Vol.2, Ch.17:
The sun was beginning to set for the day, but the day was still young for team RNJR alongside Oscar who were working on hand-to-hand combat. Right now, Jaune, Ren, and Nora watched on as Ruby and Oscar fought. This led to Oscar giving Ruby a light punch to the face which scared him.
Oscar: Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!
Jaune: Man, Oz wasn't kidding. Oscar's picking up on this stuff fast.
It didn't last long as Ruby picked up speed and recovered back which led to hitting Oscar back as he fell to the ground as Jaune and Nora winced while Ruby celebrated.
Ruby: Ha! Yes! I did it! *Looks at him* Oscar?
Oscar: (Ozpin: You forgot to engage your Aura, again.) Why didn't you tell me? (Ozpin: Because this method makes you less likely to forget. Mind if I give it a shot?)
Oscar stiffened a bit as his eyes glow yellow then rose up fast which startled everyone, but this was also bad news for Ruby Rose who now went from fighting like a pro to fighting like a rookie.
Ozpin: Not bad, Miss Rose. But Oscar doesn't have the years of training that you do. Or I do. *Glows in aura*
Ruby: *gulps* Oh, ha, well, maybe we should uh... take a break.
Ozpin went quick on Ruby with a few punches aimed at her head which she blocks until he lands a blow to her face which sends her back. Ozpin makes a leap and kicks her in the face once again striking her down.
Nora: Ouch.
Ozpin: The next time you want to throw a left cross, remember to push off with the appropriate foot. And as always, do be aware of any openings.
Ruby: *sits up* Gooooot it.
As Ruby slowly and painfully got up, Ozpin disappeared reverting back to Oscar as he grunts and holds his body in pain and exhaustion. Ruby walks towards him to make sure he's not in critical pain.
Ruby: Oh! Hey. Are you okay?
Oscar: How is this so exhausting?
Ren: Your body isn't used to this kind of training, not to mention generating a defensive Aura on your own. It takes intense concentration at first, but in time it will become second nature, allowing you to deflect attacks and gradually heal your wounds. After that, you can begin focusing on your Semblance, whatever that may be.
Oscar: Semblance?
Nora: You know! Like your very own superpower! Everybody's got one. It's just a matter of finding it and mastering it. Ruby moves super fast, Electricity makes me stronger, Ren can mask emotions, and Jaune... can, uh, um. Hmm.
Jaune: I can't do anyth—
Ruby: Jaune's like you! He hasn't found his Semblance yet, but we all know he will. And you will, too. We all just have to try and help each other get stronger.
Oscar: Cool.
Ren: A common philosophy is that a warrior's Semblance is a part of who they are. Some say your personality and character can define your Semblance while some claim that it is the other way around. Of course, there are still many who don't see a connection at all.
Nora: It's hard to know when you know sometimes. Ren's Semblance was unlocked from intense stress.
Ruby: And mine kicked in during training one day.
Oscar: *Looks at Nora* And what about you?
Nora: Oh. Struck by lightning. Didn't die. Craaaazy Thursday.
Jaune: I just don't understand what's wrong with me. I train. I meditate.
Ozpin: Don't worry, Mr. Arc. Your journey is far from over. And the same might be said for all of you. Unlocking your Semblance isn't the end. It can still grow and evolve. Providing you're willing to put in the work, who knows what could happen.
Ruby: *smiles confidently* Then let's get back to it.
In other parts of Mistral, Yang continued to walk through the forests being escorted by the bruised bandits she beat up earlier. After a good walk, she finally came across the Branwen tribe which she released a disappointed sigh. She activated her sonic sunglasses and made a full scan of how many people were all around before approaching the main tent and out came Raven Branwen.
Yang: Mom.
Raven: *removes my mask and smiles* Yang. So, after all this time you finally decided to visit me.
Yang: You know that I searched for you. I spent years looking for you.
Raven: And you've found me. You were patient, determined, and strong enough to make your dream a reality. Well done, Yang. But did you have to be so rough with my men?
Yang: I didn't want a fight. They started it.
Raven: Well, you certainly finished it. Right. I'm sure this is all very overwhelming. But I must admit that you've proven yourself. So any questions you have I'll be happy to answer. You can stay with us tonight. I'll even have the cooks whip up something for you.
Yang: That's not why I am here.
Raven: What was that?
Yang: I'm not here for you. Ruby is somewhere in Mistral. She's with Qrow, and she's going to need my help. I just need you to take me to her.
Raven: And why would I do that?
Yang: Because we're family.
Raven: *clinches teeth* Family. Only coming around when they need something. I have to say, I'm disappointed. After all, you found me, didn't you? Why not take that drive and use it to find your little sister if she means that much to you?
Yang: Because you're going to save me time. Ruby was heading to Mistral, but there's no guarantee she's made it there. Looking for her in Anima could take ages. But... Dad told me how your Semblance works.
Raven: *looks down* Tai...
Yang: You can bond to certain people. And when you do, you could create a portal that takes you straight to them. You've got one for Dad. One for me. And you've got one for Qrow. He promised me he'd watch out for Ruby before he left. And I trust him. So, make a portal to my uncle and sister, and I'll be on my way.
Raven: You know, it takes real strength to march in here and demand such a favor of me. I've got to say, I'm impressed. It's very noble to want to help out your sister. But if she's with Qrow, then she's already a lost cause.
Yang: What does that mean?
Raven: You don't want to get mixed up in all of that, Yang. Ozpin is not the man you think he is. And Qrow is a fool for trusting him. I would know, I trusted him once, too.
Yang: I don't care what you think.
Raven: Your choice is your own. All I'm suggesting is that instead of getting wrapped up in something too big for you, for any of us, that maybe you take a moment to wonder if you're already where you belong.
Yang: Save your breath. You can spout off whatever you want, but nothing is going to keep me from my sister.
Raven: Well, aren't you stubborn.
Yang: I get it from my mom.
Raven: Well, if that's how you feel, then it sounds like we're done here. Take her away.
Yang: Did you not hear me? *Eyes turn red* I said send me to Qrow, damn it!
Bandit Two: That's enough! You watch your mouth in front of our leader!
Bandits were approaching in on Yang as the one who spoke tried to restrain her but is punched back by Yang's robotic arm, sending him crashing through one of the tents which revealed a cage. The cage that Weiss Schnee was in, and she couldn't believe her eyes.
Weiss: Yang?
Yang: Weiss?
Weiss: Alright, well, subtlety is out.
She looks back at her cage where a mini Arma Gigas appeared and grew bigger, breaking the cage as well while following Weiss in accompanying Yang as they stand side by side for the first time in over a year.
Yang: What is that?
Weiss: Don't worry about it. What are you doing here?
Yang: *gestures to Raven* Well, that's my mom and she can take us to Ruby.
Weiss: *eyes widened* Your mom kidnapped me?!
Yang: *looks at Raven* You kidnapped her?!
Raven: ENOUGH! If you people don't keep it together this place will be crawling with Grimm. *Looks at Vernal* Give the girl her-
Raven couldn't finish her sentence as both her and Vernal were surprised by the Myrtenaster being pulled back to Weiss's hand with her eyes glowing gold once again which Yang caught, surprising her. Raven knew very well not to fight with someone who has an unknown power, and she knew that this power isn't Maiden or Remnant related.
Raven: You two. In my tent. Now.
Yang: Why?
Raven: If you're really going after your sister, then you need to know the truth.
Raven heads back inside to her tent while other bandits go back to their work as Yang and Weiss catch their breaths for the moment as Arma Gigas disappear and Weiss's eyes revert back to normal.
Yang: Sorry about-
Yang was caught by surprise when Weiss jumped to hug her tight. Yang didn't waste time in returning the strong hug as well.
Weiss: I missed you so much.
Yang: I've missed you, too.
After their heartfelt reunion, both girls walked inside the main tent as Raven was already waiting for them. Once they entered, she signaled Vernal to wait outside as she followed the boss's orders.
Yang: So, what's the "truth"?
Raven: *taking a sip of tea* You know, it's better when it's hot.
Weiss: You know, you're really obnoxious.
Raven: The truth is that "truth" is hard to come by. A story of victory for one person is a story of defeat for someone else. By now, your uncle has surely told Ruby and her friends plenty of stories.
Yang: Well, he's never given me a reason to doubt him before.
Raven: That doesn't mean those reasons don't exist. You know, you and your teammates might as well be the poster children for the Huntsman Academies. Your motives vary, but you all enrolled to try and make the world a better place. It's adorable.
Yang: It's what Huntsmen and Huntresses do.
Raven: Not all of them. Some people are just in it for the money and the fame, but there's even more that are just looking to grow stronger. Your Uncle Qrow and I didn't attend Beacon to become Huntsmen, we did it to learn how to kill Huntsmen. Guess Daddy and Uncle left that part out, hm? Aside from the Grimm, Huntsmen were the only ones capable of ruining our raids and hunting us down. Our tribe needed a counterforce. And Qrow and I were the perfect age. The entrance exams were child's play compared to what we'd already been through. We were good. So good, that we caught the attention of Beacon's very own Headmaster, Professor Ozpin. Even after we were put on a team, I could tell he was keeping his eye on us. Back then, I thought it was because he knew, but it was Team STRQ he was interested in.
Yang: What do you mean by that?
Raven: Constant attention, extra training missions, turning a blind eye whenever we happened to break the rules and get into more trouble than we should've. Sound familiar?
Yang: *looks at Weiss then Raven* What's your point?
Raven: How much do you know about Professor Ozpin? About his past?
Weiss: He was... a prodigy. One of the youngest headmasters to be appointed to a school.
Raven: Because that's how he planned it. Because the man you know as Ozpin designed those schools and has followers inside every academy on Remnant that are loyal to him and no one else.
Yang: That doesn't make any sense! How could he have...? No. Why would someone even do that?
Raven: Because old man Oz has a great and terrible secret. One that could spread fear across the world. One that he eventually entrusted to our team, and once I knew, there was no going back. I needed to know more, but with every new discovery I made, the more horrifying the world became.
Yang: Okay, then tell us. What's the big secret? What's so crazy that the rest of us don't know?
Raven: The Creatures of Grimm... have a master named Salem. She can't be stopped, she can't be reasoned with, and she will not rest until Humanity crumbles at her feet.
Yang and Weiss were left in shock hearing about Salem. They remember very well when the Doctor would mention the Grimm's creator but didn't know her name or anything else until now.
Yang: Why should we believe any of this?
Raven: Now you're catching on. So far you've done nothing but accept what others tell you, but you need to question everything. Otherwise, you'll end up just as blind as Qrow... and your fool of a father.
The conversation came to abrupt when Yang shot a bullet from Ember Celica through Raven's table. Raven turns around to see her daughter's eyes red and filled with rage, but she only gives her a faint smile.
Yang: Don't you dare talk about my family like that!
Vernal: You need to calm down.
Right behind Yang was vernal aiming her weapon at her. Weiss knew she could have this go two ways, stand down or fight. She looked at her hand, but nothing came out of it, and she thought about it very well.
Weiss: *holds Yang's hand* Yang, please.
Raven: *smirks* Listen to your friend, Yang. Your teammates never let you down before.
Yang: You don't know the first thing about my teammates! About me! You were never there! You LEFT US! WHY?! *Looks down in sadness*
Raven: I know more than you realize. Not just about you, and not just what I've been told, but things I've seen with my own eyes. I know the Grimm have a leader, I know people who can come back from the dead, I know that magic is real, and I can prove it. Just like your Schnee friend.
All eyes landed on Weiss, but her eyes were on Raven as she stood up to look at Yang's mother. The whole tribe saw what she did against Vernal, she remembers very well what she did to the Weeping Angels, the energy pulse she released on different occasions. She didn't know exactly what she had, but she had a faint idea of where it came from.
Raven: It is no Maiden power. So tell me, what do you have?
Weiss: Even I don't know what it is. I don't have full control of it just yet...but I will say that it be best if you don't try any ideas. You saw what I did to your loyal *looks at Vernal* companion. You are scared. That is why you are always hiding, that is why you abandoned your only people in your life.
Vernal: SHUT UP!
Weiss: You don't say anything back because behind all that ego and power, is a scared child of this world because of the things she has seen. *Points to the sky* The man in the stars, you heard of him I imagine, he's the reason I have this power and believe me when I say that we have seen who he can be when he drops his kindness. Consider yourself lucky if you haven't met him.
Yang: Weiss?...*eyes widened* Oh my god...
Yang just found out that Weiss regained her memories of the Doctor back. It's been so long since Yang last saw Weiss, the last time she saw her was when asking where Ruby was during the destruction of Beacon and she had no memory of him. She knows Weiss has changed for the better, because of her heart, because of her bond with Team RWBY, with the Doctor, but it was very strange to see Weiss acting like The Doctor. Raven just looked at Weiss with a guilty look before looking at Yang.
Raven: You said Tai told you all about my Semblance. Well, I doubt he ever told you what Oz did to my brother and me.
Raven exits the tent without saying anything else which left Yang and Weiss confused. They look over to Vernal who only shrugs and heads to the exit as well.
Vernal: Go see for yourself.
Right after Vernal leaves, Yang and Weiss follow outside to look around and see no sign of Raven around. It was secretly pissing off Yang and Weiss noticed.
Yang: Mom?
Weiss: Yang, are you okay?
Yang: I'll be fine once we can get her to take us to Ruby.
Weiss: It's okay if... you're not okay.
Yang: You didn't believe what she said, right?
Weiss: I...Well, not all of it. Yang, you saw that there is more out there than what we know. We have Dust, Semblances...we've dealt with supernatural, monsters, aliens...*looks at my hand again* It's not that far-fetched if Magic is real here.
They heard a bird caw and both girls look up to see a raven flying around them. This raven looked very familiar to Yang's eyes while Weiss sensed something off.
Weiss: A raven?
Yang: I've... seen that bird before.
Weiss: Maybe it belongs to your mom?
The Raven descends into the trees and to come down back as Raven Branwen herself shocking the girls. Raven had shapeshifting ability to transform herself into a bird.
Yang: How... did you do that?
Raven: Well, I could explain it to you... *opens up a portal* ...or you could ask your uncle.
Yang: You're letting us go?
Raven: I'm giving you a choice. Stay here, with me, and I'll answer all your questions and more. We can have a fresh start. Or... you can go back to Qrow and join Ozpin's impossible war against Salem, and meet the same fate as so many others. But can you really go back to trusting someone that's kept so much from you?
Yang: *glares at her* All I care about is making sure my sister is safe.
Raven: *furiously* Ugh.
Yang and Weiss get on Bumblebee as they ride to the portal. But before they can enter the portal, Raven stops Yang to address her.
Raven: Yang. If you side with your uncle, I may not be as kind the next time we meet-
Weiss had her Myrtenaster right in front of Raven while Yang looked on. Vernal and the bandits noticed as they all approached the scene ready to attack if Raven was provoked.
Weiss: We are leaving now! If you know what's good for you, DO NOT come to Yang EVER again. Consider your communication with her CANCELLED! *Gets behind Yang*
Yang: Besides, you weren't kind this time either.
And just like that, the duo ride off into the portal as it closed while everyone returning back to work while Raven stood there and looking at where the portal once was moments ago.
Raven: I know...
Right at the center point of Mistral, the portal opens to reveal Weiss and Yang coming out of it with Bumblebee. They make a full stop and look back at the portal as it closes while Yang clinched her fist and took a deep breath.
Weiss: We made it.
Yang: Yep! So, you remember everything?
Weiss: *nods* It all came back to me recently when the Doctor passed by to lend me a gift. *Looks at my necklace* That idiot.
Yang: Then that means he really did come to visit each of us. He also gave me a gift. *Points to my sunglasses* They're sonic.
Weiss: Huh? That's pretty cool and it does suit you. So, what's the plan now?
Yang: Now, we need to find a place to put Bumblebee, get you cleaned up, and find Ruby.
Qrow: You won't be needing any map to find her that's for sure.
Both girls turn around hearing that raspy voice to reveal a surprised yet happy Qrow Branwen to see them. About an hour later, back at the house Team RNJR are staying in are cooking up dinner and setting up the dinner table after hearing from Qrow that they'll have some guests.
Ren: Alright, the first batch is just about done.
Ruby: Awesome! Now we just need Qrow and we'll be all set.
Nora: *eating carrots* Do you really think he's gonna bring that many people? This is a lot of food.
Ruby: Uh, I don't know, but it sounds like we could use all the help we can get.
Qrow: *enters the house* I'm back!
Ruby: Be right there!
Ren: You're going to overcook that.
Ruby: No I'm not, shut up!
Qrow:*in the living room* Hey, uh, Ruby?
Ruby: I'm coming! *Yelps at the smoke* Fine! You take over.
Ren tries not to laugh as he takes over the cooking while Ruby grabs the tray of tea and heads onto the living room to greet Qrow and the guests not knowing what would be in stored.
Ruby: So, we didn't know how many people were coming, so we just cooked all of it. *gasps*
All the trio hears from the kitchen is a loud gasp and the tea tray falling onto the ground which scared them as they check on Ruby and they couldn't believe it either. In front of Ruby was her sister Yang and her friend Weiss, after a long time of not seeing each other. Yang approached Ruby as she grew scared.
Ruby: *tears up* Y-Yang, I... I'm so sorry! I- I should've stayed, and I should've talked to you more! I'd- I just... I wasn't sure if you wanted me around and-
Yang: *hugs Ruby tight* I love you. *Tears up*
Ruby: I love you too.
The sisters embraced the hug more as the others watched on with smiles. Weiss watched on with a tear falling as she wiped it. She was happy to see Yang and Ruby but at the same time, knowing that Winter isn't here anymore pains her.
Ruby: Weiss.
Weiss looks over to the sisters as they opened their arms for her to join in the hug. It has been a year, things have come and gone, changed, and just today, they are back together at last. She runs to them as the trio shares their hug. Three of Team RWBY have finally reunited as the others watched on.
Not far from them in the forests of Mistral, Dalek Khan continues his pursuit of the Cybermen with Ashad, Dr. Merlot, and three other Cybermen still alive. Long travels did not stop the Dalek especially noticing he's not that far from where Ruby is staying. His scanners went off which alerted him thinking it was the Cybermen, but it was worse, the crack of the universe. He looked up and while it didn't show in the skies of Remnant, he zoomed into space and saw the shattered crack expanding which was bad news. And with the Doctor nowhere in sight or unable to contact him. That is until he heard the faint noise of the TARDIS, he knew what noise she was making, it was an emergency call.
Dalek Khan: TARDIS EMERGENCY CALL! Doctor...where are you?
Far from Remnant, more of life in the universe was being devoured by the void. Krall watched on with a smirk until the ship detected the crack in the universe. A gateway to another universe and it made him think of what he can do with his void after finishing this universe completely.
Krall: All the gateways to universes in the palm of my hand. Time to begin the end and the beginning.
Krall watched on with his new look, a very familiar look. That familiar look would be The Doctor, Krall possessed the body of the time lord as he now had the ability to live for centuries and what would have been his final journey was now just the beginning. Inside a pitch-black room with no light or sound around laid the Doctor himself, defeated, given up, soulless, and slowly being consumed by the black liquid under him.
Time was running out.