AN: I feel like I've waited a thousand years to finally get this fic underway and start putting it out there for you guys to see. Anyways, as of right now, what you need to know is that there are no ships currently planned for this fic, and that it takes place in something very similar to the canon one but with some key differences in its historical timeline.

Aside from that, there's not really anything that's massively important to know. Hope you all enjoy it!


"You see it, right?"

Ruby sat on the windowsill on the uppermost level of the weathered Beacon Academy tower, watching the gigantic grimm as it wandered through the Emerald Forest in search of something, just on the horizon. She didn't know what the monster could be looking for, but it was there, a recent arrival that always seemed to be seeking something.

If she knew what it was, she supposed that would have made the monster a little bit less impressive.

Supposedly, the grimm used to be hostile, always attacking the kingdoms and their inhabitants without much reason. They would come when people started feeling overwhelming negative emotions. The stories said that they also used to be a lot smaller but they were more common.

But things had changed over the last decade or so, at least, that was what people said.

The number of grimm had dropped, but the ones that were left had gotten bigger and bigger, and much harder to kill.

Ruby didn't know why. According to her dad and Uncle Qrow, things had just changed almost overnight. Nobody really seemed to know why.

"Yeah, I see it." Ruby's older sister said as she took her seat next to her little sister and looked out at the horizon as well. "I don't know why you like watching it so much though."

"Well-" Ruby swallowed, inching a little closer to the window. "They're cool. I mean, just look at it!" Ruby blinked, pressing one hand against the window and leaning in slightly. "Can you believe mom and dad used to fight them?" She blinked and smiled softly. "I want to be like them."

Yang sighed and shook her head, taking her seat next to Ruby on the windowsill. "I mean, I get that, but you also know that they… aren't so easy to fight anymore. You've heard dad's stories."

Ruby paused, knowing that Yang was completely correct in what she was saying. "Yeah, I know." She finally said. "But we're here for a reason, Yang. Professor Ozpin thought that we were strong enough to be trained for this sort of thing, and you and I both wanted to be here." She shrugged slightly, bringing her knees up to her chest. "Ozpin says that getting rid of the rest of them can save the world."

Yang laughed quietly and raised a hand to push her too-wild golden hair back away from her face. "You still want to save the world?" She leaned back against the wall behind her, still seated. "They don't attack anyone unless they try to get too close or unless they're attacked first. The chance to go around the world fighting them is cool. But…" Yang shrugged. "I dunno if fighting them is the right thing, you know? Seems way too risky."

"Well…" Ruby paused, thinking some things over for a moment and watching as the grimm on the horizon turned and seemed to stare at the Beacon Academy tower for just a moment. It was almost like the monster had been able to hear her, and that thought was enough to send a shiver down her spine at the thought.

After all, she and Yang had both been brought up on scary stories about what grimm used to do to people. What they could do to people.

Uncle Qrow had always said that a grimm of that size would have been able to flatten a village without any trouble. Ruby didn't doubt him for a second, because of the way that he always seemed to hide a little shudder, along with the way that her dad always tended to shoot Qrow a glare whenever the topic was brought up.

Of course, Ruby knew about why that was.

So did Yang.

But Ruby also knew that she needed to be able to give Yang an answer. Whether or not killing the monsters or provoking them was worth it was just one of those things that people always seemed to debate for some reason. Ruby didn't see any reason to question it.

"Well," She finally spoke up again, closing her eyes for a moment so that she could think things over. "I think that if they're waiting for something like Uncle Qrow and Professor Ozpin say, then we should get rid of them before that thing can happen." Ruby shifted slightly, almost uncomfortable for a reason that she couldn't quite name. "Right?"

Yang looked at her with those bright violet eyes of her and just smiled for a moment before reaching out and mussing Ruby's hair. "Yeah, I guess you're right." Ruby waved her arms in protest, trying to push her older sister away from her. "I mean," Yang smirked. "It's my job to keep you safe."

"I think I'll do just fine on my own." Ruby answered, pushing her hair back into place with a bit of a scowl on her face. "Me and Crescent Rose can take anything."

"Not without a team you can't." Yang laughed, hopping down off of her perch and stretching slightly. "C'mon." She said quietly. "There's supposed to be lunch ready soon."

"Can I stay up here for a little bit longer?" Ruby said quietly, still peering out at the horizon and watching as that giant monster once again began to move again. She wondered what it was looking for. What it was waiting for.

She didn't think that she actually wanted to know that that thing was, though.

If something was coming to make them come after humanity, it had to be something bad. Something terrible.

"No can do, little sister." Yang responded. "C'mon, what would dad think if he found out if you were skipping meals?"

Ruby paused and sighed, hopping down off of the windowsill and adjusting her hood so that she didn't end up with her cape getting caught on anything. "Yeah, you're right."

"I'll see you there for lunch?" Yang asked, smiling widely over at Ruby. Ruby smiled back at her sister. Yang was always there to pick her up when things were bad.

"Alright." Ruby said, listening carefully as Yang went to the door. "I'll be right down."

Yang left.

Ruby decided to linger for a little bit longer, watching as the grimm seemed to stop once again, picking a head up to stare at the cracked moon that hung over the world of Remnant.

She took a deep breath hopped down off of her perch before making her way down to the great hall to join her sister for a meal.


"You see that thing, right?"

Qrow sat on top of Ozpin's desk with his legs crossed, watching a grimm as it moved off in the distance. There had been a couple of students there in that office earlier, to his knowledge, but he didn't know too much about it. He figured that his niece Ruby was probably one of them, but didn't care enough to read into it. As long as nothing weird happened, he had no reason to worry.

"Yes." Ozpin answered, taking a step forward so that they peered out over Qrow's shoulder at the grimm up on the horizon. "It is a bit of an eyesore, isn't it?"

Qrow sighed heavily and shook his head. Supposedly they were going to have some company later on in the evening, but since Qrow both didn't actually work there at Beacon Academy and had the easiest time moving around, he wasn't worried. It meant that he ended up being early for a lot more meetings than people knew.

He shrugged slightly and turned slightly to look back at Ozpin from his perch. "Any idea how far it is from us?"

"Shouldn't you know that?" Ozpin joked, taking a seat in their seat. "Seeing as you're our scout."

"Hey!" Qrow responded, putting on a fake pout of sorts. "Mostly retired these days."

"Well," Ozpin responded, sipping from a mug of what Qrow guessed was coffee. "That's what they all say, isn't it?"

"Yeah, I guess so." Qrow mumbled. There was an beeping sound that broke through the quiet which told them that someone had arrived. That meant that either James or Glynda was there, and Qrow couldn't guess which it would be. "Someone's at the door."

Ozpin let out a quiet enough chuckle that Qrow didn't quite know what to make of it. They shifted slightly and pressed a button on the desk that was near Qrow's right foot, and the door to the elevator opened before its two occupants streamed into the room, one after the other.

The first was Glynda, looking a little bit more than just frustrated with things, and she was followed after by James, who looked equally annoyed but hid it better behind a face that might as well have been made of stone.

"Ozpin." Glynda said, standing at the side of the desk with her arms crossed. "You know that there is-"

"Yes, Glynda." Ozpin responded with a quiet sigh. "It seems to be getting closer." They turned in their seat to face the two new people in the room. James was mostly silent, and leaned against the desk next to Qrow.

"And what are you going to do about it?" James asked, raising his voice just slightly. "The number of hunters left that are still able to deal with one of that size are dwindling already." He let out a quiet sigh. "You're endangering your people the longer that it's able to be there."

Ozpin shook their head and raised up to their feet so that they could walk over towards the window. Almost on cue, everyone else in the room got up and walked up towards the window as well, all four of them watching the behemoth on the horizon. In theory, between the four of them they would be able to find the best way to have it handled.

But Qrow knew better than to think that this was going to be dealt with easily.

It had been about twelve years since the world had gone all topsy-turvy and it had become hard to figure out what they were even doing. In those years, everyone that had been strong enough to deal with a grimm of that size had either gotten old and retired or half-retired like Qrow had, or they'd ended up getting killed in the final battles before the grimm had just stopped.

Before the grimm had turned into giants like that thing.

As for who was strong enough to deal with that now... Well, it wasn't that easy to figure out. Students were only so good, they could only do so much. People wanting to become hunters were dwindling rapid across the remaining kingdoms as well as out in Menagerie, and the ones that did...

Well, they said that it was best to fear the old in professions where most died young. There was a reason for that.

"We could arrange a group of hunters to go out there." James said, his voice low in volume and almost sounding nervous to have made the suggestion. "If we send enough, numbers alone could be enough to overwhelm it."

"It's risky." Glynda replied. "Students can only do so much, even with experienced hunters at their sides."

"So we send some kids," Qrow said, leaning back in his seat. "I wouldn't mind tagging along." He swallowed, hoping that nobody was going to realize what he was actually saying in that moment which was mostly that he was willing to go out in case someone needed their life saved.

Which wasn't necessarily likely, but it was something. It was the very least that Qrow could do. He still had a weapon at home that he could bring out should he need it. He could still do just about anything if he needed to.

All that had changed was that he'd slowed down and didn't pack as hard of a punch as he did in his younger days. That didn't mean that he had lost his ability to fight. He was still in once piece, after all.

"We should be cautious." Ozpin spoke up finally, leaning on their cane and watching the grimm stop where it was moving in the distance. It seemed to lift something up with a large, halfway armored hand and inspect it. Qrow blinked. That wasn't good, not normal. Usually the grimm that travelled out in the forests of that size simply looked to feed once in a blue moon.

Not learn.

"Of course." James answered Ozpin. "Going forward without caution would almost assuredly guarantee casualties."

"Even with caution we're most likely going to see casualties, James." Glynda retorted, shooting the man a glare of sorts that could only be described as unrelenting. "That's how things are these days."

Ozpin hummed quietly and leaned against their cane, watching and waiting, the same way that the Grimm on the horizon did. Qrow didn't know what they were looking for, but he also figured that it was for the best if he stayed off to the side and just let Ozpin do their thing.

After all, Ozpin had never brought them in the wrong direction in the past.

And even if Ozpin had led them astray a few times, it had never been something severe enough that Qrow had ever lost faith in them for it. Always there were words and comforts that were able to pick him up at the end. Every misstep was just a step off of the right path.

But when everyone in that room heard the sound of Ozpin's hum, they all might as well have fallen to attention because there wasn't a single one of them that didn't think that Oz was about to pass down an order of sorts about how to handle this. Of course, Qrow knew that whatever Ozpin ended up suggesting was probably going to come with some pushback, but that had to be expected.

After all, Ozpin and James seemed to argue over everything when it came to policy and tactics. It was just one of those things that Qrow had learned long ago and had decided not to read into too much. James liked direct action, and Ozpin liked to sit, wait, and watch until the time came.

Disagreements were only natural when that was brought into consideration. The stakes were high- it was good that they argued so much.

"I believe," Ozpin began, "that our best course of action is to wait and keep a close eye on this situation." They turned to face the other three, their back now facing the window and the giant grimm that lingered on the horizon. "If it continues to draw closer, then we will be sure to ensure that a group of hunters is put together to take it down. If it does not, we stay the course and continue with life as usual."

"But Ozpin-" James started, taking a tiny half-step forward that ultimately brought him nowhere. "If we do that then-"

"Any concern that the people feel will be assuaged if they see that the situation isn't severe enough to send Hunters into the field to deal with it." Ozpin cut James off before he could continue his protest any more. "I assure all of you, this is no great deal for concern." They sipped from their mug of coffee. "These things happen all the time."

Glynda sighed heavily and brushed some of her blonde hair out of her face before crossing her arms. "I suppose that you want for me to continue training the students as usual?"

"You presume correctly." Ozpin's eyes fell onto Qrow now. "Qrow, if you could use your abilities to get close to the beast and ensure that it isn't getting that much closer to the village, that would be ideal."

Qrow looked out at the grimm and thought hard about Ozpin's suggestion. Normally he didn't like having to fly much these days, but if this is what he was going to have to do in order to support the cause, then he was happy to do that. After all, it meant that he was going to be able to keep the closest eye on things and be the first to report when something went wrong.

The fact that Qrow thought of it as a matter of "when" rather than "if" said a lot about how these sorts of things made him feel, truths be told.

"Got it." He said, stepping forward towards the window and watching the great beast. "I can do two patrols a day. One in the morning and one at night, just to track any changes."

"That would be excellent." Ozpin responded. Qrow blinked, since that meant that he was going to have his work to do, but it wasn't going to be the worst thing that he'd ever done. After all, it wasn't as though he hadn't been a hunter back when the world was still crawling with grimm at every corner rather than the rare behemoths that now wandered Remnant.

He'd dealt with packs of beowulves and dens of ursae, he could deal with flying evasively around a giant monster. In the grand scheme of things, it was the equivalent of checking the mail since Grimm didn't tend to go after animals. To a grimm, a crow was just a crow.

But that left one person unaccounted for in the grand scheme of things, Qrow thought to himself as his gaze strayed over to where James was standing and looking a little too stiff for his own good. But of course, that was more or less James Ironwood's default state. He didn't know how to have fun anymore.

But of course, it wasn't like there wasn't a good reason for him being that way, Qrow reminded himself.

"And what would you like me to do?" James asked, his voice entirely too calm despite the fact that Qrow was sure that deep down the guy was probably boiling with anger and a thousand other things that he wouldn't dare voice, as James had been brought up in the old Atlesian way where feelings tended to be held as taboo at best.

The Great War had done a lot of things to people, and secretly, Qrow knew that Atlas' people had probably been the one to suffer the most for it.

That was just one of the world's dirty secrets.

"James," Ozpin spoke, turning slightly. "I would advise that you maintain your course of action." They paused. "Of course, I doubt that your specialists have been failing you as far as intelligence goes?"

"They continue to submit their reports." James responded, his jaw a little too tight. "I'll be on the watch for any abnormalities."

Ozpin nodded and looked amongst the three of them, and for a moment Qrow wondered whether they were going to be banished off to spend the rest of their nights to their own devices or not. Nothing really would have surprised him all that much at that point.

If their plan was to do nothing until the monster made the first move, then Qrow suspected that the next little bit was going to be boring work. At least, it would be assuming that the beast didn't get any closer to them than it already was and throw everything off.

But as Qrow watched that grimm out on the horizon, he couldn't help the feeling of uneasiness that came with it. It was a thing that had been long trained into him, to the point where he could never forget it. You never trusted in anything when there was a grimm in sight.

He mostly just prayed that the damn thing didn't end up trying to get close, for their sakes.


"You see those things, don't you?"

Hazel rolled his eyes at the sound of his partner's voice, not wanting to pay that much attention to Arthur. The two of them were currently staying in a ruined church that had been left behind following the destruction of Hinagiku village, where they were now staying. Neither of them knew how long this place had been left in ruin, but it was a shelter that they could use for a night or two if they needed it.

"I do." Hazel grumbled, leaning against the wall at the broken window and watching as a flock of grimm flew in front of the moon. Their dark forms were nothing like the animals that populated the world. These were like giant monkeys, wearing bat wings on their backs.

Hazel was sure he'd seen one up close, once upon a time.

But now, watching them in front of the broken white moon in the sky, it was different. It was almost terrifying, and he couldn't quite make himself think that it was going to be okay. Even now, when the grimm seemed more interested in merely existing than attacking, Hazel always held that fear in the back of mind that they were going to come.

It was one of those things that wasn't going to ever be able to leave him. He'd seen enough wreckage brought on by the beasts in his days. Enough bodies.

"Ghastly things, aren't they?" Arthur leaned against the other side of the wall, crossing his arms over his chest and looking over at Hazel. "Do you think we're close?"

Hazel thought hard. He wanted to reach into his pocket and find his map so that he could give an actual answer to that question but Hazel also knew better. The place that they were looking for wasn't on any map, but rather it was informed by rumors and stories that would theoretically get them to their target.

"I don't know." He finally grumbled. "Where is Tyrian?"

"Hunting, I would presume." Arthur mumbled. "I must say, I don't like travelling with some sort of fanatic-"

Hazel shot Arthur a look that would have theoretically been enough to make him be quiet, but he also knew better than to fight Arthur too much on things. Arguing wasn't worth the breath, seeing as Arthur was too headstrong for his own good.

"You know there's a reason he's that way." Hazel said as he seated himself against the wall. "We're doing this for a reason."

"But of course." Arthur rolled his eyes, sliding down against the wall so that he rested on top of his bedroll. "I just wish we could travel with someone a bit less barbaric."

Hazel shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest. He was going to need to sleep sometime as well, especially if they were supposed to be finding a sea of black from where the grimm were supposed to be born.

Years ago, he wouldn't have even considered doing something like this. He used to be a huntsman, keeping a righteous path until he'd realized that something was wrong, and that something needed to be stopped. Action was something that had needed to be taken, and now he was looking for the next chance that he could go ahead and act.

He didn't know whether or not Arthur was the same way. It was one of those things that they hadn't talked about much- how they ended up in this sort of life. Hazel knew fully well that the two of them both had something in common that had brought them together as they were now, but it wasn't worth talking about.

After all, they knew everything about each other that was worth talking about.

Though, it wasn't to say that it was just the two of them alone.

There was the sound of someone coming up the stairs, and that was how they knew that their third companion, a strange man by the name of Tyrian had made it back to the church that they were using as shelter.

"And so he returns." Arthur commented as he reached into his jacket to find a small leather-bound book that they had been using as a dossier of sorts when the traveled. "I suspect you found nothing useful out there?"

Tyrian stopped dead at the top of the stairs and his yellow eyes flicked between the two of them. Hazel shot Arthur a look to try and quiet him, but he knew fully well that it wasn't going to do anything. "I-" Tyrian hesitated and his eyes seemed to drop as he stepped forward before taking his seat in the gravel-filled corner that he'd 'claimed' as his own for the night. "No, I didn't."

"That's no surprise." Arthur replied, flipping the page on his dossier. "You know, if you stayed out much longer, I'm sure that the-"

"Arthur." Hazel raised his voice just enough that he was able to really grab Arthur's attention for a little while and hopefully distract him away from harassing the thin man over in the corner. "It's fine."

In the corner, Tyrian laid on the bare wooden floor and curled up, a long tail unwrapping from around him for just a moment. Hazel could almost sense the way that Arthur rolled his eyes, and sighed before leaning his head back against the wall behind him. "We're moving out in the morning."

"You think we'll find it?"

Hazel looked to Tyrian, realizing that the man was watching the grimm as they flew in front of the moon.

"I think we're close."

"And once we find it?" Tyrian spoke up now, shifting slightly in his spot and letting his tail wind up around him. "Will we-"

"I don't know." Hazel responded, feeling an old injury on his chest beginning to flare up and engulf him. It was a burning feeling, like his body was somehow craving something that he was never going to be able to find or take comfort in. He'd been feeling those pains on and off for the last thirteen years or so, and they never wanted to stop. Some nights it was worse than others.

Tonight, it felt like the run of the mill sort of pains that he was used to. The sort of pain that was meant to remind him of something.

"Well," Arthur spoke up now, idly rubbing at the back of his neck. "We have to prepare to move in the morning, seeing as we're supposed to be finding a spawning pool."

Tyrian shifted, sitting up now and letting his tail flick out behind him. He seemed to be watching in great interest, and for a moment Hazel reminded himself that the responsible thing for them to do would be to explain to Tyrian what they were supposed to expect.

"We shouldn't have any trouble assuming we find it." Hazel grumbled, pressing a hand to his chest in hopes that he might be able to make some of his pains subside. "We're protected."

"Yes, I suppose that is what we're assuming." Arthur deadpanned, flipping another page in his dossier with a bored expression on his face as he tried to find something there. "Never mind the fact that the grimm don't even get as aggressive as they used to." The man closed his book and set it down on the floor beside him. "So yes, I suppose we're protected."

"But what happens once we find it?" Tyrian asked, keeping his voice mostly quiet and shifting nervously. "Will She-" The man shifted again, rubbing at his bandaged left arm and wincing.

Hazel groaned and laid down, resting one of his arms behind his head and trying to make himself comfortable on the floor. "We don't know." He said as plainly as he could manage.

"It's what one could call a small goal, Tyrian." Arthur replied, also lying down himself. "You should rest, the last thing that any of us will need tomorrow is for you to keep us from getting things done and dragging us down."

Hazel closed his eyes and tried not to grit his teeth. This was just part of what he had to deal with, he knew that. This was just one thing along a path. "He's right." he grumbled finally. "Go to sleep."

He heard the sound of Tyrian shifting and trying to lay down in his corner, and the sound of his tossing and turning in an attempt to force himself to sleep. All three of them were ready to rest, and that was what was important. They were all in one place, and as far as they knew, they were safe.

If they needed to get up and fight, then all three of them would be able to do that.

But for now, what was important to rest.

Hazel closed his eyes and took deep breath after deep breath as he tried to calm himself and ignore the pain in his chest until he finally managed to fall asleep and hopefully dream of nothing.