Okay, I will admit my last chapter was a little dark, but there have been some dark moments in RWBY, Star Wars and several anime and stories I have read. More specifically, a few chapters in a Code Geass/Transformers Prime crossover involving the con that butcher one Arcee's partners, but this was done on humans, even children. If you want to read it, the author is IronPrime117.
So, a little news for you all. My grandmother was admitted to the hospital with a slight case of Covid, but she's doing alright now. Unfortunately, that means I have to get the damn booster shot and I'm going to feel like an old dog after getting that. Why does the booster shot always make me feel drained?
Anyway, back to the main story of RWBY for another couple of chapters before I branch off from the main story again with a few chapters of my own.
Alright, onto the reviews.
Silverfox3456: Thanks. I agree completely with you about child killers. Billy Kincaid from Spawn, Champ from Akame Ga Kill, what's his name from Fate Zero along with Caster are the kinds of people I hate the most, next to the Prophets from Halo, various characters from the Gundam series like Azrael and Darth Sidious.
Spartan-626: Yeah, I think this was the first dark moment I wrote in my entire fanfiction career. Hopefully there won't be many more of them. Glad you approved of the moment with Weiss and Arthur.
Luffy L Deathwalker: Ok, first off, the guy is named Kane is based on the character from the manga Akame Ga Kill, but he acts more like Kurogasa from Rurouni Kenshin in some ways. Though I am glad you liked his death.
54godamora: Trust me, that guy isn't in the anime, mostly because of what he is, I think so. I never watched it either until a couple of months ago and I am just going to come out and say it; I fucking hate Esdeath, Dr. Stylish, Seryu, Prime Minster Honest and a whole of other characters in that series.
Monster King: Thanks.
42: Trust me when I say all characters and people like that deserve a painful death.
Jack Smith1: Thanks. As for the Old Republic Units still fighting, I don't think many of them were still active after the Empire came into power, especially since I believe that many admirals and captains were loyal to Palpatine and held little respect for the Jedi.
Alright, reviews done. Onto the story.
Disclaimers are the same as always. Enjoy.
Chapter 66: Lighting the Fire
Despite their trip being delayed due to the recent storm, Yang and her guide, Shay D. Mann as he was called by his companions guided her through one of the many forests that were located all around Anima. Said bandit was under the impression that Ahsoka, March, Kix and Echo were not affiliated with Yang, so he had no idea that the four of them were keeping a fair distance from Yang and her guide. "How much further, pal?" Yang asked Shay.
"This should just about do it." Shay said, glancing at his surroundings as Yang stopped her bike in the clearing. "You wait here. I'll go up ahead and make sure the coast is clear." He told Yang, dismounting the bike and ran into the bushes.
Yang shook her head in annoyance, discarding her sunglasses, sleeve and coat before she stretched a little after a long drive. She then reached into her coat and pulled out her commlink. "So, the guy who tried to hit on me just ran off into the bushes, claiming that he was going to see that the area ahead is clear. He's obviously leading me into a trap. Ahsoka, are you and the others close by?" Yang said into the commlink.
"We're close by Yang. If they try anything, we'll be ready to provide you some back up. I heard rumors that these bandits might have gotten their hands on some droids, so be extra careful." Ahsoka advised the brawler from the other end of the commlink.
"Got it." Yang assured, putting the commlink back into her coat pocket. No sooner had she did, someone fired a shot from their weapon at her but she blocked it with her arm. Not surprisingly, Shay reappeared from the bushes with several bandits and Super Battle Droids in tow.
"I can't believe you were dumb enough to let me lead you here." Shay laughed, unaware that Ahsoka, March and the two ARC Troopers had dismounted their speeder bikes and were hiding in a bush nearby while all the bandits present, along with the droids trained their weapons on Yang.
Yang took a glance at the opposition in front of her before she spoke up. "Is this everyone?" she asked.
"Yes, little lady. This is it. Well, unless you count the whole rest of the camp back that way." Shay answered with a gesture behind him in the direction he came from.
"That way?" Yang asked, pointing a finger in the same direction, to the confusion of Shay and his tribe mates who confirmed her question. "Good to know."
"Now to pay me back for this tooth, we're going to take your bike. And you're going to take your lumps." Shay said, punching his fists together, unaware that Yang had engaged Ember Celica on her left arm as both the bandits and droids kept their weapons trained on her while Shay pulled out his pistol and aimed it at her. "You got the jump on me last time, sweetheart. But you really ought to think twice about fighting all of us. We've got you outnumbered more than a dozen to one and with these Atlas mechs, we-" Shay began before he was cut off when Yang engaged the gun on her robotic arm, causing the rest of the bandits to gasp. "Alright… get her!" Shay shouted.
As he did, Echo, Kix and March rolled out of the bushes along with Ahsoka who ignited her lightsabers and went after the droids. "What the hell!?" one of the bandits shouted in surprise before they fired a shot at Yang who raised her prosthetic arm before one bandit rushed in with bayonet outfitted rifle, only for Yang to kick their leg, knocking them off balance before being punched into the ground.
A second bandit tried to swipe at her with his machete, but Yang she dodged it with a cartwheel kicking his arm away before dodging another swipe and kicked them away. She then used her prosthetic arm to block a series of shots from a group of bandits firing their guns, before she kicked another machete-wielding bandit, backflipping and knocking the gun wielding bandits down with a twirling kick.
"Droid Poppers!" Echo shouted, tossing an ECD towards the bandit-controlled droids, short-circuiting them and shocking a few bandits, bandits that March was able to blow back with a wind-blast from his shotgun. "Are you insane!" Echo shouted to the rabbit Faunus.
"Eh, only a little." March shrugged, ducking to avoid a swing from another machete wielding bandit using his semblance to get behind them and sucker punch them across the face. "Bandits, why did it have to be bandits?" he joked with a smile, firing his shotgun at several more bandits which were sent flying.
Her blue and green blades hacked through the bandit droids as Ahsoka, wearing the same cloak over her clothing to keep herself hidden. She redirected blaster fire back at the droids and sent a few shots towards the weapons the bandits were holding, knocking them out of their hands allowing Kix to fire a series of stun blasts at the bandits, knocking them out.
A female bandit tried to engage Yang in hand-to-hand combat, but was knocked down by Yang's prosthetic, which she used to block a strike from another machete wielder, uppercutting them with her metal arm. She then stepped on Shay's foot, knocking him to the ground before she delivered a left twirling kick to a trio of bandits that tried to attack her from behind. She then tossed another bandit aside as Shay got back up and fired his pistol at her, dodging each of his shots.
The last two bandits were knocked out and the last of the droids were reduced to scrap metal as Yang used her gauntlet and arm to project herself towards Shay, who was out of bullets tried to use the blade on his pistols grip to slash at Yang as she got closer. That plan failed when Yang used the left Ember Celica to twirl over him and use her prosthetic to deliver a powerful strike that knocked Shay into another bandit that got back to his feet, only to be knocked down again. With the fight over, Yang felt her left hand shaking once again, but she calmed herself down before she walked back to her motorcycle.
Shay coughed as he struggled to get up. "Who are you? It doesn't even matter. When Raven finds out what you did, you're dead!"
"Possibly. But I doubt it. I am her daughter after all." Yang answered, causing Shay to go wide eyed before he fell to the ground. She then turned to Ahsoka and March while the two Arc Troopers went to collect the speeder bikes. "Thanks for the help. Trigger sure knows how to pick 'em." She praised.
"Thanks. I sure hope your mother can help us. If not, then what?" Ahsoka asked.
"We drive to Mistral, that's what." Yang answered, getting back on her bike and drove in the direction of the bandit camp.
Meanwhile in Mistral on the overlook outside their hotel room, Oscar and Ruby were training in hand-to-hand combat whilst Jaune, Nora, Ren, Joan, Kara and Galen watched on. "Man, Oz wasn't kidding. Oscar's picking up on this stuff fast." Jaune observed.
"Well, when you have a headmaster with years of experience helping you out in the corner, it helps with his training." Joan added in agreement, nudging her brother in the elbow. "I still remember your first training session; you could barely keep up with your lessons." She teased.
"Not my fault that your training regimen was more than I expected." Jaune countered, getting the others to laugh just as Oscar managed to hit Ruby in her face, recoiling from the blow and very angry, much to Oscar's surprise.
Though he tried to apologize, Ruby managed to hit Oscar back, who landed a few feet away on the ground causing Jaune and Nora to wince at the sight. "Ha! Yes! I did it!" she cheered, before she took a glance at Oscar in concern.
"You forgot to engage your Aura, again." Ozpin reminded Oscar mentally.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Oscar groaned.
"Because this method makes you less likely to forget." Ozpin answered as Oscar got back to his feet and Ozpin took control of Oscar's body.
"Not bad, Miss Rose. But Oscar doesn't have the years of training that you do. Or I do." Ozpin complimented as his 'body' stiffened briefly and his eyes glowed in a yellow light before it shimmers green, engaging their aura. Jaune, Kara and Nora realized that Ruby was on for a tough fight as Oscar/Ozpin determinedly approached Ruby.
"Oh, ha, well, maybe we should uh… take a break." Ruby suggested nervously before Ozpin attacked her with a few punches aimed at her head, forcing her onto the defensive until her opponent finally landed a blow on her face and knocked her back several feet. Closing the gap with a leap, he kicks her in the face, which Ruby responded with left cross that Ozpin evaded with a duck and retaliated with a headbutt from below.
"Ouch." Nora commented.
"That's going to leave a mark." Jaune agreed.
"That looked like it hurt; should I call Wrecker for backup?" Kara joked.
"The next time you want to throw a left cross, remember to push off with the appropriate foot. And as always, do be aware of any openings and don't forget about using the force." Ozpin told the downed girl.
"Gooooot it." Ruby groaned as she strained to sit up while Ozpin relinquished control of Oscar who fell to the ground, panting. "Oh! Hey. Are you okay?" she asked once she was back on her feet.
"How is this so exhausting?" Oscar asked.
"Your body isn't used to this kind of training, not to mention generating a defensive Aura on your own. It takes intense concentration at first, but in time it will become second nature, allowing you to deflect attacks and gradually heal your wounds. After that, you can begin focusing on your Semblance, whatever that may be." Ren explained.
"Semblance?" Oscar questioned.
"You know! Like your very own superpower! Everybody's got one. It's just a matter of finding it out and mastering it. Ruby moves super-fast, Electricity makes me stronger, Ren can mask emotions, Galen can transfer part of his Aura to the person he calls out, his teammates can create weapons out of fire, slow down the opponent's sense of time, hit targets with pinpoint accuracy, and Jaune… can, uh, um. Hmm." Nora began to state but drew a blank at Jaune's semblance.
"I'm actually just like you Oscar. I haven't found my Semblance yet, but I know I will and so will you. We both just have to try and help each other grow stronger." Jaune answered, putting a hand on Oscar's shoulder. "Joan told me that people can unlock their semblances in rather unusual circumstances. I mean, she unlocked hers during a sparring match and hers allows her to teleport behind her opponent. Pretty handy in battle when you're outnumbered, especially in battle against the Grimm."
"A common philosophy is that a warrior's Semblance is part of who they are. Some say your personality and character can define your Semblance while some claim that it is the other way around. Of course, there are still many who don't see a connection at all." Ren inputted.
"It's hard to know when you know sometimes. Ren's Semblance was unlocked from intense stress." Nora added.
"And mine kicked in during training one day." Ruby stated.
"What about you, Nora?" Kara asked.
"Oh. Struck by lightning. Didn't die. Craaaazy Thursday." Nora answered.
"Meditating and training do help with unlocking one's Semblance, but it doesn't mean their journey is over." Ozpin said after he took control of Oscar's body. "The same can be said for all of you. A semblance can still grow and evolve, provided you're all willing to put in the work, who knows what could happen."
"Then let's get back to it." Ruby said with a smile.
Galen nodded in agreement with his girlfriend before he cast a glance at Kara. "Hey, Kara. I noticed the assault rifle on your back. It's not like any weapon I've seen before, where'd you get it?" he asked.
"Oh, this thing?" Kara replied, pulling the rifle from her back and showed it to the group. "It's the last weapon my father created… before he died." She said sadly, tears following from her eyes. "It's actually a hybrid assault rifle and mini-gun. The barrel can shift from the basic sixteen-inch barrel of an assault rifle to the twenty-three-inch barrel of a machine gun with five extra barrels giving it six barrels like a mini-gun. Ammo capacity is close to a hundred rounds per magazine and has an effective range of between three hundred and fifty meters to a thousand meters, depending on the mode I'm using. It's also got one of those ACOG scopes that some assault rifles can be fitted with." Kara explained.
"So coooool!" Ruby said in excitement at the weapons features. "For a Jedi in training to use a gun, that's awesome. I bet you've killed a lot of Grimm with your dad's weapon. It's his work that got me interested into weapons in the first place! Guns, swords, he made them all!"
"Thanks. I'm a pretty good shot, but when it comes to using a lightsaber and the force, I'm lacking in that department." Kara admitted, putting her gun away and pulled out her lightsaber from her waist. "Sure, Master Faye has taught me a lot about using a lightsaber, but when it comes to the force, I'm not so good."
"Reminds me a lot about Ruby." Galen smirked, remembering Ruby's first lessons in learning the force. "You tried practicing with a training drone?" he asked.
"No. Why?" Kara asked back.
"You'll see." Galen replied, lifting a training remote and helmet from the hotel room with the force, bringing both of them outside. "I've practiced with these kinds of remotes a lot when I was learning the ways of the force myself. Let me show you what you can do when you master it." he told Kara and activated the remote.
Activating his lightsabers, Galen started to deflect the stun shots sent by the remote away from him. Each swing and deflect was flawless, showing off Galen's years of training in the ways of the force even. Ruby watched impressively as her boyfriend showed off his skills while Kara watched in awe. Five shots were deflected before Galen deactivated his sabers. "It's easy when you get the hang of it, but that was on an advanced level of training. You're still a beginner, Kara so we'll start you off at level one. The same thing applies to Jaune." Galen stated.
Kara nodded before she stepped forward and ignited her lightsaber. A glance from Galen told him that it was built with a stable grip and thin energy deflector to protect the wielder from an energy backlash as its green blade came to light, illuminating the darkening sky with its green blade. Holding her lightsaber in a firm grip, Kara tracked the remote with her eyes before it fired a shot, which she deflected but the next shot hit her leg.
"Stun shots always hurt when they hit. Trust me, we both know it." Ruby said to Kara with sympathy, remembering all the times she had been hit by stun bolts. Kara nodded and kept her focus on the remote, only to fail and block the next series of shots which made her trip and fall on her butt. "And it also can lead you to landing on your butt pretty hard." Ruby added.
"You should have told me that sooner." Kara remarked as she got back to her feet. "Galen makes it look so easy. You probably had a much harder time than I did when Faye first started training me. Maybe I'm a better shot than swordsmen." She added, deactivating her lightsaber.
"Don't be so quick to judge yourself. Giving up is one of the first steps of failure. Sure, you failed to deflect most of the shots, but you did deflect one of them. Start from that and work your way up." Galen spoke up, taking the helmet and placing it Kara's head. "Try it again, but this time act on instinct."
"Seriously? The blast shield on this thing is keeping me from even seeing the remote. How can I fight what I can't see?" she protested.
"You can't always believe what you see with your eyes. They can play tricks on you, make you let your guard down." Galen said. Kara sighed and took a breath, igniting her lightsaber once again as the remote powered back up.
The remote hovered around before it fired a shot that hit Kara in the leg. "Try to rely on your other senses as well. If you can't see the remote, try to listen for it's movements and then ready yourself." Galen advised. Kara calmed herself and listened to both the remotes thrusters and the force. This time, she succeeded in deflecting each of the shots the remote sent her way.
"I did it! I did it!" Kara cheered.
"Don't let yourself get overconfident. Keep practicing and you'll be ready in no time. For now, let's get back to practicing." Galen cautioned. "Never let your guard down, it will cost you your life." He added.
"Trust me, after my father was murdered, I've always been on my guard." Kara assured before turning to Ruby who had grabbed some wooden swords. "Sparring match?" she suggested.
"You're on." Ruby answered with confidence before tossing one of the swords to Kara.
As the two young Jedi began to train, far away from the safety of Mistral Yang and her group finally entered the bandit camp, escorted by a few of the bruised bandits she had roughed up earlier. Both she, Ahsoka, March, Echo and Kix noticed that more bandits were lined up along the path, giving them angry glares, largely in part to the beating she gave their fellow bandits. Vernal stepped out of her tent to see what the commotion was all about as the two bandits who previously guarded Weiss joined the rest of the tribe, interrupting their game of cards.
At the same time, Weiss, Arthur, Hevy and Hardcase had just returned to the camp to retrieve Weiss's weapon, completely unaware that Yang and her group were on the other side of the wall surrounding the camp.
Yang, her group and their escorts soon arrived in front of the camp's main tent where Raven emerged from it, her mask on. "Mom." Yang said coldly.
"Yang." Raven said as she removed her mask with a smile. "So, after all this time you finally decided to visit me." She then noticed her companions. "And it seems you brought a few friends with you, friends who I might say are quite interesting."
Yang soon felt her hand shaking once again, but she used her robotic hand to calm it down before she spoke again. "You know that I searched for you. I spent years looking for you."
"And you've found me. You were patient, determined, and strong enough to make your dream a reality. Well done, Yang. But did you have to be so rough with my men? Or turn our newest weapons to scrap metal?" she praised.
"I didn't want a fight. They started it." Yang countered.
"Well, you certainly finished it." Raven commented.
"How can someone like you have a daughter and just leave her? Did you not love her enough that you would just run away from your duties as a mother and lead a band of murderers and thieves? Where's your sense of family?" Echo questioned, but Raven ignored the clone.
"Right. I'm sure this is all very overwhelming. But I must admit that you've proven yourself. So, any questions you have I'll be happy to answer. You all can stay with us tonight. I'll even have the cooks whip something up for you." Raven said to her daughter.
"What makes you think that's the reason she's here?" Ahsoka questioned, the bandits surrounding them reacting to the irreverence at the 'Faunus'.
"What was that?" Raven questioned.
"Ahsoka's right. I'm not here for you. Ruby is somewhere in Mistral. She's with Qrow, and she's going to need my help. I just need you to take me to her." Yang explained.
"And why would I do that?" Raven asked.
"Because we're family." Yang answered.
"Family. Only coming around when they need something." Raven muttered with a scowl. "I have to say, I'm disappointed. After all, you found me, didn't you? Why not take that drive and use it to find your little sister if she means that much to you? I even heard that the Demon Lord himself has returned as is with her."
"Because you're going to save us time. Ruby was heading to Mistral, but there's no guarantee she's made it there, or that Galen has returned. Looking for them in Anima could take ages. But… Dad told me how your Semblance works." Yang began. "You can bond to certain people. And when you do, you could create a portal that takes you straight to them. You've got one for Dad. One for me. And you've got one for Qrow. He promised me he'd watch out for Ruby before he left. And I trust him. So, make a portal to my uncle and sister, and we'll be on our way."
"Tai. I should have killed you when I had the chance…" Raven said under her breath before she looked back to Yang and her companions. "You know, it takes real strength to march in here and demand such a favor from me. I've got to say, I'm impressed. It's very noble to want to help your sister. But if she's with Qrow, then she's already a lost cause."
"What does that mean?" Yang questioned.
"You don't want to get mixed up in all of that, Yang. Ozpin is not the man you think he is. And Qrow is a fool for trusting him. I would know, I trusted him once, too." Raven implored her daughter, but Yang just told her she didn't care about what she thought while Vernal still held onto Weiss's weapon, which Ahsoka noticed. "Your choice is your own. All I'm suggesting is that instead of getting wrapped up in something too big for you, for any of us, that maybe you take a moment to wonder if you're already where you belong." She insisted.
"You mean, you think that she belongs in tribe of thieves and murderers who move on when things get a little too hot in one area, move on, learn to kill and steal, not make any friends and have her face on every wanted poster all across the kingdom?" March stated out loud, listing the reasons off his fingers. "Yeah, I think she's better off with her father instead of someone like you."
"You should really keep your friends in check." Raven scolded.
"Save your breath. You can spout off whatever you want, but nothing is going to keep me from my sister. You might call me stubborn, but I get it from my mom." Yang retorted.
"Well, if that's how you feel, then it sounds like we're done here. Take them away." Raven said to her daughter and tribesmen, who moved in to surround them.
"Didn't you hear me? I said send me to Qrow, damn it!" Yang shouted, her eyes turning red at the last part of her statement that Raven noticed when she turned around. One bandit didn't take kindly to Yang yelling at Raven and moved into attack Yang, who retaliated with a strong punch that sent the bandit into a tent, revealing Arthur, Weiss, Hevy and Hardcase who had snuck into the camp.
"Yang?" Weiss questioned.
"Weiss?"
"March?"
"Arthur?"
"Hevy?"
"Echo?"
"Hardcase?"
"Kix?"
"Commander?"
The entire tribe was surprised that the groups knew each other as the blow from Yang's punch blew Ahsoka's cloak off her, surprising the tribe since they had never seen a Togruta before. Arthur took the opportunity to throw a flashbang grenade into the center of the tribe, blinding them and allowing his group to join up with Yang's group, readying their weapons for a fight while Weiss summoned a giant Arma Gigas. "I thought the Schnee was dead?"
"Does that mean Kane and his group are dead?"
"What is that?" Yang asked her teammate.
"Don't worry about it. What are you doing here?" Weiss asked.
"Well, that's my mom and she can take us to Ruby." Yang answered, gesturing to her mother who groaned in annoyance.
"Your mom kidnapped me?!" Weiss asked incredulous.
"You kidnapped her?!" Yang shouted to her mother.
"That's low, even for you." Ahsoka stated, using the force to pull Weiss's rapier from Vernal which Weiss grabbed and prepared themselves for a fight, but a lighting bolt appeared, summoned by Vernal and stopped the fighting before it started.
"Thank you." Raven said to Vernal before she turned to the rest of the tribe plus their 'guest's'. "If you people don't keep it together this place will be crawling with Grimm and none of you can take on a Jedi." She pointed out before turning to Arthur, March, Ahsoka, Weiss and Yang. "You five. In my tent. Now." She ordered.
"Why?" Yang asked.
"If you're really going after your sister, then you need to know the truth." Raven said, entering her tent while the rest of the bandits went back to their own business, allowing Weiss to place her hand on her chest with relief before dropping her weapon and strongly hugged Yang.
"I missed you so much." Weiss said happily.
"I've missed you, too." Yang said equally as happy before she turned to Arthur. "Is there something between you two that I should know about?" she asked.
"At the present moment, I think it will be best to save it for another day." Arthur answered, smiling at the reunion between the two friends.
And done.
Kara's weapon is basically one of those spin-guns from the Borderlands games based on the AK-47 and RPK-74. Figured she'd need a ranged weapon since she is still learning the ways of the force. Speaking of which, since she was born on Remnant, I need ideas for her semblance, same for Joan and Ray.
Read and review and I'll see you all next time.