It was mid-afternoon as the group walked down the dirt path through the town, heading towards the next thing on their list; getting Ilia home.
It was a good day, they were happy with their accomplishments and the people they helped so far.
As much as they refused payment (some of them at least), Gray's father, the baron, happily gifted them a hefty bag of Lien. For them to split amongst each other however they saw fit. The family, much like the town, wasn't extremely wealthy but they gave what they could muster up.
Their departure was bittersweet, they were glad Gray was reunited with his parents but they would truly miss the little guy. They left with plenty hugs and goodbyes, along with memories.
Gray would never forget the rag-tag huntsmen and huntress that kindly helped him find his loving parents. In fact, it only encouraged him to fulfill his dream of being a huntsman even more. He wanted to go to Beacon Academy, the school will most likely be finished with repairs and renovations by the time he was old enough, and train at the same school as his idols.
He even planned on remaking his weapon one day.
His weapon would still have a crossbow feature like his father's but some new features came to mind after meeting them.
They left Gray with a new sense of heroism and he could now say that he was proud of being a faunas.
____
A woman with dark hair, the color of the night sky peered out of the window beside her with mild interest. Her crimson eyes were nonchalant, barely blinking as she watched a man approach her from the corner of her eye.
He walked with a slight stagger, possibly an injury, as he moved closer with closed fists that showed his bruised knuckles.
A hand cooly pushed his greying hair back before he slammed his fist against the wooden table.
"Do you even care that you could've gotten your own daughter killed?"
He slammed his hand harder this time.
"Do you?!"
She stayed still, silently looking her brother in the eye.
"You send any more of your goons after my niece or any of those kids I'll-"
"You'll what Qrow?"
Qrow narrowed his eyes at her. His chest rose and fell unevenly with his rapid breaths.
She shifted in her seat and crossed her right leg over her left. "That's what I thought."
"You-"
"You and Summer were perfect for each other. Both ready to play hero without knowing what the hell you're talking about."
He squeezed his hand into a tight fist, nails piercing at his skin.
"Don't you talk about her."
"Or what, Qrow? I think we've already established that you're all bark- or should I say all squawk?"
Qrow glared daggers at her, his face almost matching his eyes.
"Sit down."
He hesitated for a moment before complying.
"I didn't send anyone after Yang."
"I saw them."
"They were there to keep an eye on her."
Qrow scoffed.
"Then why did they attack them?"
"I don't control all the bandits in the area. The men I had trail her were killed by the redhead. I had nothing to do with the ones that attacked them."
"Hmph."
"You don't have to believe me, Qrow. If I truly did not care about my daughter I would've let her die."
"Oh you mean when you saved her that one time?"
Qrow raised his hands in the air. "Mother of the year everybody!"
Raven stared at him with a face full of indifference. "Like I said, I would have let her die. I didn't."
She leaned closer, clasping her hands together as her elbows rested on the table.
"So tell me, since my spies are dead, how is Yang?" She smiled, a curve forming at the side of her mouth knowing it only pissed him off further.
"Alive, and happy, no thanks to you." He replied.
"You mean happy with the Belladonna girl, right? I'd expect better from her."
He glared into his sister's eyes, not knowing how she knew. He purposely kept anything from Yang's life away from Raven. Yang wanted nothing to do with her and he respected his niece's decision.
"You may have saved Yang once, but you would have left that girl to die with not even as much as a second thought."
"She isn't my daughter. I have no obligation regarding her well-being."
"Oh yeah? She's just a kid! Not much younger than Yang. Barely, actually. You realize if Yang knew this she would never forgive you. You may not care about her, but she does. I do! She makes her happy, that should be enough."
Raven stayed mute. Her nonchalant features only angered him.
"You know what I think Raven? I think you don't like her because she cares about her more. Or is it because they remind you of yourself and Tai?"
Her eyes narrowed and he continued, knowing he hit a sore spot.
"The brooding and mysterious girl falling for the funny full-of-life blonde? Am I right or am I right?"
Qrow smirked at her as Raven glared daggers back at him.
There was silence for a moment for she spoke.
"I suppose Yang got the hopeless romantic trait from her father, that's true. You of all people would know huh? You know...considering how Summer fell for him instead of you. Even had a whole child together."
If other siblings had sibling rivalries, they had all-out wars.
And Qrow decided on waving the white flag. He was done.
He closed his eyes for a moment, inhaling, before slowly pushing his chair back and rising to his feet.
Raven crossed her arms back as she watched him walk off. She was far from all bark and no bite, she bit and she bit hard.
Another trait Yang had, but she wasn't as heartless.
Qrow walked away, feeling the air he rapidly breathed in exit through his nostrils as they flared.
She knew better than to bring Summer up.
It always struck a cord with Qrow. Bringing her up only reminded him of what was and what could've been. He and Tai always had a rocky relationship but Qrow couldn't help but resent him sometimes.
He was the uncle while Tai got to be with Summer. He got to be the dad, but he had to remind himself that Tai lost somebody too.
Tai was given that opportunity before she was gone forever, not knowing he would end up a single dad, along with Qrow's chance to be a dad.
It would've been a girl and he would've given her the world.
Raven had a child, and she couldn't even be the mother Yang deserved.
So she knew.
She knew better.
Qrow headed towards the exit, but not before he slammed an angry fist against a nearby table. "Hey!" A man shouted out at him as his drink was turned into nothing but broken glass.
He exited the establishment knowing he'd spend another night drowning in liquor, trying to forget Yang and Ruby's happy faces when he finally told them he'd gotten his drinking under control.
_____
Yang, who was a little bit behind Blake, watched the wind pick up and blow her dark voluptuous hair every which way. Smiling at her annoyance of fly-aways hitting her face, the same way she grew accustomed to watching her do even if it was from behind.
Blake reached back to gather up her hair, tying it into a ponytail with the help of a purple hair tie taken from her wrist, that she received from non-other than her girlfriend.
As messy as it was, the ponytail only seemed to add to her attractiveness, accentuating her facial features.
Neptune inched closer to Yang and chuckled. "Wow you look at her more than I do."
"I'm sorry, I didn't hear you over my gun."
He inched back to his original spot, hands raised in defeat. "..nevermind."
"Speaking of looking at me..." Blake tilted her head to the side and spoke, without turning around.
"I feel you staring at me, I'm pretty sure you burned holes through the back of my head."
She sometimes forgot Blake damn near heard everything.
"Hah, look at who you're in a group with! You should be used to be stared at." Neptune commented.
Considering her past with Ilia and Sun he wasn't wrong.
Ignoring his comment, Yang stepped up, moving closer to Blake. "I'm not staring I'm admiring how beautiful you are."
"Such a way with words." Blake replied sarcastically.
"You know what? I sense sarcasm but I'm taking that as a compliment."
"I figured as much."
Sun let out a cough, clearing the short silence before Neptune spoke again.
"So...when are we uh- gonna get to the airship?" The blue-haired boy said between laughs, witnessing yet again how awkward Yang and Blake's affections could be towards Sun.
Even Ilia sometimes.
But Sun fucked up the worst, it was harder for him and that made it funnier for Neptune.
Well not the absolute worst, but Neptune learned not to ask why Blake resented Sun more when Ilia literally tried to kill them both.
"Before I moved, I lived around here for a while as a child. If we moved up the timetable like I said we would have made it before the..."
Yang stopped in her tracks, squinting at the figures ahead.
Civilians.
More specifically, children.
"Hey look!"
The group watched as crowds of people sauntered around, happy and playful. Colorful banners were flown and cheerful music was played in the distance.
Ilia sighed.
"-the festival."
Yang's eyes lit up before running ahead towards the commotion of the festival.
"I see where her sister gets it from."
Neptune turned towards the redhead.
"You seem like you don't like festivals much."
"I don't."
Blake smiled, looking back at her. "She never did. She skipped anything like that in school."
"You did too." Ilia corrected.
Neptune scratched his head. "What little kid wouldn't want to go to a party?"
"Even if I did, the difference between me and Blake was that she got invited."
As they got closer to the scene a group of girls walked by, one of them making the shortest of eye contact with Neptune.
"You mean by other faunas. The humans were there despicable-"
"Yeah, yeah cool." Neptune mumbled.
Not breaking eye contact, he quickly pat Sun; urging him to follow.
Sun briefly looked at Blake before following.
On the way there, Neptune nudged the blonde. "What is up with that? You're looking at Blake like she cares who you talk to."
"Force of habit, I guess." Sun responded.
"Well newsflash: she doesn't. Now let's catch up to those girls, yeah?"
Ilia and Blake finally caught up to Yang, who was currently in the middle of a conversation. They hung back and watched.
"You...want my autograph?"
The boy in front of her, around her age, smiled as he held out a photograph.
The photo was of Team RWBY enjoying their win at the Vytal Festival. Well, Team RWBY and everyone who photo-bombed them.
He flipped it around, showing a few names already signed. She instantly recognized the names and their owners respective handwriting. From Nora's hearts on her I's to Weiss' neat cursive to Ren's native logograms.
Weiss Schnee, Lie Ren, Nora Valkyrie, Blake Belladonna, Sun Wukong, Pyrrha Nikos.
"My little sister wanted the autographs of everyone in the photo. She thinks all of your teams are cool. I'm still trying to get the rest..."
"Aw, well you can tell her I think she's cool." Yang smiled brightly as she grabbed the photo and pen from his hands to begin signing.
"Thank you so much!"
"No problem."
A small crowd former as they recognized Yang, wanting autographs as well.
She signed as many pictures, shirts and toy weapons as she could before a smaller human boy caught her eye.
His shirt, more specifically.
A black shirt with Blake's symbol on it was hard to miss.
He was less enthusiastic to come up to her, shy.
Yang smiled the most least-threatening smile she could muster. "Hey, what's your name?"
"...Bryan."
"So, Bryan..you like Blake huh?"
"She's my favorite." He hesitantly spoke, almost trying not to offend her.
Yang was far from offended. This was a great moment; a shy little boy, a human boy for that matter, and Blake was his favorite.
It was adorable. He probably related to Blake soft-spokenness.
An older woman ran up to him, relief visible on her face.
"Baby, I told you not to run off like that. You had me worried." She reprimanded.
She looked up at Yang, who gave her a small wave. "Oh-hello there."
Yang smiled and held out her hand. The woman shook it, sending a smile back.
"If he ran off, at least he ran into someone respectable. Is he bothering you?" She said.
"I appreciate that and no, not at all. He was just telling me about his favorite huntress."
"Was he?"
"Yep. I can get her, if you want that is."
The woman stepped closer. "He's a little shy, but that'd honestly make his day. He really likes ninjas." She whispered.
Yang held up a finger.
"One sec."
The blonde turned around, scanning the crowd behind her for a specific faunas.
Her eyes quickly locked onto amber orbs standing beside Ilia not too far away.
"Blakeeee!"
She ran towards her, stopping in front of Blake with a giant suspicious smile.
"I see someone's famous." Ilia commented. "It is a huntsmen festival, so I guess they heard about you guys."
"I wouldn't say famous, but.." Yang turned to look at Blake. "about that..."
Blake furrowed her eyebrows, not sure what she was getting at.
Yang clapped her hands together. "Sooo do me a favor."
Yang continued, and slowly proceeded to walk behind her. "You have a fan."
"Huh?"
She placed her hands on Blake's shoulders, pushing her towards the boy and his mom
"What are you doing..."
"Bare with me."
"Who is that?"
"The fan."
"What? Wait."
Blake dug her heels into he ground
in an attempt to slow down. "Wait wait wait wait wait.."
No match for Yang's superior strength, she pushed harder as Blake panicked.
"What am I supposed to say?!"
"Improvise."
"Improv- hi..."
Blake greeted the boy and his mother, considering they had already made it there.
Bryan's eyes lit up immediately upon seeing Blake and Gambol Shroud sheathed on her back, although it wasn't the original.
Bryan's mom kneeled down and looked at him. "What do you say?"
"Hi." He mumbled.
The mother smiled and pointed at his shirt. "He wants you to sign his shirt."
"Sure."
Blake kneeled down, taking the white pen from his small hands as he turned around. She signed her name the best she could on such an odd surface.
-Blake Belladonna.
"Thank you."
"I can do you one better."
Yang nudged Blake and eyed the scroll in the woman's hands.
She nodded, complying, handing the scroll to Yang.
She turned the scroll horizontally and crouched down do the boy's height, with Blake doing the same as she took a picture.
"This is the best day ever." He spoke up.
"That's the most I've seen him talk."
Yang slyly looked at Blake before answering. "I have that effect on people."