Flaming Dragon

Lessons Learned

After Coco and Yatsuhashi lost to Mercury and Emerald, Ruby, Yin and Yang are inside team RWBY's dorm with Qrow. Ruby and Qrow are playing video games as Yang and Yin are sitting on Weiss' bed.

"You'll never beat me old man!" Ruby shouts.

"Heh, you're nothin' but talk, kid." Qrow replies.

"You can do it, Ruby!" Yin and Yang shout.

On the TV screen one of the ninja's decapitates the outer, with the announcer saying "SOARING NINJA WINS! TOTAL ANNIHILATION!" Qrow grins at his victory as Ruby lowers her head in shame.

"Ouch." Yang whispers.

"Next time Ruby." Yin smiles.

Qrow looks at Ruby. "By the way. Don't ever call me 'old'."

Yang pushes her youngest sibling out of her spot as she grabs the spinning controller from the air. "My turn!"

"New challenger approaches." The Game announces.

"Now, where was I?" Qrow asks as the match begins.

Ruby pops up behind the two. "You were telling us about your last mission!"

"Right, right..." Flashes back to his story as the art style changes to reflect the dark setting and eerie neighborhood the blade-wielding warrior is walking through. "I'd come across a small village in the swamps of west Mistral. Right off the bat, I knew something wasn't right."

"What were you doing there?" Yin asks.

"I needed information. Tired from battling Grimm along the away, I decided to start my search at the town's inn. The place was crawling with lowlifes and thugs, even a few Huntsmen that I could only assume had been hired by less-than reputable people for less-than respectable jobs. And that's when it happened."

"What happened?" Yang asks.

"I as defeated... by the mere sight..." Qrow grins. "of the innkeeper's skirt length!"

The vision of pink hearts, a beautiful maid with slightly-skimpy clothing, and the very happy Qrow is interrupted by a thrown dog-head pillow, which Qrow deftly catches much to Yang's ire (not helped by the game announcer calling out once more "SOARING NINJA WINS! TOTAL ANNIHILATION!").

"You are the worst!" Yang shouts.

"That can't be regulation." Yin states.

Qrow and Ruby laugh.

Yin then pushes Yang away from the TV and he sits down as he grabs the controller.

Ruby seats herself on Weiss' bed. "So, Uncle Qrow, did you get in trouble with Ozpin?" Yang sits next to her.

"Nah, me and Oz go way back." Qrow states. "We're cool."

Yin snickers. "Cool for an old guy."

Qrow looks mad now. "Not funny."

"Hey, so, what are you doing here anyway?" Ruby asks. "I thought Dad said you'd be away on a mission for, like... ever."

The next game starts up.

Qrow then explains. "Well, a professional Huntsman like myself is expected to get results, as soon as possible."

"Yeah, I get that." Ruby gives a light laugh. "We're pretty much pros, too."

"Oh really?"

"Pssh, yeah!" Yang says. "Read the news sometime! We totally saved Vale while you were gone."

"Totally!" Yin sticks part his tongue out as he really gets into the game.

"Funny, because I heard Vale suffered a Grimm attack after you almost managed to stop a train." Qrow looks at Yang, then looks at Yin. "And I heard you managed to get a building burned down." He leans over to rub it in his nephews face as he frowns at the TV as he losses against Qrow. "But they don't give out medals for almost."

"They do, and it's called silver." Ruby says with resolute tone.

"Well, we helped take down Roman Torchwick." Yang points out. "He's locked up in Ironwood's ship and crime's been down ever since. That's basically a bounty mission."

"Sure, you may be acting like Huntresses and a Huntsmen, but you're not thinking like one." Qrow states. "You really think seven girls and one boy and their friends could end all crime in a Kingdom?"

Ruby taps her pointer fingers together. "I mean, I did until you said that."

"We nearly did." Yin points out. "Just gained a few cool scares on the way."

Qrow continues. "Violence hasn't dropped since Roman got nabbed. It's stopped. Completely. No White Fang activity anywhere around the city. You cut off the head of a King Taijitu, but now the second head's calling the shots. That's what Ironwood can't get through that thick, metal head of his."

The siblings look at each other, before looking back at Qrow.

"You... know the General?" Yang asks Qrow.

"Hey, I know everybody to some extent." Qrow claims. "Remember, you're talking to a member of the coolest team to ever graduate Beacon!" He pulls out a photo pulls out a photo, lined with stains and age, of four figures - Himself, Raven Branwen, Taiyang Xiao Long, and Summer Rose - Yang leans over Yin and her eyes widen and Qrow sighs in remembrance. "Hah, Team STRQ (Stark)... That's where I met your parents. We were pretty well known back in the day, along with team BLLU."

"Well known for crummy fashion sense." Ruby fries at Qrow, Yin laughs.

"Hey, we looked good! And I have a number of inappropriate stories that'll back that up." Qrow wiggles his eyebrows suggestively, but notices Yang continuing to stare at the picture and he puts it away. "But, I'll save those for when you're older."

Ruby recoils in disgust. "Oh, gross!"

Yin crosses his arms. "I think I'm plenty old enough." Qrow laughs and pats his head.

Qrow then gets up and starts walking out. "Anyways, I'm too old to be hanging out with a bunch of kids. You're gonna cramp my style." He pauses in the doorway and sighs before addressing his family, Ruby, Yin and Yang looking up to him and Zwei sleeping on Blake's bed. "Looks, just remember that you've still got a long way to go..." He turns around and holds up a finger to express his seriousness. "And don't think for a second that graduating means you're done." He hitches a thumb over hiss houlder. "Every day out there is worth a week in this place. You three, you're gonna go far. But only if you keep learning; if you never stop moving forward."

With these immortal words of wisdom, Qrow exits down the hall. The siblings look at each other.

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07-16-2023

1045 words