TO GROW

After the debacle that was Arrowfell, me and the rest of the gang are finally able to focus on the one thing we've all been meaning to do, which is to help raise up Amity Arena in order to inform the world of Salem. It's a big step, one that I'm not sure the world is ready to hear, and I'm not the only one who share that very same sentiment, but it's the action we've all decided to go with.

Unfortunately, this part of the process isn't the most intuative, nor is it the most exciting.

Me, Ruby, Qrow, along with Clover and Penny were tasked with escorting supplies to Amity Arena through the Tundra. Unfortunately, due to the covert nature of our operation, flying is out of the question WHICH leads to us this ten hour long drive from the main land to Amity's site. Qrow and Clover opted to play cards in the back while me, Penny and Ruby all struggled to fit in up front.

Ruby sighed as she stared deep into the frozen and barren tundra.

"You think we ended up doing any good?"

She didn't specifically mentioned the debaucle caused by Thornmane, but I can tell it still weighed heavily in her mind.

"Why, of course!"

Penny enthusiastically rebutted. Of course... of course... is what I would like to think myself. Sure we succeeded but...

"I know what you mean."

I whispered, as I raise my feet up on the dashboard.

"We ultimately stopped the disaster Bram caused, which is nice and all but if you really sit down and let it simmer you just have to ask, how did it end up like that? Is our world so demented and corrupted that we have to exist at all?"

The thought of it all was terrifying. Yes, Thornmane is just a speck of humanity, not the whole representation of who we are, but it's significant enough to allow the existence of Salem. Seeing it that way, a part of me can't help but feel that Salem is right. From the looks of it, Ruby feels the same way as well. Before Ruby and I can fall deep into depression, Penny and her unusually upbeat demeanor shook us to our core.

"Ruby!"

She yelled.

"Y-yeah!"

Penny grabbed Ruby's hands and clutched them close to her heart.

"I just wanted to say how excited I am to be working with you in a professional capacity. As friends!"

Honestly, I'm surprised that I can still be surprised by Penny's personality. It feels odd. Ozpin always preached about hope and how it will save humanity, and yet, somehow the hope we need stems from something that isn't human. At least not in the literal sense. Still the very idea of which is ironic.

"What's so funny Ezra?"

Ruby asks.

"Nothing, it's just that I think it's funny that a non-human like Penny can inspire so much... hope."

Penny and Ruby stared at me awkwardly. Assuming it's because I said something rude.

"Sorry! I didn't mean it like that. I just meant that despite you being a robot, you feel oddly human. But only the good parts. It's refreshing, cause I honestly feel like I'm starting to lose faith in humanity, but you somehow lift me up."

A smile faintly forms on Penny's face, not the usual grin she wears, but the kind that warms the heart. Before the conversation can turn anymore dramatic than it already is, Ruby swooped in and asked Penny a question.

"Speaking of friends, have you made in any new ones since, you know... ?"

Ruby asked, hinting at Penny's time at Beacon.

Penny's glee and joy slowly faded as she began to explain her situation a little bit more thoroughly.

"Since I'm now the official protector of Mantle, I really don't have a team anymore. General Ironwood said I don't have time for friends."

While the nature of her work does leave little time for friends, it's still a bit harsh I think to be upfront about something like that. Robot or no. Ruby seems to agree... but to both sides surprisingly.

"And... how do you feel about that?"

She cautiously asks. Penny paused for a moment and thought about it for a second before answering sincerely.

"I... I feel like I wish I could do both the things I need to do and the things I want to do. Is that normal?"

Ruby giggled and cuddled in a little closer to Penny.

"That's about as normal as it gets!"

True. True. Despite the cheery conversation the three of us were having, the hours that passed by slowly ate away at our conversation till we were all silent and alone with ours thoughts. That's when I heard something unusually familiar.

"Ez..ra."

It was but a whisper at first, gradually becoming louder, but oddly enough... not any clearer.

"Ezra..."

I've heard this voice before. It's...

"Ezra. Ezra. Ezra... ezra... ez... ezr... a"

The voice began to soften and echoe in the distance in the depths of my mind till it disappeared, just as quickly as it came. It was then that I realized who that voice belonged to.

"MOTHER!"

I sprung up my seat, unconsciously yelling off the top of my lungs, shocking Ruby and Penny, while forcing the droid beside me to hit the brakes haphazardly.

"HEY! What's going on over there!?"

Qrow popped up from the back, angrily scratching the back of his head, who I presumed was hit when we abruptly stopped.

"You kids better stop fooling around-"

He was about to scold us, till something up front caught his attention.

"Clover, you might wanna see this."

Out of curiousity, the three of us also shifted our gaze up front, expecting grimm, but something much worse. Right in front our way stood a blockade manned by Robyn Hill and one of her huntresses who we know based on reports as Fiona Thyme. Clover groaned at the sight of her, before quickly composing himself.

"C'mon." He stoically whispered. "Let's go deal with this. Penny, watch our six. We may need an element of surprise on our side."

Penny saluted and returned Clover's stoic look with one of her own.

"Affirmative! I will prepare for six possible outcomes."

That's not exactly what he meant, but sure. Whatever. The four of us dismounted the cargo truck as Clover gleefully greeted Robyn, who wasn't all too happy about his appearance.

"Clover, I'm so glad you're here. Maybe you can help me understand why this truck that's supposed to be taking construction materials to fix Mantle's outer wall, is on its way to the middle of nowhere? Are you lost?"

Smoke and mirrors. It's pretty clear that Robyn knows something's up. Let's see how the leader of the Ace Ops handle subterfuge from a potential councilwoman.

"It's pretty easy to get turned around out here in the tundra, everything looks the same. Thanks for checking up on us though. We'll be on our way now."

Well... that was pretty weak. Robyn seems to agree as well.

"I was hoping you'd play it straight with me."

Robyn sighed, then continued.

"What's Ironwood doing with Amity at the old SDC mine?"

Based on how Robyn reacted, I guess she'd be more trustworthy if she knew the truth, at least with what we're doing with Amity, but for obvious reasons, we can't really divuldge that information willy nilly. Clover seems unfazed from her interrogation at least.

"Just an annual checkup."

Robyn raised an eyebrow at what Clover mentioned.

"The next Vytal Festival isn't anytime soon. Only automated drones and a few select Atlas scientists are allowed out here. And Amity's getting invaluable resources we need in Mantle to protect against Grimm. Seems like more than just a check-up."

Clearly she's been scoping Amity arena, and judging by Clover's shocked expression he's wearing right now, she's been doing it covertly. As a former criminal, I understand how difficult it really is to sneak pass Atlas security. Impressive.

"We can't fix the wall without the supplies on these trucks. I think Mantle deserves to know what they're being used for. It doesn't have to be difficult. Just tell me."

She presses Clover further, but he refuses to budge as well. Sensing that she wouldn't get anything out of Clover, Robyn proceeds to asks Qrow and Ruby some questions to which Clover was all too quick to rebutt himself.

"Okay then..."

Robyn crossed her arms in front of her chest and casually shifted her gaze at me.

"Will you at least tell me why you're harboring an enemy of the state?"

I couldn't help but to laugh softly at the inevitability of her question, muffling my voice under my scarf, trying not to worsen the situation.

"You're Ezrael Snow, are you not? The infamous OWL that wrecked a huge chunk of Atlas' military depot, and in turn a part of Mantle?"

Her voice was stern but controlled enough to not sound angry, but unfortunately still cuts deep all the same.

"Yes, I am."

She squinted her eyes and slowly moved her hand towards the crossbow on her right forearm. Sensing an unnecessary confrontation brewing, Clover stepped in one more time.

"Ezra... is a reformed man. He's one of the main reasons we caught Amoncio Glass and stopped Bram at Fort Arrowfell. Now that information is still classified, but I'm bending the rules here just a bit to convince you he's on our side now."

Unconvinced, Robyn looked at me with her piercing gaze, inquiring whether or not what Clover said was true. Left with no choice, I was forced to obliged and answer her question.

"Bram infiltrated Atleasian ranks, and Glass has been roaming around free for ages despite his crimes. Atlas Military was stumpped, they didn't know what moves to make next."

Robyn cut me off, quickly catching on to what I was trying to say.

"So they hired you?"

I grinned slightly and closed my eyes.

"Takes a criminal to know a criminal."

Wasn't exactly the flowers she was expecting, but she seems satisfied enough for now. Before we could proceed any further, Penny suddenly popped out the back of the cargo truck.

"Robyn Hill. I would like to politely ask that you call off the Huntresses approaching the rear of the truck."

Qrow and Ruby quickly deployed their weapons, while me and Robyn locked eyes throughout the entire time. To say that that situation was tense was an understatement, but eventually, Robyn cracked.

"Alright. May, Joana!"

At her command, two other huntresses appeared out of thin air behind the cargo truck.

Robyn sneered then chuckled as she shifted her gaze towards Penny.

"The protector of Mantle and the OWL of Vale, huh?"

She turned around and removed the barricade blocking the road, before leaving us with an ultimatum.

"I will find out what you all are doing with Amity, and I will find out about you, OWL."

Judging from how Clover reacted, I would say that what she said may eventually come true... her fierce personality is nothing short of inspiring if you really think about it. All she really wants is a better Mantle. Which circles back to the question I was wondering at the beginning of this journey, are we really doing the right thing here.

I believe I've gone past the point of redemption now, and I'm a functioning member of this group that's trying to do good. I don't have to just do the right thing anymore - I get to question it now, to see if it's really for the best.

But as those thoughts began to simmer in my mind, the same voice from earlier crept up on me once more, but this time, I can tell clearly that it's coming from the frozen tundra.

"Ezra..."

I squinted my eyes and watched the pure white horizon give shape to a familiar silhouette, wearing a white kimono that fluttered into the wind, disappearing just as quickly as it manifested.

"Mom..."

Just then, Penny put her hand on my shoulder.

"Everything alright, Ezra? What's wrong?"

I took a deep breath and listened, but the voice was gone... and so was the kimono.

"Nothing."

Yang

With the recent attacks on Mantle by the grimm and the whole mess with Bram, a big portion of the city was left defenseless. So when the opportunity to choose between guarding the city walls or escorting supplies to Amity, I chose the obviously least boring option.

Or so I thought.

"Are you gonna eat that?"

Nora casually pointed at the meal I had in front of me, as we both stared at the empty vast Tundra atop the broken city wall. Did I say it was empty? As in no grimm?

"Have at it."

I gestured with my hand, to which Nora shamelessly grappled the turkey leg off my plate. At least one of us is finding a way to keep the boredom away.

"Ahahaha"

I rest my chin on my hand, as a cheeky chuckle from the down the walls caught my attention. It was Jaune and Weiss, leisurely walking and patrol the floor. Awfully close to each other, if I do say so myself. Nora groaned at first then grinned.

"Ha! I remember back when Weiss was at Jaune's throat all the time."

I scoff, thinking back at our time at Beacon, remembering how Weiss use to berate Jaune for his... well, there's really no easy way to say this, but he was kinda useless back then. Actually, that was kinda rude, he wasn't really useless per se. He was just too innocent, much like Ruby.

"Nora, ever wondered who really changed? Jaune or Weiss?"

Nora gulped down the last of the Turkey meat, all the while pondering what I had ask her. Took her a minute, but she eventually responded.

"Weiss! Definitely."

Huh.

"You really think so?"

Without hesitation, Nora nodded.

"Jaune hasn't really changed. He's always been kind and likes to put people first. He hasn't really changed, only grew up. Weiss on the other hand... I wouldn't be surprised if they start smooching all of a sudden."

True. Weiss used to be too much to handle. Still is, but she's much MUCH more bearable now. To be fair though, Nora IS too much to handle, wonder how her team deal with all this at once.

"Speaking of changes, Yang, you've changed as well."

Her statement caught me off guard.

"What do you mean?"

I ask, but to my surprise, Nora didn't do the cheeky grin I was expecting her to give, instead she smiled softly at me before leaning forward on rusted railings.

"You've been through a lot. Losing an arm, losing a friend, losing a lover and gaining it all back, none of it under your terms. Everything was forcefully taken away, only to be forcefully given back. The strength you need to deal with all that... how?"

I've pondered about it a lot, her question, but I never...

"I never saw it that way I guess. It's just... I couldn't live with myself if stayed stuck in a rut while Ruby pushed forward without me. I really had no choice but to deal with it. It's not about strength or changing, it's all about taking that first step forward, and not looking back till you're where you're supposed to be and believing that when you do, everything will be alright."

Nora rested her cheeks on her fist with her eyebrows raised, and now wearing that cheeky grin I was expecting to see all this time.

"I never pegged you to be so deep and emotional like this."

She teases.

"Oh shut up!"

I playfully push on her shoulders as we both laugh, but Nora quickly followed up her question with another thought provoking one.

"So, what now?"

I raise an eyebrow, feigning ignorance, but I can kinda tell what she's about to ask.

"What do you mean?"

Nora sighed and asked after hesitating a little.

"Ezra... and Blake."

I couldn't really blame her for asking, if we were going to continue our journey together, this would eventually come up. Might as well face it now. I turn my back on the Tundra and leaned back against the railing, shoving both my hands deep in my pocket, as I ponder what her question really meant.

"If you're asking if I still have feelings for Ez, then sure. Of course I do, but what can I do? He's moved on and so did Blake. It'd be naive of me to say that I was the only one that lost something big back in Beacon. Just so happen that when Ezra and Blake met, the pieces they lost fit each other perfectly."

Nora nodded and chuckled.

"Is that why you're so desperate to 'move forward?' To catch up?"

I smiled then answered Nora's question with a question.

"What do you think? Think I caught up?"

She took a deep breath and smiled at the empty Tundra.

"I think you've grown."

Blake

"Something on your mind?"

Ren asks with his eyes closed and legs crossed. It seems even when he's meditating, I've unconsciously bothered him with my worrying.

"O-oh, sorry. I was just thinking what's the hold up with Ruby and her crew?"

A couple days back, me and Ren were tasked to guard Amity while we wait for the supply crew to arrive. We got here faster because we had the liberty of flying, unlike Ezra and the rest who would have had to drive.

"They'll be fine. If they were in any danger, we would have received a distress call. Even if they're in a position where they can't activate an SOS signal, we have outposts out there that do constant patrols. Besides, all of them are all capable fighters."

I sigh, placing my hand on my forehead, desperately trying to shake my worries away.

"I-I know."

Ren calmly took a couple of deep breaths and slowly stood up.

"Then you aren't really worried about their safety, aren't you?"

Drats. Read me like a book.

"What's going on?"

He carefully asks.

"It's probably nothing..."

I try to deflect the situation, but Ren pushed on.

"Probably... but?"

Something about the way he's looking at me right now that's egging me to speak out. Though I have a feeling I'd regret it.

"I- I'm not too sure about Ezra."

His eyes widened in disbelief, but he quickly tried his best to compose himself.

"Sure? Are you talking about trust?"

I shook my head in disagreement.

"OH. You mean your relationship..."

I didn't respond, but silence at times like this is often louder than actually saying something.

"I admit, I'm not exactly the best person to talk to about this kind of stuff."

Funny.

"Aren't you the one who asked about my troubles?"

Ren chuckled.

"I-I guess I did."

In a way, him asking was very sweet of him. Wonder why he never shows this side of him to Nora, or maybe he does, just never publicly. Does that make me privileged then to see this side of him? Ren placed his hand on his chin and tried to calmy think about what he could say to ease my thoughts, till he gently tilted his head my way, seemingly done concluding what my situation meant.

"Feelings are hard to process sometimes. I can't tell you what to do with Ezra, but I can at least tell you that nothing will be solved if you never confront them... which is terrifying. You risk being vulnerable, and open yourself up to change... which may not always be good-"

I smiled as I cut him off.

"But you'll never know unless you face it."

Ren smiled, surprised that I was able to finish his thought.

"Exactly!"

He placed his hand on my shoulders and smiled, while deep down I pondered whether Ren was saying all that to help me, or to help himself. Regardless of what his intentions are, I guess in a way, Ren too have grown up. Thanks to that, I think I know what to about my relationship with Ezra...

Just then, the supply cargo finally arrived.

#A/N#

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Apologies if I vanished for months on end, but I lost motivation to write after Volume 9 ended on a cliff hanger with its future still up in the air. I am back however, though due to the holidays, regular weekly uploads are still on hold, but will still upload semi-consistently. No more month long breaks, maybe a week or two but no more extended breaks!

Have a happy holidays!