RWBY Am I Your Teacher or Mother?
Chapter 13: The Bargain
Raven was busy sitting in her tent, eyeing intently the news I Vale on her personal scroll. She had made note to keep tabs on the news in all the kingdoms, made easy thanks in no part to her lieutenant Vernal's expert hacking skills with comm towers. The article on every channel though regardless showed the same thing.
3 girls on trial in vale, creating a fiery explosion in the courthouse after assaulting the court officers that led them to escaping. Normally Raven would have laughed in amusement at such an impressive display of violence and self-preservation, truly worthy of a bandit. However, the identity of one of the three girls put her off greatly.
"Yang." She whispered in contemplation as she eyed her blood daughters mugshot.
To say tensions were high in the air of the Branwen encampment was an understatement to say the least. For the next few days, the men and women were very wary of their leader. Her foul mood was like a bomb threatening to nuke the encampment. No matter how muscular and jagged looking a bandit was, they would be reducing to a shriveling mess if she was around. The entire encampment was filled with deafly silence for a while, no one dare spouting a single word around her for fear she would cut out their tongues at best. To their relief all she'd normally do was mutter curses about "some idiot" or smash a bowl of soup after guzzling it down, saying it tasted like crap, not that cheap beef cans and broth stolen from pillaged towns discarded from Grimm attacks were fresh ingredients, but still they were grateful it was a bowl smashed not their skulls.
The mere imagination of the worst she'd do if they tried to calm her down, being strangled with their own intestines, having a hot metal rod inserted into their dicks, or having their nuts stomped with a steel boot were just some of the worst punishments she had dealt to traitors of the tribe, and now they felt it would be inflicted at a moments notice. Normally they'd spend their days fist fighting with each other over living space and desires for others food like a pack of wild dogs, but now all anyone could hope for survival was to stay clear, and keep their heads down quietly in respect for her mercy. Bandits normally gawked at fear, but Raven was something else. When she returned from training in a Huntress Academy, Beacon, 18 years ago, she had challenged their previous leader, Koda, a bear faunus twice their size standing at Ursa size sporting powerful muscles with fur that accompanied retractable claws the size of broadswords, as well as a thick hide and sensitive ears that made sneak attacks worthless. He was their strongest then, giving them similar intimidation as Raven did today, but she had slashed off his arms effortlessly, pierced his skull with his own claws she severed and worse, took his head and kept it mounted as a trophy she'd brag about after taking over. No one could stand up to her might, it was follow her or die. It was only when she would retreat into said tent for rest for the day that they could sigh in peace and enjoy their reprieve, narrowly avoiding a similar fate to Koda.
But in the span of a minutes after, the shout "FUCK STEALTH!" at the top of a teenage girls lungs outside ripped through the air, before she had begun pile driving straight through their gates. Suddenly all of the fear-driven peace and quite had been destroyed with their gate as this girl cleaved through the guards, followed by two girls, one a ginger haired brawler charged with pink electricity, and a blake cat faunus somehow sprouting clones of herself that dog piled 2 of their largest grunts till they went still unconscious from either suffocation or nerve pinching to their necks.
"WE'RE UNDER ATTACK! FORM A CIRCLE!"
Now as the tribe frantically called out to each other in urgency to encircle the trio of girls to slay them with firearms, a mix of dust rifles, chains and kunai's, and some sporting Axe's and chain mail for added assurance, they all began to have their mouths gape in shock.
"Whoa!" Vernal had gasped as she too got a grasp of the identity of the vanguard of the assault on their home. She looked just like Raven.
Once more, the tribe grew silent as said Chieftess came out from her tent, sporting a deep scowl that paralyzed them in terror.
It wasn't the hole in the entrance catching flame from a trio of huntresses brazen assault on a bandit tribe's home, nor the smell of smoke and gunfire radiating from the back of the camp that just oozed death, it was a bitter reunion between a mother and daughter, or rather first meeting truly that could very well become a lure to any giant Grimm wanting a smorgasbord of negativity to devour them. Honestly, they would have welcomed the attack of demons as a preferable distraction to this standoff
Right now, everyone, including both Nora and Blake, felt silence was the sole thing preventing further escalation right now as the blonde brawler stared coldly into the eyes of what basically looked like an older Yang when angered, those red eyes piercing at their very spirits, as if daring them to shudder and expose their fear, for Raven to have an excuse to go towards them and hunt like a Grimm would. Honestly it was only the fact she looked so much like their leader that the Bandits did not immediately open fire upon the three intruders, worried about their leaders wrath should they possibly kill what could have been her relative.
"You think the boss would-"
"Probably. She's cold blooded but even she might slit our throats if we try to plug her kid full of wholes." One grunt immediately whispered.
But it was to their great fortune Raven largely ignored them, instead focusing her scowl towards her birth daughter, who likewise returned it with full force as matching red eyes bore down on each other. The stare off was soon broken by a snicker from Raven to not just Blake and Nora, but the tribes surprise, some even lowering their pistols in confusion.
"Well Yang, my dear daughter!" Raven declared in a loud sarcastic manner. "So wonderful of you to bless your mother with a visit after so long."
Yang grit her teeth, clenching her now glowing fists as her heart pounded with fury hearing her snide remarks.
"She knew I've been looking for her for years. She knew…..WHY I OUTTA!"
But it was the mental image of her sweet little sister that forced down those rage-filled thoughts. Yang knew she had a mission, one far more important than her abandonment issues with Raven, something that gave her an idea as she returned that mocking snicker in full force at Raven.
"Oh, was your name Summer Rose? Last I checked she wasn't an obnoxious bandit wiping her ass in the woods with leaves." Yang snickered as she crossed her arms. Raven's eyes twitched as she heard her old partners name. Her hand slowly beginning to draw near her dust blade.
The slow display of anger was obvious to all and it was infectious.
Blake and Nora actually groaned and face-palmed as some of the bandit's faces grew red, others jaws gapping in shock at the disrespect. Blake didn't need Faunus hearing to hear the triggers starting to bend.
"Smooth Yang, way to get us shot." Blake said deadpanned.
"Well 17's not the age I thought I'd go, but hopefully I can crack some skulls before I die." Nora said sarcastically as she punched her palm.
But to everyone's shock, Raven soon began to break out laughing. The bandits actually lowering their weapons confused.
"You like my puns better than dad does, that's for sure." Yang said unamused, she knew mockery was all that meant.
"I see Taiyang taught you well enough, but not enough to survive a tongue slicing if you keep mouthing off to an Ursa. Seriously, learn to read the room daughter." Raven snidely commented.
"Your NOT my mom, and I don't have time for this shit!" Yang was about to scream her thoughts as this dragged on, before Raven beat her to it.
"Well, I suppose we can work on that first. Your welcome to stay and begin learning how to be strong and survive like a Branwe-" Raven began to offer before an unlikely voice cut her off.
"Cut the crap, just take us to Ruby and Qrow already!" Blake shouted.
Yang and Nora actually gave off a shocked look at the normally calm Faunus, making her cheeks tint as she sighed annoyed. "Sorry, this was going nowhere." She whispered.
Raven for once seemed a bit shooken up before she just sighed and crossed her arms like her daughter. "And what makes you think I know where my foolish brother is?" Raven asked, but Yang knew she already had the answer, Dad made sure of it.
"We know about your semblance, its teleportation right?" Nora chimed in. Raven's eyes twitched before narrowing bitterly at the ginger-haired girl, who actually squeaked a bit as she felt a wave of pressure on her before retreating behind Yang who clicked her gauntlet ready to fight just to be sure. She came with the resolve to put one Branwen in the ground for a bit, she was perfectly fine to do it with another, especially after this bitch abandoned her without word since infancy.
"And why, pray tell, would you think that's true? Did a little Qrow sing like a canary some tall tales?" Raven sang sarcastically. Yang clenched her fists at that remark. As much as she was mad at her Uncle right now, she was even more annoyed with this woman.
"Shut it, we know because of Dad." Yang groaned. That paused Raven near-instantly, before she likewise groaned.
"Tai." She spat bitterly and Yang nodded.
"Yup, he told me you check in on Qrow, when you want something." She bitterly said to Raven. "Not that thing you ever wanted was me." She thought. "He said you could teleport to those you made a contract with instantly. You got one with me, with da-"
"HAD one. Your half-blood abomination you call a sister made sure that ended." Raven countered coldly.
It took all of Yang's will, and a frightful tug at her coat from Blake and Nora for her to douse her hairs flames at the mocking reminder of what Ruby did…..no! Had to do. She suffered more in life than Yang did with her abandonment. She couldn't sacrifice her safety now for an unimaginably tempting chance for slugging this woman. She gulped down and willed her fire off.
"Yes, which leaves just Uncle Qrow. Even if you don't know exactly where he is, you can take us to him. You WILL take us to him." Yang sternly demanded.
The air was cold as a deadly silence loomed throughout the village. No one dared to speak as the staredown between Raven and Yang returned, almost suffocating them all from the pressure, till Raven spoke up after what felt like hours.
"Why should I?" Raven asked.
"Because, Yang wants to find her REAL family. Her sisters with him because your brother did some stupid shit and we need to get her back from him." Nora explained bitterly. She didn't care she didn't have manghide on hand to fight with, she wasn't going to back down and show fear when more was at stake.
"Pff!" Raven gave off a mocking yet annoyed snide. "You really came to my home and risked getting filled with holes, just to go find some sobbing, whiny brat who killed her daddy? Honestly, even she'd make a better bandit than the lout of you if your so brainless to think I'd help her." Raven coldly remarked.
"Do you have ANY idea what she's had to go through! What we had to see her destroy herself over with guilt! Her mind is shot, she's basically 5 now! You have to help us get her back!" Blake roared.
"Then perhaps I should just go put the sad little puppy down and end her misery." Raven said back uncaring.
*BAM*
The thunderous sound of gunfire rippling through the air was all that was heard after those cold words, and it tugged at the heartstrings of all but Raven, as she saw Yang's robot arm smoking from a shotgun component it held on the top of her knuckles.
"If you EVER talk about killing my sister like that again, next one's going in that thick skull of yours." Yang said with a death glare coldly at her birth mother. She slowly began advancing on her, the sound of guncocks ripping through the air were soon replaced with shudders from trembling bandits, as all it took was the same red death glare from Yang they saw many times from their bosses to knock the fight out of them.
For once, Raven actually smiled genuinely as she smelled the bloodlust radiating off Yang, it was exactly what she'd been wanting.
"One. Last. Time." Yang spat slowly as she came face to face with Raven. "Send me to Qrow, or I'll kill you."
Raven didn't lose her composure, not that the bandits ever thought was possible. She just began to slowly clap her hands to their confusion.
"Very well." She agreed to everyone's shock but Yang's. Raven Branwen, the leader of the most dangerous tribe of bandits on Remnant….actually caved in!?
"For a price." Ah! There it was, and Yang almost knew it was coming as she sighed and hung her arms annoyed.
"What do you want hag?" Yang asked.
"Fresh meat." Raven replied, ignoring the age jab. Yang's eyes widened as she heard that demand, her heart almost dropping into her stomach as those words were spoken. It was lost on Nora though not surprisingly.
"We don't got mutton or steaks on hand lady." Nora chimed in bewildered, before Blake smacked her shoulders.
"She….doesn't mean literally Nora. She wants something worse." Blake said uneasy. She knew from the White Fang how heavy a demand from a monster clan's leader could be to meet, how its price was tainting to the souls of those fortunate, or unfortunate, to survive.
"You want us?" Yang whispered.
"And you want your baby sister back? Yes, my price is you three for her. I say I could use some more grunts that aren't spineless here." Raven said as she gave a disappointing glare to her men, making them pale to an even ghostlier white than Weiss's hair.
"And." Yang began to growl, her hands shaking as she struggled to withhold her fury. "If we refuse? If we just beat you into making a portal?" Yang threatened.
"Then I'll make a portal, but I'll go alone and kill Ruby instead." Raven coldly spat.
Yang and her friend's eyes widened in shock hearing Raven's counter threat. They wanted to believe this was just a bluff, some scare tactic to get them to join the tribe and be her underlings.
Soon the snickering nearby proved that a mere naïve wish, as Yang and co heard the bandits nearby laugh.
"Yeah boss! Just go and put down the little runt. Pack doesn't need anymore mouths." A goon laughed, followed by a chorus from the others by him.
Yang felt her stomach drop into her stomach at that, the glare Raven had on her proved it all. It was her sister or her personal freedom. She already knew she sacrificed the latter once to escape the law and hunt down her Uncle unimpeded, but at least she could just hide from the police and not hurt anybody but her Uncle. Maybe even just turn herself in after, let Ruby visit her once she recovered…..if she recovered.
That frightening possibility made Yang's body shake. The fear of losing her sister mentally was to her an even greater risk than her life at Raven's blade. She made her decision then and there.
"I'll….We'll do-" But Yang was cut off from her declaration by a shout into her ear, nearly rupturing her eardrum, making her wince in pain.
"YOU GOTTA BE FUCKING WITH ME YANG!" Nora screeched. Even Blake gripped her Cat ears, hissing in pain from the shout, not that she was really shocked. She saw the scowl form on Nora's face.
"You really think you can just make us Bandits without our permission!? You think we'd go that far!?" Nora yelled.
"What Nora? We're finally about to get my sister back and you want to stop now?" Yang asked her tone having a mix of anger and disbelief.
"And you think Ruby would want us to become murderers and thieves?" Nora shot back.
Yang and Blake just sighed heavily, the day Ruby was sullied by CRDL fresh in their minds as they looked down, glaring bitterly seeing the rotten teams blood on their hands as if it was real.
"Nora, we already went that far. We killed-" Blake tried to reason but Nora wasn't going to stop. She never knew how.
"Killed some rapists! For our friend, I'm fine with that. We made them pay for their sins, but what your asking me to do is live my life on the run making more? Fine! But to willingly join a tribe that would do it for fun rather than for our friend? Hell no! Renny would never want that of me! Blake! Yang I'd expect this from but you!?" She countered, glaring disappointingly at her friend who sighed defeated.
"I was in the White Fang, my ledger wasn't clean even before CRDL. If its to save Ruby, I'll do it again." Blake sighed sadly.
"But I won't. I'm not gonna keep disappointing Ren. *Sigh* I'm going back and turning myself in. At least he can see me everyday in a cell." Nora said coldly.
"So your just gonna ditch us now!? Ditch my sister for some boytoy!?" Yang shouted, her eyes glaring red at Nora, before her eyes scrunched as Nora locked Yang's jaw, sending her stumbling back to Blake's horror.
"Don't you ever fucking call him that! He saved me when I was abandoned by my parents! And don't ever think for a damn second I don't want to save Ruby too, but I know you two can do it. I would if I could, but…but I won't spend the rest of my life killing and stealing from good people to save one friend. She'd never forgive me for that." Nora said bitterly.
Yang wiped the blood off her mouth as she stood up, her hair blazing as she heard this. "So what if she doesn't forgive you or me!? She'll be safe! She'll be back with me! She won't leave me like you are!" Yang shouted before throwing a hot fist back at Nora's temple, sending her crashing back a few feet, a red indent of knuckles formed on her forehead as her pink aura flashed, working to heal it, before disappearing, it going straight to her arms as they became enveloped in pink lightning.
Blake trembled as she felt both girls aura's flaring, the air growing hot and tight as her throat struggled to swallow.
"YEAH! BITCHFIGHT!" One grunt hollered, soon joined by his fellow men.
"20 Lien on the ginger girl!"
"Nah! 50 lien the Chief's daughter kills the Ginger!"
Blake wanted to hurl as she heard those sick bets be spouted. These were here friend's lives at stake, and worse, they were disregarding the life of their friend Ruby right now. They were wasting time, but as much as she wanted to rush in and snap some sense into them, she found her legs frozen in place as the force of the two's fists colliding sent ripples of aura throughout the air.
She felt their drives. Nora's was to be with the man she loved, the one who cared for her growing up when they lost their homeland and moved to patch, becoming her new family.
Then there was Yang, her fiery wrath wanting to burn down any obstacle to saving her sister, her one source of familial happiness left in the world. She would incinerate even Nora if its what would take to do so.
Both had similar goals, and a similar desire to destroy whatever stood in their way of them. She knew she couldn't stop them with force, the power of each strike against each other's jaws that barely kept from dislocating by their aura as lightning and fire blasted the air and nearly struck her.
"Quite impressive." Raven said amused, making the Faunus growl annoyed. "Guess my daughter's not a weakling. She'll make a great vanguard her first raid."
It was then Blake's fingernails began to retract, sprouting sharpened feline claws, a benefit of her Faunus lineage. But Raven merely narrowed her eyes and grabbed her sword hilt, flaring a black and red aura as she glared into Blake's very soul.
"Go on….try it." She coldly dared.
As much as she wanted to claw Raven's eyes out, the glare and power shattered that anger and resolve to bits. She knew from her time in the White Fang, her time under Adam who fixed her that glare before, she was no match.
But another ripple knocked her off her feet. She glanced in shock at Yang and Nora, small craters of melted rock beneath them where they stood as their fiery and electric aura's flickered, both girls huffing as their bruised eyes and cheeks grew red and swollen.
"Your coming with us." Yang huffed.
"I'm going home." Nora spat.
As the two charged more aura into their fists, Blake felt it. The same deadly intent and aura from Raven earlier in those fists. This strike was going to shatter more than aura.
Blake then sees an image of a limp, bruised Ruby lying crying and unconscious in her lap.
She couldn't let this go on. She couldn't lose another friend, let alone two.
As Yang and Nora yelled violently above the cheers of the Bandit tribe and charged, both drew their fists back, ready to deliver the final blow.
"STOP IT!"
But their eyes widened in terror as they saw Blake soon leap out screaming that plea.
"DAMNIT!" Yang thought with fear and frustration as she threw out her fist.
Turns out Nora had the same thought for the same reason.
"I CAN'T STOP! BLAKE!" Nora thought in fright. The momentum couldn't shift, they were going to plow right through their friend.
Soon an explosion of yellow fire and pink lightning shot a pillar of aura upward, and overtook the area as a cloud of hot smoke enveloped the area.
"*COUGH* A-Alright! Who do ya think got smashed!" One man coughed.
"If the cat got killed, who wins the deadpool!?" Another man asked.
"I say first one we shoot down."
Raven scowled as she heard that notion. She wasn't about to lose her daughter, or a potential bandit. She'd care less if the other 2 joined. If they fell to her, so be it. But she wasn't about to let her men's fun put Yang at risk. Before she could grab her sword, ready to chop off her heads, she noticed a glow suddenly enveloped them to her shock.
"THE FUCK!?" One grunt yelled in awe. Raven actually got startled genuinely this once, soon her eyes widening as she saw her men soon grow stiff, a purple aura enveloping them as they stood frozen.
But this was nothing compared to the large pair of bluish-white aura coated arms hovering around Blake, cracks forming in the elbows as they had barely held back Yang and Nora's fists. Both girls looking in shock as they saw Blake cover her eyes with her own arms before they were smacked aside by the giant hands to the ground. When they looked up, they saw the source scowling at them in disappointment.
"Weiss? Goodwitch!?" Yang yelled in surprise as she saw the headmistress holding a glowing riding crop, Weiss huffing behind her exhausted as a white glyph encircled the tip from her saber. She sighed as she lowered her arms, the giant aura arms vaporizing instantly as she did so. It was clearly taxing on her aura, but Yang sighed in relief, knowing what would happen otherwise. Then a wave of guilt flushed her as her stomach dropped, seeing Blake collapse onto her kneecaps crying, realizing what she did even without Weiss and Goodwitch's glare.
Raven had her own annoyed glare narrowed as she saw the headmistress and heiress, but the one behind them truly caught her attention, biting her lip in frustration at the sight.
"Atlas." She whispered darkly as she eyed Winter behind them ready as well. Now she was dealing with the military? This was going to suck.
"Explain, now!" Goodwitch hollered to everyone.
Earlier
Weiss, Goodwitch, Ozpin, and Winter sat across from each other as the pilot flew the bullhead at breakneck speed towards Mistral. Officially, Winter was returning to Atlas per Ironwoods orders, but that didn't mean they couldn't make a slight "detour". But Winter's expression brought chills to Weiss's spine. This was worse than any training session she had with her in the past, no glare she had when admonishing her performance for a misstep during a dodge, nor incorrect use of a finger when performing a glyph or saber strike could compare.
"W-Winter I-" She tried to squeak out the words, only to tighten her lip in fear as her sister's eyes narrowed on her sharply. She was having non of it.
"I already told you Weiss." She said coldly. "I will not have you be joining Headmistress Goodwitch and Ozpin here on this reckless crusade, let alone go near a bandit tribe." Winter admonished.
Despite the fiery urge to shout her desire otherwise at her sister, Weiss herself could hardly believe Ozpin's seemingly crazy suggestion.
We are going to visit Raven Branwen and her tribe in Mistral. There we will have her use her semblance to transport us instantly to Qrow and rescue Miss Rose
"I….myself don't exactly think this is a sound plan sir." Goodwitch spoke up with a frustrated sigh, wearily glancing at her boss and mentor disproving. "At least with Weiss here."
"I'm her partner, her best friend Miss Goodwitch. I need to be here-" Weiss implored, but Winter cut her off.
"No. You WANT to be here, and I don't want you to risk it. These are bandits, they won't kill you, they'll subject you to worse fates. They'll sell you as a slave on the blackmarket, or worse, subject you to the same violations your friend suffered before making a profit off you." Winter scolded.
Weiss winced before bitterly gripping her knees at that notion. It wasn't far-fetched, but it still stung to hear such horrible possibilities from her sister, and to be reminded of her friends assault as a weapon against her resolve.
"Weiss, I am the captain of the Atlas military and we have your teacher and principal here as well for aide. We're more equipped to handle this situation, to handle a bandit leader as strong as the target and I have more experience using our families techniques if…when she doesn't comply with our demands." Winter added.
"Family" It was at that word Weiss felt a vein burst in her neck, as all her meekness ebbed away in the flow of anger that replaced it. It wasn't just her insecurity of how Winter mastered the techniques in a fraction of the time Weiss struggled with each one, it was the sheer audacity that she thought Weiss still naively clung to the notion of them all being a family. Winter saw her discomfort, and it only fueled her desire to keep her sister safe from those brigands.
"I saw from the online videos how tenderly you cared for her." Winter soon sighed in exhaustion, trying appease her sister who was sunk her head when, unbeknownst to Winter, was trying to contain a curse outburst from rage. "I heard she's your partner and friend, that you felt it was your duty to help her through her mental ordeal, but you've more than done your part, you don't need to risk your life or virtue for her. I am having the pilot take you back to the Schnee Mansion. Your staying home until we rescue Miss Rose." Winter adamantly said. She had heard Father disinherited Weiss for her "babysitting" of a mentally damaged child. Such a heinous act wasn't beyond him she knew, but she wasn't about to let him get off scot free for it. She was going to use her authority to force him to keep Weiss safe at the manor under the guise as her legal guardian, perhaps even after this rescue mission if she could until she found a way to wrestle custody of her sister. Too much trouble arose from Weiss's fling from her desire of personal freedom, and she wasn't about to let this go on any longer.
But when Weiss raised her for forehead to meet her sisters gaze, the older Schnee recoiled in her seat, never seeing such a tearful yet cold glare.
"Winter….that place stopped to be my home years ago. And you stopped being my older sister when you left it and me." Weiss's somber yet firm words made Winter's heart split. She heard such disdain in her sister's tone when speaking of White Fang or Faunus in general, but her? Her own sister.
"Weiss." She whispered horrified.
"No! The whole reason I went to Beacon was to escape him, to get out of that prison we once called home you abandoned me to. You know it was never a home for our family since he made himself a part of it like the virus he was. Mom, you, Klein, you three were the only people I had that made it even remotely like some grand illusion of a happy family for mer. But Father, he just, ripped it apart, and instead of taking me with you, my true family, you left us, left me to that plague that rotted us from the inside out." Weiss continued her rant. Winter and the others could only stand in shock, jaws dropped as they heard this somber story.
"These last few months I've had with Goodwitch and Ruby, it felt like those rare days you and I got to feel safe from mom and dads shouts, from that sick stench of booze mom drowned the room and herself in. I…..I love her Winter, and I need her back in my life, in Goodwitch's life. And if you won't let me fight to do that….I don't want you in mine ever again even if its what you want." Weiss said sadly, the finality in her voice making Winter's stomach drop. Her sister, was practically threatening to disown her, it was even worse than hearing how truthful her words were. Yes, Winter had abandoned Weiss to it all, the shouting matches, the drunk pathetic excuse for a mother they had.
Winter then rubs her cheek tenderly, actually wincing from phantom pain.
She left Weiss to the painful slaps and probably worse Jacquees had subjected her to when she defended Weiss from his overly strict training session. Guilt and remorse washed over her coldly like Ice water. Qrow always derided her as an "Ice Queen" and the fact her own sister she loved dearly believed it, Winter couldn't stomach the thought of proving it right any longer. Her decision was made.
"Since your so adamant about it Weiss…..fine." She sighed reluctantly before sternly eyeing Ozpin and Goodwitch. "But she must stay by my side till she's out of that encampment." She said sternly as they nodded in agreement. Weiss sighed in relief as she then tearfully eyed her sister, her body shivering as it resisted the urge to rush up and hug her, but that reassuring smile followed by an annoyed eye roll was enough to placate her, as did it her teachers who smiled relieved.
"We'll both keep her safe." Goodwitch said adamantly.
"Agreed, though you three should take it from here. Raven and I had a…falling out to say the least. My presence alone would likely anger her into a confrontation." Ozpin said resolute.
"Pff! As if there's any other way with that mongrel sir." Goodwitch scoffed.
"True, I'd honestly commission a full fleet to handle all of those brigands, but that would give us away to the General, this isn't an official mission, so we go in quickly, try to meet Raven Branwen in private without drawing attention, then have Goodwitch force her to send us to Qrow with her semblance as planned." Winter briefed them the details again.
"CAPTAIN SCHNEE!"
The pilots cry making them all jolt, standing at attention.
"What is it? Have we been spotted!?" Winter asked concerned. This whole plan depended on time and stealth, they were flying low at slow speed to avoid making noise from the engines, the craft couldn't have given their position away and ruined this already could it!?
"No, the Branwen encampments under attack." He replied with a respectful if baffled tone. Winter and the others eyed each other worried, all suspecting the same thing coincidentally.
"Any Grimm in site pilot?" Winter asked wearily but she shook his head, baffling her.
"No, the Grimm hordes we've seen so far near the forests….our scouts said they were melted by some glowing thing. The same thing that just crashed into the Tribe's gates ahead of us." The pilot said in disbelief.
Weiss's eyes narrowed as she groaned in annoyance and rubbed her brow. She knew exactly what it was, but now was not a great time for this.
"Yang, you absolute Dolt." She groaned.
Present
"YANG! YOU ABSOLUTE DOT!" Weiss screeched at her teammate. Yang instantly brought her hands to her ears, followed suit by Blake, as she winced for a moment from the sheer volume. Nonetheless, Yang's smirk did not fade, she would be frightened by Weiss's ferocity, if not for having long waited to hear such a nostalgic insult.
"Glad to see yah too Ice Queen." Yang nonchalantly teased.
Winter couldn't help but sigh annoyed at the insult, having heard it too many times from Qrow himself. "Guess audacity runs in this idiots family." Winter thought. Like her though, Weiss was hardly amused with this it wasn't for Weiss doing the job already, Winter would accost this young female version of him for her rudeness, not to mention sheer temper and recklessness. Still, she was secretly sporting a slight grin of her own, proud her sister managed to act so quickly and attentively like a Schnee Huntress. Her arms weren't perfect, still not a perfect Arma Gigas, but it was a start. Most of her Glyph Summons disappeared mere moments after summoning, she clearly had improved considerably. Winter couldn't help but wonder if a certain redhead was the motivation her sister needed.
Speaking of her sister, Weiss was sporting the same disappointed scowl Winter gave at Yang right now, making the elder Schnee actually wince a bit sympathetically.
"You think this is funny?" Weiss asked coldly. "You and Nora get into a childish brawl in the middle of a bandit tribe with guns aimed at you?!"
"Eh, Raven wasn't gonna let them kill us, she wants us for her tribe. Kind of what set Nora off." Yang countered, a bit sheepish at the scolding and Nora's subsequent scowl digging into her.
Weiss and Goodwitch recoiled a bit hearing such a request, and Yang's tone, followed by Blake sheepishly averting her gaze meant one thing.
"So you….were actually gonna do it. Join a pack of murderers and thieves, and make Nora here your first victim?" Glynda admonished her slowly, but with each word the weight of a hammer to the young Xiao Long's chest.
"You have got to have gotten all your brains sent to that humongous wrack of yours if you actually thought to agree with that you dolt!" Weiss scolded.
Yang felt her anger rise at that, her eyes beaming red as she huffed a bit in response.
"I'd do anything to get Ruby back. I didn't want to fight Nora but she won't help me and Blake. Are you three gonna help me save her or are you here to fight me too!?" Yang fervently asked.
"Good question sweetie, let me know if you need mommy's help slitting their throats!" Raven called out, just leisurely sitting in a lawn chair outside her tent, watching the show unfold.
Glynda sneered at the woman she once called friend. She walked out not just on Yang here, the cause of the girls temperament, but on Ozpin, her mentor and father-figure. There was no greater betrayal to her, but as much as she wanted to freeze the monster where she sat with her semblance, she kept her riding crop firmly on the tribe, still fidgeting to break out of her telekinetic grip. She couldn't risk them trying to take advantage of this chaos to fire.
"Miss Xiao Long, I assure you we came here for the very reason of saving your sister like you. We do need Raven's help with that, so if your done throwing your childish tantrum, I suggest you chill out and help us convince her without making your criminal record even worse than it is." Glynda sternly ordered the Xiao Long, who didn't lower her guard, still armed with her gauntlets at the trio.
"Raven won't send us to him unless we join, get Nora to go with me and Blake and quit acting like my teacher or mother honestly, that's wasting our time!" Yang countered.
"YOUR WASTING TIME YANG, YOU TOO BLAKE!" Nora screeched.
"Nora, Weiss, Professor." Blake said sadly catching their attention. "I was in the White Fang, and we already killed a whole team of students, blew up a courthouse. There's no future for me and Yang, you too Nora. We'd be locked up forever if we go back, at least this way I can save Ruby and have some relative freedom." Blake argued softly.
"You'd sell your soul again Blake." Weiss countered, making the Faunus wince.
"You'd sell mine too." Nora added.
"Actually." Raven spoke up, catching the other's attention. "I'd be fine with just those two since their willing. You wanna play goodie too shoes and go to jail and serve your time? Be my guest." She said to their surprise. In reality, Raven was doing this not for practicality, but to avoid warfare with the Atlas Military. She could take them, but her men would be slaughtered or captured easily, especially since Goodwitch was holding them down, and Winter Schnee being here complicated things further. She knew from rumors this girl and Ironwood had some "special" deal worked out. She couldn't risk a firefight now, she had to play on her reputation and these people's need for her semblance to get out of this unscathed and move the tribe elsewhere, hopefully with her new recruits later.
At her bluff, Nora sighed as she sadly eyed Yang and Blake before walking up to Winter, holding her hands out in surrender. "You can cuff me, just please put me in a Vale prison, not Atlesian, so my Renny can see me everyday." She implored.
Winter sighed as she sadly put on the aura stasis cuffs on the girl, her pink aura shattering as they locked on.
Yang growled in anger as she saw this. "FINE! You don't wanna save my sister? Go ahead and stay locked up, hope you and your boytoy have fun fucking on congeal visit days while me and Blake actually do something to help her!"
*SMACK!*
Yang recoiled as Weiss's hand flew by, her cheeks burning hot from the sharp palm and icy cold nails that dug into it. The girl grit her teeth as she tearfully eyed her former teammate.
"This is your choice, your selfishness, not hers. She wants to be with someone she loves without selling her soul to that witch." She whispered as she pointed to Raven, who faked a wince and covered her chest with her hand in teasing. "If you and Blake want to do this, if you want to never see me again? So be it. I'm fine with it if it means I save Ruby. Just have your mommy summon us to her already so I can get as far away from you two as I can after.
Blake and Yang's eyes widened in sorrow as they heard such damning words. Weiss's tearful scowl brought misery and shame to their hearts, Yang's red eyes replaced by lilac and watery tears as she realized her insincere behavior.
"W-Weiss I-" She tried to say,
but Glynda cut her off. "Save it! You made your choice, you sacrificed your future with Ruby a 2nd time. Like your friend who actually has a brain said, lets just get this over with so I can get my daughter back." The professor admonished.
Winter could only shake her head sympathetically as she saw yet another "family" get torn apart by an older sisters selfishness, before guiding Nora back to the airship outside the gates, the girl giving one off as well. "Bye girls. Tell Ruby I said "love ya red." Yang could only hug her own shoulders and nod sadly as she accepted their damning words.
Raven sighed as she saw this altercation, wanting to get this over with as well so she could get her men out before a Grimm invasion was drawn to this pity party. Taking out a piece of paper, she quickly wrote something on it before reaching for her scabbard, drawing her dust sword before slashing the air, forming a portal.
"Alright then, if your done with your little intervention? Just go get my brother and that little red-headed cunt before I hurl." Raven said annoyed.
She ignored the scowls that comment got from the others, keeping instead her gaze on Goodwitch's riding crop should it change its target to her now that a portal was formed. Goodwitch, luckily, had been smart, keeping her gaze on her as well and her men occupied but not dropping her guard as she and Weiss ignored Blake and Yang with disdain before entering the portal. A somber Blake followed suit, but by the look her cat ears laying flat, she was not looking forward to this next fight with her "friends" by her side if she could even call them that. Raven just snorted, the girl would have new ones soon within her works. A former white fang was a bonus, she could get a good insight into their inner workings for raids later. Her gaze however, soon locked to her daughter, walking crestfallen to the portal.
"Yang." She called out, stopping her in her tracks as her blood daughter eyed her bitterly. Raven sighed at the animosity she received, accepting it would take time, so she pressed the paper she drew on to her daughters chest. She took it in confusion.
"What's this?" She asked the elder Branwen.
"My scroll number, call me in 2 days to pick you and your friend up. If you don't by then I'll be either coming for you or your Uncle and sister's head." Raven warned.
"B-But 2 days only? Can't I see her just a little-"
"No. I don't need her blood tainting you any longer." Raven scolded, Tai's image fresh in her mind as she closed her eyes, before giving off a groan annoyed. "You either sever this weak link, or I will."
Yang felt her throat choke as she wanted to scream in fury at the woman she spent her whole life trying to find. She had nearly sacrificed her sister at a young age, did sacrifice her freedom, yet this woman now wanted her to never see her sister again!?
But she couldn't, because at the center of her mind that overshadowed her rage, was Weiss's tearful face. She knew it then, she had indeed made those choices herself. She chose the wrong path, whether for Ruby's sake or her own, she chose it. If she was to have any hope now of saving her sister like she wanted, she had to accept this bargain. She knew why Weiss and Goodwitch were so upset with her, she and Blake sacrificed their chances to spend the rest of their lives seeing Ruby again after this.
She could only nod in somber agreement, muttering a faint "I'm sorry Nora." As she clutched the number her mother gave her and jamming it into her vest pocket. As her body went through the portal, she felt her blood freeze, her skin sting to the touch as the full weight of her now clear and horrible future came down on her, her only solace as Raven closed the portal behind her afterword's, was the familiar sight of her sister on the other end.
At least, if not for the fact the girl looked mortified to see her, her expression ghost white.
"Uncle Qrow….why are there 2 Y-Yangs?"
Yang and the other's felt their heartstrings tug hearing her fearful whimper, knowing the ruse was up.
AUTHOR NOTES
Done at last! Sorry this took so long, had new projects finishing up and work was horrendous, as is Raven's unholy demand. Blake and Yang now have to suffer more consequences for their choices for Ruby's sake. As for why Raven hates her, she does indeed still hold some small love for her dead husband, his love for Ruby and fearful of Qrow's retaliation being the sole reason she didn't ever try to murder Ruby. Now Ruby may yet wish she did as the fragile veil around her damaged psyche is coming undone, seeing two Yang's in her mind (really Yang and Weiss) Qrow and the others are in for a major fight ahead of them, with Ruby's health on the line.