch movies on the TV, or sit around talking with one another.

Currently, she was sketching out a new gauntlet design. It wouldn't appear much different from her previous pair, but they would a bit more padding where they rested on her arm, making them slightly more comfortable to wear. The biggest change would in the barrel design, slightly adjusting the recoil of the weapon. If her design was correct, the power of the weapon, and it's recoil, would become more compatible with her fighting style. Not that her old pair hadn't worked with her fighting style, helping her move as well as attack, but they had been built when she was still learning and modifying her personal fighting style. She was still adjusting her style however, probably always would as long as she fought, learned, and gained more and more experience. And this was an opportunity to adjust her weapons more towards her current capabilities. She was also making the guard just a little bit thinner, which would make the weapons just a little bit lighter.

She'd probably make more adjustments when she asked Harry about the possibility of using magic on them.

"Yes?" she asked, raising an eyebrow in question at the wizard.

"I was just wondering...why did you chose those wrist shotguns for a weapon over others?"

Yang grinned. "First, Ember Celica are a pair of Dual Ranged Shotgun Gauntlets, or DRSG's, not wrist shotguns," she told him. Leaning back against the couch, she paused a moment to get her thoughts in order. "As to why I chose to use them over any other weapons...it's because Dad uses a pair himself." She grinned lightly. "I actually showed a talent towards swords when I was practicing, trying to find a weapon that would suit me, I had a natural talent with an odachi, and was actually starting to learn more formal combat with one. Dad...didn't say anything, except that he was proud of me. A couple weeks later, Uncle Qrow was watching me practice...he made a comment that changed everything. He told me...that I inherited my mother's skill. A few questions later, I found out my mother used an odachi herself. I hadn't started my search for her yet, hadn't even started combat school. At the time, I was still sorting out my feelings towards her...well, more than I have lately. One day, I'd imagine she was a noble hero with an equally noble purpose, and be incredibly proud of being the daughter of Raven Branwen. Other days I'd despise her for leaving me and Dad...I'd want nothing to do with her."

She paused a moment, looking down slightly. "About the only thing I did know...is that I didn't want to be a blonde copy of her." He smile was a bit sardonic. "I've seen her in pictures. Aside from her black hair and the fact her eyes are always red, we look very much alike. I decided I'd rather follow in my father's footsteps, the man that lost both his wives but still did his best to raise two girls with only the occasional help of our drunken uncle. I started training with Dad to use the same kind of weapon he did the very next day."

Guessing why Harry was asking, needing help deciding what weapon he'd use, Yang decided to also share why Ruby chose to use a scythe, especially since the only other scythe wielder they knew of was their uncle. "My sister chose her weapon just because she wanted to. Growing up, she always thought Uncle Qrow's scythe was the coolest weapon ever. And while she did train a bit with other weapons, it was always a scythe that she wanted." Yang chuckled lightly. "She started designing Crescent Rose when she was six...by the time she was allowed to build it at Signal, she had it designed just the way she wanted. Sure, she's made a few adjustments since then, but on the whole, the weapon she carries now is the same she originally built. I had to keep making adjustment to Ember Celica after I first made them, they weren't very comfortable at first, actually hurt when I first used them. Ruby didn't have that problem. The biggest change she made to Crescent Rose was a slight redesign to the blade because the original didn't cut as effectively as she wished."

Yang looked up at Harry. "Natural talent can be a factor when you decide what weapon to use, and you shouldn't just disregard it out of hand. But ultimately, for our own reasons, Ruby and I chose our weapons because they were what we wanted to use, not out of any natural talent. And we both worked our butts off mastering how to use them. So if there is a weapon you just...really want to use, for whatever reason, use it. And if you having trouble deciding between more than one, then I'd say take into consideration the advice my father gave you, or how you felt using those particular weapons when you tried them. But if you want to use a weapon completely different from what Dad suggested, go ahead. Ultimately, it's up to you. Does that help?" she asked, genuinely hoping it did.

She was pleased to watch Harry smile. "Actually, it does," he assured her. "I think I know exactly what weapons I'm going to use now. Thanks."

"Glad I could help."

Harry smiled at her, before turning and walking out of the room.

The blonde was curious about what weapon Harry had chosen, but knew she'd find out eventually. Going back to her new gauntlet design, Yang debated the merits of changing the gauge of the shells she used...

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Having decided on what weapon to use, Harry began to mentally review what he knew about crafting weapons...

Once more knowledge that once belonged to Voldemort flooded his mind. Harry sighed and rubbed the side of his head.

While he appreciated the knowledge, he could do without the sudden information dumps. It was actually a bit frustrating that, until he thought about a subject...seriously thought about it rather than just in passing, he didn't know what he knew. But it was still useful...

Though he had to actually think about the non-magical methods of making a weapon.

Regardless, there were more than a few magical things Harry could do...in theory at least. He really couldn't soak any parts of his weapon in potions...he didn't have the ingredients for them, and the wizard doubted he could find the ingredients in this world anyway.

Runes were an option...Voldemort knew quite a few. The trick would be figuring out what runes to use, and writing them in such a way that they wouldn't interfere with the weapons function. He'd need to sit down and figure out what he could and couldn't use, especially since he'd only have so much room. He'd also have to figure out what runes to use. Not to mention he'd have to practice carving the runes he wanted to use.

Just because he had Voldemort's knowledge, didn't mean he had the man's talent or skill.

Of course he'd need to do a few tests of some kind to see if any of the runic alphabets would even work in this world.

Depending on how he decided to make his weapon, there were also some spells he could cast during the process that would have permanent effects when he was done.

He decided to practice drawing and carving runes for now. Once he was confident in making the runes, he could try activating them, to see if the things would actually work in Remnant. If they did...well, then he could incorporate them into his weapon.

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"Dad?"

Taiyang turned from the stove, where he was cooking dinner for the evening. His daughter was standing in the doorway of the kitchen, biting her lip nervously.

"What wrong Yang?" he asked, more than a bit worried.

Oum, he hoped she wasn't pregnant. He hadn't been home as much as he would have liked thanks to the situation in Vale. And while he didn't think she and Harry had gotten that close yet, he couldn't be sure.

Plus there was always the chance they got drunk again.

"Nothing's wrong," his daughter assured him. "But...I need to ask you a question, maybe more than one."

Giving a quick glance to the sauce he was preparing, the hunter looked back at his daughter. "Why don't you start at the beginning then.," he prompted with a smile.

"You remember when you had to go to Vale a few days ago, when you didn't get back until late the next afternoon?" the teen asked.

Taiyang nodded. A situation had arisen and several grimm had breached the perimeter that had been established between the city and what had been Beacon Academy. It had taken a lot of effort to hunt down those grimm, especially when it emboldened several others.

"I...well I had a pretty bad nightmare," his daughter admitted. "I woke Harry up, and then he woke me. After I calmed down...I asked him to stay with me." At his disapproving look, she hastily added, "We didn't do anything, he just...held me while we slept. When I woke up, he was still asleep...and I felt safer with his arms around me. And I don't know why?"

"What do you mean?" the hunter asked.

His daughter sighed. "I'm more than capable of fighting myself, and more importantly, I'm better at it than Harry. And while he's improved lot in the time I've been training him, he really wouldn't be that much of a threat...at least, not against anyone that could hurt me. So I don't understand how I can feel safer when he holds me."

With a sigh, Taiyang looked at his daughter. The normally strong, somewhat rebellious, and independent young woman he was so use to seeing had been replaced with an unsure teen, who was confused about her feelings for a boy.

Idly, he wondered how she had grown so fast.

"I can't say for sure why you feel that way," he told her. "What I can tell you is that sometimes...sometimes even the strongest of us need someone to lean on. We need someone who's there for us. And it doesn't matter how much stronger or weaker we are than them physically, or even what skills or abilities they have. What matters is the trust...and love, that we have for them."

Yang was silent as she digested what he had said. Finally, she softly asked, "Are you saying I love him?"

"Not at all," he responded with a slight grin. "I'm saying that you trust him to watch over you..." the grin faded slightly. "...And that you might be falling in love with him. But you, and only you, can say that you love Harry."

After a moment of silence, he asked, "Does that help you?"

Yang smiled slightly. "It does." She walked over and gave him a hug. "Thanks Dad."

Hugging her back, he said," Anytime Little Dragon...anytime."

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