Entry 29

Yang and I have been training for a few weeks. Every day we've been going out to spar for a few hours and just sort of talk. It's just like when she was younger. Although, she hits a lot harder now.

Her technique is still there, and it's getting better daily. To be honest, she's just needed to get used to the new arm. Nothing else really changed. I think she's recognizing it too. We're both going to need to give Ironwood a thanks for all the work that went into making that possible.

Her head still isn't fully there though. If she's anything like me, that's not going to change for a while. I'm okay with helping her out over time, but I don't think she's going to give herself the time she needs.

I think she's been asking to spar so that she can get back out there. I'm not against the idea, but I'm a bit worried that she will go about things the same way as she did at Beacon. I watched all of her fights during the tournament. She won, but relied on her semblance every step of the way. It's not something she can do every fight. At some point, it's not going to work. It's exactly how she lost her arm in the first place.

I wanted to drive that into her. Not just because she needs to know it, but because I'm scared for her. She's one of the strongest people I've ever met in my life. She's also one of the most stubborn. Stubbornness leads to going back to old ways.

It's why I decided to tell her about Raven.

It wasn't an easy conversation, but it was one that Yang needed to hear. All of them were right. Yang isn't a child any more. She's my little girl, but she's also grown far more than I've ever been able to imagine. Telling her about her mom wasn't going to solve all of the things going on in her head. Only time can fix that. I just thought it would help her understand things the way I see them.

So, I laid it all out there. I allowed her to ask all the questions she wanted about Raven. She didn't have much to say when I first brought her up. It took until around dinnertime for her to find the right things to ask. First, it was about who she was and where she came from. When I told her what I knew of her tribe, the questions started to evolve into what she was capable of.

That's when we got to her semblance.

I knew it was going to be the hardest part to explain. Not because of the ability itself, but because of what it meant to Yang. Raven's bond with others isn't something she used lightly. It's only something she ever extended to the ones closest, or most important, to her. Once she's bonded with someone, there's no taking it back. Which is why Qrow and I are tied to her every day of our lives. Yang was trying to understand why it was such a big deal. Why the 'bond' was so important. That's when I told her about the portals.

It took her a minute to understand. I could see it running through her head. When it finally clicked, she asked the question. Was that why Raven was able to save her on the train just before the breach. When I told her it was, things started to spiral. She realized that she was bonded with Raven as well. That Raven was able to see her at any point in time, but actively chose not to.

It's when the tears started to come. I just held her. I knew that the thought of Raven had always ate at her. I just never knew the extent of it. She never spoke about it with me. That's my fault though. I never talked about her either.

That hurt meant she understood though. Raven left us. Every day of her life, she chooses to continue to be away from us.

Yang's only response was to ask why.

That question isn't something I have the answer to though. When she left, it was to return to her tribe. She said it was what she was always supposed to do, but that was a lie. Raven could have left us at any time. We graduated. If she really was going to go back, that would have been the time. Instead, she stayed.

She chose to stay with team STRQ. We were her friends. We had all bonded together over our time at Beacon. As a team, we went out on all kinds of missions through the kingdoms. Each one involved us risking our lives to help the world. It was scary, but it was something I thought we all wanted.

As a team, we were close. Then we became more than that. When we learned that she was pregnant, the team slowed down a bit. We bought this house on Patch. It was quiet and relaxing. Something away from all the dangers that we fought every day. I thought everything was going perfectly.

Then she left. Something changed in her. I don't know what happened, but it almost seemed like she didn't trust us anymore. Then she was gone.

I told Yang that. I told her all of it. Only Raven truly knows why she left. To be honest, I think she was scared. After everything we saw in the world, it would be hard not to be. I just don't know why she thought the best thing to do was leave. Whatever her real reason is, it doesn't change the fact that she left. It doesn't change the fact that she isn't here with us right now.

Yang was hurt. She had all this new information about Raven, but still not the answer she was looking for. I did see something I hadn't seen in her for a while though. Drive. There was a spark in her eye. Something to work towards. I knew it would be there. I've always known. It's why I never told her any of this in the past.

She wants to go see Raven. She wants answers. This time, if she chooses to go after her, I won't stop her. She deserves the right to know everything. She's right. She isn't a child anymore. She's a young woman now. Both my girls are. They both deserve to know the truth.

I was expecting Yang to be angry with me for keeping all of this from her, but she wasn't. After her tears died down, she hugged me. She thanked me for telling her all of it. For being honest with her. I guess I never realized how much talking like this would mean to her.

It's just another lesson that she taught me.