Chapter 7: Nightmares
Trigger warning: there's some violence in this chapter. It's not what I'd consider graphic violence, as there isn't really much description of injury at all, but there is blood.
Yang heard the footsteps first, a rapidly approaching thunder of angry stomping.
The door slammed wide open, handle striking the wall. Blake stood in the doorway, eyes narrowed, teeth bared, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Yang propped herself up on her elbows in bed. "Blake? What's—"
"Ilia was right," Blake snarled. She glared at Yang much like she had at Adam, right before his end. Except there was no pity in her eyes, only contempt.
Yang opened her mouth to protest that Ilia had believed her in the end, but Blake gave her no time to defend herself.
"You lied, your heart lied. I can't trust it, or you. Yang, how could you?" Blake sobbed. "You betrayed me!"
Yang shook her head. "No, I didn't, I swear—"
"Liar!" Blake's voice broke. "I'm done. We're through." She disappeared like smoke, a shadow clone fading away, her footsteps racing away, increasingly distant. Light left with her, leaving Yang alone in the dark.
Yang thrashed around, frantically trying to untangle herself from the bedding. "Blake!"
She lunged free and fell out of bed, her Aura easily absorbing the minor impact. Yang struggled to her feet, awkward without her prosthetic on. She hurried after Blake, hand outstretched to guard against blundering into a wall in the dark. She hit something. Wood… The door?
"Huh?" Yang ran her hand along the surface of the wood. Definitely the bedroom door. But it had been wide open. Hadn't it? She fumbled for the light switch and flicked it on. She screwed her eyes up against the sudden light. Another weird thing: it hadn't been that long since her eyes were adjusted to light, Blake had turned it on. Except… had she?
Yang blinked a few times until her eyes weren't squinting. She inspected the wall. No sign of any damage where the handle had struck it. She felt along it to be sure. Nothing.
Then… A nightmare. Right? Yang turned back to the bed. She flinched. No Blake asleep in it. But Blake was away on a mission. A dangerous one. That was it… wasn't it? Or was the dream that Blake believed her? Was the cruel reality that she'd left?
Yang's breath caught. Her eyes widened, hand flying to her belly as she felt movement within. She hadn't sent her Aura inside this time, and couldn't feel the thrumming of the heart, instead feeling a fluttering motion. She couldn't feel it against her hand, only from within. Wow…
Was the baby picking up on her agitation? Maybe. It'd explain why it was moving more than usual, enough that Yang could feel it. She wrapped her arm around her slight bump, trying to calm herself and the baby down.
"Just a dream." Her voice trembled. She repeated the words, trying to convince herself.
Yang staggered back to bed and sat down. She put her prosthetic on, giving up on sleep for now. Instead she picked up her scroll and checked it. The latest messages from Blake were reassuringly recent and loving. Definitely just a dream. A stupid dream feeding on her insecurities and baseless fears.
She put the scroll down and swung herself up onto the bed, rolling over onto Blake's side of it. The sheets felt so cold without her fiancée there to warm them.
Yang buried her face in Blake's pillow, breathing in her scent. It was inherently soothing, and it also served as a reminder that Blake hadn't truly left; her scent hadn't faded. She wasn't there right now, but she'd be back.
After a minute of breathing in Blake's scent, the fluttering movements of her baby - their baby - settled down, proof that he or she had picked up on Yang's stress. Now she felt calmer, the baby relaxed too.
A gentle knock rapped on the bedroom door. Yang whipped around, staring at it.
"Yang? Is everything all right?" Kali's voice was muffled but still recognisable through the door.
Oh, right: Kali was keeping her company while Blake was gone. Yang figured Blake was responsible, knowing this mission was more dangerous than usual. Yang's soon-to-be mother-in-law must've heard her fall out of bed.
"I'm fine," Yang called. She rolled off the bed and moved to the door, figuring she'd be more convincing if Kali could see her. She glanced down before opening the door, double-checking she'd worn pyjamas to bed. Good, she was clothed. If Blake was home, she'd probably be naked. Skin to skin contact was so soothing in bed; no wonder she couldn't sleep well without Blake there.
The door opened, revealing Kali wrapped up in a robe. Concerned eyes found Yang's. "What happened?"
Yang rubbed at the back of her head, mussing up her sleep tangled hair even more. "Fell out of bed. Stupid nightmare, nothing to worry about."
Kali looked more worried. "Falls aren't good for…" Her eyes flicked down to Yang's belly.
"My Aura took care of both us, we're fine. Really. I'm sorry for disturbing you."
Kali took her left hand and patted the back of it. "I'd rather be able to help if I can. You look shaken. Can I make you some tea? A nice soothing blend?"
"You're a guest," Yang protested.
Kali gave a dismissive wave. "I'm family, you said to make myself at home before I turned in for the night. I have: I put the kettle on to make myself some tea, it should be coming up to the boil now. It's no trouble to make you some too."
Yang sighed. "All right."
They soon sat on the sofa, steaming cups of tea on the coffee table.
"Would you like to talk about your nightmare?" Kali asked.
Yang tried not to flinch at the thought. It was bad enough knowing how insecure she was without Kali being aware. She shook her head.
Kali gave her a reassuring smile. "That's all right. We don't have to talk about it. But before we leave the topic entirely behind… Have your dreams ever come true?"
"Not unless it's a really good dream about Blake." Yang abruptly remembered who she was talking to. She blushed and cleared her throat. Time to change the subject before Kali could do more than smirk teasingly. "I, uh, I have vivid dreams. I always have, but even more so ever since I got pregnant. It can be tough for me to tell what's dream and what's real after I wake up."
Kali made a sympathetic noise. "That sounds bad enough with normal dreams."
"It's horrible with nightmares." Yang didn't want to worry Kali with the fact that most of her dreams were nightmares. She didn't need to know.
"Does having Blake home help ground you? When you're trying to figure out what's real after waking up from a vivid dream."
"Yeah." Yang gave her a sheepish look. "It's not that you're not helping, it's just…"
Kali patted Yang's hand. "I'm not Blake. I imagine no one else can help as much as she can."
"Blake's special," Yang said. She picked up her tea and sipped at it. Her flesh hand still trembled a little; using her prosthetic with her tea hopefully meant Kali didn't notice.
"She is. And she'll be back soon enough, safe and sound." Kali couldn't hide the worry in her eyes, or how she sounded like she was trying to convince herself.
Yang nodded, her throat too tight to speak. Blake would be home soon. In one piece, without so much as a scratch. Right?
"Raven, go!" The urgent call of Summer Rose cut through Raven's dream.
She'd always known when she was dreaming, and hearing Summer only made it more obvious. It was the only time Raven heard her, outside of old recordings replayed whenever the guilt gripped her; every damn day.
So Raven knew she was dreaming. She also knew she'd catch sight of Summer within a few heartbeats. She always did. This was one of her recurring nightmares.
"Go!" Summer screamed. And right on time, Raven could see her: silver eyes flashing, face contorted with fear, combat outfit torn and bloodied.
Raven reached for her. She wouldn't leave her behind. Not this time. The part of her mind that knew she was dreaming railed against the knowledge that the nightmare never changed. Being aware it was 'only' a dream didn't give her the power to take control. It just left her even more helpless.
Summer slipped through her fingers in a shower of white petals, spotted with blood. Her axe fell to the ground, blade sinking into blood-soaked soil.
"Never stop running!" Summer's last words echoed through Raven's mind.
Raven turned and ran, through portal after portal, as those she'd bonded to fell behind her, a rising river of blood following her. She felt each bond snap as death severed the ties that bound her Semblance to them.
Qrow. Tai. Vernal. Even Ozpin, a bond she hadn't touched for many years. But Oz would be back, in another body. No, wait, he was gone for good; she was dreaming.
She dashed through the last portal. A small child with blonde hair parted into two pigtails stared up at her, lilac eyes widening at the sight of Raven. Yang, as she'd been when Summer left on that last mission. Raven couldn't leave her daughter behind. She'd die, drowning in her own blood. Raven picked her up and fled, solely on foot. No more people to portal to. She'd go faster if she transformed and flew as a raven, but she couldn't. Yang would die. Summer would never forgive her. Raven would never forgive herself.
"Where's my mom?" Yang asked, voice so small, so young, so helpless. "Dad? Uncle Qrow?"
Raven shook her head, blinded by tears. Her feet ached. Her lungs burned.
"Never stop running!"
"Where's Ruby?" Yang looked around wildly. She started struggling. Raven's hold slipped. If she dropped her, Yang would die. "Ruby!"
'I'm dreaming. Yang won't die if I drop her. She's not a five year old. She's a grown woman, having a baby of her own. I have a bond with Ruby, this is a nightmare, it doesn't account for that.'
It didn't help. As always, knowing it was a dream changed nothing. She couldn't alter anything, and she couldn't even wake herself up. She was trapped.
Yang slipped through her fingers. She reached for Raven, eyes wide, face twisted with terror. She disappeared into the deep river of blood.
Raven screamed—
She sat bolt upright in bed, her nightwear clinging to her, drenched in cold sweat. She reached for her bond with Yang, flopping back in relief when she found it reassuringly steady, if rendered fuzzy by the unborn baby.
Raven almost fell out of bed when the bond right next to Yang's vibrated, fraying, endangered by the cruel scythe of death. Wait. Fuck. More than one of them. Damn it… Raven grabbed her sword. This was why she never slept naked and always kept Omen close to hand.
Focusing on her bonds, Raven picked out the one closest to snapping. She drew and slashed Omen, holding the Kindred Link in her mind. It was harder to open a portal to someone she didn't like, so she held on to the reasons she'd made the bond. She just needed to be careful not to focus too hard, or she'd end up portalling to Yang instead.
Raven leapt through the portal as soon as it opened. She took a heartbeat to take in her surroundings, cold mud under her bare feet, chill night air unpleasant on damp skin. Blake had to be somewhere in front of her, within a few feet, but she couldn't see her for Grimm swarming around, pale bones gleaming in the moonlight, red eyes glowing in the night. Raven skewered one as soon as it pounced, dripping jaws snapping shut inches from her throat.
Before any Grimm could slip through the portal, Raven let it close. It'd make it harder to get home, but so be it. She might have stranded herself, but she could beg, borrow or steal some lien. If push came to shove she could fly home as a raven. Airships were just considerably faster and more comfortable. For all she knew she might not be that far from home anyway.
Raven felt her bond with Blake give a warning twinge. Right, figuring out how to get home could wait. There were entirely too many Grimm here, and she needed to save her future daughter-in-law. Or Yang would never forgive her. She slashed at another Grimm, and cursed under her breath. She'd never find Blake in time with swordplay alone.
Magic hadn't disappeared when Ozpin and Salem left Remnant behind. It was just harder to access, and came with a price. Raven gritted her teeth. The telltale red glow beside her eyes flared to life, along with a pounding headache.
Before any Grimm could creep up on her with her now compromised peripheral vision, Raven lashed out with swirling gale force winds, buying herself some breathing room. Grimm howled, thrown back by the sudden whirling barrage.
Finally she spotted Blake, sprawled on the ground just ahead of her, in a spreading pool of blood. Her torn white coat and the spilled blood reflected the light of the shattered moon.
"Fuck," Raven breathed. She slid to her knees at Blake's side, dropped Omen's sheath, and laid a hand on her; it helped Raven's magic feel where the blood should be flowing. One thing for sure: returning the spilt blood to Blake would do more harm than good. At least Raven could keep any more from escaping… hopefully.
She hissed through her teeth, her head throbbing, the flare of red light beside her eyes brightening. Blood wasn't all that different from water; her Maiden's magic would keep Blake from bleeding out. At least it would so long as she could focus on it. The strain made her head feel like it'd split open. She had to keep it going. Blake dying on her watch wasn't an option. It'd just be so much easier if she didn't have to fight off Grimm at the same time.
An Ursa charged at her. Omen alone wouldn't kill it fast enough, especially when she couldn't move from Blake's side. A grunt of agonised effort escaped Raven as she bombarded it with icicles, while still keeping Blake's blood flowing where it was supposed to. The Ursa fell, dissolving into oily smoke. A horde of Beowolves behind it yelped, pierced by stray shards of ice. They fled from her wrath.
Raven discouraged them from returning by surrounding herself and Blake with a ring of fire. She'd just need to make sure it didn't burn out of control. Yet another drain on her focus…
A screech split the air. Raven looked up just in time. A Nevermore plummeted towards her, claws outstretched. A few fireballs knocked it off course and burned through its wings, sending it crashing to the ground beyond the wall of flames.
She cursed, turning back to Blake, and returned her focus to stopping the bleeding. Where were the rest of Yang's team? Raven checked her bonds and swore again. Qrow and Ruby were still in danger, her brother more so. At this rate she'd have to bond to Yang's favourite Schnee too… The lengths she went to for her daughter.
A slash from Omen opened another portal. Qrow soared through in crow form. Raven immediately closed the portal and opened one to Ruby. Splitting her concentration between her Maiden powers and her Semblance was nothing short of torture. Something trickled from her nose. Raven swiped with her finger, and it came away bloodied.
Raven almost closed the portal as soon as someone leapt through it. She only just managed to keep the connection to Ruby open, recognising Valkyrie. Ren followed, then Arc, Yang's Schnee, and finally Ruby, all of them illuminated by fire and moonlight.
Ruby's wide silver eyes roved around, then settled on Raven. "Please tell me you made a bond with Blake! We got separated—"
"Yes. For Yang," Raven snapped, another trickle of blood dripping from her nose. She pointedly looked down at Blake.
"Blake!" Ruby yelped. She and Yang's Schnee knelt on the other side of Blake, disregarding the pool of blood.
"Jaune," Valkyrie and Ren muttered together.
Raven glanced over. Arc stood staring, eyes wide with horror, face pale enough that he might faint.
Qrow landed behind Arc, transforming back into his lanky human shape. He clapped Arc on the back. "Jaune! Still got Aura?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah… Oh!" Arc rushed over to Blake, almost tripping. He dropped to his knees, hands outstretched over Blake's prone form. A pale golden glow formed around his hands before it spread over Blake.
Qrow's footsteps approached. Raven didn't take her eyes off Blake. Once upon a time she'd have been able to smell him, the reek of alcohol mixing badly with what he thought to be irresistible cologne. He'd ditched the alcohol years ago, and she couldn't smell anything except blood anyway. Mostly her own, no thanks to the nosebleed.
"You okay?" Qrow asked, as usual sounding like he'd been gargling with gravel.
"Just a nosebleed. I'm fine," she bit out.
"Then why are you just kneeling there?" Qrow snapped back. "You could wipe out these Grimm, even the ancient one summoning them all here!"
"Shut. Up. I'm trying to keep Yang's wife-to-be from bleeding out."
"Oh. Treating the blood like it's water, elemental Maiden magic," Qrow muttered. "Don't worry, Jaune's helping Blake heal herself, you'll be free to help soon enough. With the Grimm. You're already—"
"What part of shut up don't you understand?" Raven ground out, her temples throbbing. "Make yourself useful and keep the Grimm away." She could feel their hostile eyes on her despite the ring of fire, Aura prickling in awareness of the danger.
"Right," Qrow said. "Nora, Ren, with me."
"Us too," Yang's Schnee said, patting Ruby on the shoulder and pushing herself to her feet.
"Right," Ruby muttered.
The ragged group fought back the Grimm with enough racket to waken the dead. Ruby's scythe made as much noise as Qrow's ridiculous sword. Valkyrie's hammer was the worst, the echoing impacts and explosions making Raven flinch.
Raven wished she could tune them all out. It had been hard enough without the chaotic sounds of combat. As for Qrow's assumption that she'd deal with the Grimm for them… Ugh. All she wanted was to get Blake back to Yang in one piece. Then take some painkillers and sleep for a week.
She watched as Arc's Semblance boosted Blake's Aura back into existence, the white glow crisscrossing Blake's body tinged with purple. Raven felt Blake's supercharged Aura knit her injuries back together, although it couldn't do anything about the blood she'd lost. Raven eyed the pool of blood. Blake would be left weak after losing that much. She'd need to get Blake to safety as soon as possible. Either that or do the noble thing and wipe out the Grimm. Ugh! What part of it was her problem anyway? She hadn't taken this stupid mission.
Raven breathed a sigh of relief once Blake had healed enough for her body to resume blood circulation unassisted. Raven's headache eased. She took care of her own minor blood leakage and washed away the stains with a bit of Maiden magic. There wasn't much point trying to clean off Blake, her clothing would probably fall off without blood to stick it to her.
Blake groaned. Her eyes fluttered open, and struggled to focus. Definitely woozy from the blood loss. "Jaune?" she muttered.
Arc pulled out his scroll, the screen showing the Aura levels of his friends. Including Blake's, steadily rising back towards full. "You're going to be fine," he said. "Just relax, you lost a lot of blood."
Blake looked around. She flinched at the sight of her own blood. "Found it," she said, pointing at the pool.
Arc stared. A short bark of laughter escaped him. "You've spent too much time with Yang, her sense of humour's rubbing off on you."
"No." Blake waggled a shaky finger at him. "Not possible. Never too much Yang." She looked back at the blood and swallowed hard. "I broke my promise to her. 'Not a scratch.' So much for that…" Her cat ears folded back.
"Don't worry about it, the only thing Yang will care about is getting you home in one piece."
"He's right," Raven agreed. "Although maybe next time you shouldn't make promises you can't keep."
Blake blinked, gaze shifting to Raven. "Where'd you come from?"
"A portal." Raven did her best not to snap at Blake. The nightmare interrupted her sleep before her Semblance could. It wasn't Blake's fault that a shortage of blood had her wits sluggish. Apart from taking on a mission she hadn't known would have killed her if Raven hadn't intervened…
"Raven saved you," Arc said. "You'd have been dead before I could have got to you if she hadn't come." He looked over at Raven. "Thank you."
"Oh," Blake breathed. "My save." Her cheeks were slightly flushed, as though she'd be blushing if she had the blood to do it properly. "And thanks," she hurriedly added.
"I didn't do it for either of you. I did it for Yang. And for my grandchild." Raven returned her eyes to Blake. "You need to be more careful. You're going to be a mother. A bit rich coming from me, I'm sure. But my point still stands."
"Especially now," Blake mumbled.
Raven opened her mouth to ask what she meant by that. She didn't get the chance.
A whirl of red petals coalesced into Ruby, right in front of Raven. "We need your help, the ancient Grimm's on the move."
Raven shrugged. "Sounds like time to leave to me. I'd advise you all to do the same. If you go through the portal when I open it, you'll be safe."
"You don't understand! It'll destroy at least one village in its path. Please, Raven. We can't do it without you. We already tried, before you came."
Wide, pleading silver eyes reminded Raven why she avoided Ruby if possible. The girl - young woman - reminded Raven far too much of Summer.
Raven rose to her feet, picking up Omen's sheath as she did. "I didn't take this mission. You did. You're a Silver Eyed Warrior, what's stopping you?"
"My eyes aren't strong enough!" Ruby set the end of her scythe into the ground and leaned on it. "They turn it to stone for maybe half a minute, and Nora couldn't smash it in time even amped up by Jaune."
"What part of this is my problem?" Raven folded her arms and looked away. She could feel their eyes on her. Accusing eyes. Most of them were busy fighting Grimm, but Ruby's were the most effective for making her feel guilty.
"You're a huntress. That makes it your problem too. You're also a Maiden. What's the use of having that power if you don't use it to protect others?" Ruby demanded.
"Using it gives me a splitting headache," Raven snapped. "Why do you think my nose was bleeding? As for being a huntress, I was off duty. Asleep! Do you think I'm dressed like this for the fun of it?" She gestured at her nightwear.
"Raven, please. I'm sorry your Maiden powers cause you pain. My own powers hurt me too sometimes."
Raven scowled. She knew that. Summer always had a headache after using her eyes. "I don't want your sympathy," she spat. Certainly not Ruby's. She preferred it when Ruby openly resented how she'd treated Yang. It helped her feel less guilty about Summer.
"You have it anyway. You saved Blake. That doesn't mean I can forgive you for leaving Yang, but I'm grateful about Blake. We all are. But we still need your help. Or people will die."
"Then evacuate the threatened villages," Raven said.
Arc spoke up from Blake's side, the glow of his Semblance still emanating from him. "In the middle of the night, with swarms of Grimm drawn to their fear? They'll be safer in their homes if we can destroy the ancient Grimm. Then the rest of the gathered horde should scatter."
Ruby stepped closer and tried to lay her hands over Raven's. "Please."
Raven flinched away. She felt the urge to slash Omen, to make a portal, to flee.
"Do it for Yang," Blake said. Raven's eyes were drawn to where she still lay, a challenging golden glare making her look away again just as fast.
Raven still wanted nothing more than to leave and find somewhere she could rest. But if she refused to help, word would get back to Yang. The thought of her daughter's disappointment made Raven shift uncomfortably.
"Fine," Raven groaned, bracing herself for more pain. "Use your eyes on the ancient Grimm, I'll shatter it."
"Thank you," Ruby said.
A disorienting whirl later, and Raven found herself spitting out petals, and struggling to stay on her feet on cold rock. Ruby had taken Raven with her in her Semblance, to get them where they needed to be as soon as possible. Just typical that she hadn't bothered asking Raven first. Just like her mother, assuming she knew best…
"There it is!" Ruby pointed.
Raven looked. The ancient Grimm was a darker shadow above the shadowy treetops, massive eyes glowing bright red, the moonlight glinting off shards of bone bigger than an entire Ursa.
"I wonder if Weiss could claim this as a Summon," Ruby muttered. "Maybe if she boosted you with one of her runes…"
"Much as I love the thought of having a Grimm like that as a Summon, I'm not sure I have the Aura for it," Yang's Schnee said. Raven tried not to show her surprise; she hadn't realised the Schnee was with them.
"Well, fuck," Ruby said.
Yang's Schnee tutted. "Don't let Yang hear you say that."
"I think she'd understand. I'm allowed to say 'fuck' if the situation calls for it." Ruby glanced at Raven. "Uh, according to Yang. I can say whatever I want, I don't need Yang's permission."
"Time and place," Raven muttered. "We have a Grimm to destroy. Or fucking destroy, if you insist."
"Right," Ruby breathed. Her shoulders raised and she stood bolt upright, eyes fixed on the Grimm.
Raven closed her eyes, trying to protect what passed for her night vision from the incoming flash of bright silver light. It didn't really work. Maybe throwing an arm over her eyes might've helped… Hm. Unfortunately that would have risked hitting Ruby or the Schnee with Omen or its sheath.
"Raven! Now!" Ruby yelled.
Raven grunted, blinking repeatedly until she could make out the shape of the Grimm again, the moon shining down on the gargantuan stone statue. She tapped deeper into her Maiden powers, gritting her teeth, head throbbing. Raven reached skyward and unleashed the fury of a Spring storm onto the frozen Grimm. Chained lightning strikes split the stone apart. Raven's head felt much the same. She staggered, swaying on her feet. Hands steadied her on each side.
"I'm fine," Raven protested.
Ruby and Yang's Schnee withdrew their hands.
Raven promptly fell, almost flat on her face. She caught herself with Omen, sword point resting against stone, dropping to one knee instead. "Just need a moment." She rested her pounding head against the hilt of her sword.
"Maybe you should see a doctor," Ruby suggested. "My eyes don't make my nose bleed. That can't be good."
"I said I'm fine," Raven said. She tried to snap the words out, but they came out too weakly. She dropped Omen's sheath and swiped under her nose. Her hand unsurprisingly came away bloodied. She hadn't felt it, couldn't feel much beyond the pounding in her skull, but Ruby's words had made it obvious. She used her Maiden magic one last time to wash away the blood, and let the flare beside her eyes fade away. The ache in her head slowly eased as her Aura wrestled it into submission.
"Get us back to Blake," Raven ordered. "I don't know what just happened to that protective ring of fire I made." She fumbled for Omen's sheath and only just caught hold of it when Ruby swept them up into her Semblance.
Good news: the fire hadn't got out of control, and was burning lower. Bad news: Raven hadn't considered how she'd remain upright. Omen sank into the muddy ground and Raven fell face first towards the sticky pool of Blake's blood.
Pain erupted from the back of her head, her face abruptly halting within an inch of the blood.
"Got you," Qrow rasped. The bastard had oh-so-helpfully grabbed her hair. Raven would have preferred faceplanting in the blood. She hated having her hair pulled. And Qrow knew it.
"Ow, fuck," Raven muttered.
Two arms grabbed hers and hauled her to her feet, and Omen out of the mud in the same motion. Qrow finally released her hair. It took a moment for her Aura to soothe her aching scalp. She glared at Qrow until the pain ebbed away. He was lucky she was trying to be a better person, or she'd have returned the favour. See how he liked almost having his hair ripped out…
Qrow grinned at her. "You're welcome."
It was so very tempting to take on her raven form just to peck him.
"Are you okay?" Ruby asked, keeping hold of Raven's arm.
Yang's Schnee released Raven's other arm. Wise move.
"Fine," Raven snapped. "Now let go, I've a portal to make."
"Are you sure you shouldn't rest for a bit?" Ruby sounded concerned.
"The Grimm scattered, should be safe enough to hang around," Qrow said.
"I want a fucking bed," Raven snarled. She focused on her chosen bond and slashed Omen, a portal opening. "Either go through or stay behind, I don't care." She glared at the assembled huntsmen and huntresses. "Just hurry up. I can't keep it open for long."
"I'll go," Blake said. She tried and failed to get up. Ruby and Yang's Schnee hurried to her side, helping her to her feet. Blake swayed.
"I think we need to carry you," Yang's Schnee said.
"I got this!" Valkyrie swept Blake off her feet and into a bridal carry. "Light as a feather. You're nothing compared to my weights." She hummed thoughtfully. "How're you and Yang going to do carrying over the threshold after you get married? Will you take turns?"
"Shut up and go through." Raven pointed at the portal. "Quietly. You'll be within a few feet of someone who should be sleeping."
Valkyrie pressed her lips together in exaggerated silence and hurried through. Ruby and Yang's Schnee followed, then Ren and Arc.
"Like the portal opening didn't wake Yang," Qrow drawled.
Raven gave him a sidelong look. She raised an eyebrow, lip curling.
"It's not to Yang?" Qrow asked.
Raven waved at the portal. "See for yourself."
"You sure you won't fall over?"
"I'm fine." Raven pointedly walked through the portal. It'd serve Qrow right if she let it close before he could follow. But no, that'd get back to Yang too. She wouldn't approve of stranding her uncle out of spite. Even if she might see how it was a little funny.
Ruby and her friends were looking around the room they found themselves in.
"Why are the cupboards so high up?" Valkyrie asked. "Where are we? Does a giant live here? Oh! Is this your parents' home, Blake? Your dad could reach those."
"No, it's—"
"Dad! Um, hi!" Ruby chirped. She darted over to where the anchoring point of Raven's portal stood, and threw her arms around him, leaving a muddy trail of footprints behind her.
Tai stared over the top of Ruby's head, eyes wide, gaze shifting from person to person. He clearly hadn't expected a portal to open in his kitchen, or for quite so many uninvited guests to arrive. "Um. Hi." He ruffled Ruby's hair.
"You picked Tai rather than Yang? That's cold, sister," Qrow muttered in Raven's ear.
Raven ignored Qrow, and closed the portal, sheathing Omen. Everyone was here. Including a small dog yapping at Ruby's feet. Raven was pretty sure it was Tai's dog and hadn't come through the portal with them. Either that or it had been a lot quieter until now.
"Wait! I don't have my weapon!" Blake yelped. Valkyrie set her onto her feet, but kept a supportive arm around her.
Raven shrugged. "You'll have to get it back the hard way, there's no one I can portal to back there."
Ruby held something up. A gun-sword hilt protruding from a cleaver sheath; Blake's weapon. "I got her!" Her? Ah. Just like Summer, insisting weapons had gender like boats and ships.
Blake's sigh of relief was audible.
"I'll take care of her for now," Ruby said. "I think your combat outfit might fall apart if you try to put the weight of Gambol Shroud on it."
"What happened? Are you hurt?" Tai set down the glass of milk he must've got up from bed for, and grabbed a first aid kit from above his fridge. "That's a lot of blood…"
"I'm fine, thanks, Jaune helped me heal," Blake said, waving Tai and his first aid kit away.
"Bloodstains are far less obvious on red or black," Raven commented. "Maybe bear that in mind when you replace that coat."
Tai gave Ruby and then Raven herself worried looks, as if trying to see where bloodstains might be on them. He blinked after looking Raven up and down. "Are you in pyjamas?"
Raven groaned. "I was sleeping."
"Yeah, she came to save Blake," Qrow said, clapping a hand on Raven's shoulder. He sounded… proud? That felt weird. "But not only that, she got everyone else here out of trouble too. Chances are we'd all be dead without her."
Raven ignored him. She'd only end up biting his head off, and she was trying to be better. For Yang. And to practice being a halfway decent grandmother. That meant being patient with fools.
"Thank you," Tai said, managing a smile at Raven. How dare he be handsome after all these years, not that it changed anything. That bridge had been burned long ago.
"Don't. I did it for Yang. These are all people she wants at her wedding."
Tai frowned. "Speaking of Yang, why didn't you take them straight to her? I don't mind having you all here, it's just… She'd want to see Blake as soon as possible if she knew what almost happened. You don't save those you're bonded to unless they'd die otherwise."
Raven pinched the bridge of her nose. "Yang's pregnant, you idiot. She doesn't need the stress of seeing her bride-to-be bloodied. Besides, there was a risk Grimm could've burst through the portal. Yang's not fighting fit right now."
Tai cringed. "Good point. Sorry, I think I'm still half asleep." He ran a hand back through sleep ruffled hair. Raven wished it didn't make her want to bury her own fingers in it. That ship had sailed or sank or run aground or whatever the metaphor was. Been scuttled by Raven herself was probably the most accurate term.
It didn't help that Tai was standing there in just his boxers, strong body on display. He didn't seem remotely self conscious about standing in his boxers in front of an ex (or two if Qrow counted), and his daughters' friends. Typical Tai. No modesty. Yang's Schnee didn't seem to know where to look. They were lucky he wasn't naked, considering that was how he used to sleep.
'If you've got it, flaunt it! I do.' Tai's words from long ago rang through Raven's head. He'd been so insufferable. She still wanted to bite him, rake her nails down his back. But no. He was out of bounds. That was her own fault. There was no going back.
Tai picked up his glass of milk and took a sip. "Oh, where are my manners? Can I get anyone anything? Drinks, a midnight snack, or just beds for the night?" He looked around, counting up his guests. "It'll have to be camp beds for some of you, but that's better than the floor." He turned his sad blue eyes on Raven. Damn him, always stabbing her in the heart with guilt and regret for what might have been in a better world. "You're welcome to stay too, Raven."
"I'd sooner roost in a tree than accept your hospitality." Her words came out harsher than she'd intended. An apology stuck in her throat. If she started apologising to Tai, she'd never stop.
Qrow elbowed her.
"No offence," Raven added belatedly.
"Thanks, Tai, but I want to get home," Blake said. She turned to Raven. "If you're willing to open another portal, I'd be grateful."
Raven sighed. "For Yang. And provided you let me stay for the night."
Blake glanced at Ruby and Yang's Schnee. They nodded at her. "You might have to share with my mother. She's keeping Yang company. Either that or the sofa, and I really don't recommend sleeping on that."
"Either's better than being under this roof." Raven glanced at Tai. "No offence."
Tai managed a weak smile, the skin around his eyes strained. "None taken. It's probably for the best if you stay with Yang rather than here." He looked at Blake. "But before you go, you'd better wash off the blood. Come to think of it, I'll find you something else to wear. Even without the blood, the tears in your clothes will be pretty alarming for Yang to see."
"Thanks, Tai. I'll go shower." Blake glanced at Valkyrie. "I might need a hand. Would you mind?"
"Come off it, you don't need to ask. I'm not having Yang come after me because you fainted in the shower." Valkyrie pointed upstairs. "Lead the way!" She swept Blake off her feet again.
"I'll show you," Ruby said. "And I'll dig out some of Yang's old clothes, Dad. You have enough to deal with."
"Thanks, Petal," Tai said.
Ruby cringed. "Not in front of my friends, Dad," she whined.
"But it's adorable!" Valkyrie grinned at Ruby.
Ruby heaved a sigh. Yang's Schnee patted her hand.
"But before you go anywhere, could you please take off your boots? You've already left a mess. I mean, I'm used to it because of Zwei, but…" Tai sighed just as heavily as his secondborn.
"Sorry Dad!" Ruby almost fell over in her haste to get her boots off, then darted around the kitchen to clean up muddy footprints, slipping around in her socks.
Everyone got their footwear off, Valkyrie setting Blake down to get her own boots off. Raven looked down at her bare feet. She couldn't do much about those, not without worsening her headache and potentially leaving muddy water in Tai's home.
Ruby approached her with some damp kitchen paper towel, and carrying a chair over. "Here."
Raven felt like a fool; she'd forgotten there were mundane methods for cleaning. She blamed the headache. By the time she finished dealing with her muddy feet, Ruby, Blake and Valkyrie had disappeared upstairs. Yang's Schnee too, unless she'd merely retreated to a room without a scantily clad Tai.
It was an awkward few minutes before Ruby appeared back downstairs. Raven tried to avoid looking at Tai, but couldn't help stealing glances at him, and he was doing much the same judging by the number of times their eyes briefly met.
"Blake will be down soon," Ruby said. "Weiss and Nora are helping her. I just wanted to ask if there's anything I can do to help."
Tai glanced up from where he was digging out some bedding from a cupboard. "Hm? No, I got it. Let's see, there's you, Weiss, Nora, Ren, Jaune… Oh, and Qrow."
"Uh, Dad? I'm going with Blake. I need to see her back to Yang, and I'll stay with them for the night."
"Oh." Tai's shoulders slumped briefly. He forced a smile. "I understand. Team leader stuff."
"Something like that. Provided you don't mind, Raven." Ruby belatedly glanced at Raven.
Raven shrugged. Keeping the portal open for a few more seconds wouldn't make much difference to her lingering and nagging headache.
"I'd like to come too," Yang's Schnee said from the doorway. "If you don't mind, Raven."
"Whatever," Raven drawled. "Just make it quick."
Yang's Schnee nodded stiffly. "Thank you." She moved into the kitchen.
Valkyrie followed, carrying Blake. Yang's old clothes were a bit baggy on her, but then Yang was taller even when Blake was wearing heels. Raven noted with concern that Blake was flopped in Valkyrie's arms, cat ears drooping, face a little slack. The shower must have taken it out of her, especially after the blood loss.
Valkyrie put Blake down, and Ruby and Yang's Schnee stood either side of her, propping her up.
Raven cleared her throat. "Let's get you back to Yang." She drew Omen, held her bond to her daughter in her mind, and slashed a rift in reality, opening the way to Yang.
"Thanks for helping us," Ren said.
"Yeah, thanks!" Valkyrie added.
Raven waved her daughter's team through the portal. She frowned at Ren and Valkyrie, Arc nodding his agreement behind them. Qrow stood with them, a soft look on his face. Gratitude. Ugh. Anything but that. Perhaps a reminder that she didn't work for free…
"I expect the lion's share of the bounty on that ancient Grimm."
That at least made Qrow roll his eyes.
"Of course," Arc said. "It's only fair." Valkyrie and Ren nodded along with him.
Raven turned to the portal and stalked through it. She had to get away from all that honourable huntsmen and huntresses bullshit radiating from them. Not that she'd escape it entirely where she was going, but she could collapse into a bed for the rest of the night. And then figure out how to get home. If anyone else thanked her she'd probably scream.
She missed being a bandit. Life was so much simpler. If her sleep ended up disturbed back then, she could make someone suffer. Ah, those were the days. At least seeing Yang might remind Raven why she was bothering with being better.
AN: Coming up next: the wedding. Probably. The characters sometimes have a life of their own and can be a bit unpredictable.
I don't think Weiss would be amused if she knew Raven thinks of her as 'Yang's Schnee.' But that's what happens when Yang apparently claims someone Raven was keeping as a hostage. This isn't a Bees Schnees fic, but Raven thinks it is or was a thing.
I find combat tricky to write, so if you liked it please let me know. Feed me nice comments, it encourages me to write more. If you're reading this days or weeks or months or even years after it posted, I still love to hear from my readers. It's never too late to comment, and it always means so much to know when someone liked my story.