Author's note: Trigger warning at the bottom, just in case.
The following day, at noon, the group, consisting of Team RWBY, Jaune, Ren, Nora, Qrow, Oscar, Maria and General Ironwood, was in General Ironwood's office again. Yang had tried, and failed, to heal Harriet's legs, and was angrily pacing up and down the room. Her hair was practically on fire and her eyes glowed red, and Harriet had also refused to learn astral projection.
"What kind of maiden am I if I can't even heal someone?" Yang shouted.
"I don't understand what went wrong," Ruby said, "I saw it in Emerald's memories when we fused. It should have worked."
"Well, we're out of options now," General Ironwood said, "Just let me experience Sirena's pain, and then we can move on."
"I… still don't know if this is a good idea," Ruby said.
"You're handling it fine too," General Ironwood said and asked, "So, how bad could it be?"
"I don't ignore the pain," Ruby said, "But if you really insist, fine." She put her right hand on his left shoulder and used her Mentor semblance. Ruby transferred a portion of Sirena's pain to James, but also told him that she was projecting her guilt onto him as a defense mechanism, and that she was blaming herself due to being too weak to protect her people. It only took a few seconds, and afterwards, General Ironwood was awfully quiet for a moment.
"I… need some time for myself," General Ironwood said, walked into a small room adjacent to his office and locked the door. Suddenly, Blake dashed toward the door, cut through the lock and tackled General Ironwood to the ground. One of his guns fired, and the bullet hit the wall to his right. Blake kicked the gun away, and slid the other one over to Qrow as well. Qrow went to help her restrain the General as he tried to get his guns. Ruby stared in shock.
"Just… one," Ruby said under her breath, barely loud enough for Blake to hear it.
"James, come on, it can't be that bad," Qrow said, struggling to keep the man on the ground. James stopped struggling.
"Y- you ha- have no idea," James cried, "Th- the pain, the m- mi- misery, everything. It's too much, far too much. I- I just can't take it!" Qrow let James get up and the two hugged sitting on the ground, with the General letting his arms hang and sobbing into Qrow's shoulder. Blake put James' guns on his desk, and a red portal opened next to Ruby. Sirena stepped out of it and walked over to James.
"James…. No. General," Sirena said and sat down, surprising everyone in the room, "I must apologize for what happened to Harriet. As Jaune has correctly deduced, the blessing I put on Qrow's sword was affected by his new attire. When I learned that Qrow's semblance was specifically targeting individuals who saw themselves in direct competition with a silver-eyed warrior, I merely told Harriet that she was in danger, without being clear on what this danger consisted of. My refusal to share information about others without their consent, such as details of Qrow's semblance, is only a part of the reason for that. I also failed to suggest discussing everyone's semblances before going on that mission, so that each team member would know what they had to save others from, and what not. To make up for it, I want to offer to bring one of my healers here to treat Harriet, if you would allow it."
"Thanks. I- I don't know what to say," James said, "I'm so, so sorry for what I did to your people. Please, bring your healer here as soon as you can."
"Not to ruin the mood or anything," Nora said and asked, "But, didn't the doctors say that it was impossible to heal Harriet's legs?" In response, Sirena stood back up and lifted her tank top, revealing a series of star-shaped scars running along her spine both on her back and front.
"What the-" Yang said and asked, "How did you get those?" Sirena let her tank top down again.
"They are a constant reminder not to be reckless," Sirena said, "When I was younger, I swam near a black smoker. I was told never to stray far from the guards' paths for long. That day, I felt adventurous. Out of nowhere, a sea dragon attacked me. The same kind of creature that attacked the Paladin a few days ago. Its jaws dug into my flesh, piercing my skin and muscle, and crushing my vertebrae. As I struggled to break free, it released its chlorine gas breath, covering my entire body in the yellow cloud of death. After I got free, I dragged myself home, hurting, bleeding, dying. Two guards found me and brought a healer. He was just ten years old back then, yet he already knew enough to save me." As she told her story, the others listened with increasing horror.
"How did you get free?" Weiss asked after a moment of stunned silence.
"And what's chlorine gas?" Ruby asked.
"Chlorine gas is a chemical weapon," Maria answered, "It causes severe and painful burns on all kinds of tissue and was used in the Great War, mostly by Atlas troops. One group in particular was infamous for its willingness to utilize this terrible weapon. This group was dubbed the Grimm Corps by the other kingdoms, because it was much less demoralizing to think Grimm would use this kind of weapon, rather than humans. And while it was a devastating weapon, the most unlucky victims are the ones that lived."
"And that's why the weapon was outlawed," Qrow said.
"Exactly," Sirena said, "And as for how I broke free, well, I broke off one of my ribs and stabbed the creature in the eye, then swam away while it was distracted." Hearing this, Nora almost threw up, and the others looked at Sirena with pure shock and terror.
"That… sounds like a nightmare," Weiss said.
"How didn't you lose your will to fight?" Yang asked.
"It was a Tuesday," Sirena said and answered, "And I didn't lose my will to fight because, simply put, that's what gets you killed down there. The deep sea decides who lives and who dies. That day, I tried making that decision myself, and I almost paid for it with my life. The deep sea is bigger than anything, and she makes the rules. If you forget that, or even think of doubting that, she will know, and she will remind you of your place immediately."
"I-" General Ironwood said, stopped, got up and asked, "In any case, can you bring your healer here now, so we can heal Harriet?"
"Of course," Sirena answered, sounding much less serious, and said, "Though, one more thing before I go."
"What is it?" General Ironwood asked.
"James Ironwood," Sirena said, "I would be willing to reconsider my stance on your kingdom and army, if you agree to protect the kingdom of Atlas and its people to the best of your abilities." She extended her left hand, and General Ironwood looked at it.
"Alright," General Ironwood said and shook her hand, and a sudden sting erupted in his palm. He looked at it and saw a dark red symbol slowly fade.
"And thus, the pact is sealed," Sirena said.
"What was that?" General Ironwood asked.
"One of my copied semblances, Pact," Sirena answered, "It allows me to make pacts with people, and the semblance ensures that both sides keep their end of the deal. I rarely use it, as it would make things too easy for me, thus prompting Salem to bring out the big guns, as some would say. Anyway, I'll go and get my healer now. Be sure to keep two carafes of water ready." She turned around, created an ice blade on her right sleeve and opened a portal. She walked through, and it closed behind her.
~o~
After sabotaging Sophie's new weapon, Talia went to a psychologist in Atlas to try and figure out what Sulfis was, and what was happening in general. After making a last-minute appointment, Talia met with the psychologist for the initial discussion on the matter. The psychologist, Dr. Arista Corn, was a human woman with blond hair and green eyes. She wore a black suit, black suit pants and black shoes, and an expensive watch around her left wrist. Her office was located on the corner of a building, overlooking to wide tundra outside of Mantle, with a solid oak wood desk in the middle, a dark brown leather couch on a wall next to the door, and a large bookshelf behind the desk.
"So, Talia," Dr. Corn said and asked, "What brings you here?"
"It's… complicated," Talia answered, fiddling with her tail a little, and said, "But sometimes, I'm not me. Sometimes, I feel like someone else is in control, and I kind of pass out, or something like that."
"I see," Dr. Corn said and asked, "Do you know what could cause this?"
"I… think so," Talia answered, and suddenly felt a new presence in the back of her head. She clasped her head with her hands and curled up, hissing.
"Are… you alright?" Dr. Corn asked.
"Not… here," Talia said to herself, "Not… now…." Dr. Corn ducked behind her desk, not sure what she should, or could, do if the situation escalated. Talia's aura flared up and slowly turned yellow. Her mouse tail disappeared and her black hair turned blond. Her hair tied itself into a bun, and fins appeared on her forearms. The woman opened her amber eyes and looked around.
"Hello," Dr. Corn said hesitantly and asked, "Do you know who you are, or where?"
"I am Selene," Selene answered, "However, I lack information on my current whereabouts, and would appreciate your assistance in informing me of them."
"Hello Selene," Dr. Corn said, "You are in Atlas, and I am doctor Arista Corn, a psychologist specializing in dissociative identity disorder. It appears that you are one of at least two alternate personalities of one of my clients, Talia Star."
"I see," Selene said, "Yes, I believe Talia created me in order to aid her in understanding this world."
"I… suppose that makes sense," Dr. Corn said, "In any case, most of my patients find it beneficial to have their different personalities leave notes for one another. That way, when one of the others is in charge, they can read what you were doing, and vice versa."
"Interesting approach," Selene said, "I will need to readjust the aura-lock protocol on Talia's scroll to account for mine and the other one's aura." She pulled out Talia's scroll and looked at it, and amber lightnings manifested around her hand.
"Wh- what are you doing?" Dr. Corn asked.
"My semblance lets me reprogram things," Selene answered, "I am using it to change the protocol Talia used to protect her scroll."
"Y- you can just change how things work?" Dr. Corn asked.
"Within reason, yes," Selene answered, "It takes more of my aura the bigger the divergence from the original set of rules, and I cannot do the impossible. But I am very well able to modify computer programs such as this one. In any case, I will take a break now, so please tell Talia what we discussed."
"Of course," Dr. Corn said. The lightnings stopped, Selene typed a few things on her scroll and her aura flared up. It turned silver again, her fins disappeared and she grew a mouse tail.
~o~
Tock was sitting on a field bed in the slums of Mantle, with her right shoulder being bandaged. A penguin faunus with some plumage protruding from his hip tightened her bandages and she flinched a little at the pressure. He wore old brown shoes, gray pants and a dirty dark blue pullover, had graying hair and amber eyes, one of which was blind due to damage.
"Sorry," the man said when he noticed Tock flinch, "My dad used ta tell me stories of my aunt. Also crocodile faunus, like you. I… got distracted and thought of her."
"Yer dad?" Tock asked.
"Beekeeper from Mistral," the man answered, "Moved here after his sis tried ta kill him. Noone knows what that was about, but she broke the family apart. Lass was obsessed with fighting, always lookin' fer strong opponents. Went silent one day, came back and said she found a new boss. Conniving little bitch destroyed the family."
"Well, crocodiles are meant ta kill," Tock said, "Maybe that's that."
"Maybe," the man said, "Anyway, yer good ta go now. But be careful, there's a lot of bad folks out and about these days." Tock got up, put her coat back on and tested how much she could comfortably move her shoulder with the bandage, then left the improvised medical tent.
"Alright, I'm good ta go," Tock said over communicator, "And it seems I didn't clean up properly back then."
"Don't worry dear, we'll get them," Tyrian said.
"Good, come back and get started on the next mission," Arthur said, "And stop making me sick."
"Actually, I've got an idea," Tock said, "I'll help the folks here, and then we can round them up in the crater for when the real fun begins."
"Sounds good," Arthur said, "Tyrian and I will continue the other plan, and let you do your thing."
"Got it," Tock said, heard Tyrian's disappointed sound and said, "Don't you worry, I won't leave ya. And after I got rid of my useless family, I'll need a new one." Arthur made a sound as if he threw up, and all three hung up to continue their respective tasks.
~o~
At night, after returning to Atlas following the mission to the mine, Ruby and Maria met in Sirena's soul core again. They all sat down around the table and went over the events of the previous day before moving on to future matters.
"So, Maria, you sent the ambulance, right?" Ruby asked.
"Yep," Maria answered, "When Sirena told me what happened, I went and asked Pietro to pull a few strings."
"But, why couldn't you do it?" Ruby asked, looking at Sirena.
"I had to use Telepathy," Sirena answered, "My Dust Disabling semblance disables goo as well, and without the ice in my sleeves, moving too much causes me to get too hot, so I had to go to the deep sea to cool off until the effect wore off."
"I see," Ruby said and asked, "But… do we still go through with the plan for Ironwood?"
"Of course," Sirena answered.
"You know," Maria said, "Something tells me there's another reason why you want to do this. Something more… personal."
"Really?" Ruby asked, looked at Sirena and asked, "What is it?" Sirena looked at the two and sighed.
"You… may have guessed, but this kingdom makes me emotional," Sirena said, "I cannot trust my own judgment while I am here. When I make this pact with James, I will have him as a reliable way of knowing when I do the right thing, and when not."
"I... had no idea," Ruby said in disbelief, and asked, "What do you plan to do about all the people being killed in Mantle?"
"I already informed Sophie," Sirena answered.
"And?" Ruby asked.
"I shared all of my Healing semblances with her," Sirena answered, "In fact, when I copied those semblances, I used Telepathy to tell Sophie of the fall of Beacon, and that she was to ensure it looked like a tragedy, but save everyone. Well, with a few exceptions."
"Wait, hold on just a second," Ruby said angrily and asked, "You knew this was going to happen? Why didn't you stop it?"
"Ruby, please calm down," Sirena said and answered, "If I had prevented the fall, Salem would have sent stronger enemies to finish the job. The way I did it, Salem thought she won, and thus didn't bother sending her elites, yet we got the upper hand because our powers can bring people to follow us."
"But people died that night!" Ruby called out and stood up, "I thought you wanted to protect people!" Ruby fell silent after realizing what she said, and sat back down.
"I do," Sirena said coldly, "Don't worry, I won't hold your words against you. I told Sophie to make sure noone died that night, except for Penny, who could be rebuilt, Ozpin, who would reincarnate, and Pyrrha. Everyone else who was in Vale that night is alive and well. You saw how much Sophie hates the Grimm. Her soul actively destroys them if it makes contact with them. She reveres us just as much. If even one fly had lost its life that night, she would have gone to the deepest pits of hell to get its soul back. Not even the gods could have stood in her way."
"But… why Pyrrha?" Ruby asked, "Why didn't you let Sophie save her?"
"I wish I could tell you," Sirena answered, "But I promised her not to say anything. However, I can tell you that I hated this decision more than her."
"At least, now that Jaune has her soul, she can be reborn, right?" Ruby asked.
"Yes, she can," Sirena answered and said, "Now, about the procedure for tomorrow." Sirena began explaining a few rules to keep in mind when interacting with her people, as well as some general advice, and they discussed a new strategy to improve the military.
~o~
Ruby and General Ironwood were standing in Harriet's hospital room. Due to space reasons, the rest of the group had to wait outside, though the door was open. Ruby had tried several times to give Harriet some hope, but she didn't respond to her silver eyes at all. At first she thought her powers were gone, but the more she thought about it, the more she realized that her powers never affected anyone she couldn't help. A soldier brought a food service cart with two carafes of water into the room, and Harriet looked up.
"What's that for?" Harriet asked.
"I got Sirena to help you," General Ironwood answered, "She's bringing a healer here, and has asked we keep two carafes of water ready, for some reason."
"Sirena's people live under water," Ruby said, "The surface is probably a bit too dry for them. Also, it's probably best if you don't let them know we're in Atlas, or who you are."
"Alright," General Ironwood said and asked, "When do you think they'll arrive?"
"Any minute now," Ruby answered, and a dark red portal opened next to her. Sirena stepped out, followed by a man wearing a light green hooded robe, and a little girl wearing a light green dress. The girl had shoulder-long reddish-brown hair, and while the man was completely hidden by his cloak, it was clear that they both had silver eyes. After looking around a bit, both reached for the carafes and began drinking, emptying them in one go.
"Thank you for your help, Sirena," General Ironwood said and asked, "But, why did you bring a child?" He shortly tensed up, then looked at the girl.
"Don't disrespect Her Highness like that," the girl said angrily.
"Oda, it is fine," Sirena said calmly, "The people here do not know our customs, and we are not here to teach them."
"What was that?" General Ironwood asked, looking at Oda. She gave Sirena a questioning look. The more Ruby looked at Oda, the more she seemed like a younger version of Sirena. Even her voice was similar. Ruby shook her head and attributed the similarities to a coincidence.
"It is up to you if you want to tell him," Sirena said, and Oda turned back to General Ironwood.
"That was my semblance," Oda said, "It lets me and one or more targets experience what it would be like if we fought. Noone is hurt, but I can make aggressive animals stop attacking me without having to hurt them."
"Then why did I feel like the one losing?" General Ironwood asked, "Also, Sirena, why did you bring a child here?"
"She is the healer I mentioned," Sirena answered.
"Wait, what?" Nora asked and said, "But, she's like, ten or so."
"I was no older when I saved Her Highness," the older mage said. He looked out of the room and saw four doctors push a bed along the hallway, with a severely injured man lying on it, who was hooked up to every machine imaginable.
"That doesn't explain how a child could beat me," General Ironwood said.
"I have you know that I am very competent," Oda said, "I accompanied a troop of guards on a patrol for a week, and learned several tricks." Qrow looked at the older mage as he approached a hospital room some distance away, only to be stopped by the guards. General Ironwood poked his head out of the door and looked at the soldiers.
"It's fine," General Ironwood said, "Let him in." The soldiers stepped aside to let the mage enter the room, and the doors closed behind him.
"Who is that?" Weiss asked.
"Azurius," Sirena answered, "The arch-mage of the school of healing."
"Who's in that room?" Ruby asked.
"One of my men," General Ironwood answered, "He was injured in an accident earlier today, but as per his wishes, is kept alive until his family can say goodbye."
"So, he'll die today?" Ruby asked.
"Nope," Oda answered, "Arch-mage Azurius will save him. He has sworn an oath to never let an injured person go untreated, as have I. And he never lets any of his patients die."
"I appreciate the sentiment," General Ironwood said, "But most of that man's internal organs were completely destroyed. He won't-" He stopped mid-sentence and stared at the other hospital room. Everyone followed General Ironwood's surprised look, and they saw arch-mage Azurius leave the room, with a soldier in a hospital gown walking beside him. The man was stopped by the guards and checked over by doctors, and arch-mage Azurius returned to the others and stopped in front of General Ironwood.
"I apologize for any confusion," Azurius said, "I understand you have capable healers present as well, but as per my oath, I had to do at least something. He will need to take it easy for a few days, but will make a complete recovery."
"Not to sound rude," Harriet said and asked, "But what about my legs?"
"I will do my best," Oda said and walked up to Harriet's bed. She folded her hands into a ball, but had her thumbs inside. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath through her nose, exhaling through her mouth. While she breathed, she slowly unfolded her hands, making her palms face Harriet and keeping her thumbs hooked in one another. When only the tips of her index fingers were touching, she opened her eyes, stopped her focused breathing and focused on Harriet. Three circles made up of carious symbols appeared around each of her wrists. Most symbols were red or black, while some where white. Looking around, Ruby noticed that Yang, Nora, Qrow and General Ironwood were the only ones not from Soraklia who didn't seem fascinated by the symbols. Oda looked over the symbols, then sighed and lowered her hands.
"What's wrong?" Harriet asked, and Ruby felt her hopelessness return and realized that she had been hopeful ever since Oda entered the room.
"It looks… worse than I thought," Oda answered, "Your digestive tract, immune system and sensory organs are beyond abysmal, your respiratory system is close to failing, and honestly, I have no idea how you're even alive."
"Oda, did you consider the fact that we're on the surface?" Sirena asked. Oda paused for a moment.
"No, Your Highness," Oda answered, turned to the others and said, "It seems that I need to see what kind of physical attributes are normal on the surface. It is a simple and quick process, but necessary to heal your friend."
"Alright," Ruby said and stepped forward.
"Let's go," Nora said.
"If it helps my teammate," Elm said and entered the room. Weiss and Yang also volunteered, and Oda did her magic to test them all.
"It seems I have to correct my previous statement," Oda said after testing, "You are in perfect health, all things considered." She created the magic circles again and began focusing on healing Harriet. Weiss, Yang, Nora and Elm sat back down outside the room. The red symbols faded away, while the black ones got more and more pale, turning gray and slowly getting white. A new red symbol started appearing, and Oda seemed strained to keep it from manifesting. Oda let one other red symbol manifest, and the new one disappeared entirely.
"What is that rune?" Azurius asked, pointing at the one Oda let manifest.
"Some form of poison," Oda answered, "It seems to numb pain, so I decided to leave it for last, as I cannot detect any other effects."
"What rune?" Yang asked.
"Wait, you guys don't see them?" Ruby asked.
"See what?" Nora asked.
"Runes," Azurius answered, "They are a core part of magic. My school focuses on revealing a target's physical attributes, and the state of their body. By using the spark of creation within our soul, Oda and I can alter these attributes, removing negative states, such as damage, and allowing the body to heal." Harriet's legs regained their thickness and form, and after removing all the red runes, and turning the black ones white, Oda let out an exhausted sigh and let her hands drop.
"That should do it," Oda said and looked at the arch-mage. Arch-mage Azurius raised his right hand, and a series of circles appeared around his wrist and he nodded.
"Well done," Azurius said, "Now, if you have nothing else to do, we could leave."
"One more thing," Oda said, turned to Harriet and said, "You should take it slow for a while, to allow your legs to recover completely. No running, jumping, heavy-lifting, kicking, or anything like that. And if your legs start to feel tired, shaky or tingly, you need to sit down immediately. Even if you have to sit on the ground."
"Harriet and slow?" Elm asked mockingly and said, "Now I've heard everything." She suddenly slumped over, sat back up and shook her head as if she just took a serious hit to the face.
"Please do not make fun of my patients," Oda said in an unusually professional manner, especially considering her age. Harriet slowly moved one of her legs, then tried getting out of bed. She put her right foot down, put some weight on it, then put her left foot down and stood up. Her curious expression turned to joy, she started chuckling and then laughing, but sat back down when she felt her legs giving in.
"Thank you, thank you so much," Harriet said and asked, "How can I ever repay you?"
"What do you mean?" Oda asked and gave Harriet a questioning look. Before anyone could complain about Sirena not paying her people, she spoke up.
"It is a surface-dweller thing," Sirena answered, "Their society is centered around exchanging goods for services, and those in power keep it by exploiting and abusing those who can't defend themselves. It is so common and deeply ingrained that children are taught from a young age never to take things without giving something in return, as that is considered unnatural and suspicious. But this one time, if there is anything that you want in return for your service, you can ask her. If not, that is also fine." Oda thought about her answer for a moment, then turned back to Harriet.
"I'd like you to copy my semblance," Oda said, "And use it whenever you are attacked by enemies other than Grimm, so you don't have to hurt them."
"Wait, copying your semblance?" Harriet asked, and the other Ace-Ops raised their heads. Realizing she may have messed up, Oda felt a bit worried about the repercussions.
"It's alright, Oda," Sirena said, turned to Harriet and answered, "I am certain you have heard the belief that the eyes are the windows to the soul. Well, it is true. And when those with silver eyes unleash our powers, we unleash our souls. If anyone were to look into the light we unleash, our soul collides with theirs, and we both copy each other's semblance. At least, that is the short version. I can give you the full explanation later, if you want."
"I'm fine, thanks," Harriet said, turned to Oda and said, "Alright, let's do this."
"There is just one problem," Ruby said, "Our powers only work in the presence of Grimm, so you'd have to be close to one in order to copy anyone's semblance."
"And you're in no condition to go anywhere," Oda said, "You need to rest for at least a week before you can go fight Grimm again."
"This actually gives me an idea," Sirena said in that tone Ruby knew meant she had this planned even before Harriet got hurt.
"What idea?" Harriet asked.
"Once you feel better, I can bring several of my men here," Sirena answered, "That way, you and the others could copy a lot of different semblances at once, getting even better at fighting Grimm."
"Sounds great," Harriet said, "I can't wait for all those powerful semblances."
"Alright," Sirena said, "Azurius, Oda and I will return to Soraklia now, and I will contact you again when my men are ready." She opened a portal and Azurius, Oda and Sirena walked through. After the portal closed, Harriet looked at Ruby, who already knew what was coming.
Trigger warning: Attempted suicide.
Author's note: Tock meets her cousin for the first time. Also, she knows at least some things about beekeeping, from before she unlocked her semblance and was scouted by one of Salem's other minions. Her family actually used to be on the way to becoming the SDC of beekeeping businesses, until she wiped them all out. Thanks to her, another family of faunus took that position.
Arch-mage Azurius can pull people back from the brink of death, even by a single of their neck hairs. But when they're dead, they're dead. And he can't reverse aging. He and Oda don't actually heal people in the conventional sense. It's more like they're un-breaking their bones, for example.
Oda could easily beat Ironwood. She is agile and has an abnormally high reaction speed, just like Sirena. Her semblance also ignores personality, and focuses mainly on skill, technique, and so on. So while she wouldn't want to hurt Ironwood, due to him not being a Grimm, she could definitely beat him if it came down to it. And like any good doctor, she makes sure her patients are not only healthy, but also feel safe and comfortable. And let's not forget that it can end pretty badly to mess with someone who can manipulate the integrity of other people's bones, or the functionality of their respiratory system.
Ruby also learned the truth about her powers. They're not making people think she can help them, they're just telling people she can help that she can help them.
Sirena has a pretty good way of apologizing. She admits fault, explains why it happened, and offers to make up for it without taking control of the situation.
Ironwood only told the guards to let Azurius to the man due to the pact. He didn't know that Azurius could save him, but because Azurius could save him, Ironwood was forced to tell his men to let Azurius to the wounded soldier. Similarly, if Sirena plans something that will get people hurt or killed, Ironwood will be forced to tell her not to do it, even if he doesn't know anything about the plan.
Yang fails to replicate something Emerald did, despite having more experience with those powers and Ruby telling Yang how to do it, based on Emerald's instructions. This isn't a plot hole, it's a mystery, and you could figure it out already if you combine the right pieces.