(Mistral)
Cinder, Mercury, and Emerald stand among the burning remains of a random bandit tribe where several bodies are scattered the place with a bandit before them, falling to the ground with a blade in his back. Cinder rolls her shoulder and neck before commenting.
Cinder: "This is already getting tiresome. The second bandit tribe we found and still no lead on the Branwen. Tch! That informant from the Spider Web was useless."
Mercury chimes in.
Mercury: "Hey, it's good practice though."
Cinder glances over to Mercury.
Cinder: "Let me remind you that we had more trouble with the huntsmen we've been fighting for the past few months. This barely broke a sweat. Hopefully, these Branwens live up to their reputation because so far, I'm not impressed."
As she said this, Cinder glares at the body in front of them and the other corpses nearby them. Emerald also cuts in.
Emerald: "Our first course of action is diplomacy, right? Like, we're not hoping to fight them, are we?"
Mercury just scoffs at her words.
Mercury: "How well does diplomacy goes with Cinder involved?"
Emerald: "Hey! Cinder is a wonderful negotiator. She negotiated with you, didn't she?"
Mercury replies back.
Mercury: "The two of you showed up outside of my home while I was basically dying from blood loss and my legs bruised and practically useless."
Cinder causally looks back at them with a smirk.
Cinder: "And we successfully negotiated your survival."
Mercury looks at Cinder a bit puzzled before shrugging to Emerald, who looks smug and amused. After that, Cinder pulls out her scroll and sees a number of missed calls from Watts. She dials him and after a moment of waiting, Watts picks up the call.
Watts: "So, you finally answer back."
Cinder: "Shut up, this search for the Branwen tribe is taking too long."
Watts: "Oh, I thought this was your idea to use such blunt force methods to find them."
Cinder snarls back at him.
Cinder: "We're not Atlesian with a group of drones at our fingertips.
Watts swiftly responds back.
Watts: "Ah but, we do have information networks."
Cinder: "Good. You can spare me the lecture and cut to the chase."
Unbeknownst to Cinder, Watts is practically rolling his eyes as he goes to summarizes his explanation.
Watts: "In between my projects, I've had time to track down some sources and crossing that with camps you've already crossed off. Well, I think I've gotten a lead. In fact, I'm sure of it, I'm planning to go myself to ensure the deal goes well. I tell you where it is but, I wouldn't want to lecture you, now would I?"
Irritated, Cinder growls back at Watts.
Cinder: "You better give me the information, or I'll bring this up with Salem!"
Watts: "The coordinates are already on their way. You really need to learn how to take a joke, Cinder dear. I've been told that life without laughter is not much of a life at all. It'll take you three days to get there on foot, I'll meet you there."
And with that, Watts hangs up the call. Cinder put away her scroll before turning around to face Mercury and Emerald, who waited patiently.
Cinder: "We keep moving. Let's go."
Emerald let out a groan, placing a hand on her face.
Emerald: "More walking."
Mercury: "Oh, quit complaining, Em."
Emerald, however, shoots back and points at his legs.
Emerald: "You have robot legs!"
Cinder turns to them once more, giving a scowling look.
Cinder: "You two better shut it. Long walks are bearable enough. I don't want to hear you two bickering as well."
Emerald: "O-Of course, I'm sorry, Cinder."
Mercury: ("Pft, yet we have to deal with your bickering with Watts.")
The three then move to leave the ruined and still burning camp with Cinder casually stepping over the bloody or burned corpses as parts of the camp begins to crash down, which startles the two lackeys but, not Cinder as she continues to walk off.
________________________________________________________________________________
(Yang, Weiss, and Neo)
Inside the Branwen tribe, a group of tribesmen are gathered around a large campfire, eating and drinking with Weiss entertaining them all with another lively song, which some listen, and some didn't. In the distance, near the lake's edge, Neo, Y/N, and Yang watch her sing, eating their own dinner. Yang just watches Weiss and shakes her head in utter bafflement.
Yang: "How can she get along with these people?"
Neo just shrugs, unsure as well as Y/N chimes in after finishing his dinner followed by Yang and Neo.
Y/N #2: "I'm not really sure but, so long as they bother her and us, then we don't bother them."
Yang continues further.
Yang: "I mean... they're murderers and thieves!"
Y/N #2: "Uhm... Yang..."
Yang: "What?"
Y/N points at Neo beside him as the mute girl gives Yang a flat stare as Yang realize what she just said and who's she telling this to as she fumbles her words.
Yang: "You're... you're different, Neo."
The mute girl rolls her eyes as Yang tries to defend herself.
Yang: "Oh, you know what I mean!"
Y/N #2: "Hm, we get it, Yang. We get it."
Yang just pouts which Neo silently chuckles to herself before looking out to the lake, teeming with early evening fireflies. Across the water, Neo spots Raven, next to the cherry tree. She nudges Y/N and Yang who matches her gaze.
Y/N #2: "Raven?"
Yang: "What she's doing there?"
As they briefly stare at Raven in the distance, Neo goes to tap on Yang's shoulder, getting her attention as she goes sign her remark.
Neo: "Yang... I think you should go talk to her."
Upon seeing her signs, it confuses Y/N a bit, while making Yang roll her eyes.
Yang: "I have nothing to say to her, Neo. And I bet she has nothing to say to me."
Shaking her head, Neo continues to sign her response.
Neo: "Leaving things like this is poison, Yang. A slow one that will eat you from the inside out."
Y/N #2: "As much as I don't like Raven and I don't want to be here any longer, Neo is right. You wanted to come here, Yang. To get the answers you want from Raven. We came along because we want to see this through and well, make sure you're okay when it does happen."
The mute girl nods to this as she adds.
Neo: "Leaving without saying your piece with Raven would basically be leaving empty-handed. You don't walk away in the middle of a heist."
Yang thinks it over carefully for a couple moments before letting out a strangled groan and stands up from her spot, glancing over to them.
Yang: "Fine... I'll go and... talk with her... even though I won't be expecting much from her."
She then walks off, heading to the submerged bridge as Y/N and Neo stare after her. Neo goes to tug on one of his sleeves, drawing his attention to her.
Neo: "Are you worried?"
Y/N #2: "Somewhat, yeah. But all I could do now is hope that they don't end up brawling during their 'talk'."
Neo: "Don't worry, Y/N. I'm sure things will go well."
Y/N #2: "Hm, well look at you being the optimistic one."
Neo: "Besides, I have you all to myself now."
As she finishes signing that, the smiling Neo stands up and pulls Y/N back on his feet.
Y/N #2: "Neo?"
Before she can reply via signing, Neo goes to cling on his arm.
Neo: "Come on, let's walk around camp together. And probably do something more than that~"
Y/N #2: "Y-Yeah, let's walk around the place. Just try to keep things in moderation. We are in a bandit camp, after all."
With a silent giggle, the mute girl answers back via signing.
Neo: "I know, I know. Just wanted to tease you~"
And with that, Y/N and Neo walk off to a random direction of the camp as Weiss catches them leaving their spots in the corner of her eyes before continuing another song to sing.
Weiss: ("What the hell...?")
(A Few Moments Later)
Standing in front of the large cherry tree, Raven goes to mimic the prayer stance of her fellow tribesmen before disrupting it and seething to herself.
Raven: ("Ugh, I'm acting ridiculous...")
The bandit woman the hears water being tread and turns to discover Yang, crossing the submerged bridge to the island, approaching her as she looks to her boots and her own boots.
Yang: "Ugh, how do you ever get here without getting your boots wet?"
Deflecting that question, Raven fully turns to look at Yang.
Raven: "So, are you finally ready to talk?"
Yang's face twist with rage and annoyance but, Raven quickly holds up a hand before her.
Raven: "Wait..."
The woman pauses for a moment before eventually resuming in a softer tone.
Raven: "I... I'm sorry... I'm not used to... talking..."
Yang's rage begins to cool down upon hearing this but, not enough to suppress it as she bitterly asks.
Yang: "Even with your own daughter...?"
As she said this, Yang motions to the shore, referring to Vernal, and not herself.
Raven: "Yang... please. I'm trying..."
Yang swallows her next words, letting out a frustrated sigh, and rakes her fingers through her golden locks of hair, muttering to herself.
Yang: "Around... not through."
The bandit woman gives a warm, but bewildered smile before asking.
Raven: "How's Tai?"
Mid-raking her hair, Yang pauses before taking a seat on a nearby fallen column and eventually answering back.
Yang: "Dad has been doing fine. He still teaches at Signal as far as I'm aware of. He's been doing outpatient therapy work recently. Even had Y/N as both a patient and a helper for him at the nearby clinic in Patch..."
The blonde drift her lilac-colored eyes to the ground below her as she continues.
Yang: "Dad is... happy."
Raven: "Oh... that's... that's good to hear..."
Silence begins to hang between them as Raven goes to sit down next to Yang and after a moment later, Raven let out a sigh before commenting.
Raven: "I... I didn't want to leave you."
The blonde goes quiet for a moment until she replies back.
Yang: "I know... doesn't change the fact that you did."
More silence befell on them once more before Raven speaks up, gazing at the evening sky.
Raven: "I don't think... it was the wrong choice."
This makes Yang shift her head to look at Raven.
Yang: "For you? Or for me?"
Raven: "Both... at least, that's what I thought at first."
The blonde looks at her with some level of confusion at her remark as Raven shift her gaze to the ground, scratching her head.
Raven: "Ugh, I'm not good at... this. I just do things, I don't talk about them. Words are always so cheap next to actions."
Yang: "If that's the case, what do your actions towards me say?"
This makes the bandit woman goes voiceless, letting out a sigh before responding.
Raven: "I failed... Like I said before, you are my greatest regret that I ever had. Especially after hearing what your Schnee friend and that brat had to say involving your team and Ozpin. I just... I just wanted to take you away from that but, Tai... and Summer, and..."
She just exhales deeply as she slams her fist on the fallen column, leaving a small dent on the stone, angrily remarking.
Raven: "It's Ozpin! It's all Ozpin! It's always has been him."
Shaking her head a bit, Yang finally asks her.
Yang: "What's your deal with Ozpin?"
Calming down to some extent, Raven turns to look at Yang with a serious look.
Raven: "Are you truly ready to listen, Yang?"
Giving only a moment's thought, Yang eventually answers back.
Yang: "Yeah... I think I am."
Raven: "Okay then."
The woman turns to gaze upon the shore before finally explaining to her.
Raven: "The Grimm, even ones that no one has ever seen before, have a master. A witch by the name of... Salem..."
Yang: ("Salem... Y/N mentioned her before...")
Raven: "We know so little about this world, Yang."
She gestures to the ruins nearby and the fallen column they're sitting on as she resumes speaking.
Raven: "But Ozpin is older than all of this. Old enough to remember the days before Salem and claims to fight her at every turn. He's reincarnated hundreds of times, possessing a new host each time. He tells us that he's leading a holy crusade to save mankind... if only that were the case. I don't know what exactly he's trying to do but, whatever it is, all it's ever done is get people traumatized, killed, and in most cases, both. He lets powerful tools like magic, relics, and maidens so powerful that they can shift the weather itself, to rot and be left unused... why? It's never to find Salem and take her out for good, it's only to avoid defeat. Always pushing her threat down the road. Who has that much power and yet never uses it...?"
During this whole tirade towards Ozpin, Yang remains silent, muttering to herself in confusion.
Yang: "Maidens... relics... magic...?"
She then goes to answer the rhetorical question.
Yang: "Maybe... he has a good reason."
Raven: "That was my suspicions too. And that reason is... not to win. Just keep the game going. Now, why he wants that, I never learned and frankly, I didn't stick around long enough to find out. Team STRQ was the latest in a long line of teams that Ozpin has burned through and by the sounds of it, Team RWBY and Y/N was just the next pawns in his sick game of chess."
Raven frowns and stares at the ground.
Raven: "Like mother, like daughter."
Yang: "Wait... Y/N is his secret agent, why-?"
Raven: "And from what I saw and heard, he's possibly the biggest example of a pawn for him just for taking that position and blindly believe his words like Qrow did, for one of them at least."
Absorbing her words slowly, Yang turns to Raven.
Yang: "How am I supposed to believe all this? This is a lot to process. Including the idea that magic of all things exists."
With a smirk, Raven asks.
Raven: "You know about my semblance, correct?"
Raising a brow at this, Yang answers.
Yang: "Well, yeah, it's some kind of teleportation, isn't it? Linking all the people important to you. One for me, one for Dad, and one for Qrow. Why?"
Raven: "You're right about that, but my semblance also allows me to sense when a loved ones are in danger and know if they're alright."
The bandit woman walks to the water's edge as she gazes upon it before continuing.
Raven: "You asked how I got here without getting my boots wet, didn't you?"
Yang: "Uh, yeah? What are you-?"
Before she can finish speaking, Raven jumps, sending herself falling towards the water only to suddenly turn into a raven, much to Yang's utter shock.
Yang: "What... that... hell...?"
She watches as the raven skims across the water, silhouetted by the setting sun. The raven circles back around and transform back to Raven, landing on her feet. Raven looks at the shocked expression on Yang's face with another smirk.
Raven: "A gift from Ozpin and one that's coming useful. It's how I found out that you and your team are all dating Y/N back in Vale. It's how I came across Qrow with another Y/N with him, tagging along with Summer's kid and her friends."
Yang: "So... you knew...?"
Raven: "I had my suspicions but, upon encountering and meeting not one, but three Y/Ns. I knew his 'circumstances' has something to do with Ozpin and Salem. It would seem I was right."
With a brief sigh, Raven continues speaking.
Raven: "Believe me, if I thought Ozpin had genuine intentions, I'd be right there beside him. If only for the power I could get from it but, I don't trust him one bit and you shouldn't either, Yang."
Yang is in the middle of processing what Raven said before standing up and speaking frantically.
Yang: "Wait, what you and Weiss said about us... we were next?"
She pauses for a moment, putting the dots together as a realization hits her.
Yang: "They're next. Ruby, her Y/N, Jaune, Nora, and Ren. They're all next."
Raven nod to this before adding.
Raven: "And they'll all burn, and they'll smile as they light their own pyres. Only that Y/N has been doing that much longer than rest of them now."
Yang: "N-No..."
Looking at herself, Yang sees her arm begins to shake and she goes to steady it with her robotic arm as Raven proceeds further.
Raven: "Once Ozpin gets an idea into someone's head, it never leaves. Which is why I feel nothing but disappointment, pity, and frustration that Y/N is following in Qrow's footsteps on blindly following Ozpin. I honestly expected he be better and smarter than that once I told him about Ozpin, but I guess I was wrong. As for Summer's kid..."
Yang: "Ruby? What about her?"
Before Raven presses on, she looks up to the falling petals of the cherry tree.
Raven: "It's all too tempting to be the hero Ozpin makes her out to be. Odds are, if Summer's kid has been convinced by him like Y/N, it's already too late."
Yang steps in.
Yang: "That's not even it. Ruby is getting in over her head and so is Y/N. I need to protect her and him... her Y/N... ugh, you get what I mean!"
This remark makes Raven frown as she stares at her.
Raven: "Yang... by choosing that, it'll be no better than getting wrapped up in that mess. You should just stay here and not get involved and if you really want, I can send you back to your father, free of charge."
Yang: "No. I'm not staying here and I'm not going back home. I need to get to Ruby, her Y/N, and the others at Mistral."
Sighing at this, Raven retorts back.
Raven: "This is your last chance. After this, you won't be welcomed back into the tribe. That ship will sail, and you only ever get one."
Hesitating, Yang looks away from Raven's gaze as she thinks it over her decision. A moment later, Yang let out a sigh before replying.
Yang: "It's not a hard decision to make, Raven."
The blonde turns and makes direct eye contact with Raven as her eyes turn red and her hair flickering with small fires surrounding it.
Yang: "I don't abandon my family."
Upon hearing this, Raven grits her teeth before snarling back.
Raven: "Fine. Fix your damn bike. The minute it's good to go, I'll drop you off with Qrow and your sister. You can take that mute girl and that brat you call a boyfriend with you. Get wrapped up in their mess for all I care, but after this, we're done."
After calming herself down, Yang looks towards the shore and the submerged bridge before her. She then glares back at Raven as she says.
Yang: "Fine by me."
Soon enough, Yang walks across the bridge, leaving Raven behind at the cherry tree, not looking back to her and not noticing her silently walking around the cherry tree and disappearing from sight.
After a few moments of walking, Yang has reached back to the bandit camp, letting out a sigh as she ponders over that whole exchange she had with Raven. Especially with Y/N or one of them and his ties with Ozpin and Salem, considering she was the reason there's four Y/Ns, according to Y/N himself.
Yang: ("Speaking of which, where is he? Where's Neo?")
She finds Neo and Y/N gone from their previous spot. Not only that, but Yang also spot that Weiss isn't at the campfire and singing for the tribesmen anymore and only seeing a handful of them either eating, sleeping, or walking away.
Yang: ("Okay... looks I have to find them. Shouldn't be too difficult.")
After some walking across the bandit camp and shifting her eyes around the place, Yang does eventually find them only to be somewhat confused.
Yang: "What are they...?"
The blonde gaze upon Y/N and Neo, who is still clinging onto him and across from them is Weiss, who is practically pointing and scolding Neo.
Weiss: "Stop clinging on to him like that! What's your relationship with him anyway?"
Y/N #2: "Weiss, let me explain, okay?"
Pouting that Weiss interrupt her little date with Y/N, Neo just stick her tongue at her before shoving her chest against his arm, making Weiss even more irritated. As she watches this, a sudden realization hits Yang as she places a hand on her head.
Yang: ("Oh right. Y/N and I didn't tell her about Neo being a part of this polyamorous relationship of ours. Well, it's not like we were given a chance to tell since we were so preoccupied with Raven, Vernal, and fixing Bumblebee.")
Yang quickly goes to approach them before Weiss could go and grab Neo to get her off of Y/N.
Yang: "Hey guys!"
Weiss: "Yang! Can you comprehend what's going on here? She just keeps clinging on to him and not budging."
Y/N #2: "As a matter of fact, she does, Weiss."
Weiss: "Huh?"
The former heiress turns to look at Yang, who embarrassingly chuckles as she scratches the back of her head. Giving off a serious expression, Weiss asks.
Weiss: "Care to inform me?"
Y/N and Yang soon explain that during their rehab classes in Patch, they unexpectedly encounter Neo. At first, Neo tried to attack Yang to keep her identity. Until, one thing led to another, and Yang and Neo became therapy buddies and since Neo is in love with Y/N, Yang gives her okay to having Neo be a part of the relationship they're in. Weiss is in utter shock after hearing their explanation as she addresses to Y/N.
Weiss: "So you weren't joking... you were being serious about her...?"
Y/N #2: "Y-Yeah. That is what I was trying to tell you after you stumble upon us like this."
The former heiress steps a bit as she looks between the three of them.
Weiss: "I... I never would have thought Torchwick's accomplice would have fallen for you."
Yang: "Well, this is Y/N we're talking about here."
Neo happily nod to Yang's remark.
Weiss: "I suppose... that makes some sense."
Y/N #2: "Hey! I'm standing right here, you know."
Yang: "So... what do you think, Weiss? You okay with her being a part of this?"
Pondering over this for a couple moments, Weiss exhales before turning to them.
Weiss: "F-Fine... I'm okay with her partaking in this relationship of ours..."
Neo is quite pleased to hear this only for Weiss to suddenly point at her as she continues further.
Weiss: "So long as you don't plan on hurting Y/N or any of us in any way. Understood?"
In response, Neo shook her head as she goes to sign.
Neo: "I won't. You have my words."
Barely understanding what she just signs with her hands, Weiss nod to this.
Weiss: "Very well then. I hope we can get along, Neo."
Yang and Y/N are quite glad over Weiss's approval. Neo nod to Weiss, smiling as she continues to wrap her arms around Y/N's arm, shoving her chest onto him once more. Still annoyed by this, Weiss pouts and goes to do the same to Y/N's other arm with the two girls glancing at one another.
Y/N #2: "Girls, you're crushing my arms."
Rolling her eyes at this whole scene, the smirking Yang goes to hug Y/N from behind.
Yang: "Suprise attack!"
Y/N #2: "Yang?"
Yang: "Just joining in, babe. Also..."
The smile on Yang's face soon fades as she continues.
Yang: "I finished talking to Raven... she told me about Ozpin... about Salem..."
Her words draw their attention, especially Y/N as he glances over to her as Neo and Weiss loosen their grip on Y/N's arms. Once Yang lets go of him, Y/N turns around and ask.
Y/N #2: "Before that, did your talk with her went well?"
Yang: "Well, it did... for the most part, anyway."
Y/N #2: "I see."
Weiss: "Hold on, you went and talk with Raven?"
Yang: "Yep."
Neo: "Did you got the answers you were looking for?"
Yang: "Pretty much... for what it's worth."
Y/N #2: "So, what did Raven told you?"
Yang then tells them the same information Raven have told her. Once she finished, Yang turns to Y/N.
Yang: "Didn't she told you and Weiss about this? Why are you asking me about it?"
Y/N #2: "Just to be sure if Raven has said anything else to you that she didn't told us."
Weiss: "Make sense, considering she wants you to stay here with her and all. She would try to convince you if she were to tell you about this."
Yang: "Salem... the same one who split Y/N into four... she's also the Grimm's ringleader..."
Y/N #2: "And she's also the one who orchestrated the Breach and the Fall of Beacon along with Cinder and her lackeys."
They all think this over once more, all while Neo is trying to catch up with the discussion, almost being out of the loop.
Y/N #2: "So... if all of this information with us... we have to ask ourselves this..."
All eyes fall on Y/N as he goes to ask.
Y/N #2: "What do we do next?"
Yang: "Isn't that obvious? We head to Mistral once my bike is fixed. I mean, Raven practically kicks us out."
Y/N #2: "That's true. Neo?"
With a resolute look, Neo goes to sign her response.
Neo: "My answer hasn't change. I'm leaving with you and Yang to Mistral."
Y/N #2: "Okay... Weiss?"
Weiss remains silent, still pondering to herself over everything she learned so far. A few moments later, Weiss shift her gaze back to Y/N, Yang, and Neo.
Weiss: "Very well... I'm going to Mistral with you guys."
Yang: "Really?!"
The joyful Yang goes to hug not only Weiss, but also Y/N and Neo as well.
Weiss: "Y-Yang?!"
Yang: "I'm so glad you're joining us, Weiss."
Weiss: "From what you told us, I'm joining to help Ruby and the others from whatever mess they're getting themselves into."
Y/N #2: "Glad to hear it."
Yang: "So, we're all going to Mistral together."
Y/N #2: "It's going to be cramped once we all sit on Bumblebee."
With a cheeky smirk, Neo goes to sign her response.
Neo: "I can always sit on your lap~"
Seeing what she just signs to him, Yang cuts in.
Yang: "Not happening, Neo!"
A bit confused by Yang's yelling, Weiss asks.
Weiss: "Wait, what she just said?"
Yang then whispers over Weiss's ear and as she explains it to her, Weiss quickly retorts back to Neo, blushing a bit.
Weiss: "Not happening, Neo!"
Neo just pouts at this. After that, they discuss who is going to sit where on Bumblebee with the obvious choice of Yang being on the driver's seat. Weiss then thought of something.
Weiss: "Y/N, you can mimic my semblance, right?"
Y/N #2: "I can and amplify it."
Weiss: "Then, if we do end up on the road, you can just use my glyphs to speed up your movement and catch up to us."
Y/N #2: "I suppose... that could work."
After some discussing, they concluded that Neo would sit behind Yang and Weiss will sit behind Neo, and Y/N just use Weiss's glyphs to speed his movement and agility as previously mentioned, in case of they do end up on a road once they leave. After that, they decide to call it a day, but not before Yang and Weiss have to pull Neo out of Y/N's arm, much to Neo's disappointment. Weiss would show them where they'll be sleeping, which is her own tent as they go there. As Y/N watch them leave, Y/N turns around and walk off to his shabby little tent as he ponders over what Raven told Yang and of course, what she told him and Weiss.
Y/N #2: ("Ozpin... Salem... a pawn... me...? Ugh, this is a lot to process... once we go to Mistral, and I find that other me with Ruby and others... he better have a good explanation for all of this.")