A/N: Consider this a continuation of chapter 21, aka the "First Hunt" fragment.

...I'm tired.

More than that, I hate delaying updates.

Everybody Wants to be My Enemy and What Could Have Been are fighting me. Slifer can't help this time, as he's busy with Partner's in Crime, which should be ready next Wednesday. Meanwhile we have Forgotten Son, a MASSIVE chapter now, but still not ready. Needed to include the Field of Fire bit.

Then we have Embers of Hope, Take the Girl, and all the Elden Ring updates. Sorry, I'm not as quick as I used to be.

Don't get me started on Blood Upon the Snow and the Fate stories as a whole.

I'm not rushing chapters anymore. They'll be ready when they're ready.

With my fifteen year anniversary on this site here, I find myself reflecting on the little things in life. What was once a lazy pastime meant for me and a few friends really grew and evolved over time. There are days when I look back on the last fifteen years here and I wonder if anyone will remember me; if I made an impact, despite never making a single cent on any of these stories. Some days were happier than others, and some stories I enjoyed writing WAY too much; to the point where I'd stay up all night working on them.

And of course, there are times when I look to the future and wonder what will become of things when I'm gone.

Of course, I try not to dwell on the latter overmuch; I'm still alive and still writing. In an ideal world, I'd like to keep doing so for as long as I can. But old age is catching up to me and these days, the world is filled with so much madness and death. The recent earthquake in Turkey/Syria serves as a terrible example. Even before that, so many friends and fellow writers I once knew are gone, now. Will I still be here in twenty years? Ten? Five? Its a chilling thought. But for now, I'm still here, still writing.

So tired. Need to stay awake, I've got work soon...

Here we go. The fate of this story depends on you, the reader. Your feedback determines the fate of this tale, and many others.

I'm just a humble author trying to make his way in this wild world, one word at a time.

Time and feedback will determine if this becomes a story. Simple as that.

Also something of a minor AU here relating to Grimm.

You'll soon see/remember what I mean...

"I...remember them. A little. You were young when it happened.

The Grimm got 'em. They nearly got us.

They're gone, Ruby. Let it go."

~?

Firecracker

Fighting her Dad was like fighting nature itself.

Yang loved it and hated it in equal measure. On the one hand he was the strongest in the Tribe bar none; the best challenge she could find, with Mom only a close a second. He challenged her in ways nobody else could not even Ruby. On the other, you really couldn't knock out a hurricane now, could ya? Couldn't hold back a flood with your bare hands. You definitely couldn't wrestle a tornado. You could try, but they'd just knock you down or worse, throw you into the air. Best way to deal with them was hunker down and wait for them to pass.

She was trying. Really, she was! But he kept pissing her off!

"Slow!"

He slapped her wrist aside as she charged past, leaving her arm stringing. She pivoted, rounding on him.

"Sloppy!"

Her old man swayed aside from a right hook, lazily blocked a knee to the groin with the back of his shin, and drove his skull into hers.

Reeling, stars bursting around her vision, Yang threw a wild haymaker to prevent the knockout blow she knew was coming.

"SAD!"

Too late. Dad swept her legs, then, while she was still airborne, pivoted and drove a punch into her torso. Yang folded around it and struck the earth like a falling star, all but drilled into the dirt. Her aura nosedived and she was sure she left a decidedly Yang-shaped crater in her wake. A few low whistles went up from the Tribe. She heard them distantly through ringing ears.

"Saw that coming."

"You think she'd learn by now."

"Meh, she's the boss's daughter. Stubborn's in her blood."

A booted foot nudged her ribs, rolling her onto her back. "You done yet, firecracker? Ruby's gonna be back from her hunt any second now, and your mother with her. You gonna let them see you like this?"

Yang sucked in a sharp, pained breath through her teeth. Ruby wouldn't care. Ruby adored her. But mom...Mom might be disappointed. She wouldn't say anything of course; then again, she wouldn't have to. Just the idea of her looking down at her, shaking her head -even if she hadn't done that in awhile-hurt her more than words. The thought reactivated Yang. She looked up, glaring at the sunny sky. Sparks skittered across her gaze. Dad had told her not to use her power pointlessly. He was teaching her that lesson even now, trying to goad her into action.

.

..

...screw it.

Not like she had anything left to lose. Might as well empty the tank and go all out.

Lilac eyes snapped open, blazing red flames. Her semblance flared alongside it; her hair burst into brilliant blazing gold. High above them, the sunny day darkened as clouds rolled in. She barely noticed; too busy glaring bloody red daggers at the man who'd raised her, the man she called father. She had her second wind now, and she wasn't about to waste it.

"You shouldn'ta said that...

Dad stood his ground, whiskered cheeks dimpling in a wry grin, bright baby blue eyes beaming with something akin to pride beneath his half-mask. As she looked on he reached down and tugged the clasp holding his Ursa fur cloak to his shoulders. The heavy garment pooled at his feet as he rolled his shoulder. With the same hand he removed said Beowolf mask and cast it aside, not wanting to damage it in the battle to come.

"Come on, then." he crooked one hand at her, making a come hither motion. "Hit me with your best shot. Make your old man proud.

Yang complied happily.

She felt the ground crater underfoot as she lunged at him with a roar. Her fist reared back, ready to return all the damage he'd dished out to her, twice as hard. Dad -Naruto!- didn't deign to dodge. He simply stood his ground and tapped his cheek with one finger, whistling her way.

It reminded her of someone.

Someone she could barely remember. A man with dark hair and red eyes, someone who always smelled faintly of booze. He had a raspy laugh, and a hoarse voice, but he always ruffed her hair. stung for some reason. She couldn't remember his name.

The thought drove her utterly berserk.

"Raaaargh!"

Clenched knuckles drove into his cheek with all the force of a ballistic missile. One that was already on fire. Naruto's head snapped to the side, face denting beneath the blow. A tooth whistled through the air...but his feet didn't move. So she hit him again, and again, and yet again; battering him with blow after blow, smashing flaming fists into his face, torso and chest.

No dice. He weathered them all. One last punch smashed into his face again, and still, his feet didn't move

Calmly, almost happily, Naruto turned his face against her fist, pivoting to smile at her.

"My turn now.

His knee smashed up into her stomach, blasting the air from her lungs. Yang took the pain, fed her Semblance with it, and threw another punch. This time his head snapped back.

"SPECTACULAR!"

She barely got her guard up in time before he repaid the favor in kind. He always spared her face. Gods knew why, but Dad never hit her anywhere she wouldn't heal. Everywhere else was fair game. When he struck at her again she tried to shift aside then thought better of it at the last second; his fist missed her shoulder and struck lower instead. She recoiled with a hiss, rubbing her chest.

"Ow! Right in the boob!"

"You're fault for not committing." he tutted. "Dodge or don't. Wishy-washy crap like that won't hold."

She growled at him, massaging the bruise he'd undoubtedly created. "Shitty old man!"

"Yes, but I'm your shitty old man. And language, young lady!"

Yang grit her teeth and waded back in to meet him.

Growing up in the Tribe wasn't, well...normal.

Not rough per se, but Yang was old enough by now to this wasn't a normal life; if only because she had memories of the first one. Ruby was only twelve, she didn't quite get it. She'd been little when it happened. Yang had been too, but she was older. She remembered. Summer and Taiyang were gone. Dead. Slaughtered by Grimm. And the past with them. She'd been too weak to help back then; unable to do anything but bundle the two of them into a closet and wait until help came.

Until Mom and her new dad came, cut those beasts down, and brought them here. To the the tribe.

Maybe if she'd been stronger, she could've done something. Could have saved them -anything!- not just stand there and watch through the cracks as they were torn apart. That had been years ago now, but she'd never forgotten that awful night, that foul feeling, her utter weakness.

So she'd get strong. Strong enough to protect not only herself, but Ruby, too.

Yang cocked her gauntlets and threw another punch. Her knuckles met his.

Surprised gleamed in Naruto's eyes this time...good. That was a sign.

She was getting stronger. Slowly but surely. She had to. She must.

This was her life. She would kill to keep it.

A/N: Aaaand scene.

Aaaand there we go. Hope you enjoyed this little tease. Soooo? Should this be a story? Once again! This is an AU.

Hope someone, somewhere, enjoyed this. I just don't know anymore these days. Its terribly hard to tell...

So...in the Immortal Words of Atlas...Review...Would You Kindly? Let me know what you think!

Preview are the same, because this just might become a story...

...but of course, that depends on feedback.

Hope you enjoy 'em~!

(Previews!)

"Yang! Don't move! Not a muscle!

"Daaaaad! Its fine! I was just carrying her back to camp, its not like we were-

A blond brow rose.

Yang shifted the unconscious faunus girl slung over her shoulder.

"Okay," she began. "I know what this looks like, but it ain't like that. Just hear me out...

"Utterly insatiable, i swear...

"You love it." Raven climbed into his lap and shed her shirt, exposing her bosom to his wanting eyes. "Clothes off. Now."

...we're gonna break the bed again."

She pressed her lips to his. "Hear that? That's the sound of me not giving a fuck."

Laughter filled the tent.

"Do you have any idea who I am?!"

...a Schnee? Don't worry, we'll ransom you back to your folks soon enough."

And my pilot?"

"Hey, hey. Don't give me that look, girlie. The crash killed him not us."

Heehee~! Two maidens for the price of one! The Queen will be so pleased!"

The blade burst through his back. Ruby screamed.

A blond brow rose at his would-be killer.

"I'm sorry, was that supposed to do something...?"

Something sparked in his off hand. She barely saw it; scarcely heard the wind rise.

Dad reared back and smashed a Rasenshuriken into his opponent's face. The world went white.

Raven heaved a sigh. This is my life now...

R&R~!