Lying on a pile of soot, dirt and broken branches, Weiss Schnee wondered if the entire day was a hallucination of some sort.
The ache in her chest certainly felt real, as was the ash clinging to her clothes and skin. She could still feel the warmth of the fires around the ruined woods, and hear the clashing of metal just a ways from where she was.
Weiss still didn't bother getting up. Her aura was drained and what dregs her soul was able to scrounge up was being used to patch up the bruises that came from being launched- and going through- a solid oak tree. It was a miracle she was still conscious after the beating she took.
And that was what her short-lived battle with Raven Branwen was. A beating. Weiss was convinced that Raven didn't even use her magic (and isn't that nice, the existence of actual magic? Not that it breaks all known rules of Aura, semblances and souls!) for half the fight. Raven was a vicious swordswoman, plain and simple. The bandit probably had been fighting before Weiss was even born.
Add the fact that Weiss had gotten rusty with her swordfighting after being trapped in the Schnee mansion for months, and Raven occasionally blasting her with fireballs, the ex-heiress never stood a chance.
Looking up from where she lay on the ground, Weiss looked at the person who did.
Yang- Ozpin (supposedly) was holding his own against Raven, one-on-one. He'd shattered another of Branwen's blades, leaving just enough crystalized dust to be used as a makeshift sword, holding the yellow, smaller blade in his green prosthetic. Despite the impromptu weapon, Ozpin didn't struggle with it, swinging and blocking the lightning dust blade around like a normal sword.
And that's another thing that Weiss couldn't wrap her head around. How did Ozpin live? Why did he look like Yang? When was anything going to make sense again?
Groaning, Weiss let her head fall back to the ground. She wasn't foolish enough to get back into the fight without her aura, and even then she knows she won't be much help. She'd rather not get skewered today.
Besides, Ozpin seemed to have the battle under control.
Ozpin did not have the battle under control.
He did not have it under control at all.
"We're so screwed." Yang thought, flinching as Ozpin just barely ducked under Raven's swing, then blocking the kick that followed with their 'borrowed' blade.
"Since when were you the pessimist?" Ozpin thought back, but knew there was truth in Yang's words. Raven was toying with him. Hundreds of years more experience or not, Yang's body was physically still weaker than Raven's, not to mention the fact that she hadn't used a spark of magic since they begun their duel. She should have beaten them by now.
Instead, Raven slows down her swings to let Ozpin parry. She telegraphs her attacks when she could better strike at a different angle. She pressures him enough to make sure he doesn't get the chance to breathe but not so much that she immediately goes in for the kill. It was as humiliating as it was terrifying.
This wasn't the murderous, wild rage of a Maiden, or the deadly efficiency of an expert swordswoman. This was a predator that knows it's gotten their prey cornered, and merely amusing themselves before a kill.
The fact that Ozpin and Yang could see Raven's gleeful grin only confirmed the comparison.
"You're slowing down, old man." Raven taunted, locking their blades together, using all her strength to break through Ozpin's guard.
Still, Ozpin held strong, the lightning blade keeping Raven's sword inches away from Yang's face. "I don't suppose that saying Yang's still here won't change your mind?"
Raven narrowed her eyes. One hard kick to Yang's ribs left Ozpin open for a slash to the chest, aura taking the brunt of the damage but knocking him away. A 'no' then.
'Our aura won't be able to take many more hits.' Ozpin thought, bringing his blade up again just in time to block another swing for the neck.
"Wait, we share an aura?"
Ozpin leapt back away from the stab to his chest, then clashing blades again with Raven. 'Yes, our aura's merged, but is now truly the time to ask questions?' Ozpin asked incredulously.
Yang went silent again, as Ozpin desperately tries to hold Raven off. There has to be a way out of this, something that-
"Sorry Oz, but this is gonna suck."
And Ozpin felt himself being pushed back-
-With Yang coming to the fore, eyes flashing back to lilac, just in time to catch a sword to the face.
"Shit!" Yang cried out, barely blocking the follow-up swing with her left hand, aura crackling a greenish yellow. Ozpin made this look easy! And why was she so tired?
"What are you doing?!" Ozpin shouted, understandably distressed.
'Something stupid, probably.' Yang admits. She just had to get in close...
Raven did the work for Yang, knocking the lightning blade out of Yang's hand and grabbing her daughter's throat.
The bandit pulled her in close. "Any last words?" Raven asks mockingly, preparing to thrust Omen through Yang's chest.
Yang grinned. "Gotcha." Her eyes flared red, and her hair burned as she reared her fist back and punched Raven with the amplified power of every hit Ozpin and Yang's aura had taken.
In other words Yang hit her hard.
Hard enough that the resulting shockwave knocked the Spring Maiden back and through a tree, leaving Raven's limp body slumped on a nearby oak.
"... I think we got her." Yang muttered, aura finally breaking as she knelt on the forest floor to catch her breath.
"Don't jinx it."
The universe, being unfair to everyone, especially to main characters of popular web shows, had Raven start getting back up almost immediately.
"Damn it."
Raven Branwen had seen better days.
Her hair was a mess of twigs, wood chips and leaves from getting launched through a tree. Her sword had shattered again, and she was walking with a limp.
But she still had the power of a Maiden. She was still dangerous. Yet the look on her face was almost thoughtful, yet troubled.
Yang let her think. Neither she nor Weiss had any aura left, but if she were able to distract Raven long enough, then maybe-
"I thought it was a fluke, when I was able to open a portal to you both." Raven said, watching Yang across the ruined patch of forest.
"I know how your process works. You die. You reincarnate into some poor soul. You... merge. You stay. Your 'roommate' ceases to exist." Raven continued, making no move to attack.
Yang said nothing. Ozpin said nothing.
"A semblance is part of someone's soul. If the soul is gone, so should the semblance." Raven paused. "So you're telling the truth. Yang's still around."
There was more silence for a moment, then Yang sighed. "Ozpin never told the specifics of his curse to anyone. How'd you find out?"
Raven huffed. "I have my ways. I'm talking to my daughter, I presume?"
Yang crossed her arms, gesturing to her lilac eyes. Ozpin stayed silent.
Raven chuckled. "Yeah, the eyes are probably a giveaway." Her good humor stopped suddenly. "Do you know what you're getting into Yang? Truly?"
"I'm the host of a magical immortal, and I'm supposed to stop another magical immortal that controls Grimm. It's pretty easy to follow when you get over the fact it sounds crazy as fuck." Yang said, almost disinterestedly.
"So you know about just as much as Team STRQ did."
"Well, Ozpin has his secrets. Everyone does."
"Why do you trust him so much?"
"Well for one thing he hasn't tried to murder me or my friends."
"But he is killing you. Slowly. You know that."
"... Not on purpose."
Raven sighed. "I really can't convince you otherwise, can I?"
Yang smirked, but there was no mirth behind it. "Nope."
Raven growled. "I can kill you right now. I can make sure you never merge with Ozpin."
"So you're offering to kill me? I mean, it would be the first thing you'd offer me since I was born, but-"
"I'm offering mercy, compared to what happens next."
Yang paused. "Dear Gods, you do care. In your own twisted little way."
Raven gritted her teeth, hands shaking, from rage or something else, it wasn't clear. "Go back to Patch. Go finish your huntress training. Jump into a pack of Grimm. Do literally anything else except keeping on fighting a pointless war because you were dragged into it."
"..." Yang sighed. "I can't do that. We can't do that."
Raven turned away, her entire body shaking now.
"... Then stay the hell away from my tribe, Ozpin. Or we'll see which of your child soldiers end up being your next cursed host."
The Spring Maiden walked into the green of the forest, and a moment later a lone raven flew off into the night sky.
"... Are you alright?"
"I was going to ask you that question." Yang chuckled. "I'm fine, thanks for asking."
"You're lying." Ozpin said bluntly. "But we could unpack that later. Right now, we should collect Miss Schnee and get to-"
Ozpin was interrupted by a silver blade pressed on Yang's throat. Slowly turning her head, Yang cringed.
Weiss had definitely seen better days. Her ponytail was undone, a wealth of bruises littering her fair skin. Her left eye was twitching, while her right was turning into an ugly purple.
"Answers," Weiss rasped. "Now."