Talk:Fall/@comment-27350660-20151214210354

''"Be a sadist. No matter how sweet and innocent your leading characters, make awful things happen to them–in order that the reader may see what they are made of." -- Kurt Vonnegut''

First, a few words about our favourite bunch of Bstrds: I don't think Cinder is the Big Bad. I think she's an agent hoping to be richly rewarded with power and/or wealth when she delivers the goods. I'm joining the crowd that thinks Raven Branwen is the one who attacked the Fall Maiden. I loved the scene in the last ep where Qrow put his thumb over Raven's face as he was showing the photo to Yang, with Yang desperate for a glimpse of her real mother. Raven still loves her daughter, which is why she intervened when Neo wanted to kill her, and Neo, knowing how strong Raven was, went "Nope" and zoomed off.

Mercury was not the one who tricked Yang. As noted, Emerald used that ability against Coco. My guess is that she used it here to project an image of Mercury attacking into Yang's mind. It can't have been a visible illusion because other people would notice. Anyway, Mercury's semblance is lightning feet. And break-dancing. I've watched his expressions change after his barrage on Yang. For the crowd, he was looking like a smug git, then he had this little smirk as he noticed Yang get up. He was expecting her to get up, which shows remarkable control on his part. I'm afraid he could have crushed Yang if he'd wanted to. And he took a bullet for the team. Got to admire that, unless... he dodged it and was play-acting. There was no blood, but then there never is on the humans except a little dramatic trickle.

So, poor Yang. What'll become of her? That depends on how seriously they take this sort of thing. Prison? Slap on the wrist and detention? It also depends on whether the authorities believe her. Mental trickery in semblances can't be unheard-of so her story would be plausible at least. Qrow will. Ruby will. Weiss and Blake will stand by her, I'm sure. Team RWBY is out of the tournament, I guess. As for Yang, there's a few things that could happen to her:

One: She gets a firm reprimand and is let back into the academy. This would be pretty light, but she would be very very unpopular, ostracised by everyone except her closest friends, sisters, and Weiss. She'd have to redeem herself. Opportunities abound in the coming war.

Two: Yang's friends and family stand by her in her hour of need and through intrepid detective work ferret out the truth. Various people do have all the pieces of the puzzle after all. If Coco, Qrow, Ruby, and Ozpin compare notes, they'll surely develop a warm interest in Emerald and her friends. Even then, mentioning to a large number of people that there is a dark conspiracy going on will probably invite the Grimm. So Yang may be hung out to dry, or they officially declare the event an accident. Negligent discharge. Some malfunction in the Ember Celica.

Three: Yang gets thrown in jail and everybody, including Ruby and friends, goes "Oh Yang how could you?" At which point Raven Branwen shows up, asks her to come with her. If everybody has abandoned her, Yang will leap at the chance. She'll become an outlaw never knowing what tomorrow will bring, and that'll be okay. Except of course, that will at some point set her against her friends and family.

All in all, exciting times for everybody's favourite blonde. But I'm sure she'll pull through one way or another. She is, after all, Yang Xiao Long! We'll see what she's made of!