Happy new year and all that good stuff

Cover Art: Jack Wayne

Chapter 89

Raven flicked her sword to the side, shedding just a little blood that had started to pool on it from where the brat's aura failed him. He clutched his shoulder, favouring one arm with a face flushed red with exertion. Gasping for breath, he looked up at her not with anger or pain, but some desperate hope. Expectation. It was embarrassing to so much as look at, especially since she knew what he was waiting for. Praise. What did he think she was? His mother? She wasn't one to throw happy words about to make someone feel better.

Jaune stared harder. His lip wobbled.

"Better," she grunted, looking away and refusing to acknowledge the heat rising up her own face. Stupid brat. "You've improved, for a pathetic waste of my time." Sheathing her sword, she indicated the end of the spar and let him do the same. "You continued after your aura failed. Why?" Her eyes narrowed. "To impress me?"

"Because an enemy won't stop just because my aura drops. Better I learn to fight without it now, right?"

"Hmm." Raven nodded. "That's good thinking. Maybe you're not as much as an idiot as I first thought. Don't let that get to your head. They teach the baby kind of fighting here, the style that ends when aura enters the yellow." She spat to the side. "Pathetic. That said, act out too much and people will get suspicious."

"I've already had people ask about you," he admitted.

"I'm not surprised. Who?"

"There was Vernal…"

"Why am I not surprised?" Sighing, Raven cupped her face. It'd been a while since she'd seen the girl but that wasn't uncommon. The tribe didn't coddle its young and so long as she was alive and growing stronger, what did it matter if she never made an appearance. Such wasn't bad parenting or leadership. She was giving Vernal room to grow, and it spoke well of her that she didn't need the help. "And let me guess, you just admitted to being trained by me. I'm sure that went down well with her."

"I said it without thinking."

"And after I specifically told you to keep word of my involvement limited."

"I remembered later! Mrs Rose was also asking about you."

Raven flinched at the name and instinctively engaged her Semblance. Summer was close by, but not dangerously so – more `somewhere below and in the building`. The memory of their last meeting hadn't faded, or the slap she'd received. The ultimatum. What she'd left, she'd been removed from. Summer had taken more than just Taiyang; she'd stepped in and taken everything Raven left behind, and now there was no room for her. That's fine. It's just how I wanted it.

"She seemed upset about it…"

"That's our business and none of yours, brat. Just remember to stay quiet on me."

"Do you know her?"

"What part of `our business` do you not understand? Being trained by me doesn't give you the right to poke your nose in my business. You're just like him…" His older self. The other Jaune that she found herself both amused and vexed by at times. Idiocy was a part of his blood, it seemed. As different as the two Jaunes may have been, they were both still morons. "Just leave it. Focus on your studies, get strong and don't take shit from no one."

"Alright. I-"

The doorway leading up to the roof clicked, the latch opening. Jaune turned to look with curiosity, not at all concerned about being found on the roof. The same couldn't be said for her. Cursing, Raven looked left and right, one hand on the hilt of her weapon as she made to open a portal and escape. That would take time, however. Time, she didn't have.

Fuck. Not like this…

/-/

Yang pushed up and out onto the roof, looking around as the cold air buffeted her hair and made her shiver. It was late and chilly, but not quite as horrible as she'd have imagined on the rooftop. It didn't take long to spot her missing teammate. He was sagging slightly, exhausted and covered with sweat after what looked like an extreme workout. That wasn't the most curious thing about him, however.

He had a little bird on his shoulder.

"Hey Yang." Despite how tired he looked, he still managed a friendly smile and a greeting. "What are you doing up so late?"

"I could ask the same of you but I've a feeling I'd know. Training?" When he nodded, she made her way over and crossed her arms, fixing him with a glare that was more teasing than upset. "You know, you can ask for help when you want to train. Or a spar. You don't need to come up here alone and work yourself to the bone."

"Hah. Sorry."

"Although, I was sure I heard you talking before I came up…"

"I was talking to…" He looked to the bird on his shoulder, which stared back at him. "M-My bird," he finished. "Miss Raven."

"Miss Raven?" Yang snorted. "Original naming there. And hello to you, Miss Raven. How are you today?" Miss Raven reared up, the feathers on his chest puffing out angrily. "She doesn't look all that friendly."

"Oh, she is," he said, ignoring the way the bird's head whipped to him. "She tries to make it seem otherwise and tries to be surly and nasty, but I know she has a heart of gold deep inside. Even when she's being mean, I know she really does care about – OH GOD, SHE'S GOT MY EAR! OW! OW! SHARP BEAK! SHARP BEAK!"

Jaune fell to his knees and started trying to pull the tiny thing off, which only stretched his ear further. He wept hysterically, pulling and tugging until Yang took pity on him – or the bird – and knelt to gently pry it off. He clutched his ear and glared balefully at the ruffled bundle of feathers Yang now held to her chest. The thing huffed and prodded her fingers with its beak but didn't bite her as it did Jaune.

"I think you offended her," she teased. "A proud woman like this isn't going to take that kind of mockery. You should know better." Rubbing her hand over the thing's head, she was careful not to squeeze too hard. "I didn't hunt you halfway across Beacon to talk about birds, though."

"You were looking for me?"

"No. I just spontaneously checked every rooftop for fun." Yang rolled her eyes and almost felt like Miss Raven was doing the same thing. "Of course I was looking for you. I thought we should talk. Have a little discussion."

He leaned away. "Are you going to ask where I got my training?"

"Uh. No. I don't really care about that."

"Oh." He relaxed. "Then fire away. What's up?"

"I wanted to talk about Emerald."

"I haven't done anything to annoy her. I promise."

Oh, Em. Yang sighed in her head and hooped an arm around the skittish boy's shoulder before he could pull away. Two blondes on a rooftop sharing skin might have gotten the gossips back in Signal excited, but she'd always been touchy, and it was nothing compared to what she was like with Emerald. Speaking of. Ugh. She'd known the way her best friend treated him was unfair, but this was ridiculous.

"You've not done anything wrong. I wanted to apologise for her, then figured that wouldn't mean much if it's not her doing it. Instead, I thought I might explain a little. You know, help you understand why she's doing what she's doing and how it's not your fault."

Jaune sighed and looked the other way. "I'd rather wait to hear it from her. No offence."

"Yeah, see, that's a nice thought, but this is Emerald we're talking about." Yang poked his shoulder, the wounded one, making him wince. "You'd be waiting til the day you die, and she wouldn't even be withholding it because she means to. That's just how she is. Unless you make something abundantly clear to her, she's not going to catch on."

"You make her sound like an idiot."

"Ehhh…" She made a so-so gesture with one hand. "I'm not saying she is, but let's just say I'm not saying she isn't. Em is many things, my best friend among them, but a `people person` she is not. You're not going to get anything from her unless you confront her."

"Should I?"

"You could, or you could let the incredibly gorgeous woman next to you explain." Yang poked her face into his and watched as he looked away. "Is that a blush? I think it isss! Oh, you can smile. How adorable." He grumbled something and pushed her away, face a bright shade of red. "So, which will it be, hero? Brave the socially inept Emerald Ashari or listen to me?"

"As long as it's nothing that gets me in trouble. I don't want to know anything I shouldn't."

Yang rolled her eyes again. It was a nice thought and sweet of him, but she was Emerald's best friend. Did he really think she was going to start revealing secrets he wasn't meant to know about? "No worries there. So, you know a little about her past. How she was adopted."

"Yeah. I was filled in."

"Well, it turns out that you just happen to share a lot of physical similarities with her adoptive father."

He'd heard. "Including a name, I hear. Kind of a big coincidence."

"Ha ha. Not just a name. A jaw, a nose, lips, face, forehead and hair." Yang poked over his face, watching it scrunch up as he tried in futile to escape her. The bird that had been doing the same was still now, either resigned or use to her hold. "I'm not kidding when I say the two of you could be cousins. Or brothers."

"Really?" He turned to her, surprised. "It's that close?"

Fishing out her scroll, she showed him an image of Jaune Ashari. It was one where he was posed with her, Summer, Ruby and Emerald on a shopping trip. He had three bags in hand, shopping for all of them he'd agreed to carry. Emerald was paying no attention to the camera, eagerly munching on candy floss. Either way, it gave a good enough picture of the older man's face.

"Imagine him without the beard and with shorter hair-"

"He looks just like dad!"

From their point of view, they'd have said he looked just like Jaune, but maybe it wasn't easy for him to say that. People often said she looked like Raven, but since the closest she'd ever seen was a single image of her with Team STRQ, Yang couldn't see it. You didn't get to see your own face in the same detail everyone else did after all. In the end, it didn't matter. It wasn't like they were saying Jaune and Jaune were the same person.

"Similar enough to be related, right? Well, it's not my story to tell but `Ashari` is a name he took – not the one he was born with. As far as Emerald knows, Jaune Ashari was forced to abandon his first name."

Jaune's mouth fell open. "You think it might be Arc!?"

"Is that crazy…?"

"I… well… no." He took her scroll after waiting for permission and zoomed in further. "He really does look just like dad. The beard is different and so is the hair, and a scar here and there, but if I saw them from a distance, I might mistake them. I don't know of any other family we have though."

"He's about thirty-five, I think. He'd be before your time."

"Dad never mentioned having a brother – but I've never met my grandparents either. In fact, Dad never says anything about his family before us. Whenever me or one of my sisters would ask, he'd just say something about how they `weren't around` anymore. I always assumed that meant they died."

To be fair, it probably did. "Distant family, then. You may not even know about him and maybe your father doesn't either. Anyway, the point I'm trying to make is that Em doesn't know what to make of you because she's trying to figure stuff out."

"Does she think I'm related to her?"

"Not so much. More that she thinks her old man might have been cast out the family."

Jaune winced. "Ah. And then I have the same name as him. I can see why that might be an issue. It's not, though. Dad would never kick someone out the family. He's always going on about how it's family first, everyone else second."

"It's cool." Taking her scroll back, she stashed it away. "I didn't think it was you that was the problem anyway. I'm just explaining why Em has been acting weird around you. It's not fair, I know, but she's not the best at handling this kind of thing. I don't think she hates you – she's just unsure of how to handle you and her default setting is bitchy." He snickered and Yang smiled, pleased she'd defused the tension. "I think she's already warming up to you."

"Really? She's been worse than ever the last few days."

"Exactly. Em's warming up to you and that annoys her because she thinks she's supposed to not be, so she's over-compensating by being worse." It was such an Em thing to do, just like when the two of them would fight tooth and nail over the silliest stuff. "You're on the right path. I just wanted to let you know."

Jaune looked relieved. "Thanks."

"In the meantime, I thought I'd offer my own apology."

"What for?"

"For leaving you high and dry when I should have stepped in. I know Sun did – he's awesome like that – but I should have tried to make things right. Sorry. New to this whole leader thing and it's easier to not rock the boat sometimes, you know?"

"Yeah." He relaxed further, shooting her a shy smile. "I know. Happens with my sisters all the time."

"Yeah. So. Sorry…"

"Apology accepted."

"Cool." Yang held out the bird for him to take and stood up once he had, dusting her legs down. "I'll leave you be, then. Just wanted to sort things out and not feel so guilty about it. If you ever want to talk, I'm free. I really do want the team to work out."

He nodded.

"And if you want a sparring partner, hit me up," she said. "No need to come up here alone when I'd be happy to knock your block around for a few."

"I'll keep that in mind. Thanks, Yang. For everything. You're a good team leader."

Ha. Smooth talker. With a parting wave, Yang made her way to the staircase and down, sparing one final look for the bird on his shoulder, which continued to watch her with piercing red eyes. Cute little thing, but vicious and just a little creepy. She wondered why Jaune never had it in class or introduced it before.

/-/

The portal opened once again in Raven's tent. Jaune looked up from the food and drink he'd purloined and laid out on a fold-out table he'd found in the back of her tent. Raven stumbled through, a little sweatier but none the worse for wear. At least physically. She took one look at him and the supplies he'd stolen from her, stalked forward, picked up a flask of booze and downed it in one long swig.

"Busy?" he asked.

"I don't want to talk about it. Also, I thought I told you not to raid my stuff."

"You did." He munched purposefully on some beef jerky.

"Bastard," she hissed, flopping down opposite him. Her sword was unclipped and laid beside her, her red and black outfit fanning out as she pushed her legs under the table and sagged back onto the bed behind her, resting her head and shoulders on it. "I don't know why I do this."

"Act a bitch?"

"Fuck you. Why I bother helping people, I mean."

"Since when do you help people?"

"Fuck you a second time." Downing her drink, she slammed the bottle down. "Maiden. Who are you giving it to?"

"I told you I'm not sure."

"Winter or Vernal. Easy choice."

"Winter isn't so easy when you think how public she is. It's not just Salem finding out – Winter is already a target for her – it's Ozpin. One lapse of control on public television and Winter is exposed. Do you think Ozpin would ignore that?"

"Vernal, then. She's strong."

"And under Cinder's eye. It would be too easy to kill her."

"Assuming Cinder is with Salem this time," Raven pointed out. "You don't know that she is."

"I don't know that she isn't. It's too much risk. I want it to be someone we can trust completely, but someone who will be strong enough to defend themselves. I'm still considering Emerald, but if that happens then I might as well paint a target on my chest." He sighed. "Maybe Yang? She's loyal, skilled and I can keep an eye on her."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I said so," Raven snarled. "You will not be putting that power on my daughter."

"Last I checked, she wasn't your daughter."

"You know what I mean!" Raven smashed the bottle down, shattering it on the table's edge. Shards flew in every direction, several past her blazing eyes that promised an escalation far beyond broken glass.

Jaune picked his words carefully. "I didn't think you'd be bothered…"

"You thought wrong." Leaning back, she tossed the neck of the bottle away, letting it smash in a corner of the tent. "Don't push me. Your brat, the Schnee or even the younger one if you want to. Or do you think Summer will sit by and let you place that burden on either of her children?"

Summer isn't the only one willing to step in it seems. Still, she wasn't wrong. While Yang could be a good maiden candidate, there was Summer to contend with. He looked away, conceding the point and raising his bottle in toast to acknowledge it. "Maybe this is a better discussion for another day," he said diplomatically. "Doesn't look like either of us is in the mood."

"You can't just ignore-" Raven bit off, scowled and then slammed her hand down. "Fuck it. You're right. Another day." Fishing out a new bottle, she held it out, clinking it against his. "The Fall Maiden is dead, and the power didn't go to Salem or Ozpin. That's reason enough to celebrate in my books. No Tyrian or Hazel either."

Not that they saw. He was certain one or both of them had been waiting outside the temple to either reinforce Amber or finish the job if she failed. It would have been too easy an ambush not to take. Raven's Semblance really was too convenient at times. He wondered if they'd spend the whole night waiting or finally go inside to try and find him for themselves.

"I hope the spider Grimm eat them alive."

Raven cackled. "I'll drink to that. Cheers!"

/-/

Morning came with a hangover, a sore back and muttered complaints about being made to sleep on the floor when Raven had a bed easily big enough for two. "But Jaune," she mocked. "You're an engaged man. I could never do that."

Breakfast was brought by a camp attendant, who didn't look too surprised or bothered to see Raven wasn't alone. Crispy bacon, fried egg and hard bread that had just begin to turn stale. It wasn't the best he'd ever eaten, but the sheer fat content helped smother his headache and the water was fresh from a nearby river.

It was after breakfast that the common outside began. Shouting at first, then the sound of someone being thrown into a tent and numerous yells. Raven's eyes narrowed and she stalked to the entrance, waving for him to stay still as she looked outside. She drew back in a moment later, face pale. "Damn it. You need to hide."

"What? Who is-?"

"Qrow. And on Ozpin's orders no doubt." Raven pushed him up and looked about the tent, then cursed and nudged him to the bed. "Under the covers. Don't move and let me do the talking." Sliding him under, she pulled the blankets up and over his head, then sat on the mattress next to him, loosened her top somewhat and laid back with a satisfied smile.

Under the blanket, Jaune held his breath and tried not to move.

"Raven!" Qrow burst into the tent with tribesmen behind him shouting and weapons drawn.

"Enough!" Raven barked. "All of you back to your posts. If none of you can stop the traitor approaching at will, save yourself and me the effort by not bothering at all. Roland. Ensure we're not disturbed."

Most of the people left. Roland nodded. "Shall I bring food?"

"No. I'm sure Qrow would never accept fare from a bunch of killers and thieves like us." Her snort made her opinion clear. "Leave us." The tent flap closed again. Through the sheets, he could just make out Qrow's figure silhouetted against the light from outside. "What are you doing here, Qrow? I doubt you came all this way to exchange pleasantries."

Qrow shifted. "Not going to dismiss him?"

Raven chuckled. "He's tired." She reached back and petted the bundle, hitting his shoulder. "Not everyone can keep up with me and I'm not so cruel as to turf him out of bed. Good service should be rewarded. Don't you agree?"

"Spreading your legs for some random man…"

"Don't belittle me, Qrow. Who I choose to spend my time with is my decision and mine alone. Stop wasting my time and tell me why you're here, or family or not, I shall kick you out myself."

"Amber is dead."

Jaune swore under the blankets.

"Who?" Raven asked, feigning ignorance.

"Amber. The Fall Maiden. You know who she is."

"Ah. That one." Raven shrugged, leaning back over his body. "I know of her, but I hardly knew her. I don't think we even met. Last I recall, I'd already left Ozpin's employ before she took the power." Scoffing, she added, "Or are you suggesting I'm the one who killed her?"

"No. We know you wouldn't have had a portal to her. She was killed sometime last night. Ozpin felt it."

He felt it...? How? Could he always do that? Jaune wished he could ask questions, but the only thing he could do was try not to make a sound and peer through the thin material. It was hard to make out details, but Qrow looked… haggard, he supposed. He must have been flying all over to try and find Amber. Without a body being left behind, he wasn't sure how they'd known at all. Let alone confirmed it so quickly. Magic on Ozpin's part no doubt.

"Then why come here?" Raven asked. "Did she die nearby?"

"In Vale."

"Even less reason for me to be involved."

"You're not under suspicion, Ray-"

"That's nice."

"But Salem is on the move. Amber's death is proof of that and we have no idea where the power has gone. Amber didn't keep many friends, especially not after earning the power. Things are coming to a head, Raven. You have to realise that."

"I'm not blind. I've fought them."

"I know." Qrow sounded… odd. Hopeful. "The boy and girl you brought back are fine by the way. They've settled into Beacon well from what Ozpin tells me. They've made a couple of friends and are on a team with-"

"Qrow. I really couldn't care less about them. I saved and brought them to you. They're not my responsibility anymore. Get to the point."

"That's just it, Ray. They were never your responsibility. You went out your way to find and rescue them, then get the Spring Maiden to Beacon where she would be safe." He was still under the impression Nora was that. "You may say you're not involved in this war, but you involved yourself at a time when we needed you."

Raven hummed dangerously.

"Ozpin wants you back, Raven. He wants to talk."

"Tell Ozpin that if he wants to talk, he can reach me by bending over, sticking his head up his own arse and speaking in tongue!" She pushed off the bed and stormed forward, jabbing her finger into Qrow's chest. He didn't let her drive him back and they stood face to face, so close their chests touched. "You may be content being his pawn," she hissed, "But I am no one's tool. I am no mere piece on a board, and I won't be sacrificed because it benefits the bigger picture."

Qrow growled back, "He's not like that."

"You know nothing, Qrow. You have no idea just how much he will sacrifice for victory."

"And you do!?"

"Yes!" she roared, pushing away. "I know what he's capable of!"

My memories. Raven saw them thanks to Jinn. If she wasn't sure before, she is now. Like him, she couldn't accept the degree to which Ozpin would go. I couldn't accept losing my friends and she won't accept losing her own life.

Jaune wondered which of them came out the more selfish.

"What I do, I do for my own ends. Tell Ozpin that. I'm not his pawn, his bishop, his queen or anything else. I'm done with all of that."

"And if Salem should march on us? We've already had a White Fang attack in Vale this week."

What? Impossible. They're destroyed and Adam is in Menagerie.

"If she marches on you, it's because you've fucked something up." Raven sat on the bed again, slamming a hand down into his kidney without realising it. Jaune huffed and curled up painfully. "And I already did your dirty business helping take them out, so if they're back and causing problems, that's not mine to deal with. I'll fight, Qrow. I live in this world, so I'm screwed as well if it comes to an end, but I'll fight for me. Not you, and certainly not Ozpin."

"I know that. You're no idiot. Fight with us, Ray. Let Team STRQ mean something once more…"

Raven punched the bed again. Or him. He groaned. "Damn it, Qrow! No means no!"

"Ray…"

"Fuck off!" She grabbed a pillow and hurled it at him. "I don't know anything about the Fall Maiden, and I don't want to. If she died in Vale, look a little closer to home. You know those who work for Salem just as much as I do. Get the fuck out my tent and hunt them down."

"We're trying. Tyrian was witnesses in a nearby village to Amber's last known location."

I knew it. They were preparing an ambush.

"Then you have your killer," she said, "And your lead. Go deal with them and leave me in peace."

Qrow turned away with a heavy sigh, hesitating by the entrance as though he wanted to say more. In the end, he didn't. With a final shake of his head, he pushed out and away. The sound of a bird cawing as it flew into the morning sky reached their ears.

Raven leaning back and cursing one final time, punching down on the bed – on him – again.

"Ow. Do you mind?"

"Oh, don't be a baby." Hauling the covers away, she used one foot to force him off her bed. "You've caused me more than enough trouble to deserve it. If it's not bad enough being a target of my own, I now have Ozpin paying attention."

Jaune rolled onto his feet and away, cracking his neck. "You said no."

"I preferred it back when they'd given up on me. Ozpin doesn't take `no` for an answer. Qrow will be back." Her lips dragged down. "And he might not be alone next time." Growling, she pinched the bridge of her nose, sinking her head down into her hand. "Fuck."

Ozpin was becoming desperate. Jaune hadn't expected Amber's death to reach him so quickly and killing her obviously hadn't been the plan. Qrow's appearance also put a damper on his plan to get a portal back to Vale. Everyone it might be to was either in Ozpin's pocket or sure to react negatively to his and Raven's sudden appearance. Vernal might be witnessed by Cinder. Jaune by Yang or Summer. Ruby and Yang were out, and Ozpin, Qrow, Taiyang and Summer were as well.

Considering Qrow was just here, I can't appear in Vale by one of her portals or they'll know something is up.

"Guess I'm taking the long way home."

"Hm." Raven agreed with a nod. "Make it official and have records showing you flew or sailed from Mistral. It'll keep Ozpin from suspecting anything. We're not too far from Mistral. Maybe a day out from Haven at most."

Haven, huh? Well, it was worth a quick visit if he had to pass by it anyway. There wasn't much he had to do in the area but popping up under mysterious circumstances straight after Amber's death wasn't a good idea. It'd only take a day or two and there was no rush to be home. More time to think on the maiden's power and who might be the best fit.

"I'll head out soon. Will you be okay?"

"I'll be fine," Raven said. He wasn't sure he believed her. "I'll feel if Taiyang or Summer approach, and I'm not above flying away if I have to."

"Or you could talk to them. Work things out…"

"It's none of your business."

"No. I suppose it's not."

/-/

"I'm a huntress now. This was supposed to stop."

"It was," Helena agreed. "And I thought it would. We both know what your father is like, however."

"I won't do it."

"Pyrrha…"

"No." Rounding on her sister, Pyrrha swept a hand in front of her. "You promised me this would be the end of it. You promised that if I joined Haven, I wouldn't have to compete anymore unless I wanted to."

"I did promise that, and you know I hate this as much as you do. He assured me you'd be left to your own devices." Shaking her head, she sighed. "He's stubborn about this. One bout, he says. It's being arranged by someone of some importance or another to the family. I don't know the details, but they're insistent on seeing you fight."

Pyrrha looked away. Of course they were. There were people clamouring to see the Invincible Girl compete again after months off the scene. Some wanted the chance to challenge her and she respected that, but many more just wanted to recapture that moment of glory, the point at which Mistral dominated international competition on her shoulders. Alexander Nikos was among that number, though more for the glory of the Nikos family than the Kingdom itself.

Helena was not, and she was grateful for that, but like herself, Helena was powerless against the demands their father places upon them. The family was bigger than them, bigger than any of them. Or so they were commonly reminded.

"If I do this, will it be the last time?"

"I don't know." Helena smiled sadly. "He says it will be, but he says a lot of things…"

Pyrrha felt sick. "I should have gone to Beacon."

It had been a point of contention between them, a point of all-out rage from her father, shouting, yelling, accusations and threats thrown left and right. Dishonour cropped up a lot in that. She'd stayed resolute through it all, determined to leave Mistral and make her own way, but for one person who managed to convince her to stay. Her sister. And using a promise from their father that she wouldn't have to compete anymore. A promise he was already breaking.

"I'm sorry," Helena said. "I did what I thought was best."

"It's not your fault…" Sighing, she looked away. "Tell him I'll be there – but I want it clear that this is the last time. I've enough with Headmaster Lionheart trying to convince me to compete without the family stepping in."

"I'll tell him." Helena stepped back. "The match will be held in a few days' time at the central amphitheatre. Your team is welcome."

"I'll ask Neptune."

"He's better, then?"

"I spoke to him," she admitted. "Once he understood my point of view, he promised to treat me normally. Things are… They're better, yes. I think we can become good friends."

Helena smiled. "Glad to hear it. I told you, sometimes boys are dense, and you need to lay it out clear and concise. It's how I got into bed with… well." She coughed and flushed a little. "Let's not talk about that."

Pyrrha laughed. Her sister had become much cruder since her time in Atlas, not just in behaviour but how she talked. Never around their family, but always around her. More casual. Relaxed. A lot rougher, but in a good way. A confident way of speaking. Apparently, it wasn't uncommon among the military. Sometimes, she had the feeling Helena would have been happier if she didn't return to the family. If she hadn't made a sacrifice for Pyrrha's sake.

"Your advice helped," she said. "They're not bad people. They were just…"

"Starstruck?"

"Yes." Pyrrha smiled. "And you were right, they calmed down once the shock wore off."

"See." Helena looped an arm around her. "I told you there'd be no trouble making friends. Beacon wouldn't have been any different, you know. Your name isn't so unknown that it doesn't travel, and you wouldn't have had me to help. One tournament," she promised. "Four or five bouts and then you're done. I'll make it clear. Make sure the family knows it's over. We'll even market it as your retirement tournament so they can't backtrack without looking foolish."

"Retirement?" Pyrrha considered that and then nodded. "That could work. Well, at least until the Vytal Festival. Do you think the family will accept it?"

"Who says I'm giving them a choice?" Helena chuckled. "I'll tell them you agreed – then put the news out it's your retirement without telling them. By the time they find out, it'll be too late to do anything."

"You'll get in trouble."

"Leave worrying about that to me." Helena squeezed her tight. "You focus on enjoying yourself at Haven and don't worry about this little thing. I don't know where these benefactors of father's came from, but they're a reclusive lot, so I doubt this will be a crowded affair."

"Do you know who they are?"

"No. Only that they want a tournament and that the rules are specific. And weird. Women only, and no one above the age of thirty. It's open to anyone who wants to apply, but they requested you by name."

"Odd…"

A wild Pyrrha appears.

Obviously, a little (a fragment) of Pyrrha's real family situation was shown in the show, but it was long after I decided her place in this story, so details will be different. I based mine off the World of Remnant video where we saw the lore about Mistral (after S3, I think) in which it said Mistral was basically controlled by numerous powerful families who often had criminal connections. I don't think we ever saw any of those in the show, but it sounded interesting to me and I assumed we would (why else show it on the WoR?) and so I assumed Pyrrha, as one of the few Mistral characters in the show, would have a connection to that. And maybe she does, and it'll be a thing later in the series. I don't think more was seen than a statue and a mother or older sister, so anything is possible.

Either way. Pyrrha is showing up. Will she claim her mid-thirties husbando?

Next Chapter: 11th January

P a treon . com (slash) Coeur