21. Ositha:

Restarting

Lost and found. It's what it felt to me. Losing half myself, yet finding a new family. I thought I was alone at last after everything, forgotten. Left to death.

The world seemed so bleak that I realized; it's scary. I had no shelter. No one stood by my side. In fact, I had nothing. Save for a scroll, a hoodie, a pair of daggers–one of them broken–, and a drunkard; who coincidentally was my mentor.

Those, and a little hope built above desperation. One way to say; it's over.

Luckily, I was proven wrong.

And to be honest, I'm glad I was.

~-x-~

Patch was–is– the definition of home.

The beach and Port of Patch sat side by side with the piers floating above deeper water. It's been a long time since I last saw the sand. If it's not because of my current situation and Qrow(who seemed like he wanted to skip the tour of this island), I would've gone to the beach. My childish side wanted to build a castle of sand–I know, very cute.

But instead, I trudged half-heartedly on the sidewalk. Lagging behind my mentor as he continued walking with a slouch that reminds of a bird. Crow, probably. As our steps carried us on, I couldn't help but take a good look. Dust-powered street lights graced the path. There's not a lot of tall buildings. No excess traffic that would choke you with dust and smoke. Everyone seems to prefer walking than riding here. I like it.

"So, how much farther should we go?" I asked, out of exhaustion.

"Not that far," Qrow replied without giving a glance.

He lied about that one.

~-x-~

We've passed Signal Academy, which is as far as the distance I take from my mansion to Tukson's. It's between 'not too far on the road' and 'far enough on feet'. I thought we already arrived, but Qrow ignored the open gates and passed them like they never existed. I paused a bit, throwing my glance to the sight beyond them.

Signal was a cluster of buildings, similar to Beacon(I saw pictures, not the real thing), with the exception of shorter tower and buildings–less magnificent, somewhat, but still give you a vibe of security knowing there are a lot of future Huntsmen training here. The tower had an appearance that resembles a lighthouse, however, I know it served a purpose as a CCT relay tower for this whole island.

I really wished I could go in, but Qrow's alarmingly fast pace forced me to leave the sight. I broke into a sprint to catch up, but my heavy chest slowed me down as I shot another glance behind. Can I ever attend the academy? With no Aura? Forget it.

"Where are we going? We've been walking for ages!" I told my mentor.

"Calm down, will ya?" Qrow snorted in annoyance. "Seriously, even your brother complained a lot less than you do."

I stopped, glaring at his back. "That's it. You haven't answered my questions."

"Questions?" he asked back, still walking away from me.

"Why are you helping me?"

Qrow paused, then continued strolling off. "Later."

I stood my ground. "I'm not going with you."

My mentor sighed. He shrugged. "Whatever. If you got other places to be, you may go. I'm not gonna stop you."

Atlas; My mind thought about my other-half there. But my tongue slipped what exactly I need right now. "I need... someplace to rest."

"Good, you realized the obvious," came the sarcastic reply.

"But I'm not going with you, not until you answer me."

"Fine. Ask anything."

I swallowed. "What do you want from me?"

Great. I finally asked that, right when we just went down a secluded sandy path that leads to nowhere. Not the best timing. Dang it, why am I such a genius?

"What do I want from you? Hmm..." Qrow made a sound like he was thinking hard about the possibilities. Enough for my hand to move above the hilt of my dagger. Then, as if it was the hardest thing to solve, he raised both his arms and shrugged with a lazy chuckle, "Heh, dunno."

Just like that, he continued trotting down the path, unaware of my glare.

~-x-~

A two-story house out of wood waited for us at the end of the path. It looked well-kept, despite yellow leaves littering the surrounding area. Who wants to live here, though? I could almost imagine the glowing red eyes peeking from the trees at night. It was a scary imagination which I immediately regretted. Yet, Qrow apparently didn't have any problem with this.

He rapped his knuckle on the wooden door several times. As I stepped closer, I heard a faint answer from inside, "Hang on!"

So, I guess Qrow doesn't live here alone, after all.

The door swung inside, showing a blond man of Qrow's age. His face immediately lit up after seeing my mentor. "Hey, look who's back!"

"Ey," Qrow answered. "Didn't come alone, though."

The man's blue eyes turned to me. He gasped in shock as if seeing a ghost. A name came from his mouth;

"Raven?"

~-x-~

"Okay, let me get straight," Tai(I learned his name from Qrow) motioned with both hands. "Again, she is not your daughter-"

Qrow rolled his eyes, "Nope."

"-not your youngest sister-"

"Nope."

"-not a magically shrinking Raven-"

"Sheesh, Tai!"

"The eyes, Qrow, the eyes!" our host persisted pointing that one out, making me shuffle in discomfort on the actually comfy couch. "She's everything like Raven. Except for the hair. I freaked out, you know!"

"We know." My mentor uncapped his flask. "That's why I'm telling you; she's not."

"But, who is this?"

"Long story. I'll fill you in later, but right now," he glanced at me, "She needs a place to rest. Mind if you spare her a room here?"

Tai exhaled and for a moment, I thought he was going to say yes and kick us out. Grumbling, he turned away and went upstairs, muttering something about 'every time'. I allowed myself to relax a little, but warily asked Qrow; "Are you sure it's okay? He doesn't look very happy. This isn't your house, right?"

"Just get some rest," he said after downing a gulp. "He's just a little shaken cuz' you remind him of my sister."

"Raven? Was that the name? But–" Suddenly, it clicked in place. My eyes widened. "Raven... Branwen?"

It ringed with my mother's name. My mind raced. No one ever told me anything about my mom's side of the family. For years, she never said almost anything, except the fact that she left her family, her tribe. That, along with a mention of her twin siblings. Branwen was her maiden name before she marries my father. So that means...

"You're... my mother's brother, right? Qrow Branwen?"

My uncle gave me a sly, mocking wink. "Gotcha."

I felt something. An indescribable feeling of relief, surprise, anger, and much more. After all the questions I went through with worry, the answer turned out was a lot simpler; family. My mind finally buzzed with excitement, at least, after all the angst I've been through. I didn't know what to say. Too many questions.

"Why have you never showed up before? Why now, after all these years?"

Uncle Qrow sighed, "Look, you're not the only one with a dysfunctional family, 'kay? Things were a lot worse here. Besides, Josh managed you just fine before me."

"But-"

His crimson eyes stopped me. His head motioned up. "Get some rest. You deserve it. No need to worry anymore. You're safe here."

I nodded. "Thanks, Uncle... Qrow."

~-x-~

Most of the questions I tried to quench were still swirling around my mind while Mr. Xiao Long was showing the room he prepared for me. Nodding gratitude, I introduced myself properly. He paused for a moment, probably trying to wrap things up. Finally, he gave me a genuine smile and offered a hand that I shook. It's warm, just like the owner.

"I'm sorry for making you uncomfortable. You know, sometimes it's hard to block out memories. But I shouldn't have dragged you in like earlier while you know nothing."

Adam and Blake; I instantly thought. Mine and my other-half's respective phantom. I exhaled and offered him a small smile. "It's alright. I know the feeling."

Tai's eyebrow rose, but he didn't pursue any further, much to my relief. Instead, he explained, "This room's been empty for a while. I just-ehm, too lazy to sort things out. Heh, sorry about that," he scratched the back of his head while pointing to the dresser sitting on the corner. "I tried cleaning most of the dust but if it's still too much for you, just let me know so we can switch rooms with mine downstairs."

"No, this is fine," I insisted. "Thank you for your hospitality, Mr. Xiao Long, sir."

"Hey," He patted my shoulder. "Cut the formalities, please. We're a family, remember? Just call me Tai, or...," he shrugged, "Uncle, yeah, that works too."

"Uncle," I nodded, trying not to let my amusement show up. Uncle Qrow works well, especially knowing we're related by blood. But him? We just met several minutes ago, and it started with a drama. Life sure has a weird sense of humor.

Nevermind, I'm stressing too much; I shook my head.

"So, yeah. That's all. Oh, you can open the window over there," Tai pointed over my shoulder. "That should let in some fresh air. Looks like you need some."

"Right," I accepted somberly while gazing out at the orange sky outside, trying not to imagine how I look. A mess, for sure. When was the last time I cared about my appearance as Ositha?

A hand landed on my shoulder gently. "Look, I don't know what you've been through and it must be hectic for you... but, family always got each other's back, huh? We've got yours, now," the blond man said with a reassuring smile.

"Thank you," for the sake of being polite, I quickly added, "Uncle Tai."

"That's more like it!" he sounded satisfied. "This house got three girls now, heh," Then he snapped his fingers, remembering something. "Oh, crap. I gotta prepare dinner for everyone!"

The man rushed out with a quick 'good talk!' before I could even ask who they were. Guess I'll find out next time.

Sighing, I tried to collect my thoughts. The bed was more than inviting. It's exactly what I wanted; not too soft that it would swallow my body whole, but snug enough and spacious. And most importantly, not warm against my skin. I hate waking up drenched in sweat. Especially, with my long hair, now.

I stared at the brown ceiling. Closed my eyes. Relieved. No more Grimm. No more surviving in the White Fang. No more Adam. This is it. A little comfort and respite after every fiasco I stuck my nose in. And no more semblance. The only thing I wished I still have.

My eyelids felt heavy. They slowly dropped as the previous fatigue now drowns me into a dreamless sleep. Let me forget everything, please. All except one.

Where are you, Os?

~-x-~

I woke up. And immediately knew something was wrong. I was in the midst of a forest.

Tall trees surrounded me, blocking out the gloomy glow that the moon provided. My body tensed, going full alert without thinking. I saw nothing. It's too dark to make out the shapes around me. One thing for sure; there were no glowing red eyes. But why am I still feeling threatened?

I swallowed, my hands curling around–

I looked down and saw a silvery glint reflecting the moonlight. Not my daggers. It's a sword. I slowly raised the weapon and studied its features. It's slim and slender, weighing no more than both of my daggers. The blade has two edges, glowing a faint purple. The pommel is made out of a purple orb–the source of the glow. Gravity dust. But whose is this?

It feels just right in my hand that I could swear it belongs to me. But it's not.

Crunch.

I whirled to the noise source. Not alone. Someone else is here. My heart rate rose steadily as I slowly turned around, anticipating any surprise attacks. Nothing came, but it's suddenly so quiet. I could hear my own heart thumping. A droplet of sweat ran down my neck, making me flinch of its sudden coldness.

Someone exhaled behind me. I let out a shriek. My hand swung the sword-

I gasped. My sword is gone. No way. How? I stepped back. A low sound of scattered metal came. My feet stepped on a broken piece of metal. I unconsciously stole a peek down. Looks familiar even under the dim light. Wait, is that my dagger-?

"It's nice to finally have some time alone," a voice that I knew well spoke up, "Don't you think?"

I looked up. Straight to a familiar mask.

Petrified.

~-x-~

My eyelids flew up. It's dimmer than earlier. I blinked several times. The warmth still lingers around me. Turning around, I realized I was back safe on the bed in my room, with the evening sky gracing the window. Not in the dream anymore. But why am I feeling in imminent danger? My hand slowly came up, feeling my chest. My heart feels like it would burst out of my ribcage.

I groggily rose, cringing at the sudden headache. Just when I'm about to jump off the bed, I heard noises down there. Cheerful peals of laughter. Girls. Oh, right. I almost forgot where I currently am. My feet touched the brown floor. I left my room and—with a terrible mood—, grumpily head downstairs.

The first thing I noticed was the savory smell of some greasy dish that came from the kitchen. It helped to awaken me up from whatever left from my slumber. I rubbed my eye, before yawning. What time is it?

A strange sight greeted me; a bored Uncle Qrow commented about something while a girl younger than me sat on his lap. The girl has brown hair with red tips that bounced up and down following her body while talking excitedly—she spoke too fast for me to make out the words. I turned my attention. Tai was smirking as he leaned against the wall where the stove sat, probably teasing my uncle. On his left stood a blonde girl who was busy fumbling with clattering cutlery. She has a similar built to Tai. His daughter; I guessed.

"Quit it, will ya?" Qrow grouched; didn't seem amused with whatever they said earlier. "I'm still a hundred years away from having a kid."

"But Uncle Qrow," said the redhead, "It would be nice to have cousins! We can go make our weapons together, right?"

"Yeah, should get our little family a little... bigger," added the blonde. Then, she turned to Qrow with a Cheshire grin on her face. "You aren't too old, are you?"

Qrow rolled his eyes. "Ha. Ha. Hilarious."

"Aww, but I want some friends!" the red-haired girl whined.

"You already got some," said my uncle while ruffling her hair. "And also, not everyone is a weapon fanatic like you, kiddo."

She pouted. I found it cute. Such a sight. I couldn't imagine my own family like this; Josh preparing dishes, Clara sat with Father and chatting amiably. Ah, no way. Without realizing, I leaned by the wall with a small smile, my previous nightmare already forgotten.

"Oh, hey! You're up," Tai noticed me. "How's your sleep?"

Everyone's head turned to me. Oops. I coughed awkwardly, feeling embarrassed caught red-handed snooping on them. I flashed a smile that probably looked more like a grimace and nodded. "Quite eventful, but I'm feeling better than ever."

My honorary uncle gave me thumbs up. "That's great!"

Wonder how he's always cheerful like that. Nevermind that. I strolled forward, already forgetting everything. I could sense the blonde's eyes on me. Tai welcomed me and started introducing us. He motioned to her and said, "This is Yang, my oldest daughter. And over there—" he pointed to the redhead, "—is Ruby, Yang's little sister."

I smiled back at Ruby, who was waving at me with a big grin and a short; 'Hi!'.

Sisters, huh? They don't even look similar at all. Turning to Yang, I tried to hide my shock at the suspicious glare she's giving me. That wasn't there, before. Boy, I would say she's hot, yet scary. Look at those lilac eyes. She's studying me as if she saw me stole a cookie from her jar. I cleared my throat and offered my hand even as Tai introduced me; "And this is Ositha, she'll be staying here for a while."

"Nice to meet you," I curtsied. Yang didn't move to shake my hand—my bad, hers were full. But I had a feeling she wouldn't, even if she wasn't holding the cutleries.

Awkwardly, I pulled my hand back away from the burning glare. Yang's eyes followed it, before going up to meet mine. I wanted to shrivel under the intensity, but I held my ground. One thing I learned; never show your weakness anymore in front of anyone. We had a quick standoff until she said one name; "Yang Xiao Long."

After setting the cutlery, she hastily dragged her father off while I took my seat. I shared a glance with Qrow, but he only shrugged, didn't seem to care at all. I tried to ignore the hushed words coming from the duo dad and daughter next room. Honestly, who am I to expect everyone will welcome me with open arms?

Ruby nervously asked in a curious tone, "So… where are you from?"

~-x-~

Dinner finished without a hassle. I kept my eyes on my plate while avoiding as many attention as possible. Ruby was leaning against her uncle, blabbered lots of stuff that half of them made no sense to me. Yang ate in silence, while Tai sometimes chimed into the conversation. Gosh, this is so awkward. Is it because of me?

I wanted to help take the dishes, but the blonde girl beats me to it. She gracefully took them one by one, stacking them, and carried them to the sink. Something tells me it's a habit. I inhaled and prepared to bid a goodnight when she suddenly said; "Anyone up for a match? It's been a while, old man," she directed the last one to Qrow.

"Pfft," our uncle chuckled. "Kick your butt? Sure."

Despite my sore chest wishing for more sleep, I let my curiosity took control. I followed them to the living room, where I noticed a big holo-screen that escaped my sight earlier. Yang sat on the floor, grabbing a scroll. Our uncle lazily flopped onto the couch and pulled his own. Ruby followed her sister, leaning against her uncle.

Ah, somehow, I felt jealous.

That left me to sit beside Uncle Qrow, right behind Yang. Resigning to my fate, I went there. Yang didn't seem to mind, as she's busy loading the game up. I raised an eyebrow in surprise as the load screen shows up. Kung Fu Ninja Ultimate Slayer Death Battle? Really?

The first match went quickly. Uncle Qrow is true to his word; undefeatable. Even though he wasn't playing seriously, I could tell he's experienced and a hard opponent—if I have to fight him. Too bad, Yang doesn't seem to know a lot about this game. Heh, amateur—err, I mean, she's alright.

(Hey, you take that back!)

I stifled a yawn as Qrow handled his scroll to Ruby. Looks like he got bored. Like me. Eight matches and each one of them ended no faster than three minutes? Seriously, if I didn't just come here, I would take over. My smile vanished as I remembered all the memories. Josh and Blake, both of them playing with me. Those moments seemed so far away now.

Ruby was a lot worse than Yang(sorry, Ruby, it's the truth). She went all out, recklessly, spamming buttons without caring which. I wanted a little entertainment, not two noobs fighting. Without realizing, I blurted my favorite combo, "Up, down, kick, and sprint, Ruby."

"Huh?" But she did as I said. "Like this?"

Her character did a flying kick, followed by a quick stun slash. "Spam now," I said quickly, "while she's stunned."

"Flying Ninja Wins! Total Annihilation!" the game announced.

"Whooo!" Ruby whooped happily while her sister gasped in disbelief. "I did it!"

"No fair!" Yang protested.

"Heh," Qrow chuckled, "Fair is fair, firecracker."

"Haha, now you lose," the redhead stuck a tongue out at her sister.

"No," the blonde growled, "You got help. That's cheating."

For a moment, I thought they're going to fight. I sweatdropped. Am I a troublemaker, now?

"Come on, fight me!" Yang stole her sister's scroll and flung it to me. "It's not over," she promised with a flash of red on her eyes.

Maybe it's just my ego, but I smirked. "You're on."

~-x-~

"How?" Yang was agape. She turned away from the holo-screen to me with even more disbelief on her face than previously.

I put the scroll down beside me. Four-zero. My uncle appears pleased that Yang got wrecked. Seeing the blonde's bloated ego, I could guess why. Still smirking, I raised my fist to meet his and bumped them together. "Simple. We're pros."

Yang's left eye twitched. She slapped her scroll angrily on the floor and jumped on her feet, before storming up muttering 'just you wait'. It reminds me of Josh, though, with less anger and more annoyance. We watched her climb the stairs, stomping each step.

Once she's out of sight, I said, "Maybe I went too far on that."

"She'll be fine," Ruby answered chirpily, then giggled, "She's just salty because there's someone else better than her, now."

"Oh."

"It's pretty late," Qrow stood up, ignoring Ruby's whining protest at the loss of her cushion. "You all should go to sleep. Especially, you." His crimson eyes lingered on me.

I nodded, not going to argue. "Good night."

~-x-~

I rolled over the mattress and grimaced as I sat, my legs hanging over the bed's edge. Another nightmare. Curling and uncurling my fists, I counted to ten. Slowly breathing in and out. I rubbed my eyes, feeling them moist. Sighing, I glanced at the window. The sky outside is already bright. The clock answered my guess; almost six in the morning.

Realizing there's no point in trying to go back to sleep, I jumped off the bed. Opened the window just for the sake to exhale the suffocation away. The chilly morning autumn air did help a little to soothe me, but I ignored even the sight of the orange ocean of leaves. There's a soft white sound of them fluttering under the breeze, yet my ears were deaf.

I went to the mirror and studied my morning face. Two words: not pretty. Cringing, I tried to brush my awry bangs blindly. Didn't work. My hair unevenly stuck out at some places, making it look like a birds nest. Is it the lighting effect or my face is paler than usual?

Despite those, I'm glad my crimson eyes still have the intensity I had since day one. Still mesmerizing and admittedly, making me look more mature. If only the eye bags don't exist. Dang it; I traced my finger over a dark circle, feeling it slightly bumpy than the rest.

I don't look attractive at all. Wait, since when do I care?

Groaning, I caved into my girly side, yet did nothing to fix my appearance. Not because I didn't want to, but because I didn't know how to. I should really ask a real girl. One name immediately came up: Yang. Maybe not. Ugh, imagining asking a girl how to be a girl doesn't look like it would be the greatest topic to start off. Not with Yang still salty from last night. Though, I doubt Ruby knows more than me.

Yeah, to heck with this gothic appearance. I should change into an all-black dress and wear black makeups from now on. I huffed at the idea, blowing my bangs up. Back to their original position, covering half my face.

Whatever.

I didn't expect the kitchen to be occupied this early. But that's how I came to find myself face to face with Yang and a bowl of batter in her hand. The faint scent of waffle seeped through from the toaster behind her. Looks like she wasn't expecting me. Okay, fine. Maybe I should reach out now instead of staying in boundary.

"Morning," I initiated the conversation. "Cooking?"

"Baking," she corrected. "But yeah."

I almost rolled my eyes at that but nodded anyway. Walking over to the cabinet, I said flatly, "Didn't know you can handle the kitchen as well."

"I always prepare the breakfast for everyone," Yang pointed out, sounding a bit offended.

"That's cool," I commented, pulling out a glass and started filling it with water.

I savored the cool liquid as it went down my throat, watching the baking process. Yang opened the waffle toaster's lid. A small sizzling sound came, followed by thin white steam emanating from the waffles. Gently, she poked them out, before taking each piece and settle them to cool off on the plate. I felt drawn toward her mastery.

I didn't realize I watched her a little too intense until she snapped me out with a question, "Wanna help me set up the table?"

I blinked. "Uh, yeah, sure."

I regretted taking her request. Yang looked at me weirdly after I finished. She's just finished her final waffle while looking at what I thought was a handy and professional work. The blonde raised an eyebrow and asked; "What's this?"

"My setup," I explained.

"Really?" She looked at me, unamused.

Did I do something wrong?

"Are we eating at a five-star restaurant?"

I cringed. My eyes glanced at the table. I put a pair of knife and fork on a tissue at the side of each plate, so precise that now I realized after Yang pointed it out. Add a chandelier this will appear more like a formal dinner than breakfast. Dang Burlywood rules. I should leave my family standard behind. I fiddled nervously while Yang corrected it.

"Sorry about last night," Yang spoke up.

The sudden words caught me off-guard. I turned to her. "What for?"

Yang's lilac eyes lingered on me for a while. She looked troubled. Finally, she glanced away with her eyes cast downward. "Nothing."

Sighing, I replied, "I'm sorry, too, for not making the most friendly impression."

"No!" Yang snapped, then her tone softened. "Not that. You're fine. It's just..."

I waited patiently while she took off her cooking mittens one by one. The blonde leaned against the chair backrest with her arms and looked at me in the eyes. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out. I tipped my head, not sure if I was supposed to hear anything. Apparently, she realized that and coughed loudly, holding out a hand; wait.

"Sorry," she said embarrassedly. "You remind me of someone familiar… someone I've been looking for. With that face… and eyes."

"Who?"

She inhaled, looking faraway. "My mom-"

A voice interrupted her, "Oh, hey, breakfast done?"

Tai came in dragging a still sleeping Ruby. He pushed the younger daughter off into her sister's arms(purposefully). I didn't understand what's happening until he frantically motioned while Yang was distracted. He shook his head at me and placed a finger briefly on his lips; you know nothing, tell nothing.

Right. Everyone's got their own secrets.

But what is it that he doesn't want Yang to find out?

~-x-~

A/N: We all know why.

Whew. I'm actually starting to enjoy writing this chapter after re-running the outline in my head several times and made several adjustments. I always wanted Os to make interactions outside his family, Blake and the White Fang. And after the hell (s)he's been through, I think it's fair enough to put him at rest with a good fam.

Hopefully, he will survive the Xiao Long family. Hopefully.

In future chapters, there will be more interaction and explanations about Yang's attitude and Ossy's adapting to her new life. That, until we get to the arc where she returns back to Atlas in a quest. Hmmm, enough spoilers for now. I'll see you all later.

– Karvost