The wind billowed around Yang, her hair and waist cape flapping behind her. The man, Shay, clutched her stomach. The trees were beginning to thin, the mid-day sun beaming between their branches.

"How much further?" she asked. Shay let go of her stomach, pointing at a small clearing.

"There, that's the spot." He said.

Yang slowed her bike, kicking in the brake and killing the engine when she reached the center of the clearing. Shay leapt off, running into the tree line.

"Wait here, I'll be back with her," he called out. Yang watched him disappear, narrowing her eyes. She got off her bike, slipping off her aviators and wiping her face with the bandana around her neck. She stretched her arm, feeling the muscles stretch, hearing her elbow pop.

She heard a click, and stepped aside, a bullet whizzing past where she had been standing.

Shay stepped out from the tree line, six other people by his side, well worn machetes and bayonetted shotguns in their hands. Shay raised a revolver, aiming it at her.

"You foreigners are never very bright. It's getting easier and easier tricking you fools into coming out this way." He said. Yang looked over the group.

"This everyone?" Shay narrowed his eyes.

"Of the Clan? Hell no, the rest of 'em are further in."

"Further in. Got it." The Branwen's glanced at each other, and then at Shay.

"You shouldn't be worrying about the rest of the Clan." He motioned to his mouth, to his missing tooth. "That bike of yours will make for some good scrap. And as payback for doing this to me, I'm gonna take your head, and put that mouth of yours to good use."

Ember Celica snapped into place.

Shay laughed, cocking his revolver.

"You're pretty goddamn stupid to try and fight all of us with one ar-"

Flames spread from her stump, her arm forming. Shock and fear shot through the Branwen's eyes, doubt flickering through Shay's. He sneered.

"Get her!"

The group charged.

Yang blocked a bayonet stab, kicking the mans feet out from under him, slamming her fist into his face, hurling him to the ground, his aura shattering and shimmering. She ducked under a machete swing, kicking the blade up, the Branwen yelling in surprise. She punched his knee, firing a shot, hearing him scream as his aura broke, blood spurting into the air.

She leapt aside, dust flying into the air as a shotgun blast hit the dirt. Her fire arm dissipated, her aura shimmering around her.

Gotta be defensive for now

She sprinted forward, dodging another shotgun blast, leaping through a cloud of dust, dropkicking a Branwen, backflipping off of him, scissor kicking the three Branwen's behind her.

A Branwen charged her, throwing a punch. Yang parried, twisting her arm before kicking her in the head, hurling her away. Yang threw her arm back, a jolt going up her arm, and hearing a metallic clang as a machete bounced off Ember Celica. She spun around, punching him in the chest, firing a blast, launching him back.

Pain shot through her shoulder, her aura shimmering. She hissed, turning around. Shay pulled the lever on his revolver, aiming at her. She snarled, sprinting at him, dirt flying onto her as his shot hit the ground next to her. She leapt toward him, fire springing forward, a yell ripping from her lips as she slammed her flaming fist into his face.

He slammed into the ground, wheezing. He raised his pistol, screaming out when Yang stomped on his hand, digging the heel of her boot in. He dropped the revolver; Yang didn't raise her foot.

"You're going to take me to her. Got it?"

"Fuck you!" he spat. Yang lifted her boot, and kicked Shay's face, flipping him over, blood spurting from his nose. She stepped on his throat; Shay grabbed at her foot and leg, trying to pry it off. "Alright! Stop!" he wheezed. She lifted her foot up a bit, enough for him to breath. He glared up at her. "But just know that you're fucken dead when Raven meets you."

"I'm her daughter."

Dread shot through Shay's eyes.

"Well shit," he groaned.

Ruby set the coffee's down on the table, taking the seat opposite of Ivory, the Kireina Falls roaring in the background. People in expensive and colorful robes stood on the deck, taking pictures of the falls, mist spraying in the air around them. A Sundoe stall sat at the other end of the deck, a long line of people standing and waiting.

"I wasn't sure what type of coffee you liked, so I just got a normal one, and brought some cream and sugar over," Ruby said. Ivory took her cup, nodding thankfully to Ruby.

"That's okay, I prefer my coffee black." Ivory started to drink from her cup.

Ruby took a sip from her cup, looking over at the falls, watching the torrents of water gushing down. She heard Ivory set her cup down.

"I take it that Summer never talked about me when you were growing up?"

"Huh?" Ruby looked over at her aunt. Ivory was holding her cup, looking down into the coffee.

"You didn't recognize my name. I just assumed." Ruby rubbed the back of her head.

"Yeah. She never really talked about her family."

"I see." Ivory moved her hand, watching the coffee swirl in its cup. "How is she?"

Ruby bit her lip, reaching for her necklace, gripping the silver rose.

"She's uh…she's…" she took a breath, and exhaled, closing her eyes. "She died nine years ago, when I was seven." She opened her eyes. Ivory's silver eyes widened, tears welling, her mouth opening and closing several times. Ruby got up, going around the table and hugging Ivory.

"How did she…?" Ruby shook her head.

"She went out on a mission, and my uncle brought her cloak, necklace, and sword back. He said it was all he could find of her." Ivory clutched Ruby's arms, her fingers digging into her sleeves. She felt Ivory tremble; her sobs muffled against Ruby's chest.

They stayed that way for several minutes, Ruby running a hand through Ivory's hair as she sobbed. Ivory began to quiet down after a while. Ruby untangled herself from her aunt, taking her seat again. She rested her hands on her lap, squeezing one hand with the other.

"I don't really remember her much, and there's a lot that I don't know about her. My dad never really talked about her when I was growing up." Ivory looked at her. "Can you tell me more about her? About what my mom was like? About the rest of our family?" Ivory sniffled but nodded.

"With Summer…gone… our family is really just down to you and me, now. I had a sister, your grandmother, and a mother and father. My sister and mother and I all looked very much alike, we all had the silver eyes and black and red hair that marked our family. Your grandmother wanted to be Hunter like our mother was. I never really cared for fighting, it's not in me to harm others."

"What happened to the rest of our family?" Ruby asked. Ivory grabbed her coffee, squeezing the cup, her eyes glazing over as she spoke.

"Your grandmother got pregnant with Summer when she was rather young, and she couldn't really look after a baby and go to a combat school. I was a bit older than her, and I was living on my own, working at a restaurant. I would look after Summer and babysit her while Desert went to school. And I went to my parents home one day to drop Summer off to Desert. And I found them. My home. My family. Torn apart." Ivory lifted the coffee, squeezing her eyes shut as she gulped it down. Ruby flinched as bits of steaming coffee dribbled down Ivory's chin. Ivory gasped, setting the empty cup onto the table, wiping the coffee off with the back of her sleeve.

"My mother always told us that she was planning on moving, that she had been idle for too long. That one of Her agents might find her." Ruby shifted in her seat.

"Her?" Ivory looked around before nodding. She leaned forward, her voice hushed, fearful.

"The Grimm Queen. She's been hunting our family, Ruby. She wants us all dead. Our family has a special power. Our eyes, they have a magic to them, a magic that can kill Grimm. I never learned how to do it but it's something my mother said every Rose is capable of doing."

"The Silver Eyed Warriors? That power, right?" Ruby whispered. Ivory nodded. Ivory leaned back.

"I'm sorry. I got a bit side tracked. I'm sure you want to hear more about your mother." Ivory rested her hands on the table. "I… I wasn't the best caretaker for Summer when she was growing up, I was still trying to deal with what had happened to our family, and I lost my job a little after…that happened. But she was a quiet girl growing up. She liked to listen to music, she almost always had a cd playing in her room, or her headphones on when in another room. She had a strong sense of justice; she knew from a young age that she wanted to be a hero, and to protect people from monsters. And she was rather religious. I would take her to church, but she never really made any friends there."

"She never really visited me after she left for combat school. She left when she was thirteen, and since boarding was an option, she stayed there until she was able to apply for Beacon. She visited me during her time at Beacon, and she gave me enough money for me to move out of my old apartment. Just took all of the money she owned and gave it to me. I found a nice place in a better part of Vale City. I didn't really hear from her much outside of an occasional phone call."

"And then she showed up with you." Ivory said. "You… you had a different name when you were born, right?" Ruby hesitated but nodded.

"Are you okay with that?" she asked. Ivory nodded, holding out her hand. Ruby took it. Ivory ran her thumb over the back of Ruby's hand.

"Of course, dear. You're my family," she said. Ruby smiled, giving Ivory's hand a squeeze.

"Why did my mom bring me with her when she visited?" Ruby asked.

"She said that she was homeless. She mentioned your father, but she didn't really tell me what was going on. I babysat you for a few hours while she found a place to live. I gave her that necklace before she left."

Ruby frowned.

"My dad? Why would my mom be homeless after having me? She moved in with my dad after my stepsister was born?" Ivory cocked her head to the side.

"You have a stepsister?"

"Yeah, her name's Yang, and she's two years older than me. She's back home in Vale with my dad. We have different mom's, but my mom raised us both." Ivory pursed her lips.

"That's…really odd." She said. Ivory looked at her empty cup, and over at the Sundoe stall. "I'm going to go get another drink, I'll be right back." Ruby nodded as Ivory got from her seat, going to the long line. She pulled her coffee closer, looking over at the waterfall.

The water torrented down, crowds of people watching. Ruby looked up, looking at the murder of crows and ravens sitting on the pink trees at the base of the waterfall, watching the people below.

Ruby frowned.

Nora walked beside Ren, looking at the theatres and museums they were passing. They were gigantic; towering pillars made of wood engraved with elaborate designs, and rainbows of colors, all built into the stone walls of the mountain. The roads interconnecting them were a well-made cobblestone.

"Do you think we can afford to visit any of them?" Ren asked. Nora shrugged. Ren cocked his head to the side. "Everything okay, Nora?"

"I guess, yeah."

"You guess?" Nora stopped, turning and looking at Ren.

"It's just… I don't know. Everything we've been told." She glanced around, lowering her voice. "The Maidens, the Relics, that there's a god who cursed Professor Ozpin. I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around it all. That…" she took a breath. "That Jaune really died over this. That god is real, and he let my parents die. He let me go hungry until I found Kuroyuri. And he let that Grimm destroy it all."

She felt Ren embrace her, ease and calmness washing through her. She broke free of his hug, frowning, noting the pink glow around him. She shook her head.

"I don't want to bury this, Ren. I need to sort this out."

"Sorry," he said, the pink glow fading.

"It's okay." Ren said nothing for a moment before reaching out, bopping her nose with his finger.

"Boop," he said. Nora giggled, and bopped the end of his nose with her finger.

"Boop," she said.

Ren began to walk again. Nora followed him.

"I think I remember seeing an egg waffle restaurant around here somewhere. Do you want to try it?" he asked. Nora smiled, and nodded.

Pyrrha fastened the white cloak around her shoulders, watching it envelop her body. She could hear the all too familiar roar of the coliseum's crowds. The thunder of their feet against the stone steps, their cheers, and the voices of the announcers. She saw the man that had agreed to let her fight standing by the arena door, smoking.

She moved her hand away from the cloak's clasp, shifting her spear on her back before turning to the mask that sat next to her. It was a white mask of a horrifying female face, long black hair surrounding it. A yurei. She grabbed the mask, getting to her feet, and heading for the door. The man stopped her, grabbing her shoulder. She looked at him. He was studying her face, glancing from her hair to her eyes to the scar running down her face.

"What did you say your name was again?"

Pyrrha placed the yurei mask over her face, feeling the black hair fall onto her cloaked shoulders.

"Adrestia."

She shrugged off his hand, stepping into the coliseum's arena.

Whitley crossed his legs, looking out the window of his limo. Snow drifted from the sky, coating the various blue steel buildings. The skies were gray, the streets lined with snow. The limo began to slow; people were crowded around a large Dust temple, many of them dressed in black and holding candles. He chuckled at the sight of the mech's and Atlesian soldier's forming a barrier around the temple's entrance. He glanced over at his mother. She was dressed in black, her gaze fixed on the glass of water she was nursing.

The limo slid to a stop, a soldier opening the door. His mother set her drink aside, keeping her head low as she exited the car. Whitley followed after her the wind and snow biting into him. Willow marched forward, toward the entrance, not stopping to talk to the press or mourners being held back by the soldiers.

"Whitley! Whitley!" He looked over at the press, going to the line of soldiers. Several of them shoved microphones at him, holding out their scrolls.

"Is it true that Maximus Winchester murdered your father?" He nodded his head, gingerly placing a hand over the eye patch on his right eye.

"I never would have thought Mr. Winchester would try to do something like that to my father. I never had any issues with the man, but my sister, Weiss, did not care for him. And I think that might have angered him, because he was very adamant about marrying her, despite my mother and father's disapproval. When he attacked my father, he was yelling about how had ruined his chance of getting a new bride. If the valiant security working at that time had not arrived when they did, I would have been killed as well."

"Is it true that Weiss Schnee has disappeared? Do you have any idea's where she might be?" He shook his head.

"The night before Weiss disappeared, she told me how scared she was that Mr. Winchester might find some way to take her away, like during one of her trips to the Dust temple she frequented in this city. I think if she didn't run away on her own accord, someone working for Mr. Winchester might have taken her, and I dare not think about what could be happening to her if that is the case."

"General Ironwood is attending your father's funeral, is your other sister going to be attending? We haven't seen her." He shook his head.

"My dear sister, Winter, is a busy woman and is too tied up with her duties with the Atlesian military to be able to attend. I am very grateful that the Consul is willing to put a pause in his busy schedule to show my father his last respects."

He looked away from the press, up at the temple. His mother stood by the door, her dress blowing with the wind, her face hidden by her veil. He stepped away from the soldiers.

"That will be all." He said. The press began throwing more questions at him as he walked away. He ignored them, walking up to his mother.

"You lied to them," she said. He shrugged.

"I told them what they needed to hear. Do they truly need to know how reprehensible a man father truly was? Or that Winter refused to come?" His mother said nothing, turning and entering the temple.

The inside was a plethora of colors, incense and holy smoke filling the air. A plethora of flowers surrounded a photo of his father, his urn sitting below the photo. He went to the front, nodding at Ironwood as he took his place next to his mother, resting his hands in front of him.

He tuned out the priest, watching the incense wafting from where they burned.

"Maximus didn't kill your father over not marrying Weiss, did he?" Willow whispered. Whitley's expression remained the same.

"What makes you say that, mother?"

"Because your father was still trying to convince me to let him go through with that marriage before he left for that meeting. If Maximus were to try and kill one of us in a fit of rage about that, it would be me."

"Oh?" Whitley allowed his mask to break, a smirk tugging at his lips. "So what do you believe transpired, dear mother?" He saw her glance over at him, her veil shifting.

"Don't make me say it."

"Do you believe that, I did it? That a son would be so depraved as to murder his own father?" Whitley watched his mother, her face hidden.

"It's not unheard of," she finally said. Whitley chuckled quietly.

"Then woe unto the mother to have birthed such a monster."

The sun was setting, its golden orange light casting the wooden barricades in shadows. The Branwen's led her through the large wooden gate, their camp splayed out before her. There were hundreds of tents, small fires before each one. Yang grimaced at the ashy, smokey taste of the air, her hand trembling at the sound of the fires crackling. She shook her head, closing her trembling hand, her nails digging into her glove. She saw some Branwen's tanning animal hides, others tending to weapons with crude anvils and whetstones. She cocked an eye at the stacks of lien, Dust crystals, various trinkets, pieces of cloth, and bits of metal that people had near their tents. They all eyed her with a suspicious gaze as she was escorted past. A large fire sat at the center of the camp, a multitude of game roasting on a large spit. She swallowed, giving the fire a wide berth, trying to tune out the sounds of the flames.

Beyond the fire and roasting meat, raised up by bits of wood, a large tent sat near the end of the camp, Nevermore feathers adorning it. Yang narrowed her eyes, her hand beginning to tremble.

Vernal's head peaked around the edge of the tents. Sage and Scarlet looked up from their card game. Vernal motioned with her head, the two men getting to their feet, the game forgotten. Weiss watched them leave before smirking.

She held up her hands, a glyph forming, mist seeping from it. Her Knight rose up, bowing to her before leaping down, its heavy blade slicing through the ropes around her wrists. She rubbed her wrists, watching her Knight as it ran up to the bars, beginning to hack at them.

Yang saw the rest of the clan following her and her escort from the corner of her eye. A mob of people in weather worn clothes, black feathers decorating their hair, tattoos adorning different parts of their body. She heard her escort stop, several paces from Her tent.

Yang came to a halt, standing before the tent, looking up at its entrance.

"Raven!"

She heard wood creak, and the tent flap open. Yang balled her trembling hand, her nails biting into her glove. Raven stepped out, a black feathered cloak obscuring her body, a Nevermore mask covering her face. Raven stepped to the edge of the wooden platform, looking down at Yang, before grabbing the beak of her mask, pulling it free.

Her face was paler than Yang remembered, a sickly white; crows feet raking at her red eyes.

"Yang." She said. She shifted her cloak, the handle of her odachi flashing as she hooked her mask to her belt. "Have you decided to take me up on my offer?" Raven's hand brushed past her sword's handle. "Or are you here to keep your promise?"

"Neither." Raven cocked her head to the side and smiled coyly.

"Oh? Then I am I to assume this is just a visit?" She motioned to her tent, and then to the roasting meat. "I was having a feast prepared for the arrival of a friend. I can have something made for you as well."

Yang unclenched her hand.

"I'm not here to visit." She said. "I'm here because I need your help." Raven frowned.

"With what?"

"Dad told me what your semblance is. My sister is out there somewhere in Mistral. Qrow said he was going after her, and I trust him enough to know he's found her." Yang took a step forward. "I need you to make a portal to Qrow for me. That's all." Raven chuckled, shaking her head.

"You've got a lot of guts, Yang. Coming into my home, attacking my family, and then making demands of me." She leapt down from the wooden platform, her cape fluttering as she landed. She smirked at Yang, striding up to her. "I'd prefer it if you didn't get involved in all of this. There's a lot that you don't know about this world. A lot you of things about our family that you don't know. I trusted your uncle once, and it only brought me heartache, and misery." Raven stopped before her, her hand resting on her sword's handle. "And if Crimson is with Qrow, then he's already as good as dead."

Fire shot from her stump, Yang screaming as she hurled a punch. Raven sidestepped, her hand not leaving her swords handle. Yang whirled around, her breath hitching. The fire from her arm dissipated, Raven frowning before turning, following her gaze.

Sneaking between the tents, an ethereal suit of armor following her, was Weiss.

"Weiss…" Yang whispered. "Weiss!"

Weiss froze, looking over at her, surprise in her icy eyes.

"Yang?"

Two of the Branwen's ran toward Weiss. Yang snarled, running past Raven, flames erupting from her stump and hair. Yang yelled, leaping into the air, kicking one Branwen to the ground, landing over their groaning form. Weiss threw up a hand, a glyph catching a machete swing. The armor near her grew in size, smacking the machete wielding Branwen aside with its blade.

Yang ran up to Weiss, standing by her side, her fists raised as several more Branwen's charged at them. Weiss raised her hands, scowling.

A bolt of lightning struck in front of them, Yang's hair standing up, the Branwen's yelling, and scrambling back.

"Enough!" A voice roared.

Yang looked over at her mother; a tattooed woman stood next to her, Mrytenaster sheathed at her hip. Raven nodded at the woman before looking over the crowd.

"You all need to simmer down! My daughter's emotions alone wouldn't be enough to draw a horde of Grimm but all of you acting out like this will draw them here! Vernal." Raven looked at the woman. She motioned to Mrytenaster with her hand. "Give her her sword back." Vernal frowned, but pulled it free from her belt, tossing it toward Weiss. She caught it nimbly. Yang heard the crowd behind them begin to disperse as Raven turned to look at them. "You two. My tent. Now."

"Why?" Yang snarled. Raven exhaled, unhooking her mask from her belt, and putting it over her face. Her voice was muffled when she spoke.

"Because you need to hear the truth. About Ozpin. About your uncle. About your mother." Raven turned, climbing up the wooden platform, and entering her tent. Yang felt the fire in her hair die, a sigh escaping her lips as she turned to Wei-

Her eyes shot wide, her heart hammering against her chest as Weiss flung herself onto her, wrapping her arms around her, burying her face in her shoulder. Her hair smelled of ash and smoke.

"I missed you," her voice was choked with emotion. "So much."

Yang wrapped her arm around her waist, hesitating before running her fire hand through Weiss' hair.

"I…"

love you

"…missed you too." She nuzzled against Weiss' head, feeling her hair rub against her face. Yang closed her eyes, feeling something cold drift past her as she cradled the warmth that was Weiss. The one person in the world who had never abandoned her.