(Cassandra's POV)

There I sat, on the roof of the Rose/Xiao Long residence, with my new weapons, Sonne and Mond holstered in their compact form on my arms; their blades were retracted into the 'shields', turning them into some kind of Gauntlets. Below me, Yang sparred with Tai. She definitely hasn't gotten rusty from what I could see, but her father still had the advantage, mainly because of experience I would assume. Zwei, sat on the side lines, watching the battle between his owners in delight.

Since Yang was planning on going after Ruby, I was obviously gonna go with her, so I could see Cassie again. But first, I should get my new combat gear ready... It's gonna hold... a lot of sentimental value to me...

"I'LL BE BY YOUR SIDE. AT ANY AND ALL TIMES. "
CHAPTER 7: REGAINED RESOLVE

(Cassandra's POV)

Yang rose her head and arms as she entered a sparring match with her father. Nearby, I stood next to Zwei, who was panting happily, and a stool with white towels. I crossed my arms as I watched Taiyang deliver a round house kick to Yang, who used both her arms to block it. With a yell, she pushed, causing Taiyang to be sent back but quickly regained his footing. Using her prosthetic, Yang punched him back, with a single hit, causing the father to hold his right bicep.

Taiyang: "Woah, that thing packs a punch!" Did he seriously make a pun...? I see where Yang got that god awful trait from...

Yang: "We've been at this for weeks. I get it, you wanna make sure I can still fight." She bumped her fists together, recreating her signature move with a smirk. "I think I'm doing just fine."

Taiyang: "You're close." He stood upright, circling his daughter.

Yang: "Oh really?"

Taiyang: "You're still off balance."

Cassandra: "*Lenny Face*" Yang looked at me blushing madly, before crossing her arms over her chest, causing me to giggle.

Yang: "What!? No I'm not!" Her father chuckles as she rolled her eyes at me with a slight smile, before looking down at her Prosthetic. "Honestly, I'm kind of surprised. I thought it would just be this huge weight, but it feels... natural."

Without warning, Taiyang delivered a left hook to her face. Yang reared back from the impact before she got ready to block his right hook, but uses her momentum to deal an elbow jab to her father. Taiyang grinned as he blocked it and dodged all the kicks she sent flying towards him. Yang began punching but Taiyang was too on point for her. While she used her left hand to block an elbow thrust, Taiyang took hold of her prosthetic arm and pulls forward, causing Yang to start balancing on one leg.

Taiyang: "I wasn't talking about your actual balance." He swept under her leg, sending her crashing to the ground on her back. Taiyang walked over to me and Zwei, the latter handing a towel to him. "Although, that could use some work too."

Yang: "Meaning?"

Taiyang: "I saw your tournament fights. During the Vytal Festival."

Yang: "Let me guess, 'I was sloppy'"

Taiyang: "No, no, you were predictable. And... stubborn. And... maybe a little bonehead." Yang sat back up and faced her father. "Do you realized you used your Semblance to win every fight after the qualifiers?"

Yang: "So what? How is me using my Semblance any different that someone else using theirs?" Taiyang threw the towel to the ground before moving towards his daughter.

Taiyang: "Because not everyone else is basically a temper tantrum." He laughed at his own statement, causing me to shake my head. But he did have a point. "I'm serious! Once you take damage, you can dish it back twice as hard, but that doesn't make you invincible! It's great when you're in a bind, but what happens if you miss? What happens if they're stronger? What then? Now you're just weak and tired! You should start being like your red haired friend over here. Cassandra, can you come over here for a sec?"

I blushed from his statement, before walking over to him, my arms still crossed.

Yang: "And what does Cassandra have to do with this?"

Taiyang: "I also saw her fights in the tournament and I must say, you and her are very similar, always choosing to charge head on. You two have one glaring difference, however. Cassandra actually uses her head. When she knows she's outmatched, she uses tactics instead of continuing to blindly charge in, like you do."

When I stopped next to him, I was suddenly met by a flying fist, which I easily blocked with my tentacles before I sent a side kick to Taiyang who gets a whole of my leg and attempts to set me off balance, but I used it to my advantage and let him. When I began falling, I landed on my hands before kicking Taiyang in his face, causing him to skid back, eventually landing on his butt. I stood up straight and stretched as Taiyang walked back up to Yang.

Taiyang: "See that? That was her using her brain instead of her brawns. And her Semblance, it's useful to get around but she rarely uses it unless invading attacks too quick for her. And her trump card, her Hybrid Form, she saves for when the situation calls for it, like with what she did with the youngest daughter of the Qixing Family." Now I was getting embarrassed... "But you've always been one to burn brighter than everyone else, whether it was with your smile, or, well, I remember your first haircut."

Taiyang playfully tugged at her hair, causing her to playfully bat him away. I walked up to Yang, with my tentacles playfully playing with her hair as she looked at me, blushing.

Taiyang: "Bu you gotta keep your emotions in check. Keep a level head, and think before you act. Your Semblance is a great fallback, but you can't let yourself rely on it. Like how Cassandra doesn't rely on her Semblance and Hybrid Forms to kick ass. It won't always save you." He lowers his head. "Obviously. You definitely have your mom's stubbornness.

Taiyang faced a tree, causing me to stop playing with Yang's hair and look at him in concern.

Yang: "Oh, so NOW we can talk about her?

Taiyang: "Well, as I have been informed, you're an adult now, remember?

Yang: "Well, sorry I remind you of her.

Taiyang: "Don't be. Raven was great in so many ways – her strength, her ambition, her dedication to whatever cause she thought she was fighting for." He then turned to face us. "I'm proud of how much of her I see in you. But I'm glad I don't see all of her in you."

Yang: "Why?"

Taiyang: "You're mother was... a complicated woman. Like everybody, she had her faults, but those faults are what tore our team apart. And, it did a real number on our family. You both act like the easiest way to tackle an obstacle is through it. That strength is all that matters in a fight. *chuckles* You wouldn't believe how many times Azealia had to knock some sense into her, in order for her to be more tactical in battle."

Yang and I exchanged confused looked at that name...

Yang: "Azealia?"

Taiyang: "She's Lazarus' original mother." Now THAT took me by surprise. "A Hybrid within Hybrids, having the blood of Both Godzilla and Battra. She was a complicated girl, with the ability to use two different Guardian Beast's abilities, and on top of that, needing blood to survive from being a Vampire... She was actually a Second Year when me and the others applied for Beacon, even though she was younger than us by one year... But she had no team... Or rather, she didn't have a team anymore..."

Yang: "What happened...?"

Taiyang: "*downcasts* Her team was killed on a mission, but she was the only one to survive. She was their leader and shouldered all of the burden and blame... Rumors went around about this Freak Girl, who had isolated herself from others. They said that she feeds on the blood of her victim and can perform inhumane feats. That she was dangerous to be around... That she was the reason her team was killed..." Taiyang clenched his fists...

"The moment we met Azealia, she was cold, distant and often hostile towards us, but that didn't stop Summer from doing everything she could to befriend her. And eventually, she was successful... but not after the Hybrid had a mental breakdown from all the stress she placed upon herself..." There was a brief silence for a while before...

"But Summer wasn't the only one there for her... You're Uncle... He cared a great deal for her."

Yang: "Qrow??"

Taiyang: "Yeah... Even in our school days, he still was a drunken bastard. But he always had a soft side for Azealia... And she slowly began to open up to him. And after a while, the two got together. And I think you're smart enough to figure out what happened next."

My eyes widened from the realization... and it seem like Yang realized too...

Yang: "Q-Qrow's Laz's dad!?"

Taiyang: "Yeah. Qrow and Azealia had triplets actually, but something happened to the other two, leaving Lazarus on his own. And that's when Qrow left, to protect Lazarus and Azealia from himself..."

Yang: "..." There was another moment of silence, for Yang and I to process the thought that Qrow is Lazarus' father and Lazarus is her and Ruby's biological cousin. But soon after, Taiyang walked toward his daughter, extending his arms out for her.

Taiyang: "Come on – one more before dinner."

I backed up as Yang took his hand and stood up. The two circled each other before the father took the first move with a left hook, followed immediately by a right cross and a kick. Yang blocked and dodged each strike before she cartwheels to avoid an aerial strike from him. Taiyang launched a punch and kick at her, causing her to roll out of the way before rushing at him. They made contact, with their left hands pushing against each other's right elbow, entering a struggle.

Taiyang: "Heh, see? Alright! Now you're using your head instead of your-"

Yang cut him off by kicking his leg out from underneath him but catches him before his back hit the ground. Yang smiled at her father as she helped him up.

Taiyang: "There you go. I'll go prepare us dinner." With that, he took up the towel and entered the house with Zwei following.

I turned to face Yang, with a smirk.

Cassandra telepathically: "Glad to see you back to normal, Sunshine."

Yang: "I wouldn't be back if it weren't for you, little Demon." She smirked back at me before gaining a normal sweet smile. "Thanks Cassandra... for staying by me."

I smiled back at her and walked up to her, taking her hands into mine.

Cassandra telepathically: "I'll always be by your side, Yang. Until the end of time. Because I love you."

Yang: "I love you too."

I leaped up to her level, wrapping my arms around her neck before pulling her into a deep kiss. She wrapped her arms around my waist and returned it happily...

>>Major Time skip<<

(Yang's POV)

With another shake of the yellow spray paint can in my hand, I sprayed it over the titanium colored surface of my Prosthetic arm and my remaining Ember Celica, coating it in a nice Bumblebee yellow. After the paint tried, I went over to the shed and opened it, before sliding the cloth over my bike, Bumblebee off.

???: "I don't remember saying that you were ready."

I sighed, knowing my father was standing behind me...

Yang: "Oh yeah? You're gonna try and stop me?"

Taiyang: "No. I think I'm still too sore after our last fight. I just wanted a better goodbye than a letter. And, I also have a question for you." That caught my attention and I turned to face him. "Where are you going?

Yang: "What do you mean?"

Taiyang: "Well, despite asking him numerous times not to, I know that Qrow told you where your mother's been at these days. I know how much you wanna see her. I've stopped you in the past, but I won't anymore. And we both read the note. We know your sister's headed to Mistral. So where are you going?"

I gazed down, thinking at the statement he made before...

??? telepathically: "Well, where ever you're going..."

I looked back up only to see Cassandra, wearing a new outfit. And the normally blue 'shield' bits on her weapons, were repainted a gold color... I recognized the resemblance her new outfit showed... But she smiled at me, her eyes glowing a deep orange.

Cassandra telepathically: "I'll be by your side. At any and all times."

END
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And I present, Cassandra's Vol 4-6 outfit. And yes, it's a massive resemblance to Pyrrha. Cassandra's hair was normally tied, but is now out and flowing like in the picture and on her arms is her weapons, Sonne and Mond, but the blue shield bits are painted gold and are like the Gauntlets in the picture.

So yeah. That's Cassandra's new look.