Phew!~ Hey everyone! It took a while to get my life in order but I'm glad to say that I'll be back to uploading on a regular basis. From here on out, you can expect a chapter of at least 3,000 words every Saturday/Sunday until I say otherwise.
Anyhow, I really don't have much to say other than I wish you all the best during the holidays and hope that you continue reading my stories after the new year.
Cheers, all, Searoar.
"So... Ozpin's running a secret organization that's hell-bent on eliminating these so-called devil fruit users?" Tai concluded from the jumble his ex-wife had produced.
Raven scowled. "It's carefree speech like that which allows Ozpin to manipulate you how he sees fit! There's more to this story than you realize, Tai, and I'm doing more than a favor by letting you in on this information!"
His lips pursed and arms crossed, the man squinted with a cupped chin while contemplating all that had been laid out before him. He always knew that Raven rarely showed such passion for a topic that wasn't combat, even during the majority of their relationship Tai found it difficult to get any reaction from her, yet here the bandit was trying to convey a message out of goodwill. Or that's what he wanted to assume at least.
"Let's say..." Tai gulped a very thick lump. "That I believe you..."
Raven crossed her arms and stepped forward but said nothing.
"How can I prove that Ozpin is manipulating me? I'm obviously not that famous in regards to the world of hunters as most of the spotlight of my team tends to shine on Qrow and Summer, and Qrow's been the only one in action since I took time off to look after my kids-"
"Our Kid." Raven snarled abruptly.
A vein twitching above his forehead, the blonde forced his petty insults to the back of his mind and took a deep breath.
"So... In regards to Ozpin, if I decided to ask Qrow about these shady missions in the lower parts of Mistral and Vacuo, then he'd be able to confirm them without a hint of doubt?"
"Yes!" Raven nearly screamed and flung her hands above her head. "There are so many rumors about the recent changes in the stability of the four kingdoms. The competition between the high-status Schnee Dust Company and the random upstart of Reptile Dust Industries is only the beginning! Haven't you heard about the new paladin project that Atlas has poured all of its lien into?! People are already saying that the times of fearing Grimm are coming to a close, but I can only imagine that those beastly abominations will adapt for the worst to retaliate!"
Her rant done with, the bandit glared at the perplexed visage of her former lover.
A mix between confused and contemplative, Tai scratched his head as his posture slumped.
"How... How do you know about all this stuff? This can't be because of a simple hunch, so what's your source of information, Raven, have you and Qrow been having more private rendezvous?"
He couldn't see it, but he had a hunch that his ex-lover was smirking behind her Grimm mask.
"Unfortunately for you, I don't have to lean on my brother for information anymore."
"Then why the hell are you here?" Tai growled through clenched teeth. "We've been beating around the bush for the past ten minutes and I've reached the point where I have to put my foot down."
His assertive tone drawing a tinge of trepidation from his former partner, Raven gripped the hilt of her blade and took a half step back.
"You can't beat me in a fight so it's pointless for you to try and act all high and mighty." She said in an attempt to regain the high ground. "But if you really want to know the true reason for me in coming here..."
The clips of her mask undone, the bandit's blood-colored eyes shined brightly under the shade of the trees in the likeness of a bloodthirsty predator.
"I've come to bring my child home."
The wind calm and sky clear, a moment of absolute silence gripped the atmosphere as not even the birds would dare interrupt the brooding pot of emotions within the vast forest.
Tai blinked, his mouth unable to produce a coherent sentence as his mind had come to an abrupt halt, it soon twisted with the rest of his features to present a look of absolute disdain.
"No... No no no no no... you can't be serious!" The blonde's voice exploded as a surging heat filled his visage. His temper far past its peak, Tai lunged forward with a raised fist but stopped halfway in his delivery.
A rare sign of shock flashing across her pale face, Raven unsheathed her blade and raised it defensively.
"Of all the things to say... that was one of the only things I can't stand!"
Subtle tears soon turned to a flood of grief as his breaths grew ragged and raspy.
"Do you have any idea how much I risked when I proposed to you?! Do you have any idea how much I was willing to give after you accepted your engagement ring?!"
The blonde held nothing back as he relinquished the despair and guilt he'd built up over the years of self-loathing. The clumps of snot dribbled above his trembling lips as he lowered his offending appendage.
"Do... you have any idea how happy I was when you said yes?"
His words growing weaker after each syllable, Tai placed a hand over his mouth to try and deter the woeful sobs. He failed miserably.
"I loved you, Raven, I loved you to the point that I rejected Summer's confession!"
The passion in his words pierced the stone heart of the ruthless bandit, she allowed a single tear to drip through her mask but wiped it away before the blonde could notice it.
"What?! No words to say now?!" Tai shouted.
His prodding ignored, the blonde felt his knees wobble and his arms go limp. Eyes downcast, the thick bangs above them covered their thundering emotions as their owner bit his lower lip.
"Summer... Confessed to me before I confessed to you ya know?"
Tai's gaze veered to the tops of the tallest trees.
"Hah... Being a teenager was such a simpler time, I was allowed to mingle with my pals in Signal with big dreams of getting into Beacon... Who would've thought my life would be treading down a path such as this?"
Lowering his head to meet face to face with the woman behind the mask, he forced out a bitter smile as the clustered thoughts within his mind had pushed away his frown.
"Hehe... You know, I'm starting to sound like Hawkins with all this fancy speech. Maybe that stoic guy is rubbing off more on me than I thought. Well, you've got anything you want to get off your chest before we end things? Or are we gonna break out into fisticuffs like we always do when we come to a disagreement?"
Tai's depraving tone did nothing to assist his invitation of battle, yet to his surprise, Raven lowered her guard. A single hand on her hip and the other on her hilt, she straightened her shoulders and raised her chest in an attempt to regain her initial intimidation, but all that managed to do was deepen Tai's frown.
"I'm taking Yang by the end of the week. You have until then to say your goodbyes." Her voice stern, it held a subtle hint of desperation, which did not go unnoticed by her former lover.
"Six years..." He spat. "Six years until you contact me and for what? Did you actually think I'd approve of your ridiculous request?!"
The deprecating embers flourishing into a bonfire of frustrated flame, Tai's heart pounded with so much forceful dread that any grief before this moment could not compare.
"I wanted us to spend the rest of our lives together with Yang cultivating the values we'd learned through hardship. Yet when you insisted that I become a lackey under the Branwen tribe's banner, I couldn't help but feel betrayed..."
"I wouldn't have made you a lackey..."
Tai's ears perked up at the bold statement. Intrigued, he eased his temper by crossing his arms and gestured for his ex-wife to continue.
The spotlight on her, Raven coughed then spoke plainly.
"The offer I made was one that would guarantee a free life from Ozpin's greedy hands." She said. "I know you were too close with the Rainart's to realize it, but do you honestly think that Gretchen's casualty during our third training mission was an accident?"
"Don't try to deflect the conversation!" Tai blurted. "Ozpin helped us through thick and thin and made us who we are today, how can you ignore the fact that he still accepted you and Qrow despite your history as cold-blooded bandits?! Should one mistake erase all of his goodwill?!"
"It was never an accident, to begin with!" Raven spit back. "Gretchen found something during our training mission at Mountain Glenn..."
The bandit's blood-colored pupils dimmed behind the mask, the grip on her weapon's hilt grew crushing as she steadied her breaths.
"This conversation is getting us nowhere, I've given you my terms and a warning as well, if you still choose to be stubborn over the custody of Yang then I'll have no choice but to resort to force."
Tai's expression darkened. "Hah! Do you think your sour face is going to faze me? I've stared at Hawkins' disappointed visage for the past six years so I can say that I've stared the look of death more times than I can count!"
A nerve twitched above Raven's forehead. "Tch, I've heard about this Hawkins fellow from my brother, is he some sort of nanny you and Summer hired to look after your kids?"
The blonde threw his hands up in exasperation. "How many times do I have to repeat myself?! Jaune isn't my kid, if you took a minute to look at the details then you'd notice it for sure!"
"Like what?" Raven asked smugly. "The fact that Jaune has scraggly blonde hair?"
Tai bit his lip. "Er... that's just one detail..."
"How about his blue eyes?"
The foundations were set.
"Or his bright scraggly hair?"
The bricks had been stacked.
"And lest we forget that naively kind attitude of his."
The wall of Raven's argument firmly established, Tai tried to rebuke his ex-lover's statements but fumbled to come up with a decent comeback. The more he thought about it, Jaune and Hawkins didn't act like each other at all. The magician was a loner who preferred to keep his interactions brief and maintained a good distance from socializing topics. While Jaune on the other hand went out of his way to make new friends and did his best to fit in.
Witnessing her husband's muddled face, Raven smirked as her assumptions proved true. Content with her verbal victory, she flicked her raven locks behind her right ear and unsheathed her blade to slash a wavy portal.
"Wait!" Tai reached out and snagged his former partner's wrist. The action earned him a kick to the gut, he hunched over but powered through the pain.
"Tell me the real reason you came..."
His grip unfaltering, Raven scowled at the pathetic display and kicked him in the knee, though this time Tai refused to fall.
"I know... that you're hard to read..." He spoke softly despite his rage from moments prior, "but I want-"
He grunted mid-sentence and stiffened his features. "No, I need to know why you're asking for Yang. What, do you plan to use her as some sort of leverage when you nominate yourself as a tribe leader candidate?"
The bandit flinched. "How did you know about my ambitions?"
Tai shrugged. "Seeing that Qrow and I have spent more than ten years together as partners and friends, it's not uncommon for us to speak about private issues. The only things he's kept me in the dark about are his private missions for Ozpin, but you already knew that so I won't delve down that path."
The blonde cracked his neck. "Back on topic, why do you want Yang under your wing? She's my kid, so I deserve to know that much."
His blue eyes burning with protective passion, it was as if the happy-go-lucky member of STHQ had been replaced with a ferocious bulldog. The indigo glare intensity surpassing even that of the stoic Hawkins, the mere sight of this unfamiliar expression caused Raven's heart to twitch uncomfortably.
"A representative..." The ravenette whispered so quietly Tai had to lean forward to hear her words.
"What's that? Speak up." Tai's voice lacked any of its usual warmth, giving him the impression of a righteous general who was giving an unruly subordinate a well-earned scolding.
"There are a total of three trials..." Raven said slowly. "One of them is to have your bloodline prove that you're capable of nurturing the tribe's future generations."
Tai blinked. "Wait, so you're telling me that you want Yang, a six-year-old girl, to fend for her life against thieves and thugs for some measly title?"
Raven bit her lower lip. "Tch! Do you think I initially planned to get her involved? I tried to get Qrow to be my representative, but he declined my request in the end..."
"Oh, okay, so your younger brother, a man who's in his twenties and has trained to be a Grimm slayer for over four years is supposed to be replaced by an innocent tyke?! Can you even think straight anymore, Raven?!" Tai roared.
"She won't be pitted against veteran hunters you idiot!" Raven snarled. "Besides, I managed to defeat my first opponent by the time I could hold a sword, my twin can attest to that fact."
"No, I'll never allow something like this!" The blonde lunged forward and snatched his ex-lover by the collar. "If you think for one second that I'm going to let you traumatize my daughter with the notion of cold-blooded murder, then you have no idea how capable the man you married is!"
"Capable?!" Raven screamed back and wrapped her fingers around Tai's collar. "Is this coming from the man who failed to secure our outpost at the western hills of Haven?! Or the time you let Port take the blame for your screw up in the abandoned Mantlesian mines?!"
"At least I can accept the blame when I make an error, unlike a certain someone whose first reaction is to flee the second their life is put in danger! Can you tell me, in full honesty, that you'd stretch your neck out for a friend?!"
The verbal conflict's temperature rivaling the summer heat, Tai paused when his ex-wife remained silent upon hearing his outburst.
"You don't think I've tried?" Raven's lips quivered beneath her boney mask. "My semblance has saved you and the others more times than I can count. Don't forget that it was because of me that we made it out of Mistral in one piece."
Tai chuckled bitterly. "While that's true beyond a shadow of a doubt, I recall Qrow saying that you had an ulterior motive that took priority over the safety of your teammates."
The bandit's eyes darkened. "Nevertheless, I saved you lot so you owe me."
Tai released his hold immediately with his features twisting into a look of betrayal. Crossing his arms, his visage had lost its initial fire and traded it for one of sympathetic pity.
"There are a lot of things I owe you, I'll admit, after all, if it wasn't for our wedding I wouldn't have the bundle of innocent joy that I'm sworn to look after."
Taking a brave breath, Tai maintained his strict demeanor.
"And I'll do anything to protect my new family. Even if I have to tear past my emotions and affections to do so."
His stare unwavering, it faltered at the sound of bands clicking apart. Indigo pupils widened at the sight of their blood-colored cohort followed by moon-tinted skin and long midnight locks. Tai sighed at the sight that once brought him joy and hope. As for Raven, a sense of bitter spite ensnared her heart as she glared at the man who she'd accepted as more than an equal.
Their silence balanced only by their hardened mental conflictions, the snap of a twig, and the rustling of bushes broke the daunting atmosphere as ahead of familiar blonde poked through the foliage.
Raven was quick to fasten her mask.
"J-Jaune?" Tai asked, clearly taken aback by the young lad's presence.
"S-Sorry," the boy scratched his cheek, "but I couldn't find Uncle Qrow or Granpa Sam anywhere. But I did find-"
"He found me." Said the one voice neither Tai nor Raven wished to hear at the moment.
Her silver eyes gleamed with uncertainty, no one could tell what action the red reaper would make. However, the scene of her gripping Jaune's hand the way a mother would sent all sorts of misguided ideas into Raven's brain.
"S-Summer?!" Tai spluttered as the fierce light in his eyes dimmed to a fearful pair. Though he curled a brow at his current lover's calm attitude and flushed cheeks.
"I'm..." Summer said slowly with a hand on her chest while lowering the lids over her dulled silver pupils. "I'm not mad at you, Tai, but your visitor on the other hand..."
Backing several paces, Raven unsheathed her sword and raised its sparking red glimmer toward her former school partner.
"Well... I'll deal with her in a week's time I suppose?"
Tai's heart nearly jumped out of his chest out of shock. So... his wife had been listening to the entire conversation from the very beginning huh?
"Though I should warn her," Summer's frown faded to a neutral line, "the magician I've put her under is not to be underestimated. I know it's hard to believe seeing you're so narrow-minded, but Hawkins' power now may surpass both of ours combined."
Lifting her tired lids, the red reaper gazed wearily at the woman who'd once brought her so much joy with nothing more than petty spite.
"I've heard enough about this so-called magician!" Raven growled through grit teeth. "Do you honestly expect me to believe that some petty card player is capable of protecting my child?!"
"Ahem." Summer coughed into a fist. "Yang is my daughter, and I won't accept any other answer."
"Then what about that pathetic son behind you?! Is he under that fabled magician's influence as well?!"
Tai rolled his eyes with a vein bulging atop his forehead. "For the last time, Jaune is not our chi-"
"And what if he is?!" Summer's uproar drowned her lover's voice. "This well-mannered boy is an absolute peach to take care of, but responsibility like that isn't something you can understand is it?"
Leaning against Tai while rubbing her temples, the blonde bit his lower lip as his nose picked up the familiar scent of alcohol.
Jaune, all the while, scuttled behind the two adults as the third continued to steal glances at him. The boy's cerulean meeting with a harsh reddened glare, he tried to break the stare but his rattled muscles would not comply.
Raven continued to scowl at the boy. Hmph, to think she almost bought the idea that Jaune wasn't the result of Tai's and Summer's marriage. No matter what angle she observed, the tyke's appearance was practically a copy-and-paste of his father. Though to be fair, Jaune's frame and facial features could shift drastically depending on who's genes were dominant in his dna.
"Are we done here then?" Summer quipped thus breaking Raven's focus. "Your threats no longer have any weight behind them and I will not be swayed by your ridiculous claim over Yang. So..."
The red reaper's expression shifted to one of aloofness as her balance turned tipsy. "By all means, your free to try and take Yang, but you won't be happy when team STQH puts your sorry butt behind iron bars."
"Is... That so?" The bandit trembled in anger. "Well then, if you reject my proposal then I suppose I have no choice but to change tactics."
Her visage sporting a malicious grin with narrowed eyes, Raven sneered at Tai and Jaune then back to Summer.
"Why don't I pay Yang a visit seeing that no one on Patch is fit to fight?!"
Slashing a swirling red portal in haste, the bandit fled through the rippling aura causing Jaune to yelp in surprise and Tai to yell in despair. With Raven gone and Summer still smiling, the two blondes shared a glance with beads of sweat dripping down their foreheads.
"Um... my dad is with Yang today right?" Jaune asked.
"Yup..." The older blonde replied in dread.
"So... shouldn't we go help them?"
"Of course! But..."
Summer lost her footing and would've fallen flat on her face if not for her husband's swift hand.
"I can't leave Summer like this, she's a lightweight when it comes to alcohol, and I don't want to keep turning a blind eye to my problems..."
Jaune cupped his chin. He didn't like the gloomy atmosphere and scoured his mind for something to say. Then a wise sentence popped into his head from his dad's tarot teachings.
"Remember Jaune," Hawkins appeared within the frame of a thinking bubble, "there are elements that are out of your control and despite great planning, you must adjust to the unforeseen. After all, there's a 32% chance that most things in life are usually not your fault."
Relaying the words to his uncle and auntie, the pair smiled at him and patted his head.
"Alright, I need to get you both home." Tai muttered in frustration as he dialed Qrow's and Hawkins' numbers.
"I'm sorry, Hawkins," the hunter cursed under his breath, "but I know that I can trust my family in your hands when it comes down to it... I guess I'll just have to apologize for forcing Yang under your care the next time I see you..."
/-/
"U-Uncle Hawkins?" Yang stammered then jumped behind her uncle's tall frame. "W-What's that?"
Treading down the sandy shores near the southern parts of the island, Hawkins and Yang had journeyed farther than anticipated and were now in unfamiliar territory. Not that Hawkins couldn't find his way back mind you, but his cards could've never predicted the random appearance of the sparking red aura before him.
The magician had seen the trick before, and the one who owned the portal was not someone he wanted to meddle with. However, he could not comprehend how the portal had manifested here of all places. Perhaps it found its way towards him by mere chance? No, the odds of that were too slim. There had to be a reason...
"Yang," Hawkins said sternly and led the little girl towards a large cluster of smooth rocks bunched together to form a messy child-sized castle. "You are to hide here until I say it's safe for you to come out. Understand?"
"What?" Yang pouted. "Why do I have to stay here-"
The older blonde clasped a hand on her head and forced her to meet his stare.
"However, If I fall here, I want you to run as fast as you can down the straight road of gravel we passed by. If you keep following that path, you'll reach the lake where your uncles, Jaune, and Sam reside."
"H-Huh?" Yang bit her lower lip as concern filled her face. "Y-You're not going to get hurt are you?"
"Perhaps..." Hawkins eased the tension in his fingers and gave Yang a gentle pat on the head.
The young brawler blinked, uneasy at first, she slowly found her uncle was very good at head pats and leaned into his touch with a nervous smile.
Furrowing his brows, Hawkins sighed turned to face the swirling pool of red aura.
"Make sure you remain unseen. I can't protect you if you act foolishly."
"O-Okay..." Yang nodded and tucked herself behind the rock castle's shade.
"It was inevitable that I'd get caught in the personal affairs of the former STRQ," he grumbled, "but I suppose I should honor my role as an uncle for my niece's sake..."
Longsword unsheathed, he put himself a fair distance from where Yang hid but spared a glance in her direction. Noticing her ahoge twitching above the stone pile, he summoned his straw sword technique but smoothed the ends of it when it reached Yang.
"Hm?" Her lilac pupils peering at the rustling straw above her, she yelped as the straw patted her skull to lower her stance.
"What did I say?" Hawkins called.
"To stay hidden!" Yang puffed her cheeks and peeked over the castle ridge to spit her tongue at her uncle. Though this sign of petty defiance was merely a facade to hide her true emotions. She didn't understand the severity of the situation and that frightened her. Not to mention her mean uncle Hawkins had gone out of his way to comfort her. Whatever that red blob of swirling light was, it was dangerous without a doubt.
Finding a convenient peephole, Yang nuzzled her cheek against the smooth fortifications of the castle and was glad to have a clear view of the entire beachside.
Back to Hawkins, a black heel followed by a feminine figure, crimson eyes met blood-colored eyes with only the sounds of the ocean waves to fill the ominous silence.
"Where is she?" The woman behind the Grimm mask hissed.
"As it so happens," Hawkins said lazily, "I happen to have lost sight of her as well. Perhaps we could settle this debate after we've found her?"
The bandit laughed mockingly. "Oh please, I'm not stupid. I've heard about you from my brother and my former teammates. So, this is the person that now serves as my replacement? I can't say I'm impressed seeing you're nothing but a glorified card-loving nanny for Jaune and Yang."
The magician huffed indignantly. "And I suppose you're the backstabbing traitor who'd rather save her own skin above all else?"
"Backstabbing traitor?" The woman's voice raised a tad.
"Or so I've heard." Hawkins shrugged.
The shifting of gears leading to a blade of bright scarlet, the bandit faced the former pirate in a combat stance which meant the most undesired outcome was inevitable.
As the two adults prepared to trade steel, Yang bit her lower lip from the sidelines and clenched her fists.
"Kick that meanie's butt, Uncle Hawkins!" She whispered to herself with a hopeful glint sparking in her lilac pupils.