Shine had only waited till they'd spoken to Old Man Shopkeep and giving some paperwork that Whitely had presented to him, and some of the shop owners, before she'd gone off away from the town and brought Torchwick and Neo to her.
"Finally," Torchwick said. "Ah, tis good to be home," he looked around. "Wow this place is a dump now."
Neo shrugged.
"Let's just go see if any of your dust supplies is left," Shine said.
"What is this?" Raven asked her. She'd hardly spoke at all for a long time.
"Just an idea I had," Shine said. "It might lead to nothing."
"Well, I'm sure it's all in the mountain still," Torchwick said.
"Then we'll need to fly you there," Shine said.
Neo signed that she could steal a plane easy.
"Borrow," Shine said. "We'll bring it back, you understand?"
"Buzzkill," Torchwick said. "They'd never miss it."
"Borrowing," Shine repeatedly.
So they "borrowed" a plane and flew out to Mountain Glenn.
It was still grimm infested in some parts, but they ran from Shine and no one else paid them much mind.
Torchwick lit up his lighter and looked around. Then he made a fireball and shot it down the tunnel.
"Oh please," Raven lit up her hand in annoyance.
Shine lit up her sword like it was a lamp, but not blindingly bright.
"Tell me, chick," Torchwick said. "What else does that thing do? Is it a gun?"
"No," Shine said. "But you'd wish it was, trust me."
"That seems a little impractical," Torchwick said.
"So does smoking cigars when you have flammable things around, but did I call you out on it?" Shine asked.
"Just now, yes," Torchwick said.
"Just tell us if there's dust here," Raven said. "More grimm will show up soon enough."
"Especially with your attitude," Torchwick said.
Neo nudged him and shook her head. Meaning not to provoke Raven.
Raven gave her a dirty look, like she remembered why she was mad at her.
They walked in a bit and, any grimm they saw ran for Shine's light.
"I'd like one of those," Torchwick said.
"I think you have a ways to go," Shine said. "But who knows..."
"Well--ah ha, Jackpot," Torchwick walked up to some crates. "Some of these are weapons, no doubt. We had way more than we needed. No doubt the White Fang was saving it, but looks like they cleared out finally. It might still be down here, I doubt they were able to carry everything."
Neo pried open one crate and then and finger snapped at them.
She pulled back the slat and revealed a case of fire dust.
For the next few minutes they investigated and found ice dust, gravity dust, and rock dusk all around.
And the electric kind, but that was less.
Torchwick explained to Shine, in what Raven thought was a patronizing tone, that gold dust was valued more highly for its many uses than rock dust and gravity dust, so it would have been taken to sell.
Shine only said "That aside, I'd say this is still a win."
"Yes, this would sell good even in Vacuo, what with the dust shortage," Torchwick said.
"Hmm, do you remember which ships you stole it from?" Shine asked him.
"No, of course not," he said.
"So we can't return it..." Shine mused. "Well, how much do you think this is?"
"This might fill one cargo train car," Raven said. "For one team that would last you a year, but dividing it between many people it might be enough for a week to a month depending on the amount of attacks."
"Not bad, are you in business?" Torchwick said.
"I'm a Bandit," Raven said. "We steal and sell dust all the time."
"Oh..." Torchwick looked the other way.
"There's no way to evenly distribute this," Shine said. "We'll ask the shop owners if they want any of it as compensation for the theft. I suppose we can't give them as much as you stole, but something would be nice."
"Are you mad?" Torchwick said. "You want to give this away. This is enough to get us started out in Vacuo until we find a new gig. Anyway who made you dust supervisor?"
"You work for me right?" Shine said.
"As of yesterday, but that's just until we have a better option" Torchwick said.
"How's this for a better option, if you steal that stuff, I'll turn you in to the authorities," Shine said. "Or I'll let the others do it, anyway."
"What?" Torchwick said. "You wouldn't."
Neo made a fist.
"I brought you back to life, that doesn't mean I'm going to help you commit crime," Shine said. "You do as I say or you're on your own."
A pause.
"Well, it's your mistake," Torchwick didn't care to be left to the hands of the others who were not happy with him right now.
"That said, we still need it," Shine said. "And since trying to give it all back would be a useless endeavor, I'd say we'll keep at least half of it...it's not enough but with help from the other kingdoms, it might take the edge off. Whitley will need something to start with. I'll send all this to the warehouse you were hiding in, but I have no idea where to find it so you'll take us there."
"Bossy, bossy, bossy," Torchwick said.
Shine raised an eyebrow at him.
"Finer," he grumbled.
"You come off as scrupulous," Raven said to Shine. "But I almost would admire how willing you are to use force and threats to get your way. I question if it makes you hypocritical however."
"Raven do you think it's wrong to use either of those two things?" Shine asked.
"I don't know," Raven said.
"Well, when you figure it out, then you can tell me if I'm hypocritical," Shine said. "On a small scale, I feel it's permissible. I'm surprised you're in the mood to quip, however."
"It's better than thinking about it," Raven said. "But I still have the same dilemma...what to do now." She sighed. "I have nothing now."
The others moved on without hearing this.
Shine tugged her hair. "Little as you want to hear this, you do still have a family."
"I wouldn't ask them," Raven said. "After the way things have been, it's unthinkable...they would've help me anyway."
"They would, and you don't want to ask," Shine said. "You know that and you think it would make them better than you."
"You think so," Raven said.
"Stop putting words in my mouth," Shine said. "What does it matter what I think? You think so yourself. I only think that all of you are different. But you're family, right?"
"Where were they when my other family was in trouble...they were never good enough for them," Ranv asid. "I'm not good enough either." She looked down. "You know it, don't act like you don't."
"Raven..." Shine sighed. "I do know what that feels like, I'm not just saying that...I've had it said to me, basically...my family is a mess too. But if one of them needed help, I would help them. in some way. I know it's humiliating to consider it. But in the long run, don't you think you'll come to it anyway? Salem will never stop following you now...if she ever would have, I doubt it. I'm sorry that Ozpin made you a part of this, and I mean that. It wasn't right...but it is what it is...we are the ones trying to actively resist his plans. Your best bet is with us from any angle. Who else could protect you? There is no safe anymore, but if you want a fighting chance...I'm sorry but we're going to be working with your family. You can drag this out and pretend that you'll leave them...but Salem can track Maidens now, and for all we know, she already had another hound ready to go. All of us managed to kill it by working together, but on your own, I don't think you can."
Raven flinched.
Shine had Tai's trick of saying things outright that weren't the most pleasant--but she didn't make it like a joke.
She could just hear him saying that same thing now...ugh.
After a long pause, Raven said in a softer tone that indicated more shame. "I'm...ashamed to face them...you know what I am...And so do they. I can't..." She rubbed her arm.
Shine sighed and thought for a moment.
"I can't...say anything that will magically make it better," she said. "Or easier...but I can say, I've found that if you accept that it will be embarrassing, often it's not as bad as you think. It's not as if they are doing any better than you. I know I've messed with you quite a bit, and it was fun...but under it, it's not that I didn't feel sympathy for you. You don't like sympathy...that's all. But if it helps, I am on your side, as much as anyone else's really. I don't care, and Wally doesn't either. I assure you not all of them will care. The ones you're most worried about perhaps...but they'll feel the same if you ditch. If it's just facing them that's bothering you...well hang around as a bird then, don't talk to them if you don't want to...but at least it's where we can all help each other, would be wisest. You can't deny it."
Raven could not deny it, much as she hated it.
"You don't intend to force me to confront them," she said in amazement. "I'm sure you think I should."
"Raven I had people tell me I should have talked it out with my father," Shine said. "After I told them he was abusive and cruel. They still tell me that. As far as I'm concerned, you and your family have problems on both sides. I may think there's a better way to handle it, but would I force you to do it? I'd be a pretty big hypocrite to do so."
"You're a very strange person," Raven said. "And if you're serious, it's even stranger. So it doesn't bother you, but you're not my problem."
"At least I have that consolation," Shine said dryly. "I really am sorry about the tribe. They didn't have to die...I suppose you think it's my fault for coming and getting you...I can't be sure it would have done a thing if we didn't."
"No," Raven said. "I've thought about it in the last hour and actually it wouldn't have made any difference. They're right about that...if anything you saved my life. It's like you planned it that way...I believe that you didn't know it would happen, but there's so much you have predicted."
"Or maybe our God sent us to get you at that time without us knowing that was why we thought of it, because he knew what would happen," Shine said.
"And he couldn't just add 'by the way, evacuate the bandits later'," Raven said.
"Raven, be realistic, she would have found them sooner or later," Shine said. "The only real way to stop it would be to stop her. And the rules are the rules. We could have stalled for time but we could not hope to always be one step ahead of her when we have so much else on our plates and she has literally all the time in the world. God could have told us...but why would He if he knew we could do nothing. Just endless frustration then. "
"And why doesn't he just stop Salem himself?" Raven said.
"He didn't make this problem, why would he solve it?" Shine asked. "After His agent was so rudely booted out of this world you're lucky we're here at all. God works through men. He designed the world that way. He will work directly if we ask Him, but on His terms. I can't explain it to you, one day you may understand it yourself if you try. Even if I knew why I wouldn't tell you now. You're too close to it. It's not much comfort anyway is it? It won't make it hurt less...but if you want their deaths to be anything more than meaningless losses, you know what you'd have to do. I won't say anymore about it."
Privately, Shine thought that really, the whole thing proved that Raven's hiding was, as it always is, a mistake. She'd only made her whole tribe a target along with herself. And perhaps she couldn't have prevented that but it was what it was. Running never helps.
But she wasn't cruel enough to say that to her face. Raven would know it already, and it was bad enough that way.
But would it be enough to make her want to face Salem, when she was so terrified of her? That was the question.
* * *
Shine and the others didn't reappear for about an hour, long after Glynda was tired of waiting for them and Qrow started saying they'd probably gotten lost and someone should go after them.
"You think Miss Likstar got lost?" Winter said, with disbelief.
"Or Raven," Tai added.
The council meeting had gone okay. Except that they said they didn't want to just ship dust to Vacuo with no guarantee of payment for it. But they said if they were given money or at least a downpayment first, they'd consider it. As for any more military, they said huntsmen were free to go if they wanted, but no soldiers.
About what was expected...
But the explanation of why General Ironwood wasn't in charge had not been fun for Winter.
Despite not physically exerting herself much she already had a headache and felt like she'd run a marathon.
The only surprise here was how little Qrow had had to say to bash Ironwood during any of this, he'd avoided talking period really unless Glynda prompted him to.
"I'm a little surprised at you," Glynda must have had the same thought. "You've been saying James is heartless for years, but you hardly said a thing about him. I really thought you'd be raving about it."
Qrow just shrugged.
"I'm mad," Tai said. "I don't understand it, he sends Yang a new arm, but then he wants to bomb them? How does someone do that kind of 180?"
Winter wondered why Yang had never thanked the General for that to her knowledge...not that it mattered now.
"Well, this can't be easy for you," Glynda turned her scrutiny on Winter, to Winter's dislike. "You and James were so close, for colleagues. You seem calm enough, but surely this came as a shock."
"We do what we have to do," Winter didn't want to talk about it.
"Yeah, but don't you have any feelings about it?" Tai thought this wasn't natural. "I mean someone you trusted for years just turns on you?"
Why was everyone obsessed with her reaction? Winter thought angrily. Who cared? Why did it matter?
Of course she failed to understand that they might have been trying to be sympathetic--in an ungraceful way, but none of Ozpin's friends had ever been that good at empathy.
"Not that I don't find you going to Atlas at all surprising, Qrow," Glynda said. "And not report to me any of what happened until recently, why did I have to hear from some waif from another world?"
Oh, thank goodness, she was turning on him.
"It's not like I could just fly back and forth," Qrow said. "And I didn't even know they could send magic letters till this week. Would have been nice if they explained this whole thing before."
"I thought you knew," Glynda said. "How odd. when I saw Raven here, I was sure it had to do with you."
"You saw Raven here?" Qrow repeated.
"When they killed the Wveryn, she was there," Glynda said. "I didn't quite understand it, but something about a test I think. I thought she'd come back, but I never got a clear answer."
"Raven would never trust two new people like that without proof," Tai said. "I bet they were showing her they were stronger. Raven respects strength, that's all. So you really knew nothing about it?"
"Not till Vacuo," Qrow said. "And jail, when she decided to let me know she was there. I think that wasn't even their plan, they wanted to keep her hidden from us."
"Well, I think it was clear why," Winter spoke up. "She didn't want to be known. They respected her privacy. Certainly, that is why she cooperated with them...the only mystery is why she exposed herself at all."
"I bet it was an accident," Qrow said. "She thought West was alone there, turns out he wasn't. Just didn't know we were locked up too."
"I can't believe James tossed you in jail over nothing," Glynda said. "I've known him for years, and he's stubborn and arrogant, but he's never been this irrational," she almost seemed worried. "I just don't understand it...well, where is that woman and her entourage?"
Suddenly, Raven landed in front of them without warning.
"I've been reduced to a messenger," she said dryly. "But what else is there to do: Likstar wants you to meet her at this location." She held up her scroll with a map of Vale on it and a spot highlighted.
"Isn't that some old warehouse?" Glynda asked. "Looks like it's by the docks."
"Why is she over there? I thought we were going to Vacuo," Tai said.
"I could tell you," Raven said. "Or you could just go see for yourself like she said and stop wasting time."
"Some things never change," Glynda said. "You deliver information just as poorly as you used to. Fine. But if this is a waste of time, I'll be very put out."
She stalked away.
"You know what they say about a bird in the hand?" Tai said nervously.
"Shut up, Tai," Raven turned back into a bird and flew away again.
Lovely relationship there, Winter thought. This is why I don't date--one of many reasons.
"Surprisingly, she's actually being nicer than I would have thought," Tai made it worse by saying to Qrow. "I guess losing the tribe took it out of her...I'm kind of sorry about it, even if they were kind of the worst."
"I can't say I'll lose sleep over it," Qrow said. "But it's senseless, like all her killing. Makes me wonder what Raven will do now."
"You don't think she'd just remain with us?" Winter said.
"Not my sister," Qrow scoffed. "She'd never embrace that kind of humiliation. But I have no d--- idea where she'd go now."
"And you don't intend to ask her to remain with you?" Winter said.
"So she can scoff at it?" Qrow said. "I think I've spent enough time asking Raven to come back."
"Maybe both of us have," Tai said. "I mean, you can't keep someone where they don't want to be. I learned that the hard way."
Explained his relationship with his daughters, Winter thought. Well, if her father had learned that years ago...
Then again she wasn't entirely sure Raven was as stupid as they thought. She didn't know the woman that well, but who would be so foolish as to turn down that offer when they knew they were a target? She'd have to be crazy, not just stubborn.
She wished they'd just go already, getting back to Vacuo was her main objective now.
But when they got to the warehouse, which wasn't that far away, she got another surprise.
"Where did all this dust come from?" Glynda was puzzled.
Shine looked a bit tired, but she was smiling. "Let's just say I have a new friend who's kind of been into the dust collection business, if you catch my drift."
"Torchwick," Qrow spotted him standing around one of the crates. "You actually brought that scum back here."
"I thought we settled this," Shine said. "Torchwick isn't scum, he's my new partner in dust distribution."
"Are you actually mad?" Glynda said. "What world do you come from, do they trust thieves with business ventures?"
"Yes, they're called politicians," Shine said. [Oh you know that was deserved.]
Tai actually laughed. Even Qrow had to smirk at that.
Winter didn't think it was funny.
Glynda didn't either. "That answer is not helpful," she said.
"In all seriousness, you don't even know my plan yet," Shine said. "Now Shopkeep is due to be here soon, ah there he is."
Old Man Shopkeep--no one knew his real name-- showed up with a truck right about then.
"That guy owns like every shop in this city," Qrow said. "Except the Crow Bar."
"I'm going to assume that was a joke," Winter said.
"No, it's real," Qrow said.
"I remember that place," Shine said. "That's where you were waiting for Winter to arrive so you could fight her. That guy was funny."
"How the frick did you--" Qrow stopped and scowled at her.
"I'm sorry, what?" Winter said. "You plan this?"
"Is that really surprising?" Glynda said like it was nothing. "Really Qrow, you couldn't think to just come talk to us instead of getting drunk waiting for an immature fight?"
"Is this important now?" Qrow said.
"Speaking of which, I notice you're not drunk," Tai said. "Run out of money?"
"No..." Qrow sure didn't seem to like talking about this.
Winter thought to herself that it wasn't the smoothest thing to say, shouldn't they be happy if he'd finally given up that repulsive habit? Really...she thought of her mother uncomfortably.
Shine eyed Tai also, and then said, when Qrow had moved closer to Torchwick to inspect it. "I see that the jokes made in ill taste about addiction run in the family. Does the enabling also?"
"Huh?" Tai said.
"Qrow quit," Shine said.
"He quit?" Tai and Glynda both looked shocked.
"Allegedly," Raven muttered in the background.
"Why would he?" Tai said.
"For Ruby," Shine said soberly. "She's gotten tired of it. She never said anything but he got the message...it's been hard, but so far he's made it nearly a month. I'm impressed. I had a hard time quitting my addictions, even going without coffee for that long sucks."
"You've been addicted?" Winter asked her, not sure if that was a polite question but she'd brought it up.
"Not to food or drink but yeah, I think we all have something we get hooked on," Shine said. "Especially when you're like me and slightly OCD, at least I think so." She shrugged. "Family trait. but I got it under control when I was younger before it really dominated my life. Not everyone is so lucky though. The Lord helped me. I do sympathize with people who don't have that kind of example it their life. My father has addictive behaviors also. But he didn't really like to quit, that was the problem. You have to hate what it does to you more than you hate how you feel without it first. And then you have to be able to forgive yourself...it's not easy to kick addiction."
"Well, those might be strong words to use," Tai said. "We all have our own ways of dealing with stuff. I guess if he wants to give it up though, that's up to him."
"No mystery why he didn't quit sooner is it?" Shine said to Winter in a lower voice. "People make so many excuses."
"I agree...it's shocking," Winter was glad someone else thought so.
"Not so shocking, considering that negative emotions are so feared in this world... I'm surprised more people aren't addicted to things," Shine said. "It's bad enough in my world and we only have some knowledge of this sort of thing. Not that addiction makes you less negative, just makes you notice it less. The real problem is people don't like what's waiting for them outside their area of addiction. But I think actually physical addiction is almost easier to kick. Most of us are far more dependent on our personal traits that we think are inherent to us then we are to food or anything like it. And that's very hard to kick. Some have said hatred is the hardest drug--but I really think complacency is harder than that. And cowardice. But maybe it's the words we use to hide it, really. Like "realism"...because someone also said 'words are the most powerful drug known to mankind' [Rudyard Kipling, I believe.]
"You seem familiar with this topic," Winter didn't like thinking about it. "But it's not the most pleasant one to know about."
"You just say so because you fear the darkness that's inside people," Shine said. "I don't have that luxury. We are to confront it...I suppose I can't expect you to feel that way, but it doesn't bother me. No average flaw is really that frightening anymore unless you're a perfectionist...but the ones that scare me are people like Tyrian and Cinder."
"And Salem," Winter said.
"No, Salem makes sense to me," Shine said something that really she shouldn't have said so openly in front of Salem's enemies. "I can figure her out. But how can I reason with pure spite and pure sadism? It's not rational, it's not calculated, it just is. It's very hard to reach anyone like that, usually it's impossible. If they like being that way."
"Salem likes being that way," Winter said.
"No, she doesn't," Shine said staring off into the distance for some reason. "I wouldn't guess that. She just is that way. But I've never heard of her making any kind of acknowledgement of it. She lies to herself still. That is actually perhaps a good sign. For us anyway...but Emerald had told me what Tyrian has said, and I've heard Cinder for myself. There's not much lying there, except that they think they are happy that way. No one is happy who is them, but they'd rather be unhappy and be what they are, than be happy and be anything else. That's the sign of the truly condemned. But sadly, it can happen to any of us if we allow our flaws to go unchecked."
Winter didn't want to hear about Tyrian's flaws or Cinder's, but her gaze hardened. "Cinder will pay for what she said," she said. "That I promise you."
"Is that what you want?" Shine asked.
What a stupid question.
"Of course it is," Winter said.
"Revenge really doesn't seem like your style," Shine said. "And if you pursue it, she'll kill you."
Shine said that so easily, like she was sure of it. It gave Winter chills--that and the fact that Vale was colder than Vacuo.
"You sound so convinced..." she tried to make her voice steady.
"Do you think Cinder is scared of your anger?" Shine asked her quietly. "She thrives off of it. If you go after her in rage, like you have before, she will kill you. Or Salem will. That's what she wants, they're part grimm, they feed off of it like a drug. You will only make them stronger...if you truly wanted to beat her, you should put aside anger and rage and focus only on what is right. That is what scares her. That is why she's afraid of Ruby--but not when Ruby is angry--only when Ruby is focused on her friends. Cinder can't understand that anymore than she can understand why she herself is always so miserable. Be happy that Cinder, in the long run, did not succeed in her goals to hurt Weiss. Maybe she even did her a favor. You can blame her for her intentions, but it's pointless to blame anyone for that now, because none of us have wholly pure intentions. We all have evil desires as well as goodness. If Cinder's are only evil, she's just a little farther than us, but we could join her. She'd love that. Don't give her that, Winter. You're better than her. I have always admired your ability to look above petty disputes, I'd hate to see you lose that to something that base and perverse."
She had the oddest way of motivating someone. Winter was almost flattered but also insulted.
Still...it was convincing...She could completely see Cinder doing just as Shine said and wanting it that way...and in her better moments, she knew that anger was not the best mindset to work with.
Still...
"You're not angry at her?" she said in some surprise. "She's hurt plenty of people that you seem to like. Miss Nikos for one. And what Salem did to that boy, isn't that reprehensible."
"I suppose I'm angry in a way," Shine said. "But I would not want that anger to control me. I have enough trouble with resentment in my personal life without borrowing it from other people...also I just think that people like Cinder and Salem hurt everyone, so I don't take it personal. It bothers me more when it's personal. If they're just trash themselves, they'll act like it. I don't blame a rabid dog for acting like one...one has to shoot it, but who makes it personal? It's kill or cure with people like that. The Bible says not to rejoice when your enemy falls, lest God become angry at your smug attitude, and turns his anger on you, as He did to some of His people's enemies. God is like that parent who doesn't like it when their kids mock each other for getting punished. Who out of us all has never done anything to get punished for? Why should we gloat when it's not our turn. God will turn on us if we do that. I don't nourish that kind of mindset in myself, or in other people. It's up to you what you will do, but don't come to me for an echo chamber...of course if you're upset, I'm perfectly all right with that, and I'll listen, but not to plot someone's downfall, I never do that. I fight people when I have to."
She seemed determined enough, and Winter believed it.
Actually she could respect that...Shine wasn't about to make things personal, that was a good trait in the military and government...in fact, it made her feel ashamed for voicing such thoughts to her at all--or having them.
She looked away.
Shine noticed. "But it's natural to be angry when someone tries to hurt your family," she said more gently. "It would be stranger not to be, I admit I'd throw some hands if someone threatened mine...but after the immediate threat is over, I try not to encourage myself to seek more retribution than I absolutely have to to keep us safe. I've never regretted that decision. I do regret going overboard. It's not the anger that's the problem--it's just cherishing it once it's served its purpose. Anger is just a fuel to burn to do what is right when we might be afraid to do it otherwise--after that, it's just fuel to burn our house down. Like a chimney fireplace, I suppose. In proper place, it's enough to keep the house warm, but if it's broken, it'll burn it down. Anger and other strong emotions are like that."
"I think you never run out of analogies," was all Winter could think to say safely to that.
"I am good at it," Shine said. "Comes of all the reading. But don't the Schnees appreciate good diction and wordplay?"
"Wordplay? I wouldn't call it that," Winter said. "I find that asinine."
"Hmm, one of our most famous playwrights in my world relied on it almost exclusively," Shine said. "Must be good for something. And talking is so boring without jokes and puns and quips to liven it up."
"Not to break up this chat," Qrow interrupted them, "but is it true that half of this is coming back to Vacuo with us?"
"Yeah," Shine said.
Qrow just stared at her.
"I guess we should load it up," Shine said, smugly. "Day's a-wasting. I'm sure the others will be lost without us there soon enough."
[Ha...well, thus ends the 4th arc. Hope you're enjoying the ride, because the 5th one is going to get even rockier.]