Obstacle

Summer

It was quiet as Team STRQ packed up their belongings. Summer couldn't tell if it was exhaustion, sentimentality, or just the fact that no one had anything to say. She, and the rest of her team, as far as she could tell, were more than excited to head back to Beacon. But they had spent over two months at Shade, two of the hardest months of their lives, with Scorpio and the tournament. It almost felt wrong to leave that behind and go back to Beacon. But at the same time, Team STRQ's dorm was calling their names. The softer beds, their room, they couldn't wait to be home.

"Well, I'm ready. Guys?" she asked her team.

"Ready," Raven replied.

"All packed up," Taiyang said. Qrow simply yawned.

"Just hang in there Qrow, there'll be plenty of time to sleep on the ship," Summer comforted. Despite sleeping like a log through the night, Qrow was still dead tired from the finals the previous day. Raven said that it was the hardest he had ever fought.

"I just can't wait to be back in my bed at Beacon," he grumbled. "They're much more comfortable."

"We're just one airship ride away, buddy," Taiyang said as he patted his partner's back. The four teammates left the room for the last time, careful to leave it exactly as they found it two months prior. It was a quiet walk down to the docks, passing many students from the other schools as they went. They eventually made it to where Beacon's ship was supposed to dock. Qrow immediately sat down on his suitcase, quickly beginning to doze off.

"C'mon Qrow, it's only a few minutes, then you can have a few hours to sleep to your heart's content," Summer said, trying to rouse the young Huntsman. He groaned and weakly tried to swat the girl's hand away.

"Um, excuse me?" a voice said from behind the team. The three conscious members turned to find a Shade student addressing them, a camera hanging around his neck. "You're Team STRQ, right?"

"What of it?" Raven asked him.

"Well, since you guys placed second in the tournament, I was wondering if I could get a picture of you all for the school newsletter," the student asked.

"Sure thing!" Summer said excitedly. She turned and kicked Qrow in the shin to wake him up. "Come on, photo op." Qrow cried out and grabbed his shin, suddenly much more awake. The leader turned to the photographer. "What kind of picture did you have in mind?" The photographer looked around the dock, before spotting a spot with a couple of trees.

"This way, bring your weapons!" he said, motioning to the team to follow him. As they all met up, the photographer looked around, eventually settling on one of the trees.

"Okay, now line up in team order, S, T, R, Q, perfect! Now, Summer and Taiyang, right?" The two nodded. "You two lean up against the tree. Hmm, Summer put your hood up, it contrasts better. Now I want Raven and Qrow to pose with their weapons." Raven took up an over-the-shoulder pose, putting a sheathed Quoth Shadow on display, and flashing a smile at the camera, something Summer still wasn't quite used to from the ebon-haired swordswoman. Qrow took up a lazy pose, hefting Reaper over his shoulder in greatsword form.

"Say 'Vytal!'" the photographer said before snapping the picture. "Hey, that's a good one!"

"Lemme see!" Summer said, running over to look at the camera. She eyed the photo and cracked a smile. "Wow, this is a good one! Think we could get some copies sent to us back at Beacon? This is our first really good picture as a team."

"Yeah no problem, what address should I send them to?"

"Aryle Hall, Room 636, Beacon Academy."

"Awesome! I'll have some copies made and sent as soon as possible!" The photographer waved and walked away, Summer smiling and waving back.

"Summer, check this out!" Taiyang said, barely containing laughter. Summer turned in his direction to find Qrow still holding the pose that he took for the picture.

"Qrow, he already took the picture, you can stop posing," she giggled out. Qrow didn't move, or even acknowledge her, while Taiyang fought even harder to avoid bursting out. Summer inspected the boy, to find that he had fallen asleep again, standing up and holding the pose he had in the picture. The leader's outburst of laughter broke Taiyang's laughter dam as well, as the two practically collapsed from laughter. Even the usually stoic Raven let out a small laugh.

"Someone get a picture! This is almost as good as that skirt incident!" Taiyang cried out between laughs. Summer wiped her eye and looked up, seeing the airship coming down to the dock.

"Time to go guys," she said. "Someone wake him up."

"On it, Boss," Raven said after snapping the picture of Qrow. She walked over and slapped Qrow on the back of his head.

"Gah! Why do people keep hitting me!?" he cried out as he clutched the back of his head.

"Ship's here, let's go," his sister replied as she walked away.

The team made their way onto the ship and onto their passenger deck. Summer picked a seat, Qrow and Raven taking each side of her. Taiyang opted for the floor. The leader pulled out her scroll and flipped through the calendar.

"So Qrow, since we all have another week off of classes, I was thinking that once you've rested up we could-" Summer was cut off by a weight falling onto her right shoulder. She looked down to find her sleepy teammate already snoozing on her shoulder. She smiled and shook her head. "It can wait."

She looked back down at her scroll and realized something. Despite coming in second in the tournament, and all of the publicity that came with it, her father had yet to call her, not even a single text message. She went to call him, before remembering the boy on her shoulder. Smiling again, she thought; It can wait.

Raven

About an hour into the flight back to Vale, Raven looked up and around at her surroundings, bored out of her mind. A girl could only play Sweet Smash for so long before losing it. Qrow and Summer were napping, couldn't talk to them, and Taiyang was doing… something. He sat, cross-legged on the floor, his eyes shut, wearing a very focused face.

"Hey Tai?" the girl asked him. No response. "Taiyang?" Nothing. Curious, she poked his shoulder. Not even a flinch. She sat back and crossed her arms, frustrated in her own boredom. Suddenly Taiyang's eyes shot open, and he exhaled slowly, as if trying to calm down.

"Sorry, Raven, did you need something?" Raven quirked an eyebrow in confusion.

"What were you just doing?" she asked. "You looked like you were possessed or something."

"Sensei always called it 'Image Training,'" the boy explained. "But I've also heard Battle Meditation and Aura Trance be used to describe it, too."

"Oh, Aura Manipulation thing, huh?" Raven asked.

"More of a martial arts thing, anyone that's had their Aura unlocked can do it as long as someone with an Aura Manipulation Semblance is present," Taiyang explained.

"How does it work?"

"One of two ways. What I was just doing puts me in a trance, where I can fight shadows of past foes and other people I've seen fight, but they're kinda robotic and easy to read, it's more for trying out new techniques than actual training.

"But, if two people want to do it together, then at least one of them has to be an Aura Manipulator, like me. I use my Semblance to create a bridge between the user's consciousness. It's great for training."

"Training huh?" Raven thought for a moment. "Can I try it?"

"Sure thing! Haven't had a partner to do it with since I left for Beacon. It'll be nice to have a human opponent again!" Taiyang motioned for the girl to sit across from him. She did so, mirroring his posture. "Okay, so what I need you to do is close your eyes and relax. Let your Aura move freely so I can make the connection."

Raven complied, closing her eyes and exhaling. She was never one for meditating, but as she listened to Taiyang, she definitely felt something. A presence surrounding her, warm and almost comforting, her Aura. She almost envied Taiyang. Aura Manipulation was a common enough Semblance, but the applications were boundless, and the users could grow extremely powerful. He probably felt like this all the time, feeling this presence.

"You're troubled," Taiyang said, breaking the silence. "It feels… angry. What's wrong?"

"You can feel that?" Raven asked, surprised.

"Only when trying to connect our Auras," the boy answered. "Remember, Aura is the manifestation of one's soul. When one touches another, it feels what the other does. I'll bet you'll make my job a lot easier if you got it off your chest."

"It's just…" She sighed. She was still getting used to opening up. "You can use your Aura in ways the rest of us can only dream of. Hell, you can fire Aura Waves from just your hands! What can I do? Turn into a bird. I wish I could have easy access to so much potential, I'd be the strongest Huntress in no time."

"Hmph, easy access," Taiyang chuckled. "I didn't think you'd be the type to choose the easy road."

"I phrased that wrong," Raven said. "I want the limitless potential that comes with a Semblance like that. I can't begin to imagine the kind of work I'd have to put in, but knowing for a fact that I don't have a ceiling to my power? I'd give anything for that."

"Sensing a lot of irony right now," Taiyang chuckled.

"Excuse me?"

"When I was growing up, I'd have killed for a Semblance like yours," the boy explained. "I began training basically since I could walk. First my parents, then Sensei. I'm not sure how, but they knew that I'd be a martial artist, and lucky for them, my Semblance matched up with it perfectly. Even after I had discovered my Semblance, I hated it. It was training day in and day out, not a ton of time to be a kid. I wished that I'd had a different Semblance, something cool and unique, something I didn't have to work so hard to train.

"Then when I was about 11, I made my first Aura orb, and by 13 I was firing blasts and waves. It was about then that I came to terms with what I was, and began training even harder to become the Huntsman-in-training in front of you today. The irony is that I wanted a Semblance like yours, but came to love mine, and you have yet to love yours."

"How can I come to terms with something that's only going to hold me back?" Raven asked frustratedly.

"The first step is to stop looking at it like a handicap or a limit," Taiyang continued. "Instead, think of it as an obstacle to overcome. Train with your Semblance, think of ways that it can help you, instead of hinder you. Look at Qrow, he made full use of it during his fight with Ironwood."

"He still lost," Raven muttered.

"Summer sees what your Semblance can be," Taiyang said, ignoring her comment. "How many of her plans involved your Semblance, and got us a win? Won us the first round in the tournament, didn't it? Not to mention what you're capable of without any use of your Semblance. If that's what you're like when you're held back, the thought of you unshackled is pretty damn scary."

Raven remained silent. She pondered what her teammate just told her. There were many times her transformation ability came in handy, both for her and the team. Already new strategies involving her raven form entered her brain. Maybe Taiyang was right, and shifting her perspective could turn her abilities into an asset, rather than a liability. She could still become the strongest, and there was no way that one of her own abilities was going to stop that.

"You're feeling better," Taiyang commented, reminding Raven that they were still connected. "Ready?"

"Ready," she said, nodding and relaxing again. She felt her Aura tug on her, but not on her body. It was more internal, like a tug on her very essence. She felt herself being pulled forward, only to stop not long. The blackness of her eyelids seemed to fade into a picture, a near perfect black void were it not for the purple clouds and countless stars that spanned across her vision. She stared in awe, it was beautiful, in an eery way.

"It's a lot to take in the first time you see it," a familiar voice said from behind her. She flinched and reached for Quoth Shadow, but it was nowhere to be found. The only things she had were the clothes on her back. She looked up to find Taiyang, standing in front of her with his arms raised in a surrendering fashion. "Easy there, it's just me."

"Where are we?" Raven asked as she relaxed.

"This is the bridge between our Auras," Taiyang explained. "It's the space where our souls communicate directly with each other."

"Why don't I have my weapon," Raven asked, starting to feel almost naked without it.

"No weapons in here, see?" he said, tapping his right shoulder. She noticed that it was missing his signature pauldron. "I don't have Dragon Fist, either. This space is meant for martial arts training, either sparring or honing Aura techniques, no weapons required."

"So, I have to fight you hand to hand?"

"Let's be honest," Taiyang chuckled out. "All three of you could use some lessons in unarmed combat. You all rely way too much on your weapons and Semblances."

"Summer maybe," Raven said confidently. "Remember, I spent my entire life fighting. I know what I'm doing."

"Okay then," Taiyang chuckled, getting into a stance. "Prove it."

Raven leapt forward and drew her arm back, ready to open with a haymaker. Taiyang read her and blocked effortlessly. She punched forward with her other hand, and for him to parry with his own. A leg sweep from her led to Taiyang jumping.

"Opening," he said as he delivered a roundhouse kick to her head while in the air. Raven stumbled, the critique nettling her. With a growl, she threw a flurry of punches at Taiyang, all of which were blocked, parried, or dodged. She tried to blindside him with another haymaker, but Taiyang read her again.

"Opening." He ducked below the punch and delivered an elbow to her gut, making her double over. He followed up with a knee to her face, knocking her upright. Taking advantage of her momentary daze, he spun into a backwards roundhouse to her face, knocking her off of her feet and onto her back.

"Now that wasn't bad," Taiyang said as he walked toward her. "Definitely no beginner. But, there are a lot of things you still need to work on." Raven sat up and sighed.

"Think stuff like this is what Qrow meant when we said we need to train more?" she asked.

"Probably," Taiyang agreed. "I'll train all three of you. Obviously you guys won't be firing Aura blasts, but you'll be able to survive without your weapons."

"Then in that case," Raven said as she got up. She turned to Taiyang and adopted a stance. "Let's go again."

Thank you so much everyone for being patient, the holidays and several other things made finding the time to write absolute hell, not to mention finding a way to set up the next arc effectively. I'm sorry it took so long, and I'm sorry it's so short, but I'm back, Simpler Times is back, and we're all back on track. Thanks for reading!