Chapter 8: New Problems
One week later, forests of Anima, 10th March 16 BBY, 9:30 am…
"So the next town is... uh-huh... uh-huh... We're lost." Ruby said.
Ahsoka chuckled. "We're fine, Ruby. We just need to keep following the trail until we come across another village."
As usual, Ahsoka's hood was down, since no-one was around to see her as she was.
"Besides, if I remember correctly, there should be a village coming up soon where me and the family used to resupply on our camping trips through the area." Jaune said. "Still need to take Pyrrha on a trip like that someday."
Pyrrha giggled. "Once the war is over, perhaps we can all do a trip like that." She suggested.
"So… what did you guys do there?" Ruby asked, looking at Jaune.
"Oh, all sorts of stuff!" Jaune replied. "There were some great hiking trails, and some awesome camping spots. I got my own tent because I was special! Also, so my sisters would stop braiding my hair."
At that, the whole group burst out laughing as Ahsoka asked:
"What; didn't like the look?"
"Yeah, they just kept doing pigtails, but personally, I think I'm more of a 'warrior's wolftail' kind of guy." Jaune declared.
"That's just a fancy way of saying a standard ponytail." Ahsoka pointed out. "I still remember when me and Nathan pranked Nathan's master by tying his hair into a ponytail."
"Oh gods…" Pyrrha said as she giggled.
"It was funny. Nathan's master saw things the same way, too." Ahsoka mused. "Those were good times."
"Well; once Nathan is back in action, you guys can relive those good times." Pyrrha said optimistically.
"I sure hope so." Ahsoka said softly, before hearing:
"Um… might want to look ahead."
Rex's voice brought everyone out of their banter, and all of them looked ahead.
Nora immediately gasped. Ren's eyes widened.
"Oh my…" Pyrrha remarked.
Straight ahead of them were the ruins of a desolated village.
The map fell to the floor, forgotten as the group all rushed into the ruins of the village.
All around them was destruction and desolation. A gazebo had a broken tower and several lampposts lay askew on the ground. Further destruction greeted them further on in the village.
"You think there were survivors?" Ruby asked.
"Doubtful." Rex remarked. "Any who did survive have likely already fled."
"What could have caused all this damage?" Ahsoka asked. "Some of it looks man-made."
"Bandits, most likely." Pyrrha noted. "Many a bandit tribe plague these forests. They raid towns, and if things get bad enough; the resultant panic will attract the creatures of Grimm…"
"Who proceed to finish what the bandits started." Jaune said sadly.
"Guys…"
Ren's voice called them to his and Nora's location, where they stood above something on the floor.
Ahsoka stepped forward, and knelt down, finding they had been staring at a cloven hoofprint. Looking back at Ren and Nora, Ahsoka asked: "What's this?"
"That hoofprint… Only one Grimm we know bears it." Ren says.
"The same one that… that destroyed our homes when we were children." Nora elaborated.
Ahsoka looked on sympathetically as Pyrrha and Jaune each hugged their teammates, before meeting the gaze of Captain Rex.
Rex took his helmet off and said: "We had best keep going. It's not safe here."
Ahsoka nodded. "Guys."
At that, Ruby, Pyrrha, Nora, Ren and Jaune all looked at her.
"As much as I hate to admit it… we all need to go." Ahsoka said. "It's not safe here, and… we need to keep moving."
"Ahsoka's right." Ruby said. "Any place that doesn't remind Ren and Nora of their village being destroyed sounds like a good place to be right now."
The group all nodded, and taking a moment to replenish some supplies from whatever was still salvageable from the town, resumed their onward trek to Mistral.
As they walked, Ahsoka heard Ren and Nora talking:
"Think we're gonna fight it?" Nora asked.
"I pray we don't." Ren said.
Ahsoka sighed. Knowing their luck… they would.
Meanwhile, a stream near the Branwen Camp…
Yang sighed contentedly as she poured some water from the stream over herself, the cool water caressing her naked body in a manner not too dissimilar to the manner Kanan would do if he were there.
Lowering the jug, Yang sighed and brushed her hair back. To say she missed Kanan would be a gross understatement. They'd spoken the previous night, sure. Same as every day they had been apart since. But nothing matched the real thing for Yang.
She knew Kanan would probably insist on bathing her himself, a thought that made Yang smile the more she thought of it.
Yang also knew Kanan would probably find a more private place for them both to bathe. Which would allow them to engage in some… more private activities.
But for now; Yang would have to bathe with the other women of the Branwen Bandit Tribe, some of whom Yang admitted were rather attractive, including Vernal; her mother's second in command.
Raven herself was also nearby, but had already bathed and was in the process of getting dressed.
Their eyes met, and Raven gave Yang a smile before continuing to dress.
Yang smiled back, then checked herself. Deciding she was clean, Yang stepped out of the stream, grabbing the towel she had brought with and starting to rub herself dry.
Until a rustle from behind her drew her attention.
Spinning around, Yang looked around, eyes alertly searching the area. There wasn't meant to be Grimm in the area; Ghost had been taking out any that strayed close to the camp. The sounds of his sniper had become a soothing noise for the people of the Branwen Tribe, who appreciated Yang and Ghost's efforts to contribute.
Another rustle focused Yang's attention on a bush, and she cautiously tied the towel around her so that she didn't need to keep holding it over her body. "Who's there?!" Yang called out.
At that, Raven was at her daughter's side in seconds. "What is it?" Raven asked.
"I get the feeling someone's watching me." Yang said.
Raven rolled her eyes. "I think I know. Wait here." With that, Raven shifted into corvid form and took to the skies.
It didn't take long before Yang saw Raven hurling someone through the bushes before dragging them to their feet.
"Found him." Raven said angrily.
Yang wasn't surprised to see that it'd been a man spying on her as she bathed:
The man was skinny, with long dirty blond hair and gray eyes. Stubble covered the area around his mouth and he was wearing a dark blue and gray jacket with torn sleeves over a long-sleeved shirt. Around his neck was a bandana and a shoulder pad covered his right shoulder. Completing his look were brown fingerless gloves with straps alongside brown pants and boots.
Joining them, Raven stood next to Yang, folding her arms and glaring daggers. "Shay, this is the second time I've caught you peeping in on the women as they've bathed." Raven said angrily. "Need I remind you what happened last time I caught you?"
"Come on, Raven; not often I get to see a sexy piece of ass like this sweetheart!" Shay protested, gesturing to Yang.
Yang had to force herself not to vomit as he gave her a predatory grin.
"This 'sweetheart' just so happens to be my daughter, Shay!" Raven snapped. "Vernal was one thing; and now you're threatening to cross a line you never should cross when dealing with me."
"Fuck you, then." Shay spat. "I take what I want when I want it." Reaching out for Yang, Shay added: "And right now, I want to try this pussy."
Yang grabbed his hand before Shay even got close to her. Opening her eyes to reveal they had gone crimson, Yang lashed out with a vicious right hook.
Blood flew from Shay's mouth alongside a tooth as he went flying back through the bushes from which he'd been spying on Yang, who lowered her hand before looking at Raven.
"He a common problem around here?" Yang asked.
Raven nodded. "Shay's always trying to find where the women are bathing so he can spy on them. Most of the time, people know to keep him from doing it. Guess that's something Ghost can start doing."
"If he's causing this much of an issue; why not just kick him out of the gang?" Yang asked.
"Because if I do that; then that runs the risk of him taking advantage of no longer being beholden to the camp's rules and forcing himself on one of the women whilst we're distracted." Raven replied. "Not to mention he could sell us out to the Empire, something we can't afford right now."
"Then move camp once you kick him out. And make sure he doesn't follow you." Yang suggested.
Raven sighed. "Maybe you're right. But for now; get dressed. We've a nice day ahead of us."
Meanwhile, Menagerie…
"So; what's the latest with regards to the negotiations between your mom and Ironwood?" Blake asked.
"Last I checked; things weren't looking so hot." Kanan replied. "Ironwood's not happy about that clause we put in stipulating Nathan's quick return to combat. Him and Mom have been arguing about it nonstop since we introduced it."
"Let me guess; Ironwood's refusing to back down?" Blake asked.
"But Mom keeps reminding him that he needs the White Fang. It's an ongoing circle that refuses to break. Mom's not backing down from it either, so… yeah. Conversation on that front has stalled."
Blake nodded. "It's looking more and more likely that what Nathan said in his letter is true. Ironwood withholding him is more of a matter of ego than anything else."
"And Mom's constantly attacking that ego by bringing it up again and again." Kanan said. "Seems every time we're getting somewhere; something brings us back to where we started."
"Do… you think we shouldn't have made the suggestion?" Blake asks.
"Not at all. I… I'm just worried about what this means should talks break down completely." Kanan said. "The White Fang already has the Empire and Adam to worry about. The last thing we need is the Atlas Military breathing down our necks as well."
Blake nodded. "You think Sienna will send a team in to retrieve Nathan if it comes to that?" She asked.
"For our sake; she'd better." Kanan remarked.
"Sir?"
Kanan and Blake turned to see a lone White Fang soldier stood a few feet away from them. "What is it, soldier?" Kanan asked.
"The High Leader wishes for you to join her at your earliest convenience." The soldier replied.
"What does my mother want?" Kanan asked.
"I was not told. Regardless, the High Leader has requested your presence, sir. I would imagine she's not wanting to be kept waiting."
"I know, I know." Kanan replied, getting up. Looking to Blake, Kanan said: "Talk to you later sis." Hugging her.
"Be seeing you." Blake replied, hugging Kanan back before he turned and left.
Kanan wasn't exactly thrilled at being summoned by his mother; but if it meant he had more information for Blake; then he was willing to do it.
Sienna Khan's Throne Room…
"Kanan. Glad you could join me." Sienna called out from her throne.
"Me too. But I'm sure you'll understand if I can't stay for long. Got things to do." Kanan replied.
If his mother was angered by Kanan's less than respectful tone, she refused to show it. "Fine; straight to business." Standing from her throne, Sienna descended the steps and walked towards Kanan, saying: "We've received worrying reports from some of our scouts in Mistral. Adam Taurus has been seen meeting with various groups of faunus that were once allied with him. Whole groups have been seen leaving with him, others have been massacred; likely due to their refusal to join him." Sienna sighed. "It's becoming more and more apparent that Adam is gathering an army. Consolidating his forces and adding to them."
"Right…" Kanan said. "So… you going to blame Blake for that, too? Or… you gonna blame me, this time?"
Sienna scowled. "No."
"You sure?" Kanan asked. "Because the last time something bad like this happened, you blamed Blake for it. Kinda surprised you haven't blamed her for every minor inconvenience since that seems like your go-to blame target."
"Kanan, that isn't fair." Sienna protested.
"And neither is blaming Blake for a situation that she couldn't help finding herself in!" Kanan countered. "She suffered a flashback, and that flashback happened to be the worst day of her life! Who in their right mind would blame her? Oh wait; you did!"
"Thanks to her; Adam is able to do what he's doing right now; which is gathering an army to destroy us!" Sienna fired back.
"Oh, so you are blaming Blake for this?" Kanan asked angrily.
"Mind your tone with me, young man! I am still your mother!" Sienna snapped.
"Answer the question!" Kanan demanded.
"Guards!" Sienna shouted.
At that, several armed men filed into the room and stood between Kanan and Sienna.
Taking a deep breath, Sienna said: "This conversation is over. Leave."
Kanan shook his head. "You think those guards will stop Nathan when he gets back? Good luck to them. And good luck to you as well. You're going to fucking need it." With that, Kanan spun on his heel and stormed off.
He couldn't wait to see Nathan tear his mother's righteous look off of her face.
Back in the Branwen Camp…
"Everything alright, Yang?"
Yang looked up to see Ghost staring curiously back at her. "Yeah… I'm fine."
"You're not. Usually, you're as talkative as they come." Ghost replied. "Earlier, you and your mother were trading jokes and banter over breakfast."
"It's true." Raven said, sitting forward. "Is something wrong, Yang?"
Yang sighed. "It's… It's just I… I'm worried about Ruby." She said. "No-one's been able to contact her that we know of; and Anima's the biggest continent on Remnant. Who knows where she could be right now."
Raven nodded. "My guess would be somewhere on the road to Haven. Your sister always struck me as someone who would get on with the mission."
Yang sighed. "There's… also the matter of how badly I miss Kanan."
"That's understandable." Ghost said. "It's been over a week since you last saw him."
"Would what happened earlier today with Shay have anything to do with this?" Raven inquired.
Yang nodded with a sigh. "I don't know… knowing that there's someone that's known to be a Peeping Tom… it… it makes me uncomfortable. Maybe the knowledge that I have a boyfriend that can easily kill him will deter him."
Raven chuckled. "I'll make sure the knowledge is passed on to him." She said. "As for your worries about your little sister… I do have an idea for that."
"Go on?" Yang asked curiously.
"Did your father or Qrow ever explain my semblance to you?" Raven inquired.
"No." Yang said. "What about it?"
"My semblance allows me to create portals directly to people I have a strong emotional connection with." Raven elaborated. "It was how I reached you so quickly when we reunited."
Yang nodded. "But… wouldn't you need to have bonded with Ruby for you to do that?" She asked.
"Normally." Raven replied. "But… I have it on good advice that your uncle Qrow is currently tailing your sister and her allies. If you so wanted… I could take you and Ghost to Qrow's location so that you can all reunite with them. Even if that means cutting our time together a little short."
Yang sighed, bowing her head, until finally, she said: "Take Ghost to Qrow. They'll need Ghost's skill's more than we do, and besides… I'm not done with you yet."
Raven smiled warmly and said: "Ghost… let's go."
Later…
Ghost had to admit that stepping through one of Raven's portals was still one of the weirdest experiences of his life.
However, he soon exited the portal to find himself faced with a surprised, if happy, looking Qrow Branwen.
"Well; not a surprise I was expecting. But not unwelcome." Qrow remarked as he shook hands with Ghost.
"Likewise, mate." Ghost replied. "Think your sister wants to talk to you." He added, stepping aside as Raven stepped through the portal.
"Hello brother." Raven said, greeting Qrow as the portal closed behind her.
"Raven… is Yang okay?" Qrow asked.
"Yeah. I offered for her to join us, but she wanted a bit more time with me." Raven said. "So… you're stuck with Ghost until such a time we can sort out a reunion."
"Sounds good to me." Qrow replied. "Anything she want me to tell Ruby?"
"Just that she's okay and for Ruby to stop worrying about her." Raven replied. "All that said… had better get back. Got a daughter to continue bonding with." At this, Raven once more opened a portal to step through.
"Raven!"
Raven turned to see Qrow, who smiled at her.
"Good to have you back, sis." Qrow said.
"I never left." Raven replied, smiling herself before stepping through the portal, which vanished, leaving Qrow alone with Ghost.
"So… enjoy your week-long vacation with my sister?" Qrow asked Ghost, who shrugged.
"It was pleasant enough." Ghost replied. "Yang did have an issue with a Peeping Tom earlier."
Qrow scowled. "Of course she did."
"Other than that… she's fine." Ghost said. "Anyway… let's get to work."
"Yup." Qrow replied, just as they heard:
"Uncle Qrow!"
Both Ghost and Qrow looked to see that they had been spotted, and Ruby was leading the group over to their location, grinning ear to ear.
Ghost looked to Qrow, who smiled and moved to join his niece.
Ghost lingered, then walked on after Qrow. Now the mission could continue.
Even though new problems have reared their ugly heads, our heroes still forge on forward.
As per usual.
Either way, let's answer some reviews, shall we?
Sharnorasian Empire: That's fair. As for new problems facing the heroes, I'm afraid I've got some bad news...
Spiderdeku25: Thank you so much for the kind words, my friend. I really do need to sit down and watch Andor; I've heard it's fantastic from all of my friends that have watched it. Regardless; thank you for the words of praise. It really means a lot to me knowing at least one person enjoys my stories.
That said; thank you all so much for taking the time to read this story. If you liked it; you all know what to do.
I shall see you next week with chapters 9-10, which will see the calm before the storm, and Nathan's final test.
T-Rock14