Volume 5 Debut – Chapter 54: Optimistic Undertakings

Dark, dark, and more darkness. You know you're desperately moving, searching, trying to find anything that'll provide light, provide clarity. Despite moving as fast as your feet will take you, it feels like you're barely moving an inch - like there's a massive force pushing back, but you can't feel it.. Each step seems to ripple throughout your whole body, as well as the world around you as if you are one in the same. Yet, despite all your efforts, you're cursed in this cold, blinding, hollow abyss.

Finally, a small bit of light shines from behind you. You immediately turn around so your eyes can bask in the glowing golden rays that pierce right through the darkness. You slowly approach, not even noticing how small you are in comparison to the source of the illumination. Your mother, her fiery orange hair dancing behind her as if it was sentient, her wide smile complimented by the small little freckles along her face, and the most noticeable part is her active, flaming eyes that are unique to Maidens. Even with this immensely powerful magic active, all you can feel is a warm comfort that increases when she leans down and lifts you up into an embrace. Instinctively, you return her hug tightly, not wanting to let this chance with your mother go.

Without saying a word, she pulls away from you while taking your hand. Flames dance around her hand as Crimson Blaze forms. She wraps your hand tightly around it, keeping a reassuring smile the entire time. You don't know exactly what she's saying, yet somehow you understand completely. With a gentle kiss on your forehead, Clementine slowly flies back while her aura grows brighter and brighter, but the warmth she provides is fading away. That warmth... you can't forget the comfort of that warmth.

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As your eyes slowly flutter open, that bright light hasn't gone away. A lamp, able to be moved to focus on a specific point, is using you as its focal point. But it's so bright that you're rendered blind.

"Heh... hehehehehe," your voice is deep and gruff, a consequence of it not being used for some time. "No matter where I go, this damn light won't leave me alone." You try to lift your right arm to push the light away, but there's more weight on it than you expect. You roll your head on the pillow and see Ruby cuddled up beside you. She's not in her combat outfit anymore, instead she's wearing a matching set of black pajamas with faded red dots all around it, a white lining along the front and collar for a little colour.

Oh... Ruby. How was she able to sleep with this stupid light on?

You use your left arm to knock it away, the light briefly passing over Ruby and against the wall. You take a deep breath and gain an understanding of your surroundings. You use the sensory aspect of your Semblance to leave your body momentarily and get a grasp on exactly where you are. As soon as your vision passes through the walls and out to the moonlit kingdom, you're relieved.

Mistral, huh? Wonder how long I've been out... Haven't gotten beaten that badly in a while.

With Ruby's arm tightly wrapped around yours, you carefully step out of bed and appear right on the edge, holding Ruby's hand in place. You gingerly lower her hands onto the bed so you don't disrupt her sleep. You look down and take in your very different attire, being a plain black t-shirt and gray pajama bottoms.

"They changed me... huh..." You quickly take a gander around the room, quickly spotting your clothes, weapon, and armour neatly placed on a desk. You have no need for it now so you don't bother changing just yet, but it brings comfort to know where they are.

You leap into the next room, the main room, where you find Neo sleeping on one of the longer couches, which makes her look even smaller than she actually is. You can't help but smirk at your sleeping partner. There's something innocent about those who're in a truly peaceful slumber that makes them look cute. Top it off with the fact that she's using her bowler hat to cover her eyes from the light.

The place doesn't look half bad either. A large decorative, glassed off area for plants, a kitchen area, an upstairs, plenty of space for all of you. Plus, from your small look from the outside, there's a massive balcony that overlooks Mistral. You can probably get some training done there, but, more relevant to now, a place for some fresh air. You leap out of the room and to the balcony's edge, immediately leaning forward and taking in that sweet Mistrallian air.

"Huh..." You roll your shoulders, not feeling any pain at all. "Looks like my body is fixed up too. Thanks dad." The mention of your father returns your mind to the dream.

Why... would mom entrust it to me? It's dad's sword. Why didn't I see him give it to me? Maybe I'm playing tricks on myself. She was warm, though...

"Late night sightseeing?" Qrow's gruff voice reaches your ears.

You don't turn around, knowing Qrow is already approaching. "I've been in bed for... how long?"

"Three days," Qrow stops at your side. "Heard about your little scuffle with that Grimm. Nice work taking it down."

"Would've been easier if I had my Aura," you remark, huffing. "But it worked out. It's better we ran into it anyway, nobody else can kill those things."

"Not true," Qrow shakes his flask. "You know, I was going to tell you about this one I heard about in this region – a Blind Worm."

"They shouldn't be out here," you look at him with a brow raised. "Where is it?"

"Dead, from what the rumours say."

"What? How! Their healing can only be stopped with my blood!"

"Indeed," Qrow nods a few times. "Unless you have silver eyes."

Your eyes widen as your uncle's vision flashes in your mind. "Harrier... he's here?"

"On the continent, at the very least. But he's a hard man to track."

"I have to find him," you turn and walk with burning purpose.

"Are you kidding me?" Qrow pivots to keep you in his sight. "We have a plan here, things to do here, and you want to run off to fight a battle you'll lose?"

"Then what, Qrow?" You spin around, swiping the air in anger. "I just let him wander around Remnant until he decides to attack us again?"

"We don't know what he's doing. There's no-"

"He's not doing anything good! We have to stop him!"

"Kid, listen," Qrow marches up to you. "You may be stronger than before, but do you have any idea how to beat him?" Your aggression rests on your face while answering with silence. "I thought so," he sighs, calming himself down. "(Y/N), we need to focus on what we can do. Mistral, the relic here, these are our top priority."

"And it'll be Harrier's priority too," you mutter.

"And if that's the case then we'll figure it out."

"We'll die," you correct. "You were all scared of him back at Beacon, and Ozpin was there. He..." You tighten your fists. "We can't beat him without my dad... his blood... his Semblance."

"Yeah," Qrow looks to the stars. "I've never seen someone train their Semblance so much."

"It wasn't training," you walk past Qrow, temper calming and in need of Mistral's beauty. "He found someone who told him how to improve... to augment it."

Qrow slowly turns around, perplexed. "What're you talking about?"

"Heh... the Tawnys were looking for it too," you rest on the balcony railing. "There's a way to augment your Semblance through sacrifice. Harrier used his daughter's blood to augment his power."

"That's why he did it?" Qrow shakes his head, needing a drink. "I thought he was just crazy. Too bad we all don't have a kid to kill," he does his best to lighten the mood, even with dark humour.

"Mm..." You look down to the scenery below. "It's different for everyone. I..." Your throat closes and your face scrunches up just thinking about the terms.

"Wait, you know how to get power like his?" Qrow jogs up to you. "(Y/N), we could... wait, what was the cost?"

Your mouth is quivering as you try to keep your calm. "I..." You take a deep breath. "I'll need to be able to see the world clearer," you shift on your side to look him in the eye. "The silver eyes of someone who my heart accepts... Ruby's eyes."

"What?" Qrow exclaims. "You... heh," he shakes his head, smirking when he stops. "It's not an option for you, is it?"

"Of course not!" You snap back. "I won't follow in that bastard's footsteps. I'll stop all of them my way, without sacrificing anything!"

As much as your speech may sound swell, Qrow knows that there's no way to end this without sacrificing something or someone. Still...

"Well, kid, that's nice and all but I think you already failed," he starts walking away.

"What? What're you talking about?"

Qrow halts himself but doesn't answer for a few seconds. "Pretty sure... you've sacrificed a bit of yourself already."

You're left at a pause from his words with nothing to retort with. With the lack of a response, Qrow pats you on the back and just keeps walking. "Get some sleep, kid. We're meeting with Leo tomorrow."

As casual as he may be, this conversation has left a lot on Qrow's mind. He's aware that through training and growth that people's Semblances can evolve, maybe even grant new abilities, but to actively do something to boost it to such a degree... it's unbelievable. He knew Harrier, he knew Jet, and their Semblances did not allow them to recover from the smallest morsel of their body. Perhaps there's a reason why it's not well known, even to a knowledgeable guy like him. If just anyone could get that type of power then the world would be in chaos. It does make him think, though, of what boost you would achieve through the process. Your Semblance is already impressive as it is, how could it possibly rise to the level of Harrier's? It's almost scary to think about. Though, maybe, even his Semblance would be more manageable to tackle. Maybe it wouldn't be such a burden to those around him. No, he's lived with this all his life. He doesn't need a change, especially if it costs something dear to him.

Thinking about things dear to him. "Oh, and by the way," he says while opening the door. "Ruby's been with you the entire time. You should thank her," and he enters the house, shutting the door behind him.

And so, you're left alone with this now on your mind too. You look back out at Mistral and sigh. Harrier could be around here somewhere, Vani and his team are certainly still in the area, and who knows if Cinder is going to come here too. There are so many threats around and you have no idea where these people are. It's aggravating that you know all the enemies are around but you can't do anything about it. That's what happened at Beacon and you couldn't save anyone. In fact, you're the one who sparked the Beacon incident, even if it was accidental. You're not going to allow anything like that to happen ever again. On your life, you won't allow Cinder to tear apart Mistral like she did Vale. Not while you're here.

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Within the hour, you leap back into your room where Ruby is still sound asleep. She hasn't moved a muscle since you left, save for the small ups and downs of her breathing. She's even letting a few light, cute noises whilst she breathes. It's something that not only makes you smile, but brings back old memories of Beacon. So many times you and Ruby shared a bed together for so many different reasons. Sometimes it was because someone was sick, other times it was when you would read together, and then there's just the nights where you would talk and talk until sleep swept you both away.

And now, after months, that old habit has returned. You're not going to find a new place to sleep now that you know she's been by your side while you were recovering. You slowly raise your hand to your cheek, remembering her determined face when she slapped you. Despite the memory, you smile.

Slowly, carefully, you get back into the bed, scooching over close enough to lift Ruby's hand and place it over your chest instead of just your arm. Sensing movement, Ruby's sleepy mind instinctively snuggles closer, resting her head on your shoulder so her small breaths brush against your cheek. You close your eyes and let the situation envelop you. Despite resting so much during recovery, you feel like it's completely fine to drift away right now. Maybe it's general fatigue, it could be Ruby beside you, or perhaps it's the weight of what's ahead. Any of those are applicable and they all lead to the same place – falling asleep once again.

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Across the seas of Remnant one can find a plethora of creatures that use it for transport. Sometimes humans or Faunus on a boat, attempting to bypass the Grimm filled lands. Other times it's the very things the inhabitants try to avoid – unique, water-based Grimm that wait for poor, downtrodden travelers, and other times the native beasts – fish, crabs, and the like – who've long since become accustomed to the Grimm. But this day hosts a new creature that's skiing across its surface at a breakneck speed.

Dylan Brine, Son of the Waves, is once again in his element. If only it was for relaxation purposes like it once was. The young man's Semblance is propelling his feet across the clear water far faster than any boat could. His eyes, filled with purpose, along with his intense speed makes it visually clear that the young Huntsman-in-Training is on a mission.

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Dylan, Blake, Ghira, Sun, and Kali all gather within the ealdorman's study. Ilia is pacified at the moment and being watched at all times on order of Ghira. She's been awake for some time but hasn't spoken a single word. Still, she's another piece of evidence on top of the information they gained from the scroll.

"Adam Taurus is planning to overthrow the leader of the White Fang and stage a full scale attack on Haven Academy. It will be the fall of Beacon all over again."

The students let this heavy information weigh their heads down as they process it, all sitting on the couch in Ghira's office.

"Not if we destroy the White Fang once and for all," Sun speaks first.

"No... we're not going to destroy the White Fang," Blake stands up, garnering everyone's attention. "We're going to take it back!"

"Or we won't lose it in the first place," Dylan adds, the gears in his mind turning. "He hasn't done it yet, right?" The young one looks to Ghira.

"To my knowledge, no. But I assume it will be soon."

"Time is all I need," Dylan stands up. "Please, copy all the information we got onto my scroll," he hands over the device while asking.

"What're you planning to do?" Kali asks, worried for the eager young ones.

"I'm going to bring this evidence to High Leader Sienna. There's no way she can ignore this," Dylan watches as Ghira fulfills his request. "At the very least, I'll be there to stop Adam's plan. We can't let him take over the White Fang."

"Dylan, Adam's strong!" Blake steps towards him, concern riddled on her face while her ears flop. "You..."

"I'll handle him," Dylan ensures his confidence shows to not only Blake, but everyone else who may have doubts. "I can trust you all to do what you can here. Get the conversation going, ensure everyone knows what's going on."

Having finished, Ghira returns Dylan's scroll. "I shall. We'll announce this to Menagerie, and bring this evidence directly to Corsec and Finnec."

"But-"

"Blake, we don't have time for buts," Sun chips in, taking Dylan by surprise. The monkey gets to his feet, making sure to smile so the spirits are high. "If Dylan thinks he can do it, I believe in him."

"Hm, you just want me out of the picture," Dylan says with a coy smirk. "But I can do it, and I believe in you, all of you, here. Besides, nobody else can reach Sienna as quickly as I can."

"If you succeed, we can stop all this before it has the chance to start," Ghira asserts, fully onboard with the idea.

"Exactly. I won't waste anymore time," Dylan passes by Blake and heads for the door.

"Dylan!" Blake eagerly turns around, halting her fellow feline Faunus. "Just... be careful. I don't want anyone getting hurt because of..."

"That's not your decision to make," Dylan retorts with a soft voice. "Besides, you aren't the only one who wants to make things right with the White Fang."

Dylan opens the door, immediately leaping out and landing on a water platform. The moment his feet touch the water it carries him out of sight at breakneck speed, leaving Menagerie to the Belladonnas... and Sun.

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Dylan's hair flaps violently as droplets pass through the strands. He has to move as fast as he can, get there as quickly as possible. It'll take him a day, maybe two or three, but it'll have to be enough. He cannot afford to fail this mission; or else the entire White Fang may fall to Adam's ruin.

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Under the cover of darkness, team VOID has finally returned to Mistral. They're sticking in their group, already a short distance in the lower district of the city. To some, it's a place you avoid unless you want to lose your money or require some less than desirable services. For Dolph and Chess, who're leading the way, it's paradise. They enjoy the chaos and uncertainty of this place, mostly because It's where they've been raised. It's second nature to the siblings.

"Man," Dolph turns all around, taking in the home he hasn't seen in months. "There's just something about Mistral's air that makes me want to," he takes a deep breath then exhales into a smile. "Break something."

"Or go home? I would like to relax," Chess says, stretching. "And get a good night's sleep in my bed."

"I wonder if those damn squatters are back," Dolph swings his bat in circles a few times. "It'd be the perfect way to destress after we got our asses kicked," he lets the bat hit the ground, using it like a walking stick.

"Yeah..." Vani snarls.

"Hey, it's okay," Osiris puts his hand on their leader's shoulder. "We weren't prepared. Besides, on a personal note," Osiris retracts his limb and rests his hands on his hips. "I'd like to know a little more about that mark on his cheek."

"Is Harrier nearby?" Chess looks back at her allies, letting her brother cheerily walk forward in his territory. "Can we contact him?"

"I don't know," Vani shrugs, then proceeds to chuckle. "But I have a feeling he'll come to us. Anyway," Vani looks to the upper echelons of Mistral. "Tyrian gave us a rendezvous point here. Why don't you two go take your house back while Osiris and I check there."

"Sounds like a plan, boss," Dolph shouts, now decently far. "Come on, sis! We can't let them mess with our stuff."

"Heh... if they touched my chess set I'll kill them," she ends with a deathly serious tone. "See ya!" She cheerily waves back at Vani and Osiris.

The two watch as their friends walk away, Osiris giving it a moment before speaking, "I like them both."

"Only took three months?" Vani eyes him with a cheeky smirk.

"No... but I just remember that they also worry me."

Vani chuckles, lightly smacking Osiris' chest as he marches forward. "Same here, but they're my friends. Your friends too, by the way."

Osiris smiles, quickly following his comrade. "Indeed they are."

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Vani and Osiris reach a rather dull looking house in the middle district of Mistral. The windows are closed, covered, and not letting any light peer through. The door's lock clicks the moment the two approach, compelling the two to share a glance. Vani opens it first, entering a very dimly lit entryway.

"The basement," a voice alerts through a hidden speaker.

"How secretive," Osiris notes.

"Honestly, I never even knew this house existed," Vani mentions while leading the way in search of the basement. "It's so out of the way."

"Likely why they used it."

"Mhm."

As the two explore, they take in the décor of the house. Despite being in the middle class of Mistral, this place is even worse than Dolph and Chess' house. Tears in the wallpaper, dusty floorboards, and practically nothing to decorate the house. No pictures on the wall, no chairs, no tables, nothing that makes this place habitable. They don't explore upstairs, but both can assume, after seeing the barren space, that nothing is up there. Even the air here is stagnant and almost sickening. With no open windows, no air conditioning, it makes this place worse than a graveyard.

Osiris enters the kitchen, being able to peer through some cracked open cupboards and seeing, to nobody's surprise, nothing. There's not even the subtle hum of the fridge to give the room a little life. The silence almost hurts him. But, as Osiris is surveying the area, he notices an open pantry with a similarly exposed latch that's letting out dim light.

"Vani," Osiris calls out as he approaches.

The leader enters from beside Osiris, instantly spotting the basement entryway. Osiris steps to the side, letting his friend take the lead and go down the narrow path to a very open, bright, and modern looking base. The only thing that gives the room any extra life is the intact wallpaper which warms the room up. There are beds stacked in small portions to the right, allowing for at least four people to sleep. To the left is a work area, surrounded by computers and software. The familiar man, Watts, spins around in his chair and greets the two boys with a toothy grin.

"Well, here's the Tawny brat. How... wonderful," he speaks with clear false pleasantries. "Are you here to beg for forgiveness?"

"We're here because this was the rendezvous location."

"For you, yes," Watts spins around to focus on his work. "I do wonder how our dear leader will react when she learns you failed."

Vani clenches his jaw, hating that being overwhelmed as he was is considered complete failure. "How did you know Slater wasn't dead?"

"Because I saw him," Watts rolls his eyes, bringing up a large picture of you lying inside the police station holding room, unconscious and beaten. "I assume you weren't responsible for that?"

Osiris and Vani are taken back by the state you're in. Vani hates your very being, but he's not stupid enough to ignore how powerful you are. To be put in a state like that... he can't imagine what sort of creature or warrior could beat you like that. Did you run into Harrier?

"What happened to him?" Osiris asks.

"Is he still there?" Vani's louder voice takes precedence.

"No, this was from days ago. He was taken away by the Huntsman Qrow Branwen," Watts explains while playing the security footage of such an event. "From the meager chatter of these imbeciles, it appears he was fighting a very dangerous Grimm. I believe it was one of Merlot's disgusting experiments, ugh," Watts shivers in disgust. "Foolish man."

"Merlot?" Osiris repeats for clarification.

"An idiot who believed that Grimm were the key to evolution. He idiotically created a handful of dangerous Grimm that, from what I can tell, can only be put down with (Y/N)'s blood. I care not for the Slater boy, but I do at least appreciate him clearing up a few of Merlot's abominations. They're truly unsightly."

"Sounds like he did some good for the world," Osiris says aloud.

"Tsk," Vani shakes his head. "Whatever. Watts, what're we supposed to do now?"

"You wait," Watts briefly looks over his shoulder. "We have plans here, and your team would be useful."

"So we wait? But Slater is here, in the city! Why not-"

"Those are not her orders," Watts turns in his chair and stands up. "You are a lone Tawny, yes, but not a lone force." Vani's gaze sharpens at Watts' comment, something the elder takes pleasure in. "You will follow Salem's orders. Or do you really believe things will go differently? By all means," he smoothly gestures towards the exit. "Go ahead and battle him again in the middle of the city with all his little allies toting around him. But when you lose and crawl back here with nowhere else to go, Salem will remember when you blatantly disobeyed her."

"Then why don't we just end him now? He's weakened! We can gather our forces and-"

"Vani," Watts shakes his head, snickering. "That is not your decision to make. Just do your job. Your father was very good at taking orders, so at least follow his example," the scrawny man turns around, sitting back in his chair and returning to his work. "Stay wherever you wish, as long as you're in Mistral. But you may NOT do whatever you wish."

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The sun's rays pierce through the window of your room, providing even more warmth for your sleeping bodies. Ruby's eyes are the first to flutter open, making the young girl yawn a bit as her body begins to stir awake. It's then when she realizes her head support is moving up and down, which is not what she remembered when falling asleep. She carefully looks up, dragging her face along the fabric until she sees your sleeping face above her at an admittedly not so flattering angle. Your mouth is open, some drool coming down, and you're snoring a little loudly. A surprise since she didn't hear that until now.

"Pft," Ruby holds in a laugh. "You woke up, didn't you?" She whispers, recognizing your arm wrapped around her. "I definitely didn't do this. Mm," there's a moment of debate within the young girl. She could stay here and enjoy the moment; after all, she hasn't been in your arms for months and as stupid as you're acting, she still cares. She's never liked anyone before you and that's not something she's going to throw away, at least over this. You're just scared, which in a general sense makes sense for relationships. She used to be scared too, but for very different reasons. You kept with her, acting as a guiding light whether you knew it or not. She even has times where she'll think back to Beacon, before the dance, before you were together, before she even realized she liked you, and remember the build up. It embarrasses her to remember some of them, though – how obvious or stupid she'd be when she was around you. How her team would give some looks that showed they knew even before she did.

Most of that was born from Ruby's skewed view of relationships, since her exposure to it has mostly been from books or shows she watched at home, most of which were more fantasy than reality. There were a few stories Yang would tell when they were a bit younger but, as much as she loves her sister, she doesn't give them much merit. What she went through with you, however, has a lot more merit in discerning what is fantasy or not.

Thinking about that brings up Ruby's other option: to wake up. If you're conscious and okay, the group will finally be able to talk with the Headmaster of Haven. It's lucky you're up now since there was talk of just going tomorrow if you were still out. But she doesn't have to worry about that anymore. Besides, she can hear some muffled voices and movement in the main room. Depending on what time it is, they could be making breakfast already. But she's securely snuggled up beside you, so breaking free would definitely be the insensitive thing to do. Certainly. It's only right for Ruby to just stay in place. It'd be borderline criminal to do anything else.

So the young girl rests her head back onto your chest again, not closing her eyes, and enjoying the sound of your snores – an acquired taste to be sure.

It's not long after, about twenty minutes of calm relaxation, that you suddenly teleport from under her.

"Whoa!" She immediately opens her eyes and shifts her body, quickly noticing your hands are acting as supports for her current position.

"Oh, you're awake," you say, followed by a yawn.

You lift Ruby up, letting her body support itself so you can step away and she may turn to you.

"Yeah, I was just spending some quality time with my boyfriend while he sleeps."

You're left tongue tied at the remark and how she can make it so confidently. You weren't sure how you two stood after all this time, especially after the argument and slap, but it seems like she's not letting go of that relationship status.

"Especially," she continues since you have yet to respond. "When he goes and does some more stupid stuff!" She hops out of bed and marches up to you. "What were you thinking, fighting one of those green Grimm? And with no Aura! Do you want me to have a heart attack?" She says with some playful drama, but her intention is dead serious.

"Well," you clear your throat. "To be fair, I had Aura when the encounter started."

Even that could be narrowed into a lie. You technically hadn't engaged the Nuckelavee whilst your Aura was active. But that's not something you're going to indulge and weaken your position.

"And I didn't know it was one of Merlot's anyway. I just saw-"

"Saw people in trouble and jumped into help, I know," Ruby sighs. "It's why I can't be angry about it," she crosses her arms and looks away while her face softens.

You sigh, followed by a quick forehead rub. "Look, it worked out. Why're you still hung up on it?"

"Because I don't want it to keep happening!" Ruby's spirit spurs to her defense. "You don't want us around cause you think it's too dangerous and then here you are bed ridden for three days!"

"I don't know what to tell you. Was I supposed to NOT fight?"

"No! But..." Ruby lets out a little louder than she intended. "You saved people and stopped that Grimm so... it's just..."

Saved those people. The words bounce around in your head with nowhere else to go. You failed to do the one thing that almost got you killed. Of course, taking down one of Merlot's Grimm is a massive step for everyone in Mistral but... that wasn't your starting goal. It was to save people in danger... and you didn't do that. Not at all.

"(Y/N)," Ruby continues, pulling your attention back to her. "I know you've always been a very 'jump into action' kind of guy but this was way too reckless!"

"It worked-"

"I don't care if it worked out!" She shakes her head, taking a step closer. "You weren't the one sitting on the bedside waiting to..." Ruby's throat tightens, forcing the girl to look away during the moment of silence. "I just..." She exhales. "I just want you to be safe."

And that is something you can't fault her for. She wants you, her boyfriend, someone she holds close to not be broken and bedridden for days. If the situation was reversed, you know for a fact you'd be on her case for it too. Honestly, it's strange for this sort of concern to be put on you again. The months after Beacon, being alone and with Neo, there was nothing like that. Not once did you and Neo have to worry about each other's safety, save for the recent battle with the masked woman.

"Because this was just like at home... when Uncle Qrow brought you back and then you just left. I was worried you'd... you'd disappear again." There's a long awkward pause that neither of you want to break, you because there's nothing to say while Ruby is just struggling to continue. "You've always been stronger than I have. I can only imagine how wide that gap is now... but no matter how big the gap is, no matter how strong you are, it won't stop me from worrying about you! It won't stop me from wanting to be right by your side! Why can't you just understand that?" There's another short pause, but her words follow after a sigh. "But that hasn't changed. The only thing that's changed is your skull's a little thicker," she half laughs, bringing a little humour to the conversation while knocking her noggin. "Ren told me... that you think you're the only one who suffered at Beacon."

"No, I-"

"Do you know what I lost?" Ruby slowly steps towards you. "I lost two of my friends. I lost the place that made me more confident in myself. I'm... I'm afraid I'm losing my sister, and I abandoned my dad and..." Ruby's voice starts to quiver while her eyes are a little red. She sterns herself, uncaring to what she may look like. "And I lost you. Don't you think for a second," she finally stops right in front of you, gazing intensely into your eyes. "That I'm going to lose you again. Run away, fight whatever you want, but know that I will be following you all the way through, whether you like it or not!"

It's funny, despite Ruby trying to knock sense into you with a straight forward, no nonsense attitude... it looks more adorable than anything you've seen her do before. More importantly, it twists your heart and makes you feel... warm. A warmth just like your dream, just like your mother. The safety she represents for you, the peace of heart, that's what's bubbling up inside right now. It... makes you smile.

"Wha..." Ruby lets out, raising her brow as she's confused why you're smiling after all that. You raise your hand and plop them on her forehead, lightly pushing her out of the way. "Hey!"

"Fair enough," you walk past Ruby and towards your clothes. You gather the base of it, leaving your armour, coat, and weapon for later. Before she can speak out to you again, you step behind her, positioned so you're leaning forward so your lips are beside her ear. She's almost frozen in surprise, hooked on even your barely audible breaths. "Thanks for taking care of me," you step to the bathroom door, already in the midst of opening it. "But I hate you for leaving that light in my face. You're basically a monster," you jokingly say while shutting the door behind you.

Ruby exhales like she's been holding her breath for months. That was perfect! Well, not exactly, but it's definitely progress. Despite keeping an optimistic view for the whole trip, she can't lie that your mere presence elevates it beyond anything else. She curls up, doing her best to muffle her excited squeals. She can't help that her heart is beating a mile a minute. No matter how many times she has to think or say it, she will not let you suffer like this any more. She knows, if the positions were switched, you'd do the same.

"That's right, (Y/N), we're total equals now. I don't fall to the whims of your teasing anymore!" She proudly speaks to herself.

"I can hear you!" You shout from the bathroom.

"Then let it be a warning!" She responds with the same volume.

"It sounds more like a challenge, but, sure," you say right before the shower turns on.

Ruby giggles to herself, but she knows there's things to do. With more than one shower in the house, she won't wait for you to be done. She'll gather her clothes, let everyone know you're awake, then get ready for the day ahead.

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With your body cleaned up after days of recovery, you can't help but feel a little lighter. There may have been a pound or two of funk on your body that's been flushed away by the great flood. But now it's time to throw on a few extra pounds. You appear in your room, fully clothed and eyes already on your coat, armour, sword, and... Neo? She's sitting on the desk, one leg over the other, leaning back with both hands planted on the table for support, and a coy smile directed right at you.

"Well, isn't that a way to start the day," you remark, crossing your arms and smiling. "Glad to see you too."

The look in Neo's eye, along with being playful, shows she is happy to see you up and moving. You can generally tell what Neo's trying to convey through her eyes and facial expressions alone. It's not always a spot on interpretation, but it gets the point across. She also has no problem correcting you if necessary. Neo cocks her head down while raising a brow, keeping the smile.

"Yeah, yeah, you should've been there. Next time I'll face some ridiculous force with you."

The girl nods, spinning herself to the side and pushing off the desk so you can gather your equipment.

"Has everything been good here? My friends treating you well?" You stop at the table and peer over at her. "You've been good to them?"

Neo points at herself, flabbergasted that you would suggest she'd have a problem. She shakes her head to finalize her response.

"Well, that's good. Last thing I want to worry about is my friends fighting each other," you start latching your chest piece on. "So... do you have a problem with them?"

Neo thinks carefully on how to answer. Lying isn't exactly how she wants to go about this situation, but at the same time she knows the bond between you and Ruby – the only one who she wants to watch stop breathing. Whether it was the fault of Cinder or Ruby, her greater goal is to make them both pay... even if she has to wait.

Neo pulls out the familiar bowler hat, spinning it around on her finger.

"That... was your friend's, right?" You finish with the chest piece and slip into your coat. "And Ruby said... he died at Beacon, didn't he?"

Neo stops twirling it and, instead, holds it close to her chest. She softly nods, mind thinking back on her lost partner.

All set up in your clothes, you approach Neo and put a hand on her shoulder to comfort her. "I'm sorry. I... we never really talked about that hat."

Neo shakes her head, shifting her gaze to you. It's immediately clear her eyes are a little glazed over. You're not used to all this heart to heart, especially after months of being a stone cold killer.

"A lot happened back then, but if you lost someone at Beacon, I promise you that it was none of their faults," you gesture towards the door. "It was Cinder, Salem, everyone who made it happen. I... hm... if one of them did something..."

Neo uses her Semblance, changing her appearance to a picture perfect image of Ruby. It's a bold move by Neo, she knows, but your partnership, your friendship, is built on mutual respect. Lying to you cracks that sturdy groundwork, and she won't let that happen. You're now the most important person in her life, and she refuses to let go.

"Ruby..." Your heart tightens, thinking that two important women in your life could be at odds, and not like the fun conflicts that went on at Beacon. "I... really don't think Ruby is someone that would kill in cold blood," you take a step back, taking a deep breath while judging what to do with this. "Look, considering everything is calm, I really have to thank you for not acting on anything right now. Really," you kneel down and take her hand, letting the girl have the higher view point. "Thank you Neo. But we'll... when we have some time, perhaps the three of us can just talk about it. I'm certain, absolutely certain, that Ruby is not the person you want to... take revenge on," you put lightly.

Neo can admire how sincere you are. Despite wanting to keep your friends at a distance, you're quick to jump to their protection, even if it isn't against a blade or Grimm. She's already decided that she will bide her time, but now that she's talked with you... maybe her heart can be put a little at rest. Every time she sees the silver eyed girl, her blood boils. The fact that she's here, laughing and smiling while Roman is dead just infuriates Neo.

She can continue to maintain composure around Ruby, and this conversation will either douse the flames or fuel them. Either way, Neo is open to it, if not for herself than at least for you. The smaller girl puts her hand on your chin and pushes up, gently forcing you back to your feet. She gives you a silly look, shaking her head.

She doesn't want you to act like this. She's your ally, no matter what. This message that you interpret makes you smile.

"Well, we should get to work," you wave your gloved hand, attracting Crimson Blaze to it. "I've slept a bit too long. Maybe we could go a few rounds? I need to loosen up a bit," you comment while rolling your shoulders.

Neo eagerly nods, happy that you're in a better mood. She steps back, waiting for you to head towards the door.

You open the door, walking out with Neo and spotting all your friends gathered in the main room, save for Qrow and Jaune. Ruby is sitting on the larger, middle couch, while Ren and Nora are on a shorter couch straight ahead of you.

"Wait... weren't you in the bathroom?" Ruby points between the two rooms. "And she..."

"I just, you know, leapt between the rooms."

"It's barely a walk," Ren comments.

"I'm not appreciating this attitude," you squint your eyes. "Here I thought my friends would be happy to see me, but instead I get a demonic light and sass," you cross your arms and shake your head. "I'm hurt, truly. What did I miss that made everyone so hostile?"

"Breakfast, for one! Something I personally made for everyone!" Jaune shouts from the kitchen.

"And it was really gooooood," Nora coos, rolling off the back of the chair only to pop up seconds later. "Jaune even wore the apron."

"Apron?" You raise a brow.

Jaune walks out from the kitchen, a pink frilly apron on and flowery oven mitt while carrying a plate of bacon, eggs, and toast.

"You... had that ready? And in an apron?"

"Ruby made me!" Jaune peers at the young one while handing the food over. "I thought I only had to wear it once, but noooooooooooooo."

"You rock it, Jaune!" Ruby cheers while holding in a laugh.

"You did wear a dress once... so..." You look away, clicking your tongue.

Ruby and Nora giggle while Jaune turns away. "Hmph, just eat your food."

"Of course, honey," you snicker, taking a seat on the same couch as Ruby. Neo takes her place beside the couch, resting on the arm. "So, have you come up with a plan while I was out?" You ask before taking a bite of the eggs.

"Uncle Qrow has been setting up a meeting with Headmaster Lionheart," Ruby matter-of-factly informs. "We should be able to go today, I think."

"And Leo knows that?"

Ruby shrugs in response.

"I guess I would've dropped in unannounced anyway," you nearly inhale the three pieces of bacon. The group looks at you with a little surprise, which you recognize. "What? I haven't eaten in three days."

"And feeling better, looks like," Nora leans forward, slapping her knee. "Seems like your attitude just needed a big ol' smack! I would've done it for you, you know!"

You stare at her blankly until you swallow the eggs. "That's uncalled for."

"Is it? You've been rather condescending," Ren adds.

"Well, then why don't I praise you a bit?" You set your cutlery down. "You two fought really well," you focus on the partners. "Couldn't have made it without you. So, thank you."

"So that means we're as good as you," Ruby nudges you.

"Don't get too confident. You weren't even there. All I've seen of you is getting beaten."

"Wha- hey!" Ruby flairs up. "I'm plenty strong!"

"Mhm, I know," you keep a smirk, enjoying her reaction.

You go back to eating your food while Ruby rants at you, even grabbing your collar and shaking to get her point across. Despite the chaos, you feel really at peace here. It's... like Beacon. Your heart, desperate for travel and conflict, has once again settled with all these people around you. It's an aspect of you that's hard to deny. You fall prey easily to these types of feelings, to belong, to a family. You fell deep into it at Beacon, you were deceived by the Tawnys since you were so eager to feel it again, and now you're back with the others. You know they won't let you go, not with you so close. So, really, why bother fighting it? You have that answer in you, even if they don't want to hear it, even if you don't want to hear it. As comfortable as you seem, as happy as they are, you're ready to get rid of them at a moment's notice. Not maliciously, of course, but still... still, you want them to stay with you. But for their safety they have to leave. It's an unending cycle that's eating away at your mind, something you can't tell them. You need them to stay safe, because If what happened at Beacon repeats itself... if you lose everyone again... there's no telling how you'll cope with that.

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The group appears in the Haven courtyard, accompanied by a burst of shadow that wafts away from everyone. Everyone steps in their own direction while taking in the sight of Haven Academy, except for Qrow who's curious at the lack of anyone around. Even as seconds pass by and the young ones marvel, nobody has even bothered to check at this sudden intrusion. Leo is expecting them, sure, but that doesn't mean there shouldn't be any Huntsmen around. Especially not with the relics under threat.

You brought them in the middle of a paved out circle that branches in four directions, one leading to the entrance you completely skipped by, one to a larger area, one to some classrooms, and the other towards the Headmaster's office.

Ruby can feel a weight lift off her heart upon seeing their goal. It's been months, with so many hardships, but now they've finally made it. It's a win Ruby really needed, especially with your reunion not being exactly how she imagined. Thinking on you, she takes a gander to spot you staring off into a corner.

Ruby casually approaches, "What're you looking at?" She follows your eyes to an empty patch of grass.

"Oh..." You weakly reply, though not in a sad way. "I was just remembering... I trained here a long time ago and right there," you point. "Is where I used to practice handling Crimson Blaze every day. Heh..." You shake your head. "I can almost see it. Little (Y/N) in some stupid outfit I was given, doing my best to swing it around. There was always a teacher watching so I didn't lose grip of it and accidently throw it at a student for a third time," you let out a short laugh. "They didn't let me train alone much after that. Actually..." You turn around, looking towards the far building.

You start with a sprint, using the momentum to spring off the ground, leaping more than two stories, and land on the building.

"What're you doing?" Ruby shouts, quickly following your movements and catching up.

"Ruby!" Qrow shouts.

"We'll catch up in a second! Go on!" She waves her uncle on.

The remaining members of RNJR, Qrow, and Neo continue on, the latter moving the slowest so she can keep an eye on you.

"Aw..."

Ruby hears your disappointment. "What?" She follows your gaze to... even more empty grass.

"A tree used to be there. I used it to try and... well, control my swings. You know, swing at full force then stop before it hits."

"Yeah," she nods, completely immersed in the conversation.

"Well," you snicker. "Anyone looking at the tree could tell how long it took me to get that down. Now that I think about it, they probably took it down because it was so scarred. I practiced a lot at that tree by myself."

"But didn't you-"

"Yeah, I wasn't supposed to," you smile at the memory. "But I wanted to. Training was all I thought about as a kid. It was all I was told to do. 'Study hard and train hard,'" you say in a posh voice. "It's what I was told over and over, I swear it was indoctrination," you shrug, looking over at the young girl. You're a little thrown off at how much focus she's giving you. "What?"

"Nothing," she shakes her head with a wide smile. "You just never talked about your childhood. I'm happy you're saying... anything, really. It's kinda interesting."

"Hm..." You think back on the times when you were younger. It was mostly training and learning, not much actual fun like most kids had. Even when aspiring to be a Huntsman, most have fun memories with classmates. You don't. Not really. Not until you reached 14 did you really start making any sort of connection beyond the select teachers and headmasters. "I don't think so. My kid life was... stale. Anyway, we should catch up with the others," you put a hand on her shoulder and leap inside the building where the others just reached.

"Sorry about that. Just reminiscing," you say to everyone.

Hearing that, Jaune asks, "Is it familiar at all?"

"Yeah," you nod, walking with everyone while Qrow leads the way, hunched forward and hands in his pockets. "It's a little... quieter, though. Even with school out. I'm surprised nobody is here at all."

"You're right... something's wrong," Qrow's voice is ominous. "Come on!" He starts running down the hallway.

While the others follow, you stop in place and use your Semblance to quickly scout the building. Neo, more focused on you than anyone else, remains by your side while the others rush off. Swerving through the walls faster than anyone could run, you fail to find anyone, student or professor. But, when scouting down the hallway to Lionheart's room you find...

"Oh..."

You step to the end of the hall, beside Qrow while he readies to kick the door down. RNJR also have their weapons out, in case of trouble.

"Qrow he's-"

Before you can continue and Qrow can kick open the door, Leonardo Lionheart casually opens it up.

"AAAAAAAAH!" He throws his hands up in startlement, immediately falling to the ground.

Qrow, now forcing himself to pause, ends up falling backwards as well.

"Behind the door..." You huff.

RNJR stares in perplexion, really unsure how to deal with what just happened. Ruby is the only one to speak up, mainly for clarification. "Professor... Lionheart?"

Leonardo Lionheart, a middle-aged man with a tan colour that's desperately trying to keep its colour instead of falling into the gray that's slowly taking hold. His hair is styled back like a lion's mane and complemented with a respectable beard - that of which is succumbing to the gray too. Currently, he's wearing a white dress shirt underneath a brown vest along with a thin necktie at the collar. He compliments his upper attire with brown slacks and dress shoes.

Leo gasps for air as he lifts himself off the ground. "Qrow! For crying out loud, you nearly scared me half to death!"

Grunting as he gets right back to his feet, Qrow steps forward, arms wide. "Me? Why weren't you waiting for us at the entrance?"

"Huh?" Leo pulls out a pocket watch from under his vest. "Oh, right. Apologies, I guess time slipped away from me. We were meant to meet later on a few days ago and... speaking of," Leo finally gets on his feet and gazes directly at you. In response, all of RNJR sheathes their weapons, while Neo finally catches up after nonchalantly approaching. "It's good to see you again, (Y/N). It's been quite some time," you smile back at him and bow your head in response. "When I heard of your state, I feared the worst."

"No need to worry about me, Headmaster," you let your hands rest on your hips. "Was just putting down a stubborn Grimm."

"Indeed," he chuckles. "You were always one to rush in. Still, I'm glad you're alright. So," he now focuses on RNJR and Neo. "Who're these students?"

"Ruby Rose!"

"Jaune Arc."

"Nora Valkyrie!"

"Lie Ren."

"..."

Leo's eyes shift around as each person introduces themselves, but now he's stuck on the unspeaking Neo.

"She's Neo," you speak up. "She doesn't talk, and she's not a student."

"Oh, I see," Leo nods. "A huntress?"

"Not exactly."

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you all. Leonardo Lionheart, at your service."

"Leo, what's going on here," Qrow cuts to the chase. "Where's all the Huntsman? Who's guarding the relic?"

"Qrow!" The headmaster sharply whispers. "The children."

"Already know, I filled them in. Where's your staff?"

"You... filled them in?" Leo rubs his chin, eyes wandering while thinking. Lionheart turns around, gesturing you all to follow as he takes a seat at his desk. You and Neo stand to the left of Qrow, Ruby and Jaune to the right, with Ren and Nora taking a seat on the couch that's against the right wall. "I have to say, Qrow, that seems a little reckless. Even for you."

Qrow, arms crossed, bashes down on Leo's words. "No, reckless is leaving one of the relics completely unguarded. It's not checking in with Oz for ages."

"There was nothing to check in about before the fall of Beacon," Leo adamantly defends his position. "But since that day, Mistral has been in chaos!" He stands up, showing even more conviction. "Vale wasn't the only Kingdom to suffer that night. Everyone was watching, every house in every Kingdom saw..." His eyes sorrowfully trail to you. "You cut that poor girl apart."

It's brief, just for a flash, but bringing up that moment makes the Curse Mark flare up. You, on the other hand, remain calm as the two speak.

"Saw monsters crawling over the city, Atlesian knights attacking citizens... and then nothing," his eyes fall to his desk, the memory of that night still fresh in his mind. The waves of Grimm crawling at their doorstep, the civilians fleeing for their lives while Huntsmen and Huntresses valiantly fought to their end.

It was hell.

"You could feel the dread in the air... With all that negativity you can imagine what it was like when the Grimm came for us." Lionheart turns around and, step by step, moves to a window behind his desk. "Mistral's controlled territory is the widest reaching in the world, you know, and that makes it infinitely harder to protect. We lost so many great Huntsman; teachers from this very institution... and it's only gotten worse."

"Wh-What do you mean?" Ruby puts one foot forward.

Lionheart rests his hands on the window ledge for support. "We may have dealt with the Grimm, but the Mistral council is still at odds with the representatives from Atlas. First it was the Dust embargo, now it's the closing of borders. I'm not sure what happened to James in Vale," the speaker turns to face everyone. "But it seems to have only worsened some of his more, mmm, unfortunate tendencies."

Lionheart takes a moment to breathe, knowing that's not all he has to say. "And, on top of everything, we still don't know where the Spring Maiden is."

"What does that have to do with guarding the relic?" You bring up. "Is she an enemy?"

Lionheart recognizes that the other students are wondering the same thing. He looks over at Qrow, "I thought you filled them in."

"Mostly filled in," Qrow corrects. "Look, there's a lot to cover, okay!" He pulls out his flask. "I quit teaching for a reason," and he ends it with a drink.

The esteemed Headmaster takes a seat, resting his hand in one hand. "The four Maidens each have the power to perform feats of magic, and they are the only ones capable of reaching the relics."

"What?" Jaune unconsciously blurts out.

Qrow, momentarily returning to his prior occupation, continues to explain, "The relics are each locked inside a chamber that can only be opened by a specific Maiden. Winter for the gift of Creation, Summer for Destruction, Fall for Choice, and Spring for Knowledge," he takes another swig. "Spring is the problem."

Knowing this, it makes your mother's burden even worse. Not only did she have this unparalleled power to bear upon her shoulders, she also was responsible for one of these so called relics. It makes you realize why the Tawny's wanted her so badly. It wasn't just for a powerful ally, but a way to open up a Relic for Salem. Which means Cinder has likely opened up the door at Beacon and has obtained the Relic of Choice. But you would've thought Fall would be the problem since she's now in the hands of Salem.

"What happened to her?" Ren inquisitively asks.

Both Qrow and Lionheart become a little downtrodden at the mention of her.

"She was determined at first, when she inherited her powers," Leo explains. "But the weight of responsibility proved to be too much for the child. She... ran. Abandoned her training, everyone. That was over a decade ago. There's no telling where she could be now."

"I know," Qrow cuts in. "At least, I have a pretty good idea," he slides his hand into his pocket.

Surprised, Leo gets to his feet. "Are you serious?"

"It's not exactly good news."

"What're you talking about? This is incredible news!" He speaks with joyful vigor while walking around the table, approaching Qrow and placing his hands on either shoulder. "After all these years? Where?"

Qrow pushes Leo back a bit, taking a step away. "I did some digging around. Looks like after Spring ran away, she was picked up by bandits. Specifically, the Branwen Tribe."

"Raven..." Lionheart sighs.

That name clicks in everyone's mind, even Neo's, but for different reasons. The fact that Raven is in their path isn't good. Neo ran from Raven once, was caught off guard and beaten the second time, and now she's back in the girl's sights. But that's not so good, Neo is aware of Raven's impressive skill... but, considering you were able to retrieve your sword, maybe there's little cause to worry.

Qrow walks up to Leo's desk, pulling out his scroll and placing it on his desk. A blue holographic 2D map projects from the desk, having a pinpointed location. Ruby, Jaune, and Leo step closer to get a better view, while you remain where you are, taking in everything. Besides, you can see well enough.

"That's about where they've set up their main camp," Qrow says as he zooms in on the specific location, relatively close to Mistral. "It's where they fall back to after raids and scouting missions. Raven's managed to gain a lot of followers since she returned to the tribe. And I'm sure when the Spring Maiden showed up it only made things easier."

"Well, Qrow, I've got to hand it to you," he pats his ally's back. "With these coordinates we can mount a retrieval force and head out in a few weeks."

That hits the nerves of both you and Qrow.

"A few weeks?" You both repeat.

Leo saunters to his desk, clicking a few buttons to dismiss the projection. "That's right."

"Ma-"

"What're you talking about?" You cut Qrow off, stepping forward and finally becoming a prominent member of the conversation. "Why would we just sit back when we know where she is?"

"(Y/N), please," the maned man remains calm when dealing with you. "Understand that I cannot simply request Huntsmen for something like this. There's chaos all over the Kingdom, and bandits aren't high on that list for the council. It will take time to assemble a force adequate enough to do this. Besides, I already had to use some of my leverage to assure you weren't kept in jail."

"I thought that was you?" Ruby questions her uncle.

"Released to me, yeah, but I had to have Leo's approval first."

"And that has already made the council upset with me. The Tawnys may have indeed been working for Salem, but the public, the council, doesn't know that. All they know is that you killed a very popular, very influential family," Leo chastises you. "I understand why, but you should have found a better method than killing them all in broad daylight."

You look away, annoyed at... yourself, mostly. It was a spur of the moment decision, one that you could've easily ran away from. You can guess that if the battle had happened and you lost, the Tawnys could have spun it that you were the bad guy and needed to be stopped. But you're not so popular, especially with your surname still being associated with Harrier more than Jet.

"Then damn the council, we'll do it ourselves," Qrow puts the conversation back on track. "You and I are trained Huntsmen, the kids are no slouches either, and those two," he flicks his head towards you and Neo. "They're better than most Huntsmen I know. There will be a fight, and together we can win."

"Unfortunately, you and your sister are evenly matched, and I'm not the fighter I used to be. No offense, but these students and I can't take on an entire bandit tribe and a Maiden that's no doubt had years to hone her skills."

"I can absolutely do it," you're quick to correct.

"We do not need a massacre in the forest like you did here," Leo barks, clearly getting a little defensive now. "I'm aware you're capable, but setting us all up against this tribe would be foolish."

You tap your arm a few times while surmising some sort of better plan than waiting."What... if we don't have to?"

"What'd you mean?" Qrow pivots towards you.

You smirk, a plan completely made in your head. RNJR, Neo, and even Qrow know that look by now. You're determined.

"All we have to do is take Spring, right? So let's do that. Qrow," you shift to him. "You, Neo and I can go there-"

"What? No way!" Jaune cuts in.

"You're not leaving us out!" Ruby stomps towards you. "What did we just talk about?"

"This has nothing to do with my outlook on your abilities," you step back. "The three of us can get near the camp, then I can figure out which one is the Maiden using my Semblance."

"I thought you could only teleport?" Qrow doubts.

"Well... when I can't see where I'm going, I have to lock on. To do that, I..." You struggle with yourself how to properly explain, as even you don't really know. "I... can see beyond my eyes. I could scout all of Mistral if I wanted to, seeing what everyone is doing in slow motion. I don't have to teleport to look around, so I can use it as a scouting tool for this. Then we don't have to worry about sneaking in."

"Hm..." Qrow rubs his chin. He had thought of using his bird form to get a lay of the land, but Raven knows he can do that and, if spotted, she'll be on her guard. If you can fulfil that role with no risks, it's perfect. "That... could work. The three of us should be able to handle just a Maiden."

"W-Why don't we just wait?" Leo interjects.

"No," you shake your head. "I'm not sitting around waiting for people to get this done. We'll talk to the Maiden, knock her out if we have to, then I'll bring us all back to Mistral."

"But why just you three?" Ruby's eyes haven't stopped drilling a hole in your skull.

"Because of what we talked about," you say directly to her. "Do you not remember the handicap I had fighting the Grimm?"

"Your... Aura?"

You nod. "And why did it run out?"

"You... oh..." The pieces click in Ruby's mind, the rest of her team already formulating that conclusion.

"If I try to teleport all of us, then fight a Maiden, then teleport us all back again with yet another person, it'll use too much Aura and take too long. Raven's tribe will be all over us, the Maiden will have recovered, and I won't be at full strength. With just three in and four out, it's much more manageable. The four might take two leaps, depending on how tough this Maiden is," you speak generally, but realize Ruby is a little upset at being left out. You put a hand on her shoulder. "Listen, it isn't because I don't think you, all of you," you say to RNJR. "Can't help. But bringing you all along complicates things. Please, understand that," as honest as you're being about them coming on a practical level, you can't deny that part of you just wants to keep them out of the fight. If Cinder is any sort of baseline for Maidens, this Spring one won't be a pushover. You're more comfortable focusing on the fight rather than worrying about all of them. "Besides," you glance at Leo, who's nervous in his chair. "Better than waiting for weeks."

"He's right, Ruby," Qrow nods after his own contemplation. "And the plan is solid. Look at that, Leo," he smirks at his friend. "You don't even have to fight."

"Yes, but I-"

"It doesn't matter," you take full control of the situation. "This will work."

"But what if it doesn't? What if you're forced to retreat and we lose Spring's trail?" Leo argues. "If we make a move we should be absolutely certain it will work."

"This will work," you turn your back on Leo, now only having RNJR, Neo, and Qrow in view. "Besides..." You look over your shoulder with an air of confidence. "I've beaten a Maiden before."

Leo holds his tongue, unsure how to even reply. Qrow is actually surprised you'd bring that up, given the unique circumstances of your battle. But it may provide the moral boost everyone is looking for, possibly reassuring your friends that this isn't as dangerous as it could be.

"Qrow, when will you be ready?" You look at him.

That look in your eye, that intense fire. It's just what they saw earlier. Even if Qrow went against your plan, he knows you'd just do it with Neo. If anything, that's something he appreciates, especially contrasted with Leonardo's hesitation. "Tomorrow," he quickly answers.

"Then we go tomorrow night. I'll get ready," you take a few steps towards the door. "All things considered," you turn right around and smile at Leo, reminding him of a younger, tortured soul that once trained here. "It was nice to see you again, Headmaster Leo."

"You... too..."

"I'll meet the rest of you at the house," and with that you leap out of the room.

"He... he just left us, again" Jaune blinks a few times. "We have to... walk back."

"That's not so bad. I'm sure there are some beaaaaaaaautiful sights!" Nora hops off the couch, recognizing this meeting has just about wrapped up.

Neo smirks, quickly trotting towards the door and taking her leave. Qrow huffs. "We'll be in town, so you can keep in touch,'' he snags his scroll off the table. "If you change your mind, let us know. Come on, kids."

Without hesitation, everyone follows Qrow out. Ruby lingers for a moment, looking over her shoulder and leaving with, "It was nice meeting you, professor."

"Likewise," he nods his head.

The young girl leaves Lionheart to his thoughts... and soon Watts' voice.

"And now we have this problem on our hands, Leo. Thank you."

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Cut off to the world, deep in the Mistrillian forest, a large camp is fortified with massive spike tipped logs and patrolling guards. Two of those guards, one in a casual long black shirt, gray pants, and a red bandana that covers his right eye, and the other dressed practically the same bit without the eye cover, speak at the front gate. The one without a bandana holds a rifle, while the other has a short sword.

"Can't believe we actually got the Schnee girl. We're gonna get a big payout for this."

"As long as no problems come of it."

"No way! Atlas pulled out entirely! She's at our mercy!" The two eyed one says with confidence, looking out to the forest with a big smile.

Unseen by either bandit, muted footsteps approach the camp. As they approach the clearing, the light peers down on his tattered cloak, shining off his dark glasses.

Hey everyone! Hope you all enjoyed chapter 54! Look at that, we're in Volume 5! See, making progress! Don't take into consideration that V4's section was really short. Just think that I'm super speed. Honestly, V5 may go on for a little longer. There's a month between the first and last episode, so that's a lot of time to work with. I'm not going to do a day by day recount of it all, but it at least provides me with some space to have fun and put lighter stuff in. I guess we'll see as it goes.

As you can tell, Slater's little shell is cracking more and more. It's a fun little inner conflict he has that will wrap up sooner or later. After all, I'm not having him be some super stoic, no nonsense character forever. I imagine he'll come out of this with a blend of old and new, growing as any person should. I hope the bit of character stuff isn't bothering you all too much.

Anyway, I'll be going now. Thanks for taking the time to read this! Chapter 55... well, this was supposed to be the last chapter before transitioning to Limitless again, but I may do 55 then hop over. We'll see. I may end up just writing some key scenes down for when I come back. We'll see. I'll probably have to make up my mind when this chapter comes out, or maybe even do a Twitter poll a bit after this comes out. Either way, I'll see you later!

Want to keep up with me? Know what chapter's coming out next and the progress of them? Follow me on Twitter! Twitter . com (slash) Chinsangan

Questions? Comments? Concerns? Advice? Send me a message!

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A special thank you to Patreon supporters: James Tubbs, MazMan, Cameron Dilbeck, XDIEGenral, and Sassylemons

Extra special thanks to Ride The Lightning

And finally, thank you to the Beta Readers: Samcat & MazMan