A/N: RWBY belongs to Monty Oum. I only take credit for my own added character's and storylines.

BTW, I also have an A03 account where I'm also publishing, if you prefer reading it there~.
Enjoy!

Chapter 3 ~ A small Beacon III


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"A… country…." Yang's splutters dumfounded.

Raven sighs. "You repeating yourself ag-"

"I don't care if I repeat myself!" Yang cries. "How the hell do you start a country?!"

"...I didn't do it on purpose?" Raven offered with a sheepish shrug.

"You… accidentally built a country? Are you even listening to yourself?"

"Right, it sounds weird when said out of context, but it does make sense…" Frowning, she hastily adds, "if you look at it creatively."

"…Right."

"It's... I only wanted an underground organisation with people I trusted to network… but that means It's made up of people, so I have to feed them, and then I needed housing, which was fine when there were a dozen or so members but then it went to hundreds…. And thousands…" Her expression becomes much more melancholy, a grimace momentarily forming on her lips before she shakes her head.

"What. Time out! You... why in dust name did you build an underground organization? It's, just-, do you even realize how ridiculous this is. Why would you build a criminal organization? Why would you ask me to join your criminal organization and expect me to say yes?"

"Not criminal." She defends before shifting hesitantly. "Mostly, at least. Since the land we took used to be Grim infested, there's no law from the Conventions that actively counter our claim." Her hand goes through her hair as she leans her weight on the boulder. "I mean, technically there's no law for or against it because nobody expected building civilisations outside of recognised kingdoms to actually succeed. It's not something that's really talked about on the news, but we've been giving the four great kingdoms a huge headache since they can't actively do anything against us without breaking their laws and starting a war against us." After a moment of silence, she lets out a tired sigh. "Or, at least that was the case before Beacon fall. With Atlas closing its borders and Mistral stopping outside contacts things have been... weirder, than usual."

"...Okay. Okay. So what does your organization do?"

Raven blinks, a faint flicker of surprise crossing her expression. If Yang had to guess, she probably didn't expect Yang to actually consider it.

Not that she was, but with the amount of time she'd spent trying to find the woman, she'd inevitably ended up having to... bend some laws.

"A bit of everything, now. I started it once I realised Ozpins brotherhood wasn't working." She finally offers.

"...Ozpins what?"

For a moment, they both stare at the other dumfounded. And then Raven blinks. "...Yang, please tell me you know who Salem is." Yang can't say she does know who that is. Her expression must be telling, as the woman actually lets out a distressed sound. "...Okay. That's... concerning. And if you don't know I doubt Qrow's told Ruby either..." Scowling, Raven shakes her head in an upset manner. "Think of Salem as Ozpins bane."

"...So it's a really powerful Grim?" Yang asks curiously.

"Yang," Raven frowns worriedly. No, not worriedly, Yang realises, she's scared. "she is sapient and fully capable of controlling Grim. Every Grim. Didn't you find it strange that Beacon fall so fast?"

"Not really, there was an entire terrorist organization burning the place down."

"The same terrorist organization that's been trying to burn Atlas for years?" Raven shakes her head. "No, while I won't deny the damage they caused, the hijacking was only on the small fraction of technology in the city, not on the much greater personal that was surrounding it. Truthfully, I'm... agitated at the lack of security Ironwood and Ozpin placed."

"The security was hardly lacking. The problem was Cinder and her group." Yang points out.

"...Who?"

"Er-," She falters, having expected Raven to know this with the way she'd been talking before. "They were some student's that hijacked the army technology."

"That..." Raven blinks in puzzlement, "shouldn't be possible."

"Well, it happened." Yang shrugged, having repeatedly heard her father say the same.

"No, you don't understand. Any academy, especially during a festival, monitors every student twenty-four seven. It's technological and on paper with extensive background checks... at least..." Blinking, she slowly turns towards Yang with a sharp gaze. "Yang," She speaks slowly, "did they say where they were from?"

"Er... I think Haven? Why?"

"...The only feasible way I can think to bypass the academy's security would be by having someone in Ozpins circle and headmaster of the academy. The only two viable options I can think of would be Theodore... and Leonardo."

"So Ozpin was... betrayed?" It's difficult to believe, the hunter that arguably caused the most change to their profession having been killed through the betrayal of a friend.

"..." The woman doesn't respond, staring at her, eyes slightly glazed as if she was looking into the distance.

"Raven? You there?" Yang waves her hand in front of the woman.

Instead of reacting, the woman meets her gaze sharply. "...how well did you know them?"

"Er- Cinder? Not that well. Emerald was the one socialising."

"Did they pay any particular attention to Ruby?" Raven asks, a strange tone in her voice. "Her eyes in particular?"

"No? Not that I can think of, at least. Why? Is this related to her stoning ability?"

"...stoning?" Raven tilts her head curiously.

"Yeah, Qrow said her eyes started to glow and turned the entire nevermore into stone."

"...oh dear." She whispers, shoulders tense as she suddenly stands. "That's not good. That's not good at all." Turning towards the forest, her gaze scans the nearby trees before she seems to find whatever it is she searches for. "Feather!" She commands, causing Yang to jump in surprise.

"Yes, my Lady?" A hooded figure -and Yang jumps at the stranger's introduction- appears beside them, just some steps away from the woman.

"I want a pair ready for observation and guard ready by the hour." She says sharply, a red portal appearing a step away as her eyes gaze into the shadowed hood. "Long term, forest, Grim infested. Place it on the higher ranks."

"Yes ma'am." The figure nods, showing no reaction as a portal appears by the side as they bow.

"Friends of yours?" She asks tentatively, watching as the person disappears through -and with- the portal.

"Bodyguard." She corrects, still frowning as she stares at the trees in thought.

"I didn't take you as someone that needs a bodyguard," Yang comments, forcing the conversation to continue, realising she could leave at any moment.

"I still need to sleep. And it only takes one mistake to die." She huffs, eyes darting towards her with a tired glance. "Besides, they're not my bodyguards."

It takes her a moment to catch the implication of her statement. "Wait. They're watching me?"

"You're hardly in a fighting state." She points out. Yang hates how much the truth of the statements stings.

"I can still fight." She scowls defiantly.

"You can defend yourself," Raven nods, "Surviving against Salem's army? The same army that just torn apart an entire kingdom?" She challenges unphased. "Think over my offer." She stands as her eyes turn towards the wooden house. "And while you do, Tai and I will be having a... talk."


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And with this, we go from the mother-daughter drama to the STRQ family drama.

None the less, if you felt I should have written something differently, be it personality and/or displays of different states of mentality, please leave a comment! Any advice is welcome and appreciated!

Anyways, Ill See you next time! Ciao!

~ Sapphire and Emeralds