Author's Notes: Sup kiddos, just a heads up. My life is going to be pretty complicated for the next few months, since I'm getting ready to get out of the military and move on with my life. So updates will likely be sporadic, but hey, what else is new? Lol. Also, I know the last few weekends have been pretty dang rough for a lot of countries and places; not that they aren't always, but still. I just wanted to say that even though I've never talked to most of you and will likely never meet anyone who reads these stories, I do appreciate you and care that you guys are around. Stay safe out there, and don't let the bullshit keep you down.
Eclipse
Chapter 12
Feathers Part III
Emerald Kingdom Bird Sanctuary was on the border of downtown and eastern suburbia, inside one of the nature preserves that dotted the interior. Vale took its parks and animal sanctuaries quite seriously, because for many people, these were the only places where they could see wildlife or places of natural beauty.
The average, aura-less citizen might remain behind a Kingdom's walls their entire life, in fact, if they never moved to a Settlement or another Kingdom; or took a job that enabled the luxury of leaving their cage behind.
Raven cradled the box of infant crows, habitually looking up into the branches of the park's trees; the immense sequoias had been preserved during the raising of the civilization around them, as had the river that fed the waterfall and lake in the heart of the park. Walking paths wove through the moss, boulders and blackberry bushes, placards dotting the landscape to describe the flora or fauna.
A bridge crossed the river, made of felled logs. It really was quite bizarre. If not for the occasional person, strolling with their pets or family, Raven would have thought they were outside the walls.
There was no grooming to the undergrowth, save around the paths; no sense of falsehood in portraying the forests of Saunus as they really were, no plastic rocks or hidden speakers under mounds of moss. It kept confusing her, because she was instinctively on the lookout for Grimm or other enemies.
"It's beautiful, huh?" Taiyang glanced at her.
"It's…disconcerting," she admitted, her lip pulling.
Tai snorted, shaking his mop of hair; he needed a haircut, not that she could really judge.
"How is this disconcerting?" he gestured around them. "This is gorgeous!"
"Things can be disconcerting and gorgeous at the same time," Raven replied drolly. "It's called complexity."
"Oh, well excuse me," he laughed, eyes bright as he glanced her way. "Fine, how is it both? For lo, I am but a simple man and struggle with loftier goals such as abstract thought."
Raven deeply resisted the urge to roll her eyes, instead looking up into the branches once again.
"Because, I associate the deep forest as belonging to the Grimm. It almost feels fake without the possibility of them, you see?"
Taiyang paused, looking up into the branches with her for a moment. The trail was curving towards several low buildings with immense mesh nets and aviaries behind them.
"Huh. I guess? What you never went to a forest that had few or no Grimm in it?"
Raven raised her eyebrows.
"Did you?"
"Yea! On Patch! Occasionally a Beowolf or Ursa will pop up on the island, but for the most part," Tai expanded his hands. "No Grimm. The island's like a big bowl! They can't swim out to us and climb up easily. And the ocean is shallow enough surrounding it that we don't have to worry about leviathans or the like. The town's anti-air weaponry keeps the stray Nevermore or fliers away. We just don't draw a lot of attention out there, either; most of the Grimm in the area swarm towards the Kingdom."
Raven listened to the hush of the waterfall and wind in the branches overhead.
"Interesting," she hummed, looking ahead towards the sanctuary.
What would that be like? To go deep into the heart of a forest and not feel like the lowest rung on the food chain? The tribe always moved through such places cautiously, aware of mega-types preferences for the deep wilderness or ruins of fallen cities. They clustered in the hearts of the woods, like leviathans swam for the deepest waters; until you brushed against their territory accidentally.
Raven realized that technically, she could visit such places far easier now. Grimm didn't bother with most wildlife. She could fly anywhere on Remnant and not worry about the Grimm harassing her. The thought made her smile.
They finally reached the main building of the aviary, following the signs. The office that handled rescues had opened an hour ago, and they pushed past the glass doors into a small waiting room.
They were the only people there, besides an old faunus man with a falcon. The falcon's tail feathers had been damaged somehow, preventing it from flight. It was surprisingly very calm, though its head spun sharply as they entered the room.
Raven eyed the predator back carefully and took her peeping box of feather children to the other side of the room. Taiyang went to the counter, sticking his head over the side as he looked for someone.
"They'll be back in a minute," smiled the faunus, his dog tail thumping habitually on the seat next to him. His falcon friend continued to watch them from where she was perched on his arm, beak parted slightly; she made a high-pitched noise that made the hairs on Raven's neck stand up. The box in her lap went immediately quiet.
"So whatcha got there?" the he asked, pointing his nose towards the box.
"A couple of baby crows, their nest was abandoned," Taiyang replied, scooting closer to look at the bird. "Hey there, lady. Aren't you pretty?"
The falcon watched Taiyang, hunter yellow eyes focusing on him briefly, before turning to continue staring at Raven and the box. Raven felt something odd brush over her extraneous senses, and the hairs on her neck continued to prickle. Raven glanced out the nearby window, frowning.
"Yea I found her by the side of the road. I think she got in some power lines and fried her tail, poor thing," the old faunus brushed the back of her neck feathers. The falcon closed her eyes in contentment.
"She seems quite familiar with people," Raven observed suspiciously.
"Yea, I honestly think she was somebody's huntin bird that got loose. Lot's of people in South Vale like to keep them for huntin rabbits or the like," the man nodded, his spectacles sliding down his nose. "Cause I didn't have any problem scoopin her up, and she knew to ride on my arm earlier. Hopefully her people are out lookin for her and will check here."
The falcon opened a bright eye to watch her, and Raven stared back cautiously. She brushed her fingers inside the shoebox habitually, and several fuzzy heads pushed against them, seeking reassurance.
"Ok folks! Sorry about that!" a young woman with a cherry red bob for hair pushed around the counter. "One of our volunteers is out sick, and it is a busy day. So! What have we got?"
Raven nodded towards the older gentleman.
"He was here first," she said. Tai gave the falcon a parting wave and came over by her, browsing the pamphlets in the display next to them.
"Alrighty! Hi there, I'm Sabel," the young woman beamed at him.
"Hi Sabel, I'm Harold," he extended a free hand and shook hers. "I found this lady on the roadside."
"Oh dear, yea," Sabel nodded, glancing at the falcon's tail. "You know, she's the third bird someone's brought in with feather damage like that in the last month alone? At first we thought it was powerlines again, because they'll perch and stretch their wings? But honestly, I think someone's been shooting at them with Dust rounds. We had another raptor that came in with a frozen wing, and the poor thing lost the whole limb."
"What?" Tai glanced up. "Why would someone do that?"
Sabel shook her head sadly.
"People can be cruel," Sabel shrugged. "I honestly don't understand it."
"Prolly some damn kids picking on things that can't fight back," Harold grumbled, before glancing at them. "No offense, you two."
"None taken," Raven drawled, her lip twitching.
Sabel led Harold and the injured falcon back, talking the entire time. The falcon continued to stare at her, until they disappeared into the back room. The hairs on the back of her neck were still standing, and she had the chills.
That bird isn't normal.
She paused at the thought, wanting to dismiss it as her standard paranoia. It was a predator and she had a box of prey in her lap. However, her skin was breaking out in goose bumps. A sudden nip at her fingers caught her attention, and Raven opened the lid fully to peer inside.
All of the babies were looking at her. They weren't peeping, they weren't hunched in little balls; their faces were alert, terrified, and far too intelligent.
Something is wrong.
Raven automatically reached out for her bonds and cursed. All she felt was a muffled sensation, like someone had tossed a blanket over the entire area and her bonds couldn't tell which way was up. She couldn't portal out.
"Tai, we need to go," Raven stood up briskly, closing the lid. The martial artist glanced at her, still holding a pamphlet about Saunus wildlife. He looked confused, obviously; but instead of interrogating her or making a snarky comment, he simply followed her out the door they'd come in.
Raven scanned the area immediately, one hand cradling the box, the other brushing her hilt. Taiyang noted her body language and his own tensed, scanning the trees with her; he paused, and she followed his gaze.
In the trees were two harris hawks, watching them intently. The forest surrounding them was quiet, save for the waterfall in the distance. Raven spoke at a gentle, normal volume without taking her eyes off the birds.
"I can't reach my portals," she said quietly. "Someone's Semblance is blanketing the area."
And she had a good idea who was responsible.
"…Alright, let's be casual," he muttered back. "I'm not seeing anybody except them."
He didn't point at the hawks, for which she was grateful.
"I think they know what I am," she whispered as they walked in the other direction. The trail looped around the lake; and if they could get out of range, Taiyang could use his portals to get them across and headed to the parking lot.
"Yo, so they are skin-"
"Shh," she hushed gently. "They might just be here for her."
She jerked her head slightly towards the sanctuary behind them.
"….you mean the fucking bird that guy brought in?" he glanced at her. "Man, I thought she was too calm. I've seen hurt raptors before, they are not that chill."
She glanced at him, wondering when he'd seen many raptors before when she tensed again. Two shadows flitted overhead and Raven's knuckles tightened, preparing for weapons fire. None came. The hawks landed in a branch in a tree next to the building, still watching them but not following as they continued down the path.
"We need to get out of here," Raven insisted.
"Wait, what about Harold and Sabel?" Taiyang paused, turning to look back. "What if they hurt them?"
Raven hesitated. If they were raiders then that was always a possibility; and the fact that they were blanketing the area was concerning. However, if they charged back in guns blazing, they'd likely incite the violence they were hoping to prevent.
The skinchangers might just be waiting for their friend to be alone, so they could swoop in and get her; it's not like she was in any danger from Harold or Sabel. In fact, the only people in the area that could even be considered an actual threat, would be them.
"….I don't think that they will. They aren't trying to draw attention to themselves, or they'd already be rushing inside. That and they'd already had the jump on us and didn't act," Raven turned away, clutching the shoebox. "They're just trying to warn us off."
They assumed I could tell what they were, meaning they can tell what I am. That is…really annoying.
There was still a lot about her new abilities that she didn't understand yet. She would need to ask Ciara about the finer details; like how to spot another skinchanger.
After they rounded the corner, the pair started to jog lightly; the box in her arms was still quiet, but Raven did her best to prevent shaking them. They reached a rocky outcrop by the lake, clearing the iSemblance suppressed area, and found they could use their Semblances once again.
Should we go back to the school? Or cross here?
Raven thought back over the past several days, trying to pick out anything that might stand out. Her brother found some birds, whose parents had disappeared and sounded like crying children. They had taken care of them inside the dorm all weekend. Had anything else happened that she had brushed off at the time?
She heard a hawk screech in the distance. The screech was repeated, closer.
They're still keeping an eye on us…more are likely coming.
This entire situation seemed off. If she was a part of a skinchanger warband that had infiltrated a Kingdom's walls, she would never have revealed herself to a potential hostile with similar abilities in such a manner unless she planned on killing them; and even then, it would be an unnecessary risk. They would be dangerously outnumbered behind Kingdom walls, and the threat of capture would endanger the entire tribe; especially by blatantly revealing one of their most well-kept secrets.
The hell are these guys doing?
"Which way?" Taiyang asked, his blue eyes narrowing at the skies.
Something in bushes rustled, and Raven drew her blade and spun, pointing her sword menacingly at some hapless shrubbery. A dark, furry little face poked out, staring at her; a cat, no. The little cat from the school; it wasn't quite looking at her, focused instead on the box in her arms. It then stared at her sword, it's hackles raising as it's inky tail slashed.
"Portals, please," she hummed.
"Gotcha," Tai kicked a few focal points across the water, where they sprang to life on the trail leading up to the parking lot.
The hawks were shrieking now, and Raven grit her teeth as they jumped through one golden portal and out another, then through and out another pair. Taiyang wove an escape route for them, closing the portals behind them swiftly so as not to leave a trail; he kicked one on top of a building across the street once they got up to the parking lot, and they exited there, before continuing in a quick trail over several more buildings.
Thus, they made a confusing, nigh untraceable escape across several city blocks. They finally stopped on an apartment rooftop that had a garden and a canopy to shield people from the sun; currently, they were the only people there. Raven knew they needed to get to ground level and in a crowded area where they would be safe, but first, it was time to clear something up.
She opened the shoebox. Four frightened faces stared back. She narrowed her eyes, trying to figure out the trick out that would let her know the difference; instead, she sighed and shook her head.
"Ok, look," she squinted at them. "I know you guys are freaked out, and that something more convoluted is going on? But we almost took your feathery little butts to an animal shelter, because we had no clue what you were. You need to shift back for now so we can talk like people and figure this out, ok?"
Taiyang stared at her, then the baby crows. Nothing happened.
"Soooo, not to be insensitive. But I am going to laugh my ass of if those are just regular baby birds," Tai chuckled. "And if that cat and the hawks are just a regular cat and hawks. And we're just running around the Kingdom, scared of normal animals."
Raven glared at him. She knew he was joking, but it still kinda pissed her off; because there was a chance he was right, and then she'd look delusional.
"Fuck you, they aren't. That cat was from the school and was clearly hunting them. How did a regular cat get from Beacon to Vale?"
"….maybe he took the ferry?" Tai teased.
Raven rolled her eyes and looked back at the maybe actual birds. One of them peeped at her.
"I'm serious," Raven stared at them. "We need to clear this up."
They stared back.
Maybe they were stuck? She got stuck sometimes, too. Or maybe Tai was right and she was a nutter.
Then suddenly, Raven was no longer holding a box full of baby crows. She instead had a lapful of baby people, who promptly leapt off and scattered for the winds. Taiyang gaped.
"What? What the what?!"
Raven cursed, preparing to give chase, before tossing a look at her teammate.
"Well come on then! We can't let a bunch of toddlers run off!"
Tai blinked, cursed, and took off after the closest one. Wrangling a nestful of skinchanger kids was deplorably difficult; they were trapped on the roof with them, thank the gods, because if they weren't, they would have lost them immediately. They were wily little shits and worked together like a furious, scrabbling hive mind.
There were two girls and two boys, ranging in age from six to two. The oldest girl and boy had a tendency of trying to jump Raven or Tai whenever they managed to scoop up one of the youngest, who were easier to catch. Taiyang could typically get a better grip than she could, but he was very scared of hurting them and immediately let go if they struggled too much or cried out; however, these were clearly tribe kids and made of more ferocious stuff. He should have been more worried about them hurting him. The oldest girl even bit the hell out of him at one point, and he dropped her as she tried to 'rescue' her little sister from him.
Seeing this, Raven suddenly changed tactics and went for the ringleader. Remembering how her mothers used to grapple her when she was being a spitting, bitey hell-fiend, Raven picked her up similarly and pinched the back of her neck. She stopped kicking promptly, going limp in her arms like a small sack of very angry potatoes. It was bizarre to actually be on the other end of this exchange for once.
"Stop your bullshit," Raven growled. "We aren't going to hurt them or you."
The oldest girl, who had scruffy, mid-length brown hair with a few haphazard braids glared at her captors balefully with surly almond eyes; her face was covered in dirt, and her clothes were filthy. All of them looked like they had crawled out of an ash tray.
Seeing the apprehension of their glorious leader, the other rabid munchkins stopped trying to bite Taiyang as they stared fearfully their way. Wary of treachery, Raven didn't set her hostage down yet.
"Get your little butts over here, right now," Raven snapped at them. "All of you."
Shoulders slumping, the miscreant trio sulked over to her. Tribe kids responded to three things: unrelenting confidence, authority and loud noises. She should have gone for that to begin with instead trying to play capture the wild-thing.
"We aren't going to hurt you," Raven insisted again firmly. "Now stop being dumb and let us help. Who are your people? What are your names?"
The hellion in her arms hissed like a cat on crack and tried to sluggishly kick free, but Raven applied firm pressure to the points on her neck. She knew all too well from personal experience that the pressure she was using wouldn't cause her any damage, and that it did not hurt. Taiyang was watching all of this with his typical brand of concern, unsure what was the right way to approach. Needless to say, he was not used to dealing with kids like these; Raven couldn't really claim she was used to dealing with kids like these, either.
The second oldest, the boy with a shaved head and stub nose, kicked the ground and muttered something as his little sister clutched his hand. She had immense, round eyes like dinner plates.
"Speak up," Raven said calmly.
"We're wif the Macmillans," he grumbled with a lisp. "From the north."
North came like 'norf'.
"Connor, shut it," hell-child number one growled trying to squirm free. Raven held onto her easily.
"Stop scaring your siblings," Raven retorted sharply. "It's not everyday Branwen Hunters can offer to help you, now use your damn head."
"Branwen Hunters don't make no sense," the girl spat. "You don't make no sense!"
"Ingrid, come on," Connor whined at his older sister. "They took care of us-"
"That don't mean they our friends!"
Ah.
"Alright then" Raven shrugged, setting Ingrid down and folding her arms.
Ingrid bolted over to her siblings, shooting daggers at Raven with her eyes. Raven cocked her head.
"Go on, since you're so stubborn," Raven gestured towards the door. "If you say you don't need our help, then I guess you don't need it."
Ingrid narrowed her eyes at Raven, before looking at her siblings. The two youngest were on the verge of tears, and Connor looked miserable.
"But whoever is after you and your people must be pretty tough, I imagine," Raven raised her eyebrow. "I hope you can stay ahead of them."
Ingrid winced, looking at the youngest boy who, despite being a spry little thing, was definitely too young to be out on the streets without an adult. Taiyang was hovering at Raven's shoulder, watching the interaction; fortunately, he trusted her enough by now that he knew she wouldn't actually let a couple of orphans wander off into the streets of Vale.
"…Why you want to help anyways?" Ingrid glared at her suspiciously.
Fair enough line of questioning.
"It's kind of our M.O, to be honest," Taiyang chuckled. He dropped down to one knee so that he was level with them and less threatening. "Look, if we're the kind of people to take baby birds to an animal shelter, do you think we're the kind of people to hurt a couple of kids?"
"No," mumbled Connor.
"I dunno, maybe," growled Ingrid.
The youngest girl was tugging on Connor's hand; she whispered in his ear when he leaned closer. He nodded.
"Should go inside," he insisted, looking up to the skies. "They're gonna find us."
Ingrid made a wild expression before facepalming; Raven had to keep herself from chuckling.
"Alright, well let's go ah, not that way. Raven, can you get us back to the dorm?"
Raven brushed against her bonds with Qrow and Summer.
"They're in class. But we can change that with a scroll call. Until then, let's find a spot to lay low."
"That building is abandoned," pointed Tai. "I can pop us over, you guys can fill us in and then we can try to find a nice crowd or something to hide in until Summer and Qrow get out of class."
Raven nodded, watching the cluster of skinchanging youth while wondering what in the blazing blue fuck they were supposed to do with them; and who was trying to hurt the little things in the first place?
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