Chapter 34

Striking a Deal

"Speech"

'Thoughts'

Flashback

"Scroll Communications / Tv"

Location / Date / Time Change

Haven

The kids inside the were house were in the kitchen, preparing a massive feast for the Huntsmen Qrow was bringing home. "Nora, stop eating the food." Vergil said, pushing the electric girl away from the cutting board.

"The first batch is just about done." Ren said, stirring the soup in the pot.

"Awesome! Now all we need is Qrow and we're set." Ruby said with a smile.

Nora reached out for a piece of carrot, only to get slapped away by Vergil. "Do you really think we need all this food? He can't be bringing that many people." She tried to grab a fresh piece, only to pull her hand back from the blinding speed Vergil was chopping the produce.

"I don't know, but it sounds like we need all the help we can get." Ruby replied.

"Yang, you're going to overcook that." Aerith said to the blonde.

"Hey, who prepared all the meals while we were on the road?" Yang replied, stirring the dish.

"I'm back!" Qrow shouted. "Uh... Ruby? You mind coming here for a second?"

"Be right there!" The girl shouted before picking up a tea-tray and walking into the room. "So, we didn't know how many people were coming over so we just cooked everything Aerith bought."

She looked up and dropped tray in shock, breaking the pot. "Ruby, what happ-" Yang ran out and stared at her mother, Weiss, and Ryuko. "Mom." The blonde said, shocking the two Atliseans.

"Your MOM kidnapped us!?" Weiss asked.

Yang blinked twice before turning to the older woman. "You KIDNAPPED them?!"

"It's a bit more complicated than that." Raven confessed.

"Well, your bandit friends certainly didn't help clear that up." Ryuko huffed out.

A knife clattered on the counter before a pair of footsteps raced out of the kitchen, catching Ryuko's attention. "Ryuko..." Vergil mumbled before running over and hugging her. Aerith did the same and the heiress started to cry a little.

Weiss smiled for her friend before lowering her head. "Weiss..." Ruby offered her hand and the snowette raced over to the sisters and embraced them in a hug of their own. JNR smiled at the sight while Oscar walked into the room and just smiled as well.

An Hour Later

After a big dinner that turned into a small party, the teens sat in the living room as Ozcar explained everything to Weiss and Ryuko. "This... this is a lot take in..." Weiss mumbled. "None of this should be possible, and yet here you are. Talking to us through another body."

"Don't be so surprised." Raven said. "He's kept a great may things secret from many people. And he still is. Am I right, brother?"

"Raven..." Qrow spoke up before Ozcar raised his hand.

The woman smirked before leaving the room. Seconds later, a raven flew into and rested on top of the ceilings light. It cocked it'e head to the side before flying around the room. Just as it passed Qrow, Raven rolled out from behind her brother shocking everyone. "How..." Yang mumbled before turning to the boy.

"I did not think you would give up that secret so easily." Ozcar mumbled before standing up. "My ability to reincarnate though a curse, isn't without a few benefits. Like the Maidens, I too possess a certain... magical ability. Using this power, I was able to gift the Branwen twins the ability to 'see' more. To move freely and become unburdened by their natural bodies.

"With their permission, I gave them the ability to turn into birds." He chuckled a little bit as he shook his head. "Sounds ridiculous out loud, doesn't it?"

"You what?" Vergil asked.

"You turned them... into birds." Aerith repeated.

"Okay, this is a joke right?" Nora asked with a raised eyebrow.

"It might just be to him." Jaune mumbled.

"Even after everything you've seen, you still just won't use your own eyes." Raven said, shaking her head. "Magic is real, an old man has been revived before your eyes. And you still turn to HIM for advice."

"How... why would you even do this?" Yang asked Ozcar.

"Yang, Raven is leaving out the fact that we choose this path." Qrow said, defending the wizard.

Yang sank back into her seat as Raven rolled her eyes. "May I?" Ozcar asked, making the drinker nod. "Giving them this power was no trivial task, and it was not done frivolously. I required assistance in gathering information in Salem's plans, as well as searching for Maidens when their hosts became unclear."

"So... did you do the same thing to others?" Ruby asked. "Like General Ironwood, or Professor Goodwitch?"

"As helpful as that idea is, it is not that simple." Ozcar said as he walked over to the blonde. "My power is finite, and to be honest, dwindling. The amount I gave to Qrow and Raven was, in the grand scheme rather miniscule. Centuries ago, I sacrificed a great deal of magic to four young women who would use my gift for good, the first Maidens."

He reached Yang and looked down at her. "Miss Xiao Long, it was never my intention to lie to you. To any of you. It's just... somethings are better kept secret from everyone. Everyone has a choice, and the Branwens chose to accept their powers and the responsibilities that came with them. And then one choose to abandon those duties."

Raven glared at him before he spoke again. "And now you all have a choice. If anyone wishes to leave, now is the time. There's no shame or disgrace in it, only in staying when you don't to."

Yang alone stood up before turning to the boy. "I don't plan on leaving... but if we're going to keep risking our lives to help you, then you need to promise that there will be no more lies and half-truths."

"No more secrets? So I assume you told them everything about that creature." Raven asked, making about half the teens raise an eyebrow. The others just shared a glance, worried about what she might say. "I should have know better. Either tell them everything about that thing-"

"Natsu." Yang interrupted, making her mother chuckle as the confused teens raised an eyebrow.

"Or I will." Raven said. Ozcar said nothing as Qrow gripped his sisters shoulder. She brushed it off and stared at the boy before scoffing. "I figured as much. Your little friend-"

"No." Everyone turned to Yang as she walked over to her mother. "I'll tell them." She took a breath and turned to her friends before telling them everything. His origin, who his mother is, all of it. The five who hadn't heard it were absolutely shocked at her story. Even his teammates learned a thing or two about him. "And that's it."

She stared at the group and raised an eyebrow. "Really, no questions?"

"So... Natsu is an experiment?" Ruby tentitvly asked.

"It looks that way." Her sister answered.

"Did you know about this?" Jaune asked Vergil.

"Some of it." The swordsman replied. "But Glynda told us that he was born from a human woman and lizard Faunus. This... this is something else."

"What I want to know is who just gave that Zeref guy the right to do this." Ryuko said, anger rising inside her.

"Unfortunately, I believe that is my fault." Ozcar confessed. "You see years ago I gave General Ironwood the blood of previous Maidens, hoping they would reveal some clue as to what the powers were searching for when they transferred randomly. He told me he would put his best scientist on it. But his curiosity became obsession as he perverted the magic their blood held. I never found why he wanted to do so, but now he can do no harm."

"No, his monstrous creation will just destroy us all." Raven spoke up, making her daughter turn to her. "Grimm only know how to destroy. And with that boy, she has the perfect weapon to do so."

"Natsu is not a weapon." Yang said. "He's a person, and I love him."

"Yes and he clearly showed that when he sided with Salem." Her mother replied, angering the blonde even more. "Calm down, Yang. I'm not here start a fight. I'm here to strike a deal."

"What kind of deal?" Qrow asked.

"Simple. Salem attacked my people and killed the Spring Maiden." His sister said, shocking the group. "It's more than likely that they will come for the Relic of Knowledge any day now. So, here's the deal: I've returned your friends to you. In exchange for this kind natured gesture, I will take the Relic and leave with it."

Ozcar raised an eyebrow at the demand while the kids looked at her like she had multiple heads. Qrow cleared his throat and walked over. "Look, you can't just walk back in and start demanding-"

"We accept your terms." Ozcar said, shocking the group. "However, we demand a few things in return. For one, you must stay within these walls until after the attack. And you must take the Relic as far from here as you can."

Raven huffed at the demands and shook his hand. "So... what do we do now?" Nora asked.

"...We prepare for war." 'Ozcar' said.

The Next Day

Ryuko sat outside on the training field holding her knees to her chest. With a sigh she leaned back and stared up at the sky, only to find Aerith looking down at her. "Hey, partner."

"Hey, Aerith." She replied before sitting back up. "You usually up at this time?"

"You develop the habit after a few months of traveling." The brunette chuckled before letting out a yawn.

"And that is why coffee exists." Both turned around to see Vergil and Yang walking over, the boy holding a tray of coffee cups. They handed their respective drinks before sitting down next to them. "So... how does it feel to be in Mistral?" Vergil asked his no longer missing teammate.

"Well, after everything we learned last night, it's just crazy." Ryuko chuckled. "The magic, the relics, Salem, but... I'm just glad I could see all of you again."

"Here's to breaking expectations." Yang held out her mug and the four tapped glasses.

"Gods, I missed you all." Ryuko said as Aerith took a sip. "In fact all we need is..." She hung her head as Vergil placed his hand on hers.

"Natsu and Blake." Yang finished. "Don't worry, they'll come back. I know they will." She took a sip from her mug as the other three stared at her. Glancing out her eye, she noticed their looks of confusion. "What?"

"Aren't you... mad at them?" Vergil asked.

"Who said I wasn't mad?" The blonde asked. "I'm furious. Blake broke her promise to never run away from us again, and the she did. And Natsu... I don't know what happened to him. But Ruby told me something back when I first decided to join up. She said I deserved answers from him. And also from Blake. So I'm going to get them, even if I have to beat it out of both of them."

The other three just stared at her before Vergil finally spoke up. "Really hope that doesn't happen." He chuckled before stopping. "So... can we talk about the Goliath in the room now?"

Yang raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Your mom is here again. This is what you wanted. Why aren't you talking to her?" Aerith asked.

"Why would I do that?" She asked back, leaning back. "She didn't come here because she suddenly cared. She came because it was to her advantage. Probably the same reason she left. All she cares about is herself."

Forge Room

"Mind handing me the Philips head, Weiss?" Ruby asked, her eyes looking though large magnifying glass. A socket wrench was placed in her view, making her chuckle. "Not even close. Didn't you make your weapon when you came to Beacon?"

"Do you really think my father would allow me ro get my hands dirty?" The ex-heiress replied. "My weapon was made by the best craftsman in all of Atlas."

"Yeah, what was that like? Living in Atlas?" Oscar asked, hammering at some metal on the anvil for Ruby. "Is this right?" He asked, using the tongs to hold it up.

"Why is it curved like that?" The hooded girl chuckled. "Put it back in the forge and then wait a bit."

The farm boy nodded and placed it back in the fire before he perked up. "Sorry, I gotta go. Ozpin wants to talk to Qrow."

"Oh, hold on." Ruby pushed herself away from the table and walked over before wiping some soot from the side of his face. "There you go."

A small blush covered his face before he quickly left the room, leaving the two girls alone. "I still can't believe this whole thing." Weiss mumbled before turning back to Ruby. "I never in my wildest imagined any of this."

"Weiss, could you throw another Dust Crystal into the forge?" Ruby asked. "The metal is getting hard."

"Oh, right." The heiress quickly came over and inserted another crystal into the machine. "So, what is this new weapon your forging?"

"Oh... This new baby is special." Ruby chuckled, testing an expandable rod. "You can thank Ozpin for this idea."

"Right... Ozpin." Weiss mumbled, searching though the tools. "Ruby, aren't you remotely curious why he just gave a Relic away to someone who abandoned him in the past?"

"Not really, it makes sense." Ruby said, oiling the rod so it slid easier. "That's the last person Salem would ever think Ozpin would give it to. And with Raven and her tribe constantly on the move, it'll be even harder to find her."

"But can you honestly trust her to fi-"

*GROWL*

Both girls heard the animalistic noise coming from the hooded girls stomach and looked embarrassed. "I'll go get you something to eat." Weiss said, walking to the door. "Want anything in particular?" Ruby wasted no time listing out everything she wanted.

Living Room

Qrow and Ozcar sat in the main room drinking bourbon and apple juice respectively. "Things aren't looking good." Qrow mumbled.

"Ever the optimist." Ozcar chuckled before taking a sip from his mug. "While our predicament is not ideal, I think we can both agree that things could be far worse. Humanity is a resilient force."

"Oz, pro Huntsmen like that don't just bite it one after another like that." The drunkard replied. "Salem's powerful, and it seems like her reach is growing by the day. And our ragtag band is no where near ready to take her out. What does that say about humanity?"

"That there are a few misguided souls with hearts filled with malice." Ozcar said. "It doesn't take a great number of people to cause harm. But I still believe there are far more people in this world willing to prevent it. Your sister is one such example."

"So you are still the same liar as ever." Both looked over to see Raven walk into the room. "How are we supposed to fight against Salem's forces if we have no allies."

"Well, we have you here. That's better than nothing." Qrow mumbled. "Still, I don't like the idea of giving you anything after you left us. Or how you left your daughter."

"To return to the family I had." Raven replied. "Be honest brother, could you actually see me cooking or tending to a little garden in front of a house?"

"That doesn't mean you can just get a relic." Her brother said back.

"It's for the best." Ozcar told him. "When Salem learns that my reincarnation has made contact with allies, she will send everything within her power to destroy both me and take the Relic. It is best to have them be in separate locations."

"I guess..." Qrow mumbled. "But our ace in the hole is still Ruby, if she can ever control her she hasn't come and asked about them..." As he spoke, Weiss walked in and wordlessly took a box of cookies from the pantry, a gallon of milk and a carton of strawberries from the fridge before leaving just as fast. "She going Ruby hunting or something?"

"They've been in the forge for the last three hours. She's working on 'her new baby'." Raven answered. "She doesn't just look like her, they even act the same, huh Qrow?"

"Yeah, she really is." Neither could bear to speak the name of their departed friend, the pain that it brought still weighing heavily after all these years.

Before either could fall deeper into their despair, Qrow's scroll rang and he answered it. After a few 'uh huhs', he put it down and turned to the other two. "Leo says he'll help us keep an eye on the relic. Going to be our job until classes start up again. We can start tonight."

"Strange..." Ozpin mumbled. "I never told him where the Relic was hidden, so how does he know where to guard?"

"I don't know." Qrow replied, making Raven raise an eyebrow at the information.

Obvious changes here being that Raven has spoken to Ozpin and co, and we skipped the whole 'Weiss" scene. I'm gonna be a hundred percent honest; when that scene first started I knew exactly where it was going. It is the most cliche, bland backstory you could have and it didn't even surprise me.

And next up were gonna have some more changes since there's not going to be five minutes of talking. See ya then.

Beta read by Natsu is Awesome.