Lighting the Fire.
Yang and Severa are is riding their bikes with Shay, who was sitting behind Yang through a forest in Anima.
"How much further, pal?" Yang asked.
"This should just about do it" Shay answered.
Yang and Severa stops their bikes at a clearing. Rather convenient that they would stop here, the place looked ideal for an ambush.
"You wait here. I'll go up ahead and make sure the coast is clear" Shay dismounts from Yang's bike and runs into the bushes.
Yang shakes her head in annoyance and discards her sunglasses, sleeve and coat tails before stretching a little. Severa sat on her bike looking a little bored.
"So... How much are you willing to bet on this being a trap?" She asked.
"I say the odds are pretty high" Yang answered.
Suddenly, someone pulls the trigger of a gun and Yang blocks the shot with her arm. Shay reappears with several bandits in tow. Yup, this was indeed a trap. Who could've seen that coming?
"I can't believe you two were dumb enough to let me lead you here" Shay said.
The bandits present all have their weapons drawn at the girls. Neither of them looked really intimidated by the group of low lives. Compared to what they've fought in the past, a group of badits hardly looks threatening.
"Is this everyone?" Yang asked.
Shay chuckles "Yes, little lady. This is it. Well, unless you count the whole rest of the camp back that way".
He gestures behind him with his thumb, Yang points a finger in the same direction "That way?".
Shay grunts in confusion and looked at his tribe mates first "Yes. That way".
"Thanks, that's all we needed to know" Severa said.
"Now to pay me back for this tooth, we're going to take your bikes. And you're going to take your lumps" Shay punches his fist as he says this.
Yang engages Ember Celica on her left arm. The bandits get cautious and keep their weapons trained on her and Severa who had barely even moved.
Shay aims his gun "You got the jump on me last time, sweetheart. But you really ought to think twice about fighting all—" He is cut off when Yang engages the gun on her robotic arm. The rest of the bandits gasp "Alright... Get them!".
The bandits attacks, and Severa decided she didn't need to use her sword on these chumps. The first bandit decides to rush Yang with his bayonet outfitted rifle but Yang kicks at his legs to knock him off balance and punches him into the ground. A second bandit tries to swipe at Severa with his machete but she grabs his arm, kicks him in the stomach before elbowing him in the back, sending him face first in to the ground. Yang then uses her prosthetic to block a volley of shots from a group of bandits firing their rifles, before proceeding to kick off another machete-wielding bandit to backflip and knocking all the rifle-wielding bandits down with a twirling kick.
A female bandit tries to engage Severa in hand-to-hand, but Severa easily blocks her blows before sending an elbow strike in to her face and quickly sent her away with a kick to her chest. Yang uses her metal arm again to block a strike from another machete bandit, before uppercutting him with said arm. Yang then steps on the Shady Man's foot before allowing Severa to knock him to the ground with a punch, then both she and Yang delivers a twirling kicks to a trio of bandits that try to attack them from behind. As Yang tosses another bandit to the ground, the Shady Man gets back up and fires his pistol at Yang, though she dodges the shot.
She knocks out the two remaining bandits before Severa runs at her, leaping in to the air and lands on Yang's hands who proceeds to throw her through the air toward the Shady Man, with Severa spinning through the air to avoid his shots. The Shady Man, out of bullets, uses the blade on his pistol's handle to try and slash at Severa as she gets closer, but Severa grabs his arm, twisting it in a painful way as she lands behind him, causing him to drop his weapon out of pain. She then proceeds to lift his arm up before delivering a leaping kick to his face which sent him back flipping through the air before he lands on the ground. Menwhile Yang knocked down the last bandit who had gotten back up.
With all the bandits down, the fight is over. After the fight, Yang's left hand is shaking once again, Severa grabs it which calms Yang down. She gives her cousin a grateful look before they began walking back to their motorcycles.
Shay was coughing as he struggles to get up "Who are you? It doesn't even matter. When Raven finds out what you two did, you're both dead!".
"Possibly. But I doubt it. I am her daughter, after all" Yang said.
"And I'm her niece" Severa added.
Shay had wide eyes "I'm dead".
He falls to the ground.
Meanwhile in Mistral, Oscar and Ruby are training hand to hand combat whilst the others are looking on. It was clearly a match between two rookies as both of them had a very basic, and to some degree, clumsy fighting style.
"Man, Oz wasn't kidding. Oscar's picking up on this stuff fast" Jaune said.
Oscar hits Ruby straight in her face. Ruby recoils from the blow and looks visibly angry "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!".
Ruby hits Oscar back and he lands a few feet away on the ground as Jaune and Nora wince at the sight.
"Ha! Yes! I did it!" Ruby cheered, her brief moment of cheering is replaced with concern as she looks back "Oscar?".
"Oscar, you had the advantage. You need to press the advantage, not apologize" Lucina said.
Ruby gave her a small glare "Hey! Who's side are you on?".
Lucina smiled "I love you, but this is training".
Ozpin speaks inside Oscar's head "You forgot to engage your Aura, again".
"Why didn't you tell me?" Oscar demanded.
"Because this method makes you less likely to forget" Ozpin answered, Oscar groans and gets to his feet "Mind if I give it a shot?" Oscar stiffens briefly while his eyes glow in a yellow light and Ozpin takes over "Not bad, Miss Rose. But Oscar doesn't have the years of training that you do. Or I do".
Oscar's body shimmers green as Ozpin engages their Aura. Lucina, Jaune and Nora realize what Ruby is in for. Ozpin determinedly approaches Ruby.
Ruby looked nervous "Oh, ha, well, maybe we should uh... take a break".
Ozpin attacks Ruby with a few punches aimed at her head, forcing her onto the defensive until he lands a blow to her face which knocks her back several feet. Ozpin closes the gap with a leap and kicks her in the face. Ruby leaps at Ozpin to throw a left cross which Ozpin evades by ducking and retaliates with a headbutt from below.
"Ouch" Nora said.
"The next time you want to throw a left cross, remember to push off with the appropriate foot. And as always, do be aware of any openings" Ozpin said.
Ruby groans as Lucina helps her up "Gooooot it".
"Look out for those counters Ruby. Once you leave yourself open, that's when you lose" Lucina said.
Ozpin relinquishes his control and Oscar falls to the ground, panting.
"Oh! Hey. Are you okay?" Ruby asked in concern.
"How is this so exhausting?" Oscar asked.
Ren who had been medetating, spoke up "Your body isn't used to this kind of training, not to mention generating a defensive Aura on your own. It takes intense concentration at first, but in time it will become second nature, allowing you to deflect attacks and gradually heal your wounds. After that, you can begin focusing on your Semblance, whatever that may be".
"Semblance?" Oscar asked.
"You know! Like your very own superpower! Everybody's got one. It's just a matter of finding it and mastering it. Ruby moves super fast, Electricity makes me stronger, Ren can mask emotions, Lucina can super charge her weapon and Jaune... can, uh, um. Hmm" Nora began but remembered Jaune hasn't unlocked his Semblance yet.
Jaune looks down "I can't do anyth—".
"Jaune's like you!" Ruby takes Oscar by the hand and leads him over to Jaune "He hasn't found his Semblance yet, but we all know he will. And you will, too. We all just have to try and help each other get stronger".
Oscar smiled "Cool".
"A common philosophy is that a warrior's Semblance is a part of who they are. Some say your personality and character can define your Semblance while some claim that it is the other way around. Of course, there are still many who don't see a connection at all" Ren said.
"It's hard to know when you know sometimes. Ren's Semblance was unlocked from intense stress" Nora said.
"And mine kicked in during training one day" Ruby said.
"Mine was unlocked when I was frustrated by my inability to properly use Falchion. Then one day I just cut clean through a boulder" Lucina said.
Oscar looks at Nora "And what about you?".
"Oh. Struck by lightning. Didn't die. Craaaazy Thursday" Nora answered.
Jaune looks at himself "I just don't understand what's wrong with me. I train. I meditate".
Oscar's eyes glow momentarily as Ozpin takes control of his body again "Don't worry, Mr. Arc. Your journey is far from over. And the same might be said for all of you. Unlocking your Semblance isn't the end. It can still grow and evolve. Providing you're willing to put in the work, who knows what could happen".
Ruby smiles "Then let's get back to it".
"Ok Jaune, you are sparring against me. Let's see how far your sword skills has come" Lucina declared as she pulled out her sword.
"Right" Jaune said as she took out his sword and shield, ready to spar.
Lucina rushed in with a swift overhead strike. Jaune blocked it with his shield, before swinging his blade at Lucina's legs. However, she leaps over his blade and kicks him in the face, knocking him down. However he quickly got back up, not even close to done. Lucina smiled as they charged each other and their blades clashed.
Yang and Severa finally enters the camp, escorted by a few bruised bandits who they had roughed up earlier. They notice more bandits lining up along the path, giving angry glares at them. Vernal steps out of her tent to see what the commotion is about. The two bandits guarding Weiss and Bernadetta are playing cards with each other, before joining the rest of their tribe. Weiss notices this and once again summons a small Arma Gigas, who begins to get to work on freeing her and Bernadetta from their confinement. Yang, Severa and their escorts arrive at the camp's main tent. Raven emerges from it with her mask on, and stops when she noticed them.
"Mom" Yang spoke first.
Raven removes her mask, looking surprised, before smiling "Yang. So, after all this time you finally decided to visit me".
Yang feels her left hand shaking once again, but she uses her robotic hand to calm it down "You know that I searched for you. I spent years looking for you".
"And you've found me. You were patient, determined, and strong enough to make your dream a reality. Well done, Yang. But did you have to be so rough with my men?" Raven asked, but didn't sound upset at all.
"We didn't want a fight. They started it" Yang said.
"Well, you certainly finished it" Raven said before looking at Severa "And who's your friend here".
"I'm Severa. Don't I look similar to someone you know?" Severa asked.
Raven eyed her carefully before she got a look of relaxation "You must be Cordelia's daughter, the resemblance is uncanny... But your eye is defentily like your father".
"So... You know?" Severa asked.
Raven nods "I do indeed. It's nice to finally meet you, my niece".
Severa said nothing. She wasn't really interested in meeting her aunt. She wanted to meet her father.
"Right. I'm sure this is all very overwhelming. But I must admit that you've both proven yourselves. So any questions you have I'll be happy to answer. You both can stay with us tonight. I'll even have the cooks whip up something for you" Raven said.
"That's not why we're am here" Yang said and The bandits react to her irreverence.
Raven frowns "What was that?".
"We're not here for you. Ruby is somewhere in Mistral. She's with Qrow, and she's going to need our help. We just need you to take us to her" Yang explained.
"And why would I do that?" Raven asked.
"Because we're family" Yang answered.
"You owe us this much for all the time you were absent from our lives. Especilly Yang's life" Severa added.
Raven scowls "Family. Only coming around when they need something. I have to say, I'm disappointed. After all, you found me, didn't you? Why not take that drive and use it to find your little sister if she means that much to you?".
"Because you're going to save us time. Ruby was heading to Mistral, but there's no guarantee she's made it there. Looking for her in Anima could take ages. But... Dad told me how your Semblance works" Yang said.
Raven whispers under her breath "Tai...".
"You can bond to certain people. And when you do, you could create a portal that takes you straight to them. You've got one for Dad. One for me. And you've got one for Qrow. He promised me he'd watch out for Ruby before he left. And I trust him. So, make a portal to my uncle and sister, and we'll be on our way" Yang said.
"You know, it takes real strength to march in here and demand such a favor of me. I've got to say, I'm impressed. It's very noble to want to help out your sister. But if she's with Qrow, then she's already a lost cause" Raven said.
"What does that mean?" Yang demanded.
"You don't want to get mixed up in all of that, Yang. Ozpin is not the man you think he is. And Qrow is a fool for trusting him. I would know, I trusted him once, too" Raven said before looking at Severa "And I'm sure you hold your fair share of grudges against him".
"I don't care what you think" Yang said.
"And trust me, I have more than a few things to say to him. But for now, I couldn't care less about what you have to say" Severa said
Vernal, holding Myrtenaster, looks on disdainfully, and places her right hand on her hip. Mareeta was inside Raven's tent, peeking out.
"Your choices are your own. All I'm suggesting is that instead of getting wrapped up in something too big for you, for any of us, that maybe you take a moment to wonder if you're already where you belong" Raven said.
"Save your breath. You can spout off whatever you want, but nothing is going to keep me from my sister" Yang declared.
"Qrow isn't the only person I want to meet. Ruby doesn't even know we're cousins yet. And I think she deserves to know" Severa added.
"Well, aren't you two stubborn" Raven said, looking slightly amused.
"I get it from my mom" Yang said.
"Guess it's a family thing" Severa said.
"Well, if that's how you feel, then it sounds like we're done here. Take them away" Raven ordered.
The bandits surround and begin to move in on Yang and Severa.
Yang sees this, before turning her head back to Raven "Did you not hear us?" Raven turns back around before she can enter her tent "I said send us to Qrow, damn it!"
Her eyes turn red as she spouts her last statement, while Severa looked ready to use force if necessary.
A Bandit spoke "That's enough! You watch your mouth in front of our leader!".
Yang glares "Make me".
The Bandit tries to attack Yang, who punches him into a tent, revealing Weiss and Bernadetta in their cage.
"Yang?" Weiss spoke in surprise.
Yang was also surprised "Weiss?".
"Severa?" Bernadetta said.
"Bernie?" Severa replied.
Everyone else present is surprised that the four girls know each other.
"Alright, well, subtlety is out" Weiss turns to her miniature Arma Gigas and makes it grow, destroying the cage in the process. She and Bernadetta quickly makes their way towards Yang and Severa, with the now giant Arma Gigas following close behind.
"What is that?" Yang asked.
"Don't worry about it. What are you doing here?" Weiss asked.
Yang gestures to Raven "Well, that's my mom and she can take us to Ruby".
"Your mom kidnapped us?!" Weiss asked loudly.
Yang looks at Raven "You kidnapped them?!".
"You will pay for this!" Severa declared, her weapon at the ready.
Everyone looked ready to fight, until Mareeta suddenly emerged from Raven's tent "STOP!".
Her voiced echoed through the camp, making everyone look at her. Yang looked at her in surprise. She looked familiar for some reason... very familiar.
"Who... Are you?" Yang finally asked.
Raven looks at Mareeta with scolding eyes "I told you to wait inside" Mareeta looked away as Raven spoke to everyone else "If you people don't keep it together this place will be crawling with Grimm. Give the girls their weapons back".
Vernal looks surprised at the command, then tosses Myrtenaster to Weiss and a random bandit gives Bernadetta her bow back.
"You four. In my tent. Now" Raven ordered.
"Why?" Yang demands.
"If you're really going after your sister, then you need to know the truth" Raven enters her tent along with Mareeta and the bandits go back to their own businesses. Weiss places her hand on her chest in relief.
"Sorry about-" Yang began but suddenly, Weiss drops Myrtenaster and strongly hugs her.
"I missed you so much" Weiss said emotionally.
"I've missed you, too" Yang puts her hand on the back of Weiss' head and hugs back as her summon disappears.
"Severa!" Bernadetta shouts as she hugs Severa hard "It's really you!".
"Bernie..." Severa said as she hugs Bernadetta back, a tear falling from her single eye.
The girls remain in their embrace before they gently pull back.
Weiss looks at Severa "Never thought I would be so happy to see you again".
"Oh shut up and come here" Severa said as she gives Weiss a hug, surprising the ice queen before she smiles and hugs her back.
Yang smiles at them before looking at Bernadetta "Hey Bernie... I-".
Before she could finish, Bernadetta kissed her on the lips. Yang gasped in surprise but quickly melted in to the kiss. Severa looked impressed, not expecting Bernadetta to be the one to kiss Yang first. Weiss only smiled, happy to see how much bolder Bernadetta had become.
As Bernadetta slowly broke the kiss, Yang was almost in a trance "Wow... You sure have grown Bernie... In more ways than one".
"I just... I really missed you" Bernadetta said with a blush.
Yang smiles and rubs her cheek with her normal hand "I missed you too... So much".
Bernadetta smiled for a moment before she looked worried "Yang... That girl with the silver eyes... It's not for me to tell you who she is. But you should brace yourself, because you might not like what you hear".
Yang looked confused... Little did she know, she was in for the biggest shock of her life.
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Tell me what you think.
