A/N: Before getting into this latest chapter, I'll take a moment to answer the most recent guest reviews.

Guest: Eh, that's Ruby's character. She's not a killer and always see the best in people.

GuestWithIdeas: Ruby is the innocent soul, a character trait I intend to keep and her ability to forgive is going to be a keypoint to that trait. My main headcanon with Penny is that she isn't fully mechanical but a cyborg, her previous life being the actual daughter of Dr. Polendina, as a homage to her source inspiration of Pinnochio, a puppet turned into a real boy. I'll be exploring this in greater detail in the sequel. See this chapter for some of your other points, stay tuned for the rest.

Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY, nor will I ever. RWBY belongs to Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth.


"What happened here...? Everything is..."

"This place... the Tower... Ozpin... it's all..."

"I don't care! Where is she?!"

"Wait... I think I see some- yes! There they are!"

"It's okay sweetheart... you're safe..."

The words echoed through Raine's head as if they were distant memories of times long past. He felt heavy... stiff... cold... as if he had just been brought back from the dead into a body that wasn't his. He mentally scoffed at the thought as he tried to regain his bearings. He was in a bed, he could tell that much, the clean sheets and heavy blankets a far cry from the dust, ash, and dirt of the battlefield. As he willed his eyes to open, a bright orange light suddenly assaulted his vision, forcing him to clamp them shut once more. It stung, horribly so. A grunt of discomfort wormed its way out of his throat, prompting a shuffling near the foot of the bed. That's when he noticed an unexpected weight lifting from his feet.

"Raine? Oh my gosh I'm so glad you're awake!" came a familiar voice as he suddenly found himself wrapped in warm arms.

"Mother...?" he asked weakly as he opened his eyes once more.

She pulled away to give him some breathing room, her hair disheveled, and brown eyes red and teary but filled with relief. He glanced around the room he was in; rustic with wooden paneling, and small with a pair of twin beds, one of which he was occupying. The setting sun shown through the window between parted curtains, giving the bedroom a soft, orange glow now that his eyes had adjusted, not unlike the blinding flash that had greeted him.

Feeling his strength return, he shifted his body to sit up only to feel a lance of stabbing pain in his shoulder. He noted that his torso was bare, save for the bandages wrapped tightly around the stubborn wound. Amber rushed forward once more, gently forcing him back down.

"Easy now. You haven't fully healed yet," she placated.

"Where am I...? How long have I been out?" he asked as laid his head into the pillow.

"You're safe. Qrow and I brought you here to Tai's place, Yang and Ruby's home."

The mention of the two sisters immediately grabbed his attention.

"Where are they? Are they okay?" he asked quickly, panic in his voice.

Amber quietly shushed him.

"They're fine. Ruby is asleep in her room when I checked on her earlier today. She has her father watching over her, and Yang went out to train and... clear her head. These past couple days have been draining for all of us."

He felt relief flood through his veins, but that wasn't enough. He clenched his eyes shut as a bitter frown set into his face, his hands balling up into fists and clenching the sheets as memories flooded back to him.

"What happened? What ended up happening to Vale?" he asked, his voice dry and hoarse.

Amber took a deep breath and pulled up a chair.

"Vale is... in a bad way right now. The White Fang were routed but much of the ruins they left behind have been swarmed with Grimm, as is Beacon. Half of the City has been cut off, and most of the citizens evacuated here to Patch. The CCT was also destroyed during the attack, but I think you already know that one, so we've been reduced to a courier system to get any communications out of the Kingdom. There's... also been a lot of tension between Humans and Faunus, even more than there used to be. Even amongst the Faunus there's distrust. Adam's attack has driven a deep divide between us, so the Vale Council, under guidance of General Ironwood, has decided to segregate the two groups for their own safety, and to make matters worse, every media outlet in the Kingdom had been broadcasting the fighting until the Tower fell, so I shudder to think how the other Kingdoms are handling the situation."

"What about Team JNPR?"

"Jaune and Pyrrha are... missing. There was chaos following the battle and few Hunters have been willing to head back into the ruins so soon, but Ren and Nora wouldn't have it. They've been searching for them with very little rest. So far, they haven't had much success."

Raine clenched his grip upon the blanket even harder. Did they lose them too? His distress showed in his eyes with burning tears, his memories of his duel and the events that preceded it rushing back to him.

"Sweety?" Amber asked with worry.

He shook his head, refusing to speak.

"Raine... please talk to me. Let me help you," she asked in a gentle tone.

Her words came crashing through his defenses and he hadn't the will to keep his emotions bottled up any longer, pride be damned. His shoulders began to shake, the young Caelesti on the verge of breaking down.

"I... I failed them..." he began, his voice barely a whisper. "Arianna... Cyan... they're both dead. Adam he... he killed them, and he made me watch... and there wasn't a damn thing I could do to stop him."

He clenched his teeth angrily, a hopeless anger at best. Tears streaming down his face, he turned to face his mother, his soul torn to pieces. The sight drove a knife through Amber's heart.

"They were everything to me... everything... and now they're... they're..."

He couldn't hold it in anymore as his head hung, heaving sobs wracking his body as he wept openly. Raine threw a hand to his face, trying in vain to halt the tears that came forth. For all his strength, he couldn't save them. Arianna's vision came true. Why? Why, out of all of her premonitions, did this one need to happen? He had almost lost them before and it nearly killed him, but now... now there was no coming back, no hope of recovery, no second chances.

Amber was at a loss for words. What could she even say in a situation like this? Should she even say anything at all? Her son had opened up to her, and now she had no idea how to react. As she struggled to find an answer, her thoughts had oddly enough drifted to Summer and the Maiden found herself wondering what the late Huntress would do in her place, if it had been Ruby instead of Raine. Summer would certainly act, not just sit there and let Ruby cry her heart out. She would...

"She wouldn't say anything," Amber thought as she had a moment of clarity.

Standing from her seat, she closed the distance and pulled her son into a tight embrace, cradling him into her arms. Raine weakly tried to pull away, but she held on even tighter as she climbed onto the bed. As a gentle hand rose to stroke his hair, he shuddered and pulled her in tight, desperate for her warmth... desperate to make the pain stop. This young man, a young man whom she was forced to leave, who was forced to grow up without ever knowing a mother's love, clung to her much like he did as a newborn baby. He was so weak now, so vulnerable, she wanted to do everything to keep him safe.

Resting her cheek upon her son's head, she began to rock him gently like she did in those precious few months after he was born and soon, she began to sing the only song she had ever been able to sing him before they were forced to part.

Hush your cries...

Close your eyes...

Stay with me...

Let's just dream quietly...

Of what might be...

The soothing sound of her voice had an immediate effect on him, and while he continued to cry, each shuddering breath came easier. She continued her lullaby.

Calm your fear...

I'll be near...

To you I'll cling...

Rest my friend...

Time can mend...

Many things...

He nuzzled closer, his sorrow melting away in her embrace. Unbeknownst to the mother and son, Ruby had awoken during their talk and tip toed her way to their room, dressed in only her long, black pajamas with tiny white polka dots. She heard everything and her heart ached to be with him, but she stayed in place, unwilling to interrupt. She felt her own eyes sting as Amber continued her singing.

I don't know the answers...

Tomorrow's still unknown...

But I can make this promise...

You won't be alone...

I don't know where we should go...

Just feeling farther from our goal...

I don't know what path we will be shown,

but I know that when I'm with you I'm at home...

Yes I know that when I'm with you I'm at home...

By now Raine's crying had come to a stop, replaced with deep breaths. Silver eyes wet and puffy, he relaxed in his mother's arms.

There's a quiet place...

In my embrace...

A haven of safety where...

I'll dry your tears...

Shelter here...

In my care...

His breathing was slowing, the tender melody lulling him to sleep. He let the feeling overtake him, forgetting his troubles even if it was only for a moment.

But even when we stumble...

And someday when we fall...

What I will remember,

that I had you through it all...

I don't know where we should go...

Just feeling farther from our goal...

I don't know what path we will be shown,

but I know that when I'm with you I'm at home...

Yes I know that when I'm with you I'm at home...

She continued to hum as she planted a gentle kiss upon his forehead. Slowly as to not disturb him, she wiggled out from his grasp and tucked him in, the boy having fell asleep long before his head hit the pillow.

"Yes I know that when I'm with you I'm at home," came Ruby's soft voice as she made her presence known.

Ruby's unexpected entrance and finishing of the lullaby startled Amber from her thoughts, making the Maiden flush with embarrassment.

"Did... you hear all of that?" she asked timidly.

"Yeah... I kinda did," Ruby admitted with a sheepish smile. "I just woke up and wanted to see if he was okay, but kinda saw you two and... didn't want to ruin your moment. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have... oh man this is awkward..."

Amber shook her head as a small smile graced her features.

"Ruby you have nothing to apologize for," she assured her as she gazed to her sleeping son. "I've wanted so badly to be able to hold my baby boy in my arms like that again, but now I guess he isn't much of a baby anymore."

"Well... he did kinda look like one with how he was hugging you," Ruby lightly teased at his expense, and the two shared a giggle.

"I think we can forgive him for that," Amber said with a smile.

"I'm happy for you..." Ruby said suddenly as she stared at the floor, her hands clasped together in front of her. "For both of you. Raine got his mother back, and you were able to bond with him again. My mom used to sing to me too..."

Her voice trailed off, but before she could continue, Amber wrapped her into a hug as well, making Ruby's eyes go wide with shock. Slowly, she returned the embrace.

"I'm no Summer," Amber admitted as they gently parted. "But I know she always used hugs to cheer us up, and you looked like you needed one."

Ruby wiped her moistening eyes and smiled once more.

"Thanks Amber."

Amber gave the young rose one last, light squeeze of a hug and made to leave, then paused at the door.

"Feel free to stay if you want, I'm sure he'd want you close. I'll keep your father busy, just don't take too long. He'll want to see you right away," she offered with a smile before shutting the door behind her.

Ruby's face heated up as she watched the Maiden leave, taken aback by how easily Amber was willing to leave her with her son, not at all like she had expected a mother to be. Her thoughts began to wander as she approached Raine's bed. They both had stared death in the face more than either of them wanted to count, and yet thoughts of intimacy still brought her feelings of embarrassment, despite the steps they had already taken. Would now even be an appropriate time? As she gazed upon his slumbering form, she quickly made a decision and climbed under the covers to join him.

Cuddling into his chest, she smiled as she felt an arm wrap around her and pull her in close.

"Ruby..." he breathed in his sleep.

Even in his dreams he knew she was there; it sent her heart fluttering. For now, this innocent intimacy was all she needed, perfectly content to rest her ear against his chest and listen to his heartbeat; they were alive.

As Amber made her way back downstairs, she could hear a pair of voices coming from the living room as well as the steady drone of static on the holoscreen.

"Ugh, still nothing," came the spitting gripe of Taiyang Xiao Long.

"Just turn it off. Without the CCT there's no point," came Qrow's response.

Amber heard the clatter of a remote being tossed onto the coffee table as the static feed went dead. She could feel the frustration in Tai's voice.

"Communications are down across the entire kingdom, we've got no way to contact the outside world reliably, Grimm are occupying half of Vale, and Ozpin is still missing. Was there anything else I missed?" Tai listed.

"Well my flask is empty, so there's that," Qrow grunted in response.

"I'm being serious, Qrow," Tai rounded back on him. "This whole situation is bad."

"I know," the reaper growled back. "Trust me I know."

Amber decided to take that as her cue to enter, surprising both men with her appearance.

"There is some good news at least; Ruby is awake and she's on the mend," she supplied as she joined them.

Tai still kept his favorite outfit the same as she remembered; a tan dress shirt whose right sleeve was cut off, with a brown leather vest thrown over top. Tied on his left arm was a red bandanna, and his right was dressed with a fingerless leather glove, leather vambrace, and a metal spaulder. She noted a new addition; a black tattoo that vaguely resembled a pair of serpent dragons meeting together to form a heart. Brown cargo shorts, a dark brown belt, and dark combat boots completed the look.

What really drew her attention was how much he seemed to have aged over the years. What was once bright and shining gold hair had lost much of its previous luster, the locks interspersed with gray to give it a much more subdued look. Stubble decorated his jaw line as did a small soul patch of blonde hair, and his blue eyes were hung with bags as if the man hadn't slept in days. Understandable, considering every Hunter left in Vale had their work cut out for them.

"Amber!" he said as he rushed over to greet her. "Is Ruby ok? Is she hurt? Did she say anything?"

"Easy," she answered to shush him. "Ruby's fine, if a bit groggy. She said she'd come down when she was ready and just asked for some time to herself."

Tai breathed a sigh of relief.

"That's good to hear. You sure she doesn't want her old man to pop in on her though?"

Amber giggled and shook her head.

"Trust me; a smothering father is the last thing she wants right now."

"Hey! I'm not smothering!" he said bewildered.

"Coulda fooled me," snorted Qrow.

"You stay out of it."

"Boys," Amber stressed as she regained their attention. "Ruby will come down when she's ready. She's not a little girl anymore."

Tai shook his head.

"It won't matter how old she gets; she'll always be my little girl, and I'll always worry about her."

"Then trust your little girl to make big girl decisions for herself, alright?"

Amber's tone left little room for argument as did her rationale, and Tai eventually relented.

"I suppose she is getting older..." he grumbled as he crossed his arms. "I wouldn't want to end up chasing her away."

"How's the boy scout doing?" Qrow interjected.

Amber's mouth set into a frown.

"Hard to say. The attack has taken a heavy toll on him personally. I'm not sure when he'll recover, but he's strong so I still have hope. He's his father's child."

"Did he say what happened?" Qrow questioned further.

"He told me enough..." Amber said sadly. "Both of his teammates died in the attack."

"The Grimm took a lot of people," said Tai with a grimace as he sat back down on the sofa. "We're still counting the casualties."

Amber shook her head.

"It wasn't Grimm who killed them. They were murdered."

Both Tai and Qrow looked up in shock.

"By who?" Qrow asked with force that surprised even him.

Amber swallowed the lump in her throat.

"Adam Taurus."

"Damn it..." Qrow swore under his breath.

"He fought against Taurus and survived?" Tai asked with a raised eyebrow. "I find that one hard to believe."

"He didn't just fight him; he beat him," Qrow added. "He beat him down hard, and Ruby helped."

"She did what?!" came Tai's outburst.

"Calm down. Getting worked up about it now isn't going to do anything."

"I'm sorry but I'm going to get worked up if my daughter got into a fight with the most dangerous terrorist in the world. Is he at least dead?"

"I'm not sure," Qrow admitted. "There wasn't a body when I got there, only a ruined Beacon Academy."

Tai sighed and put a hand to his face.

"Grimm is one thing but that's going too far."

"She's a warrior, Tai. She wouldn't run away when her friends are in danger. You have to understand that," Qrow continued to reason.

"She's only fifteen!" Tai countered.

"She's going to be sixteen in a week you know."

"That doesn't matter."

"Of course it matters," Qrow grumbled as he stood from his seat, his tone beginning to rise. "She's growing up whether you want her to or not. Maybe if you didn't try to baby her so much she'd be more inclined to listen to you."

"Being around you so much is what's making her so reckless, so excuse me if I don't want to lose her the same why I lost Summer!" Tai argued back.

"What did you just say...?" Qrow asked with a dangerous growl.

"Okay you two, that's enough," intervened Amber as she stood between them. "Qrow, I know you care a great deal for Ruby, but you're not her father. Raising her is Tai's responsibility, you know this, so stop being so hard on him. He's doing as best as he can."

Qrow grimaced as Amber defended his old partner and teammate, unable to find a suitable retort, but just as quickly as she cowed him, she then turned her attention on Tai.

"I know you miss Summer. We all do, but that's no excuse to turn on family. What do you think she'd say if she saw you two fighting like this?"

Tai turned his head away, not willing to look Amber in the eyes.

"She'd probably wring both of our ears at the same time," he admitted.

"Exactly," Amber said with a satisfied nod. "Now, it doesn't matter which one of you Ruby takes after more, because you're both in her life and neither of you are going anywhere. So what if she'd rather train with Qrow? She gets her compassion and optimism from you, her dad, so be proud of the daughter you raised."

Amber took a step back, scrutinizing both men like a mother scolding her children. Oh how ironically the tables had turned. Arms crossed, she began to tap her foot as they still refused to look at each other.

"So, are you two going to make up on your own like adults or do I have to make you?"

Growling under their breaths, Tai and Qrow relented, neither of them wishing to test Amber's patience. To her pleasant surprise, Qrow was the one to initiate as he extended his hand forward. With a few seconds of hesitation, Tai accepted and grasped his brother-in-law's hand with his own. No words were shared between the two warriors about the truce, only silent understanding.

"I'm still better looking," Qrow soon quipped with a smirk, causing Tai to snort in response.

"Entire. Team."

"Dick."

With a content smile on her face, Amber clapped her hands together.

"Good! Now that that's out of the way, who's hungry?"

The thought of food made their stomachs grumble obnoxiously, reminding Qrow and Tai how little they've eaten over the past few days. The blonde laughed sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Maybe some food would do us some good," he admitted.

"I'll pass for now," Qrow said as he started making his way for the door. "I still need to meet with Glynda and Jimmy so we can discuss our next move. With Ozpin gone, we'll be flying blind for a good while."

"Don't think you're just going to get out of this," Amber started with her hands on her hips.

"Relax. I'll come by later tonight, I promise," Qrow assured her with a wave of his hand.

Amber watched with a frown as the door shut behind him. Even with his mellow moments, the man was still anti-social as always.

"Sometimes I wonder who was more difficult to work with; him or his sister," Tai commented as he leaned against the archway leading into the kitchen.

"At least Qrow can be reasonable at times," Amber said with a sigh.

"Yeah... no kidding..." Tai agreed with a downcast look.

Thankfully, his sour mood was lifted when he felt a pawing at his leg followed by a whimper. He looked down to see Zwei staring back up at him, tongue lolling out in that happy-go-lucky face of his that brought a smile to Tai's face. He reached down do scratch the pooch behind the ears.

"I know buddy, you're hungry too. C'mon, let's get something to eat."


In the forests of Patch, a mighty rumble shook the earth that scattered stray birds into the sky. It was followed by a second, then a third as if the ground itself was being split open. Such an expression wouldn't be too far fetched as Yang sent her fist into a mighty oak tree, splintering its bark around her clenched fist.

She was panting heavily, her face and skin matted with sweat that gave it a lustrous shine under the setting sun. She dressed in a tight orange tank-top that kept her bust held down, and long cargo pants that ran down to white sneakers. Her flowing mane of hair was tied back into a ponytail, though it did little to keep a few stray bangs from falling over her face. She didn't care, her only focus being on her training and drowning out depressing thoughts. With a yell, she spun and sent roundhouse kick into the well-worn trunk, shaking it mightily and showering her with leaves. Her eyes flashed red for a moment before she collapsed backwards with a gasp, her exhaustion catching up with her.

Chest heaving, she weakly sat up with shaking arms, her hands protected by little else than faded and fraying red combat gloves. She massaged her aching knuckles and sat up, staring blankly into space as her memories played through her mind, halting only when Cyan's jovial face seemed to flash by, a face she'd never see again. Growling, she sprung back up and reared her fist back. With a roar, she threw one last punch at the tree, this time splitting through the trunk and completely toppling it with a loud groan. She stumbled backwards on uneasy feet as it hit the ground with a crash.

"Geez, taking your anger out on foliage now?"

Yang jumped at the voice and turned to find Blake at the edge of the clearing with her arms crossed as she leaned against a similar tree, her feline ears once again hidden from view by her bow. A knowing smirk was on her face. Chuckling with embarrassment, Yang walked over to join her.

"Saw that did you?" she asked sheepishly.

"The whole island probably felt it," Blake responded with a deadpan. "I'm surprised no one has come running yet thinking another firefight had broken out."

The two girls embraced.

"Well if a fight did breakout, I'd always protect my favorite kitty cat. Did some humans try pushing you around again? Cuz you know I'll knock their teeth in," Yang teased, making Blake flush with embarrassment.

"Knock that off," she griped as she lightly pushed Yang by the shoulder. "You know I don't need you for that. I'm here because I wanted to talk to you."

The tone in her voice made Yang pause.

"Uhm, alright. What about?" the brawler asked as they took a seat beneath the tree.

For a moment Blake remained silent, her arms hugging her knee to her chest. She'd been contemplating this decision everyday since the evacuation, but she still remained apprehensive of telling her partner. Her heart beat loudly in her ears, heavy thumps that she could feel throughout her chest. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, grateful for Yang's patience.

"I've... decided to go back to Menagerie."

Yang blinked.

"That's it? That's no biggie. Everyone needs some time away."

"No you don't understand. When I said go back, I meant go back. I don't know when I'm coming back to Vale," Blake explained as she cast her gaze away.

"... what?" was Yang's response.

"Yang... I'm tired," Blake explained. "I'm tired, confused, worn out, and scared. After everything that's happened, I just want to rest and be with my family. I want to get away from everything for just a moment so I can get my head on straight. I can't do that here. No matter where I go, my thoughts keep drifting back to bad memories that I can't put away. All that hard work that I put into the White Fang over all these years, everything we worked for to fix what was wrong was just destroyed overnight. It makes me hurt, and angry. It makes me wonder if Adam was right, and I can't live with that right now. I need to get away before I start slipping down the same path that took him."

"That won't happen," Yang declared with a frown. "That won't happen because I wouldn't let it happen. I'd knock you around if I had to, and you know that."

"You can't get into my head."

"I don't need to."

Blake sighed and stood.

"If you're going to try and change my mind, don't bother because it won't work. I need this Yang, I'm sorry."

"I know," Yang agreed, taking Blake by surprise. "I know that once you put your mind to something, nothing will stop you. So I'm not going to stop you."

Blake felt tears brewing in her eyes.

"Yang... I-"

"I'm coming with you."

The only sound in the clearing was a soft breeze of wind, for Blake at a complete loss of words. Yang grinned at her partner's dumbstruck expression.

"What? You didn't think I was going to let you do this alone did you?"

"I... I don't think-" Blake tried to retort as she stumbled over her words, only to stop when Yang's finger gently pressed against her lips.

"Do you remember what Headmaster Ozpin said on Initiation Day? That the first person we'd make eye contact with would be our partner for the next four years? Well guess what? It hasn't even been one year yet and I intend to stay for the full ride, even beyond that if you'd have me."

"Yang I can't ask you to do that," Blake said as she shook her head. "I can't ask you to leave your family to tag along with me."

"You're not," Yang assured her. "I'm coming of my own free will. Sorry, but you can't decide for me either."

"What about Ruby?"

"She's got Raine to lean on, and I know she'll understand if I told her why I was leaving once I tell her."

Blake sighed in exasperation.

"What about your mom? I thought you said you were going to go find her after graduation? You can't really do that if you're tied to my hip."

"Is that an invitation?"

"Yang I'm serious!" Blake exclaimed with a flush on her cheeks.

Still laughing, Yang crossed her arms and sighed.

"Look, I know what you mean. I've spent my whole life trying to find her, and for the most part I haven't had much luck. Dad would outright refuse to talk about her and Qrow would usually dodge the issue."

"You said usually, so does that mean he finally opened up?" Blake inquired.

Yang gave a shrug.

"He told me plenty, plenty of what I wanted to know for now anyway, but there's more to it than just that. They still talk to each other from time to time, and after my... singles match with Cyan, Qrow came to see me. He said that Raven wanted him to give me a message, and all but told me exactly where to find her. In fact, I had half a mind to drop out after the tournament and go dig her up, but now that's changed."

Yang snorted and crossed her arms as she leaned back against the tree.

"She's been hiding out in Anima over the last few years, said if I wanted to learn true strength that I should come find her. She waited seventeen years before trying to talk to me, so as far as I'm concerned she can wait a bit longer."

Blake bit her lip and tried one last time to get Yang to reconsider.

"I still don't think it's a good idea. Everyone saw the fighting before the Tower was destroyed, and the White Fang still control a large portion of Menagerie's council. If you came with me, you'd only be putting yourself in danger."

Once more, Yang gave her signature grin.

"What would I have to worry about when I have such a fair lady to protect me?"

The remark brought a smirk to Blake's face and a small laugh, well aware of one of the meanings behind her family name.

"Flatterer," came her sarcastic response. "Fine then, if you really want to come along then I suppose there isn't anything I can do to stop you, is there?"

"Nope," Yang answered with a pop of the p. "So when do we head out on this new adventure?"

"Give me a couple days to get everything together, then I'll come find you."

Yang grinned broadly and pumped her fist into the air.

"Whoo! Roadtrip!" she cheered.

Blake shook her head with a smile. Yang never seemed to run out of energy no matter what the circumstance, though the brawler's hesitation when mentioning Cyan still caused Blake some concern.

"Are... you going to be okay?" she asked. "From what I understood, you and Cyan were getting pretty close and..."

The mention of the Lion brought a sad frown to Yang's face. She let her arms droop along with her head.

"It sucks, it definitely sucks," she admitted with a humorless chuckle. "For a moment I thought we could build something real, something completely different from my other flings but now that idea is completely shot. I'm sorry... I don't want to sound like a terrible person, but I didn't have the same connection to him like Raine did, so I'll just have to suck it up and move on. Sometimes bad things just happen, things we just can't stop."

"Preaching to the choir on that one..." Blake murmured.

"How bout Weiss?" Yang suddenly asked cheekily, trying to change the subject. "Maybe we should bring her along too?"

"No," Blake answered flatly with a grimace. "There's not enough time in the day to explain why that would be a bad idea."

"Where is she anyway? I've hardly seen her at all since the fighting stopped."

"She's with her sister with the Atlesian Military last I heard," Blake explained. "She's been keeping herself as busy as possible, probably as a way to try and convince her dad to let her stay."

Yang whistled, impressed at the notion that Weiss was refusing to go back to her cushy life at the mansion.

"I guess we made an impression on her, haven't we?"

"We all did," Blake agreed. "Beacon's changed all of us."

It certainly had. When she arrived, Blake was a closed off basket case who would sooner bury her nose in a book rather than talk to anybody. She was eternally grateful that someone like Yang had ended up being her partner. The two were polar opposites to be sure, but the energetic brawler pried Blake out of her shell and taught her how to have fun again. Then again, her entire team could take some credit. Ruby revived her hope in a better world, Weiss taught her even the most unlikely of people could change, and Raine showed her to stand her ground in the face of fear. In a different life, without their influence, she probably would've dropped everything and ran like she always did. She couldn't bring herself to do so now, even with her decision to go back home. Who knows; maybe having Yang along would help the Faunus back home understand that not all Humans were terrible?

"So... what do you think you're folks are gonna say when you bring a girl home with you?"

Yang's not-so-innocent question sent a shudder through Blake. She didn't think about that one.

"Oh no."


A/N: Another chapter done and gone. Canon divergence and scene expansion are among many things that I love about writing this AU, so let's get down to it.

Raine and Amber: This scene was a bit of a challenge to write given all of the preconceived notions associated with loss. I was faced with portraying what kind of sorrow Raine would be feeling without reducing him to a blubbering mess. Given how I've built his character, the end result seemed like the best way to make it work. He feels emotional pain just like most other humans, and yet his need to be strong, to "suffer in silence" as it would, still shows. His being short in his explanation to his mother shows this, though her gentle prodding is enough to make him breakdown. It's a unique feeling of vulnerability that would wear on anybody. This of course leads to a bonding moment between parent and child, something that was seventeen years overdue. The lullaby then doubled as not only as a theme for their bond, but for this chapter as a whole.

Amber, Tai, and Qrow: This came about from the brief exchange Qrow and Tai share in canon. There is noticeable tension between the two when Tai leaves Ruby's room, which led me to believe it went deeper than just an uncle wanting some one on one time with his niece. Yes, uncle. Sorry Qrowdad fans. He's uncle in this story. That theory was only reinforced when Vol 4 revealed his Semblance, and the conversation they have here is my take on how an exchange would probably go down with Ruby as the topic. Amber's presence was an advantage here as a third party to remind the two men that they were still family. No grilling Raine yet on his relationship with Ruby. Even Tai knows when that would be appropriate, and right now this isn't it.

Yang going to Menagerie!: Oh yes I'm taking that route, for various reasons in fact that don't pertain to the Ship. Divergent events are what drive this AU, going anywhere from an extra character's influence to branching choices. Yang doesn't lose her arm here, nor does Blake feel as personally responsible for Adam's actions as she did in Canon. Yes this takes away from her PTSD recovery arc in Vol 4, but keeping that sequence of events after how I've written this story wouldn't make much sense in the current timeline. Besides, Miles and Kerry had done that portion masterfully as far as I'm concerned; the shakes, the nightmares, the flashbacks and triggers. It all melded together seamlessly. Other than that, Yang's own explanations to Blake pretty much seal her rationale for tagging along. Now, the ultimate question is whether to keep Sun in the picture? Maybe make the BellaHarem a reality? Wouldn't that be a kick in the head to all the toxic fans in both Ships haha. It's going to be a fun ride regardless. *scibbles some more notes*

Anyway, that ties up a few more loose ends. How much will I actually resolve before putting this work to bed? Time will tell. As always, thank you all for continuing to read, fave and follow to show your support if you haven't already, and drop a review if you want to share your thoughts on today's update. Till next time!