Burning White

Yang Xiao Long stood against her mother, Raven Branwen, while armed with her Ember Celica. They were in the middle of a spar. The blonde launched herself with the recoil of her shotgun rounds and was winding up for a big punch. Before Yang's attack could connect, Raven opened a portal in front of her without moving and made the charge of her daughter pass through harmlessly. The blonde was quick to react and quickly changed directions to try and land a blow, but the former bandit chief just side step her and scolded her daughter.

" Yang, how many times do I have to tell you not to be so straightforward? It makes you predictable!"

Yang growled with frustration and went to firing shotgun rounds at Raven to try and at least get on hit in. The former bandit chief countered with her Semblance by opening a portal in front of her to behind the blonde's back. Raven smirked and made a rare joke to rile up Yang.

" Why are you shooting yourself?"

" Har har. Very funny, mom."

The blonde dryly retorted, and her lilac eyes turned red in anger. Yang changed tactics by constantly moving in an erratic pattern with her weapon's recoil to throw Raven off. The blonde then made another attempt at attacking her mother from behind, but the former bandit chief dodged and grabbed her daughter's wrist, then slammed her knee into the blonde's gut. This knocked the wind out of Yang, and Raven twisted her daughter's arm around to pin her from behind. The former bandit chief then told the blonde.

" Better, but still predictable."

Raven then kicked Yang from behind, which sent the blonde sprawling on the ground. The former bandit chief then uses Flash Step, which she learned from Silva, to maneuver to give Yang a swift kick while she is down. The blonde was sent tumbling away, and Raven then firmly planted her heel on her daughter's stomach. The former bandit chief sighed as she told Yang.

" Yang, we have been sparing and training together for the last few years, yet you are still as hot-headed as before despite my best efforts to beat it out of you. Why?"

The blonde looked away from her scolding mother and muttered.

" I just get angry..."

" It's fine to be angry, Yang, but it is not fine to let your anger control you! Uncontrolled rage makes you sloppy and full of openings! Opening that criminals, bandits, and even Grimm can take advantage of with little difficulty."

" I know!"

Raven sharply retorted.

" No, you do not! Because if you really knew, we would not be having this conversation, you stubborn little dragon!"

The former bandit chief sighed as she removed her heel and said.

" Go get washes up; lunch should be ready soon."

" Yes, mom."

Yang grumbled at getting her butt handed to her by Raven. The former bandit chief then muttered to herself.

" She got both mine and Tai's stubbornness combined. Hopefully, once she starts taking the supervised mission at Beacon, she will learn the hard way how dangerous it is to let your anger control you instead of the other way around."

The blonde went to the shower near the hot springs at the Anima manor that Silva had built and stripped off her sweat-covered clothes. Yang rinses off the dirt and grime from today's training before taking a nice soak in the springs. The blonde let out a sigh of contentment and leaned back to have her hair soak in the water as well. Yang unwound as she lay in the hot spring, and her thoughts wandered to the last few years of her short life.

Meeting and reconnecting with her birth mother, finding out that a guy her age was in a relationship with said mother. The guy also turned out to be a childhood friend that knew where her mother was and didn't tell her. The blonde knew she had Silva to thank for her mother's change of heart, but she still felt uncomfortable knowing that he was sleeping with her mother and was in a romantic relationship with her. It did not help that the snow leopard man was handsome with a chiseled body that you could grate cheese on and was somewhat likable.

If there was one thing she learned about the womanizing faunus, it's that in the relationships he has with multiple women is that he is steady and stable. Silva is the rock for a lot of women, which, unfortunately, includes her mother. Yang sighed as she complained.

" Why do things have to be so complicated?"

***

Now that I have given my publisher the first volume of Zeta Gundam, I think I will go check on Blake. I opened a portal with Door To Darkness and peeked through it to see the ninja cat girl reading somewhere that was definitely not a camp in Forever Fall forest. I closed the portal and grinned as I could finally deal with Adam Taurus in peace. I will deal with the Vale branch of the White Fang tonight, but first, I will visit Ren and Nora.

I changed into something comfortable, then decided to take the scenic route as I walked to Vale from my home near Forever Fall forest. With a few well-placed Flash Steps, I quickly closed the distance and found myself in the city of Vale. Considering the time, Ren and Nora should still be at work right now. I walked until I reached their workplace, a nice little cafe called Made Real by Love. I entered the store and was greeted by a woman I had gotten familiar with due to my friendship with the duo.

" Welcome. Oh? Silva, are you here to see Ren and Nora?"

" If it is not too busy, right now."

I told Meg Scarlatina, the owner and manager of the cafe. She was a rabbit faunus with rabbit ears atop her head; the mature woman had long pale lavender hair, brown eyes, and a pale complexion. The rabbit woman smiled at me warmly and said.

" It is a bit slow right now, so Ren and Nora should be able to take their lunch break while I handle things in the kitchen. I'll let them know you're here."

" Thank you, Meg."

" You're welcome. Please have a seat."

I found a spot by the window and sat down. A waitress came by to take my order and asked for their breakfast pizza as they serve breakfast during lunch hours. It wasn't long until I heard a familiar energetic voice call out to me.

" Silva!"

" Hello, Nora. How have you been?"

I greeted the thundering girl with a smile as I had gotten used to her energetic self, and she quickly sat across from me while dragging Ren with her. Nora then told me with a wide smile.

" Oh. I. Am. Fabulous! What about you, big guy?"

" Looking forward to attending Beacon, among other things. Ren, what about you?"

" I am well, thank you."

The quiet guy said with a slight smile, and Nora called out to one of the waitresses.

" Hey, Macy! Pancakes, please!"

The waitress gave the thundering girl the okay sign to let her know that she had heard her, which is hard not to do with Nora's usual volume. Ren sighed at Nora being Nora and waited for the waitress to come around to take his order, a veggie sandwich for him. The thundering girl then asked me.

" Do you think we might get on the same team, big guy, when we start going to Beacon?"

" It's possible, Nora, but only time will tell."

" We should make a secret signal! That way, we can make sure to be on the same team! Maybe a crow call? No, too obvious! A sloth! No would expect a sloth!"

Ren interrupted Nora by pointing out the obvious.

" Nora, I don't think sloths make a lot of noise in the first place."

" That's why it's perfect, Ren!"

The thundering girl smiled triumphantly, and the quiet guy just wryly smiled at her antics. Our food soon came over, and we ate. Nora then said something as she slurped up a pancake which made what she said unintelligible, and Ren reprimed her calmly.

" Nora, don't speak with your mouth full."

The thundering girl giggled, embarrassed, before saying.

" As I was saying, Silva, what do you think Beacon is going to be like?"

" It's mostly going to be boring for me since I studied ahead, but combat class should be fun, at least since we get to fight and spar."

" Yeah! I can't wait to break some jerk's legs!"

I chuckled at Nora's obsession with breaking legs, and Ren kept silent. It was mostly Nora and me talking while Ren added his opinion or thoughts occasionally. Overall it was nice to talk to the two of them, and their lunch break soon ended. Before I left to go back home, I got some carrot cake to go to as Meg makes a mean carrot cake that is really good. Only a month left until Beacon starts.