Shaded Grey

It has been a few weeks since I, Silva, have become Yang and Ruby's caretaker slash friend at their home. I won't deny part of me still feels guilty for holding some important secrets like my relation to Raven, their possible future, Summer's fate, but they are still only kids right now. I sighed as I got started on breakfast and felt thankful that the break from Yang's school and Ruby's preschool was in the winter months like now. For breakfast today, I went with rice omelets.

My time in Mistral with the Branwen tribe definitely influenced my cooking preference, with Mistral being the equivalent of Oriental countries like China and Japan back on Earth with some European countries in the mix. I soon finished making breakfast and set it on the dining room table. Now to wake up those sleeping beauties. I went into Yang's room first. Her room shows she is a bit of a tomboy with girlish elements. I found Yang curled up in her bed along with little Ruby hugging her big sister.

I yanked off Yang's covers and shook the two girls awake.

" Come on, wakey, wakey, eggs and bacony. I got breakfast ready, you two."

They both groaned and covered their heads with pillows to show they didn't want to wake up. I shook my head in exasperation then used some methods I picked up from my stay to wake them.

" I guess you don't want the cookies I made, Ruby."

" Cookies! I'm up; I'm up!"

As Ruby shot up at the mention of cookies, I greeted her.

" Morning, Ruby."

" Silva~, why are you waking us up so early?! There's no school~."

As Ruby complained after looking at the clock then about me getting them up at 6 to 7 o'clock but I do this to give them a sense of normalcy by giving them breakfast every morning. As Ruby looked ready to plop back down into the bed, I got her attention.

" Ruby, mind helping me with waking up Yang?"

"Okay~."

Ruby got Yang's left side, and I got her right. We then started tickling the blonde awake. Not a moment later, Yang began laughing and begging us to stop.

" Hahaha, s-stop it! N-no more, hahaha! Hahaha, I'm awake!"

Ruby and I eased off Yang and greeted her.

" Morning Yang!"

Yang is still bothered by what her idiot father told her, but she is a bit better now. I then dragged the two of them downstairs for breakfast, and we ate together in the dining room. After finishing my breakfast, I asked the two of them.

" So what do we do today, girls?"

Ruby offered an immediate response.

" Bake cookies!"

Both me and Yang had a wry smile at Ruby's obvious answer. Yang then told her sister.

" I think he means aside from that, Ruby."

" Oh! I don't know then, maybe play tag?"

Yang then made her suggestion.

" Silva, I was thinking somewhere..."

I looked at the blonde as she took some out of her pants pocket and brought out a familiar-looking map. It's the same one she had when I first came here by following Raven, drat, she hasn't given up going there. The only thing we will find out there is animals, or worse yet, Grimm. However, considering her current state, I wouldn't be surprised if she tried to go there behind my back if I said no. I am going to need to talk to Raven about this; the sooner, the better. For now, I need to buy time and deter Yang from acting on her own.

" Yang, while I am sure you remember what I told you last time you showed me this map, I can tell it's important to you. So how about this, we spend the day making stuff for a picnic, and tomorrow, we head out there, after I talk to my sister, okay?"

" Really?"

" I promise we will head out there at some point but first, why don't you and Ruby make a list of things we will need and want for a picnic while I make a call."

Yang did not need to be told twice as she went to find out what to take for our "picnic." Ruby soon followed her sister, and I took out my Scroll and called Raven. Raven picked up my call after a few minutes.

" What is it, Silva?"

I sighed and started my explanation.

" Yang found a map she, "thinks" will lead her to her "Mother," but it's on the outskirts of town, and we know where Yang's Mother is actually at..."

I heard Raven's exasperation on her side as she asked.

" What do you want to do?"

" Yang WILL go behind my back and head out there if I told her no. So I plan to take her out there and have her learn an important lesson, but I need some assurances to prevent any untimely deaths."

Raven kept silent for a moment, then asked.

" I am guessing you have a plan?"

" Yes, I just need you to cull the Grimm out there a little but leave one for me to deal with and give Yang a scare so she won't make any reckless plans in the future about finding her Mother."

Raven sighed but agreed, sounding annoyed.

" Fine, but I will be nearby just to be safe, and you should be strong enough to handle one weak Grimm."

" Thanks for this..."

Raven scoffed at my thanks and told me.

" After you are done playing house, I am going to get you started on some serious combat training and how to use your Aura."

Well, everything is now set in motion after I told Raven that this plan of mine is tomorrow and where to go, and she said she would take care of it before then. Now Ruby and Yang brought me a long list of things they wanted for the "picnic," but I cut it down to size and added a few items of my own. I also told them about how far it is and that we would need to take breaks to rest. After going over everything with them, night soon followed, and the next day started.

***

Silva, Yang, and Ruby packed everything for their "picnic" and went over a final checklist. Silva called out.

" Food?"

" Check!"

Yang replied, and Silva continued.

" First-aid kit?"

" Got it!"

Ruby then replied, and they soon completed their checklist as they put their stuff into a red wagon along with Ruby as it was nap time for her. Silva heard a lone raven caw and looked at the source. He recognized it as Raven Branwen's bird form and felt assured that there was a safety net in place for his scheme to teach Yang restaint and caution in her search for her birth mother. Silva pulled the wagon with Ruby and the food in it as Yang reads the map. Minutes soon shifted to hours as the three traveled as the mild winter weather did not bother them. It had has not snowed yet, even as colored leaves littered the ground leaving the trees bare.

As early noon crept in, they reached their destination, and Yang saw the map's location in front of her. It was an abandoned farmhouse with wear and tear is easy to spot, and Yang looked at it in utter disappointment. She curled up on the ground feeling stupid at her hopeful attitude with tears in her eyes. Silva just knelt next to her patted her back. Unfortunately, the scene did not last long as the two heard a growl and turned to see a Creature of Grimm, a single Beowolf to be specific. Silva got serious and told Yang sternly with his claws out and up in front of Yang.

" Yang, run!"

Yang just looked at the Grimm, stunned, and Silva shouted at her to get her out of her stupor.

" YANG!"

Yang snapped out of it and looked at Ruby, still asleep, then to Silva as she tried to apologize.

" Silva, I'm-."

" Yang later! Get Ruby and run!"

Silva interrupted her and ordered her. He then assured the blonde.

" Don't worry, I will be fine, but I need you out of here so I can keep the Grimm busy without worrying about you. And the sooner you get help, the sooner I will be okay."

" I-..."

Yang stopped herself, then grabbed the wagon with Ruby in it and ran while shouting at Silva with tears in her eyes.

" SILVA, I'M SORRY, DON'T DIE!"

The Beowolf was drawn to the negative emotions Yang produced and was about to go after the blonde, but Silva charged at Grimm with his Aura strengthening him. The Snow Leopard Faunus clawed at the Grimm's haunches, making it howl out in pain. The werewolf-like Grimm swiped at Silva and knocked the 7-year-old away. The Beowolf then stalked closer to Silva, ready to pounce on him. Silva quickly got to his feet and circled the Grimm waiting for it to make the first move.

Silva noticed the Beowolf limped from where he clawed it and made a plan to stay on the Grimm's hampered side. The Beowolf leaped at the 7-year-old, and Silva ducked under it, then went for its injured leg to try and cripple it. As Silva's claws dug deeply into the Grimm's leg, it howled out again and tried to shake off the child. As the werewolf-like monster bucked, kicked, and clawed, it shook off Silva but not before its leg was greatly damaged, making it difficult to keep balanced.

The Beowolf growled as it limped, and Silva kept to its weak right side, ducking and weaving between the Grimm's swipes and leaving claw marks on its body. Silva decided to go for the kill and evaded the werewolf-like creature's claws to go for the throat. Unfortunately, the Beowolf's weapons is not limited to its claws, and it bit into Silva's Aura-protected shoulder and did not let go. Silva felt his Aura rapidly drain from the constant bite and desperately slashed at the Grimm with his claws. Silva's black Aura flickered, then broke, and the Grimm drew blood.

Fortunately, Silva got lucky managed to deal lethal damage to the Grimm just before it crunched on his bones but still bit deep enough to leave a scar. As the Beowolf went limp and started to fade into black particles, Silva lost the strength to stand and fell on his butt. Silva's pain tolerance was high due to his "sparring" sessions with Raven and the tribe, so he could still focus despite the pain. As the child haggardly drew breath, a familiar voice critiqued his fight with the Grimm.

" You are too reliant on your claws. If you had a weapon with decent reach, you would not be so injured. Your plan to cripple it was a decent one but poorly executed."

It was Raven, and Silva looked at her and defended himself.

" One, I am 7! Two, this is my first actual fight with a Grimm; the Nevermore does not count as you finished it off. Three, I had to make sure it did not go after Yang and Ruby and ignore me."

Raven hummed in reply, then said to Silva.

" I will give you that, but when you get back to the tribe, I am going to start your weapon training."

Silva sighed and got up as he asked.

" Can you keep an eye on Yang and Ruby while I walk back to the house?"

He then tore his shirt and made it into a makeshift bandage over his bleeding shoulder and part of his torso. Raven silently opened a portal and went through it. Silva then started his long walk to the Xiao Long-Rose residence and commented to himself.

" Well, I hope my idea has the intended effect on Yang's mindset in finding her mother, and it looks like I am getting a new scar. Now, I am undoubtedly starting to change the canon in the long run. I only hope the general outline does not change with Salem's plan with Beacon and the other academies."