As I, Silva Branwen, Emerald, and Neopolitan soared through the cloud in the airship, we soon saw Atlas floating above Mantle. Neopolitan took a picture on her Scroll, and Emerald reacted in amazement.
" Wow, just wow. I heard about Atlas but actually seeing it is just... wow."
" Welcome to Atlas girls."
I commented on seeing the sight but then focused on finding a place I could land my airship outside of Atlas airspace since I technically don't own my airship nor have a proper pilot's license, and I can't solve that issue until I start Beacon. By then, I will be legally old enough to have a pilot license and get the necessary paperwork for ownership of my airship. I saw a nice mountain range in the distance that could serve as an excellent place to stash my airship for the time being. I flew, giving Atlas airspace a wide berth, and soon landed.
After landing, Neopolitan opened the door and dived into the snow. The cold air blasted Emerald and me. Surprisingly it did not bother me as much as I thought it would. Maybe because I am a snow leopard faunus? Emerald, however, started shivering from the cold and complained.
" I knew it was going to be cold, but not this cold!"
Emerald quickly closed the and ran to the living area of the ship to probably change into warmer clothes. I then heard some knocking on the door and opened it to see Neopolitan shivering a bit. Mental note to self, teach the girls how to use Aura to protect themselves from intense weather conditions. I helped Neopolitan back into the airship, and she also ran into the living area of the ship. I gave them a few minutes, then headed to the living room to get changed myself for the tundra.
I saw the girl's new looks. Emerald was wearing a green turtle neck sweater with a white jacket vest over it and skinny white pants with, of course, leather chaps over them, along with black boots. Neopolitan was wearing an oversized white coat with pink fur inside it and its hood with brown jeans plus white snow boots with brown accents. I then told them after I gave them a once over.
" Unless you want to see my strip, I recommend you turn around."
" Oh! Right sure!"
Emerald turned away from me to give me some privacy while Neopolitan looked at me, looking smug and with some Lein in her hands. I didn't care if I had an audience, so I started to strip down, then tossed my clothes to the side. I changed into my winter gear. I picked out a long gray coat and ripped off its sleeves because my arms would be fine, and I hated the feeling of my fur brushing up against clothing. I put on a black sleeveless muscle shirt, then a pair of dark gray cargo pants along with my long coat. I finished my new outfit with a pair of winter-grade combat boots with steel toes and soles.
I appraised my new look and felt I looked fine. I then announced to the girls in a serious tone.
" Okay, before we swing by Atlas, we need to do two things first. One, I am going to teach both of you how to use your Aura to keep you warm in the tundra. Two, we need to cover the ship in an igloo to camouflage it in order to prevent it from getting confiscated by Atlesian authorities. Any questions?"
They shook their heads in denial, and I then said.
" Good, let's get started then!"
***
Qrow finally returned to Patch after seeing his nephew Silva. While he was thrown for a loop by his sister and nephew getting together for a man and woman relationship, he is ultimately happy and maybe a bit confused. Raven has put her life of banditry behind her, and Silva has grown into a decent guy, in his opinion, with plans to attend Beacon and become a Huntsman. Qrow felt his luck had turned around for a moment after hearing the good news but recalled what he had to tell Taiyang and his nieces eventually.
Silva and Raven are a thing now; this tidbit made Qrow want to hunt his sister down and find out how this happened with Raven's side of the story but later. Qrow's current priority is to be there for his brother-in-law and nieces after Summer has been declared KIA, along with the occasional mission for Ozpin. The drunkard shifted into his crow form away from prying eyes and flew to the Xiao Long/ Rose residence. After he reached the house, he turned back into a human and dug out his key to unlock the door.
He went to the kitchen for a snack and saw Ruby with her cookie jar munching on, of course, cookies. Ruby noticed her Uncle and greeted him excitedly.
" Welcome back, Uncle Qrow!"
" Hey, Kiddo, where's your old man?"
Qrow opened the fridge and got one of the premade sandwiches to eat as he asked where Taiyang was at. Ruby replied after quickly eating another cookie.
" He's in the garden. Did you meet that guy?"
" What you mean, Silva?"
Ruby nodded at her uncle's question as she had another three cookies and Qrow answered his niece's question with a casual shrug.
" Yeah, I met him. He is doing fine and is planning on attending Beacon around the same time as Yang after he travels to see Remnant after being cooped up at home."
" Wow! He's traveling around Remnant before attending Beacon, lucky!"
Ruby looked both excited and a bit envious of Silva's freedom. The little reaper then asked the older reaper.
" Is he going to visit? I mean, I only vaguely remember him, but I still want to talk to him about that weapon he made in Mistral Cup."
Qrow shrugged and then replied after a couple of bites of his sandwich.
" Hard to say, but I know he has a place in Vale, and I can ask him to keep me posted about when he is in the area."
" Great! I know Yang has wanted to see him after watching him on the TV."
Qrow felt a bit worried about his blonde niece meeting Silva but kept it to himself and went to find Taiyang. Qrow went back outside and saw his brother-in-law watering the veggie garden. The drunkard went up to the single father, and Taiyang greeted Qrow.
" Qrow, back so soon?!"
" Yeah, it was a short trip, thankfully, and I found Silva almost immediately."
Taiyang sets his watering pot aside and asks his former teammate.
" So, did he accept being taken in by you?"
" Nah, he is traveling now to see the world before attending Beacon like Firecracker."
The single father nodded at the bit of information and asked after checking the surroundings.
" And "how" is she in all of this?"
Qrow knew Taiyang was asking about Raven but not out of old feelings for the former bandit chief but simple curiosity. The drunkard sighed and whispered in the single father's ear about Silva and Raven's relationship status.
" WHAT!"
Unsurprisingly, Taiyang was shocked at the news and had a million questions, but Qrow informed him.
" Yeah, imagine my surprise. I plan on hunting her down when I get a chance to hear her side of the story."
The single father quickly got over his shock and sighed, looking disappointed. He then said with a bit of venom in his voice.
" It's not my concern anymore since she abandoned us, but Yang, however... things are going to be complicated, aren't they?"
" That's putting it mildly."
The two men brooded over the storm to come.
***
Yang was in her room reading the letter that Silva left behind six years ago for the umpteenth time and asked no one in particular with confusion.
" Just what did he lie about?"
Yang puts the letter away in a jewelry box that also had an old picture of Raven in it that she managed to find before her father burnt them all. Seeing her biological mother's picture, Yang's determination stilled burned to find her and have her answer all the questions that plagued the blonde for years. The biggest being, why? Why did she leave? Why did she never appear in front of her? And why... have her in the first place if she isn't going to stick around.
Yang loves Summer; to her, she is her true mother, but she still wants to know about the mother that gave birth to her. Like most children. Yang sighed and asked, looking annoyed.
" Why does my life have to be so complicated and have mysteries around me?"
Yang broods for a bit, then slaps her cheeks to clear her head and focus, then says to herself in her mirror.
" I will find out, no matter what."