~~AAAND START!~~ (Raid)

The cucumber vendor's son returned one day. When Yang was helping an elder fix the front door to their house, he came over and insisted he could be of service. All he did was hold the nails, but Yang didn't mind his company. For the rest of the day, he followed her around, asking her questions and doing what he could. Once, when Yang went to ask for water, he puffed out his little chest and announced, "She the Keep!"

Everyone on the street immediately bowed before continuing on with their lives. Yang received a basket of fresh fruit along with her water.

She offered the boy a bunch of grapes, and he bowed excitedly before devouring them.

From then on, he mysteriously appeared beside her at sunrise and left before dinner. His favorite thing to do was announce her presence, but he also seemed to enjoy training with her. He'd imitate whatever she did. If Yang opened a portal, though, he'd bow and stay like that until she closed it. Yang was rather fond of him. His earnestness reminded her of Ruby when she was little. She just wished he and all the townspeople didn't have to worship the ground she walked on. After being an adventurer for so long, Yang found the treatment cloying. She couldn't remember the last time she'd had a normal conversation.

However, she was growing to like the village. If she wasn't training or at a watchpost, Yang was probably doing an odd job for someone. It was her own way of repaying a small part of their hospitality, and it mixed up her routine enough to keep it bearable.

Raven left after their conversation at the tavern and hadn't returned. Yang tried to push her from her from her thoughts. There were a lot of things Yang tried not to think about these days. Like Blake. If she started thinking about her, she couldn't stop. She'd wonder if Blake was still on her way to Mistral. Probably. When Blake had her mind set on completing a certain task, nothing could shake her. Yang had tried, but it likely had the opposite effect. And, Blake traveling through the Grimm-infested country to find her shouldn't have made her the slightest bit happy, but…

Then, guilt would rear its nagging head, and she'd get lost in her own emotions. After all, there was the contract. If Blake showed up, she'd die. But, if she didn't show up, nothing would change. Nothing could be fixed…

Then, there was the matter of the goddess and the SDC. Knowing what she did now, all of Yang's actions seemed to hold a certain weight to them. And, to think the Schnee Dust company was involved in all this to such an extent… To think that Weiss didn't know, but everyone else seemed to… What a messed-up family. Yang sympathized with Weiss. She must have been lonely growing up.

Then, Yang got to wondering. Did Winter know about the goddess? Was her death really just the plot of a rival business? Or, maybe Yang was thinking too much about it. True, her instincts had never led her astray, but she had no evidence, and no time to collect any, either.

She had to focus on getting stronger. The fate of the entire village rested on her shoulders, so if she spent time on things like this…

Yang needed to stay vigilant. If she didn't look out for unusual amounts of Grimm like the swarm heading towards the village now, she'd-

Yang did a double take.

Beowolves, Boarbatusks, and Griffons were fast approaching. Behind them, three Beringels and a Nuckelavee followed at a slower pace. They stopped outside the village and watched their more common counterparts rush in like commanding officers in a war.

The village was already in high alert at this point. Warriors grabbed their weapons and charged the invading Grimm. Many were swallowed whole by Griffons or clawed by Beowolves, and one was even killed by a Boarbatusk as it spun into their spine.

Yang activated her semblance and grabbed the Boarbatusk mid-spin, then broke off one of its tusks. A nearby Griffon was about to eat the elder whose door she'd helped fix, and she threw the tusk at it, screaming, "Why don't you eat this instead!"

The tusk impaled the Griffon's skull, and it began the decomposition process. Yang killed the Boarbatusk, then moved on to slaughtering Beowolves. She'd extended the range of her flame bursts to eight feet now, and when Griffons were in range, she shot them out of the air.

A building collapsed some ways away, and suddenly half the village was on fire. Citizens screamed for her help from every direction. Yang found herself having to choose between saving someone from a falling beam or making sure a Griffon didn't fly off with someone else. Luckily, it was after the dinner hour, so the little boy wasn't with her to slow her down…

But, wasn't the inn on fire?

Yang sidestepped a lunging Beowolf, then caved its ribcage in with a single punch. With a growl of frustration, she ran towards the burning buildings, taking down Grimm as she went. When she was just a few blocks from the inn, a Beringel crashed down in front of her. Soon, the other two joined it. They'd decided to get involved, aiming for what they deemed the most challenging threat first.

The first Beringel beat its chest and ran forwards with a roar. Yang slid under the huge primate-like beast, riddling its armored underbelly with flame bursts as she went. Immediately after clearing the first Beringel, she dodge-rolled away from the second and blocked a hit from the third.

Yang knew she needed to hurry if she wanted to save the worshippers at the inn, and took a deep breath. She was already angered, so if anything, this would be easier than in training. Pushing the limits of her semblance, she shot a flame burst at a Beringel. Once her aura hit it, her flames lit the Beringel on fire, and burned it to death.

Encouraged and a little drunk on adrenaline, Yang turned to the other two. "You know?" she snarled. "I've always liked my ape charred." Her eyes glowed a hungry carmine, and she could feel the power coursing through her veins. Her aura flared.

The Beringels glanced at each other, then charged her.

Yang grinned, pulling her fists into her sides to charge her next pair of bursts. When the Beringels were in range, she released both bursts at once, scorching the Grimm an instantaneously immolating them.

But, Yang had underestimated how much energy that attack would take. Her semblance deactivated and her aura flickered out. The high and the heat from battle disappeared in a way that left her craving it. She fell to one knee and shivered.

Yang froze. That particular feeling was returning. She'd felt it in the desert, just before she'd blacked out. Her Grimm scar began to pulsate, and cold leaked from its black tendrils. Yang grit her teeth and slapped herself in the face. She didn't have time for this. She had to get to the inn.

As soon as she made it to the burning building, the little boy ran out from under a broken wagon. "Lady Yang, Lady Yang!" he shouted. "Papa!"

Yang followed him back to the wagon. His father was hurt, but he would survive. Yang did her best to console the child, glad both of them were okay.

Without warning, the wagon was knocked aside and a shrill scream pierced the air. The Nuckelavee had entered the village, and it left a trail of destruction wherever it tread. Now, it was right in front of them, smugly gazing at them from above.

Yang shivered as she watched it. The Nuckelavee had released a sickening desire from the depths of her scar. The Chimaera within her longed to devour it. To ground herself, Yang pulled the little boy close and looked him in the eyes. "Siirsheen quam. Ef puaam strandim citrel yemf zhamsen, hah?"

The boy nodded, then ran back to his father.

Yang turned back to the Nuckelavee. As she did so, her her sank. The village was mostly gone by now. At this point, there wasn't much to save. Her talk with Raven in the tavern came to mind. She could even hear the hermit's song in the background.

"Nothing here will change. My blood is still in your veins, and the world is still on the brink of calamity."

Relying on her blood alone had only gotten her so far. Even if she killed the Nuckelavee now, she'd still failed at protecting the village. If she wanted to protect what was left… Yang hated to admit it, but she'd need to rely on something else. Or rather, she'd need to stop resisting it.

"I'll protect you… so hang on, okay?" she reassured to the two behind her, but her words were lost amidst the sounds of destruction.

Her Grimm scar throbbed painfully beneath her robe.

Yang took a deep breath… and allowed herself to black out.

/-/-/-/

When Yang regained consciousness, she wasn't sure where she was. It was dawn, and she was on a mat in a room with a single window. She sat up slowly, then groaned. Emerald was sitting next to her. She was back at the temple.

"Oh, you're finally awake. I'm glad you actually decided to join me," Emerald said with a hint of sarcasm.

Yang fell back against the mat with a scowl. "Where's Raven?"

Emerald shrugged. "I don't follow her around everywhere. If you want to know, go look for her yourself."

Yang eyed her. "What's with you? I didn't ask you to be here."

Emerald rolled her eyes. "I guess I'm just not that excited to be babysitting Raven's kid while she runs around killing Grimm." She heaved out a sigh. "Are you going to drink that water or am I going to have to stick a funnel down your throat?"

Yang noticed the cup of water next to the mat and downed it. She was hungry, too, but she wasn't about to tell Emerald that.

Emerald stood and headed for the door. "Well, my job's done here. Hurry up and learn to control your Grimm. I don't want to do this ever again, and your body won't be able to hold up if you carry on like that."

Yang shook her head and exhaled when the door closed. "Whatever…" she said to no one in particular. She thought back to last night. Certain things remained in her memory, like dealing the final blow to the Nuckelavee and watching it go down in black flames… but she couldn't remember much. Still, she was starting to understand what it meant to control the Chimaera. Even though she'd only gone along with it up to this point, there was a certain predictability to its desires, and it never seemed to go against her will… Maybe one day, she could harness that power while remaining conscious.

That might be the day she'd have to absorb the Archdemon. It seemed like sometime between Demos and now, she'd accepted that as her unhappy fate.

Raven showed up a bit later. "Congratulations. Your training is over… Consider yourself a true Keeper. You have full control over your next set of actions. I do, however, have one request. From now on, when I visit our ancestor, I want you to come with me."

"And if I say no?" Yang asked immediately.

Raven exhaled. "Then you say no. I will come to ask you again when it is time to see her." She turned to the door. "This is where we part ways… Keep in mind that you are still weak, Yang."

"I hate you, but I'm not stupid," Yang said. "I know I still need to get a lot stronger even without you telling me."

Raven raised an eyebrow. "So, you've decided to take on the Archdemon?"

"Yeah."

"I'm impressed," Raven stated simply. "Talk to one of my servants if you need something. Farewell for now, Yang."

That was the last time Yang saw her for a while.

Yang stood and looked out the window. She was finally free? That statement made her madder than ever. What part of her situation now was "freedom"? She had maybe a few more decades left to live, and she'd been forcibly separated from her lover. What would Blake think of her now? She was finally beginning to be able to control her Grimm scar.

"Your abilities are just another part of you."

Suddenly, a wave of heartsickness crashed into Yang. Blake had been right since the beginning, and she'd found a way to love it all. Their distance became painfully clear to Yang, like reality had finally sunk in. What she wouldn't do to close that distance. She could step into the Void to feel Blake's presence, but it was a double-edged sword. In reality, the distance between them hadn't changed at all. Knowing that always made the feeling worse.

And then there was Ruby, too. Technically, nothing was separating Yang from her sister, but… so much had changed that it felt as though she'd signed two contracts. If Yang showed up in Atlas alone, she'd have to explain everything. Explaining everything was the only thing she didn't feel like she could handle at the moment. A lot of it sounded too absurd, too burdensome to share. Yang might as well be worlds apart from everyone else. Maybe thinking like that made her a coward, but… she liked to think she had the strength to bear this all alone. Or, at least until Blake showed up.

She needed to continue training with the Chimaera. If she found unusually strong Grimm or Grimm with unique abilities, she just might be able to do something about the contract on her own. That, and it was the only way she could get strong enough to save the world.

It was just her and Ember Celica. Except… Ember Celica looked a little worse for wear. The retracting mechanism was broken, and the gauntlets were bent out of shape. It must have happened when she fought with the Chimaera's powers. Yang sighed and tugged Ember Celica off. Okay, so it was just her. That would have to be enough.

Leaving her gauntlets on the mat, Yang opened a golden portal, and left the temple.

/-/-/-/

Weiss was drinking coffee with Ruby in her room, as had become their custom, when a knock interrupted their usual banter. Ruby set down her cup of coffee. Ever since the staff in the kitchen insisted on hand-crafting every cup for them, she'd grown fond of decaf espresso with steamed chocolate milk served with a chocolate-covered strawberry. Weiss had tried it once at Ruby's behest. It tasted nothing like coffee, which is why Weiss suspected Ruby enjoyed it so much.

Ruby opened the door. "What's up?"

A servant bowed. "I have a package and a letter for Madame Schnee. If it appeases both Madames, might it be delivered now?"

Ruby stepped aside and gestured for the servant to enter. "Oh, uh, sure, come on in! Who's the package from?"

Weiss rolled her eyes. Even after being in Atlas for so long, Ruby was still a bumbling idiot when it came to customs.

The servant glanced at Weiss. When she nodded, they continued, "Both items are from Velvet Scarlatina. Might the letter be heard aloud?"

"Read it," Weiss said, intrigued.

"The letter reads thusly:

Dear Weiss Schnee,

Winter thought this might happen one day… She told me to send you this box in case it did. I don't know what's inside, but I'm sure it's important. You probably didn't like her, but you really meant a lot to her. She always talked about you. Please treat her final wish with care.

Sincerely,

Velvet Scarlatina

There is no return address," the servant finished. They handed Weiss a metal box. "This is the package. Does the Madame have any lingering concerns?"

"No, you may leave," Weiss said curtly. She certainly hadn't been expecting this.

The servant left.

Ruby zoomed over to her. Curiosity and excitement sparkled in her eyes. "Ooh, what do you think's in the box, Weiss?"

Weiss set the box aside. "I don't know, and I don't care."

Ruby's jaw dropped. "What? But, it's from Winter! Don't you want to know what she left for you?"

"No, I don't," Weiss insisted. If Winter thought she could just force some useless junk on her, she was wrong. "It's probably just a dress."

"But, Weiss, you'll never know if you don't open it," Ruby said. "If Yang sent me something, I'm sure-"

"Ruby!" Weiss snapped. "How many times do I have to tell you? Winter and I are not like you and Yang! Whether or not I open the box is my decision, and I'm not opening it."

Ruby exhaled and groaned in frustration. "Fine. If you don't want to open it, you don't want to open it. Forget I said anything."

Weiss picked up the box and headed back to her room, trying to do exactly that. She tucked the box far under her bed, then slipped into her sheets. Just who did Winter think she was? The funeral was tomorrow, and she drops a bomb like this? How was Weiss supposed to sing tomorrow when there was that metal box sitting under her bed?

Annoyed, Weiss threw off her sheets, stood up, then dragged the box back out from under it. She set it on top of her covers and stared at it. Taking a deep breath, she reached for it… then shoved it into the bottom drawer of her desk and went to sleep.

~~AAAND STOP!~~

Yang at Blake: James Young - Moondust

NEXT: Winter's Box