RWBY 1. Chapter 1: Supernova

Yang Xiao Long charged down Beacon Academy's hallways, Ember Celica deployed and loaded. Blake followed a short distance behind her, carrying an unconscious, limp Ruby Rose in her arms with freshly dried blood caking the hair on the left side of her head and face. Weiss Schnee brought up the rear of team RWBY, Myrtenaster drawn and held ready at her side. And all around them sporadic gunfire and explosions could be heard in and around Beacon. Yang reached an intersection, and checked around the corners, making sure their path is was clear from the soldiers that have invaded Beacon. Waiting for the rest of her team to catch up gave Yang a brief but welcome chance to lean back against the wall and catch her breath. Moments later Blake and Weiss stopped at her side, also resting their backs up against the wall. Yang looked down at her little sister, then back up at the faunus, her lover of over two years, who was carrying her. "Do you need me to carry her, give your arms a break?" Yang asked softly, her voice laced with concern for both her sister and her lover.

Blake shook her head and softly replied, her normally calm voice trembling ever so slightly. "I can keep going. Gambol Shroud is broken now anyways. It'll be better if you two can fight while I carry Ruby." Looking back towards Weiss, whose eyes were scanning the direction they came from to make sure no unwanted company were following behind them, she continued "How're your dust supplies, Weiss?"

Weiss, satisfied that there were no pursuers, turned back to face her teammates while glancing down at her weapon and spinning the revolving chambers to inspect her weapon. "I'm almost out," she sighed. "I have enough for maybe one, maybe two, more uses, if we're lucky." Staring at her weapon for a few more seconds, she finally let her arm drop down to her side, a look of deep exhaustion on her formerly white face, now splattered with blood, dirt, and grime. "What is happening? This morning we were eating breakfast as usual then…" she trailed off. She didn't need to finish. They all knew what happened next.

Yang shook her head, her wild mane of golden hair rippling from the movement. "I don't know exactly what's happening, but I know that the airships that are getting us out of here are out behind the school. Everyone rested up?" Her conscious team members nodded in confirmation. "Okay. Let's keep moving then. I don't want to fight anymore soldiers." The other nodded a second time. The soldiers were nowhere near as powerful as the huntsman and huntresses of Beacon, but there were so many. And a single mistake could leave you exposed to the hail of bullets, explosives, and blades that these soldiers possessed.

Seeing the rest of her team readied up, Yang rounded the corner at a brisk jog towards their objective. Yang could see the sunset out of the large windows to her left, the sky painted a fiery red with hints of yellow, but couldn't appreciate its beauty because all the sunset meant to her right now was that they were running out of time to reach the land pads at the back of the school before the last ships could take off. Assuming the soldiers hadn't found their way back there yet and driven off or destroyed the ships. She shook her head again to clear her thoughts. "They HAVE to still be there." She whispered to herself. She had to get Ruby to safety, no matter what it took. That's why she stepped up to lead her team after Ruby went down, even though she didn't think she was the best for the job- because if it was for Ruby, she WOULD be the best, and nothing would stop her.

Yang heard Weiss raise her voice from behind. "Hey, we should pick up the pace, I think I can hear something behind us."

Blake turned her head and nodded. "I agree, you don't have to slow down for me Ya-" Her agreement was cut off as the shockwave of an explosion rounded the next intersection, and team RWBY skidded to a stop a good distance away, waiting to see if they would need to fight, or if it was just a stray explosive. Weiss and Yang both shifted to stand in front of Blake and her unconscious luggage and then began inching forward towards the source of the explosion, their stance wary.

"Nooo! Ren!" a familiar voice screamed from around the corner. Team RWBY, recognizing the voice, immediately began running to the source of the voice. As they rounded the corner, they saw team JNPR lying on the ground through a haze of smoke and debris drifting around through the air. "Ren! Come on, we have to keep going! Ren!" As the smoke cleared, Yang saw Nora sitting next to the collapsed ceiling, hunched over something that Yang couldn't quite see. The sinking feeling in her stomach told her she knew what she was about to see as she approached Nora's crouching body. She could see Jaune and Pyrrha off to the side with their shields held together over their heads, the once pristine metal scorched from trying to hold back the force of the explosion for their teammates.

"Nora!" Yang exclaimed, as she ran up to the panicking Nora. She saw Jaune and Pyrrha stagger to their feet, climbing out from under the rubble that had fallen around them. They appeared slightly disoriented from the force of the explosion and falling rubble. Weiss began looking them over to make sure they were unharmed, but they waved her off saying they would be fine in just a moment. "Nora, are you hurt?" Yang asked, slowing to a stop behind her. "Nora?"

"Ren! Wake up! Come on, we're almost there! Wake up!" Nora pleaded, tears streaming down her face. She turned to Yang, sobbing. "Yang! You have to help me wake up Ren! I can't wake him up! He's too sleepy!" Yang went down to her knees to look at Nora and Ren, and her expression immediately softened and clouded over with sadness.

"Nora... " Yang began softly. "Ren's not sleeping. I'm sorry." The body lying in front of Nora was mangled and crushed, the lower half of Ren's body trapped under the rubble of the collapsed ceiling, and what was left of his jacket was soaked through with blood. His face, strangely enough, was fairly clean. He looked peaceful, as if he really was just sleeping. Nora was holding his upper body against her, resting his head in the nook of her shoulder and neck. "Nora, please, we have to keep moving." Yang felt terrible leaving their good friend here, but there wasn't anything they could do for him and they were running out of time. Yang turned to Jaune and Pyrrha, and shook her head mournfully. "What happened?"

Jaune answered while Pyrrha walked up beside Nora and tried to pry her away from Ren, gently speaking to her while Nora shook her head in denial. The tears were still pouring down her cheeks, leaving clean trails through the stains on her face. "We were trying to get to the landing pads through the north tower, but we found it collapsed and impassable. We backtracked here, fighting our way through these soldiers. We thought we lost them, but a squad of them came up behind us and fired some rockets. We," he gestured towards Pyrrha, "tried to deflect the blast from Nora and Ren with our shields, but the explosion collapsed the entire ceiling in the hallway. Last thing I saw was Ren diving to push Nora out of the way while the ceiling fell on us. Our shields kept us mostly safe, and Nora fell behind us from Ren's push. But Ren…" he looked at his teammate.

Yang could tell that losing Ren was taking its toll on Jaune. After all, he was their leader and was responsible for his team's safety. Not only that, but Ren had surprisingly been Jaune's best friend once they had become familiar with each other; the male companionship that they lacked in their respective partners was welcome. Ren even volunteered to assist in training Jaune when Pyrrha was busy or tired, and now the one that had turned Jaune into a deadly hand-to-hand combatant was lying under a pile of stone and metal, dead in a way no one saw coming.

"They were getting married this winter vacation, too." Blake commented softly, the sadness and trembling in her voice becoming more pronounced upon seeing the scene in front of them. Yang's shoulders sagged, having forgotten about their upcoming wedding amidst the events of the day. Poor Nora, she couldn't imagine losing Blake like that.

Pyrrha had finally managed to grab Nora's hand and lift her up by the arm. While Nora complied, her eyes were still frantic and looking at Ren's motionless body. Nora put up some light resistance as they walked back towards the rest of their teammates and friends, like a puppy trying to pull against a leash trying to return to the comfort of a familiar blanket, but she followed Pyrrha nonetheless. Yang had to turn away to look at someone else, anyone else, watching Nora was too painful for her right now. She took to looking at Ruby, making sure she was still breathing and that the wound on her head hadn't reopened. As she tended to Ruby, she heard Weiss open her mouth to try to say something to comfort team JNPR, but she closed it again, realizing that words wouldn't help right now. That, and she couldn't come up with the words to say.

"Let's take a moment to rest up, everyone. What happened to Ruby?" Jaune ask as he saw Yang fussing over her sister. He moved in to help but stayed a few steps back, recognizing the look in Yang's eyes, a look that promised pain to anyone who got between her and Ruby, regardless of how good of friends Jaune and Ruby were.

Yang explained while she moved from examining Ruby to examining Blake. "We were holding the front lines at the front of the school with Professor Port, team CRDL, and team SBLE. We were doing fine, but all of a sudden something happened. I didn't see what happened, but Professor Port went down and then our lines started collapsing. After that we tried to set up another line somewhere else in Beacon, but by then the damage was done and we had to retreat. Ruby got hurt somehow in the initial line break, and a squad of soldiers broke Blake's Gambol Shroud as she defended me while I was carrying her. We ran when we got word of the evacuation, and now we're here." Satisfied that Blake had no injuries she was hiding from her, Yang turned to Jaune again "Where were you guys at?"

Jaune gestured back towards the opposing end of Beacon. "The auditorium. Nora and," Jaune paused for a moment as he glanced at the body on the floor, "Ren were guarding it while Professor Peach treated the wounded. Me and Pyrrha were escorting first years and the wounded that needed to be evacuated to the landing pads."

When Jaune paused, Pyrrha continued their story. "After that was finished we went to join the front lines with you guys, but we couldn't fight our way there." She sighed, adding, "If the front lines collapsed, I suppose it makes sense why we couldn't fight our way there. You guys were doing so well; I can't understand why you guys had to fall back, even if Professor Port fell."

Yang shrugged, because she hadn't known about the collapse until it started happening around her team, but Weiss cut in here. "It was team CRDL." Everyone looked at her, confused.

"What about CRDL?" Blake asked hesitantly.

Yang, with her already low opinion of Cardin and his team already jumped to a conclusion. "They betrayed us?" She growled, her eyes shifting to red and the temperature of the air around her jumping up several degrees.

Weiss waved her hand dismissively. "Nothing quite so devious as that. They got scared and bolted after they started getting hurt during their rotation. Port tried to cover the gap and reform the line, but the soldiers took advantage of the gap and broke the line. That's when Port fell." She glanced over at Yang, before looking away uncomfortably. "… I think I saw team SBLE fall too, Yang. I'm sorry." Weiss knew that Yang was good friends with the boys of SBLE, and didn't want to be the one to break the news to her.

Yang's already unpleasant mood was made even worse at hearing this. "Damn it!" She slammed her hand against the wall, cracking the stone. After slowing her breathing, she turned back to those gathered around her. "We've rested long enough. We're running out of light, and we need to get out of here. Let's move." She looked at Pyrrha and her charge Nora, who was still looking back at Ren's body. "You got her?"

Pyrrha nodded. "I think we'll have to keep a hold on her. If we give her the chance, she'll go back to Ren. She's…" Pyrrha left it unsaid. Broken. Something had snapped inside Nora, and they didn't have time to wait for it to heal. And wounds of the heart took a long time to heal.

Jaune stepped up. "I'll take her. You're in a better condition to fight than me right now anyway, Pyrrha." Pyrrha nodded in appreciation, letting Jaune take Nora's hand from her. Pyrrha put her hand on her boyfriend's cheek for just a second, a touch of reassurance, before checking her weapon for ammo and grimacing at her empty chambers. Pyrrha just sighed and jogged ahead of them alongside Yang, who had gone ahead.

With their short rest, RWBY and JNPR made quick progress towards the landing pads with Yang and Pyrrha leading the charge, Jaune and Blake with their respective team members, and Weiss again holding the rear. "There!" Yang called out. "The evac pads!"

"Yang! Soldiers incoming behind us!" Weiss yelled from behind at the same time. "I can buy us some time, keep going!" Weiss stopped and pivoted, twirling her rapier and stabbing into the ground under the gate behind them. She activated her rapier, ejecting her last remaining dust as a spiked wall of ice before following the rest of her fleeing comrades.

Yang could see two airships strafing back and forth over the landing pads, firing their chain guns at a squad of soldiers, cutting them down, but not before a rocket fired by a soldier took out an engine of the lower flying airship, sending it crashing down into the cliff in a ball of flames. She waved her hands, trying to catch the attention of the last remaining airship, and her efforts are rewarded when the pilot sees her and swings down nimbly to the landing pad, side doors opening, waiting for its passengers. The pilot speaks to them over a set of external speakers on the outside of the cockpit. "Get on! Beacon is about to get cut off, we gotta move!"

Yang paused by door and waved the rest of her friends forward, gesturing with urgency. Blake leapt in with Ruby in her arms, placing Ruby in a seat and strapping her in to make sure she was secure before turning around and pulling Nora out of Jaune's hands and into the airship. "Where's Ren? Aren't we going to wait for Ren before we go?" Blake tried to appease her as she strapped the empty eyed girl in, telling her that everything was going to be okay; Nora just needed to stay still. Nora stopped fidgeting and just stared and the floor of the airship.

Pyrrha jumped in next, with Weiss close behind her. As Jaune leaped in though, his left leg suddenly collapsed under him, spraying blood. Jaune grunted in pain, falling to the floor holding his thigh. Yang spun around just in time to deflect the next bullets with her gauntlets, realizing that Jaune had taken a shot from behind to the leg. "Go go go!" She yelled to the pilot, leaping into the airship and bracing against the side. Pyrrha had lifted Jaune and strapped him into a chair, leaving herself, Yang, Weiss, and Blake standing.

"Copy that, lifting off." The pilot announced. Then, "We've got an enemy gunship coming up on us! Brace yourselves!" Moments after this warning, an explosion rocked their gunship, staggering its occupants and throwing Blake against the opposite, closed door with enough force to cave in the metal frame.

"Blake!" Yang cried, watching her girlfriend fall limp to the floor. "No!" she reached over to grab Blake, but Weiss reached the faunus before her.

"I think she's okay? Her ribs look broken, but she's still breathing." Weiss reported after a quick inspection. Yang kneeled down next to them as another explosion shook the hull of the ship.

"We're taking too much fire! We aren't going to make it!" The pilot reported while trying to evade the salvos of rocket being fired from the opposing gunship.

Yang looked down at her unconscious lover's face, then bent over and kissed Blake on the forehead and whispered, "I'm sorry Blake. I love you." Then she turned to look at her baby sister, still unconscious in the seat Blake strapped her in. "I'll keep you safe baby sister. I love you." Yang Gave her sister a quick hug, then turned to Weiss. "Keep them safe, Snow Angel." Yang grinned, giving Weiss a quick clap on the shoulder.

"Wait, Yang! What are you doing!" Weiss shouted in surprise, as she watched Yang work her way past Pyrrha to the cockpit.

Yang tapped the pilot on the shoulder. "When I tell you, hard turn left, got it? Don't come back for me." Ignoring the pilot's protests, she jumped back into the cabin.

A certain clarity encompassed Yang's mind as she focused on the gunship though the front window of their own ship. She waited. Pyrrha and Weiss were trying to talk to her, but she wasn't listening. She waited. She saw the gunship fire it's salvo, and yelled her signal to the pilot. "Now!"

The pilot, however reluctant he was, obeyed her command, and banked hard left, exposing the open door of their airship to the rockets, but also providing Yang with a burst of momentum she used to leap out of the gunship towards the rockets. "Get them out of here! Don't come back!" She yelled, and grinned and she heard the pilot swearing at her actions, but listening regardless and flying off. She thought she heard Weiss yelling after her, but she was committed now and it was far too late to turn back.

The rockets began to track and turn towards the gunship, but before they could make any progress towards the fleeing airship Yang landed on the foremost rocket and punched it downwards to maintain her height and momentum. Yang flipped off of it and landed on the next one, jumping off and leaping from rocket to rocket, ever closer to the gunship. The gunship finally caught sight of Yang, and attempted to backpedal away from the angry huntress. It was too little too late as Yang crashed down onto the cockpit, smashing her fist into the glass over and over, her other hand gripping the hull. After only moments, her anger-fueled strength shattered the cockpit and smashed the pilot's controls, sending the airship spiraling out of control back towards the landing pads Yang had just left.

Eventually the force of the spin was too much for even Yang, and she was thrown off the falling gunship towards the ground hard enough to feel some bones crack as she impacted. Seconds later she heard the gunship crash nearby, the heat from its explosion a comfort to Yang. She groaned and staggered to her feet, and grinned at the wreck of the gunship that she had just punched out of commission. "Nailed it." She looked around her and realized that she wasn't in the best position.

The soldiers had finally found their way to the landing pads and were staring at Yang, weapons at the ready. She looked at the different soldiers in front of her, getting a close look at them for the first time the entire day. She saw heavily armored soldiers in green-tinted plate armor with a variety of close combat weapons and shields, along with lightly armored soldiers in green-tinted combat uniforms carrying a variety of firearms. Yang smashed her fists together, emitting a burst of flame as her eyes shifted from the calm lilac they normally were to a blazing red. "What, you guys want some?!" And Yang charged into the mob in front of her, smile on her face.

* * *

Weiss looked back in shock in horror as her teammate and friend leapt out of the airship at the gunship. "No! Yang! No!"

"Weiss! Calm down!" Pyrrha grabbed onto Weiss, who was hanging out of the airship looking at her quickly shrinking friend as they retreated to safety.

"No! We can't leave her behind! She's invincible, she has to be here, she can't be left behind!" Weiss was panicking. "What will I tell Ruby? What will I tell Blake? I don't... I don't know what to do. I have to bring her back. I have to!" Weiss cried, collapsing into Pyrrha's arms.

Pyrrha had no words, for what could she say? Yang made her decision? It's too late now? None of it would help, so she just held Weiss as she cried into her shoulder.

* * *

Yang was lying on her back, staring at the evening sky. How had she gotten here? She could feel heat coming from somewhere to her left, as if someone had started a bonfire nearby. And what was she lying in? It felt warm and wet. She tried to lift her head to look, but it was too much effort so she just relaxed back into her previous position. She heard footsteps approaching from her right. She smiled. It must be Ruby, coming to tell her off for slacking off at school. A shadow fell over her and she looked towards the figure, realizing it was far too tall to be her adorable baby sister.

It was a uniformed man wearing a familiar green-tinted uniform. Ah. Something clicked back into place in her head, and she remembered. She wasn't slacking off, staring at the sky. She was dying. Staring at the sky. Small difference. The figure looked down at her, examining her, judging her. "You fight well, girl." He grunted.

Yang smiled, and coughed out a pained reply. "Damn straight I do." Her memory was clearing. She had fought the soldiers around her. She had killed a lot of them. They had hurt her, badly. Probably why she couldn't move. "The name's Yang Xiao Long, the girl who burns like the sun. Don't you forget it."

He continued staring at her unblinkingly. "Yang Xiao Long." He said the name slowly, testing it, committing it to memory. "I will not forget the huntress who slaughtered dozens-"

"Try hundreds." Yang interrupted.

"- of my men." He continued, unfazed.

"To be fair, you attacked us first." It was taking a lot of effort to speak. Yang could feel the life slowly slipping from her as she coughed out a response.

"True. Orders are orders though. I did not want to attack a school of children." He paused, and crouched down next to her, allowing Yang to get a closer look at the man above her. Leathery, sun-tanned, scarred skin with graying, peppered hair. Very powerful looking, very rough. "I am General Napier. I can offer you a medic, Yang Xiao Long. I admire your skill. You could join us."

Yang grinned a bloody grin. "Nah. I know I'm done for." She coughed up a mouthful of blood. "So. Are your soldiers back inside the school?" She said conversationally. Well, as conversationally as she could, given the coughing and gasping.

General Napier stood up, curious about the young girl who would chat herself to her death. "They are. You and your comrades did a lot of damage to my men. They are resting and recuperating inside."

"Good, good."

"Might I ask why?" He inquired.

"Because… well, do you know what happens when a sun dies, General?" she coughed out, her grin getting wider.

He began to slowly back away. "A… supernova."

Yang laughed. "Exactly." She turned her head towards the general, who was still slowly backing away. "And a dying sun going supernova takes _everything _with it."

General Napier turned to run, but that wasn't going to save him. Yang laughed one last laugh, and then a fiery explosion, with Yang at its center, engulfed Beacon and the cliff it resides on, turning the entirety of Beacon and the land around it into her personal funeral pyre, along with all those honorable souls who fell defending Beacon.

* * *

Weiss and Pyrrha could see the flames consuming Beacon lighting up the evening sky, and the smoke blotting out the stars, but they had no idea that Yang was the cause of it, believing that the invading army had just set fire to the school. Weiss' tears had dried soon after they had landed in the encampment of evacuees, where the Vytal military had began to arrive and tend to the wounded and set up relief tents. She had immediately taken a position of leadership, directing people to care for her own team as well as JNPR. Only Weiss and Pyrrha remained awake, the rest of them had been put in the medical tents for treatment and sleep.

"Do you think she made it to safety?" Pyrrha asked Weiss as they looked at the faintly glowing horizon.

Weiss waited a long while before responding. "I hope she did. I really do. But… no. I don't think she did."

They stood in silence, trying to process what had happened throughout the night. They heard footsteps approaching from behind, and turned to see who their guest was. They saw Professor Ozpin striding toward them in the evening light, holding two cups of a steaming drink. "Miss Schnee. Miss Nikos." He offered them the two drinks.

Weiss took a sip, expecting coffee, but getting hot chocolate instead. "Chocolate?" she asked.

"It's good for the soul." Professor Ozpin explained. He waited, sensing that Weiss had something she needed to say to him.

"Professor… where were you? Beacon was attacked, and you were nowhere to be found. And now… our friends, our teammates… they're gone." Weiss struggled to get the words out, the emotions still running rampant inside her.

He waited a moment before responding. "This invasion started a few days ago. A meeting was called by representatives of the different lands and powerful figures- Professor Goodwitch and myself went to represent the huntsman and huntresses of Vale, trying to explain that we fight monsters, not wars. But the entire meeting was a ruse, and they launched preemptive strikes against the other countries' combat facilities." He explained. "I never thought they would attack Beacon. Not until Professor Oobleck arrived, having run all the way there at Professor Port's orders to tell us what happened.

"I… am sorry. I have failed my students, and my friends, and something terrible has happened." He paused, looking at the faint glowing light on the horizon that Weiss and Pyrrha had been looking at. His facial features hardened, and his eyes darkened. "They won't get away with this. They have no idea what I can do to them. What I _will _do to them." He turned back to the two students standing next to him. "But first, I need you to tell me what happened."

* * *

Note: Team SBLE, pronounced Team Sable, is just an original name I came up with to fill up a few more characters in the story. Won't be a major part of the series.

Extra Note: Sable is another word for black in this case.

Extra Extra Note: I realized some of the line breaks and formats I put in didn't come across in the upload, and tried redoing them to make more sense when the scene shifts, my apologies if that was a bit confusing at first.

This is my first RWBY story, I would appreciate constructive criticism in whatever form, as I would like to make sure my writing keeps improving as needed.


	2. Chapter 2: Heartbreak

Weiss and Pyrrha each nodded to Professor Ozpin, who turned in place and began leading them towards the large, plain canvas tent that had been erected further into the encampment. The night sky was clear, the stars and shattered moon providing enough light to see by between the lanterns that had been posted in front of the field of tents. As they kept pace with Ozpin, Weiss began asking questions. "Does my father know about what is happening here? Will the Schnee Dust Company contribute to the fight?"

Ozpin pulled a thermos out of his jacket and poured some more hot chocolate into a cup for himself before answering. "He does, and it will. He was at the meeting, representing a number of businesses. I also contacted him after I arrived here." He looked over his shoulder at Weiss meaningfully, adding "He asked after you. He wanted to know if you were hurt."

Weiss came to a stop, a look of disbelief painting itself onto her face. "He asked about me?" She looked down towards the ground and shook her head. "He hasn't spoken to me since I arrived at Beacon."

Weiss felt Pyrrha's hand give her shoulder a gentle squeeze of comfort. "You're still his daughter. Even a disagreement as…" she paused, searching for a proper word to use. "...as large as yours doesn't change that."

Weiss shook her head again. "This isn't the time to talk about family issues. I'll deal with it another time." The tone of her voice indicated she wouldn't speak anymore on the subject tonight.

As they were about to step off again and continue on their way, an older woman with black hair that had the beginnings of grey touching the roots wearing a set of navy blue scrubs whom Weiss vaguely recognized as one of the many medical staff that Beacon Academy employed, approached Ozpin. "Headmaster, you asked us to provide you with updates concerning the conditions of the students in the medical tents," she explained quickly and professionally, handing over a scroll.

Ozpin accepted the scroll, thanking her as she turned and walked back to her medical tent at a brisk pace. He glanced down at the scroll, using the touch screen to move the windows containing the updates on each of the students around as needed. "Ah. Miss Nikos, you will be pleased to hear that Mister Arc's leg is healing quite nicely, and he is strolling around the medical tent in crutches in an attempt to leave and find you. It seems they aren't letting him though, which seems to be causing him some displeasure. And Miss Valkyrie is unharmed but sleeping under some sedatives." He continues flicking through windows, occasionally softly grunting in displeasure at what he see, at other times letting out a soft hum of approval at some of the better news. "And Miss Schnee, Miss Rose is awake as well. Though she appears to be confined to her bed at the moment due to her injuries. Miss Belladonna is still unconscious, but her injuries aren't severe. Just a mild concussion and some fractured ribs."

Ozpin lowered the scroll and looked at the two girls standing in front of him, both of whom have begun shifting their weight back in forth between their legs in anxiousness. He glances down at his watch, then back at the girls. "You can report to me in the morning about your account of what happened today- well, yesterday now, I suppose. Come to the command tent," he gestures towards the large tent in the distance, "an hour after sunrise. Go see your partners, get some sleep, eat some breakfast. There are plenty of other matters for me to attend to in the meantime." He smiled and topped off their cups of hot chocolate, then waved them off towards the medical tents.

* * *

The students gave their thanks, and then bolted off with speed towards their partners. Ozpin's smile remained on his face until they were out of sight, then immediately fell off his face into a much darker and grimmer expression. "How did it look?" He spoke, seemingly to no one in particular.

A figure stirred in the shadows cast by the tent to Ozpin's left and stepped out into the light, revealing a young man with messy, disheveled, green hair, and clothes to match, whose opaque glasses seemed to glow in the starlight. "Unexpectedly… clean, Headmaster." Bartholomew Oobleck answered solemnly.

"Clean?"

"Beacon isn't there anymore. It's just ash and scorched earth. I'm not entirely sure what happened. There isn't anything to report because, well… there's nothing there. I don't believe the soldiers did it either- there were no signs of any them leaving." He reported. "Was Glynda able to retrieve any of the video records from the remote servers?" He added, referring to the servers in the city that held the video files from the various security cameras around Beacon, to avoid having to find a place to keep them on campus.

Ozpin shook his head. "Not yet. She's at the security center now; she'll send them to my scroll as soon as she gets them." He looked Oobleck up and down, noting that his normally messy and disheveled appearance seemed to be… _more_ than usual. "How are you feeling? I know you had to have gone through a lot. You ran all the way to a meeting in a faraway city to warn me at Port's orders, and all the way back to try to help, and now you're running reconnaissance missions for me. You need rest, friend."

Now it was Oobleck's turn to shake his head. "I… I can't. I need to be moving. I need to help. I need to do _something_." His eyes slightly lost their focus as he kept remembering the moments right after the attack started, when Port and Peach couldn't get into contact with Ozpin or Glynda. Port had realized that they were probably in trouble, and as acting headmaster in Ozpin's absence he had ordered Oobleck to use his unmatched speed to find, and rescue if needed, Ozpin and Glynda. Oobleck had protested, wanting to help defend the school, but had been overruled and ordered away on his mission.

He had found Ozpin and Glynda escaping from a ruined building that had been attacked while the meeting was in progress. The street around them was sprawled with bodies, courtesy of the huntsman and huntress, Glynda glaring at the bodies disapprovingly while Ozpin sipped from his cup, seemingly disinterested in the soldiers he had taken out. There were a variety of other people taking cover in the alley behind them, mostly politicians and cooperate businessmen that were represented in the meeting. "Headmaster!" Oobleck had yelled as soon as he had arrived on scene, arriving so quickly that the turbulence started a small whirlwind on the street, startling the people in the alley. Ozpin looked over at the green haired speedster, and nodded his head in greeting as if he was expecting him to arrive at that moment. "Beacon… has been… attacked," he reported, taking a couple deep breaths to calm his breathing after running a distance in hours that would take most land vehicles more than a day.

"I see." Ozpin replied, taking yet another sip from his cup. He turned to Glynda. "We'd best head back then. Could you get your hands on another scroll for us? It seems they scrambled all of ours."

"Of course." She replied coolly, giving the soldiers lying unmoving on the ground one final disapproving glare before turning away sharply with a 'tsk.'

Oobleck's eyes refocused and he looked down at his feet. "I feel like I abandoned them. I know why he sent me away, but… a part of me thinks that if I had only stayed, the old man would still be alive, or, or-" he trailed off.

"You did what had to be done, and there is no shame in that. Port knew what he was doing. I of all people know that the past can't be changed. Let's focus on what we can do now and in the future." Ozpin nodded in the direction of the command tent. "Go get some rest Barty. At least for a few hours."

"Please don't start calling me Barty again, sir." Oobleck sighed. Despite his protests though, he slumped off towards the command tent for some rest.

Ozpin continued drinking his hot chocolate, waiting patiently for the night to end.

* * *

Weiss and Pyrrha burst into the medical bay- an enormous, beige, canvas tent held up by a complex grid of steel poles that allowed section of the tent to be separated into rooms of various sizes. Their bursting in earned them an immediate reprimand from the nurse sitting at a desk by the tent flap, resulting in the two girls needing to apologize quietly before the nurse would answer their questions. "Would you _please_ tell us which rooms Ruby Rose and Jaune Arc are in?" Weiss asked, her teeth clenched together, nearing the end of her patience with worry for her partner and annoyance at this stickler of a nurse.

The nurse eyed them suspiciously before checking the logs. "Rose…Rose… at the other end of the tent on your right side, room 49. Arc is just across in room 50." She finally reported. "But please try to stay quiet, many others are resting."

"Yes, yes, of course. Thank you very much for your assistance." Weiss replied snappily, turning away to find that Pyrrha had already taken off as soon as she heard what room Jaune was in and leaving Weiss far behind. Weiss shook her head as she walked, still baffled as to what inspired Pyrrha to pursue Jaune as a lover when they entered Beacon, as unimpressive as he was. Though Weiss had to concede that under Pyrrha's and Ren's tutelage, he had turned into an impressive specimen of a man and warrior. Still an idiot though, Weiss thought.

Pyrrha pulled aside the curtain and stepped into Jaune's room without warning, not giving him a chance to make sure he was presentable. Just a moment later though, Pyrrha stepped back out. "He's not in there." Pyrrha said in response to Weiss' questioning look.

"Maybe he's visiting another student?" Weiss suggested.

The girls heard the sound of muffled footsteps, and a Jaune's voice. "Pyrrha? Is that you?" The curtains to their right, with the number 49 stitched on it, parted to reveal Jaune's face peeking out. "Pyrrha!" he exclaimed excitedly, hobbling out of the room.

"Jaune!" Pyrrha replied, rushing forward to embrace him, and pressing her lips against his. She held the kiss for a few seconds before releasing him. "I'm so glad you're okay. How's your leg? Does it hurt a lot? Should I get a wheelchair? Do-" she was cut off as he kissed her again.

"Pyrrha, I'm fine. Don't worry." Jaune giggled.

"Ahem." Pyrrha and Jaune turned to see Weiss, who had her arms crossed and was tapping her foot impatiently.

Both Jaune and Pyrrha immediately reddened in embarrassment. "S-sorry Weiss! We'll try to keep our couple stuff out of sight…" Pyrrha mumbled.

"I don't care about that. You're blocking the doorway." She replied icily.

"Oh. Sorry." Jaune stepped out of the way, leaving the way into Ruby's room clear.

"Thank you." Weiss grumbled. She stepped past the two lovebirds into Ruby's room and was both impressed and unimpressed by what she saw in there. Weiss was unimpressed with the facilities- the room was tiny, with only enough room for a small bed and a couple fold-up chairs to be set up alongside it. A small bedside table was also present, containing a pile of various bandages and medications. What impressed the heiress was the plate of chocolate chip cookies Ruby had somehow managed to acquire, which she was happily eating at a rate Weiss had not thought possible for someone so injured.

Ruby looked up at her guests, and upon seeing her partner, exclaimed "Waish!" Weiss assumed that Ruby had meant to say her name, but was unsuccessful with a mouthful of cookies. Weiss let it slide this time, elated to see her partner and crush alive and well.

"Ruby!" Weiss walked over, more quickly than she would ever admit to onlookers, and knelt down to check the bandages that adorned a large portion of Ruby's body. She checked the bandages on her head, which had a few bloodstains staining them, as well as a few more bandages on her torso, covering her chest and most of her abdomen. She moved her examination down Ruby's body. Weiss pulled off Ruby's bed sheets, ignoring her protests, to find a brace on her leg. "What is this? Is your leg hurt too?" she said, looking for any outward sign of injury.

"Weiss, I'm fine! Now stop taking off the bed sheets, Jaune's here!" Ruby complained. Weiss stopped her examinations and looked up, finally noticing that Ruby had no shirt on and that her upper body was covered only by the bandages she examined earlier. Weiss glanced down, her face reddening in embarrassment as she finally saw what Ruby was actually complaining about- she had no skirt or pants on and was unsuccessfully trying to cover up her now visible underwear with the plate of cookies.

Weiss, quicker than anyone could have imagined, threw all the bed sheets back onto Ruby and in a blur of movement essentially swaddled her, covering everything except for Ruby's head. "Weiss, how am I supposed to eat my cookies now?"

Ignoring her question, Weiss growled menacingly. "Jaune, if I turn around and find out you were looking… I'm going to make sure you need those kind doctors out there again." Weiss slowly turned, and found that Jaune's face was in fact covered, courtesy of Pyrrha's quick reactions and a towel she had grabbed off a chair. Pyrrha gave a thumbs up to Weiss to signal that Jaune had seen nothing. "Good." Weiss turned back to Ruby, who had wiggled her arms and shoulders out of the blankets to continue snacking on cookies.

Noticing Weiss was finally looking back at her, Ruby held out her arms in the traditional 'give me a hug' position. Weiss, her cheeks reddening for the second time in just as many minutes, obliged and held Ruby in a gentle hug, conscientious of her injuries. "I'm so glad you're okay, Weiss."

A tear made its way down one of Weiss' cheeks. "I'm glad you're safe too." After a period of time that Weiss wished lasted longer she pulled back, straightening her outfit and sitting down in one of the chairs at the side of the bed as Ruby exchanged a short hug with Pyrrha as well, trading words of relief at each others' safety. "How are you feeling?"

Ruby stretched a little as Jaune and Pyrrha settled into their own chairs, opposite of Weiss. "Sore and tired, mostly. I should be good to go soon though. Tomorrow, if I can sneak past that over-protective nurse," Ruby giggled. "How's everyone else? They're all okay? I bet you all still totally kicked butt after I got hurt, huh?" Ruby asked, grabbing a plastic cup of water off her bedside table.

Weiss froze up. She wasn't prepared for this conversation, even though she knew it was inevitable. She had just hoped it wouldn't have been so soon. "Well… um…"

"Is Yang off getting in some alone time with Blake? If she is, don't worry about interrupting them. Just let me scold her later for not being here when I woke up." Ruby grinned, her radiant, beautiful smile full of innocence and playfulness.

No. No. No. Weiss didn't want to do this. She couldn't. Weiss loved that smile, loved Ruby. She had never found the time or place to say it, but she knew that if she told Ruby what happened then it wouldn't matter, because Ruby would hate her for it. A part of Weiss' mind recognized the irrationality of that thought, but that part of the mind was far, far away at the moment.

"Weiss? You look pale, are you sick?" Jaune asked. "Should I go find a nurse? I'll go get a nurse. Could you go get Yang and Blake for her, Pyrrha?" Jaune moved to stand up, but Pyrrha put a hand on his leg, stopping him. He looked up in confusion. With everything that had happened, Weiss had almost forgotten that Jaune didn't know about Yang.

"Blake…" Weiss started. "Blake is unconscious. She got hurt while we were escaping." Weiss continued, her voice trembling. "Yang…"

"Must be with her then! We need to go be with her too! " Ruby began sitting up to get out of bed, but Weiss jumped up and held her in place by her arms, keeping Ruby reclined against the pillows. She looked down, a puzzled look on her face. "Weiss?"

Ruby was alarmed, because looking back up at Weiss she saw a stream of tears pouring down her face, her eyes closed tight. "Yang… Yang isn't with Blake, Ruby." Ruby still wore a look of confusion on her face, waiting for Weiss to continue.

Oh please no. Please. Weiss looked over to Jaune and Pyrrha, who also looked confused and saddened, respectively. "Yang… didn't make it. She didn't make it back with us. There were soldiers, and a gunship, and… and… and she was protecting us, and she didn't make it back with us." Weiss finally broke down, crying tears as she held onto Ruby's arms, though Ruby was making no effort to stand anymore. Weiss blinked away her tears, trying to look at Ruby, trying to see what she could do to help. Anything to help.

"Yang's… not here?" Ruby asked, her voice barely a whimper. "Then… we have to go find her. She's invincible, she'll be safe! She's probably on her way here right now. We just have to go find her." Ruby made another attempt to get out of bed, but Weiss wrapped her in her arms and held on tightly so that Ruby couldn't do anymore than struggle feebly in place. "We have to go find her! What are you all waiting for?" Ruby tried struggling harder, her voice increasing in volume. Weiss could hear Jaune softly crying behind her as well, Pyrrha holding him tight. "No! Yang is invincible! She's my big sister! Nothing can stop her! She's not gone!" Ruby was wailing now, tears flowing down her face, as she struggled harder than before to escape Weiss' grasp. "No! No! You're wrong! She's coming here! She's coming back! Just you watch! She can do anything!" Ruby had stopped struggling, and instead was holding on tightly to Weiss, squeezing as hard as she could, looking for something, anything to hold onto.

Ruby's wailing attracted a nurse who attempted to ask what was going on, but Pyrrha ushered her out pleadingly. "She just found out her sister died. Please. Just let it go, for just a few minutes." The nurse nodded in understanding, and left.

Jaune stepped out, his cheeks still wet with tears. "I need to lie down. Come with me?" Pyrrha nodded solemnly as they walked back into his small room, where he flopped down onto the small mattress with Pyrrha at his side, and just held her close.

"No! Yang! Yaaaaaang! Come back! Please! Don't leave me!" Ruby's wails continued, interrupted by sobs and crying for a long while before the doctors came in and administered a sedative, explaining that her struggling and increase in stress was starting to cause some of her wounds to start bleeding again. After she finally fell quiet, they changed her bandages, stopping the fresh flow of blood with Weiss at her side, holding her hand all the while.

With Ruby back into a sedative-induced sleep, Weiss stared at her partner's face, at the false peace that adorned her face right now. Weiss stood up and made to leave the room, pausing at the door. "I'll be right back Ruby," she whispered. "I'll be here for you." Weiss stepped out into the hallway, making her way down to the nurse's station for another blanket so she could sleep by Ruby's bedside. The nurse's obliged her request, but before she left Ruby turned to the nurse again. "Sorry to trouble you again, but which room is Blake Belladonna in?" The nurse consulted her papers informed Weiss that Blake was in room 37. Weiss thanked her and strode back down the hallway to room 37, peeking in.

"Blake? Are you awake?" Weiss whispered to the figure under the sheets.

There was silence, then a strangled, "…yes." Weiss was relieved, dashing into the room to check on her fellow teammate. As she entered the room, she could see that Blake had turned onto her side and curled up into a ball with arms wrapped around her legs.

"Blake, are you okay?" Blake shook her head. "Are you in pain?" Blake nodded her head. "I'll go get a nurse, okay?" Blake shook her head. "No?"

"Not that kind of pain." Blake whispered. It was only now, as Weiss got closer, that she saw the faunus' eyes squeezed tight, tears running sideways down her face like rivers as her hands tightly gripped an orange scarf that Weiss remembered Yang buying her for their first anniversary. Blake had almost never worn it because it clashed so terribly with most of her outfits, but she always kept close by regardless.

"Blake…" Weiss whispered, reaching out to comfort her.

"I heard Ruby. You don't need to tell me." Blake whimpered. "Just leave me alone for tonight."

"I can-" Weiss began.

"Leave me alone." Blake interrupted.

"But-"

"Leave. Me. Alone." Blake growled.

Weiss backed away from Blake, her eyes watering up again. "Okay." She whispered. "Okay. I'll… come back tomorrow. I'm so sorry Blake." Weiss backed out of the room, and shuffled back to Ruby's room.

Weiss sat down in the chair, feeling more alone and heartbroken than she had ever felt before. A friend and teammate was dead, and the two people she would normally talk to about her pain were in even more pain than she was. She looked down at Ruby's face, and saw that even in her sleep, Ruby had tears sneaking out from her eyes, mourning her sister even in her sleep. Weiss' tears began flowing once more, knowing that she was powerless to help her leader, the woman she loved, with this pain. Weiss curled up against the bed, holding Ruby's hand, and fell asleep wishing the nightmare would end, and she would wake up in the morning at Beacon, Ruby blowing a whistle in her face, and that none of this had happened.

But of course, Weiss knew that such a thing was the wishful thinking of a lonely little girl who just wanted someone to hold her and tell her everything would be okay.


	3. Chapter 3: The Morning After

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** Because of the contents of this chapter, some extra information is in order, please read:

**Geography:** Because I don't believe that there's been any official release on what places on the map of Remnant are what, I had to make some assumptions/ choices of my own. In the map with the four glowing dots, Vytal (where Vale/ Beacon are located) is the center dot, with Atlas to the north, Vacuo to the west, and Mistral to the east.

* * *

Professor Ozpin sat in his command tent watching the security footage from the many cameras around Beacon that Glynda had delivered to him the night before. The footage, in conjunction with the little sleep he had gotten, had done little for his mood. Watching this footage, he had seen the death of one of his oldest friends, the destruction of his school and home, and the suffering of the students he was supposed to have been watching over. He heard footsteps on the rug behind him and recognized the familiar footsteps of his ever present assistant, and slid his hand over to the scroll to pause the many video screens arrayed against the walls of his tent. Glynda held out a cup of steaming chocolate, his third of the day despite the early hour, which he took with quiet thanks.

"How are you feeling, Headmaster?" Glynda asked by way of introduction into the conversation.

Ozpin sighed a heavy sigh. "I am… heartbroken. And I want revenge. But I suppose that isn't the healthiest mixture of feelings." He sipped the steaming cup of chocolate, savoring the heat.

Glynda glanced up at some of the screens surrounding them, scrutinizing a group of them. "Is that…?"

"Yang Xiao Long, yes." Ozpin replied in answer to her unfinished question. "Keep watching her fight here," he pointed at a screen to Glynda's left, "at the landing pads behind the school."

Glynda watched in silence for minutes, before finally saying, "She was quite the powerful huntress. More so than I had thought." She added, watching as the fiery huntress fought her way through groups of soldiers.

"With another year or two of specialized training, she would've been one of the most powerful huntresses in the world, Glynda. She was miles ahead of any of the other students at Beacon. As for her being powerful… look here." Ozpin pointed to another screen above them, which had a still image on it, and tapped his scroll to resume that screen's video.

Glynda focused on the screen and saw that Yang was lying on the ground, mortally wounded, with more soldiers scattered around her than she could make out. A man in a uniform was crouched down and speaking to her, but began backing off quickly. Glynda moved closer, curious, only to see Yang begin laughing, then glowing, then there was a flash of light before the camera feed died. She turned to Ozpin, a questioning look on her face.

"She used the last of her energy to do… something." He explained with a shrug. "Her aura or semblance I assume. She turned Beacon into an inferno, killing everyone in and around the school." Glynda looked back at the blank video feed, a hint of respect showing on her face, which spoke volumes about how much respect she actually was hiding beneath her cool exterior. "But we'll review these along with the others when we meet with the council later. What news do you have for me?"

Glynda looked at the screen for a few more seconds before recovering her composure and summarizing her report out loud. "Most of the students have recovered, physically. There are still a number of them who are still in shock from yesterday." Glynda started, reading from her clipboard. "As for the soldiers, my contacts tell me they were just a detachment from the main Vacuoan army. My network is still looking for motive behind the invasion of our schools. Atlas and Mistral were attacked as well, and have refocused their efforts to defense and recovery. They have offered no soldiers or aid, and have retreated to their major cities." Glynda continued. Though her voice was calm, thanks to their long relationship Ozpin could hear the undercurrents of stress and resentment. Glynda clearly disapproved of the actions of the other lands, seeing their caution and defensive posture as cowardice.

"Well, I can understand their desire to defend their homes, even if I disagree with their actions." Ozpin said, glancing down at his watch. "Miss Schnee and Miss Nikos should be here soon. Will you handle the other students' reports while I go over those?" Glynda nodded, stepping out of the tent in order to prepare for a station to speak to the students.

* * *

Weiss could hear muffled noises around her, rousing the young heiress from her tempestuous sleep. She slowly opened her eyes, wincing as they adjusted to the bright light of the early morning light filtering through the tent. Realizing how uncomfortable her sleeping position was, bent over at an angle in a chair with her head on Ruby's bed, she sat up straight. Raising her arms to stretch, she encountered some resistance and found that Ruby had gripped Weiss' hand in the night. Weiss blushed slightly, remembering she was the one who had held Ruby's hand in the first place last night. Gently working her hand out of Ruby's, she stood up to go fetch Pyrrha, assuming she wasn't already awake, so they could report to Ozpin as they discussed the night before.

Looking back at the sleeping Ruby once more, Weiss closed the curtain behind her and crossed the hallway to see if Pyrrha was sleeping in Jaune's room, as she suspected. "Pyrrha?" she spoke softly against the curtain. "Are you in there?"

"Yes, I'll be out in just a moment," she heard Pyrrha reply softly.

"Okay. I'll meet you at the front of the tent." Weiss replied, turning to stroll down the tent's hallway. She stopped and looked into Blake's room, but found she wasn't there. Deciding she would look for her later, Weiss continued on her way. As she approached the staffing station towards the front, one of the doctors looked up at Weiss and motioned for Weiss to come closer. "Yes?"

"Did Miss Rose finish her breakfast?" the elderly woman asked, her soft yet clear and powerful voice belying her appearance and age.

"Ruby woke up already? She was asleep when I woke up just now." Weiss responded, surprised at hearing Ruby had already woken up once already.

"She was up quite early, before sunrise. I found her walking down the hall here looking for breakfast."

"Oh. I suppose she did then. I didn't see any food when I woke up."

"Excellent, a good appetite is a sign of recovery." the doctor said, making a notation on a nearby clipboard. She glanced up, looking at Weiss' face. "Did you get enough sleep? You seem to be a little flushed." The doctor reached up to feel Weiss' forehead to check for a fever.

Weiss backed away a step, waving her off. "I'm fine, I was just a little warm," she lied. She had began blushing and turning red once she realized that if Ruby had woken up and left, that meant that when she had lain back down in bed, she had also grabbed Weiss' hand. In an effort to change the subject, she asked, "Do you happen to know where Blake Belladonna is? She was in room 37 last night."

The doctor turned to consult a clipboard hanging on a post. "It says here Miss Belladonna signed herself out early this morning, and has since left."

"Oh, thanks. I'll go look for her later." She thanked the doctor again before stepping outside into the cool morning air.

"Morning, Weiss." Pyrrha said from behind her a few moments later. "Shall we?" Weiss nodded and they walked towards Ozpin's tent.

As they started off, they made small talk on various subjects- how Jaune was handling the situation, speculating on who the soldiers were, how this new war would affect the conflicts with the White Fang, and what this fight meant for the huntsman and huntresses who were fighting Grimm. If the huntresses and huntsman were to join in this war, it would mean less of them keeping back the Grimm, which would be an issue for the whole world. The chat continued for only a few minutes before they arrived at Ozpin's tent and proceeded inside.

As they entered they could see a large array of screens covered in all sorts of information lining two of the walls of the tent behind the tables and desks. Some of the screens had lists of numeric information, others had maps, and others had various video feeds on them, some paused, some still playing in silence.

Ozpin turned, "Ah there you are. Please, sit." He gestured at some chairs next to one of the large tables near the screens. "Did you sleep well?"

Both the girls mumbled their responses of "yes, sir" and "I did" as they sat, paying more attention to the screens than to the small talk. Ozpin sat across from them, and said "I have been reviewing the video footage for a while now, and feel I have a grasp of yesterday's events. But-"

Weiss cut in, "You have the footage? Did you see what happened to Yang?" Weiss' voice was somewhat frantic and hopeful, but she calmed down as Pyrrha put her hand on her knee.

Ozpin tipped his head in appreciation to Pyrrha. "Yes, I did. If you aren't uncomfortable, I can show you. It's understandable if you'd rather not, though."

Weiss hesitated. "Yes, please. I need to see this."

Ozpin gestured to one of the lager screens and fiddled around with his scroll, causing an image to pop up and begin playing as a video. It started with Yang's landing after destroying the gunship, surrounded by soldiers. The number of soldiers was overwhelming to Weiss and Pyrrha, who thought for sure they were about to watch their friend die. But to their surprise, before the soldiers could attack her she had said something to them and leapt into their ranks and began wreaking havoc on the soldiers. What had at first appeared to be an unbalanced fight with Yang fighting for her survival soon revealed itself to be quite the reverse- the soldiers were trying to escape from her, fear evident on their faces. Entire squads were wiped out, either shot or beaten to a pulp or ignited in flame. Her injuries were adding up though, until the resolution of the fight when she collapsed onto the ground after all the soldiers had either fled or been killed. Weiss and Pyrrha's mouths were hanging open in shock, unaware that Yang was such a powerful fighter. And seeing her final destruction of Beacon only shocked them further still.

Pyrrha looked back at Ozpin. "That was… amazing. She's a hero!"

Weiss also shared that sentiment, but had a slightly different take. "Yes, but she's still dead regardless of how good she was. We aren't invincible."

Ozpin looked saddened. "No. It seems we aren't." He walked to another table off to the side of the tent, and grabbed two more cups of steaming brown liquid, "Coffee, this time." He set the drinks in front of them. "Now, give me your version of the events of yesterday, please."

Weiss and Pyrrha each alternated telling their story. A day that began perfectly normally waking up and eating breakfast. A breakfast that went horribly wrong as Professor Port ran in to alert them to the incoming attack and setting up a defense. A defense that was holding up nearly flawlessly until team CRDL abandoned them out of cowardice, which resulted in the compromise of the rest of the school. As each of the girls told their stories from their respective sections of the school, Ozpin used his scroll to flip through screens and video feeds to reference areas they were talking about. His brow furrowed upon hearing about CRDL's desertion, and he spent a long while watching the battle at the front of the school, analyzing it. As he traded information with the girls, they finally reached the end of their story as they arrived at the camp the night before.

"It seems I need to have a talk with CRDL, then." Ozpin concluded. "It is my judgment as well that if they had not run then the school would have fared much better. They are in the camp." Weiss and Pyrrha stood up, outraged. "You are forbidden from confronting them." The last statement was backed by a pressure and force that the girls could feel, and their sense of it was so strong they immediately hesitated and sat bat down. "I will deal with them." The girls nodded, reluctant to go against the Headmaster. "Now go eat some breakfast and rest. I'll call together all the students for an assembly later."

The girls nodded again before excusing themselves from the tent. As they stepped out Weiss heard a rushing of wind, but looking around she couldn't identify the source. Weiss thought she could smell a hint of roses in the air, but again couldn't identify the source after looking around. "Weiss? Everything okay?" Pyrrha asked.

"Uh yeah, I just thought I saw something. Let's go eat so I can get back to Ruby." Weiss responded, walking towards the mess tents for their breakfast. As they left, a rose petal drifted lazily to the ground behind them, landing on the grass and dissipating in the wind.

* * *

Ruby was hiding behind a small stack of metal crates watching Weiss and Pyrrha leave. She had been hiding outside of the tent as her friends told their story to Professor Ozpin and had peeked into the tent to watch the video feed as he scrolled through, including her sister's death. She had followed Weiss because she wasn't sure why her partner had left so early and not stayed with her, but now understood about the necessary report given to Ozpin. But her curiosity had allowed her to learn some important information: Team CRDL was responsible for the school falling, and therefore her sister's death, and Ren's death, and team SBLE, and a whole host of others.

A tiny voice in the back of her head was telling Ruby that blaming CRDL for everyone's deaths didn't make sense, but Ruby was beyond listening to that voice now and pushed that voice behind a cacophony of other voices telling her that all of this was team CRDL's fault. A plan already in the making, she disappeared in a small flurry of rose petals.

* * *

Blake Belladonna was kneeling at the edge of a small creek; her hands were pressed together, fingers intertwined as she said a silent prayer to not any deity, but to Yang's soul- asking for forgiveness for being unable to keep her safe. She wasn't wearing her normal outfit, instead wearing a black, silk kimono with some yellow stitching at the edges of the fabric, mostly around the collar and cuffs, but at the bottom of the kimono as well. She also had the orange scarf that she was clutching so tightly last night wrapped snuggly around her neck, not for warmth so much as for comfort. At her side sat a bouquet of belladonna flowers of a variety of colors- deep blue, violet, indigo, lavender- which Yang had loved comparing Blake too. Yang had always managed to acquire them for special events as well, despite the flowers' poisonous nature and illegality.

Blake stood up, picking up the bouquet of flowers to leave at the small tombstone she had erected here next to the creek. As she set the flowers down, she heard a disturbance in the air behind her. Catching a faint scent of roses with her sensitive nose, Blake didn't even need to turn around to identify the figure approaching her. "Morning, Ruby."

"Morning, Blake. Is it okay if I'm here?" Ruby asked hesitantly.

Blake turned around, embracing the shorter girl. "Of course it is. You're my team leader, and Yang's little sister, and my friend. You're always welcome here." Blake let go, feeling Ruby's shoulders shudder as she sobbed a little. "Don't cry Ruby. Yang would want us to smile and go enjoy ourselves right? Beat up some bad guys, spend time with our friends." Blake wiped away a tear, and put a smile on her face. "Right?"

Ruby let out a little giggle and smile, the same one that Blake remembered from their first year at Beacon. "Right." Ruby sniffed.

"And you're like my little sister too, so come to me if you ever need anything okay?" Blake added, taking Ruby's hands in her own.

"Yeah." Ruby used her wrists to wipe her eyes, her hands still in Blake's. "Will do." Ruby glanced over Blake's shoulder, and saw the bouquet of flowers on the makeshift tombstone Blake had erected. "Well, actually, can I have a few of those flowers? I wanted to do something special for Yang and since those flowers meant so much to you and her…" Ruby asked.

Blake blinked in surprise. "Um… yeah, sure. Do you want some fresh ones, or will a couple of these ones work?"

"Two or three should be fine, it shouldn't take very many for what I want to do. Just a small sort of tribute to my big sister, you know?" Ruby explained. Blake pulled a few of the nightshade flowers out of the bouquet, and held them out for Ruby. "Thank you, Blake." Ruby hugged the faunus girl again, before backing away. "I'm going to go start working on it now, thank you so much for the flowers."

"Anytime, Ruby." Blake replied. "I'm going to go apologize to Weiss; I wasn't very polite to her last night even though she was trying to help me. Do you want to walk back together?"

Ruby shook her head. "Sorry, but I really wanna get started on this as soon as possible." Ruby explained, holding up the flowers before putting them in the small bag at her hip. "I'll see you later Blake, bye!"

Blake smiled and waved goodbye as the young redhead disappeared in a flurry of rose petals and disturbed leaves. "I wonder what she's making." Blake pondered as she returned to camp to search for Weiss.

* * *

Nora was quietly sleeping in her small bed in the medical tent, dreaming of her past adventures with Ren when she felt a hand gently shake her shoulder. As her eyes fluttered open she muttered a soft protest. "Ren, let me sleep in today." But as her eyes focused in the bright light she found, not Ren, but Ruby Rose looking down at her. "Ruby?" Where's Ren?" Nora looked around. "Is he sleeping somewhere else? Usually he sleeps with me." She rubbed her eyes. "Have you seen him?"

Ruby felt a twinge in her heart, realizing that Weiss and Pyrrha weren't exaggerating in their report to professor Ozpin about Nora being in extreme denial about Ren's death. Ruby could see it in Nora's eyes; they were empty, devoid of conscious thought, clinging to a false past. But she needed to break Nora out of this prison that her mind has concocted to protect her from the truth in order to move forward with her plan. Ruby leaned in close, whispering in Nora's ear. "Ren is dead. He was killed." Ruby heard Nora begin to voice her protests against that fact. "He died protecting you," Ruby continued, still whispering, "and it's all CRDL's fault."

Ruby straightened up, looking down into Nora's eyes. There was a flicker of light in Nora's eyes for the briefest of moments as her mind registered what Ruby had said. "It was CRDL's fault?" Nora whispered.

"Yes. Because of CRDL, Ren is dead, and Yang too." Ruby answered, still whispering.

Then, for the first time since Ren's death, her eyes came into focus. "Ren and Yang? They're both dead?" Nora felt her heart pounding, her delusion finally shattering as Ruby's words ripped it apart around her. Nora had Yang had been good friends, somehow always getting along splendidly despite their personality differences. Her eyes narrowed. "CRDL." The word had a startling amount of hate and venom in it.

"CRDL. I think they should be punished. Are you with me, Nora?" Ruby asked, putting just as much venom and hate into the team's name as Nora.

Nora nodded, and the look of pure malice on her face. That look would've frightened Ruby at any other time, but at the moment, she had the exact same look on her face.

* * *

Nora crouched behind CRDL's tent, waiting for Ruby's signal. Ruby had a plan and Nora was glad for it. Anything Nora came up with would've been a very straightforward plan that would've mostly likely resulted in Nora's arrest, at best. But Ruby's plan had the touch of elegance that a leader should have and Nora immediately agreed to it. Nora was feeling restless and wanted to move, but she knew that she had to stay down and out of sight while keeping watch. Her patience paid off a couple hours later when she heard four distinct muffled thuds coming from the inside of the tent. She smiled, and turned around to lift the bottom of the back side of the tent and slipped under and in.

Ruby was standing there, the convulsing bodies of team CRDL lying silent on the floor of the tent around her. Ruby smiled as she turned to close the flap, cutting off the view from anyone outside. Nora looked at each member of team CRDL as their eyes darted around sightlessly and they mumbled incoherently, flopping around on the ground. "What did you do to them?" Nora asked, crouching and poking Cardin Winchester's face in curiosity.

"I got some nightshade flowers from Blake." Ruby explained. "I ground it up and put it in their drinks before they woke up." Ruby was moving between the members of team CRDL, tying their arms and legs together and gagging them.

"Poison, huh?" Nora paused in the act of throwing Cardin over her shoulder. "Is Blake helping with this plan then?"

"No, I didn't tell her. The less people that know, the better." Ruby explained, helping Nora throw Sky Lark over her other shoulder, Nora's immense strength shouldering the load easily.

As Nora waited for Ruby to lift the back of the tent to scout out their surroundings, she asked, "Why ask me for help then, and not do it yourself?"

Ruby signaled that the coast was clear, and Nora followed her out. "Because I'm not strong enough to carry them on my own." Ruby glanced at Nora as they began running towards the forest. "And I knew you would understand the same need for revenge I feel."

Ruby's honesty made Nora laugh. "Good point." Nora replied as they ran as fast as they could towards the nearby forest without attracting attention. After they got in just past the edge undetected, they dropped their captives and went to fetch the other two members of CRDL. Fifteen minutes later, Nora and Ruby arrived with the other half of CRDL and began tying them together into one chain of people, feet to hands.

"All done!" Nora announced. "Where to now?"

"This way, I found the perfect place." Ruby led the way into the depths of the forest.

"Okay~" Nora sang.

* * *

Weiss and Pyrrha were leaving the mess tent when they encountered Blake, who was wearing a kimono and the orange scarf that was her keepsake of Yang. Weiss stiffened, nervous at how Blake may react to seeing her. Her fears were groundless as Blake simply embraced her gently and apologized for her behavior the night before, which sparked a back and forth of apologies as Weiss insisted it was understandable and Blake insisted her behavior was inexcusable as a teammate. Their silly argument ended with them embracing again, and with Pyrrha as well. Weiss broke the hug, asking "We're about to go check on Ruby and Jaune, would you care to join us?"

"Ruby? I just saw her down by the creek; I don't think she's in the medical tent anymore." Blake explained.

"She left? Ugh, how did I miss her again!" Weiss complained.

"Its okay, Weiss. She probably just went to your team's tent." Pyrrha soothingly replied.

"Team tents?" Blake asked.

"Professor Ozpin had tents set up for teams to stay in." Weiss mentioned as she gestured towards a large sprawl of smaller tents.

"I see. Why don't you two go check there then? I wanna walk around a little more," Blake suggested.

"Sure. We'll see you at our tent later, okay?" Pyrrha responded, walking off towards the tents with Weiss.

"Bye." Blake waved a small goodbye. She was beginning to get curious about the circumstances of her team leader, Ruby Rose. Why would she ask Blake for help doing something for Yang, but not Weiss? Weiss was her partner and a teammate of Yang's as well. Blake decided the best way of finding Ruby would be to try to follow the smell of nightshade flowers through the camp, as the chances of anyone else having them were next to nothing.

* * *

Nora and Ruby were trudging through the forest with Ruby leading the way while Nora dragged team CRDL behind her through the dirt and brush. "Are we nearly there, Ruby? We've been walking for hours now." Nora asked, not tired so much as she was bored at the long journey.

"We're here, actually. It's this clearing right here." Ruby hopped into a grassy clearing just ahead of Nora. "Throw them in the center, there." The clearing was a simple, large, and grassy area devoid of trees with small cliff side rising above. At the far side was dark maw of a cave in the side of it that the girls couldn't see in to.

Nora unceremoniously tossed team CRDL into the center of the clearing with no regard to their well being. She did, however, notice Cardin's glare and grunting complaints. "Hey, it looks like the poison wore off of Cardin!" Nora jumped and plopped down on the grass next to him. "How ya doin' sleepyhead?"

Cardin struggled to break his bonds, grunting and moaning into the gag in his mouth. "Is he trying to say something?" Ruby asked, stepping closer. "Let's take the gag out and see what he has to say for himself." Ruby reached down and viciously tore the cloth gag from his mouth, earning a grunt of pain from Cardin.

"What the hell are you doing? Let me loose!" Cardin immediately yelled.

"Nope. You get to stay right there." Nora said playfully, rolling Cardin around with her foot.

As Cardin continued to struggle with the ropes binding him, Ruby began explaining. "Well you see, because you and your team," Ruby waved her hand over the still unconscious members of Cardin's team, "abandoned your post at Beacon, my sister and many others died."

"Like my Ren." Nora whispered in Cardin's ear, frightening him, as he had not seen her creep up on him.

"We were fighting an army, it made sense to run, everyone should've!" Cardin tried to justify his cowardice with coward's logic, which only infuriated Ruby and Nora.

Ruby furiously stuffed the cloth gag bag into Cardin's mouth, explaining "You're going to want to keep this in so you don't bite your tongue. Nora, will you do the honors?"

"My pleasure." The dark tinge to Nora's voice was enough to make Cardin shudder in fear. Nora reached behind her and pulled out Magnhild, extending the weapon to its hammer form. Cardin tried to wiggle away, but his futile effort was rewarded with Nora's hammer smashing down onto his left knee, shattering the bones.

* * *

Blake heard a scream of unadulterated pain coming from deeper in the woods. She was rushing through the trees more slowly than normal because she was wearing a kimono rather than her normal attire. She had not found any trace of Ruby during her walk, but had caught a whiff of nightshade as she passed team CRDL's tent. Suddenly worried at Ruby's intentions, she entered the tent to find spilled drinks on the floor and no team CRDL. She did smell Ruby and Nora's scents though, which only made her worry more. She found the scents led to the forest, and immediately began following the six human scents through the forest. The smell of nightshade had faded, indicating to Blake that the flowers had been either left behind or ingested. She was beginning to suspect ingested.

As she rushed through the trees she heard a second scream of pain from the same voice she heard earlier, which she was beginning to recognize as Cardin. Blake began to get an idea of what had happened- Ruby had most likely tricked CRDL into drinking something made with the flowers Blake had given her and rendered them either unconscious or hallucinating. Nora then carried them into the woods, and the two girls were beginning to do… something. "Why though?" Blake wondered out loud.

As Blake approached the source of the screams she slowed her pace and quietly crept closer through the trees, happening upon a strange scene. Ruby and Nora were standing above a terrified team CRDL, Nora with weapon in hand. In front of the pair of girls was a screaming Cardin. It wasn't difficult to see why- Cardin's legs had been shattered, bent at places they weren't meant to bend. The rest of his team looked terrified with a hint of groggy, indicating to Blake that they were awakened by Cardin's screams.

As Cardin's screamed finally settled into pained whimpers, Blake's sensitive faunus ears could hear Ruby start talking. "You see Cardin- you ran away from a fight a got my sister killed. And Ren. And many others. And now, I think it's time someone ran away from a fight and left you to try to fend for yourselves." In one swift motion, Ruby unsheathed, extended, and swung Crescent Rose at Cardin, cutting the ropes binding him, freeing his arms and legs and separating him from his teammates. Blake couldn't believe the menacing voice she was hearing belonged to Ruby, who only this morning seemed to still be the innocent girl she remembered.

"Now, you seem to have a slight handicap in a fight now, so we recommend trying to free your teammates. All that screaming you did seems to have attracted some unwanted attention." There was a skittering sound from the far side of the clearing, in the direction of the dark cave entrance. Something was moving inside the cave. "It seems that a fight is about to start. Looks like it's time for us to go."

"After all, it makes sense to run from a big, scary Grimm, right?" Nora finished, putting her weapon back onto her back. She turned with Ruby and left without another word, running back through the forest towards the camp.

Blake watched them leave and waited until they were out of earshot before leaping down from her perch in the trees to land at the edge of the clearing where CRDL resided. Cardin saw her and yelled for help. "You have to help me! Please! I don't want to die!" Blake could only watch with morbid curiosity as Cardin attempted to crawl towards her with just his arms, his legs dragging uselessly behind him. His teammates were struggling on the ground, their pleading gazes alternating between Cardin and Blake, clearly begging for help. The skittering noise from the cave was getting louder.

"So you'd rather crawl away and leave your teammates than try to help them out so they could help you?" Blake asked.

"Please just help me!" Cardin pleaded, ignoring Blake's question. His cry for help was punctuated by the emergence of a Deathstalker from the entrance to the cave clicking its pincers menacingly and hissing.

"As much as I think you deserve it, I don't want to kill you, Cardin." Blake said, crouching down in front of him.

"Thank you so much. Please, you have to hurry." Cardin had tears of both pain and relief falling from his eyes.

Blake put her fingers under Cardin's chin and lifted his head so he could look her in the eyes. "But that doesn't mean I'm going to save you." Blake let go of Cardin, dusting her hand off on her side as if she had just touched something filthy. Looking down at Cardin, who had frozen in shock, she turned and casually strolled away into to forest, ignoring the screams coming from behind her as the Deathstalker charged at its helpless prey.


	4. Chapter 4: The Rose's Flight

Professor Ozpin was strolling through the tents he had organized for his students, greeting students and providing words of assurance as he made his way through the camp looking for the tent that had belonged to team CRDL. He had hoped that the years at Beacon would have assisted the less-than-stellar boys of CRDL with growing up and improving their personalities to match their physical strength, but it seems that it wasn't meant to be. Their poor behavior was most likely a contributing factor to the failure of Beacon's defense, but at the same time Ozpin couldn't exactly blame the attacks on Beacon and other places around the world on them. He figured that while he couldn't blame CRDL, he could certainly discipline them harshly. After asking each of the students he spoke to what direction CRDL's tent was, Ozpin eventually found himself standing in front of a tent with a piece of masking tape labeled "CRDL" stuck to the side of the entrance flap. "Team CRDL, this is Professor Ozpin. A word, if you please."

Hearing no response, Ozpin repeated himself with a little more volume. Still receiving no response, and becoming ever so slightly annoyed, Ozpin grumbled, "I'm coming in." Ozpin pulled aside the tent flap and stepped in, straightening up inside the tent. Instead of encountering team CRDL however, he found himself inside an empty tent. Looking around, he noticed small things around the tent that were just ever so slightly out of place- unfinished food, a spilled drink that was dripping off of the box that he presumed they were using as a makeshift table, scattered and unorganized sleeping pallets, scuffed and scraped floors- all signs of either a struggle, or some other physical exertion that wasn't standard behavior.

Ozpin stepped back out of the tent, changing his destination. He once again began speaking to the students, answering questions where he could, and consoling where needed. At the same time, he asked if they had seen CRDL, or were aware of their whereabouts. It saddened him that upon hearing CRDL's name, nearly all of the students reacted with poorly disguised fear or disgust. It was unfortunate that any of his students were regarded like that, but he supposed that they had earned that reputation through their own actions. His questioning yielded him no results however, as nearly everyone Ozpin spoke to answered that CRDL had been in their tent, and had generally avoided leaving the tent altogether without need ever since their arrival the day behavior. With this new information, he changed his search from team CRDL to the girls from this morning- Weiss and Pyrrha. But he still kept a lookout for CRDL, just in case.

* * *

Ruby and Nora walked through the woods back in silence, the journey going much more quickly without the burden that was team CRDL. If they kept this pace up, they would be back well before lunch, to Nora's delight. But as the edge of the forest came into sight, Nora reached out in front of her to grab onto Ruby's sleeve. Ruby turned her head towards Nora with a "Hmm?"

"I'm sorta wondering what the next step to this plan of yours is. I've been thinking about it the whole way back so far, and I can't quite imagine how we're going to explain this one away." Nora was speaking uncharacteristically slowly, Ruby thought. But then again, Ruby suspected that she and Nora were changed forever, after yesterday. "Don't get me wrong, I think what we did was totally what they deserved and stuff, but I'm not entirely sure other people may see it that way. We might be in a bit of trouble, you know?" Nora continued.

"I know," Ruby said confidently. "Which is why there is more to the plan. And you're going to have to trust me."

Nora stopped walking. "Do you really have to say that? Of course I trust you." Nora looked Ruby in the eyes as she turned around. "But I don't think I'm going to like this next part of the plan anyway, huh?"

Ruby nodded. "I need you to lie to Professor Ozpin, and my team, and your team, and everyone else."

"What? Lie about what? That we did this?" Nora asked, completely sure that a plan like that would fail.

"Nope. I need you to lie that _you _did this." Ruby corrected. "Blame everything on me, and tell a story of how you tried to stop me."

"No way! I'm not abandoning you to some punishment while I go free!" Nora complained, resolute in her loyalty to her friend.

"I won't be getting punished; I'm leaving and running away." Ruby interrupted before Nora could continue with her complaints.

"You're…leaving?" Nora asked softly. "After everything that's happened, you're leaving? What about your team? My team? Your friends? Weiss will be devastated! And Blake, and Jaune, a- and I can't see any good reason for you to leave alone!" Nora was out of breath; her voice had been escalating in volume.

"I know this is terrible timing. But I can't deal with seeing everyone right now. I pretended to be asleep this morning so I wouldn't have to talk to Weiss, and I avoided everyone else. I even only spoke to Blake because I had too. I'm sure that someday I'll come back, but right now, losing Yang and then having to deal with everyone else is too much for me to handle." Ruby's short speech was impassioned, and to Nora it sounded like Ruby was trying to convince herself as well.

"Ruby, you're a team leader, and a very good one. You can't give up and abandon your team like this! You said you would be the best you could be as a leader, remember? And after we get back, we can take the fight to whoever those soldiers were- for Yang, for Ren, and for everyone else." Nora tried to reason with Ruby the same way Ruby broke Nora out of her denial- a desire for revenge.

Nora's effort was in vain, however. Ruby shook her head, "I know its selfish and whatever, but I need to get away. And this also works for you, because if we both go back, then there's no way you would get your chance at revenge on the soldiers, right?" Ruby explained, turning Nora's own logic against her. "Someone would figure out what we did eventually, and then we would both be in trouble. So please, let me do this, okay? If I'm leaving anyway, at least use me for something."

Nora was beginning to tear up, unwilling to lose someone else, but understanding nonetheless. "Okay," She sniffed, "fine. You win, again." Nora reached out and gave Ruby a bone crunching bear hug. "You better come back, okay?"

Ruby nodded as Nora pulls back. "I will. Someday." Ruby looked in the direction of the camp. "Tell them you saw me and tried to stop me, but couldn't and then I ran away, alright? Simple stories are best."

Nora nodded. "I will. Goodbye, Ruby." Nora turned back, and jogged the rest of the way out of the forest, leaving Ruby standing alone amidst the trees.

Ruby turned the opposite direction and was about to leave when she heard a voice from up above her. "You're really going to leave without at least saying goodbye to any of us?" Ruby jumped, not expecting anyone to have been nearby. She calmed down quickly though, recognizing the voice of her teammate.

Ruby looked up to find Blake sitting with her legs crossed on a thick branch above her, looking as calm and composed as ever. "Hey there Blake." Blake shifted her weight, and as she slipped down off the tree she uncrossed her legs, landing on both her feet quiet as… well, a cat. "I was hoping I could get away without anyone noticing. Are you going to try to stop me too?"

Blake shook her head. "No, I know better than to try to convince you to change your mind," she smiled. "You're like Yang in that respect." Ruby gave a small grin at the comparison. "It's not your fault, you know. I don't blame you, and I'm sure Yang wouldn't either."

"It still feels like my fault though. If I had been stronger…" Ruby replied.

Blake hugged Ruby, holding her tight. "I know how you feel, Ruby. I know." Blake gave the younger girl another squeeze before softening her embrace enough to bring a hand up to comb some of Ruby's hair out of the way, then planting a kiss on her forehead. "I'll back up Nora's story for you so it doesn't sound so suspicious, okay? She's not the best actress," Blake giggle.

Ruby tensed up. "You… know what we did?"

"I watched the tail end of it, yes."

Ruby stayed silent for a few moments. "…and?"

Blake raised one eyebrow. "And what?"

"No scolding, no praise, no nothing?"

Blake let out a small sigh. "I think that what you two did isn't entirely my style. I didn't even think of attacking them. But I don't really disagree with your choice either. We each deal with our grief differently, I suppose." Blake turned her head towards the edge of the forest, her ears twitching. "Nora's out of the forest now." Blake looked down at Ruby. "Do… you want me to tell Weiss about this?"

Ruby shook her head. "No, I don't think she should know. While I'm sure she would've even helped if I'd asked, I can't do that to her. Let her think I've done something wrong and run away. I'll tell her someday."

"She'll be heartbroken without you, you know."

"Will you try to comfort her? Please?"

"I'll do my best, Ruby."

"Thank you." Ruby hugged Blake, surprising the faunus girl. Stepping back, Ruby finished by saying "I'm going to go now, before anyone else finds me. Goodbye, Blake." And then Ruby was gone, leaving only a few rose petals, already dissipating into nothingness, and a hint of the scent of roses behind.

"Goodbye, Ruby."

* * *

Weiss was sitting in her tent, alone. She had found her team's tent with Pyrrha a short while earlier after breakfast, and was disappointed to find no Ruby in sight, or even a sign that Ruby had been in the tent at all, as all the sleeping bags and other supplies were still stacked neatly in the center of the tent. Pyrra was in team JNPR's tent, which was next to RWBY's, with Jaune. Returning to the medical tent had revealed that Nora had woken up and disappeared somewhere, and Jaune was awake and about to leave. The three students had returned to their tents, keeping an eye out for their fellow teammates, but they had no such luck in finding any of them. Weiss had settled for waiting in her tent for Blake and Ruby's eventual return, and was patiently waiting and tending to her nails.

While waiting, Weiss heard a voice that sounded familiar asking for Pyrrha next door, and so stood up and poked her head outside. Directing her gaze towards JNPR's tent, Weiss found herself looking at Professor Ozpin's back. Pyrrha stepped out of the tent, Jaune not far behind her, answering Ozpin's request for an audience. Ozpin turned around, and saw the young heiress' head sticking her head out of the tent. "Miss Schnee, excellent timing. I need to speak with you and Miss Nikos here. Shall we step over here?" He held his hand out towards a small opening behind the tents, away from the other students.

"Um, yeah. Sure." Weiss answered, caught off guard. She followed behind Ozpin, who led the students behind the tents.

"Is something wrong, Professor?" Pyrrha asked when they came to a stop.

"I've gone to speak to team CRDL about their… behavior." Ozpin started.

Weiss interrupted, saying "And did you punish them? Are they being sent away? Are-"

Ozpin stared at Weiss until she stopped talking. "No, they are not being punished." He held up his hand to forestall the complaints the students were about to raise, and judging by the look of disbelief on their faces and their open mouths, they were ready to voice protests. "Team CRDL is not being punished because it seems they have disappeared. I cannot find them, and none of the other students are aware of their whereabouts either." The three students in front of them looked incredulous. "And so, I find that in light of our earlier conversation, I must ask: Did you confront CRDL?"

"What? No! You told us we weren't allowed to, and we've been in our tents ever since we ate breakfast!" Pyrrha responded strongly.

"Professor, I am offended that you think students such as ourselves would disobey such an order and-" Weiss added, but was again interrupted by Ozpin holding up a hand.

"I am not accusing you girls. Just asking. There appears to have been a struggle in their tent. And I've spoken to all the other students except for your two teams." Ozpin explained. "I will need to continue looking for them at another time. I will be sending out an announcement that there will be an assembly where I will be talking to the students in half an hour. It will be in the clearing on the east side of the camp." He turned and began walking away. "Make sure you bring the rest of your teammates if you can."

Weiss and Pyrrha looked at each other, shrugging at the strangeness of the situation, while Jaune scratched his head in confusion. "You think Cardin and his band of fools ran away again?" Weiss asked Pyrrha.

"With them, who knows?" Pyrrha replied, indifferent to the health of CRDL. "Do you want to come over and wait with us in our tent?"

Weiss nodded in response. "Yes, sure." Weiss followed the other two students into their tent, where they talked and continued relaxing until needed.

* * *

True to his word, half an hour later there was a series of announcements from Glynda Goodwitch over a megaphone, ordering the students to the east clearing. On the way to the clearing, they came across Blake, who was coming from the direction of the forest. "Blake! Where have you been?" Weiss asked when Blake's path intersected with theirs.

Blake gave Weiss a reassuring smile, but Weiss swore she saw a fleeting hint of sadness in her expression for the briefest of moments. "It's a long story, I'll tell you later. I heard Professor Goodwitch's announcement, do you know what it's about?"

Weiss shook her head while Pyrrha responded, saying "Professor Ozpin didn't tell us when we spoke to him."

"I see." Blake then gave the other three students a look over, looking at their dirty, rumpled outfits that they had been wearing for the last couple days. "Have you guys not cleaned up at all? You look… dirty." Jaune looked down at his outfit, jeans and his favorite sweater, and shrugged, not at all too concerned with his appearance at the moment. Weiss and Pyrrha though, looked down at their outfits, their faces flushing lightly with embarrassment at the state of their clothing and their cleanliness.

"Well- I- you see-" Pyrrha stuttered nervously, not entire sure how to respond. "We've had more pressing matters to attend to, that's all." Pyrrha finished, with a note of determination, fully expecting Blake to accept that answer and not pursue the embarrassing matter further.

"Wait, Blake where did _you_ clean up?" Weiss asked, avoiding answering why she, an heiress who was meticulous with her cleanliness, was dirty and unkempt. "And where did you get a change of clothes? It didn't even occur to me earlier that you were wearing a different outfit."

Blake pointed off to a tent on the far side of the camp. "When the citizens of Vale heard of the attack on the school, they came out in droves to help with donations of all sorts of supplies- clothes, food, sleeping supplies. That's where I got this" Blake motioned down her body at the kimono she was wearing. "I also bathed in the creek not far from here, since there really aren't showers or baths here. I hung my clothes up to dry there too."

Pyrrha and Weiss stared at Blake, shocked that they hadn't thought to practice some simple hygienic activities like she had. Pyrrha broke the silence, asking "Could… you show us to this tent and creek?"

"There isn't anyone else at the creek, is there?" Weiss asked, nervous about someone peeping at her during a bath."

"I doubt it. It's a good distance away and there weren't any footprints or scents that I noticed." Blake assured her. "I'll take you guys later, alright?"

"I take it I'm not invited to this little bathing session of yours?" Jaune asked jokingly.

"I don't mi-"

"No." Weiss interrupted Pyrrha. "_No._" She repeated for emphasis. Pyrrha pouted. Jaune laughed.

"Let's go to the assembly then, shall we?" Blake smiled, and then started off to the east clearing.

* * *

Ozpin stood on the back of a large truck that he had asked a soldier to drive to the clearing so that he had a platform from which to speak from. He watched as his students entered the clearing from every direction- the students' tents where they were resting, the mess tents where they were eating, or wherever else they happened to be in the encampment. He once again had his cup in his hand, filled with hot chocolate, courtesy of Glynda. He continued standing tall, waiting for the students to fill the clearing in their standard assembly formation. He noted, with a hint of sadness, the empty spaces in the students' formations, grim reminders of the recent attack.

Soon enough the students had lined up and it had been a few minutes since any had walked in, so Professor Ozpin assumed that all the students in the encampment were gathered here. Running his eyes over the crowd, he noticed with some trepidation that he saw neither team CRDL nor Ruby Rose in the crowd. Resolving to investigate the matter later, He called the students to attention, and braced himself to begin his speech.

His voice easily carried through the crowd. "Students of Beacon, thank you for coming here today. I gathered you all here to try to give you what information I have, in addition to another announcement afterwards." Ozpin paused for breath. "My information suggests that the soldiers who attacked us, and other places around the world, are from Vacuo." The students began whispering and mumbling to each other, having finally learned who their attackers were, and surprised that other places around the world were also attacked and not just Beacon, or even just Vytal. "We don't yet know why they attacked, but our school, along with other schools for huntsman and huntresses around the world, were attacked. Other places that were attacked include many military bases and the few Fortresses left in the world."

The Fortresses were magnificent stone structures of all shapes and sizes scattered throughout the world, remnants of old civilizations, of when huntsman and huntresses needed shelter from the darkness on their journeys. With the growth of the great cities, the fortresses were falling into ruin, but a few were still maintained and used as bases and headquarters for traveling huntsman and huntresses in their fight against the Grimm.

Ozpin continued, "Which brings me to my announcements: The Vytal Council is convening soon to announce a formal declaration of war against Vacuo." This announcement was met with another stirring of whispers among the students. "In addition, with the destruction of Beacon Academy and nearly all of the other schools like ours, classes will no longer be in session. You will all be sent home. I have already received messages from some of your parents informing me that they are already on their way here. This evening I will be sending out messages to the rest of your families. Part of these instructions include requests for them to come and collect you, or if that isn't possible, they will give me permission to have someone escort you home safely." An excited murmur ran through the students at hearing that they would be able to go home. He noticed a fair number of students though, who did not look so pleased. "That is all I have for you. Are there any questions?" Immediately he saw a hand shoot up in the senior students' section of the formation. "Yes, Miss Schnee?"

Weiss stood up angrily, loudly asking, "You're sending us _home?"_ Weiss' voice was filled with poorly disguised surprise and anger.

"Yes, Miss Schnee. You are students, and it would not be prudent to keep you here," he gestured at the encampment around them, "when we are so ill equipped to continue teaching you in such a place. Until we have facilities to do so, there will be no lessons. If you and your families decide to do so, I'm sure you could move and transfer to any school of your choice that's still continuing lessons. I will of course write letters of recommendation explaining the situation."

"You misunderstand me, Professor. I don't want to go to a different school- I want to fight!" Weiss shouted.

Ozpin tried to placate the indignant heiress. "I'm sorry Miss Schnee, but I must insist that you go ho-"

"No! I will not go _home_. Beacon was my home! I may have been a student, but I am an adult, and I _will_ fight back!" Weiss finished, stomping her foot in finality.

The other students were silent in shock at hearing one of their own speak up at going back to the fight. Most wanted to leave, to go home with their families and wait out the war somewhere else, to leave the fighting to the professional huntsman, huntresses, and soldiers. Ozpin could see many of them disagreeing with the outspoken girl. But he also saw others who quite obviously were leaning towards joining the fight. "I understand your frustration, but-"

Ozpin was interrupted yet again, but this time by a red- headed role model student who had shot to her feet. "I agree with Weiss, Professor. We should be allowed to fight for our home, and not sent away to wait out a battle where our skills would be invaluable." Pyrrha's speech, on top of Weiss' speech and objection, had moved a number of students to stand up and join the ranks of the two girls in their desire to fight.

Ozpin looked at the standing members of the student body. He saw that the entirety of the remaining members of teams RWBY and JNPR had stood defiantly, in addition to Velvet Scarlatina, and a couple dozen other students. Then another couple dozen. And another. And soon, nearly half of the assembled students were on their feet. Ozpin could only sigh at the turn of events. "I suppose… I cannot stop you if you are that determined to join." Some of the standing students began to cheer, but Ozpin cut them off before they could get started. "However!" The students quieted down. "Only if you are of age. If you have not reached legal adult age, you will _not _be fighting." Several of the students began to protest. "This point is not negotiable." With disappointed chorus of grumbles, a large number of the students who had been standing sat back down, leaving only around three dozen students left standing.

"If you are choosing to volunteer to fight, stay here and come meet with me. The rest of you, you are dismissed, and free to…" he checked his watch," eat a marginally late lunch or go about your business, as long as you stay in the encampment. Some of your parents may be arriving this evening, so keep a lookout. No leaving without notifying me or Professor Goodwitch personally. Good day to you." Ozpin concluded his speech with a small wave, and the assembled students all filed away to wherever they wished to spend their time.

* * *

Weiss was thankful that Pyrrha had stood up with her to argue for their right to fight, she was sure that if it had been just her then no other students would've joined with her. At the moment though, she did not particularly care if any other students joined her or not, because Ruby had not shown up for the assembly, and Weiss was getting worried. Looking around for Ruby hopefully, Weiss saw no sign of her partner. She did see that all the other students who did not wish to fight had left though, and Professor Ozpin motioned for the remaining students to follow him. Weiss and her fellow students trailed behind him towards the tent, curious and anxious.

Weiss heard Blake talking to someone behind her, and so she stopped walking and turned to see who her teammate was talking to, and to fall in beside her to talk. Blake caught up, with the quiet Velvet Scarlatina walking beside her. Weiss' eyes widened for a moment in shock when she saw that one of Velvet's ears was missing the top third of its length, and what remained was wrapped in gauze pads and bandages. She had other bandages as well peeking out from under her clothes here and there, but they didn't seem bother her very much. "Velvet dear, it's good to see you're safe." Weiss reached out and lightly embraced Velvet before they started walking again.

Velvet grinned her thanks, replying "Safe, if not exactly in one piece." While pointing up at her missing ear. "I'm glad you got out as well." Weiss was glad to see Velvet trying hard to maintain her more playful demeanor that Blake and Yang had managed to tease out of her over the last two years, despite the circumstances. "I'm so sorry to hear about Yang and Ren." Velvet was looking at Blake as she said this, having developed a particularly close relationship with the cat faunus and her girlfriend over the years. Weiss turned away, making sure that her slight blush didn't show up inappropriately in this situation. It was an uncontrollable impulse as far as Weiss was concerned, after having heard Yang let slip in conversation during a late night team RWBY fireside chat that she and Blake had invited Velvet to participate in some of their more intimate activities from time to time. Ever since then, Weiss had blushed whenever she saw Yang and the rabbit-eared faunus together, or even heard both their names near each other in conversation. Blake had found it amusing enough to always laugh it off, and at times even bring up, but Weiss was positive this was not an appropriate time.

"I'm sorry to hear about your team too." Blake replied, holding Velvet's hand in an effort to comfort each other as they walked.

In answer to Weiss' puzzled look, Velvet explained that she was the only one of her team members to make it out of Beacon. Weiss, realizing Velvet was probably alone in her team tent, made her an offer. "I'm so sorry. Why don't you come stay in our tent? I would feel terrible, leaving you alone in your tent after that." Blake nodded her agreement with that arrangement.

"I'd love to, thank you." Velvet replied gratefully.

Any further conversation was cut off as Ozpin and the students arrived at the enormous command tent that Weiss and Pyrrha had been in earlier. The meeting, as far as meetings go, was short and unremarkable. Ozpin voiced his disapproval of their wish to fight, but followed that up by explaining he understood and would not force them to return home. He concluded by ordering them to return to the tent at sunrise tomorrow, and that he would have orders ready for them then, followed by a quick dismissal for the day, with orders to rest and recuperate the rest of the day as they saw fit.

Weiss turned to leave, desperate for a bath, but Blake grabbed her sleeve and stopped her from leaving. Velvet saw that they weren't leaving yet and halted her steps and waited by the entrance of the tent. When Weiss looked at Blake questioningly, Blake motioned for her to wait. Weiss saw that Nora had done the same thing to Pyrra and Jaune, to their puzzlement as well. After all the students had left, Nora noticed Weiss, Blake, and Velvet, and motioned them closer, leading everyone up to Professor Ozpin, who was facing away from them, looking at some more data on the mass of screens he had arranged along the walls of his tent.

"Um, Professor?" Nora asked, realizing that the headmaster was too absorbed in the screens to notice the students gathered behind him.

Ozpin turned at hearing Nora's voice, and looked down at her. "Ah, Miss Valkyrie. I apologize for my inattentiveness. I'm glad to see you are out of the medical tent. And I am sorry for your loss."

"Th-thank you, sir." Nora answered quietly.

"Now, to what do I owe the pleasure?" the headmaster asked.

"It's about Ruby, and team CRDL, sir." Nora's voice was quiet, and nervous.

If Professor Ozpin responded, Weiss didn't hear it because she was immediately up at the front of the group, voice raised, and bordering on frantic. "You saw Ruby? Where is she? I haven't been able to find her all morning, and- CRDL? Did CRDL do something to her? I swear, when I get my hands on them I'll-"

Blake put her hand on Weiss' shoulder, pulling her away from Nora, who was trying to back away from Weis and her barrage of questions. "Give her some time to speak, Weiss." Weiss backed down, Blake's calming touch having its desired effect.

"Sorry."

Ozpin gestured for Nora to continue. "Please continue. I've been looking for CRDL all morning as well. Do you know where they are?"

Nora was fidgeting nervously, clearly uncomfortable with what she about to reveal. "I- I uh, umm… I think," she looked up at Ozpin, then over at Weiss. "I think Ruby killed them."

Everyone's jaws dropped is disbelief at Nora's revelation. Surely this is some poor joke? Weiss thought, but Nora's watery eyes dispelled that notion. Though his jaw had not dropped, his cup of hot chocolate did stop on its journey to his mouth, leaving him holding the cup at an odd angle. "I'm sorry Miss Valkyrie, did you just say you think that Miss Rose killed team CRDL?"

"Y-yeah. I was, um, in the medical tent this morning and I thought I heard Ruby's voice in the hallway so I stopped to listen and uh I heard her mumbling something about how 'it's all CRDL's fault that Yang is gone' and some other things I couldn't hear and so I tried to follow her but then I saw her do her 'whoosh' thing," Nora waved her about animatedly to emphasize her point, " and I had no idea where she went and then I wondered around camp looking for her but I didn't have any luck and then later after that I saw her at the edge of the forest dragging something and then I tried to follow her again but I got lost and then I heard a scream and then I tried to find who screamed cause it sounded like a boy and then there was a Deathstalker and CRDL was tied up on the ground and there was screaming and-"

"Miss Valkyrie." Ozpin gently interrupted. "Pause. Take breaths. Talk slowly."

Nora took a few deep breaths. "Sorry." Ozpin nodded for her to continue. "But uh, yeah. I think what happened was that Ruby blamed CRDL for what happened to her sister, and tied them up and took them into the forest and left them for the Grimm. When I found them, they were…" Nora stopped there, leaving the others' imaginations to finish the story.

Everyone was shocked, but that was only the beginning, because Blake stepped forward. "I believe I have support for Nora's story as well." Nora looked at Blake with a look of surprise, and a not a small amount of worry, but no one saw that because they were all busy looking at Blake. "I think Ruby poisoned CRDL in order to carry them out to the forest. I had a bouquet of belladonna flowers this morning that I gathered for a gravesite, but a few of them were gone when I went to see them again." Blake explained to the faces around her, which appeared to have fallen into a permanent mask of shock and disbelief.

Jaune was the first to speak again. "No way, Ruby did that? That's just- no way. She was never cruel, she was always so chipper, doing her best to be a good person, to protect the weak!"

Weiss nodded in agreement. "Jaune's right, Ruby was never like this, there has to be another explanation." Nora was beginning to panic internally, worried that they may not believe her attempt at a cover up and investigate and discover the truth.

Pyrrha, however, provided a different take on the situation. "She just lost her sister. You heard her when we told her, she was inconsolable, and even you couldn't get her to calm down, Weiss. The doctors had to use sedatives. It's not out of the realm of reason to say that in her grief, her mind settled on CRDL as a scapegoat for the loss of her sister, and she sought revenge from there."

Nora was now panicking again, albeit for an entirely different reason now. She had taken Ruby's word that CRDL was at fault for Ren's death, what if she was wrong, and had only aided in a delusion? Velvet, who knew just as few facts as Nora, piped up with a question. "Wait, it was CRDL's fault that Yang didn't make it?"

"Not directly responsible as it were, but they were definitely a significant factor." Ozpin explained. "They ran away and left a gap in the school's defenses, which the Vacuoan soldiers took advantage of, leading to the chaotic retreat and subsequent collapse of the school."

Nora felt a wave of relief wash through her. Good, she thought. CRDL did deserve it. But Weiss brought up another topic. "Hold on, how did Ruby know about CRDL? She wasn't in a position to see them abandon us like I was, and as far as I know, none of us told her." The other students around her shook their heads, indicating they hadn't told Ruby.

Jaune came up with a possible answer, asking. "What if she was better than we thought she was this morning? Maybe she followed you to the tent went you were telling your story to Professor Ozpin?"

Weiss' face lost what little color it had. "Oh no. I think Jaune's right. One of the doctors told me that Ruby had woken up before me and was moving around just fine. And then as we," Weiss pointed at Pyrrha and herself, "were leaving this tent, I swore I smelled a rose or something. She must've eavesdropped on us."

Ozpin turned to the screens behind him, pulling out his scroll. He flicked through the scroll, eventually pulling up Ruby Rose's folder. He flagged her as a fugitive, and armed as dangerous. Ozpin turned back to the students. "This information is not to be spread to any other students, understood? The proper authorities will handle this. I will send Professor Oobleck out scouting to see if we can find what direction she went. Do not attempt to search for her or contact her yourselves." He looked pointedly at Weiss. "I understand she's your partner, but you chose to fight in this war. If you still wish to do so, then you cannot leave. If you wish to leave now and search for Ruby on your own time, I will not take the time to give you special treatment." Ozpin's voice had changed, going from a gentle professor and headmaster to the harder, more serious voice of a military commander. His voice softened slightly, knowing that Weiss was most likely feeling incredibly conflicted with the revelations about her partner. "When we find Miss Rose, she will be brought to me. After that, you will be allowed to talk to her. Is that a reasonable compromise?"

"Yes. Thank you." Weiss sniffed on the verge of tears.

"Good. Now, as I said. Go rest, relax. Tomorrow, training and assignments begin, and I have work that needs to be done before then." Ozpin shooed the student out of his tent, and went back to his work.

"This has been a really bad couple of days, you know?" Weiss complained softly to Blake. "First we lose Ren, then Yang, and now Ruby's a murderer on the run. What's happening to our teams?"

"We don't have teams anymore Weiss. No more school, remember?" Blake teased. "Just us friends, now."

"Yeah, I suppose that's true." Weiss conceded. She was about to ask for more details about Blake's side of Nora's story, but was interrupted by the roaring of an airship engine as it roared overhead towards the landing zone. "And just when I thought this weekend couldn't possibly get any worse," Weiss groaned.

Blake arched her eyebrow questioningly at Weiss, who pointed at the airship- an airship bearing the symbol of the Schnee Dust Company. "My father's here."


	5. Chapter 5: The World Changed Today

Weiss watched with some trepidation as the Schnee airship landed in the nearest clearing. "So Blake, do you think that my father bothered to come himself, or do you think he only sent his servants?" Weiss' voice was dripping with distaste for her father. Blake remembered when Weiss was proud of her father's company, if not her father, but the years had turned that pride into annoyance and then disgust, leading to an escalation of her conflicts with her father. They hadn't spoken in nearly two years, since a couple months after Weiss first entered Beacon Academy. Even during vacations, Weiss had opted to instead join Blake in visiting Yang and Ruby's home, and their father. The sisters' father owned a large house, settled in an enormous plot of land covered in a huge variety trees and flowers and other foliage.

Velvet looked over at Weiss, asking "You don't get along with your father?"

Blake actually laughed out loud for a breath. "That's an understatement. The last time they talked two years ago was a fight to remember, and that that was only over a scroll. I can't wait to see what happens in person."

Weiss rolled her eyes. "Thanks for your support, Blake."

Blake gave Weiss a small smile. "Oh, you know I'm here if you need me, Snow Angel." Blake knew Weiss resented Yang's nickname for her.

Any further conversation was cut short as the side door of the ship opened, allowing a duo of well dressed men in fine butler's attire to exit trough the doorway. Following behind the two was a man in a crisp, light grey suit, with short, silvery hair that was slicked back cleanly. He was just a hair under six feet tall, with a hard face and lightly tanned skin that was only just beginning to show signs of aging with the start of some wrinkles around the eyes. Blake and Velvet assumed that this man was Weiss' father, owner and CEO of the Schnee Dust Company, and glancing at Weiss and seeing her glare was enough to support their assumption- this man was Kälte Schnee. Kälte scanned the crowd as his two servants situated themselves behind and on either side of him, ready to act on his wishes. His eyes soon found Weiss, and he directed one of his attendants towards her as he waited next to the now landed airship. Blake would've had to been blind to not see Weiss' nostrils flare in anger as the servant approached, the gathered crowd parting to make way for the approaching young man.

The servant stopped in front of the trio of girls, before bowing at a precise thirty degree and placing one hand over his heart as a salute. "Lady Schnee, your father requests that you accompany him back to Schnee Manor." He maintained his bowing position, waiting for Weiss to begin walking so he could follow behind.

Weiss couldn't see herself, but she was certain that if she could see herself she would have steam coming off of her in her rage. "Well," Weiss began, "you can tell my father that if he wishes to _request_ something of me, he can come request it in person." Weiss' voice was ice by the time she was done speaking. The servant glanced up nervously, unsure of how her father would take such a response. "Well? Get on with it."

"…of course, my lady." The servant straightened up before walking briskly walking back towards his employer. As he arrived and conveyed Weiss' words, her father's composed face of a businessman reddened in anger. Looking up from the servant at Weiss, he strode purposefully towards his daughter, the two servants falling into place behind him and following along. The crowd gave the glowering CEO far more room than they did than when the servant had passed earlier. Weiss took up a defiant posture with her arms crossed, shoulders back, weight shifted mostly onto one leg.

"Weiss." Her father stopped in front of the heiress, looking down at his daughter and desperately trying to ignore the two faunas to her side. "You're coming home with me. Now."

"Good afternoon to you as well, father." Weiss replied. "And I'll be staying here. I have training to complete and a war to fight, for your information."

"You are the heiress to the Schnee name and company, and I cannot afford to have you off fooling around in some camp pretending to be a soldier." Kälte reached down and grabbed Weiss, yanking her by the wrist towards him.

Before he could take a step and start dragging his daughter along, he felt a sharp pain in his wrist, causing him to reflexively let go to cradle his wrist with his other hand in an attempt to soothe the blooming pain. He turned and looked back at his daughter, only to find Blake standing in front of her protectively. "You would dare attack me, animal?" Kälte raised a fist to strike out at the faunus girl standing in front of him.

He was forced to stop though, lest he impale himself on the point of Myrtenaster, the weapon's point suddenly uncomfortably close to piercing his throat. Weiss' voice was no longer ice as it was just moments ago; it now came out as fire. "If you raise a hand against my friends again, I will show what the _Schnee heiress_ can do." She pressed her weapon forward, forcing her father to step backwards with it as he lowered his hands. "You come and speak to me after two years, not worried as a father, but as a businessman. Wouldn't want the family to lose the business, right?" Weiss continued walking her father backward. "In less than twenty-four hours, I've lost my home, my classmates, my friends. I am _not_ going off to play soldier. I want revenge, and to fight for my home and loved ones." Kälte was having trouble backing up as fast as his daughter was walking forward. "But of course, what would _you_ know of loved ones? Mother left you years ago, and you probably wouldn't have noticed if the divorce hadn't cost you money. And despite my best efforts, you've managed to drive me to hate you too. It's impressive, your dedication to destroying your own family, it truly is." Weiss had driven her father all the way back to the airship he had arrived in, causing him to trip and fall into it because he was too worried about Myrtenaster to worry about watching where he was going. "If you don't mind, I have to get cleaned up. It would be much appreciated if you didn't bother us here again. Good day, _sir._" Weiss replaced her weapon at her hip and turned to the two servants who had been quietly following along, unwilling to interrupt the argument between the two Schnee family members. "And you two, excellent work. Please be sure to escort my father away from this encampment. Or at the very least, away from me." Turning on her heel, Weiss strode back to her friends. "I'm sorry for that… scene, there." Weiss tried to flatten some wrinkles out of her skirt. "Would you mind showing us where we could clean up, Blake?"

Blake nodded, a smile on her face. "Sure thing. Let's go find Pyrrha and Nora then grab a change of clothes first."

Kälte Schnee could only stare in shock as his daughter left him behind, an entire crowd of students and soldiers staring at the two. He stood up numbly, and motioned for the two servants to come aboard the ship and close the doors. The ship didn't take off though, only sat in the landing zone, door closed, hiding Kälte Schnee and his servants away from onlookers.

* * *

"That was certainly a show." Professor Ozpin had heard the airship landing and wandered outside to discover who it was, only to find Kälte and Weiss Schnee engaging in an argument.

"They could've handled it better, certainly, and maybe in a less public place." Glynda responded, having walked up beside Ozpin during the argument.

"Did I miss something interesting?" Both professors turned to find their colleague, Professor Oobleck, standing behind them.

"An interesting argument. Interesting, but not important." Ozpin answered while handing over a cup of coffee to Oobleck. "I need you to find Ruby Rose, by the way." Both the other professors looked at him curiously.

"Is she missing from camp?" Glynda asked.

Professor Ozpin nodded. "I've been given reason to believe she kidnapped and killed team CRDL in the forest, then fled and is now on the run." The matter-of-fact tone of his explanation conflicted with the severity of the news.

"Good for her. I never liked them anyways." Oobleck muttered as he sipped coffee.

"Professor!" Glynda exclaimed. Oobleck held up his hands in an attempt to avoid a scolding.

"Well, regardless of our feelings on the matter, I need you to look for her." Ozpin interjected.

"Yes, yes. I'll leave after this cup of coffee." Oobleck assured the others.

"Excellent. And Glynda, I need you to make some calls to bring I more experienced huntsman and huntresses to train the students who are staying." Ozpin said.

"Any in particular, or whoever is available?" Glynda asked, pulling out her scroll.

"I have a list in the tent."

"I'll go work on contacting them then." Glynda turned and entered the tent.

"Well, I'll begin searching for Miss Rose then." Oobleck added, taking one last swig from the coffee.

Ozpin took the empty cup back from Oobleck, and ordered "Search as much as you can, but be back around or before sundown. I have more I wish to discuss with you."

"Of course, headmaster." Then Oobleck disappeared into the direction of the forest, nothing more than a blur to most who managed to glimpse him.

* * *

Blake was leading the group of girls through the edge of the forest towards the creek she had bathed earlier that morning. Pyrrha had wanted Jaune to come along to bathe farther up the creek, but had been overruled by Weiss, Velvet, and Nora. As they neared the creek, Blake pointed forward. "It's just past the last bit of trees, over there." Moments later the group passed the last line of trees and they found themselves standing at the edge of a gently burbling creek, its shining surface reflecting the afternoon sunlight.

"It's pretty!" Velvet exclaimed as she admired the water. The water was shallow, barely coming up to their waists if they were to wade in. Velvet knelt down, running her hand through the water. "And it's not too cold, either." Velvet sounded gleeful.

Weiss spotted Blake's normal attire hanging off a long tree branch over the creek. Looking around, she found other branches they could use to hang up their clothes if they chose to wash them. Which of course Weiss did. After a bath. Walking down to the water's edge, Nora promptly began undressing and laying her clothes on a large rock. Weiss opened her mouth in shock. "Nora! Have you no decency?"

Nora looked back at Weiss, confused. "What's the problem? We're all girls here. This is just like a locker room shower. Without stalls. Outside." She Weiss up and down, pointedly staring at Weiss' chest for a few seconds before looking back up at her face. "Or are you embarrassed?" Nora finished with a smile.

Weiss brought her arms up to cover her chest. "Of course not you barbarian!" But her flushing face betrayed her, as the rest of the group giggled around her, the much needed laugh finally allowing them to release some of their built up tension.

"Come on Weiss, Let's just get clean." Pyrrha said with a smile, leading Weiss by the arm. Weiss huffed, but obliged and allowed herself to be led.

"I'm going to be over there while you guys get cleaned up, okay?" Blake informed the group while pointing past a bend in the creek. "I'll leave your change of clothes on these rocks here." She set down the clothes that she had been carrying in a bag at the base of one of the larger trees, before she started off towards the bend.

The others all thanked her as she walked away and they were all undressing and wading into the creek to begin their ministrations and cleaning. Seeing everyone without their clothes provided Weiss a view of more of the injuries they had been hiding beneath their clothes. Weiss herself had only some bruising and minor cuts, and was relatively undamaged compared to the others. Pyrrha had bad bruising in many of the areas her armor covered, likely an unfortunate effect of protecting her from attacks and explosions. Nora had scrapes and cuts covering much of her body, and her back had two large, painful looking bruises that looked suspiciously uniform, which made Weiss realize they were probably bruises from when Ren had pushed her out of the way of the collapsing ceiling with great force. Velvet had a surprising amount of damage, more than Weiss had initially thought; Velvet was not only the missing portion of one of her rabbit ears and few bandages Weiss had seen earlier, but nearly the entire left side of her torso, upper left arm, and upper left leg was covered in bandages. Everyone was shocked, and immediately asked her what had happened.

"These are all burns." Velvet explained. "I got caught in an explosion. I can't get in the water, because I'm not supposed to get these wet." She sat down on the edge of a rock, dangling her feet in the creek. "Could someone hand me one of those towels so I can wash myself?" Velvet asked sweetly. Weiss handed her a towel and the one soap bar they had, and saw Velvet wince as she reached up with her arm to grab the cleaning materials with thanks.

Nora didn't miss the wince, and offered "Velvet, just relax a moment and once I finish up really quick I'll help you wash so you don't hurt yourself, okay? Just lay back and relax."

Velvet blushed slightly, and Weiss saw her look in the direction Blake had walked, obviously preferring someone who had already been physically close to her to assist her. Seeing this caused Weiss to blush again. "Um, uh, okay. Thank you, Nora." Velvet saw Weiss blushing. "Are you okay Weiss?"

Weiss nodded, and then gave her head a vigorous shake to clear it. "Uh, it's nothing. Just remembered something." Weiss walked into the water before Velvet could have a chance to question her about it. Nora finished bathing and washing her clothes in just a few minutes, after which she waded over to Velvet and began using a towel to wash the areas Velvet had trouble reaching due to her injuries. Velvet began blushing furiously and closed her eyes, fully aware that Nora had elected to not clothe herself before assisting her. While Nora washed Velvet, Pyrrha grabbed Velvet's clothes and washed them for her, hanging them up next to her own.

Just a couple hours later, the girls had all finished bathing and washing clothes, and had hung them up to dry, dressing in the fresh clothes they had brought from the supply tent. Weiss had grabbed a pair of white slacks, with a very light sky blue blouse with shorter sleeves. Pyrrha was wearing blue jeans with a golden-yellow men's dress shirt, the top two buttons undone and sleeves rolled up to her elbows. Nora had elected for pink short shorts and a forest green tank top, reminding Weiss of a watermelon. Velvet had chosen of a pair of black sweatpants with a loose sweater, explaining that tighter clothes were painful to wear with her current injuries.

Once everyone was dressed, Weiss asked everyone "Has anyone seen Blake?" Everyone shook their heads. "She's probably still somewhere around the bend then. Let's go find her, okay?" The group of girls started walking along the edge of the creek in the direction they had seen Blake walking. They had only been walking a few minutes when they came across the adorable sight of Blake napping in a small patch of sunlight, curled up into a ball next to a stone protruding out of the ground with some blue and purple flowers on top. As they approached, Velvet reached out to stop them, pointing. Weiss thought at first that Velvet was pointing at Blake's twitching ears, but then Weiss saw that engraved carefully and neatly into the stone was the name "Yang Xiao Long." The group stopped walking, unsure of how to approach, but Nora continued walking forward toward Blake. Kneeling next to Blake, Nora gently tapped her shoulder, waking Blake up. Weiss could see faint lines shimmering on her face from the sunlight around Blake, the shining trails the only signs that tears had recently made their way down her face.

"Oh, is everyone done? I'm sorry, I fell asleep." Blake apologized as she sat up and wiped her face with the cuff of her kimono.

Nora hugged Blake, saying "No worries, we just finished." Nora then whispered something into Blake's ear that Weiss didn't hear, but Velvet must've heard her because her eyes widened slightly and her ears twitched.

Weiss leaned over, "What did she ask?"

Before Velvet could respond though, Blake had answered Nora's whispered question. "Of course, there's a bunch just over here." Blake led Nora to the water's edge nearby, and Nora jumped around, looking at large rocks. Picking one quickly, Nora bound back up to the rest of the group, laying her stone in the same patch of sunlight where the other one rested. She used another, smaller rock and began scratching something into the stone as she crouched over it. A few minutes later, she stepped back, and the rest of the group could see that this new stone had the name "Lie Ren" scratched into it, much less elegantly than Yang's name had been, but with no less love.

With small smiles on their faces, everyone bowed their heads in silence before the two stones, paying their respects to their fallen friends before leaving this idyllic piece of nature they had found to make their way back to their camp.

* * *

Professor Oobleck was standing in a forest clearing, looking at the multitudes of bloodstains and scraps of armor and clothing on the ground around him. The blood looked like it had only been here for a few hours, mostly likely spilled this morning as the headmaster said. The ripped and torn clothing wasn't consistent with damage that Crescent Rose inflicts though, which seemed to contradict the information he was given about Ruby Rose killing team CRDL. On the other hand, there were scraps of rope intermingled with everything else, supporting the information that the young huntress had kidnapped the four boys. "But if Miss Rose didn't kill them…" He heard skittering and hissing noises coming from the nearby cave, and turned to look at the source of the easily recognizable noise, and was rewarded with an emerging Deathstalker. Oobleck examined the Deathstalker as it charged, and noted the bloodstains and ripped clothing decorating its mouth and pincers. "Ah, there we go. Problem solved."

As the giant scorpion lunged with its claws at Oobleck, he vanished in a blur, leaving the pincers grasping at air. Before the Deathstalker could register the lack of prey in its grip, and blur of movement slammed into one of its legs on its right side, destroying the exoskeleton and buckling the leg. The Grimm scorpion responded by lashing out with its tail as it turned, hoping to smash and impale its attacker. The Deathstalker only managed to drive its stinger into the ground, momentarily trapping the tail. As it struggled to pull its tail back out, it felt its prey slam into its leg again, this time on its left, and then another one of its legs on the same side again before it could extract its tail and attempt to defend itself. Backing away clumsily, the Deathstalker was more interested in retreating from this unarmed yet terrifying huntsman than attacking him anymore.

Not interested in letting up his attack, Oobleck dashed forward before the Deathstalker could get its guard up and drove his clenched fist through one of its many eyes, burying his arm up to his elbow. With a wild screech, the Deathstalker brought its claws in front of it in an attempt to catch Oobleck, but he had already disappeared in a blur. Holding its claws in front of it to prevent further damage to its eyes, the Deathstalker continued backing away towards its cave. This only gave Oobleck the opportunity to attack the joints in the Deathstalker's arms without reservation, shattering the first joints as he repeatedly slammed his fists into them at high speed, shattering one and then the other, leaving them hanging limp and dragging on the ground as the Deathstalker continued to try to back away on its three remaining legs.

With the destruction of the Deathstalker's arms, Oobleck finally had a clean opening to attack the Deathstalker head on. Reinforcing his body with his aura, he smashed into the scorpion's skull plate, fists leading, and caved in the Grimm's skull. Oobleck pulled his arms back and took a few steps back as the Deathstalker convulsed on the ground. "Disgusting, truly disgusting." He shook his arms in an attempt to dislodge some of the scorpion's fluids and innards off of his arms, reluctant to wait the few minutes it would take for the Grimm's body to naturally dissolve away into nothing. The entire fight had taken only seconds, but to Oobleck's skewed sense of time it felt as if much time had been wasted. Returning to the clearing he gathered up what pieces of armor and clothing he could find and places them into a bag, and slung it over his shoulder. "Now to try and see what direction Miss Rose went." Oobleck started off into the woods, trying to find any sign of someone departing in a different direction.

* * *

Weiss was sitting in the mess tent with the others, cleaning her nails. She didn't have the proper materials earlier, but going through the donations from the city had proved fruitful and she was able to find what she needed to maintain her nails. The other girls were still eating, making idle chatter. Jaune had gotten directions from Blake on where to go to find the creek to clean since Pyrrha refused to let him hug her until he cleaned up. He would be back soon, but until then it was just the girls. Weiss blew on her nails, examining them; there were still a few spots she could clean up with better tools and more time, but for now what she had done would suffice. Some movement at the corner of her eye caught her attention, and Weiss looked up at Pyrrha to see her waving over a now clean Jaune, who had just entered the tent. Weiss and Pyrrha scooted over to make room for Jaune to sit next to them, but he stood behind Pyrrha instead.

He bent over slightly to place a quick kiss on Pyrrha's head. "Hey guys. You see the commotion outside?" Pyrrha snaked her arms up towards Jaune's, holding his arms affectionately as h placed his hands on her shoulders.

"What's going on outside?" Pyrrha asked as she held Jaune's hands.

"A bunch of big shuttles or buses or something are parked at the edge of camp. Professor Goodwitch is over there too." Jaune explained.

"Professor Ozpin did say some of our parents were coming, maybe they took transport from Vale?" Blake suggested.

"True. Should we go take a look?" Pyrrha stood up and took Jaune's hand, leading the way.

Blake looked at Weiss and shrugged. "You wanna go to support them? I know it's not like our parents are going to be there for us to meet." Weiss shrugged along with Blake, and then nodded.

"You don't think your parents are coming Blake?" Nora asked as she stood up to leave with the rest. "I think my father will definitely be out there, he's always been too overprotective of me."

"My parents passed away when I was a child." Blake explained. "So I'd be very surprised if they showed up, for more than one reason." Blake finished with a chuckle.

"Oh. Sorry."

"No worries. Shall we?" Blake led the remaining members of their little group out of the tent.

Upon exiting the tent, the small group could see a crowd of adults gathered outside of the shuttles, standing in a line in front of Professor Goodwitch, who was taking the names down to confirm identities of the parents. The parents that had already been cleared were standing apart from the rest, searching the camp for their children. Some had wandered away from the buses to search elsewhere, but it looked like most chose to remain near the buses, using it as an easy to find landmark for their students. One man stood above the rest, and Weiss, Blake, and Velvet felt that using the word "mountain" was an entirely accurately description for this man. Everything about this man just said _big_. He was nearly seven feet tall, with wide shoulders and bulging arms and had biceps thicker than Weiss' waist. His legs looked liked tree trunks, barely contained in the jeans covering them, and his feet left deep imprints in the ground when he walked. They could also see that he had a long, thick, tangled mane of hair and beard which was a mix of red and orange with hints of grey coming in. Both the hair and beard spilled down over an enormous belly that threatened to break the buttons of his flannel shirt making it difficult to see where one ended and the other began. His mountainous build made him a center of attention, with many students stopping to gawk at the giant of a man, who was searching the crowd frantically.

"Seeing him makes me feel like less of a man." Jaune commented, rubbing his hand across his hairless jaw. Pyrrha only giggled, commenting that if Jaune ever grew a beard she wouldn't kiss him until he shaved it back off.

Nora, who was busy looking at the line of parents behind Professor Goodwitch, turned to see who Jaune was referring to. Her eyes brightened upon laying her eyes on the giant, and she exclaimed "Father!" Then ran off in his direction.

Jaune's jaw dropped, accompanied by the jaws of the rest of the group. "That _Nora's_ father?"

"I guess she must take after her mother." Velvet commented, noting the vast ocean of a difference in sizes between the father and daughter.

Nora's father heard his daughter, and his head darted around even faster, beard and hair flying every which way. "Nora! Where are ye, me girl?" Nora's father's voice boomed out above the crowd, loud as a war horn. He then saw Nora running at him, and opened his arms wide as she leapt into the air, then latched to his chest and buried her head into his beard as he wrapped his arms around her to hug her tight. "Nora, me girl! Tis' great to see you safe." He held her out at arm's length and turned her side to side, giving Nora the appearance of a doll in her father's hands. "Ye're not hurt are you?"

"No father, no bad injuries." Nora hugged him tightly again as he brought her back against him. "Um, are Ren's parents with you?" Nora asked nervously.

Her father looked down at her, worried at the change he heard in her voice. He set her down and turned around, and pointed a thumb at a shorter couple standing behind him, hidden behind his massive bulk. The couple, while not short, was dwarfed by Nora's father. They wore very traditional looking robes of very earthy colors, mostly browns and greens with some stitched lotus designs that Nora's friends immediately recognized as the symbol Ren used as his family crest. Ren's father had his waist length hair intricately braided, with rough, lightly tanned skin. Ren's mother styled her hair into a loose bun with a silver hairclip, her skin smooth and pale. Ren had looked so much like his parents that even had it not been pointed out to them, Weiss and Blake would've immediately recognized them as such. Both parents were looking around behind Nora, expecting to find their son with or near his fiancée.

Nora walked slowly up to them, and as she approached them their eyes stopped searching and focused on their future daughter-in-law. Nora clasped her hands in front of her, intertwining her fingers, and spoke more seriously and sadly than any of her gathered friends had ever heard her speak before. "Lie Zhànshì," she spoke, looking at Ren father, "Lie Huā," she spoke, looking at Ren's mother, "I'm sorry." Nora fell to her knees, and bent over at the waist to put her forehead to the back of her hands on the ground, bowing in front of her future in-laws. "Ren was protecting me," Nora sobbed, still bowed. "And he didn't make it. I understand if you don't forgive me. I'm so sorry." Nora kept her head down, still crying against the grass under her.

Ren's parents looked down at her, their gazes unaffected, as if Nora had just told them that Ren was just out getting some food. For another few moments they stared, before their exteriors began to crack- a tear flowing down Lie Huā's cheek, a trembling in Lie Zhànshì's shoulders. Both parents kneeled and gently sat down on their knees in front of Nora. Ren's mother reached out and grabbed Nora's shoulder, lifting her from the ground into a sitting position. "He died protecting you?" She asked, looking Nora in her eyes.

"Y-yes. When we were trying to escape from Beacon." Nora managed to still speak through her tears.

"Then he died well." Huā pulled Nora into a hug, letting Nora cry into her shoulder. "We are proud of our son." A few more tears fell down Huā's cheeks as she held Nora tight.

Nora's father walked up to Zhànshì, and placed one of his enormous hands on his back and shoulder. "I'm sorry, old friend. Ren was a good lad." Ren's father nodded his head in appreciation as he attempted to keep his emotions in check, unwilling to let his feelings show in this place.

Zhànshì knelt down to lift Nora and his wife up off the ground, embracing them both. "There is nothing to forgive Nora. We trust our son knew what he was doing." He released the two women from his embrace. "You're not hurt then?" Nora shook her head. "That's good to hear." Ren's father turned to Nora's father and said, "Thrym, would you care to join us for a drink? My wife and I must perform our family's ceremonies for our son, and your company would be appreciated."

"Of course, of course. It shall be me honor." The giant of a man pounded a fist against his chest along with his response.

Nora finally separated from Huā, and said to the two fathers, "I already set up a place for a small shrine where we can do the ceremonies." The parents nodded, and waited for Nora to lead the way. Nora ran over to Blake first, and asked, "You don't mind if they see that spot, right? It'll just be for today, then-"

"Of course it's okay Nora." Blake said. "Go on, I'm sure Yang doesn't mind." Blake finished with a smile.

"Thank you so much." Nora hugged Blake before leading her father and Ren's parents off towards the creek in the forest where she had built a small memorial for Ren, next to Yang's.

Weiss turned away from the saddening scene to Blake, deciding that discussing the fact that many parents would be receiving bad news today was not necessary, given what they'd already been through. "I'm fairly certain Nora's father could've carried all of Beacon Academy oh his back." Weiss opted to try for a little humor instead.

Blake laughed. "Most likely. I've never seen such a giant of a man." Blake looked around until something caught her gaze. "Oh my, it seems Jaune has quite the large family." Weiss and Velvet followed Blake's gaze, and saw that at some point during Nora's encounter with her and Ren's parents, Jaune's family had shown up, and Jaune had gone with Pyrrha to meet them. Blake's observation was right on the nose, with what appeared to be nearly a dozen people of various ages, ranging from young children to adults to older relatives, all startling blond. Jaune appeared to be introducing Pyrrha to his family for the first time, as they were all asking her questions as she blushed and stuttered her responses. "Poor girl."

Velvet ears were twitching, and she looked around searchingly. "Is something wrong, Velvet?" Weiss asked.

"I think I can hear my mom." Velvet replied, looking around. "Over there, in line." She turned to Weiss and Blake, asking "I'm going to go talk to her, alright?" Weiss and Blake smiled and nodded their understanding as Velvet jogged off to meet her mother.

With the rest of their group off meeting their own parents, Weiss and Blake were left standing alone. "Shall we go back to our table? I can do your nails with the tools I found." Weiss offered.

"Sure, why not." Blake laughed.

As the two girls walked back to their mess tent, they heard a man's voice coming from behind them, towards where the parents were gathered. "Blake! Weiss!" Weiss didn't recognize the voice immediately, but Blake immediately froze up and stopped walking. Weiss turned around, looking for the source of the voice, and was greeted by a tall, fit man with short, dark blond hair. He was wearing black slacks and a white, long sleeve shirt, over which there was a long, brown, worn leather coat flapping behind him as he ran towards the two girls. Weiss didn't recognize the voice like Blake had, but seeing the man she recognized him as the father of Yang and Ruby, Jīn Long. Weiss immediately panicked, not sure if she was able to handle telling another person that Yang had died, and now with Ruby being a murderer on the run on top of that. "I'm so glad to see you two! I've just gotten off the shuttles." He stopped to catch his breath. "You two aren't hurt right? That's good. Do you know where my daughters are?"

Blake had finally turned around, and directed her gaze at Weiss, her eyes filled with the same panic that Weiss was sure was in her eyes. Blake broke their gaze first, looking at Jīn Long, and said "Why don't we come this way? So we can have a seat."

Jīn Long didn't move. "Blake?" He looked between the girls. "I know you well enough to see something isn't right. What's happened to my daughters?" His eyes darted between the two, clearly distressed. "Weiss?"

Weiss looked at Blake, who reached over to grab Jīn Long's hand. "Mr. Long, I'm so sorry. Yang didn't make it out of Beacon." Blake had tears leaking out of her eyes again, but she kept her gaze strong as she looked at the blond man she had grown to see as her own father over the last couple years. Weiss could see the light behind his eyes start to fade as he heard the news. "I'm so, so sorry. She saved everyone, but didn't make it, and..." Blake couldn't finish her sentence, with nothing to say to ease this man's pain.

Jīn fell to his knees in front of Blake, still holding her hands in his. "Yang is gone?" His back straightened as he began looking around. "Ruby? Where's Ruby? She needs me, Without Yang she won't be in good shape."

He made to move away, but Blake stopped him. "Ruby isn't here either," Blake started, "she blamed another team of students for losing Yang, and she killed them. She's on the run, and we don't know where she went."

What little light and hope that Weiss could see in the father's eyes faded away with abrupt finality. "Both my daughters are… gone?" Weiss couldn't imagine what this man was going through. Ruby had told her about her family history one vacation at their home, while going for a walk through their property. Jīn Long had married a woman, Yang's mother, and had a happy relationship until she had gotten pregnant. She didn't want the child, but Jīn had convinced her to keep it. After giving birth, she had tried to love the child but just a couple months in she couldn't bring herself to love her child and had left the family, divorcing yang's father at the same time. Jīn Long was devastated, but had made it through by focusing on being a great father to Yang. Soon after that he had a whirlwind romance with Summer Rose, Ruby's mother, which resulted in their marriage and with Ruby's birth soon after that. For years they had lived happily together, until death claimed Summer Rose. Weiss wasn't sure of the details of Summer's death, but knew that it was devastating to the family, Jīn having lost a second wife, and Yang and Ruby losing their mother. And now, Jīn Long was being told that one daughter was dead, and the other gone and a murderer. In just seconds had lost what was left of his family, and was alone in the world.

Blake picked up the man and lifted him to his feet, hugging him close. Weiss joined them; she was not as close with him as Blake was, but still liked and felt sorry for the man regardless. "Come on," Weiss said, "let's go sit down." Weiss led his open but unseeing eyes to the mess tent, back to their table. Sitting him down, Weiss tried to comfort the man who had been broken beyond tears, but couldn't find the words to say. "We'll find her, and bring Ruby back to you, okay? She won't be gone forever."

He sat in silence for a long time, just staring at the table in front of him. Weiss and Blake sat with him, not willing to interrupt his thoughts. Blake was holding his hand in an attempt to comfort him, but if he noticed he gave no indication. Eventually, he blinked his eyes and looked at the girls around him. "I'm sorry for my… breakdown. You must be hurting too; this is no time for me to do this." He turns and looks at Blake, saying "It is especially unfair to you. You are my daughter-in-law, after all. I should be here for you, not the other way around."

Blake blinked in surprise. "Daughter-in-law?" Weiss was also confused. Was he associating Blake dating Yang as marriage?

He smiled a sad smile. "Yang isn't very good at hiding things. I found the paperwork when I was cleaning her desk after you two left this summer. I know you two got married."

Blake giggled as some more tears fell. "I knew something like this would happen. We wanted to wait to tell people until we had time for a ceremony."

Weiss was shocked. "You got married and didn't tell me?"

"We didn't tell anyone, including you and Ruby. It was going to be a secret until we graduated."

Weiss felt a little less left out, but was still annoyed she didn't know. "Oh. I guess I can understand that."

Jīn Long stood up from the table. "I should get going. I need to set up a funeral, search for Ruby…" He stopped as Blake gave him directions to the small memorial tombstone she made for Yang, if he was interested. "Thank you, Blake. I'll go pay my respects before I leave." He hugged Blake, "and you too, Weiss. I know Ruby was very fond of you." He hugged Weiss as well. "You both are welcome at my home anytime. I'll be going now, stay safe girls."

Blake and Weiss watched and Jīn Long left, walking back towards the buses, boarding one leaving back for Vale. "Father, huh?" Weiss said. "I guess you have family now, right?"

Blake smiled again. "Yeah. I guess I do." She wiped her cheeks and eyes to clear her tears. "Would you mind if we went back to our tent? I'd like to lie down."

"Yeah, sure." Weiss replied. As they walked out of the tent, Velvet came up to them, holding a small paper bag. "Hey, Velvet. How was your mother?" Weiss asked.

"She's good. She wants me to leave, but I told her I was staying." She held up the paper bag. "She brought me snacks though! Let's share them later." She looked over her shoulder in the direction that Jīn Long went. "Did you know that man? I saw you with him but I didn't want to interrupt."

"He's Yang and Ruby's father." Blake explained. "He didn't know what happened."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have pried into it."

"It's no problem." Blake replied with a smile. "We're going back to our tent; would you like to come with us? You can move your things into our tent."

"That sounds good. I'll go get my stuff and meet you there, okay?" Velvet said before she jogged off.

Weiss and Blake walked in silence back to their tent, and began organizing their sleeping supplies for sleeping and resting the rest of the day. Velvet joined them soon after they began and moved in her own supplies, assisting with the cleanup, making small talk.

"What do you think our orders will be?" "Remember that time when…" "How do you think we will be trained?" "Do you think we'll still be fighting Grimm too?"

Most of their questions were just small talk, jokes, speculation, with a hint of snacking, but all this was necessary noise to fill the silence as they worked the rest of the daylight away. Once they finished setting up, they all settled under the covers, cuddling up next to one another, sharing their warmth and company. As they lay in silence, they began to feel a weight settling on them as the events of the last couple days began sinking in. Beacon, their teammates, their lovers, their friends, their parents, their new duty, everything. Finally having a chance to think about everything was daunting, as they realized the magnitude of what was happening around them in the world.

Velvet was the first to speak up in a whisper. "Everything's going to be different now, isn't it?"

"…Yeah." Blake replied softly.

"The world changed today." Weiss continued. "And I have no idea what's coming next."

"I don't think any of us do." Blake added.

Velvet curled her back up into Blake's front, looking for comfort and warmth that she needed at this moment. Blake put her arm around the rabbit faunus in an effort to comfort her as Weiss contemplated what to do. Weiss was normally unwilling to look so weak as to need comfort in front of others, but gave in when Blake reached over to pull Weiss' arm around herself, causing the heiress' arm to wrap around Blake's stomach as Blake in turn curled up against her. Like this, the three girls slept and hoped that tomorrow would bring some comfort and order back into their lives.


	6. Chapter 6: Students No Longer

It was midnight, and the full moon filtered down through branches onto a red cloak that was tightly curled around a little girl lying down under a makeshift shelter of branches and leaves, her chest slowly rising and falling with each small breath. Ruby Rose had elected not to light a fire, because she was worried about the light giving her away in the dark forest. Unfortunately, that left a light chill in the air of her little shelter, even though it provided protection the blowing wind. She was comfortable in the cold though, and her cloak provided what warmth was absolutely necessary for the young huntress. Ruby had been running all day, making good time and running farther than she figured anyone would think to look, all while making sure to cover her tracks and leave false trails for anyone who might be following her. She suspected that some people would be sent after her eventually, especially once Nora and Blake told Professor Ozpin what she had done to team CRDL. Ruby fully believed what had been done to them was completely justified, and the small voice in her head had trying to speak to her all day.

_ How could you do that to them? They weren't the ones who attacked Beacon._

_ What would your father think of you? Yang? Your Mother? Uncle Qrow?_

All day the small voice kept speaking to Ruby Rose, telling her she should turn herself in for what she's done, that what she did, and what she was doing now by running, were wrong. And all day Ruby Rose kept crushing the voice under her mental foot, yelling back that she had done nothing to apologize for. And after an entire day of squashing the voice, eventually it had gone quiet, vanishing with a quiet whimper, that Ruby felt sounded familiar, but she couldn't quiet place. Maybe a younger, more naïve, Ruby once had made that sound, a Ruby that had wanted to save the world and protect people from monsters. Ruby couldn't protect her sister from monsters though, because she hadn't realized that not all monsters were Grimm.

As she slept, Ruby began hearing another voice, filling the void the quiet voice once occupied in her mind. This new voice, only a whisper, was somehow louder in Ruby's mind than the earlier voice. The whisper was seductive, its breathiness promising a way out of her heart-wrenching pain.

_It wasn't just CRDL that killed your sister._

Ruby whimpered in her sleep, unwilling to listen to this voice. Ruby knew what the voice wanted to say next, that it was also Ruby's fault for failing as a leader, and as a sister. But the voice surprised Ruby.

_The soldiers are to blame. We need to find where they came from._

Ruby paused her thoughts. Not her fault? The soldiers' fault? Not her fault. The soldiers' fault. The soldiers killed Yang.

_Find the soldiers. Make them regret ever hurting you and your sister._

Ruby's eyes opened, her silver eyes reflecting the moonlight, giving them an otherworldly glow. "…Not my fault. Make them pay." She whispered.

Ruby closed her eyes again, hoping for a few more hours sleep before she had to start running again, but now with a different goal in mind. A snapping twig immediately brought her eyes open again. Ruby looked around with her eyes, unwilling to move and risk making a noise that may alert whoever or whatever was making a noise nearby. She waited, and noted soft steps approaching her from the left side of her small shelter. It didn't sound like a person walking- an animal? A Grimm? She quietly moved her hand over to grasp Crescent Rose its perch from next to her, and gently brought it up to her chest, ready to deploy. The footsteps stopped near her shelter, and she heard whatever the creature was sniff the air heavily. Ruby tensed and held her breath. Then she heard the creature stomp and grind its hooves outside her shelter, snorting, before suddenly fleeing and running away from her shelter, leaving Ruby alone in the dark.

Ruby Rose let out a sigh of relief as she set her weapon aside and turned over to return to sleep. She wrapped her cloak back around herself, and rolled back to her right side. Right when she lay her head back down onto the tree trunk, she saw red eyes staring at her through the gaps in her shelter. As her eyes widened in surprise, the Beowolves roared and attacked, smashing Ruby's shelter around her as blood sprayed in the air, painting the tree her shattered shelter once rested against red.

* * *

"Good evening Glynda. Did you manage to contact everyone on the list?" Professor Ozpin asked Glynda Goodwitch as she returned from her tent, eyes down, reading her scroll.

Glynda Goodwitch nodded curtly as she continued reading the profiles of the huntsman and huntresses she had contacted on her scroll. "I did. Though I must say, you certainly picked a strange group of hunters to train our students." She flicked her hands, moving profiles around. "Like this one here. Vimentis. His combat scores from when he was a student were terrible, barely passing. And his combat record isn't stellar either." She moved around some of the windows again. "This one I understand, but this one? And…" she moved more windows around again.

Ozpin interrupted before she could continue to rant about the hunters he had chosen. "I picked each one for a specific reason Glynda, not just because they were available. They each have their purpose." He set down his scroll and removed his glasses, rubbing his eyes. "We really should get some sleep tonight. Has Barty reported back in yet? He didn't show up at sundown like I asked." Professor Ozpin could almost _feel_ the disapproval from Glynda at calling Professor Oobleck 'Barty' radiating off of her.

"He did, but through scroll. Check your messages." She replied curtly.

"Ah." Professor Ozpin opened up his messages that he had ignored in favor of other work. Oobleck's message was short, informing Ozpin he had found the remains of CRDL and destroyed the Deathstalker that had killed them. He ended the report by writing that he was following the trail left by Ruby Rose. "I see. Well hopefully he returns sometimes this night."

As soon as Ozpin finished talking, there was a flurry of movement outside the tent, and Professor Oobleck strode in with a bag on his back, his shirt and pants torn, his skin scratched here and there. "I've returned, Headmaster." He looked at Glynda, nodding his head in greeting. "Professor Goodwitch."

"What in the blazes happened to you?" Glynda asked as she fussed over his wounds and clothes. "Were you attacked?"

"Attacked?" He looked down at himself. "Oh, no. When I'm running in the woods I don't always see branches. I run into them going too fast occasionally. It isn't anything to worry about."

"…You get cut by branches from running too fast?" Glynda deadpanned.

"Yeah."

Glynda just closed her eyes and sighed. She turned back to Ozpin. "If there's nothing else, I'm going to sleep for a few hours."

Ozpin waved her off. "Sleep, sleep. I can deal with this work." Glynda left the tent, stealing another glance at Oobleck and rolling her eyes disbelievingly at him before she exited.

"You'd think she was my mother, the way she treats me." Oobleck complained.

"It's cause you're young." Ozpin explained.

"Compared to you, maybe. She can't be that much older than me."

"Never mention a woman's age, Barty."

Oobleck just sighed. "Well. Anyways. I've gathered what was left of team CRDL," Oobleck reports as he gestured towards the bag at his side. "It's mostly just some armor and clothing scraps. I believe Ruby Rose kidnapped them and left them for Grimm to eat, based on the nearby Deathstalker lair, and the blood stained Deathstalker inside it." Oobleck pulled out his scroll, and opened a map. "I followed Miss Rose's trails as far as I could but…" He shrugged. "She's good. False trails everywhere, real trails covered up, false trails covered up to look like they could be real trails. I spent hours trying to track her, and I can confidently say I have no idea where she went."

"That's unfortunate." Ozpin turned off his scroll and stood. "I have someone coming in tomorrow morning that will assist with the search. Let's all get some sleep tonight before our real work begins in the morning, shall we?"

Oobleck checks his watch. "I didn't expect I'd be out this long. I guess more coffee is out of the question."

"It is indeed. Now go get some rest, I just have a few more parents to contact before I go to sleep as well."

"Alright. Goodnight, Headmaster."

The sun was just peeking over the horizon when the three professors met once again in the Headmaster's tent. They looked reluctant to be awake, rubbing their eyes and groggily drinking their coffee. Except for Glynda Goodwitch, of course, who refused to look anything but professional around others. "You could have at least made an attempt to clean up." Glynda commented, seeing Professor Oobleck stroll into the tent, still wearing the same torn and dirty outfit from the night before.

"Mmrgh," was the perfectly coherent response from the groggy professor. He accepted a coffee mug from Professor Ozpin, who was not as clean as Glynda but at least still looked presentable.

"Mmrgh indeed." Ozpin replied as he saluted with his own coffee cup.

A rustling of the tent flap and an accompanying gravelly voice drew the three professors' attention. "You are as articulate as ever, I see." A man wearing a black suit on said with a smile as he entered the tent. His pale white skin contrasted with his dark suit, making him even more pale than he already was, but somehow it worked. His shoulder length hair was almost completely gray, the last few strands of black hair fighting a losing battle to retain their color.

Ozpin stood up to greet the man, retorting "And you are still as old as ever, Qrow." Ozpin clasped hands with Qrow, a smile on his face. "It is good to see you old friend. I wish it was under better circumstances."

"Yes, well. Things happen." He let go of Ozpin's hand to shake Professor Oobleck's hand, who was still in the process of recovering from sleep. "And Miss Goodwitch, you are the image of beauty, as always." He held his arms open out in front of him, a mischievous smile sneaking its way onto his face.

"Your flattery will win you no rewards from me, Qrow." Glynda replied, her smile betraying her seemingly cold words as she gave Qrow a quick hug.

"It was worth a shot. An old man has to keep his skills sharp." He laughed. As everyone settled into chairs and the greeting were over, his smile fell off his face. "So it's true then. How bad is it?"

Ozpin gave a summary of the events of the past couple days, along with some speculation about the reasoning behind the attacks. "How did Signal fare in the attack?"

Qrow waved off the question. "We weren't attacked. It seems they passed over the preparatory schools for the younger students. Didn't see them as a threat." He accepted a cup of coffee from Glynda with a nod of thanks, and a smile that she just rolled her eyes at while grinning. "And Ruby? Your message indicated a problem."

Ozpin and Glynda gave an account of what they knew about Ruby's actions so far- her kidnapping and murder of CRDL, then fleeing. Oobleck, finally awake enough to participate in conversation, finished the report to Qrow. "I tried tracking her last night, but she covered her tracks so well and left so many false trails I ended up going in circles before I had realized it. Multiple times." His cheeks blushed pink slightly as he recalled the previous evening. "It's quite embarrassing."

"Maybe I taught her a little too well. Though my sister probably taught her some tricks that I don't know about." Qrow smiled fondly as he remembered his sister, Ruby's mother. "I'm taking some time off from Signal. I'll spend some time looking for Ruby, and spend time with the girls' father. The poor man's lost everyone at this point."

"A lot of people have lost a lot. And with the Council declaring war, we're looking at many more lives lost, no matter what happens." Glynda added.

"Well I try to stay out of wars and politics. I fought my battles a long time ago." Qrow replied. He stood up from his chair after downing the last sip of coffee, shaking Ozpin's and Glynda's hands. "I'll send you a message about what I find as I search for Ruby." He turned to Oobleck. "Would you mind showing me your map data?"

"Of course, of course." Oobleck led Qrow to another table to start downloading the map data and giving his observations from the night before.

"The old man is as nonchalant as ever." Ozpin commented, watching the two discuss ideas over a map.

"Remaining calm and cool under stress is an attractive trait in a teacher." Glynda replied, watching Qrow.

"…'attractive?'"

"You know what I mean."

"Sure I do," Ozpin smiled. "When do the hunters we contacted arrive?"

"They should be here any moment now." Glynda consulted her scroll. "Their airships transponder puts them about fifteen minutes away, actually."

"Excellent."

* * *

Blake awoke to shuffling noises coming from beside her. Her nose told her that it was just Weiss, and the warmth against her side told her that Velvet was still sleeping, curled into her. Opening her eyes and looking up at the ceiling, Blake turned her head to look at the Rabbit faunus that was sleeping on her arm. Velvet sleeping like this wasn't an unfamiliar sensation to Blake, but at the same time Blake was reminded by this small action that Yang was missing from her other side. Turning her head the other direction, Blake saw Weiss brushing her hair with the help of a small mirror that the heiress stood up against a box.

Weiss noticed the movement and turned around to look at Blake. "Good Morning, Blake." Weiss was still wearing the light nightgown she had slept in, indicating to Blake that Weiss hadn't been awake for long.

"Morning, Weiss. Did you sleep well?" Blake asked while easing Velvet off of her arm and sitting up.

"Slept well, but not much, unfortunately." Weiss turned around to face Blake. "Shall we all go wash at the creek again? I'd like to be clean for our new orders and training today."

"Good idea." Blake turned to gently shake Velvet's shoulder. "Hey, wake up dear. We're going to go take a bath. Want to come along?"

Velvet yawned as she stretched, her arms above her head as her feet pulled downward. "Yeah," Velvet said through her yawn, "I'll come."

"I'll go see if Nora and Pyrrha will be joining us while you two get your things." Weiss said as she walked out of the tent to go to the next tent over. She returned moments later. "They'll be coming too."

Blake and Velvet nodded as they gathered their regular outfits so that they could change into them after bathing. After gathering their stuff they gathered together to meet with Pyrrha and Nora, retrieving their towels off the lines hanging between their tents. Weiss protested when Jaune started accompanying them, but Nora assuaged her fears. "It'll be fine! We'll blindfold him and tie him to a tree so he can't peek."

"I'm sorry, we're what now?" Jaune replied, clearly unaware of this plan until this moment. "Can't I just, wash up somewhere away from you guys and meet you back at the edge of the forest?"

"What if you peek at us?" Velvet asked playfully.

"He wouldn't dare." Pyrrha replied for Jaune, her smile playful but her eyes promising Jaune a painful retribution should he peek.

Jaune held his hands up in an attempt to placate the girls surrounding him. "I won't peek, I won't peek, geez. You act like I'm a terrible person."

"What about that time when-" Blake started.

"That wasn't my fault!" Jaune complained. "It was Pyr-" he stopped mid syllable. Pyrrha was flushed red, whether in anger or embarrassment he couldn't tell, but he did see the gentle gaze of his girlfriend shift to something not so gentle. Something that said to Jaune said 'don't you dare' with a terrifying finality. "I mean. Ahem," he coughed. "That was entirely my fault and I apologize profusely for my error." Everyone just laughed as they continued walking. Eventually they reached the forest's edge and Jaune split off his own way, while the girls continued on to the same spot as yesterday.

* * *

The airship arrived exactly when Professor Goodwitch told Professor Ozpin it would, allowing them to meet the airship at the landing zone without any waiting for either party. Oobleck had departed with Qrow just a few minutes previously to the forest, to better point out the trails he was following until Qrow picked up on the areas where Oobleck went wrong.

"Does _she _really have to be one of the ones training our students?" Glynda asked Ozpin irritably.

"Yes, she does." Ozpin smiled. "She's an excellent teacher and huntress, and you know it. Besides, she's the leader of the squad we called in. Can't call the others without her, can I?" He looked at Glynda out of the corner of his eye. "Or are you still bitter about her beating you in the tournament all those years ago?"

"I'm not _bitter._" Glynda mumbled. "Her personality is just…" Glynda waved one hand around, searching for a word to describe this huntress she so disapproved of.

"Well, I can agree with that." Ozpin agreed, himself knowing the difficulty of describing this particular huntress to anyone. As he finished agreeing with Glynda, the doors to both the airships cargo bay and the passenger area opened.

The first person out of the ship was the huntress that they were speaking of. "Morning Ozzy!" She waved her hand up high as she hopped down from the ship. The huntress was lively and unbelievably beautiful, with straight, golden hair that fell down to her waist. Her clothes were brightly colored robes, mixing whites and reds. Her lower body was adorned with a pair long, red, divided trousers that looked like a skirt when she was standing still, with black leather boots. On her upper body she wore a white, half kimono jacket that had long, loose sleeves with red ribbons stitched onto it in swirling patterns. Her kimono left her toned midriff exposed, showing off her otherwise covered body. A pair of fox ears and a long, fluffy tail, both the same golden color as her hair but tipped with white, displayed at her faunus heritage. Coming to a stop in front of Professor Ozpin, it was evident that she was also fairly tall, matching Ozpin's height, which in turn caused Glynda to have to look up at the huntress, much to Glynda's chagrin.

Glynda huffed her annoyance at the peppy huntress. "Please try to refer to the Headmaster by his proper name in the presence of students, Miss Mae." Glynda said disdainfully.

"Oh, no 'Miss Mae,' please. Makes me sound old." The fox faunus replied. "Call me Tammy!" She struck a pose, with her hips out to the side and her hands twirling her hair.

"I'll abstain, thank you." Glynda replied, leaning back to put some distance between her and the huntress.

"Don't tease Glynda, Tamamo." Ozpin said with a chuckle. "How have you been?"

"I've been amazing, of course." She replied cheerfully.

"You know what I mean."

"Yes, yes. The fortress is holding out fine, no one's been hurt in a long time." Tamamo amended. "Still Grimm, as always. But they aren't a problem, no Grimm get past us to the city on my watch." She poked her ample chest proudly with her thumb.

"Who did you get to substitute for you while you're here?" Ozpin asked.

"Fionn Macgorm. He owes me a favor, I had him convince his squad leader to fill in for a few days." Tamamo giggled.

"Poor guy." Ozpin deadpans.

"I try to make his life interesting."

"Let's talk in the tent, shall we? Will the rest of your squad be joining us?" Ozpin asked, gesturing to the others exiting the airship.

"Those guys aren't my squad. They just take care of the ship. The rest of my squad is back at the fortress. Just let me know what you need and I'll be sure to tell them what they need to know." Tamamo replied, her tail flicking back and forth happily behind her. Following along behind Ozpin, the playful huntress walked along, almost bouncing with excitement.

Their bathing went much the same as the previous day, except Blake washed Velvet instead of Nora, much to Velvet's relief. They finished much more quickly because they didn't need to wash any clothes this time, and were on their way back to the camp, dressed in their normal attire when they came across Jaune, sitting on a tree trunk where they entered the forest.

"Hello ladies. Shall we?" Jaune held his arm out. Most of the girls just rolled their eyes as they walked by him, but Pyrrha obliged him, linking her arm with his as they strolled back to camp.

As the group neared the camp, Velvet shushed everyone as her ears twitched. Looking at Velvet expectantly, everyone walked in silence. "There's an announcement happening right now." Velvet said after a few moments. Blake's ears twitched, her own hearing finally picking up the voice as they got closer. Velvet continued relaying what she was hearing. "Professor Goodwitch is saying that the former students who wished to fight are supposed to meet in the same clearing as yesterday at one o'clock, pm." Velvet went silent for a few moments. "And if we're late we get sent home with the rest of the students."

"Well, we'd best make sure we're not late then." Weiss said, picking up the pace.

"Weiss, it's barely nine in the morning. We could take a nap and still be there in time." Nora commented, skipping along happily.

Weiss slowed back down. "Right. Sorry. I just… don't want to be left behind."

"Does anyone else want breakfast?" Pyrrha asked. "I'm starving." Everyone agreed as the reentered the camp, walking towards the mess tent.

"Oh, Weiss!" Nora asked as she strolled along.

"Yes, Nora?" Weiss replied nervously.

"Can I sleep in your tent tonight?" Nora continued.

"…Why?"

"Because last night Jaune and Pyrrha thought they were being quiet but they really weren't and-"

"Nora!" Pyrrha shouted, red faced. "Can I talk to you over here please?" Before giving Nora a chance to respond, Pyrrha dragged her away by the elbow. Once they were a sufficient distance away, Pyrrha began whispering hurriedly to her, waving her arms animatedly as she spoke to Nora. Nora listened patiently with a smile on her face, before responding with something that made Pyrrha immediately stop talking and put her arms down. Pyrrha remained quiet for a few moments, before hugging Nora and then walking her back to the rest of the group.

"Weiss," Pyrrha started. "Is it okay if Nora sleeps in your tent to give me and Jaune some alone time?" Pyrrha face was once again red and blushing, and Jaune's followed suit.

"...What." Jaune contributed.

"Uh…" Weiss looked at her two fellow companions that she shared a tent with. Blake and Velvet immediately nodded their consent. "Sure thing. We don't mind."

"Thank you!" "Thanks" Pyrrha and Nora exclaimed. Pyrrha grabbed Jaune's arm and pulled him ahead of the group, with Nora following after them, but still at a distance.

"You'd think Pyrrha would remember that we have good hearing." Blake noted, looking at Velvet.

"Yeah…" Velvet sighed. "That was really understanding of her though."

"Who is understanding? Nora giving them some space?" Weiss asked. Her own hearing was not as acute as the two faunus' next to her, so she had not heard the exchange between Pyrrha and Nora.

"Nora was just making up an excuse to get out of the tent. She couldn't sleep because Jaune and Pyrrha are still together, and they remind her of Ren." Blake explained.

Velvet continued when Blake stopped. "When Nora confessed that to Pyrrha, she decided to cover for Nora, even if it embarrassed her." Velvet smiled. "How cute of her."

"Though I suppose it would be proper manners to pretend we didn't hear them." Blake finished. "Let's go get some breakfast, and then go see what there is to do until the meeting."

* * *

As one o'clock drew nearer, the students who volunteered to fight drifted towards the clearing from their various locations. Weiss had been sitting alone in her tent, tending to her weapon, while Blake went to retrieve her own weapon from the military engineering corps that was in the camp, who had fixed her weapon that broke on the night they fled Beacon. The rest of their group had been off doing their own things, but eventually they met and gathered around each other in the clearing, exchanging greetings.

Jaune broke the silence, adjusting his sword and shield on his hip and asking "So do you think we'll be doing any training today, or this is more informational?"

"Who knows, we have no idea what's going on." Velvet responded, before pointing off to their right. "But there's Professor Ozpin."

The rest of Velvet's companions' eyes followed her pointing finger to see Professor Ozpin walking into the clearing, accompanied by another woman. This woman was the center of attention in the eyes of everyone who saw her strolling by. Even Weiss, raised among the wealthy and beautiful couldn't help it when her mouth opened slightly in surprise and awe. Using the word 'beautiful' seemed inadequate for this woman; her golden hair shining in the sun, her fair skin very nearly glowing, her exposed midriff toned and rippling with toned muscle. Her fox ears twitched towards the students, picking up their whispers, while her long, fluffy tail flicked back and forth behind her with each step.

"Holy crap she's beautiful." Jaune commented. He reflexively covered that back of his head and flinched away from Pyrrha, expecting a smack or some sort of retaliation.

"Yeah, she is." Pyrrha agreed, also staring. Jaune was baffled at Pyrrha's behavior.

"I know I'm pretty sure I'm shooting myself in the foot for asking, but… you aren't mad I said that?"

"No, I'll give you this one. I'm having a hard time not staring too."

Conversations of similar nature were happening all around them, with many of the students not yet recovered from the initial shock of seeing her. Weiss finally got her wits back, turning to Blake. "Do you know who that is?"

"I don't think so. She seems familiar though. Maybe I've heard about her somewhere." Blake responded, blinking repeatedly and looking away from the fox faunus.

Professor Ozpin stepped up onto the same truck he had used for the assembly the previous day, clearing his throat to get the attention of the gathered students. "Ladies, gentlemen," he began, "As of this morning, you are no longer students at my academy. You are huntsman and huntresses now."

"Almost!" the beautiful woman interrupted. Ozpin gave her a look that clearly said 'please be quiet' but all she did was giggle back at him.

"As I was saying. I will consider you graduates from my academy, and I will of course file the necessary paperwork. You are all confident enough in your abilities to think you are capable of fighting in this war, which may very well be true. Your new superior, Tamamo Mae," he held his hand out, presenting the woman next to him, "Will be the one making that call. She will be in charge of training you for battle, and assisting you as needed."

Blake's eyes widened when she heard the name she leaned over to whisper in Weiss' ear. "Tamamo Mae. That's why she looks familiar to me- she's a legendary huntress. She's a hero among the faunus." Weiss' eyes widened slightly at the news.

One student raised his hand. "Haven't we proved we know how to fight, Professor? We've been fighting Grimm for years." Weiss and Blake didn't recognize the young man.

The woman answered for Professor Ozpin. "Yes, I'm sure you're all wonderful at fighting Grimm. But how are you at fighting soldiers? As part of a unit? Against other Hunters?" she waved her hand dismissively at the student. "I'd bet most all of you are still children when it comes to battle and war."

Ozpin coughed into his hand. "Ahem. Well. I would've put it differently, but Miss Mae here-"

"Tammy!" she interrupted once again.

"-has made her point quite clear." He continued, ignoring the interruption. "You will accompany her to…" he paused as the student raised his hand again. "Yes?"

"We've been fighting together as teams since we got to Beacon, and in tournaments, and against each other, I think we know how to fight!"

Ozpin took a breath to respond, but Tamamo Mae put her hand on his shoulder. He looked at her, then stepped back, allowing her to take his place in giving the speech. "So you know how to fight then?"

"That's what we've been training for, right?" the student replied with an air of superiority.

"So you've been training for this then?" She hopped off the truck, and approached the student slowly, her voice losing its cheery tone and instead becoming deeper, and menacing. "So when your school was attacked, what did you do? Wheen enemy soldiers came knocking on your door, did you answer?"

"I-" he stuttered.

"Did you fight?" She walked closer still, her height becoming apparent as she approached, taller than most of the students. "Or did you run?" The imposing feeling of power rolling off of her made Tamamo Mae look even taller as the student tried to lean away.

"I- I fou-" he stuttered, but looking into her eyes, something inside him cracked. His shoulders slumped. "I ran."

"As I thought. You ran, and then have the audacity to talk big?" She jammed a finger against his chest. "You are the worst kind of person, aren't you. You aren't coming with me. You can run on home to your parents." She pushed him back, stumbling. "Anyone else here who thinks they're all that?" No students responded.

Her voice changed back to the cheery voice from before. "Good. The rest of you are free to accompany me when I leave." Her mouth opened into sadistic smile that was at odds with her cheery voice. "When we get to my fortress, I'll begin testing you, and weeding out those of you who aren't good enough. You're mine now."

* * *

Author's Note: Fionn Macgorm is an OC, courtesy of Snaketicus. Shoutout!


	7. Chapter 7: A Hunter's Initiation

Tamamo was skipping alongside Professor Ozpin, smiling and humming an upbeat song to herself as she turned her face up to bask in the afternoon sunlight. She enjoyed nothing more than laying down in the sunshine and taking a nap, but skipping through the warm rays was pretty high on her list of enjoyments as well. The fox faunus was also fully aware of the stares her body drew, and was perfectly happy being admired, basking in the attention. "More people in this camp should sing." She observed as they traveled along.

"I'm sure most people are still a bit traumatized by their recent experience." Ozpin explained.

"All the more reason to sing!" Tamamo chirped. "Makes you happier."

"I suppose you have a point there." Ozpin conceded halfheartedly. He knew winning an argument against Tamamo was one of the most difficult things in the world to do, and had long since given up trying. He changed the subject. "When are you leaving?"

"I gave them enough time to pack what few belongings they still have and want to bring." She answered. "It's not like they have much left anyways."

"Blunt, as always." Ozpin chuckled.

"No reason not to be." She said, giggling. "Always best to be honest and straightforward, right?"

"You say that, but you don't fight very straightforward and honestly." Ozpin countered with a smirk.

"Bah. Fighting is its own game. Different rules, and more fun." Tamamo smiled back.

"True enough."

* * *

"Why did she give us two hours? What do any of us have to pack that would take two hours?" Weiss complained. Blake, Velvet, and her were gathering up what few clothes and supplies they had from their tent.

"She probably wanted to give us time to say goodbye to our friends." Blake suggested. "I'm going to go visit Yang's memorial before we leave, alright?" Blake ducked out of the tent.

"Do you think she'll be okay?" Very asked nervously. "Should we go with her?"

Weiss shook her head. "No, we should let her have some time alone. It's probably a lot of effort to maintain her normal behavior with us when she's still in pain from losing Yang."

"I guess neither of us really can relate to losing someone we loved the way she did." Velvet said sadly.

Weiss felt a sharp pain in her chest as she thought of Ruby, and how she never got the chance to confess her feelings to her. "… No, I guess not."

"She cried last night. After she thought we fell asleep." Velvet confessed. "It woke me up when some tears fell on my ears." Velvet explained sheepishly.

"I wonder if she'll be good to fight." Weiss worried. "I don't want her getting hurt because she's still mourning. I'm sure they'll be plenty of enemies to fight if she waits."

"I think we may discover that her grief may make a powerful motivator in her fight."

* * *

A short while later Blake found herself standing at Yang's small memorial she had created. Blake crouched in from of the stone, and slowly ran her hand across the engraving. Once again, she found some tears trailing their way down her face unbidden. Blake smiled. "I'm not even crying anymore and still there are tears." She wiped them away with her thumb. "This is entirely your fault, you know. You made me love you." She stroked the stone the same way she remembered stroking Yang's cheek after they spent some time apart.

"I'm going to train to fight," Blake started, "and then I'm going to join the war." Blake stood up. "I'll fight more than anyone else. Harder than anyone else. For the both of us."

Blake heard someone moving through the forest behind her, and then turned to see Nora, carrying a small bundle of bright pink Peony flowers. Nora paused at the edge of the clearing, giving Blake some space. Blake waved her over though. "Hi Blake. I can wait until you're done."

"No, don't worry. I'm done talking to her." Blake assured her. "I'll let you have your time with Ren. See you back at camp, Nora."

"Thanks Blake." Nora gave a small wave goodbye as Blake walked off.

Blake picked up her pace as she heard Nora begin speaking to Ren, not wanting to eavesdrop on such a personal conversation.

* * *

The former students were all gathered at the airships that Tamamo had brought in. Weiss looked around for the rest of Tamamo's squad, but couldn't see anyone who looked like a huntress or a huntsman. Weiss wanted to see who her instructors would be, so she could look them up on her scroll as they flew back to wherever it was Tamamo was taking them.

"They aren't hunters." Weiss her a familiar, cheery voice behind her say. She turned around to see Tamamo Mae standing there, still as happy as ever. "They're caretakers. They help us run errands, maintain equipment, pilot for us. Things like that."

"Oh. Is your squad still at your base?" Weiss asked.

"My squad isn't, they're out on a long patrol. Another squad is watching my fortress until I get back." Tamamo answered.

"Is that where we're going to train?"

"Mmhm. It's huge, so we have plenty of rooms for you all to sleep in, and plenty of empty space to train. Honestly, it'll be nice having more people. A squad of hunters and a group of caretakers leaves the place awfully empty." Tamamo explained as her eyes lost focus, seeing something inside her memories. "And I get to teach again! Life is good."

"Would you mind if you gave me the information on the other hunters who will be training us? I'd like to read about them during the flight, if you don't mind." Weiss queried.

"Sure thing sweetie." Tamamo reached into the large sleeve of her top and pulled out her scroll. "Let's see… here." She connected to Weiss' scroll and tapped some files, sending them over.

"Thank you." Weiss looked down at the names on the files. She saw each folder was labeled with a name- Denarii Latium. Vimentis. Hauonekani Jiwe. Cheshire Fry. "Did they all go to Beacon?"

"Yep. Graduated years ago, though. Some of us graduated even before Ozzy became Headmaster, and was still a teacher." Tamamo explained, her tail waving about of its own accord.

"Were you all on the same team?"

"Oh, no. we're all different ages. I met them when they joined my post at the fortress, years ago. We have a perfect record of defending from the Grimm!" Tamamo puffed her chest out proudly.

Weiss noted with some envy that despite the kimono doing a good job of obscuring most of Tamamo's figure, her generous chest was still quite evident. She was saved the awkward decision of attempting to change the subject with Blake and Velvet's arrival, with Nora, Jaune and Pyrrha a short ways behind them. "Hello again everyone." Weiss said, greeting everyone with a tiny wave of her hand.

Tamamo turned to see who Weiss was greeting, and her eyes fell onto the two faunus. "Oh ho, look at you two." She looked at Blake's cat ears. "A kitty cat! I have another cat faunus on my squad too. Not as pretty as you though. He's a little… strange." She turned to Velvet. Oh my gosh you are so cute!" Tamamo exclaimed excitedly as she reached out to rub Velvet's unhurt ear. "Ah, so soft." She glanced at the other ear. "The other was hurt in the attack?" Tamamo moved to gently touch the other ear.

During this entire encounter Velvet's face had gone red with embarrassment, and she was glancing back and forth at Blake and Weiss, unsure how to respond to the huntress' treatment. "Um, uh, yeah." Velvet managed to get out. "C-could you not-"

"I know just the thing for this!" Tamamo reached into her sleeves yet again. She dug around for a few moments as Velvet just sat there, mortified. Velvet looked to Blake, hoping for a rescue, but Blake was just watching curiously. Velvet turned back to Tamamo as she pulled a container out of her sleeve. "Here it is! Take off your bandage on your ear. Come on come on, faster faster!" Velvet began unwrapping the bandages on her ear nervously, revealing the burns and missing portions of her ear.

Tamamo unscrewed the lid on the small container then used the tips of her fingers to scoop a small amount of the pink colored substance. "Is that cream? Lotion?" Velvet asked warily.

"Homemade lotion. Don't worry about it. Come here!" Tamamo steamrolled over Velvet's reluctance with her boulder of positivity. Tamamo then began gently smearing the lotion onto Velvet's ear, causing Velvet to flinch back slightly from Tamamo's contact with the wound. "Stop moving." She said firmly, but gently. "It'll feel better in just a few seconds."

True to her word, Blake could see Velvet's shoulders relax and the tension drain away. Tamamo kept massaging the lotion into Velvet ear, and just a few seconds later Velvet's eyes were closed, the waves of relaxation finally calming her nerves and easing the pain. Unexpectedly, Velvet accidentally let out a moan of pleasure. "Eep!" Velvet's hand shot up and covered her mouth.

Tamamo just laughed. "I can see that my lotion works." Velvet just nodded, looking down at the ground in embarrassment. Tamamo looked around and found that the former students she was taking along with her had all gathered. "Alright everyone, split into two groups and get on the airships! We're leaving!"

Tamamo hopped onto the first airship. The gathered group just shrugged at each other, and broke up into their groups of friends and boarded an airship of preference. The former teams RWBY and JNPR, plus Velvet, and a few others, hopped onto the same one as Tamamo. Tamamo was already sitting in a seat just inside the entrance, her tail wrapped around her waist, humming to herself with a smile on her face.

Weiss sat down next to her, the rest of her friends filing in and sitting beside her. Within a few minutes, the ship was in the air and they were on their way. Nora began sleeping, napping in her seat. Jaune and Pyrrha were holding hands and chatting with Blake and Velvet. Weiss opted to open her scroll and read the files on the hunters that Tamamo had given her.

The files were disappointingly sparse- they had names and pictures, a basic biography and that was it. "Excuse me, Tamamo?" Weiss asked.

Tamamo, who was brushing her tail contentedly with a wide, flat hair brush, turned to look at Weiss. "Yes dear?"

"Is there any more information on these hunters?" Weiss asked, gesturing to the folders on her scroll. "The folders look empty."

"I know they are. I don't want you guys studying them before we… test you." Tamamo replied, smirking.

"How're you going to be testing us?" Blake asked, having heard the last portion of their conversation.

"Simple. You'll be meeting us, each in turn. We'll each test you on something different. I'll explain it all when we arrive so I don't have to tell everyone again later, okay?" Tamamo was brushing her hair now, having finished brushing her tail.

Blake and Weiss nodded in acknowledgement, turning back to face each other. Deciding that Tamamo wasn't going to give them any more information about their training.

* * *

Oobleck dashed back into camp, arriving at Ozpin's tent. "I've returned, headmaster."

Professor Ozpin looked up from his seat. "Welcome back. Is Qrow still out there?"

"Yes. He's picked up the trails and is searching on his own. He's certainly doing better than I was." Oobleck reported.

"Well, best of luck to him." Ozpin tapped a button on his scroll. "I just sent you some orders I need you and Glynda to take care of."

Oobleck opened his scroll and looked at the orders. "Real estate?"

"I need teaching facilities until Beacon is rebuilt. The students can have a month off to spend with their families, but I can't just leave them to stagnate until then." Ozpin explained, sending more orders to Oobleck's scroll. "I need you to take a look at these facilities and approve them for my standards. If you approve the facilities, contact Glynda. She'll follow up and purchase them for us, and begin ordering renovations."

"Understood. I'll start now then. Unless you have something else for me?"

"Nothing else. The students will be leaving over the next few days, so all I just have some other professors doing is making sure no one gets in trouble. You and Glynda can handle the new facilities while I organize the huntsman and huntresses for the war." Ozpin explained, sighing.

"So we're really sending the other hunters in?" Oobleck asked sadly.

"Our military is small. We don't have the manpower to stand up to a huge military like Vacuo's. Without huntsmen and huntresses, we'll be crushed in no time." Ozpin flicked through the scroll. "Though it seems many of the hunters stationed in Vacuo have fled to their home kingdoms, so at least we have a small advantage there."

"And Mistral and Atlas?"

"Building up their defenses. They're scared of being attacked again, but they aren't right next to Vacuo like us, so they don't feel pressed to attack. I may be able to convince them to aid us someday, but for now they're too scared." Ozpin said disapprovingly.

"Politics are truly ridiculous. Better to be a teacher." Oobleck decided, nodding his head with conviction.

* * *

"Wake up everyone!" Tamamo yelled cheerfully, startling everyone from their various activities. Some people were indeed sleeping, others reading, and others still chatting or just looking out the window. Everyone was turning their heads to look towards the front of the airship where Tamamo stood, yelling into a microphone so she could be heard over both ships' speakers. "We're landing in one minute, assemble in front of the fortress!

She dropped the micro phone back into its receiver before turning around and leaning into the cockpit, leaving only her tail and legs sticking out of the doorway. Blake, who had been napping, let out a great yawn while stretching her body as best she could in her seat. "Finally. I hate flying in airships."

"It was only like, three hours." Weiss observed with a chuckle.

"Still too long to be sitting in such a cramped seat." Blake countered.

"I can't say I disagree with that." Weiss conceded.

Weiss could feel a sort of weightlessness in the pit of her stomach as the dropship quickly descended towards the ground, giving the passengers the sensation of floating momentarily. It was over quickly as the airships abruptly slowed their descent, before landing with a hard _thud_. The doors on either side of the airship slid open with a hiss, letting in the cool evening air. Tamamo leaped off the airship, letting out a gleeful "Yee!" before walking towards the fortress.

The rest of the students gathered up quickly behind her, with Weiss at the lead, eyes drawn up to the enormous fortress gate in front of them. The iron gate was just the beginning, however. The fortress itself was beautiful, both in design and practicality. Tiered stone walls that were both tall and thick, with towers spaced evenly throughout, and at each of the corners. Past the walls was an imposing stone castle, made of chiseled and carved stone. It consisted of multiple sections all connected by hallways and bridges, made of complex wooden supports designed for maximum stability. On many of the castles corners and ledges were carved gigantic gargoyles, which may have once looked frightening, but nature had taken its toll and weathered away their features, leaving them as mostly faceless, winged lumps of stone.

The creaky opening of the gate drew their attention back down in front of them, revealing a tall, fit, and muscular man wearing gold and bronze colored armor, along with a brown leather kilt adorned with metal straps, and sturdy, heavy looking leather sandals that were strapped on to more bronze and gold colored metal shin guards. His face looked hard as stone and smooth as metal, perfectly shaved and clean cut with short, military cut hair to match. Everything about this man just screamed 'professional soldier' to Weiss. He kept his back straight and carried himself tall, cutting an imposing figure. Even his voice was deep, clear, and powerful, easily cutting through the morning air. "Commander. Welcome back to base."

"Hello Dani!" Tamamo greeted. "How was your expedition?"

Unfazed by Tamamo's enthusiasm, the soldier-man continued. "Commander, I would ask that you please refrain from referring to me using such an appellation, especially in front of the trainees." He continued after making his correction. "Our purging expedition was a success. The nearby cities should be safe for some time while we train these newcomers. A simple paired patrol should suffice until the Grimm replenish their numbers."

"After all these years, you're still all work and no fun." Tamamo said, sighing. "What about Fionn? Is he still here?"

"I'm afraid you just missed him. He stayed with us when we returned this morning, but announced he was leaving as soon as you called in to report you were near." Soldier-man replied, with only the ghost of a hint of a smile indicating he found Fionn fleeing from Tamamo amusing.

"Poor boy. He never wants to spend any time with me." She giggled.

"I can only speculate, but I suspect that he fears you would bite him again, Commander."

"I only did it once. You think he'd get over it already." Tamamo defended, smiling. She turned around at the people gathered behind her, then looked over her should at the soldier-man. "Care to do the honors?"

"Yes, Commander." He stepped forward in front of Tamamo, and came to a stop just a few steps in front of the students. "Trainees!" He barked out loudly. "Assemble into five lines!" The students jumped at his loud voice, before rushing to set up in lines. Weiss ended up at the front of the center line, even though she hadn't moved at all. Blake was the head of the line to her right, and Velvet past that. Jaune was to Weiss' left, and Nora to his left. Pyrrha was second in line behind Jaune. The students, used to assemblies at Beacon, had made the lines as even as they could, with only two of the lines being just one person shorter than the others due to the number of students present.

"I am Denarii Latium. I am second in command and grandmaster tactician here at this fortress, answerable only to the Commander." He began after they had settled down, looking forward expectantly. "You are under our care and supervision. You will have more freedoms than you did when you were students at Beacon, but our orders are absolute. Commander?" He stepped back and spread his legs shoulder width and brought arms behind his back, waiting for orders.

"Like Denarii said: You will have more freedoms than you did as students. There are no specific meal times, bed times, or whatever times. You can go wherever you please in the fortress whenever you want. But," she held up a finger, "Our orders are to be followed. If I tell you wake up at two in the morning and to go run a lap around the fortress, you do it. If Dani here," he grunted in displeasure at the nickname, "Orders you to go to bed at three in the afternoon, you do it. Understood?" Everyone mumbled their understanding.

"You answer with 'Yes, ma'am' when the Commander asks if you understand, trainees!" Denarii barked.

"Yes ma'am!" The students yelled back.

"Better." Tamamo giggled. "Your training begins now. You don't get to stay in the fortress unless you pass our tests. Follow me!" Tamamo turned and walked into the fortress, waving her arms excitedly for them to follow. The new trainees could hear the airships behind them being wheeled away somewhere else, presumably a hangar of some sort.

Everyone looked at each other confusedly before following, unsure if Tamamo was serious about them not being allowed to stay in the fortress if they didn't pass her tests. As they walked through the great wooden doors, they came into an entryway, the walls draped with old, moth-holed tapestries showing battles against the Grimm who were attacking the fortress, most likely from long ago. The interior was lit with a series of lamps that flickered on as they neared, brightening the otherwise dark hallway considerably. The entryway was short, and soon opened up into a large room, filled with large tables, the edges of the room dotted with doors leading elsewhere in the fortress.

"You didn't tell me we were getting newbies, Tammy!" A voice above them laughed. Weiss and the others looked up to be greeted by a strange sight. There was a man hanging upside down from an unlit chandelier, his ankles hooked through the large metal ring and his arms behind his head. His eyes were a startling electric green, and were reflecting some of the light from the lamps, giving his gaze a disconcerting glow. He was smiling widely, his sharp teeth making his smile more creepy than happy looking. His clothes were simple yet eccentric. He wore a bright purple and magenta puffy sweater which blended in neatly with his dark purple shoulder length hair, and bright pink cargo shorts that clashed horribly with his sweater. His ears were twitching wildly in every direction, reacting to the slightest noises.

"Hello, Ches." Tamamo greeted. "You'd know if you ever checked your scroll."

"Denarii took it from me." He pouted.

"It had to be done. You wouldn't stop sending everyone pictures of yourself." Denarii explained calmly in answer to Tamamo's questioning look.

"Oh, that again. Anyways kids, this is Cheshire Fry. Try not to take him too seriously." Tamamo had been on the receiving end of some of his picture sending sprees before, and understood Denarii's decision. As Tamamo finished speaking, one of the doors opened and a muscular woman strode in.

She was the same height as Denarii, and just as muscular. Her dark brown skin was covered in scars, souvenirs of her innumerable battles. Her armor was a mix of studded leather straps and cured animal hide, reminding Weiss of the old warriors in the tapestries from long ago. The woman had an absurdly large great axe nearly as long as she was tall in a holster on her back. Her hair was braided into dreadlocks, and those dreadlocks tied together into a ponytail to keep her long hair out of the way of unsheathing her weapon quickly. "Tamamo, it is good to see you back." Her baritone voice was thick and smooth, and soothing to hear.

"You too, Kani." Tamamo said as she hugged the woman. "Kids, this is Hauonekani Jiwe, our resident blacksmith, engineer, and fearsome huntress. Don't make her mad."

"I'm not nearly as mean as Tamamo makes me out to be." Hauonekani Jiwe answered. "And I realize my name is probably a mouthful for some of you, so just call me Kani."

"Where's Vimentis?" Tamamo asked Kani. Kani pointed to one of the tables towards the back of the great hall, where a figure dressed in black was sprawled out on a table, sleeping quietly. "Of course he's sleeping. Would you mind waking him up, Kani?"

Kani nodded as she walked over and grabbed Vimentis by the jacket, then with a mighty tug pulled him off the table, cause him to fall onto the floor with a sickening thud. "Wake up."

The trainees mouths had dropped open, sure that the man had been hurt. But he just stood up groggily and yawned, no signs of injury anywhere. "Whos'it?" He turned his head slowly as if he was looking around the room, but his eyes were still closed. "Why'd you," he yawned again, "wake me up?"

Kani was already walking back towards Tamamo. "Work."

Vimentis groaned as he shuffled along, following Kani. Now that he was standing, Weiss could get a better look at him. He had bed head, his hair all messy and knotted everywhere. Were his hair groomed, his glossy black hair would've fallen down past his shoulders to just past his shoulder blades, but as it was, it was everywhere. He wore a black businessman's overcoat, with an incorrectly buttoned white dress shirt underneath. His grey slacks were all wrinkled from sleeping in them, and his shoes were nowhere to be found. All in all, Weiss thought he cut quite the unimpressive figure.

"And this is our resident sleeper." Tamamo joked. He waved at the group sleepily, yawning again. Weiss had to fight the urge to yawn as she watched him yawn yet again. He still hadn't opened his eyes.

"Okay, now that everyone is here, let's go over the plan. We," Tamamo gestured to her and her squad, "will be each testing you, individually, on various skills." She held up a piece of paper with a chart on it. "You will each grab one of these off the table and fill in your name. Each of our names are on this already, along with a box where we will score you.

"If you do not pass enough of these, I'm kicking you out and sending you home, deal?" She laughed, as if the prospect of the students failing was immensely amusing. "There's a map on the back that shows which room each of us is going to be in when we test you." She turned the page around so the students could see the map. "You can come see us in any order you want. Except for me, only see me when you've seen the other members of my squad. Feel free to leave your bags in this room until you're done."

She set the paper back down on the table. "Do NOT show and discuss your results with one another, and do NOT tell people about the tests if they haven't taken it yet. You can only talk to your peers about the test if both of you have already seen me. Before that, and I kick you out. Easy enough, right? Let's get started!" Tamamo cheered as she skipped out of the great hall, and the other members of her squad left through various doors.

Weiss looked up and didn't see Cheshire Fry anymore, but didn't recall seeing him leave through a door either. Mysterious. "Where do you think he went?" Weiss asked Blake while pointing at the chandelier.

Blake shrugged. "I didn't see him leave either." She scanned the rafters, looking for a hatch but didn't see anything. "Oh well. Do you want to go to the tests together, or just meet up after?" Blake asked her group of friends.

"I say we split up." Jaune suggested. "So we aren't tempted to talk to each other about the tests so much." Everyone agreed that his plan made sense as they filled their names out on their forms, then split up in different directions, following the map.

* * *

Weiss began walking along a path towards an office labeled 'Denarii Latium.' Her quick stride ensured she arrived first, to find the door open with Denarii sitting at a mahogany desk. "Come in, please put this sign on the door before you close it." He handed Weiss a sign that had written on it 'Wait until you are called in. Do not knock.' Weiss hooked it onto the door before returning to him. "Have a seat." Weiss sat in a padded chair across from him as he pulled out a box.

"I will be testing your strategic and critical thinking." He explained, pulling out a wooden checkered board, and a smaller box filled with all sorts of figurines. "I will pose scenarios, you will answer. I will counter, you will respond. Understood?"

"I understand, sir." Weiss answered, looking down. Chess? Weiss was surprised at this test. She had expected some sort of interview. But Weiss was skilled when it came to chess, so she straightened her back, feeling confident.

Weiss was soon had beads of sweat forming on her forehead though, as Denarii kept setting up pieces in increasingly unfair scenarios. This wasn't standard chess, this was chess where Weiss was missing half of her pieces, or where certain squares on the board were impassable, or where the pieces were arranged differently, or where some pieces looked one way but behaved like another piece, or a dozen other variations Denarii came up with. None of the games lasted longer than a couple minutes, and Weiss lost as many of the games of chess as she had won, and her hopes had been shattered.

"We're done here." Denarii announced after the final game. He took Weiss' paper out of her hand, and scribbled something in the box before handing it back to her.

Weiss looked down at the box, bracing herself for disappointment, when she saw the score in the box: ninety-two out of one hundred. "Ninety-two out of one hundred?" she asked out loud. "But I lost so many of those games!"

He raised an eyebrow. "You weren't supposed to win the games. I was judging your decision making and analytical skills." He gestured at the board. "You actually won far more than I expected. Many of your peers will lose most of these games, and some will lose even all of them."

"Oh." Weiss responded, feeling slightly foolish.

"I've been a strategist and tactician for nearly twenty years, Miss Schnee. You weren't expecting to win all of them, were you?" He asked. Weiss just looked around sheepishly. He laughed for the first time since Weiss had seen him. "I like your confidence and spirit. Don't lose that. Now go on, get out. Send in whoever is next in line."

"Thank you, sir." Weiss gave a quick bow before stepping out and telling the next student to go in. After she was out of earshot of the students in line, Weiss let out a sigh of gargantuan proportions. "Ugh, that was stressful. I hope the others are better."

* * *

Weiss had decided to follow the map clockwise, and found herself standing in line to enter the room labeled 'Hauonekani Jiwe,' with the same sign on the door Denarii had. While waiting, Weiss was discovering that waiting in line was its own special kind of test, watching the other students come out of the room massaging their muscles and wincing in pain. By the time it was her turn, Weiss had concocted a dozen things that could be happening as part of Kani's test. When the student in front of her came out and told Weiss to enter, she did so with much trepidation.

Inside the room was… nothing. Just an empty stone walled room with a dirt floor. The only things Weiss could see were a tiny table next to the door, and Hauonekani Jiwe standing at its center, holding her great axe on her should with one arm. "Hello there, child. Leave your paper by the on that table." Weiss set her paper on the table. "Now come, come." Weiss went to stand in front of the woman.

As she walked over, Weiss got a better look at the axe. It was single sided, with a long, curved blade that shone silver. The back of the axe head had a wicked looking spike for piercing, which Weiss eyed warily. "Hello." Weiss greeted the huntress.

"My test is simple. Fight me with your weapon. No dust, no aura, no semblance. Ready?" Weiss was hesitating- she had never fought without dust and her semblance before. Not effectively, anyways. "Taking too long!" Kani swung her massive axe down at Weiss with just a single arm.

Weiss leapt back, the axe nearly shaving some skin off her nose as it blew by, smashing into the floor with a crash. Chunks of dirt flew everywhere from the massive impact, throwing up a cloud of dust that blocked Weiss' view of Kani. Before Weiss could secure her footing, Kani leapt through the cloud with a roar, swinging her weapon horizontally across at the stumbling heiress.

Without the footing to leap back again, Weiss kicked off the ground with one foot, and cart wheeled over the axe, keeping her arms against her chest as she jabbed Myrtenaster forward at the huntress, trying to score a hit to distract her so Weiss could get some footing. As Myrtenaster's point darted towards Kani's chest, she lifted her axe handle, deflecting the rapier upwards as Weiss landed on her feet and darted away to put some distance between her and the ferocious warrior.

With some distance between the two, Weiss finally had time to analyze her situation. Clearly she was no match for the huntress in strength, but Weiss believed she was faster and more acrobatic, allowing her an advantage in speed and mobility, which she knew she had to use to her advantage. Weiss shifted her stance, distributing her weight evenly between her feet as she stood on the balls of her feet, ready to move in any direction as needed.

Kani charged once again, axe now held horizontally across her body in both hands. Weiss held her ground, waiting to see what direction the attack would come from so she could maneuver around it. At the last moment, she saw Kani's axe begin to shift upwards, opening up her chest for an attack. Weiss lunged forward, moving in too close for the axe to come down and hit her, ready to jab with her rapier.

As Weiss was jabbing, she realized that the axe was no longer in Kani's hands only an instant before her fists slammed into Weiss' chest, throwing her back onto the floor. Lying on her back, Weiss saw the axe fall back into Kani's hands. She had twitched to throw her axe upwards, tricking Weiss into thinking she was prepping for an overhead swing, then punching her out before Weiss could realize her mistake.

"Ow." Weiss commented painfully from her spot on the floor.

"Ha ha! That was very brave of you, charging someone who fights like me." She held her hand out and pulled Weiss to her feet. "You're a bit small to charge, but I know what you were trying to do. I'll be honest, it probably would've worked if you were here earlier, but that Belladonna girl did the same thing and got me."

"Blake was here already?" Weiss asked, rubbing her chest and retrieving her paper.

"The cat faunus, right? She an amazing fighter." Kani filled out Weiss' paper and handed it back to her. "You lost some points for trying to charge me like that, but you did pretty good. Seventy-eight points. Your weapon looks pretty dust heavy, may I see it?" Weis handed over Myrtenaster. Kani looked down the blade, tested the point, spun and observed the chambers, and generally gave the weapon a quick look over. "This is a nice weapon. I guess I put you out of your element without the dust, huh?" She smiled.

"Yeah, I've always fought with dust, or at least my semblance." Weiss admitted.

"Ha ha, nothing wrong with that. But these are tests, after all. Let's get you out of here and on to your other tests." Kani directed Weiss towards the door. "Send in the next kid. Good luck!"

Weiss did so as she exited, still massaging the center of her chest. "I hope I finish these tests alive." Weiss joked to herself.

* * *

Weiss continued her clockwise pattern to the next room on the map, labeled 'Cheshire Fry.' Arriving at the door, there was no line, but the sign was up so she waited. Just a couple minutes later the door opened to reveal a very dizzy Jaune. "Jaune, are you okay?" Weiss rushed to his side to keep him from falling over.

"That damn cat." Jaune managed to get out before rushing out to the hallway and throwing up in a trash can.

"Ew." Weiss observed. "Can I go in then?" Jaune just waved her in instead of responding. "Thanks!" Weiss entered the room.

Unlike Kani's room, this room was filled with wooden posts of varying heights, creating what looked like a forest without leaves or branches. Weiss walked forward as she looked around, not seeing Cheshire Fry anywhere in the room. "Hello, my dear." A voice called from above and behind her. Weiss turned around to see the Huntsman hanging upside down again, this time from a wooden post just behind her. "How are you this fine morning?"

"I'm doing well, thank you." Weiss responded as she backed away from the startling green eyes, so much brighter and greener than anything she had ever seen before. "And you?"

"I'm marvelous." He answered, drawing out the 'ar' noise for an unnecessarily long amount of time. As he answered he pulled a silk top hat, seemingly out of nowhere, and plopped it on his head. Weiss could only stare, unsure how the hat was even staying on his head. But he didn't say anything else, opting instead to just stare at Weiss.

"Um… my test?" Weiss asked.

"Hmmm. Yes. A test. How about a game instead?" Cheshire Fry asked. "A lovely game. Like… hmm. Ah!" He snapped his fingers and pointed at Weiss. "_You_ have to touch _me_ once before _I_ touch _you_ three times." Him emphasizing the words that he did only served to creep out Weiss even more.

"Touch?"

"Punch, kick, poke, stab, crunch, lick, choke, cut, jab, stomp-"

"I get it. Thank you." This man was aggravating Weiss more and more by the second.

"Wonderful!" Cheshire Fry said, elongating his vowels once again. He thrust his hands into his cargo shorts' pockets, and immediately began pulling them back out. Weiss' eyes widened as the strange faunus pulled out what appeared to be metal claws, which could not have possibly fit inside those pockets. "Let's play!" He said with a wicked grin, his eyes maniacally wide. Weiss suddenly had the feeling she was in a very dangerous position.

Hoping to end this 'game' before she could get hurt, Weiss drew and swung Myrtenaster in the same motion, not caring about hurting him, only touching him. Just as her weapon was about to touch him though, his form became hazy, and Myrtenaster passed straight through where Cheshire Fry was a moment ago, where now only a faint cloud of lavender smoke remained, drifting away lazily.

"Too slow." She heard a whisper in her ear, her head jerking to the side to see Cheshire with his face just inches away from Weiss'. Weiss brought her hand up to try to make contact with him, but it passed right through the lavender haze he left behind.

"Damn it!" Weiss was more aggravated than she could ever remember being. How do you hit someone who can disappear? Before she could formulate a plan, she felt something touch the top of her head. She ducked away, swinging her weapon up, once again impacting nothing.

"That's one!" She heard his voice giddily echoing through the room. Weiss then made a decision that she would stab this man, not punch, or kick, or poke, or anything else. She hated him.

Trying to focus herself, Weiss stood extremely still, examining her surroundings. She closed her eyes, trying to focus and listen to her surrounding for any sign of movement, since she couldn't see him. As she sat there, she felt something touch the tip of her nose. Her eyes jerking open, she was greeted with Cheshire Fry standing so close in front of her that their noses touched. Going against her decision to stab him, Weiss brought her knee up in an attempt to knee the infuriating cat in the crotch. She was once again unsuccessful as she heard his voice echoing around the room. "That's two! You're about to lose!"

Weiss, realizing she must be doing terribly, tried calming herself as she tried using all her senses to locate the disappearing faunus. Wait, Weiss thought to herself. He thinks it's a game. Not a test. He'll try to do the fun thing, not the smart one. Realizing this, Weiss closed her eyes again. She waited, and just seconds later she felt a slight disturbance in the air in front of her. Without opening her eyes, she thrust her head forward, and was rewarded with solid, painful contact.

Weiss opened her eyes as she rubbed her head, and was rewarded with seeing Cheshire Fry also rubbing his forehead. He looked at Weiss warily. "I hope that hurt." Weiss said, clearly displeased with him.

"It did. How rude." He responded. "But you won!" He threw his hands up in the air, empty of the claws she had seen earlier. Where the blazes did he keep those things? And the hat? Weiss went to pull her paper out of her picket, but found it wasn't there. She spun in a circle as she looked around the room, worried about dropping it. As she completed her spin, she saw that Cheshire Fry had it, and was holding it out to her.

"How …? Never mind." Weiss gave up trying to understand this insane enigma. She accepted it and saw that he had not in fact given her a score, but had drawn a smiley face. "My score?"

"No score! You win!" He yelled animatedly. "You must play again sometime! I won't even have to go so easy on you next time!"

"I'm going to have to take a rain check on that."

"Send in the next contender!" He yelled, disappearing once again.

Weiss left, wishing the next student good luck as she hurried away, eager to be away from such chaos.

* * *

Making sure to hurry away from Cheshire Fry's room, Weiss found her way to the one last room before Tamamo's, labeled 'Vimentis'. There was a line outside of his door, which gave Weiss some time to sit and just let her pent up frustration from the previous test ease out of her.

"You look like you just came from Cheshire Fry's room." Weiss looked up and saw Pyrrha walking up to her to wait in line behind her.

"Ugh. Yes." Weiss groaned.

"I saw him first. It definitely was. . . different."

"Understatement of the century." The two girls laughed, making small talk while they waited in line.

The line moved quickly and soon they arrived at the front of the line, Weiss parting with Pyrrha to take her turn at Vimentis' test. Closing the door behind herself, Weiss strode into the room. It was another empty room, devoid of anything but Vimentis, sitting cross legged in the middle of the room.

Vimentis yawned. "Come sit." He nodded at the cushion in front in him.

Weiss sat on her knees in front of the sleepy man, and noticed his eyes were still closed. "Good evening, sir."

"Terrible evening." He corrected. "I want to go to sleep." Was this man really a huntsman? Then again, if Cheshire Fry was a huntsman, Weiss supposed anything was possible. "How strong is your aura?"

Weiss wasn't prepared for the sudden question, and stammered. "Um, uh. Average I guess? Maybe a little stronger."

"Hrm." He grumbled. "Describe it to me. How you use it in battle." Weiss blinked. He was just going to question her?

"Um. Well. I use it to strengthen and reinforce my body, as we're all trained. I also use it as an energy source for my semblance." Weiss explained.

Vimentis waved his hand dismissively. "That's fine. I want you to summon your aura. Pull it into yourself, hold as much as you can." Weiss obeyed. "You're correct in your assessment. Average indeed. Mostly a dust fighter, right?"

"Yeah." Weiss responded curtly. She realized she was the one who said she was average, but hearing him say it so dismissively was still slightly insulting.

"Well that's to be expected then. We all have our strengths." Suddenly Weiss' paper flew out of her pocket and into his outstretched hand.

"Hey, what?" Weiss watched as a pen flew out of his pocket, and marked the paper with a score of seventy. The pen flew back into his pocket, and the paper drifted lazily over back to Weiss, waiting for her to snatch it out of the air.

"You pass. Send in the next one." Weiss could only assume it was his semblance or aura he used, but she'd ask another time.

Opening the door, Weiss told Pyrrha it was her turn. Pyrrha nodded in thanks and wished her luck as Weiss left for Tamamo's room, up the stairs.

* * *

There was no line in front of Tamamo's door, so Weiss waited and for whoever was in there to come fetch her. The wait was a short one, with Blake soon exiting and greeting Weiss. "Your turn. I'll wait for you in the great hall, okay? We'll talk there." Weiss waved bye as she entered Tamamo's rom.

"Hello!" Tamamo greeted. "How were your tests?" she asked, holding her hand out for Weiss' paper.

"They was definitely a variety of tests." Weiss replied, hoping to keep her response fairly neutral as she handed over her paper.

"My, my, you definitely put that nicely. I know what they did to you, no need to be so delicate about it!" Tamamo laughed. "These tests were designed to make you do poorly or fail." She read over the paper in her hands. "Oooh, you did quite well. You even got a smiley face from Ches! How cute!" Tamamo could only giggle.

"Not quite the word I'd use." Weiss grumbled.

This only made Tamamo laugh harder. "He does take some getting used to." Tamamo stood and walked over to stand in front of Weiss. "Well then. Ready for your last test?"

"I am."

"Excellent." Tamamo's hand shot forward, impacting hard against Weiss' stomach.

Weiss staggered backwards, hand over her stomach. Before she could voice her confusion and astonishment, she saw the knife sticking out of her side, where Tamamo had struck her. Blood was pouring down off the blade, dripping onto the floor. Weiss could only stare at the wound, then the evilly grinning Tamamo, then the wound. "Why?" Tamamo just shrugged in response.

Weiss was surprised. The wound didn't hurt the same way she thought it would. It was a dull, radiating pain, not quite the sharp fiery pain she expected. She gripped the dagger's hilt and tugged, trying to pull it out. She couldn't pull though, it was hurting too much. Was this part of the test? Was she-

Wait. Couldn't pull it out? Weiss didn't even budge the knife when she tried. Surely she should've at least moved it a little before it hurt? She looked at the knife again, then the smiling Tamamo. Weiss straightened her back. And then calmed herself, focusing and clearing her mind.

It didn't hurt the way it should. It didn't respond the way it should. Tamamo said it was a test. She looked down at the knife again, at the blood dripping off of it. Weiss noticed she wasn't feeling any weaker, curiously enough.

The knife's not real. Weiss thought to herself. Is this the test? Weiss straightened her posture once again, before focusing her mind on that thought- the knife isn't real. The knife isn't real. The knife isn't real.

Tamamo started clapping in front of her, jumping up and down. Weiss looked down, and saw that the knife was gone. There was no blood, no cuts in her clothes.

"You did it! Congratulations, you pass!" Tamamo exclaimed excitedly.

"What… what did you do?" Weiss asked.

"It's my semblance. I can make illusions." Weiss blinked as there were suddenly three images of Tamamo standing in front of her. "My test is to see if you can look past what you see on the surface of something. Because lies and illusions can kill you too, if you believe it." The illusionary Tamamo clones disappeared.

"But it still hurts."

"Well, I did punch you."

"Oh."

* * *

Shoutout: I'd like to thank Pozsich for his assistance in creating the character Denarii Latium, the assistance and inspiration was much appreciated!


	8. Chapter 8: Reunion and Loss

Weiss found Blake sitting at a table in the great hall, alone. The only other students in the great hall were still walking through the fortress to their remaining tests. "Are we the first ones done?" Weiss asked, sitting down opposite of Blake.

"I believe so. You get stabbed too?" Blake asked.

"Yeah. I think I'm bruised now." Weiss complained, rubbing her side.

"I think that last test may have been a little unfair in my favor. I knew it was a trick almost right away because I couldn't smell any blood." Blake said, leaning one elbow on the table and resting her head on her hand. The girls traded stories about their tests, comparing scores and discussing the veterans who tested them.

As they spoke, Weiss brought up a question that she had been pondering ever since she had finished their tests. "So is it just me, or are these instructors of ours a few steps above the hunters we normally meet in the city? Don't get me wrong, some of the huntsman and huntresses we meet in the city are plenty strong, but we're about the same as them now. And even after all our training, I get the feeling the ones here could fight circles around us while they're sleeping."

Blake scratched her cheek absently with her free hand. "Maybe it's because they live out here in the wilds, fighting Grimm all the time." She gestured to the fortress around them. "And this isn't the most luxurious of places, even though it's big, so they don't get soft. And let's be honest, a lot of the hunters in the city take jobs that aren't very demanding. We've seen peacekeepers with the police, guards at the city edges, and private security by the wealthy and by companies. Jobs that involve mostly standing around trying to look intimidating, and not necessarily fighting."

"That makes sense." Weiss agreed. "And these guys are fighting Grimm almost every day. We'll definitely learn a lot by being here."

"I hope so." Blake said. "I can't get into the fight soon enough."

"How do you think everyone else is doing?" Weiss asked, looking at the stairway towards Tamamo's office.

"I dunno. Some of these tests were definitely different. I scored well, but the only test I feel like I successfully completed was Kani's." Blake admitted.

"She told me about that," Weiss said, remembering her conversation with the warrior woman, "she told me you beat her by quickly closing the distance when she raised her weapon. I tried to do the same thing but she countered it because she said you did it, and remembered it." Weiss finished with a grumpy pout.

Blake could only chuckle. "Sorry for spoiling your victory."

Further conversation was paused thanks to the noisy arrival of Nora, and her shouting "I did it!" before leaping over the table to sit down with Weiss and Blake. "You both passed too?" Both Weiss and lake nodded their confirmations. "Yay!"

The girls sat and continued their idle chat as the rest of the students dribbled in after completing their tests, until eventually the rest of students had gathered and were waiting for their next orders. Eventually even the veteran hunters had finished testing the students and were waiting in the hall for Tamamo to come down to issue orders. Their wait was a short one, and as evening approached Tamamo strode into the hall.

"Evening everyone! I have some words for you all." Tamamo announced. She paused for dramatic effect, looking at all the students anxiously staring back at her. "Everyone passed!" Everyone continued staring back blankly. "Well, this wasn't exactly a test. I just said that so you would try your hardest. We just needed to observe and judge what your strengths and weaknesses were so we knew how to train you. This," she held up a piece of paper, "is a list of who will be your trainer while you're here."

Tamamo slapped the paper onto a table at her side. "Ozzy told me you need to be done training fast. This means I don't have time to give you all a full training regimen. If you're 'okay' at something, I'm ignoring it- you can work on it at your own time. If you're bad at something, we'll try to make it passable. And whatever you're best at, we're working on that the most." She ticked off her fingers as she listed her points. "We'll be making you specialists. If you survive the war and feel like you want more training like us, feel free to come back." She giggled.

"But today was probably a bit stressful for you, so you're free to do what you want until tomorrow morning. The assignments will let you know where and what times you meet tomorrow. I recommend using some of your time today learning your way around the fortress. I also recommend _not_ leaving the fortress and going into the forest. It's a bit dangerous out there, and I'd rather you didn't die while I'm teaching you.

"There are beds everywhere. Sleeping arrangements are up to you. You can move beds between rooms, you can share beds, whatever. You could probably sleep one person to a room and still not fill up all the rooms here. The key to a room is hanging on the door. If there's no key, room's taken. Don't ask us about it. If you want more keys cause you're sharing a room, go talk to Kani in the foundry. Any questions? No? Excellent. Go do your thing." She made a shooing motion at everyone, then waved her instructors over to talk to them privately.

Weiss was the first one to the assignment sheet, searching for her name on the list. Her search was brief; her name was second on the list, under Blake's.

_Weiss Schnee: Denarii Latium, Tamamo Mae- Map Room; Floor 3; 0700 hours._

Weiss couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief as she saw that she wouldn't have to work with Cheshire Fry. She was sure that spending more time with him than she already had would be the death of her. She sat down at her seat again and programmed her meeting tomorrow into her scroll while she waited for her friends to finish checking their assignments.

They soon rejoined her, all of them discussing their assignments. "Who are you working with, Weiss?" Blake asked. Weiss answered, and asked Blake in return. "I'm working with Tamamo and Cheshire."

Weiss' eye twitched involuntarily. "Cheshire Fry?" Weiss hugged Blake. "I'm so sorry."

Blake just stared at Weiss, confused. "You don't like him?"

"He's insane!"

"Really? He seemed like a perfect gentleman to me." Blake replied, looking over at Cheshire Fry. He was sitting with the other Tamamo and the others, cross logged on the top of a table while elegantly sipping a cup of tea, his top hat on his head once more.

Weiss stared at the purple haired maniac, who now seemed to have adopted the mannerisms and behavior of a wealthy, prim, and proper nobleman, with the exception being that he was sitting on a table. "I'm beginning to think we may have had entirely different encounters with him."

"Got that right." Velvet answered as she sat next to Blake. "He asked me to play a game where we leaped from pole to pole for ten minutes. He was singing the whole time. And Nora said that all she did was talk to him and he was very gentlemanly, and very witty."

Jaune and Pyrrha, who had rejoined them and sat next to Weiss, stared at Velvet. "He only _spoke_ to Nora?" Jaune said, his face incredulous. "He told me to fight him and ended up teleporting circles around me until I got sick."

"He didn't even say anything to me. He just kept teleporting around me and tripping me until I managed to grab him and stop him." Pyrrha added. Everyone looked at the strange cat faunus.

"We shall never know his mind." Jaune said sagely. Everyone agreed.

They saw all the instructors separating, and Tamamo, in her preferred form of movement, skipped towards their table animatedly. "Bunny dear!" She joyfully exclaimed as she approached. "Velvet, right?" Velvet nodded nervously. "How's the ear?"

Velvet reached up and touched her injured ear. "It doesn't hurt anymore, actually." She responded with surprise. "I hadn't thought about it until just now. Thank you!"

"Hee hee, anytime. You have other burns, right? I see those bandages. Come with me, I shall apply more lotion!" Tamamo extended a hand towards Velvet, as if inviting her to a dance.

"Um, uh," Velvet began, clearly uncomfortable with letting Tamamo rub lotion onto her body.

"Oh wait, I'm not sure how much more I have." She turned around. "Cheshire! Where's the thief? Go get him!"

And in a voice Weiss was positive couldn't be coming from the same Cheshire Fry she met earlier, Cheshire responded, "Of course, milady." Setting down his cup and bowing from his seated position, he disappeared.

"A thief?" Pyrrha asked. "You have a dungeon here? I didn't think anyone would try to steal from a fortress."

"Hmm? Oh, no he didn't try to steal from the fortress. He steals _for_ the fortress." Tamamo corrected.

Tamamo had someone who stole for them? It wasn't like hunters lacked resources, why need a thief? Her pondering was interrupted as Cheshire returned, leading a tanned, blond man wearing a white button down shirt and blue jeans. "Is that Sun?" Blake whispered to Weiss. Sun Wukong was a good friend of Blake's, following their encounter during their first year at Beacon. He had fast become good friends with RWBY and JNPR as well, and often met up with them when he was in town for whatever reason that a thief was in town.

"Whoa, who're all these people?" Sun exclaimed as he approached Tamamo.

"My new trainees! Isn't this exciting?" Tamamo quipped.

"Does this mean I'm not the lowest rung on the totem pole anymore?" Sun asked hopefully, clasping his hands together in front of him.

"No, you're still mine." Tamamo replied with a smile.

"Dammit."

"Sun, what're you doing here? We haven't seen you in almost a year." Blake asked, drawing his attention to the table.

"Blake! I could ask the same about you. I work here." Sun quickly overcame his surprise and walked over to give a now standing Blake a quick hug.

"I'm training here, for the war." Blake responded.

"Ah, yeah. I heard about that this morning. That was unexpected." He looked across the table at Weiss. "Hey there, Snow Angel."

"Don't call me that, you brute." Weiss responded.

"I thought you were over that whole 'I don't like faunus' thing." Sun said, putting his hands up defensively.

"I am. I just don't like you." Weiss glared.

"Look, I flirted with you ONE TIME. It'll never happen again." Sun shuddered at the memory.

"Well. I see you already are familiar with each other." Tamamo interjected, grinning.

"We met years ago." Sun responded. "I told you about them, remember?"

Tamamo tapped her chin with a folded up fan she had pulled out of her sleeve. "Oh, the kitty cat you had a thing for who rejected you?"

"You didn't quite have to put it like that." Sun mumbled. The others at the table stared bemusedly at the suddenly shy monkey faunus.

"Ah, well. If you bat for different teams, then you can't play together, you know?" Tamamo spoke as if imparting wisdom of the ages.

"I'd really rather not talk about that." Sun said. He looked around the table at the others. "I don't see blond and busty. I thought she'd leap at the chance to fight in something as big as a war. Your girlfriend not here?" Sun asked.

Blake stiffened in shock. "Yang died at Beacon." She stated simply, unprepared for the abrupt change in subject to Yang. "And Ren too. And Ruby's missing."

Sun just stared blankly, processing the information. "Crap. I'm so sorry." His shoulders slumped as he sighed. "Man, I'm an asshole."

Tamamo slapped him on the back of the head with her fan. "Yes, you are."

At the same time, Blake waved her hands in front of her to calm Sun. "No, no, it's okay. You couldn't have known."

"Still, I shouldn't have… the way I…" Sun could only sigh again. "Well, sorry again." He repeated his apology to the rest of the table.

"No worries." Blake replied.

"He works here for you?" Weiss asked Tamamo in an attempt to change the subject as Sun stood there awkwardly.

"Yup!"

"Would you mind tell me how that happened? He doesn't really seem like the 'work' type." Weiss inquired.

"Please don't." Sun tried to object, but was overruled.

Tamamo laughed. "He isn't. Last year I was in the city, doing some shopping, meeting some contacts. The little monkey boy tried to pickpocket me." Tamamo grinned at the memory. "I guess he didn't expect me to be a huntress. I chased him down and caught him and tied him up in an alley. I made him a deal: Work for me, or go to prison. I think it was an easy choice." Tamamo finished, ruffling Sun's hair.

The others could only stare. "And that's true?" Velvet asked.

"Yes." Sun replied as he held his hand over his face.

"I liked his skills. They were good, but unrefined. So now I pay him to steal things I want to get my hands on, and he works here doing whatever I want. Cleaning, fighting, sex, shopping, driving-"

"I'm sorry, did you say sex?" Nora interrupted. Sun's face grimaced, clearly hoping his friends either hadn't heard that, or would overlook it.

"Yeah. He's not bad." Tamamo answered, patting Sun on the shoulder.

"Please stop treating me like a toy." Sun complained.

"Hey, you agreed to it." This only caused Sun to redden further.

"You-" Sun began.

"Anyways!" Tamamo changed the subject, having decided she had teased her servant boy enough. "I need you to go get some more of my lotion from the cellar. Take it up to my room. One case should be more than enough." Tamamo ordered cheerfully.

"Yes ma'am." He said with a defeated, half hearted salute. "I'll catch up with you guys later, okay?" Sun said as he ran off.

"Well seeing him here was unexpected." Weiss commented.

"Definitely. I thought he had gotten arrested or was out of the country." Blake admitted, drawing laughter out of the others.

"You think so poorly of my young toy. He would never get caught. By police." Tamamo laughed. "Anyway, Velvet. Why don't you meet me in my quarters after you get yourself a room?"

"Um, uh," Velvet once again articulated so elegantly.

"Tamamo, I think Velvet is concerned you may treat her like you treat Sun." Pyrrha commented.

"Oh, I would never do that. Not unless you agreed." Tamamo laughed. "No worries dear. I'll even carry you back to your room if you fall asleep." Tamamo said with a wink.

Velvet looked nervously to Blake. "I'm sure she'll be very courteous and polite." Blake assured her. Velvet looked between Blake and Tamamo, before finally nodding her head in agreement.

"Excellent. I'm at the top floor of those stairs. Can't miss it." Tamamo pointed to the door that led to her office. "Just keep going up. See you in a bit!" Tamamo skipped away up the stairs.

"Let's go pick our rooms, shall we?" Weiss said after the whirlwind of happiness disappeared.

* * *

Qrow crouched on the forest ground and touched his fingers to the dried blood that had been splashed on the tree trunk. In his other hand he held the shredded remains of a red, hooded cloak, also stiff with blood. In fact, the area around him was covered in the stuff. The grass, the shattered wooden logs and branches, the fallen leaves, the dirt. Everything was covered in a layer of dried blood that resembled rust. Scattered around the clearing were scraps of cloth and torn clothing, recognizable as belonging to Ruby.

"Maybe a day old." Qrow said to himself. The blood was everywhere, soaked into the ground in places, splattered. "Or just about." He stood up, holding the ruined cloak out in front of him. He had been tracking Ruby's trail all day, getting the feeling he was getting closer. When Qrow had followed the trail to this clearing, he felt a flash of fear as he smelled the blood.

Now, as evening fell, Qrow examined the area more closely. There were cuts in the ground and trees nearby, cuts he recognized were a result of his niece's scythe. Likely from a battle. With a beowolf pack, judging by the tracks. And a large one at that. The direction and numbers of prints told Qrow that the number of beowolves leaving was much smaller than the number of beowolves that arrived, which meant that Ruby had put up a fight, even as terribly wounded as she most likely was to have lost this much blood.

There were many spots where the grass and leaves were crushed and disturbed, as if a large body had lain on top of them, again most likely where the slain beowolves had fallen before fading away into nothing. After searching the area for many hours, what was most disconcerting for Qrow was that no matter how hard he searched, he couldn't find any traces of Ruby leaving the area.

All he could piece together with the information he had was that Ruby had been lying down, possibly sleeping. Then beowolves attacked, catching her unawares, resulting in some grievous injury, but Ruby fought back, slaying many of her attackers. But after that, all Qrow could find were beowolf tracks leaving. He even checked the trees, in the hope that Ruby had fled up the boughs above to escape and run, but nothing but birds and insects had been up there as far has he could tell.

As much as it pained him, he was beginning to believe that Ruby had fallen to the Grimm, but he held hope that somehow he was wrong. Qrow pulled out his scroll, calling Ozpin. Ozpin answered quickly, his image popping into existence on the screen. "Yes?"

"I found the end of Ruby's trail." Qrow informed the tired looking headmaster. He pointed his scroll's camera at the disturbed area around him. "There's blood everywhere, and signs of beowolves that attacked her in the night." He paused to swallow the lump in his throat. "There are no signs of Ruby leaving."

Ozpin stayed silent for a few moments. "I'm sorry, old friend. There's no body?"

Qrow shook his head. "Just the occasional little bits of flesh." His eyes searched around himself. "I'm going to keep looking. Maybe I'm missing something, or her trail starts up again somewhere else farther along."

Both Qrow and Ozpin thought it was a long shot, but Ozpin nodded anyways. "Good luck. I hope you find something." Ozpin said. Qrow closed his scroll, and began searching the woods with what little light remained, trying to find something, anything that indicated his niece was still alive.

* * *

Weiss was leading the way as they walked through the halls of the fortress, looking for rooms to claim as their own. Everyone agreed that being too far away from the main building was out of the question in case they needed to be ready quickly, so they were searching the second floor of the main building for rooms. Within minutes they came across a hallway that looked like the other students hadn't found yet, as nearly all the doors appeared to still have their keys hanging from the doors.

A quick examination proved that the rooms were nearly all identical. They had stone floors covered with thick, patterned rugs, and the stone walls were mostly bare. A single queen sized bed sat in the corner of each room, with white sheets and a thick red blanket. There was one large closet and one large dresser, and a nightstand with a lamp. There was an electric fan in the room as well, next to a full body mirror. A small desk, two simple wooden chairs, and a bookshelf were also present in each room. There was even a miniature refrigerator for storing things that they didn't want kept in the kitchen or dining hall. While each room had the necessities, and even a luxury or two, it also left plenty of room for personalization.

Weiss claimed the room closest to the stairway, so she could get to the great hall for any meeting quickly. "So I can get to the great hall more quickly if we get called out." She explained.

Blake could only laugh at Weiss' insistence on being the perfect student. "I'll take the room next to yours then."

Velvet grabbed Blake's hand as she lifted the keys off the door handle. "Um, is it okay with you if we share a room?" Velvet asked timidly.

"Of course." Blake answered with a soft smile. "Why don't I go get another key for you while you go see Tamamo?"

"Thank you Blake!" Velvet was delighted that Blake agreed to share a room with her, especially since Velvet didn't want to be alone. Velvet waved as she strode off to wear Tamamo's quarters were.

Nora claimed the room just across the hall from Weiss', while Jaune and Pyrrha took one together farther down the hall. As Blake was about to head to the foundry in search of a second key, Nora stopped to ask the group, "Does anyone have a bathroom in their room?" Everyone stopped, not having given it any thought. Weiss glanced back into her room as Blake stuck her head into hers.

"Nope." Both girls replied.

"They're down here!" Jaune called from down the hall. The three girls walked over to where Jaune and Pyrrha were standing to find the bathrooms. On one side of the hall was the men's bathroom, and across from it were the women's bathrooms.

The girls entered, leaving Jaune behind, to inspect the facilities. After going down a short hallway and around a corner, they entered the bathroom. "It resembles a community bath, if anything." Pyrrha commented. Showers lined the two side walls of the spacious room, with a large bath in the center. The wall in which the door was situated was lined with faucets and mirrors, and the back was had private stalls for those who didn't want to shower in the open. A quick inspection of a second door to the side revealed another hallway with spacious toilet stalls.

"This is a really nice bathroom for such an old castle." Weiss commented. "They must really take care of the place."

"Yeah. At least we'll have nice soaks." Blake agreed.

They left the bathrooms to find Jaune still standing in the hallway where Pyrrha had left him. "Heyo. I'm gonna go get another key with Blake while you set up the room, okay?" Jaune gave Pyrrha a quick peck on the cheek before leaving with Blake.

"Well then." Weiss began. "Shall we tour the place before we go to bed?"

"I'd rather tour with everyone. Shall we eat dinner first once Blake and Jaune return?" Pyrrha suggested.

"Yes! I'm starving!" A famished Nora responded.

"Let's all meet back out here once those two return then." Weiss said. "And Velvet too, I guess." Weiss pulled out her scroll. "I'll message her to meet us in the kitchen or great hall when she's done."

* * *

In her quarters, Tamamo Mae was lying on her fluffy, king size bed and examining her scroll as Denarii Latium stood just inside her door, hands clasped behind his back.

"What do you think of the new prospects?" Denarii asked.

"Promising." Tamamo replied. "Some of them at least." She was reading the instructors' analysis of the students. "Most are disappointingly standard." Tamamo continued dismissively. She was unimpressed with the tests of most of the students. They had heart, sure, but not very many of them were of the caliber she would have liked. "Only a few show great potential. Weiss Schnee, here."

"Schnee?" Denarii asked. "Of the dust company?" he thought back to the students he tested. "The one with a talent for tactics and strategy." He recalled.

"Yes. She shows great promise in that field. And in single combat." Tamamo looked up at Denarii. "You will need to train her hard. With her mind, she will be a leader of men, a commander of soldiers." Denarii nodded. Tamamo looked back at her scroll. "Belladonna has a great head for combat, it seems. She beat Kani today."

Denarii's eyes widened. "One of those children beat Kani?" He knew that was no easy feat, and was quite impressed. He himself only won about two or three matches out of ten with Kani.

"Two, actually." Tamamo continued. "Nora Valkyrie nearly smashed Kani into the ground, apparently." She laughed.

"Valkyrie… ah. The one who was terrible with strategy. She will definitely not be leading soldiers in the future." Denarii remembered the Valkyrie girl took unnecessary risks, and was wild with her tactics. "Or at least, not large groups. She may do well with a smaller squad."

"I concur." Tamamo's eyes darted back and forth on her scroll. "Nikos and Arc. They appear to be well versed in tactics as well." She continued reading. "And it appears they are dating."

"A relationship could get in the way." Denarii was a strong believer in maintaining no emotional attachments that could compromise rational thought in battle.

"Or it could strengthen them." Tamamo suggested. "Keep them together. Make them learn to think like each other. If we could have a pair of commanders that could think like each other, imagine how powerful they would be on the battlefield."

"I see your point." Denarii pulled out his own scroll and made a note to do so.

"Scarlatina… high dexterity and speed. Fairly average elsewhere. Infiltration, recon, scouting... what do you think?"

"I can't see why not." Denarii shrugged. "Though her tests may be skewed due to her injuries."

"True. I'll test her again a different way after she's healed." Tamamo consented. They spent a few more minutes discussing other promising students before they were interrupted by footsteps approaching the door.

The footsteps stopped outside Tamamo's door, and were followed by a knock. Denarii looked to Tamamo, who nodded. Denarii turned to open the door to find a young faunus standing there nervously, wringing her hands nervously. "Can I help you, trainee?"

"Hi, um, I was told to come here…" Velvet answered quietly.

"Oh, there you are dear. Come on in, We were just finishing up." Tamamo said cheerily, hopping up off of her bed. "Come sit here." She said, patting her hand on her bed. "Dani, why don't you give the others our notes about the students," She handed him her scroll, "so we can divvy up locations and schedule our training sessions after tomorrow."

"Yes, Commander." Denarii bowed before leaving and closing the door silently behind him.

"Well then," Tamamo began, turning back to Velvet. "Why don't you disrobe?"

"W- What?"

"I can't really put on the lotion if you're still dressed, can I?" Tamamo giggled.

"O- oh. I guess." Velvet stuttered.

"Do I actually frighten you, or are you just embarrassed?" Tamamo asked in a more serious tone.

"…A little bit of both?" Velvet admitted.

Tamamo could only laugh. "I'll tell you what. If you really don't want me to do it, I'll have Sun take the lotion to your room and you can have your girlfriend put it on you. How's that sound?"

"Girlfriend?" Velvet asked confusedly.

"The cat. Belladonna, I believe?"

Velvet blushed furiously, waving her hands in front of her. "Oh, no no no, she isn't my girlfriend."

"Oh? My bad. You were looking to her so much I thought that was the case." Tamamo apologized.

"She's… just a good friend." Velvet said, drawing circles on the ground with her toe.

"Just a good friend, huh?" Tamamo asked. "Unrequited love, then?"

"No! Well, um... no. I don't know. It's just…" Velvet took a deep breath. "Her lover and girlfriend died just a couple days ago. Yang was amazing, and I don't think I could ever take her place. I've liked them both for forever, but I never thought a relationship would ever be a thing since they were together. They were always so nice to me, and…" Velvet trailed off, realizing what she had just told someone who was basically a complete stranger. "Oh my gosh, please forget I said anything!" Velvet began tearing up.

Tamamo just gave a soft laugh before putting her hands on Velvet's shoulders. "You loved both of them, and now that one is gone suddenly your feelings are out of balance. I get it." Tamamo ruffled Velvet's hair affectionately. "I'm sure she's looking to you for comfort as much as you're looking to her."

Velvet wiped the tear that had begun falling from her eye. "I'm just scared of losing her."

"And I'm sure she's scared of losing you too." Tamamo patted her cheek. "In the meantime, I'm sure your burns have been paining you. Do you want me to give you the lotion so you can ask your friend?"

"No, it's okay. I don't mind if you do it." Velvet sniffed.

"Excellent. Go ahead and get undressed then, and lay down on the bed. Face up first." Tamamo walked over to the small wooden chest while Velvet began removing her clothes. Opening the chest, Tamamo began looking at the different bottles of various lotions she had concocted, searching for the one she wanted. Finally finding it, Tamamo turned around to see Velvet lying down on her bed, nude. "Oh my. That's quite a bit of burn damage, isn't it?" Tamamo walked over and began loosening and removing the bandages that covered a significant portion of Velvet's body. "This must hurt something fierce."

"I can manage." Velvet replied with a grin.

"You don't have to manage it anymore, this stuff will make you feel better." Tamamo waggled the bottle of lotion. The bottle was clear, and looked like it contained the same stuff that she had used on Velvet earlier. Tamamo finished removing all the bandages and threw them away. "I have more." Tamamo assured Velvet. "Now just close your eyes and relax."

* * *

Weiss and the others were in the giant kitchen of the fortress, cooking their own meals. Well, more precisely, Blake was cooking all their food. The rest of them knew that they couldn't cook as well as Blake, so they assisted with the manual labor side of things- chopping, fetching water and ingredients, measuring, mixing. Blake did the rest of the more complicated tasks.

"Where did you ever learn to cook this good?" Jaune asked, lugging in two enormous fish, one over each shoulder.

"Yeah, it's delicious!" Nora complimented, sticking her finger into a sauce pan and licking off some sauce that Blake had finished mixing earlier.

Blake slapped the back of Nora's hand gently. "No sampling the goods." Blake gave a fond smile as she continued frying the vegetables she had in the pan in front of her. "I learned from Yang. She loved to cook, and found a new recipe to try every week. Eventually I got caught up in it too." Blake began stirring the sauce Nora had sampled in with the vegetables, the sauce browning them slightly as she turned up the heat to cook the sauce into the food.

"I wish I could cook like this." Pyrrha said longingly, skinning the potatoes Jaune had fetched earlier.

"Me too. Last time you cooked you nearly put me in the hospital." Jaune added with a grin. Pyrrha could only blush as she focused intently on skinning her potatoes, pointedly avoiding looking up at her friends, who were laughing at the memory.

"It's not like you're any better, Jaune." Nora poked Jaune in the tummy. "Remember when you tried cooking pancakes for us and they all ended up as charcoal?"

"I got distracted and forgot about them, okay?" Jaune said defensively as Weiss made a disbelieving comment about the idiocy required to mess up pancakes.

"Weiss, can you keep mixing this while I prep the fish?" Blake asked as the other three bickered about each others' cooking.

"How long?" Weiss stepped up to the stove, taking over stirring the vegetables in the pan.

"Until I say stop." Blake answered from behind her while beginning to gut and descale the fish.

"How can you tell?" Weiss looked over her shoulder to see Blake wasn't looking.

"I can smell it." Blake laughed.

"Oh yeah." Weiss had forgotten about Blake's extremely sensitive sense of smell.

Not long after that, They all sat down at a table in the great hall, setting up a table for themselves. They had two large plates, each with one of the fish, fried and sautéed with onions and the sauce Blake had mixed up. Also on the table was a plate of baked potatoes and a bowl of mashed potatoes, and a dish of gravy. A smattering of different vegetable dishes was also spread out on the table, thrown together to add variety to the dinner. A few other students looked on jealously, but Weiss figured that if they wanted to have food like this they could either pay Blake or ask for lessons. As they sat down, Weiss noticed an empty set of silverware and a plate set up next to Blake. "For Velvet?" She asked.

"Yeah. In case she comes back before we finish." Blake answered.

"Looks like you made the right call." Weiss nodded over Blake's shoulder, who turned around to find Tamamo carrying a dozing Velvet into the great hall.

"Ah, there you guys are. Excellent timing." Tamamo cheerily said as she shuffled over. "Velvet here got sleepy during the massage." She slid Velvet onto the seat next to Blake. "Velvet dear! Wake up and eat some dinner." Velvet groaned before opening her eyes groggily. "She'll be fine. And in return for my magnificent massage and use of my lotion, I demand food!" Tamamo walked into the kitchen a grabbed a plate, and returned to grab a little bit of everything. A slice of fish, a baked potato, a small pile of vegetables. She took a bite of the fish. "Mmm! So good." Tamamo moaned in appreciation. "Who made this?" Blake raised her hand slightly. "You are an excellent cook. We shall have to share recipes sometime. Thanks for the food, enjoy!" And as quickly as she had arrived, Tamamo was gone, back up the stairs.

"…What just happened?" Weiss asked.

"I think we just traded a massage for food." Blake speculated. Velvet, who was leaning on Blake shoulder, began to stir. "Velvet, wake up and eat." Blake gently shook the sleepy faunus. Velvet slowly sat up and began to rub her eyes. "Was the massage really that good?"

Velvet let out a sensual moan. "Oh, so good. It was heavenly." Velvet finally opened her eyes. She froze, and her eyes darted around the table. "Did I just say that in front of everyone?"

"Yes." Nora snickered.

"Not again." Velvet could only groan in embarrassment and she covered her face.

"Was it really that good?" Blake laughed.

"Y- yeah. The lotion works really well. I can't even feel the burns anymore." Velvet moved her arm and shoulder around for emphasis. "And she's really good at massaging the lotion in." Velvet admitted, blushing again.

Everyone just laughed. "Well anyways." Pyrrha redirected the conversation. "Before we get started." She held up her glass of water. "To our friends, who will be remembered."

Everyone held up their glasses. "To our friends." Everyone toasted.


	9. Chapter 9: The End of a Day

Weiss could hear an incessant beeping noise. She was not pleased. Her hand groped around the nightstand next to her amazingly soft and warm bed. It took longer than normal for Weiss to finally get her hands on her scroll and shut off the alarm; she did just have her first good and full night of sleep since the stressful events began days earlier. Weiss looked at the time glowing softly on her scroll. 0530 hours_._ "Ugh." Weiss' face thumped back down onto her pillow. She would part with all her ownership shares in the Schnee Dust Company if it meant getting a full, uninterrupted night of sleep in this comfortable bed.

Giving up on sleep and finally shutting of her alarm, Weiss rolled over and sat up while stretching her arms up above her head. Yawning, Weiss swung her legs over the edge of her bed and stood up to arch her back for a pleasant stretch. There was a distinct lack of sunlight coming in the window, so Weiss moved to investigate. A glance up at the sky revealed dark rainclouds blanketing the morning sky. Weiss sighed at the dreary dawn then walked to the closet and found it stocked with a variety of generic articles of clothing, in a variety of sizes. She made a mental note to speak to the quartermaster and request her own clothing, or at least clothing in her size. Grabbing a long, cotton bathrobe, a pair of slippers, some washcloths, a towel, and a white toiletries bag, Weiss unlocked her door and stepped out into the hallway. The stone floor was cold, so Weiss briskly power walked down the hall before the chill could seep into her slippers.

Jumping into the bathroom, Weiss was greeted by a wave of warmth. The large bath in the center of the room had been filled, and steam was slowing drifting off of the surface. Either someone had been in here before Weiss, or the caretakers in the fortress had prepped the baths before everyone else had woken. Whatever the explanation was, Weiss was glad for the warmth. She tested the water in the bath, and found it to be pleasantly hot. Removing her bathrobe and hanging it on a wall hook, Weiss left the toiletries bag on a sink and carried her towels and washcloths with her to the bath and placed them on the edge for when she was finished. Weiss stepped into the bath, savoring the heated water swirling around her feet. Sinking into the bath, Weiss could only let out a contented sigh; bathing in the creek was pleasant enough because it got them clean, but it was no heated bath.

The pale skinned huntress spent a few minutes just soaking before deciding to actually wash her body with the provided supplies. The large selection of shampoos, conditioners, and soaps was surprising to Weiss, but she indulged and spent a few minutes investigating each one in an attempt to find one she liked. Coming across a shampoo and body wash brand that smelled of roses, Weiss found she couldn't resist. It reminded her of her partner, who she missed dearly. _I wonder if I could get in touch with Professor Ozpin. He may have an update. _Weiss mused.

Weiss used one of her washcloths to soap up and clean herself, lazily watching with fascination as the soap then sloughed off her body was taken by the light current to a filter and removed from the bath. Once she felt she was sufficiently clean, was stood up and stepped out of the bath, standing with just her feet in the water, allowing some of the excess water to stream off her body and back into the bath. After Weiss felt she was sufficiently clear of water, she stepped out and began drying herself. Footsteps at the entrance to the bathroom indicated to Weiss she was no longer alone, and she turned to see who had joined her. Weiss' eyes found Nora, who was also dressed in a bathrobe, shorter than the one Weiss had used.

"Morning, Weiss!" Nora chirped with a wave. "Are you just finishing up?"

"Yes, I have to meet with my instructors soon." Weiss answered. "You?"

"Yup. I'm meeting with Kani at 7:30!" Nora said as she disrobed and hopped into the bath in a single action. Weiss wasn't surprised at all that the hammer wielding ball of energy would be training under the veteran axe wielder.

Weiss donned her bathrobe again and made her way over to the sink where she had left her toiletries bag and opening it to pulling out the toothbrush and toothpaste so she could finish her morning hygiene. "I'm off to finish getting ready, good luck with your first day of training." Weiss said over her shoulder.

"You too!" Nora splashed.

Tying closed her bathrobe, Weiss made the short journey back to her room. Weiss searched through her closet, looking for some clothes that fit her. Settling on a pair of skinny jeans and a black t-shirt, Weiss also opted to throw on a white, hooded sweater that was only a little too large and her normal boots, since she couldn't find another set of shoes. Weiss grabbed her scroll and checked the time, 0628 hours, and decided she had time to grab a small breakfast. Descending the stairs back into the great hall put Weiss right next to the kitchen double doors, allowing her quick access.

Weiss pushed open a door and entered, only to nearly run directly into Denarii Latium, who was rustling through the refrigerator. He looked up at the disturbance. "Miss Schnee. Good morning."

"Good Morning, Mr. Latium." Weiss responded with a small bow at the waist.

"Just call me 'Instructor' or 'Latium.' Even I am not _that_ formal here." Denarii said, pulling out ingredients for a sandwich from the refrigerator.

"Yes, Instructor." Weiss corrected. "Will I be meeting both you and Tamamo at the same time today?"

"No, just me. Both Tamamo and I have decided you have a powerful grasp of tactics and strategy." He began spreading mayonnaise on his bread." I will be responsible for training you in that regard. Commander Tamamo will be working with you later on leadership, mostly. She will also work with you on combat skills." Denarii finished as he put the deli meat and veggies onto his sandwich.

"Leadership?" Weiss asked while grabbing a blueberry muffin.

"Decision making, emotional filtering and control, rhetoric, behavioral psychology. Despite appearances, the Commander is the best leader I've ever worked with, huntress or soldier." Denarii answered, taking a bite of his sandwich. "Do you have anywhere you need to be before we meet?" Weiss shook her head. "Follow me."

Weiss followed Denarii while snacking on her muffin. He led the way up through the fortress to the map room, Weiss following silently behind him as they each ate their respective breakfasts. Arriving on the third floor, they entered the map room. Weiss was surprised at the grand size of the room- the round metallic table with a glass top in the center had a nearly ten foot diameter, and the walls of the room were covered in bookshelves filled with books. There was only one window, but thick black curtains blocked the view. The dimly lit room had a smaller, desk sized table off to the side, and only a small number of soft, amber colored lights hanging from the ceiling.

"As I was saying," Denarii suddenly began while setting his now empty plate on the desk, "Commander Tamamo feels you have a gift for tactics and strategy, and would make a powerful leader." Weiss had a sudden flashback to her first days at Beacon, when she was furious at Ruby for being the leader of team RWBY, and the lecture Professor Port had given Weiss when she went to him with her complaints. Those complaints seem so childish now as she looked back at them. "And so that is what we will be training you for: a leadership position. When we are done training you, you will be commanding the men and women in battle against Vacuo."

Weiss' eyes widened in surprise. "Seriously?"

"Seriously."

"How long will my training be?" Weiss asked.

"For you? Approximately three months. Depends on how quickly you learn and prove yourself." Denarii answered.

"That quickly? That seems awfully quick."

"You are already skilled, and we will be pushing you hard. You will only have two to three lessons per week, at most, from each of us, but you will have many assignments and exercises between each of our meetings." Denarii explained. "Make sense?"

"Yes, sir." Weiss responded.

"Excellent. One moment please." Denarii lifted a small hatch on the edge of the metallic table, revealing a command console. His fingers dashed across the console, dimming the lights further. The table's surface also began to glow, and a simulated three dimensional map popped into existence on the table. "We will learn by doing. I will lecture as we work." He walked around the table to the opposite side of the console he was using, and opened another hatch to reveal a second console. "You will use this one. The commands and controls are simple, and expansive. Work on them for five minutes on your own. I will answer any questions you may have. After that, we will run scenarios and review after each one. Let us begin."

* * *

"Are you sure?" Ozpin asked his guest.

The man in front of Ozpin was tired, dirty, and disheveled. "…Yes." The man's light grey suit was worn and wrinkled, his silvery hair in disarray, his eyes downcast.

"What brought about this decision, Kälte?" Ozpin asked Kälte Schnee, owner and CEO of the Schnee Dust Company. "You've never been the most..." Ozpin searched for a polite word to express his thoughts, "supportive… of my academy, or that your daughter was a student there."

Kälte looked like he was about to throw his hands up in frustration, but only for a moment. Instead he folded further into his chair, holding his head in his hands. "And what has my behavior earned me? A wife who left me. A daughter who hates me. A company of backstabbing bureaucrats who wouldn't blink an eye if I were to die today. But even I believe that I brought this upon myself."

"We all make mistakes, Kälte. We both know this." Ozpin commented.

"Yes. But some more than others." Kälte sighed. "I love my daughter. And my wife… ex-wife. Even if they don't feel the same. And I know I've done nothing to deserve their love." Kälte's eyes glazed over and unfocused, looking into his memories and his past. "This is why I will do this. I have all the lien in the world, and no one to spend it for. You can use as much of my money as you need to restore Beacon Academy as quickly and as extravagantly as you want." He grimaced at himself. "A lifetime of choosing my company over my family has left me with more than enough money for this."

"I'm sure Weiss will eventually be pleased with your assistance." Ozpin said in an attempt to bring some small measure of reassurance to Kälte.

Kälte just snorted derisively at himself. "Surprised, yes. Pleased? Not with my contribution. A single, caring deed is not enough to tip the scales against a lifetime of neglect."

"But it's a start."

Kälte just grunted ambiguously before standing up and turning to leave the tent. "I suppose I should go make the arrangements at the offices." He shook Ozpin's hand before walking out of the tent, pausing at the flap. "I tried to be the father Weiss deserved, I really did. And I failed in a most spectacular fashion." He said before disappearing.

* * *

Blake twirled her katana frantically, deflecting the onslaught of metal blades that Cheshire Fry was directing her way. Even without his teleportation, Cheshire was a whirlwind of blades, constantly keeping Blake on the defensive. Parry left, duck down, leap back, block high, a dozen other actions per second. Blake could hardly believe someone could move so fast and still retain their balance and momentum. She hadn't been able to counterattack once the entire lesson.

"You're fighting like a human!" Cheshire yelled and he leapt at Blake, claws leading the way. "Fight like yourself!" As his right claw connected with Blake's katana, he twirled in the air, using her blade as an anchor to quickly pivot and twist around her katana, lashing out with a vicious thrust kick that connected solidly with Blake's stomach, throwing her across the room. As Cheshire fell to the ground upside down and facing the ceiling, he twisted again in the air and landed on all fours like… well, like a cat.

Blake fell to her knees, one arm over her stomach, the other propping herself up with her katana. "What's the difference?" Blake groaned, sweat dripping off her face. She definitely did not imagine in her wildest dreams that someone could turn in the air and then kick as hard as Cheshire just did. "Human or faunus, how does that affect our fighting style?"

"Because we _aren't_ human." Cheshire smirked. "Obviously."

"I don't really understand." Blake staggered to her feet.

"How come you don't fight like that delightful pink lass?" Cheshire asked, replacing his blades into his pockets. Blake tried her best not to let her confusion and curiosity over how such long blades ever fit into small pockets show on her face. "The one with the magnificent hammer."

"Nora? Because I could never lift her hammer and swing it effectively, and it's not…my style." Blake thought she was beginning to see what Cheshire was talking about.

"Not your style." He said with a grin. "You're fighting against your body. Move the way your body wants to, and you'll find the way you fight now is just a little crazy."

Blake grinned. "Thank you. I'll give it some thought and practice."

"Marvelous." Cheshire smiled a toothy smile in return. "I've sent your schedule to your scroll."

"Okay." Blake continued massaging her stomach. "This was a painful lesson. But you made your point clear, so… success?" Blake chuckled.

Cheshire's smile faltered slightly. "Only the insane equate pain with success, love." His smile returned, seeming more a mad grin than smile. "Now run along. You know what to work on."

"Alright. Thanks." Blake said with a wave, leaving the room. Cheshire gave a lazy wave and a yawn before disappearing, leaving only his trademark purple haze behind.

* * *

Tamamo was sitting at her desk, checking her planner to see who her next student of the day would be. She hummed a lullaby to herself as she lazily flicked through her scroll. "Weiss Schnee." Tamamo read. "The smart one."

She continued reading the notes the other instructors had given her about the young heiress. Vimentis was unimpressed with her aura capabilities, but grudgingly admitted that she used it reasonably well for her own purposes. Kani liked with Weiss' ability to plan during a fight, but felt she didn't quite have an instinctual grasp of combat yet. Cheshire's thoughts were along the same lines as Vimentis'; He thought she could plan well, but didn't have the fast reaction times and instincts that could save herself if she was alone in a pinch out in the field. Denarii's glowing assessment was only further proof of what the others thought- Weiss was a born strategist and tactician. She could plan, think ahead, and strategize with the best of them. And with Tamamo's help, Weiss would be even better.

A knock at the door brought Tamamo out of her thoughts. "Enter!" Tamamo sang. The door handle turned and Weiss Schnee poked her head in. Tamamo gestured toward the chair opposite her, "Have a seat."

Weiss walked over and gently sat down at the offered chairs. "Thanks. And good afternoon."

"Good afternoon to you as well. How was your lesson with Dani?" Tamamo inquired.

"It was a lot of work. He's very good at forcing me to think critically and quickly. We did battlefield simulations on this big holographic map. I quite enjoyed it." Weiss responded.

Tamamo laughed. "He's been looking for an excuse to use that simulator for a long time. I'm glad he found someone who also will enjoy it." Tamamo straightened her outfit. "Has Dani told you what you will be working on?" Tamamo asked.

Weiss nodded. "He mentioned some combat training and leadership skills." Weiss answered. Tamamo nodded. "Though I still don't quite know what exactly 'leadership skills' entails."

"Well the quickest way to explain would be to just jump right in, don't you think?" Tamamo said cheerfully. "Let's start with understanding the people around you." Tamamo tapped her finger on her chin. "The kitten. Belladonna."

Weiss cocked her head to the side slightly. "What about her?"

"How about her strengths and weaknesses?" Tamamo suggested.

"Um," Weiss though for a few seconds. "She's very agile, flexible, and athletic. She is good at pinpointing weaknesses in her opponents in fights. She can be extremely quiet and move stealthily." Weiss went quiet as she thought about Blake's weaknesses. "She isn't very strong, so against tough, heavily armored opponents she doesn't do well. When she gets overwhelmed, she'll charge in without thinking. Large groups of enemies at once also aren't her strong point, she'd be better at single opponents or small groups."

"Okay. But how about as a person?" Tamamo asked.

"As a person?" Weiss had to think hard about the question. She wasn't very good at understanding other people. "She's calm, most of the time. But when she finally loses control of her emotions she can go a bit wild. She doesn't talk about her problems, even with close friends. She's gotten better about that over the years though." Weiss tried to come up with more, but other than some little behaviors, Weiss had to grudgingly admit to Tamamo that she didn't really know very much about Blake, or any of her friends, when it came to the things Tamamo was asking for.

Tamamo giggled. "No worries, Weiss. It's not something a person normally thinks about. But I'll teach you what to look for, how to remember it, how to analyze it. And soon, you'll have the knowledge to use those under your command to their full potential, or to manipulate your enemies. Or to manipulate your allies if the need arises."

"That sounds like a terrible thing to do to your allies." Weiss said in surprise.

"You'd be surprised what needs to be done at times." Tamamo explained. "Some people just don't understand how to work for the greater good and need to be…shown the way." Tamamo laughed. "Let's start a lecture, shall we?"

* * *

Weiss closed her scroll as the lesson ended. "Do I have an assignment of some sort?"

"Hmm…?" Tamamo looked at the ceiling as she pondered. "At our next lesson, I want you to be able to tell me one new thing about each of the students who came along with you." Weiss was about to complain that the assignment was too simple, but was cut off by Tamamo holding up her finger. "Without talking to any of them." Tamamo added.

Weiss blinked confusedly. "Without talking to them? So talking to their friends?"

"No, I want you only to watch. Learn something about them from by watching their behavior, eavesdropping, hearing others talk about them. Don't ask about the people you're interested in." Tamamo explained.

"…Okay?" Weiss agreed, still concerned about trying to learn about so many students at once. "Will I have enough time?"

"You'll have a week. This isn't going to be like school. You will have almost no time for socializing, or relaxing." Tamamo answered.

"Yeah." Weiss agreed. "That makes sense." Weiss stood up to leave. "Oh, do you happen to know Professor Ozpin's contact information?"

"Oh, into older men are we?" Tamamo joked. "Ozzy's a little old for you. You'll send Glynda into a fit if she hears about this." Tamamo was giggling at the mental image of a furious and frazzled Glynda Goodwitch.

"No!" Weiss exclaimed, mortified. "I just wanted to see if he had any information on a friend who went missing after the Beacon attack."

"I see. Well your scroll won't work here, the fortress blocks the signal. We have a communications room, though." Tamamo offered. She looked up at the clock. "I have time to take you, off we go!"

Weiss had to jump up and jog behind Tamamo. The huntress was far taller than Weiss, and had much longer legs, so Tamamo's long strides were forcing Weiss to jog behind her like a child. Weiss kept her complaints to herself though.

They were only on the move for a few minutes, climbing two separate sets of stairs before they arrived at their destination. "Here we are." Tamamo sang. She opened the door to a room filled with various types of communication equipment. "Ozzy, right?" Tamamo began typing in her pass code and the contact information for Ozpin. "There. It's calling." Tamamo stepped back. "I'll still have to be in the room for the call. If I leave the equipment will lock itself again. So no lovey-dovey stuff, okay?"

Weiss ignored the joke and sat in front of the monitor. It beeped before a few moments before the screen came to life, showing an image of Ozpin adjusting his scroll so that the caller could see him as well. "Yes, Tamamo? Is something…" He stopped at seeing Weiss, "ah, Miss Schnee."

"Good afternoon, Professor Ozpin" Weiss greeted.

"Hiya Ozzy!" Tamamo added from behind Weiss.

"Good evening, ladies. To what do I owe the pleasure?" Ozpin asked.

"I was hoping you might have some new information about Ruby. Did anyone find her?" Weiss asked hopefully.

"Well…" Ozpin looked off screen.

"Just tell her straight, Ozzy. No beating around the bush." Tamamo chided. "What's the news?"

Ozpin sighed. "Miss Rose's uncle, Qrow, went searching for her yesterday morning. He found and followed her trail through the woods, and came upon the sight of a battle." Ozpin told Weiss about Qrow's report- Ruby's injury and the number of Beowolves. "Qrow spent all of yesterday and all of today trying to find some of her tracks leading away from the fight, but he's had no luck. There is no sign of Ruby outside of the area for miles."

Weiss could feel her heart skip a beat, and her eyes start to water up. "But there's still hope, right? She's not gone?" Weiss begging quietly.

Ozpin stayed quiet. "There's… no body. If that is any comfort." Ozpin said. "If you want my opinion Miss Schnee, Ruby is gone." Weiss stifled a cry. "There's no body, no tracks, and blood everywhere. Qrow is doing his best to continue his search, and I will of course keep you updated. But I hold no illusions about how bad this looks for Miss Rose. I am sorry."

Weiss nodded through her tears. "Thank you for the information, Professor." Weiss cut off the call. She felt Tamamo put a hand on her shoulder and give it a gentle squeeze of comfort. "I should've gone to find her." Weiss said.

"And what good would that have done?" Tamamo asked. "You aren't a trained tracker, and don't have the experience Qrow does."

"But, I should've done _something_. Not just… left. I left her alone in the woods, and now she's dead, and, and…" Weiss cried.

"There wasn't anything you could have done. You made the right decision, coming here. Here, you can do good." Tamamo said, kneeling in front of Weiss and putting her free hand on Weiss' other shoulder.

"If I made the right decision, why do I feel like a failure of a friend? I left the person I love alone in a forest, and now she's dead. A the end of the day, what can I say that would make this feel like it wasn't my fault?" Weiss was stared at her feet as tears dropped from her eyes.

"Weiss. Look at me." Tamamo used a finger to lift Weiss' chin so the she was looking into Tamamo's eyes. "Sometimes, there are no words. Sometimes you can do everything right. You made all the right choices and did everything you possibly could. And you will still feel like you failed. You can ask yourself 'did it really have to end like this?' and try to find the words to make it feel right. But like I said- sometimes, at the end of the day, there are no words to make the pain go away. Sometimes… whether you want it to or not… the day just ends."


	10. Chapter 10: The Strength of a Master

Blake found herself staring at a door, unsure of how she had arrived there. The door was a carved from beautiful polished wood, which Blake thought might be walnut due to the smell and dark coloring. It was decorated with swirling vines, leaves and flowers that were etched lightly into it. The door handle looked as if it was made of cast gold, its curved form shining and glimmering in the dim hallway light. She reached out for the door handle, suddenly curious about what lay on the other side of the door. Blake grabbed the handle and tensed her arm as if to turn it, but stopped before she could apply any pressure, suddenly anxious.

_Why does this door make me so nervous?_ Blake thought. She pulled her hand away from the door handle, but the tips of her finger were still touching it gingerly. Blake stood in place as if frozen, but was merely trying to figure out what about this door was so worrying. Coming up with nothing, Blake resolved to open the door. She grasped the handle once again and twisted. It was at this point that Blake discovered the door was locked, the handle only jiggling slightly rather than actually turning as she wished. Blake put more pressure into her arm to try to force the handle, unsuccessfully.

Blake tried to turn the handle again, desperately willing it to open for her. She looked to either side of her at the other doors lining the hallway, hoping there might be an open door, or someone with a key. Her search was in vain; Blake was most definitely alone in the hallway. She finally gave up on trying to turn the handle, settling for lightly stroking her hand down the door once, feeling the intricate patterns carved into the door. "Why won't you open? What's in here?" Blake whispered to herself. "I don't want to be alone out here anymore."

Blake brought up a fist to pound on the door, hoping that somebody on the other side might open it for her. Blake moved her arm forward and-

-woke up. Blake was staring at the stone ceiling in her room, situated in the fortress. "That dream again." Blake mumbled to herself. She had been having that dream every night since they had arrived at the fortress a week earlier. The dream was nearly identical every night; she was standing in front of a door that made her uneasy. Small variations in the amount of effort she put in to open it or what she said to herself were the only changing details. And like every night for the last week, she felt the dampness in her clothes that told her she had woken up in a cold sweat.

Blake sighed to herself. Because of these night sweats, she was going through twice as many sets of night clothes with her changing halfway through every night. She was going to have to find a way to make it up to the caretakers who did all their laundry. Blake made to sit up, and instead found herself pinned to the bed. Velvet had an arm wrapped around Blake's stomach, and her other arm was firmly but loosely grasping Blake's arm.

_Maybe she's the reason I've been waking up sweating. Too much body heat._ Blake chuckled to herself. Velvet had her own bed opposite of Blake's, which they had dragged in their room the first night after dinner. She had yet to use it though, preferring Blake's companionship, and Blake did not mind. Blake only worried she may be the cause of some discomfort for Velvet with her nightly sweating and clothing changes, but as far as Blake could tell, Velvet had slept through it all, blissfully unaware of Blake's new nightly routine.

Blake quietly and gently worked herself out of Velvet's embrace and slipped out of the bed, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hands as she worked her feet into the simple rug she had procured to protect their feet from the cold floor. She stood and walked over to the closet, picking out another white t-shirt and a pair of black shorts. Blake stripped out of her sweaty, damp clothes, throwing them into the laundry basket before wiping herself down with a towel and donning the new clothes. As Blake returned to her bed, she patted down the blanket and bed sheets where she was laying, and found them sufficiently dry. _At least I'm only changing clothes and not bed sheets every night._ Blake mused, silently climbing back into bed and wrapping her arms around Velvet, who curled into Blake appreciatively, as Blake returned to a now dreamless sleep.

* * *

"Very good, Weiss." Tamamo congratulated. "You're learning very quickly. How long did you spend observing each person, on average?"

"About thirty minutes at the beginning, but by the end of the week it only took a couple minutes." Weiss answered, just barely containing her pride at the praise. She had worked hard for this, after all. Weiss had thrown herself full speed into her training, constantly studying and watching her former classmates. She memorized every detail she could, and analyzed the details for information about the person. Weiss had spent her mealtimes observing everyone else in the great hall, and spent her free time in the massive library, studying books on all sorts of subjects. Psychology and behavior were her main subjects she focused on for the past week, at Tamamo's recommendation. Weiss had split her time between that and the mountains of texts on tactics and strategy supplied by Denarii.

Weiss had spent little to no time with her friends, which she regretted, but Weiss kept telling herself after their training, then after the war, there would be all the time in the world. But for now she needed to get stronger and smarter, so she trained. The only time spent with her friends was dinner each evening. This had happened after their third day at the fortress, when they discovered that all of their training schedules did not quite line up when it came to free time. The discussion that came about after this discovery resulted in the group agreeing that they would make time for dinner each night, so they could still see each other.

When they finished their lessons and training, each of the group would make their way to the kitchen to help with cooking. It usually only took a span of about half an hour for everyone to arrive and start cooking. A couple days into this arrangement, Blake suggested spending a little more time cooking so they had a good meal prepped for lunch the next day as well, which everyone heartily agreed to. They kept these extra lunches in the mini-fridges in their rooms, which could easily be reheated the following day during their respective lunchtimes.

Their dinners were spent talking about training, and what they had learned or seen that day. Weiss, only ever working with Denarii and Tamamo, got to know the other hunters serving as instructors through the stories that she heard from her friends. Pyrrha and Jaune thought that Vimentis was an eclectic mix of unbelievably lazy and absurdly powerful. According to the duo, he taught them many amazing things about using and manipulating aura, but would occasionally fall asleep during lessons. Thanks to his training, Jaune's already powerful aura was slowly but surely becoming even more powerful, and Pyrrha was quickly learning to use her aura with her semblance to make it stronger and more accurate over distances. They did both complain that they had yet to see Vimentis open his eyes, which bothered them slightly.

Blake and Velvet insisted that Cheshire was a great teacher as well, but Weiss refused to believe them. Weiss did notice that Blake did seem to carry herself more confidently once the lessons with him had started, and her muscle definition had definitely starting toning up. Nora had said nothing but praise about Kani as well, admiring her strength and skill. Out of everyone, Weiss thought that Nora had changed the most during the training. Nora rarely smiled and joked around anymore unless she was training, and contributed little to conversations without being prompted first. Weiss was worried that being alone was taking its toll on Nora, because she had been so used to being with Ren all the time. Weiss was used to being alone from her life before Beacon, so she adjusted quickly, but thought maybe she should make an effort to spend some extra time with Nora.

"I do have a little bit of unfortunate news for you today though, Weiss." Tamamo said.

"Oh?" Weiss responded, curious.

"Vimentis has sensed a herd of Grimm moving through the forest, and their path may lead them to the city to the southeast if they shift slightly. I'm taking Vimentis and Kani to deal with it soon, so I won't be giving you your combat lesson today." Tamamo explained.

"Do I have an assignment then to make up for that?" Weiss asked.

"Nope! You'll be sparring with Sunny instead." Tamamo continued. "He'll be evaluating you for me, and teaching you what he can.

Weiss raised an eyebrow incredulously. "_Sun_ is going to teach me?"

"I realize you aren't very fond of him, but give him credit where it's due, he's an excellent fighter. And he's only gotten better since I've been training him." Tamamo laughed.

"Couldn't I shadow you instead?" Weiss pleaded. "I would love to see you and the others fight."

Tamamo sighed while checking the clock on her wall. "Hmmm…" Tamamo hummed to herself. "Fine. But you do need to fight Sunny first, at least for a short while. He's waiting for you in the fourth combat room." Tamamo stood, smoothing out her clothes. "Meet us in front of the gates in an hour. Hurry along now, get going. Try to get in as much sparring as you can with Sunny so I can see what best to work on there. We need to go get prepared. If you're late, we're leaving without you." Tamamo waved Weiss off.

Weiss bowed and rushed out of the room, hurrying down to the ground floor where the combat rooms were located. She was eager to get this over with. Finding the metal door with a large '4' written in white paint on it, Weiss barged in unceremoniously. Sun Wukong, who was lying on the floor, jumped as Weiss startled him with the noise. "Damn, that was sudden." He complained. "What's the big rush?" he asked as he stood up.

"We need to work quickly. I'm leaving with Tamamo in an hour." Weiss explained quickly.

"An hour? Oh, so you're going with her to fight the herd of Grimm?" Sun scratched his head.

"Yes, now let's get started! What're we doing?" Weiss gestured to indicate he should hurry up.

"Hold your horses, Princess." Sun held up a hand. "Rushing is just going to make you careless. Take it easy." He waited until Weiss calmed down slightly. "Great. Now, you need to warm up and stretch?" Weiss shook her head. "Alright, let's start then." Sun pulled on a pair of leather gauntlets that Weiss recognized as part of the attire he used to wear all the time, but now with metal strips running up the forearms and a metal plate over the back of his hand. There were also metal studs fitted around his knuckles, which looked like they could be removed and exchanged with other attachments. Sun slid one foot back into a fighter's stance; his weight was evenly distributed between his legs and brought his arms up to guard.

"You're not using your staff?" Weiss asked, drawing Myrtenaster from her side.

"Nope. Don't need it." Sun responded, bouncing lightly to loosen his legs.

This only infuriated Weiss, who felt that Sun was being insulting and doubting her abilities as a huntress by not using a weapon. With a glare, Weiss dashed forward, propelling herself at Sun using a spinning white glyph on the ground. Myrtenaster darted forward in her hands, aiming for Sun's chest in an attempt to get him to move backwards, possibly unbalancing himself in a panic. As the point neared, Sun stood his ground, then whipped his arm across his body and back, his armored gauntlet parrying the rapier off the his slide. Weiss only had an instant to be surprised before she noticed she had over reached in her anger and began losing her balance, falling towards Sun.

Sun, who had still not moved, brought his other hand forward with the strength and power of a piston towards Weiss' exposed stomach. Reacting on instinct and surprise, Weiss summoned a second glyph, this one black, directly in front of her as she used her momentum to spin to her right side, trying to flow around Sun before he could continue his counterattack. She heard his armored fist connect with her glyph, the spinning black symbol protecting her from his attack. With much surprise and a hint of fear, Weiss heard a crack coming from her glyph, and the sound of shattering glass as the glyph shattered and disappeared before her eyes.

As she continued past the monkey faunus, Weiss saw Sun's smirk; he was clearly satisfied with himself at having surprised Weiss so completely. Weiss made her way farther away from Sun, hoping to put some distance between them so she could more rationally approach him, this time without underestimating him. That was her plan, anyway. When she had thought she was clear and behind him, Weiss felt her foot catch on something, tripping her and causing her to spill to the floor. Spinning over on the floor and bringing Myrtenaster up to guard, she saw that Sun's prehensile tail had wrapped around her ankle as she had moved past, tripping her and keeping her from distancing herself from him.

Weiss swiped at the offending tail, causing Sun to let go and pull it back before Weiss could sever the end of it from the rest of Sun Wukong. "Hey, watch the tail!" Sun exclaimed in surprise, leaping up and away from Weiss. Weiss used the opportunity to leap to her feet, Myrtenaster held up in front of her in a guard position. "You're too hasty to close with your opponent." Sun told Weiss while he inspected his tail for damage. "You have a powerful semblance, and dust. You should use it more often." He continued. "Tamamo should be able to teach you better ways to fight with your semblance. She's really good at stuff like that."

Weiss lowered her guard, figuring that Sun wouldn't attack her while talking. "Using my semblance can take away a lot of my energy really quick. It tires me out, so I try to only use it sparingly." Weiss explained.

Sun scratched his chin. "Do you always make your glyphs the same size?"

Weiss was startled by the question. "Yes?"

"Try making that black one. The shield-y one." Sun ordered. "But make it smaller. The size of my fist." He held up his fist by his head for reference.

Weiss blinked, the thought had never occurred to her to change the size of her glyphs. They were what they were. Weiss conjured up a spinning black glyph in front of her, but it was the same size as usual.

"Smaller." Sun said.

"I'm trying!" Weiss said in annoyance. The glyph slowly began to shrink, flickering between its normal size and the size of a large dinner plate. Focusing more intently on her glyph, Weiss finally stabilized it, maintaining it at the size of Sun's closed fist. "I didn't think I could do that."

"Hooray for learning experiences." Sun chuckled. "It's probably taking a lot less energy now, right?"

Weiss stood silently, unwilling to admit that Sun was correct. This smaller glyph took far less energy to maintain than it previously larger counterpart. "But now it doesn't cover as much."

"Does it have to?" Sun asked. "If you're blocking a punch, and you can see it coming, make it the size of the punch. Save you a ton of energy. And you can hit them back, while you're at it." Sun added.

"I suppose." Weiss felt that admitting Sun was correct was not physically possible for her, and that saying vague agreements along the lines of 'I suppose' was as close as she could get.

"Why don't you practice that for the rest of the time then?" Sun suggested, putting both his hands behind his head. "I'm more than a little aware you aren't particularly fond of my company." He laughed. "And Tamamo should be pleased enough with this to teach you more tricks with your semblance."

"…I'll do that." Weiss stayed silent as Sun leisurely strolled towards the door. "Thanks."

Sun stopped midstep. "What was that?" He asked, turning his head jokingly.

"I'm not saying it again." Weiss grumbled before turning her back to Sun. She could hear the monkey laughing as he closed the door behind him. Mumbling her displeasure, Weiss spent the rest of the session practicing, creating different glyphs of different sizes.

* * *

Blake was strolling down the hallway, having just finished another lesson with Cheshire Fry. He had greatly approved of the improvements Blake had make to her fighting, and spent the day teaching Blake about increasing her less combat oriented skills, such as climbing and hiding, and other infiltration and stealth oriented skills. She had a whole list of things to practice now, and was grateful for the distraction from her dreams. Blake was brought out of her thoughts when a door a little farther down the hallway opened and Weiss exited. "Good afternoon, Weiss." Blake said.

"Hello, Blake." Weiss said as she dabbed some sweat off her forehead with a handkerchief. "Done with your lesson?"

"For today, yeah. What about you?"

"I finished early because Tamamo has to go get rid of some Grimm." Weiss' eyes brightened up. "I'm going with her, do you wanna come along?" Weiss asked. "I'm sure it'll be a great learning experience."

"Sure. When are we leaving?" Blake asked.

Weiss consulted her scroll. "Ten minutes? We're meeting by the front gate."

"We should get moving then." Blake suggested.

* * *

Ten minutes later, Tamamo led Vimentis and Kani out of the fortress to the waiting students. Vimentis was wearing what appeared to be his favorite style of clothes- grey slacks and a black businessman's overcoat. Except this time, much to Weiss' surprise, his hair was brushed and the coat was fully and correctly buttoned, hiding his white button down shirt she assumed he was wearing. He also looked a little bulkier than she remembered, probably because of the coat. Kani was wearing her leather and hide battle attire as well, but she had added some bone armor plates here and there with some metal strips similar to the ones she had seen on Denarii and Sun's armors. Weiss and Blake briefly wondered if Kani had crafted all of the armor her comrades wore.

"Bringing a friend, huh?" Tamamo asked lightheartedly as she saw Blake standing alongside Weiss.

"I hope you don't mind." Weiss said a little sheepishly.

"Not a problem." Tamamo assured her. "Some ground rules for today." She held up a finger. "First, you don't fight today. You stay behind and above us, away from the Grimm." She held up her other hand to stop any complaints. "It not that we think you can't do it. We have a… system. That, and you've probably never seen a Grimm herd, have you?"

"We've dealt with packs of beowolves before." Weiss said.

"A pack of beowolves is small, compared to a herd." Tamamo informed them. "There will be a lot more Grimm than you're used to. And bigger ones than are in the Emerald Forest at Beacon." Weiss recalled the Nevermore and Deathstalker they had fought during their initiation to Beacon, and was going to mention them, but decided against it for now. "Okay. Second, if we tell you to run, you run back here and tell Dani and Ches that we told you to run. They'll know what to do, got it?" Weiss and Blake nodded. "Good. I'll come up with other rules as we go if needed. For now, we run. Vimentis."

Vimentis, who had been nodding off sleepily against the gate, stood upright and stretched his arms. His eyes were still closed. "Southwest." He said simply. Tamamo led the way, starting at a brisk jog that eventually sped up into a moderate run. She spent most of her time leaping happily from tree branch to tree branch, running on the forest floor only when no tree branches were immediately available. Vimentis was right behind her on the ground, occasionally correcting their course through the forest when they veered too far in one direction. Blake and Weiss were side by side at a distance behind him, with Kani taking up the rear.

Blake nudged Weiss' shoulder with a finger. "You see anything strange about Vimentis?" she asked between breaths.

"His eyes are still closed." Weiss answered. Throughout their run, Weiss had noticed that despite his eyes being closed, he was still navigating the forest easily, leaping over tree roots, rocks, and gaps in the ground with ease.

"Well, that too." Blake consented. "But look at how he runs." Weiss looked forward again at Vimentis, and watched his as he ran, leaping over obstacles and ducking under others. Not noticing anything wrong at first, the more Weiss watched the more she felt like something wasn't quite right with the way Vimentis moved. Each one of his steps seemed to last for more than three of Weiss' steps, which gave off the appearance that he was running slowly. Weiss also saw that not only did he stay in the air longer with the slightest of jumps, he didn't impact the ground the same way the rest of them did when they landed. In fact, as Weiss passed a spot where Vimentis had landed after a particularly high jump, she noticed he hadn't left any footprints in the soft soil either.

"How is he doing that?" Weiss asked.

"I have no idea." Blake admitted. "And I thought I was light on my feet."

"It's his aura and semblance." they heard from behind them. The girls looked over their shoulder to see Kani running right behind them, seemingly at a leisurely pace for her. "He can move things with his mind. He uses it to support himself when he runs and jumps." She explained. "His body is actually very weak, compared to yours and mine. But the strength of his aura, which he uses to power his semblance, is beyond extraordinary. So he holds himself up in the air to run as fast as Tamamo, who's the fastest of us."

Weiss looked forward again at Vimentis, who appeared to almost be floating along with each leap, as if gravity didn't quite have the hold on him it had on the rest of them. "That's amazing." Weiss said.

"It sure is." Kani said. "His aura is also the reason he doesn't open his eyes." In response to Blake and Weiss' curious looks, she continued with an explanation. "He can sense so much with his aura, and so far away, that the sensory overload gives him terrible headaches if he opens his eyes to see. He also wears earplugs, if you couldn't see them through his mess of hair." She stopped talking as they spent the next few moments jumping and leaping through a rough patch of boulders. "And that's also why he sleeps so much. The amount of information he's processing really tires him out." Weiss and Blake suddenly had a newfound respect for the man they thought was a sleepy bum.

Ahead of them, Tamamo suddenly stopped while perching on a thick tree branch, tail flicking back and forth behind her excitedly. She held up a fist as they approached, signaling them to stop. "They're just up ahead. I can smell them." Tamamo said while sniffing the air.

Now that they had stopped running, Weiss and Blake could hear and feel the ground rumbling beneath them. "How many Grimm are there for them to shake the ground like this?" Blake asked.

Tamamo turned to Vimentis expectantly. He cocked his head to the side, as if he was listening to something. Peering closely, Weiss could see the earplug Kani had mentioned and his hair fell to the side. "One hundred and six. They'll reach the meadow ahead soon." He said after a moment. "Boarbatusks." Weiss was impressed that he could get such an accurate count.

"There's your answer." Tamamo said with a grin and a nod.

"There are four large enough to be considered alphas." Vimentis added. "Very big ones."

Tamamo looked at Kani. "Those are yours." Kani nodded, flexing her muscles in preparation. Tamamo turned her head towards Vimentis. "You can take care of stragglers and any who try to flee this time. I'll break up their formation and try to contain them. Stay between the herd and the kids." Tamamo said, nodding her head at Weiss and Blake. "And you two, never go past Vimentis. Stay up in a tree at the forest edge." Weiss and Blake nodded. "Let's move out."

The group slowly made their way forward, not wanting to alert the herd before they were closer. At the forest's edge, Weiss and Blake realized that what they had fought previously was incomparable to what they were looking at now. The group of hunters was flanking a herd of Boarbatusks ahead of them. The Grimm herd was massive. What caught their eye though were the ones that Vimentis had dubbed the alphas. The alpha Boarbatusks were gargantuan, all four of them as big or bigger than the Deathstalker that Team JNPR had defeated in their initiation. The bone plates on them looked so thick that Weiss wasn't even sure her attacks would ever reach the beasts' skin if she attacked. "We're fighting all these things?" Weiss said to herself.

The two girls felt a tap on their shoulder and turned around to see Vimentis looking down at them. Well, kind of looking; his eyes were still closed. He pointed up at the tree above him. They nodded, Blake leaping up the branches with ease while Weiss did the same with her new, smaller glyphs. Vimentis turned back to Tamamo, who nodded. He unbuttoned his coat, slipping out of it and holding it to one side. It floated up to hang itself from one of the lower tree branches. Weiss and Blake hardly noticed the floating coat though, because their eyes were drawn to what Vimentis was wearing under his coat. The previous bulkiness of his coat was explained as they looked down at his back to see two dozen thin short swords strapped to his back, crisscrossing over one another. The sight was just baffling, because having that many blades seemed wholly unnecessary and excessive, until all twenty-four blades simultaneously slid out of their sheaths and fanned out, floating in a semi circle above his head.

Tamamo turned and looked at the huntress to her other side, who was unlimbering her great axe and rolling her shoulders with a grin on her face. "Have fun!" Tamamo giggled. With Tamamo's blessing, the huntress Hauonekani Jiwe let out a might roar, and charged at the herd of Boarbatusks alone. The herd jumped at hearing the battle cry, and the smaller members of the herd edged away as the closest alpha roared its own challenge back at Kani and charged right back at her. "I guess I'll join her too." Tamamo said in a voice that sounded as if she was considering leaving the herd to Kani.

Vimentis immediately turned away from Tamamo, holding his head painfully. "Not so close, please." He complained.

Weiss and Blake weren't sure what he was talking about, but then they noticed Tamamo glowing with a bright, golden, otherworldly aura. "Sorry." She apologized with a giggle. The glow was different from the auras that the girls had seen previously; the glow around Tamamo not only surrounded her, but had tendrils trailing of it and dissipating into the air like smoke, as if she couldn't contain the sheer amount of power radiating off of her. Tamamo looked up at the girls, her emerald green eyes glowing; Weiss and Blake could've sworn they saw flames dancing behind Tamamo's eyes. "Stay safe! And remember; don't move any closer than Vimentis." Tamamo squatted down at the knees and then leapt with such force that the ground where she was standing was left as a small crater.

"I hate it when she does that near me." Vimentis complained.

"Jumping?" Blake asked.

"No. Drawing on her aura. It's too much for me when she standing close. It's like looking straight into stadium spotlights that you're standing next to." He explained.

"Ouch." Blake commented.

"An accurate assessment." He replied.

"Is her aura really that powerful?" Weiss questioned. Vimentis' answer was just to point ahead of them, where Tamamo falling towards the ground at the center of the herd. As she impacted the ground, a deafening impact threw back both the boarbatusk and dirt in a wave, like someone throwing a boulder into a pond. When the dust settled, Tamamo was standing at the center of a group of dead boarbatusks, the closest ones to her unable to survive the shockwave of energy from her landing. The glow around Tamamo intensified further, and she now appeared to be a ball of energy that just happened to look like a faunus; rather than a faunus drawing on aura. "Wow." Was all Weiss could say.

"Wow." Blake agreed.

"This will be cool for you to watch for your first time." Vimentis told the girls, pointing with a sword at Kani, who was fast approaching the charging alpha boarbatusk. The closer they got to each other, the more that Kani looked like a small toy compared to the gargantuan beast, but Weiss was sure that this was all according to plan, as nervous as she may have actually been. Her fears were assuaged as Vimentis' prediction proved correct, and the girls were amazed at what they saw.

Kani was holding her great axe down behind her as she charged, and the boarbatusk lowered its head to run down Kani with its giant tusks. Right as soon as they were in front of each other, Kani stopped dead in the middle of running, crouching and bracing with her legs. The boarbatusk had thrown its head up to tackle Kani, but because Kani had stopped, his tusks fell just a hair short and exposed the underside of his head and neck to Kani. She swung up viciously, and her powerful swing connected with the underside of the alpha boarbatusk's neck, throwing the beast up into the air onto its back, crushing some of its brethren while its throat gushed blood. Kani followed up by leaping up onto the exposed stomach of the boarbatusk as it flailed, and swung her axe like a golf club into the side of the boarbatusk's neck, cutting through to the other side, nearly beheading it in the process. Hopping off the fatally wounded monster, Kani charged at the next closest alpha.

"Wow." Weiss observed again.

"Wow." Blake agreed once more.

Tamamo had not been idle during Kani's fight. Boarbatusk corpses littered the ground around her, all showing signs of being severely burned or being struck by severe blunt trauma. As a small pack of the creatures broke off and attempted to flee, an image of a glowing Tamamo appeared in front of them, causing the smaller creatures to skid to a stop in an attempt to change directions. The short pause in movement was plenty long enough for Tamamo to take advantage of, and she thrust her hand out, throwing a ball of pulsing golden energy at the small pack of Grimm. The ball of energy exploded as it reached them, consuming them in a ball of fire that left only ash and charred ground in its wake. The illusion of Tamamo disappeared, and the real Tamamo turned to attack the rest of the herd around her. All around her individual Grimm were trying to flee, but Tamamo used her illusions to great effect, scaring them back into her direction.

The ones that did escape Tamamo found no reprieve, as Vimentis' blades found and skewered them mercilessly. Only four of the original twenty-four blades remained at the telekinetic huntsman's side, the other twenty were flitting about the battlefield, dealing death to lone boarbatusk who attempted to flee or just happened to be separated from the rest of the herd.

* * *

The battle took just over ten minutes. All the boarbatusk lay dead or dissipating, and the ones that were dying but not dead were quickly finished off by Vimentis' flying blades. Kani walked back towards Vimentis and the two girls, holding closed a wound on her left arm. Her axe had gotten stuck in one of the alphas' skull plate, and she had to finished the last one without her weapon, leading to it goring her arm before she could kill it. Seeing this, Vimentis pulled a small medkit out of his coat and opened it, revealing some simple first aid supplies. He disinfected the wound while Kani sat on a tree stump before opening up his aura and pouring a huge amount into Kani, healing her wound with the energy. Afterwards he handed her a small towel to wipe away the blood, which she used to clean her axe rather than her arm.

Tamamo was still standing in the middle of the meadow, staring at the sky as the bodies around her faded into nothing. Kani and Vimentis continued preparing to leave while Weiss and Blake hopped out of the tree to the ground level. It took them a few minutes to find their words, having been rendered speechless after watching their veterans fight. When she could finally speak again, Weiss asked "How come Tamamo is standing out there? Is she okay?" Weiss took a step towards Tamamo, but was stopped when Kani grabbed her arm. Weiss looked at Kani questioningly.

Kani just shook her head. "You don't want to go near her right now." She said.

"How come? Is something wrong?" Blake asked.

"She needs to cool down." Vimentis answered.

"Is she hot from all the fire?" Weiss asked.

"That's part of it. Her body is emitting a lot of energy at the moment, so the air around her is probably hot enough to cook with, true. But I'm talking about her mind." Vimentis answered.

Before either of the two girls could ask what he was talking about, Kani explained it to them. "She's in a bloodlust right now. She's calming herself. If you approach her now, before she calms down enough to come here on her own, she might attack you." The two girls immediately stepped back from Tamamo's direction, knowing full well that if Tamamo turned her wrath on them they would last all of two seconds.

"That's… unbelievable." Blake said with hints of both fear and awe in her voice.

"It was a hard lesson for her to learn." Kani said sadly. "She accidentally killed her family after defending them from a Grimm attack when she was young."

"That's terrible." Weiss couldn't believe their happy and cheerful leader had such a dark mark in her past.

"She's fine in most fights." Kani continued. "But if she has to draw on large amounts of aura, she can lose control. That's why she isolates herself in a fortress away from people in the middle of nowhere, and tolerates Cheshire."

Weiss, who would have gladly never heard about Cheshire ever again didn't ask further, but Blake asked instead. "Does Cheshire do the same thing?"

"Not quite." Vimentis answered this time. "His wife and daughter were killed by thieves while he was out fighting Grimm, years ago. He blames himself for not being there to defend them. What Kani meant was that Tamamo and Cheshire are similar in behavior."

"Tamamo always smiles and makes an effort to be happy because she's sad, but doesn't want others to be sad." Kani said.

"And Cheshire's multiple personalities and his madness are his shield against the pain." Vimentis finished.

Weiss looked over at Tamamo, who was now skipping gleefully towards them, apparently without a care in the world. She appeared to have calmed down to her usual self, but after hearing what they had just heard, Weiss couldn't help but be a little anxious. Weiss' fears were unfounded as Tamamo arrived with a smile and a laugh, checking on Kani to make sure her wound wouldn't have any lingering effects.

"Nothing like a good day's work, right?" Tamamo asked cheerfully. "Let's head on back for some tasty food!" Tamamo's smile and laughter were the same as Weiss and Blake remembered, but as they looked in Tamamo's eyes the flames they thought they saw before the fight were gone. Instead they both would have sworn that there was a deep pool of sadness hidden inside of her, only visible to them now that they were aware of its existence.

"We really need to train if we hope to ever be as strong as them." Blake said to Weiss.

"No kidding. I feel like a child again." Weiss said in agreement.

"Oh, don't worry about that." Tamamo said from ahead of them as they walked. "We'll make sure you're plenty close by the time you leave us. I'll just push you harder!" Tamamo said with a familiar sadistic grin. "It'll only hurt a bit."

Over the next months, her statement proved all too true.


	11. Chapter 11: A New Breed of Hunter

Professor Ozpin was bored. Many people would argue that he looked bored most of the time, but that was rarely the case. The aging headmaster was always thinking, always looking ahead to his next task, always planning something, never having the time for boredom. But today, Ozpin found himself in a rare moment of peacefulness. There was no paperwork on his elaborate cherry wood pedestal desk, no unread messages on his scroll, no contacts he needed to keep up with. Ozpin was at one of those points in time where all the things he needed to get done were out of his hands at the moment. And thus, he sat at his new desk with legs crossed, fingers tips tapping each other in front of his face, staring at the bare gray walls of the temporary school he had rented three months earlier. He was daydreaming of the future now, imagining the new Beacon Academy being built as he sat. A knock at the door brought Ozpin out of his reverie, and he blinked to bring his mind back to the present. "Enter." He said, uncrossing his legs.

The door creaked open, and Glynda strolled into the office. "Good evening, headmaster." She said in a crisp voice. "I have today's student reports." She set a clipboard of papers in front of Ozpin. "Are you feeling well?"

"Yes, I'm fine." Ozpin sighed. "I just wish I had more to do. I feel like I'm wasting time here."

"You could start interviewing candidates to replace Peter's position." Glynda suggested. "You can't keep teaching the class, with all your other duties." Glynda added. In the three months since Beacon had been destroyed, Ozpin had taken Kälte Schnee's offer and used the offered money to rebuild Beacon as fast as possible, and bigger than before. Construction was progressing quickly, but it would be at least another three or four months before Beacon would be usable by staff and students. And it would be another few months after that before the entire campus was complete.

At the temporary facilities that Ozpin was renting, he had remodeled the few buildings into basic dorms and teaching facilities. He made a deal with some surrounding restaurants so that the students could get free food, and Ozpin would pay them the cost in bulk, with a slight discount, at the end of the month, which both saved Ozpin money and made the restaurants more profits. The facilities weren't the best, but they were fairly comfortable and they worked for their purpose.

"Teaching the class doesn't take enough time to keep me occupied. I won't need to start looking for a replacement until the Academy is rebuilt." Ozpin replied with a shrug. With the loss of Professor Port, Ozpin had taken over teaching the lessons that Peter Port had once taught. Ozpin had been a professor before he became headmaster, so falling back into the flow of teaching had been a simple matter. "And the council meeting isn't until this weekend, anyways."

"Have you already drafted up the proposal?" Glynda asked. She was referring to the document that Ozpin was going to present to the Vytal Council, which outlined the use of huntsman and huntresses in wartime combat. The only wars that hunters have ever fought in were the large scale wars against Grimm in the far past, so utilizing them in war against other humans wasn't something that Vytal was prepared for. Hopefully Ozpin's proposal would be accepted, and he could begin recommending and sending over hunters to integrate into the Vytal military.

"Yes, of course. I finished it yesterday, using Tamamo's latest report. She says that the first group of students should start trickling out this week. I may take some of them with me to the Council meeting." Ozpin finished.

"Already?" Glynda said, surprised. "It's only been three months."

"If her reports are anything to go by, she's been running them hard, and a select group of them especially have risen to the challenge, with all their energy." Ozpin replied.

Glynda made an educated guess. "RWBY and JNPR. Or the former RWBY and JNPR, I should say."

"Mmhmm." Ozpin opened the appropriate files on his scroll. "Look at their progress reports. Every week they grow by leaps and bounds. In just months, they've basically made their progress at Beacon look like it was just an introductory lesson." He chuckled. "Maybe we should up the intensity of our lesson plans?" Ozpin joked.

Glynda clicked her tongue dismissively. "With all due respect, we teach more at Beacon Academy than just how to fight, headmaster. The lessons that Miss Mae has them going through don't involve a great many courses that we-"

"I know, I know. My point was that they are taking to this focused, specialized training like fish to water." Ozpin assured her. "Maybe we should give that option to senior students. They follow our curriculum until senior year, and then they are given the option to specialize. History, teaching, combat, research, whatever we have the facilities for."

"An intriguing proposition." Glynda admitted. "We would need to hire more teaching staff, at the very least."

"I get it, no need to beat around the bush. I'll look into hiring a replacement. In addition to changing our curriculum for seniors. At least it'll give me something to do." Ozpin said.

* * *

Blake unsheathed her katana, holding it at an angle in front of her in her right hand. She kept the cleaver that also served as the sheath in a reverse grip in her left hand, held slightly behind her. Her feet slid back into a low fighting stance, distributing her wait between the balls of her feet. As Blake settled into her combat stance, she held her place as Cheshire bounced back and forth between his feet, metal claws held out low to either side. He occasionally clicked his claws together to produce a shrill ringing noise, which rang throughout the room and made it hard for Blake to hear clearly.

Blake was patient, and tolerated the piercing ringing echoing throughout the room, waiting for an opening. And then she saw Cheshire hop just a little higher than normal in his bouncing, just an accidental little bit of strength put into his muscles that kept him in the air just a hair longer than usual. This was exactly the kind of opening Blake was waiting for, and she threw Gambol Shroud's katana at Cheshire, the blade folding in as it spun at her instructor. Cheshire made to dodge, but that extra bit of distance to the ground made his leap backwards more a stumble than evasive maneuver.

To compensate for his poor retreat, Cheshire disappeared, leaving only the purple haze that was immediately dispelled by the spinning Gambol Shroud cutting through it. Blake had anticipated this, and leapt up into the air, twirling around with her feet towards the ceiling and head down, spinning Gambol Shroud with its ribbon around her as fast as she could in a defensive maneuver. The spinning blade and ribbon proved an effective defensive against Cheshire, who had reappeared a short distance to Blake's right, but had to immediately retreat again to avoid the spinning blade.

As Blake landed with Gambol Shroud in her hand once more, Cheshire took the momentary opening and leapt at Blake, swinging his right claw up and to the left towards Blake's hip. Blake brought her cleaver up against her side, the thick metal sheath easily stopping the triple bladed claws. Blake countered by bringing her katana down at Cheshire, not expecting it to hit but instead expecting to force a retreat or block. Cheshire chose to block, bring his left claw up with the blades pointing at Blake. The katana slid between two of the claw blades, and Cheshire took advantage of the trapped katana and twisted his arm to throw the blade out of Blake's grip.

Cheshire smiled when he disarmed Blake, knowing their fight was soon over. But to his surprise, Blake had a determined grin as well, and withdrew her now empty hand backwards, as if pulling something. As Blake's arm pulled back, Cheshire's eyes widened as he noticed the black ribbon that she had wrapped around her wrist as she landed earlier, tying her katana to her. Blake's sudden jerk of the ribbon whipped her katana right back around, and as she stepped back to increase the pull the katana flew past her left side, behind her. Rather than catching the katana, she spun and leapt forward at Cheshire, the motion putting more force on the ribbon, and the ribbon spun back around her right side towards Cheshire once again.

Blake cart wheeled over the fast moving ribbon, allowing it to spin past her and around Cheshire. Blake stood with a triumphant grin on her face as her katana wrapped itself around the stunned Cheshire, who was unable to disappear with the ribbon wrapped tightly around him. This was the first time Blake had ever beaten her instructor in their three months of training, and she couldn't keep the excited, predatory grin off her face.

Cheshire stared down at the ribbon wrapped around him for a moment before he burst out into laughter. "You did it!" He roared with laughter. "Magnificent. I knew you could do it." Cheshire congratulated.

"You knew I could do it?" Blake asked questioningly, her delighted grin still on her face.

"I wanted to graduate you last week." He explained. "You learned everything I could teach you, passed all my tests. All that's left is for you to take your experience and apply it. Which will only make you stronger. But Tamamo wanted to wait until you beat me in a fight."

"Why's that?"

"Something about not wanting you to think we were just ushering you out or something. I wasn't listening." He said, unwrapping himself from Gambol Shroud.

"I suppose that makes sense." Blake admitted.

"Does it? Sounds mad to me." Cheshire said while slipping his claws back into his pants pockets.

"I have to ask," Blake started, "Ever since my first lesson, I've been trying to figure out how you keep those long metal claws in your shorts. It doesn't make any sense; it doesn't look like they should fit. How do you keep them in there?" Blake asked.

"It doesn't make sense?" Cheshire asked, looking at his pockets. "It makes perfect sense to me. I put them in, and when I need them I take them out. If it doesn't make sense to you, maybe you're a little mad, too." He said with a smile, pulling his extravagantly large silk top hat out of his back pocket and plopping it on his head.

"Uh huh." Blake chuckled, staring at the ridiculous hat that couldn't possibly have fit into his pocket. "Maybe I am."

"You wouldn't be the first. Being mad has its comforts." He chuckled. "Anyways, I'm proud of you. Go see Tamamo. She'll have the plans ready to send you off."

"Do you know where I'm going?" Blake asked as she sheathed her weapon.

"No idea. I prefer not to get involved in the politics of things."

"Alright then. Thank you for all your help, Ches." Blake said sincerely. "I'll be sure to make you proud."

"Of that, I have no doubt." Cheshire replied. "Farewell, Lady Belladonna. I wish you the best in your endeavors." Cheshire Fry bowed at the waist, removing his hat and bringing it to his chest in a salute. He held the pose for only a second before disappearing in front of Blake for the last time, leaving Blake alone with the faint purple haze and his approval.

"Farewell, Cheshire Fry." Blake said before leaving behind the room that had been her life for the last three months.

* * *

Weiss was studying in the fortress' three story library, making sure she had memorized a book of tactics and strategies that she had found extremely helpful during her first month of training. This was only review to her though, because even though she told herself that she was studying she knew in the back of her mind she had read this book so many times she had it memorized verbatim. Weiss couldn't help but try to figure out what had happened to her and her friends over the last few months.

Weiss told herself she had secluded herself from her friends by necessity, and that her studies had left her no time to socialize. She knew that was just an excuse, because she had consciously made a willing decision to spend most of her time studying alone. The extent of her social life at the fortress was limited to the dinners they had shared, but even those had stopped after the first month, with everyone focusing on their own training.

Blake had spent a majority of her time training in either the forest surrounding the fortress, or training in one of the combat rooms. Even Velvet, who shared a room with Blake, barely saw the cat faunus anymore. Weiss had tried to put more effort into maintaining contact with Blake than with her other friends, especially after Velvet had confided in Weiss that she suspected Blake was having nightmares every night. Weiss' efforts were in vain, as Blake brushed off Weiss' concern, saying they were just some bad dreams once in a while. On top of that, Weiss had taken Blake at her word and not pursued the matter further. Velvet had promised to keep an eye on Blake for Weiss, but Velvet was so preoccupied with trying to care for Blake that she soon stopped telling Weiss how Blake was holding up.

Nora was doing no better; her cheerful attitude that had been her default setting had long since disappeared into her friends' memories, leaving only a quiet, focused, and determined Nora behind. Weiss had noticed that when Nora was actually standing still, she spent her time sewing and stitching together a small, stuffed plushie the size of her hand that looked like Ren. Everyone always knew where Nora could be found, but Nora was never in any mood to engage in socializing. Nora was nearly constantly training, constantly getting stronger and more powerful. Weiss didn't think that Nora had spoken more than a few sentences to anyone besides Kani in the three months she had been here.

At their initiation Nora had already contained enough raw power to defeat the great warrior Kani, and under her tutelage Nora's technique and skill and skyrocketed. Nora was now a huntress of such ability that she could single handedly take down any other group of students who would risk sparing with Nora. After Nora defeated six other students at once on her own, word had spread and none of the other students would spar with her, leaving Nora to spend hours, even days at a time in the forest searching for the most powerful Grimm she could find. Nora had trouble finding any Grimm the last month though, as she seemed to have hunted the forest clean.

Jaune and Pyrrha had also put together a concentrated effort to help Nora, but she had turned them down flat, not even bothering with pretenses and excuses. She secluded herself away from her former teammates, most likely because it hurt too much to see them together while she didn't have Ren. This rejection stung the couple deeply, and they had in turn retreated from Nora, losing contact with her. Weiss maintained regular contact with Jaune and Pyrrha, mostly because they were also learning strategy from Denarii in addition to their lessons aura control and use from Vimentis. Weiss often practiced and ran exercises with them in the map room, having mock battles with each of them as commanders of their respective simulated armies. Even this though wasn't very much interaction, with each of them more interested in winning than socializing. Most of their conversations were suggestions, critiques, and discussions regarding tactics and strategy, but at least it was some form of conversation.

Weiss gave up on pretending to study and review and closed her book, pinching the bridge of her nose as she closed her eyes. She heard footsteps approaching the table she was sitting at. "Headache?" a deep voice asked.

Weiss looked up to see Denarii walking towards her, cup of coffee in hand. He held the coffee out to Weiss. "No, just thinking about things." Weiss answered, gratefully accepting the cup of coffee. "The last few months have been full of changes. It's been a lot to take in." She sipped her hot drink.

"I can imagine. You're so young for what you're going through. You and your friends are still basically children." Denarii said with a chuckle, sitting down across from Weiss.

"We're not that young, are we?" Weiss asked. "I'm almost twenty."

"Twenty years old, and soon to be in control of an army. Most newly recruited soldiers are older than you, Miss Schnee." Denarii said meaningfully. "You will have more challenges than any other commander, because of your age. You are part of a new generation and new breed of hunter, one trained for a war against humans rather than monsters."

"A type of hunter that shouldn't need to exist." Weiss pointed out.

"It is… unfortunate." Denarii admitted. "Which is why I am here to give you your final lesson."

Weiss straightened up. "My final lesson?"

"Yes. You are ready to graduate our training." Denarii answered. "And that is the reason for this final lesson. Question, Miss Schnee: What separates us from the Grimm?"

"We have souls, and they do not." Weiss answered, finding the answer obvious.

"An easy enough question. We have souls, and the monsters do not. So the real question now is this: What separates you from Vacuoan soldiers?" Denarii asked, crossing his fingers.

Weiss opened her mouth to answer, but closed it again, thinking. "As sentient beings with souls, I suppose the answer would be 'nothing.' But we are separated by what we are fighting for."

"Exactly. You and your enemies are both people. You both have family, friends, favorite foods, hobbies." Denarii explained. "And your own soldiers as well. Can you kill someone, knowing that? Can you order men into battle, knowing that hundreds, thousands could die? Each soldier a person with their own life, their own story to be told? The pieces on your chessboard now aren't made of wood anymore."

Weiss stayed quiet, contemplating her instructor's words. Could she kill? Yes, she had killed soldiers while defending Beacon, but that was a fight for her life, self defense. And her own soldiers? As Denarii said, they weren't pieces on a chessboard, or simulated dots on an electronic map. Each chess piece and dot was now a life she would hold in her hands. But Weiss focused on why she came here in the first place. Beacon. Lie Ren. Yang Xiao Long. And most of all, Ruby Rose. "Yes." Weiss said, her voice cool as ice, as hard as stone. "I think I very well could."

"Good. You will need that resolve in the times to come. Your first battle will be a learning experience, something I cannot teach you. The final touch on your training." Denarii added, standing up. "But this is something you must consider on your own time. For now, you need to go see Tamamo. You are done here, Miss Schnee. You will be shipping out today. It was a pleasure training you." Denarii brought a fist up to his heart in salute. "May all your battles end in victory."

Weiss stood and returned the salute. "Thank you, Instructor."

"Just Denarii, now." Weiss' former instructor said with a small smile. "Now get moving. Don't wanna be late."

"Yes, sir."

* * *

Blake was climbing the stairs to Tamamo's office, anxious to get out of the fortress and into the fight. As she neared the top Blake heard footsteps approaching from the left end of the hallway, and turned to see Nora determinedly making her way towards Blake from the other end of the hall. "Afternoon, Nora." Blake greeted.

Nora nodded in greeting, her facial expression unchanging. Blake wasn't offended at the lack of verbal response, she knew that Nora wasn't one for words in the last few months. They both continued side by side to as they walked, and Blake began to suspect that Nora was also going to Tamamo's office. "Tamamo's office?" she asked. Nora nodded again in confirmation.

They continued in silence, reaching Tamamo's office after a short walked. Blake knocked on the door as she heard a voice behind her. "Hello, Blake. Nora." They both turned to see Weiss ascending yet another stairway from another direction. "I take it you're both seeing Tamamo too." Weiss said, more statement than question.

The door opened before they could respond, and a smiling Tamamo opened the door. "Greetings everyone. Strange that you all arrived at once, but convenient. Come in." She stepped back into her office and sat down at her desk as the three girls followed her sat stood in a line in front of her desk, Weiss in the center with Blake to the right and Nora to the left. Nora was gently stroking her plushie of Ren with her thumb, which she had clipped to her side with a metal clip. "So you beat Ches in a fight, huh?" Tamamo asked, looking at Blake.

"I did." Blake answered with a small grin.

"And I suppose each of you have received your final lessons from Kani and Dani as well?" Weiss and Nora nodded. "I guess there's no reason for me to keep you here then." Tamamo pulled open a desk drawer and pulled out her scroll. "I'll let Ozzy know you're on your way once we're done here, then." She said. "Do any of you have anything you need to pack?" All three girls shook their heads 'no.' "I see. I'll let the caretakers know you'll be leaving soon." She typed some things into her scroll.

"As soon as possible." Nora added.

Tamamo looked up at Nora, then down at Nora's plushie. "As soon as possible." She agreed. She typed a few things into her scroll before closing it. "The caretakers will be waiting for you at the landing pads. I wish you wouldn't go joining this war, you know."

"We have to." Weiss said.

"I suppose you must see it that way." Tamamo said. "As much as I hate to see you go, you've made your decisions. Who am I to try to convince you otherwise." She gave a small wave goodbye as she escorted the trio to the door. "I'm glad you were such good students. Give Ozzy and Glynda my regards." After they said their quick goodbyes, Tamamo closed the door behind them.

"I guess we're the only three leaving." Weiss said.

"Yeah." Blake agreed.

* * *

"Blake!" A voice called from behind them as they exited the fortress doors. Weiss, Blake, and Nora turned around to find Velvet jogging towards them. "Where are you going?" She slowed to a stop in front of them, breathing a little harder than normal.

"We finished our training." Blake explained. "We're getting sent back to Professor Ozpin for deployment."

Velvet's eyes watered up slightly. "You're leaving?"

Blake stepped forward as Weiss checked the time and Nora watched emotionlessly. "Yes. I'm sure you'll be done soon too, and we'll all meet up again." Blake pulled Velvet into her shoulder as she hugged her. "I'm sorry I've been such a bad roommate these past few months."

Velvet just sniffed into Blake's shoulder as a few tears fell, leaving a faint dampness on Blake's shirt. "I'll walk with you." She said. Blake nodded and the four girls continued on their way to the landing pad. Weiss led the way, with Nora a few steps behind her and Blake and Velvet at the rear, holding hands. There was no small talk or conversation as they walked, as Velvet was content to just be with Blake.

They arrived at the landing pad in short order, where an airship was already prepped and ready to go, and the pilot waiting patiently in the cockpit while some other caretakers refueled and did a final inspection of the ship. One caretaker saw them and hurried over, giving a quick bow as he came to a stop. "We're ready when you are, ma'am. Just the four of you?"

"Three of them." Velvet corrected. "I'm just here to say goodbye."

"Yes ma'am. We'll get everyone off the pad so we're ready to leave as soon as you wish." He jogged back to the others, shouting orders.

Nora said nothing, just nodded once to Velvet before walking over to the airship and hopping in and seating herself. Weiss gave Velvet a hug as she said her goodbye and wished Velvet luck, then walked over to the airship to give Blake and Velvet some space.

"Come here." Blake said soothingly, pulling Velvet into another embrace, Velvet's head resting on Blake's chest as Velvet's ears tickled Blake's cheek. "You'll be fine, okay? You're strong."

"Not as strong as you." Velvet responded, clinging onto Blake.

"Everyone is strong in their own way." Blake said, stroking Velvet's hair.

"That's really not the point here." Velvet laughed tearfully. "But you should go, before we get caught up in a long goodbye." Velvet wiped her eyes with the back of her wrists. "Bye, Blake. See you soon." Velvet stood on the tips of her toes and kissed Blake on the cheek.

Blake gave Velvet a peck on the cheek in return. "Bye, Velvet. I'm sure we'll see each other again soon. Tell the others we said goodbye too." Velvet stepped back with a nod and clasped her hands in front of her as Blake waved goodbye and stepped up onto the airship. "I'm ready." She yelled to the cockpit.

"Aye aye." The pilot called back. He began flipping switches and pressing buttons, and the engine roared to life in response. "We have takeoff." The pilot announced over the speakers as the ship ascended into the air. There was a brief pause in movement before the engine's rear jets kicked to life, propelling the airship forward towards the horizon.

Velvet was standing on the ground by the landing pad, watching the ship shrink in the distance. "Bye, Blake. I love you."


	12. Chapter 12: The Vytal Council

Jaune and Pyrrha were sitting at opposite ends of the small, round table they had procured months ago, running through a smaller and portable version of the tactical simulator from the map room on their scrolls. It wasn't as good as the software in the map room, but when that room wasn't available their scrolls served as acceptable alternative. Jaune was currently winning their match; his forces had trapped Pyrrha's in a valley and were quickly wiping them out.

"You win again." Pyrrha said with a chuckle. Jaune was clearly the better strategist between the two of them, coming out victorious in a large majority of their matches. Jaune was also more powerful in his sheer quantity of aura, while Pyrrha was superior in her ability to control and manipulate aura as was well as personal combat skills. Together, they made a powerful team. "Rematch?"

"How about some lunch first?" Jaune looked at the time. "Or an early dinner." He amended.

"Sure. Do we have anything in our fridge?" Pyrrha asked as she slid her simple wooden chair back. She stood and walked over to their refrigerator, brushing some stray strands of hair behind her ear as she opened their refrigerator door. Jaune just shrugged silently as he walked up behind his lover. "I guess not." Pyrrha said straightening her back.

Jaune placed an arm around Pyrrha's waist. "We can go to the kitchen a little early, get things ready for Blake." He suggested.

"That sounds wonderful." Pyrrha replied, giving Jaune a peck on the cheek before walking to the closet to grab a jacket. As she pulled an orange sweater over her white tank top, there was a knock at their door. Pyrrha waved Jaune away, letting him sit back down as she answered. She opened the door to find a teary eyed Velvet standing there. "Velvet? Are you okay?" Pyrrha asked with concern, immediately bringing both hands up to Velvet's shoulders and gently easing her into the room.

Jaune heard Pyrrha's question and jumped up himself, concerned with the well being of his friend. "Velvet?" He asked,

Velvet sniffed, sad and teary but not quite crying. "Th-they left. Blake and Weiss and Nora. They wanted me to tell you 'goodbye' for them." Velvet decided to generalize Blake's goodbye for everyone, to at least attempt to mend the gap between Nora and the couple. "They said they graduated training and flew out today. I think they're deploying out to the war." Velvet told them.

"What?" Jaune asked disbelievingly. "They left already? Like, today?"

Velvet nodded. "Yeah. I just watched the airship take off."

"Why didn't they come see us in person?" Pyrrha asked, hurt.

"I think they left as soon as Tamamo spoke to them." Velvet explained. "Maybe they didn't have time."

"I guess." Jaune conceded. "That still sucks though."

"I hope we get out of here soon too." Pyrrha lamented.

"Yeah. I just wanted to let you guys know. I think I'm gonna go train some more now." Velvet said.

"We were just about to go make some food; do you want to join us?" Jaune asked.

Velvet paused. "Sorry, but I think I'm going to pass. I just want to train and work up a sweat, tire myself out a bit." Velvet apologized again and showed herself out, closing the door behind her.

Jaune and Pyrrha stood in silence. "It feels like our group of friends gets smaller every month." Pyrrha whispered.

Jaune wrapped his arms around Pyrrha, embracing her from behind. "... Yeah."

* * *

Weiss looked out of the airship window, down at the series of office buildings that Professor Ozpin had rented down below. "I suppose it would've been too much to expect Beacon to have been rebuilt in three months." She said with a tinge of disappointment in her voice.

"This place doesn't look quite as bad as I had imagined." Blake chuckled. Nora was just staring below silently.

"We're going in for a landing on the rooftop now." The pilot's voice reported over the speakers. The trio of girls stood up, walking towards the exit door as the airship as they waited for it to land. They swayed slightly as the airship's suspension took the brunt of the force of the landing. "And we've touched down. Hope you enjoyed the ride."

"Thanks for flying us!" Blake called into the cockpit as they hopped out the door.

"My pleasure ma'am." The pilot gave them a thumbs up before firing up the engines and lifting off to return to the fortress. Nora gave a lazy wave while making her way silently to the rooftop access door. Blake and Weiss followed behind Nora as she pulled open the door and strode down the stairs.

* * *

Ozpin was reviewing his proposal in his office, analyzing his ideas and the plans in it. "This isn't going to work." He removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. He felt his plan was sound if not necessarily perfect, but the problem was getting the Vytal Council to accept it. The Vytal council wasn't known for its tolerance. The amount of time it took for them to rescind their anti-faunus laws were a prime example of that. Getting them to accept Hunters in their military was going to take more than a small amount of effort. People were fine with hunters going off to fight monsters to protect the people, but they did not want to be reminded that hunters were so much more powerful than they were.

While trying to come up with a solution to his proposal problem, an incoming call alert blinked on his scroll. He tapped the screen with a sigh. "Yes, Glynda?"

"Headmaster, the huntresses from Tamamo have arrived." He heard her voice report.

Ozpin started in surprise. "Already? I was expecting them later this week at the earliest." He looked down at his proposal, and he stroked his chin as an idea popped into his head. "Send them in, please."

"Yes, Headmaster." Glynda hung up and the call ended.

Soon after there was a knock on the door. "Enter." Ozpin said from behind his desk. The door opened and Ozpin was greeted by the appearance of three girls. Weiss Schnee led the way, with Blake Belladonna and then Nora Valkyrie following behind. "Greetings, young ladies." He should've known that they would graduate first. Though he was surprised that Jaune Arc and Pyrrha Nikos were not with them.

"Hello, Professor." The three girls greeted simultaneously. They lined up in front of Ozpin's desk, sliding their feet shoulder width apart and placing their hands behind their back in an 'at ease' position. Something they must have learned from Tamamo at the fortress, as he never taught his students to behave like that.

"I see Tamamo's training has ingrained itself into you." Ozpin commenting on their seemingly choreographed movements into their stances.

"It's been a tough and educational few months." Blake responded.

"Understandable. Tamamo isn't known for easy training." Ozpin said sympathetically. "I expect you're all quite powerful now." The girls shrugged. They had never seen Professor Ozpin fight, so they were unsure about what standards he would judge them by.

"If I may interrupt, Professor, I have a question." Weiss asked. Ozpin nodded. "You hadn't contacted Tamamo with any updates for me about Ruby, and I know you think she's…gone… but were any more searches orchestrated? Any more information?"

Ozpin saw both Blake and Nora shift slightly on either side of Weiss, looking away from her ever so slightly. Strange. "I'm sorry, but no new developments have arisen. Qrow spent a week searching, and word was spread to the nearby towns and cities, but there has been no sign of her. As I said, there's been no evidence to suggest Miss Rose survived the beowolf attack. You have my sympathies." Ozpin finished.

"I understand." Weiss said stoically. Blake reached over to gently rub Weiss' lower back to comfort her.

Nora changed the subject. "So why are we here, and not with the military? We can't be going back to regular classes."

"No, you aren't." Ozpin answered. "But unfortunately, integrating hunters into the Vytal military has been… difficult. The council is resisting."

"What? Why?" Nora exclaimed angrily. "Our military doesn't have the numbers to defeat Vacuo. They need us."

"I realize that, and so do many other sensible people. But the council is full of stubborn old politicians who think that admitting their soldiers can't win the war is admitting defeat." Ozpin told the girls. "Even though we're losing a little more ground every day. The war is not going well."

"Idiots." Nora spat the words viciously. Ozpin watched her curiously, noting the drastic change in behavior from what he remembered.

"I have a meeting with the council in just a few days. I'm presenting a proposal that outlines plans for integrating hunters like you into the military. How would you three like to accompany me?" Ozpin offered.

"Would we help?" Weiss asked.

"It wouldn't hurt. And your presence could influence their decision; you may even be able to make your own points known." Ozpin answered.

"All right. I can agree to that." Weiss said with a nod. The other two girls nodded in agreement.

"Excellent. We have three days until then. Why don't you take a look at the proposal," he held up a folder full of papers, "so you're familiar with it. And if you don't mind, I think it would be beneficial to the students if you were to assist with a lesson here and there. Your experience could be a valuable lesson to them."

The girls didn't look eager to speak to their former classmates in any capacity, but agreed nonetheless. Ozpin thanked them, giving them copies of the proposal. "Oh, I've set aside the top floor of the dormitory for use of the hunters Tamamo is sending back. It's empty of Beacon students, so you have free reign there." The girls thanked him, leaving the office behind.

Glynda entered the room after they left. "They're so different." She said. "They definitely aren't children anymore."

"They are so young, for what they must do." Ozpin agreed. "And I fear that this is only the start of the changes they will go through."

* * *

Weiss had been busy the past three says. She had memorized Ozpin's proposal, and had even gone over it with him to discuss and change portions where she felt a different approach would be more effective. Her changes included tactical deployments, squad compositions, specializations, and other things along those lines. She also fleshed out parts that she felt should be outlined more for someone who may not be overly familiar with the abilities of a hunter. She also played chess with Ozpin, who soon gave up challenging Weiss regularly because she came out victorious in every match.

Blake and Nora had also looked over the proposal, but felt they had nothing to contribute, so they assisted other professors with the occasional lesson, mostly combat classes. What came as a surprise to them was that from their own point of view they had not progressed much in their time at the fortress, only improving a little here and there. But the reality they discovered while working with the teachers and students was that they had become far more powerful than they had originally believed. Even most of the teachers at Beacon only lasted a few seconds in a fight with the girls, and the ones who lasted more than a few seconds couldn't defeat the girls anyways.

Soon enough the three days had passed by, and the three girls were in a black luxury car with Ozpin, being driven to the meeting. Glynda had stayed behind to oversee the facilities. "I want to prepare you ahead of time- there is a very good chance the council members will be unreceptive, and far more rude than you might believe."

"Why's that?" Blake asked, looking up from her book, her ears twitching.

"They don't like to be reminded of their frailty." Ozpin answered. "Not to mention many of them may still hold notions that 'men are supposed to be stronger than women.' I expect that the women in the council will be far more receptive with you there, which will at least deflect some of their focus off of us."

"Fools." Nora commented while looking out the window, holding her Ren plushie in her lap.

"Fools indeed." Ozpin agreed.

* * *

An hour's drive later, the four hunters exited the car in front of the white building that served as the Council Hall. The steep stairs in the front were designed to inspire awe in those who looked upon them and climbed them, but the four hunters didn't seem to notice. The domed ceiling of the central body of the building was made of polished steel and stained glass, a myriad of colors broken into shards, mixed together, and reassembled to create the multicolored dome. The white columns that supported the front and inside of the building were polished to a shine, the marble having been smoothed down by diligent workers. Again, the hunters were not impressed and barely noticed the extravagance as they opened the oversized double doors and entered.

They checked in with the clerk, who gave a start of surprise when Ozpin told her that the three huntresses were his assistants. Blinking in disbelief, and clearly getting the wrong impression about their relationship, she had Ozpin sign in before staring once more. And as with the architecture, the four of them did not notice nor bother to correct the woman's incorrect ideas about Ozpin and the three girls. They continued past the gaping woman and made their way down the broad, brightly lit hallway. Their shoes generated loud echoes with each step, the sound bouncing off the tile floor and the wood paneling on the walls.

Ozpin checked his watch. "Right on time. Let's go on in." He pulled open an ornate wooden door and walked through, the girls following behind him. They entered a large, round room with a high ceiling, right under the stained glass dome they could see from the outside. The different colors of light were too high and didn't reach the ground, leaving a nice decoration on the ceiling without bathing the ground in a disco ball of multicolored light. Other than the ceiling, there were no windows, light being provided by bright lights on wall sconces. There was a long 'C' shaped table that encircled the room, with a projector screen where the gap is, and a podium for speaking in front of that for presentations. A guard stood on either side the door in a military uniform, and there were at least three or four dozen council members sitting in cushioned seats at the large table.

"You're late, Ozpin." A gruff old councilman said.

"I am actually ten minutes early." Ozpin corrected. "It's not my fault if you got here early and decided to wait."

The council huffed and grumbled to himself. "Who're the children?" He eyed Weiss, Blake, and Nora. His eyes lingered on Blake, his gaze moving up to the ears on her head before he grunted dismissively.

"Huntresses. They are assisting me."

"I guess we know where he stands on faunus relations." Blake whispered into Weiss' ear. Weiss just gave a small giggle as an answer. The councilman glared at them, clearly aware they said something about him but unable to hear what they said.

"I didn't expect to see you here, Blake." A man said from behind them. Blake turned around and to see a tall, masked man behind her. His short, light brown hair had bright red steaks dyed into it, with dark brown, almost black horns protruding from it. His white and red mask hid his eyes, and his black clothes had white and red highlights that accented the edges of each article of clothing. He was carrying a sheathed sword at his side, which the security guards in the room were eying warily.

Blake's eyes widened in surprise. "Adam? How did you get in here?"

"I walked in. I was invited." He deadpanned. "Humans weren't the only ones who suffered in Vacuo's attack."

In answer to her companions' puzzled expressions, Blake informed them of who this man was. "His name is Adam, someone I once knew. He's a lieutenant in the White Fang."

"Adam from the White Fang, huh?" Weiss asked, recalling a story Blake had told her about the time she and Adam had robbed a Schnee company train.

"Yes. And you are?" He held out his hand to shake Weiss'.

"Weiss Schnee. Friend of Blake's." Weiss answered, shaking Adam's hand.

Adam's hand froze mid shake. "…Schnee?" He queried.

"Yes." Weiss answered determinedly.

Adam looked at Blake. "You make strange friends now, Blake. I never expected you to befriend a Schnee."

"She's not like them." Blake said fiercely, defending her friend.

Adam held up a hand to placate Blake. "I didn't say she was. You're not the only one who has changed." Blake's only response was a tilt of the head. "After the unfortunate business with that Torchwick fellow a couple years back we've changed our methods again. The White Fang is no longer as… extreme… as we once were. We are actively and aggressively defending rights of the faunus and pushing for reform. Peacefully." He explained.

Blake blinked in silence, surprised that Adam had gone along with such a plan. "You seem awfully okay with that, considering how you were before."

"Like I said. That business with Torchwick really opened our eyes." He shrugged.

"Miss Belladonna, the meeting is about to start." Ozpin whispered, gesturing to some seats towards the podium.

"'Miss Belladonna.'" Adam chuckled. Blake rolled her eyes at him and followed Ozpin and her friends to the front, while Adam sat a few seats away from them, his two bodyguards flanking him on either side.

Weiss looked around the room at each council member, putting her training with Tamamo to the test and reading every person. There wasn't much helpful information she could gather from just seeing them from a distance, so Weiss waited patiently to listen to them talk before she made any judgment calls.

The old councilman that confronted them when they entered stood up, his suit stretching over his bulging stomach. "I call the council to order. As Chairman of the Council, I acknowledge that all parties are present and the meeting may begin. Professor Ozpin of Beacon Academy will be presenting a proposal to us for our consideration about the integration of hunters into the Vytal military." Weiss could already hear the distaste in his voice. "You may begin, Professor."

"Thank you, Councilor." Ozpin stood. "In front of each of you is a packet containing proposals and ideas proposed by myself, edited and refined alongside Glynda Goodwitch and Weiss Schnee." Ozpin held a hand out towards Weiss, who bowed her head. "Miss Schnee has received extensive training in both military tactics as well as the training of a huntress, as has provided valuable insight into the implementation of hunters in human warfare."

As Ozpin continued with his presentation, Blake could hear some council members whispering to each other about Weiss, wondering if she was the 'Schnee heiress.' Blake in turn whispered what she heard to Weiss, knowing that Weiss could possibly use any information she got her hands on to manipulate the council if needed. Blake could also hear discussions about Ozpin and his proposal, which she also passed on to Weiss, who was writing down counter arguments for what Blake was hearing. This would make the discussions afterwards go more smoothly, since they wouldn't need to come up with answers to questions on the fly. Nora's contribution was glaring at the council.

Just over twenty minutes later, Ozpin finished his proposal. "And now, and questions, members of the council?" Before he could point to one of the many raised hands, Weiss tugged on the bottom of his coat. He bent over and she handed him her notepad. He scanned it briefly, before letting a smile creep onto his face. He straightened up again. "If you have any directions, you may direct them to Miss Schnee here, who will answer any and all questions." He sat back down in his chair, crossing his legs.

Weiss stood up to stunned silence. She pointed to an older woman to her front and left. "Yes, ma'am?"

"How do you believe bringing in hunters such as yourselves would affect soldier morale? I support this integration myself, but if the soldiers begin to feel like they are being treated as cannon fodder…" She let the end of her question drift off.

Weiss had gathered from Blake's information that this councilwoman was very practical and reasonable, and decided a well reasoned and rational argument would work best with her. "Hunters are powerful, yes, but not immortal. Both we here and our soldiers know we cannot win this war on their own, and hunters could not win this war on their own. It is our belief that this sort of bonding, the knowledge that one helps out the other, will overcome any negative feelings a soldier may have. We believe a soldier's practicality will lead them to treat a hunter the same way they would treat a comrade that is better at something than they are. One person is a better shot, another is better at hand to hand combat, things like that. Hunters are not proficient at everything, and will have a role to play, just as a soldier would." Weiss finished, taking a breath.

"A good point. I have no objections if you believe that is the case as well, Professor?" she looked at Ozpin, who nodded. "I have no more questions. Thank you." She sat back in her seat. A few other council members were nodding their heads appreciatively alongside her, which boded well for Weiss.

And so the questioning continued, with Weiss quickly and efficiently answering questions and shooting down counter arguments, leaving no doubt in most of the the council's mind that there was no reason to oppose this proposal. The Chairman however, along with a few select others, remained adamantly opposed to the proposal, despite their arguments being picked apart and destroyed by both Weiss and the other members of the council.

"Why these children, then?" The chairman shouted. "Surely some more experience hunters with experience as soldiers should do plenty better."

"Those 'more experienced' hunters are busy fighting Grimm. Unless you believe that we should leave the world undefended against soulless monsters?" Weiss asked. She had determined early on that rational arguments would not work with a man who was determined to be right, no matter what evidence was presented against him, so she used leading questions to force him into answering a certain way, so he was unable to answer otherwise without seeming a terrible man.

"N-no, I'm not saying such a thing. But surely-" he stuttered.

"In addition!" Weiss interrupted. "We are different than the standard hunters. We are a new breed of huntress, trained in warfare. We are trained warriors whose training involved learning the best way to kill, not monsters, but soldiers. _People_." Weiss emphasized. "You could not ask for better hunters to fight alongside the military." Weiss had emphasized that they were trained to kill people rather than monsters to bring a little bit of intimidation to her side.

The chairman was left a stuttering stammering wreck, clearly having nothing left to say that wouldn't come across as selfish and infantile. "But you're children!" He pointed at Nora. "One of you girls even has a stupid doll!"

Weiss quickly turned to grab Nora, but was too late. Nora had already vaulted over the table, and was walking towards the chairman menacingly. "Guards!" the chair tried to back up, but stumbled out of his chair.

"Try not to kill him." Blake yelled to Nora, smiling.

One of the guards clearly disliked and disagreed with the chairman and stood his ground at the door, pretending he didn't hear the call for help. The other guard ran forward and leaped over the table to intercept Nora, either too foolish or too oblivious to realize he was making a terrible mistake. He reached the huntress and held and arm out in front of him, ordering Nora to halt. The angry redhead just grabbed him by the wrist and with a single arm threw him over a dozen feet to her right, where he smashed into one of the many legs of the table, unconscious.

The fat chairman had finally gotten to his feet, just in time to look up at Nora as she leapt over the table at him, arm and fist cocked behind her head. He let out the beginning of a high pitched scream, the rest of it cut off as Nora fist smashed into his face. The blow was devastating, the sound of the impact causing some other panicking council members to cringe as if the blow had been directed at them. While the sound of the impact disturbed the other council members, the _actual_ impact destroyed the chairman's jaw, not just dislocating it, but shattering it and leaving him a bloody, screaming mess on the ground, unable to properly call for help.

"You might wanna get that looked at." Nora said. "I hear _children_ sometimes don't know their own strength. You know how they can be sensitive about their _dolls_." Nora delivered one swift kick to the chairman's ribs, fracturing them. She then hopped back over the table to the unconscious soldier, pressing her hand to his forehead. She activated her substantial aura, allowing some of it to flow into the soldier. The soldier woke up with a start. "Are you okay?" Nora asked. The soldier watched Nora fearfully before nodding his head. "That's good." Nora stood and hopped back into her seat, crossing her arms and stroking her small Ren plushie with her thumb.

"You could have at least waited until after the meeting." Weiss said. Blake was holding a hand in front of her mouth to hide her delighted grin, while a few seats down Adam was roaring with laughter, not bothering to attempt conceal it in the least. Weiss noted that even a few other council members were trying to hide small grins. Clearly the chairman was disliked.

Ozpin stood up and cleared his throat. "I'll suppose I'll call an ambulance once the meeting is adjourned. Are there any more questions?" He asked the room of faces covered in mixed emotion. He could see indifference, fear, horror, joy, delight, a whole mixed bag of emotions.

One of the grinning council members got to his feet, quickly wiping the grin off his face. He cleared his throat. "As the chairman in indisposed, I shall call for the final vote. All in favor of the hunter integration proposal please raise your right hand." He looked around the room to see that every council member had raised their hand, whether out of actual support or out of fear of Nora. "As Vice Chairman and currently acting Chairman, I am proud to announce that the integration of hunters into the Vytal military has been approved." He sat back down, smiling once more, clearly in support of Ozpin and his proposal. With the final announcement made, the council members began cleaning up and leaving the room, engaged in conversations with each other.

"Excellent." Ozpin said as he dialed medical services. He turned to Weiss. "You handled yourself splendidly."

"Thank you, sir." Weiss bowed her head.

"Which is why I'm proud to make you lead of this project." He said, setting the proposal documents in her hand. Weiss looked up at him, stunned. "You handled yourself admirably, even when I threw you in without warning. I'm getting old. Much, much older than I look. As much as I wish I could, I can't lead a war the same way you could. I shall continue teaching, and drawing up new plans to have new prospects sent to Tamamo and you as soon as possible. But you, Miss Schnee, will be a leader in the war effort."

"I… "Weiss started, clearly surprised by this decision. "Thank you, sir." Weiss settled on.

"I couldn't agree more, Professor." A voice said from behind Weiss. Weiss turned to see the Vice Chairman. "It's good to see you again." His graying hair reminded Weiss of a haystack, with strands and chunks sticking out all over the place. Despite that, his black suit was immaculately clean, which confused Weiss. His cane looked dirty, old, and worn; as if he had just picked up a thick branch from the forest somewhere.

"Councilor Crane." Ozpin shook his hand. "Or is it Chairman Crane, now?" Ozpin said, nodding to the crying chairman being wheeled away on a gurney.

Councilor Crane laughed. "I expect I will be Chairman very soon, after his behavior today. I must insist he take extended leave for… recovery purposes."

Ozpin laughed along with Councilor Crane. "Pardon me, Councilor. Miss Schnee, this is Councilor Crane, Vice Chairman of the Vytal council, former huntsman, and close friend of mine."

"Pleasure to meet you, Councilor." Weiss greeted, shaking his hand. "You are a hunter?"

"Was a hunter." Crane corrected. He lifted up his left pant leg slightly, revealing a prosthetic leg. He tapped his cane on his upper thigh, just below his hip, to show how much of the leg was missing. "Had a bit of an accident when I was younger. Can't fight quite as well anymore."

"An accident?" Blake asked, walking up beside Weiss. "Blake Belladonna." She introduced herself.

Crane shook Blake's hand. "Yes. I didn't mean to let a Nevermore take it from me, but we had a disagreement on that matter." He chuckled.

"How rude of it." Blake commented.

"I know, right?" He said with a grin. "Anyways, I came over to tell you that you will have my full support." His grin disappeared. "We are trying to keep it hidden from the public, but we are definitely losing this war, and badly. I know that skilled hunters are exactly what we need to turn it around. Our intelligence shows that Vacuo's army has a huge numbers advantage on us, but they have almost no hunters. I guess that they didn't plan on most of them deserting when they found out they attacked nearly all the schools where hunters are trained."

"A foolish mistake, on their part." Ozpin commented.

Crane nodded and continued, looking at Weiss. "If you are to take Ozpin's place, then I shall send the information to you. I believe you will be meeting with some of the military commanders to begin integration, giving them the information and orders they will need. They will resist, just like this council, unfortunately. But," he started, "there is a difference. The second you prove yourself, there will be no walls, they will accept you without question, and you will be one of them. I expect to see you in command soon, huntress. Now, I need to go deal with some paperwork regarding a certain someone's injury." He sighed. "Oh well. Farewell, Ozpin. Pleasure meeting you girls." He waved before walking off, slightly favoring one leg, while his cane tapped on the floor. Ozpin followed alongside him, catching up with his old friend.

"Now, I like how you work." They heard Adam say to Nora, who was still sitting patiently, waiting for Weiss and Blake.

"Thanks." Nora said without looking up from her Ren plushie.

Sensing Nora wasn't one for conversation, Adam walked over to Weiss and Blake. 'This meeting was definitely more interesting than I thought it was going to be."

"So, why are you here again?" Blake asked.

"So distrustful." He said. "I was asked to represent faunus interests by Councilor Crane. He contacted the different faunus communities and the White Fang, and I was selected for my… tenaciousness."

"That's one way to put it." Blake said while rolling her eyes at him.

"At the very least, I'm glad you aren't so angry at me anymore." Adam admitted.

"It was a long time ago." Blake said.

"And you, Miss Schnee." Adam said, turning to Weiss. "You certainly don't look like a faunus-hating business executive."

"He's just trying to get a rise out of you." Blake interjected before could take the bait.

"You seem to be mistaking me for my father." Weiss countered. "But you'd still be wrong, because he hates everyone, not just faunus."

Adam stared at Weiss through his mask a moment before chuckling. "I see. You're not bad yourself. Well, Miss Schnee, I am proud to tell you that as a representative of the faunus, you have our full military support. What military we have, anyways." He finished.

"Don't be so dramatic." Blake sighed. Adam only chuckled before waving bye to them and turning away, gesturing to his two guards to follow him out of the room.

"Are we ready to go yet?" Nora asked from her chair.

"Yeah. Let's get back to the school so we can prep for war." Weiss said.

"Did we really just join a war? Just like that?" Blake asked.

"I guess we did." Weiss said. "Why?"

"I don't know. I just expected it to be… different, I guess." Blake tilted her head as she thought. "More climactic. We're entering a war, you know? I thought there would be an announcement, crowds, music. Like in books and movies. But it really was such a quiet thing, wasn't it? We're going to join a fight where thousands will die, and no one seems to have noticed."

"I guess they don't think it will affect them." Nora suggested quietly, looking down at her Ren plushie once again.

"I could only wish it didn't affect us." Weiss said sadly.


	13. Chapter 13: The Lesser of Two Evils

Weiss could hear a quiet shuffling in the darkness of the room she was sleeping in. Slowly opening one eye, even the dim light reflecting off the shattered moon seemed bright to her unadjusted eyes. Without moving her head, she could see most of the room that she shared with Nora and Blake. The plain cream colored walls, which seemed almost grey in the dark, were sparse and undecorated. The room contained four simple beds, the grey steel frames and white sheets so uninteresting it was easy to forget they were there. A door next to the entrance to the room led to a small bathroom, which contained a toilet, sink, and tiny shower. The closet was situated in the wall next to the bathroom door, and their dresser next to that. All in all, the room was even emptier than their rooms at the fortress had been, but the three girls had stopped being concerned with the contents of their rooms months ago. Their night upon returning to this room was uneventful, the events of the earlier council meeting not enough to truly excite the girls.

Nora had taken the bed closest to the door, her blanket wrapping around her like a cotton cocoon. Weiss occupied the bed closest to the window, farthest from the door to their room. Blake had the bed opposite of Weiss. Blake's direction was where the shuffling was coming from, but before Weiss could raise her head to investigate Blake stepped into her line of sight, towards the dresser. Weiss watched in stillness and silence as Blake undressed and changed into a second set of nightclothes as silently as she could manage.

Weiss was surprised to see this; Blake had told her that the bad dreams had stopped a couple months ago. This was before Weiss had become proficient at reading people, but Weiss silently berated herself for not pursuing the matter later so that she could see if she could somehow help her friend. For tonight, Weiss decided that there was no reason to confront Blake until morning. Blake slid back into her bed, curling up into a ball and returning to sleep. After a few minutes of silence, Weiss followed suit and returned to her slumber.

* * *

Blake spat out the frothy mix of toothpaste, water, and saliva that had accumulated in her mouth. She gargled a mouthful of water from the faucet to clear her mouth before wiping off the condensation on the mirror so she could check her canines to make sure they weren't chipped. Poking and prodding them with her fingers and her tongue, Blake could feel no chips or scrapes on her canines, and she ran her tongue across the front of her teeth in satisfaction. Keeping her canines sharp and healthy was a matter of pride for Blake, both because Yang had loved her canines and because she felt it was another sign of her faunus heritage that she needed to embrace rather than hide.

"Blake, could you pass me the shampoo?" Nora called from inside the glass shower next to Blake. Blake reached up to the shelf on the wall and grabbed the bottle, throwing it over the glass door to Nora, who caught it. "Thanks."

"No problem." Blake said as she left the bathroom in only her underwear and closed the door behind her. She strode over to her bed and threw her damp towel onto the rumpled sheets as she pulled some jeans on. "Morning, Weiss." The faunus greeted the heiress, who was sitting on the edge of her bed and brushing her hair.

"Good morning, Blake." Weiss returned the greeting. Weiss set her brush down next to her before pulling her hair up into the ponytail on the side of her head. "Do you have a minute to talk, Blake?"

"Sure." Blake answered as she reached over and tossed her towel into their laundry basket before starting to make her bed. "What's up?"

"I wanted… I wanted to talk to you about your dreams." Weiss began nervously. "I saw you last night. I know you told me you were fine, but-"

"I am fine." Blake interrupted, fluffing her pillow just a little more roughly than necessary.

Weiss continued on. "-but it seems like they're still happening. Are they still happening every night?"

"I'm fine, Weiss." Blake said firmly, clearly not wanting to pursue the topic.

"No, Blake, you aren't." Weiss countered even more firmly. "Have you been having nightmares every night?" Blake glared at Weiss, clearly displeased. But Weiss looked back, unfazed. Finally, Blake nodded a confirmation. "For how long?" Weiss followed up.

Blake stayed silent, hoping that if she dragged the conversation out long enough that either Weiss would give up on it or that Nora would interrupt. "… Ever since Beacon." She answered slowly.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Weiss pleaded softly. "I could've helped."

"How, Weiss?" Blake raised her voice. "How could you have helped me through this?"

"We could've have talked about it, worked through it together instead of-" Weiss started.

"How would that have helped!" Blake yelled. "We were all too busy trying to figure out what happened! No time to grieve, no time to rest, we threw ourselves into anything else we could find to try to keep from thinking too hard about what we lost." Blake's fists were clenched at her sides. "That stupid door doesn't interfere with my dedication and anything else besides a little bit of sleep, so let it go!"

Weiss had to take a minute to wrap her mind through what Blake had said. Weiss couldn't deny that they hadn't given themselves proper time to grieve and recover, but that was an unavoidable consequence of their decisions. She also could not disagree that they were avoiding trying to think about what they lost. But it was Blake's final statement that stood out to Weiss. "I know it's been rough, and that we've both lost someone we loved." Weiss felt a flash of embarrassment that she had admitted to someone her feelings for Ruby, even if indirectly, but continued on. "What door are you talking about? Are you dreaming about a door?"

Blake sat down heavily on her bed. "I'm sorry, Weiss. I know I shouldn't have lashed out." She put her head down in her hands. "We've both lost someone important." She took a deep breath as she kept her head down. "And yes, I'm dreaming about a stupid door."

"Can you tell me about it?" Weiss asked carefully. She didn't exactly know anything about dreams or interpreting them, but Weiss thought that getting Blake to talk about it would be a good start.

Blake let out a long breath. "There really isn't much to talk about. There's just this door, every night. I'm standing in front of it, and I want to open it, but I can't, and it makes me really nervous and anxious, and… I can't explain it. It's not a nightmare. Just a strange dream that won't go away." Blake flopped on her back.

Weiss couldn't think of a response to the strange answer. She was expecting a nightmare, or some sort of dilemma. Not a locked door. "Maybe it represents trying to move on, but not being able to?" Weiss suggested. Weiss decided that if Blake was opening up to her, maybe she should open up a little to Blake. "I have a dream about Ruby, sometimes." Weiss started. The ears on top of Blake's head twitched slightly at this, as Blake was surprised that Weiss was opening up to her for once. Weiss wasn't very open even before this whole mess. "We're sitting back to back on the ground in a snowy forest, talking."

"What about?" Blake asked.

"Everything." Weiss answered. "School, cookies, dust, weapons, our friends and family." Weiss sat down next to Blake. "But I never see her. Every time I decide to turn around to see her, she isn't there anymore. Sometimes I think I can see her cloak or hand out of the corner of my eye, but if I turn to look then she's gone."

"I guess we both have dreams that are a little strange." Blake said.

"But mine don't wake me up every night, and I don't have that dream every night, Blake." Weiss corrected calmly. "Is there more to your dream?"

Blake shook her head while she was still lying on the bed with her arms out to each side. "No, that's it. I don't know why it wakes me up every night. Probably just a natural response by now." Further discussion between the two was cut short as Nora walked out of the bathroom naked, toweling her hair dry. "We can talk about it another time." Blake said, sitting up and continuing to get her supplies for the day ready.

"All right then." Weiss conceded. She looked over at Nora, who was busy pulling on some underclothes. "Do you two have plans today?" Weiss had a meeting with Councilor Crane and some military officers, but wasn't aware of any plans that her two companions had.

"We got a message from Crane to accompany you." Nora answered as she stood on the tips of her toes in an attempt to get a better view of the higher shelves in the closet. Weiss would offer to help, but as she was the shortest of her friends she doubted she'd be of much assistance. Nora hopped up and grabbed a grey t-shirt off the top shelf. "He didn't say why."

"I see." Weiss answered. The three of them finished their morning routine, getting dressed and cleaning the room they were in. Their clothes were fairly plain, but would work. The three of them were all wearing grey t-shirts and blue jeans, the only clothes supplied in their closet. Crane's message had informed Weiss that she was leaving for the forward base, and that everything she needed would be supplied there, or could be requested. She supposed that Nora and Blake would be joining her now. This left them able to travel lightly once again, bringing only their weapons and a few keepsakes that they always kept on them. Blake had her orange scarf from Yang, Nora had her plushie of Ren, and Weiss had a laminated picture of her and her former team she kept in her pocket.

They left their temporary quarters and spent the next few minutes walking up to the rooftop, where an airship would be arriving to pick them up. Ozpin was waiting on the rooftop to greet them. "Good morning, young ladies."

"Good morning, Professor." Weiss greeted along with the other girls.

"It seems this will be the last I will see of you for a while." Ozpin said, looking over his glasses at them. "I obviously will not be able to visit you freely while you're on the battlefield. And I would like to give you a parting gift, but unfortunately I'm not very good at figuring out gifts." He reached into his pocket and pulled out three small pouches. "So I settled on something functional and small." He handed each girl a small blue pouch, which clinked as he gently set once in each girl's palm.

Weiss untied the yellow string at the opening of her pouch, and was greeted by vials of dust, all sorts of different colors. Nora had pulled out one of her vials, and Blake retied the pouch shut, satisfied at knowing what it contained. Each vial contained a single dust crystal of moderate size, shining brilliantly in the morning sunlight. "Thank you for the gift, Professor." Weiss said, Blake and Nora following suit.

"I figured that they may come in handy one day where you're going." Ozpin shrugged.

"I'm sure we'll make good use of them." Blake assured with a smile. Their thanks were interrupted by the steadily increasing roar of an airship painted with the Sun of Vytal, the kingdom's symbol. The pair of crossed swords behind a beveled edged shield under the sun indicated this ship belonged to the Vytal military. "Our ride is here." Blake observed.

The ship eased into a gentle landing, and the door panel swung open, revealing Councilor Crane. He appeared to be wearing a the same style of suit as he did at the council meeting, but this one was grey with a black trim rather than the straight black he wore before. He waved at the gathered group leisurely. Ozpin returned the wave before turning back to the girls. "There isn't much else for me to say, I suppose. Come back safely once you've won the war, young ladies. Farewell." And without further comment or ceremony, Ozpin returned to the rooftop door and descended the stairwell, closing the door behind him.

The brief moment of stillness was broken by Nora. "Let's go." Weiss and Blake nodded their agreement and followed Nora onto the airship, shaking Councilor Crane's hand as they entered. As they sat in the empty seats, the airship engines which had been quietly idling returned to life and lifted the airship and its passengers back into the sky before the girls and the councilor could settle into their seats. The noise of the engines was quiet in the passenger cabin, allowing the girls to look behind the councilor to see two older men and one middle aged woman in military uniforms looking back at them.

The first man was short, thin, and looked far too old to be an active member of the military. He had no hair to speak of on his head, and his pale, wrinkled skin appeared to be drooping in places. The second man was far younger, having a fit and muscular body that strained his uniform in places. He was old enough that his buzz cut hair had turned completely grey. His face looked rough and chiseled, as if he had once been carved from sandstone. The woman appeared to be about the same age as the second man, her once black hair peppered with grey and pulled back into a tight bun on the back of her head. Her face held a mature and matronly femininity, dignified yet caring. Her short stature was accompanied by a thin body which appeared to be devoid of body fat, but what was left was toned muscle. The first man had four small swords pinned to his shoulder, making him a general; the second man had a small shield, making him a colonel; the woman had three swords, making her a lieutenant general. The huntresses immediately recognized that all three of the people before them were very highly ranked in the Vytal military.

Councilor Crane cleared his throat and held out his hand towards each of the girls in turn as he introduced them. "Miss Schnee, Miss Belladonna, Miss Valkyrie." He said. "I'd like to introduce you to General Kosti, Colonel Sten, and Lieutenant General Songen." He gestured down the line of officers. "And vice versa." He finished with a smile.

General Kosti only nodded in greeting, his face unchanging in its pensiveness. Colonel Sten stood and shook each girls hand, greeting them individually with a stoic look that Weiss imagined must be his default expression from the way he carried himself. Lieutenant General Songen also stood to shake their hands, but she at least had a smile on her face. "Pleasure to meet you, dears." She greeted before sitting back in her seat.

With their brief introductions finished, Councilor Crane continued on. "Well, we are here today to begin the integration of the hunters into the Vytal military. This is new ground for us, but I believe we can work through it." He beamed a smile at everyone. "General Kosti is in charge of the Vytal military, who was gracious enough to join us today during a standstill on the front lines due to poor weather conditions."

General Kosti nodded again, but spoke this time. His voice was a sort of loud, gravelly growl that Weiss found strange and out of place in the old man's thin, bony frame. "I am glad the council has finally decided to see some sense." He said, his eyes glancing at Councilor Crane for the briefest of moments. He clearly was not a fan of politicians and their games, which all three of the huntresses approved of.

"Hey, I did what I could." Councilor Crane protested, half sheepishly and half playfully.

"What you should have done was being this wonderful young lady to a council meeting sooner." He said, holding his hand out to indicate Nora. "I heard about your… altercation… with Chairman Meatbag." The other two officers snickered at the nickname for the fat, greedy Chairman of the council. "And I must say I was sorely disappointed to have not seen it myself. You have my thanks for teaching that horrid creature a lesson." He bowed his head a few inches out of respect.

Nora only nodded, the corners of her mouth turning up just a hair at the memory of hospitalizing the chairman. "It was my pleasure."

Everyone shared a quick laugh at the General's and Nora's interaction, enjoying the momentary respite from thoughts of war. "But I digress. We must discuss as much as we can, as soon as we can." General Kosti continued. "As Councilor has no doubt told you, the war effort is not going well. We are being pushed back farther every week, their numbers overcoming any strategy we attempt to implement." He nodded to Lieutenant General Songen.

"Our attempts to gather intelligence on their motives for the war have left us with more questions than answers, as well." Lieutenant General Songen took over. "The few soldiers we have captured hate us with a passion, believing us to be, and I'll spare you their colorful language, evil people. We've learned that they believe that we attacked them first, destroying and burning down a small town near the Vytal-Vacuoan border." She shrugged. "Which of course our own military did not do, nor do any records indicate a group of hunters or even criminals did this."

Councilor Crane took over, explaining some more details that the military might not have. "We were first contacted by Vacuoan politicians and military officers, who demanded an explanation and compensation for the destruction of their town." He began. "We obviously had no idea what they were talking about, which is when they declared war on us, citing aggressive actions and war crimes on our part. And now… you know the rest. They hate us for supposedly destroying one of their towns; we hate them for attacking us without cause and for killing our innocents."

"Terrorist attacks, maybe?" Weiss suggested. "There are all sorts of criminals out there."

"Roman Torchwick is still out there, for instance." Blake added, remembering the criminal.

"We've considered that, but we have no evidence of it happening. We've investigated the border, but we've seen no signs of unauthorized travel." Songen reported.

"We've created a special investigative team to determine what happened, but we're still waiting on results from that." Councilor Crane informed them. "But at this point it looks like Vacuo isn't interested in peace talks, even if we do figure out what happened."

"Regardless," Kosti interrupted, "we must discuss more details regarding bringing in hunters to join the fight." He looked at Weiss. "I understand that Ozpin placed you in charge of the integration."

"Yes, he did." Weiss said with a nod. "Which brings me to my questions about how much freedom I will have with decisions I make." Weiss was eager to help turn this war effort around, her intense gaze filled with determination.

"Excellent thinking." Kosti admitted. "But you need not worry about being throttled or going through other officers for strategic planning." He reached into his pocket and pulled out something in an envelope. "Because I've known Crane here for many years, I know that hunters are powerful. I know that I _don't_ know anything about how hunters fight. I know that you've spent months training more intensively than any soldier or officer in our army has. Which means you need the freedom to do what you need to get done." He set the envelope in Weiss' hand.

Weiss looked down at the envelope questioningly, but she suspected she knew what was inside. Unfastening the metal bracket and upending it over her hand, a pair of pins fell into her hands. Each pin was cast silver, in the shape of the Vytal military- a beveled edged shield with a pair of crossed long swords behind it. Unlike the standard military symbol, the shield had the Sun of Vytal etched into it, making it distinguishable from the rest of the military. "I'm not familiar with this rank." Weiss responded.

"Because it didn't exist until this morning. I had to call in some favors, but you are now the first Lord Commander of the Vytal military." General Kosti explained.

"I'm honored." Weiss responded with a slight bow. "Where does a 'Lord Commander' fall in the chain of command?"

"Well, the Lord Commander would fall a little outside the standard chain of command. You retain command of all the hunters and the squads they are in, in addition to normal control over the rest of the military. If I had to throw you into the chain of command, you would probably be my equal. You also have free reign to promote and assign rank to soldiers and hunters as you see fit." Kosti revealed.

"Impressive." Blake stated with a grin. "Looks like you'll be ordering us into battle in no time." Blake said to Weiss.

"Well, I'll need more than two huntresses." Weiss said with a grin.

"You'll have more soon." Councilor Crane assured. "Tamamo has informed me that the training is continuing well, and you'll have more graduating and joining you in a few days."

"You know Tamamo?" Blake asked.

Councilor Crane shuddered. "Yeah." His one word responses and the way he tugged at his shirt collar gave them the impression that his memories of Tamamo were not the most pleasant memories. The other three officers also looked away nervously. They had obviously met or known Tamamo at some point as well.

"It looks like you're experiences with Tamamo weren't exactly standard." Weiss observed with a chuckle.

"No, they were not." General Kosti admitted.

"Ahem." Colonel Sten made his first contribution to their conversation. "We should begin reviewing our battle plans before we land, General."

"Yes, yes. Hit the ground running." Kosti agreed. "Let us begin our discussions."

* * *

Ozpin sat back down at his desk, having just finished his lectures for the day. He occupied his time now reading applications for the teaching position that he had opened to the public, and communicating with the architects and construction crews rebuilding Beacon to make sure everything was going as planned. He finished reading the different applications, dissatisfied with today's batch. He filed them away in a cabinet just to be organized, despite knowing he would most likely never look at that batch again.

The sound of a falling stack of papers outside his door drew his attention; followed Glynda's muffled voice of protest. And while he was confident Glynda could handle whatever the issue was, he reasoned he should at least check on his friend. Calmly striding over to the door, cane in hand, Ozpin grasped the handle and opened the door to his office. His eyes fell on Glynda's back, who was standing in front of his door protectively with her riding crop raised defensively in front of her. "Is there a problem, Glynda?"

"Headmaster! Please stay in your office while I deal with this criminal." Glynda said, adjusting her stance so she was standing in front of Ozpin. Ozpin leaned around Glynda to get a look at this 'criminal' she was referring to. He saw a man with bright orange hair, with bangs that swept over one of his bright green eyes. Covering his bright orange hair was a red banded bowler hat, a contrast to his red-collared, formal white jacket and grey scarf. His black slacks and black shoes provided further contrast with his white jacket. His hands, covered with black gloves, were held up in a calm gesture of surrender.

"Hello, Ozzy." Roman Torchwick greeted with a smug smile. "Miss me?"

"Roman." Ozpin said. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Headmaster, we really should not be speaking to this horrid man." Glynda protested. "You remember what he did."

"I am aware, yes." Ozpin answered as Torchwick held his place, shifting his weight more to one leg as he waited.

"Calm down, I'm not here with any ill intentions. I'm here to make a business proposition, if you must know." Torchwick said condescendingly.

"Then by all means, come in my office." Ozpin said, backing into his office and gesturing for Torchwick to follow.

"Pardon, headmaster?" Glynda said incredulously. "Surely we should just apprehend him."

"I can at least listen to his proposition." Ozpin replied calmly.

Roman dropped his hands back to his side and grabbed his cane, which was hooked into his right pocket. "Excellent." He strutted into Ozpin's office, Glynda following behind him and watching Torchwick closely, leaving the fallen papers on the ground behind her.

"Would you like some coffee? Tea?" Ozpin offered.

"Some coffee would be appreciated." Roman answered as he sat in the leather swivel chair in front of Ozpin's cluttered desk.

Ozpin poured three cups of coffee from his coffee pot, handing one to each of the other two and another for himself. "So." He began. "Your business proposition."

"Yes, my business proposition." Roman responded. He sipped his coffee. "This coffee is excellent. What brand is this? I simply must get myself some."

"Beans from the Lotus Farms. Owned and run by Lie Zhànshì and Lie Huā." Ozpin answered simply.

"Ah, Zan and Huā. Good people. Their son is a student here, right?" Roman asked conversationally as he continued sipping his coffee.

"Not anymore, no." Ozpin responded. "He died in the attack."

"Pity." Roman said with a shrug, clearly not caring one way or another about the death of some boy he never knew, even if he did once know that boy's parents. "So my proposition." He reached into his jacket and pulled out a folder with a packet of papers inside. He tossed the papers towards Ozpin, who caught the papers and opened the folders to inspect its contents.

Ozpin raised an eyebrow. "This is not what I expected." He said. The folder outlined shipping and purchase plans for large quantities of dust, weapons, medical supplies, and various other items that would be useful to a war effort. "You want to sell me war supplies. A whole lot of war supplies."

"I do indeed." Torchwick answered.

"Are you trying to profit off of the war?" Glynda asked disapprovingly.

"Quite the opposite, actually." Torchwick said his long eyelashes fluttering teasingly as he looked at Glynda over his mug of coffee. Glynda only huffed as she glared at him.

"You're selling this… _really_ cheap." Ozpin said as he continued reading the packet of papers. "You're selling me these products at thirty-two percent of their value. How do you stand to make money from this? If these are the deals you normally make, you are quite the poor businessman."

"I am actually quite the _good_ businessman." Torchwick countered with a smile. "I'm selling you some of my inventory because I need business, for one. Second, I can't do business if everyone gets conquered by some fool country with an agenda. I need this war to end."

"What, can't rob people if some other country robs them first?" Glynda shot snidely.

"That too. But it's more that my people and I can't compete with an army for control over a kingdom. And I do have legitimate businesses too, you know. I'm investing in the long term with this deal." Torchwick countered smoothly. "And I can't exactly walk up to our own fine men and women in uniform and propose a business deal. They'd probably shoot me."

"I'm still debating it." Glynda retorted.

"So feisty. Growl." Torchwick grinned as he mimicked a cat clawing the air with one hand.

"What makes you think we'll take this deal? I agree that supplies this cheap would be a great boon for the military, but you are a criminal after all." Ozpin asked, setting down the folder.

"The enemy of my enemy is a friend, we have a common goal, strength in numbers, the lesser of two evils. Whatever you want to call it." Torchwick said, waving one hand in the air.

Ozpin leaned back in his chair and brought his fingertips together in front of him. "And after the war? We go back to hunting you down, and you go back to your… 'businesses?'"

"Of course." Torchwick said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Headmaster, you can't seriously be thinking about agreeing to this." Glynda protested.

"I can't say I like doing this, but I will agree that our soldiers desperately need these supplies." Ozpin sighed. "I will broker a deal with the military. I assume you have enough legitimate businesses to act as fronts so your own name doesn't come up?"

"Already prepared and ready to go." Torchwick answered with a grin.

"I'll set it up then. You'll have your money, and our army will have its much needed supplies." Ozpin said while standing. He held out his hand.

Torchwick shook Ozpin's hand, smiling in victory. "Deal."


	14. Chapter 14: To War

Discussing the battle plans proved more difficult than Weiss had originally anticipated. The three officers in front of her weren't exaggerating when they had told her they knew little to nothing about how hunters fought, and Weiss was beginning to find explaining something to them every few minutes tiring. Blake took pity on Weiss and assisted with the explanations, nudging a reluctant Nora and getting her to help as well. With their assistance, Weiss' suggestions, plans, and explanations went by much faster. Councilor Crane offered his own thoughts once in a while from a logistical standpoint, as he had never trained for a war as a hunter either, but had experience as a politician who needed to make careful use of money.

"… and that is how I believe we should appropriate hunters into the general infantry." Weiss concluded. Weiss had outlined her plans for using hunters in war. The ideas that the three officers had proposed to her were shabby at best, treating hunters and their skill sets as if they were standard soldiers. Their plans didn't take into account the variety of hunters, their weapons, and their skills, which was one of the main points of contention in their plans. Eventually Weiss managed to bring them around to agree to her deployment plans.

Weiss' main plan was designed so that the hunters would not be in squads or teams made up of only other hunters. They needed to be in with the rest of the soldiers, both for moral and for firepower distribution. Weiss didn't want the hunters to be seen as superior, more important individuals that the soldiers were only around to soak up attacks for. She needed the hunters and soldiers to work together, to get along and support one another. So her plan involved integrating single hunters into specific squads, designed for a specific purpose or role. Hunters with specializations like Weiss, Blake, or Nora could be given roles that suited their skills, but hunters who may not necessarily have a specialized skill set could provide invaluable support and a boost to effectiveness for the soldiers in their squads.

Other plans that involved more specifics were also tossed around, such as infiltration or commando units of hunters, but were placed on the sidelines in favor of a better general battle plan for the moment. "I think once I have a better idea of the soldiers and the gear I'll have a good idea of where I can put you in the army." Weiss told Blake and Nora in passing.

"As long as I'm not sitting back doing nothing." Nora responded. Blake's only nodded, confident in Weiss' decision making capabilities. "I want to be doing serious damage."

Weiss nodded, aware that a mix of revenge and anger that Nora kept tightly controlled and focused were all that was keeping her going. If Nora had to sit back and watch others fight as she stood behind the front lines, Weiss was sure Nora would rebel and simply charge into battle of her own accord. "I'll make sure to put you where you can do the most damage possible." Weiss assured her. She was sure she would have to confront Nora about her mental state someday, but the time had never seemed right yet.

Static crackled over the speakers. "ETA five minutes until touchdown." The pilot reported from over the speakers.

General Kosti stood, holding the hand rails running along the ceiling. "We're almost at our base camp." He announced. "It's fairly well fortified on high ground, with watchtowers and gun emplacements. We've been able to hold them here for about a month, though that's mostly because of the snow." He shrugged his small shoulders. "But we haven't been able to push them back either." He sighed.

"Well, hopefully we'll be able to change that." Weiss said.

"General, we've got activity at base camp, over." The pilot interrupted.

General Kosti dashed to the cockpit with a surprising spryness, his great age not hindering him as much as the three huntresses would have thought. "Let me see." He looked out of the cockpit window towards the horizon. Weiss peeked over his shoulder, looking in the same direction. The two of them could see bright flashes and plumes of smoke in the distance. "We're under attack." General Kosti said, surprised. "I can't believe they attacked in this weather." He continued, looking down at the deep snow on the ground far below them.

"We have to get there fast." Weiss urged. "Can we go any faster?" she asked the pilot.

"Way ahead of you, 'ma'am." The pilot answered as the airship gunned forward.

"Colonel Sten! Contact base camp and get all the intel you can! Give us a secure connection to communications!" General Kosti ordered. He continued looking towards the battle, angry at his own current helplessness.

"Connection with communications established, sir." Colonel Sten reported as he set his military grade scroll on the seat next to him.

The screen flickered to life with a hiss of noise and a young man's face popped up on screen. He was shaved bald, with tanned skin that was currently covered in a sheen of sweat as he worked frantically. "Colonel! It's good to hear from you, sir."

"I need all the intel you have, Captain Koma. We're flying back as fast as we can and need to know what's happening." Colonel Sten continued calmly.

"Yes, sir!" the Captain saluted before turning and rushing off screen. Behind where he was sitting was the interior of a beige burlap tent, with other communications officers relaying orders throughout the field, trying to bring order to their defensive lines. They were working in poor lighting, with the portable lights flickering with every nearby explosion, the only constant light source being the screens of the monitors and scrolls they were using. Captain Koma returned only moments after he rushed off screen, holding some sort of black electronic device that he plugged into his scroll. "Major Swift is leading the defense, but it's not looking so good, sir." He added as the a red light on the device switched to green and data began appearing on screen.

The three huntresses and three officers began reading the data as Captain Koma began giving them a verbal summary. "The attack began just under an hour ago. They outnumber us on the ground three to one, but we managed to take down all their air support before our anti-air got taken out." He ducked his head down and covered his head with his hands as an explosive shell landed a little too close for comfort. He sat back up just a moment later an continued unfazed. "Major Swift is still holding the line, but our lines are weakening. We'll be overrun soon. I personally recommend you retreat to our rear base with what men we have left." He said with a resigned look on his face.

General Kosti looked at the map on the scroll, the little blue lights that represented his own soldiers in a line with bulges where the Vacuoan soldiers were beginning to push the Vytal defensive line back. He sighed. "We may have to concede more ground and come up with a retreat strategy."

"No." Weiss said forcefully. General Kosti looked at her in surprise. "We can turn this around." She was quickly scrolling through the information that was being streamed to them from the battlefield.

"We've lost a third of our men, Lord Commander." Colonel Sten told her. "That's not something you can 'turn around' when you're already outnumbered three to one."

"If war was just a numbers game on a simulator, I would agree with you." Weiss replied. "But with tactics and hunters, we can do this." She turned to General Kosti and Lieutenant General Songen, who were watching the exchange in silent contemplation. "You made me a Lord Commander because you believed in what we could do. Let me prove our worth." She stared intently at him, waiting for a response from the leader of the war effort.

General Kosti just stared back at her, and then heaved a heavy sigh. "Fine." He waved a hand at the scroll on the chair. "You have control. But if anything goes wrong, we're switching plans to a full retreat to our rear base."

"Thank you." Weiss said. "Captain Koma, you reported that they have no more air support. What about anti-air weapons?"

The Captain blinked once, shifting his gaze to General Kosti. "Consider her orders equal to my own." Kosti ordered the Captain.

Captain Koma nodded, one eyebrow raised up just a hair in surprise that a girl years younger than him was in command, but accepted it easily enough once General Kosti assured him of her position. "The Vacuoan army doesn't field any dedicated anti-aircraft weapons, as far as we can tell. We don't have enough aircraft to be a threat to theirs. Their 'anti-aircraft' is just their own aircraft." He reported to Weiss.

Weiss nodded. She jogged up to the cockpit of their ship and poked her head in "How far away are we?"

The pilot looked at the monitors in front of him. "Just under a minute."

"Okay. Don't land when we get there- coast above the battle once, towards the enemy's rear. Just barely out of range of their ground forces. I want to see the battlefield from above." Weiss ordered.

"Understood, ma'am." The pilot reported, evening out the flight path and altering their trajectory a few degrees.

Weiss rushed back to the passenger cabin and looked at the tactical map on the scroll again. A blip representing the airship she was on appeared at the edge of it. "Okay, Nora." Weiss turned to look at the quiet huntress. "You're going in hard and fast. We'll be doing a flyby over the battlefield, and I want you to jump down into the middle of it.

Nora smiled the first smile that Weiss and Blake had seen from her in months. It was a smile that did not touch her eyes, which held an expression far more sinister. "My pleasure." She unlimbered Magnhild from her back, checking the firing mechanism.

"Without time for a proper deployment plan, I only have some very general orders for you." Weiss started. "Disrupt their lines, break moral. Don't worry about killing them if you don't need to. Just go for the biggest targets you can find. But do _not_ get too far from our own soldiers. They will be providing support for you. Don't take any unnecessary risks; you need to be alive after this." Weiss finished.

Nora primed her grenade launcher. "Not a problem. I plan on living long enough to win this war." She unclipped the Ren plushie from her belt loop and stuffed it inside the front of her grey shirt, between her breasts. "So I won't lose him again." She explained to the perplexed officers.

"We'll be over the battlefield in fifteen seconds!" the pilot called out.

"Open the rear loading door!" Weiss yelled back. The loading door groaned in protest a moment later, slowly lowering to provide the exit Nora needed. "Good luck, Nora!" Weiss yelled over the roaring wind.

Nora just nodded, Magnhild ready at her side. Weiss peeked over the edge of the airship, trying to judge the distance to the front lines. Just a few more seconds… "Now, Nora!"

Nora got a running start and then leaped off the airship, which was flying hundreds of feet above the ground. The wind whipped her away, the airship leaving her far behind in just seconds. Colonel Sten peered down after her. "This is crazy!" he yelled over the wind. "She'll never survive the fall!"

"She'll be fine!" Weiss responded. She was looking down at the battlefield as they flew above it, committing all the information she was seeing to memory. Formations, numbers, distributions, landscape. Once she was confident she had seen enough, she turned back and made her way towards the rest of the group, away from the deafening wind at the rear of the airship. The airship had passed over the battle completely now. "Turn hard back towards the battle!" Weiss yelled back to the cockpit. "And land at the back of our forces!" The ship banked left hard in response, turning back towards the battlefield they had passed just seconds ago.

Weiss looked at Lieutenant General Songen. "I need you to get orders to Major swift about providing support for Nora, and that I will take full control of our forces once we land." Songen nodded before returning her attention to the scroll and relaying Weiss' orders to Captain Koma.

"I have a sneaking suspicion I know where you want me." Blake said as she stepped up beside Weiss.

"At the back of their lines." Weiss said, confirming Blake's suspicions. "Assassinate anyone who looks important. Don't worry about fighting the soldiers if you can avoid it." Weiss said. "I don't want to send you in alone, but we don't have many options at this point."

"I'm sure they'll be too busy dealing with Nora to notice me." Blake said with a grin as she strode to the loading door and nonchalantly walked off the edge lazily, falling towards the snowy ground far below, behind enemy lines.

"You hunters are insane." Colonel Sten commented as he watched the second huntress fall to the ground far below.

* * *

Nora was falling eagle spread towards the ground below her at high speed. She was holding Magnhild out in one hand while she shifted the angle of her body to direct her fall, not wanting to land in the middle of her own allied soldiers' quickly failing formation. Closer and closer she fell, before changing her position so she wasn't eagle spread anymore, being close enough to no longer worry about directing her fall. In preparation for her high velocity landing, Nora pulled her legs under her so she could land on her feet, strengthening and reinforcing her entire body with aura so the impact wouldn't damage her. She then decided she might as well introduce herself to the Vacuoan soldiers that were currently occupying her landing zone.

Nora pointed Magnhild towards the spot in the center of the Vacuoan lines that she had chosen as her landing zone and pulled the trigger once, twice, three times. The grenades flew ahead of her, the force of their ejection throwing Nora into a backwards spin. She pivoted in the air so that she was facing forward, shifted her weapon into its mighty hammer form, and used the weight of her hammer to add momentum to her spin. At this moment her three grenades impacted, one right after the other, killing and throwing Vacuoan soldiers away from her impact zone like ragdolls. The pink explosions drew the eyes of soldiers on both sides, who only had a moment of time to see a brief spinning blur when they looked up before Nora smashed into the ground, hammer leading the way. The impact, born of a great fall in addition to the momentum from her spin, was far more destructive than her three grenades had been, throwing a massive shockwave through the earth around where she landed.

The shockwave threw up rocks, dirt, and Vacuoan soldiers alike without discrimination, soldiers screaming in pain as all sorts of bones in their bodies snapped and shattered under the tremendous impact. Shattered stones exploded into shards and shredded even more soldiers, clouds of dirt obscured Nora as she stood up in the center of her personal crater. Around her, the fighting stopped as the soldiers looked at this destructive force that was currently obscured by a cloud of dirt, dust, and grass. As the view cleared, most of the soldiers reacted with confusion when they saw a young girl, shorter and smaller than nearly all of them. Their surprise turned to fear as they laid eyes on Nora's shining silver hammer, which she lifted easily in one hand and placed on her shoulder.

"How's that for disrupting the lines, Weiss?" Nora said to herself with a satisfied, sadistic smile. The soldiers immediately around her backed away, frightened and unsure of what to make about the young girl in front of them. Nora decided that leaving them in uncertainty was impolite, and began making her position as their enemy very clear by smashing her hammer into them, each swing of her mighty weapon shattering bones and ending lives.

Within moments the chaos of battle returned, but now the closest Vacuoan soldiers had a new objective: Stay away from the hammer wielding huntress. They were, for the most part, unsuccessful in that objective as Nora leapt into the center of any large clump of soldiers that tried to regroup and immediately shattered the formation with her powerful attacks. Any retaliatory attacks, whether from sword or gun, were easily deflected by her hammer, and any that got through her hammer were repelled by her aura.

Nora's attention was soon drawn to a figure walking the battlefield, firing weapons at the Vytal soldiers. It had four spider like legs, with an upright, vaguely humanoid torso with two cannons for arms and two more shoulder mounted cannons, all firing repeatedly at Nora's allies, causing devastating amounts of damage. 'That definitely counts as a big target.' Nora thought to herself, charging the giant, green painted robot head on.

Nora was flanking the robot, charging it from the side. It never saw her coming as she leapt into the air and brought her hammer down on its left shoulder cannon, caving in the firing chamber. It turned and tried to fire its left shoulder cannon at Nora, but unfortunately for the war robot, the collapsed firing chamber meant the energy was unable to leave the chamber. The result was the cannon exploding, destroying both the left shoulder and arm cannons, leaving only the two right cannons. Nora, who had landed close to the damaged robot, swung hard at one of its forward legs to try to cripple it.

The robot responded quickly, and lifted its leg up out of the way. Nora's hammer swung just under the raised leg, which the robot then brought down to smash into Nora, throwing her back and causing her to lose her grip on Magnhild. As the huntress landed on her back she used the impact to flip backwards over herself, coming to her feet in the snow smoothly, but weaponless.

Not having her hammer was no problem for Nora, and she just charged the robot once more, side stepping the two cannon shots it leveled her way before leaping up at its main body. The robot responded by swinging one arm viciously at the airborne huntress, but Nora pulled her legs up and over the attack, and landed on the robot's shoulder. Grabbing tightly onto the remaining shoulder mounted cannon, Nora pulled with all her might. The robot shook itself like a wet dog to try to dislodge the huntress, but the movement only served to give Nora the extra punch she need to rip the shoulder cannon of its mount. Substituting her hammer with the even larger cannon, Nora brought the massive cannon down onto the 'head' of the robot, smashing it into the rest of its body.

The robot faltered, trying to maintain its footing but instead stumbling around like a drunk. Its stumbling movements even ended up knocking down or crushing a few Vacuoan soldiers that ventured to near the battle. The robots efforts to stay upright were in vain, as Nora simply brought the cannon above her head and smashed it back into it once again, turning it into a pile of twitching scrap metal. She leapt off towards her hammer, rolling and picking it up in a single, smooth motion. All around her the Vacuoan army was trying to stay as far away from her as possible, desperate to put distance between them and the girl who could rip apart a war robot with her bare hands. Nora just smiled and laughed, leaping back into battle once more.

Wherever Nora went, soldiers fell by the dozens and the Vytal soldiers' lines slowly recovered. The front lines were stabilizing, but Nora was soon finding that she was taking on an increasing number of injuries as she grew tired and her aura began to falter from defending her from so many strikes, intentional or not. She had to step down her attacks, relying on her allied soldiers more. But the lines were holding steady now, which was an improvement, even if they couldn't push back yet. But that wasn't Nora's concern- she was concerned only with destroying any soldiers stood before her.

* * *

Blake, meanwhile, had not been idle. She had landed in a snow bank with a puff of snow behind the enemy lines. The thick snow cushioned her fall, though Blake would have been fine just landing on the ground normally. Blake had to climb out of the snow bank, having sunk into it farther than she was tall, which was in inconvenience. Once she reached the surface of the snow she crouched back down in the snow to hide her presence. As she was falling, her acute vision noticed that a squad of soldiers at the rear may have noticed her falling as they watched the airship, even if they had been too far away to distinguish that is was in fact a person falling and not some sort of debris.

Her instincts were proven correct as she poked the top of her head above the snow bank and saw a small squad of five soldiers approaching her position. In the front of the group were two soldiers in heavy plate armor, each of them carrying a long sword and kite shield, walking side by side. Behind them in a line were the three other soldiers wearing standard solid green combat fatigues. Each of the three carried a rifle of some sort, and Blake could see the rifles appeared to be capable of full automatic fire. Since there was no cover immediately available to Blake, she elected to quickly and silently crawl under a layer of snow before they could get close enough to round the snow bank and see her.

The snow was cold, but Blake drew lightly on her aura to keep her warm while she patiently waited for the soldiers to approach. Blake could hear them approaching through the snow with her sensitive ears, slowly making their way around the snow bank while they investigated. They continued creeping closer, and Blake could hear one of them climbing up the snow bank to see if he could find whatever it was inside. "I think it fell inside!" he called down to his squad mates. As he climbed, he stepped on the snow covering Blake, but she was deep enough that he didn't notice the difference in footing. Just moments later the rest of the squad followed after him, none of them noticing Blake underneath their feet.

Once Blake counted that all five of the soldiers had walked over her, she sat up quickly, emerging from the snow and pouncing on the soldier at the rear of the line, drawing Gambol Shroud with her right hand as she silently flew through the air. She landed quietly on his back, wrapping her left hand around his mouth as she brought her feet down on the backs of his knees, dropping him into the soft snow beneath them. Before he could begin to attempt to vocalize any protests or struggle, Blake drove her katana into his side, piercing through his torso to cut through both kidneys, as well as everything between them. The intense pain and shock of the severe injury left the man unable to make any noise, his muscles so tensed up from pain he couldn't even attempt to breathe if he had the mental capabilities to choose to do so. Blake swept the blade forward, slicing through the rest of his abdominal organs to finish him off as she silently thanked Cheshire for his surprisingly detailed lessons on assassination and stealth.

Not wanting to trust a foothold under the snow she couldn't see, Blake used the dying soldier's body as firm ground in order to leap at the next soldier in line, who had not noticed his fallen comrade. His poor perception proved to be his undoing as Blake landed on his back as well, repeating the same assassination she and employed on the first soldier, leaving him bleeding out in the snow.

Blake was the victim of a stroke of bad luck though, as the third soldier in line turned to ask the ones behind him a question, only to see Blake crouching over the dead bodies of his allies. Before he could call out to his armored squad mates in front of him, Blake dashed forward and brought swung her katana at the soldier's throat and left a wide slash across it, severing both major arteries and the windpipe. He brought his hand up in a pointless effort to stem the waterfall of blood while falling to the ground, gurgling as the air escaped his lungs.

The two armored soldiers in the front finally heard the commotion behind them and turned around. They were stunned as they saw their dead allies laying in blood soaked snow, a single young girl wearing jeans and a t-shirt standing there with a weapon in hand. Blake reached over her should and grabbed the cleaver that doubled as her weapon sheath, hissing at the soldiers in front of her as she charged at them. These soldiers were veterans of many battles, and brought their shields up in front of them as they moved shoulder to should to minimize any exposed vulnerable areas that the fast moving assassin may attack.

Much to their surprise, Blake did not attempt to get around their shields. She instead leapt straight at them, kicking one of the shields with both of her feet and staggering the soldier as he stumbled backwards. Blake let her body fall to the ground on all fours, below the shield of the second soldier she didn't kick. She lashed out with her blade at one of the only unprotected areas she could reach- the back of his knee. As her katana passed through the lightly armored area at the joint, he crumbled to the ground as Blake severed the ligaments and tendons.

Blake left the crippled soldier on the ground, moving instead towards the now recovered soldier she first kicked. He held his shield defensively in front of him as he charged Blake, taking a wide swing from the side at the smaller faunus. Blake cart wheeled forward over the sword and his arm while swinging at his wrist with her cleaver. The cleaver was heavier than her katana, but still was unable to cut through the armored gauntlets he wore. Her cleaver being unable to cut off the hand was no surprise to Blake, who instead wanted to use the cleaver to cause blunt trauma damage. This resulted in the soldier crying out in pain as he reflexively dropped his sword to the ground, the bones in his wrist fracturing under the impact.

Blake let the momentum of her cartwheel continue bringing her forward and she brought her knees down on the soldier's armored shoulders. She then squeezed her legs shut around his helmet, crushing it against his head before twisting her hips violently and snapping his neck. As he fell to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut under her, Blake landed lightly on her feet as she made her way to the last soldier she had crippled seconds earlier.

This last soldier struggled to his feet, resting all his weight on his one working leg. "You're a monster." He spat at Blake.

"I think the word you're looking for is 'huntress." Blake responded calmly, replacing the cleaver on her back and raising her katana in front of her. The soldier's eyes widened in surprise and fear. He brought his sword and shield in front of him defensively, no longer interested in counter attacking and instead focused on survival. Blake slowly stepped forward towards him, waiting for an opening she could take. The soldier was playing it carefully though, and even with one crippled leg he left no openings.

As Blake circled around the defensive soldier, she remembered one of the first lessons Cheshire had taught her about real combat. "Many warriors, whether they're hunters or not, make the mistake of trying to go for the 'one strike kill.'" He had started. "They wait, drawing out the battle until they can go for that glorious finishing move. That's stupid." He said emotionlessly. "If the opportunity presents itself, of course you take that strike. But you don't wait for that one cut. Take every cut. One cut. Five cuts. Ten cuts. A hundred cuts. Your goal isn't to look pretty, you're goal is to kill. And dead is dead, whether it's from one cut or a hundred."

Blake took those words to heart. The soldier pivoted just a little too slow as Blake circled around him for the second time, and the tip of Blake's katana struck like a snake and jabbed into the unarmored crook of the elbow of his sword arm. The cut wasn't deep, but it was enough to nick the artery. The soldier almost dropped his sword, but held on through sheer willpower as his arm slowly began bleeding its strength all over the snow under him. As he lost more and more blood from his two injuries, the soldier began moving more and more sluggishly. He soon realized that he wasn't surviving this fight no matter what he did, and used the last of his strength to attack Blake.

He raised his sword up above his head to strike, and Blake took the opening. Using her preternatural speed, she dashed up inside his strike zone and stabbed her blade up into his armpit, cutting the major arteries and piercing his heart. Blake saw the light fade from his eyes as she yanked her katana back out of him and he fell to the ground. A part of her told herself that she should feel some sort of emotion at killing other people, but that part was quickly shut down by the larger part of her that told her it was necessary and all part of what needed to be done.

Blake checked her kills, making sure none of the soldiers survived or called in their encounter over radio or scroll. Satisfied that she had eliminated them unnoticed, Blake quickly but covertly made her way towards the enemy forces, ready to assassinate any officers she came across.

* * *

The airship swung into a rough landing at the landing zone behind the Vytal army, the doors swinging open before the ship had come to a complete stop. Weiss hopped out of the ship, with the three officers and the councilor disembarking behind her. A soldier ran up to meet them, saluting with a fist to his heart. "Sir! We have a command post ready for you." He reported.

"Lord Commander Schnee will be taking command in my place, soldier." General Kosti informed him.

"Lead the way." Weiss ordered. The soldier saluted once more and led the way back to the command post at a brisk pace. Weiss observed their surroundings as they walked, taking in what she could. There wasn't much to see, as most of the soldiers were busy trying to hold the defenses.

"Lord Commander, what is Miss Belladonna doing behind enemy lines, if I may ask?" Colonel Sten asked. Songen and Kosti moved a little closer, curious as well. The wind must have been too loud for them to hear Weiss' conversation with Blake.

"She's assassinating their commanding officers, and anyone else important she finds." Weiss said simply.

The three officers stopped in their tracks, staring in disbelief at Weiss. "She's what?" General Kosti asked rhetorically. "Assassination? That's not how wars are won. Assassination is dishonorable. We can't use such tactics!"

"Why not?" Weiss asked as she kept on walking without pause. "I'm not trying to fight honorably. I'm trying to win a war." Weiss answered.

"But…" Kosti started again before stopping, at a loss for a response.

"If we were dueling Vacuo, sure. Fight as honorably as you want. But we're fighting a war, and I will do anything and everything it takes to protect my home." Weiss continued. "I will assassinate their officers. I will poison their food. I will sabotage their supplies. I will play dirty tricks. If it's in my power, I will do it." She finished determinedly.

The other officers looked at each other, a mix of emotions on their faces. General Kosti's face held a hint of fear and horror at seeing war become something so different than what he thought it was. Colonel Sten was surprised, if anything, but willing to accept this change of tactics. Lieutenant General Songen just looked sad that someone who was so young was forced into a situation where they had to be so ruthless. And Councilor Crane only smiled in satisfaction with the knowledge that maybe Weiss was someone who could bring their people back from the brink of defeat.

The fast pace set by Weiss got them to the command post quickly. It turned out that the 'command post' was now where the communications tent was when they had contacted Captain Koma from the airship. The captain was still sitting at a small table, relaying information given to him from Major Swift to the other soldiers in the tent as they attempted to coordinate their army.

General Kosti stepped forward ahead of Weiss as they entered. "New orders!" He shouted authoritatively. "Lord Commander Schnee will be taking command. Where is Major Swift?"

"He's on the front lines, sir." Captain Koma answered. "He thought it would be good if the soldiers could see their commanding officer alongside them."

"Fool." Weiss muttered under her breath, quiet enough that no one heard her. Commanders were not meant to be on the front lines. They needed to be far enough back to see the big picture. If the soldiers needed inspiration, they could look to their superior officers on the field. Weiss remembered Tamamo telling her that the leader of an army didn't have to be liked, just obeyed, but that the seconds-in-command should be the ones to inspire and lead on the field. "We're changing how we're operating." Weiss announced to the tent. "Move your tables so you're all in a half circle in front of me." She waved her hand in front of her, gesturing where in the tent she wanted them to set up. "And facing me. Are each of you dedicated communication officers for specific units?" Weiss asked.

"Yes, ma'am." Captain Koma answered. "Each communication officer works specifically with one battalion of soldiers- about seven hundred soldiers each at this position."

"Good enough for now." Weiss said as the officers in the room all spun their work station tables around as fast as they could. "Report all your information to me. I need a map of the area!" Weiss said as she grabbed a small, unused table from the side of the tent and pulled it to where she was standing. One soldier handed her a device that projected a holographic, three dimensional map of the area. "A huntress should be working on disrupting the enemy formations, giving us a little time to get organized." She pointed at the map in front of her. "Send the coordinates of your battalions to this map." Weiss moved her arm so her finger was pointing at the officer farthest to her left, a young woman with blond hair tied back in a tight bun. "You, gather as much information on the enemy positions as we have and send it over. I want a battlefield picture here."

The soldiers worked extremely quickly and efficiently now that they had a commanding officer giving them specific orders, and weren't just trying to hold together a bunch of individual battalions. In less than a minute Weiss' holographic map had little symbols all over it representing the different battalions, along with what type of units made up each battalion. The enemy army's units weren't so detailed, but Weiss could work around that. The new Lord Commander looked at the same young woman she had asked to get information on the enemy. "There's a huntress somewhere on the front lines. Our soldiers are providing support, but I want to know where she is at all times. You are responsible for keeping her position on the map constantly up to date, using the data you're getting from the others." The young officer nodded and accepted her new responsibility without question.

"All right." Weiss looked at the map to begin seeing what she was working with. It didn't look good- her army was outnumbered three to one, nearly four to one. The only reason they had yet to be overrun was that they had a better defensive position on higher ground, while the Vacuoan army was trudging through thigh-deep snow on the low ground. "Here," Weiss pointed to the symbol that represented the third battalion, a unit of heavily armored soldiers that carried large shields and were trained to be defensive units. "Tell the Third Battalion to form a phalanx four lines deep, with a focus only on holding back the enemy. Leave the offensive attacks to others." The appropriate communications officer relayed the order, and she watched as the map updated a few seconds later to reflect the change in formation. "Repeat that order to all armored battalions. I want them on the front lines, purely on the defensive." The order was relayed, and the armored battalions on her map slowly shifted formation, until the front of the Vytal army was a solid wall of armored soldiers.

"And how will you fight back now, without any front line soldiers on the offensive?" Lieutenant General Songen asked curiously.

"Slowly and efficiently." Weiss answered. "Move all rifle battalions farther back up onto higher ground. Have them shoot into the enemy ranks. Do NOT shoot anywhere the huntress is currently fighting."

"How do you know Miss Valkyrie is even still alive?" Colonel Sten asked, looking at the red dot on the map that represented Nora. "You basically dropped her in the middle of an army."

"Because she would never die so easily." Weiss answered. "And because wherever that dot is, the enemy formation falls apart." She pointed to another group of battalions on the map. "I want the Seventh and Ninth Battalions to sweep down to their right flank and attack." Weiss was referring to two general combat battalions, their soldiers armed with a mixed bag of both ranged and melee weapons. Their dots on the map shifted accordingly, attacking the surprised Vacuoan soldiers.

The combination of a suddenly impenetrable wall of armor and Nora's destruction seemed to be throwing the Vacuoan army into disarray, as they weren't reacting with proper speed to the changes in formation that Weiss was implementing. Weiss continually ordered different battalions into different formations and used every strategy she could think of, exposing and exploiting any weakness she could. In an hour's time the Vacuoan army's assault wasn't just halted, but countered. The enemy was now on the defensive.

"Something's wrong with the Vacuoans." General Kosti observed. "They are taking far too long to react to your attacks, and taking far too much damage from them for as much as they outnumber us. Not that I don't think you're tactics aren't effective, of course. It just seems like a trap."

"It's not a trap. They're taking too long because they don't have anyone giving them orders." Weiss answered calmly before she continued directing the army. It was becoming easier now as the enemy losses piled up and the Vytal army pushed them back, taking fewer and fewer losses as the battle progressed.

"Why aren't they… oh." Kosti suddenly remembered that while they were directing a battle, Blake was assassinating officers and destroying their chain of command.

"They're about to break." Weiss announced as she looked at the map. Sections of the enemy forces were retreating, fleeing from Weiss' forces. And just as she predicted, suddenly the entire Vacuoan line collapsed as they lost all cohesiveness and fled individually. The room burst into cheers as they won their first real victory in the war. "We're not done yet!" Weiss yelled, quieting the cheers. "Order the armored battalions to stand down and return to base. Rifle units pursue the enemy at range and gun them down!"

The officers stared in disbelief. Attack retreating soldiers? It seemed like such an underhanded tactic. "You want them stabbing and shooting you at a later date? If they've surrendered, take them prisoner. If they are running, shoot them." Weiss growled. "Pursue them no farther than… here." Weiss marked a spot on the map. Once our soldiers reach that point, recall them. _Then_ we're done." Weiss stared back at the communications officers. "Now."

They jumped back into action, giving out the necessary orders. Weiss turned back to the three officers that had originally joined her, and the councilor. "That was amazing." Councilor Crane praised. "This is a true turning point in the war!" he shook Weiss' hand, who allowed her hand to be shook as she distractedly listened to the officers behind her for any changes she might need to be aware of. "With this, I'm sure I could start a campaign to increase military support and support for hunters."

"That's good." Weiss answered, distracted by Nora's dot. It seemed she was leading the riflemen in their pursuit of the fleeing soldiers. She turned her head back to General Kosti and the two officers at his sides. "I'm going to need your help." She began. "I have ideas on how we can make our army more efficient, especially with the addition of hunters."

"You have our full support, Lord Commander Schnee." General Kosti replied. "But maybe you should rest a bit first? You've just led your first battle, and it was one I was sure we were about to lose." He asked with some concern.

"I thank you for your concern, sir, but there's no time." Weiss replied. "There is more to be done."

He looked at the young huntress sadly. "You're right, I suppose. But there is something else we must do first." He added. "You and your comrades need a proper uniform, and we need to introduce you three to the army. It will be good for them to see who led them to victory."

Weiss sighed. "If you insist." Weiss conceded. "I need to make contact with Blake and Nora, first."

"Of course." He agreed.

* * *

A couple hours later, Weiss looked down at the temporary officer's uniform she was wearing, displeased. The uniform was nice enough, with its navy blue coat and white pants. The coat had gold trim and adornments, with the new pins that represented her rank of Lord Commander pinned on her shoulders. The uniform was fine, she was just displeased at how poorly she filled it out. Admittedly the uniform was a size too large, but Weiss was mostly sure it was because she hadn't grown at all in her years at Beacon. Weiss had remained the same petite girl she had been when she entered, while her teammates and friends had each grown and matured more over the years. Even Ruby, at the time of her death, was taller than Weiss; the white haired huntress only came up to Ruby's eyes in height.

Deciding that glowering at her small body wouldn't change anything, Weiss exited the tent she had been given to change. Outside the tent she found Blake waiting for her, still wearing the jeans and t-shirt she had exited the ship in. Only now they were drenched in blood. "There you are, Blake! Are you hurt? When did you get back?" Weiss began fussing over Blake, looking for injuries.

Blake caught Weiss' hands, stopping her from getting her hands bloody and dirtying her uniform. "I'm fine, Weiss." Blake said with a smile. "And I only just got back. I had to hide for a while as the army retreated. You did quite a bit of damage to them."

Weiss smiled back at Blake. "Thanks. You seem like you did well yourself." She said, looking down at Blake's blood covered clothes.

"I got quite a few of them, yeah. They never expected someone to attack them like that." Blake said with an animalistic grin.

"Well I'm glad you had fun, but you need to get cleaned up and changed so we can get introduced to the army." Weiss told Blake, gesturing to the tent. "There are uniforms and towels in there."

"I don't really think Nora needs introducing." Blake said with a chuckle.

"Why's that?"

"Can't you hear the chanting?" Blake asked.

Weiss cocked her head to the side and listened. She heard voices that could've been chanting in the distance, but it was too faint for her to make out the words. "It's too far for me to hear." Weiss said with a shrug.

"It seems that Nora made quite the impression with her attack. She's a hero among the soldiers." Blake pointed behind her with her thumb. "They've nicknamed her 'Madhammer.' That's what they're chanting." Blake finished with a laugh.

"'Madhammer?'" Weiss asked with a confused look.

"Because she was either smiling or laughing during the whole fight, apparently." Blake shrugged. Weis just shook her head in disbelief. "I'm going to go get changed. You should probably go tell Nora to change too."

"Yeah." Weiss said in a resigned voice, but she was smiling. Leave it to Nora to accidentally build a following of thousands.

* * *

"Our victory today marks a change in the war!" General Kosti announced to the crowd of gathered soldiers, arranged in formation in front of him as he stood atop a pile of boxes with the three huntress standing behind him and to his side. Blake and Nora were each wearing the same style of uniform as Weiss, except without the pins identifying rank. And they also filled out the uniform far more impressively, Weiss hated to admit.

"Today, we can begin to push our enemy back. Today, we can retake the lands we lost to Vacuo! Today, we can show our people that we will keep them safe forevermore!" The army erupted in cheers. He held up his hand, silencing the gathered crowd. "But today would not have been possible without these three. These hunters." The crowd went silent at the word 'hunters'. "These three are the first of many who will one day lend their considerable might to the war, and today they more than earned our trust!"

He gestured to Weiss, who stepped forward to stand next to General Kosti. "The newly appointed Lord Commander, Weiss Schnee, who commanded our army in today's battle and led our army to victory!" The crowd's cheer was deafening as they finally got to see the one who finally helped them redeem their honor and achieve victory. Weiss raised her hand to wave at the crowd with a small, cordial smile. General Kosti leaned in to whisper in Weiss' ear. "What rank should I refer to your comrades by?"

Weiss turned her head to whisper her answer in his ear. "I'm making them Majors, for now."

He nodded as he straightened up. "And here we have the huntress who turned the enemy into a disorganized mob of fools!" The crowd laughed. "Major Blake Belladonna!" Blake stepped up next to Weiss, also waving her hand at the crowd as Weiss had. The crowd cheered for Blake just as hard as they had for Weiss, the loud noise causing the ears on top of Blake's head to twitch a couple times in response.

"And finally, we have the huntress who smashed apart our enemy on the front lines, Major Nora Valkyrie!" Nora stepped forward, waving reservedly without a smile at the soldiers arrayed in front of her. The crowd broke into their loudest cheer yet, shaking the ground beneath them. Within seconds they began chanting 'Madhammer' again, pumping their fists in time with their chant.

General Kosti held up his hand for silence once more. "We all welcome our new friends and allies, and I'm sure you're eager to get to know them. But for now, rest! We have a war to win! Dismissed!" he finished with a salute. The crowd saluted with fists to hearts as they dissipated and left the assembly. General Kosti turned to the three huntresses at his side. "I'm spry for putting you through such an overly extravagant ceremony, but our soldiers needed this."

"We understand." Weiss assured him. "But if you don't mind, I'd like to start reviewing all the information I can."

"What kind of information would you like?"

"Everything. Logistics, supply routes, maps, information on Vacuo. I want everything." Weiss answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

General Kosti just blinked in surprise. "Uh, sure. I'll have everything sent to your tent."

"Thank you. Is there anything else you wish to discuss?" Weiss asked.

"Not today, no. I'm sure something will come up at some point, though. Such is life." He said, shaking each girls' hand. "Best of luck with your work, make sure you get some rest!" He then walked off towards his own tent, waving as he left.

"I'll help you out." Blake suggested. "Nora too." Nora just nodded.

"Thanks. I have some ideas for what we can do." Weiss answered as they left for their tent. They walked in silence for a few minutes before Weiss spoke up again. "So… 'Madhammer', huh?"

Nora winced, clearly not a fan of the nickname. "Don't even get me started."


	15. Chapter 15: Reinforcements

The battle yesterday had been exciting and stimulating for Nora, but also tiring. Her minor wounds had been treated, her clothes were being washed, and she had cleaned herself with a bucket of water and a washcloth. As it turned out, a military camp didn't have showers or baths. Being clean was important though; a dirty army could easily change into a sick army, and a sick army could very quickly change into a dead one. Water, towels, and soap were supplied, even if they were rationed, and each of the squad-sized tents had a small area set aside using a curtain for a small bit of privacy. A soldier could always search for a more private location if they wished, and most squad members were willing to step out of a tent for a few minutes to allow their fellow soldiers to clean if they so requested.

Huntresses like Nora were afforded a luxury in that she had a tent all to herself. While not as large as the squad sized tent, it was definitely larger than the smaller personal tents. There was enough room to stand up straight and even pace around if needed. The biggest surprise was the storage crate that was provided to Nora. About as large as a small nightstand, it had room to store nearly all of the things Nora now considered her belongings- Her new military dress uniform, some spare leisure clothes, some basic cosmetic and hygienic supplies. It even had a fairly large rectangular mirror under the inside of the lid for when she needed to take a look at herself.

This morning, Nora was cleaning herself using her washcloth while humming a soft lullaby. She stood naked in the corner of her tent as she wiped the last remnants of soap suds off of her body, letting them fall onto the dirt beneath her feet. She preferred to wash in the corner so that the excess water and soap wouldn't drip onto the center of her tent and get in the way. Nora toweled herself dry once she finished, and strolled over to her storage container and opened it to grab her clothes.

Nora's eyes widened in surprise and confusion as she saw herself in the mirror. Her reflection was… wrong, somehow. Something about it just didn't quite sit right with Nora. She straightened up and opened the lid completely, allowing herself to look down at her reflection and inspect it more closely. Nora looked back down at her own body, then back at the reflection. Now that she looked a little closer, the difference was very obvious, just not something she paid close attention to. Her reflection didn't have any of the scars that her body had accumulated over the last few years. "No scars?" she asked curiously to her reflection.

Her reflection shook her head 'no.' Nora's eyes widened even further as she took a cautious step backwards. Her reflection did not mirror her actions. "Surprised?" Nora's reflection asked.

Nora stared at her own reflection, which had smiled at her and crossed her arms over her bare chest. "I can't think of another word other than surprised. Baffled or confused, maybe." Nora answered flatly.

Her reflection laughed out loud. "It's understandable. It isn't everyday that you begin talking to yourself." Her reflection pulled up a foldout chair from inside the mirror and sat down in it. Nora looked to her side, almost expecting her own foldout chair to have moved in relation to the one in the reflection. It hadn't.

"That's true." Nora decided that until she could figure out what was going on, she would continue her morning routine. She took a few steps back towards her storage and grabbed her new military dress uniform and some simple underclothes and began dressing. Her reflection patiently waited and watched, crossing her legs as she chose to remain in the nude. "Do you have to stare?" Nora asked nonchalantly as she pulled on her underwear, more to make conversation than from any sort of discomfort.

"Does it matter? We both enjoy our body." Her reflection reasoned.

"It doesn't matter, I guess." Nora replied, pulling up her pants. "So, what are you?"

"Give it a good bit of thought and I'm sure you'll figure it out." The reflection said with a chuckle. The reflection stood up and began dancing around the tent inside the reflection while Nora continued dressing and thinking.

Nora could confidently say that while she may not have the intelligence that Weiss had, she was also no fool. She thought about what this turn of events could mean, what this reflection was. The conclusion came to her slowly, but the more she thought about it the more sure she was of her answer. "I'm going insane." Nora said.

The reflection of Nora stopped its dancing and returned to the mirror, a wide smile plastered across her face. "Yup yup! Mad as a cow." She cheered. "I think it took you long enough to notice."

"Am I still insane if I know I'm insane?" Nora asked as she pulled her own fold out chair in front of her mirror and her reflection.

"Most definitely." Her reflection answered.

"And when did I go insane then?" Nora asked as she dropped down onto her seat.

"You know when it happened." The other Nora responded.

Nora did know, of course. When her fiancé died to protect her, when her precious Ren had sacrificed his own life to save hers. But even that wasn't enough to break Nora. Ruby had done that. Ruby had given Nora that tiny push, had taken Nora that one final step over the edge. Killing CRDL, as good as it had felt and has justified as it was, wasn't something a sane person did. The subsequent isolation her training had put her through certainly didn't help either. "Why now, then?" Nora asked. "Why not at the fortress or the camp? Why wait so long?"

"It's a slow process, going insane. A slow, painful process. Very different from being insane. Being insane is a very distinct and refreshing experience. But knowing you're insane… is liberating. A true taste of freedom." The reflections voice had dropped to a low, husky whisper.

"Liberating, huh?" Nora asked as she picked up a hair brush from her belongings. "How's that work?"

The reflection gestured grandly. "No conscience to hold you back, no rationality to make you question your heart. You are free to do as you please for as long as you please."

"And what I want to do is get revenge. Which I am doing now. I don't need you to 'liberate' me." Nora countered, brushing her hair.

"But it's going so slowly, isn't it?" Her reflection leaned closer to the mirror. "You could leave now. Take the fight to them on your own, guerilla style. This army is only holding you back."

Nora stopped to consider her point. Her reflection and her madness were starting to make sense to Nora. She certainly could spend more time exacting her revenge if she didn't have to wait with the army. "But there's only so much I could do on my own."

The reflection narrowed its eyes and glared at Nora. "You can get stronger. Fighting on your own will make you even more powerful, and their army will not be able to stop you."

"No." Nora said, determination lacing her voice. She stood up quickly, back straight and shoulders back. "I fight with my fellow hunters, my fellow soldiers. Together, we will win this war. Together, we are stronger than when we are alone."

"You will be weaker!" Her reflection shrieked. "Too weak to take the revenge you want!"

"I don't need to be stronger on my own." Nora said quietly. "And I am strong- I have a strong body. And my will is just as strong. 'Win this war.' That is what I want. And nothing, not even me, will deter me from that path." Nora turned to walk away from her fuming reflection.

"This is why he died!" the reflection yelled, tears streaming down its face. "You trusted your teammates to protect us and Ren! And look where that got us! You failed, Nora! You live while he died, all alone in the world. Your team has abandoned you to cling to each other!" It pounded its hand on the mirror in anger. "We broke and they go on like it never happened! We don't even have his body for closure, for a proper funeral! You deserve all this pain for failing to protect him!"

This latest rant was the last straw for Nora, and she turned around, furious at the angry, crying reflection. She stepped back, cocking her fist to smash the mirror into pieces. Right before she threw the punch though, she felt a hand gently grab her wrist, and heard a voice behind her. "Nora!" Nora immediately relaxed her arm and spun, recognizing the voice immediately.

"Ren?" She asked. There was no one behind her though, and no more voice. "Ren?" she asked again. But there was no response. She turned to look back at the mirror, and only saw herself looking back at her. Her real reflection and not the doppelganger. With a quiet sigh, Nora straightened her uniform and then left her tent to go see what she needed to do this early morning.

* * *

Pyrrha was looking out the window of the airship, watching the snowy landscape below her zoom by in a blur. "Everything okay?" Jaune asked from her left. The couple was on an airship heading towards the front lines, where they would join the military in their fight against Vacuo. Also on the airship with the couple were Velvet and a few others who had graduated from Tamamo's training.

She looked over at the young man sitting next to her. "Yeah. Just a little anxious and excited." Pyrrha answered with a smile, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Me too." Jaune said. He looked across the aisle at Velvet, whose head was lolled over to the side as she napped in her seat. "I'm surprised Velvet could sleep, with how excited she was to see Blake again."

"Right?" Pyrrha agreed. "She was so excited, and now she's asleep." She giggled. "She probably tired herself out with her excitement."

"Well, we'll be there pretty quick." Jaune said as he draped an arm across Pyrrha's shoulder. "We should really talk to Nora when we get there." He continued, his voice adopting a more serious tone.

"But she obviously doesn't want to speak to us." Pyrrha said worriedly. "Or anyone, really. You can't help someone who doesn't want your help, Jaune."

"I know, but… even if she's not our teammate, even if she doesn't want our help, she's still our friend." Jaune answered. "We have to try harder to help her."

"Okay." Pyrrha agreed as she snuggled into Jaune's shoulder, making sure to avoid knocking herself of his armor. "We'll talk to her when we get a chance." Pyrrha wasn't confident that speaking to Nora would do any good, but was willing to do so if Jaune wanted to.

Jaune rested his chin on Pyrrha's head and looked out the window on the other side of her. "Is that the army?" He asked, spying a sprawl of tents and people in the snow.

Pyrrha sat up and peered out the window. "Looks like it." She squinted. "Still too far to make out any details though." Pyrrha leaned forward in her seat and reached out, gently shaking Velvet's knee. "Velvet, we're almost there."

Velvet immediately straightened her head and opened her eyes, suddenly wide awake. "We're here?" She asked excitedly, looking around.

"Not yet." Pyrrha chuckled. "Almost."

"Oh." Velvet slumped back into her chair. "Thanks for waking me up. Sorry I didn't stay up to keep you company." She continued meekly.

"No worries." Jaune assured her. "We spent most of the time staring out the window anyways." He added with a smile.

Velvet smiled in thanks before she turned to look out the window towards the encampment. "It looks like they had a battle here recently." She said in surprise, her eyes widening and her ears straightening.

"A battle?" Pyrrha asked nervously. The muffled voices of some of the others who had heard Velvet also sounded surprised, and there was a brief shuffling as their fellow passengers moved to look out the windows.

"Yeah. There are some craters and scorched areas that haven't had time to fill in with snow yet. So in the last day or two, I think." Velvet observed.

The occupants of the airship looked around at each other nervously. Were they walking into a losing battle? Would they have to retreat soon? Jaune, Pyrrha, and Velvet were worried about something else entirely though, because they knew that their friends had been sent away from the fortress a week before they had. Had their friends been a part of that battle? Had they survived the battle? Their trip was all the more nerve wracking as they approached the landing pads. "There's Blake!" Velvet said, jumping up from her seat as she looked out the window, a big smile of relief plastered across her face.

Jaune and Pyrrha also peered out the window as their ship descended towards the landing zone. Velvet was indeed correct in her observation; Blake had strolled out to meet the airship and was waiting at the edge of the landing pad, her hair billowing behind her in the wind and her cat ears twitching at the turbulence generated by the landing ship.

"Wow, check out that uniform." They heard one of their fellow hunters say from behind them. Jaune, Pyrrha and Velvet were also looking at Blake's uniform, which she filled out extremely well, showcasing her powerful, lithe build while not diminishing all of her feminine charms. Blake was wearing a clean pressed officer's uniform, with a navy blue top and white slacks, and gold trim. It was a look that they definitely weren't used to seeing, but a look that worked nonetheless. Blake saw them peering out the window and waved.

Only a short minute later the ship had landed, its doors unlocking and disengaging. Velvet was the first one out of the ship, leaping out and dashing towards Blake. "Blake!" Velvet cried out, coming to a stop before Blake. She had meant to give Blake a hug, but realized that there were a lot of soldiers staring and that maybe this might not be the best time. "It's good to see you again." She said, holding her intertwined hands in front of her.

Blake smiled. "It's good to see you too, Velvet." She replied, squeezing Velvet's shoulder gently. Blake looked Velvet up and down with curiosity. "Where'd you get that outfit?" She asked.

Velvet looked down at her outfit. She was wearing a skintight black body suit that covered her from neck to wrist to ankles, with earthy brown leather armor fitted over it to cover the more important and practical areas of her body. Her torso, forearms, thighs, and shins were covered by larger pieces of reinforced leather while smaller and thinner pieces strapped them on securely. "Does it look bad? Tamamo had Kani make it for me." Velvet asked nervously, blushing and fidgeting in place. She was still slightly embarrassed to be wearing something that was so tight fitting, but it was so comfortable that she occasionally forgot how it looked.

"It looks great." Blake assured her. At this point Jaune and Pyrrha had finally joined Velvet, their few fellow hunters behind them as well. "Hello, everyone." Blake greeted. "I'm Major Belladonna, and I'll be taking you on a quick tour before we meet up with Lord Commander Schnee." Some whispers broke out at hearing Weiss' rank. "Follow me!" Blake turned and started walking away, the others having to jog a few steps to catch up once they got over their initial surprise.

Velvet sped up so she could walk next to Blake on her left, and Jaune and Pyrrha also joined her on Blake's opposite side. "Hey, you two. Nice to see you again too." Blake said as the couple came up beside her.

"Hey, Blake." Jaune greeted, Pyrrha following suit. "How are you?"

"I'm fine." Blake answered simply.

"Was there a battle here recently?" Pyrrha asked. "Velvet said it look like there was."

"Yeah, yesterday." Blake answered. She briefly stopped their conversation to point out different areas of the camp to her little group. Once they started walking again she continued her conversation. "It was rough. They were definitely losing until we arrived."

"Didn't you leave a week ago?" Jaune interjected.

"We met with Professor Ozpin first." Blake explained. "And then met with the Vytal Council to convince them to allow hunters to join the war. It's a long story. The short version is that we didn't get here until yesterday morning, in the middle of a battle."

"You guys aren't hurt, are you?" Velvet asked worriedly.

"We're fine, thanks." Blake said with a smile. "Weiss took control of the soldiers and redirected the battle and led us to victory."

"Wow!" Velvet whispered in awe, the others also voicing similar sentiments. "Did you and Nora lead too?" The other hunters had moved closer to better hear the conversation.

"Not quite. I was alone most of the fight." Blake answered. "Nora's a hero, though. She rallied the troops on the front lines."

"Why were you alone?" A voice from the back asked.

"I was behind enemy lines, assassinating officers." Blake answered nonchalantly. The others slowed their pace and put some distance between them and the cat faunus, suddenly a little more wary than they had been moments earlier.

"That sounds… terrible." Velvet said softly.

"It wasn't so bad. Most of them never knew that I was there." Blake said with a shrug.

"No, I meant… never mind." Velvet didn't want to tell Blake that she was concerned for her mental health, not physical at the moment. The tour continued, with Blake pointing out the essential facilities and locations to the newcomers before leading them to the command tent. Their little tour attracted a lot of attention from the regular soldiers, who were curious to see these new hunters after seeing how powerful and effective just three of them were in the previous battle. Pyrrha especially was attracting a lot of attention, with many of the soldiers recognizing her from the Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Flakes cereal.

"Lord Commander Schnee is waiting for you in here." Blake gestured to the tent they had stopped in front of. "She'll be bringing you up to speed and assign you ranks and roles. Good luck." Blake waited for them to file in past her before she turned and left them behind, returning to her own tent while she waited for further orders from Weiss. She was still sleepy and wanted a nap, because she and Nora had spent a large chunk of the previous night reviewing the necessary information with Weiss, tossing around ideas. General Kosti had joined them for a short period of time, but decided to leave them to their own devices because he couldn't keep up with Weiss. Finding her personal tent, Blake curled up on her cot with her scarf and quickly slipped into sleep.

* * *

A couple hours later, Weiss had just finished assigning the new hunters to their roles and ranks. The ranks were all over the place, as she assigned each hunter a rank that would synergize well with the roles she had given them. She based her decisions on assessments that Tamamo had sent along with them, but Weiss would change their roles as necessary once she saw how they performed in the field. Jaune, Pyrrha, Velvet, and five other hunters were in this group of much needed reinforcements.

"Weiss, I'm glad you're okay." Pyrrha said as she approached after Weiss had dismissed the hunters.

"Thanks, but why wouldn't I be?" Weiss asked as she shuffled around some paperwork. She was slightly irate because she had gotten little sleep, and her new fitted uniform still hadn't come in so she was also wearing the slightly loose uniform that emphasized her slim, petite frame in a way she found unflattering.

"We heard there was a battle here yesterday. I was worried that one of you might've gotten hurt." Pyrrha explained slowly, slightly thrown off by Weiss' tone.

"No, I'm fine." Weiss assured her. Weiss stopped looking through her paperwork and stood up straight to look at the trio in front of her. "Sorry, I'm just tired. We were up late drawing up new plans."

"Plans for what?" Jaune asked as he stopped examining the officers' pins that Weiss had given them. Both Jaune and Pyrrha had been made Major Generals by Weiss, much to their surprise. Weiss had explained that she needed field generals to carry out her orders, and they worked extremely well together, in addition to their training under Denarii Latium.

"Our offensive against Vacuo." She stated to her surprised three person audience. "We can't win a war by sitting back on the defensive."

"You're right, of course." Pyrrha agreed. Weiss looked over her shoulder. "You don't have to wait for us, Velvet." Pyrrha said with a small smile. "You can go find Blake."

"Oh, thanks." Velvet said quietly with a quick bow. "Bye, Weiss!" Velvet walked quickly out of the tent to begin her search for her friend.

"When do you plan on moving out then?" Pyrrha continued.

"Tomorrow." Weiss answered bluntly. "I need to take these orders to General Kosti, come with me. This will be a good time for you to meet him." Weiss began walking out of the tent quickly.

"Wait, tomorrow?" Jaune asked as he and Pyrrha took a few quick steps to catch up to Weiss. "So soon?"

"No point in waiting." Weiss answered. "Once he approves these orders, we can begin our true offensive." Jaune and Pyrrha looked at each other in surprise, not expecting events to move so quickly after they arrived.

One they arrived at the tent General Kosti was using, Weiss announced herself and stepped inside. General Kosti stood up to meet them, introducing himself to Jaune and Pyrrha. "Mister Arc, Miss Nikos. Pleasure to meet you." He greeted them with a smile, shaking their hands. "Did you know the Lord Commander previously?"

"Yes, we're good friends, sir." Pyrrha answered formally.

"Excellent, excellent." He turned to Weiss. "Have you already spoken to the new hunters about their ranks then?"

"It's all been handled, General." Weiss assured. "Major General Arc and Major General Nikos will be my field generals."

"I see." Kosti examined the duo more closely. "And you still plan on implementing your… methodology regarding leading the men?"

"Yes, of course. Pyrrha and Jaune both are charismatic and powerful. They will be loved and admired by the soldiers in the field, especially as they fight alongside them. I do not need the soldiers to love and admire me; I just need them to follow orders so our plans work. Which these two can make happen." Weiss explained.

"I suppose your method has merit, even if I disagree." Kosti sighed. "What are these?" he asked as he accepted the papers Weiss handed him.

"The new orders I want to have sent out as soon as possible." Weiss explained.

Kosti began glancing over the brief summaries at the top of each page of orders. "You want to deploy so soon?" He asked. Weiss nodded. "I agree, actually. No point in sitting around uselessly." He continued reading. He held up a set of orders a few pages in. "This we will need to discuss. I know your views on the matter, but I am still uncomfortable with this assassination you use."

"It's effective, and it isn't like we have very many other options in this war." Weiss reasoned. "They outnumber us with soldiers by a huge margin, and if the information you gave me yesterday is any indication then the Vacuoan factories are also pumping out war machines and robots faster than we are too. Having hunters in our army isn't going to help much if they have so much firepower at their disposal that we get crushed immediately. If we can conduct operations that disrupt that, then we have a much better chance at survival. It's not just assassinations in that set of orders- it authorizes the formation of specialist operatives who infiltrate to gather information and spread misinformation, among other things."

"I agree with Weiss on that." Pyrrha added. "There's a time and a place for honorable combat and this isn't it."

"Fine, fine." Kosti conceded. "I'll get to authorizing all these. I'll send the confirmations to your scroll as they go through." He assured.  
"Thank you, General." Weiss said before turning on her heel and leaving the tent.

Jaune and Pyrrha scampered after her. "Are you really that highly ranked?" Jaune asked. "I've never heard of a 'Lord Commander' before."

"It's a new rank that was made specifically for the hunters." Weiss answered. "I'm equal in rank to General Kosti, but it's easier to get orders sent through him than do it myself because there are still people who are hesitant about letting hunters into the military."

"Whoa." Jaune exclaimed. "Nice. Any orders for us then, Lord Commander?"

"I'll send you specifics later. For now, why don't you get situated in your tent and see what you can do about introducing yourselves to the soldiers and getting to know them. The sooner they meet their new field commanders, the sooner they'll get comfortable with you."

"All right." Pyrrha agreed. "We'll get started on that." Pyrrha and Jaune left with a wave.

Weiss let out a deep breath as she stood in place. 'Keep your distance from everyone else.' She had told herself. 'The closer you are to them, the harder it will be to use them as needed.' It was a painful decision, but she would do what needed to be done.

* * *

Velvet poked her head into the tent labeled 'Major Belladonna' to see if Blake was inside or elsewhere in the camp. She was delighted to find that Blake was indeed inside, even if she was curled up in her small cot and sleeping. Velvet crept closer, deciding that she would sit in the chair next to Blake's cot until she woke up.

Velvet grabbed the chair and moved it slightly, which caused the chair to make a slight creaking noise. Velvet wasn't sure what happened next, but she thought she saw a whirlwind of movement that appeared on Blake's cot. The next thing Velvet knew, she was lying on her back as Blake pinned her to the ground, pressing Gambol Shroud against Velvet's throat. Blake's eyes were wild and unfocused as she stared at Velvet, who was lying helpless under her. "…Blake?" Velvet whimpered.

Blake blinked her eyes a few times, refocusing them and looking at her captive. "Velvet?" Blake looked down at Gambol Shroud. "Ah! I'm sorry!" Blake pulled her blade away from Velvet and pulled the rabbit faunus up into a hug. "I'm so sorry. I was asleep, and got startled when I heard the chair move."

"It's okay, I should've said something." Velvet tried to reassure Blake.

"Oh no, I need a bandage or something." Blake said worriedly, pulling open a storage chest nearby and rummaging through it.

"Why?" Velvet asked.

"Your neck!" Blake said tensely.

Velvet reached up to her neck where the katana was pressing, and felt around. When she removed her hand, her fingers had a light layer of blood flowing down them. "Oh, this isn't that bad." Velvet said, relieved that the wound wasn't serious. "Here, let me get a look." Velvet said. She moved up next to Blake and used the mirror on the underside of the lid to look at her neck. "Yeah, that's an easy fix. Watch this." Velvet's hand began to glow lightly, and she traced her finger over the shallow cut on her neck. Where her finger touched, the skin and tissue stitched itself back together quickly, leaving unscarred skin behind. The only indication that there was ever a wound was a faint line of new skin that was a few shades lighter than the rest of her skin.

"That's… new." Blake commented as she touched Velvet's neck. "Where did you learn to do that?" Blake held out some gauze so Velvet could wipe away the blood on her neck.

"Tamamo and Vimentis taught me." Velvet answered. "Tamamo said I have a talent for healing."

"I can't disagree." Blake said, still wide eyed at Velvet's new skill.


	16. Chapter 16: Passions

"Blake, you need to be more careful." Velvet scolded as she massaged Blake's shoulders over a cloth that had been soaked in hot water. "You'll get sick if you keep this up." It had been a week since Weiss has ordered the army to begin their march. This evening the two faunus were inside of Blake's tent, relaxing after a long day of duties. Blake lay on her stomach while Velvet straddled her hips after volunteering to massage Blake's tense and sore muscles, which Blake graciously accepted.

"Don't worry, Velvet. I'll be fine." Blake replied in patient monotone. This was the third time in the last week that Velvet had given her the same short lecture. Velvet's concern was a product of Blake's scouting duties. Blake often volunteered for forward scouting because her speed, endurance, and stealth talents gave Blake an edge in when it came to scouting ahead of the marching army. Her tracking abilities and preternatural senses as a faunus were also a massive benefit.

Being a forward scout hadn't proved dangerous so far. The Vacuoan army had retreated to more than a week's march back to their own defensive lines, so all that any scouts had to worry about for the last week were the weather and terrain. "It's only a little bit of snow." Blake sighed as Velvet massaged her lower back. "Ah, that feels good." Blake moaned.

"You're really tense here." Velvet mumbled as she pressed harder into the knot of muscle in Blake's lower back. As she felt the muscle loosen under her fingers, Velvet continued both her lecture and ministrations. "And it's not just 'a little bit of snow,' Blake. The snow is three feet deep. Our army is barely covering any ground."

"And I can walk on top of the snow without leaving footprints. The snow isn't a prob-oooh." Blake's argument was cut short as Velvet found a particularly sensitive spot.

"Just be a little more careful, okay? At least dress warmer or something. You're ice cold whenever you get back." Velvet asked. "And I'm in charge of the field medical forces, so I can tell Weiss to make you stay back with the rest of us if I have to." She finished firmly.

Blake didn't respond as she enjoyed the massage in silence for a few more moments. "Okay, Captain Velvet. I'll dress warmer." She conceded with a resigned sigh.

"Promise?" Velvet asked hopefully.

"I promise." Blake answered apologetically.

"Good." Velvet said with a smile. She bent over and lay down on Blake's back, nuzzling against Blake's bare shoulder. "Sorry to be such a worry wart."

Blake turned over while she was under Velvet so that she could embrace her friend. Velvet was now nuzzling up against Blake's bare chest, her ears tickling Blake's chin. "Don't worry about it." Blake opened her mouth and playfully nipped Velvet's ear with her teeth.

Velvet squealed and wriggled in Blake's grasp in an attempt to escape from the sudden stimulation. Blake stopped her teasing, mostly because she was giggling too hard to keep on going with it. "Blake!" Velvet gasped. "Don't surprise me like that." Velvet was complaining, but she was smiling too. She looked up into Blake's amber eyes, which looked like they were glowing in the low light of the tent. Velvet decided to take a risk. She crawled the short distance up Blake's body, stopping with her face only inches away from Blake's.

While her face was hovering over Blake's, Velvet's fingers brushed softly against Blake's skin. Velvet had always loved the feel of Blake. To Velvet, Blake's skin was soft as silk and smooth as still water, shining and beautiful in the low light. Deceptively hidden underneath the soft skin was toned muscle as hard and unyielding as stone, tensing and relaxing as Blake moved her body.

Blake's hands were not sitting idle either as they tracing the natural lines of Velvet's body underneath her shirt. Velvet shifted nervously as he felt Blake's touch, unsure of whether the scars that now covered a significant portion of her body would affect Blake's view of it. Velvet quickly learned her fears were unfounded as Blake's hands moved along and over the scars as much as the rest of her, paying no attention to where her normal, soft skin ended and the thicker scar tissue began. Grateful for Blake's undiscriminating and tender touch, Velvet ceased her soft treatment of Blake's bare skin and locked her gaze onto her friends, an unspoken question in her eyes.

Blake was tense and hesitant. But seeing the need in Velvet's eyes, she decided that she could let herself go, at least for this evening, and nodded her consent. Velvet slowly leaned in, closed her eyes, and gently but firmly pressed her lips against Blake's. Blake returned the kiss, parting her lips slightly to allow Velvet's tongue access to the inside of her mouth. Velvet's long, flowing hair fell down around both their heads, creating a curtain of hair that framed them as their lips locked together. Blake shifted her weight and sat up; Velvet sat up on her knees and continued straddling Blake while they continued their kiss in an upright position. Blake's hands lifted Velvet's shirt while she lifted her arms above her head, only breaking the kiss as briefly as she could. Throwing the shirt off to the side while Velvet unzipped and removed her own sports bra, Blake removed herself from under Velvet.

As soon as Velvet finished removing her bra, Blake gently pushed her onto her back. Velvet allowed herself to fall backwards onto the bed behind her as she let her arms fall out to the side, perfectly at ease with being topless under Blake. Rather than continue the kiss though, Blake strayed farther down and undid the knot Velvet used to tie on her sweats before pulling them down and off of her toned and muscled legs. Velvet's legs closed out of reflexive embarrassment, but Blake knew how to get Velvet to relax. Opening her mouth just enough to expose her teeth, Blake began gently but firmly nibble on Velvet's legs, starting at her ankles and slowly working her way up while occasionally switching her attention from one leg to the other. Blake was careful not to use her canines; while Yang may have enjoyed the rougher feeling of the sharp teeth breaking skin, Velvet preferred a softer approach. Velvet's legs were relaxed in short order, easily being moved where Blake wanted them, allowing Blake to remove Velvet's underwear with ease.

Velvet hardly seemed to notice as her final article of clothing was dropped off the small bed. Her heavy breathing and quiet moans of pleasure continued unabated as Blake continued nibbling her way up Velvet's body, agonizingly avoiding the areas of Velvet's body that wanted Blake's attentions the most. "Blake." She managed to get out breathily. "Please, can-" she was abruptly cut off as Blake suddenly bit down on her right breast with her teeth, causing Velvet's voice to squeak in a delighted mix of pleasure and pain. "Blake." She begged. Blake smiled as she sensually looked up into Velvet's eyes before obliging her request and moving back down Velvet's body. The last things Velvet saw were the cat ears top of Blake's head twitching before waves of pleasure spread through Velvet's body, forcing out a gasp while she lustfully closed her eyes and she gave in to Blake's affections.

* * *

Weiss face planted on the small portable table in front of her. "Ugh." She groaned in disgust. She had known that her high ranking position of leadership would entail some measure of paperwork, but she hadn't thought that it would be mountains of the stuff. Weiss was even doing paperwork in their transport vehicles as they marched each day. She was seeing paperwork in her sleep. Weiss was starting to get to the point where she wished they could just have a battle just to break the monotony of the paperwork. Then she felt bad because that would mean people would be dying. "Ugh." She groaned again, forehead still pressed against the desk.

"You sound like you're having a grand old time." A voice said from Weiss' left. Weiss rolled her head on the desk so she could see the speaker, General Kosti.

"Good evening, General." Weiss greeted, moving to stand up.

Kosti waved Weiss down. "Sit, sit. I know you're tired. I see you've discovered the wonderful thing known as 'unending paperwork' that we have to deal with." He chuckled.

"It really doesn't end?" Weiss groaned and squeezed her eyes shut.

"Not for the last forty years, at any rate." He answered with a shrug.

"Damn it. How do you deal with all of it?" Weis asked. "Is there a trick to it?"

"I just delegate it to other people, to be honest. I only read the summaries of most of the papers to make sure nothing's wrong." He answered. "I only read the important stuff in detail."

"You could've mentioned this earlier in the week, you know." Weiss grumbled.

"Call it my own little form of hazing." He said with a grin. "I'll give you names of the appropriate officers to delegate to. You'll have to make your own decisions on what's important enough to read, but that's about it."

"Much appreciated." Weiss sighed in relief. "So, did you need something, General? I haven't seen you in a while."

"I do, actually." He answered. "I got a call from Tamamo. She said that after the next group of hunters she's sending that they may come in a little slower."

"Slower? Did she say if something is going wrong with the training?" Weiss asked as she sat up, curious.

"She didn't give me any details, just the message." Kosti answered. "I wouldn't know much about hunter training anyways.

"I'll contact her then and find out what's going on." Weiss pulled out her scroll and typed in the contact information for the fortress. General Kosti stepped up behind Weiss to look over her shoulder while the communications room alerted Tamamo of the incoming call.

After a couple minutes, the video feed popped up with Tamamo's face. "Hello!" Tamamo sang. "Oh, Weiss! It's good to see you again. How's war?"

"So far it's been one battle and a lot of paperwork." Weiss complained.

"One of the worst things about leadership, I agree." Tamamo laughed. "Is that old Kosti behind you? Hello there!" Tamamo waved at the General over Weiss' shoulder.

"Hello, Tamamo." The General answered with a lazy wave. "Though you aren't really in any position to call me old."

"I guess not." Tamamo conceded. "Well then, to what do I owe the pleasure, Weiss?"

"I was calling about your message to General Kosti. You mentioned some issue with training hunters?" Weiss responded.

"It's not a huge delay; it's just an issue of practical training." Tamamo answered. "There are very few Grimm left around the fortress, so we've had to look for alternative methods for hands-on training. Less Grimm to fight means more one on one time with instructors is needed, so the training period has to be extended a bit."

"…There aren't enough Grimm?" Weiss asked in disbelief. "That honestly sounds like a good problem to have."

"It figures that the only time you want Grimm to be around is when they are actually gone." Tamamo joked. "The only Grimm we've seen in the last two weeks is one lone Ursa."

Weiss' eyes opened in surprise. "Only one in two weeks?" That was unheard of in the fortress, so far out in the wilderness. "Vimentis hasn't sensed anything either?"

"Nothing that's close enough for training. There are fewer and fewer Grimm every week now. I suspect your hammer-y friend killed too many of them for them to recover." Tamamo shrugged.

"So the only issue you see coming up is that it will take a little longer to train any new recruits?" Weiss asked to confirm.

"Yeah, that was it. Once Ozzy sends more graduates my way then I can begin training up more at once with an updated training regimen to account for the lack of Grimm. You'll be getting new hunters at a normal pace again soon." Tamamo assured her.

"Oh, all right. Thanks for letting me know, Tamamo." Weiss said with a nod.

"Not a problem. Don't be a stranger, Weiss! Same goes for you, Kosti. Bye bye!" Tamamo blew a kiss with a wink and waved before cutting off the transmission.

"Dealing with Tamamo is always interesting, even if it's just a conversation." Kosti observed wryly.

"Indeed." Weiss agreed. "If I may ask, do you know how old Tamamo is? It sounded like you two have known each other for a long time."

"We have known each other for a very long time, yes. But I do not actually know how old she is. Older than me, that's for sure." He answered, scratching his balding head.

"Older than you?" Weiss couldn't believe someone as young looking as Tamamo was older than Kosti, who looked to be the very definition of 'old man.'

"It's a mystery to me. I thought all hunters were like that." He shrugged.

"No, we definitely are not." Weiss answered, tapping her chin thoughtfully.

* * *

Nora was pacing back and forth angrily in the clearing set aside for training. No one else was on the training grounds, either because they thought it was too late in the evening to train or because they feared inciting Nora's wrath. A few soldiers had approached Nora when she had first arrived, but each had turned away once they saw the poorly concealed fury on Nora's face. While any outsider may have seen Nora pacing alone, Nora herself did not see herself as alone. "I told you something like this would happen! We should have left like I said." Her 'reflection' was no longer confined to her mirror after this week's march, and now it was sitting on the ground nearby. It wearing clothes this time, matching Nora's outfit of dark blue sweats and a matching tank top.

"Weiss will have a perfectly good explanation tomorrow morning." Nora grumbled in an attempt to convince both herself and her hallucination. "Maybe we're misinterpreting her message." Weiss had sent Nora a message on her scroll earlier in the day, saying that as a Major she would be given command of an elite unit of specialist soldiers, details pending. While Nora didn't have all the details, the way Weiss' message was written it sounded like Nora wouldn't be on the front lines, which is exactly where Nora wanted to be. "Just because we have an elite unit doesn't mean we won't be on the front lines."

"Who puts an elite unit on the front lines?" Her hallucination argued. "That's a recipe to get killed for no good reason."

"We'll wait until tomorrow." Nora resolved. "And if Weiss doesn't give us an answer that makes us happy, we're leaving and doing it your way."

The hallucination stood up and smiled, dancing around Nora contentedly. "Good. You have guests, I guess we can chat later." The hallucinatory Nora flopped back down onto the ground and stared at the starry sky as the real Nora turned around to see her former teammates walking towards her.

"Hey, Nora. How are you doing?" Jaune opened conversationally.

Nora's eyebrow twitched slightly. "Oh, I'm just terrific."

"Do you have a moment to talk?" Jaune asked. Pyrrha stood silently by his side, watching Nora cautiously.

"Sure, why not." Nora in a snarky voice.

"I- We just wanted to talk to you about things." Jaune continued, undeterred. "We know that since Beacon, things have been rough. And… we haven't been the best of friends."

"Rough, huh? I guess that's one way to describe it." Nora growled. What was wrong with her? She didn't want to be hostile to them. But they just kept pushing all the wrong buttons. Pyrrha with her silence. Jaune with his overly sensitive concern that was months too late. Both of them holding hands in front of her. Flaunting what Nora couldn't have.

"Isn't there some way we can reconcile? I realize… that we haven't been as supportive or understanding as we should've have been. We want to make up for that." Jaune said.

"Oh? 'We' do? Does that mean both of you?" Nora asked as she pointedly stared at Pyrrha.

"Nora, I-" Pyrrha suddenly stopped to organize her thoughts. "I think that we can only help you if you want to be helped. But you've tried so hard to be alone that no one has gotten the chance to be close enough to you."

"Pyrrha." Jaune place a hand on her shoulder to get her to stop talking. "Look Nora, why don't we spend some time talking things about, even if it's just about the past? Or even small talk?"

"There's no point in talking if there isn't anything to talk about." Nora answered simply. Talk about their feelings? They didn't think that maybe they were a few months too late?

"I'm sorry we didn't notice earlier, it's just that there was so much going on, and on top of that you still seemed like you were mostly your cheerful self and-" Pyrrha started again.

"Cheerful?" Nora yelled. "I lost Ren and you thought I was CHEERFUL?" Nora's formerly concealed fury was now fully evident on her face. "Does not wanting to bring everyone else down by crying in public mean I'm happy? Or in the months after that when it was too painful to keep up the act? What kind of idiots are you?" Nora was fuming, fists clenched at her side. "You were too busy staring at each other to see anything else; I don't see why I expected otherwise." She could hear that her hallucination had started speaking to her earlier in the conversation, but Nora wasn't listening to her either.

Jaune was trying desperately to calm Nora. "Nora, I know we weren't being good friends and I can't imagine what you're going through but-"

Nora cut him off. "No, you can't!" She turned to look at her hallucination. "And you! Shut up!" She whipped her head back around at Jaune and Pyrrha. "Who did you mourn? Did you talk to Blake about Yang? Did you talk to Weiss about Ruby? Velvet about her team? Well?"

Jaune attempted to stammer out a response, but he couldn't find the words to argue back against Nora's accusations. Had he and Pyrrha really been that selfish? Had they not spoken to the others about their losses either? Pyrrha heard something different from Nora's outburst though. "Nora? Who were you talking to? Who did you tell to shut up?"

Nora screamed as she clutched at her own head. "It's none of your business!" Her hallucination had shut up as she had asked, but now Nora had a splitting headache all of a sudden. "Just go do your duty, and I'll do mine!" Nora sprinted off into the night.

Pyrrha moved to follow, but a soft thud grabbed her attention from behind. "Jaune?" She turned around. Jaune was on his hands and knees, staring at the ground under him. "Jaune! What's wrong?" Pyrrha rushed over and lifted Jaune up to his knees.

"Are we really that bad?" Jaune whispered, tears in his eyes. "Did we really not try to talk to our friends about what they were going through? I- I can't remember, Pyrrha. I don't think we did." His shoulders sagged as he remembered the last few months. "We came out of the attack relatively unscarred compared to everyone else. Nora's right- she lost Ren, Blake lost Yang, and even Weiss lost Ruby just the next day. But we still had each other, and we did nothing to try to talk to them and help them."

"Jaune…" Pyrrha hugged hum close to her chest. "It was a tough time, with so much happening. So many things happened so quickly that there was no time to really talk about or figure out what happened." Pyrrha justified in a slight panic. Nora's words were beginning to get to her as well as she thought about them. "And after we got to the fortress, everyone was so busy. You saw how much time everyone spent training on their own schedules. And now we're in a war, so there may not be more time for a while still."

Jaune wiped away some of the tears from his eyes. "You're right. It'll all have to wait until after the war. Then we can try to get everyone together to talk. Maybe we can finally make up for the time we lost then." He got to his feet, lifting Pyrrha with him as she continued her embrace.

"Maybe we should go talk to Weiss." Pyrrha suggested. "She did that training with Tamamo. She might have some extra insight if we tell her what Nora said."

"Yeah, let's do that." Jaune said, kissing Pyrrha on the top of her head before leading the way towards Weiss' most likely position, the command tent.

* * *

Weiss set down her pen after she finalized the last set of orders for the day. "Finally." She had spent the last couple of hours after talk with Tamamo setting up some changes in her plans to compensate for the delayed instruction of the hunters. But after two hours of near constant writing and filing, she was done. Weiss stood up and stretched her arms above her head, bending backwards to try to get the last bit of soreness out of her muscles.

The Lord Commander straightened with a contented sigh, feeling refreshed from her stretch, if a little sleepy. "That felt good." She said to herself. Weiss turned around and looked at the other officers in the command tent. "Good work today, everyone. Let's turn in for the night and start again when we make camp tomorrow." Everyone thanked her and began cleaning up and filing out of the tent, some of them shaking Weiss' hand as they passed by. Weiss had to silently endure her internal embarrassment as she had to look up at even the shortest of the officers.

"I need to hurry up and get taller. "Weiss grumbled. "Maybe I should invest in some height lifted boots." She looked down at her feet and contemplated whether or not she could rationalize using the hunters' budget for buying herself some comfortable footwear that would make her a little taller. At least her new uniform had arrived, so it fit properly now.

"…Height lifted boots?" A voice from behind her asked.

Weiss spun around at speeds beyond imagining, her face heating up in embarrassment, only to find Pyrrha and Jaune standing behind her at the entrance of the tent. "You heard nothing." Jaune opened his mouth to respond. "_Nothing."_ Weiss glared at him.

He held up his hands in surrender. "I heard nothing."

Weiss huffed and turned back around to her desk. "So. What can I do for you at this hour?"

"We came to talk about Nora." Pyrrha said sheepishly.

"Finally had a chance to talk to her, have you? She snap at you yet?" Weiss asked nonchalantly as she picked up her scroll. Jaune and Pyrrha stared at Weiss in shock. When Weiss turned around to look back at the couple and found her staring back at her, she raised an eyebrow. "What? Something wrong?"

"How did you know Nora was going to snap at us?" Pyrrha asked in disbelief.

"The signs were everywhere." Weiss answered. "First, she was avoiding you because she becomes depressed when she sees you together. Then she began slowly turning her thoughts and emotions inward, obsessing over her memory of Ren. And then-"

Jaune stopped Weiss. "Hold on, hold on. You knew about this?"

"Well, yeah. I spent months learning how to read people and analyze their behaviors and their psychology." Weiss stated this as if this was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Why didn't you say something to her? I think she's hearing voices or something now, it's gotten so bad." Pyrrha told Weiss.

"It probably started around two weeks ago." Weiss recalled. "She began talking in her sleep three days after we left Tamamo's fortress. Full conversations, all with herself. When she's asleep she voices both sides of the conversation. Quite clearly, I might add. I assume when she's awake she doesn't, and either has visual or auditory hallucinations. Or both, which I suspect is the more likely option."

"How can you treat this with such indifference?" Jaune asked. "She needs help!"

Weiss stared at Jaune icily, no trace of compromise in her eyes. "Because I've heard her talk to herself, and I know what her motivations are. I know how to use her effectively."

"You know how to _use_ her?" Jaune asked.

"Nora is very powerful, and very determined. I would be a fool to give up such a powerful asset." Weiss said as she stepped out of the tent.

Jaune and Pyrrha followed behind. "She isn't an 'asset' to be used, Weiss!" Jaune protested. "She's a person! Just like you or me! Where's your compassion? Empathy? What happened to you?"

"Weiss stopped and turned around to look at the two following her. "What happened to me? Oh, you do not want to go there."

"Yes, I do." Jaune said firmly. "Look at all of us! We were all such great friends, basically family. And now we're-"

"You want to know what happened, Jaune? We died, that's what happened. Our friends and family are dead. What did you think was going to happen? We were going to be all happy and move on after a short period of moping?" Weiss angrily gestured. "No, we had to grow up fast and focus on something else to survive. We had to train, or be consumed by grief. What about you?"

"Of course we think Vacuo needs to be punished, Weiss." Pyrrha answered quickly. "But that doesn't mean we should lose ourselves to do it!"

"What do we have left?" Weiss argued back. "Maybe you're fighting for a different reason. Maybe you two are better people than me, or Nora, or Blake. Maybe you're fighting for your home, your people, and a better tomorrow."

"Of course that's what we're fighting for!" Pyrrha interjected, finally glad that Weiss was beginning to understand.

"But that's not what people like me, Nora, and Blake are fighting for." Weiss said passionately. Pyrrha shivered slightly, an irrational fear coming over her as she looked into Weiss' eyes. Weiss lowered her voice to a deadly whisper. "We want revenge. We want to destroy the people who took everything from us."

"Weiss…" Jaune pleaded. He couldn't stand to see one of his friends in this state.

"Are you with me?" Weiss asked. "Or will you leave everyone we lost behind?"

"We will fight, Weiss." Pyrrha declared. "But not for your reasons. We we'll fight because it is right, not for personal vengeance. The only thing your pursuit of revenge will do is get you killed. You need to stop this."

"As long as you fight alongside me, our reasons don't need to match." Weiss countered. "But you seem to be mistaken about something, Pyrrha." Pyrrha cocked her head in confusion, waiting for Weiss to clarify. "I don't have some misguided belief that once I get my revenge everything will be just fine. I understand that my quest will in all likelihood have an unhealthy conclusion. I don't have to survive this war, Pyrrha. I just have to win it." Weiss finished with a heavy finality. Then she turned and calmly strode off into the night, leaving behind a stunned Jaune and Pyrrha to think about what she had said.


End file.

RWBY, Adventure, Tragedy