Mama Yang-16
"They were here… Ozpin they were here. They're here at tha academy, and they've blinded one of the students." Ironwood said, pacing around the office.
"We are very much aware of that thank you James." Glynda said.
"Fantastic, you're aware, now are we going to do something about it, or should we just stay the course and continue to ignore, what's right in front of us?" James questioned.
"Come in." Ozpin said, happy for the distraction from James and Glynda's arguing.
"Ah. Sorry it took so long." Ruby said coming into the office. "I was nervous to leave Athena's side since… her current condition is my fault."
"Ms. Rose, her condition isn't your fault. You couldn't have known that the intruder had a flashbang, or that she would use it the way she did." Glynda exclaimed.
"But I could have prevented it from happening if I had just been stern and told her to wait outside for me." Ruby said.
"Ruby." Ozpin said, softly. "It wasn't your fault. There would have been nothing you could have done to stop her from going in. She would have followed you in whether you wanted it or not. She is stubborn, like a dragon."
"I guess."
"Now I also wanted to commend you for your quick thinking and taking initiative when something seemed wrong. What you did last night, what both you and Athena did, was exactly what being a Huntress is, all about." Ironwood said. "You recognized a threat, you took action, and you both did the very best you could in those circumstances."
"Thank you sir." Ruby said.
"Now, the General here has already informed us of the events that, transpired last night. But now that you've rested we were wondering if you had anything to add?" Ozpin asked.
"Was anyone else with her? Did she look familiar to you at all?" Glynda asked.
"No, she didn't, but Athena did recognize her scent." Ruby exclaimed.
"She did?" Glynda questioned.
"What did she say about it?" Ironwood asked.
"She said, it's the woman who stole fall, whatever that means." Ruby said.
Ironwood turned to Glynda and Ozpin, both showing looks of shock on their faces, at what Ruby said.
"Well, thank you Ms. Rose. Is there anything else you can tell us?" Ironwood asked.
"Um…" Ruby pondered. "I think I remember her saying something about going back to her base of operations in the southeast."
"Interesting." Ozpin said, with a knowing smile. "That will be all Ms. Rose, thank you."
~Team RWBY's Room~
"Athena…" Yang said, kneeling down next to her daughter. "Are you feeling okay?"
"I'm not okay." Athena said, holding Saffron in her arms, as the panther Faunus licked her nose. "How could I be okay, when I'm no longer able to see?"
"Stupid question, I know." Yang sighed. "Professor Peach's lab results should be coming in soon sweetie. We'll know soon, if you're able to get your sight back or not."
"I already know the results." Athena sighed. "I can't see anything, not even a silhouette of anything. It's all black, a dark void of nothing. I'm never gonna get my sight back."
Yang sighed and got up a bit before sitting on the bed. She decided to bring Athena to Team RWBY's room, and wait for Ruby to come back from her meeting with Ozpin, Glynda, and General Ironwood.
"You know. It's not the end of the world, if that happens to be the case."
Yang, Weiss, and Blake looked to the door, to see Gajeel and Summer standing in the doorway, Summer holding a gift for Athena.
"What do you mean?" Yang asked.
"You read Salamander's journal right?"
"Yeah, we read it. Even has a brief chapter of what types of dragons there are." Weiss said.
"Well, then you should know, Earth Dragons, were blind." Gajeel said.
"Yeah, Earth Dragons were incapable of flight because their wings were too small, and they were naturally blind. They couldn't see a thing." Blake said. "But it didn't explain how they were able to see where they were going."
"Oh for the love of… Salamander was such an idiot." Gajeel groaned.
"Gajeel, calm down." Summer said.
"I know, I know. Don't speak ill of the dead." Gajeel sighed. "Earth Dragons were able to see where they were going, because they could sense the vibrations in the ground from the area surrounding them, sort of like a dolphin's sonar, or a bat's echo location. A fully grown Earth Dragon, could sense the smallest of vibrations coming from miles away, because of how sensitive the souls of their feet were."
"So, you're saying Athena could do the same thing?" Yang asked.
"Theoretically yes, it will also help her with honing her skills in Earth Dragonslayer Magic because it will give her a deeper connection to the earth." Gajeel explained.
"I guess I could look at that as a bonus to my predicament." Athena said, putting her blindfold on before she heard the door open.
Instantly Blake, Yang, and Weiss were in front of Ruby.
"What happened?" Yang asked.
"Uh, well umm, ehehe, uh…"
~Ozpin's Office~
"Well there we have it." Ironwood said. "We send as many troops to the southeast. Find out exactly what's going on, and eradicate any forces that stand in our way."
"Why must your answer to everything involve a triumphant display of military bravado? You treat every situation, like it's a contest of measuring d-"
"Glynda." Ozpin said, stopping her from finishing that statement.
"Well he does." Glynda said, crossing her arms as Ozpin turned around in his seat.
"She's right. As much as I too would love to end this situation once and for all. We must remember that this may go beyond Vale, beyond Beacon." Ozpin said. "An' if this truly is part of some master plan for which we know not the final move, we mustn't be so bold. Nor can we risk the spread of panic."
"I have serve you faithfully for years." Ironwood said, grimly. "But if you mean to tell me that your plan it to really hold the defenses and wait-"
"It is not." Ozpin said, jumping up from his seat. "You're a general, James. So tell me, when you prepare to go to war, which do you send in first? The flag-bearer, or the scouts?"
~RWBY's Dorm~
"That was a risky move." Weiss said.
"No. I think you handled it well." Blake said.
Thankfully, before Ruby could explain things, Summer and Gajeel left.
"I hope so." Ruby said.
"I'm sure everything will be alright Ruby." Yang said. "Oh, I know what will cheer you up."
"What's that?" Ruby asked.
"I don't know yet. Mom left it here before she left." Yang exclaimed. "I thought we could open it together."
"Ooh, mom left us a surprise." Ruby said in a high pitched voice, before she rushed Yang and jumped on her back, waving her arms about toward the cylindrical package, before Yang shook it once, and a furry cylindrical thing came out of it before it began to rustle and turned into a familiar corgi.
"Ruh-ruh." Zwei barked.
"Waaa-aaah." All the girls cried out, Blake in fear as she grabbed Athena and jumped onto Ruby's bed.
"Zwei." Ruby cheered.
"I thought the dog sitter was watching him back on Patch?" Athena questioned.
"She must have gotten called off to a mission." Yang said.
"She sent a dog?"
"In the mail?" Weiss questioned.
"Oh they do stuff like this all the time." Yang said as Saffron hopped down to examine Zwei, as it was her first time seeing the Corgi.
"Your dog sitter or your dog?" Blake asked.
"I missed you." Ruby cried out.
"Are you tell me that this mangy, drooling, mutt, is going to wive with use forevah?" Weiss questioned, as she went from stern to baby talk. "Oh yes he is, yes he is." Weiss said. "Oh isn't he adorable."
"What just happened?" Blake asked, sitting at the head of Ruby's bed.
"Zwei has that power over people. We think it's his Semblance." Athena said, still held in Blake's arms.
"Please keep it away from my belongings." Blake said.
"*Will all first year students please report to the amphitheater.*" Glynda's voice echoed over the PA.
"Well we can't exactly leave him here while we're gone for a week." Weiss said, as Zwei and Saffron began chasing each other in a playful way.
"Look, there's a letter." Yang said, pulling it out of the cylinder. "Dear Summer. I'm sorry, I've got to leave for a mission that will take a few months, so I am unable to dog sit Zwei anymore. Inside is all the dog food I could fit for him." Yang read aloud as Zwei came and sat down beside her, just before she upturned the cylinder and about twenty cans of dog food came falling out on top of him.
"What is he supposed to do with that?" Weiss asked as Zwei popped his head out from the tin cans. Giving the package one more shake, a can opener came out, and landed on Zwei's head.
"Well, that settles it. Come on girls, Zwei will be here when we get back." Yang said.
"Oh I'll miss you so much, we're going to be the best of friends, I can't wait to see you again." Weiss said walking past the pile of dog food and Zwei distracting him enough for Blake to hop from Ruby's bed, to the desk, and leave the room with Athena in her arms.
"I don't know why I'm going." Athena said, holding Blake's hand after being put down. "I'm useless right now."
"You're not useless." Blake said. "You heard Professor Blacksteel, you just need to concentrate and feel the ground beneath your feet to keep fighting."
"Not like that's gonna happen." Athena sighed. "Let's just get to the amphitheater."
~Amphitheater~
"Quiet. Quiet Please." Glynda said, as all the students gathered. "Professor Ozpin would like to share a few words before we begin."
"Today we stand together, united." Ozpin began. "Mistral, Atlas, Vacuo, Vale. The four kingdoms of Remnant. On this day, nearly eighty years ago, the largest war in recorded history came to an end. It was a war of ignorance, of greed, and of oppression. A war that was about much more than where borders fell or who traded with whom. But about the idea of individualism itself. We fought for countless reasons, one of which being the destruction of all forms of art and self-expression. An' as you are well aware, that was something many could not stand for. As a result, those who opposed this tyranny, began naming their children after one of the core aspects of art itself. Color. It was their way to demonstrate that not only would they refuse to tolerate this oppression, but neither would the generations to come, and it was a trend that is held to this very day. We encourage individuality, expressionism, and unity. Through diversity. As I have said, today we stand together, united. But this bond cannot exist without effort. Which is why today while the rest of the world celebrates peace, Huntsmen and Huntresses will work to uphold it. As first year students, you will be tasked with shadowing a professional, Huntsman or Huntress, on a mission. Some of you may be taken out of the kingdom for several days. Others may work within the walls for the rest of the week. But no matter which path you choose, remember to be safe, remember your training, and remember to do your very best." Ozpin finished, earning an applause from the crowd of gathered students.
"This is perfect." Ruby said. "All we have to do is shadow a huntsman working in the Southeast. Yeah, we'll follow them around by day, and give them the slip at night."
"Like how you used to sneak out of the house to go partying behind mom and dad's back?" Ruby snickered.
"Let's check, search and destroy." Weiss said, stopping the squabbling before it could continue, before they went to one of the hollow screens.
"Here we go, Quadrant5 needs Grimm cleared out." Ruby said.
"Well, it's in the Southeast." Blake said.
"Sounds perfect." Yang said.
Ruby reached up to pick the Quadrant5 mission, and put their team name in, before an alert came up and said the mission was unavailable to first year students.
"Wonderful." Weiss groaned.
"What happened?" Athena asked.
"We were denied the mission." Yang said.
"Any other ideas?" Blake asked.
"We mail ourselves there." Ruby said.
"I'm not being stuffed into a tube." Athena said.
"Well, mailing yourselves there is one option." Ozpin said, coming to their team. "Unfortunately, we determined that the concentration of Grimm was too extreme for first year students."
"That makes sense." Athena said, adjusting her blindfold.
"It seems that particular region is rather popular. In fact, I have the sneaking suspicion that the four of you will make your way there, no matter which job you choose."
"Five, don't forget me." Athena said, raising her hand.
"Whatever makes you say that?" Ruby asked.
"I'm still curious as to how you all found yourselves at the docks last semester. I'm interested to know how you really learned about a "Hideout" in the southeast. An' I certainly wonder why witnesses reported seeing giant robots, rose petals, and a stone titan, in a dance club sometime ago."
"Uhhmm… uh-well."
"I doubt I'll ever find the exact answers I'm looking for." Ozpin said. "So, how about this. Instead of waiting for you all to break the rules, we don't we just bend them?" Ozpin suggested signing Team RWBY up for the mission.
"We won't let you down." Ruby said. "Thank you Professor."
"What happened?" Athena asked.
"Professor Ozpin just signed us up for the Quadrant5 Mission." Blake explained.
"Do not thank me for this." Ozpin said. "Teamwork and persistence have carried you far, but you must understand, the things that await you beyond the protection of the kingdom will not care. Stay close to your Huntsman at all times, and do exactly as he says. He will be leading you on this mission. An' he can send you back to Beacon, if he finds your skills to be unsatisfactory. Good luck."
With that, Ozpin left, giving Team RWBY a few things to ponder on, as they left the amphitheater, Ruby grabbing the bag she put down.
"That wasn't exactly uplifting." Yang said.
"But it's the truth." Blake stated.
"It's gonna be tough, but I know we can do it." Ruby said.
"Hey, Team CFVY's back." A student called out, running to them.
Team RWBY went to where their upper class team were walking, finding they looked very exhausted.
"Velvet? Are you okay?" Blake asked.
"I'm fine, I had Yatsuhashi to look out for me." Velvet said.
"Your mission was supposed to end a week ago." Weiss said. "What happened?"
"N-nothing happened." Velvet said. "It was just, there were just so many. Oh but don't worry, you first years are just shadowing Huntsmen so you should be fine."
"You smell different." Athena said.
"Oh-my-gosh, Athena what happened to your eyes?" Velvet asked, kneeling in front of Athena to be eye level with her.
"She and I pursued someone who infiltrated the CCT Tower last night, and a Flashbang went off right in front of a few inches from her face." Ruby explained. "It allowed for the criminal to escape, but it also blinded Athena."
"Hold on a minute." Velvet said, before running off, returning a minute later with Coco, who had a box in her hand from out of nowhere.
"I'm sorry to hear you got blinded little cutie." Coco said, taking one of Athena's hands, and putting it on the box, before Athena grabbed the other one. "But, your blindfold doesn't look like it'll clash with your new outfit I made you."
"You finished it?" Ruby asked.
"I did. It I worked on it in my free time during the missions. Now be safe all of you." Coco said.
"I'm sure it looks really great." Athena said. "But I won't be able to see it."
"Hey, it won't matter if you'll be able to see it or not, what matters is, it will keep you safe, and make you stylish at the same time. It's gonna make you look like a symbol, that will tell the world, you can protect them, even if you are a Faunus, or even if you are blind." Coco smiled.
"We should go. Be safe, and take care okay?" Velvet said before she walked off with Coco.
"We can do this." Ruby exclaimed. "We've never backed down before and we're not going to start now."
"Right." Blake said.
"Besides it won't only be us out there. We'll be fighting alongside a genuine Huntsman.
"Yeah." Yang said. "First though, let's get Athena changed into her new battle gear."
A short while later, Athena and Yang came out, with Athena dressed ready for battle.
From the head down, Athena's new gear consisted of a choker around her neck, with her arms from the shoulders down, exposed, to allow for her scales to form for battle. Her top hugged her body comfortably, with the shoulders connected to the choker by a chain, on each side. The shirt looked like it was made of a special X-static material, and was a brilliant shade of red with a violet diamond in the center of the chest, and in the same area on her back as well. Her lower half consisted of a pair of jean shorts over leggings made of the same material but was purple all down the legs before stopping at a pair of martial arts slippers. With her hair tied up in a ponytail.
"Whoa, Athena you look like you're ready to go to a gymnastics competition." Ruby said.
"Coco did design it for easy maneuverability." Yang said. "Though, the slippers are steel toed, but I cut the souls out from the bottom so she could practice using the vibrations sensory ability Earth Dragons have."
"Now let's get going." Ruby cheered.
~Airship~
"Why hello girls." Oobleck said, as they all, minus Athena, had different looks of disbelief, as he was dressed in his archeology gear. "Who's ready to fight for their lives?"
A/N: Try and guess where I got the idea for the vibration sensory ability.