Author's Notes:
-Hello dear readers. Hope you're enjoying the story so far. Wow, ninety chapters in two years. Soon to be ninety-one with today's update. Thanks for your support. I would have gotten this chapter out sooner, but between college and other real-life demands, the writing of this chapter was rather slow. Not to mention hard to name...
Here's a brief sneak peak at what's to come;
-Now that team JNPR-Ruby was survived the perils of Vale's outskirts, these guys are going on the backburner. We'll see them occasionally during interludes, but for the most part, these guys won't be seen during the two-months long voyage in universe time. (Which is probably gonna be a long time in the real world.)
-Yang's character Arc is going to get into full swing at the end of this chapter. (Me: Oh boy, this is going to be hard to write...)
-We got numerous White Fang happenings on the rise. Perhaps even Blake and Sun as well...
-Oscar coming to terms with Ozpin's presence...
-And... not telling you when... Cinder's backstory!
Alright, now that I've plotted out a new road map, let's begin.
Far away in the outskirts of Anima, a raven-haired woman was looking at the inventory under a bright purple tent. With a clipboard and pen in hand, Raven Branwen looked at a stack of barrels, turned sideways and formed in the shape of a triangle. To the left of those barrels was a small table, which had a few papers and pens scattered across its surface and a small wooden chair.
She wrote down some numbers, smirking to herself. Qrow would be envious of all this. Twenty five barrels of wine and bourbon, all found during our last village raid. I guess that raises the question- What am I going to do with all of them?
"Lady Raven!" a male voice called out.
"Raven?!" a second one added.
Two bandits, one with a mark on his left cheek, and the other with a red bandana over his right eye, ran into the tent.
The marked bandit was holding a stack of newspapers in his arm. "There you... are."
The second bandit tried to catch his breath. "We... have... news..."
Raven glared at them. "I thought I told you that no one is allowed in the alcoholic drink storage tent without permission."
The bandits took a few more moments to get their breath before the marked one answered, "I know, but we have news for you! Multiple pieces of news actually!"
"Are they good or bad?"
"Mixture of both, depending on your point of view." the one-eyed bandit told her.
Raven was handed a stack of newspapers and she sat them on a nearby table along with her clipboard, which served as an informal tray. She looked over the headlines of the papers.
Sanctum Academy Is Attacked by White Fang - Typhoon Tabloid
Vytal Festival Tournament Ends in Tragedy, Beacon Academy Falls - Beachside News
Athena Escapes from Argus Harbor Max Security Prison - Nina News
Argus Harbor Max Security Prison Burns to the Ground, City is Engulfed by Massive Crime Wave - Typhoon Tabloid
BREAKING NEWS- Maura Celandine Has Been Executed, and Her Last Words Will Surprise You - Nina News
Under the fifth newspaper was a smaller title for another article- What's Causing Mistral's Huntsmen and Huntresses to Fall?
Raven raised an eyebrow. "Huh?"
"Something wrong, Mistress?"
She sighed. "I'm going to need some time to go over those papers. Now leave me to my readings."
The bandits left the tent. She sat down at the desk and started looking over the newspapers, starting with the first one. A montage began, with Raven shown in a black background and newspapers flying over the screen.
...The Storming of Sanctum, also known as the False Signal Incident, is also the first time that a combat school has ever been attacked.
She was then shown reading part of the second one. The date was shown as November 24th, 79 AGW.
...she said she saw General Ironwood during the Fall of Beacon as the two of them and many others fought against the forces of Grimm. Goodwitch says that he is not responsible for the Atlas military drones attacking the school, which raises the question- if he is not responsible, who is?
A growing number of people, many of them from Atlas, believe that Pyrrha Nikos, who unintentionally destroyed Penny Polendina, is to blame. Numerous conspiracy theories against Pyrrha, Yang Xiao-Long and Ozpin have come up from nearly all corners of the globe.
She stopped reading for a moment. Yang? How could she be involved in this? Something's not right here...
The leader resumed her reading.
Alas, Ozpin was never found during the chaos. Yang Xiao-Long is confirmed to be alive, as she was shown present at the Beacon safehouse. Pyrrha was nowhere to be found. Many had previously speculated her to be dead, but according to two of her teammates, Nora Valkyrie and Lie Ren, Pyrrha is indeed alive and has gone back to her home in Mistral. Their leader, Jaune Arc, is also said to have gone back to his hometown.
The future of Beacon Academy remains uncertain.
She was shown reading from the third newspaper...
...a criminal escape for the first time in fifty years. The criminal in question...
And the fifth...
In the same way her trial was rushed, so was her execution. Within a few minutes, Maura Celandine was tied to a pole and ready to be set ablaze. But before her execution...
The montage ended with Raven putting down the newspaper.
"This is a lot to take in." Raven spoke to empty air.
One of those articles stated that huntsmen and huntresses have been dropping like flies. Raven thought. This isn't good. If I didn't know better, I would assume this to be the White Fang's doing. But I know that the White Fang isn't powerful enough to take out that many huntsmen and huntresses that quickly. Salem must be up to something. But what is it?
She breathed in. I must proceed with caution. And before I do anything, I must consult with Vernal and tell her the news that has transpired.
Picking up the newspapers, she held them in her arms and left the booze tent.
Meanwhile, Hazel stood in Argus, looking over the list of huntsmen and huntresses that were left in the city.
Castillo, Aurora (Inactive for two years)
Hughes, Daisy
Lucero, Flann (returned home from hunting Maura)
Rivera, Star
Sterling, Aurelio (Still comatose as of September 13th, 79 AGW due to the Storming of Sanctum, only a target if he wakes up)
He looked at the list and considered his options.
Hmm... Flann has finally arrived at his home, and in the midst of all the chaos in the city, I could easily get away with murdering him in his home. However, thanks to intel I got from a Seer, I've learned Daisy is soon to return home. If I head to her place ahead of time, I could catch her by surprise and bring her end quicker and easier. Let's go with Daisy first.
The vengeful madman made his way through the city. Eventually he arrived at a brick house, broke the lock on the back door and made his way in. Entering a deserted kitchen and dining room area, he looked around, seeing nobody there.
Alright, if I'm not mistaken, Daisy is set to arrive in about half an hour. Perhaps I should check to make sure no one else is here.
Hazel began to explore her house and he came to her living room. He noticed a picture frame on a table nearby the couch. He picked it up and saw the woman he was targeting in the photo, along with a girl who couldn't be more than ten and a boy about four years old.
"She has... a family?"
At that moment, the door began to open and Hazel dropped the picture. The picture frame broke into pieces as he backed away, running into the kitchen.
Daisy Hughes had entered her home. She was a woman with pale skin, blonde hair rolled into a side bun on her left, and dark blue eyes. She wore a headband of fake daisies in her hair at the base of her forehead. She wore an orange and yellow knee-length dress, the dress swirling the two colors together in a spiral pattern. On her feet were orange heels and an anklet with a faux topaz.
"Honey, I'm home!"
"Daisy, is that you?" a male voice asked.
Hazel ran out of the house as he heard two kids ask, "Mom?"
Phew. That was too close. She has a family. There's no way I could face her then and there. He continued running away from the scene, hoping they wouldn't think too much of the broken family photo frame. If I killed Daisy, I would have to kill her husband and her children just to prevent suspicion.
He ran even farther away, choosing to hide in an alleyway, feeling a tug of guilt at his heart.
I... I don't even want to kill her. He softly sighed aloud. But maybe I won't have to. Time to find Flann.
The scene transitioned to Hazel looking at a wooden cottage outside Argus's city limits. Through the window, he could see a man with brown hair, hazel eyes and a short beard sitting on a bed. He wore jeans and a white blouse, both of which were caked in dirt along with his black boots.
"At least he's living alone." Hazel said. "Alright, let's do this."
He kicked down the door and made his way through the cottage. Flann Lucero was startled by the sound and immediately reached for his spear. The huntsman shook, failing to conceal his fear. "Who the hell are you?"
The lumberjack didn't answer, but Flann thrust his spear forward, attempting to stab him. But his spear not no affect on him, not even a flinch or cry in pain.
"What in the?!..."
Flann screamed as Hazel grabbed him by the head and threw him against the wall. His head rattled as Hazel went for the kill; the stalwart punched him in the gut and sent him flying through every wall in the house. After crashing into three walls, his aura broke in a puff of grey and faintly orange smoke, then he fell down, and the way he had fallen, his head fell onto a stone fountain, cracking it and ending his life.
Hazel went to the hole in the wall, and upon confirming his target was dead, crossed Flann Lucero off the list.
Alright, aside from Daisy and Aurelio, who's left on the list?
He looked at the list again.
Castillo, Aurora (Inactive for two years)
Hughes, Daisy
Rivera, Star
Sterling, Aurelio (Still comatose as of September 13th, 79 AGW due to the Storming of Sanctum, only a target if he wakes up)
The stalwart sighed. Only four huntsmen left. Really only three since Mr. Sterling is still comatose. Three targets... He looked at the top three names again, this time with a visible expression of sorrow. Do I have to kill them all? His eyes widened in fear. But do I really have a choice? He sighed, his thoughts trailing to Ozpin. I don't even understand how this is helping to dismantle Ozpin's legacy. He sighed heavier. Too bad Cinder already killed him. I wanted to take him out myself! His thoughts went back to Salem. She once said Ozpin has been her enemy far longer than I've been part of her cabal. Is there something she isn't telling me? He groaned. Am I thinking too much?
A Seer approached him, much to his surprise. But he soon straightened himself as the smoke cleared to show Salem looking at him from her meeting room.
"Your Grace." Hazel greeted.
Salem gave him a glare. "I thought you were supposed to be killing the last few Mistralian huntsmen and huntresses."
"I was planning out my next move." he answered honestly.
The Grim Goddess folded her arms. "How many are left?"
"Last I looked, there's three of them." As he lied, he kept a straight face, speaking their names. "Aurora Castillo, Star Rivera and the comatose Aurelio Sterling."
"So there's really only two of them left. Argus is already in massive chaos. And we still have yet to find Adam." Salem pondered to herself for a moment or two. Eventually she spoke, "I'm reassigning you to tracking down Adam. Last I heard from one of my spies in the city, he has traveled to Wind Path for undetermined reasons. As for your remaining targets, don't worry about them. With any luck, the rest of them will die trying to restore order. And even if they do survive, they won't be able to help Mistral when Haven falls. Now go and find Adam at once."
Hazel bowed his head in respect to his mistress. "Right away, Your Grace."
The smoke faded and the Seer disappeared. Hazel breathed a sigh of relief.
Alright... That was too close. I really hope that huntress lives...
Back in Patch, Yang found herself at her desk, eating her dinner. Her meal consisted of grilled bacon and cheese sandwich and a glass of water. Only a single bite of the sandwich had been eaten.
I know that I've been suffering from PTSD, but loss of appetite shouldn't be one of the symptoms... Or is it depression? Oh wait, I probably have both of them. She groaned. I can't believe I was so hot-headed. Dad always warned me that blindly rushing in with my semblance could cost me, and he was right! Now I've lost everything! My birth mom, my stepmom who was more of a mom than my real mom ever was, my chance at becoming a huntress with the Fall of Beacon and the loss of my right arm, my best friend Blake, and even my sister Ruby. She sighed. The only thing I haven't lost is my father. Honestly, if I lost him now... I don't know what I'd do.
She sighed.
I don't even have the appetite to eat my dinner. And this is one my favorite meals...
She scooted her chair back, stood up and threw herself into bed, leaning on her right side. With some difficultly, she used her left hand and arm to throw her blanket over herself. Despite her blanket, she felt cold chills come over her.
Nothing matters anymore. The real world is dark and cruel. Only my dreams give me comfort, and that's on the good nights where I don't have a nightmare... Please... Be kind to me...
The scene faded to black, and was replaced with an image of Beacon Academy.
It was a bright, sunny day. The sky was cloudless, the birds were singing, and roses were in bloom all around them. She looked at herself, wearing her old clothes and when she still had her right arm. She smiled and soon noticed that Ruby, Weiss and Blake were all standing there waiting for her.
"Well, are you coming or what?" Weiss asked.
Yang blinked in confusion. "Huh?"
"There's a surprise waiting for you!" Ruby exclaimed. "Come on!"
She gestured for her older half-sister to come forward and lead the way, with Weiss and Blake not too far behind. Yang followed their lead and soon found herself in front of a large purple tent. The tent was about the size of two tennis courts put together. Ruby entered the tent, followed by Weiss and Blake. After a moment of wondering, she entered the tent.
A chorus of voices shouted, "Surprise!"
She gasped in joy and disbelief as she saw the members of team JNPR, team SSSN, her father and her uncle.
"There's the woman of the hour!" Neptune cheered.
Yang let a confused, "Huh?"
"We've been waiting for you." Blake told her.
They cleared a path, showing a large table. The table was decorated with a bright yellow tablecloth with red rose designs scattered throughout. On said table were platters of grilled bacon and cheese sandwiches, bowls of fruit, plastic containers of vegetable trays, and bowls of cheese dip with a ring of chips.
"What's all this for?" Yang asked.
"This is for you, Champion." Pyrrha answered.
The blonde brawler blinked in disbelief. "I... I won?"
Jaune looked at Yang with concern. "Yes. Do you not remember what happened?"
Yang shook her head side to side. Ren explained it for her. "You won against Mercury in the first round, Penny in the second, and beat Sun in the grand finale."
"I must say... the Firecracker vs the Sun. That was a rather hot duel, if I say so myself." Taiyang joked.
Everyone looked at him with a groan of exasperation and/or cringed.
Qrow groaned. "Tai, please."
He gave a sheepish grin. "Sorry. Couldn't resist."
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get this celebration started!" Nora cheered.
Yang looked at everyone, almost crying joyful tears at the sight of it all. "Wow, I... I don't know what to say."
Blake smiled at the guest of honor. "You're welcome."
Everyone sat down and started eating. Yang was shown smiling as she ate a sandwich. A few moments later, after Yang finished her sandwich and a few cheese-covered chips, Taiyang came up to his daughter.
"I have something to show you. I got another surprise for you."
She blinked. "Another surprise?"
The scene faded away in a blur to show a dressing room area with two different curtains, one red and the other one white. Both curtains had a black rope rod to open them.
"Pick a curtain! Any curtain!" Taiyang gestured her.
Yang looked at the curtains, pondering her decision for a few moments. Then she smiled and approached one of the curtains. "Hmm..." She drifted to the right and pulled on the second rope. "What's behind curtain number two?" She gasped as the white curtain slid back. "Mom?"
Summer Rose greeted her step-daughter with a smile. "Hello, my daughter."
"H... how is this possible?"
"It doesn't matter. I'm here now."
Yang threw her arms around her, tears streaming down her face. "Mom... I've missed you so much."
"I've missed you too..."
Comforted by her mother figure's presence, she closed her eyes. But she heard a slash and a scream. Summer had fallen to the ground right in front of her, slashed from the side by none other than...
Yang's gasp was heard. "No..."
Adam Taurus had appeared. The background was replaced with a red almost fiery pattern. Taiyang and Summer soon faded out of existence. He then cut off her right arm and underneath her feet, an abyss opened, swallowing her whole. She screamed as she fell and woke up in sweat. She bolted upright, tossing the blanket off her.
Taking a few deep breaths, she soon realized it was the middle of the night, her right arm was truly gone, and no one was here.
She laid back down. There's no comfort for me. Not in this world, or in my dreams... A cold, depressing chill washed over her. Is there any peace... for the dead?