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Requested By : Polemoduke

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Yang ducked back and dropped to her knees, dodging the red-edged blade that whistled over her head and turning at the same time, arm curling around her shoulder to block the boot that tried to slam into her back. As it vanished through the portal she turned back, swinging a warding blow in front of her and pushing off the floor in one smooth move. Raven paced back as Yang followed, swinging another hook and using the momentum to spin on a heel, snapping a kick up towards her chest. Raven blocked it with an armored forearm and pushed her back, before Yang felt a hand on her shoulder that yanked her back harshly, sending her stumbling. Raven followed, smiling toothily, and cut down to catch the side of her knee. Her Aura blocked it, but the impact turned her leg at the same time her other came up to step back, and she collapsed.

A red sword danced in front of her face when she tried to rise, and she flopped onto the dirt and sand, sighing.

"Better." Raven grunted, thumping her arm with the sword, and then her head. "Faster, stronger."

"Are you quoting a song right now…?"

"No, I'm complimenting you." Raven sighed, turning and sliding her sword back into its sheath while she undid the straps on the light, layered lacquered armor she had on her off arm. "You're improving."

"Not enough…"

"You're half a woman away from being anywhere close to matching me, brat," Raven chuckled, turning back when Yang only shrugged half-heartedly, dusting the sand off her back. For a second, Raven looked like she was… Struggling, somehow. It was written across her face, obvious enough for Yang to see from her furrowed brows and pursed lips. Finally, awkwardly, she asked, "Are you, ah… Alright?"

"Please, make it sound harder…"

"I warned you." Raven hissed, turning her back on her and tugging at the rest of her gear, watching the beach camp a few dozen yards up the beach where her crew had spread out over the last week or so. "I'm not cut out for this."

"...I'm fine." Yang eventually sighed, "Just… Hate being stuck up here."

"I bet." Raven hummed, "Your father is trying."

"I know…" She sighed, "I know."

It didn't help, though.

"I'll… Send Vernal over." Raven finally said, shaking her head when Yang turned, confused, "I know you don't need a babysitter, brat. But I also know you're liable to go running around the woods again, and there are Grimm out there. No one, even in my Tribe, goes into the woods alone."

"Plus, dad would kill you?"

"Plus," she smiled weakly, "he would try, yes."

"...Fine." She shrugged, pacing off towards a palm that had fallen at the edge of the jungle and plopping down onto it.

It was hardly the first time Yang had needed to wait for Vernal after one of their spars, but Yang somehow still felt angry to have to. She was strong enough to handle whatever tiny Grimm could sneak around this close to the settlement, even if Menagerie was more like Patch than Vale. She'd seen the hunters out, looking for animals to take back as much as they looked for signs of Grimm. She knew it was safe enough for her, enough that she considered trying to head out on her own again. But last time she'd done that, Raven had appeared with her father through a portal, and she knew they'd just do it again.

"Sup." The familiar voice called out from off to her side as Yang turned, watching the brat come up the beach with her hands in her pockets and her eyes on the woods. "Boss said I needed to take you for walkies."

"I don't need walkies, Vernal…"

"No?" She cocked her head, smiling toothily, "Then I can go back to fishing?"

Rather than take the incredibly obvious bait, Yang just scoffed, stood, and turned to head into the forest. She didn't turn to see if Vernal followed, but knew she would. Whatever Raven asked her to do, Vernal did. Fighting, working, exploring, and apparently, taking Yang on 'walkies', she did whatever she was asked. Part of Yang knew that was a good thing, of course, but…

"What's got you so pissy?"

Vernal was too insufferable, usually, to appreciate for it.

"I'm not." Yang sighed, ducking around a palm tree and stepping up onto its roots as they ventured deeper into the jungle, where underbrush and bigger trees, with spindly limbs reaching up for the sky, started to break up the palms.

"You've stomped on, like, three mangos."

"They aren't mangos…" At least she didn't think they were - they were little and round and purple.

"And that wasn't a denial."

"Ugh." She shook her head, "I'm fine."

"Odd," Vernal grunted, "thought you were Yang."

"Do you want me to punch you?"

"I want you to chill the fuck out before you draw a pack of Ursa onto us, or some shit." Vernal snapped back, grabbing Yang's shoulder and then ducking back when she saw red and spun, snapping out with a punch. Vernal kept backing away, ducking under two more before she saw a chance, slid around Yang's side, and shoved her away. "Hey, what the hell? I'm trying to help you, you psycho."

"Trying!" Yang snapped, "Like everyone else, right? And how's that going?"

"How's…" Vernal blinked, cocked her head, and hummed. "That's the problem."

"What?"

"It's been a week, and all we've really done is set up a bunch of tents and wooden fences on a beach." Vernal grunted, hands on cocked hips. "And we aren't even allowed to really head into town to look for who we're here for, even though we're allowed to hunt and forage and trade it with the fuckers. So you're stuck, sitting on a log while everyone else has a good time and makes some Lien. Sounds like a shit deal, eh?"

"I…" Yang blinked, "Y-Yeah. It's a really, uh, shit deal."

"So," Vernal cocked her head, "Why are you sticking to it if it's shit?"

"I… Don't know what you mean?"

"You didn't make the deal, and it's not working out for you." Vernal pointed out, kicking a rock next to her away with a huff. "So why are you following it instead of, say… Sneaking into the city to look for yourself?"

"Mo- Raven," she corrected with a frown, pulling at a strand of hair angrily, "would still know where we are."

"Trust me, I know 'Mo-Raven' a hell of a lot better than you do." The snot smiled, making quotes in the air for no other apparent reason than to piss Yang off. Before Yang could say anything, though, she went on more seriously, "I've been with her for years. She expects you to sneak off."

"Seriously…?"

"Why else would she put your little training spot closer to Menagerie than the camp?" Vernal asked, "And always let you go off walking on your own?" Yang just blinked, staring at her, and Vernal sighed, "Fine, with me, but I'm not going to stop you."

"I…" She sighed, "I wouldn't even know where to look. And wandering around is a bad idea."

"Yeah, you would get spotted straight out."

"And you wouldn't?"

"No." Vernal shrugged, "I know how to blend. Though, to be fair, blending with that hair is probably impossible."

"Tch." It was a fair point, really, but Yang just shrugged and rolled her eyes. She was not going to give the brat that.

"As for where to look…" Vernal hummed, pacing past her towards Menagerie, "I would suggest the market and then, if you don't see her, the manor."

"Wouldn't I stand out in the market…?"

"Only if you don't have a reason to be there." Vernal nodded, turning and waving for Yang to follow her deeper into the woods. But not towards Kuo Kuana, Yang realized after a bit. Instead, their path went winding through the jungle, until Vernal spotted their goal. "Aha!"

"Aha…?"

The tree was broad-topped, with wide, five-pronged leaves covered in spines Yang could see from the ground. Its roots were just as spread out, winding through the topsoil around it and leaving the ground pitted and knotty, speckled by clusters of little purple flowers growing from the roots and smaller shrubs that had found space to grow. It was the flowers Vernal gravitated to, pulling out a little pouch and a knife to cut one away to show her.

"Speckled Violets." She explained, "Great for medicine."

"So we sell it to a doctor, and-"

"And for getting high as the clouds." Vernal grinned, dropping it into her bag and turning to cut another one. "Either way, I know a guy who'll buy 'em. And if we're in the market to sell…"

"Then no one can say anything." Yang blinked, "So I can look around…"

"Exactly."

"Alright…" Yang sighed, grimacing, "Not a terrible idea, I guess…"

Vernal just snorted and pulled out another, smaller knife that she tossed at her, "Gather 'em up. Leave one behind, though. Greene says that they'll regrow more easily that way."

"Alright…"

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"This is a terrible idea…" Raven complained quietly, following Tai along the beach, around into a small inlet at the end of a river. She flicked the little basket he was carrying a look and frowned for that, too, sighing, "And did you actually pack sandwiches?"

"Whyyyyy wouldn't I?"

"Because Qrow would have better ingredients…"

"True." Tai nodded, "But, well… Knowing him, he'd grab spoiled mustard to put on 'em and just not check."

"I suppose he would…" She sighed, watching him drop the basket on the ground and plop down on a nice, open enough spot. He stretched out on it, sighing and resting with his head on his hands, watching the sky while Raven glowered. "Just going to lay there, are you?"

"Sorry." Tai chuckled, "Does your Semblance need a rain dance now or something?"

"Keep it up and it'll need a blood sacrifice…"

"Right, right, sorry." He sighed, "You're snippier than usual…"

"I'm really not."

"Oh, I know. But if I said that, you'd have lied and gotten defensive." He smirked, cracking an eyebrow and adding, "Now, though, you've admitted it. So, why the good- Ungh!"

"Idiot." He grunted, watching the man rub his stomach where the base of her sword had bitten into his Aura. Ignoring his pout, she turned and drew her sword up and down, Aura washing along it familiarly. The portal opened almost instantly and, a moment later, she tried not to grimace as Summer's child and her bonded stepped through, the latter eyeing her warily as the portal closed. For the paranoid one, she explained, "I'll open it back tomorrow morning, to my brother."

"That," Cinder Fall, looking better since the last time she'd seen her, rumbled, "is not what I am concerned over…"

"It's fine, Cinder." The smaller girl chuckled, tugging her towards a nice spot by the river when she spotted it. "Come on! I wonder what kind of fishies they have here!"

"None you will see, loud as you are…"

Raven watched them go and waited until they were out of earshot to sigh and say, "That girl is watching the treeline like she expects to be shot…"

"Paranoia induced by trauma." Tai nodded, sitting up and watching them with a side-long glance, presumably to keep his brat from noticing and complaining. "Therapist says exposure will help, as long as we don't overdo it."

"You don't think going trans-continental counts?"

"It might…" He admitted, "But if she needs to, we're in a unique spot to solve that quicker."

"Fair…" Raven sighed, shuffling uncomfortably before she finally took a seat, Omen out beside them. Just in case she needed it. "So, as long as she can handle this…"

"She can handle meeting Yang, too." Tai nodded, "And I'll get closer in a bit. Baby steps, ya know? Anyway, how's Yang doing?"

"Hmph…" She sighed, turning her attention on the gentle tug and pull of Tai's emotions, and her Semblance's connections. Yang was easy to pick out, if only because she was the only one with another connection, and Raven nodded. "She's safe, with Vernal."

"Great." He smiled, "Thanks, Rae."

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"Fifty Lien…"

"We're lucky we got that much." Vernal grunted from in front of her, leading her through an alley and out into a narrow, empty side-street they crossed to head into another alley. "The Faunus trade with us, sure, but some kids selling flowers they can get nearby? The Human Tax wasn't ever going to let us make much…"

"Human Tax?"

"They sell to us for higher," Vernal turned to flick her a look, "and buy for lower."

"That's dumb…" Vernal only shrugged, stopping at the edge of an alley and leaning out just the tiniest bit to look around. Nodding, she ducked back in, around a little wooden panel that hid the dumpster they were standing by view. Voice low, she said, "Okay, so… Fairly quiet, right about now. Straight across the square and into the garden."

"Garden…?"

"You'll see it." Vernal rolled her eyes, "Hedges around the outside, lots of plants?"

"R-Right." She nodded, "Sorry, I've-"

"Never done a little B-n-E?" She chuckled, "Yeah, I bet. Anyway, should be easier to hide in there. Then we just find a spot to get in and look around for swag to steal."

"You mean information…"

"Yeah." Vernal smirked cheekily, "Sure. That too."

"Ugh…"

Yang ignored the amused sounding giggle beside her and shuffled forward, peeking around the corner.

The manor was pretty big, at least by her ideas. Three floors, twice as wide and long as their house at Patch, and open lawns around it that were enclosed on all sides by a wide, open avenue that was still being paved with rough stone-work. There were huge piles of stone heaped up all across the square, but there weren't any workers. And even though she could see two of the three wide doors on the manor, she didn't see any guards there either.

"Where is everyone…?"

"Other side of the manor, eating." Vernal answered, turning to explain, "I cased the place over the last couple days."

"Why, though?"

"To break in, obviously." She rolled her eyes, "I was just waiting on you, really."

"Oh…" That was almost sweet, actually. That Vernal had put in work and waited for her to be ready to-

"I mean, I'm gonna need help carrying whatever we take." She shrugged, "Ya know?"

And there it went…

"Whatever." Yang sighed, "What now?"

"There." Vernal said, pointing at the back, and the only spot Yang couldn't see the long reaching overhang the doors had. There were hedges there, instead, with tall trees in the corners that almost stood over the manor itself. And only one way in - a wrought iron, old looking metal gate. "Climb the fence, don't trample the flowers, and we should be in."

"I don't like 'should'..."

"I don't like whiners." Vernal shrugged, standing and stepping out, "Now come on - before lunch hour ends."

Every step made Yang anxious but, after a minute, they'd gotten to the gate and found it unlocked - which made Vernal snort something about 'stupid rich people'. Inside, the hedges contained a wide vegetable garden, split by rows of little posts and signs for what was growing. It reminded her a lot of home, actually. All the way down to the hose someone hadn't quite turned all the way off, leaving it to drip in a corner of the garden, on the stone. The door was just as unlocked and, through it, they found a little work area, with low, dirty floors and bags of soil and tools all around them.

The second door, funnily, was very locked.

"Just a sec." Vernal grunted, grabbing a little garden hoe and a metal wire like they used at home to let tomato plants grow taller. "I'll shiv it open."

"You can do that?"

"Iunno." She snorted, "Let's find out!"

"Vernal…"

"Yeah?"

"I hate you just…" Yang sighed, "So much, sometimes."

"Eh." She shrugged, twisting the lock and drawing a loud chink sound that made Yang wince. Pushing the door open, she smirked, "Fair."

Inside, finally, the halls of the manor were… Surprisingly empty.

The floors were bare wood, with long, thin rugs running over them, and the walls were simple wooden panels. And most of them were bare, too. As they headed deeper, Vernal leading the way and keeping an eye out for any guards - which they doubled back to get away from - that didn't change. Even further up, it didn't. The only real decorations were worn looking weapons, mostly spears and swords, or banners. None of which appealed to Vernal, or helped Yang at all.

Until they managed to get to the top, and stepped into an office stuffed with stuff.

Books, pieces of armor and jewelry, a map unrolled on a table right in the middle - it looked like some sort of command room. Like Yang would have expected in a tent, in one of Ruby's old stories. A wide, blue banner hung in one corner, stood on a brass pole. And a fire crackled gently in a hearth lined by old photos, pictures, and a painting of three people. Two of which Yang recognized - the Belladonnas.

"Who is this…?" She asked, pointing up at a dark-skinned woman dressed in red robes, with stripes splashed across her skin.

"A dear friend of mine, Sienna Khan." A smooth, warm voice spoke, standing almost directly behind Yang. Hands landed on her shoulders, and Yang heard Vernal swear and nearly trip, and the woman laughed. "Relax, before you fall and hurt yourself, child. I'm not going to hurt you."

"Yeah?" Vernal chuckled, "And I should believe that, because…?"

"I have no reason to." Kali Belladonna answered smoothly, turning Yang enough to look down at her and smiling warmly. "After all… I can tell you aren't here to rob me. Are you, Miss Xiao Long?"

"You… Know my-"

"Name?" She smiled, turning and gesturing them both towards a little set of stairs that led up to a door, blocked by a curtain. "Of course. It pays to be informed. Now come, you must be starving after all that sneaking in."

"B-But…"

"Or," Kali cocked her head, "I could just call the guards…"

"A snack sounds great!" Vernal laughed awkwardly, stomping up the stairs, "C'mon, blondie."

Upstairs was a smaller room, with another curtained door decorated with metal bells across from the one they came in through. Off to one side was a kitchen, stretched out along the wall. And on the other were a pair of desks, back to back against the wall, with bookshelves behind them. And papers covering them. There was a wide, round table low to the floor, with mats all around it, right between the kitchen and the… Office, she guessed, though she didn't get why they needed a private one along with the one out there, where they'd come in.

Broken in, Yang finally realised, reality starting to settle onto her shoulder.

"Sit." Kali said, turning for the kitchen, "I have some rice and fish. It'll do."

"T-Thanks…"

She'd only just settled down when Kali came back with a plate of rice and fish that she sat in the middle, putting smaller plates out for each of them and heading over to the desk. While Vernal tore at the food, Yang watched her go through papers on her desk, setting most aside and stacking the rest up. When she got bored with that, though, she let her eyes wander the wall of books and scrolls and pictures. Mostly of Faunus, shaking hands with the Chieftain, but towards the end they were all younger. And Sienna Khan was in more of them, until one where she was holding a squirming kid in her arms who…

Who…

"Ah." Kali hummed, turning towards Yang as she dropped her fork and blinked. "There we go…"

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Blake felt the emotions slam into her and choked on her water, dropping the cup and clutching at her chest as she collapsed. Elation, confusion, pleasure, a bit of fear - it was a potent cocktail, swaddled in a sudden release of tension that Blake could never have mistaken what her Soulmate was feeling. What she'd found. Which should have been impossible, her picture wasn't anywhere in Mistral that she knew of - Adam made sure they all wore masks out, either their Fang ones or simpler cloth ones.

So how…?

"Menagerie." She whispered, staring at the floor, "She's… Really there? But…"

Gods, what did that mean?

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