Raven was here, at Beacon Academy, of all places! On the mental list of people Yang expected to run into on her jog, her mother was...well, no, she wasn’t last. She wasn’t on the list at all.

Yang didn’t let her shock at this new development stop her from getting to the point.

“Why are you here?” she asked, still unable to take her eyes off of Raven.

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” the tribe leader said with a hint of snark. She moved away from the wall and rested a hand on her hip, sizing her daughter up.

“Close enough,” Yang said. She strode to the opposite side of the arch they stood under and faced Raven, a skeptical frown plastered across her lips. “So, why come and see me now? You could’ve whenever you wanted.”

Raven sighed. “Qrow told me you enrolled here. I came to, first of all, find out what the hell you were thinking,” she stressed through clenched teeth. “Also, I wanted to see it for myself.”

“Okay. You’ve seen. Are we done, then?”

Clicking her tongue, Raven shook her head. “You’ve always had quite a mouth on you, Yang.”

“Yeah,” Yang smiled back, refusing to let Raven steer this conversation or get under her skin. “I have you to thank for that, mom.”

“Ha-ha,” Raven mocked, resting a hand on her sword hilt, but making no move to draw the blade. The deafening pang of uncomfortable silence that followed made Yang want to be as far away from here as possible. Would Raven just get this over with already?

The unwelcome visitor spoke after what seemed like eons. “So, you’re really fine with being Ozpin’s lapdog now, Yang? After everything I told you?”

Scoffing before she could stop herself, Yang clenched her fists. “No way. That’s not what I’m doing. I came here because I need to keep Ruby safe from all of this. She doesn’t know anything, and she could end up getting hurt.”

“Aww,” Raven cooed bitterly, “isn’t that sweet of you?”

“Look,” Yang said, “can we get to the point here? I have things to do today.”

“What,” Raven asked with a sarcastic chuff, “are you eager to go on adventures with your new team of would-be Huntresses?”

Yang paused. “Actually, I am, but that’s not it.” She nodded toward the school in the distance. “We have a very important mission today.” Yang didn’t elaborate. After all, the search for Blake they were going on first thing this morning was none of her mother’s business.

Something flickered in Raven’s expression. It was only an instant, but long enough for Yang to notice. Could she be jealous?

“If you want to reconsider and come back to the tribe, Yang, there’s still time. I’ll allow you this one...lapse in judgment.”

“Oh, that’s rich,” Yang shot back, shaking her head. “I won’t be coming back. Even if I left Beacon, I’d never hurt people and steal from the innocent for you again.”

“Why the sudden conscience?” Raven balked, pacing in a half-circle. “You used to be so loyal to our cause, and now just like that, you’re going to abandon everything you’ve ever known?”

Without being able to see for herself, Yang knew her eyes must have flashed red. She could tell by the feeling of blood coursing through her veins, filling her with warmth and rage. “You don’t get to do that. You’re not the victim here.”

“That’s for sure. It’s the rest of the tribe that was counting on you to step up. Instead, you got it into your head to go back to the very same place, the same man, that almost tore your family apart.”

“The way I see it, you did that all on your own.”

Raven stopped, speechless for once.

“You really think I haven’t talked to Dad? Well, I have, and from what I can tell, he misses you. He wants his team back together.”

“He should’ve thought about that before he decided to fight Salem. Don’t you get it? Staying would’ve put me, and even you, our newborn daughter, in Salem’s sights. We would have spent our whole lives looking over our shoulders, or on the run!”

“But we’d have been together.”

“Yang, that’s no kind of life.”

Yang scoffed. “And scrounging for scraps and pillaging settlements is?”

Raven grumbled something under her breath, but didn’t counter her daughter’s point. It was unclear whether that was because she wouldn’t or because she couldn’t.

Yang sighed. The simmering buildup of her aura settled and, after a moment, faded altogether. “Look, I get it. We would’ve been in danger all the time. But were you really okay with leaving Dad alone, even after what happened to Summer?”

“To me, what happened to Summer is all the more reason to stay away. I’m the Branwen Tribe’s leader! I need to keep as many of us safe as possible. Tai could have come with me, but he chose his fate. The same goes for Qrow.”

Yang gave a solemn nod. “Mom, the tribe is my family, and they always will be. But Taiyang and Ruby are too. I can’t just do nothing.”

Something like understanding, or maybe acceptance, flashed in Raven’s eyes. She backed away, resigned. “You don’t know everything, Yang. I was there. I’ve seen. But if you stay with Ozpin and his allies, you’ll see, too. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

She took a breath, turned away, and tore open a red portal which must have led to Anima. Its hollow hum was familiar, but more haunting than Yang remembered. In all honesty, part of her yearned to walk back through with her mother, if only to see her friends from home, but she’d chosen her path. Now was the time to walk it and not look back.

“Try not to die,” Raven whispered. She stepped through and was gone. The portal vanished with a sharp ring, leaving Yang alone in the courtyard again.

Seeing her mother depart for what may well have been the last time stung. Yang didn’t look up to her anymore - in fact, far from it - and yet, she still held a soft spot in her heart for the woman who raised her. If Raven’s tone was any indication, she still cared, too. Clutching her chest, Yang took a breath and tucked the pain away somewhere deep inside herself. Somewhere it couldn’t hurt her.

* * *

When Yang finished her second lap around the building, sunlight was just beginning to peek out over the horizon. She hurried to Team RWBY’s dorm and tip-toed to her bed, unnoticed by her teammates. Granted, this was more on account of Ruby’s loud snoring than anything else. Sliding back into bed, she tried, and failed, to get one last hour or so of rest before the others woke up. It was the weekend, so at least they’d have time to search for Blake. Yang leaned over the side of her bed and stared down at the empty bed where her teammate should have been. Bittersweet though it was, things had worked out with Ruby and Taiyang, only to land the team smack in the middle of the worst case scenario with Weiss and Blake. Yang wasn’t sure how to feel, and these worries prevented her from getting a restful last hour. Her eyes were still open when the others began to stir.

Ruby was the first to rise. She wiped her eyes and yawned, snapping Yang out of her daze. The sisters waved good morning to one another with what little energy they could muster. Ruby’s halfhearted smile became a frown when she shifted her attention to Blake’s empty bed. The covers were just as the runaway girl had left them - neatly tucked in with a couple of books stacked on top. Both sisters shared a wordless stare of mutual concern. Breaking the tension, Yang kicked her legs over the side of the bed to start the day, and Ruby followed suit. There was no time to waste; they needed to track down Blake.

* * *

The streets were not all that busy today, allowing the three girls to walk side by side as they searched every block of Vale. The incomplete Team RWBY walked in a casual fashion, scanning the area every so often for any sign of Blake as they called out her name. They’d visited all of the shops on this strip and the one connected to it, asking store owners if they’d seen Blake. No luck so far, but there was more ground left to cover.

“I still can’t believe this was your big plan for finding her,” Weiss derided, looking over her shoulder at Ruby. “Hours of this and still, nothing.”

“Look, Weiss,” Yang said, “you could’ve just not joined us.”

“Nonsense,” Weiss almost sang. “You think I’d miss this?”

Yang scoffed. Leave it to Weiss to turn their absent teammate’s conflict into something she could relish in, and use to puff up her own ego. Yang was desperate to find Blake, if only to prove Weiss wrong about her. The Schnee heiress had been very vocal the night before, and just before leaving the school this morning, about her belief that Blake was of ‘unscrupulous character’ - whatever the hell that meant - and that she’d led them on the whole time. While Yang wanted to argue against this, she was sad to admit there was no way of knowing whether Weiss was right or wrong.

That wasn’t all. Given the new knowledge of Blake’s past involvement with the White Fang, Yang couldn’t help but see some overlap between Blake and herself. Whatever her reasons for joining the organization, the Faunus girl apparently chose to no longer align herself with the group. Perhaps it had been just like with Raven and the tribe. Did Blake regret her past, or was she still ‘one of them’? There were too many unanswered questions to bother with mulling it all over. The first priority was to find her. Then they could grill her and get the whole truth.

Several more minutes of a mixture of shouting “Blake” and asking a handful of passersby if they’d seen RWBY’s missing team member (using the profile photo she’d provided when they exchanged scroll numbers) led nowhere. Halfway into the next round of shouting for Blake, Ruby stopped walking and addressed Weiss.

“Weiss,” she bemoaned, “you’re not helping!”

“Oh, you know who might be able to help?” Weiss asked, a thick layer of sarcasm in her words. “The police!”

Ruby grunted and folded her arms. “Weiss…”

Weiss made a wide gesture. “It was just an idea!”

“Yeah, a bad one,” Ruby grumbled as she and Yang continued on.

“Weiss,” Yang said, turning to face her teammate mid-step, “I think we should hear her side of the story before we jump to any conclusions.”

“I think when we hear it, you’ll all realize I was right!” Weiss announced with certainty.

Yang picked up on an extra set of heavy footsteps mixed in with theirs. Her dormant hunter skills kicked in. She turned around, blade drawn, only to see Penny approaching from behind.

“And I think Weiss’s hair looks wonderful today!” Penny said with her usual cheer. Ruby and Weiss redirected their attention away from Yang’s exposed weapon and whirled around in surprise.

Once the combined shock of Yang’s knee-jerk reaction and Penny’s arrival died down, their visitor greeted them as if nothing had happened and eagerly asked what they were doing out here. Penny didn’t seem all that bad, but they didn’t know her too well yet. Yang exchanged glances with Ruby and Weiss for approval before divulging that they were looking for Blake.

“Oh!” Penny said, dragging the word out. “You mean the Faunus girl!”

They couldn’t believe she already knew about Blake’s identity somehow. Something was off about the ginger-haired girl, that was for sure, but she at least seemed sincere. That was more than Yang could say for certain others in her life. Although, it still didn’t explain why an ordinary girl’s footsteps were so heavy.

Yang was still trying to figure this mystery out when Penny went on to explain that Blake’s bow concealed a pair of cat ears. The other girls somehow never noticed this, even though they spent so much time with her. Come to think of it, it was a bit strange that Blake wore her bow almost all the time, only taking it off in the shower. The rest of the team had passed this off as nothing more than a weird quirk.

Interrupting Yang’s train of thought, Penny proclaimed her undying dedication to helping Ruby look for her teammate. While she swore this oath, Yang and Weiss slipped away to check other areas. Their new friend’s abundance of energy was a bit much, good intentions aside. It felt strange to agree with Weiss on something. Neither of them said a word at first as they strolled along, checking every storefront and alley they passed. Then Weiss broke the silence.

“Hey Yang?” Weiss said, her voice meeker than Yang recalled ever hearing until now.

“Yeah?” Yang turned to her with curiosity.

“How are you adjusting? You know, to Beacon?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, things seemed a little difficult for you at first,” Weiss pointed out. “Didn’t you used to need Ruby’s help reading through some of your textbook material? Don’t be embarrassed. I know it’s not your fault. You did grow up with a bunch of outlaws, after all.”

“Not outlaws,” Yang corrected through gritted teeth. “Well, I mean...not entirely.” The combined shame of being a slow reader for her age and her former life coming back to haunt her made it tough for Yang to act as aggressive toward Weiss as the entitled girl’s comments probably deserved.

“Call it what you want,” Weiss said dismissively, holding up a hand. “Look. I only want to make sure things are going well.”

“Huh? What brought this on?” Yang paused, searching Weiss’s icy blue eyes for some kind of motive or hidden message. She found nothing.

“I just don’t want us to be held back as a team because we didn’t help you out when you needed it. If you are struggling in any of your classes, don’t be afraid to speak up.”

“You calling me dumb?” Yang challenged, clenching her fists.

“No, no,” Weiss was quick to correct. “My point is that we’re all a team, so we need to work together. Just like we’re working together to find Blake.”

“Oh. Got it.”

Silence returned. Again, Weiss was the first to speak.

“Okay, I admit, that was a bit rude of me.”

“Ya think?”

“I said sorry! Anyway, I just hope we find her soon so we can get to the bottom of this.”

“You mean so you can call the cops?”

“Well, yes, but it’s not like she doesn’t have it coming, Yang! She’s not like you. You got out once you realized you were with a gang of…” Weiss hesitated before continuing, “bandits. I would think you, of all people, would understand her position the most.”

Yang sighed. “I guess. I don’t know if her experience is exactly like mine, or what her reasons were. But for me, it was more about upbringing than anything. I stole and intimidated because that was just what you did in our tribe. We were like a family, you know? We stuck together, even if our intentions weren’t always the purest. When I found out Mom was hiding information about Ruby and our father, though, I realized I should’ve listened to that little voice I’d always had in the back of my head telling me that life wasn’t for me.”

“So you left just like that? Wasn’t that difficult?” Weiss’s concern sounded genuine, but Yang couldn’t believe her ears.

“Of course.” Yang looked back toward Ruby, who was nothing more than a red speck down the street. “But it was worth it. I found something new here that I never had there.”

Weiss beamed, holding her head high. “I have a sister too,” she said. “You may have heard of her? Winter’s older than me, and she used to attend Beacon.”

“Ah, is that so?” Yang said with a teasing smile. “Little Miss Perfect’s got competition?”

“Would you stop it?” The fellow princess spat. “Anyway, what I was going to say is you’re right. That kind of bond is worth it.” She strode toward the nearest shop, turning back as she reached for the doorknob. “Don’t just stand there wasting time. We’ve got more searching to do!”

Yang had no words for this new side of Weiss. There really was more under that shell of ice. Her final words may have been bossy, but they didn’t carry with them the usual sour edge that Yang had come to associate with her teammate. Still, Weiss’s irrational writing off of Blake and the White Fang as irredeemable criminals cut deep. Blake deserved the benefit of the doubt, right? People could change. Yang herself had. That had to be true. She needed it to be.

I don’t want to become Raven.

A few minutes later, they exited the shop with no more information than before they entered.

“This is hopeless,” Yang said with a defeated huff. Weiss was looking off into the distance, not appearing to have registered her comrade’s words. “You really don’t care if we find her, do you?”

Snapping back to attention, Weiss shot Yang an irritated look. “Don’t be stupid! Of course I do. I’m just afraid of what she’ll say when we find her.” She took a few steps away from the shopfront, hands on her hips. “The innocent never run, Yang.”

Her words echoed like nagging daggers of guilt, digging deep into Yang.

The innocent never run?

The blonde stared hard at the pavement, mulling over Weiss’s statement. Was that really true? She’d shed her old life, thankfully before sinking too deeply into the twisted, parasitic culture she came to know as normal. Yet Weiss’s simple declaration dredged up so many painful memories, reminding her that she was perhaps not as blameless as she thought. She told herself she left the tribe to start a new life with a clean slate, but maybe all of this time, she was only running from her darker truths.

“Hello, Yang?” Weiss prompted, snapping at the air in front of her face.

“Oh! Sorry. I got distracted.”

Yang fell into step with Weiss, trying to shake the incessant spiral of negative thoughts. She couldn’t help but wonder whether she was still the same scared crybaby who fled from the Branwen Camp the night Raven told her about Taiyang and Ruby. The same girl who avoided facing her mother, or Vernal, instead of confronting her fears head-on.

The innocent never run.

Weiss’s offhand comment applied not only to Blake, but also to her. She wasn’t innocent, and she’d never stopped running ever since that day. Deep down inside, she was still that pathetic girl stumbling through the forests of Anima, trying to escape a reality she didn’t want to acknowledge. Handling the situation with Blake could allow her to help someone else not to make those same mistakes. She wasn’t going to give up on her teammate.

“You hit the last few shops on this side of the street, I’ll take the opposite?” Yang offered as they turned the corner to see another line of storefronts. “We can meet at the intersection when we’re done.”

“No, I’ll take that side of the street, and you handle this one,” Weiss said. She strutted across a crosswalk before Yang could disagree. Her constant need to control and be in charge was becoming less annoying than when they first met. Now it was more amusing than anything. Yang chuckled and continued down the sidewalk.

“You got it, ice queen,” she whispered.

* * *

The explosion that rang throughout the outermost district of Vale arrested all movement in the shop where Yang was in the middle of questioning a store owner. A customer jumped, bumping into a shelf full of merchandise and sending it toppling onto its side. In a hurry to investigate, Yang was careful not to step on the remnants of shattered glass and pottery at her feet. She peered through the window near the front door, watching a plume of smoke rise into the darkening sky. A text came in seconds later from Weiss. The loud sound had come from the docks, and she thought it was worth a shot to check for Blake there. Calling out a quick, “Thanks again,” Yang bolted from the store and down the street to meet up with Weiss.

* * *

Police vehicles were clustered together at the Vale shipyard, sectioned off by barricades from the scene of a recent battle. According to Blake, Sun, Ruby, and Penny, all of whom were involved, Torchwick and a few of his goons were working with the White Fang. They met up here as part of some unknown operation, and Blake and Sun intervened. Although the enemies were long gone, the air was still heavy with the weight of conflict.

Yang breathed a sigh of relief as Blake and Weiss made up, reaching an agreement that because Blake was no longer with the White Fang, Weiss would trust her. Also, Blake agreed to confide in her team if an issue ever came up again, not anyone else. Of course, Weiss couldn’t resist making a not-so-subtle suggestion that she was talking about Sun, Blake’s Faunus companion from the docks. He had apparently stayed by Blake’s side ever since she left Beacon. Knowing she wasn’t wandering around alone this whole time made Yang feel a little more at ease.

“Hey, wait a minute,” Ruby said, “where’s Penny?”

The others swept the area and realized that Penny, who was with them only moments ago, had vanished while everyone else was focused on Weiss settling things with Blake. According to the quick rundown given by Sun, Blake, and Ruby, Penny protected Ruby from Roman Torchwick. She also tried to stop him and the members of the White Fang from getting away. Wherever she’d disappeared to, if Penny was looking out for her little sister’s safety, that made her okay in Yang’s book.

Turning back to face Blake, Yang gasped. The Faunus stood with her bow unraveled in one hand, arms folded in a futile protective gesture as everyone examined her appearance. Two black cat ears folded against themselves on top of her head, fully exposed for the first time. She didn’t maintain eye contact. Hearing Ruby say that Blake had “little kitty ears” was one thing, but seeing them for herself caught Yang off guard.

“Wow,” Yang said without thinking, and Blake shrank further back. She regretted her comment the second it left her mouth, but to be honest, it was hard not to become mesmerized by the way the ears twitched, stiffened and curled in response to their owner’s every movement. “Sorry! I didn’t mean it like that. I just never thought your bow could be hiding something like this.”

“They really are kinda cute, Blake,” Ruby piped up, inching closer with a bright smile. “Can I touch, pleeeeease?”

Blake raised an eyebrow, quiet for a few seconds. The strange request seemed to take a moment to process, or maybe the mortified Faunus girl didn’t believe Ruby was serious. Whatever the reason was, after a moment she relaxed and bent forward, presenting her ears to Ruby. “Sure, I guess?”

Ruby buzzed with excitement as she leaned in closer. She rubbed the cat ears one at a time, then took the liberty of going for it again, as if she was certain she’d never get another chance. The silver-eyed girl giggled with joy whenever her touch caused one of the ears to perk up.

Yang found it impossible to look away from the sight unfolding in front of her. Seeing how great of an impact the rest of Team RWBY’s words and actions had on Blake was beyond painful. In this moment, it was clear how well ingrained racist humans’ biases were in her. Just the thought of all of the mistreatment she must have had to endure made Yang wish she could help her friend somehow. However, nothing she did would erase the belief - and to an extent, the truth - that humans looked down on Blake for being a Faunus.

Regardless of the runaway’s past with the White Fang, Yang knew one thing for sure. One look into Blake’s amber eyes revealed a scared and lonely girl, not a remorseless terrorist with a hidden agenda. Weiss was wrong about her.

“I completely understand if any of you want to turn me in to the authorities,” Blake said once Ruby was content enough to back away. While she re-tied her bow, she looked at the police cars nearby and frowned. “I won’t resist.”

“Weren’t you listening?” Weiss snapped, drawing everyone’s attention. “I said I don’t care, as long as you aren’t a member of the White Fang anymore.”

“Right,” Ruby added. “We know you’re a good person, Blake.”

Yang stepped forward, grabbing Blake’s hand. The past two days had shown her just how much she and Blake had in common. They were both scared and uncertain, trying to make better lives for themselves than the ones that corrupt organizations carved out for them, and both were in fear of rejection.

“Blake,” she said, “we aren’t turning you in. I know what it’s like to want to run away from your past. To want to be someone different. Someone good enough, who’s worthy of her friends’ kindness.” Yang smiled back at Ruby and Weiss. Ruby hopped with excitement and turned to Weiss, who held up a hand to keep her at a distance.

“E-exactly,” Blake stammered. “I wish I could take all I’ve done back.”

“You’re already good enough, Blake,” Yang said, squeezing her hand.

“But Yang, I don’t know how I could ever-”

Ruby stepped forward and cut off Blake’s explanation with a tight hug. Yang felt like it would be a crime not to join in. She felt Sun’s arms join the group hug at some point, too. She could see Weiss’s heels move into view out of the corner of her eye as she reached out to touch Blake on the shoulder, probably thinking she was ‘too good’ for something as silly as a group hug. They stayed this way for what felt like an eternity.

Once the mass of sweaty and teary-eyed students broke up, Yang surveyed the wreckage of the recent battle. Shockingly, Weiss was not wrong on all counts tonight: Blake wasn’t evil, but the White Fang was loosely connected to the recent dust shop robberies. Maybe that counted as half of a point. What did it all mean, though? She put it out of her mind. There would be time to think about that later.

“Well,” Yang said, whistling, “now we’ve gotta figure out what we’re going to tell the school.”

* * *

Taiyang walked over to a table full of tools and scrap metal, grabbing the rag he’d tossed there during an installation of parts. Intense heat was beating down in waves, but the weather was no match for Patch’s resident mechanic. He wiped his brow and stood back to example his recent handiwork. While it wasn’t something super complex, like the things some of his higher paying clients requested, he considered it just as important. Birds chirped in the distance, reminding him that there was still a world outside of the shed he spent several hours in. Taiyang wanted to make sure he put all of the finishing touches on his most prized creation before the time came to show it off. He wanted it perfect.

“Hey!” cried a voice, “we’re here!”

He trembled with excitement as he dusted off his shorts and hurried to greet the new arrivals. He didn’t bother to stop and shut the garage door behind him. Nothing was as important as this.

Ruby and Yang stood side by side, bags slung over their shoulders. Zwei was panting with joy, licking at the girls’ legs for attention. Ruby scooped him up just as she spotted her father. The family came together in a fit of laughter and hugs. Taiyang took the time to kiss each of his daughters’ foreheads, resisting the urge to not let either of them go.

“You’re home!” he said, still panting from how fast he’d run to the front of the house. He turned to Yang. “I’m so glad you decided to spend your break with us!”

“Of course I did,” Yang said. “I can’t wait for us to get to know each other!” She ruffled Ruby’s hair, causing her to laugh. “Besides, I’m not letting this one hog all the father-daughter time.”

“What’s going on, Dad?” Ruby asked, still smiling as she held Zwei with one arm. “How’s business?”

“It’s going great,” Taiyang said. “Oh! That reminds me. Could you take Yang to her room and then meet me around back? I have something cool to show you.”

Ruby gasped, jumping with excitement. “What? Really? Is it something cute? Did you make armor for Zwei?”

“No,” Taiyang said with a weak laugh, “for the last time, Ruby, I’m not fitting Zwei for armor.”

“Aww,” she pouted, “why not?”

Before he could answer, Yang tugged on Ruby’s arm and led her toward the cabin. “Let’s go, Ruby. You can endanger the family dog some other time.”

Taiyang retrieved his trusty watering can and knelt to tend the plants near the front entrance, brimming with joy at the sight of his family, finally whole, or as close as it was going to get. The flowers were looking healthier than ever, and he couldn’t help but appreciate the symbolism. Years later, against all odds, he and his girls were finally together. He swore to himself that he would make these next few days the best days of Yang’s life, no matter what.

* * *

Yang and Ruby waited in tense silence as they watched their father step into the shed. Whatever he’d called them out here for, he sure seemed worked up about it, and he refused to spill any info. Ruby hadn’t been able to guess what the mystery project was either when Yang questioned her in the kitchen over glasses of water. All that was left to do now was wait.

“So,” Taiyang said, walking over to the drape he’d left over the surprise with intentional dramatic flair, “at long last, I reveal to you my most fascinating creation yet!”

Ruby squealed with excitement alongside Yang, whose foot tapped as she forced herself not to beg her father to get on with it already. Something told her letting him know his suspense tactics were working would only draw this out more.

“My dear eldest daughter, the esteemed Dragon of Patch herself, I give you...the one, the only…”

Taiyang whisked aside the drape, and the girls’ mouths dropped open at the sight of two wristbands displayed atop waist-high pole stands. Taiyang picked one up, pressed a button, and the sisters watched in amazement as it expanded before their eyes into a full-sized gauntlet. He reverted it to wristband form and set it down again, stepping aside.

“I...still don’t have a name for it yet,” he admitted, dropping his shoulders in embarrassment.

“Wow, Dad,” Ruby said, eyes wide as she and Yang approached. “It’s your best work yet!”

“I agree,” he said, smirking at Yang. “Wanna try them on?”

Yang’s mouth went dry as she reached out to rub the sleek surface of one of two gauntlets her father had designed. They were a bold, shiny yellow, with a striking red lining around the edges. She copied her father’s demonstration to expand one, then the other. They appeared to have space for ammo of some kind inside of a ring at their centers, but both were empty. Yang turned to see a grinning Taiyang nod toward a workbench, as if reading her mind. She saw two racks of red shells there that looked just the right size for the chambers.

The gauntlets slipped onto her wrists with ease, and were a perfect fit. The ammo chambers popped out to allow her to insert the shells, then clicked back into place with no issue. She couldn’t help but wonder how Taiyang knew the right dimensions for these weapons, but she didn’t care. She’d received her first ever present from her father; a weapon designed especially for her! Sure, it helped that it was something she could use at close range, but she would’ve been happy with anything.

She stepped outside and threw a fist into the air, depressing a mechanism near the finger rest. The kickback on the punch was greater than Yang was prepared for, landing her flat on her back. Ruby leaned over her and stuck out her tongue.

“Careful there, big sis!” she teased.

Yang rose to her feet and leaned against the shed, throwing up a thumbs up. She was breathless for a good thirty seconds. When it felt safe to move again, she stumbled back onto the grass. Her ears were still ringing, but aura would soon fix any damage she’d suffered.

She fired off another shot, this time planting her feet well enough that she didn’t eat dirt. A bright red bullet screamed through the air, arcing over a line of trees and disappearing into the sky. She shouted with excitement: the rush was amazing! This thing was so her.

Just when she thought this gift couldn’t get any more awesome, her dad clicked his tongue at her to get her attention and said, “I added a little something that may seem familiar. Check the underside.” Ruby looked from Yang to their father, eager to see whatever he had in store.

Lifting one hand, Yang examined the bottom of the gauntlet and saw a slit that seemed to house another surprise function. She struggled to contain her excitement as she fumbled around to find the trigger that activated this extra feature.

Without warning, a medium length, razor-sharp blade sprang from the hole, its silvery metal gleaming in the sunlight. The blade was similar in length and thickness to her beloved tantō, but she could tell the metal was of a much higher quality and density. Just like that, Yang had seen all she needed to see.

“I know what I’m going to call it,” she announced, taking a stance and extending the twin blade on the other gauntlet.

Taiyang raised an eyebrow, awaiting her big revelation. “Oh really? What’s that?”

“Ember Celica.”