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Disclaimer: I, Raymond Smith, Own Nothing

A Family of Black, Gold, & Pink

Chapter 3: Talks and New Hats

Staying in an apartment not far from Patch, Raven was in the midst of giving Kirby a bath. She had a matching set of tic marks as the little puffball was more invested in playing with the bubbles and splashing water everywhere instead of letting her clean him.

"Damnit, kid," she grumbled. "Hold still for a minute!"

"Poyo~!" he replied in a singsong voice, his face having a bubbly moustache and beard.

The former Bandit Leader sighed and scooped water with a small cup so that she could pour it over his head. He giggled as the bubbles washed away, smiling brightly at Raven as she pulled him from the tub and had it start draining. Babbling happily, he stood still as Raven dried him off before doing a cute backflip and landing with a pose.

Despite herself, Raven couldn't fight the faint smile at the cute action. "Alright, you little vacuum. Time for sleep."

Kirby tilted his head curiously as he watched her sit on one of the two beds in the sole bedroom of the apartment. Turning to the other, he pouted briefly before jumping on Raven's bed.

"Nu-uh," she denied, picking him up by the top of his head and casually tossing him onto the other bed. "That's your bed. Sleep there."

Sitting up, he pouted at her; but she didn't back down.

"You have your bed, and I have mine. Now, go to sleep."

She then turned off the lights and laid down, turning around so her back was to the little alien. Smiling in the darkness, he got to his feet and prepared to jump, but he tripped and fell back on the covers when Raven spoke up.

"Don't even think about it."

The little guy had a pouty face for about an hour before he fell asleep on his own bed.

"Raven was here…?" Taiyang asked as he sat in the chair that, unknown to him, his ex-wife had sat in earlier that day. "What did she want?"

Ruby shared a look with Yang, and the elder sister nodded once. Turning to her father, the younger sister answered, "She said that she wanted to see Yang… She also told us… She told us…"

"She told us about Salem," Yang spoke up, knowing that Ruby was too nervous.

Taiyang froze at that, having hoped that his daughters would've stayed blissfully ignorant of that…monster. Flashbacks of his time with Team STRQ and the missions they went on involuntarily raced through his mind, and he clenched his eyes shut to stave them off.

"Dad," Ruby spoke up again, "she told us that you and mom worked for some guy named Ozpin… Did you?"

The man sighed deeply, rubbing his face in slight frustration. "…yes, our team completed missions for Ozpin against Salem. Ozpin still employs Qrow for missions to this day."

"Raven said that she grew sick of the missions and quit…" Yang continued.

Nodding, Taiyang explained, "It felt like we were doing the same thing for a long time, but nothing was changing despite our efforts. So, she walked away, and I followed her when she told me that she was pregnant." Looking to his oldest daughter he continued, "We were still together at the time, and I didn't want to be risking my life before you were born. Raven and Qrow grew up without parents, and they were raised by the Branwen Tribe. I know that doesn't excuse her, but I thought part of why she left was because she knew she couldn't be the mother that you needed, Yang…"

The young woman frowned and looked away from her father's gaze. This allowed Ruby to ask, "Did mom die on a mission for Ozpin…?"

Taiyang winced at that. "…yes, sweetheart. She died while helping some other Huntsmen scout the Land of Darkness. Ozpin believed that Summer would be fine, given the fact that she had a gift very few Huntsmen ever had."

"Silver eyes," the two sisters whispered.

"I'm guessing Raven told you about the Silver-Eyed Warriors, huh?" At their nods, he continued, "Silver eyes are said to hold the power to extinguish Grimm, and Ozpin believed that Summer was skilled enough to survive the scouting mission."

To their concern, he frowned and clenched one of his hands into a trembling fist.

"I tried to tell her not to go. You both were still so young, and I didn't want her to risk dying out there and not coming back home. Summer…told me that she had to do the mission, because it could help end the fight against Salem and give you and future generations a world free of her. She sounded more like Ozpin and less like herself that day…"

"Raven said that Ozpin wasn't too happy when mom started having her own doubts," Yang mentioned.

"That was an understatement. When Summer started talking about settling down and retiring as a Huntress, Ozpin looked ready to panic. My guess is that Summer was the only Silver-Eyed Warrior on his side, and he knew that he'd lose ground against Salem if Summer left. He was practically begging her when he started his usual speeches about what our actions would mean in the long run."

"Dad… It sounds like he only wanted her for her eyes…" Ruby commented anxiously.

"That's exactly why he wanted her, Ruby. And I have no doubt that he'll pull quite a few strings when he finds out you also have silver eyes. I know that you want to get into Beacon, and I'm beyond proud that you want to be a Huntress like your mother…"

He paused for a moment; his eyes closed while his brows furrowed.

"But be careful around Ozpin if you get enrolled. I know that he'll try to convince you to join his cause, and I don't want to see you be swayed by him like Summer was…"

The sisters looked rightfully worried at his words. "Should we even enroll in Beacon, then?" Yang asked.

"I'm not trying to talk you out of it. I'm only saying that I want you to choose your own futures; not have someone influence them for you."

Ruby leaned into Yang, and she instinctively wrapped an arm around the young Rose's shoulders. "…you and Raven may have split, but you both have the same opinions about Ozpin."

"Raven has a more aggressive opinion of him than I do; which I'm admittedly conflicted about," Taiyang confessed.

"What do you mean?" Ruby queried.

"Raven and Summer were surprisingly close, despite their opposing personalities and ideals. Raven was almost ruthless and believed in strength over all else, while Summer was compassionate and believed in people. However, they had an almost sisterly bond between them. Raven would occasionally worry over her while Summer would try and get her to open up. It was Summer who convinced Raven to give me a chance, despite Summer liking me too."

"Wait, mom backed off for Raven…?" Yang asked in slight shock.

"She did. She was also there for me when Raven left, and I think she kept in touch with Raven for a few years…until she died."

The sisters shared a glance when Taiyang looked to the floor. Raven had confessed as much to them earlier that she kept in touch with Summer and watched over them after her death. Hearing that their father had his own suspicions helped them believe Raven's words.

'I guess she was telling us the truth,' Yang mused in her mind.

She had her doubts, but Yang was glad that her biological mother, despite leaving, genuinely cared about her. Over the years, a small part of her was afraid that she wasn't good enough, and Raven left because of that. Realizing that Raven truly loved her eased those fears.

That didn't mean she would suddenly welcome Raven back in her life; but she wouldn't outright deny her a chance.

The following morning found Raven in a small clearing in the forests surrounding Patch. A wooden stick, roughly the length of a sword, was in her hand while Kirby had one that was more his size.

"Watch me now, kid," Raven instructed, taking a basic stance with both hands holding her pretend weapon.

"Poyo?" Kirby asked curiously, looking at the stick in his hand before slowly and awkwardly copying her stance. He guessed that he did something correct when Raven nodded to him.

"Good. Now, we'll go over a few basic moves. Like this," she began, showing a downward chopping strike. "Exactly as I do, Kirby."

She repeated the motion a few more times, and Kirby quickly understood what she wanted him to do. So, while shaky and a bit awkward, Kirby followed her movements and performed the chopping strikes alongside his adoptive guardian.

This went on for some time, with Raven also showing Kirby some sidelong strikes that went from both right to left and the reverse. She was pleased to see that Kirby's movements weren't as awkward as earlier. Sure, they weren't the best; but she knew he was trying.

"Okay, that's enough!" she declared, stopping her alien student. She saw that he was slightly tired and was sweating quite a bit from the lessons. "Let's take a break for a minute."

She sat down at her suggestion, and Kirby sighed in relief before waddling over to her. She rose a brow before sighing herself when he got comfortable in her lap and snuggled against her.

"You're rather clingy, kid…" she muttered, prompting him to look up at her and smile. A faint smile formed on her lips, practically unnoticeable to anyone; but Kirby saw it and turned around in her lap so that he could hug her midsection. Gently pushing him away, she commented, "That's enough of that…"

She then stood up – prompting Kirby to get back on his feet – and headed over to a small case that, when opened, housed a practice sword. In reality, it was more like an elongated knife to Raven; but it was a sword for someone of Kirby's size.

Raven motioned Kirby over and handed him the blunted weapon, watching him hold the sword curiously but carefully while she retrieved the stick that she had been using earlier. She stood across from the little alien and took her stance.

"Now, I want you to attack me with the moves I showed you," she instructed, but saw that he was still observing the practice sword. "Kirby," she said firmly, getting his attention. She jostled the stick in her hands and repeated, "Attack me."

He looked at her and then at the sword again, repeating the action a few more times before frowning and shaking his head.

'He must be worried I'll get hurt,' she guessed, dropping her stance and moving over to him.

Taking the weapon from his grasp, she showed him the edge and ran her thumb down it. When she pulled back, she showed him that she was fine. The blade was so dull that there wasn't even a mark on her skin.

"See? It won't cut me," she assured him before handing him back the practice weapon. Resuming her previous position and stance, she instructed, "Attack me!"

He frowned again before, to her chagrin, he inhaled the sword and swallowed it. Giving a small burp, he smiled happily while she sighed.

"No, Kirby. That's not- Huh?"

She cut herself off when Kirby glowed as bright as a star for a moment before, with a small burst of stardust, he was revealed with some new additions. The first was the new sword that he had in his grasp, which was a double-edged weapon with a blue guard and handle that had a star symbol in the center of the guard on both sides.

The second addition was a hat that now resided on his head. It was a green, conic cap with a yellow trim and an equally yellow cotton ball at the point. It was admittedly cute on him.

With an adorable look of determination, Kirby raised his new sword skyward with a cry of, "Hiya!"

'Interesting… So, not only can he inhale and swallow grim by the dozens, but he can also swallow other objects and gain new looks from them. I wonder if his sword is just for show, or if it's the real thing…'

Deciding to test it for herself, Raven retook her stance and nodded to Kirby for him to begin. Unlike before, where he looked concerned about attacking her, now he looked ready and launched himself at her with a flipping roll that had him look like a bladed ball.

She sidestepped and held out her stick to deflect, but his new sword sliced through the fake weapon without losing any momentum. Hopping back, Raven mused, "Okay, so the sword's definitely the real deal."

Kirby landed perfectly on his feet, his sword outstretched in a post-swing before he turned around and assumed the stance Raven had shown him before. He didn't move, keeping a cute frown on his face while his blue eyes were practically ablaze in anticipation.

Smiling proudly, Raven moved over to her sword, Omen, and unsheathed it without any Dust enhancement. She then took the same stance as him, smirking at him as he smirked back.

"Go!" she declared, standing her ground as her student charged once again.

A few hours later, and Raven had called an end to their training. Both were sweaty and tired, but she was beyond pleased with how skilled Kirby had become after swallowing the practice sword. It was almost as if he had become a master of the blade the moment that he created his own sword.

This made her curious about what else he could be capable of, and some possible theories flowed through her mind. She then noticed something peculiar when Kirby concentrated for a moment before, in another flash of stardust, he was no longer wearing his hat or holding his sword.

Instead, he had a green star in his hands that had a basic image of a sword on the face. He then casually tossed it over his shoulder and Raven watched as it shattered into more stardust that scattered in the breeze.

"So, the slight transformation he underwent was temporary," she assumed, mentally noting everything down. "I can only guess that he can have a single transformation at a time, and he can dismiss it at will. But can they be forced out of him, as well?"

Kirby meanwhile was curiously looking through the bag that Raven had brought along, and he puled out a vial of light blue – almost white – powder from its contents. Curious about it, he waddled over to his guardian and showed her the vial.

"Hmm?" she responded when she was broken from her thoughts, noticing the vial he was presenting her. "Oh, this is Dust."

"Poyo…?"

"Dust," she repeated, taking the vial from him. "Specifically, this is Ice Dust. It is concentrated energy that can freeze things."

To demonstrate, she poured a pinch of the Dust into her palm and used her Aura to have it react. The Dust became a bird feather made entirely of ice, and Kirby made a noise of awe before cheering excitedly.

"Maybe we can have you try using Ice Dust on your sword the next time you make one," she suggested before noting that the vial was no longer in her hand and was now being guzzled down by the pink marshmallow that she was taking care of. "Kirby, no!" she exclaimed, but was too late since he had swallowed it all. "Wonderful…"

Her annoyed face soon turned to wonder when, in yet another flash of stardust, Kirby had changed. His pink skin had become a whitish-blue pigmentation, though he still had his pink cheeks. He had also gained a crown that was made entirely of ice upon his head, and the air around them had taken a noticeable dip in temperature; enough for Raven to see her breath.

"Incredible," she gasped out, her crimson eyes wide in amazement as Kirby skated along the ground as if he were on an ice rink, leaving frozen trails in his wake as he performed pirouetting jumps and glided along the ground with a happy giggle. "He must have absorbed to properties of whatever he swallowed, and these transformations are representations of those very properties. That's why he had a sword when he swallowed the practice weapon and why he has these ice powers when he swallowed the corresponding Dust."

Raven observed Kirby skate along the ground for a time, watching him enjoy himself and finding that she was faintly enjoying the little spectacle before her. Truly, she had found something amazing in this alien boy when he had crash landed just outside the Branwen Tribe's territory. Fortunately, she was no longer a part of said tribe, and was devoted to the protection of her daughter, of Summer's daughter, and the little alien skating around before her eyes.

"I wonder," she mused, feeling some excitement for the first time in a great while, "what else you could be capable of, Kirby…"

The little guy didn't answer her, for he was just enjoying the time spent with his guardian. He didn't know why she was looking after him, but he could feel that she was sincere in her actions. He might be considered a baby amongst the Star Warriors, but Kirby knew that Raven would keep him safe and help him grow strong.

However, Kirby didn't know what was coming, for there were threats both within Remnant and outside of it. And one of the biggest threats was beyond the stars like he was.

He would need to prepare for the oncoming darkness.

And that's the end!

I know this chapter is short in terms of length, so I'm gonna be upfront with you right now.

This is my ONLY story I have ever made that has ZERO elements of Naruto in it at all. I've done nothing but Naruto stories throughout my time as a Fanfiction writer, and I want to branch out a bit.

As such, I struggle a little to give these chapters some real length. Hopefully, as the story progresses, I'll be able to pump out longer chapters.

Anyway, Raven has discovered the power of Kirby's famous Copy Ability. So far, she's only witness Sword and Ice Copies, but more will come as time goes on. Also, Yang and Ruby have had a much-needed talk with their father about Ozpin and Summer, and Yang has accepted that Raven is genuinely trying to be in her life more.

Will mother and daughter reconnect? And will the girls still go to Beacon knowing what they do now?

Also, how am I doing with a more "motherly" Raven and her moments with Kirby? Let me know in your reviews!

Before I sign off, I have two more things:

First: the list of stories I have given up on are on my profile page. If you wish to take it, send me a PM and we'll go from there.

Second: I have a poll up. So, please vote!

Until next time!

Stay safe, healthy, and positive!

Dreaming of the Future

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