Big Issues
AN: First I'd like to thank Giggukarda Guy for the follow of this series and RandomSave for the fave and follow of this series as well as the fave and following of me as an author. Second, I'd like to apologize for how long it took to get this finished and posted. I had most of it planned out but time to write has been rare since the last chapter and life has been a bit hectic. Third, I'm going to devote some time to focus on Small Issues, the prequel series to Big Issues, for probably the next month. I make no promises that I won't somehow wind up writing up a chapter for here during that time. ^_^!
Anyway, on with the show!
Announcements
If there was something good to look forward to, it was the delicious, though admittedly small lunch that the residents of the rental home had. But that was only to hold them over as dinner was being made as the Eaglewing sisters had several pots and pans on the stove at once and the oven was baking. Pyrrha was forced to watch rather than actually handle the food beyond washing or handing it over but Ren worked well with the sisters as he made sure the bulk of the preparations of the ingredients were done.
"I had no idea that cooking could be so stressful." The redhead says as she watches Talon moving gracefully between the pots and pans and adding certain ingredients at times.
"It was stressful when we first started but once you know what you're doing and have proper preparation, it becomes much easier. For me, this is like meditating and we will relax when we eat. But you are cleaning the dishes afterwards." The much shorter chef tells her.
"I suppose so. I've only really excelled in combat and my schoolwork… at the cost of other skills."
"Then we'll just have to work on that when we can. Besides, you have someone to impress, don't you?" Talon teases at the end knowing that the subject was just around the corner watching a movie.
"Breaking news has just come in!" A woman cuts into the program from the Mistral Herald.
"Ugh, please tell me it's good news! We were getting to the good part!" Jaune grumbles with Nora in full agreement.
"Worldwide communication has been restored!" The woman cheers, leaving the teens in shock.
"Turn that up!" Anya shouts, and Nora quickly complies.
"The full story will be brought later tonight on how this miracle was accomplished but what we can say for certain is that the Cross Continental Transmit Tower in Vale has yet to be fully repaired after the attack that crippled the Kingdom nearly a full year ago. However, reports indicate that it should be finished by the end of the year."
"Oh man! We gotta wait?!" Nora cries.
"They must be simply getting the word out now so everyone has a chance to get ready to watch and learn." Jaune shrugs. Watching so much television as a kid… and up to just before going to Beacon, had its upsides for media know how. "Looks like they will have the show at seven tonight. Gives us time to make calls to family."
"But my family is right here." Nora says softly but the blonde heard her.
Wrapping an arm over her shoulders, he drew the hefty Valkyrie in for a one-armed hug. "We know."
"Thanks." She let the comforting embrace go on for a few seconds longer before shrugging him off. "Let's finish this movie at least."
"Yeah, we got some time to eat and clean up before the big news story." Jaune takes the remote and turns the volume back down a little. "I wonder what the others are up to?"
Down in the basement training room…
"Yang? What's going on?" The young girl wasn't naive enough to miss the tension in the air. Her sister seemed to be holding something back from her but looked nervous to tell. Denko was nearby but hiding it better yet still agitated enough that he was tapping his foot. Qrow was here as well, an odd blend of suspicion and curiosity on his face.
Then there was Raven, the mysterious woman who had come with her sister and friends. It was hard to miss the combination of familiarity and distrust they had with the woman, as was her similar appearance to Yang.
"Something that needs to be said, to all of us." Yang crosses her arms as she stares at Raven, waiting on her.
"The two of us heard it already but you'll need to know." Denko was now pacing. "And we need one more." He adds, looking right at Raven.
Qrow narrowed his eyes. He was used to his sister being stubborn and hiding things from him but given that the blondes were demanding that Raven tell them something that she was clearly not wanting to do, it set off alarms in his mind. "One more?" He asks before the pieces came together. "Ah, better get to it then."
Raven was quiet through everything, fearing what she'd have to share again and very apprehensive about what she was needing to do. Everyone besides Ruby seemed to have some level of understanding of what was to happen and that only put more pressure on her; she had gotten used to being the one in charge and being on the other side of this sort of situation.
"I've made promises that I swore to keep over anything else." She says softly like a mantra to give herself the courage to do what was needed. Omen was drawn slowly and cut through the air, ripping open a swirling black and red gash in reality.
Then they waited.
—-
On Patch, Taiyang was walking down the road with Zwei just trying to relax in nature. It had been a few weeks since Yang and Denko had left the house leaving him alone with the dog. He had managed to get a letter from Ruby that really cheered him up and made him worry.
On one hand, she and her team had finally reached Mistral. The flip side was that she had written it while in the hospital. The good news was that the letter was only a week old while the bad was that Qrow was the one who needed the hospitalization for injuries and scorpion venom that nearly killed him. The team had killed a Nuckelavee yet they had the encounter in the first place while Qrow was incapacitated.
It was dizzying to read with the combination of good and bad news but he was just proud and relieved that his daughter had made it.
His scroll went off in his pocket, the song from an older rock band that he still loves, prompting him to check the message.
'Worldwide communication has been restored at last! Full details will be featured on VNN at seven tonight.'
"Well, that is certainly some really good news! Huh boy?" Tai asks the dog, receiving a bark and wagging tail. "Haha! Think we should try calling the girls now or when we get home?"
"Ruff ruff!"
"Yeah, probably we should wait until we get home so we can sit and talk."
They didn't get far before a swirling black and red portal suddenly appeared nearby, making both human and canine jump in surprise.
But that surprise didn't last long as Taiyang recognized the aura construct very well and grew highly suspicious, especially when the portal simply sat there… waiting.
"This can't be. Why now of all times?" The blonde mutters to himself as he watches it carefully, wary of anything that would emerge. "Zwei! Get back here!"
The corgi had been sniffing his way up to the portal as familiar scents graced his nose. He looked back at Tai and barked, stumpy tail wagging excitedly but with the man refusing to come closer, the dog jumped into the vortex and vanished from the island.
"Zwei!"
—-
"Ruff ruff!" A small gray and white dog ran out of the portal and stopped, taking a moment to see that it was no longer in the woods but a house. A house with four very familiar people in it and one that he barely remembers.
"Zwei?!" Yang and Ruby cry out as neither of them expected to see their dog for at least a few more weeks.
But the shouts were all that was needed for the canine to jump at the sisters and greet them with kisses.
"Hahaha! I missed you too!" Yang laughs as Zwei moves onto Ruby. "And this is why I'm a dog person; so much love and loyalty."
"I believe it." Denko comments as Zwei finishes with Ruby and greets him as well, getting a few licks on the hand as he pet the dog.
"Ah, come here ya little mutt." Qrow was affectionate as he gave Zwei a few good scratches between the ears. "Go get the old man, would you? We need him here."
"Ruff!" With that bark Zwei ram back into the portal, missing how Raven was getting strained or annoyed at having to hold it open for so long… likely both.
It took a minute but Zwei came back, dragging a shoe with him along with the man attached to the foot inside.
"Zwei! No treats for you this week!" Taiyang's first words on this side made everyone else feel embarrassed, mostly from his daughters. "Huh?" He paused in his struggles when he saw where he was and his family together. Behind him, the portal abruptly closed to ensure that he wasn't going back.
Yet as much as he knew his estranged wife was here, he didn't get the chance to really see that she was behind him thanks to Ruby.
"Daddy!" And she promptly tackled him in a hug that took him to the floor, helped by Zwei holding his foot until the contact was made.
"Oof!" The impacts didn't stop him from wrapping his youngest in a hug. "Ruby! My baby girl! Ha, it's good to see you!"
"I missed you." The girl buried her face in his shoulder as she squeezed him.
"I missed you too. But are you gonna let me up?" Once standing, he got his own tight hug from Yang while Denko and Qrow gave him firm handshakes.
"You know, I just got your letter today about you just getting into Mistral. You've been having quite the adventure since you left home." Tai pulls the letter from his pocket and tapping Ruby on the head with it. "Hmm… looks like you finally grew taller too." He adds now that he noticed she had grown roughly two inches since she left, though even at a glance he could see that she had only stretched vertically and that was the only reason her waistline shrunk to any degree.
"How are you holding up, Qrow?" He turns his attention to his brother in law and friend.
"Meh, could be better but thanks to the kids I live to kick some more asses. Hell of a story to go with the scar on my leg."
"I can believe it."
"Miss us or were you enjoying the quiet?" Yang smirks at her father.
"How about both? How've you two been? And where is your team?"
Denko jabs a finger to the ceiling. "Everyone else is upstairs making dinner or watching a movie. But we were doing pretty good with our mission."
"Had a bit of fun giving Mistral's Grimm defenses some target practice on our way in, didn't think they'd put guns inside of their statues. Yang crosses her arms.
"Ah, that's always been a treat to see. Did you get a good look at them?"
"Not really, too busy trying to outrun the Grimm and it was too dark to get a good look at them when we had the chance. At least they didn't mess up my bike."
"Of course you'd worry about that. Are you keeping him in one piece?"
Yang threw an arm over Denko's shoulder with a grin. "I've been doing my best but I doubt he wants to match me that much." She lifts her right arm, leaving her boyfriend to shake his head at her joke.
That just left…
"Raven?"
"Hello Tai." As much as she tried to put on a confident front, she couldn't hide the nerves she had for seeing her husband face to face for the first time in nearly two decades. Not to mention all of the things that she was going to need to tell him.
"What's going on here?" The man asks as he turns away from her to focus on the others, leaving Raven in a slight state of shock at the dismissal.
"Tai, there's a few things that need to be known." Denko informs him before motioning to Yang. "We felt it best if we got everything covered in a family reunion."
"Family reunion?" Taiyang and Ruby ask as one, though while Tai was incredulous at the thought, Ruby was confused.
Zwei wandered over to Raven and sniffed her, eventually sitting and leaning against her leg.
"Probably best to take a seat. I may not know everything yet but I can tell this is going to be big." Qrow recommends as he walks over to the edge of the room and sits next to the steps of the yard. He was soon joined by the others, Denko between him and Yang while Tai sat between his daughters.
That left Raven to pace nervously in the yard. "I… think it's best if we get our family relations out in the open."
"What do you mean? Who are you?" Ruby was searching for answers.
"My name is Raven Branwen, older twin sister of Qrow, and graduate of Beacon as a member of Team STRQ." Raven explains the easiest part before some nerves acted up again. "I'm also Yang's mother."
Silver eyes went wide as they flicked between her sister and Raven and began to really notice the similarities between them. Aside from age, they have nearly the same face, even their hair was almost identical besides the color. Even their figures were the same, so long as one remembered Yang before the Issue began. The biggest differences were the hair and eye color, but even then she could see that Yang had taken her fathers hair color and the red and blue eyes blended to make the lilac Uang was known for.
"Is… Is that real?" Her voice was small and shaky. "But what about Mom?"
Yang and Tai gave the young girl hugs as Raven hung her head.
"Ruby… it is true that Raven is your sister's mother." Tai led with. "But… your mother is Mom to both of you and there was no measuring the depth of her love to you two. It's just… been hard for us since we lost her."
Raven stayed quiet as they spoke, not wanting to ever really bring up that she may have been the last in the room to have seen her alive.
"But Mom…"
"Is the one who raised my girls and I miss her just as much as you do. Both of you." Tears ran down their faces as the three held each other.
Qrow sat on the side and was upset with himself, though he was able to hold back the waterworks. Summer was a great friend, teammate, and leader but he never had the connection that those three did. He could see that Denko was respectfully quiet but turning his gaze to his sister… he could barely recall anytime that she looked so meek.
"There's more we need to talk about." Denko reminds the family.
"There's more?"
"Yes, Tai, there is much more." Raven was quiet and clear, with so much regret in her tone that it could be compared to a neon sign.
"How much more?"
"A lot Dad. We're gonna be here for a while." Yang warns.
And the tale from Raven began…
—-
In Menagerie, Ghira had woken up to the tears of his wife and held her the best he could. Then he was put through an examination by the doctors where he was doing as well as one could expect for having lost an arm, part of his shoulder, and some of his upper ribs on that side.
Then Sienna helped him catch up on things that happened in the two days since the attack.
"I see, then we have won but at a great cost." Ghira hung his head as he lay in bed.
"Ghira, yes we lost good people that day and they will be honored for defending their home. At the same time, we kept most of the civilians from harm, most of Kuo Kuana is still standing, and the school we built remains strong." Kali reminds the man. "We kept our home and drove out those who wished to destroy it all."
"Hmm… still I just wish that our people were above the infighting that has split us apart like this."
"Ghira." Sienna draws attention to her now. "I've called for an announcement to the world. We need to tell them what happened here, what the White Fang has done to us, what we have built for the world and ourselves."
Ghira's eyes widened in surprise at the news. "You've been busy."
"Yes, and it would be best that you help me once the cameras are on us."
"Sienna! He just woke up from an injury that nearly killed him! He still needs a few more surgeries to-'' Kali was cut off by her husband's hand on her own.
"Kali, Sienna is right, I need to be there with her. I've been the public face of the Faunus for decades and this…" He gestures at the remains of his left side. "Will send a powerful message to the world and what Adam Taurus can and will do."
Kali took a few moments before nodding with tears in her eyes, understanding that he was always a fighter for many things but his heart was so large that it was almost legendary.
"Dad!" Blake burst into the room with Sun right behind her, stopping just short of hugging him.
"Blake! There you are." The father was more than happy to see his daughter and hold her hand.
"Thank the gods you're awake!"
"I told her you'd be alright." Sun declares proudly, before catching the odd looks he was getting. "Well… I mean… ya know, after what happened to you and all."
"It's good to see you too, son."
"Umm… it's Sun."
"I know what I said." Ghira let himself relax on the reclined bed. "Did you really think the two of you were hiding things from me?"
"Wha-what are you saying?" Blake was turning red.
The panther man reaches up and taps his nose with a smirk, leaving the young couple a blushing mess with steam wafting from their ears.
"Glad you finally joined the rest of us in accepting them." Kali giggles, feeling as though she hadn't in weeks.
"What? You think I can't play games of my own?" Ghira let out a small laugh. "I just wanted to see how long you'd try to hide it from me but you also were treating my girl well since you showed up here. That devotion to her, my family, and our home is what won me over."
"Ah… thank you, sir."
"Hmm, keep that up and we won't have any problems. Fail and…" He let the threat hang in the air.
"Got it."
"And that is where Blake gets her stubbornness from." Kali jumps in to alleviate the tension.
"And she gets her looks from you." Ghira counters.
"Alright, you four can have your family moment later. We need to focus on what we're going to do going forward." Sienna interrupts.
"We need to tell the world what the White Fang are up to." Ilia says from the door, having just arrived with Itazura.
"We got some idea of where they are going but not exactly sure what they will do there." The fox adds.
"That is better than nothing, I suppose. We'll come up with something by the time this broadcast comes about." Ghira scratches his beard.
"That's just a few hours from now." Sienna reminds him.
"Ah, then we better think fast."
—-
It was nearly dark by the time Raven was finished and questions were answered. Needless to say, there were many questions and everyone was upset in some way and tears were shed, though it was hard to tell who cried more between Raven and Ruby.
Taiyang wound up pacing outside for some time as he processed everything he had learned. Qrow was much the same, though he was in a corner leaning on the fence overlooking the cliff. Ruby was being held by Yang, needing the comfort of her sister.
Denko took the time to bring down food and drink, a brief explanation to Talon was all that was needed to enlist her help.
The others upstairs were confused as to why they ate separately but accepted the decision. At the same time, the news about the restoration of global communication was nearly upon them and the family came up to watch the television with the rest of the team. Though the team were confused as to where Taiyang had come from.
—-
From a special compartment on the airship, a small Grimm emerged. Resembling a jellyfish of some sort, its 'head' is spherical and glass-like, a swirling cloud of black and yellow mist within. Surrounding the bottom half of the orb is a ring of black flesh with white fangs that hold onto the orb and reach below to form a skirt of sorts. Below that, a dozen red tendrils hung, each of them ending with a sharp white stinger.
As creepy as it looked, the low clicks it emitted as it floated slowly through the air did not help make it any friendlier to witness.
But the occupants of the airship weren't too surprised by its appearance, more that it was out and about at all. Arthur and Cinder were quick to approach the Grimm and watched as the smoke inside shifted into the face of their Mistress.
"Doctor Watts, Cinder, what is the progress on your search for the Spring Maiden?" Salem may have worded the phrase nicely but her tone had a slight edge to it that would not tolerate failure.
As the leader of this mission, Arthur was expected to answer. "Good evening, your Grace. Our progress at the moment has had a slight setback."
Salem's eyes narrowed in ire. "What setback?"
"Ah, you see the location we were provided for the Maiden's whereabouts were slightly out of date." Watts spoke quickly but his honesty was what counted, especially since a tentacle twitched in warning. "However, we have been able to learn exactly who she is and where she is going right now… even picked up some extra muscle to help us deal with her and Haven."
That was far more than what the witch was expecting. "Go on."
"Yes, thanks to our new allies, the Branwen Tribe, we've learned that it is their leader, Raven Branwen, who is the Spring Maiden. Though given that it was her own brother who gave us the information in the first place, I believe that it's safe to say that even he is unaware of that particular detail." Watts was as respectful to Salem as he was smug about having the upper hand.
"Very interesting. Now, am I correct in assuming that you've enlisted the tribe to help you?"
"Yes, My Lady."
"Hmph, trust the lowlife bandits to make any attempt to rise above their station. However, such ambitions can be most useful."
"I fully agree, Lady Salem." Cinder says with a bow.
"And you mentioned that Raven is traveling somewhere?"
"Hm, believe it or not, she is being brought to Mistral as we speak. And given one of her traveling companions, we may have an easy ticket into Atlas as well." Arthur adds with a sly smile under his mustache.
"Now that is fortuitous, so long as things go according to plan."
"You know me, My Lady, I am nothing if not meticulous in my planning." Watts bows to his Mistress. "It would take something highly unanticipated to ruin whatever I come up with."
"You'd do best to keep your ego in check, Arthur." Salem glances at Cinder. "As our dear Maiden has learned herself."
"Understood, My Lady. Is there anything else you wish to know?"
"Tyrian has just returned. He failed in his mission to retrieve the Silver-eyed girl. I've already informed him of my disappointment."
Both agents stiffened at the words. It was no tall tale to say that the scorpion was Salem's most devoted follower, practically worshiping the ground she walked on and would do anything she asked at any moment. For him to fail her in the slightest would be a major blow to his already fragile psyche. For Her to tell him… he'd likely go on a murder spree until he relieved himself of the shame, sacrifices to His Goddess.
"Doctor Watts, Tyrian is going to need a new tail."
"What happened to his old one?"
"Removed by his target."
"I see… and you wish for me to return and help him?"
"No, continue your mission and hopefully your success will continue as well."
"Thank you, Your Grace." Watts bows again before a thought comes to him. "Madam, perhaps Tyrian could come to me instead. I could use a few things from my lab at the castle including a project I had been working on."
"Very well, he'll be on his way as soon as he can."
"And I'll tell Lionheart to watch the gates for Raven. Here's what I need…"
—-
Taiyang managed to control himself well, helped by staying to the back of the room. But to find out that his wife had run away in a combination of fear of Salem and desire to protect their daughter. To learn that she had adopted two girls herself during her second time as a bandit. That she had to make an extremely difficult choice to end one's pain and suffering. And had become the Spring Maiden thanks to the bond they had.
And thankfully, that daughter made Raven promise to reconnect with her family.
Now that he was in the same house as his brother in law, estranged wife, and his own two daughters, he apparently just had this one adopted girl to meet, possibly even visit the grave of her sister…it was different. For the majority of the past two years, he's dealt with an emptier home and a fair portion of that having just the family dog for company.
The addition of a bunch of their friends and teammates provided some distraction and buffering as needed. He'd have to talk with them about what's been going on sometime.
"Hey! It's about to start!" Jaune effectively ended what few conversations that were happening and the seven o'clock news special began with a bit of music.
"And we finally begin our program on just how worldwide communications have been restored." The host opens with barely contained excitement. "As many of you have heard already, Beacon Tower has yet to be restored to full functionality. Instead, for the past few months it has only been able to be used for the Council's of the Kingdom's to speak to each other and coordinate trade and assistance.
Before we go to the source of this most recent development, we should visit Vale and Beacon Academy." The images changed from the host at her desk to a scenic view of Vale before the Vytal Festival last year.
The colorful streets are lined with buildings boasting shops of all kinds selling their goods, restaurants, and homes. In other areas, manufacturing facilities provided many essential jobs for the city. Parks that allowed for residents to relax among bright flowers and trees, small stands that sold treats, children playing. Then it cut to the fields and pastures of the farms that produced the food for Vale and beyond.
"This is what Vale looked like before the attack and this was Beacon."
The sprawling campus on a cliff overlooking Vale and the Emerald Forest was shown. The tall towers that gave it a gothic edge, the large courtyard with stone arches supported by lofty marble columns, the fountains, flowers, and shrubs that served as decorations. The buildings that served as dormitories and as classrooms, sparring arenas, the gym, and the landing pads for airships. Then Beacon Tower that also served as the Headmaster's office at the top.
"It almost feels like a lifetime ago that many of us had been to Vale to walk the streets and simply enjoy the life and culture there.
"Then the Vytal Festival and Tournament…" She trailed off as images of Vale and Beacon during the events with the decorations and the fights.
For the teams watching, it was rather surreal to see the Tournament again, even their own fights. It was… interesting to see the different views available of themselves or places they've been or wished to have seen. For Raven, it was the first time she was seeing the Tournament since she had been pregnant with Yang.
"Was my backside really that big?" Pyrrha whispers to herself, Jaune hearing the query and tightens his lips so he wouldn't say something that he wasn't sure how she'd take it. If anyone else heard her, they kept their thoughts to themselves, possibly having the same question when they were shown.
"The massive Grimm attack followed the sabotage of the Tournament itself, orchestrated by these individuals; Cinder Fall, Mercury Black, and Emerald Sustrai. There has been a fourth member to their group, unfortunately all we have is her picture from the Tournament records." A photo of a black-haired girl in twin pigtails with a confident smirk was displayed. There was little that was notable about her besides the white bows in her hair and on her black outfit. "However, given that there has been no evidence of this girl since her appearance at the Tournament, it is possible that she was one of the many casualties of the Grimm attack on the Kingdom."
—-
Elsewhere in a hotel room, a man and his younger charge were watching the program as well and the photo caught the elders attention. The others earlier have simply made him smirk and scoff.
"Something wrong?" Oscar asks, not taking his eyes off the screen for more than a few seconds.
"Nah, they just look familiar." The man dismisses as he goes back to working on some sort of tool, assembling a component as he watches the show.
—-
"The subsequent destruction of so much of the Kingdom may have set back the people of Vale." They paused as images of the ruined city and academy flashed by, showing a worse view than many in the world had seen yet. "But it has only been a setback; the people of Vale proved to be resilient and resourceful as they drove off the Grimm and began to rebuild."
Images changed from the destroyed city to those same areas having been cleared to being rebuilt. The tents that housed a large portion of the residents shrinking through the year as the surrounding landscape was significantly changed back into a thriving city. Much of the same was true for the grounds of Beacon.
But what was impactful were the two memorials that had been erected. One in the central park of Vale that displayed the names of those lost, civilian and military. The other in the main courtyard of Beacon with the names and emblems of every Huntsman and Huntress, student or otherwise, who died as a result of the attack.
"As you can see, those who were lost in the attack have been honored and we should all have a moment of silence in their memories."
Even the background music cut out as some of the names were scrolled over on screen from both memorials and names were highlighted as a picture of the person faded in and out. It was far from everyone in the memorials but for the Beacon students who were watching, they clearly saw that Ozpin and the majority of Team BRNZ had been shown, as well as Penny.
"With that moment of silence in memory of those who gave their lives defending Vale and Beacon and those they couldn't reach in time, we move onto the new Cross Continental Tower that has been built and recently activated that makes this program capable of being seen worldwide!" With that shift in tone, the camera made a high speed flight east from Vale across the ocean and Anima and the southern ocean until an island rose on the horizon with the sun keeping it as a silhouette.
"On the island of Menagerie, the Faunus have primarily kept to themselves since they were granted the land after the Revolution." The camera moves over the island to reveal a thriving port, colorful markets, brightly decorated homes, lush vegetation and several farms, spectacular waterfalls, tall mountains, and a vast desert. "And they have done quite well for themselves, wouldn't you agree?"
"Oh wow! That's Menagerie?" Weiss couldn't help herself as she took in the sights of what is now the Faunus homeland. It quite honestly looks to be a tropical paradise, aside from the desert, but she did notice the beaches that certainly fit the bill for a vacation destination.
"With a place like that, who'd want to ever leave?" Yang shrugs at her own question.
"I guess they still need to work on living in the desert region but they have a good start where they are." Talon comments as she is a Vacuo native and knows the desert there well.
"And there have been some rather recent changes in Kuo Kuana, the capital of Menagerie." The camera once again starts at the bustling port and moves over the city, one particularly large building standing out from the others that had those watching correctly assuming was where the most of the paperwork and politics happened. The camera kept moving until it reached the rainforest and rose up the mountain.
"I wonder what's up there?" Qrow asks aloud, echoing the thoughts of the other viewers.
The camera reached the top of the mountain to reveal a large complex surrounded by a stone wall. For many, it looks like what one would expect of a tropical island getaway- sand surrounding stone walkways between buildings, brightly flowering plants in low walls that broke up the grounds, the roofs covered in palm fronds- though they were clearly for aesthetics, and plenty of large windows for natural lighting.
A grand hall greeted those entering the facility after a short walk through the courtyard, a few still photos showing that much of the building was meant for administrative the sides and set back a little of that are a pair equally large buildings that have balconies, more images demonstrating that they were living quarters for those staying there.
Towards the back end of the facility, a pair of buildings were joined at the top floor and the roof is an open courtyard of its own with tables, benches, and umbrellas. What was interesting was that the pictures of the inside revealed that there is a cafeteria and classrooms.
Then the camera took a dive off the roof of the last building and hooked back towards the mountain after passing the wall, and entering a large opening that was shown to be the opening of a balcony cut into the cliffside itself and just past the doors is a large arena. Through a door further in, a hallway was cut through the mountain where several more doors revealed classrooms and maintenance areas.
Then the camera flew up a set of stairs onto the main campus to show a central tower that matched the rest of the facade of the facility but reached two stories taller than the other buildings, complete with a round balcony near the top that gave it the appearance of a lighthouse or watchtower.
"People of Remnant, what you are seeing is the joint effort between the Kingdoms of the world to recognize the Faunus as equals. Even during these trying times over the past year, each Kingdom made contributions to build this facility, overcoming the odds in many ways." The host proclaimed as the camera circles the mountain to show that the underground parts go right through clearly as well as giving a full view of the place. "And now we will turn this over to the people of Menagerie for a proper introduction!"
"This is Sirius Academy. The first Huntsman school built on Menagerie and is hoping to take our first students when the first semester begins next year. And just like the other Huntsman Academies around Remnant, we have our own fully functional Cross Continental Transmit Tower that has recently brought back global communication to everyone." A different voice spoke, older and more mature than the previous news host, but still full of life and was delivered with pride.
"However, not all is well for us in Menagerie." The camera finally reveals the speaker along with her name displaying near the bottom of the screen, Kali Belladonna.
"Holy crap! Is she Blake's family?" Yang was the first to voice her thoughts, though everyone else was thinking the same.
"Damn, and I thought her fighting was graceful, turns out she ages gracefully too." Raven comments as she thinks back to a time that she had set up a toll on the road the White Fang was traveling on, back in their peaceful times. Small operation and more about seeing what the caravan had to offer than anything else but the woman had challenged her to a fight rather than pay. The duel had been brief but entertaining, enough that she let them pass without paying.
"Several months ago, a splinter group of the White Fang led by Adam Taurus, who many of you may know as the one who led the same group during the attack on Beacon, came to the White Fang headquarters and put the island under siege.
Many good people were lost in those days and the current High Leader of the White Fang, Sienna Khan, had left for Menagerie moments before the attacks began. Attacks that were meant to assassinate her and install Adam as the High Leader by force."
A warning about graphic violence flashed across the screen before images of the White Fang palace headquarters before and after the attack were displayed, along with the security cameras footage of the assault.
Boats pulled into the small port firing on those working there, the immediate security team overwhelmed and outflanked as dozens left the boats for shore. A trio of patrol ships responded to the attack and a naval battle began.
The couple checkpoints between the docks and palace were taken by agents already inside, at least one of them executing the other two in the security station without hesitation. In the palace itself, it dealt with much of the same situation as a pair walked up to the guards at the main entrance and shot them without warning. Inside, a guard in the throne room attacked another with his polearm and a fight ensued as other staff ran for their lives.
Outside, some of the loyalists began forming counterattacks, some succeeded while others failed. But the result was the same in the end- they lost ground.
Worst of all was Adam. Wherever he went, bodies of the resistance marked his path. Nobody was spared if they weren't loyal to him and him alone.
"Thankfully, Sienna had unknowingly escaped and we received a survivor from the coup. In short order, a task force of myself, my husband, Sienna, a trio of Huntsmen from Beacon, and a squad of the best combatants that the Menagerie Guard has to offer, as well as those who had informed us and the crew of Sienna's ship launched a counteroffensive against the insurgents and successfully retook the island, though not without serious injuries and losses to ourselves."
The camera showed Kali on the floor of the palace throne room with the clothes over her stomach soaked in blood, the floor covered with debris and bodies, an entire column with a large portion of it and the floor apparently torn out of existence, Ghira clutching his wounded arm.
"Oh my, that must have been a fierce battle." Pyrrha gasps as she observes the damages and injuries.
"Gotta hand it to them, as much as they preach about nonviolence they sure know how to handle themselves when things get tough." Qrow admires their commitment.
"Yeah, no kidding." Taiyang agrees with a nod.
"It took some time for us all to recover, both our bodies and spirits, as well as processing those that were captured. Unfortunately, Adam was among those who escaped." Kali explains. A short video played of a very big man carrying Adam to one of the waiting boats with the others of the White Fang.
"Damn, too bad we couldn't see who got that bastard out of there." Nora scoffs.
"Indeed." Ren agrees.
"However, this brought an opportunity as we were presented with the offer to host the site of a new CCT Tower. As you've seen, we accepted and thanks to supplies and assistance from Vale, Vacuo, Mistral, and Atlas, we were able to build the new tower and the surrounding school in the time between them and now."
The screen displays a timelapse video of the construction process from start to finish from different angles before finally ending with the party to celebrate the completion.
"Tragedy struck again as the night we were to celebrate the success of our labors and the restoration of global communication, Adam led an assault on our home." Kali continued and images of the White Fang mobilization at the docks and taking hostages in the school and square crossed the screen.
"As they had done at the Headquarters, they had sleeper agents embedded among us. Fortunately, we had an agent of our own among them. She and her partner disabled the weapons of the sleeper agents before the attack so that the harm they could do was minimized.
At the same time, our own forces were ready for combat that night as well and were able to counter the invaders immediately. Lives were lost in the attack but thanks to the actions of our guardians, most of those lives were from the White Fang insurgents.
The attack has left its marks on Kuo Kuana." The camera switched from Kali to showing a demolished home, other homes with their roofs in dire need of repair, other buildings with massive holes and hundreds of marks left from bullets and Dust rounds. The dock was the real kicker as much of it now exists as burnt debris. Some watching saw the handiwork of a large explosion as the culprit.
The camera changed to show the dozens of White Fang now held in cells, other bodies under white cloths but their uniforms poking out revealed their allegiance. What was notable were the sheer number of bodies, a demonstration that Menagerie would not be taken easily and the attempts would be bloody.
"Oh… I'm glad they are covered." Weiss groaned as she looked very uncomfortable with Ruby next to her in the same condition.
"But she said that they knew about the attack coming, how did they get that far?" Nora asks.
"Looks to me like the White Fang were led to believe they had the advantage of surprise. If the people of Menagerie were gathered at the school to celebrate, that would be perfect bait for the Fang to go after." Raven explains.
"Yeah, got them hook, line, and sinker." Qrow agrees. "I guess they kept the people safe in the school while the fighting happened in town. Smart choice."
"Especially if they were overconfident with their plans to attack." Tai adds. "They probably didn't expect much resistance if they could take hostages and trap everyone."
"And now, Sienna Khan would like a few words." Kali says and the camera pans over to the tiger woman sitting next to her.
"Thank you, Kali. Now as many of you may know, I am the current High Leader of the White Fang, not Adam Taurus despite how much he demands the title.
I freely admit that I have made many, many questionable decisions during my time in this position, mostly in turning a group dedicated to a peaceful push for Faunus equality into one that has been known for acts of terrorism.
While progress had been made during my predecessor's time, I had felt that the process was too slow and the anti-Faunus sentiments too ingrained into most aspects of life in the world.
It may have begun as simple acts of vandalism to businesses who refused Faunus customers and petty theft against those who raised their prices solely because of our lineage that eventually became full on assaults on specific targets.
However, it was never my goal to start a war with Humans, nor to kill anyone. The raids approved by me were only to prove a point that we weren't going to take abuse against us any further and lives were never to be taken if it could be helped."
Sienna took a deep breath and held it for a few seconds before letting it out , obviously having a bad case of nerves and her past weighing heavily on her.
"Which brings me to several important announcements. First is that I will cede all territories controlled by the White Fang to Menagerie." A map of the many islands was displayed next to her head, and the islands flashed from white- highlighting the vast territory- to green, the same color that Menagerie was highlighted from the start.
"Second, all of the assets controlled by the White Fang will be given to Menagerie and Sirius Academy. That will be enough to not just rebuild but to renovate massively if they so choose. And the academy will be funded for years."
"They have how much money!?" Everyone in the room asks at once. Funding a city was no small task, even to help with repairs. And any Huntsman academy, primary or large like Beacon, took a lot of money just to feed the students, let alone maintain the equipment they used. That didn't include payment for the faculty or basic teaching materials like books, and stationery. Or the medical wing that would be needed.
"And thirdly, the White Fang will be disbanded completely. I cannot repair the damages inflicted under my direct control, nor from the actions of the extremists within the ranks.
It is unfortunate that it took the attack on Beacon for me to realize that it was my decision to allow violence at all and would encourage some that it was correct at all times. And we've seen so many take to violence as their primary solution to their grievances against the world.
With the White Fang disbanded, I vow to use my skills to assist in bringing those who attacked Beacon, Vale, and Menagerie to justice or die trying." She finished with a bow of her head and fist over her heart before holding her hand out towards the camera, which panned back to reveal that she was sitting at a table. One with a small bowl on it and one of the blades of Cerberus Whip.
"Oh damn, she's really serious." Raven gasps as she recognizes what was about to happen.
"With this I swear it shall be done." Sienna spoke with conviction as she picked up the blade and slashed her palm, the wound filling her hand with blood that was tipped into the bowl. She made no effort to stem the bleeding, though Kali was quick to admonish her for such an act.
"I know you want to make up for your actions but this is too much!" The cat lady takes a cloth from someone and wraps Sienna's hand with it. "We've dealt with enough wounds today!"
"It's… a demonstration of my sincerity." The tiger looks to the side, embarrassed like a child.
"Maybe so but it was still stupid!" Kali emphasized that with a slap to Sienna's head hard enough to be heard by the camera.
"Is that who everyone was afraid of leading the White Fang?" Jaune asks, remembering his early days at Beacon and the embarrassingly stupid things he said and did. He could swear that Pyrrha enjoyed pushing him around during training for the next month a bit too much.
"Trust me kid, you don't want to mess with her. She's dangerous to fight at the best of times and bringing friends would only make it harder for you." Qrow tells the knight.
"Excuse us for a few minutes as we deal with this." A rather familiar woman's voice came through.
"Yeah! Here's some great pics of Sirius Academy!" A young man chimes in, confirming the suspicions with the tone that they knew well.
"Blake and Sun are there!" Ruby squealed even as the view shifted to a slowly shifting slideshow of different scenes of the newly built school.
"I guess it's safe to say that they weren't just there for a tropical vacation." Yang says with a wry smile. As much as she has trust issues with Blake after everything at Beacon, she was glad that she had gotten home to her family and was still with Sun, but seeing what she's been having to deal with… she could only be concerned for her sister from another mother.
"Sorry about that." A deep voice that was both gentle and commanding cut in after a few minutes of the 'tour' of Sirius. The ornate tapestries, antique statues and busts, vases, and other valuable pieces were on display in some areas as bright rugs added color to the floors. The sequence ended at what must have been the ceremony to open the school and activate the tower where a very tall and muscular man stood at the center behind a podium with Kali and Sienna by his sides. In addition, Itazura, Blake, and Sun were on the stage with them.
"Is it me or do Blake and Sun look like they kind of have matching outfits?" Nora points out.
"And look how big Ghira is. That must have been one awkward introduction for Blake bringing home her boyfriend." Weiss chuckles.
"Would it really be that bad? I doubt Dad had a problem with Denko." Ruby was confused, her naivete on full display in the realm of dating. Everyone in the room looked at her incredulously.
"Um, Ruby? I knew Denko for years. There's a big difference between that and meeting a guy your daughter just brought home." Tai explains, remembering the first time Yang did that… and the second. The only thing that really stood out was that they were boys from Signal, where he taught and they were his students. Yang obviously had the same thought with how she scratched her head with an awkward grin, Denko was simply uncomfortable with having been called out like that.
"Is it that bad?"
"Ruby, I'll explain later." Weiss whispers, somehow both satisfying and further confusing her friend.
The camera switched to a live feed from within a hospital, Ghira himself on a bed with Sun and Blake on his right side and Kali and Sienna on his left.
But it was the complete absence of Ghira's left arm that really caught attention, along with Sienna, Blake, and Sun sporting signs of heavy combat and tiredness while Kali simply looked exhausted.
"As you can see, we've been through a lot over the past several months that culminated in an attack on our home. And while my injuries will prevent me from participating in the front lines." The large panther gestures to his left side. "I will continue to fight against Adam and the corruption he leads.
The White Fang, an organization that I had founded over two decades ago as a peaceful group to advocate for equal rights and justice for Faunus worldwide, has been dissolved by Sienna as she admitted to her faults and actions that had the unfortunate consequences of leading to the loss of the original goals and mindsets we once had.
But what Adam has done, both to Vale and to Menagerie, has only proven how far he has fallen. To me, he was once a young man who was passionate about our cause and his skills in combat served us well from those who wished us harm, from those who desired to keep Faunus as second class citizens or worse. He was a man I had trusted to keep others safe, to train my own daughter to defend herself."
Blake briefly looked ashamed but a subtle movement from Sun behind her back made her straighten up and show a hint of pride.
"He was once a man who, while having flaws as we all do, we thought had the best interests for all at heart. It saddens us that such a man not only betrayed those ideals but has convinced so many to abandon them as well.
Now, the efforts to repair the damages to Kuo Kuana will take some time, and in my capacity as Chieftain of Menagerie I will donate a portion of the funds granted to us from the liquidation of the White Fang to Vale to assist in their repairs. This is a combination of our desire to help those in need, reparations for what Adam's group did there, and payment in kind for getting the CCT and Academy projects started."
"He's quite generous." Pyrrha comments in awe at the declaration of promises.
"If there's anything to know about Ghira Belladonna it's that he's a very good man and leader but he's also someone you don't want to piss off." Qrow says with a grin. "Last time I know that happened, some schmuck tried to hurt his wife and woke up a week later in a hospital."
"There is another matter to address." If Ghira hadn't been serious before, he certainly was now and his tone alone commanded attention. "During the fighting and later during interrogation, we learned that Adam's group has been planning to attack Haven Academy and plans in the works to go after Atlas after that.
Unfortunately, given the low ranking of those captured after the assaults, details are lacking besides that they have a small fleet of ships, advanced weaponry at their disposal, and several hundred soldiers who are devoted to following Adam's twisted ideals."
Video of a White Fang training camp with ships and a pair of submarines were shown, obviously taken from just above the water surface. The tents and barricades told of a massive force that was waiting to be called to action as many men and women in the black and white uniforms performed a variety of tasks and exercises.
"All we can ask as of this moment, is for no one to provide aid or comfort to those extremists and for the other Kingdoms to remain vigilant for their attempts to harm their citizens. In addition, you will not face them alone as Menagerie will be raising a task force to help deal with Adam's misguided and dangerous insurgents, with force if needed."
The camera suddenly turned to reveal two girls, both with their hair in ponytails but one a fiery red and the other brown.
"Ah! Sorry!" The brown haired one apologizes as she scrambles to hold the camera as the other with a set of artificial ears laughs at the mistake
"Sorry about that Remnant, but our announcement is done anyway. But please take our message to heart." With that, the camera was turned off and the view returned to the original host for the show.
"And there we have it folks! Thanks to the people of Menagerie, worldwide communications are back for all and the White Fang have been dissolved by their former High Leaders. And I do hope that Mistral and Atlas keep an eye out for the attacks that they warned us all about. As for the Menagerie Task Force that is being formed to help stop the former White Fang, I wish them the best of luck."
The news changed over to the week's weather report and a promise that there will be a debate later about the news from Menagerie from some of the other hosts, leading to the television being turned off.
"So… that was a thing." Denko shrugs. "Glad to see sis seems to be doing well with everything going on there."
"How much of a hand do you think she had with that whole thing with the tower and school?" Talon asks with a smirk, already figuring that she started the whole thing.
"C'mon, she was the one put in charge of Blake and Sun to go to Menagerie. Chances that Goodwitch gave her an extra mission are pretty good." Anya waves off her sister's teasing.
"Alright, Party Pooper." Talon jabs her in the shoulder, knowing she was one of the few who could get away with it. "I'm gonna get us all a snack and tea before we go to bed. Maybe we could do some training tomorrow after breakfast."
"Ah, don't forget Leo came over and dropped off the files for Cinder and her team. I did a quick look while we were talking and things looked fishy to me." Qrow tells the girls as they are walking to the kitchen.
"Ya want us to go over the files with you?" Denko asks.
"Not me, with them. It's their mission to get those files and get them back to Glynda, but then again that was before the comms were open and if their ship didn't crash they should have been back and done months ago." Qrow replies with a smirk, seeing his niece and the team getting a slightly sour look. "Besides, I'm still gonna go out and look for the Huntsmen I promised Leo I'd find for the mission."
Raven glanced over when she saw her daughter looking a bit conflicted at what she had seen on the program and remembered what she had said about her on the trip here. Probably best to help take her mind off of it a little so she could think on it later while she wasn't so emotionally driven.
"Yang? We need to have a talk." The elder woman states as she stands up.
"Huh?"
"Tai, family meeting." Raven says, though as blunt as she was being, he could see that there was a hint of nervousness and amusement on her face and making him curious.
"Let's go, you two." Qrow guides Ruby and Denko to the basement door by the shoulder. He wanted to see how this was going to go and he figured that he knew what she was going to say.
—-
A minute later, the family were back on the porch where they had been a few hours earlier where they learned many things they never thought would be the case.
"So what now, Mom? Got another secret to share with us?" Yang crosses her arms with a suspicious expression.
This time, Raven smirked as she knew she had the upper hand and she was going to enjoy this. "It's not really a secret, just a Branwen family quirk that your Uncle thought that you should know since you've been chancing this for a few months already."
Behind the youths, Qrow was almost laughing as he had correctly called it. Nearby, Taiyang was trying to figure out exactly what she meant; it had been roughly twenty years since he may have heard about that quirk.
"Uh-huh, and what is this 'Brawen family quirk'?" The blonde wasn't really taking the bait. Ruby sat nearby feeling left out but had her head on a swivel as she looked between her father, uncle, sister, friend, and maybe step-mother.
"It's nothing too much but it has been something that has existed for generations of Branwen's. My Great- great-great grandmother had it, as did my Great-great grandmother, Great Grandmother, Grandmother, and Mother. They all had it." Raven teased, actually enjoying leading Yang in plus getting Ruby was a bonus. Qrow… was doing all he could to not draw attention to himself as he saw the game being played.
"Please tell me it's not some STD."
"Really Yang?" Denko elbows the plush girl, who simply shrugs.
Raven didn't look as amused at that insinuation. "No, but let's just say that I'm glad I missed this particular family quirk. You were enough trouble on your own."
"Really? C'mon, what is this quirk you keep talking about?"
"Fine, take away my fun." Raven scoffs as she mocks giving up.
"I wanna know!" Ruby chirps excitedly, almost bouncing where she sat.
"At least one of you is a good girl." Raven laughs at the sour look from Yang. "Fine, the Branwen Family Quirk is… twins."
"Twins?" Yang asks for clarity.
"Yup, the women in our family have had twins as far back as anyone can remember… except me. So you don't need to worry about some secret twin sister running around. You made me huge just by yourself."
"Yeah… you did get pretty big then." Tai agrees as he remembers those days.
"Um… didn't you wind up getting twins anyway?" Denko asks nervously, not sure how she'd take that reminder of the daughter who was lost.
Raven gave him a light glare before shrugging in acceptance. "Hmph, they laughed about that too."
"So what? You think I'll have twins?" Yang asks.
"All it takes is one time to get started and there's a strong chance that you'll have twins yourself. Better make sure you keep your supplies topped up and in use."
"Wait, what?" Tai jumps into the conversation as he began to hear that his eldest daughter is sexually active. Yang and Denko blushing and looking away seemed to only confirm that and Raven silently chuckling to herself only confirmed that she knew about it before he did.
—-
Weiss jumped as a blurring burst of red rose petals barged into the room as she was changing her clothes, causing her to scream in surprise.
"Ruby! What is wrong with you?!" Weiss covers her chest in case anyone looks in the door.
Slam!
At least the door was shut and she was comfortable enough that she could question her friend in just her bra and underwear.
"Weiss! It-it-it's Y-Yang!" Ruby stutters, too upset to speak clearly.
"Yang? What about her?"
"She, she, she and D-Denko."
"What about them?"
"Th-th-th-they and, ummm…. Together."
"Ruby… you already knew they were a couple. They've been dating for months now, at least officially." She was beginning to remember that she'd often get headaches dealing with her best friend when she was like this.
"B-but they-they…d-did it."
"They did it?" Weiss repeats and Ruby frantically nods. It took her a few moments to think back on what would make the younger girl act like this in any capacity. But this was much like how he acted whenever she heard lewd jokes.
"Oh, ooohh. You just found out they had sex, didn't you?"
"NOOO! I don't wanna hear it!" Ruby whines as she dives onto her bed and hides her head under the pillow.
"Ruby, you dolt." Weiss could feel the sweat bead on her head out of sheer embarrassment. "And this is my team leader and friend." She mutters as she holds her face in her hand.
"Ugh, that was completely embarrassing. Did Mom really have to tell Dad like that?" Weiss could hear Yang complaining as she walked down the hall to her room.
"And Qrow just thought the whole thing was funny." Denko scoffs, no surprise that they were together.
Knock knock
"What is it?" Weiss calls through the door.
"Ruby with you?" Yang asks.
The heiress looks at the quivering lump on the bed. "Um… yes. But you should give her some time to herself."
"Alright, goodnight you two." The blondes say before continuing to their room. Taiyang was likely going to have a few things to say in the morning about them still sharing a room.
AN: So... who would have thought that Taiyang would be back so soon? Or at all? He's gotten a fair amount of big news shared with him and even bigger news were shared with the world! And Ruby has trouble dealing with any adult topics that aren't combat related.
Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Reviews are welcome! And remember to check out Small Issues as I spend the next month writing up new chapters for that series. I can only hope that my estimate for about thirty chapters holds true for that series. I certainly didn't think this chapter would be as long as it is now.
