The man stood looking into the dark forest, watching as the first leaf tumbled through the air, illuminated by the orange-gold glow of the setting sun as it drifted lazily towards the ground. He set down his cup of tea, lightly trailing steam from the pleasantly warm liquid. The balcony of the small hut on the edge of Patch where he was currently sitting in his favourite wooden chair was a truly pleasant place, but the winters were cold. He had sat in that chair almost every day and enjoyed a cup of tea, but soon he would have to stay inside as the snow blanketed the world. For now, though, he fended off the chill of the autumn breeze by taking another sip of the pleasant liquid.
His aura fluttered slightly, and the man knew from many years of experience what it meant. He had felt that feeling a few times before, once long ago the last time his team was together, and once, more recently, when he had been visited by an unexpected guest.
"Hello Raven," He said cooly, his eyes never leaving the lush forest that the wooden balcony overlooked. The small disturbance in his aura had been caused by the use of extraordinarily powerful dust, the kind only three people he had ever known were capable of using. One of whom the man had not seen for a long time, another was the headmaster of a certain combat school, and the last was the woman who was presumably standing behind him now. "Its been a while."
"Good evening, Qrow." She answered, and Qrow heard the exhaustion in her voice. She didn't speak, so Qrow grabbed his scythe, collapsed into a staff at this time, and nudged his chair's twin back a little, opening it up for her to sit.
"Something's troubling you, isn't it?" He asked, knowing the answer. Raven sighed deeply, the young woman obviously struggling with something. Qrow had known her since she was a child, and though he had hardly seen her since her parents had passed, he still knew her character. He also had a fair guess as to what might cause her such anguish, but she would reveal that in due time. When she was ready.
He heard the rough grating of wood on wood as she sat down heavily. Qrow merely took another sip of his tea, then set the cup back on its saucer and placed the pair onto his chair. He stood lithely, his powerful body responding to his every intent perfectly. He walked through the open door of his modest home, grabbing a spare cup and saucer, pouring some of the tea from his pot into the cup. He stepped back outside, and handed her the saucer. Raven took it absently, but he knew she appreciated the favour.
"Its your favourite." He said calmly. "Mint,"
Qrow returned his gaze to the forest. He studied the large oaks, looking intently at the slowly yellowing leaves. He had always found it intriguing how the leaves seemed to know exactly when to start falling. The days were still warm, and even the evenings were not harsh yet, but in no more than a few weeks, the snow would come. He had always preferred to look at the trees rather than listen to the predictions of weathermen. Qrow had always found nature to be the most reliable of friends in a world where loyalty was quite sparse.
Interspersed throughout the forest stood the evergreens, unique to Vale. Though he was sure that they too knew of the oncoming storm, they stood tall and proud, unchanged by the weather. Their vibrant green needles had done nothing the past few weeks as the oaks' leaves withered and died. The pines stood unmoving, unchanging, and oblivious to the passage of time. He thought that the name evergreen was quite fitting, as they were one of the few constants in the world. Until the world burned to ashes and there were no more trees, there would always be green to be found on an evergreen tree.
"I saw her yesterday." Raven spoke from beside Qrow, who blinked slowly in acknowledgment. "She doesn't trust me. She hates me, and she doesn't even know me yet. She still has no idea who I am."
"And you haven't told her yet?" Qrow inquired.
"How can I? She answered with another question. "I think it was a mistake not to tell her when she was a kid."
Qrow didn't answer for a moment. He had felt much the same way on many occasions. He thought Yang should have been told of her kinship with Raven the moment her mother disappeared, it would have been good for Yang and Raven to have each other, but out of loyalty he had held his tongue. Qrow did not agree with his old partner's decision, but it was hers to make, and she had her reasons for it. She had been his friend for a long time, and in that time he had known her to be reasonable in important matters, though impulsive at times. He had understood Yang's mother's desire to protect her daughter though, and so he had done his best to shield his niece from the danger posed by the world her mother had begun to uncover. He knew Raven had often felt the same about her aunt's decision.
"If you were forced to intervene, I assume that something has happened." Qrow said instead of pressing the matter.
"Yang's team went on a mission. They found her." Raven's voice was tight, an excited anticipation mixed with grief and anger evident in her words.
Qrow set his tea down on the arm of the chair next to him. He pressed his fingertips together, pondering. If that woman had surfaced again, it could mean no good. She had not previously been a big player in the shadowy organization that Qrow had been investigating for so long, but after the arrests he had made and the ploys he had stopped, she could very well be the last one left. And she was certainly the most dangerous.
He had only encountered her a few times, but the woman was dangerous. Extraordinarily well trained, naturally talented, terrifyingly intelligent, and worse, an unshakeable faith in her mission. If she was making a move, Qrow knew something had to be done to stop her.
"Did you get her name?" Qrow asked, wondering.
"Cinder," Raven replied militantly.
"And yet that's not what's troubling you." Qrow stated. It was not a question.
"No," Raven paused, taking a sip of the mint tea. Qrow waited for her to finish, not urging her to answer any faster. She would answer when she wanted to. "It's Yang."
"It bothers you that she doesn't trust you."
"Yes,"
"But can you blame her?" Qrow posed the question. "I know that when she finds out that I knew, it will strain our relation. Since she was a child, the one thing she's wanted to know, the thing that meant the most to her next to her sister, was the question of what happened to her mother. You know what has happened to her, as do I, but neither of us spoke up. Trying to get Yang to trust you will require you to fight through years of anger, bitterness, despair and anguish."
"Do you think I can get her to trust me?" Raven's voice shook slightly, and Qrow's heart went out to the younger woman. She was a warrior through and through, having been apart of a shadowy war since she was a child, and yet the fear of losing the last family she had still terrified her to her bone.
"Perhaps in time, but not now." For the first time, Qrow looked over at the dark haired girl. She was beautiful, like both her mother and her aunt, but he saw in her crimson eyes a shattering sadness. Though she had suffered no injuries, her posture was that of someone who had been defeated. She took a sip of the mint tea he had offered her, and he hoped that it would help her relax.
"I know she asked me to watch over Yang, but they're coming out of hiding. The people responsible for the murder of my parents, of Yang's mother, we have a chance to catch them and make them pay. I don't know if I could live with myself if I let them go, and I don't know how to chase them without losing my watch on Yang." She took a deep breath, letting it back out shakily. "I can't help her anymore."
"Your parents, and your aunt, they would be proud of you right now." Qrow spoke softly, and he meant it. Raven had grown into a strong willed, powerful woman, and though technically not a huntress, she was just as skilled as even the likes of Goodwitch. Her eyes flickered to him in surprise. "Don't worry about Yang. She's grown into a strong huntress, and her tutelage at Beacon has turned her into a capable woman. She has a team now too, she'll be able to look after herself." Raven nodded, and Qrow knew his words were easing her mind.
"And what about you?" She asked. Qrow turned back to the woods, taking a sip from his own cup.
"I think I'm going to have a conversation with an old friend." Qrow said with the faintest hint of a smile.
/
Ruby stood in front of Ozpin, her team in line behind her. To her side, JNPR was filed in a line, and on either side of the two teams were teams CRDL and CFVE. CFVE had graduated when Ruby finished second year, but they had stuck around as a guardian team to Beacon. Ruby had no idea why she was in the room, but if team CFVE was there, it must be mission related.
"Good evening everyone." Ozpin addressed the four teams as he leaned back in his chair. "As you know, RWBY and JNPR have just returned from an away mission in Forever Fall where they encounter Roman Torchwick along with a group of criminals, including the White Fang. The woman you encountered," Ozpin looked at Ruby, and she nodded in acknowledgment. "Cinder, correct?"
"Yep," Ruby answered, bouncing on her heels a bit.
"I had an interesting chat with an old friend of mine earlier today. Your uncle, Qrow, believes that this woman is heading a clan of revolutionaries that he has been chasing for years. He has been keeping tabs on them, and he believes that they have three current bases of operations in and around Vale. One in the city, with strong ties to the White Fang, and two more outside the city. Ruby, you and your team will take the one in the city given that you've dealt with the White Fang before. Now, we don't know where this base is, but you have proven resourceful in locating this particular group of outlaws before. Do as you must, and check in frequently with us." Ruby nodded happily enough. Behind her, she heard Blake clear her throat, and Ruby turned around to eye her suspiciously. She relented though, understanding Blake's message perfectly well.
"What about Sun?" Ruby asked. "He's fought the White Fang with us before, and he's a friend. He could help out."
"He's got a very particular set of skills that could help us.. Uh, gather information." Blake said cryptically, but Ruby was sure that Ozpin knew of Sun's natural talent at stealing. He smirked in amusement.
"Very well, I assume Neptune as well?"
"If he wants to tag along." Weiss said a little sheepishly. Ruby still couldn't believe how easily Weiss was affected by even the mention of Neptune's name.
"So be it. Now, Coco, your team and CRDL will go to one of the bases outside of Vale. We have coordinates for this base. Qrow managed to glean them from a friend inside the White Fang that he met before the group went rogue. An inside man, per se." Coco, who had one hand on her hip, a toothpick in her mouth, and her really big box in her other hand, just dipped her head slightly in acknowledgement.
"And you want JNPR to hit the final base?" Jaune asked, his brow creasing. Ruby had seen that face before, sometimes when they played chess or talked about their teams. It was his worried-thinking face.
"Though JNPR have fought bravely so far in this battle, no. I don't want you and your team going into the field right now, Jaune. You must recover." Ozpin said, peering over his half moon glasses.
"With all due respect then, sir, what are we doing here?"
"You will be working closely with me as our teams are in the field. I want you to help with planning our courses of actions as they appear on the fly. Teams CFVE and CRDL will have little contact with us after they leave, given the nature of their mission we don't want them communicating much with us lest they reveal themselves, but team RWBY is generally..." Ozpin looked at Ruby, then smiled a bit. "A little spontaneous. I want you to offer a second opinion as they close in on the base." Ruby just smiled back. Ozpin was not wrong.
"Sounds good," Jaune said, and she saw his features soften a bit. He must've been worried about his team. "And what about the last base?"
"Qrow has informed me that a... Colleague of his will deal with the matter."
"Since when does Qrow do anything more than teach in his dusty old classroom?" Yang wondered allowed, and Ruby giggled a little. She was surprised to hear her uncle's name coming up so much, but Ozpin just raised an eyebrow at them before speaking.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I cannot stress the importance of this mission. Remember, as of now, you are acting as huntsmen and huntresses. This group poses a serious threat to Vale and Remnant as a whole, from what Qrow has told me, their plans have been in motion for decades. You have been tasked with ensuring those plans never come to light. We do not know what would happen should they become known." Ozpin rose as he spoke, and Ruby saw the cane at his side. There was a handle coming out of it, and it reminded Ruby of a sword a bit. She found it odd; she had never seen it before. "Do what you must to protect our world. You have been trained to fight the Grimm, but you enemy today is one of a less simple nature. You must do all you can to protect your home. You have the day to prepare, and tomorrow morning you will leave. You are dismissed."
/
Blake smiled softly as she walked up behind Sun. Unlike many faunus, he had not inherited superior hearing, and so Blake had no trouble making her way up behind him silently.
"Boo," She said calmly, and Sun actually jumped for a second, curling up in the air out of fear before landing. His tail twitched as his eyes met Blake's, and he rolled them.
"N-Not cool Blake!" He stammered, obviously flustered.
"Don't be such a scaredy cat."
"I'm not!" He whined, and Blake slid her arm through his as he stuffed his hands into his tattered jeans. His bronze skin seemed to glow softly in the soft midday sun, and Blake pressed herself a bit closer to him. "Besides, who's the real cat here?" Blake shot him a glare, but before she could scold him he spoke again. "So what's up?" He asked casually after settling back down. Blake decided to let the comment slide.
"So, you know how normal couples go on dates occasionally?" Blake asked, and Sun stopped, knocking his elbow against hers where they rubbed against each other, spinning Blake around so that she was pressed up against his muscular torso.
"Yeah, but there's nothing normal about you." The entire move was so smooth, Blake found herself almost begin to blush. She smiled up at Sun slyly.
"Nice one," She said, standing up on her tip-toes to reach his lips. She had made sure that Sun (or anyone else for that matter) had never found her stash of novels, but he had picked up on the fact that Blake had a soft spot for romance. When he made a slight at her, like the cat joke, he almost always made up for it with some romantic move that lifted Blake right off her feet. She closed her eyes as she leaned into him. Her lips met his, and Blake smiled into the kiss. He tasted like honey and almonds, kind of like a warm summer day. Blake loved that taste, and the identical smell that wafted into her sharp nose. The only person who smelled somewhat like Sun was maybe Yang, but she smelled more like a warm breeze. She loved both smells, those of her boyfriend and her partner, the two people she was closest to. She had never told either of them before, of course, but just being around either of them often cheered her up.
"So you want to go on a date?" Sun asked, taking her hand and beginning to walk again. Blake could smell the trees around them, still fresh from the summer months, but nonetheless fading. Blake had always found fall to be a sad time of year. Most people didn't like winter, and it was often associated with death in the books she read, but fall was when everything began to whither. It wasn't as bad in Vale as it had been outside the kingdoms, but Blake knew that it was Fall that brought the end of life to the plants of insects of the world, not winter. Winter was still and peaceful, like the world was mourning its own loss. Blake liked winter, not as much as summer, but she could live with it. Fall made her uneasy though.
"Mm, no." Blake answered, bringing herself back to the discussion at hand. "Do I look like a flowers and fancy dinner kind of girl?"
"When you put it that way, it sounds more like Weiss." Sun answered after pondering briefly. "But I know that my Blake-y likes to be treated like a princess herself." Blake stopped dead.
"Blake-y?" She asked dubiously, lifting an eyebrow at Sun. He looked at her nervously.
"Too much?"
"A little lot." She answered sternly. "Not to be repeated." Sun held his hands up.
"My lips are sealed. Anyways, if you don't want a date, why did you bring up dates?" Sun asked, seeming thoroughly confused. It was his own fault, Blake figured. He was the one who had begun distracting her with his smile and suave moves and the unbuttoned shirt.
"Well, normal couples tend to go on dates. We tend to go fight bad guys and save the day."
"Ah," Sun answered, finally catching on. She had told him all about their encounter with Torchwick, the White Fang and the mysterious new woman. "And am I heading out with you on your next mission?"
"You've been cordially invited." Blake answered, her voice as level as always. She smiled a little as they kept walking.
"Cool, when do we leave?" He asked. "Oh, and can we bring Neptune? You should always get friends involved."
"I think Weiss is talking to Neptune." Blake answered.
"I heard the big news." Sun said in mock seriousness. "They finally got together. All official and everything." Blake laughed a little.
"It was about time. We've had enough days of awkward talk and fights between the two."
"Amen to that." Sun answered. "So, where are we going?"
"White Fang hideout, though we do have to find it first."
"Wait, we don't know where we're going?"
"Nope," Blake answered curtly, and Sun didn't answer.
Blake saw a bench on the edge of the pathway and pulled Sun towards it. They sat down together, and Blake allowed the soft breeze to play with her hair. She snuggled up next to Sun, letting the heat from his body warm her as they sat together and watched the first few red and gold leaves start to fall to the ground, being whipped around by the wind before coming to settle on the yellow-green grass.
"Sun?" She asked, suddenly feeling a little bit sad at seeing the leaves drop.
"Yeah?"
"Can you promise me something?" She asked, and Sun put and arm around her reassuringly.
"Anything," He answered easily.
"When we get back, take me on a real date." She said.
/
Late update, my apologies. I was trying to figure out how to jump right into the action of the mission, but nothing was really working, so I needed to throw out one 'exposition' chapter. Hoping I'll get back to my weekly schedule after this. Anyways, thanks for reading, hope you're enjoying! Any comments, criticisms or suggestions are more than welcome!
-Unjax