A/N: Italics=thoughts

Shink!

Shink!

Shink!

Yang's eyes twitched each time the sound was made. She groaned at the infernal sound that refused to let her sleep. Eventually, she slowly began to open her eyes. The sheet fell to her lap as she sat up. A monstrous yawn escaped her mouth as she stretched her arms above her head. Yang scratched the back of her head a few times before finally turning around in place to find the source of the maddening sound.

Turns out, the source of the sound was her mother gently passing her sword back and forth over a whetstone. There were various other kinds of tools around her as well; a metal file, oil for the whetstone, a block of wood to rest the sword on when using the file, 3M 400 Grit Emery paper, and finally a clean rag. Her mother moved the blade masterfully and with practiced patience. What confused her though was that the blade was a dark, ebony color. She thought it was suppose to be red.

"Finally awake I see." Raven said without taking her eyes off of what she was doing.

Yang rubbed the back of her head. "Yeah. Kinda had a bit of help though."

"Sorry. Just a habit."

An air of silence hung over mother and daughter for a few minutes. Yang took this time to wake up fully.

Once she had fully made her bed properly, the blonde walked over to her mother and sat down next her and rested her head on her shoulder. Raven made no move to stop her daughter or move away from her. Though she wasn't very familiar with this kind of contact, due to not having it since her time with her team, that didn't mean the older woman didn't enjoy it.

"Hey, Mom."

"Yes, Yang?"

"Thank you for being there for me last night. I know it probably wasn't my greatest moment." Yang sounded somewhat guilty. Like she had done something wrong. Like she had failed her mother somehow.

Raven was very keen to pick up on this. "It's okay Yang. We all go through moments where we become vulnerable. Some more than others, but we all go through it. It's not something to be ashamed of."

"Even you?"

Raven stopped her maintenance. She stared at her blade for a few moments before finally returning to her work. "Yes. Even me. And it happens to me every other night. The same memories. The same nightmares."

Yang was actually happy the her mother was willing to open up to her as much as she had. Of course it didn't take a genius to figure out that Raven was referring to Summer and the fate that ultimately befell her. She didn't want to press the topic. Yang knew it was a particularly sore spot for her mother. Raven would talk to her about it in greater detail when she wanted to and Yang would be there to listen and support her.

Instead, she moved the conversation to the weapon that was being serviced. "How come your sword is black? I thought it was red. Like, I thought you used dust blades, but that looks like a normal sword."

Raven hummed. "There was a time where Omen use to be just dust blades. This was back during my time at Beacon. However, by my third and final year, I decided to change it. Dust blades are all well and good, but they break a lot when fighting someone who is strong. Which means I had to take the time to re-sheath Omen and get another blade."

"That sounds terribly impractical and a potential waste of dust." Yang pointed out.

Raven nodded in agreement. "Indeed. It's also not a great idea to not a have your weapon out at all times during a fight. It put me at a disadvantage and could have allowed my opponent to press me when my weapon wasn't drawn. There was also the very real possibility that I would run out of dust and then practically be weaponless. So, I redesigned Omen to always have a blade. The mechanism inside just coats it in whatever type of dust I want. So if I run out I still have a weapon and I don't waste nearly as much dust."

"Well, that certainly makes sense. You could also choose when to change the type of dust whenever you want more effectively to."

"Yes. All in all. This version of Omen is much more practical."

Yang sat in silence as she continued to watch her mother service her weapon. Raven was nearing completion as she carefully ran the Grit Emery paper along the blade. Once she was done, the older woman picked up her sword and closely inspected her work. A small smile graced her lips. Clearly satisfied with the outcome.

She felt her mother place an arm around her shoulder once she sheathed Omen. Yang wrapped her arms around her mother in response. She really missed this. Missed when her step-mother would do the same thing. The feeling of warmth and security a mother's arms could provide was something Yang had always craved. And now she had it back. Something she was rather thankful for.

"How are you feeling?"

"Better. Much better. I think I got it all out last night."

Raven nodded. "Good. I'm glad that you did."

Yang angled her head up to look at her mother. "Is it normal to...react like that when you kill an innocent?"

Raven subconsciously pulled her daughter a little closer. "Yes. Everyone, more or less, goes through the same thing. I went through it and so did everyone else in the Tribe. Even still, we don't like doing it. So we avoid it when we can."

"So what happens now?"

Raven turned her down to look Yang in the eyes. "Depends on you. Do you still want to go through with this? Are still sure about this path you walk?"

Yang closed her eyes. Looking deep inside herself for the answers to her mother's questions. The answer came when a large explosion of fire boomed in front of her. It formed a gargantuan pillar that ascended into the heavens. This was good enough of an answer for her.

She opened her eyes and looked into her mother's. A look of determination was etched on her face. "Yes. I can still do this. I'm still going to do this. He has to pay. They have to pay. Not just for the pain they caused me, but for what they've done to those poor people."

Raven raised a brow. "Oh? You're doing this for others too now?"

"Don't get me wrong. I'm still doing this largely for myself. I don't really care about being a hero. However, I have seen others who need revenge. They just can't get it themselves." Yang pulled her right arm away from her mother and stared at it for a few seconds. Muscles bulged in her arm as she squeezed her hand into a fist. She looked back up at her mother with smoldering red eyes. "So I'll get it for them. I'll be an avenger!"

Raven remained silent. She hadn't really expected this. Yang taking this burden upon her shoulders was good because it strengthened her resolve, but it also worried her at the same time. She was worried that Yang could overwhelm herself. That she could be setting herself up for more pain. Despite those worries though, Raven would support her.

"If that's what you really want to do then fine. Just be careful about it Yang."

"Don't worry Mom! I won't do anything crazy. Promise."

Raven nodded . She and Yang let go of each other. The older woman stood up and began walking to exit the tent. She opened the flap halfway then turned to her daughter.

"Take some time to rest before going out on another mission. We don't want you to be emotionally compromised while you're out there. It tends to get people killed."

"What are you going to be doing?"

"I have a promise to Robin that I intend to keep. But I also have something else I need to do. So I'll be out for a while. Probably won't be back until night." She could see the questioning look on her daughter's face. Raven already knew the question she was going to ask. "Don't worry about it Yang. Just relax. Try to stay stress free. Gods know you don't need anymore of that right now."

"You know. For someone who thinks they're not a good mother, your actions and words really contradict that. Seriously, you sound like a stereotypical worried and dotting mother." Yang teased. She laughed when she saw Raven narrow her eyes and glare daggers at her.

Raven put on a terrifying smirk as a devilish thought crossed her mind.

"You know. I still remember the night that me and Tai decided to have you."

Yang's eyes become like large saucers. Instantly, she was hit with a revolting feeling in her stomach. This was extremely dangerous territory. Not one Yang was willing to brave through.

"Nope! I don't want to hear this!"

Raven tilted her slightly. She smiled sweetly and...innocently? Yang had no idea she could even make that face.

"Come now Yang. Surely you must be interested to know how you were planned and what was done to achieve said plan." Raven said with a cheeky tone.

The blonde grimaced at the though of her parents doing...THAT with each other."N-no. I'm fine. Really. I'm fine with not knowing." She desperately tried to persuade.

"Now now Yang. Don't be such a prude." The older woman teased. Clearly not shy at all about her sex life. "The passion that ensued when I threw your father on to the bed. When I pulled of his pants, I was very pleased at what I found. He's actually quite big."

Yang hastily put her hands over her ears. "Lalalalalalalalalalala! Cant' hear you! Lalalalalala!" The last she wanted to hear was things about her father's dick.

Raven's smirk growing more and more as she delighted in her daughter's suffering.

"And the ALL of the things I did with Summer. She's quite vocal you know."

"LALALALALALALALA!" Yang repeated even louder. The blonde knew her mother was enjoying this. Perhaps it wasn't such a good idea to tease her.

"I think that's enough." She thought. The Tribe leader was quite satisfied now. She opened the flap of her daughter's tent.

"I would love to tell you everything, but I have some commitments I need to attend to. Have a nice day Yang. I'll see you later tonight."

Yang breathed a sigh of relief once her mother walked out. She didn't know how much more she could stand of that. But now Yang was left with a different problem. What was she going to do for the rest of the day?

"Hmmm." She hummed. Snapping her fingers as a thought came to her. "I think I'll do some light training and then maybe see those kids. I'm sure they'll be happy to see me."

"HA!" Yang yelled as she punched a large rock. It crumbled to pieces as her fist made contact. Smiling as she studied the pile of stone. She pumped her right arm. " Still got some awesome punches."

"Impressive." A voice said.

Yang whipped around. She fell into her stance to meet her unexpected guest. But immediately lowered her guard when she saw that it was none other than Owl.

"Owl!" Yang beamed. In the many months that she had been with the Tribe, she had always went to his tent to hear him tell stories to the children.

Yang walked up to the elderly Faunus. "What are ya doin here? I thought you never left the camp. It's a little dangerous for someone your age to be out here on your own."

Owl began rubbing his long beard. "Ho ho ho. I sometimes come out because I love the forest. As well as to get some peace and quiet. As for the danger." He chuckled dryly. "Let's just say that despite my advanced age, I am still more than capable of defending myself."

"I wasn't aware that you still had some fight left in you."

"Hahahaha. Little bird. You should know better than to judge a book by its cover." He started hacking and coughing from his laughter. Owl lightly pounded his chest with his fist. Yang came over and started to gently pat his back. "Oh thank you. I will admit though. I'm certainly not as young as I use to be."

Eyeing the pile of tiny stones that came from Yang's punch, he walked over. Moving his cane forward with his bad leg. Standing over the rubble he hummed.

"Yes. A good punch indeed, but it could be better."

"Huh? What do ya mean?" She asked as she stepped forward to stand right next the older man.

"It's clear you were given a great deal of training in unarmed martial arts. Who trained you?" Owl said as he looked up at Yang.

"My Dad taught me."

Owl nodded his head. "He was a good teacher. But I could teach you something that would make your punches and kicks stronger."

"Really? Could you show me?"

The old man smiled at the young woman. "Certainly! It has been a long time since I have found someone who was good enough to teach. The last person was your mother, but that was something like two decades ago."

Owl eyed another large rock that was embedded into the forest floor. He held his cane up to Yang. Understanding what he wanted, she took the cane into her arms. The elderly man limped his way over to the rock and positioned himself in front of it. "Now, watch closely." He took a wide stance to root himself. After what seemed like an eternity, Owl let loose a simple straight. Once his fist made contact with the rock, it exploded into dust.

"WHOA!" Yang exclaimed

Owl turned and walked back to Yang. Taking back his cane, he looked up at the young woman. "Did you see what happened?"

Yang thought for a moment. Tapping her foot as she ran through the list of possibilities.

"The only thing I can think of is that you did something with your aura."

Owl nodded. "You're on the right track. I channeled my aura on the point of impact and then forced it through out the rock. The amount of force is distributed all over equally, but without being reduced as it spreads over an object."

"And my mother can do this?"

"Well, no. Not exactly. She uses it in a different way."

"How so?"

"Haven't you ever seen her throw out red energy from her sword? That's how. She takes the core principle from this technique and applied it in a different way."

"I'm assuming that principle is aura control."

Owl nodded. "Correct! Raven simply sends her aura to her blade and then throws it out. It is a technique that is much more difficult than using any part of your own body since a weapon is not organically part of you. And because the wave of aura actually travels a lot farther from your body, it makes a lot harder to control."

"I really didn't think you were capable of doing anything like that." Yang paused for a moment before realizing that she may have insinuated an unkind thing to her elder. "I mean... I... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to imply that your a helpless old man." She apologized profusely.

Owl just let out a hoarsed laugh. Bending over slightly as he held his stomach. "Hahahaha. Think nothing of it young one. This old man knows he's ancient. I have long since come to terms that my prime is long gone."

Yang rubbed the back of her head. She let out a nervous chuckle. "So uh. Just curious. How old exactly are you?"

Owl smiled. "Four hundred and twenty five years old!" The elderly man proudly proclaimed. It was clear he wore his age like a badge of honor on his shirt.

Yang's eyes widened. "Holy shit! You've certainly have lived for a long time. Gosh. The things you must have experienced over the centuries. To be able to see so many changes."

"Hahahaha. Yes. Indeed. Many people don't live to be as ancient as me. I'm certainly a relic."

Owl nearly toppled over when Yang suddenly appeared right in front of him. Her eyes were wide like a child discovering something wondrous. He couldn't help but laugh.

"There must be so many awesome techniques you can teach me!" Yang said. She was bursting at the seams with excitement.

A droplet of sweat was forming on his forehead. "Well, this is a rather familiar scene!"

"This is gonna be so cool!"

"Now now. Calm down. You shouldn't get your hopes up. There's really not much I can teach you in the way of actual unarmed martial arts."

Yang instantly went from being excited to being confused. "Huh? Why?"

"You already know everything you need to know. There are no special ancient techniques. Besides the one I just showed you. All those punches, kicks, elbows, and knees; Hell, even all of the holds, locks, and throws. You already know them all." Feeling that his legs were tired and a little sore, he sat down next to a tree and leaned his back against its trunk. "You may be surprised to know that nothing has changed substantially over the centuries. No reason to reinvent the wheel and all that. No. All you need now is experience. Only life will give you that and life is the best teacher of all."

Yang would be lying if she said she wasn't at least a little disappointed. All of the grandiose thoughts and expectations had all come crashing down. Still, there was wisdom in Owl's words. Why try to fix what isn't broken?

"Now, how about you start practicing what I showed you. Trust me. It's much harder than it looks."

Yang sighed. "Alright. But where exactly do I start?"

Owl pulled out a cup. "First we start with this. Put water into it and send your aura through the cup. If you can perform the aura control perfectly, then the water will not explode out of the cup." He threw the cup at her. She caught it with one hand.

Yang studied the cup for a few seconds before staring at her elder. She squinted at him. "You weren't out here to enjoy any kind of peace or to admire nature. You came here looking for me."

"Hahahaha. Sharp! Just like your mother!"

"Well, this first step shouldn't be too hard. I've been practicing this kind of thing with my fire."

Owl waggled his index finger. "Ah ah ah. This is different. You were basically controlling godly magics and energies. This is using your own aura. Very different even if the two can be closely connected at times or influence each other."

"Well, shit. Guess I got my work cut out for me."

Both Yang and Owl entered the camp. The former sporting a sour frown. Owl laughed.

"Hahahaha. Don't frown young one. It took me sometime to get it right too." The jolly old Faunus said.

Yang crossed her arms and grumbled. The amount of times her face was splashed with water was comical. Every time it was like water shooting out of a geyser. And every time Owl would do his raspy cackle. Her elder clearly finding amusement in her failures.

"GRAMPA OWL!" A child shouted.

The next thing Yang knew, the old man was surrounded by a group of children. The youngest grabbed onto his arms and clothes and started jumping around. Others yelled excitedly. She watched as a soft, loving smile grace Owl's wrinkled face. A gentle smile formed on Yang's face at the sight. Her frustrations were quickly forgotten with the adorable scene in front of her.

"He really is the loving grandfather of the tribe."

Owl bent down with his arms open. The children filed in and he hugged them as close as he could.

"Oh, little hatchlings. I trust you have all been behaving well in my absence?"

"Yup! We have been Grampa Owl." A little girl with gray tail feathers said.

"We just got out of class. We was wonderin if you could tell us those stories." A boy with a cobalt blue wing coming from his hip said.

" It's 'We were wondering' not 'was'." Owl gently corrected. He ruffled the boy's hair playfully and turned his gaze to the rest of the children. "Very well. I suppose you have all been very good boys and girls. I can tell a few stories."

"Do you know where Chief Raven is? She wasn't here to teach us and I miss her." The little girl with gray tail feathers said.

"Why would you miss her? She's so strict!" One of the older boys said.

"Now now little one. You must understand that she isn't being strict to be mean. Rather, it's the opposite. She's strict because she cares for you all and she wants to make sure you don't get yourselves hurt or worse. Killed. To Raven, all of us are precious. Trust me when I say that her strictness comes from a place of love."

"I guess." The older boy mumbled.

"As for you" Owl placed his hand the little girl's shoulder. "Raven is a very busy woman. She is doing very important things to keep you safe. She will return soon enough." He explained as best he could to a five year old.

The little girl beamed. "Okay! When she comes back I'll be sure to thank her for all of the hard work she does for us!"

Owl patted her head and walked forward. "Come children. There are plenty of stories I still have to tell you."

The children waved to Yang and began following the eldest of the Tribe. Of course Yang waved back with a big ol' smile on her face.

Once Owl and the children were gone, she crossed her arms. This wasn't the first time she heard about her mother not being around for long periods of time. Surely her mother wasn't keeping secrets from her. Right?

Yang looked up to the sky and pondered. "What exactly are you doing?"

"What the hell is doing this!?" Adam said as he surveyed the various corpses that littered the ground. Some cut in half, some burned to a crisp, and others were simply so broken that you couldn't tell if that was a person or not. He also noticed the ground had scorch marks dotted around. He knelt down to one of the dead bodies of compatriots. Part of him looked like it was eaten off. A clear sign that the Grimm had come through. The question was, did the Grimm come after or...

"Not what, more like who."

Adam turned to see Hazel standing behind him. He rose to his feet. "I don't know any person that is capable of doing...this." He gestured to the scene behind him.

"Hmmm. Look at the wounds. They are far too precise to be a Grimm or some wild beast. This is also the fifth camp we've been to that's like this. Who ever is doing this, clearly has something against the White Fang." Hazel paused briefly before looking Adam in the eyes. "Or, maybe, something against you."

"What make's you think it was one person? I have many enemies you know."

"This is true, but these wounds don't indicate multiple attackers. They are far to consistent with each other. Like they were all killed by the same thing. And besides-" He stopped as a sudden chill went down his spine. "I can feel the anger and hate that was left behind. I have never been to a place where I can feel a person's negative emotions. This doesn't bode well." Hazel was a man of few fears, but who ever did this was most certainly someone to be feared.

Adam clenched the handle of his sword tightly. "Then it is clear what must be done. We find this person and make them suffer for daring to raise a finger to the White Fang." Adam pulled out his weapon part way. "To me." He growled darkly.

"No! We should not engage this person. They will tear us apart." Hazel cautioned.

"What do you mean!? I cannot let this indignity go on! This person must pay!"

The larger man sighed. "I'm not saying we don't do anything about it. I'm saying that we need to be careful. You are simply not strong enough to fight this person as you are now."

Adam stomped on the ground angrily. "Then I am to do nothing then!? Wait until this person comes and kills me!?" He seethed. The idea of years worth of work being dismantled did not sit well with him. Nor did they idea of waiting around to be killed.

"Would you listen to me for just a moment!?" Hazel said harshly. He was normally a calm man, but Adam's temper tantrums did often test his patience. "I said that you are not strong enough as you are NOW."

The leader of the White Fang ceased his fit. He calmly looked at Hazel. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that I have an idea of how you can get stronger, but you will have to meet my Queen and may be gone from here for some time. She may be able to help you."

"I'm sure there will be some kind of catch to this."

Hazel shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not. Depends on how she feels, but this is your best option."

Adam looked to the camp. The burned and dismembered bodies laying around certainly made him feel very uneasy. The thick miasma of negative emotions only served to make his uneasiness even worse. However, the thing that truly sent chills down his spine was that this miasma felt like it was trying to suffocate him. As if these left over emotions were attacking him directly. To him, it felt like a pair of hands had formed around his neck and began to squeeze. For the first time in what seemed like forever, Adam felt fear. True fear.

A drop of sweat fell from his cheek as he attempted to loosen his collar to try to alleviate the asphyxiating feeling around his neck. He quickly turned to Hazel. "Very well. I will meet with this Queen of yours."

Hazel could practically smell the fear coming off of him despite him trying to sound confident. The taller man turned around and started walking away from the camp. "Then let's get going. The sooner we do this, the better."

Red eyes peered out of a large window. Gazing down at the darkened landscape that held pockets of black primordial ooze. She watched as Grimm formed and crawled their way out. They stumbled and wobbled around like a doe that was just born. After a few attempts at moving, they seemingly mastered the art of mobility. Salem had always found it a little fascinating how similar Grimm were to wild animals.

The sound of her chamber door echoed in the room, but she did not remove her gaze from the window. The Queen of the Grimm waved over her guest. "Come Cinder. Join me."

Cinder obeyed and moved over to Salem's side. An amber eye gazed out for a few moments before she turned it to the older woman beside her. "You wanted to see me?"

"Yes dear. I did. It has been sometime since Tyrian left. It is not like him to keep me waiting so long."

"Do you want me to go look for him?"

Salem hummed. "Yes. I fear he may have ran into something nasty. The worst may have happened. But I want you to confirm it."

Cinder nodded. "Yes Salem. I will do as you ask."

Salem sighed as she shook her head. "No need to be so formal Cinder. We are in private. There is no harm in addressing me as mother. After all, I did take you in from that horrid place and raised you as if you were my own."

The younger woman looked down with a slight smile. "Yes. Of course Mother."

"Be sure to take Emerald and Mercury with you. They should at least prove to be somewhat useful."

"What do you want me to do if he is dead?"

"In the event that Tyrian is dead, then you are to take up his mission."

"Which was?"

Salem turned her gaze to her adopted daughter. "To find the Spring Maiden and a girl named Yang Xiao Long."

It was obvious to Cinder why her mother wanted that girl. The power to just destroy half an island and cause a portion of the planet to practically come back to it's Hadean period was nothing short of amazing. That girl would make for a valuable asset to them.

"I understand, but what about Ruby Rose? I thought you wanted her too."

"The power of the Silver Eyes no longer interest me. I would say for you to do what you want with her if it wasn't for the fact that she does have some use." Salem moved over to an elegantly designed table with a bottle of wine and a wine glass sitting on top of it. It never seemed like she walked anywhere. The pale woman always looked like she was floating on top of a small cloud of darkness.

It didn't take Cinder long to put two and two together. "We could use her as a way to control her sister." Cinder however wanted something different though. She wanted revenge on that brat for disfiguring her.

Salem watched her daughter subconsciously grab on to her arm. It didn't take a mind reader to know what she really wanted. She sighed as she began pouring out a glass of wine. "Patience dear. Patience. You will have your revenge. Just think of this as part of it. Imagine, if you will, how the Rose girl will suffer when she is made to be the reason for her sister's actions."

Cinder took a couple of deep breaths. Her mother was right. It would be such an exquisite sight to behold. "Very well. I'll leave now."

"Hold a moment Cinder." Salem called out before her daughter got to the door. When Cinder turned, the older woman snapped her fingers. A small, jellyfish-like creature floated in from seemingly out of nowhere. "Take this Seer with you. It will allow us to communicate with each other."

Cinder nodded. The Seer moved past her and towards the area where the airship was docked. Cinder closed her mother's chamber doors and went to go a grab her subordinates. She honestly couldn't wait to be back out in the field.

"Ugh! Are we really sure he came this way? Or even to Anima?" Emerald complained. They had been looking for at least three whole weeks for the scorpion man with no luck at all. Frankly, the green-haired woman was tired of walking through forest, after forest, just trying to look for one person.

"Stop your complaining!" Cinder ordered harshly. It was enough to make the other woman flinch. "Salem said he came to Anima and I doubt he disobeyed her. Just keep looking. We will find him eventually."

"Hey! I think I found him!" Mercury yelled out. He looked back at the corpse. His face contorted a little. "Or what's left of him."

Cinder and Emerald came over to Mercury standing over a corpse. Emerald instantly recoiled at the sight. Cinder merely crossed her arms and hummed. To her, there was no mistaking that this was Tyrian. The clothes and what was left of his tail were a dead giveaway. Even if his face looked like someone took a sledgehammer to it.

"Judging by how smooth the nubs are, I'd say someone definitely cut off his arms and legs. Can't really comment on the face though. Maybe some Grimm or wild animal got him?" Mercury stood up and put his hands on his waist. "The only thing I can't figure out is who did this to him. Tyrian wasn't weak."

"Considering the group of people who call these woods their home, I would wager that he ran into Raven Branwen." Cinder concluded.

Emerald's eyes widened. "I knew from the stories I heard that she was strong, but I didn't think she would be so strong to basically wipe the floor with him."

Cinder didn't exactly like this. Before the 'incident' at Beacon, she would have scoffed at this Raven Branwen. She would foolishly think herself so superior that this woman would be easy prey. However, Cinder learned from that. Learned to not get full of herself. Her mother tried to warn her of this mentality and she payed the price for not listening. The Fall Maiden wanted to make sure that she wouldn't make the same mistake again. Caution was the name of the game now. Not throwing herself mindlessly at her opponent.

Cinder waved over the Seer. The crystal ball like head glowed for a bit before Salem's face appeared.

"Yes, Cinder? What have you found?"

The short-haired woman moved to the side to show Tryian's body. Salem frowned. "I see." She said as she leaned back in her chair.

"Then his mission becomes mine correct?"

"Correct. Please do proceed with caution though Cinder. I suspect you already know the likely culprit for Tyrian's untimely demise."

Cinder nodded. "Yes. Don't worry. I'm not so keen to make the same mistakes I made at Beacon."

"Good. Raven Branwen is a particularly powerful opponent. She is also rather cunning too. Should you encounter her, I would advise you make an immediate retreat. Trust me Cinder. She is not someone that you can fight at your current level. Though, there aren't many who can fight her and win."

"If she has done this, then can we assume she has the Spring Maiden with her?"

"That is likely. Though I did not think she would move against us so soon. No matter. Just keep searching for the Spring Maiden and Yang Xiao Long as best you can."

"Understood."

"And Cinder." She said as her daughter turned to leave.

Cinder stopped in her tracks and turned enough to look over her shoulder at the Seer. "Yes?"

"Be careful." Were her final words as the Seer shut off.

Cinder let out a small smile. She caught the subtle tone of worry in her voice. No one, but her could sense it and that was fine. She preferred it that way. Looking over to Mercury and Emerald, she walked past them. "Come you two. We have work to do."

Glynda was busying herself with reports from other Hunstmen that came from the still Grimm infested ruins of Beacon Academy. Every report she read told her the same thing. The thing that she already knew. The population of the Grimm were growing over there. This was puzzling to the veteran Huntress. Grimm normally never multiply in an area like this. That told her one thing. That Salem was deliberately having them do this. Likely at an attempt to keep everyone out as she took her time finding the Vault. Or perhaps she was planning some kind of eventual invasion.

"Ugh." Glynda placed her face in her hands. She was at an impasse. The Council was blocking most of her efforts, Salem's Grimm were on the precipice of bearing down on them, more and more Huntsmen were dying and loosing morale. Everyone that was left after the attack on Beacon was counting on her to lead them. But she honestly didn't know what to do at all. Glynda didn't even know if she could do anything at all, but hope for Ozpin to return in his new host.

The door to her office suddenly flew open as Bartholomew Oobleck skidded inside. This caused Glynda and a sleeping Zwei to jump up from their positions.

"I'm terribly sorry for the sudden intrusion, but you need to see this Glynda!"

Bartholomew grabbed the remote and turned on the TV. On the screen was Caesar standing behind a podium with half a dozen microphones pointed at him.

"Citizens of Vale. I'm sorry to disturb your day, but I assure you that what I have to say is very important."

"Oh great. More speeches. Just fantastic." Glynda said with some snark.

"We, the Council, have been leading investigation on how the monstrous fugitive known as Yang Xiao Long could have escaped law enforcement. For a while now, we did not know how that despicable demon did it. Until now that is."

Caesar moved to the side as a screen slowly descended down behind him. The screen then flipped on revealing a picture of Glynda Goodwitch. "This woman here is the one responsible for her escape. That's right. One of Vale's best Huntress' aided two known criminals in escaping justice!"

Glynda eyes widened as she was realizing exactly what he was trying to do. In that instant, she knew that this was not going to end well.

Caesar coughed in his hand and then straightened out his tie. "Now I know that you may view this some level of skepticism. But I assure you, that this is the case. We took the liberty of interviewing various different kinds of Huntsmen that knew them from their days at the academy. What we found was that Ms. Goodwitch was and still is infatuated with Mr. Xiao Long. Always trying to gain his attention and love. But don't take it from me. Listen to these Huntsmen who knew them."

"How would you describe Ms. Goodwitch and Mr. Xiao Long's relationship?" A police detective asked.

"Glynda always had a thing for Taiyang. The amount of times she would try to get him alone with her or hang on his arm were numerous. But she could never have him. Raven got him wrapped around her finger and she was incredibly jealous of her."

The screen changed to a different video.

"Glynda? She's been trying to get with that guy for years! It's really not so much of a stretch that she would help him and that demon he calls a daughter. Most likely did it so she could gain his favor."

The screen yet again switched to another video.

"Glynda was constantly feeding him and helping him with his studies. Sometimes she would keep him out late just to try to get him away from Raven. She definitely had the biggest crush on him. Ever since Raven disappeared and Summer died, it was pretty obvious that she was trying to get with him and marry him."

The screen turned off and Caesar came back into view. "I do apologize for their faces being hidden as well as the alterations to their voices. Understand that this was done to keep their identities a secrete. There are more interviews, but I don't want to take up anymore of your precious time than I have to. If you want, you can view them all on the government website. But all these interviews give them same story. That Ms. Goodwitch was and still is in love with the man she helped. Would you really think this many of Vale's finest Huntsmen would lie about something like this?"

The screen slowly ascended back up. The Councilman walked back behind the podium. "We intend to bring her to justice. For all we know, she could have valuable information on the whereabouts of these two fugitives. Then there is the fact that she is using up precious resources to try and take back Beacon. Resources that we, the Council, could use to build a wall to keep all of you safe from the Grimm inhabiting the school. Because right now, they can just walk right in at their leisure!" He slammed his fist on the podium.

Recomposing himself, Caesar straightened out the cuffs of his suit. " Regardless, she must pay for breaking the law. And we want you, the people, to vote on this matter. After all, I think you wonderful, hard working folks deserve to live a life without fear of some demon coming by and destroying your home and your families. As well as being safe from the Grimm. Thank you for your time and please. Have good and lovely day."

The TV cut to black as Bartholomew turned it off. He looked on at Glynda with worry. He knew about her feelings for Tai. He never said anything about it because he knew it was sore spot for his dear friend. A hurt that never fully healed. To see Caesar callously use those feelings against her, well, it hurt. He couldn't possibly know the humiliation she was going through right now.

Bartholomew stepped forward as he heard a sniffle escape Glynda's mouth. "It's okay Glynda. Everyone who knows you knows you are far too professional to allow that to happen. You just wanted to help someone you cared about and there's nothing wrong with that." He said as he wrapped his arms around her. He immediately felt her return the gesture. And then she cried as loud as she could in his chest. Bartholomew tightened his hold on her. He would allow her to cry for as long as she needed. Even Zwei came over and stood up on his hind legs. He used his two front legs too wrap around Glynda's leg and starting rubbing his head up and down.

After a few minutes she calmed down and let go of her friend. The green-haired man pulled out a napkin and she took it. After wiping her tears away, she gave him a hard stare. "Bartholomew. Get everyone ready. Caesar wants a war? Then he'll have a damn war!" She wouldn't allow that man to bully her and smear her good name. She knew that by fighting back, the possibility of a civil war was great. She didn't care about that though. Glynda was a fighter and she certainly wasn't going to be turning herself in on lies.

Bartholomew wasn't too happy about this. Blood was definitely going to spilled. History always tended to repeat it's self. But he would be by his friend's side. He would always support her or any them. No matter the situation. Bartholomew Oobleck, Historian Extraordinaire! Would always be by his friends' side.

"ARF!" Zwei barked. Throwing in his support.

"Ah yes. We can't forget about our furry friend!" Bartholomew said.

Glynda bent down and picked up the corgi and held him to her chest. She giggled when he licked her face. "Of course not! Your support is very appreciated Zwei. Thank you."

A/N: SALUTATIONS EVERYONE!...Okay look. I had to do that. I'm happy Penny is back. Anyway, It's another shorter chapter, but sometimes you just gotta know when to end a chapter right? So as you can see, I changed Salem's and Cinder's relationship. I've always liked the idea that Salem took Cinder as her daughter. Those Cinder shark comics made my love for that idea even greater. I have an entire backstory planned for how Salem meet Cinder and why she adopted her. So don't worry. You'll learn it eventually.

Maybe I'm weird, but I have always head cannoned that Glynda had a massive crush on Tai when they were still students. Don't know why, just something I had floating around in my head. So, I just put it into the story since I think it could be an interesting idea to maybe explore just a little.

It would seem that CRWBY had some of the same ideas I had. Which is kinda cool. I may have been wrong about Weiss, but at least I got a Schnee. Right guys? There is a reason why Weiss is the Winter Maiden and not Winter, but you'll have to wait until we get to Atlas to find that out. I will say this though. I've hit a point in the story where things will start to speed up since a lot of the set up for the eventual battle at Haven has been put in place. Just need a few more things here and there.

Also, Clover has a similar semblance to my version of Kali. It's good luck, but there are differences. Kali's semblance only works on herself and others she has bonded with and the luck can run out. Clover's seems to work more like Qrow's semblance. Just wanted to point out the difference. Also, the Ace Ops are cool as heck. Though I do think the whole getting arrested thing was kind of...pointless? They literally could have called Winter and told her what happened or just tell the flight control operator that they have Weiss Schnee on board and request for Winter to meet them on the landing platform. But eh, I will admit, that complaint seems a little nit picky.

On a side note. 3 MORE MONTHS UNTIL FF7 REMAKE IS HERE! I'M SO EXCITED!

Wolf: Hahahaha. Not gonna lie. Part of my inspiration for some of the fights do kinda come from Dragon Ball.

Ultimatrix bearer: I'm not sure if that's what they're doing and I don't want to assume. But I will say this. I like the short hair in her anime drawing. In 3D, less so. Don't know why. I don't hate it at all. I just...I don't know. I can't really put it into words. As for Salem and Ozpin they're back stories are completely different in my version of RWBY. I hope you like it when I get to it.

Hellwrym: The thing is though, I already have ice and wind confirmed as Winter Maiden elements. I really don't want to go in and make a retcon for that. Also, Interesting to know that spring is so windy up there. It's not like that here in East Coast Virginia. If anything, Winter here is incredibly windy. Must just be geological differences. I'm also just trying to use elements that are present in RWBY. I'm mean, I read that metal is an element that is associated with Fall. I guess if I can't figure anything out, I can just introduce that, but I don't know.

Kyrouge23: I figured that if she is gonna visit Raven and Yang, then it would only make sense for her to visit Ruby as well. I always felt Sienna was wasted potential. She was killed off for really no reason. They could have done a lot more with her imo.

Thanks for you all for reading my fic and sticking around for as long as you have. Please have a wonderful day and see you guys next chapter. Peace out y'all!