Yang exited the bedroom and entered Shadow's room across the hallway, pushing the door open slowly to find that it was obscured by plush Grimm for the most part. Yang knew them all by name and counted them as she looked for the last one, finding it in Shadow's clutches as she more or less strangled it before tossing it across the room out of breath and she glanced up at Yang. She smiled, brushing her hair out of her face and kneeling.
"My queen, I have vanquished all of the Grimm around the castle, the people are safe once again," Shadow informed her as she stared at the floor.
"You and I need to stop watching so much TV," Yang replied scooping her up and kissing her. She giggled, looking at Yang's face for a long moment. "What is it? What do you see?"
"I hope I'm as pretty as you when I grow up," Shadow told her. Yang smirked and hugged her tight.
"Me too, but don't let Mommy Blake hear that," Yang said putting her down. "And she hears everything." Yang looked around the room and put her hands on her hips. "I'll make you a deal. You clean this room up and I will take you to Grandpa Tai's." Shadow lit up and leapt up and down.
"Is Zwei back from the vet?" Shadow asked. Yang beamed and knelt down to make herself eye level with the girl.
"Yep, he just had a tummy ache from you feeding him all of that Red Sap," Yang scolded. Shadow's ears flattened and she blushed, twisting her leg.
"I didn't know he was going to eat so much," Shadow replied. Yang rubbed her head and she immediately perked back up.
"I know hun, and he's fine," Yang reminded her. Shadow smiled and created a clone.
"We'll be done in no time!" Shadow exclaimed. Yang stood up and left the room, moving to the living room and trying to figure out how to tell Blake she planned on going without her.
"Hey, Blakey!" Yang exclaimed as she bounced into the room. Blake glanced up at her with a raised eyebrow before marking her page and closing the book, setting it on the coffee table. "I was thinking since you've been working so hard lately that I would take Shadow into town by myself! Maybe you can head over to the school and catch up on paperwork or do some training for the show tomorrow."
"Are people really thinking of it as a show?" Blake asked standing.
"I mean, we were kind of a big deal at one point," Yang chuckled. "Saving Remnant and all. We'd do it all over again if we had to."
"Let's hope we don't have to," Blake replied.
"Just rest," Yang repeated. "I'll take care of Shadow, you need some downtime kitty cat." Shadow raced out of her room and slammed into Yang's legs, throwing her arms around them.
"I'm ready!" Shadow shouted. Yang mussed up her hair and grinned at Blake who sighed and sat back down.
"Alright, go on then," Blake told them.
"Great! Thanks, babe!" Yang exclaimed.
"Mommy Blake is staying here?" Shadow asked slightly confused.
"She's gonna stay home and take a catnap," Yang cheesed. Blake stared at her for a moment before facepalming and shaking her head.
"Why did I marry you again?" Blake asked.
"My smoking hot body?" Yang suggested with a shrug as she bent over to kiss her wife. Blake pulled her in, the kiss lingering with a bit of tongue and Yang pulled away a bit surprised.
"Maybe when she goes to bed tonight?" Blake inquired. Yang wagged her finger.
"No sex before a big fight, that's the saying," Yang taunted.
"Yang!" Blake yelled glancing at Shadow who seemed oblivious. The girl pulled on Yang, trying to drag her out of the door.
"Come on, I wanna go see Zwei while I'm still young!" Shadow pleaded. Yang and Blake laughed and shared one more kiss before the two of them left, Blake watching as they shut the door. Yang placed Shadow on her shoulders, walking across the campus towards the cliffside as Shadow talked her ear off relentlessly.
"Hey, mom," Shadow began.
"Yes, honey?" Yang replied.
"When I get as old as Neela, am I going to go to Beacon too and learn how to kill Grimm?" Shadow asked.
"If that's what you want to do, then yes, I'm sure that you will," Yang told her.
"If that's what I want to do?" Shadow pondered confused.
"There are people in Remnant that aren't Huntsmen or Huntresses too," Yang explained to her. "Take Aunt Coco's friend, Flynt, for example. He went to Atlas Academy to become a Huntsman and instead decided to open a clothing store once he decided that he cared about fashion more than killing monsters."
"Why would anyone pick that over fighting monsters?" Shadow asked incredulously. "I'm gonna be just like Neela someday and kill all of the monsters! Sissy is the best, isn't she?"
"She's one of the best," Yang agreed. "It would be hard to claim that she's number one though, there are a lot of people in the world that fight Grimm."
"I still say that she's the best," Shadow insisted.
"Mrs. Xiao Long!" Someone yelled before they reached the fountain. Yang turned to find Tawney sprinting towards them and she waited for the girl to catch up.
"What's up, Tawney?" Yang asked.
"Neela has some kind of weakness, right?" Tawney pried prompting a snort from Yang.
"She doesn't have a weakness, she's the best," Shadow shouted.
"She sounds like the mess in my head," Tawney muttered.
"You mean aside from Eliana?" Yang asked.
"Tried that one already, but Eliana is crazy about Neela," Tawney insisted. Yet Eliana doesn't know that she's crazy about Neela, Yang thought.
"She just might be at a higher level than you at this point, Tawney. It happens sometimes, but I get that it can take a while to get used to. It's still surreal to me that Ruby is leagues beyond what I'll ever hope to be, but she was blessed with those Silver Eyes I guess. Just be the best you can be and that's more than anyone can ask," Yang said trying to comfort her.
"That might be good enough for everyone else, but that'll never be enough for me!" Tawney said. "I was always the best back on the streets of Haven, I need to get back on top, and your daughter is one of the few standing in my way of that!" Yang rolled her eyes. Clearly she wasn't going to take no for an answer.
"The best I can tell you to do at this point is to watch the match tomorrow and take notes on how I fight since it's the most similar to yours out of the eight of us," Yang noted. Tawney nodded and stopped to think it over.
"You gonna do some kind of secret move or something?" Tawney asked. "Maybe like make a sound when you do it so I know I can use it to crush Neela?" Yang sighed.
"She can't take a hint," Yang mumbled to Shadow. Shadow looked down at Yang before glancing back at Tawney.
"She'll make a sound like a sloth!" Shadow yelled. Tawney nodded her head again and ran off.
"Thanks, and good luck!" Tawney shouted. Yang thought it over confused and looked at her daughter above her.
"You mind telling me what a sloth sounds like?" Yang asked.
"I dunno," Shadow replied throwing her arms up. "I just wanted to get rid of her."
"You're gonna go places," Yang laughed. They stopped short of their destination once again as they reached the courtyard, one large Atlesian ship with two smaller gunships had just arrived, and Yang had only one guess as to who had just arrived. Weiss stepped off of the ship with a mass of bodyguards that she turned to and yelled at all of them to leave her be, she split off from them after a moment with Winter and two soldiers. "Weiss!"
"Yang!" Weiss called out as she ran to her sister in law and gave her a large hug before pulling Shadow down and giving her a hug. "How are you two doing?"
"We're doing well, thanks," Yang responded with a smile.
"Is Amelia here?" Shadow asked.
"She stayed home with Rosy," Weiss explained. "We wanted to bring them with, but it just wasn't in the cards."
"What does that mean?" Shadow asked.
"It didn't work out," Yang informed her. Shadow rolled her eyes.
"Why didn't you just say that, Aunt Weiss?" Shadow questioned. The three adults laughed.
"Have you guys heard from your brother recently?" Yang asked.
"No one has tried contacting him, if that's what you're asking," Winter told her.
"We haven't seen him nor heard from him since I was given full control of the company," Weiss said.
"Mom, are we going?" Shadow asked. Yang nodded and put Shadow back up on her shoulders, and hugged Weiss one last time.
"Heading into Vale?" Weiss asked. Yang nodded.
"Blake's at the apartment though, she'll be happy to know you're here," Yang said pointing towards them. "If you call her she can come down and meet you."
"Be careful in Vale, things look a bit hectic down there today," Winter said. Yang motioned to Shadow with her eyes.
"I know," Yang replied. They got on the ship and rode down to the city, Shadow stood on the seats the whole time and noted the commotion that Neela and Winter had both spoke of.
"Mommy, what's going on?" Shadow asked.
"Just some people letting the government know that they aren't happy," Yang told her.
"What did Aunt Ruby do?" Shadow asked. Yang caressed Shadow's head and drew her close.
"Nothing," Yang assured her. "Some people just like complaining to hear themselves complain. Aunt Ruby did everything they wanted."
"Then why are they still mad?" Shadow asked. Yang sighed, unsure of how to better explain it.
"Some people just like being mad, even if it's for no reason," Yang said as they got off the ship and she made a beeline for the beach. "We'll just go around them, it's no big deal."
"Can I collect some shells to give to grandpa?" Shadow asked.
"Sure," Yang said. Shadow leapt down without hesitation and raced for the rising tide as Yang followed behind and let the ocean breeze wash over her, watching the sun on the horizon as it slowly sank towards the water. A lot had happened in the last year that had completely changed the dynamic of their lives. The White Fang had returned, Raven claimed she was trying to make amends but had shown up when it was most convenient for her. Salem was amassing followers once again and it was increasingly clear that they were planning something. New Grimm had shown up, and every day was a gamble that saw them all worried about their children or students. This moment of peace was welcomed as Yang processed it all. What was next?
She was jerked violently from her thoughts as her scroll vibrated and she removed it to find a message from Neela saying that she'd messaged Coco herself to make sure that she was informed of the situation. Another came through a minute later reminding Yang that she loved her. It warmed Yang who was caught up in this moment of bliss and she replied that she loved her back before putting the scroll away and looking up to see Shadow was getting closer than she should to the water, risking possibly being swept in.
"Shadow," Yang called before noting out of the corner of her eye that someone had been standing on the pier but had disappeared at the end of Shadow's now stretching outline in the sand. Her eyes gleamed red as she sprinted for her daughter, Ebony's form emerging as Yang reached her and nailed her in the jaw. Shadow spun quickly and looked at the two of them in horror.
"Mommy?" Shadow asked. A portal opened behind her daughter that Yang recognized and she was pulled through before it closed, allowing Yang to focus on her opponent.
"It seems you don't have your weapons," Ebony told her.
"I don't need them to kick your ass," Yang told her. "And you're also wrong." Yang's hair went up in flames as she swept Ebony's leg and used her mechanical arm to rocket her into the sand, plowing completely through to the hardened damp earth below. "You tried taking my daughter."
"My mistake," Ebony coughed, "Didn't realize she was yours." Ebony sank into Yang's shadow as Yang quickly remover her scroll and shone it towards Ebony, forcing the girl out as she blasted her hand cannon behind her, swiftly reaching Ebony and grappling her. She dove forward, using another charged shot to slam them both to the ground, damaging Ebony's aura.
"You're going to regret today!" Yang shouted. She kept a grip on Ebony's top as she slammed her fist against Ebony's chin again.
"Not if I die a martyr," Ebony spat. Yang glanced up to note a few of the White Fang coming to look for their missing leader. Yang grinned, quickly snatching Ebony's left wrist with her hand and slamming her artificial knuckles into her elbow, breaking her aura and arm at the same time. Ebony cried out and called for help as Yang leapt back, throwing her right arm forward and using the force of another overpowered shot to launch back into Raven's portal. She slid to a stop as she crashed into Tai's china cabinet, two of the plates falling off of the top and crashing to the floor next to her.
"They're not pulling punches now," Raven told her. Yang glanced at her before looking at the floor.
"Is Shadow okay?" Yang asked.
"She's a little shaken, but she's with Zwei in the next room with Tai," Raven informed her. "Are you alright?" Yang looked at her with large, confused eyes.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Yang replied brushing her off. "How did you know that we were in danger?" Raven could always feel when they were in need, it was how she knew when to step in and save Yang on the train during her fight against Neo.
"Lucky timing I guess," Raven offered.
"If I wasn't so worried about starting a war I'd go end their terrorism all over again right now," Yang grumbled. "So help me, if the White Fang come after us again…" Yang was unaware of the fact, but her eyes were deep red and her hair was in flames. Her smile was twisted and her pupils narrow as she looked behind her at Raven, she appeared maniacal. "I'll put my fist right through their chest without hesitating." The look struck fear in even Raven who could only give a simple nod in response before heading into the living room ahead of Yang.
"She's fine," Raven told Tai. Tai brushed past her and hugged Yang.
"Thank the Maidens!" Tai exclaimed. "What happened?" Yang glanced at Shadow.
"I'll take her outside," Raven replied taking Shadow by the hand and motioning for the door. "Would you like to go out and play, Shadow?"
"Are you gonna be the evil bird queen?" Shadow asked. Raven smiled softly and it caught Yang's eye as she watched her for a moment.
"Who else is the world's greatest huntress going to fight?" Raven asked as she shut the door behind her. Yang looked at Tai who walked into the kitchen and froze, stunned for a moment.
"My plates!" He squealed.
"My fault," Yang told him rubbing her neck. "Does Raven seem kind of different to you?" Tai stopped cleaning and remained still for a second.
"Finally noticed," He said too quietly for her to hear. He looked back at her. "She is trying." Yang bit her lip, her eyes flirting with rage as she tried to suppress it.
"I know," she spat angrily.
"Excited about your fight tomorrow?" Tai asked. Yang shrugged as she knelt beside him and helped him clean the mess up.
"I don't know if I'd say excited," Yang said. "I'm tired of playing politics and pandering towards the Fang. It was so much easier when I was younger and we could just fight the bad guys without a care in the world whether or not we offended someone, back when we were fighting for our lives."
"I can't say I preferred that," Tai told his daughter as they finished collecting the pieces and set them on the table. "I was always worrying at home whether or not you and Ruby would come back to me alive or not."
"I know," Yang told him. "I just hate this feeling that my wife and child are miserable and scared for their lives, and I can't do a damn thing about it because my hands are tied with red tape. I don't blame Ruby or the council, and I understand that it's what the Fang wants, but it's just frustrating." Tai nodded and pulled her in for a hug.
"I'm proud of you kiddo," Tai praised her.
"Thanks, Dad," Yang replied feeling calmed.
"What I don't understand is why your sister doesn't just go in there and take them all out at once," Tai questioned.
"Genocide?" Yang asked incredulously.
"No," Tai replied. "I would never suggest that. I more of a spay and neuter kind of guy." Yang's jaw dropped and she punched him in the shoulder.
"Dad!" Yang exclaimed. "You're an animal!" Tai waved her off with a pity laugh.
"Is that the best you got these days kid? Sounds like you're all bark and no bite," Tai chuckled.
"I'll throw you a bone on that one," Yang jested.
"Guess an old dog like me can learn new tricks," Tai continued.
"You've always been the cat's meow to me," Yang insisted.
"You're never said that. I have the memory of an elephant," Tai replied.
"And you're as slippery as an eel," Yang declared, sure she could win if she just outlasted him.
"Aren't you the snake charmer today?" Tai inquired raising his eyebrow.
"Don't count your chickens before they hatch," Yang reminded him.
"Doggone it, you got me," Tai laughed messing her hair up. She shoved him away and shared in his amused victory.
"You just can't let me win, even once?" Yang griped.
"I'm the dad here, I make the dad jokes," Tai noted. "But to continue, she could go in there and easily come out with Athena."
"That was her plan this morning," Yang informed him as she sat at the table.
"And?" Tai asked grabbing her a glass of water.
"No luck, Athena teleported away and Ruby fought a Prime Beringel with Qrow," Yang detailed. "She must have been planning on moving for some time now, all the other times the military got close they killed them before they could even spot the place. Turns out they were hiding near that old fort from the Faunus War the entire time."
"Does your sister know where they are going next?" Taiyang pondered out loud. Yang checked her scroll for any messages from Ruby and instead received one from Weiss saying that they were going to start drinking without her soon.
"No clue," Yang replied absentminded.
"I'm going to go check on Shadow," Tai told her and she nodded to him without looking up. Tai opened the sliding door to his backyard and stepped out, finding Raven and Shadow both wielding sticks and clashing against each other.
"You'll never defeat me, not even if you use all of your power!" Raven yelled. Raven smirked as she pushed the girl back slightly.
"I have to!" Shadow shouted. "It's the only way to save all of my friends!"
"You're already using all of your power! I still have more to use!" Raven declared.
"I haven't used it all yet!" Shadow announced. Shadow created a clone that leapt at Raven and grabbed her leg.
"No! How could I let a simple huntress defeat me?!" Raven asked as she fell to the ground. "Please have mercy! I'm too beautiful to die!" Tai scoffed under his breath and crouched, petting Zwei who was lying lazily in the sun, oblivious to everything around him in his old age.
"I'll let you live," Shadow told her.
"Why would you do something so kind?!" Raven asked crazed. Shadow laughed.
"Cause you're my grandma!" Shadow giggled. Raven pulled her in and tickled her, laughing with the girl as they both stood and nodded at each other. "Can I tell you a secret?"
"What's that?" Raven asked. Shadow pulled her close and put her mouth to Raven's ear.
"You're way cooler than Grandma Kali," Shadow whispered. Raven looked at her for a long moment, her eyes softening as they moistened and she was rendered motionless. Raven swallowed some kind of weird bittersweet joy and regret that she felt and hugged Shadow for a long moment.
"Thank you," Raven managed. "Let's keep this between us though, we don't want Mommy Blake finding out." Shadow nodded her head in agreement.
"Right!" Shadow complied. "I'm gonna go in, Grandpa Tai and I have something to work on."
"Okay," Raven replied. Shadow ran off, bumping into Tai on her way towards the house and bouncing off of him.
"Grandpa!" Shadow yelled. "Let's go in!" Tai smiled at her and ushered her in.
"I'll be there in just a moment," Tai told her, shooing her into the house and shutting the door. He looked at Raven.
"She's cute," Raven told Tai as she looked at the ground and clumsily toyed with her hilt.
"She's a lot like her mother… and you," Tai offered as he walked towards her. "Just seeing you play with her like that. The way that you looked at her with so much joy in your eyes."
"Tai…" Raven attempted protesting.
"It made me wonder what could have been," Tai said.
"Please," Raven pleaded, her mind swimming with regret.
"I'm not trying to point out what you did wrong, Raven," he assured her and she looked up at him. "This. This is the Raven that I fell in love with. She was passionate. She would have done anything for her teammates. She loved her daughter. For a moment I felt like I was looking through a photo album, you smiled at Shadow in a way that I haven't seen you smile in a lifetime."
"You're overreacting over something so small," Raven insisted.
"Am I?" Tai asked. "Raven, there's nothing to be afraid of now. There's no one that you need to be brave for except for that little girl, so why are you still acting like your father is looming over you and threatening to take it all away again." She looked at him confused.
"You knew?" She asked feeling worse.
"Qrow told me," he said. He took another step and closed the gap. "You can stop running. You can stop pretending that you don't care even though you know that you do. It's the last hurdle, you helping Shadow and Yang earlier today won't go unnoticed by your daughter. It didn't go unnoticed by me." She shook her head as a tear fell and dripped against the ground and he pulled her in for a hug. She laughed.
"Oum, you were always so touchy and sensitive," she groaned.
"Isn't that why you fell in love with me," he asked taking in a deep breath. His slow breathing and warmth comforted her.
"I still don't know why I fell in love with you!" She exclaimed. She backed out of the hug but he kept his hand on her back stunning her. "You were charming and pathetic… and… and you always knew what to say…" Tai's free hand found her cheek and he caressed it gently before pulling her in and kissing her, a heat filling both of them that they'd long forgotten. One kissed became several as Raven grew hungry, her tongue invading his mouth, but not uninvited. She came to her senses first, breaking away though he refused to let her go. "Tai…"
"Please…" he begged before kissing her again.
"Hey, Shadow was wondering if…" Yang began before stopping short and looking at the two of them from the doorway. Tai heard her first, tearing away quickly as he felt his face flush and he chuckled nervously, swallowing hard and rubbing the bridge of his nose as Raven turned away from them.
"I guess I'll be going," Raven muttered to them opening a portal.
"Stop!" Yang demanded. Raven closed it quickly, still refusing to move as she waited for something to happen.
"Yang, it was a heat of the moment kind of thing, don't get the wrong -" Tai started but was cut off.
"Stop," Yang repeated. She took a deep breath and let it out. "I'm still trying to work everything out with Raven being in my life for the first time since I was born, but the two of you are adults and are free to make your own decisions. Do what you want to, if this is what you want, I don't want to get in the way of it."
"Yang, we just…" Raven tried to defend herself.
"I don't want to talk about it now," Yang replied. They both looked at her for a moment.
"Okay," Raven replied respecting her daughter's choice. Yang looked at the two of them before motioning towards the house with her head.
"Shadow is waiting inside for you, dad," Yang mentioned before heading back in and leaving the two of them alone once more.
"Raven, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to cause an issue with you and Yang," Tai apologized. Raven brushed him off, gathering her wits.
"It's alright," she said sauntering to the house. "I can't say that I didn't enjoy it at least a little." He nodded dumbly before it clicked and he raced inside.
"Really?!" He asked. Shadow sped in and leapt at him, grabbing his legs as he made his way to the living room.
"Are we going to work on that thing?" Shadow asked glancing at Raven before looking back at him.
"You'll have to remind me," Tai told her. "What thing?" Shadow groaned loudly before looking at Raven again and shaking Tai's leg.
"The thing!" Shadow demanded winking at Tai but failing. Tai thought about it again for another long moment before it finally dawned on him and he chuckled, heading into the other room with Shadow close behind.
"Right, the thing," Tai replied with a wink. "Let's go get it so we can show Raven." Shadow leapt for joy, doing a kind of victory dance as they disappeared around the corner.
"What are they up to?" Raven inquired. Yang shrugged and sat on the couch.
"I have no idea," Yang muttered with her hands behind her head. Tai came back out with something in a box and he smirked at Raven as he set it on the coffee table and waited for Shadow who came blazing in seconds later with glue and sequence.
"Grandma Raven, we're making you something!" Shadow told her, setting her materials down before running to Raven and grabbing her by the bottom of her skirt. "Close your eyes and don't look until I tell you to." Raven looked at Yang and Tai again before complying and letting Shadow lead her to the table, Tai removed the item and Yang leaned forward, laughing until she was out of breath which piqued Raven's interest even further than before. "Open them!" Raven looked at the birdhouse that was sitting on the table in front of her and glanced at Yang who was red with laughter. Tai looked the other direction, covering his mouth.
"This is lovely," Raven said through her teeth. "Was this your idea?" Shadow beamed.
"You needed a place to stay, that's what mommy said a while ago," Shadow admitted.
"You're not much for sleeping, are you?" Yang asked her.
"I hear everything," Shadow said with an eye roll.
"This is payback for the cabinets," Tai joked. Raven mouth hung agape.
"You take that back!" She shouted.
"What?" Yang interjected.
"Raven built those cabinets," Tai laughed.
"Why are they up so high?" Yang asked before laughing hard enough to cry.
"I was trying to help!" Raven shouted.
"Do you like it?" Shadow asked. Raven took a step back before bowing, changing into her bird form and sitting on the perch, tweeting at Shadow who giggled happily. "See, she loves it!"
Maybe Ebony will think twice before attacking Yang again. Next week, Chapter 105 - Schemes and Dreams!
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!