Yes, I know there's been a lot of combat in the last few chapters, but I still haven't come up with something better for them to do, so…

Ruby had practically jumped with joy when the young Qrow had asked her for some pointers in scythe-combat. Sure, she still wasn't quite used to only seeing one-eyed, but she figured that she'd be able to kill two birds with one stone if she trained with her young uncle – he'd get training from a veteran scythe-wielder and she'd get a clue on how to make the most of her now impaired field of view.

"You know Rubes, it's only fair you teach me really. One could see it as you paying the grownup me back for the training you got from him." Qrow swung Nox Nigredinis in a wide arc, hoping to hook his young teacher from the back. Ruby had however seen it coming a mile away. She quickly did a standing backflip, momentarily using her opponent's still swinging scythe-blade as a springboard in mid-air to gain extra height.

"Qrow, you're telegraphing your moves too much. That move might've worked on a beowolf-" She paused for a millisecond, momentarily frozen by a lingering memory of a massive paw aimed for her face, then shrugged it off just as quickly.

"- but it will be rather ineffective on any human with even a little experience of combat." She let loose a flurry of swipes against her sparring partner who unsuccessfully tried to counter.

"If you can master being unpredictable, you'll almost always have an edge in combat." They both looked up at the aura metres in their booked combat hall. Ruby's demonstration had knocked Qrow down a good 20%. Qrow chuckled as he readied his weapon again.

"I'll keep that in mind, teach." He lunged.

Raven, Summer and Yang sat cooped up in the bleachers of an adjacent combat hall to the one Ruby and Qrow had booked. Down on the arena floor the two Taiyang's were pummelling away at each other, neither willing to yield to the other.

"… I suppose betting on the winner is out of the question, huh?" Raven glanced over at Yang.

"No daughter of mine should be steeping to that level."

"Ah-heh. If only you knew…"

"… What was that now?"

"… Nothing. Oh hey look, Tai's back in the game!" Yang quickly pointed to the arena.

Tai jumped high over his future self's low right hook, swiftly dealing out a kick aimed for the chin. But before it could connect Taiyang had thrown up his hand, gripping firmly around his opponent's ankle and twisting the motion down towards the floor.

"What did I say about underestimating your opponent, kid?" He let Tai punch away at his stomach for a bit, then sent him flying with a swift kick to the guts.

"You dust-damned old punk! I'll get you good!" Tai charged the older man, his gauntleted hand primed for a punch. Milliseconds before he was about to throw it, Taiyang swiftly locked his hand around his younger self's throat and threw him to the floor in a powerful chokeslam. He locked eyes with his furious opponent.

"Try to avoid letting rage cloud your mind as well. You'll be that much easier to deal with if you just charge blindly in." He rose to his feet and walked out of the arena.

"Class dismissed."

"Good job, Qrow. You're really picking up all these complex manoeuvres." Qrow patted Ruby's shoulder.

"Eh, learned them once before anyways, right?"

"Heh, I guess that's true. You helped me a lot with my training too, so you deserve the praise."

"Anything I can help with." Suddenly a gunshot rang out in the once silent arena. Without thinking Ruby unsheathed Crescent Rose and swung the blade in front of her in a tight arcing motion. She felt something strike the blade, then heard a dull THUNK in the wooden walls behind her as the bullet shards impacted.

"Good to see losing an eye hasn't reduced your effectiveness in the slightest, kiddo." Ruby slowly turned towards the source of the voice.

Into the arena stepped the adult Qrow Branwen.

"Did you miss me?"

AN: "Nox Nigredinis" literally means "night blackness" (according to online translators anyways). Cheerful bunch, those Branwen siblings.

Poor Rubes, PTSD isn't pleasant.

It's entertaining to see Young!Raven stepping up and trying to be motherly to someone two years older than her.

"… Nope."

I do not own RWBY, that's RoosterTeeth and Monty Oum.