A/N: Long chapter is loooooong~!
I'm aiming to update this story every Friday now; the feedback really keeps me going.
This is the third portion of the chapter what was split into thirds-fourths, now!-...and it just...kept...GROWING...
On a more somber note, my aunt has passed away. Funeral has been held, and I'm in mourning. Writing and drinking keep the grief away. It happened suddenly, caught me by surprise, and sent me spiraling down into a dark place.
Still, here we go. SEVEN chapters for this story in ONE MONTH. Hope you enjoyed them; I'm utterly exhausted. I wanted, and still want this to be good story, not a simple "Naruto bangs a, b, c, d, yadda yadda yadda." His actions have consequences; his words and will shape the world around him; I wanted every chapter to reflect that.
Hopefully, I succeeded.
RWBY may have been canned by Warner Bros, but we fanfiction writers are out here trying to keep the light alive, as it were. So here we go. The fate of this story depends on you, the reader. Your feedback determines the fate of this tale, and many others.
As ever, I own no references, quotes, themes or memes. They're tributes to legends far greater than little 'ol me and made solely for entertainment and the sake of laughter.
This, and the following chapters will have some fun references to the following; Fallout, Hazbin Hotel, Genshin, Shogun, Epic the Musical, Avatar, alongside Equalizer.
...and later, Land of the Lustrous and Blue-Eyed Samurai. If you haven't seen those two, they fit perfectly with RWBY.
You all know them well~! Now that we've gotten that out the way...
HERE SHE COMES.
I wonder if you know who I'm talking about.
"The sharpest blades are often the most brittle. People are often the same, I find.
Take care then, that your soul does not shatter like your weapon.
That which is broken is not so easily repaired."
~?
Defend the Girls
The kitchen was a mess.
Perhaps mess wasn't the right word, Qrow mused, regarding the disaster before him with a rueful smile. Mess implied some small semblance -ha!- of cleanliness on the part of the owner and his tenants, that there was at least a bastion of sanity amidst the messy madness.
This?
Yeah, nope.
This was anything but clean.
Not only were the counters caked in syrup and honey and orange juice and gods-knew-what-else, but the floor was a sticky mess sucking at his shoes with every step. Not even the ceiling had been spared; it looked like someone had flung several fruit salads up there with a bunch of french toast besides. A team of orange-clad janitors dutifully attended to the worst of the mess-and was it just his imagination, or did all they look exactly like a certain blond?- one of whom paused to look his way and tip their hat.
"What happened here?
He knew the real answer even as he asked the question. Foodfight, most likely. He was no stranger to Beacon's brawls or their famous food fiascoes-but this took the cake. Literally. Pancakes and waffles everywhere, to say nothing of milk and orange juice. Glynda would've taken one look at this and had a conniption.
"Kids got rowdy." One of the "janitors" shrugged at him, ignoring his scoff. "You know how it is."
Yeah, he did. He'd seen Ruby on a sugar rush before. Speedy little thing.
His heart lurched at the reminder. "...is Yang around?"
One of them gestured vaguely out past the patio and toward the living room; he trekked that way with a grimace.
Whiskers was a man of his word; not only had been let out of the cellar, but he'd gotten both his flask and his weapon back; he kept one hand on the former as he trekked out. Messy kitchen and crazy kids aside, this place was nice, no, it was better than nice. Downright cozy, really. Not prissy or posh like one of those fancy-shmancy-Schnee-manors in Atlas, but a comfortable rung below. He had the run of the place now, and what a place it was.
Better yet, they had booze!
Locked up and child-proofed, sure, but it wasn't Qrow-proofed!
He'd already managed to squirrel away a bottle for himself, more than enough to refill his flask with a bit more besides.
There weren't too many people about oddly enough, and Rae had run off to gods knew where, which meant he'd been left to his own devices a per the agreement.
Now if he could just shake his silent shadow stalking him, that'd be greeeaaat.
He couldn't even see the bastard, but his instincts didn't lie; he knew someone was there. Watching. Waiting. For what he didn't know, but if they weren't going to be a bitch about it, neither was he.
He let his eyes wander about as he delved deeper into the manor; it really was a nice place; downright homey. He could see so many photos mounted on the wall. Raven was in all of them, surrounded by a buncha brats and people he didn't know or otherwise recognize. Stranger still, she was smiling in each photograph.
Every. Last. One.
"Huh," he muttered under his breath, tracing one with a thumb. "Didn't know you could smile like that anymore, sis."
His sister looked...content in most of those pictures. Scarred by her past, but satisfied. Yang was in almost every other picture as well, never far from her mother's side. And didn't that just hurt? He could've rationalized it if she at least looked unhappy, but here she was anything but.
Now he felt like the bad guy for barging in here.
Rae coulda stayed. Team STRQ could've grown stronger together. Now they never would. And he was left to pick a side, to pick up the broken pieces.
His gaze strayed from the photos and lingered on a phone mounted into the wall by the cupboard. He knew Ozpin's number by heart, to say nothing of Summer and Tai.
Ah, shit. Tai. He should probably warn him. He'd come thundering in here like a bull in a dust shop, thinking he was saving Yang.
All he had to do was make a call. Break his word to blondie.
No one would ever know...right?
...screw it."
He reached for the phone an' something twisted in his chest, agony like nothing he'd felt before; as though an invisible hand had closed round his heart and squeezed. His entire body locked up, refusing to obey his commands. There was no pushing through it; try as he might, he just couldn't bring himself to reach the phone. His body simply wouldn't move. He tried and tried and TRIED but his hand just wouldn't move the rest of the way-his fingers refused to close around the receiver. All the while the pain intensified, sweat slicking his brow, heart hammering...!
"Gah?!" it was too much; he recoiled, clutching his chest. "What the hell?"
When he reached for the phone again, the pain intensified. Yet when he lowered his hand, it faded. But why...?
No, he reluctantly remembered now, though he soon found himself wishing he hadn't.
That damn deal.
Whiskers had yanked out of a strand of his hair and done something with it. Must have. Small wonder he couldn't grab the phone.
A scowl writ itself across his face. "If that trick ain't his semblance, I'll eat my boot!"
"I wouldn't do that," an all too familiar crooned. "Daddy says boots taste icky."
Qrow damn near jumped out of his shoes!
The laughter didn't help.
"For crying out loud, firecracker!" Flailing his hands about, he pivoted to face the perpetrator with a scowl. "Don't sneak up on me like that. You know I'm jumpy."
Yang beamed up at him with a giggle, her little face the very picture of innocence. "You're a jumpy bird. Hey, can you turn into one, too? Like mom?
Where had that come from? No, nevermind that. Honesty was probably the best policy when dealing with the squirt. "...I can."
Lilac eyes flashed with triumph. "I knew it! Teach me!"
Laughter bubbled out of Qrow before he could think to hold it back; he just couldn't help himself; it was such a Yang ting to ask. Maybe 'ol Whiskers wasn't so bad. After all, he'd granted him access to his niece when he could've just as easily locked him up and thrown away the key. That had to count for something.
Whoops, he'd been silent too long; Yang was staring at him; she'd begun to pout while he was distracted.
...she really could be a mini-Raven sometimes. On a whim he reached down to tussle her hair. "Ain't something I can teach, kiddo."
"Boooo." she jerked back with a scowl, clasped both hands behind her back and glared at the floor as she scuffed a shoe against it. "So what's my other dad like?"
And now they came back to the Goliath in the room.
He hadn't exactly been forbidden from talking to Yang about this, which surprised him. Some foster parents would've gone out of their way to snuff out all mention of a child's true heritage. And yet aside from the gagging incident, neither Naruto nor Raven had made any effort to conceal Taiyang's existence. None whatsoever.
Suspicious. He eyed Yang as such. "You're taking this remarkably well, kiddo. You good?"
"I mean, I guess?" She rolled a shoulder. "Mum's always been around and Dad is Dad."
Anger reared its ugly head in Qrow's heart. "He's not. He took you from Tai."
Yang shook her head. "No, he didn't."
"Yes, he did!"
"No," she argued with all the logic of a four-year-old-going-on-five, "Mom took me. I didn't even meet Daddy until later. I was almost two by then."
Shit. She had him there. "He still kept you from your real family; from your old man and me."
Yang tilted her head. "But you're here now."
Stubborn little...!
"Look, I get where you're coming from, but its really not that big of a deal for me." her response cut deeper than he cared to admit. "Maybe that might've meant something if I actually knew him, yet I don't-never did. But I AM curious." She crossed both arms before her chest and huffed. "Having another dad sounds pretty cool. Most people only get one. That's why I'm asking. You gonna tell me what he's like or what?
"He really got his claws into you, didn't he? Damn bastard...
Yang didn't take kindly to that; her eyes flashed and for a second he could've sworn he saw fire-nah, probably imagined it. "Don't badmouth daddy."
Landmine right there. Qrow wisely walked around it. "Alright, alright." he raised both hands to ward off a pummel party. "If you wanna know more about Tai, I'm happy to tell you. Lemme see...
Straightening up, he flung himself down into a nearby chair and spun it round to face his niece.
"He's a brawler like you, blond of course, with blue eyes and he loves bad puns. Real nice guy, too. He'd happily give you the shirt right off his back if you needed." or would have, before Raven's betrayal. "His semblance makes him one tough cookie and his gauntlets are one of kind; hell, they were so powerful that he buried them after awhile."
Yang hopped into his lap, alighting atop a knee. "Because he was afraid of them?"
Urk. Too cute. Absolutely must protect. "No, because it made fights too easy for him.
Her eyes lit up, delighted by the tale. "Tell me more!"
"I could show you a picture, but my scroll's wrecked." a thought occurred to him and like Ruby, he ran with it. "There's also Summer, he's married to her now."
"I have another auntie?! Her voice rose in a delighted squeal before her brow furrowed as she counted off her fingers, considering something. "No wait, miss Summer's his wife so...another mother, then! Sweet!"
Qrow sweetened the pot. "And a little sister."
Yang went terribly still atop his knee. "I have another sister?"
Another-no, no, no. Don't focus on that. Not right now. "Sure do." he patted her head and it was a testament to her shock that she didn't deny him this time. "Her name's Ruby. She's about two years younger than you and-
The resultant shriek of glee nearly left him deaf. "Ruby?!"
"Yup." Gotta picture of her here in my wallet if you wanna see?"
She latched onto his jacket and shook him like leaf. "I wanna see! Show! Now!"
Heh. Definitely Raven's kid.
The second he withdrew the worn photo, Yang all but ripped it from his grasp and instantly began cooing over it. "She's so small! And cuuuuute!"
Qrow absently placed a hand on Yang's back to steady his excitable niece as she swayed to and fro in his lap. He'd missed this. No, that wasn't quite right; he hadn't known to miss it in the first place; because he'd never had a chance to bond with her. That was taken from him as much as Tai. Better nearly five years late than never.
"And that's Summer?" his niece held up the photo. "The lady holding her."
"Yuuuuup." Qrow smacked his lips with an audible pop.
"She's so pretty...
"Ain't she, though? Who'd ya think Ruby gets it from?"
"Can I meet them?!" Yang clasped both hands before her, eyes wide. "Please, please, please?!"
"Sure," he muttered under his breath, neither able to deny her nor entirely tell her the truth. "You'll be seeing them real soon, one way or another." She was still hiding something from him, he could just feel it, but he was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. "So, hey, since we're sharing secrets, you mind telling me who's watching me?"
Yang blinked, her enthusiasm waning. "Watching you? Oh, that's just uncle Lee. He's Mama Ann's friend. Good with a bow and arrow, but he learned how to use a sniper rifle, too.
Qrow gulped. "Sniper...?"
"Yup." his niece replied innocently. "He's awesome! His semblance is pretty cool too; it lets him see reeeaaallly far and through all sorts of things! Like an X-ray!"
Qrow looked down and found a bead of red light against his chest. Bugger. As he looked on aghast, it roved upward and settled upon his forehead, lingered there for a moment, then flicked away.
The message was painfully clear. I've got you in my sights.
His pulse spiked as his gaze traveled to the nearest window. "Shiiiiit."
"Bad word! Yang held up her right hand expectantly, palm open. "Swear jar!"
"Ugh, fine." He handed some over without thinking, then frowned as another thought occurred to him. "Waitaminute! Mama who now?! Raven's your mother!"
Yang took the money as her due and stuffed it in her pocket. "Well, duh. But I also have Mama Ann!"
Qrow's brain fizzled out. "You, ah...wanna run that by me again, firecracker?"
"Well," Yang began to count off on her fingers, "First there's Mum, then there's Mama Ann, Mama Willow and Mama Vanessa." she touched a finger to her cheek, considering the matter with all the brevity of a child, then deciding she didn't give a hoot. "I'm not sure about Auntie Anora or Auntie Miranda. Oh! And then there's Grandma Maria! Sorry, its a lot to keep track of.
This was it. The end of his sanity. Qrow could feel his world falling apart. Belatedly, he recalled all those brats he'd seen in the pictures. "Just how many brothers and sisters do you have?"
"Um...?" Yang held up both hands, fingers splayed. "This many! I think. Maybe more?" Before he could hope to say anything she startled rattling off a list of names. "Ren, Pyrrha, Winter, Weiss, Roman, Neo, Whitley, oh, but he hasn't been born yet...and Nora's technically my cousin...?
And he hadn't met a single one of them yet. Which begged the question; where were they? He hadn't seen hide nor hair of the little scamps. The manor wasn't that big.
If there was one thing he'd learned from his admittedly brief time as an uncle to Ruby it was thus:
Quiet children were mischievous children-which didn't bode well.
But Yang hadn't stopped, if anything, she'd only picked up steam while his little breakdown began. "...and I guess Shiro and Maple kinda count 'cuz Daddy's always doting on them, and then there's the whole Headmaster's Orphans thing, not to mention the House of the Hearth and yeah that's a lot of people...
Qrow's brain fizzled out spectacularly.
...why don't you go play with your siblings, kiddo? I'm just gonna sit here and have a drink."
Might make that one several. Preferably before he suffered an aneurysm or a nervous breakdown.
Yang didn't budge atop his knee, bless her simple soul. "I dunno, I'm comfy here...why should I move?"
Bribery it was, then. "Whaddya want?"
"Training!" Tai's daughter grinned up at him viciously, her smile all teeth. "I gotta get stronger. S'ides, Mum says the best way to make friends is to fight people."
Urk. It was such a Raven thing to say that his heart actually skipped a beat. That settled it; this was definitely his sister's kid.
And besides, didn't he want to spend with her? To bond? Might as well enjoy it before all hell broke loose.
...alright, Firecracker." he dragged a hand down his face to stifle a sigh. "I'll see what I can do."
"Yes! I love you!" blind to the cartwheel his heart performed in a panic, yang delivered him a crushing hug -how was she so strong?!- and hopped off lap, quick as can be "See you later, Uncle Qrow!
He watched her scamper off upstairs, there and gone in an instant.
.
..
...damnit,he couldn't bring himself to hate her; he didn't think he wanted to.
Say what you would about the Headmaster of Hell, he'd given Yang a good life here in Haven. Hell, a great one. She was safe and secure. No one could hurt her; not with so many looking out for her. And in a few years, she'd be the one doing the hurting. He might be bitter at what he'd lost, but he wasn't so far gone as to miss the signs here. This...this was a happy family. Within these walls, he felt like an intruder.
Out came his flask; he took a long draught from it, but the booze brought him little relief. "Damnit, Rae. You just had to shack up with biggest bastard in Mistral."
A portal slashed open behind him, heralding the arrival of the woman in question.
He clicked his tongue at her. "Don't think i'll ever get used to that."
She rolled her good eye at him, plucked the flask out of his hand and took a deep drink of her own. "What, seeing your dear sister again?"
He took it from her in return and slammed the drink down onto the chair. "Ain't talking about that."
Raven merely quirked a brow is way. "Then what are you talking about?
"This!" he flung up an arm to indicate the room. "All of this. Damnit, Rae. I thought you were dead."
"I got better."
"Clearly!" he bit back a bitter bark of laughter. "You've done a great job moving on. Did you even think about us after you left?"
Qrow knew his sister; more importantly, he knew her tells. Case in point, he noticed the reaction he got out of her; Rae's lips drew down ever so slightly, and her good eye narrowed as her stance shifted ever so slightly to the right.
It was his only warning; then she was upon him.
Her metal hand shot out and caught him by the wrist to slam him back down into the chair with an audible crack. Cold fingers bit down, grinding the nerves of his hand together. He grunted in pain as he felt his aura trickle away bit by bloody bit. All of that he could've ignored, deserved, even. But the look in her eye? That was pure murder.
"You know nothing, Qrow." his own name struck him like a slap in the face, delivered with so much venom, so much pain, that he couldn't bring himself to respond. "You have no idea what I've sacrificed to get here, what I've suffered, what I've endured...!"
"Hey, hey!" he waved his free hand her way before she could draw Omen. "Calm down. I ain't here for a fight.
She leered at him, blood still up. "Afraid you'll lose?"
He looked away. "In my current state? Probably."
Raven huffed. "Don't give me that.
He wasn't like Summer and Tai; sad as it might sound, losing Yang made them strong. They'd trained themselves furiously since that day-if only to make sure they were never caught off guard again. And then along came Ruby; their little bundle of sunshine. Even more motivation to surpass their limits, to protect her, to keep her safe. It helped that their semblances paired nicely with another, sure, but that wasn't enough for them; they'd trained and trained and TRAINED until they became forces of nature in their own right; monsters capable of wrecking just about anyone they faced.
Not him. He'd been slacking. Drinking.
Raven had been Tai's wife and Summer's partner, sure, but she was his sister. Losing her -and Yang!- had torn a hole in his heart, one he'd only just begun to fill.
Their return had galvanized something in him; something he didn't want to give up. He still didn't know if his Semblance was bad luck or actual luck manipulation but if he was willing to find out.
High time he worked the rust off.
"There you are." Raven saw the spark in his eye and released him with a smile. "Beneath all that bravado and bluster you're still a Branwen like me. You know what true strength is."
His sister might move with a bit of a limp, but she looked strong, and that metal arm of hers clearly wasn't for show. It looked like Atlas tech. Maybe not quite so sleek as the new models, but stronger. Nastier. He wouldn't put it past her to have modified it, either. He could see those notches and extra joints near the wrist and elbow where she'd clearly done something to it. Naturally. Rae had never settled for anything less than the best.
He hadn't realized how much he missed her. "Why'd you leave? You could've at least called...
She faltered and looked away. "You wouldn't understand.
"Then make me understand!"
Raven hissed; her lips peeled back over her teeth in a snarl. "I wanted to die, alright?!"
Her outburst knocked the wind right out of him and had him sinking back into his borrowed chair. "...what?
"When Salem attacked the tribe, I...fell." she faltered, looked away, and recovered. "I fled and fended off Callows, but that left me at death's door. By blind bloody luck I stumbled upon Narut. Once he got Yang to safety, I was ready to die for my mistakes; for my sins. Her brow furrowed as her good eye flicked his way. "But that blond bastard wouldn't let me. He made he live." she stomped a foot, telling him exactly what she thought of that, and changed the subject on him. How much do you really know about Ozpin? What you know? Or what you think you know?
Qrow knew evasion when he heard it. "Oz ain't important right now. Tai's gonna lose his shit when he sees you.
Raven flung up her arms. "What would you have me do? Go back to him? That ship has sailed."
"Yeah, it has. He's with Summer now."
"Of course he is." now it was her turn to laugh, and what a sad sound it was." Our illustrious leader always had a crush on that big oaf." She gripped her good arm and looked away. "She's welcome to that lummox. I doubt he would be happy to see me."
Right, as far as Summer and Tai knew, Raven was dead. If they saw her again, they'd have questions. "You could still come back, be a part of our lives."
She swiped his flask from him and drank deeply to steel herself before handing it back. "Do you think for a single second that Yang would want that? Her life is here. Her friends are here. Her family is here. I can't just uproot her to stroke Tai's ego. And that's to say nothing of Naruto. He'd fight like hell if someone tried to take his girl away.
Qrow winced, recalling the utter adoration Yang had shown for him. "She ain't his...
"She is in every way that matters. But I'm sure he already told you that, didn't he? No." She shook her head, sending the dark mane of her hair swaying. "I regret hurting Tai the way I did, really, I do. but I had no choice. I couldn't leave Yang behind. Not with him, not when I knew it meant her death, her getting dragged into a war that we couldn't in. Because make no mistake, war is coming. Maybe not now, maybe not next year, but soon.
How did she know? Had they used the Relic? Qrow's jaw clicked open. He forced it shut, and the questions with it. "Rae, that ain't fair. You've might've cut yourself out of his life but-
"Fair?" He knew that tone of voice and tried to backpedal, but it was much to late; his sister hissed out an angry breath, teeth bared. "Fair is listening to your sister. Fair is not blindly following the whims of an immortal man who might have lost touch with reality! FAIR is not fighting an unwinnable battle!"
"Whoa, hey! Don't get emotional-
"I'm not emotional about what happened." just as quickly as it had come, her fire faded, replaced by something altogether worse; frankly he would've preferred the fire. "Not anymore. Not really." And then her face went colder than a Schnee's heart. "But I am emotional about the fact that Ozpin thinks he can control my man."
Wuh-oh.
"MY MAN!" Her voice piqued, rumbling into an ominous growl as she loomed over him, one hand flitting protectively over on her stomach. "The father of my child, and he thinks he can just waltz back into my life and expect me to bend the knee?"
Qrow balked. Wait, was she preg-
Raven talked over him, dashing that thought before it could take root. "He already ruined my life -our lives!- and one marriage with his shadow war, and now he thinks he can just pick up where he left off, with none the wiser?" Omen tore free from its sheathe and stabbed into the floor, burying itself three inches deep. "No amount of money on Remnant can fix that Qrow, no," she shook her head slowly, a feral light in her eye, "For that, I want a pound of flesh."
"From me?!"
She patted his head. "Not you, little brother. Ozpin. You want me back that badly? Tell Ozpin to come here, get down on his knees, press his head into the dirt and beg my forgiveness. Oh, and he can tell the rest of Team STRQ the truth about Salem while he's at it. Maybe then I'll consider not running him through on the spot.
She'd lost her damn mind. "There's no way he'll agree to that."
"He will if he wants peace between us."
Yup. Crazy bird. "You have no idea of the monster you're messing with."
"Neither do you. She preened. "Naruto's my monster. And you know, its rather funny."
Her tone set off all sorts of alarm bells. "What is?"
"A few years ago we wouldn't be having this conversation." she tossed her head to the sight, idly drawing her dark mane over one shoulder. "Yet here we are now. Poor timing, I suppose."
That sounded like a threat. "You warning me?"
"I'm preparing you." Her good eye gleamed, and for a fleeting second he glimpsed his reflection therein. "I understand weakness, Qrow. I understand pain, I understand death, and I understand suffering. Because of these people, this family, I think I'm finally starting to understand true peace. And you can't take that away from me. Not you, not Summer, not Taiyang, and definitely not Ozpin. I'd sooner die than put myself under his thumb again."
She really was, wasn't she? His heart broke to hear those words. "We could've gotten strong together, Rae."
"No," she shook her head again and surprised him by finally flouncing down into the seat beside him. "We couldn't. None of you would listen; no one wanted to hear the truth. And when I went to find answers on my own...
He didn't miss the shiver that shook her shoulders; and just like that, his prior conversation with Naruto back to bite him.
...Salem really can't be killed, can she?
"No, she can't." she took another drink to fortify herself, passed it back to him, and allowed him to do the same. "But there are worse things than death."
Amen to that, sister. It also revealed something he'd dreaded. "You used one of Jinn's questions, didn't you?"
"I did." she beckoned for the flask. "There are two remaining this century."
He handed it over. That proved his theory. "So who's the Maiden now?"
She drank and her lips pursed into a thin pale line of defiance.
Such a stubborn sister he had.
"Rae, c'mon." he dared to sling an arm over her shoulder; it spoke to how frazzled she was that she didn't immediately bat him aside. "You've already trusted me this far. What's a little more." An awful thought occurred to him and he looked her way. "You'd tell me if it was you, wouldn't you?
"Its not me."
Relief crashed down on him in a cleansing wave. "Right, good...
It proved short lived; most good things in life often did where his luck was concerned.
...its one of those brats, ain't it?"
Raven nodded.
"Tell me who?" It was a plea, not a command. "Raven, please. They're in danger. Oz can protect them-
She growled at him. "We've been protecting them just fine, thankyouverymuch!"
"Alright, alright. Can't blame me for trying...
.
..
...I'll tell you."
He perked up. "You will?!"
Raven rounded on him. "Only if you promise not to tell Ozpin."
Now it was his turn to wince. "That's a big ask, there. Even from you."
"Promise me, Qrow." her good eye seared into his. "Swear to me that you won't breathe a word of this to Ozpin, or...
She turned and pointed her sword in the air, just shy of cutting a portal.
...go back to him right now."
He stood. "Seriously?"
"Who will you choose?" her face was carved from stone. "Your family? Or the man who's been lying to you all this time?"
His gaze flitted to her blade. It would be so easy. One portal; a quick leap and he'd be free.
And yet.
Could he really leave?
Just abandon Yang and Raven after he'd just found them again?
The answer struck him a flash; and it shamed him, shook him to his very core.
At the end of the day, he was a selfish bird; entirely too greedy for his own good. And so...
.
..
...he sat down.
Delight danced across Raven's face in a startling burst, bringing with it the first true smile he'd seen in years.
"Alright. You want the truth, little brother of mine. The Spring Maiden is...
She leaned in to whisper a name in his ear.
His eyes widened.
"Yang...?"
A/N: The Qrow has been swayed.
Sorry, Qrow and Raven demanded this scene; they kidnapped me. We'll get back to Naruto next chapter; his duel with Mizu will not go unforgotten.
Would you like another early update next week? By that, I mean Friday. Perhaps even earlier?
Do let me know; we'll be picking up here, but with the notifications down, I really need to hear from you here.
RWBY may have been canned by Warner Bros. but we fanfiction writers are out here trying to keep the light alive, as it were. So here we go. The fate of this story depends on you, the reader. Your feedback determines the fate of this tale, and many others.
So by all means, speak up! Raise your voice! Make yourself heard! Your reviews matter!
That's no joke! I can't write without feedback. Guess that makes me weak...T_T
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And enjoy the previews!
Potential ones at that.
Also, references.
And as ever:
WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!
SPOILERS AWAIT THEE~!
YE BE WARNED~!
(Previews)
EDIT: Tribute to Finest Kind here.
"Someday, if you ever have a son...the first time you look him you get a feeling all at once, that you'd die for him. Little thing you never saw before, and you would stone cold die for him. That feeling doesn't go away. You might forget, but it's always there...always there.
"I want you to leave my boy alone.
Call it a day.
Please.
"You don't treat your savior like a slave." "But he is supposed to save me , serve me and..." "You see , that's where you got it all mixed up...HE ISN'T.
It is indeed a dark day, when a good man...or woman...should go to war. For there is no wrath greater, no fury stronger, no hatred purer, than one so kind and so caring, should they take up the sword.
For there will be no kindness, no forgiveness, NO MERCY."
"Demons run when a good man goes to war. Night will fall and drown the sun when a good man goes to war. Friendship dies and true love lies, night will fall and the dark will rise when a good man goes to war Demons run, but count the cost. The battle's won, but the child is lost."
EDIT: Equalizer references are entertaining, as always~! A shame I can't bring the main man himself into this story...
We all end up where we're supposed to be. Some of us just take a little longer to get there. Which means your man on the left, he's got his finger on the trigger but she's a foot too close, which renders your man on my right dead already. He just doesn't know it yet. I feel sorry for his family. Nine seconds. That's what you have to decide your fate. Nine seconds.
His smile split his face as he began to count down.
Eight...Seven...
So we're at war, then?
Naruto dragged a hand across his face. Why is it always war with you, Vanessa?
She shrugged a bare shoulder and leaned into him. It's what I'm good at. Give me a battle anyway, be in on the battlefield or the bedroom.
Heat speared through his face. Oh, my! You made him blush!
Willow laid a hand on his arm to comfort him. If its legal matters, don't worry, the SDC has your back. If that foolish, foolish man tries anything against you, I'll see him buried in litigation. That, or Anora will break his legs.
He laughed despite himself. "Sounds like something she'd do.
That said...you really need to talk to her about this, eventually. The sooner we bring her into the fold, the better.
I will...eventually. Nora and Ren are getting on so well, I don't want to get int he way of that.
How noble of you.
You don't know what death is. You have no IDEA what death is! Five pounds of pressure on a trigger. That's all it takes to end a life. That's all.
Pickerel raised his gun and blew smoke from the barrel. "I bet all that aura makes you feel like a big man, don't it? I did too, until I fought a bastard that cut right through it. Y'see, there's just one problem with aura. Most people I know, they have to consciously keep it active. I wonder if you can manage that?
One of his attackers fell with a bloody gurgle.
A grin split his face. "I guess not."
Then he was among them.
Guns blazed in the dark.
Ren, my friend!" Roman slung an arm around his shoulder. "You and I are the only men in this menagerie of women. We gotta stick together.
Easy for you to say, Roman. You're older.
"Wiser, too!"
EDIT: Avatar reverence is obvious...and fitting, given Ozpin.
Time. Ozpin chuckled once. Time's a funny thing. The past, the present, the future, for me, it all mixed up. There's only one way to keep it straight. By remembering what really matters. Of course, keeping sight of what's important can be had. Sometimes it feels like we will always be alone and the only thing keeping us company is our own pain. We tell ouselves we are the problem. Especially when things we can't control come our way. Tha's why we must let go of our pain and regrets and remember what is we are really fighting for. The ones we love. Let that be the light that guides you through the most treacherous of times...and the darkest of nights.
Its amazing how far we'll go to hide our true selves from others; because we don't want people to know how much they really mean to us, which is funny, because the truth is, we would do anything for them. We travel incredible distances, risk our lives, fight monsters. But I suppose it can be scary to admit you need people; some might see that as a weakness, a liability. After all, what greater pain is there than losing someone you love, or worse, discovering someone you love has left you behind. I suppose that is why we feel the need to hide away and protect ourselves at times. So we put on a mask Its hard to understand why, almost as hard as knowing that sometimes...the mask is who you truly are.
So, you thought you had all the pieces right where you wanted them.
There are so many moves I've yet to play.
You should've stayed away.
"Team SLVR." he greeted them at a glance. "Shiro Wan, Lin Fucshia, Victor Farrow, Rory Andrews. By all means, come in! He granted each of them a smile. "How are you settling in?
Team HCIN, welcome. Heather Shields, Nova Carillo, Ivy Altham, Inigo Nash. Tell me, how do you feel about entering the Vytal Festival?"
Team CBLT. Carmine Escalados, Bertilak Celadon, Lali Choi and Caroline Teale. I take it you're here to enter the Vytal Festival?
"I'd almost forgotten. The weak always get taken from. Thats how it works here. Which means you guys understand how it works too, right? Those who prey upon others should be prepared to be preyed upon themselves.
"I'll give you whatever you want! Please! Just let me live! I'll pay you double, two times-
Three times.
"What?"
Three times you tried to kill me. Did you think I'd forget? And now you want mercy...? No. What happens in Mistral stays in Mistral...
EDIT: Tribute to Blue-Eyed Samurai here~!
Listen up, Students of Sanctum! A weapon is the soul of every Huntsman and Huntress, and so it must match them. Not solely in outward appearance, but their nature. Some weapons are rigid and thin, others large and powerful, others flowing like water. When crafting a weapon we beat the blade to remove the impurities from the steel, and thus harder the harder it is, but too pure and it becomes brittle. We must leave something of how it was made. Some might say any and all impurities must be removed. Perhaps, yet an impurity in the right place strengthen's one's weapon. Soft steel in the center, hard steel for the edge. Place the two together and you can have greatness. But what is a weapon? It is a line. On one side of that line is life, and the other, death. The edge you forge here today will cut the between the two. Now then...
He stepped back.
...craft your weapons."
The single quality that is common across every living creature on this planet.. is Fear It's funny then, that as common as fear is. We so easily underestimate its power Fear of growing close to someone. A subsequent fear of loss, a fear of failure. And as more people depend on you. Those fears can take on greater power. But fear itself isn't worthy of concern. It is who we become while in its clutches. Will you be proud of that person? Will you forgive them? Will you understand why they felt the need to do the things they did? Will you even recognize them? Or will the person staring back at you be the very thing you should have feared from the start?..I suppose we all find out sooner or later
EDIT: Hey, thanks for reading!
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