Chapter 6: Known by It's Song
At the Branwen Tribe camp, Vernal pours cups of tea for Raven Branwen, Yang Xiao Long, Weiss Schnee, Cinnabar Caliburn, and Oscar Pine. They are all inside Raven's tent with the latter five seated around a table.
Raven: (to Vernal) You can wait outside. Thank you.
Vernal does so.
Yang: So, what's the "truth"?
Raven: (taking a sip from her cup) You know, it's better when it's hot.
Weiss: You know, you're really obnoxious.
Cin: (he was about to try the tea, until Weiss said that.) Weiss! (he whispered)
Raven: The truth is that "truth" is hard to come by. A story of victory for one person is a story of defeat for someone else. By now, your uncle has surely told Ruby and her friends plenty of stories.
Yang: Well, he's never given me a reason to doubt him before.
Raven: That doesn't mean those reasons don't exist. (Yang glares at her) You know, you and your teammates might as well be the poster children for the Huntsman Academies. Your motives vary, but you all enrolled to try and make the world a better place. It's adorable.
Yang: It's what Huntsmen and Huntresses do.
Raven: Not all of them. Some people are just in it for the money and the fame, but there's even more that are just looking to grow stronger. Your Uncle Qrow and I didn't attend Beacon to become Huntsmen, we did it to learn how to kill Huntsmen.
Yang, Weiss, Oscar gasp at this, exchanging a brief look with each other. Cinnabar instead almost spit out his tea out of shock, but instead chocked and coughing a bit.
Raven: Daddy and Uncle left that part out, hm? (begins to pour more tea for herself) Aside from the Grimm, Huntsmen were the only ones capable of ruining our raids and hunting us down. Our tribe needed a counterforce. (takes another sip) And Qrow and I were the perfect age. (standing up) The entrance exams were child's play compared to what we'd already been through. We were good. So good, that we caught the attention of Beacon's very own Headmaster, Professor Ozpin. (Oscar's eyes widen, hearing his name) Even after we were put on a team, I could tell he was keeping his eye on us. Back then, I thought it was because he knew, but it was Team STRQ he was interested in.
Yang: What do you mean by that?
Raven: Constant attention, extra training missions, turning a blind eye whenever we happened to break the rules and get into more trouble than we should've. Sound familiar?
Yang, Cinnabar, and Weiss share another glance at each other. Yang and Oscar also share another glance at each other. Weiss gestures Yang to keep going.
Yang: What's your point?
Raven: How much do you know about Professor Ozpin? About his past?
Weiss: He was... a prodigy. One of the youngest headmasters to be appointed to a school.
Raven: Because that's how he planned it. Because the man you know as Ozpin designed those schools and has followers inside every academy on Remnant that are loyal to him and no one else.
Yang: That doesn't make any sense! How could he have...? No. Why would someone even do that?
Raven: Because old man Oz has a great and terrible secret. One that could spread fear across the world. One that he eventually entrusted to our team, and once I knew, there was no going back. I needed to know more, but with every new discovery I made, the more horrifying the world became.
Oscar: (mentally) Are you really okay with her telling us all of this?
Ozpin (voice only): (a long moment of silence, till he finally made a decision) I suppose It is time that you and others know exactly what we're truly going up against.
Yang glanced at Oscar for moment, as Oscar than gives her a nod of approval.
Yang: Okay, then tell us. What's the big secret? What's so crazy that the rest of us don't know?
Raven: The Creatures of Grimm... have a master named Salem. She can't be stopped, she can't be reasoned with, and she will not rest until Humanity crumbles at her feet.
As she speaks, Weiss, Oscar, Cinnabar, and Yang's eyes widen more and more. They sit in silence.
Weiss and Cin: What?
Raven: You know, you three haven't even touched your tea. (she than looks to Cin)
Weiss and Oscar turned to Cin, stilling his tea, who looks back to them.
Cin: What? It's pretty good tea.
Raven takes another sip from her teacup, while Yang stands up.
Yang: Why should we believe any of this?
Raven: Now you're catching on. So far you've done nothing but accept what others tell you, (puts her cup down) but you need to question everything.
The two stare at each other face to face, before Raven turns around.
Raven: Otherwise you'll end up just as blind as Qrow... (Yang grits her teeth, and her eyes narrow, seething) end up dead like Summer... (Cinnabar stares up at her) ... and your fool of a father.
A shot from Ember Celica is heard, destroying the table. Raven's empty teacup clatters across the floor, stopping when it hits the heel of her boot. Raven looks toward Yang, faintly smiling. Yang's eyes have turned red.
Yang: Don't you dare talk about my family like that!
While Yang speaks, Weiss, Oscar, and Cin stares up at her wide-eyed and flinches when she raises her voice for emphasis. A weapon is heard being drawn at Yang.
Vernal: You need to calm down.
Weiss: (holding Yang's hand) Yang, please.
Raven: Listen to your friend, Yang. Your teammates never let you down before.
Yang: You don't know the first thing about my teammates! About me! You were never there! You LEFT US! (her eyes then turn back to normal) Why?! (hangs her head in sadness)
Raven: I know more than you realize. Not just about you, and not just what I've been told, but things I've seen with my own eyes. I know the Grimm have a leader, I know people who can come back from the dead, I know that magic is real, and I can prove it.
Weiss stands up, same as Cin and Oscar while Raven continues addressing her daughter.
Raven: You said Tai told you all about my Semblance.
Vernal lowers her weapon while Raven heads toward the back exit of her tent.
Raven: Well, I doubt he ever told you what Oz did to my brother and me.
Raven exits her tent. Yang, Oscar, Cin, and Weiss exchange confused looks.
Vernal: Go see for yourself.
Cin: Wait, what my weapons? Caledfwlch and Pridwen?
Vernal: You'll just have to wait a bit longer, Caliburn.
Weiss and Yang exchange concerned looks hear that.
Weiss: How you know his last name?
Vernal: She can tell you how, so go on now.
Vernal leaves. Yang, Oscar, Cinnabar, and Weiss take her advice and exit the tent. They see no one there.
Yang: Mom?
Weiss: Yang, are you okay?
Yang: I'll be fine once we can get her to take us to Ruby.
Weiss relents while Yang continues to look around.
Weiss: It's okay if... you're not okay.
Yang: You didn't believe what she said, right?
Weiss: I... of course not. Well, not all of it. It was crazy. We have Dust, Semblances... But, I mean, there's no such thing as magic.
Cin: Actually Weiss... I've always believed in magic... My grandpa was pretty good at it.
Yang, Weiss, and Oscar looked at Cin, with surprised expressions.
Yang: What do you say?
Just then, the four hear a bird caw. They watch it fly in front of them.
Weiss: A raven?
Yang: I've... seen that bird before.
Weiss: Maybe it belongs to your mom?
The four continue to watch the raven fly in the dusk-colored sky. It descends, flying and weaving between the trees, before shapeshifting into Raven herself. Raven lands back on the ground on her feet, while Yang, Oscar, Cin, and Weiss have shocked expressions as she stands back up.
Oscar: Wait... What?
Yang: How... did you do that?
Raven: Well, I could explain it to you...
Raven then draws Omen, slashing behind her, creating a portal with her Semblance.
Raven: ... or you could ask your uncle.
Yang: You're letting us go?
Raven: I'm giving you a choice. (she sheathes her sword) Stay here, with me, and I'll answer all your questions and more. We can have a fresh start. (Yang glares at her) Or... (she steps to the side of her portal) you can go back to Qrow and join Ozpin's impossible war against Salem, and meet the same fate as so many others. But can you really go back to trusting someone that's kept so much from you?
Weiss, Oscar, and Cin reacts timidly, while Yang just glares at her mother.
Yang: All I care about is making sure my sister is safe.
Raven: (dissatisfied with Yang's response) Ugh...
Vernal than appeared, wheeling over a motorcycle and a sidecar, holding Weiss's and Cin's Luggage and Pridwen, however... There was no sign of Caledfwlch, only a different kind of weapon, looking alot similar to Omen, only smaller. The scabbard contains a rotary chamber filled with various types of Dust blades: Light green (air), blue (ice), red (fire), purple (gravity), yellow (lightning) and white (wind).
Cin: (he took a look see if anything was missing) Wait... Where's Caledfwlch, where's my dad's sword?! (almost on the verge of panic)
Raven: The shield was all that we found from that crash you and the Schnee made, as soon as I saw Pridwen, It's didn't take me long to recognize him as a Caliburn. what you have now, Is called Sequence, I was made by Excalibur, consider this a peace offering from before, and a token of appreciation from your grandfather, Merlin.
Cinnabar lowered his head, saddened to have lost his father's sword. Weiss puts her hand on his shoulder.
Weiss: Merlin?
Cin: It's... was a family secret, one that my grandpa wanted me to keep for a while now when I was fourteen, and there was never really a good reason to talk about it, till now.
Raven: It's true, Master Merrune was just a cover, he kept his real name to himself and his magic hidden from the rest of the world. (she looked to Omen, holding onto the hilt) He was actually a pretty good teacher, despite being at Oz's side, he taught to craft my blades out of dusts, and even made Omen for me during my years in his sessions. Sequence, was actually your father's first attempt in making his weapon before he choosing to make a more simpler weapon to make and handle... Merlin gave it to me, after he made Caledfwlch, It's yours's now, Caliburn.
Cin slowly takes Sequence from the cart, examining it. He'd than slowly draws out a light green blade, after pressing the trigger on the hilt.
Cin: Tha- Thank you, um... Raven. (he'd than withdraws the blade back in the scabbard)
Yang: That... was surprising nice of you to do for him, mom.
Raven: Only because, I owned Merlin, for everything that he'd taught me, and now it's done.
Yang and Weiss are then shown riding on Bumblebee. Cinnabar and Oscar are also seen taking the motorcycle given by Raven and Vernal.
Oscar: Do you have a license to drive one of these like Yang?
Cin: Of course, I don't.
However, before they can enter the portal, Raven addresses her daughter one more time.
Raven: Yang. If you side with your uncle, I may not be as kind the next time we meet...
Weiss rolls her eyes and looks ahead.
Yang: You weren't kind this time either.
Yang, Weiss, Cinnabar, and Oscar proceed through the portal on Bumblebee. The portal then disappears.
Raven: I know...
Back in Mistral, Qrow is seen leaning against a stone railing. Suddenly, he hears the sound of Raven's portal behind him.
Qrow: Raven?
The sound of a motorcycle is heard coming from the portal.
Qrow: (surprised) Oh.
Back at the house Team RNJRR is staying at, each of the members are helping prepare dinner: Ruby Rose and Lie Ren are cooking at the stove, Jaune Arc and Ricochet Tiri is setting up the table, as Teddy Tiri was waiting for dinner, and Canopy Tiri and Nora Valkyrie is cutting carrots, occasionally eating slices.
Ren: Alright, the first batch is just about done.
Ruby: Awesome! Now we just need Qrow and we'll be all set.
Nora: (still eating carrots) Do you really think he's gonna bring that many people? This is a lot of food. (eats another carrot slice)
Ruby: Uh, I don't know, but it sounds like we could use all the help we can get.
Qrow: (off screen) I'm back!
Ruby: Be right there!
Ren: (to Ruby) You're going to overcook that.
Ruby: No I'm not, shut up!
Qrow: (off screen) Hey, uh, Ruby?
Ruby: I'm coming!
Some smoke comes from the pan Ruby is cooking with.
Ruby: (to Ren) Fine! You take over.
Ruby grabs the tea tray and heads to the living room while Ren helps cook the pan.
Ruby: (looking at the tea tray) So, we didn't know how many people were coming, so we just cooked all of it.
She looks up, and gasps as she drops the tea tray and its contents, which shatter on the floor. She stares in disbelief at the sight of not only Qrow, but of her older sister Yang and teammate Weiss. Yang approaches her little sister.
Ruby: (voice cracking) Yang, I... I'm so sorry! I- I should've stayed, and I should've talked to you more! I'd- I just... (tears start pouring from her eyes) I wasn't sure if you wanted me around and-
Suddenly, her big sister gives her a strong hug. Ruby's lips quiver, and she looks toward her sister.
Yang: I love you. (tears stream from her eyes)
Ruby sobs as she leans into her sister's hug.
Ruby: I love you too.
Jaune, Ren, Nora, and Rico enter the room, smiling at the sight of the two sisters embracing each other. Qrow smiles as well.
Oscar looks up, seeing Ruby and Yang hugging, and smiles. Weiss smiles as she wipes a tear from her eye, before frowning while looking down, Cin put his hand on her shoulder.
Ruby: Weiss. Cinnabar.
Weiss and Cinnabar looks up, and sees the two sisters open their arms up for her. They smile and eagerly joins them in their hug. Everyone smiles as they watch three of the four Team RWBY members, along with the extra member of their team embrace each other.
Oscar than approaches Qrow, far enough to not be noticed by the others.
Oscar: Excuse me.
Qrow: Yeah, pipsqueak?
Oscar looks at Qrow for a second before turning his head to the side and speaking softly.
Oscar: Shut up, I'm getting there.
He looks back up at Qrow, whose attention he now most definitely has. Qrow's eyes widen slightly and then narrow, suspicion dawning.
Oscar: Umm... I'm supposed to tell you... I'd like my cane back.
Qrow blinks and closes his eyes for a brief moment before nodding with a slight smile. He stands up off of the and faces Oscar, causing Oscar to take a couple steps back. Qrow lifts the collapsed cane off of his hip.
Qrow: Hmm. It's good to see you again, Oz.
Qrow tosses it at Oscar, who catches it reflexively. The cane immediately extends itself out from the collapsed base when it touches Oscar's hand. Oscar looks down at it, surprised. His other hand comes around to hold the shaft before he looks up at Qrow and blinks.
End of Chapter 6
Author Notes
RWBY, its owned by Rooster Teeth.
Major thanks to the Transcripts and Battle Pages written on RWBY Wiki
