Much like a snake, we have one long boi here today with us. Treat it kindly, keep your hand out of its mouth, and please don't step on it.
For just once Weiss would love to be able to savor a victory and not have another catastrophe fall in their laps.
Find Ruby? Walk in on Ambrose on the verge of collapse. Stop Merlot? Mark themselves as risks and have Ruby taken. Again. Hells, Weiss' own graduation was sullied by her summarily assaulting a nobleman, however deserved it may have been. Confirmation for becoming an Initiate? Regular, often blatant efforts by nobility to impede her training.
It fit the mold then that Blake's return brought with it some of the most distressing news yet. Pyrrha, Jaune, Ren and Nora, all of them had been marked. As Wardens now they were in the same position as Weiss herself; every bit as culpable and prone to harm her friends at a moment's neck. The Church had an executioner's axe primed and ready, hanging forever over the necks of her friends until she resolved the Warden's mark. The same mark had almost cost Blake her life once and could now threaten to do so again. To her credit, and Weiss' eternal guilt, the Faunus didn't appear to hold that over her and instead treated her no differently. She had to worry though, Weiss was certain, just as Ruby and Yang did.
Honestly, being told everything was fine was worse than being kept at arm's length.
None of that mattered at this very moment. Or it did, it always would matter. So long as she posed a threat to her friends there wouldn't be a waking moment where Weiss didn't fret over the fact. All but alone in the shell of what had once been Plockton's administrative center, a single-story sprawling complex just off the plaza their fight with Merlot had destroyed, there wasn't anyone present who she could harm.
From the outside the building was clearly important. Where most of those around the once prosperous town were made of wood or stone this structure was chiseled brick, washed white and even now, after what was likely years of neglect, standing firm against the wear of time. While pale walls had begun to discolor from moss taking hold and windows were soiled and unpassable, the building itself remained steadfast. From the main entrance, a large rectangular chamber with a domed glass ceiling laced with vines, three wings branched off. Natural light made the now shattered desk stand out among the shadowed space, stacks of papers and folders long neglected on rows upon rows of shelves at its back.
Qrow had taken her from the main chamber and to the center of the complex. The right wing was inaccessible, stacks of bookshelves and furniture barring the path, and the left completely dark. Past the desk two sets of doors flanked it, each leading into a larger chamber beyond. They moved through that, through a room where desks lined the walls, fallen cabinets and yellowing plants lapsing into decay. What precious natural light did permeate the windows cast slender rays across the dusty tiled floor, distorted by their presence as clouds kicked up in their wake.
Thankfully, the room she was made to wait in was nicer than those before it. In a sign that perhaps the building wasn't as stable as once thought the roof had caved in here, a small, squared room that likely had once been used for storage. Sunlight flooded through the hole in the ceiling and water dripped from an unseen source above, pooling among a patch of grass growing through the floorboards. Fresh air seeped in and the space had a refreshing, if secluded quality to it. Weiss, under Qrow's direction, took a seat just at the edge of the light atop a turned over cabinet. The wood flexed slight and squelched, water leaking from the logged frame, but it supported her weight.
Beyond being told that Raven needed to speak with her Weiss hadn't been given any reason for this visit. And while she waited in silence with Qrow, unbound but feeling a certain weight over her, she couldn't help but notice the room had no windows. Without the hole in the ceiling above there would be no way of seeing the interior from outside.
That was probably just coincidence, right?
Raven's arrival brought a newfound sense of dread with it. She came alone, which Weiss wasn't sure if she preferred or feared more. The woman stalked into the room with her red blade in hand and eyes fixed squarely on Weiss herself. When she stormed over, weapon drawn and gaze fixated, Weiss rose hastily to defend herself. Qrow pushed her back down and she gawked, both at his cooperation in whatever this was and at the feeling of her magic being blocked.
"What is this?!" Weiss demanded, shying away on reflex as Raven stood before her. The red blade caught sunlight and glistened threateningly, the single razor-sharp edge not turned on her. Yet. Forcing her eyes away from the weapon she found Raven's and tried to discern the intent behind her stony mask. "Why did you bring me here, exactly?"
Weiss again tried to move when Raven drew nearer. She lifted her hands as the woman reached out, then balked as a sword was placed in her hand. Then to compound her bafflement Weiss watched as Raven knelt before her, grabbed the blade in her hand, and leveled it at her neck.
"What is this?" Weiss eyed the blade warily and leaned away, trying to move the blade. "What in the world are you playing at?!"
"I'm gettin' real tired of you moping around this place, Schnee. And in case you've forgotten, you're with my daughter. Summer's too." Raven lifted her chin and pressed the blade closer to her exposed throat, enough that the edge scraped against black scales. "It's getting to be annoying."
"You're going to have me execute you then?"
What in the hells was this supposed to solve? Her hand trembled, fingers easing their grip until Raven's hand clamped hers down on the blade. If this was meant to be a joke, then she was beyond through with it already. Unable to pull her arm free she tried another route, huffing when Raven caught her foot.
"You seem to think you're gonna kill us at a moment's notice. The Belladonna girl just got attacked by your little friends, and Yang and Ruby are worried too even if they won't say it." Raven scowled. "If you're really a pawn for the Church and ready to snap then you'll kill me here and now, won't you? One solid cut is all it would take, Schnee. So, go on, cut me down."
"I am not a pawn! I am not going to-"
"Come on, Ozpin! Can you hear me right now, you bastard? You've marked this girl as one of your puppets, haven't you?" Raven released Weiss' foot and waved her hand. "Do it then! Who cares if this girl gets killed for it? Snuff me out, you coward! Make Weiss die for your transgressions, like so many others. Use her!" When Weiss' hand didn't move save for a nerve-wracked tremble, Raven growled and pressed her own neck to the blade, drawing a trickle of blood. "Do it!"
Weiss stared, breath hitched, as she watched the blade. Was it going to move? Would she strike? No compulsion came over her, no insidious desire to do harm. Yet she still feared she might. As the coiled wire in her gut was pulled taught and threatened to snap Raven finally released her hand, and no sooner did Weiss drop the sword and pull her hand back.
"What in the world are you thinking? What if I did attack you?!" She glanced at the blade, grimaced, then scowled at Raven. "This is idiotic!"
"No, idiotic would be giving you a chance to kill someone later." Raven forced the sword in her hand again and sneered. "Come on, Schnee. Run me through!"
The tip of the blade pressed against Raven's chest, burying itself in her robe. Weiss stared and shook her head, trying to throw aside the sword again, only to be denied once more by Raven. Qrow relinquished his hold on her and immediately her magic returned. A pleasant, tingling warmth filled her body and amplified her dread.
If they were trying to push her then why give her magic too? Were they insane?
"Well?" Raven jeered. "Qrow's been ordered to not interfere. I'm unarmed, you've got a blade right at my heart. Do it, Ozpin. Use this girl and be rid of me once and for all."
They didn't even know if Ozpin could hear them! Weiss had never asked extensively about the mark prior to getting it; the process had been quick, and the offer had been so unexpected, so sudden that saying no hadn't even crossed her mind. They had no idea how it operated, what else it could do.
What Weiss did know is she had zero interest in carrying out the asinine demands of a bandit. The second she felt Raven's grip waver she tried to pull back, failing to break free, but managing to pull the blade away from Raven's chest. When she tugged again, she managed to pull free, throwing the sword aside and drawing away when Raven reached out and caught her tunic.
"Let me go!"
"Cast a spell, Schnee. Ice, fire, I don't care." Raven let her go and peeled open her robe. A sarashi hugged her chest and black scales peeked up from the top. Tossing her hair back, the bandit spread her arms again. "Go on. One spell would kill me now."
"I don't want to!" Weiss shouted.
"Doesn't matter whether you want to. It's up to Ozpin, isn't it?" Raven sneered. "Go ahead, Oz. You won't get a better chance than this."
Rather than give herself the chance, Weiss sat on her hands, then thought better of it and stood. She grabbed Qrow's wrist and forced him to hold her own, staring until she felt the familiar unpleasant numbness wash over her, magic seeped away. With no weapon in hand and her magic depleted for the moment she finally took a deep breath, fixing an indignant stare on Raven.
Exasperated, as if somehow not being executed was a disappointment, Raven's arms dropped to her sides. "So, you're not going to kill me?" When Weiss shook her head the bandit snorted, collected her sword, and rose to her feet. "Great.
"Why would you think I would?!"
Raven was infuriating, her allegiance dubious at best, and an absolute horrible mother. There were crimes the woman had committed that likely deserved death but Weiss was not an executioner, or even a judge.
"Because you're a pawn of the Church, remember? Because you're going to betray us." Raven leaned in and frowned. "Right? Just like how the rest of your little friends attacked Blake."
"I don't -" Weiss swallowed hard. "I'm not going to do that!"
"It doesn't matter what you want, Schnee. Unless you wanted to attack Yang back at the estate?"
There was no hiding the chill that raced through her. "Of course I didn't!"
Raven nodded. "But you did. Clearly, you don't get a say in the matter. And Ozpin wouldn't miss a chance to kill me if he had it, even if it cost you your life." She eased back and to Weiss' confusion, smiled. "So? Kill me."
Even if you deserved it, even if you did something to earn my ire… Would she do it then? Perhaps. If Raven genuinely harmed one of her friends, or in self-defense, or if she'd blatantly done something horrendous, then Weiss would do what was needed. But you haven't done anything yet. You've saved us, Weiss frowned. As much of a headache as you might be, I won't do it.
It would take more than a mark on her neck to kill one of her friends, or even a tentative ally.
"Well?" Raven rolled her eyes. "Or are you telling me you don't feel like killing me in cold blood?"
"No," Weiss said.
"Nothing?" Raven glanced at Qrow, frowned, then raised an eyebrow. "So, you're telling me your mark isn't acting up?" Weiss shook her head and Raven clicked her tongue. "Huh, well isn't that weird."
Released again, Weiss' fingertips grazed over her mark. It felt like regular skin, smooth, with no temperature difference from the rest. Once again there were no irregularities in her thoughts; they were all her own. At least she was mostly certain they were her own.
Speaking of thoughts, Weiss' eyes widened as the purpose of their ridiculous "You were… Testing me?"
"Took you long enough." Raven sank back and groaned. When Qrow cleared his throat and gestured to his chest she rolled her eyes again and closed her robe, drawing up a knee and laying her arm over it. "Gods, you can be dense, you know that, Schnee? The hell did you think I was doing?"
"I don't know! You dragged me into a dark room and gave me your sword, then started demanding I kill you!" Weiss threw her hands up. "How was I supposed to react? What kind of person does that?"
"I told you it was a stupid idea, Rae."
"And you!" Weiss spun and jabbed Qrow's chest. "You were complicit in this! I don't want to hear anything from you, you drunkard!"
Qrow feigned a look of hurt while Raven broke into a fit of laughter. What about this was funny? She had been having a lovely morning up until this fiasco. She'd slept well, enjoyed a good meal with her friends, and had even made plans before Qrow whisked her away with only vague directions. If it had been anyone else, she doubted her friends would have let her go unchallenged, but why would they doubt Qrow?
"This isn't funny," Weiss said, watching Raven wipe her eyes. "You're an awful woman."
"So I've been told," Raven snickered. She was inordinately pleased with herself, wasn't she? Weiss frowned as the woman grinned at her. "I'm right though, aren't I?"
"About what?"
"You didn't attack me. I gave you every chance." Raven shook her head. "I gave Ozpin every chance and he didn't take it. I was right." Rising to her feet the bandit wiped her neck, then wiped her palm on her robe and smirked. "You've been a mess for no reason, Schnee."
"We don't know if this totally absolves her, Raven," Qrow warned.
"Sure, but why wouldn't Ozpin have taken that? No one else is here but us and she had a sword to my throat. One cut, or one spell, and I'd be on that floor breathing my last." Raven craned her neck. "Instead all I've got is a nick I gave myself, nothing more. Qrow gave himself worse when he was learning to shave."
"Shuddap," Qrow drawled.
"This was a test to see if Ozpin would manipulate me again." Weiss' lips drew in a thin line. "You idiot. What if I had gone through with it? What if I had actually tried?"
"Why do you suppose I brought Qrow?" Raven nodded to her brother. "Having people around didn't stop him before. And what better place to do it then here, where no one can see anything? If there was ever a chance to kill me then that was it."
"It was either this or wait to see if you snapped around the girls again," Raven said, deflecting the remark with a scoff. "Got a better idea?"
"You already have Qrow around to block my magic! Have him hold my rapier too, then I'm completely harmless."
Qrow groaned. "Sure, make me do all the work."
"Shut up, brother. It was your idea to tag along with them to begin with." Wait, it was? Before Weiss could ask about that Raven continued. "And it worked, Schnee, didn't it? 'Course this doesn't mean you're totally clear either. There could be some other reason Ozpin didn't attack me, after all." Raven wriggled her nose and wiped her neck again. "Can't decide if I'm pissed or relieved you didn't follow my orders."
"Yes, because as we've already established, I am clearly another of your drones." Weiss rubbed at her face, squeezing her eyes closed and exhaling. "Wonderful. If this was meant to help calm me down, then it's done a poor job of it." A lovely morning thoroughly ruined by a madwoman's ill-conceived plan. Frowning, she felt her mark again. Cold, like the rest of her.
"Wait." Just earlier she was expecting something else to happen, some kind of a trigger. She'd expected a compulsion, or perhaps something more. As she thought on it more she felt a pinprick in her mind and a headache began to form. She persevered, trying to recall events at the estate. "I think I remember something?"
"Oh yeah? You gonna share that?"
"Back at the estate, before I attacked Yang, I think I remember hearing a voice?" Weiss closed her eyes and tried to recall the message echoing in her mind. What had it told her? Was it a man's or woman's voice? She shook her head, inhaling sharply and nursing her temples. "I'm almost certain I heard a voice."
Raven's eyebrows raised. She shared an unspoken word with Qrow before drawing nearer, pulling Weiss' hand from her head and placing two fingers on her mark. She studied it, or maybe she studied Weiss herself. "Huh… A voice? I'm guessin' you didn't hear that just now? No sudden urge to run me through?"
"None at all."
Qrow groaned. "And you're just remembering this now, kid?"
"You'll have to forgive me if my mind has been elsewhere as of late. And the entire event is still hazy, to be honest." Weiss rubbed her neck once Raven removed her fingers. "But yes. Although I'm not entirely certain. The entire event is shrouded in this fog. It's as if my mind refuses to recall it."
"There must be some kind of trigger. Maybe some of the senior members know a spell for it?" Qrow shook his head, clearly uninformed on the matter, and Raven sighed loudly. "Could've been Goodwitch, although she snapped too. So, either she triggered both yours and hers…"
"Or it can be done remotely," Qrow pointed out. "It's like some sorta command seal, like what that crazy bastard put on Yang."
That would explain where Merlot had gotten the idea from. As valid as a theory as it was however it did little to reassure her whatsoever. Controlling Grimm was one thing; mindless and soulless, Grimm operated on pure instinct and nothing more. People? People had willpower, they had self-agency, wishes, desires. Evidently none of that mattered when the proper spell was placed on you.
In some perverse way she was no different from a Grimm. Just a puppet, ready to be thrown at the enemy on a whim.
There was a silver lining in all of this at least. Considering Blake's accounts, it was clear that the rest of her friends had all been tainted in the same way she had. That meant they hadn't intended to attack Blake!
It would be perhaps a small consolation, but one appreciated nonetheless, Weiss hoped. Perhaps they could negate the chance for her to have another bout entirely, too. I wonder if Qrow can block the mark from activating? Her eyes wandered over to the man in question. I'll have to ask him later. If he can stop an episode before it even begins then there's nothing to worry about.
Maybe this experiment of Raven's hadn't helped calm her down, but it did help get her thinking. "I think we'll be okay moving forward. So long as you're with us," Weiss said to Qrow. "Thank you for agreeing to come with us. We," she pursed her lips before smiling. "I will feel better for your company."
"Eh, I get to go with my nieces and travel." Qrow smiled, shrugging as he folded his hands behind his head. "If I gotta babysit you then that's fine. Beats bein' stuck here like Rae."
"I am not 'stuck here', Qrow. Someone has to keep an eye on Vale."
"And Hazel can't do that? Isn't he supposed to be your pal?"
"Hazel has other duties that keep him busy. He can't be expected to keep a constant eye on the Church. Besides," Raven grinned. "Its fun being a pain in their ass. Why would I give that up?"
"Because your daughter could use her mother?" Weiss spoke as soon as the thought crossed her mind. In an instant Raven's demeanor changed, her smile erased as she looked down at Weiss not with anger, but with the disregard one might have for a lone ant.
"Yang has Ruby and her friends. And, if the world is kind enough, she'll have Summer." Raven shook her head. "Besides, I forfeited that years ago. She's no more my daughter than Ruby is."
By the same logic Summer wasn't any more Yang's mother than Raven was Ruby's. It didn't take magic to see where arguing that further was going to end up so Weiss settled for a curt nod. Yang would be disappointed no doubt, maybe even go so far as to argue for Raven to join them. Or perhaps Weiss was projecting.
"Either way, it doesn't matter. I think it's safe to say you're not an immediate threat, Weiss. If Qrow can keep your magic in check, and if you know that one of those episodes are coming, they can stop you." Raven shook her head. "And if Ozpin realizes we can block him out then he'll stop trying. Or, he'll try when your guard is down."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Weiss said.
"It goes without saying he won't just let you walk away. The fact we haven't seen anything from the Church since Galloway is worrisome, but we'll be ready for whatever comes." Raven glanced at Qrow before looking at Weiss. "I think we're done here. If I need you for anything else -"
"You'll no doubt drag me away for another absurd experiment," Weiss finished.
"Look at you learning things." Yes, look at me learning this tribe operates on your fanciful whims, Weiss jeered, keeping her comments to herself. "Relax, Schnee. I've got a lot to figure out before you brats go off. Your four have the day to yourselves to do whatever you please. Just don't go wandering out of town if you can help it," Raven said. "For all we know something will happen and I'll have to come save you. Again."
A retort clung to the tip of her tongue and Weiss kept her lips pressed in a thin line. Rising to the barb wasn't going to do her any good. She'd respond, Raven would offer another jeer, and she'd leave more annoyed than she was now. Instead of sullying an already disturbed morning further she bowed her head, shared one look at Qrow, then walked past the man and back out the door. She heard his footfalls behind her soon thereafter but didn't turn and instead marched right to the doors, shoving it open with her shoulder and stepping back into the sun. It took her eyes to adjust to the flood of light, and once the blue skies greeted her again, she began the walk back to her friends.
Weiss supposed she had to credit Raven somewhat for her plan, however asinine it had been. Although Ozpin hadn't risen to the provocation - assuming Ozpin could even see or hear them, which she doubted - her memory had been sparked by the meeting.
Whose voice had it been? Irrelevant for now. As curious as she was, they only needed to know a voice triggered it and with that, hopefully, it could be prevented. As they made their way back, Weiss walking well ahead of Qrow, she wondered if there was a way to test their theory. Using herself as a test subject was terrifying and could end badly for all involved but it could go aways to settling the uncertainty. There was the small, trifling matter of knowing how to coerce whoever it was to activate her mark and she hadn't the faintest idea how to go about that.
So, for the sake of her own sanity Weiss decided, begrudgingly, to let the matter rest. Greeting Ruby, Yang, and Blake with a smile she brushed off their concerns, making a jest that Raven had only wished to make sure they were behaving. Whether they believed her or not they accepted her at her word, doubtless as keen to return to their relaxation as she was.
The question then was what did their relaxation entail? Raven had been explicitly clear in not leaving Plockton and while all of them were reluctant to abide by the woman's orders she had a point. Life as of late loved to throw all manner of chaos their way whenever it got a chance, as if some spiteful deity took joy in seeing them suffer. Which god would subject them to so much? None, if she asked the Church, as all were benevolent… Assuming you prayed, paid tithes, and adhered to a number of guidelines for worship. Yet somewhere, whether in her current life or one past, Weiss must have done something so cruel, so heinous that she was cursed no matter which life she found herself in.
That or they had the worst luck in all of Remnant.
Even in its heyday Plockton didn't offer much in the way of entertainment. A small theater sat empty now, stage caved in, ruddy curtains discolored and rows of benches either shattered or covered in grime. The plaza might have been a nice place to explore if they hadn't ruined it in their first visit. What did that leave them?
Not much. They weren't children entertained by simply running around, nor was Weiss sure if they all shared a common hobby to begin with. Blake liked to read, Ruby, active as she was, might actually be content with exploring the rundown town. For her own part she'd often taken to studies or practicing to pass time, neither of which were feasible now.
As they walked down one of the many roads four abreast, with Qrow making a leisurely pace to follow, Weiss peered across Blake and Ruby to Yang on the far side. "Yang? What would you like to do today?"
"Eh? You wanna know what I want to do?"
Ruby's eyes widened and she shook her head. "Sure," Weiss said, smiling. "I don't have any ideas, do either of you?"
Blake shrugged. "I'm indifferent."
"Um, maybe we should, you know, explore! I bet there's some cool stuff in town still!" Ruby suggested.
"Most of the town is ruined, Rubes. I doubt we're gonna find much here anymore."
"Your sister has a fair point," Weiss agreed, smiling sweetly as Ruby looked at her with a perplexing unease. "Go on, Yang. What would you like to do?"
"Hm, what would I like to do?" When Yang stopped so did they, waiting as she folded her arms. She was taking the question seriously, tapping one of her feet as she stared at the split cobble road. What did Yang like to do anyways? She enjoyed horrible jokes, fighting, and food. Weiss supposed they could cook, although they'd eaten breakfast not too long ago.
Qrow cleared his throat when he reached them and gestured to the four with a wave of his hand. "What's the hold up? Forget something?"
"Weiss asked Yang what she wants to do for fun," Ruby explained. She gave Weiss another puzzling look before whirling around. "Uncle Qrow, why don't we all go, um, I don't know. Maybe we could find an old toy store!"
"Hey, Qrow?" Yang cocked her head. "Is there a river nearby?"
"Uh, yeah, think so. Pretty sure there's one just outside town, why?"
"Remember that one summer on Patch? Where we found that old wagon with the busted wheels?"
Weiss figured they were doomed the moment a devious grin appeared on Qrow's face. Yang mirrored it, and Ruby let out a plaintive whimper. This was probably fine, right?
"Sure do, kiddo. You thinkin' we recreate that?"
"I dunno, think you can take the heat from Raven if she figures out we left town?"
"Yang." Weiss placed herself between her friend and Qrow, holding her hands up. "I'm sure whatever this plan you two are concocting is delightful. Perhaps even the best idea Remnant has ever seen." That was a stretch. She smiled uncertainly as Ruby shook her head. "But we need to stay in town, remember? Let's not tempt fate."
"It's not like we'd be goin' far, Weiss! Just upriver a bit, then down it. We'll be fine, right, Qrow?"
"Blake," Weiss pleaded, turning to the Faunus instead. "A little help?"
Blake shook her head and smirked. "It was your idea to let Yang voice her idea. This is your own doing."
"Alright, that's three against two! Majority rules!" Cheering, Yang clasped Qrow's shoulder and shook him. "I'll find us somethin' we can use, you go make sure the coast is clear. Which way is it?" After getting a rough direction Yang nodded, grinning as Qrow made his way off before turning to address them. "Well, come on ladies, we've got some searching to do!"
"Yang, Raven isn't going to be happy."
The older sister ruffled Ruby's hair despite protests and laughed, easily stepping away from retaliation. "She's never happy, big deal. Besides, we're staying near the town and Qrow will be there! And we can even do this without magic! Although it's way more fun if we use it a little bit."
"Yang." Weiss groaned, given a cheeky smile from the blonde before she started to jog down the road. "Yang get back here! We shouldn't leave!"
"Yang!" Ruby whined, catching up easily before devolving into an incoherent, animated argument with her sister in stride.
Jogging beside her came Blake, lips curled into a satisfied smirk. One ear swiveled towards Weiss as she huffed and the other kept trained ahead, flicking, a low chuckle rumbling in her chest that sounded oddly like a purr.
"You have only yourself to blame, you know."
"Don't be a pest," Weiss shot back.
"Relax. We're leaving soon anyways; consider this a trial run." Blake nodded ahead. "Besides, she seems excited. Let her have her fun."
"She's dragging us to a river for gods know what! Isn't that the least bit concerning to you?"
"Mmm, not really. I'm not going anywhere near the water." Blake winked. "You, on the other hand, are going to need to stay with Ruby, right? Unless you plan to leave her alone to Yang's whims."
Weiss growled, taking a turn and following the sisters down a narrower road, barreling past a trio of bandits on their way back from gods knew what, reeking of liquor. She called out to Ruby and Yang to stop, huffed when they continued on unabated, before glaring at Blake. "She's your friend too!"
"But she's your partner," Blake said. "Don't want to leave your partner alone, do you?"
Of all the underhanded tactics! Weiss reached out to push Blake and stumbled, narrowing her eyes as her friend laughed and jogged ahead. "Why you rotten…" Down another side road, through an alleyway, and Weiss could only just keep up with them.
Where were they even going?!
/+/+/+/+/+/
As it turned out none of them had the slightest clue where to search. Yang explained later, as they prepared themselves on the shore of the river, that she planned to run a round until she spotted something suitable. They'd finally found what they were looking for after running themselves ragged, and after a profoundly lengthy session of Yang begging them to help her they dragged their prize to the shore.
Weiss glared at the broken cart, one wheel long removed and the other jutting out, pinned against the side at a forty-five-degree angle. Yang had been busy trying to wrench it off for the past five minutes until she settled for kicking at it, breaking it in half and leaving the other still jammed against the vehicle. A little more coercing, a lot of effort on their collective parts, and the remainder of the wheel was pried away.
What they were left with Weiss could only begin to dread as to what they would do with it. Square, with one handle snapped halfway off, cobwebs still clinging to the interior, the cart did not look suitable to do much beyond collect dust.
Yet they'd dragged it all the way down to the riverbank, through tall grass, down an embankment with roots tripping them every step of the way. Drenched in sweat and with stones digging at the soles of her feet through her boots Weiss wanted nothing more than to climb back up the bank and trudge back to town. Yang's borderline euphoric smile and giddy bouncing was enough to make her morbidly curious and stay, perhaps against her better judgment. Somehow along the way she'd even convinced Ruby that whatever she had in mind was a good idea.
If Ruby agreed then it can't be that bad, right? Weiss wondered, watching as her friend darted around the cart, poking and prodding. She can be a bit of a dolt, sure, but she's hardly reckless. Maybe this won't be so bad after all.
She was beginning to get an inkling of the nonsense brewing inside Yang's mind. Why not find a boat then? Surely there was one inside the town. Barring that they could just swim, couldn't they? After running after Ruby and Yang for as long as she had Weiss would welcome the cooling water. Less so of it meant tumbling out of a makeshift boat.
Qrow arrived and immediately looked thrilled, sporting a triumphant grin. He slid down the bank and sauntered over, kneeling by the crippled cart and admiring it like a prized mare.
"Yeah, yeah this'll do. Good find, sparks."
"Sparks?" Blake repeated, cocking her head.
"Right? Might be a little rotted, but hey, that makes it more exciting." Mirroring her uncle's grin Yang leaned over and patted the cart. "This baby will get us at least ten feet, I bet. Maybe twenty if we're lucky."
"Unless you use magic to make her fly," Qrow chuckled. "That depends on the Ice Queen though."
Weiss' answer to that was to stick out her tongue and shake her head as Qrow and Yang both laughed at her display of immaturity. They were, well, not Hunters, not anymore, but all adults after a fashion. What sort of adults put themselves in such absurd situations? How they must look, she wondered, gathered around a broken cart on a riverbank, some of them trembling in anticipation, planning ridiculous feats with their vessel. When Yang and Qrow dragged the cart further upstream they all followed, padding through muddy earth, small stones rolling underfoot.
At a small inlet where the water formed an estuary, they set the cart down on the water. To Weiss' earnest surprise it floated, albeit precariously. She wasn't certain it would carry her own weight let alone their collective mass, but Yang seemed determined to find out, waving them all in one by one.
Ruby went in first, sporting a nervous smile as she climbed over the walls. The cart wobbled, creaked, but remained above water. Blake would have been next, but the Faunus appeared determined to avoid climbing in, instead backing off and pushing Weiss forward in the process. Though more inclined to sit out whatever was coming it only took one hopeful look from Ruby to make her drag her feet over.
"You're certain this is safe?" Weiss asked as she tested the makeshift boat.
"Nope!" Yang's smile didn't falter as Weiss shot her a glare. "I mean I'm almost sure it's safe. Unless a board's loose or something it should hold up just fine! Besides," she chuckled and made a paddling motion. "You know how to swim, right?"
That was beside the point. Groaning, Weiss lifted a leg and awkwardly hoisted herself inside, gasping as the cart nearly spilled over sideways. Off balance and stumbling she all but fell into Ruby's welcoming arms, clinging to her partner until the cart settled. It wasn't until Yang gave them both a teasing grin that they parted, faces equally bright, as if burned by the sun.
"Last chance, kitty cat!" Yang cooed. "You sure you don't wanna come with us?"
Blake took one look at the cart and the still wary expression Weiss wore. "I'm certain," she said, smirking as she shook her head. "Someone's going to need to be on standby when you inevitably tip over."
"Aw, but that's what Qrow is for!"
"I think I'll stay on the shore all the same."
Yang laughed and clambered into the cart, laughing even louder as it teetered, and Weiss let out an unbidden yelp. Glowering, she kept her arms firmly crossed when Yang gestured for help setting off, and not even Ruby's imploring gaze could make her yield this time. To her dismay and Yang's eternal delight Blake stepped up to help along with Qrow, and with a few shoves, feet struggling to find purchase in the drenched soil, their cart slowly drifted into the river proper. Almost immediately their vessel turned on itself, the front end swiveling around and the back, with broken handles still jutting out, Yang at the bow and leaning forward like an overeager captain.
The currents were slow enough that Qrow and Blake could walk along and keep pace, but water still lapped against the walls, spilling over and splashing them. Ruby squealed, Yang howled in delight, and Weiss sank down further, covering her ears to keep water out of them.
"Alright, Weiss. This next part is on you!" Yang turned towards them with a grin. "How are you feeling about a little magic, princess?"
"Like that would be a very ill-advised idea!" Weiss shouted despite their proximity. Water splashed against her back and she shivered. "A very, very bad idea!"
"Aw, don't quit before we've even started!" Seeing Weiss wouldn't yield Yang deferred to their youngest member instead. "First mate Ruby, what say you? Should Weiss use her magic to speed us up?"
"Um…" Ruby hesitated while wringing her hands. Weiss shook her head while Yang simply grinned. "Sure? Could be fun!"
"Ruby!" Weiss cried.
"Two on one, majority rules, Weiss!" Yang cackled. She tried to crawl to the aft but paused as the cart rocked precariously beneath them. Instead, she sat down and gestured to the rear. "Water rune on the back should do it. Make a nice big splash or something to give us some speed!"
"Why would I do such a thing?" More water spilled in as Yang rocked the cart and Weiss huffed, kicking out at Yang and failing to reach her. "Stop that!"
"The sooner we do it the sooner I stop, Weissy!"
"What are you, a child?!"
"I'm someone's child!" Yang laughed. "'Sides, I promised Ruby we'd try this earlier. Right, Rubes?"
Ruby, content to remain silent until now, exchanged a nervous smile with Weiss and shrugged. "She didn't tell me exactly what we would be doing, just that I'd like it. And this was pretty fun the last time we tried."
Was Yang using Ruby against her? That was low. Indignant, Weiss shot a pleading look towards the shoreline in hopes of finding some kind of support. She found none. Blake watched on with a self-satisfied smirk, tilting her head and winking at Weiss. Qrow simply waved and grinned. Everyone was conspiring against her!
Twisting herself around she peered down at the river. The water was calm, all things considered and near crystal clear. Deep enough that it would come to her chest, and from what she could see ahead, free of rapids or any jarring obstacles. It wouldn't exactly spell death if they should capsize but she hadn't planned on getting drenched today; she'd bathed earlier and already cleaned her clothing to boot.
"I do this and that's it?" Weiss glanced back at Yang. "Once, then we're done for the day."
"If you only wanna do it once, sure!" Yang said.
As if she'd want to do this more than once. Weiss sighed, dipped her fingers in the chilled water, and bit the inside of her cheek. One rune, just one, and with only enough power to give them a little push. Grimm wouldn't come running because of a single, tiny spell, right? If no one else was concerned about it then maybe she had no reason to be.
I'm friends with a bunch of lunatics. Her fingertips traced the back of the cart, grazing against saturated, swollen grains. A teardrop shape with one open face, with sharp angles rather than smooth lines. One of the easier runes and despite that one of the lesser utilized. With the spell attached to the cart Weiss exhaled and let her magic flow, hand growing warm and fingertips tingling, imbuing the rune with energy.
"For the record," Weiss warned as she prepared to unleash it. "I have absolutely no idea what this will do."
"We'll be fine!" Ruby insisted, gripping both sides of the cart until her knuckles went white.
Yang gave two thumbs up. "Let 'er rip, Weiss!"
Please let this work. Closing her eyes, Weiss focused on her rune, captured the shape in her mind, and channeled. Like a key she used her magic to open it up and release everything she'd poured into the rune…
The cart immediately surged forward, and Weiss sputtered, covering her face as a deluge erupted from the cart. Through her fingers she watched as the cart dipped, the rear pressed down by force. Ruby slid down against her back and she squealed, hands shooting to the sides of the cart as the river came closer and closer, obscured by a growing stream of white foam. Above them Yang hollered and cheered; the sound was deafened against the eruption Weiss had created.
"I overdid it!" she tried to shout, instead sputtering and turning her head as water kicked up in her face. Ruby's arms latched around her middle and she felt herself fall forward, hands slipping on the slick wood.
Then came a peculiar sense of weightlessness. It was not until she realized she was staring up at the sky that something had gone wrong. By the time it registered what had happened she hit the water with a gasp, kicking and flailing. It wasn't deep and the current still was not strong but between her flailing and the tumult in the cart's wake the sunlight from above shimmered oddly. Unable to touch the bottom with her feet she righted herself, swimming up and gasping, gulping in air as she surfaced again.
Though her ears rang and she shook her head to rid them of water she could still hear boisterous laughter. Ruby made a paddle for the shore and was climbing out by the time Weiss oriented herself. Chilled, though not nearly as badly as she'd feared, she kicked her legs and swam for the shore. By the time she reached it Yang had swam ashore as well, still shaking with laughter as she stumbled out.
"That was awesome!" Yang shouted, pumping her fists. "We've gotta do that again!"
"We absolutely do not have to do that again!" Weiss sat on the shore and shook out her hands before wiping her face. Gods damn it, she had been perfectly dry just a moment ago. Feeling her hair cling to her back she peeled it free and wrung it out, grimacing as she plucked a leaf from it.
"That was pretty fun though!" Ruby beamed at Weiss. "Worked way better than last time!"
"What in the world happened last time?!"
"Blew up the boat." Weiss' jaw dropped at Yang's casual admission. "We weren't sure how much 'oomph' to give it, so we figured why not just give it all? If you're gonna do something, do it right!"
Qrow chuckled, holding his hands up as Ruby threatened to hug him. "In my defense it wasn't exactly something I'd done before." He stepped back from Ruby, reaching out and putting a hand to her forehead to stave off her attack. "Plus, Glynda was pissed I got someone to do that for me. Called it a 'waste of magic'."
"Pfff, not using magic to have fun is a waste!"
Blake snorted, reaching out and plucking a strand of grass from Yang's hair. "Yes, because the source of all of Remnant's woes is should be spent on fun." Her eyes widened and she yelped, hands shoving Yang's face as she was picked up. "Yang, put me down! Stop it!"
"Aw, magic's not so bad, Weissy! It's how ya use it!" Yang laughed, relinquishing her hold and wiggling her eyebrows at a thoroughly put off Blake. She held her hands up and wriggled her fingers as she started forward. "Now come on, Blakey, you're coming with us for round two."
"Yang, I will hit you, and it will hurt."
Threats ineffective, Blake cursed and ran back up the shore with Yang hot on her heels. Qrow released Ruby and stepped out of their way, then groaned when she took her opening and stole a hug, nuzzling her drenched cheek against his chest.
Where was the cart anyways? Weiss scanned the shoreline for a trace and she found it before long, burying her face in her hands and groaning. If she had thought she overdid it before then finding the cart now as it was, lodged several feet out of the water in the side of a tree, more than confirmed that. Assuming it was even in one piece, which from this distance she wasn't sure, she doubted it would withstand another impromptu jettisoning.
Ruby tackled her and nearly sent them sprawling down in the mud if not for Weiss planting a foot behind her. A curt warning died on her tongue when she caught the beaming smile of her partner, silver eyes shining through bangs still clung to her forehead.
"Weiss, that was awesome! Better than awesome, even!"
Heat returned to her cheeks and Weiss returned a more sheepish smile of her own. "You're welcome?" Her eyes drifted back towards the ruined cart. "Although I don't think we'll be doing it again."
"Aw, that's too bad. I'm sure we can find another though!" Or maybe the town has a shortage of carts. That's a possibility too.
"I suppose that's a possibility," Weiss acquiesced, reluctantly.
"Or we can do something else too! I just want us to have some fun together, that's all!"
Her smile became more earnest as Weiss set her hands on Ruby's sides. "I think I'd like that. So long as 'fun' is safe," she added, narrowing her eyes. "I'm beginning to question your sister and uncle's sanity."
She became distracted momentarily hearing Blake shouting, looking upriver to find Yang holding her, absorbing flailing limbs as she walked towards the river. Just before they reached it Blake managed to somehow wriggle free, ducking under another attempted hold and shoving Yang into the water instead. Mid fall, Yang reached out and caught Blake's wrist and the pair went in with a howl on Blake's part. What came next from Blake was enough to make a seasoned sailor blush. Even Qrow looked abashed by it. Not Yang though, who sat in the water and laughed, not even bothering to shield herself as Blake began to splash her.
It was such a welcome relief to see them getting along together. Sure, Blake might want to throttle Yang, but she only looked like she wanted to. Probably. Weiss smiled, shaking her head as Yang finally took off and Blake followed, both of them slowed by the thigh high water.
Brought back to her own predicament by arms tightening around her waist she smiled at Ruby, wavering slightly seeing the blush on her partner's face. Ruby's eyes flickered between her own blues and something else, and when Weiss licked her lips and saw Ruby do the same her heart stuttered, breath catching in a startled gasp.
She could feel Ruby's own heart pounding in her chest, or maybe that was just hers. Fingers kneaded at her back, twisting and pulling at her sodden shirt. Weiss heard the river, heard the water lapping at the shore, but paid it no mind. Instead she heard Ruby's breaths come in shallow, almost strained gasps, she listened to her partner's leather boots lift and settle in the mud, squelching, leather creaking like a limber tree in the wind.
"Um, so…"
Ruby, cut off by lips on her own, stared before letting her eyes drift closed. Handfuls of her shirt was grabbed, and Weiss responded in kind, pulling Ruby closer and embracing her as best she could. Despite cold clothing clinging to her body she felt remarkably warm, a tingling sensation not unlike magic coursing through her, filling her with a giddy sense of elation.
She wasn't sure how long they held for, only that by the time they separated her lungs ached and she was panting. Ruby too, her eyes wide and questioning. Neither of them made an effort to pull away however, not as Weiss' fingers brushed some of Ruby's bangs aside and cupped her cheek, nor as Ruby's hand moved along her back with hesitant, shaky measures, like an untrained musician familiarizing themselves with a new lute. Each of them eager to create music but unsure how to proceed.
Hearing Yang and Blake's bickering pulled her out of the moment, if slightly, and catching Qrow's bemused expression nearby kept Weiss from following up again, if only just.
Well, that happened.
/+/+/+/+/+/
Yang bristled, teeth grinding as she shoved aside the bandits dumb enough not to move out of her way. Today had been so damned good! They shared a breakfast, just the four of them, then filled an afternoon with utter nonsense. Even the small irregularity that was Weiss and Ruby sucking face - something neither girl had broached since - hadn't done enough to dampen her mood. They had left the river and found a dirty, peeling rubber ball, made a game of it, then explored some of Plockton's more remote streets.
When all was said and done it had been as enjoyable a day as she could remember. Yang kicked aside a crate in her path hard enough for it to sail and break apart against a building. A bandit too deep into his cups stumbled into her path. Without missing a beat, she grabbed him by his shirt and tossed him aside, flashing red eyes at a trio who thought to come to his defense.
They backed down. Smart. Though she kept flames from sprouting she could feel heat radiating from her, her blonde hair tousled, as if teased by an nonexistent wind. Ahead raged a bonfire fed by countless pieces of furniture taken from nearby homes. Yang could not give less of a shit about the furniture. This town belonged to the tribe and it was their property. If they wanted to burn it then so be it.
As she stepped into the light of the fire, the lone source of illumination on a near starless night sky, she found the source of her fury. Sat apart from the bandits who feasted and with only Vernal remotely close to her, Raven sipped from a mug, eyes locked on a group of men and women lost in dance. She never saw Yang as she circled the clearing like a shark, weaving between clusters of civilians, pushing aside bandits. Vernal caught sight of her on approach and stood, rushing to cut her off. Before a word was uttered Yang seized her by the shirt and pulled her close, parting her lips and letting sparks and smoke pour out. It was all the incentive Vernal needed to back off.
Only once Yang loomed over Raven did her mother finally take notice. She did so slowly, surely deliberate, sipping from her mug before turning her head just enough to spot Yang.
"What is it? Can't you see I'm busy?"
"Like hell you are." Yang reached for Raven and growled; her wrist caught. Even with heat spilling off her Raven held firm, staring in the most uninterested way possible. "The hell were you thinking, freaking her out like that?"
It took a second, but Raven finally turned to face her. Maybe it was a trick of the flames casting shadows, but Yang couldn't help but notice how haggard she seemed, how much deeper the bags under her eyes had gotten. Refusing to feel even a twinge of remorse, she was here for her friend after all, she instead tore her hand free and rolled her wrist.
"I told you not to go through with it, Raven!"
"And I told you that your idea was stupid, Yang. You didn't listen either." Raven shrugged, pausing to sip from her mug. "So why should I have?"
"Because my idea was having her just do one spell! You tried to make her attack you!" Yang smacked the mug out of Raven's hand before spreading her arms. "She's already afraid she'll hurt someone, so you did that? How dumb can you be?!"
Unsurprisingly, her nondiscrete approach was drawing attention. People who had been dancing now stood by silently, no doubt thrilled to see what was sure to be a show. When Raven rose to her feet a few people cheered and Yang heard more than one person insist she be put in her place. Could Raven kick her ass? Probably. Most definitely even. Nonetheless she stood firm and met Raven's eyes with her own, red staring into red.
Her mother didn't slap her like Yang expected, or even look angry for losing her drink. With a tired, almost resigned look she let out a sigh, then nodded imperceptibly away from the gathering. "You want to talk? Follow me." More than a few confused murmurs followed, and Yang watched as anger finally flashed, although not at her. "What the fuck are you all gawking at? Am I entertainment for you all?"
Just with those words alone the crowd began to disperse again, and people returned to dining. No one was dancing though, and the group who had been playing makeshift instruments was notably silent. Yang stole a glance at the gathering and met quite a few expectant gazes. No doubt the moment they were gone everyone would begin speculating as to what they were discussing. Leaving them with a sneer and a rude gesture she stalked after Raven, taking deep breaths to try and settle the embers within threatening to erupt.
Away from the fire and with herself calming down the air grew cooler. As they passed between tightly packed homes, down cobbled and paved roads, Yang felt humidity cling to her skin, swatting at the occasional gnat or mosquito that buzzed too close for her liking. With cloud coverage overhead, a poorly grey blanket blotting out the beautiful stars, Yang strained to keep track of Raven. She could hear her mother's footsteps even as the music behind them kicked up once more and over the chorus of crickets chirping. Somewhere a toad croaked, and she glanced up briefly as a bird flew overhead, and the toad suddenly grew silent.
At a home no different than the rest they stopped, passing through a broken picket fence and encroaching on what had once been a front yard. Tall grass sprouted up in patches, dandelions adding splashes of color, and the house itself, roof half caved, sat in stoic silence, interior utterly devoid of light. Wind whipped up and the house creaked, shutters crying on rusted hinges.
With a narrow street at her back and two homes flanking the one they'd stopped at it was as private as they'd get. Raven seemed satisfied with it, standing among the weeds and folding her arms.
"Well?" Raven tilted her head. "Get it out."
"What the hell were you thinking, Raven? What if Weiss had attacked you, huh? What then?"
"Qrow was there. He would have stopped her."
"And what if he couldn't?" Yang snapped. She took a step forward, hands balling into fists, before stopping herself. "What if Weiss seriously injured you? What if she tried to hurt him? Would you two have hurt her?"
"We would have restrained her, Yang. I wasn't planning to kill her -"
"And she wasn't planning to kill you, Raven, but she could have! Like I said," Yang sighed and shook her head, running a hand through her hair. "She's been freaking out about it. About the stuff she might do to us." When she looked back at her mother her eyes had gone lilac, hair now only fluttering in the breeze. "Why push her?"
Raven frowned, turning away and starting to pace back and forth. Rather than look at Yang she looked around, pausing at one of the shutters. Blue paint peeled away under her fingertips and she swung it once, sighing as the hinges squealed.
"I've wondered about the people who used to live here. What this town must have been like before it was abandoned. It doesn't matter much what we do with it now. With how far it's fallen into ruin, with the damage Merlot did to parts of it, I doubt we'll stay here for much longer. It's too dangerous." Raven flicked a paint chip from her fingers. "There's a lot of towns like this and not just in Vale. Thousands, if not tens of thousands of lives uprooted."
"What the hell does this have to do with my question?"
"If it's not the Church, it's the Grimm. If it's not Grimm, it's people like me, or corrupt guards, or a petty noble needing to show force because their farmers didn't prostrate themselves." Raven turned back to her, tilting her head. "The world is a shitshow no matter how you cut it. Life for those in the cities is cozy, so long as you play by their rules. Everyone inside the walls can live in ignorant bliss. But we both know life's a lot more complicated than that, don't we?"
"And who's to say that some of the people we despise don't have reasons for doing what they do? Everyone's a hero in their own story, Yang. Ozpin, the nobility, the King -"
Yang scoffed. "You?"
"No. I've never pretended to be a hero, and I've sure as shit never considered myself one either." A cold wind bit into her skin and Yang found herself surprised to be shivering. Raven unfolded her arms and held her hands up. "I was never going to be half the woman Summer is. I'm not selfless like she is, I'm not heroic, and I'm sure as hells not the sort to do the right thing." A bitter laugh came, followed by a long, tired sigh. "I'm selfish, I'm brutish, and I've got no use for laws. Never have."
On a scale of odd things to discuss this was up there. Having had every intention of shouting at Raven until she went hoarse Yang found herself now unsure how to respond. She watched as her mother began to pace again, staring at her own hands, clenching and unclenching them before letting them fall to her sides.
"Know what? Everything I've done, from saving you girls, to fighting Ozpin, it's all been for myself. And I'm not about to change who I am just because you're around, Yang. I don't owe that to anyone."
"I'm not asking you to change, Raven! Fuck, I just want you to stop messing with people!" Yang, lifting her hands and shaking her head, kicked at the packed dirt and sighed. "What the hell is this about? You're being… Weird."
Raven stopped her pacing and for the first time in, well, ever, Yang thought she saw an earnest smile. It was one tainted by a profound sadness that reflected in Raven's duller than usual eyes, but it seemed genuine all the same.
"I'm going to keep being a selfish bitch, because that's all I know. Just like how you'll keep being a pain in my ass, and my brother will be a drunk and a fool." Raven started to draw closer. Yang stepped back, put off and more than a little confused by the sudden shift. "You want to know why I still did what I did? Why I put the Schnee girl through that?" Yang nodded, too puzzled to speak. "Because I was making sure you're safe."
"I…" Yang blinked, then cleaned one of her ears. "What?"
"If Weiss was going to snap at the slightest provocation then I needed to know. I had to make certain she wasn't the bomb that she's convinced she might be. What better way to do that then give her a chance to cut me down?" Raven chuckled. "She didn't, obviously. Damn near pissed herself, I think. But I feel a damn lot better about her being with you now."
"You're kidding, right? That's what that was about? Because you suddenly care about me now?" Yang placed a hand to her chest, her smile masking her sheer disbelief. "After all this time you want to protect me?"
Raven shrugged, folding her arms and tilting her head back.
"Raven, you don't get to do that. You don't get to leave then suddenly start acting like a mother!" Yang snapped.
"I am your mother though, Yang. Summer raised you, sure, but I'm the one who gave birth to you. Nothing can change that."
Yang's fist stung the moment it made contact, knuckles aching. Raven stumbled back from the sudden blow and stayed doubled over for a moment, one hand slowly raising to grab her chin. Her arm trembled and Yang hissed through her teeth, glaring furiously.
"You don't get to do this!" she shouted. "You left! You could have stayed; you could have come back when Summer left. You could have helped me from Merlot, you could… You could have…" Yang growled and turned around, kicking and breaking apart the rotting fence. "You could have come back a thousand times and you never did! Don't start to pretend like suddenly I'm the center of your world, or that everything you did was for me, Raven. I'm not a fucking idiot so don't treat me like one."
Raven, rising slowly, rubbed her jaw before frowning. "What do you want? An apology? That won't make everything right, we both know that. And I can't undo anything I did."
"That doesn't make this okay! You don't get to stand there and mope and pretend like you're the victim here!" Yang placed a hand on her chest. "I had to pick up the pieces when you left. When Summer left, I had to be the one to teach Ruby everything. How to take care of herself, how to do the things Tai couldn't teach her. You never came back to try and help with that."
Raven glanced at the broken fence, turned her head and spat, then nodded. "You're right, I didn't."
"So don't you fucking dare start to pretend like you care, or that any of this is about me. You scared Weiss, Raven. Ruby's upset, Blake's upset. I'm pissed!" Yang grit her teeth. "And I should punch you at least a dozen more times to make up for all the bullshit we've been through with you!"
"Would that help?"
"I don't know, but it's a damn good start!"
"Then hit me." Raven reached into her robe and withdrew something, throwing it at Yang's feet. A small, sheathed tanto laid in the dirt, a crimson red hilt with a twisting silver serpent wrapping around it. "Or use that. Do whatever the hell makes you feel better."
"Stop that!" Yang snapped. "Stop… Fuck! What are you even trying to do right now other than piss me off? Why aren't you getting angry at me, huh? What, did you suddenly decide to become a pacifist or some shit, Raven?"
"You're all leaving Vale soon. Tomorrow, if it can be arranged." Raven rolled her shoulders and rubbed her jaw once more, grimacing before glancing at Yang. "And there's something I need you to do before you go. Something I need to ask you."
"Yeah? Well whatever it is you can shove it up your ass, how's that?" Yang said.
"Yang, please."
She hated how defeated Raven sounded in that instant, how her shoulders dropped, and her eyes lowered. Years upon years of not having a mother left a hollowness that ate away at her. She smiled for Ruby, for their friends, but Yang always felt it, a gnawing, painful pit in the center of her heart. She wanted to hit Raven again, to scream at her, to call her every curse under the sun and berate her. And while the anger was still there, brimming like boiling water threatening to spill over, the tiniest, most imperceptible twinge of sympathy showed itself.
Yang's fists still trembled but she stepped back, her squared shoulders showing she was anything but relaxed. Raven took the small allowance and ran with it.
"All I want to ask of you, of you and Ruby, is to survive. Find Summer, wherever she is, and survive. That's it." Raven shook her head. "No catches, no twists. Find her and survive."
Yang opened her mouth and closed it several times as she tried to come up with a response. She couldn't think of anything to say to that, or any reason to be angry with it. That in of itself made her angry and yet she felt almost wrong to shout at Raven for it.
"You… You're such a fucking idiot, Raven." Yang scowled. "Survive? What kind of dopey, sentimental crap is that? No, I planned to die the moment we left Plockton. No shit we're going to survive. And we'll find Summer too, if she's still alive." She hoped like hell but she wasn't going to get her hopes too high either. Easier to accept Summer was really gone that way. "We'll do it, sure, but not because you asked. Hell, I'm almost tempted to die just to spite you."
"Yang, don't be such an idiot. And fine, you don't have to do it for me, I don't care. As long as you're alive that's all I give a damn about." Raven stepped closer and Yang stepped back, raising a fist in warning. Her mother grabbed her wrist mid swing and pulled her in, forcing her into a firm embrace. "Consider it the one fucking thing I ever ask you do to as your mother though. Live. Hate me if you want to. Curse me with your every breath until the day I die. Fine." Raven tightened her grip. "As long as you're alive I don't care."
Yang lifted her hands almost to return the sudden embrace before dropping them. "Stop. Stop acting like you're somebody to me. You're not. You're basically a stranger."
"That's fine."
Yang reached up and grabbed Raven's arms but stopped short of pulling her off. "I'm going to live, but not for you. For Ruby, and Weiss and Blake, and dad; everyone else."
Raven chuckled wearily. "I'm sure they're thrilled to hear that, Yang."
"You don't get to act like my mother. You don't get to make requests of me." Yang pulled herself free and stepped back, adjusting her tunic and brushing off her shoulder. "When we leave tomorrow it will probably be the last time I see you, you got that, right?"
"That's fair," Raven said with a shrug. "You'll be leaving Vale, I'll be busy here being a pain in Ozpin's ass." She grinned, though it lacked the usual taunting edge. "It's what I'm best at, after all."
Being a pain in the ass was about all Raven was good for, period. That and causing headache after headache with her ideas, keeping secrets, and being completely unreliable. And here she was, in what could very well be their final night together, thinking she could act like a mother suddenly. The sheer audacity pissed Yang off to no end. The unexpected sincerity of it made her more put off than she'd care to admit.
"That's fine. It's for the best if you stay here." Raven seemed to agree. Yang closed the gap between them and punched her mother's shoulder lighter than before but still enough to make her twist slightly. "You're not allowed to die either though, got me? You don't get to avoid me and Summer chewing you out when we get back. So… Don't go getting yourself killed either."
Raven chuckled again. "Wouldn't dream of it, Yang."
The hollow ring in Raven's voice wasn't reassuring. Yang offered a strained smile, biting back on her anger as she looked at what was, if she was honest, a pitiful version of her mother. "I'll be damned if the last time I see you is like this. What you did isn't okay, and… I can't forgive you for what you did." Yang let out a chuckle of her own, running a hand through her hair. "But that doesn't mean you get to die, okay? I mean it. This kingdom's gonna end up a complete shitshow if you're not around to keep Ozpin in check."
"Are you saying it's not a shitshow already?"
"More of one," Yang said, rolling her eyes. "Just… Keep up the good fight or whatever, okay? And I'd better see the same bitchy Raven when we get back. Not this…" Yang gestured before shaking her head. "Whatever this is. I'm furious, but now you're making me all depressed."
"Well, you know where to find me if you need to vent more." Raven retrieved her tanto and placed it back in her robe. "Go on back, go see your friends. Make the most of tonight."
Yang glanced down the dark, narrow street, fidgeting with a lock of her hair before looking at Raven curiously. "You comin' back?"
"Vernal can keep an eye on things. I think I'm going to go for a walk." With a wistful smile and a somberful sigh Raven took a step back. "Goodbye, Yang. Don't be surprised if I'm not there to see you off tomorrow."
"Hey!" Yang circled around the broken fence, frowning as her mother stopped in her tracks. "You'd better not be going to do something stupid!"
"Please, I'm not that upset," Raven snorted. "I'm going for a walk. Go back," she ordered, waving Yang off. "I'll be back before long, I just need some fresh air, that's all."
But we're already outside? Yang watched as Raven turned, heading deeper into the shambles of homes before disappearing down a narrow alley. Part of her wanted to follow just to make sure Raven wasn't going to do anything drastic. She frowned, turning partway and staring after her mother a moment longer. You'd better be there tomorrow, you ass. You're not getting off that easily.
Yang pushed down her conflicted feelings, tore them out, and left them there in that forgotten, crumbling yard. That family was long since gone, perhaps dead. No children played in the yard any longer. The smell of cooked food wafting out the windows was absent, replaced by the stench of wet, rotting wood and mold. Maybe if they had survived, they'd lost touch with one another, or they had gone their separate ways, driven apart by all they had endured.
Seemed like a fitting place for her and Raven to part.
Just another normal chapter! Nothing happened. Nothing whatsoever.
Thanks for reading, you lovely folks. Stay safe and stay healthy, and until next time!