As soon as the boat made it into port and docked Turquoise and the others got off and were greeted by a man with black hair with a matching pair of fox ears and green eyes wearing a white robe with the new symbol of the white fang which was an animal head pattern with a ring around it.
“ Welcome to Menagerie, Lady Blake has been expecting you,” The man said before having them follow him. Turquoise noticed how the townspeople were all just going about their daily lives as if nothing was happening.
“ Why does everyone look so calm and collective when an anti fuanus group just took over Vale?” Rainbow asked.
“ Here in Menagerie, everyone is safe from the dangers of the outside world, As long as the barrier is still running no one can get in,” The man said before he stopped in front of a gate with the same mark that was on his robe. After entering the secret passcode into the keypad the gates opened. As soon as they went through the gates they saw a massive training ground with many white fang recruits going through various forms of training but what was most noticeable was a woman with short black hair with matching cat ears and yellow eyes wearing a black hakama with a matching shrug with a long right sleeve and a short left one. Weiss was happy to see this woman.
“ It’s so good to see you, Blake,” Weiss said.
“ It’s been a while, Weiss,” Blake said before the two embraced.
“ Girls meet Blake Belladonna the leader of the White Fang,” Winter said.
“ Belladonna as in Nari’s mother?” Sylvia asked.
“ You know my daughter?” Blake asked.
“ Sure do,” Sapphire said before Winter interrupted the conversation.
“ If you girls are done chatting we have important matters to discuss,” Winter said.
“ Right, While you girls are here we will be helping you improve your combat abilities since the Iron shackles are really strong and relentless,” Blake said.
“ We already saw two of them in action,” Sapphire said.
“ You mean Noir and Orre right?” Sylvia asked.
“ Exactly Orre can absorb and transform his body into whatever kind of substance he absorbs,” Sapphire said.
“ And Noir was able to change the state of matter her molecular components were made of but I already killed her so she is off the table,” Turquoise said.
“ And then there is the other two whose strengths and weaknesses are unknown,” Rainbow said.
“ The Iron Shackles top lieutenants are the real danger and you girls are not ready to face them yet,” Winter said.
“ We will begin training first thing tomorrow but for now feel free to explore the village,” Blake said. Turquoise decided to use this opportunity to show her team someplace on Menagerie that was dear to her while Weiss and Winter stayed behind. The girls were now standing in front of an old Japanese-style estate that looked like it has been abandoned for twenty years.
“ Why did you bring us to this dump?” Rainbow asked.
“ This dump as you call it was my father’s old estate,” Turquoise said to Rainbow. “ My parents and I would usually come here during the summer when I was little. But as soon as I started combat school my mom became too busy with her work as CEO of the SDC and my dad was always away on missions so we stopped coming here.
“ No wonder this place has seen better days,” Sylvia said.
“ I wish I could show you, girls, around but I get the feeling Aunt Winter’s aggressive training won’t allow me the time and it’s already getting late,” Turquoise said. As soon as the girls returned to the White Fang HQ they had dinner before being shown to a room that almost reminded them of their dorm room back at Beacon. Turquoise wasted no time in going to bed since she wanted to get at least some rest before she was put through hell. The time was now 12:01 am and just like Winter said she blasted a bugle like in the military.
“ WAKE UP YOU LAZY MAGGOTS AND REPORT TO THE TRAINING GROND BY 0 100,” Winter shouted at Turquoise and the others. As soon as they arrived winter had them run fifty times around the Training Ground which made them all moan in dislike of the idea. After running fifty laps winter had them drop and give her 100 push-ups. As soon as the girls finished doing their 100 push-ups they each collapsed from exhaustion. “ WE ARE NOT DONE YET LADIES THAT WAS JUST THE WARM-UP THE REAL TRAINING BEGINS NOW. And so for the past two weeks, the girls have been running laps, doing push-ups, and fighting Winter until each of them dropped. But Winter was even harder on Turquoise which felt more like a personal grudge than training. As soon as their five-minute break came Turquoise was furious.
“ I can’t take this anymore I’m done,” Turquoise said before running off with a trail of glyphs.
“ Turquoise wait,” The girls all shouted but were too late as Turquoise was no longer visible. As soon as the break ended Winter noticed Turquoise was missing.
“ WHERE IS THAT WORTHLESS NIECE OF MINE?” Winter demanded.
“ We don’t know she ran off in a hurry without telling us,” Rainbow said.
“ LIERS YOU DO KNOW WHERE SHE IS AND UNLESS YOU TELL ME YOU WILL BE TAKING TURQUOISE’S PUNISHMENT FOR HER,” Winter shouted as her eyes glowed with white energy. Weiss who was observing from a distance noticed that winter was about to use her maiden powers. The girls kept telling Winter the truth that they didn’t know where Turquoise was only to add more fury to her anger. As Winter was about to unleash a massive barrage of fire and ice on the girls Weiss’s arma Gigas stepped in to block all of it before disappearing as Weiss ran up in front of the girls.
“ This has gone too far Winter,” Weiss said.
“ Are you getting soft on me Weiss?” Winter asked.
“ No, I’m being rationale. Just look at yourself you are beginning to act like that monster James Ironwood,” Weiss said which made Winter fall to her knees and see Ironwood’s reflection in a water puddle before it returned to her own.
“ What have I done?” Winter asked herself.
“ We are going to try and find Turquoise if that is ok,” Sylvia said.
“ Wait I’m coming with you,” Winter said.
“ I think you done enough so just stay here,” Rainbow said. The girls asked around but no one has seen Turquoise. Just when they ran out of leads the girls then remembered the old estate and decided to check there.
Meanwhile in what looked like a child’s bedroom full of dust and cobwebs, Turquoise was looking back at the good times she and her parents had whenever they came here. As she was thinking she heard the sound of someone coming inside and hid beneath her optical camouflage cloak. As soon as the girls entered the room Turquoise dropped her invisibility.
“ How did you girls find me?” Turquoise asked.
“ You showed us this place remember,” Sapphire said.
“ Plus you left the front door open,” Rainbow said.
“ Oh,” Turquoise said.
“Any way we wanted to see if your ok,” Sylvia said before Turquoise broke down and cried.
“ I am not ok, If anything I am the opposite of ok, My aunt hates me, My best friend is dead, and to top it off I now have a target on my back,” Turquoise said while crying.
“ Listen we know you didn’t ask to be a maiden and I neither did I but we have these powers for a reason,” Sylvia said.
“ And I can understand what Krystal was like to you, She was like a sister to you wasn’t she?” Sapphire asked.
“ She was the only friend I had since most of the people of Atlas still hated the Fuanus when we were kids. We even started our own Roller Derby team together,” Turquoise said.
“ As for your aunt, we know she doesn’t hate you she just wanted you to be ready for what’s ahead,” Rainbow said.
“ Then why not just help me with these powers instead of putting us all through the wringer,” Turquoise said.
“ Because your aunt is used to being a general than being a teacher,” Weiss said which surprised everyone.
“ How long have you been standing there?” Rainbow asked.
“ Just now and I managed to talk things over with your aunt so what do you say we all go back,” Weiss said with everyone in agreement. As soon as everyone returned to the White Fang HQ Winter approached them.
“ Sorry for everything I did. I just wanted you, girls, to be ready,” Winter said.
“ I’m sorry for running off,” Turquoise said.
“ Truth be told I have never been much of a teacher I was always a soldier who follows orders and your mother just reminded me of what Penny gave me besides her maiden power which was humanity and compassion,” Winter said.
“ I promise not to complain anymore,” Turquoise said.
“ And I promise to revise my training methods since the military approach failed,” Winter said.
“ Now that is settled let’s eat,” Weiss said. As soon as everyone finished eating dinner they went to bed ready for a new day to approach.