Sun Touched Orange

Taiyang Xiao Long graded not only the papers from his but also Qrow's as he managed to get drunk enough almost to fail everyone for some drunken reason. The blonde father looked over the papers to double-check his work when he received a text message from Yang, his daughter.

[ Dad, Ruby and I, are going to sleep early because she convinced me to play tag with her, and you know how that turns out, thanks to her Semblance. Night!]

Taiyang smiled at the text message and wished them good night, then went back to work. Qrow swaggered up to his brother-in-law and asked.

" Tai, can you spot me a couple of Lein? I seem to have forgotten my wallet back at the house."

The blonde father sighed and dug out some cash, then said to the elder reaper.

" Get me something as well."

" Sure."

Qrow took his in-law's money and went off to who knows where. A little less than an hour later, the reaper returned and placed a beer at Taiyang's desk. The blonde father's eye twitched and growled.

" Qrow!"

" What? You asked me to get you something as well."

The reaper opened his beer and started drinking. Taiyang sighed and inwardly asked himself.

" Why did I expect anything different?"

As Qrow got drunk in a school while leaving all the work to Taiyang, the girls, Ruby and Yang, were on their way to Atlas on an airship.

***

Morning peaked over Mantle and Atlas with new arrivals coming from Vale, specifically Ruby and Yang. The blonde pre-teen woke up her little sister as the fact she was in another kingdom hit home with seeing Atlas float above Mantle. Yang felt nervous and excited at the same time, and Ruby rubbed her eyes to see the view of the floating city and exclaimed.

" Wow! How much Gravity Dust does it take to keep Atlas in the clouds?"

The sisters' airship soon landed in Mantle as the tickets directly to Atlas cost twice as much, and Yang thought it would be cheaper to find another way up to the city above than purchase the direct route to Atlas. The girls got their bags and entered the city of Mantle. Ruby asked as she shivered.

" Yang, did you pack an extra coat? I didn't think to get mine."

The cold air of Solitas hit them, and the blonde answered.

"You are not the only one that forgot to pack their coat, Ruby."

Yang recalled how to use her Aura to keep her warm and reminded her sister.

" Ruby, do you remember when dad taught us how to use our Aura to deal with the cold during winter?"

" Oh, yeah!"

Ruby soon used her Aura to warm up and sighed in relief, then said.

" Much better."

The blonde took out her Scroll to try and find out how to get up to Atlas from Mantle. Yang found an unpleasant result as she would have to wait a few days to go up as Atlas and Mantle have scheduled flights between them. As the blonde wracked her brain to try and figure out how to reach Silva at Atlas Academy, she received a call from her father. Ruby saw the call and spoke what was on both their minds.

" Uh-oh."

Yang sighed and readied herself to face the music, and answered her Scroll.

" Hello?"

" YANG XIAO LONG, WHERE IN THE NAME OF REMNANT ARE YOU WITH RUBY?!"

As her father shouted with a mix of anger and worry, the blonde girl winced and answered.

" Atlas..."

A silence descended on the call, and Taiyang asked in a scarily calm voice.

" Yang, why are you at Atlas?"

" Um, visiting Silva..."

Yang heard a sigh on the other side of her Scroll, and her father told her with barely restrained anger and concern.

" Yang Xiao Long, you are to find a place to stay until I come to pick you and Ruby up. Am I clear?"

" Yes, dad."

" Good. Do you have money for a hotel room?"

Yang answered while feeling the weight of her actions and dread of her inevitable punishment.

" I have uncle Qrow's debit card..."

" We will talk about paying your uncle back later; until then, find somewhere to stay."

Taiyang hung up, and Ruby asked her sister while looking nervous.

" Is dad mad?"

" Yep..."

Yang popped the P and used the CCTS to find a nearby hotel to stay at when suddenly, sirens rang across the streets, notifying everyone of a Grimm attack. Soon a pack of Sabyrs entered the streets as they were attracted to the sisters' fear and dread. Things just got worse; neither of the girls was armed as they couldn't travel with weapons until they became students of the four Huntsmen Academies. A Sabyr charges at the girls, they are stunned by the sudden appearance of Grimm, and Yang pushes her sister away as the Grimm tackles her to the ground.

The saber-tooth tiger Grimm tried to bite the blonde it had pend down, but Yang grabbed its two massive fangs to try and keep its bite at bay. Ruby saw that her sister was in trouble and looked around for anything she could use. The little reaper saw a pipe in the alley and grabbed it. Ruby charged at the Grimm despite her fear and shouted.

" YOU LEAVE MY SISTER ALONE, YOU BIG MEANY!"

The little reaper whacked the Sabyr with the pipe but to no avail, as it only made the Grimm change targets. Yang desperately held the monster's fangs to try and stop it from going after her sister. The two are too inexperienced as they have at most done sparring sessions against their uncle, father, and fellow classmates. The Sabyr tried to shake off the blonde so it could take a bite out of the smaller morsel with the pipe. Yang hung on with all the strength she could manage but lost her grip and was sent flying.

The blonde skidded away and desperately tried to get up as she saw the Grimm approach her little sister. Ruby desperately waved her pipe at the Sabyr to try and fight it, but the Grimm swiped at the makeshift weapon and knocked it out of the little reaper's hands. Yang desperately ran at the Grimm as it got ready to pounce on her practically defenseless sister. Before the Sabyr could attack, a sword was found in its back, and with a twist, the Grimm went limo as it started to fade into black particles. Ruby asked the person who saved her with stars in her eyes while fangirling.

" Are you a Huntress?!"

" Not exactly, but close enough."

The woman answered the little reaper and turned toward the blonde. Yang recognized the woman before and asked for confirmation as she had never expected to see her here.

" Mom?"

Raven Branwen sighed as she spoke.

" I honestly did not expect to meet you like this, Yang, but I guess now is as good of a time as any. I am not sure if I should applaud you for your determination and grit or scold you for your recklessness. Although, I am hardly one to-."

The former bandit was interrupted by a hugging tackle from the blonde as she asked the questions that plagued Yang's mind for years.

" Why did you leave? Did you not want dad or me?"

Raven stiffened as she was at a loss at what to do, and after a moment, regained her composure, then hesitantly stroked her daughter's blonde locks and answered.

"It's... complicated..."

An unexpected reunion took place in an unlikely place.

***

" Here's the information you wanted, Silva."

" I have your payment right here, Lil' Miss."

I managed to get Tindick to pony up the pay for the information from the Spider's Organization, and I looked it over. I was surprised at what I found out, and Lil' Miss commented.

" Imagine my surprise when I discovered that the people you are hunting down were some old enemies of yours."

The information broker fanned herself as she added.

" To think the Hati Tribe would return to Anima after the Branwen tribe dealt them a crippling blow. Although, since the Branwen Tribe is no more, I guess they saw it as an opportunity to try and set some roots again. However, they are not alone; their sister tribe, the Skoll Tribe, has joined up with them to carve out a place for them in Anima."

It looks like I am going to finish what I started with the Hati Tribe. Not that I really care, as they are barely a footnote in my life, although I would like to see how I compare now to my past self. Well, better inform the Ace-Ops and James Ironwood on the targets.