Blake held Shadow in her arms, carrying her outside to Raven who was standing in the middle of the backyard, hand on her hip as she cocked it and smiled at the two of them, Blake nodding at her as she came close and Shadow squirmed a bit.
"Shadow, I'd like to introduce you to your Grandma Raven," Blake said as she set Shadow down. Shadow clung tight to Blake's leg as she looked back at Raven, unsure that she wanted to meet the woman any more than she already had.
"Hello, Shadow. I'm so glad to finally meet you a little more formally," Raven told her as she crouched to get eye level with the girl. Shadow let go of Blake and put her hand on her own hip
"I heard mommy telling someone on the phone that you and mommy Yang got into a fight! She said mommy Yang almost killed you," Shadow exclaimed. Raven looked up at Blake who looked at Shadow in shock.
"I didn't realize that she was listening," Blake told Raven. Raven raised an eyebrow and lightly grabbed Shadow by the shoulder.
"Sometimes adults get into fights, Shadow, and for really silly reasons," Raven told her. "Mommy Yang and I are going to work on fighting with each other less and while we do that, I'd like to become friends with you. Is that okay?" Shadow was unsure but uncocked her hip as she finally got a good look at Raven.
"I like your hair," Shadow said.
"Would you like to touch it?" Raven asked. Shadow nodded and reached out, petting it slightly and taking it in her hand, looking it over. She looked up at Blake with a slight smile.
"It feels like mommy's," Shadow noted. She pet it some more, draping it over herself and smiling. She looked at Raven with a sparkle in her eyes. "Can we braid it?" Raven chuckled and rubbed her on the head.
"We'll see," Raven said. Shadow smiled and her eyes grew wide, glancing about through the hair to look for Blake.
"Will my hair be like this someday!?" She asked.
"Probably," Blake reassured her "Yang's hair is a lot like that, isn't it?"
"Yes!" Shadow exclaimed excitedly. She felt her own hair. "Isn't there a way to make it grow faster?!"
"No," Raven told her. "You'll just have to wait."
"There's no Dust or anything that'll make it grow faster?" Shadow demanded. Raven brushed her hair off of the girl and grabbed her gently by the shoulders.
"The best things in life are worth waiting for, little kitten," Raven informed her. Blake stood watching Raven. Could this really be the same woman that abandoned Yang and only a few months ago showed up looking for nothing more than a place to stay so that she could hide from the government and the White Fang? Blake took a few steps towards the house, waiting to see if Shadow would become uneasy at her leaving.
"Mommy's going to go inside for a bit, are you going to be okay out here with Grandma Raven?" Blake asked. Shadow and Raven looked at each other before they both looked at Blake and nodded. Blake grimaced. That girl is going to be more like Yang than either of us is ever going to be willing to admit. "Okay then, you two have fun!" Shadow smiled and waved to Blake.
"We will!" Shadow yelled back still waving. As soon as Blake left Shadow pulled Raven close and giggled. "Can I try using your sword?!" Raven smirked.
"I don't think that your mommy would be okay with that," Raven informed her. Shadow rolled her eyes.
"Duh, that's why I waited until she went inside to ask you," Shadow told her. Raven messed her hair up and tugged at her ears a bit, forcing a laugh out of the girl as she swatted Raven's hands away.
"How about I make you a deal instead," Raven offered. Shadow folded her arms and tapped her foot.
"It'd better be good," Shadow demanded. Raven shook her head. How much Branwen blood was in this child?
"I'll let you try on my mask and I'll show you a magic trick," Raven told her. Shadow sighed and put her hand out.
"Fine, I guess that's good enough," Shadow reluctantly agreed. Raven handed her the helmet, which Shadow promptly took from her and inspected it in awe. She put in on, bobbing a bit as the weight of it threw her off and she tried to stay upright, looking around and putting her arms out. "Do I look cool?" Raven smirked and helped her regain her balance.
"Really cool," Raven told her. Shadow laughed and swung her arms like she was swinging a sword.
"Why do you wear this, Grandma?" Shadow asked. Raven sighed and stared off a bit.
"I used to wear it for a different reason than I do now but that's a long story," Raven told her. "Now I just wear it because it looks scary and makes people want to avoid fighting me."
"Were you a huntress like mommy Yang and Blake?" Shadow asked as she took the mask off and set it on the ground, shaking her head as she adjusted to the sun's brightness. She squinted up at Raven and the woman smiled at the child.
"Once upon a time, yes," Raven told her.
"What are you now?" Shadow asked.
"You sure do ask a lot of questions," Raven told Shadow. Shadow raised her eyebrow.
"I need to know everything if I'm going to be like sissy," Shadow informed her. Raven nodded.
"Of course," Raven said. Shadow looked down at the mask before glancing back up at Raven again.
"Weren't you going to show me a magic trick?" Shadow asked. Raven patted her on the head again and took a few steps towards the woods.
"Don't ever let anyone tell you that you're not direct enough," Raven told her. Raven stopped several feet away and pointed two fingers at Shadow. "Don't blink. You might just miss something amazing." Raven winked as she sprinted towards the woods, prompting Shadow to take a few steps after her before stopping. As her grandmother rounded one of the larger trees, a bird took her place, speeding and soaring quickly and tightly around trees before swooping in towards Shadow and landing on her shoulder. Shadow was wide-eyed, looking at the bird and gasping.
"The bird!" Shadow exclaimed. "Are you the same bird that helped with the snowman?!" Raven chirped, pecking lightly at Shadow's ear and the girl giggled as she headed off into the woods a bit. "Grandma, you can make birds!?" Raven took off, flying ahead of the girl before transforming back before her eyes and Shadow stopped dead in her tracks. Her face turned red as her body shook with unadulterated amusement, holding a squeal back before releasing an ear-shattering scream, running to Raven and leaping into her arms.
"Did I scare you?" Raven asked. Blake rushed out of the house, running to the woods and moving quickly to her daughter.
"What happened?" Blake asked.
"Grandma can turn into a bird!" Shadow exclaimed out of breath. The girl wasn't in horror or pain but was so excited that she wasn't sure how to process it all. "Teach me! Teach me! Please teach me, Grandma Raven, I want to do it so I can show sissy, it's so cool!" Raven laughed as Blake sighed, putting her hand on her chest to convince her heart to stop pounding so hard. "Please!?"
"I would if I could, but it's not something that I can teach," Raven explained.
"Why not?" Shadow asked. Blake chuckled as she rubbed Shadow's back.
"Shadow, sweetie, an old wizard put a spell on her and that's why she can turn into a bird," Blake explained. Shadow nodded like she understood, leaping down and running towards the house. "Shadow?"
"I'll go get my stuff!" Shadow told them.
"Why?" Raven asked.
"I want to talk to this wizard!" Shadow informed them. "Can he do other animals too? Maybe I can turn into a lion, or a monkey, or something!" Raven and Blake laughed as they followed her back towards the house.
"Where's Yang today?" Raven asked. Blake sighed.
"She does want you around more and she's going to try and make things work, but she decided she'd come back after a while so that Shadow didn't see any more friction between the two of you when forming her opinions on how to react to you," Blake explained. "Speaking of which, where were you when we came over to Tai's, we meant for that to be the first time that Shadow met you just in case she had any questions so that we could both be there for her." Raven rubbed her neck.
"I wasn't quite ready yet," Raven admitted. Blake sighed.
"Both of you are just so damn alike," Blake muttered. Shadow's head popped into the hallway from her room.
"Swear jar!" Shadow yelled. Blake watched her disappear again and shook her head.
"Faunus ears I tell you," Blake griped. Blake tilted her head and glanced back at the door. "Speaking of which…"
"I'm home for the weekend!" Neela called out.
"I am also here!" Eliana shouted a moment later as they stepped into the cabin. Neela set down her bag and glanced across the living room at Blake and Raven.
"Raven, long time no see," Neela greeted her.
"Not since Paris. Hope you've at least gotten a little better since then," Raven told her. Neela laughed as she walked towards the kitchen.
"Oh, you're funny," Neela replied. Blake looked at the two of them.
"What did you say?" Blake asked. They both glanced at her.
"Nothing," Neela and Raven replied in unison.
"Birdlady…" Eliana said. They looked at her.
"What?" Raven asked.
"No good, right?" Eliana asked.
"What are you asking?" Raven inquired.
"I need a nickname for you," Eliana said. "Neela's my little hawk, and Blake is Mrs. Bellabooty-"
"- I really wish you'd stop calling me that," Blake protested.
"So I need one for you," Eliana explained.
"Raven is fine," Raven told her.
"Pfft, I need something better than that," Eliana stated.
"Big bird!" Shadow shouted as she spilled into the hall. Eliana swung towards her and threw her arms open.
"Not bad, Shadow!" Eliana called out. Shadow rushed to her, leaping at her and Eliana reached out to catch her but the clone dissipated as it hit her arms and Eliana turned to see Shadow in Neela's arms. "You're getting way better at that."
"I'll be ready to fight Grimm in no time!" Shadow declared excitedly.
"I think we can wait a couple of years before you start doing that," Blake told Shadow. Shadow stuck her tongue out and looked at Raven.
"Grandma would let me fight, right, Grandma?" Shadow begged.
"I think I'd probably have to go with you mom on this one, kitten," Raven agreed. Shadow threw her hands up in the air and threw her head back.
"Ugh!" Shadow groaned. Shadow sighed and glanced over at Eliana. "Can we go outside and shoot stuff?" Eliana smiled.
"You pick the targets and I'll take them out," Eliana replied. Shadow dropped out of Neela's grip, leaving a clone behind as she ran for the door with Eliana close behind her. Neela chuckled as she watched Eliana and Shadow, a gleam in her eyes that Raven noted and Neela glanced back at them, seeing the look on Raven's face.
"What?" Neela asked.
"So, that's the one, huh?" Raven asked. "That special someone who makes you forget that everything else is going on around you." Neela sighed and nodded.
"Guilty," Neela replied.
"Still haven't told her yet?" Raven inquired.
"No…" Neela answered reluctantly.
"I guess I'm going to have to teach you more than just a few fighting skills," Raven told Neela as she stretched, waiting for Neela to connect the dots.
"You plan on training me?" Neela questioned.
"If it's alright with you mothers," Raven informed her. "How many people can say that they were trained by the great and terrible Raven Branwen?"
"But why?" Neela asked. "Why me?" Raven looked away and thought about her answer long and hard.
"I owe an old friend," Raven offered. "In a manner of speaking." Neela looked at Blake who shrugged as she walked away and opened the cabinet to remove a glass for water.
"You'll have to ask Yang, that'll be up to her," Blake said. Eliana came back in the door, throwing it open violently and inhaling sharply as she was out of breath.
"Where is this wizard that Shadow keeps talking about?!" Eliana inquired. "I want to meet him!" Blake brushed past Neela and Raven heading out the door with Eliana.
"Shadow, there is no wizard, he died a long time ago!" Blake told her daughter. Neela laughed as she took a seat at the table and removed her scroll. Raven sat across from her, rapping her fingers lightly on the tabletop as she glanced around the cabin.
"Not too many changes since I left," Raven pointed out. "Though I always thought that Tai built those shelves way too high." Neela laughed.
"No, he definitely did," Neela agreed. The back door in the kitchen swung open and they glanced over, Yang stepping in slowly as she took a deep breath and closed the door behind her.
"Good morning, Neela," Yang said. Neela nodded.
"Hi mom," Neela replied. Yang acknowledged Raven.
"Raven," Yang said.
"Hello, Yang," Raven responded.
"How did Shadow do?" Yang asked. Raven smirked and leaned back.
"She did well, though she's now under the impression that we're going to go see Ozpin and he's going to turn her into some kind of animal," Raven told Yang. Yang laughed.
"Is that what she took away from meeting you?" Yang asked laughing. "She's got a one-track mind and a wild imagination."
"Is it really that wild though?" Raven asked. "You met the Maidens, and I can turn into a bird, after all. I wouldn't really say that there's too much outside of the realm of possibility anymore." Yang folded her arms and half nodded in agreement.
"How was your night last night?" Neela asked Yang. Yang sat down and laughed.
"Outdrank Nora, again," Yang boasted.
"Is that the third time out of the last four?" Neela inquired, Yang shook her head.
"Fourth out of the last five," Yang informed her. "The night got cut short when a couple of your friends showed up." Neela looked at her confused.
"Who's that?" Neela asked.
"Orion and Sirius," Yang told her. Neela chuckled.
"Oh, did you tell them that I said hi and that I missed them?" Neela asked playfully.
"Blake is the one who fought them," Yang told Neela. She leaned in and shielded the side of her mouth. "It was on my recommendation to help with her confidence."
"And?" Neela prodded.
"They stopped the two of them anyways," Yang said. "They did getaway, however."
"What were they trying to steal?" Neela questioned.
"Dust," Raven said. Yang glanced at her.
"How'd you know?" Yang inquired.
"How often does that gang steal lien?" Raven mentioned. Yang thought it over.
"True," Yang noted. "What about your night?" Neela sighed and rubbed her face.
"Things got a little crazy last night," Neela told her.
"How so?" Yang asked.
"You know that Soya and Rowan broke that inhibitor that Bái was wearing to tone down her powers, right?" Neela checked.
"Yes," Yang responded.
"She had a nightmare last night that almost hurt a couple of people in the dorm," Neela told her. "It was almost as if Soya had planned it all along and knew that Bái's anxiety would get the best of her because she was there when it all went down. After we tamed the crowd and Tawney nearly smashed Soya through the wall, Bái ran for the cliff and tried to kill herself." Yang looked at Raven and Neela without saying a word, processing what Neela had told her.
"Did you tell someone?" Yang asked. Neela nodded.
"Bái didn't want us to but we told Ren and he said that he'd have a few sessions with her to make sure that she's okay. He also said that he'd inform Glynda of what happened," Neela explained. "I've fought a lot of Grimm and I've come across my fair share of bandits and criminals, but nothing was more fear-inducing than the idea that we might not have reached her in time and that she might have jumped."
"It sounds like you handled it well, Neela," Raven told her. "That Soya girl seemed like a real bitch during the tournament too." They sat in silence for a moment before the front door crashed open and Shadow ran in with Blake behind her.
"Swear jar, Grandma!" Shadow yelled. Raven glanced at Neela and then Yang, Neela chuckled as Raven sighed and felt around for her lien.
"We might get to take that vacation sooner than later after all. Huh, Shadow?" Neela laughed. Shadow nodded with a smile before grabbing Raven by the sleeve.
"You didn't tell me the wizard is dead," Shadow whined. She looked outside and smirked. "You could take me to Vale for ice cream. Then I might feel better." Raven looked at this girl in disbelief.
"And what's in it for me?" Raven asked.
"Ice cream, of course," Shadow explained rolling her eyes. Raven nodded.
"Only if it's okay with Yang," Raven told the girl. Shadow looked up at her mother who smiled at Shadow before glaring up at Raven.
"Be careful," Yang instructed. Raven nodded.
"Certainly," Raven replied as she opened a portal. "Take my hand, okay?" Shadow glanced up at Raven and nodded, gripping her hand tightly as they stepped in. Blake rubbed Yang's shoulders as the portal disappeared and Yang exhaled.
"You're doing great," Blake told her. Yang stepped away and headed for the bedroom.
"That's good because my nerves are shot," Yang stated as she left them.
Yang's doing her best to put up with Raven for Shadow's sake. Next week, Chapter 90 - Vytal Space Station?
A big thank you to Helihi, Cadhla182, Carlomontie, Nliast, Y8ay8a, Sa-Dui, Diyaru4500, Demize00Zero, TheCipherNine, SketchHungry, Ookaminoki, Lightning-in-my-Hand, and Dishwasher1910. All of their artwork can be found at Deviantart, you can search Silent-Celica and under my favorites tab, I have a collection for NITE.
Until next week, stay classy!