A/N: Hey guys, guess what? It's Friday the 13th! Again! …Ugh, you know, I'm getting kinda tired with just how much this date has shown up over the past six months. But hey, let's look on the bright side! It's time for another new chapter, and thankfully, it's a casual one this time. One where the characters can breath a little after the giant story arc we just had. Not to say there won't be any important stuff in this one, because there is, trust me.
Before we begin though, I'm happy to see that a lot of you liked how I'm starting to integrate music into the story, so that's the format that I'm gonna be going with. The only thing that needs to be added is a little footnote that has the name of the song it is because not everybody's gonna know what it is off the bat. That said, the song featured in the last chapter is "The Vengeful One" by Disturbed. Alright, now that we got that out of the way, lets get on with the chapter, shall we? This is…
Chapter 82: A Needed Visit
…..
As the morning sun began gracing the sky of a brand-new day on Patch, a lone figure was making her way through the island's dense forest, the path to her destination all too familiar to her. Ruby Rose had her hood up over her head as she pressed on through the woods, not even flinching when a bunch of Beowolves began rushing at her. She had done this song and dance before, and she didn't have any problems with doing it again. A few shots here, some slices there, and a few combos in-between were all it took to down them in seconds. "Sorry boys, maybe next time." Ruby smirked as she holstered Crescent Rose. "But not likely."
While she normally would enjoy the feeling of an early morning hunt, Ruby's mind was currently focusing on other things, namely what she had seen out of the living room window the night before. 'It HAD to be Raven, I'm sure of it.' She put her hand to her chin in thought. 'I wonder if she even went BACK to her tribe. Maybe she used her connection with dad to just come back here.'
Ruby let out a sigh, her shoulders going slack for a bit. "I don't get it. I should be mad at Raven for what she did… but I can't get that fight between her and Yang out of my head." Her silver-eyes glanced around, realizing only then that there was no one around to hear her woes. "…And I forgot that I'm talking to myself. Great." She ran a hand through her hair, pushing her hood off in the process. 'Still, I really don't want to see such a good thing come undone because of this. Maybe when I talk to mom, I'll get some ideas on how to handle this.'
It was then that Ruby finally saw her destination, eliciting a small yet sad smile. There, peaking out just past the trees, was a large cliff overlooking the rest of the rather expansive forest. The colors of the surrounding autumn leaves under the rising sun only accentuated the majesty of the view, the oranges, reds and yellows making it appear warm and welcoming. However, what Ruby was focused on the most was the white slab that was at the very edge of the cliff; her mother's grave stone. The Hooded Huntress would often find herself coming here, whether it was to pay her respects or to speak with her mom about something. But she hadn't been out here since the beginning of the Vytal Tournament, and that meant she had a LOT of new stuff to talk about with her mom.
However, just as she was about to step out into the open, she nearly let out a gasp when she saw something fly down from the sky and land in front of the grave; a raven. Upon a second glance, she saw that it had a white rose in its talons, taking her aback even more so. All at once, the bird transformed, and Raven Branwen was standing in its place, now holding the rose in her hand. Ruby's hand went to her mouth and she hunkered down behind a nearby bush, watching as Raven approached the grave.
'What is SHE doing here?!" The young girl thought to herself. 'I mean, I probably should've guessed that she knew mom's grave was here, but—'
Ruby cut her thought off when Raven knelt down in front of the grave, setting the white rose gently upon it. "…Hey partner." she spoke with a forlorn smile. "I suppose that it's been a while since I last visited, huh?" Raven sat down on the ground cross-legged, settling in for a conversation. "Guess that's my own fault though. I've been busy with… a lot of things." The woman's eyes shifted off to the side. "Many of which I'm not proud of. But I think that you and I both know that I'm not one to make the best decisions."
A ways behind the Spring Maiden, Ruby's eyes widened in awe. 'Raven's… talking to mom?'
Raven let out a little chuckle, bringing Ruby back to reality. "I, uh, I decided to come back, Summer. After all this time, I finally found the courage to come back and bond with my daughter… but I also wanted to thank you. You were a better mother to Yang than I ever could've been, and I can't express how grateful I am to you for that." Raven closed her eyes in remorse. "I… only wish that I had the courage to tell you that a lot sooner. And I'm so sorry that I couldn't." She craned her head upward and opened her eyes, wistfully staring off into the distance. "I'm sure you would be amazed to see just how much Yang's grown. Hell, she's even got a pretty nice boyfriend. You'd probably like him."
Ruby couldn't help but smirk at that. 'Oh yeah, totally.' She could already picture her mom doting on Ben and making her signature chocolate chip cookies for him.
"I know that you probably think I'm jealous that you and Tai got together after I left, and honestly, I was a little bit." Raven gave a shrug. "But then again, that's my own fault. I probably should've seen it coming, really. Still… I'm glad that you two created such a nice girl. She's your spitting image, and I think you'd be proud to see the young woman she's growing into."
That comment nearly made Ruby go catatonic. 'She's giving ME a compliment?!'
A pained expression took over Raven's face and she lowered her head. "…But we both know not everything can be all sunshine and rainbows, not when I'm involved." She took a deep breath before going on. "Summer, I screwed up. I've made some awful decisions that I wish I hadn't, and I'm paying the price for them. I really felt that Yang and I were beginning to form a deep connection… and then I stepped in it." Raven rested her cheek against her hand, her gaze lowering to the grave. "I'm the Spring Maiden now, Summer. I thought that I could finally find the bravery to take Salem on with these powers… but the moment I came face to face with her, I froze. I did nothing."
Raven took a brief pause and breathed out heavily, her eyes brimming with tears. "I screwed up so much… and I hate myself for it. I feel SO much guilt for taking that girl's life, for lying to my daughter and her friends, and… and… god damn it." Raven's tears began falling down her face, the woman covering her face with her hand as she struggled to go on. "Yang and I got into a fight. And what she said… it frustrates me, but I know that it's true. I'm afraid. I'm so damned afraid and I was too stuck in the Branwen ways to admit it!" She balled her hand into a fist and hit the ground hard, making the nerves in her hand tingle. "I'm a fucking coward!"
It was at that moment where Raven lost control, finally breaking down in front of her best friend's grave. Her cries of sadness could be heard echoing off of the cliffside, but Ruby didn't have any trouble hearing the woman's turmoil. It nearly came to the point where she herself was beginning to tear up, struggling to keep herself silent so that Raven wouldn't catch her. When Raven was able to finally get a hold of herself, she reached over and ran her hand gently across the grave's inscription; "Summer Rose - Thus Kindly I Scatter" She took a groggy breath and let out a small weep. "I really wish you were here, partner. You'd probably know what to do."
Despite herself, Ruby mumbled to herself; "Yeah… so do I."
However, her voice was just loud enough to gain Raven's attention, the woman whipping her head up in a flash. Ruby's eyes widened and she ducked further beneath the bush, all while Raven sprang up and withdrew Omen. "WHO'S THERE?!" she called out, her voice cracking from all of the crying she had done. "Come out and show yourself!"
The threat only served to make Ruby even more worried. It was obvious that Raven was not in a sound state of mind, and she didn't want to risk making it even worse. But then, a passing thought went through her head; 'Help her.' The idea made Ruby pause for a moment as she took hold of it and steeled herself to it. 'I know that he probably doesn't want my help, but gosh darn it, she needs someone to talk to.'
With her mind made up, Ruby called out; "Wait!" Her voice made Raven whirl around to her position, only for the Spring Maiden to let her guard down when Ruby revealed herself. The Hooded Huntress raised her hands up and offered a kind smile. "It's okay… it's only me."
Raven's eyes widened in shock, her grip on Omen slacking a bit. "Ruby…" She sheathed her blade as the girl drew closer, still somewhat taken aback. "How long have you been here?"
Ruby wore a guilty smile. "Well, let's just say I heard everything and call it at that."
The tribe leader's brows snapped up. "…Even the part where I mentioned you?" Ruby gave a nod and Raven sighed. "Well, I suppose things can't get much worse for me now."
A small chuckle escaped Ruby's lips. "Hehe, I guess you're not the type who find it easy to talk about personal feelings, huh?"
"Hardly." Raven crossed her arms and lowered her head back to Summer's grave, a pained look coming to her face. "Listen, I'm not here to cause any trouble. I just—"
"Wanted to visit." Ruby smiled kindly. "I understand. And I know you're not here to make trouble." Her features became downtrodden briefly. "Trust me, after what happened on the ride home, I don't think any of us want that."
"On that, we can agree." Raven concurred. "So, I'm guessing that you were coming out here to do the same as me? Pay your respects?"
Ruby nodded as she stepped closer, standing next to Raven. "Yeah, I come out here every once and a while." She sent a soft smile down to her mother's gravestone. "Hey mom, it's me, Ruby. I see that you and Raven have been… talking."
Raven pursed her lips and turned her head to the side. "Ruby, you just saw me break down into a wreck. You don't have to sugar coat it."
"Well, I know, but that's kind of what happens when you visit places like this." Ruby knelt down and put her hand on the grave. "It's sad, but it also gives you a chance to express how you feel. I find that it helps a lot."
"Yes, I guess it does." Raven directed her gaze out over the horizon as the sun began to rise, shining a bright orangish-yellow light across the area. "I sometimes wish… that I would've come here more often myself. Maybe if I had, I wouldn't be in the mess I'm in right now."
"Maybe… maybe not." The silver-eyed girl shrugged her shoulders. "Who can say? I mean, going by what a time traveler's been telling me, time is relative, and we have no control over what does or doesn't happen in the grand scheme of things."
Raven raised a brow at that. "Time traveler?"
"Professor Paradox. He's a friend of Ben's."
"Ah, I see." Raven crossed her arms. "Well, that sucks if that's the case." There was a long pause between the two before Raven lowered her head again. "Ruby, do you think that… that Yang hates me for what I've done?"
"WHAT?!" Ruby raised her hands and shook her head. "Of course not! …At least I'm pretty sure she doesn't hate you. She's just really frustrated that you hid all of that stuff from us." She reached behind her head and rubbed her neck. "And to be honest… I can kind of agree that it wasn't the smartest decision."
Raven gave her a deadpan expression. "Yes, I am fully aware of that." She became saddened again when her eyes caught sight of the grave once again. "I can't believe how much I screwed all of this up. I let the Branwen Tribe's traditions dictate the way I made my decisions, and… I just wish that I could take it all back." She clenched her hand into a fist. "But I can't."
Another moment of silence passed between them before Ruby smiled up to Raven. "That may be true, but that doesn't mean that you can't make up for what you did."
The Spring Maiden shook her head. "Ruby, I killed a young girl, the Spring Maiden, and lied about it to all of you. How can I possibly make up for something like that?!"
Ruby winced at that. "Well, yeah, but I'm talking more along the lines of repairing your relationship with my sister."
"Easier said than done, I'm afraid." Raven turned away dejectedly. "After the screaming match we got into last night, I don't think Yang will want to see me for a long while."
"I wouldn't count on it." Ruby rebuked. "After you had your fight, Yang was pretty upset." She pointed a finger at Raven. "And no, she wasn't JUST upset with you, but at the whole thing. All we gotta do is get you two to sit down in a calm, relaxed environment so that you guys can talk this out."
Raven furrowed her brows at Ruby, the woman contemplating over the idea. "Ruby… why do you want to help me?" she asked. "You have no stakes in this."
In return, Ruby simply offered a kind grin. "Because I know that you genuinely want to make up for all of this, Raven." She gestured to her mother's grave. "After hearing you sit and speak with mom, I can tell that deep beneath that rough exterior is someone who truly wants to be a good mom. Yang's already lost one mom… and after waiting for so many years for you, I'm not about to let her lose another one." She quirked an eyebrow at the tribe leader. "And as for not having a stake, I stand to have an upset sister who may not get better until she talks to you. All I want is for Yang to be happy, and that's all the stake I need."
Raven stared at the young girl in astonishment. She was really willing to help her mend her relationship with her daughter? "Heh, and all this time I thought you would have resented me for leaving your father."
Ruby gave a so-so sign with her hand. "Eh, jury's still out on that one. I am kinda mad that you left dad all those years ago. But at the same time, I'm not a big expert when it comes to romance." She waved her hand toward the woman. "If you wanna try and talk things out with dad, be my guest, but I don't think I can be much help on that one."
"I suppose that's fair." Raven nodded, a smile slowly forming on her face. "Thank you, Ruby. You really ARE just like your mother."
"I am?"
Raven crossed her arms and directed her sights to Summer's grave. "Heh, yep. Summer always felt the need to help people and be kind to them. If it weren't for that kindness, I probably wouldn't have bonded with my team the way I did." Her eyes stared off into the distance once again. "I owe a lot to that woman."
"Huh, that's pretty cool." Ruby said before eyeing Raven inquisitively. "Say… I know that this might be a lot to ask, but… do you think you can tell me more about her?" She received a questioning gaze from Raven, which made her shrink back a bit. "See, dad and Uncle Qrow would always get a bit upset whenever I tried to bring mom up… or drunk in Qrow's case."
"Doesn't surprise me in the least." Raven said with an eyeroll.
"Yeah. And Yang only knows so much about her." Ruby shuffled her feet awkwardly. "So, I was wondering…"
Raven raised a hand, halting Ruby mid-sentence. "Say no more." The older woman gave Ruby a small smile. "It's the least I can do for you offering to help me. Now…" She sat down on the ground by the grave, crossing her legs again. "What would you like to know?"
Ruby sent a smirk down to the Spring Maiden. "Warning you now; I've got a LOT of questions."
"And I'm an answering machine." Raven pat the ground in front of her. "Now c'mon, pop a squat and let's get to it."
"Alright!" Ruby eagerly sat down across from Raven and began. "Well, why don't we start at the beginning…"
…..
It had been almost over an hour when Ruby and Raven had finished their conversation, the young girl currently on her way back to her house. It was time for her little plan to be put into motion. 'By the end of today, Yang and Raven WILL be talking to each other.' she vowed in her head.Raven had offered to come along, but Ruby advised against it for the time being.
"I don't think we should chance Yang being angry at seeing you again so soon." Ruby had rationalized. "Let me talk to her first and then we'll go from there, okay?"
Raven had agreed, though Ruby could tell that it was a reluctant one. "Well, alright. I hope that you're right about this, Ruby."
Ruby responded with a wink before she left. "Don't worry, I'll make sure to put in a good word for you. Oh, and thanks for telling me more about mom, too."
By the end of their talk, Ruby had gotten some great insight from Raven about just who her mother was as a person. While she wasn't surprised when Raven said that Summer was one of the nicest people ever, she WAS taken aback when she heard of all the trouble that they'd willingly put themselves into. 'Then again, I probably shouldn't.' she mulled over in her head. 'Team STRQ WAS practically the Team RWBY of back then.' Ruby shook her head as she approached her house, keeping her confidence about her. She could think about her mom's antics later. Right now, she had to focus on telling her sister about her encounter.
As she drew closer to her abode however, Ruby couldn't help but think back to how pleasant her overall conversation with Raven had been. For someone with such a tough attitude, the tribe leader was really not as hostile as she thought. 'Heh, I wonder if Raven's starting to grow on ME too.' Just as she came to the front porch, a certain blonde knight stepped out the door, decked out in his brand-new armor. "Jaune! Good morning!" Ruby waved.
Jaune's eyes immediately shot up to her and returned her gesture. The young man was still in his hoodie, the one he had bought from the mall a few weeks ago. But other than that, his outfit was practically all new. He was in a pair of new jeans that were thankfully less dingy than the other ones, as well as a pair of brown, laced steel-toed boots, the metal bits having been painted white to match his armor. Speaking of, he was wearing the new breastplate that he had taken out last night over his hoodie, with the addition of a matching single pauldron having been situated on his right shoulder. He had kept his detached orange sleeves, but over them, he had on a set of new white and gold bracers, each with an accompanying elbow pad. On his hands, he wore a pair black gloves with golden armored plating on their fingers, allowing for even more protection. On his waist was a new belt, one that had an added pouch to store Dust for his sword, which was situated on his left hip as always.
"Hey Ruby!" Jaune greeted. "Where've you been? Everyone's been searching for ya."
"Oh, I decided to visit my mom for a while." Ruby answered. "I had some things on my mind that I wanted to let out to her."
Jaune blinked in realization. "Oh… I see."
Ruby smirked and quirked a brow at him. "Ah, c'mon, no need to be so serious. I just visit her every once and a while is all." She knocked a hand against his pauldron. "But hey, getting used to your new armor, I see."
"Hehe, yeah." Jaune chuckled. "I can't begin to tell you how great this stuff feels. It's lightweight, but it's also REALLY durable. I love it."
"I'm sure." Ruby nodded. "So, I'm guessing the others have—"
"RUBY!" A pink and black blur suddenly raced out from out the front door and stopped in front of the Hooded Huntress, startling her just a bit. "There you are!"
Of course, it was Nora, and she was in her new outfit as well. In addition to her new bomber jacket, she wore a white undershirt that had a heart-shaped cut-out in the middle of her chest. Though unlike her old white undershirt, this heart had a slash through it for some reason. Ruby wasn't sure if Nora had done that intentionally or not. The hyperactive girl was also wearing a detached white sleeve over her left elbow, as well as a pair of pink, fingerless gloves on each hand. She wore a new pleated pink skirt that was slightly longer than her old one, reaching half-way down her thigh with a matching pink belt around her waist. On her feet were a pair of knee-high pink socks, which she wore under a set of white calf-length boots. Said boots also had pink laces, along with black soles, half-wedges at the heel, and tips at the toe, bringing the whole ensemble together.
Ruby took notice of the outfit immediately and let out a happy yell. "AH! Nora, you look SO cute in that outfit!" she exclaimed as she grasped her friend by the hands.
"I KNOW, right?!" Nora bounced up and down excitedly. "I can't believe how great it feels to have new combat gear after being in my old one for so long!" She spun around in place, her skirt flaring out slightly as she did. "I feel so FREE!"
Jaune shifted his eyes away, fearing that he'd accidentally catch a glimpse of… something by accident as Nora spun around. "Ahem, yes, I'm sure we ALL do, Nora."
At that moment, Nora let out a gasp and called into the house; "Hey Ren! Get out here and show Ruby how spiffy you look!"
One moment later, Ren stepped out, giving Nora a questioning face at the use of her vocabulary. The green ninja was now in his new tail coat, now accompanied by a black turtleneck under shirt and a pair of stark white pants. Some red tasseled ropes were hanging off of his hips, going up underneath his shirt before tying off at the small of his back. It was also finally made apparent that Ren hadn't had his hair cut in a long time, the ninja having untied it from his pony tail to let it hang loose, almost reaching his rear. On his arms were a pair of detached sleeves that slipped over his middle finger, the sleeves themselves having a violet to black gradient from his hand to the bicep. At the ends of the sleeves were detailed metal bracers holding them up. Finally, Ren wore a pair of black, open-toed sandals that were almost built like boots, going up all the way to his calf.
"I'm not sure if "spiffy" is the right word to describe it, Nora." Ren shrugged. "I was thinking more along the lines of… well…"
"Awesome?" Ruby guessed. "Because that's the vibe I'm getting."
Ren chuckled awkwardly at the suggestion. "Hehe, well yeah, I guess that IS what I was thinking of. And thanks for the compliment, Ruby."
"You're welcome. Also, your hair is very pretty." That got the reaction Ruby was hoping for; Ren blushing like a madman while putting his head against the doorframe in embarrassment. Nora went into hysterics, the redhead trying to console her friend as Jaune was trying desperately to hide his laughter. "Haha! Sorry, Ren!" Ruby apologized. "I couldn't resist."
Just then, the sound of boots stepping across the floor drew everyone's attention up, followed up by a familiar voice asking; "Alright, what's going on here?" Ruby whipped her head up and gasped at what she saw. Pyrrha, now in her own set of new armor, was standing in the doorway, her hands on her hips as she awaited an answer.
The Invincible Girl had kept many of her old accessories from her previous ensemble, namely her signature circlet that she kept on her head, the red sash around her hips with the bronze plate that had her emblem emblazoned on it, and the gorget that she wore around her neck. But other than that, it was all new. Pyrrha had donned her new armored corset, the pauldrons having settled nicely on her shoulders for more protection. On her arms were a pair of new maroon gloves, these ones a bit longer than the old ones. She also now had two bracers on each arm instead of just the singular one, each bracer having the same meticulous red detailing that her new breastplate had. Though in addition, the bracers also had a bright green diamond shape on them that matched her eyes and the jewels hanging from her circlet.
Along Pyrrha's waist was a pteruges made of maroon leather, with each strip having a gold, scale-shaped pattern at their tips. Her legs were adorned with maroon thigh-high boots, with wedges at the heels for some added height. Over the boots themselves, she wore a pair of shiny bronze cuisses attached to her thighs and a set of grieves on her lower legs. They all had the same red detailing on them that matched her corset and her bracers, the knee pads having a set of small green diamonds in the center to match said bracers.
Ruby broke out into a big toothy grin and let out a squee. "EEEEEEE!" She rushed over to Pyrrha and immediately began gushing over her new gear. "PYRRHA! Your. Armor. Is. AMAZING!" Her eyes lit up as she took it all in. "The detailing is great and I LOVE the cute little green diamonds! AH! So cool!"
Pyrrha smiled and nodded in agreement. "Yes, I must say that my mother and Jonathan did a great job on both mine and Jaune's armor. I'm absolutely thrilled to have something new to wear in battle."
"Yeah, our old outfits were starting to get pretty worn out." Jaune concurred as he flexed his arms outwards. "And honestly, these just feel better to move in."
"Ya got that right!" Nora said as she finally got Ren to turn himself back around. "I need to do SOMETHING to thank your parents for this, Jaune. Taking them out to breakfast just isn't enough in my book."
Ruby's eyebrows rose up. "Oh yeah, what time are you guys leaving anyway?"
"Soon." Ren answered. "Athena's just getting a few things and then we'll be off." He tilted his head to the side. "Speaking of taking off, where'd you go off to, Ruby?"
"I just went to visit my mom." Ruby immediately took note of how Ren, Pyrrha and Nora all became crestfallen at that. "Oh, come on, guys, it's okay. I go there all the time to talk to her. Yeah, it's sad, but I feel better for doing it."
Pyrrha sighed at that. "I understand. Still, I cannot lie that it's still a little disheartening." Her gaze went to the ground. "You see… my own father died before I was born. He was a Huntsman who died while on a mission. I never got to know him because of that."
Nora craned her head downward as well. "Yeah, and Ren and I lost our parents early on too." She shifted her eyes up to Ren, who was starring off into the distance. "We know better than anyone how it feels."
Ruby wore a sad face as the girls told their storied. "Aw, guys. Now you are making me sad." She stepped forward and gave the girls a group hug. "I'm sorry."
"It's okay, Ruby." Pyrrha assured. "We've become our own family since we met each other."
"Yeah! Things are a lot better now!" Nora smiled as she went back to her partner. "Right Ren?" However, she didn't get a response, the green ninja continuing to look away. This immediately set off alarms in Nora's head. "Ren," she prodded him with her arm, "are you okay?"
That managed to stir Ren from his daze, his focus going back to her. "H-Huh? Oh! Yes, Nora, I'm alright. Just… thinking, is all."
Nora narrowed her eyes at this. She could tell that something was bothering him, and she would get to the bottom of it. For now though, she'd let it pass until a better opportunity came up, one where they could talk one-on-one. "Well… okay, if you're sure that you're good."
Just then, Athena came jogging out of the house with her purse in one hand and the keys to her rental car in the other, giving Team JNPR a grin. "Alright kids, I'm ready, so let's get—oh, Ruby! You're back!" The Mistralian Huntress nudged her head toward the door. "We've been wondering where you went off to."
"I'm sure." Ruby nodded. "But I'm back, so nobody needs to panic."
"Hm, well, I'm glad to hear that." Athena wore a worried expression as she gazed back to the house. "Because let me tell you, your sister has NOT been in a good mood."
That caught Ruby's attention. "W-What? Is she angry?"
"No, she's not exactly mad or anything." Athena shook her head. "She's more… upset, really. She got up, poured a bowl of Pumpkin Pete's and then headed right back up to her room. Ben, Blake and Weiss have been trying to talk to her through her door for half an hour."
Ruby's eyes bugged out in a panic. "Oh god, it's worse than I thought!" She headed right for the door but stopped short just before going in, whirling around to give Athena a grateful bow. "Thanks for telling me, Athena."
"No problem, dear." Athena raised a hand. "Oh, and training's being held off until this evening. Something tells me that we've ALL got a busy day ahead of us."
"Alright! Have a good breakfast, guys! See ya later!" With one final wave, Ruby burst into petals and rushed inside, Team JNPR saying their goodbyes as she left.
Jaune sighed as he shoved his hands into his hoodie pocket. "Man, I really hope Yang's gonna be okay."
"As do I." Pyrrha agreed. "Yes, Raven may have lied to us, but it's obvious that they were beginning to bond rather well." She pursed her lips and craned her head downward. "I may have issues with how Raven does things, but the bond between family is a hard one to be broken like this."
"Indeed." Athena gave a solemn nod. "This ordeal will test them greatly to be sure." She jingled her keys slightly to get the four teens attention. "Right now, though, we need to leave if we want to make our reservation. Come, let's go." At her word, Team JNPR piled into the red rental car with Athena taking the wheel the five immediately setting off to meet the Arc Family at Hestia's diner.
…..
Ben, Weiss and Blake were facing quite the conundrum as they stood out in the hallway upstairs. The being; Yang secluding herself away in Team RWBY's room away from everyone else. Ben in particular was quite worried about this. He had hoped that his girlfriend would be in better spirits today after sleeping on everything that had happened, but he could tell just by her demeanor that wasn't the case. He couldn't blame her though. After what happened between her and her mom, he knew she had the right to be upset, even if it made him concerned about her wellbeing.
Weiss and Blake were also just as distressed as the Omnitrix bearer, the two pleading with their best friend through the door. "Yang, please come out." Weiss implored.
Blake set her hand against the door. "We're all really worried about you. If there's anything you wanna talk about, then—"
"Blake, Weiss, I'm FINE." Yang stressed through the door. "I just wanna be left alone for a bit. That's all."
With a despondent sigh, Ben approached the door, speaking his peace. "Goldie Locks, if you want to be alone for a while, then we'll respect your wishes." He set his hand against the door as well. "But please don't shut us out completely because of this. We want you to know that we're here for you and we'll listen if you want to talk to us about anything at all." He took his hand away and bowed his head. "Whenever you're ready, we'll be ready too."
He was about to leave it at that, but then there came the cry of; "WAAAAIIT!" followed by a flurry of rose petals zooming up the stairs and stopping in front of them. Once Ben, Weiss and Blake gained their bearings, they saw Ruby standing directly in front of them, a worried expression on her face. "I think I can help!"
"Ruby!" Weiss exclaimed. "Where've you been? We've been looking for you all morning!"
"I'm sorry." Ruby bowed her head. "I left before anyone else got up and I thought I'd be back sooner."
"But where did you go?" Blake emphasized. "Especially this early in the morning?"
"My mother's grave." That answer got a rather stunned expression from everyone, which Ruby had expected. "I know, I know, probably should've told you guys. But right now, we've got more important things to deal with." Ruby stepped up and reached for the door handle, only to discover that it was locked. With a frustrated grumble, Ruby placed her hands on her hips and scolded her sister through the door; "Yang, you know how dad feels about locking each other out of our room."
"Ugh, come on, Ruby!" Yang called back through the door. "I appreciate the concern, but there's really nothing to be worried about. I just wanna be by myself for a while. And there's nothing that you can say or do to—"
"I saw Raven at mom's grave this morning." Ruby interrupted.
There was a long, shocked silence when the Hooded Huntress said that, one that lasted for a good twenty seconds. Finally, though, there came the sound of a lock being undone from behind the door before it was thrown open, with Yang standing one the other side. The blonde's hair was slightly disheveled and she was still in her sleepwear, having not bothered to change. "…Come again?"
Ruby smiled and repeated; "I saw Raven at mom's grave this morning. She even brought mom's favorite flower to pay her respects." She drew closer to her sister and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Yang, I saw her pouring her heart out to mom, and I could tell that she's been doing some thinking since what happened yesterday. She was heartbroken that you guys got into that fight, and she wants to make up for it."
Yang blinked in surprise. "Wait, did you actually talk to her or…"
"Oh yeah, we talked." Ruby confirmed. "For a good while, actually. We had a really nice conversation about mom. But more importantly…" She booped Yang's nose with her finger. "We talked about the two of you, and how I think you guys can reconcile after the fight last night."
Yang's brows furrowed and she shook her head. "Ruby, it's not that simple. My mom lied to me, to ALL of us. I know that she's probably sad about it… because I am too." Yang crossed her arms and turned away from her sister. "But until I know I can trust her again, I'm not just going to forgive her."
Ruby pursed her lips at this. "Yang… I saw Raven, with my two eyes, admit to mom that she's a coward for doing what she did." Those words brought Yang's attention back to her sister, the blonde's eyes widening in shock. "And I could tell that it wasn't an act because she didn't know I was there at the time. She genuinely wants to do better, both as a person AND a mother. Doesn't that count for anything?"
Yang stared into her sister's eyes, and she could tell that she wasn't lying about any of it. The Blonde Brawler glanced up to Weiss, Blake and Ben, wondering if they had any input of their own. Once they took notice of this, the three shifted their eyes to each other in curiosity before Ben finally spoke up. "Well, I honestly think that it'd be really healthy to at least try." the hero concluded.
"Yeah, it'd be better than just keeping to yourself about it, Yang." Blake offered. "Maybe speaking to Raven would actually be a big help."
Weiss gave her a small shrug. "It'd probably be your best bet to solve things peacefully. The last thing you want is another screaming match, right?"
Yang crossed her arms and thought it over a bit more. Her friends had all brought up solid points, she had to admit. She shifted her focus back to her sister, who was giving her a hopeful gaze with her hands laced together. Yang let out a breath and relinquished to their pleas. "Ugh, alright, I'll try and talk with her when she comes back."
"YAY!" Ruby leapt up and encircled her sister in a hug. "I KNEW you wouldn't give up on her that easily."
But Yang was quick to slow things down a bit. "Whoa, hold on there, Rubes. Let's not get ahead of ourselves." She pulled Ruby off of her and grasped her by the shoulders. "I've still got a few things to sort out before I even begin to talk with my mom about anything."
Ruby was a bit hesitant at that, but an idea suddenly popped in her head a moment later. "Hey! Why don't we head into town for a bit? Maybe getting out and doing something will help clear up your thoughts a bit."
"Hey, not a bad idea." Blake agreed. "Ilia, Sun and I were going to go out and meet up with Coco and Cooper pretty soon anyway. Wanna tag along?"
"Well… okay, sure. Why not?" Yang jabbed her thumb back toward her room. "Let me just get myself together and I'll be down in a sec, 'kay?"
Ben gave her a nod. "Alright, we hear ya. And Yang?" He stepped forward and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Good morning, sweetheart."
Yang couldn't help but chuckle as she returned the gesture. "Morning to you too, baby." With that, the group parted ways, with Yang closing the door behind her. She leaned up against the door itself whilst staring up at the ceiling, contemplating the choice she had just made. "Mom, I may not have that much faith in you right now… but if you can prove me wrong, then that'd be pretty cool of you to do."
As the Blonde Brawler went to change, Ruby, Weiss, Blake and Ben all headed down the stairs and back into the kitchen, which was currently entirely vacant. As they entered, Ruby went to her partner and asked; "So, Weiss, you wanna join us, too? The more the merrier, right?"
Weiss gave her an apologetic face. "Sorry, Ruby, but I'm going to be doing some Summoning training today with Winter…" The heiress glanced over to the basement door with a knowing smile. "Once she gets off the comm with Kenny, that is."
Ruby's eyebrows rose up. "Oh, I thought Athena said training would be later today."
"For most of us, yes." Weiss confirmed. "But after I finally summoned the Arma Gigas last night, I want to train with it as much as I can so I can master it." She pumped a fist in excitement. "I cannot WAIT until I get to use it in battle again."
"Alright, I get what you're saying." Ruby accepted. "What about everyone else? Are they game?"
Ben raised a brow to the living room. "Eh… maybe. All depends on what they're doing. I know that Kevin's gone off into the woods with Gwen to experiment on his new Dust Crystals, so they're probably out…"
…..
Meanwhile, out near Mount Patch, a certain Osmosian and Anodite had found a nearby clearing to practice in. The couple were standing opposite of one another in the middle of the small feild, preparing themselves for their training. Once Kevin had absorbed a big enough rock to change his entire body to stone, Gwen started things off; "Alright Kevin, you've obviously gotten a good handle on Fire and Lightning Dust since last night's tussle." She pointed to the Dust pouches on his hips. "But now it's time to start practicing with the rest, so let's see what we're dealing with here."
Kevin gave her a thumbs up. "Gotcha, time to see what we've got in the ol' sack here…" The raven-haired teen reached into his left pouch and pulled out a blue Dust crystal, the sun shining off of its surface. "Alright, blue. That's… ice, right?"
"Water, actually." Gwen clarified. "But Weiss told me that when this type of Dust combines with Air Dust, it actually becomes Ice Dust."
"Huh, neat." Kevin immediately absorbed the Water Dust crystal and put it back in its pouch, his arms now coated entirely in the blue crystal. "Okay, just say when." Gwen snapped her fingers and a mana shield appeared directly in front of her, making Kevin put on a deadpan face. "Really?"
"Hey, if this backfires, I'm going to need all the protection I can get." Gwen rationalized. "I'm not made of rock, remember? Go ahead."
Kevin nodded and brought his hands up, balling them into fists before smacking them together. However, what happened next was NOT what he had expected. The crystals on his arms suddenly burst out into huge, gushing geysers of water, ones that immediately went out of his control and sent him sprawling to the ground. "GAAAAAAHHH!"
Gwen's eyes bugged out at this. "KEVIN!"
"GWEN! MAKE IT STOP!" Kevin yelled as he was thrown around by the geysers. He tried to lay himself flat on his stomach to stop them from shooting upwards, but then the water just made the dirt beneath him turn into mud, which then sprayed everywhere and caused Kevin to inadvertently begin sinking into a large hole. "Ah, man! You've gotta be kiddin' me!"
Gwen changed the mana shield in front of her into a dome as water, mud and tufts of grass went flying everywhere. She cupped her hands and yelled out; "Kevin! Find another rock to absorb! Maybe it'll cancel out the crystal!"
'Easier said than done!' The Osmosian thought. 'If I move, I might lose control completely!' Kevin's eyes began darting around in a panic until he spotted something underneath him; a rather large boulder that had been partially unearthed thanks to the geysers gushing from his arms. 'NEVER MIND! Thank you, god!' He reached down and pressed his hands against the rock, the water sputtering a bit as he absorbed the stone.
After a few seconds, the water stopped spraying, leaving nearly the whole area soaked. With Gwen's interest piqued, she ran over to the new hole in the ground, the ground beneath her squishing beneath her feet. "Kevin! Are you—" The moment she made it to the edge, Kevin poked his head out of the ground, and Gwen had to hold her laughing fit back when she saw the state he was in; covered head to toe in sopping wet mud with bits of grass plastered all over his body, making him look like a walking potted plant. "Hehehe, uh, maybe we should try a different type of Dust now, baby?"
…..
Back at the Xiao Long house, Yang was descending the stairs, now dressed and with her hair properly brushed. She was also bringing down the empty bowl of cereal she had gotten this morning, which was slowly beginning to regret. 'Don't know if the cereal went stale or not, but all I know is that it is NOT as good as Gwen's breakfasts.' The moment she came down, she saw her team and her boyfriend sitting at the table having a little discussion, to which she smiled at. "Hey guys, I'm ready whenever you are."
They all grinned up at her, with Ben standing up first. "Great. Grandpa said that he'd drive everyone else into town while we ride on Bumblebee."
"Sounds good to me." Yang placed her bowl in the sink and gave them all a thumbs up. "Alright, let's hit it!"
Blake and Ruby stood up as well, the former giving her partner a nod. "Yep, I'll just go grab Sun and Ilia and then we'll be off… if I can pull them away from the TV, that is."
Ruby raised an eyebrow at that. "What do you mean by that, Blake?"
Weiss rolled her eyes as she got up as well. "Oh, they're all watching that nerdy space show that Mr. Tennyson showed us last night. They wanted to catch up on the first few episodes they missed while we weren't here yesterday." She glanced off to the side. "Though to be quite honest, I don't really see the appeal."
Ben gave her a smirk. "Ah, yes, you checked out on Star Trek about halfway through your second episode, didn't you?"
"Because I couldn't follow it!" Weiss insisted. "Dear god, it's mostly talking and science jargon!"
"Ah-ah, the proper term is "techno-babble"." Ben corrected with a cheeky grin. "But I get ya. Trek ain't for everyone. But even then, it's only the first season of the original series." He placed a hand to his chest as they all went to the living room. "I'm more of a "Next Generation" person, myself. I think you might actually like that series better, Weiss."
"Hm, if you say so." Weiss shrugged. "Personally, I'm just not really into Sci Fi. A bit ironic considering who you are, I know, but it's the truth." In no time at all, the five entered the living room, where they were immediately greeted by the remainder of the team with their eyes glued to the television. Max and Holiday were also there, the two sitting of to the side in their own recliners while the others either took the couch or the floor.
On the TV itself, Captain James T. Kirk was sitting in his captain's chair in his green uniform, speaking through the ship's intercom. However, there was an odd point to the scene itself; the moment Kirk began speaking, it cut another Kirk, this one in a different room, wearing a yellow uniform, and with three scratches on his face. He appeared to be startled, acting aggressively the moment Kirk began talking; "This is the captain speaking. There's an imposter aboard the ship. A man who looks exactly like me and is pretending to be me."
The shot cut to a monitor in the same room the Angry Kirk was in, showing the Calm Kirk speaking to the crew. "This man is dangerous." Clam Kirk continued. "Utmost caution is to be observed. All crew members are to arm themselves. The imposter may be identified by scratches on his face. Repeat. The imposter may be identified by scratches on his face."
Ben's eyes lit up the moment he laid his sights on the television. "Ah, The Enemy Within! I love this episode!"
"SHH!" Rex shushed. "We're about to reach the best part, dude!"
Sealing his lips shut, Ben and the others continued to watch as the Calm Kirk had a brief conversation with Mr. Spock. After the Vulcan reminded the captain about having the phasers set to stun, the calm Kirk continued; "All hand phasers must be set on base cycle, stunning force." The screen cut back to the Angry Kirk, who was now seething with rage as he watched his doppelganger on the monitor in front of him. "The imposter is not to be injured. Use minimum force. Repeat—"
"I'M Captain Kirk!" the Angry Kirk hollered before shoving over a bunch of nearby books. "I'm Captain Kirk!" he repeated with venom in his voice, knocking over the monitor. "I'm Captain Kirk! I'M CAPTAIN KIRK!" The Angry Kirk's face was entirely red, a maddened expression having taken over his face.
"Haha! There it is!" Max laughed. "One of my favorite quotes from the Original Series."
However, Team RWBY were visibly confused at what was going on. "Uh, hello?" Ruby raised her hand. "Just got here, what happened?"
Sun and Ilia faced the Hooded Huntress to answer her question. "Oh, Jim got his personalities separated into two different versions of himself in a transporter accident; one good, one evil." Sun pointed to the screen, where the evil Kirk was applying make-up to his scratches. "And let me just say, THIS Jim is seriously cuckoo!"
"Yeah, he's pretty crazy." Ilia concurred. "Wanna watch with us?"
Blake gave the two a small smile. "Maybe later. We were actually getting ready to head to down here in a little bit."
Ilia's eyes widened and she immediately jumped out of her seat. "Oh, shoot, that's right! Let's get going then!"
"Gah, jeez, I almost forgot about that!" Sun sprang up from the couch and gave his girlfriend a salute. "Alright, let's head out!"
But Blake raised a hand. "Woah, woah, no need to rush, guys. You can finish your episode if you want." She gave the two a shrug. "I mean, we're not due to meet Coco for another half-hour. I'm sure she won't mind if we're a little late."
Neptune and Penny stood up, the blue-haired boy giving her a reassuring wave. "Ah, it's okay, Blake. We'll stop it and we can just pick up where we left off when you guys get back."
"Yeah, no biggie." Penny assured. "Besides, Doctor Holiday, Rex and I are going to be doing some more training with my Nanite abilities pretty soon here."
Holiday got up as well, brushing off her lab coat as she did. "That's right. And I think it's about time we get around to that."
Rex threw his head back and let out a groan. "Ah, man! Here I thought we'd actually get a proper day off after yesterday's chaos."
Weiss shut her eyes, frustrated at Rex's complaining. She went over and gave him a small konk on the head, making him yelp in surprise. "Oh, quit complaining, Robo-dolt." she berated. "You're what, eighteen? You shouldn't be whining like this. Besides, it's better than just lazing around all day."
Rather than being mad however, Rex just smirked right back at her. "Heh, you think I'm bein' lazy, Ice Princess?" He got up and pointed directly at her. "Well then, I bet I'm gonna train just as hard as you will, maybe even TWICE as hard!"
Weiss blinked in confusion at the wager. "W-What?! When did this turn into a competition?!"
"Since a few seconds ago!" Rex proclaimed as he jumped over the back of the couch and headed toward the kitchen. "Penny, Holiday, let's get a move on!"
The two ladies in question glanced toward each other in confusion, giving a shrug before Penny sent a wave over to the heiress. "I guess we'll see you outside soon, Weiss." With that, the doctor and the android headed out, following after the EVO who was now practically out the back door.
Weiss' eye twitched a few times before she simply facepalmed. "How is it that I end up in these situations?"
Ruby gave Weiss a small pat on the shoulder. "It's okay, Weiss. Rex is just having fun." She then gave her a wink. "But you might wanna get a head start if you wanna win."
"Ugh, yes, I suppose so." Weiss sighed as she pulled Myrtenaster off of her hip, giving her team her own farewell wave. "I'll see you guys later, okay?"
Yang saluted right back at her. "You got it, Weiss-Cream. Good luck." Once Weiss had left, the Blonde Brawler shifted her attention to their last remaining teammate on the couch; Neptune. "So, Blue Boy, what're you gonna be doin'? Any plans?"
"Not particularly." Neptune said as he stood up. "But I guess heading to town doesn't sound so bad. Beats not doing anything here, at least."
Max clapped his hands together and rose up from his chair, switching off the TV and DVD player before giving the group a hearty smile. "Well then, sounds like that settles that." He pulled his keys from out of his pocket and began headed out the door. "C'mon, gang, let's hit the road!" With Max's declaration, the group of teens followed him out the door, ready to get on with their day-off.
…..
About half an hour after they had left, the group of teens had successfully met up with Team CFVY and Cooper at the mall, the team of five having been waiting for them outside one of the many entrances. After that, they separated into two groups; with Ben, Yang, Ruby, and Neptune heading to the game store with Yatsu, Velvet and Fox while Coco and Cooper went with Blake, Sun and Ilia to the clothing store.
For the chameleon girl though, this came as a bit of a different experience for her. Never in her life did she ever have someone's help in picking out a new outfit, let alone a girl that she had only just met. What's more, Ilia couldn't help but be intimidated by Coco just a little bit. Those dark sunglasses really made it hard to get a good read on her. But still, she seemed nice enough and she WAS helping out, so it wasn't bad per se.
"Hey, Freckles." Coco called over, startling Ilia a little bit. "You doin' okay?"
"Huh? Oh yeah, I'm fine, Coco." Ilia answered. "I'm just lost in my thoughts is all."
Coco strolled up next to Ilia and gave her a friendly smile. "Really? Whatcha thinkin' about?"
Ilia shook her head, her focus going back to the multiple boxes of shoes in front of her. "Ah, nothing really important. Just thinking about how much my life has changed in the past two days."
The leader of Team CFVY wore an incredulous face at that statement. "Uh, that sounds pretty important to me." She put a hand to Ilia's shoulder, gaining her attention again. It was then that Coco took off her sunglasses, allowing Ilia to see her eyes. "Tell me, what kinda changes are ya thinking about?"
Ilia was hesitant to speak her mind at first, but after seeing the honesty in Coco's gaze, she began to feel much more reassured. 'Swift DID say that I should start opening myself up to others.' Ilia noted in her head. With her mind resolved, she decided to take a chance. "Well… the last time I had a big group of friends, things didn't really go so well…" She explained what had happened to her up in Atlas, and what she had went through after her parent's deaths. "…And after that, I joined the White Fang. Aside from Blake, I haven't really allowed myself to get close to many other people since then."
Coco was stunned by this revelation, and she couldn't help but feel sympathetic for the girl. "Ilia… I can't imagine what if must've been like for you to go through that." She lowered her head to the chameleon girl. "I'm sorry that happened to you. I can't blame you for the way you thought about humans for so long. We can be such jerks."
But Ilia raised a hand. "Hey, don't go grouping yourself in with them. You are by far NOT a jerk." Her spots became a light shade of pink. "Though I will admit that I was a bit intimidated by you at first."
Coco couldn't help but smirk at that. "It's the sunglasses, ain't it?" Ilia gave a reluctant nod, to which the fashionable girl chuckled a little. "Heh, thought so." She brought up her sunglasses and examined them. "People tell me that these make me look more threatening. And you know what? I actually kind of like that." Her smile became slightly sheepish. "But then it kinda backfires whenever I'm hanging out with friends. Everyone thinks I'm super serious all the time, but I'm really not."
Ilia let out a small chuckle. "Haha! Bet it becomes a pain sometimes."
"Yeah, a little bit." Coco put her sunglasses back on and gave a thumbs up. "But I make 'em look good." The two ladies erupted into a small fit of laughter before going back to the subject from before; clothing. "Oh! I almost forgot." Coco stepped over and pulled up a bunch of clothes that were all still on their hangers, presenting them to Ilia immediately. "I put together this little ensemble for ya. It seems to match your style pretty well, don't cha think?"
Ilia's eyebrows rose up when she inspected the clothing, her smile widening as she did. "Wow! I actually REALLY like this!" She moved her head back up to Coco with a curious gaze. "How'd you put this together so fast?"
"I make sure to take mental notes of what all my clients wear to get a handle of what they might like." Coco lowered her sunglasses and gave Ilia a wink. "After all, you'd be surprised about what you can find out about people from the clothes they wear. By the way…" She walked over to the shoes that Ilia was looking at and plucked them off the shelf, handing them to her with approval. "These would TOTALLY go with that outfit."
Ilia blinked in surprise. "Wow, you're good."
Coco smirked and pushed her glasses back up. "Tell me something I don't know, Freckles." She nudged her head over to the changing room. "Now, wanna try 'em on?"
"Oh, right! I'll be out in a flash." Ilia went into the changing room, leaving Coco standing right in front of the door.
With a slight chortle, Coco crossed her arms in pride. 'She's a sweet girl. I'm glad she's coming out of her shell. Kind of reminds me of Vel in a way.' She directed her attention over to Blake, Sun and Cooper, calling out to them; "Hey guys! I think we might've a winner over here!"
Blake's ears perked up, shocked that they had found something so soon. "Already? Wow, that was fast."
"Yeah, we haven't been in here for fifteen minutes and you guys already found something?" Sun asked.
Cooper moved over to his girlfriend and pulled her into a side-hug. "Heh, what did you guys expect? This IS Coco we're talking about, after all." He sent a wink of his own down to the fashionable girl. "Nice work, hon."
Coco put a gentle finger to his lips. "Ah, don't congratulate me yet, babe. There's still one last step, after all…" A few seconds after she said that, the changing room door opened and Ilia stepped out, allowing everyone to take in her new outfit. "…And that's the modeling."
Ilia was now sporting a short, black jacket with two equally short tails at the back, its interior lined with white fabric. She had rolled up the sleeves and clipped them up, allowing her arms to have more breathing room. The jacket also had a gold zipper, gold buttons on the sleeves and shoulders and a gold buckle on her left side, keeping the jacket tight against her. Underneath, she wore a grey t-shirt that exposed her midriff, as well as even more spots on her belly. On her right wrist was a black wrist band that also had gold buttons, matching the jacket perfectly. Her lower half was adorned by a pair of regular maroon colored jeans, which ended a little over half-way down her calf. Finally, she had on a pair of black sneaker boots with white soles, which were kept strapped to her feet by two buckles.
With a hesitant smile, Ilia directed her eyes up to her friends and shrugged. "Well? How do I look?"
Blake was quick to give her approval. "You look great! Ilia, I'm amazed that you and Coco found something before we really started trying!"
"Hell yeah." Sun nodded. "How does they feel on ya?"
"Great, actually." Ilia did a quick spin to show her new outfit in full. "To be honest, this feels really comfortable." She put a single hand to her hip and confidently stated; "Guys, I think we might've found a winner!"
Coco pumped a fist into the air. "And with that, another customer is satisfied." She readjusted her glasses with a proud grin. "Now all that's left is to buy the clothes on your back and go strut your stuff, girl!"
Ilia rubbed the back of her neck in embarrassment. "Well, I wouldn't go that far."
"Ah, c'mon, Freckles." Coco put an arm around Ilia's shoulders while extending her free hand out in front of her. "New clothes, new confidence! It's time to throw off the shackles of your old life and get a fresh start! Now go out there and show the world who you are and how proud you are to be you!"
As Coco continued her impromptu speech, Ilia slowly began feeling something bubbling up inside of her. Was this the confidence that Coco was talking about? She didn't really know, but it felt good. "You know what, Coco? You're right! It's time to stop wallowing in my past and push forward!"
"Great!" Coco shook Ilia's shoulder's a bit. "Now get Hype!"
"I AM the Hype!" Ilia grabbed her stealth suit and rushed to the counter to pay for her new clothes, leaving the others in the dust.
Blake stared dumbfounded at what had just happened. "…Coco, what did you just do?"
Coco placed her hands on her hips, giving a small chuckle at the cat girl's question. "Oh, I just hyped Ilia up a bit to boost her confidence is all." She grinned as she watched Ilia eagerly purchase her new clothes. "Besides, after telling me about what she went through back in Atlas, I figured she could use a good boost."
At her words, Blake let out a slight gasp. "Wait, she actually told you about that? She hasn't told anyone else besides me and a few other White Fang members."
"Yeah, she did." Coco affirmed. "And I felt my heart go out to her, ya know? After helping Velvet along when she got mercilessly bullied by humans, I just wanted help Ilia out, too." She raised a brow to Blake. "Sometimes, knowing that somebody's definitely on your side can do wonders for your self-confidence."
"Ain't that the truth." Sun concurred. "In the two days I've known her, I've never seen her with a smile that big."
Cooper went over and gave his girlfriend a kiss on the cheek, impressed at her handiwork. "Babe, you just keep on amazing me." He wrapped his arms around Coco's waist, eliciting a happy laugh from her. "I'm tellin' you, you should be a motivational speaker in your off-time."
"Heh, well, I don't know about that. I just like helpin' people who need it." Coco jabbed her thumb toward the exit, where Ilia was now waiting for them. "Now c'mon, our eager beaver wants to go show off." With that, the five teens exited the store and entered the mall's massive hallways, the group immediately making a bee-line for the game store.
"Alright, so once we meet up with the others, what's the plan from there?" Ilia asked.
Blake turned and smiled toward her. "Well, there's actually another place that I want to show you." she explained. "It's not in the mall itself, but it's really not that far away from here. We don't even need to drive."
This successfully got Ilia's attention. "Really? What is it?"
"You'll see." Blake winked. "It's a really nice place though, promise." Once the group found the game store, they immediately caught sight of Ben, Yang, Ruby, Neptune and the rest of Team CFVY sitting out on the benches near the storefront. The former three, as well as Velvet and Fox, were sitting together around what appeared to be a large game board while Yatsu and Neptune were each playing on their scrolls off to the side. Whatever the two were playing, it must've been pretty competitive because they were in the zone. "Hey guys!" Blake called out. "What're you up to?"
Everyone whipped their heads up to her, aside from Yatsu and Neptune of course, and Ruby waved over to her friend. "Hey Blake! We were just waiting for you! And guess what?!" Ruby lifted up the cover of a large box, presumably the one that the game board had come in. "They had the latest edition of Remnant: The Game!"
Yang jabbed her thumb over to her boyfriend. "Yeah, we've showing Ben the ropes." However, it was then that she noticed Ilia, the ponytailed girl walking up in front, donned in a new set of clothes. "Hey, Color Girl! Lookin' good!"
Ben, who was focusing on the cards, shifted his eyes up to see Ilia's new threads. "Hah, yeah! That's a nice outfit for you, Ilia."
"It's quite spectacular." Velvet concurred. "I can only assume that Coco helped you out a bit?"
Ilia blushed at all the attention she was getting, her hand going to the back of her head. "Hehe, yeah, pretty much. But thanks for the nice words, guys. I really appreciate it." She strolled over and peeked over Ben's shoulder at the cards he was holding. "So Ben, I'm guessing this is your first time playing this game?"
"More or less." Ben scratched his head as he went back to the cards, all of them with multiple different icons. Be it Grimm, Hunters, weather conditions or whatever else, the hero couldn't help but be intrigued by what he was seeing. "To be honest, I don't think we have ANY kind of board game like this in our world. The closest I can think of comparing it too are Risk…" He pulled out a Grimm card, labeled "Giant Nevermore". "And oddly enough, Yu-Gi-Oh. Both of which I have absolutely NO experience in whatsoever."
"Ah c'mon, Ben, the rules are easy." Fox urged. "All you have to do," he reached into the game's box right next to him and pulled out a big book labeled; 'Remnant: The Rules', "is follow THIS set of rules and you should be fine."
Velvet made sure to point at the book as Fox handed it to Ben. "Make sure to read every paragraph in detail, though. One wrong move and you can lose everything in the game."
Ben immediately recoiled at the sight of the large rule book. "Oh god, I'm starting to get Dungeons and Dragons flashbacks!" He pulled his jacket up over his head, hiding himself away from everyone. "Don't put me back through this, please!"
The whole group got a good laugh out of his antics before Coco set her sights on Yatsu and Neptune, who were practically enthralled with whatever game they were playing on their scrolls. "And just what did YOU boys snag in there?" she asked.
Neptune moved his head up and smirked at her. "Just the download codes for the new Soaring Ninja title." he bragged.
"Wait, seriously?!" Sun's eyes practically bugged out and darted to the game store. "Be back in a flash!" And like that, the monkey boy was gone, leaving a cloud of dust in his wake.
Blake couldn't help but smirk and roll her eyes at her boyfriend's display. "Man, must be pretty good if it can make someone do that."
"For a mobile fighting game, it's surprisingly fun." Yatsu supported. "I especially like the more retro feel that they've kept since the first instalment."
Cooper leaned over and his eyebrows rose at the graphics, which had to at least be 16-bit. "Wow, retro is right. This looks like a Super Nintendo game. Is there any way to get this on a bigger screen?"
"Oh yeah." Velvet confirmed. "We can connect our scrolls to our TV pretty easily when we get back to the apartment."
"Sweet!" Cooper gave Neptune and Yatsu side-long glance. "And guys, if you like this stuff, I should introduce you to Street Fighter II… if Ben has it with him, anyway."
"I'm pretty sure I do." The hero confirmed. "Well, one version of the game at least. Really hard to keep track of 'em." Ben stood up and put the cards back in the box, along with the rest of the board and game pieces. "As for this thing, I'll try and figure it out when we get back home." He raised a questioning brow to Blake. "But for now, I think you said there was one other place you wanted us to go, right?"
The cat girl nodded at that. "Yeah, I wanted to take Ilia to meet Miss Tiger Lily at her flower shop. At least, if she's there."
Ilia's eyebrows rose up. "A flower shop? Why such a random place?"
Blake sent her another smirk. "Oh, trust me, you'll see in a little bit."
…..
Once the group left the mall, they immediately set off across the street, walking down the block until they came to their destination; a small white building surrounded by many potted flowers. Right above the entry way was a large pink sign with cursive white lettering that read; "The Tiger Lily Flower Shop", which Coco was quick to raise a brow at. "Huh, I'm surprised that I've never come this way in the last couple weeks." She gestured up to the shop with a small grin. "Gotta say though, this is a REALLY cute place."
"Oh, you think the outside is nice?" Ruby asked. "Wait 'til you see the inside." The teens all filed into the store and were immediately greeted by the intoxicating scents of the many flowers inside. Whether it be roses, violets, or whatever else, if they could name it, this store probably had it. "See? What did I tell ya?"
"Yeah, this is pretty neat." Cooper agreed. "I can only guess that this is the place where Ben got Yang her bouquet?"
"Yep." Sun confirmed before putting a hand on his girlfriend's shoulder. "Plus, the owner gave Blake and I a bouquet of our own as a gift."
Blake wore a small smile and chuckled a little bit. "Hehe, yeah. I still think we should've at least payed her SOMETHING in return for those despite her… special Lovers Discount." A slight blush came to both her and Sun's faces at the mention of that.
"Aw, now THAT'S cute as hell!" Coco gushed
"This place is breathtaking!" Velvet exclaimed as she went over to smell a nearby pot of marigolds. She sighed as she took in the lovely smell. "Ah, simply delightful."
However, when Fox stepped in, his eyes widened and he gagged a little bit. Without another word, Fox spun around on his heel and began walking back outside, a somewhat distressed look written on his face. As Ben and Yang stepped past him into the building, they couldn't help but wonder why he was so quick to leave. "What's wrong, Fox?" Yang asked. "Is he allergic to flowers or somethin'?"
Yatsu and Neptune came in just as Fox went back outside, the tall swordsman answering Yang's question. "It's actually more like he can't take the overwhelming smell." Yatsu gestured toward Fox. "Since he's been blind for so long, many of his senses have been slightly enhanced overtime to compensate. He can smell flowers regularly, but too many in one place can be quite overpowering for him."
"Well, if that's the case, then I don't blame him." Neptune shrugged. "My mom's got a BUNCH of scented candles back home, so I know what that's like."
As the group continued to browse, Ilia couldn't help but ask again; "Okay, Blake, why did you want me to come here?" The chameleon girl placed her hands on her hips. "I mean, these flowers are really pretty and all, but you mentioned wanting me to meet someone?"
However, just as Blake was about to answer, the door behind the front counter opened, revealing a certain blue-haired girl on the other side. "Ack! Sorry for the wait, I was busy in the back with—" But Iris cut herself off when she saw that her customers were actually some pretty familiar faces. "Guys! Hey, how's it goin'?!"
"Hey Iris!" Ruby reached over the counter and gave her friend a hug. "We were just in the neighborhood, so we decided to stop by."
"Oh, cool! Well, feel free to look around." Iris gave a small smirk toward Ben and Yang. "Hey you two! How're your flowers holding up?"
The couple rolled their eyes a little bit at the young girl's teasing, but Ben still gave her an answer. "Heh, they're still doing pretty good, Iris." The hero jabbed a thumb toward his girlfriend. "She's been keepin' them on her nightstand ever since I gave them to her, right babe?"
"Sure have." Yang gave a thumbs up. "Probably the best smell that I could ever wake up to."
Blake stepped up to the counter, giving Iris a curious face. "Hey, Iris, Whitlea wouldn't happen to be in today, would she? I want to introduce her to a friend of mine."
"Oh yeah!" Iris waved. "I was helping her out when we heard you guys come in. I'll head back and get her, 'kay?"
As Iris headed back through the door, Ilia was beginning to grow even more confused. What WAS her friend's motive in all of this? "Blake, I'm sorry, but I'm still not getting all of this." Ilia placed her hands on her hips with frustration overtaking her features. "Why in the world do you want me to meet the owner of a flower shop?"
Blake simply smiled and put a hand to Ilia's shoulder. "Well… let's just say that she's got some interesting insight to Human-Faunus relations that I think you'll wanna hear."
"What, what?" But just as those words left her lips, Ilia heard the door open again, and she turned back just in time to see a white-haired woman in her early thirties step out into the room. On top of that though, she also just happened to be a tiger Faunus, complete with white feline ears and stripes along her arms and legs. "Oh, NOW I see what you're talking about."
Whitlea's eyes brightened up when she saw the teens in her store, clasping her hands together and greeting them with; "Why hello, everyone! Isn't this just a nice surprise?" She made her way around the counter, giving the whole group a beaming smile. "I have to say, I've been seeing a lot of you kids lately. So, what brings you all by today?"
"Hi, Miss Tiger Lily!" Ruby waved. "We're just having a bit of fun on the town while showing our new friend around." She gestured toward Ilia, who was taken aback slightly by the suddenness of the situation. "This is Ilia. She's one of Blake's old friends, and she just joined our team!"
"Oh, hello there." Whitlea offered a handshake to the chameleon girl. "Ilia, what a lovely name! If I remember right, that's a species of butterfly, isn't it? Apatura ilia?"
Ilia's eyebrows rose in surprise. Nobody ever got the meaning behind her name right off the bat. "Uh… yeah, how'd you know?"
Whitlea offered a knowing wink. "Oh, you get to know somethings about insects when you're in the business that I'm in, dear. Butterflies, bees and many others have a symbiotic life cycle with flowers, after all."
Ilia had to admit, that WAS sound thinking. "Huh, I guess I can't argue with that. I've gotta say though, it's awfully rare to see Faunus business owners outside of Menagerie and Vacuo." She bowed her head in respect. "And you have a very lovely store."
"Oh, thank you, Ilia." Whitea bowed back. "I am very proud of it."
Blake stepped forward putting a hand to Ilia's shoulder. "Whitlea, Ilia's actually a former White Fang member like myself. But now, she's trying to get a fresh start after leaving it herself." She tilted her head toward her friend. "I thought it'd be a good idea to bring her to you for some of your insight on human-Faunus relations."
The tiger woman's demeanor immediately became somewhat sheepish, blushing a little as her hand covered her face. "Oh, hehe. Well, I don't know if "insight" is the term I'd use. I certainly have a few experiences, but I'd be more than happy to help if I can."
"Well then, why don't we start at the top?" Blake suggested. "Tell her about how you came to Vale and what you went through to get here."
"Of course." Over the course of the next few minutes, as the rest of the group perused around the shop, Whitlea recounted the tale of her family facing discrimination in Mistral and how her father managed to acquire the means to leave and start anew in Vale. "Once my family had moved to Patch, I was able to get a good education, which included going to college in the city." Whitlea gazed out the window, smiling as the memories came flooding back. "I had a great time there too. Sure, there were a few bad eggs who didn't like me, but fortunately, the Dean liked Faunus, so she made sure that no harm befell me or any other Faunus who went there."
Ilia was quite surprised by what she was hearing. "Wow… that's amazing. I really wish we had more people like that back when I used to live in Atlas." She hugged her arms around her and craned her head down. "It would've made somethings a lot easier."
Whitlea set a gentle hand to Ilia's shoulder in sympathy. "I certainly know how that feels, Ilia. I also wish somethings had been easier for me while my family was in Mistral." Her lips turned back up into a soft smile. "But of course, life often has a way of throwing challenges at us that we need to overcome if we wish to press on."
"I know… I just wish…" Ilia's words barely came out as a whisper, a few tears streaming down her face. "I really wish that my parents were still here."
The tiger woman let out a gasp. "Oh my goodness, I… I'm so sorry, Ilia." Whitlea lowered her head apologetically. "I should've chosen my words better."
But Ilia was quick to compose herself and reassure the kind flower shop owner. "Oh no, please don't blame yourself!" she urged. "It's just that I find myself thinking about them a lot." Ilia gave Whitlea a nod. "But your right, life DOES throw big challenges at us, and sometimes, it really isn't fair." She put a relaxed hand to her chest. "I know that if they were here though, my mom and dad wouldn't want to see me like this. They'd want me to be happy and have a good life. Originally, I thought I'd find that happiness with the White Fang, but now…" she directed her gaze out to Blake and the others, who had directed their sights onto her. "I've got a bunch of new friends, and I think I've found a better path than I once thought."
Whitlea took all of this information in and was quick to voice her approval. "Well, I think that you've made friends with a great group of people, Ilia." She gave a smirk to Ruby and Yang. "Though you may want to be careful, as well. Ruby Rose and Yang Xiao Long have been known to get into some pretty crazy antics."
Ilia sent a glance to the two sisters, who waved back at her cheerily. "Oh, trust me, I've already been subject to a few "antics" in the past forty-eight hours that I've known them." She shrugged her shoulders as her head lolled to the side. "But, I guess that's what I get for finding the crazies."
"Haha! Hey!" Ruby laughed. "We might be crazy, but we're a FUN kinda crazy!"
Yang waved her hand toward Ilia. "Yeah, c'mon, Color Girl. At least give us THAT."
The whole group erupted into a fit of laughter, which Whitlea was all too happy to go along with. "Hahaha! Oh dear, this group." She regained her composure and quirked a brow at Ilia. "You've got your work cut out for you in acclimating here, I'll tell you that."
"Hehe, I welcome the challenge." Ilia chuckled. "So, after you graduated, I'm guessing that's when you bought this place?"
"Indeed, about half a year after I left college, in fact." Whitlea clapped her hands together. "I wanted to get started on my dream job almost immediately… but there were still some hurtles that I had to go through." She gave out a happy sigh. "But, I'm very thankful that I had someone special to help me through all of that."
Blake wore a knowing smirk. "Let me guess, that'd be your fiancé, right?"
Ilia's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You're getting married?! That's wonderful!" She leaned forward slightly, eager to find out more. "So, who's the lucky one?"
Whitlea let out a slight chortle. "Oh, he's probably the best thing that has ever happened to me." she replied. "His name is Russel, and we met while we were in college. From the moment we first saw each other, we got along amazingly well together, and soon after, we fell in love." Whitlea put a hand to her cheek and closed her eyes, a wistful feeling overtaking her. "We've been through so much together, both good and bad. But thankfully, we've overcome our many challenges and can FINALLY get married."
At the woman's words, Ilia became confused. "Wait, what do you mean by "finally"? It shouldn't be that hard to—"
But right at that moment, the front door to the shop opened followed by a man's voice calling out, one with a slight southern twang; "Darlin'! I'm back!" Everyone turned to the entrance to see a man in his thirties, one with black hair and blue eyes. His face was clean-shaven and he was in a red flannel shirt with a pair of blue jeans and black boots. Slung over his shoulders, he held two large bags of fertilizer, though he didn't seem all that bothered by its burden. "An' I got the fertilizer that you were hankerin' for." Russel Jameson set the bags down on the floor near the door. "The other six are out in the truck."
"Oh, thank you, sweetheart!" Whitlea went over and gave Russel a kiss on the lips for his help. "This should be able to hold us over until the delivery on Friday."
"Great! Glad to hear it." However, it was at that moment that Russel saw everyone else with their eyes focused on them. What's more, he actually recognized some of them. He pointed to Ruby and said; "Hey, ain't you the little gal whose birthday we went to a few days ago? Ruby Rose, right?"
Ruby gave him a salute. "Yep! Nice to see you again, Mr. Jameson!"
"Haha, please, call me Russ. Pretty much everybody does." Russel put his hands to his hip. "So, what brings y'all to my darlin's shop?"
"We were just showing our new teammate around town." Ben answered as he nudged his head to Ilia, who was focusing on Russel with a perplexed face. It didn't take long for everyone to notice this, and Ben raised an eyebrow to the chameleon girl. "Uh, Ilia? Is something wrong?"
Without saying a word, Ilia approached the two, though her eyes were still directed squarely on Russel. She circled around the couple, inspecting with an analytic eye and taking mental notes. Finally, she stopped in front of the two and sent a glance to Whitlea. "Now I see what you were talking about with the many challenges you've been facing. You're a Faunus…" Ilia moved her eyes back to Russel. "And he's human."
Russel sighed and put a hand to the back of his neck. "Yep, an' I gotta tell ya, it's been freakin' hell over these past few months to get our wedding squared away. Tons o' paperwork an' registry forms an' the like." His smile then returned and he put an arm around his fiancé. "But we got through it all, right hon?"
"Oh yes, and thank god for it." Whitlea put her arm around her beloved's back, pulling herself closer to him. "But remember, dear, we still have to plan out the actual wedding."
"I remember, don't you worry." Russel gave Whitlea a peck on the cheek. "Trust me, I ain't about to start slackin'. Not when we're this close."
As she watched the happy couple interact, Ilia could see just how dedicated Russel and Whitlea were to each other. And she couldn't lie, she was absolutely stunned. Loving relationships between humans and Faunus were often quite rare, and that meant that they were a cultural taboo amongst both races. However, as she gazed upon the two in front of her, she could tell that they truly loved each other… and that was something that she could respect. "Well, I must say that what you two have is very special and quite unique." Ilia nodded. "I wish you the best of luck on your journey through life together."
Off to the side, Blake let out a sigh of relief. 'Oh, thank goodness, I thought she was going to flip out for a second there.'
Whitlea bowed her head once again. "Thank you very much for your kind words, Ilia. After so many months of hardship, they mean a great deal."
"They sure do." Russel agreed. "An' hopefully everything will fall into place with the wedding." He proceeded to cross his fingers for good luck. "Fingers crossed."
Just then, Yang raised her hand and spoke up. "Hey, Russ, speaking of the wedding… didn't you say that your mom was coming from Vacuo this week to help plan it out?" She wore a nervous smile as she asked the next part of her question. "…So, she wouldn't happen to be here now, would she?"
Russel shook his head to the Blonde Brawler. "Nope, she ain't here yet. But she should be soon. Last night, she told me that she and my dad were hoppin' on the next Bullhead outta Feldspar, so you might just be able to see her today if you're lucky."
Yang fought hard to contain her excitement, but all the same, she let out a loud shout of delight at the news. "AAAAH! I'm ACTUALLY going to meet her!" She grabbed her boyfriend by the shoulders and began shaking him while pleading; "If this is a dream, Green Boy, PLEASE don't wake me up!"
Even though Ben was now slightly dizzy, he couldn't help but get pumped up by his girlfriend's enthusiasm. "Haha! Trust me, Goldie Locks, I'd probably know if this was a dream." He placed his hands on her shoulders and gave her a hug. "And hey, I can see that you're in a pretty good mood now, and I'm really happy that you are."
Yang chuckled at this, burying her head in the crook of his neck. "Heh, alright, ya got me. I AM feeling a little better now."
However, many others in the room were slightly confused by all of this, with Coco being the one to speak their thoughts. "Uh, Yang, what're you talking about?" The fashionable girl nudged her head over to Russel. "How's his mom THAT big of a deal?"
Yang's eyes brightened up and she immediately rushed over to Coco, now more pumped up than ever. "Coco, get this; Russ' mom… is Jessica Jameson." Coco's eyebrows snapped up at this, with her teammates as well as Neptune doing the same. She was about to ask further, but Yang beat her to the punch. "Yes, THAT Jessica Jameson."
"No way." Coco uttered as she whipped her head around to Russel, with Yang's excitement quickly taking her over. "You're related to THAT Jameson?! Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh!" Her hand quickly went to Cooper's chest as she leaned up against him, feeling a little woozy as the information began to set in. "Tech Head, I need you to keep me up. I need a minute to process this!"
Cooper put a hand to the small of her back as she leaned into him, his eyes widening in surprised. "Coco, I still don't think I get it. Who's Jessica Jameson?"
Velvet came forward and answered his question. "Why she's only one of the most accomplished Huntresses of recent times!" she exclaimed. "Jessica Jameson is said to make the Grimm fear her instead of the other way around! She's THAT good!"
Sun raised his hand. "I can attest to that. When I lived in Vacuo, I often saw the aftermath of her handiwork. I'll say this right now… it was something else." He raised his hands above his head. "She once tied a King Taijitu into a knot by coaxing its heads to coil around each other!"
"Dude, I heard that she made a pair of chopsticks out of a Sabyr's teeth!" Neptune added. "AFTER tearing them out with her bare hands!"
Russel pointed at the two boys. "Now THOSE stories are true. I've heard a buncha crazy stuff made up about my ma, but I make sure keep track of all the stuff that she actually did. In fact, I SAW her do that last one myself." The man gazed upward slightly. "That was one crazy family vacation in Atlas, I'll tell you what."
Coco, who had gotten a hold of herself, was now beaming in anticipation. "I have to meet her. I HAVE to meet her!"
"I really want to meet her too." Blake agreed. "She sounds awesome."
Ruby let out a loud squee at the thought of meeting the Huntress. "Oh, I seriously can't believe that we're going to meet her! This has to be the greatest day ever—"
BANG! BANG! BANG! All of a sudden, the sound of three gunshots rang out from seemingly nowhere, making everyone shout and duck their heads. However, it became immediately apparent that the shots weren't coming from anywhere near the flower shop, puzzling the group entirely. "W-What in the world?" Ilia muttered. "Where did that—wait! Look!" The chameleon girl pointed to one of the large pane glass windows, indicating a bunch of people running outside. Ilia's brows furrowed and she whipped her head around to Whitlea and Russel. "Miss Tiger Lily, Mr. Jameson, I suggest that you take cover in the back.
"Ilia's right." Ruby supported. "And please, make sure that Iris is safe too. We'll go find out what just happened."
Whitlea was a bit reluctant to let them go, but she had to keep in mind that these kids were Hunters in training. This was the kind of thing that they were training to handle. "Alright, we will. But please, be safe everyone."
As the couple secluded themselves to the back of the shop, the team went outside to see that the citizens were all sprinting up the street, with many of them practically screaming their lungs out. "Well, at least we know where the trouble is." Yang figured as she directed her sights down the street.
"Yeah, but what IS the trouble?" Blake wondered.
Coco immediately spotted Fox, the redhead already at work helping people get away. "FOX!" she hollered over the screaming people. "What happened?!"
Fox directed his gaze to Coco and began using his Semblance to speak directly into her and the other's heads. "I'm not sure. But whatever it was, it can't be good." He turned his head to where he was hearing all of the screams come from, his teeth gritting a little bit. "We need to control the situation before it attracts any Grimm."
"Right, let's go guys!" Ben called out, ushering them to follow him down the street. "You know what time it is!"
As they followed the young hero, the team called out the familiar catchphrase all at once; "IT'S HERO TIME!"
The only one who didn't was Ilia, who was slightly taken aback by the battle cry. "Um, yeah, what you guys said!"
…..
A/N: Heh, looks like Ilia's still got a lot to learn. But hey, she's got some new threads (yes, they're the ones from the beginning of Volume 6) and had a little bonding moment with Coco, so she's at least starting to come out of her shell a little. Speaking of new threads, Team JNPR's got their new combat gear on! Something tells me that they're going to be getting some good use out of that pretty soon. Also, it seems like Ruby and Raven might be starting to warm up to one another through the mutual bond they had with Summer. But will Ruby's plan to get her sister and the tribe leader back on good terms work? Only time will tell. Until then, it seems like we've got some more chaos to deal with. So… NEXT TIME! We catch up with Team JNPR and Athena as they finally let the Arcs in on the secret that is Salem and the battle they're fighting. But just as they do, they catch wind of the same gunfire that the others heard and they rush to the scene. When they get there, they find that the situation's a lot more serious than they thought. Even the chief of police is getting involved! But soon, help arrives… in the form of a rather rough and tumble individual. Thanks for reading guys and I'll see you all next time!
