AN: Hey, sorry it's been a few days, but I had some trouble finding time to write.

I would once again like to thank Lord Maximus for the help with this chapter.

Chapter 96

Emerald certainly wasn't expecting Salem's throne room to be in such a state. For starters, the throne itself was sliced in half, and debris and wreckage lay all around the room.

What the hell had happened here?

Emerald looked over to Cinder, still enthralled, before quickly looking away in shame.

Emerald didn't deserve to look at her.

…Not after what she had almost done to the woman.

"Ah, there you two are," Salem said, entering the room behind them. Emerald stood at attention, watching as the Queen of the Grimm looked at her destroyed throne in annoyance before deciding to stand.

"Um, what happened here, ma'am?" Emerald asked uneasily.

"Just a… slight disagreement," Salem answered, surprising Emerald. Who the hell was dumb enough to disagree with her? "Anyways, that is not why I called you here. We have recently acquired a new associate who will be joining you on your trip to Mistral. Enter!"

She called out behind her, and a tall man with long silver hair entered the throne room.

"Sephiroth, this is Cinder, our Maiden," Salem explained, but Sephiroth didn't answer, instead choosing to stare directly at Emerald. She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion as he approached her, his gaze never leaving her.

Something about him deeply unsettled Emerald. Was it his eyes, pale green with slits for pupils? Whatever it was, Emerald had to try her hardest to stop from squirming under the intensity of the man's gaze.

"What's your name?" Sephiroth asked her, his voice deeper than she was expecting.

"E-Emerald," she answered nervously. "Emerald Sustrai."

"Emerald…" he said contemplatively, almost as if he was testing how her name sounded on his lips. "Matches your hair. And yet, your eyes are as red as rubies." He leaned forward slightly, his gaze growing more intense, but she could see a hint of… interest? Intrigue?... in them. "Tell me, why are you here?"

"She is Cinder's handler," Salem answered.

"I asked her," Sephiroth said, his eyes never leaving Emerald's. Emerald's own eyes widened at his flippant tone, only to be even more astounded when Salem simply huffed in frustration.

She was letting him speak to her like that? Salem? The Queen of the Grimm?

Who was this man?

"I'll ask again, what are you doing here?"

"I-I'm Cinder's handler," Emerald said, with a little bit of regret. They had been more, once.

But she didn't deserve it anymore.

"…Interesting," he said, finally stepping back from her. "In that case I look forward to seeing how you… handle both yourself and her."

"This is perfect!" Nora said enthusiastically. "We were stuck at a dead end, but now, we can just take little cute boy Ozpin to Lionheart and have him set things straight!"

"Please don't call me that," Ozpin said, still in control of Oscar's body.

"I don't mind," Oscar said to the headmaster.

"We're not sure that's the best idea," Qrow chimed in, making the ginger put and slump down on the couch.

"But I thought the Headmasters all took their orders from you," Ren said.

"That was the intention. Four lieutenants I can trust, especially during times of reincarnation. But Qrow told me about your meeting with Leonardo. He isn't just behaving irrationally, he's disobeying specific instructions I had left him. Something's wrong. I don't want to jump to conclusions, but I don't want to rule out any possibilities, either. No one outside of this room knows that I've paired with Oscar, and I think it may be best to keep it that way."

"Play things close to the chest until we get a better hand," Qrow said.

"Precisely. Now, we have two steps ahead of us. The first is enlisting the aid of more Huntsmen."

"But the Mistral Council—" Ren tried to say.

"Doesn't own every Huntsman in the Kingdom, and I've been here enough times to know where we can find some more," Qrow said.

"So long as they're trustworthy," Ozpin said.

"You can trust them to put up a good fight," Qrow countered. "I'll throw together a list tonight." He put his foot up on the coffee table, only for one of the legs to break, spilling the drink that were sitting on it. The man groaned before he started to clean up his mess.

"Now then, Mister Strife, was it?" Ozpin asked, finally addressing the blond man who was sitting off by himself. "Qrow told me about your encounter with the man you call Sephiroth. Tell me, is it possible that he's working for Salem?"

"He hasn't usually allied himself with anybody for as long as I've known him, but at this point, nothing is guaranteed," Cloud answered. "The only thing I can say is that regardless of whether or not he joins her, we'll be seeing him again one way or another."

"In that case, I think it's best that all of us get to training," Ozpin said. "While you've all made great improvements, you're still a ways off before you'll be able to pose any real threat to Salem and her forces, especially if this Sephiroth is involved. And though Oscar can give me temporary control, he'll need to strengthen his body and his Aura."

"Wait, what?" Oscar asked mentally.

"He'll inherit my muscle memory in time, but practice will expedite the process."

"We're ready to start," Ren said. "After what happened with Sephiroth, I… we… need to get stronger. What happened in Kuroyuri won't happen again."

"Ren…" Nora said in concern

"In that case, it's settled. While Qrow is off gathering allies, Mister Strife and I will work on training the rest of you. We have approximately one month before classes resume at Haven. If Salem were to plan an attack, it would make sense that it would occur prior to students' return. It's not much time, but it's better than nothing. Just don't expect me to go easy on you."

Oscar suddenly glowed green and white, before his posture became significantly less dignified, and he slumped down in his armrest.

"You've gotta be kidding me," Oscar said with a groan, prompting the teens to laugh lightly before.

It had taken Yang about another day's worth of travelling before she reached the next nearest town, but luckily, she spotted an airship parked near a garage just outside the town itself. Parking her bike nearby, she walked over to the field where the ship was parked, and spotted a man dressed in greasy clothes working in the garage.

"Hey, you own this ship?" she asked, getting his attention. The man was middle-aged with short blond hair and goggles on his head, fixing her with a piercing look as he faced her.

"What's it to you?"

"Need a ride and the ship could make it easier for me," Yang said, crossing her arms.

"Oh yeah?" Where you heading?" He turned away, getting back to work on the engine he was fixing.

"Haven Academy." The man stopped and looked back at her. "You a Huntress?"

"And if I am?" Yang asked rhetorically.

"Then maybe I might do business with ya, if you got the money." He wiped some grease away with a cloth as he turned around. "Bit of a fee around here."

"How much?" Yang asked.

"Ten thousand, all in advance," the man answered. Yang's eyes widened before she glared in outrage.

"Ten thousand?! I could buy my own ship with that!"

"Yeah, but can you fly it?" the man asked with a taunting smirk.

"Bet I could," Yang retorted. "Can't be that hard."

"Well, when you get the money to buy your own ship, you can find out. Til them, you got no money, no ride," the man said, getting back to work.

Yang glared but turned away, getting back to her bike. She didn't leave town yet, but stopped at a café to pick up a few snacks and drinks. The radio was playing loudly, but she barely paid it any mind until…

"…That's right, folks. The Annual Mistral Radical Race is happening again this year, and it's bound to be epic. Only the craziest racers dare to take part in this dangerous race. Dust pits, Grimm, and a general lack of rules between racers that will win at any cost. All for the grand prize of 10,000 Lien!"

Yang perked up at that, listening closely now.

"So you better get moving you motorcycle enthusiasts, as we only accept the best! We have riders from all over Mistral to compete in the Radical Race for 10,000 Lien! That's right! 10,000! The race will take place tonight, 10:00 PM sharp by Mistral Mountain on Winchester Street!" The speaker on the radio continued. "And remember not to be late!"

"That race is a death trap. Only the crazy and most desperate would dare to take part," the café owner said while cleaning a glass.

Crazy and desperate, huh? Yang thought to herself with a small smile. Well, I am desperate, and crazy is pretty much the definition of my family.

She paid for her meal and then headed to her bike. Mistral Mountain wasn't that far from here, and if she timed it right, she would be right on time.

The Hooded Man hummed a tune to himself, bouncing on the balls of his feet while he waited, occasionally taking a look at the crystal statues that used to be Ghira and Kali Belladonna. He took a closer look at Kali, before whistling in appreciation.

"Damn, Ghira, you are a lucky man," he said, despite knowing that the large Faunus couldn't hear him. "She is seriously drop-dead gorgeous. And who could possibly resist those ears?"

"Hey!"

The man stopped and looked up to see Blake approaching him with an angry look on her face.

"Well, you made it. So glad."

"You got me, now let my parents go," Blake demanded, looking at the statues behind the Man. The Hooded Man glanced behind her for a second.

"You came alone?"

"That's what you wanted," Blake stated angrily. The Man sighed.

"And I thought you were supposed to be the smart one." He took a step towards her. "A bit of a theme going on here. First you ran from your parents to join a gang of degenerate psychopaths whom you later ditched along with that psychotic ex-boyfriend of yours. Then just as you get all chummy with your team, you up and ditched them when they were hurt, scared and needing to be surrounded by friends and family. Really, you couldn't take the hint."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Blake snapped.

"I thought you'd be smarter than that," the Hooded Man said as he held up a hand. "I've tested your teammates. With the dear Red Rose, I tested her skills, but gave her a pass when she braved Kingdom Hearts to save her mother. With the Dragon Empress, I tested her bond with her estranged father. With thy lonely Snow Heiress, I tested her skills and commitment as a Huntress and you… I was testing the closeness of your friendships, Princess of the Shadows and you failed miserable. Which is too bad for Mom and Dad." Blake's eyes widened.

"NO!"

Just as he was about to snap his fingers, a shot rang out that forced him to lower his hands, and Sun landed in front of her, brandishing his staff.

"Who says she's alone?"

The Man chuckled.

"So… you're the Sun to her Shadows."

"Call it what you like, but I'm not letting you kill Blake's parents," Sun said, pointing at the man. "Let them go, now."

"Sun…" Blake was stunned to see him helping her after she told him to butt out of her business.

"Well, is he your friend, Blake?" the man asked. "Even thought you've treated him somewhat harshly since he's been here. Sure, sometimes romance in fiction is stalking in real life, but can you really say he's not looking out for you when he's risking his life for you and your parents?"

"What is this about?! Are you testing me like you did Ruby?! What's the point of all these test?!" Blake shouted, finally having enough.

"The point… I made it clear the first time we mer. I need the dear Red Rose and the Keyblade Master to become and remain the Keyblade wielders this world and all worlds will need," the man declared. "And they can't become that if they're surrounded by people dragging them down. Like you, Blake. You feared and detested humans, but you had forgotten there are Faunus just as bad as humans, and ignored their fault in the current mess your kind is in. Say what you will about the cruelty of Jacques Schnee and Cardin Winchester, at least people like Ozpin, like Glynda and even Aqua have tried to help you, but you push them away and try to take on all the world's problems by yourself without care or consideration for the people who can help you."

Blake was stopped by this.

"And just as you began trusting them, you ran away from them when they got hurt. You run, run, and run, and keep on pushing them all away. Your family, your friends, your teammates, so why do you deserve to have anyone left?" the man asked.

"I… I…" Blake wasn't sure how to answer that.

"I know why," Sun said as he lowered his staff. "Because she's our friend and we care about her."

Blake looked at Sun with complete shock.

"Sun…"

"Sure, she's moody, gets agitated and be a little self-righteous, but she's got a good heart… Best one I've ever seen. After all, she feels so worked-up about trying to make things better for everyone." Sun shrugged. "Sure, she doesn't always make the smartest decisions, but no one's perfect. Why should they be judged only for their mistakes?"

Well, Blake threw a quick glare for a few of his words, but she still felt touched by what he said, and he spoke with so much honesty.

"Is that so?" the man folded his arms behind his back and looked behind them. "And what do you think?" Blake and Sun turned around to see Tifa walking up to them.

"I don't think I can vouch for Blake quite the same since I only just met her… but Sun is right. It's wrong to solely judge people by their mistakes and they shouldn't have to try fixing them alone."

"Tifa…" Blake muttered, surprised to see she had come as well. The man sighed… and then chuckled.

"Well, how about it, Blake? Do you accept their help?"

"I…" Blake trembled a bit before glaring at him. "I do. I want to stop making people hurt because of me. My parents, my team, my friends… I won't run away from them anymore. Is that good enough for you, or do we have to fight you to make you let my parents go?!"

"Nah, that won't be necessary," the man said. "After that stunt I pulled in Mistral, I'm not feeling up to it." He snapped his fingers and the crystal shattered, releasing Blake's parents.

"Mom! Dad!"

"Stopza." Blake gasped as everyone froze in time around her, and the Hooded Man approached slowly, prompting her to pull out Gambol Shroud.

"Stay back!"

"You would have failed if they had heeded your wishes," the Hooded Man said, prompting Blake to stiffen. "A single person cannot turn the tide of hate violence, nor can they do it by fleeing when things get tough. Ruby understood this by risking her own life to save her mother, Yang understood this when she was willing to face down the man who cut her arm off to save her father, and Weiss understood when defended the honor of her friends. Now you must understand what happened here, and instead of letting fear and doubt cloud your mind, seek strength in those who are drawn to you."

He held up a piece of jewelry and tossed it to her, which she caught. She glanced at it as he waked past her. Engraved on the charm was a picture of an ancient oil lamp from old Vacuan stories.

"Now, I have someone I need to be getting back to," the man said. "Oh, and may your heart be your guiding Key."

With that, he vanished, and time resumed.

Blake ran up to her parents, wrapping her arms around both of them with tears in her eyes.

"Blake?" her father asked. "What happened?"

"How did we end up in the desert?" her mom asked.

"I-It's a long story," she said, holding them tightly. "I'm just glad you're okay."

Her parents gave each other confused looks, but wrapped their arms around her, letting her relief flood out through her eyes.

"You know, you surprise me, Aqua. All this time, it never occurred to me just where exactly you came from. At least, not until I overheard Ruby talking about other worlds," Raven said, pouring some tea for her and Aqua.

Aqua was silent, simply watching.

"It suddenly made sense when I thought about it. After all, a weapon as powerful as your Keyblade couldn't have been around all this time without Ozpin knowing. A warrior traveling to other worlds, defending them from the darkness. Sounds like a fairy tale." Raven placed a cup on the table.

"And yet we're as real as the Maidens," Aqua replied.

"True, and what a twist that the wife of my brother happens to be one of these warriors," Raven said with a small smile. "Then again, out family isn't exactly… ordinary."

"Family, huh?" Aqua asked, blowing on her tea and taking a sip. "You're aware Yang lost her arm."

Raven frowned. "That's not—"

"That wasn't a question, Raven. I know that you are." Aqua put down the cup. "How odd that you can bring up family so easily when you can't be bothered to even mention her."

"You were content to become her new mother, Aqua. Don't tell me you've grown tired of that role," Raven retorted.

"Oh trust me, I never will. Maybe you should give it a try, or are you afraid you might like it and it'll break this whole 'Bandit Queen' thing you have going on?" Aqua calmly replied. Raven scoffed.

"Truly, you are my brother's wife. You sure have taken on some of his more undesirable quirks."

"Don't worry, I'm the mature one," Aqua said with a small smile, but then frowned. "So now you know the truth. My question to you is: what will you do with it? Even if you have your tribe to believe you, I doubt the rest of the world will take the word of a bunch of killers about a magical weapon from another world."

"True, but I'm not interested in telling anyone else, so you won't have to worry," Raven replied. "I'm more interested in learning what you know about the truth of the attack on Beacon." Aqua stopped, staring at Raven.

"You mean more than an attempt by a handful to steal a Maiden's powers?"

"I see… So neither Ozpin nor Ironwood told you. Not surprising," Raven said, sitting back. "A person with a magical power outside of the Maidens and they left you in the dark about what was really going on."

"And I suppose you know what's going on," Aqua sighed. "And you won't tell me unless I offer you something in return."

"Well, I might give you a freebie since we're sisters now," Raven said with a small smile. "Let me guess, when Ozpin told you about the Maidens, he started with this question: 'What's your favorite fairy tale?'" Aqua recalled that conversation.

"He did. He then asked me about the story of the maidens and what I would think if he said that the legend was real."

"And your answer?"

"That I would believe it. As someone who wields a mystical key-shaped weapon, I would be foolish not to consider that other forms of magic exist," Aqua answered.

"Good. That makes this easier," Raven said, leaning forward. "I can see Qrow never told you as well. That doesn't hurt, does it?"

"You offer me the truth, then try to dig into the level of trust with my husband? Ozpin already said that Qrow was sworn to secrecy, and even if I did feel hurt I'd be hypocrite if I condemned him for that. If you want me to keep listening, I suggest you stay on topic," Aqua rebuffed. Raven shrugged as she leaned back.

"I suppose that's true. At least you can admit that. Now then, where do you think the magic of the Maidens comes from?"

Aqua stared at Raven, waiting for her to explain.

"You Keyblade wielders are supposed to protect the worlds from Darkness. Well, Remnant has its share of both the forces of light and darkness," Raven began. "And it started with two brothers…"

"Uncle Qrow?"

Uncle Qrow turned and smiled when he saw Ruby standing at the door. "Hey, kiddo. What's up?"

"It's about the Spring Maiden…" Ruby took a deep breath. "How long have you known she was with Raven?" Uncle Qrow's smile faded and he rubbed the back of his head. "Well, I wasn't sure until I looked into what was going on with the bandits in Mistral. I noticed the Branwen tribe growing in number not long after Raven returned, but the villages attacked showed they had become much stronger than they should have, even with Raven as their leader."

"Professor Lionheart said Spring fled over a decade ago… That was around the time we met Mom," Ruby stated, making Uncle Qrow look at her. "Was it before or after Raven kidnapped me?"

"…Not sure. When we first met your mom, I thought she was the Spring Maiden. When she cleared it up I was back to square one," he answered. "I wasn't exactly sure until recently I saw what was left of Shion."

"So Raven was responsible for that," Ruby said with a frown. "She used the Spring Maiden to kill all of those people."

"Looks like it."

"And now we have to fight her," Ruby continued. "…Can we even be certain that we can defeat Spring if she doesn't want to leave? Wouldn't Raven make sure she was loyal and strong if they were facing Mom or me? How can we be sure we can even handle a Maiden?"

"Your Keyblade sure seems to even the odds," Uncle Qrow pointed out.

"But I've never faced a Maiden, and Mom was crippled when she faced Cinder at Beacon. So how can I be sure I can take on this one?" Ruby asked.

"I can't really give you an answer, kiddo. I know the Maidens are capable of great power even though I've never seen one in full action, but I've seen how powerful someone with a Keyblade is, and how strong you've become. Truth be told I'm not sure who exactly would come out in a fight. But I do know one thing," Uncle Qrow said, standing up.

"And that is?" Ruby asked. Uncle Qrow patted her on the shoulder.

"You're not alone. Aqua faced Cinder because she had to, and she wouldn't change a thing about it. You'll have us with you, and despite what Leo says, I'm stronger than my sister. I got ten years of winning against your mom that says so."

"Oh, please," Ruby snorted. "Mom kicked your butt so many times Yang and I make bets about how long it takes you to land on your butt."

"Yeah well…" Uncle Qrow chuckled. "She does it in a fun way."

Ruby smiled, feeling a little better now.

"Think she's doing okay? I really wish she was here."

"Me too, kiddo." Uncle Qrow sighed and sat back down. "Me too."

"So the point of the attack was to gain this relic that was kept under the school. I suppose it was somewhere in the vault that Ozpin was keeping Amber in," Aqua slowly recapped. "Since Beacon is overrun, does that mean this 'Salem' now has the relic?"

"Not sure. Ozpin showed my brother and I the vault, but he never revealed where the Relic actually was. Of course it would make sense he would keep the Fall Maiden in the very same school that was guarding the relic. He must have felt secure with Atlas's armies," Raven said, rolling her eyes.

"I'll have to stop you there, Raven. While I agree that keeping Amber in the school wasn't a smart move, Ozpin wasn't the one who brought the army to Beacon. James did. In fact, Ozpin, Glynda, and Qrow protested, but could do nothing because Ironwood completely took over security for the Vytal Festival. Whatever Ozpin is guilty of he's not alone in the blame," Aqua pointed out. "Something I made clear to James before I fled Atlas."

"Whether it was his idea or not, it doesn't really matter," Raven said. "Ozpin still brought it on himself. It never occurred to him to have the Fall Maiden moved to a secure location. And not to mention, choosing a child to be the new Maiden. You know he had the girls in your class and maybe even you on the list."

"I'm well aware of that," Aqua said, still annoyed at the stunt Ozpin had tried to pull back in Beacon. She had expressed her displeasure about that decision to him, and had also made him take Ruby and Yang off the list, but it still aggravated her that he had done that in secret.

"Well, now you know the truth about Salem and the Relics," Raven said. "I see you're not having a very hard time believing me. What happened to thieves and murderers not being trustworthy?"

Aqua sighed.

"It makes sense," Aqua said. "James seemed convinced that Atlas was in imminent danger, and if the Grimm have an intelligent leader, it makes sense."

"But you also must know that at this point, Ozpin's going to be desperate," Raven said. "World Order be damned, he's going to do his best to get you involved. This is a fight that you won't be able to win, and as you yourself have already seen, Ozpin is anything but trustworthy."

"And you are?" Aqua asked, her eyebrow raised high in skepticism.

"At least I don't pretend," Raven countered. "You'd be wasted in Ozpin's war, so why don't you stay here?"

"…You've got to be kidding."

"I'm not," Raven said. "I've seen the road this war takes you down, and it doesn't end well for anyone involved. The Keyblade is supposed to be this great protective force, so why bother throwing your life away?"

"You're out of your mind if you think I'm going to stay," Aqua said. "You can pretend that we're family all you want to, but you're no different than James. You just want me around so you can learn how to get a Keyblade for yourself. I'm not buying it. I have a husband and daughters to get back to." Aqua stood up, looking down at the bandit.

"Is that your final decision?" Raven asked calmly.

"Of course it is."

"…A shame," Raven said, and Aqua suddenly felt a slight prick in her neck. She reached up and pulled out a small dart.

"W-What?" Aqua asked.

"I didn't want to have to do this to you, but if you won't stay, you can at least make us all very rich," Raven said as Aqua's vision became blurry.

"You…" Aqua said, trying to summon her Keyblade, but instead she stumbled to the ground.

"Give my regards to the general," Raven said.

It was the last thing Aqua heard before she lost consciousness.

It was about 9:58 PM on the dirty, empty road, aside from a bunch of motorcycles and their overeager riders that had gathered for the big race, with an audience that was chanting and clapping nearby.

"All right, folks! It's 10:00," the main announcer said just as the clock hit ten. "All riders on your Trackers, Choppers, and Bobbers, get ready to start your engines—"

The announcer stopped as a yellow and black bike rolled up and joined the lines.

"What's this? Looks like we got another contender!" The announcer said, walking up to the newcomer. "All right… Blondie, you got your papers and everything?"

Yang nodded as everyone cheered. Nearby, a rather fat-looking man on a bike that was gold and white looked over at her. His bike was a Bobber and he wore a golden motorcycle jacket with a black and white emblem on the back with the words The Golden Gang under it. The man was overweight, wearing sunglasses, was bald and had a black beard.

"Look at this! Some hot chick thinks she's a big shot!" The man taunted. "You hoping to win the 10,000 Lien, sweetheart?"

Yang's eyes flashed red, as only two people were allowed to call her that.

"Sorry, girlie, but the moolah is mine! But if you do somehow win, maybe you can buy a pretty pink dress for yourself, Princess!" The man continued taunting.

His friends, who were all wearing golden jackets laughed hysterically while drinking beer. Yang growled but managed to calm herself down. Getting the money to pay for a fast ride to Haven was more important than beating these idiots up.

"But maybe I'm being too mean. How about a peace offering?" The man asked as held out a beer can to her.

"No thanks," Yang said stoically.

She might be a wild one, but she never touched alcohol after seeing what it did to her dad.

"Oh, not your type?' The man grinned as he opened up the shaken-up beer can with his other hand, causing beer to be sprayed all over Yang, drenching her hair and clothes. "How'd you like that peace offering, Princess?"

Yang's eyes were glowing red now, and she badly wanted to break that man's face.

"It's on now, you asshole," She growled, looking back on the street and leaning forward to grab Bumblebee's handlebars.

As soon as she did that, though, she felt a hand squeeze her butt. She quickly looked around, but couldn't tell which of these degenerates did that.

"Start your engines!" the announcer said, and the sound of engines starting filled the night. "Five, four, three, two, one… GO!"

Before anyone could react, Yang took off, with everyone else right behind her. Too bad for them, Yang had plenty of experience on Bumblebee, going at sixty-five miles per hour, leaving the other bikers stunned, especially the fat man. The race went down a deserted road that was rough with giant potholes and Grimm that happened to be close by. Yang had to dodge Grimm more than once, and she sailed over potholes, reaching the very edge more than once.

She could have sworn she heard screams more than once, but she had to stay focused as she made her way down the mountain. If they were all crazy enough to sign up for a race this dangerous, they knew the risks. A few minutes later, they were going back up the mountain and towards the finish line where they started. As soon as the racers made it all back, they saw Yang off to the side, accepting the briefcase that held the prize money.

"Your 10,000 Lien my good lady," the announcer said.

"Thanks," Yang nodded, accepting the briefcase when she saw the money was all there before closing it.

"Nice bike. Where'd you get it?" the announcer asked.

"I actually built it," Yang answered, surprising the man.

"Really?! By yourself?!" the man looked at the bike, and then back at her.

"Yup."

"Say, I also run a motorcycle shop on the eastern side of Mistral. You want a job making motorcycles?" the announcer asked.

"Sorry, don't have the time," Yang said, getting on her bike.

"Hey!"

She stopped and looked to see the fat man stomping his way over to her.

"What do you want? Come to give me a celebratory drink?"

"You cheated! That money is mine! Give it to me or I'll break your legs!" The fat man yelled with his thugs lining up behind him. Yang scoffed.

What was it with these machismo losers and assuming that a woman couldn't beat them unless she cheated.

"Oh great, more of you Dickfaces."

"What'd you call me?!"

"Get lost," Yang said, before taking off on her bike.

"Hey!" the fat man yelled, but it was too late. Yang was already too far gone for them to chase. The fat man growled as he pulled out his scroll. "I need that money to pay back Midas. If I can't I'm dead!" He pressed speed dial on his scroll.

'Hey. No, I didn't get the money. Wait, I can explain! It was some blonde biker chick that stole it!"

Blake leaned against the door to her room in exhaustion, having promised to explain to her parents later exactly what had happened.

She wasn't sure she even knew where to start, but at least they agreed that it was best to wait until they had rested.

"Hey, Blake," she heard a voice approaching her, and turned to see Sun walking down the hall towards her. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm fine, I think," she said. "Just exhausted."

"I can imagine," he said. "Today was… pretty intense."

"I'll say," she said with a small smile. "…Thank you."

"No need to thank me," Sun said. "I'd do it again in a heartbeat. You're important to me."

Blake smiled, a blush appearing on her face.

"I'm sorry, too," she said. "I've treated you horribly, and you were just trying to help. I haven't been nearly as appreciative of you as I should have been."

"Eh, don't worry about it," Sun said. "It's amazing what we can put up with for the people we lo…" he trailed off, realizing he had said something he probably shouldn't have.

Blake, for her part, just looked at him with wide eyes.

"Oh, uh, look at the time!" Sun said, blushing fiercely. "I should probably get going to bed! Goodnight, Blake!" He turned around and tried to flee, but Blake grabbed his wrist. He looked back to her in confusion, but Blake stepped closer to her. He could only stare in stunned silence as the young woman slowly wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning close to press her lips against his. She held it there for a second, before stepping back, leaving a frozen stiff Sun behind.

"Goodnight, Sun," she said, opening her door and stepping into her room.

"WOOHOO!" She heard Sun cheer from the hallway, prompting her to roll her eyes.

"Such a dork," she said, smiling despite herself.

AN: So this arc that Yang is going through is something pitched to me by Lord Maximus, starring an OC donated to me by him. I'm super excited to write it, and I hope you're just as excited to read it!

So, we've got Blake rescuing her parents, Yang winning a bike race, and Aqua running afoul of Raven.

Funny thing, for this last scene, I actually had initially thought about Sun leaning against Blake's door to reel from the kiss, only for her to open the door and send him tumbling into her room, but then decided that was WAY too fast for them. So, they get a nice kiss instead.

As always, thank you very much for reading, and I'll see you all next time!