A/N: Italics=Thoughts

"And that's the whole story." Taiyang said as he poked at the wood in the fire.

Weiss couldn't believe the hatred Yang had to endure. She put her face in her hands. Sorrow for her friend began to wrap around her heart. "If only I had refused Jacques, then I could have stayed with Yang so she wouldn't have been alone."

"Hey! None of that now, you hear. Was nothin you could have done about it." He said as if reading the diminutive girl's thoughts.

Weiss looked up from her hands. She saw the steely gaze from Taiyang. It nearly made her jump. "How can you say that? Aren't you worried about her? Are you even sure she's safe with this mother of hers? Don't you want to look for her?"

The blond man sighed. He threw the stick behind him haphazardly. "Of course I'm worried Weiss, but I've been down this road not once, not twice, but three times already in my life. I have found that there is no point in getting all put down from the things that have already happened. It's better to focus on something that can make a difference and move forward." The hunter picked up some dry grass and threw it at the campfire. "As for Raven. I can't think of a place safer for Yang than by her mother. The tribe that Raven is in charge of is very elusive. Typically, you won't find them unless they want you to find them. So to that end, trying to look for Yang would be fruitless. That's why I'm looking for Ruby. Not to mention, Raven is very strong. Trust me when I say that there is no one that I know of or heard of that can beat Raven in a fight. So I don't really have to worry too much about Yang. Raven will make sure she is safe."

"Well, if you are certain then I suppose there is nothing to really worry too much about then." Weiss could see the wisdom in the older man's words. He clearly has experienced a lot and the former heiress did not think it her place to try to dispute him. Weiss would take this as some form of life advice. After all, Taiyang had made it sound as if it were as such.

The huntsman smiled. "Look, if this was the Raven from seventeen years ago, then I would be a lot more concerned."

Weiss frowned in confusion. "What do you mean by that?"

Taiyang chuckled softly. "When Raven was younger, she was...how do I explain it? Hmmm. Ah! She was similar to Yang. Stubborn, usually thought the best way to deal with a problem was to just go through it and was hotheaded. Well, not nearly as hot headed as Yang, but still hotheaded. Thing is though, seventeen years is a good long time. More than enough time for someone to change. When I came upon Raven that night, I could immediately tell that she was not the same woman from all those years ago. Experience had turned her into something far greater. She had matured well beyond that."

Weiss gave Taiyang a deadpanned look. "Sounds like you still care for this woman. You almost practically gushed about her."

Taiyang blinked several times at his shorter companion. "Eh? Really? Well, there is no denying that I still have a thing for her. I figured that out a looooooong time ago."

The teen shook her head. She could definitely see where Yang got some of her compassion from. A thought had just occurred to her. She had began to wonder about the adorable dog that she had loved so much. Weiss crossed her right leg over her left from atop the tree stump she sat at. "Where is Zwei? You told me about how he fought. Why is he not here then? Surely he could have been of some help."

"I left him with Glynda. She is definitely the more responsible and more mature one of those three. I didn't want to bring the little guy because I have a feeling that things are gonna get a little too dangerous for him."

Weiss nodded. She could agree with that logic. She didn't want anything bad to happen to that cute little dog. The white-haired girl jumped when Taiyang sat right next her and swung his arm around her shoulders. She looked up to see him beaming down at her.

"Now then. No more sad stuff or serious crap alright? Let's talk about something a little less on the dreary side and more on the fun side!"

Weiss smiled. "Really? Like what?"

Taiyang smirked mischievously at her. "Well, since the girls probably thought I was too lame to talk about, I thought I would tell you some cute stories about when they were little."

Weiss' eyes widened. Oh this she had to know. She would not contain her curiosity from this. This information was very important. The teen leaned toward Taiyang. "It is imperative that you tell me these stories. Any amount of ammunition that I can gather against them, especially Yang, would be greatly appreciated."

The older man chuckled. "Oh boy. Seems like the girls must have played a prank or two on her." He looked up at the night sky. Stroking his stubble, Taiyang snapped his fingers. He grinned down at Weiss. "Let me tell you about the time when Yang ran around town with a diaper on her head."

"Go on."

"You see, one day me and Summer went into town. We took Yang with us since we had no one who could look after her. Yang had soiled her diaper and Summer took her into the bathroom to change her. Apparently, after Summer had taken the dirty diaper, she turned around for a few moments to throw it away. However, when she looked back down, Yang was gone and so was the new diaper. Summer came running out yelling my name. Naturally, I came running to her and she told me that Yang ran off somewhere. Before we started to look, we heard giggling. Next thing we know, Yang is running down the street naked, with her clean diaper on her head. Now you would think that we would have caught her, but that wasn't the case." He paused as he took a swig of his canteen. Wiping his mouth, Taiyang continued. "Before I could get my hands on her, she crawled underneath some low hanging boxes. Before I knew it, she was already standing and running to the end of the alley. We spent fifteen minutes chasing around a naked kid with a diaper on her head. Honestly, I had no idea babies could be so fast and elusive. At the end of it all, she was laughing and clapping her hands...She was also very dirty."

He looked down to see a very red faced Weiss. Her cheeks were puffed out and her hand on her mouth to keep her from laughing. Eventually, she couldn't hold in her laughter and began to laugh uncontrollably. Her legs were kicking as she pounded the stump with her hands. "I've got a lot more stories where that came from."

Weiss immediately stopped. She fixed a serious look at the huntsman. The teen grabbed his shirt to pull him down. She looked him in the eyes. "Tell me everything."

Taiyang smirked. "Of course!"

Yang once again found herself clashing with her mother. The clanging sounds of metal against metal echoed. Raven had deemed Yang good enough to move up to the next level in her training. Using a real sword.

CLANG!

Their swords meet once more. Sparks flying from their clash.

Yang was thrown away from Raven. Her back hit the ground, but instead of lying flat when she landed, Yang threw her legs up and back to roll backwards away from her mother. She then managed to get her feet under her and she jumped away just in time to avoid her mother's red sword. The blow split the ground and formed a small fisher.

The blonde landed and instantly jumped at her the tribe leader. As soon as she landed within striking distance, Raven quickly swung her blade horizontally, only for Yang to jumped and flipped over her to get at her backside. However, Raven had anticipated this. She ducked down and quickly kicked out her daughter's legs. Causing Yang to gasp in surprise. Just as the blonde was falling, the older woman swung up diagonally. Yang was barely able to bring up her own sword to block the attack.

The strike from her mother sent her sailing through the air. She twirled three times before landing painfully on her head. Yang sat up while holding her head. She started to feel the power again. The teen felt the power flowing through her veins, just like it did when her and Dove were attacked in the forest. It made her pain fade away and replaced it with the euphoric rush that she had wanted. Yang smirked. She began to chuckle darkly.

Raven raised a single brow. She watched as her daughter stood up. She noticed a faint golden, fiery aura wrap around her. When her daughter turned around, she was meet with a monstrous grin that showed the whites of her teeth. Her scarlet eyes glowing menacingly. She also noted how her eyes were now bloodshot, but instead of the veins being red, they were pure yellow. Raven frowned. "Foolish child!"

Yang sprinted at her mother. She swung her sword at Raven. The obsidian-haired woman responded by parrying her attack. The tribe leader brought up her sword to block another attack. She placed her right foot in between her daughter's feet and wrapped her left arm around Yang's sword arm. This effectively locked Yang in place. Next, Raven struck her with the kashira of her weapon. Yang's head shot back. Once the older woman had effectively stunned and dazed her daughter, she released her right arm and grabbed the scruff of her shirt. Raven then cartwheeled over Yang and used the momentum and her own strength, to throw the teen onto the ground.

Before Yang could recover, Raven jumped on top of her. She pressed the blunt edge against her daughter's neck. "YANG! GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF!" Raven was meet with a growl. She balled up her fist and struck her daughter hard across her face with the red metal of her gauntlets. "GET CONTROL OF YOURSELF YANG!"

Yang groaned as she blinked several times. Her red eyes stopped glowing and the golden veins in her eyes receded. The blonde shook her head. "Ugh. Wha...OUCH! OWOWOWOW!"

Raven lifted herself off of her daughter. She watched as Yang began to blurt expletives while rubbing the side of her face. "It's about time you finally regained control of yourself."

Yang looked up at her mother. "Huh? What the hell do you mean!?

"Tell me Yang. Do you know what just happened? What was the last thing you remember?"

The young half faunus frowned. "So you just gonna dodge my question?"

Raven let out a frustrated sigh. "Just answer my questions and then we can get your question."

"Fine. I don't know what happened. I just remember feeling something rushing through me. And it felt really good. Like, really good." Yang looked up at the sky. "Just like the feeling I had back in the forest when those assholes came after me. I really liked that feeling. Just like I really enjoyed ripping those bastards apart." She brought her gaze back down to her mother. "Is this suppose to be the part where you tell me that's wrong and go on some triad about morality?"

"No. There is nothing wrong about finding joy and satisfaction in crushing your enemies. Nothing wrong about enjoying the feeling of utterly breaking your opponents. What is wrong, is when you let it control you. When you allow these sensations to control you, then you lose sight of what's important. You let these feelings control you, then you will likely hurt those you didn't want to hurt." Raven watched as her daughter dropped her head. She sighed as she knelt down. The older woman gently took hold of Yang's face and pushed it up to meet her gaze. "You need to understand that it is imperative that you control yourself Yang. Do you wish to harm the ones you care for? I'm sure you don't, but if you allow these sensations to take hold of you, then the people who will suffer will be the ones around you. There is also something else at work here Yang."

"What? What is it?"

"You have never felt power like this in you. Power has a price Yang. A price that destroys many a person. In the instances that you felt the Phoenix's power rushing around inside of you, it used the joy and pleasure you felt from crushing your opponents and started to take control. Know this Yang. A power that you cannot control is useless." Raven put her hands on her daughter's shoulders."You must be the one who controls it, not the other way around. The power you have is no child's toy Yang. You alone have the power to save this world or destroy it. So you must use it wisely."

Yang looked away from her mother. It was now that she was starting to feel some form of shame. "How do I control this then? If this is something I'm suppose to be able to use, then why does it do this to me?" Yang said meekly. Her voice barely above a whisper.

"This happens because I believe that you are simply being introduced to too much power all at once. You're not ready for the amount you were using. You need to slowly acclimate to it. The Phoenix's original intent was for a person to be slowly and gradually introduced to it's might. However, in addition to that power using your feelings, it seems that your powerful emotions are able to repress that mechanism. As I said before, even the gods aren't perfect. The Phoenix did not account for this."

Yang sighed. It was true. She had always known that she was a very emotional person. Her emotions were always the source of her strength, but looking back on her life she realized that they were also her greatest weakness. Her emotions had gotten her into a lot of trouble. It was her emotions that nearly got her and Ruby killed when they were children. It was the lack of control over her emotions that got her arm cut off. But that was just they way she is. She was just the kind of person who wore her heart on her sleeve. She never hid what she felt.

"Yang." Raven said as she stood up. "You aren't the only who delights in the suffering of their enemies. You aren't the only who loves the thrill of combat. I share your feelings. However, I never allow them to control me. To do so would bring great harm to myself and the tribe." Sheathing her sword, the obsidian-haired woman walked over to her daughter's sword and placed it in its sheath. She looked over to her child. "No one here will tell you what you're feeling is wrong. You should enjoy the suffering of your enemies. Especially after they had made you suffer so. I'm not going to tell you that you're just like them if you be this way." She paused. The eyes of her daughter staring intently at her. As if her brain was absorbing every single word she said. "The truth is that you are nothing like them. You don't go around making terrorist attacks on humans or trying to bring destruction and despair to the world. You are someone who would never lay a hand on an innocent. You aren't willing to sacrifice people to attain your goals. No Yang. You are nothing like those monsters. However, as I have said before, you need to have strict control over those feelings."

"But how do I control them? I don't even know where to begin with doing something like that."

"You need to truly understand yourself. You may think you do, but your lack of control over yourself says otherwise. You need to understand how to defeat yourself. If you don't, then you will never be able to defeat people like Cinder, Salem, or Adam. Not only that either. Knowing how to defeat yourself will also help you to keep yourself in check." Raven walked over to Yang and held out her hand. Yang took it and allowed herself to be pulled up. "Luckily for you, I know the perfect person who can help you with that."

Yang leaned in slightly. "Really? Who?"

The older woman pulled her sword and swung it to create her portal. She sheathed her weapon and looked back at Yang. "The oldest member of the tribe. His name is Owl. He may not be very strong due to his age, but he is highly respected by all in the tribe. He is the wisest and most knowledgeable person we have. Even I go to him for advice every now and then. You would be smart to take what he says to heart Yang. He will help you with your problem. Now come. We go to him immediately."

Yang followed after her mother. She didn't know what to expect from this Owl, but she hoped that he would able to aid her.

Sun was sweating bullets. He could feel the Belladonna patriarch' eyes boring holes through his own. The monkey faunus gulped as his eyes began to frantically shift around the entire room. Looking for any place to make his escape if he should need to.

Ghira narrowed his eyes and spoke. "Do you know why I wanted to talk to you boy?" His voice just slightly below a growl.

The blonde goof started to tremble slightly. "Uhhh. N...no sir."

"Oh it's very simple really. You see, I know that you and my precious kitten will be traveling together. So I just wanted us to come to a small understanding with one another."

"R...really? Wh...what kind of understanding?" Sun did not like where this was going. It felt like the older faunus was straining himself to keep from jumping over his desk and rip out his jugular.

Ghira leaned back in his chair. "First, if you are going to be leaving with her, then you had better make sure she is able to come back safe and sound. Secondly, and far more importantly, you had best keep that thing in your pants. If I even suspect that you defiled my daughter." Ghira paused as he leaned over his desk and grabbed Sun's jacket. He pulled the young teen close. "Then I'm going to break every bone in your scrawny little body and then castrate you." The older man growled. "Do you understand boy?"

Sun was shaking in Ghira's grip. Images of the man breaking his bones and taking away his manhood flashing before his eyes. "Ye..yes sir! I understand sir!"

Ghria let the boy go. He dropped back down in his seat and smiled. "Good." He heard a knock on his door. He could tell that it was Blake by her scent. "Come in sweetheart!" The man said jovially.

"Dad. Have you seen Sun? It's almost time t-" Blake stopped as she opened the door to see her friend sitting across from her father. "Oh! This is where you have been. C'mon Sun! We have to go before the boat leaves without us." Blake turned around, leaving the two males alone. "HURRY UP SUN!" She yelled.

Sun stood up and began to make his way towards the door. "Boy?" Sun stopped dead in his tracks. He turned around to look at Blake's father. The island chief held a wide smile. "Do remember what we talked about."

Sun stood at attention and saluted stiffly. "Yes s..sir!" He stuttered before booking it towards his companion. He just wanted to get as far away as possible from the older man. He valued his life too much to even want to be around Blake's terrifying father for even a second longer.

Glynda was currently readying herself for work. She had a lot of things that needed to be done. Those people from the council weren't exactly making her life easier either. They kept trying to demand that she and the staff at Beacon leave the school to go hunting after Yang. Each time she refused them. She had come to understand that these politicians did not take kindly to being told no. The blonde woman didn't care though. They could huff and puff all they wanted, but the academy's staff was loyal to Ozpin and not the government.

After Glynda thought she was good and proper, she nodded. She left her bedroom and started making her way to the entrance of her home. The professor reached out to grab her keys on the table that she usually left them on. She raised a brow when she couldn't feel them. She looked down and frowned. "Where did I put those blasted things? I could have sworn I left them here."

Glynda then spent ten minutes looking for her keys. Frustration beginning to mount as time went on. Just as soon as she was about to lose her temper, she heard a jingle below her. When the blonde woman looked down, she saw Zwei holding her keys in his mouth. He was offering them to her. She bent down and took them. Glynda then smiled as she started to pet Zwei. "Good boy. I swear, you are a little furry angel."

Opening the door, she stepped out. Zwei came trotting out behind her. Before she could close her door, the small corgi used his head and pushed the door closed. After this was done, he looked up at his caretaker and barked. Glynda chuckled. "Well, you are far more of a gentleman than a lot of men that I have met."

After She locked her door, the blonde woman entered her car with Zwei in the passenger seat. Just before she started the vehicle, her scroll went off. Reaching in her pocket, she pulled it out to see who it was that was calling her. Upon seeing Peter's name, she answered it. "Yes Peter?"

"A man from the council and his people are here."

Glynda sighed. "Again? You would think after all the times we have refused them that they would give up." She said with an annoyed tone.

Peter chuckled. "They seem to be as stubborn as we are. I do hope you can get here Glynda. You are much better at this kind of stuff than we are."

"I'm on my way. Just keep them in the meeting room. Make sure they don't try to snoop around. Pretty sure Ozpin wouldn't have been too thrilled about them nosing around his office or something." She hung up and started up the engine of her car. The real reason she didn't want them poking around was because she didn't want them to find any information about the Maidens, the Relics, or the facility beneath Ozpin's office.

She let out a frustrated snarl. The blonde looked down at her furry friend. "I am really getting sick and tired of these politicians." Zwei barked. It always felt like he could understand exactly what she said. Glynda smiled and shook her head. She then reached over and put the seat belt through the harness that she bought for him. Bringing her attention back up to her dashboard, she put her vehicle into reverse. "Now let's go see if we can get rid of those idiots."

Yang followed her mother into a tent that smelled like the forest. Once inside, she saw an elderly man wearing a black and gray robe sitting in the center of the inside of his tent. He had feathers all over his head. They were brown-black to tawny-buff to pale creamy gray. There was dense freckling of these colors on his crown and forehead. He had stripes down his nape and the back of his neck. The elderly man also had long ear tufts that extended away from his head.

Owl was roused from his meditative state when he sensed that he had visitors. He opened his eyes to see Raven and her daughter. Owl's face wrinkled more than it already was when he smiled. "Ah! Raven! So good of you to come." He said in a low, hoarse voice. His vocal cords clearly worn out from age.

Raven did a small curt bow. She walked over to the elderly faunus to help him stand up. Once this was done, she grabbed his cane and gave it him. "It's good to see you too Owl. I will be blunt. I did not exactly come here for a visit."

Owl chuckled. He shook his head gingerly. "Of course. You never come by to just visit. You should though. I do enjoy the company of others." The old man then looked over to Yang. He limped over slowly towards her. He stopped just a few feet in front of her. "And this must be the great Phoenix. Oh what joy it is to know that I was able to see it before I die." He reached out gently stroked the golden feathers of Yang's wing. "What a beautiful shine your feathers have little bird." He looked back towards Raven. "I suppose she is the reason for this visit."

Raven nodded. "Yes. Yang needs your help."

"Oh. Help with what?"

"Yang does not know how to properly control her darker urges and emotions. They are so powerful that they shut down the Phoenix's safety measures when it comes to slowly introducing more of its power to her."

Owl began to stroke his chin. He squinted his eyes at Yang. Looking at her critically, the old man nodded his head. "You, young one, are playing a dangerous game. I can see all of your dark emotions swirling around inside of you uncontrollably. This will not do." He limped over to his kettle and began to pour out some water into a cup. "I'm afraid there is only one thing that can help."

The tribe leader's eyes widened. She instantly knew what the thing that Owl was referring to. "Are you certain of this Owl? This would make Yang very vulnerable to Salem and her inner circle."

"Yes. I am quite certain Raven. It is the only way."

Yang felt lost. She had no idea what these two were talking about. "Um. Excuse me." Yang blurted out. Both Raven and Owl turned their heads to the blonde. "Are you guys gonna keep talking in riddles or are you gonna tell me what's going on here? Because I am very lost."

Owl let out a hearty laugh. "I'm sorry little bird. Yes perhaps I should explain." He began to pour some sort of powdery substance into the hot water and started stir the contents inside his cup. "There is a place some miles to the west. It's called Mt. Gulg. You have to climb this mountain and reach the top."

The young half faunus was scratching her head. She was a now thoroughly confused. "How does climbing a mountain help me exactly?"

"Your emotions are powerful. It is as your mother says. They are repressing the inhibitor inside you and allowing too much of the Phoenix's power to flow through you. To be able to properly stop this, you must learn to conquer yourself."

"Is this some sort of trial where I go and get rid of the darkness inside of me? Because this sounds strangely familiar to a retro video game I played when I was little."

Owl laughed. He started tapping the bottom of his cane on the ground. "Oh no child. That's not what I am talking about when I say that you must conquer yourself. That only happens in those games of yours. Nothing, but fiction that is. It is impossible to banish darkness from yourself. You need to remember something. Dark is not inherently evil and light is not inherently good." He paused as he took a sip from his cup. "No. These sensations that you feel are fine. I'm sure Raven has already told you this, but I'll say it again. The joy and pleasure you feel from breaking your enemies in twine is not the part that is bad. It is your lack of control over these feelings that is bad. This trial is to allow you to learn how to control these feelings and therefore, allow the Phoenix's power to come to you slowly and naturally."

Yang nodded. This made more sense to her. She then frowned and looked back the old man. "What exactly will I find at the top?"

"That, my dear, is for you to find out." He laughed as he saw a pout form on Yang's face. "Come now. If I told you, then that would destroy the joy of the adventure. Mystery and unraveling that mystery is part of what makes adventures so much fun!"

The blonde sighed while shaking her head. She was liking this old man more and more. "Alright then. If this is the only way, then I will climb the shit out of that mountain."

"Be careful little bird. A word of caution. There are a large number of Grimm that inhabit that mountain. The climb will not be as easy as you think. The trial at the top will prove to be even harder."

Yang gave shocked look. "How many Grimm we talkin about here exactly?"

"Lots. Hundreds even." He said as he looked her dead in the eyes.

"Ah! Well, that sounds just peachy." Yang said sarcastically. She was hoping he wouldn't have said that. She could kill a lot of Grimm, but hundreds? There was no way for her to deal with all of that at her current level. No. Yang reasoned that if she was to reach the top, then she would have to pick her battles wisely. Not just to keep herself from being overwhelmed from the Grimm, but also to conserve her energy for the climb.

Owl smiled and turned around to put down his cup. He walked over to Raven. "Raven, my dear, could help me lay down. My knees aren't what they use to be."

"Of course." The bandit queen gently lowered the old faunus down onto his bed.

"Thank you. Now if you don't mind I think I will take my nap now. I feel very tired." Owl said as he yawned into his hand.

"Very well. Come Yang." Just as her daughter stepped out, Raven turned towards the elderly bird faunus. "I will be sure to tell Dove that you are out of your medication."

Owl flinched. His face paled at the mention of his medicine. "Oh must you really? That stuff tastes horrible!"

"Don't be such a baby. You need it." Raven chastised.

"Hmpf. Those eyes of yours are too observant for my liking."

The obsidian-haired woman rolled her eyes. It always amazed her how childish Owl could be. For as old as he is, he still acted like a child at times. Once she walked out of the tent, she looked to her daughter. "Listen to me Yang. Do not take this lightly. This will be your most difficult test yet. If you have to, you can retreat from and come back and then attempt it again. It helps no one if you die up there."

Yang could tell that Raven was worried about her. In the time that she had spent with her mother, she had become use to seeing beneath the older woman's exterior. She smiled. "Don't worry. I'll be sure not to be stupid. Annnnnnnd since I don't want to die, I won't be trying to fight all of the Grimm. After all, I only have to reach the top and do whatever trial that is up there and then come back down."

"Just...just be careful Yang. You will have to use all of that which you have learned if you hope to overcome the mountain."

"Alright alright. I promise I won't be stupid."

Raven was still feeling apprehensive about this. She wasn't exactly sure if Yang was ready to face what lied at the top of the mountain, but Owl has never steered her wrong before. If Owl believes that this was the only way, then she would trust in his judgment. On the plus side, this could give her the time to do something she had been meaning to do for a while. She looked at Yang. "I know we didn't get through a lot of your training today, but I want you to take the day off. Take this time to rest and prepare for the mountain. For tomorrow, at dawn, you leave for ."

Yang watched as her mother disappeared into the bulk of the camp. She sighed. The teen knew she was going to have her work cut out for herself tomorrow. She had the distinct feeling that this whole thing was gonna hurt.

It was late afternoon. The sky had turned orange as the sun started to set in the distance. Yang sat at the edge of the camp with a with book and pencil in her hands. She was moving the graphite point gracefully across the page of her book. Occasionally, she would look up from her book and then look back down. The blonde had asked the tribe if she could have a book with empty pages and a few pencils. This request surprised some of the tribe members. Of all of the things she could have requested for, she chose something as simple as an empty book and a few pencils. Of course they were more than happy to comply with what she asked for. After all, besides this, Yang had only ever asked them if there were ways for her to help them with the things they needed in order to complete their tasks.

Raven walked by to see Yang sitting on a patch of grass looking down at something. She stared curiously at her daughter for a few moments. "What is she doing?" The tribe leader continued to stare at the blonde teen before finally deciding to see for herself. Whatever it is that Yang was doing, Raven could tell that she was fully concentrating on it. Once she reached Yang, she bent down and moved her head just over her the girl's shoulder to see a very detailed drawing of the scenery in front of them. Raven was quite impressed. Yang had managed to draw down every detail.

Raven could see her daughter sticking her tongue out part way as she concentrated on her work. It was then that she realized that the blonde had yet to notice her presence. A mischievous glint sparkled in her red eyes. "That is a very good drawing Yang."

"SHIT!" Yang yelled as she threw her book up. She fell over in surprise. Looking up at the source of her near heart attack, she saw her mother smirking down at her. "FOR DUST'S SAKE! STOP DOING THAT! HOW DO YOU EVEN DO THIS?" Yang screamed at her mother while holding her chest. Her heart still racing from her mother's surprise.

"Well, I do keep telling you to be more aware of your surroundings." Raven mocked as she held out hand. The book that Yang had been drawing in landed in her palm.

The half-breed's eyes went wide. She quickly stood up and walked to the older woman. "I'll just take this back now." Just as Yang was about to take back her book, Raven had quickly moved it away from her. "Hey! Give it back!"

"Hmmmm" Raven hummed out. She looked thoughtfully up to the sky. Bringing her gaze back to her daughter, she grinned. "No. I am curios to see what other things you've drawn. I never knew you were so adept with art."

Yang started to growl as her fists were shaking. "Give it back dammit!" She lunged at Raven. Unfortunately for Yang, her mother was far too fast for her. So instead of grabbing onto her and taking her book back, she fell face first into the dirt.

"Come now. What exactly are you trying to hide from me? The way you're acting is only making me want to see inside this even more. If you want it back that badly, then you will just have try to take it back."

Yang picked herself up. She turned to see that Raven had already opened the book and began to flip through it. The fiery girl let out a snarl. She ran at the obsidian-haired woman and reached to snatch the book away, only for her to grab at air. She blinked several times. Yang had lost sight of her mother and began to frantically turn her head from side to side to try to find her.

"My these are quite good! Very photo-realistic. You have excellent attention to detail."

Yang whipped her head around to see Raven sitting on a thick branch with her back leaning against the trunk of the tree. She calmly flipped the page. Yang started to look from the spot her mother was sitting at, to the spot where she was but a few moments ago. She then stopped to gawk at her mother. "How? How in the fuck did she get all the way over there so damn quickly? What the hell is this woman?" Yang watched as the bandit queen casually flipped another page. Sweat was beginning to run down her face. She could tell by the number of pages that were left that her mother was close to a certain set of drawings she really didn't want her to see. "Al...alright come on. You hav...have seen enough. I like to draw, okay. It's a hobby I picked up when I was a kid."

Raven hummed in response. "That makes sense. No wonder these are so finely detailed. You have spent years perfecting this skill. Although I still get the feeling that you are trying to hide something from me."

Yang blanched as her mother flipped another page. Panic began to set in her mind. "What? No I'm not trying to hide anything from you. Don't be silly." Yang began to laugh nervously as she rubbed the back of her head. "I just want it back so I can continue my drawing. That's all."

"You're a horrible liar Yang. Just what exactly is in here that you don't wan-" Raven paused abruptly when she saw the next picture. It was her daughter's partner. However, it wasn't the fact that it was Yang's partner that caused the older woman to pause. No. It was that Yang had drawn Blake Belladonna naked with great detail. Every curve, every slope, even every strand hair was drawn with meticulous attention to detail. It was like Raven was looking at the real thing in front of her. "Oh. I see. So this is why you didn't want me to look."

Raven looked over to see her daughter's face was completely red with embarrassment. She could swear she saw steam coming out of her ears. The obsidian-haired woman chuckled. "Teens are so easily embarrassed." Turning the page rewarded Raven with more images of the Belladonna girl. Most of them were just of her head and most showed her smiling. "Oh yes. Yang is quite smitten with this girl."

The older woman thought that she had embarrassed her child enough and threw the book at her. She watched as Yang fumbled with it for a few moments before finally getting it under control. The tribe leader jumped down from the tree. She walked over to Yang, whose face was still a deep shade of red. "So I assume that no one knows about your artistic abilities?"

"N...no. Not even Blake"

"Are you sure she doesn't? Because that nude drawing is very detailed. Like as if she modeled for you. Which means you've seen her naked before."

Yang gasped. "I...I never asked her to do that! The only reason I know what she looks like without clothes is because she needed help with cleaning herself when she was injured from a school mission!"

Raven gave Yang a smirk that would put even the devil to shame. "So what you're telling me is that you drew that from memory? My my. I didn't realize I gave birth to a such a dirty minded girl."

Yang gave her mother a blank look. It was then that she realized that she had fallen for the older woman's trap. She then narrowed her eyes while forming a frown on her face. "You're pure evil."

Raven shrugged. "You're the one who fell for it. Not me." The older woman rolled her eyes as Yang stuck her tongue out at her. "At any event, it is clear that the Belladonna girl is your muse. So you had best get strong enough to protect her." Just before Raven disappeared into the camp, she turned toward her daughter. "You should start preparing yourself for tomorrow Yang. Trust me. You will have quite an ordeal tomorrow."

Yang sighed as she watched her mother go back into the camp. Of course her mother was right. The blonde began her trek back to her tent to mentally prepare herself for the hardships she would be facing tomorrow.

She briefly stopped at the entrance of her tent and looked up at the sky. The stars were just starting to appear in the now twilight sky. A mental image of Blake flashed before her eyes. "Don't worry Blake. I'm gonna get strong enough to make sure that fucking asshole can't hurt you anymore." Yang then entered her tent. She looked at the sword her mother gave her. Taking it out of it's sheath, Yang began to inspect it. She sat down and pulled out whet stone and began to slide across the blade. She thought it would be prudent of her to perform maintenance on it. After all, she would most likely need it for the trial ahead.

It was now dawn. The sun was just barely peeking over the horizon. The entire tribe had gathered outside to see Yang off on her journey to Mt. Gulg

Yang stood a few yards away from the tribe. The only thing she was allowed to carry was the sword her mother gave her. Owl had said that if she wanted food or water, then she would have find them herself.

Yang turned around and started wave at the tribe with a large smile on her face. Some of them waved back and yelled words of encouragement. She turned around and closed her eyes to concentrate. In a matter of moments, a bird the size of a child appeared. It's feathers held a golden metallic sheen to them. The tail feathers were curled elegantly behind it. The bird had a sharp, hooked beak of medium length. It had a large set of anisodactyl feet with thick toes and legs. The beautiful golden aves' pure red eyes glowed as it spread it's wings and then took flight.

Raven watched as her daughter flew west towards the mountain. Her face held no emotion. She closed her eyes and sighed. The tribe leader was hoping that her daughter wouldn't come across anyone from Salem's inner circle. She reasoned that if Yang stayed in her bird form then she wouldn't have to worry about that. Only her and the tribe knew what Yang looked like as a bird.

"She will be fine. I am certain that she will come back successful."

Raven opened her eyes to look down at the slightly hunched form of Owl. "I believe you. Yang has everything she needs in order to come out victorious from the mountain."

Owl chuckled. "Well, if she's anything like you then she will overcome what lies at the top. Just like you did when you needed to prove that you were fit to lead us. As I recall, you weren't that much older than her when you challenged it "

Raven hummed in response. She frowned as she turned around and started to walk away. The tribe leader was not exactly looking forward to what she had planned to do today.

Owl looked up at the younger faunus and sighed. He knew that look. "Going to go and visit him? I do hope it doesn't turn into a fight like it did five years ago."

"That will be up to him. I'm not going there looking for a fight, but if he should bring one to me then I shall remind him of his place." Raven slashed her weapon at the air. A hellish orifice opened up and she stepped in.

Owl sighed. He looked sadly at the spot where Raven once stood. He began to make his way to his tent. "Looks like those two still haven't made up with each other. How long will they be at odds with one another?"

"Hmph. That girl will not succeed." A haughty voice rang.

"Oh? And what makes you say that Robin?"

"She is an outsider. That girl is weak. I don't care if she is Raven's daughter. She won't even get up halfway before she comes back down crying like a baby." Robin said snidely. Her disdain for Yang clearly evident.

Owl narrowed his eyes. He then swatted the crown of her head with his cane.

"Ow! What the hell was that for!?" She said as she rubbed her head.

"You would do well not to underestimate others Robin. Yang will surprise you. That girl is much stronger than you think. She will make you eat your words."

"Ha! I doubt it. That girl knows nothing of our ways. She will show me nothing. She will fail."

Owl sighed as he began to rub his eyes. "Your arrogance will be your downfall young Maiden. You are just asking for trouble now." Owl then walked away from the young girl. He felt that he had quite enough of the girl's ignorance. He knew that she would be taught her lesson soon enough.

Yang had been flying for an hour. She could now see the mountain in the distance. It was massive. She couldn't even see the summit. It was above the clouds. It was then that she realized that she was going to have a lot more of a climb than she had originally thought.

Her eyes widened in surprise as she heard two very familiar voices. She looked down to see two people. Two people that she definitely knew. Even from how high she was, Yang could clearly make out the two people beneath her. It was Weiss and her father. She decided that she would check in on them and began to descend towards them. Yang picked a tree near them and carefully flew into it to stay hidden and perched herself on a nice, sturdy branch.

"I still can't get over that Yang ran around naked with a diaper on her head." Weiss said as she giggled.

Yang's scarlet eyes glowed menacingly. She puffed out her chest and slightly raised her wings. "Are you fucking serious!? He told her that damn story!? You are in so much fucking trouble old man! Just you wait. I'm going to get you back for that!"

Taiyang laughed. "I knew you would like that one. It's personally one of my favorites. Just don't tell Yang I told you that. She would probably kill me."

"Too late you old bastard." Yang growled in her head. She started to glare daggers at her father.

The blond man suddenly shivered. He stopped and began to look around. He could have sworn her felt a large amount of killing intent behind him. Yet as far as he could see, there was no one there.

Weiss looked up at the older man. She raised a brow as she followed his eyes to see that there was nothing there. The white-haired girl then brought her gaze back to him. "What's wrong? You look like you're looking for someone."

"I don't know. It felt like someone wanted to kill me. Could have sworn it was coming from the forest."

Weiss shook her head disapprovingly. "Well, I don't see anything. I think you're just being paranoid."

Taiyang looked down incredulously at Weiss. "You callin me crazy"

"Hey! Those are your words not mine. I was merely trying to diplomatic and polite about it."

"Well, maybe I am just being paranoid, but I usually don't get shivers like the one I got unless I'm feeling some sort of killing intent."

"Well, there is nothing there. So we should keep going. I don't want to waste time."

Taiyang gave his small companion a deadpanned look. "Man, you sure are bossy." He rewarded with a pout. He chuckled at the way she looked. He remembered when Summer tried to look angry. She instead just looked cute. "Alright alright. We'll get going now. Sheesh."

Yang watched as the duo marched off towards Haven. She decided that it was time to leave. The teen jumped out of the tree and started flapping her large, might wings. She continued her way towards Mt. Gulg. Yang made a special mental note to make her father suffer the next time she saw him.

Qrow was stumbling his was down the hallway that lead to his room. Once he reached the door, he fumbled around in his pocket to find his card to unlock his door. After about three minutes of trying to grab his card, he swiped it at the card reader and heard a click. He opened the door and stumbled his way through the doorway. He nearly fell on his face once he entered his room. Taking a few more steps inside, he instantly froze when saw a woman with long, wild, black hair sitting on a chair near the window.

Raven scrunched her nose in disgust as the strong stench of alcohol assaulted her nose. She frowned at her brother. "Why am I not surprised to see you as a complete drunken mess." She watched as her brother blinked at her several times. She could tell that he was trying to stop his vision from swimming around. "Hurry up and close the damn door. I have much to discuss with you."

Qrow shook his head. He had finally sobered himself up enough to where he could actually keep himself from stumbling around his room. He looked up at his twin and sighed. "Awwww fuck."

A/N: Hello! Sorry it's been a while. My grandmother got sick so I had to help take care of her. Also, where I'm at, we have been getting some problems with tornados. Luckily, I and many other people are okay. Though some had the entire sides of their houses ripped off by the tornado and that sucks. So those are the reasons for why this update took as long as it did.

Let's get into a few things. First, the kashira is the buttcap of the hilt on a katana. Secondly, anisodactyl means that there are 3 toes forward and one back. This structure is very typical of raptor birds (birds of prey). They are also prominent in songbirds as well. Thirdly, I based Owl off the Eurasian Eagle-Owl. Since Mistral seems to be heavily asian influenced, I decided to use a bird that is a part of the Asian continent.

To the guest who knew the TFS Hellsing Abridged reference I put in there, kudos to you. I see you are a person of good taste and culture.

YNI1. Yeah. Raven isn't dumb. She understands how dangerous it would be if Yang lost control. So she wouldn't let it go unchecked. Also, I meant to answer your question regarding the meeting between Qrow and Raven last chapter, but I simply forgot. I'm sorry. The answer is yes. They already had their meeting. This one at the end of the chapter is the second one. Also, the cute fur angel that is known as Zwei is with Glynda as the story pointed out.

To the other guest that said the pic wasn't theirs, thank you. Though I would really like to know the artist's name so I can give complete credit.

Ultimatrix beare. Excellent question regarding Yang killing. I have no solid evidence, just my interpretation. However, I believe Yang has killed before and that was during the attack on Beacon. I personally think it's not unreasonable to believe that she killed various White Fang members to get to Blake and Adam. She was also fully prepared to kill Adam when she lunged at him. Also, killing is a much easier thing to do when there are people who're trying to kill you. Yang is also in a state of mind where she basically said fuck it. So now she has decided to not hold back anymore. We also have to remember that no matter how the show likes to romanticize the huntsmen, they are trained to kill. Whether it be Grimm or people. They are trained killers. As for her being more of a bruiser instead of someone who breaks, that was true of the old Yang. This Yang is not quite like the one that was still going to Beacon. As for her sadism, I can't remember the tumblr user, but they pointed out that if you go back and look all of Yang's fights, you can see her smiling whenever she is about to inflict pain on someone. It basically pointed out that Yang does indeed delight in dominating and inflicting pain on her enemies.

Also, regarding Raven. I know there are people who are relying on Tai's explanation of Raven from the show as a basis to get a feel for who Raven is, but I say that info is pretty inaccurate. Why? Because he hasn't seen her in 17 years. That's why. 17 years is a long time folks. That is more than enough time for people to change. I highly doubt that Raven is the same person that she was 17 years ago. It also wouldn't make sense if she stayed the same either since people are constantly changing. People are not static beings. We change a lot during the course of our lives. Also, it would be impossible for Raven to be the person that Tai describe since she is the leader of a group of people. So she can't be the same person Tai described because it would be harmful to the tribe and Raven cares too much about them to bring harm. So if RWBY does keep Raven the same person she was 17 years ago, then that it is rather lazy and sloppy writing in my opinion. Not saying that I am the master when it comes writing, just saying that it would be kind of stupid. That's all. Just sharing my opinion on that.

Tai sharing embarrassing stories about the girls is totally something he would do. The whole thing with Yang being good at drawing is actually something I came across on tumblr. Someone had pointed out a picture of Yang's drawing and it was really good. So I decided to roll with it. Also, Just to make it clear. Yang will still love killing and hurting her enemies. She is just going up the mountain to be able to control those emotions. Not get rid of them. So she will still be dark and sadistic, but more controlled.

Until next time folks!