A Piece for the Seasons

by ElectronicYarn

Cinder has resurfaced, and her mad quest for power has begun again. Yang, Blake, Weiss, and Ruby are ready to fight. Enemies new and old, friends familiar and forgotten, and even fragments of the past will all converge on the Kingdom of Mistral where the fate of Remnant will be decided. Part 3 of the Missing Pieces series.

2. In the Cold Dead of Winter

Author's Note: This chapter and the next three will be split into parts that are more or less the length of one of my normal chapters. I'm hoping this aids readability.

---

Chapter 2: In the Cold Dead of Winter

PART I

A light snow had begun falling over Haven. Yang was standing in the middle of what used to be the school's main courtyard. Atlesian soldiers had taken the place of the grimm on the decimated campus and were busying themselves by setting up defensive positions and attending to the wounded. They had come ready for war, fully decked out with their high-tech armor and weapons, although their usual complement of robots and mechs was conspicuously absent.

Robots or no, Yang was still happy to see the soldiers. The sheer number of grimm that had been attacking Haven made it obvious that it would take far more than just Team RWBY to turn back this tide. The state of Haven could attest to that. Many of the school's buildings had been reduced to nothing more than rubble, and Yang didn't think she'd seen a single intact window.

The rest of Team RWBY had wandered off not long after the fighting had stopped, leaving Yang alone with her dad. Blake had mumbled something about scouting the outskirts of the school to make absolutely certain no more grimm were lurking about before she'd disappeared, and Weiss had gone to find whoever was in charge of the Atlesian forces. Ruby had waited for all of a second before speeding away to follow Weiss.

Taiyang hadn't been pleased with his youngest daughter's sudden disappearance so soon after their reunion, but she'd run off too quickly for him to object. After waiting impatiently for a few minutes, he asked Yang. "Do you think Ruby will be gone long?"

"I'm sure she'll be back soon," Yang said.

"She'd better," Taiyang said.

Yang looked over at her dad, intending to say something reassuring. But when she saw him bouncing up and down in an effort to keep warm, she laughed. In stark contracts to his daughter, Taiyang was bundled up from head to toe. Now that he wasn't battling the grimm, he'd put on a scarf, a hat, and a pair of mittens, in addition to his thick coat. But even with all his extra layers on, he was still shivering.

"What's so funny?" Taiyang asked.

"Nothing," Yang said. "I'm just surprised you're out here. You've always been such a wimp when it comes to the cold."

"Hey! Show some respect, Young Lady!" Taiyang said. "You wouldn't be talking so tough if you didn't have your semblance to help you out."

"Maybe," Yang said. "But this is nothing. It's good you weren't in Atlas with me for very long."

"I'd be happy to go my whole life without setting foot that far north ever again," Taiyang said. "But I'm sure glad you stayed. I don't think I've heard you laugh since…well…."

Yang felt a reflexive pang of anxiety hit her, but it quickly passed. She said, "It's okay, Dad. You can say it."

Taiyang gave his daughter a tiny smile. "I haven't heard you laugh since that monster hurt you."

"I got him back," Yang said. "We got him back."

"I heard," Taiyang said. "I was so proud of you and Ruby. You're already saving the world, just like I knew you girls would. Just imagine what you'll be able to do when you're both done with school!"

Yang let out a humorless chuckle.

"What?" Taiyang asked.

"I remember Uncle Qrow telling us that a day out here was worth a week of school," Yang said. "I don't know if a classroom has much to teach us anymore."

Taiyang thought about it for a moment. Then he said, "Well you've got my vote. You and Ruby may not have graduated yet, but you're full-fledged huntresses as far as I'm concerned."

Yang smiled. "Thanks, Dad."

"But don't think that means you're done learning!" Taiyang said.

Yang's smile turned sad. Her eyes wandered down to her arm. "Believe me. I know," she said.

Taiyang's gaze followed Yang's, but he immediately forced himself to look back up again.

Yang said, "I told you, Dad. Whatever it is you can say it. I'm not pretending it didn't happen anymore."

"Then can I see it?" Taiyang asked. "Your new arm?"

Yang held up her prosthetic, opening and closing her fist to demonstrate. "Ta-da," she said. "The finest in Atlesian technology."

Taiyang took ahold of Yang's arm. He turned it over in his mitten-covered hands, examining it with a wide-eyed look of fascination.

Yang bit back a laugh when Taiyang started wiggling one of her fingers like he'd forgotten it was attached to her. Her dad could be such a nerd when it came to technology. Ruby's love of weapons had definitely come from him.

Taiyang curiosity hadn't been satisfied yet. He pulled off a mitten and started poking at one of the joints that articulated Yang's finger.

"Hey! That tickles!" Yang said, giggling. She pulled her hand away from Taiyang.

"You can feel that?" Taiyang asked, amazed.

"A little bit," Yang said. "It's not much, but it's better than nothing."

"That's incredible!" Taiyang said as he slipped his hand back into his mitten. Then he started babbling. "Have you tested its full capacity yet? Maybe thought about putting in some onboard weapons? I mean, think about it! You could never be disarmed! Well, I guess you could. Literally. But—"

"Dad!" Yang said with a laugh. "Now you sound like Ruby."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Taiyang said.

Suddenly, Yang heard the sound of boots crunching in the snow. She turned and saw Blake walking up.

As she approached, Blake said, "There's no more sign of the grimm. At least not at the moment."

"Too bad," Yang said. "We'd really mop them up with all the soldiers here."

"Maybe that's why they're staying away," Blake said.

"I didn't think grimm were that smart," Yang said.

"Some of them are," Blake said. "The more dangerous ones."

Taiyang held up his hands. "Before this goes any further, I never did catch your name."

"I'm Blake. Yang's…" Blake hesitated. "…partner."

"Oh! You're Blake! The B in Team RWBY!" Taiyang said. He grabbed Blake's hand and started shaking it vigorously. "Yang's told me so much about you! I'm Taiyang, by the way. Yang's dad."

Blake looked uncomfortable as Taiyang continued to enthusiastically pump her hand up and down with no sign of stopping. When she'd had enough, she tactfully pulled her hand free and said, "It's good to meet you, Sir."

"Don't call me sir," Taiyang scoffed. "It makes me sound old."

"Alright," Blake said.

Yang suddenly threw her arm around Blake's shoulders. "Hey, Blakey!" she said. "You forgot to tell Dad about the part where we're girlfriends!"

Yang felt Blake tense up, much to her amusement. Blake was so used to keeping secrets that Yang wasn't surprised she'd hesitated to tell Taiyang about their relationship. Fortunately, she knew that Blake didn't have anything to worry about.

"Girlfriend?" Taiyang asked. "Another one?"

"Yeah, we…" Yang said. But once she'd fully processed what Taiyang had said, she exclaimed "Dad!"

"You're not going to break her heart too, are you?" Taiyang asked.

"It's different this time!"

"You've said that before."

"Dad, I love her!"

"You've said that before too."

"Dad!" Yang exclaimed. She was so mortified that she was actually blushing. Of course her dad would find a way to make this as awkward as possible. The worst part was that he wasn't wrong. She had said stuff like that before.

Scrambling to salvage her dignity, Yang blurted out, "I didn't know what I was talking about back then! I—!"

Yang cut herself off when she felt Blake reach up and take ahold of the hand draped over her shoulder. Yang was suddenly terrified that Blake might have taken what Taiyang had said in the worst way. She looked at Blake and asked, "You know I really love you, right?"

"Without any doubt," Blake said.

The resolve in Blake's voice soothed Yang's worries. And judging by the surprised expression on Taiyang's face, it hadn't been lost on him either.

Blake said, "We've gone through…difficult times together. You had every right to hate me after what happened at Beacon."

"Blake!" Yang said. She gripped Blake's hand a little tighter. "I never hated you!"

"I know," Blake said. "And even after I ran away, you…."

Blake's voice faltered. Yang couldn't take it anymore. She let go of Blake's hand so she could give her a proper hug. It seemed Blake's emotional scars from the fall of Beacon hadn't healed any more than Yang's had. Yang wondered if either of them would ever really recover. All she knew for sure was that they needed each other now more than ever.

Yang looked at Taiyang and said, "It's different this time, Dad. A lot different."

Taiyang had a look of awe on his face. After a minute, he slowly walked up to Yang and Blake and wrapped his arms around them. Yang thought she heard him sobbing.

"Dad? Are you crying?" Yang asked.

"I'm just…I'm…" Taiyang stammered. "I'm so happy to meet you, Blake."

"Thank you," Blake said softly.

It was at that moment that Ruby and Weiss walked up. Ruby said, "We're back, everyone! And, uh…." She trailed off when she saw everyone embracing one another.

Weiss asked, "Is everything alright here?"

"Ruby!" Taiyang exclaimed, completely ignoring Weiss. He pulled out of the group hug and tried to compose himself. "Why did you run off?! Again!"

"I was just going to help Weiss out," Ruby said. "We were coming right back."

"Ruby," Taiyang said, obviously still very emotional, "please, just, let me at least talk to you for a minute!"

"Sure. Why wouldn't I?" Ruby asked, sounding confused. "Did something really happen? Everyone looks like they've been crying."

"Don't worry about it, Rubes," Yang said, finally letting go of Blake. "Everything's fine. I was, uh, just telling Dad about how I'm dating Blake."

"Okay," Ruby drawled, sounding like she wasn't convinced that everything actually was fine.

Taiyang said, "No more avoiding the subject, Ruby! Running away from home is a serious matter!"

"Daaad!" Ruby whined. "I left a note!"

"You could have been killed!"

"It wasn't like I was alone! I had friends with me!"

"They could have been killed too!"

"Dad," Ruby said. "Beacon was destroyed. All those people got hurt, or worse! Someone had to do something!"

Taiyang sighed. Then he smiled a sad smile. "You are so much like your mother sometimes."

"Dad," Yang chimed in. "You said it yourself. We're basically huntresses now. If that's what you really think, you're going to have to let us be huntresses."

Ruby's expression brightened. "Really? We're really huntresses?"

Taiyang scratched the back of his head. Then he said, "Yeah. I guess you are."

"Wow!" Ruby said. "Did you hear that Weiss? Oh, Weiss! This is my dad, Taiyang."

Weiss bowed her head politely. "It's a pleasure to meet you again, Sir."

"Why does everyone keep calling me sir today?" Taiyang asked. "I'm not that old!"

"I don't know," Yang said, trying to lighten the mood. "You kind of are."

"Hey! You won't think so when you get to be my age!" Taiyang said.

Ruby asked, "Wait, Weiss. What did you mean by 'again'? You've met Dad before?"

"Yes. Once," Weiss said.

Taiyang said. "Sort of. We barely even got to talk."

Weiss said, "I'm sure we'll have plenty of opportunities to get better acquainted now."

Ruby said, "Well you two better get to know each other! You're my girlfriend after all, Weiss!"

Weiss's eyes went wide with alarm. "Ruby!" she exclaimed.

Taiyang didn't look any less flabbergasted than Weiss. "Girlfriend?! You too?! But I haven't even given you the 'date talk' yet!"

"It's not that big of a deal," Ruby said.

"Hey!" Weiss said, while Taiyang simultaneously said, "What?" Then both of them said in unison, "Yes it is!"

Ruby held up her hands defensively as she received two sets of looks. "I mean, yeah, it is," Ruby said. "But Weiss and I were already best friends forever! It's not that different from dating."

Yang managed to keep herself from laughing. Leave it to Ruby to have no idea how big of a step she'd taken with Weiss. Yang wondered if she should feel pity for Weiss because of Ruby's cluelessness or envy over how effortlessly Weiss and Ruby had made the transition from friends to girlfriends. She and Blake certainly hadn't had such an easy time of it.

Taiyang sighed. "I guess you couldn't stay my little girl forever," he said to Ruby. "And going on some playdates with Weiss here is probably good for you."

"Playdates?" Ruby scoffed. "Pff, no. It's nothing like that. Weiss is totally in love with me."

Ruby's statement shocked Taiyang into silence, but it had the exact opposite effect on Weiss. Her face turned bright red and she shouted, "Ruby! You! I never even said—!"

"You've said it lots of times." Ruby waved her hand dismissively.

Yang chuckled. "Yeah when she thought you weren't listening, Rubes."

"You stay out of this!" Weiss snapped at Yang. Then she turned back to Ruby and said, "Regardless of…my feelings, you can't just go around telling people about our relationship! We've talked about this!"

"It's okay to tell Dad, isn't it?" Ruby asked. "Besides, I love you too. So that makes it all okay!"

"You…you…" Weiss stammered as Ruby's casual yet sincere declaration derailed her train of thought.

Taiyang said, "Love?! I've been missing all the most important parts of my girls' lives!"

"Dad, it's okay," Ruby said. "We're all here together now, right?"

"Yeah. I guess we are," Taiyang said. He nodded to himself. Then he said, "Well come here, Ruby-Roo. You haven't given your dad a hug yet."

Ruby smiled and ran to Taiyang.

"You too, Little Dragon!" Taiyang said.

"Aw, Dad," Yang said. She walked over to Taiyang and joined his and Ruby's hug.

Taiyang said, "I'm so happy to have my daughters back."

Ruby said, "We're glad to have you back too, Dad!"

Taiyang looked up at Blake and Weiss. "I'm glad to meet my new daughters too," he said and motioned for them to join in.

Blake and Weiss glanced at each other. Blake said, "Uh…that's…."

Weiss said, "It's a bit premature to call us your daughters."

"Not from what I've seen," Taiyang said. He motioned again.

Blake grimaced, and Weiss sighed. They both reluctantly joined Taiyang, Yang, and Ruby.

Yang felt like she might start crying all of a sudden. She hadn't realized how badly she'd missed her dad. And to have him and Ruby and Blake and even Weiss here all together was a salve for her soul. This was the answer she'd been looking for. There was so much good she still had in her life, and if she focused on that, maybe she could finally find some measure of peace.

"Alright! Enough standing around!" Taiyang said, letting go of everybody. "As huntsmen and huntresses. We've got a job to do!"

"Yeah!" Ruby said. "Team RWBY Plus Dad is ready for action!"

Weiss said, "I spoke with some of the officers here. I'm sure they'd be happy to coordinate with us."

Taiyang said, "That's not a bad idea. But first we need to go track down a moldy, old Qrow."

Excitement spread across Ruby's face. "Uncle Qrow's here too?" she asked.

"Yup," Taiyang said with a nod. "He was on the other side of the school, fighting off a whole bunch of ursai last I saw."

"Let's go find him then!" Ruby said.

Taiyang led the group on a search. It wasn't hard to find Qrow. He was in the middle of an argument with a pair of Atlesian soldiers. It seemed like he'd recovered from his injuries since Yang had last seen him in Atlas, but he still looked more haggard than usual.

"Uncle Qrow!" Ruby cheered as she ran for him.

Qrow turned around just in time to get caught up in a hug from Ruby. "Hey, Kiddo," he said. "It's good you're here."

Qrow made a dismissive gesture at the two soldiers as he hugged Ruby back. The soldiers looked perplexed. One of them shrugged at the other, and then they started walking away.

Taiyang marched up and said, "Qrow! Did you know about this?"

"No," Qrow said, letting go of Ruby. "Ironwood didn't bother to let me know he was coming. I told him to get his little ships to Mistral weeks ago. I guess he's finally gotten it through his thick, metal skull how bad things have gotten here."

"I'm not talking about Ironwood!" Taiyang said. "I'm talking about Yang and Ruby having girlfriends!"

"Ruby too?" Qrow muttered.

"So you did know!" Taiyang said.

"That's not what's important right now, Tai," Qrow said.

"It's important to me!" Taiyang said.

The sound of an engine roaring overhead drew everyone's attention skyward. Up above them, a tiny transport had dethatched itself from the giant warship, and it was heading in the group's direction.

"Well what do you know," Qrow said. "It looks like Jimmy's finally going to give me the time of day."

---

PART II

Of all the sights to see in Mistral, especially given the state of the kingdom, Weiss had not expected Ruby's uncle to be the one that was occupying her attention. Nevertheless, while everyone else was watching the small transport heading in their direction, Weiss was busy sizing up Qrow.

Weiss had met Ruby's uncle twice before, once during the Vytal Festival and once in Atlas. She hadn't been impressed with him before, and she certainly wasn't impressed with him now. It was difficult for her to believe that he and Ruby were even related. There didn't seem to be any family resemblance between them in appearance or in attitude.

Unfortunately, it was painfully obvious to Weiss how much Ruby admired Qrow. Weiss sighed internally. She didn't understand why Ruby was so enamored with her gruff, alcoholic uncle, but she supposed she could tolerate his presence for the sake of the positive effect he had on Ruby's mood. After the battle she'd just experienced, she knew cheer would be hard to come by in the days ahead.

Even bearing witness to the fall of Beacon hadn't prepared Weiss for today. The fighting had been like nothing she'd ever seen before. The Grimm had been just as malicious and destructive as ever, but behind their savagery, Weiss had sensed a cruel intelligence guiding them. There had been an order, however subtle, imposed upon their chaos. Weiss didn't know how or why, but just the thought of it terrified her to her core.

Weiss shivered and not because of the winter chill. She glanced over at Ruby. More than anything right now she really wanted to hug Ruby, or at least hold her hand. She wanted some kind of physical contact to soothe her nerves. Unfortunately, such a display wouldn't be appropriate with all the people around. It was bad enough that Ruby had already told Taiyang about their relationship. He may have been unexpectedly accepting, but he was just one more avenue through which Father might learn the truth.

Ruby's effortlessly nonchalant admission of love a few minutes ago wasn't helping Weiss keep her emotions in check either. Had Ruby just been saying that, or had she really meant it? Asking for clarification wasn't an option right now, and the uncertainty was killing Weiss.

Ruby must have noticed Weiss's distress, because she turned to Weiss and asked, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Weiss lied. She forced herself to smile.

"Okay. If you say so," Ruby said.

The transport finally drew close. Its engines kicked up a flurry of snow as it neared the ground. Weiss shielded her eyes until the transport finally touched down.

The transport's door opened, and General James Ironwood stepped out. Weiss immediately noticed something odd. He was wearing his winter field uniform, but his rank insignia was missing from his collar. Weiss had met the General at various social functions over the years, and he did not seem like the type to be sloppy with his appearance.

Weiss didn't have long to contemplate the mystery of Ironwood's uniform, however. Right behind the General, Winter stepped out of the transport as well. A tinge of panic shot through Weiss. She hadn't anticipated running into her sister. It was true that Winter had aided Team RWBY's journey to Mistral, but she'd been none too pleased with the idea.

Weiss made the mistake of locking eyes with Winter. She tried to look away, but she found her gaze held captive. However, Weiss didn't see the anger she'd been expecting in Winter's eyes. To the contrary, they were only filled with concern.

Qrow sneered as Ironwood and Winter walked up. "What's she doing here?" he asked.

Ironwood glanced at Winter. Then he said, "Specialist Schnee is a valued member of my staff."

"Don't give me that crap, Jimmy," Qrow said. "She's the Winter Maiden, and you know it!"

Winter said, "That has yet to be proven."

"Oh yeah?" Qrow asked. "When was the last time Oz made a mistake about something like that? Just because you're a lousy Maiden doesn't mean he was wrong."

"How dare you!" Winter said, mirroring Weiss's thoughts.

Ironwood held up his hand to quiet Winter. He calmly said, "I don't understand, Qrow. You were the one who insisted on the Summer Maiden being here. Why are you so opposed to Winter's presence?"

Ruby shifted uncomfortably on her feet at the mention of her status.

Qrow said, "I wanted my niece here so I could protect her. I figured Atlas was a safe enough place for the Ice Queen. What with her injured."

Winter said, "I've fully recovered from Adam Taurus's attack."

"If you say so." Qrow pulled out his flask.

Ironwood said, "It doesn't matter now, Qrow. Winter is here and so am I. We're going to defeat Cinder."

"Just like that, eh?" Qrow asked. "Do you even know where Cinder is?"

"Not at the moment," Ironwood admitted. "But you and I both know it's only a matter of time before she attacks in person again."

Qrow took a long drag on his flask. When he was done, he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and said, "By the time that happens, it might already be too late."

"Do you know something I don't?" Ironwood asked.

"The Spring Maiden is here in Mistral too," Qrow said.

"What!?" Ironwood exclaimed. "Where!?"

"Kuchinashi, last I heard," Qrow said. "Although who knows where she is now."

"How did you find out about this?" Ironwood asked.

"A little birdie told me," Qrow said.

Weiss didn't care for Qrow's patronizing tone, but to her confusion, the General seemed to accept what Qrow had said at face value.

Ironwood looked worried. "All three of the Maidens here," he muttered.

"Just like Cinder wants," Qrow said.

"What about Ozpin?" Ironwood asked.

Qrow looked away. He took another pull from his flask before putting it away. "Ozpin's dead," he said.

"But what about—?" Ironwood tried to ask.

"He's dead!" Qrow interrupted. "I don't know how, but he's really dead this time."

Ironwood's expression turned dire.

Suddenly, Ruby stepped forward. She said, "Uh, excuse me? Sir? I don't really know what's going on. But me and my team came here to stop Cinder. And no matter what's happened. That's what we're going to do."

"You?" Ironwood asked. "You're just a child."

Weiss blurted out, "Don't discount her! Ruby's the Summer Maiden! And don't discount any of us either! We came here to help her!"

"Yeah!" Yang said. "We're huntresses, or as good as. It's our job to protect the world!"

Blake said, "We can't stand by and do nothing. If Cinder isn't stopped, nowhere and no one will be safe."

Ironwood said, "That's a commendable attitude. But I doubt your families would agree with you putting yourselves in such extreme danger."

Ruby said, "You can ask my dad. He's right here."

Taiyang stepped forward. He put his hands on Ruby's and Yang's shoulders. "I believe in my girls," he said. Then he glanced over at Weiss and Blake. "All of them."

Weiss nodded in Winter's direction and said, "My sister can vouch for my resolve."

Winter didn't look pleased, but she said to Ironwood, "While I do not approve of Weiss's presence here, I wasn't able to prevent her from coming. She and her team will fight, with or without our consent. And they are capable."

"Very well," Ironwood said. "Then I welcome everyone's help."

Qrow said, "Now that we're all just the best of friends, when are the rest of Atlas's ships getting here? We're going to need them to keep all the grimm at bay."

Ironwood frowned. He clasped his hands behind his back and said, "They're not coming."

Qrow's eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about?" he asked.

"My soldiers and I are here illegally, in defiance of the council," Ironwood said.

"You're on the council!" Qrow said.

"Not any longer," Ironwood said. "Mistral continues to refuse Atlas's aid. They still believe that this is nothing more than a grimm attack."

"Are they stupid or something?" Qrow asked. "How do they explain Cinder."

"Cinder has been careful to keep out of the public's eye," Ironwood said. "The Maidens are just a fairy tale to the world at large. But after what happened at the Vytal Festival…let's just say that the politics of the situation are complicated."

"Who cares about politics!?" Qrow said. "Mistral is going to be too busy trying to stop the grimm to do anything about Atlas anyway."

"In the short term," Ironwood said. "But there's more to it than that. Atlas's robotic units have been pulled out of service until it can be determined how they were compromised. They represent a significant portion of Atlas's military strength. Most of the council members feel that it wouldn't be prudent to provoke a war without our military at its full strength."

"If we don't stop Cinder now, it won't matter if Atlas has its little windup soldiers back or not!" Qrow said.

"I agree," Ironwood said. "That's why I'm here. But one ship is all I have."

"Figures," Qrow muttered, pulling out his flask again. "You finally do something I can respect you for and it still pisses me off."

Ironwood lowered his head. "With the Spring Maiden in play…. I need to confer with my staff."

"Fine. You go do that," Qrow said dismissively. He turned and looked at Team RWBY and Taiyang. "I've got some conferring of my own to do."

Ironwood started walking back to his transport, but Winter said, "Sir."

Ironwood glanced at Winter. Then his eyes turned to Weiss. "Very well," he said.

"Thank you, Sir," Winter said.

As Ironwood walked away, Qrow said, "What. Don't tell me you're joining our little powwow."

"Yours? No," Winter said. "But I would speak with my sister."

"You sure that's all you're after?" Qrow asked.

Winter's eyes narrowed. "Why do you always assume that everything is about you?"

Qrow glared nastily at Winter, and Winter glared right back. The tension began ratcheting up. But then Taiyang asked, "So who wants to eat?"

Qrow and Winter both looked at Taiyang with blank expressions.

"I don't know about everyone else," Taiyang said, oblivious to the situation he'd just defused, "but I skipped dinner. I'm starving!"

Suddenly, Ruby gasped. "Oh no! We left all our supplied behind!"

Yang said, "No, we brought them with us. They're in our bags!"

Blake said, "Which are still on the bullhead."

"Yeah!" Yang said. "Which is…uh…."

Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose. "Which is probably halfway back to Atlas by now."

There was a long silence. Then Ruby said, "Sooo. I don't suppose any wonderful older sisters of a certain member of Team RWBY would be willing to share some of the supplies that I bet they brought a whole bunch of on their fancy airship, would they?"

"Ruby," Weiss groaned. Sadly she knew that was Ruby's best attempt at subtlety.

Winter looked at Ruby, but remarkably, there was a hint of reluctant amusement in her eyes. She said, "I will see what I can do."

---

About twenty minutes later, Team RWBY and Winter were all sitting around a Dust-powered heating unit that Winter had provided. Dinner had been served in the form of military rations, also courtesy of Winter. Qrow had pulled a reluctant Taiyang away from his food to discuss something, but everyone else was eating. Weiss was doing her best not to turn up her nose at the meal. She hadn't really been expecting five-star cuisine, but this so-called "food" was just terrible. She didn't know how Winter could stand it with any regularity.

Ruby was sitting next to Weiss, snarfing down her dinner. Weiss would have criticized Ruby's table manners, but they weren't exactly at a table. In fact, it would've been easy to imagine that they were all enjoying the warmth of a cheerful campfire somewhere out in the woodlands. There was a certain peacefulness to the scene. Snowflakes were gently falling, and a quiet stillness had settled over Haven's campus.

Unfortunately, this was not the woods, and Team RWBY was not on a campout. Weiss knew without a doubt now that they were in the middle of a war.

Weiss glanced at Ruby. She tried her best not to find Ruby's lack of decorum cute. Sometimes Weiss wondered how she possibly could have fallen in love with Ruby. In many ways, they were complete opposites. Weiss didn't give any credence to that old, trite adage about opposites attracting. Although, Ruby being an outsider to the world of high society did lend her an open and honest nature. It was one of the things that Weiss loved most about her.

Weiss looked across the heater to where Yang and Blake were sitting. The two of them were snuggled closely together. Weiss knew Yang must be sharing the heat her semblance generated to keep them both warm. Even in the midst of what was happening, they looked so content to just be by each other's side.

Weiss felt jealousy trying to get the better of her again. Despite all the ridiculous obstacles that had been put in Yang and Blake's way, they were still together. Their love seemed so natural that Weiss would've called it fate, if she believed in such things. It was so different from her relationship with Ruby. She felt like she'd had to struggle every step of the way to earn Ruby's love, but she would continue to struggle for as long as she had to. She wouldn't give up on something that she so dearly needed.

"Weiss," Winter's voice interrupted Weiss's thoughts.

Weiss slowly turned her head. She knew Winter wanted to talk with her, but she'd been dreading what her sister might say. Weiss steeled her resolve and said, "Yes, Winter?"

"Why did you come here?" Winter asked.

"You know why," Weiss said.

"No. I do not," Winter said.

"Stopping Cinder is important," Weiss said.

"I do not disagree," Winter said. "But this is not your battle to fight. I know you know this. You have a responsibility to the Family."

"And what responsibility is that?" Weiss asked. "To keep myself safe while you throw yourself into danger? To be a…replacement for you?"

"Frankly, yes," Winter said. "I have no choice. But you do."

"Why?" Weiss asked. "Why do you have no choice?"

"I should think the answer to that is obvious," Winter said.

Ruby suddenly spoke up. "It's the same reason why I don't have a choice. She's a Maiden."

"Precisely," Winter said.

Weiss said, "If Ruby doesn't have a choice, then neither do I."

"Oh?" Winter arched an eyebrow. "And pray tell why."

Weiss's stomach suddenly tied itself into knots. Her answer got caught in her throat. She respected Winter deeply, but Winter would never understand or approve of her relationship with Ruby. Weiss knew all too well what a mark of shame it would be in the eyes of her family. But as Weiss sat there thinking about it, her anxiety turned into anger. The world was falling apart, and there she was still walking on eggshells because of what was expected of her. She sat up straight and said, "I don't have a choice because Ruby is my girlfriend. I'm in love with her, and I'd follow her anywhere."

Winter was visibly taken aback. It wasn't something Weiss was accustom to seeing. Had the circumstances been different, she might have been proud of herself. Across the heater, both Yang's and Blake's full attentions were focused on her now. Even Ruby looked surprised.

Slowly and deliberately, Winter asked, "She is your girlfriend?"

Weiss said, "That's correct."

"Weiss…" Winter said. She actually seemed to be at a loss for words. "Father—"

"I don't care what Father might think, and I don't care what you think," Weiss said, even though the latter wasn't true. "I can't change how I feel. And even if I could, I wouldn't want to."

"Weiss, consider the family line," Winter said.

"If you really cared about that, why don't you have a husband yet?" Weiss asked pointedly. "I'm not the only one capable of producing children."

"I have my reasons," Winter said.

On a hunch, Weiss asked, "Is one of them that you were relying on me?"

Winter's silence was all the answer Weiss needed.

Weiss said, "So you have your own designs for me. Just like Father."

Hurt flashed in Winter's eyes. Weiss felt a pang of regret over what she'd just said, but it wasn't enough to make her take it back.

"Uh…" Ruby said hesitantly. "If it's kids everyone's worried about, couldn't either one of you, you know, adopt?"

The absurdity of Ruby's question almost made Weiss laugh. Adoption would never be an option for a family as concerned about good breeding as the Schnees. But the ridiculous idea had distracted Weiss enough to allow her to take a step back, emotionally speaking. She didn't want to fight with Winter, especially not right now.

"Winter," Weiss said. "I'm—"

"No," Winter interrupted. "You're right. And here, now, we have bigger things to worry about."

Ruby muttered, "Cinder."

Weiss could hear the apprehension in Ruby's voice. She debated with herself for just a moment before wrapping her arms around Ruby in a hug. Even after outing herself to Winter, Weiss's deeply ingrained sense of propriety bristled against the display of affection. But she desperately needed to do something, anything, to help Ruby find some calm in the storm they were caught up in.

"Weiss," Winter said. "I am…please you've found love."

Weiss almost did a double take. It wasn't Winter's approval, but it was more than she'd been expecting. "Thank you, Winter," she said.

After a moment of silence, Yang said, "So, uh…we should probably talk about what we're going to do when we run into Cinder."

Blake said, "We do have two Maidens to her one."

Ruby hung her head. "Maybe that'd matter if I could actually use my power."

"Ruby…" Weiss said.

Ruby's head suddenly snapped up. She looked at Winter and asked, "You're a Maiden, right? Maybe you could teach me!"

Winter's eyes turned down. "From what I have heard, I should be the one asking you to instruct me. I've never been able to access my power."

"Never?" Ruby asked. "Not even a little?"

"No," Winter said. "I'm not convinced Ozpin was correct about my status as a Maiden."

Qrow's voice suddenly called out, "He wasn't wrong."

Everyone turned their heads and saw that Qrow and Taiyang were walking back up. Taiyang immediately went for his dinner. Qrow, however, didn't seem to be interested in eating. He said to Winter, "You'd be able to use your power just fine if you'd ever take that stick out of your—"

"Qrow!" Taiyang said through a mouthful of food. "Language!"

Qrow rolled his eyes. He sighed and said, "Ozpin explained it a dozen times. Maiden powers aren't something logical or predictable. You can't study or analyze them. You have to let your feelings and your intuition guide you."

"Yes, yes," Winter said derisively as she stood. "I remember your attempts to 'train' me."

"It would have worked if you'd actually listened," Qrow said.

Ruby asked, "What about me, Uncle Qrow? Can you train me?"

Qrow looked down at Ruby. For just a moment, Weiss saw a glimmer of pity in his eye. "Sure, Kiddo," he said. "But you're not going to like it."

"Why's that?" Ruby asked.

"You've already used your power once," Qrow said. "The only guaranteed way I know for you to use it again is to make yourself feel exactly what you did the last time."

A look of dismay crossed Ruby's face. Weiss hugged her a little tighter.

Taiyang asked, "Is that really necessary, Qrow?"

"We were just talking about this, Tai," Qrow said.

"That doesn't mean I have to like it," Taiyang said in a sullen tone. He set his half-eaten dinner aside. Apparently, he wasn't hungry anymore.

Ruby said, "If that's the only way…."

Qrow said, "As you use your power more you'll be able to control it easier. But for now, strong emotions are the simplest way. Think of it like training wheels."

"Yeah, I guess," Ruby said. "Uncle Qrow? Back when…when I woke up on Patch. You told me I was a Silver-Eyed Warrior. Why not just tell me the truth?"

Qrow sighed. "I had to tell you something, Kiddo. I needed you to be brave, not scared. And I still need you to be brave. You're going to have to fight Cinder."

"Qrow!" Taiyang said.

"It's not what I want for her, Tai," Qrow said. "But life doesn't care about what you want."

"It's okay, Dad," Ruby said, "Fighting Cinder is what we came here to do. But Uncle Qrow, I thought you told Ironwood that you wanted me here so you could protect me."

"Yeah, I did," Qrow said. "But only you can protect you from Cinder."

Taiyang said, "Qrow, don't be so fatalistic."

"I'm being realistic," Qrow said. "Tai, you've known something like this was coming. You've known ever since Ruby inherited Summer's power."

Yang suddenly said, "So you did know, Dad. About Mom and Ruby being Maidens."

Taiyang looked guiltily at Yang. "Yeah. I did," he said.

"Why didn't you ever tell us?!" Yang asked.

"I wanted to," Taiyang said. "But how would I have explained it to you? Back when…Summer died you were both still so little. I guess I just never found the right time to bring it up."

Yang scowled. "Did Cinder have something to do with Mom's death?"

Qrow answered for Taiyang, "No she didn't. But it was someone like her. There's always someone like her lurking out there. It's why the Brotherhood was formed."

Weiss spoke up, "There's something I don't understand. Doesn't Cinder already have what she wants? She's the Fall Maiden. Why would she even need to come after Ruby?"

"Cinder isn't going to be content being just the Fall Maiden," Qrow said. "She wants all the Maidens' powers."

"All of them?" Winter interjected, sounding alarmed. "Surely that is not possible."

Qrow shrugged. "I wouldn't have thought it was possible to steal Amber's power the way Cinder did. Whether it's possible or not doesn't matter. Cinder thinks it is."

Yang muttered, "Neo wasn't lying after all."

"Neo?" Weiss asked. "What does she have to do with this?"

"Nothing," Yang said. "I just…I'd hoped she was wrong."

A silence settled over the makeshift campsite as the weight of the situation pressed down on everyone. Weiss felt ill. The two people she cared about most were being threatened by the most dangerous person on Remnant. She needed a plan—she always came up with a plan when things became too overwhelming to deal with—but she didn't even know where to begin.

"Ruby, I…" Weiss said.

"It's okay, Weiss," Ruby said. Weiss didn't believe her.

Suddenly, Winter's head turned. Weiss looked up and spotted General Ironwood approaching. She let go of Ruby and stood, and everyone else followed suit.

"Specialist Schnee," Ironwood said as he walked up. "I have a mission for you."

"Sir?" Winter asked.

"You are to keep yourself and Miss Rose safe. This will be your top priority."

"But wouldn't I be of more use combating Cinder Fall?" Winter asked.

"It may come to that," Ironwood said. "But until then, you have your orders."

"Yes sir," Winter said.

Weiss wanted to point out that Ironwood couldn't technically give Winter orders at the moment since his presence in Mistral was illegal. But this turn of events worked in her favor, so she kept her mouth shut. With Winter assigned to Ruby, Weiss would be able to keep an eye on both of them.

Ironwood continued, "My ship and the majority of my troops will stay here. We don't have the resources to protect all of Mistral, so our priority will be the capital and this school."

Qrow asked, "And what about you personally? Or are you not going to bother getting your hands dirty?"

Ironwood said, "I'm going to Kuchinashi to track down the Spring Maiden."

"I told you, there's not a chance she's there anymore," Qrow said. "And good luck figuring out where she's gone."

"I admit it's not likely we'll find her," Ironwood said. "But nevertheless, I have to try. It is my sworn duty as a member of the Brotherhood to keep the Maidens safe."

"I don't know if there even is a Brotherhood anymore without Oz," Qrow said. "And don't forget that this particular Maiden hates our guts. Even if you do find her, she's not going to accept your help."

"I haven't forgotten," Ironwood said. "It's a chance I'll have to take."

Qrow pulled out his flask. As he unscrewed the cap he said, "Tai, if Jimmy's serious about this, you should go with him."

"What!?" Taiyang said. "I can't just leave my girls behind!"

Qrow took a long drink. "You're not a member of the brotherhood," he said. "And unlike me or Ironwood or the Ice Queen, you're good with people. The Spring Maiden might actually listen to you."

"Well, that's true, but—" Taiyang said.

"You know you can't stop Cinder," Qrow said. "The Maidens are our best bet. And you're our best chance at getting the Spring Maiden on our side."

Taiyang did not look happy. Weiss didn't blame him. He said, "Yes, but—"

"Tai," Qrow said. "At some point you're going to have to let them stand on their own."

"That's just what I'd expect a Branwen to think," Taiyang said angrily.

"Maybe so," Qrow said. "But that doesn't make it wrong."

Yang glanced at Ruby, and the two sisters seemed to come to a silent agreement about something. Yang said, "We'll be okay, Dad. We're here to look after each other."

"Yeah," Ruby said. "Plus Weiss and Blake and Winter will all be with us!"

Taiyang sighed heavily. "Alright," he relented. He got down on a knee and held out his arms. "You'd better give your dad one more hug for the road then."

Ruby and Yang ran into Taiyang's arms. Weiss watched as the Rose-Xiao Long family embraced. Taiyang was so very different from her father. Weiss still didn't know what to make of him. Was he an anomaly or was he what a father was really supposed to be?

"I love you, girls," Taiyang said. Then he let them go and stood. "Alright, Ironwood. I'm ready. But if we don't find any clues to follow in Kuchinashi, I'm coming right back for my daughters."

"Understood," Ironwood said. "Are you sure accompanying me is what you want to do?"

"No," Taiyang said. "So let's go before I change my mind."

"Very well," Ironwood said. He turned to Winter. "Specialist?"

"Yes, Sir?"

"Good luck."

"Thank you, Sir."

Everyone watched Taiyang and Ironwood leave. Weiss could feel Ruby's anxiety growing, so she put her hand on Ruby's shoulder. She didn't know if such a small gesture was of any comfort, but it felt like the right thing to do.

After a moment, Yang asked, "Well now what?"

"I don't know about you," Qrow said. "But I'm going to go find the Spring Maiden.

---

PART III

It had grown uncomfortably quiet around where Team RWBY, Winter, and Qrow had gathered. Weiss could feel the tension sitting heavy in the air, and this time Taiyang wasn't there to alleviate it. Winter was looking at Qrow suspiciously. She asked, "You know the location of the Spring Maiden?"

"No," Qrow said. "But I know someone who might."

"Why didn't you tell the General this?" Winter asked.

"Because my contact hates people like Ironwood even more than the Spring…" Qrow sighed. "Even more than Lily does."

Winter's eyes narrowed. "Is that the only reason?" she asked.

"What? You think I sent Ironwood off on a wild goose chase?" Qrow asked.

"I would not put such a thing past you," Winter said.

"If I'd done that, I wouldn't've told Tai to go with him," Qrow said.

Ruby chimed in, "Well, Uncle Qrow, if you're going to find the Spring Maiden then we're coming with you."

"That's not a good idea," Qrow said. For some reason, he glanced at Yang, not Ruby.

Weiss said, "If Cinder is after the Maidens, our primary mission should be to keep them all safe."

"Yeah," Yang said. "We didn't come here to sit around doing nothing."

Qrow was still looking at Yang. He said, "You might not like what you find out there on the road."

"Uncle Qrow," Yang said. "We've been through a lot. We can handle it."

"Alright," Qrow said. "But don't say I didn't warn you."

Ruby said, "Aw come on, Uncle Qrow. It'll be fun going on a mission with you!"

"Not as fun as you'd think," Qrow muttered. Then he said, "And we can't travel together, so get that out of your head right now."

"But, why not?" Ruby asked, sounding disappointed.

"Don't you know that crows are bad luck?" Qrow asked.

Ruby pouted at her uncle.

Qrow chuckled. He said, "Just trust me, Kiddo. It's safer for you this way. If you really want to help look for Lily, head to Asagao. I'll keep an eye out for you."

Before Ruby could argue, Qrow hunched over. His body began to shrink and distort until he was wearing the form of a bird. He took off into the night sky and quickly vanished, a shadow of black on black.

Blake asked, "How does your uncle do that? I've never heard of a semblance like that."

Yang shrugged. "I don't know. He won't tell us. All I know is it's not his semblance."

Ruby said, "Well you heard Uncle Qrow, everyone. We're heading to Asagao!"

There was a pause. No one moved.

Ruby sheepishly asked, "Does anyone know how to get to Asagao?"

Weiss shook her head. "Your uncle didn't give us directions on purpose, didn't he?"

"What? No," Ruby scoffed. Then she said, "Actually, maybe."

Winter spoke up. "I'm not convinced this is the correct course of action. But…I do know the way."

---

The road to Asagao turned out to be a long one that wound through the mountains of Mistral. Team RWBY and Winter hadn't traveled for very long before they'd agreed that it was far too dark to safely navigate the terrain and had decided to bed down for the night. Fortunately, before they'd left Winter had once again used her military rank to procure all the camping equipment they'd need, including backpacks to carry it all in.

Weiss was lying by herself in a small tent. Despite the late hour, she was wide awake. She knew she needed to get some sleep, but her mind refused to be still. Months ago, when the semester at Beacon had begun, she would never have imagined that before long she'd find herself in Mistral, fighting against a fairy tale myth. That fateful day Cinder had attacked Beacon, every plan that Weiss had ever made about her future had been completely upended.

Weiss sighed. She admitted to herself that even before things had gone all wrong, her life had already been heading off in unforeseen directions. Ruby, Blake, and Yang had challenged everything she'd thought she'd known about herself and the world at large, intentionally or otherwise. But it wasn't until she'd been forced to return to Atlas that she'd realized just how huge an impact they'd had on her, Ruby most of all.

Weiss had known for years, at least subconsciously, that she could never be what Father wanted her to be. She couldn't take a husband and produce the next generation of Schnees. She'd done an admirable job of ignoring that little fact, naïvely believing that everything would sort itself out in time. But then Ruby had come into her life and ever so slowly stirred up feelings that she couldn't force back down, no matter how badly she had wanted to.

Ruby's words from earlier, about how she love Weiss, were still ringing in Weiss's ears. They had been like the sweetest nectar Weiss had ever tasted, but at the same time, they were a torment. This was Ruby. She could've easily meant that she loved Weiss as a friend or like a sister. Or she could have meant that she loved Weiss in the way Weiss loved her.

Weiss's restlessness finally got the better of her. She sat up and threw off her blanket. Then she slipped her boots back on and climbed out of her tent. The night air was freezing outside. Weiss knew she should go back inside her tent and grab her coat, but she stubbornly stayed put. She looked over at her companions' tents. There were only three of them. Yang and Blake hadn't bothered with the pretense of sleeping separately. They were spending the night together.

Much to Weiss's surprise, Winter hadn't batted an eye at Yang and Blake's nighttime arrangement. The fact that they were both women hadn't bothered her, but Weiss knew that Winter held her to a higher standard. Winter may have been open-minded, but Ruby was still a disappointment for her.

The wind picked up, chilling Weiss, but she didn't move from her spot. She looked longingly at Ruby's tent. She knew it had to be warm inside, far warmer than her own lonely tent, but her relationship with Ruby was still fragile. Ruby was finding herself, especially when it came to physical expressions of love. Ruby really seemed to enjoy hugs and holding hands, but Weiss could count the number of times they'd kissed on one hand. Ruby had always seemed to enjoy it, but Weiss was terrified of somehow inadvertently forcing herself on Ruby, even with so small a gesture.

Weiss felt her toes start to go numb. She wrapped her arms around herself as the wind kept blowing. One way or another, she needed to make a decision about where she was going to spend the night. Her expression hardened with resolve. She walked over to Ruby's tent and let herself inside.

Ruby was snoring away under her blanket. Weiss took a moment to watch. She felt like a despicable voyeur, but Ruby was just so irresistibly adorable that she couldn't look away.

The tent was too small to stand up in, so Weiss crawled over to Ruby's side.

Suddenly, Ruby snorted, and her eyes pried themselves open. "Wha…?" she said.

"It's…it's just me," Weiss whispered, afraid that Ruby was going to be alarmed by her presumptuous intrusion.

"Weiss?" Ruby asked sleepily. "What are you doing here?"

"I…" Weiss stammered. What could she say that wouldn't sound horrible? She settled on, "I was missing you."

Ruby looked confused. Weiss realized that she probably wasn't fully awake.

Weiss hesitantly asked, "Can…can I…stay here tonight?"

"You want to sleep with me?" Ruby asked.

Weiss panicked until she reminded herself that Ruby almost certainly didn't mean that in a sexual way. She forced herself to be calm, and said, "If that's okay."

Ruby yawned. "Sure," she said and turned over a corner of her blanket to let Weiss in.

Weiss gulped. She lifted the covers and crawled under them. Then she gingerly laid herself down so her back was to Ruby's.

Weiss's heart was pounding in her chest. She didn't know why she'd thought this would help her sleep. She wanted to flee back to the safety of her own tent, but she wasn't going to run away now. She'd never be able to explain herself to Ruby.

"Ruby," Weiss said softly, not even sure if Ruby was still awake. "I'm not making you uncomfortable, am I? This is okay, right?"

"Of course," Ruby said. "It's just like bunk beds, except better."

"Better…" Weiss whispered to herself.

Suddenly, Ruby rolled over. Her arms wrapped around Weiss, and she snuggled into Weiss's back. Weiss's anxiety shot up to new heights. For a moment, she thought she might die. But the feeling of Ruby lying next to her was absolutely heavenly. She decided that just this once, she was going to let herself enjoy the moment.

Ruby muttered, "You're so cold." Her arms tightened around Weiss.

"Not anymore," Weiss said. "Now that you're here."

"I love you, Weiss," Ruby said.

"Do you really?" Weiss asked.

"Yeah," Ruby said. She yawned sleepily. "It's like…butterflies in my stomach."

That was enough for Weiss to believe that Ruby wasn't talking about sisterly love. A tear rolled down her cheek. She'd never thought she'd experience a moment like this. No matter what the future might hold, she would treasure it forever.

Weiss whispered, "I love you too, Ruby."

---

"Up and at 'em, sleepyheads!" Yang's voice loudly rang out from outside the tent. "Ruby! Weiss! Blake! Wake up!"

Weiss's head shot up and bounced off the low, slanted walls of the tent. She was confused and disoriented, not quite recalling where she was or how she'd gotten there. But then a voice beside her mumbled something about strawberries.

Weiss looked down. Ruby was by her side. One of Ruby's arms was draped across her, although it had slid down to her lap when she'd sat up. Weiss's cheeks flushed as she remembered what had happened last night, but embarrassing though it was, waking up like this was filling her with a giddy joy.

"Come on, girls!" Yang shouted again. "Winter and I made breakfast! We're going to eat it all up if you don't hurry!"

Suddenly, Weiss's face drained of color. Winter and Yang were outside. She was going to have to walk out of Ruby's tent in front of Winter and Yang. Weiss looked around the small space in a panic, trying to find some avenue of escape.

Unfortunately, Ruby's eyes flew open and she bolted up into a sitting position. "Breakfast?!" she said. "Come on, Weiss! We can't miss breakfast!"

"Wait, Ruby! No!" Weiss said, but it was too late. Ruby grabbed her by the hand and pulled her out of the tent.

Outside, Winter and Yang were standing around a small, portable stove. Something was sizzling in a pan on top of it, but Weiss didn't have time to look and see what it might be. Yang and Winter were both staring at her. They'd noticed exactly whose tent she'd come from.

Yang's face flipped through a dozen different expressions. She finally settled on a hesitant but nonetheless proud smile. "Wow, Rubes," she said. "Way to go, lady-killer!"

Weiss would have vastly preferred Yang's disapproval. However, her bigger concern at the moment was Winter, who was doing a superb job of being inscrutable. Weiss said, "Winter, I, uh…."

Winter said, "There is no need to explain. Although, if you had informed us of your sleeping arrangements beforehand, it would have saved us the burden of carrying an extra tent."

Despite Winter's neutral tone, Weiss could still feel her sister's displeasure.

"Wait," Ruby said. "What is everyone talking about?"

Yang said, "Well you see Ruby, when two people love each other very much—"

"Yang! No!" Ruby said. "You got the wrong idea!"

"Suuure I do," Yang said.

The last tent's flap suddenly opened. Blake crawled out of it, still looking groggy from sleep. She yawned and plodded up to the group. But when she noticed the expressions on everyone's faces, she asked, "Okay. What happened?"

Yang grinned. Weiss could tell this was going to be a long day.

---

After breakfast, Team RWBY and Winter had broken camp, repacked their backpacks, and headed out for the day. Even in winter, Mistral was a beautiful kingdom. Now that it was day, the snow-covered mountains, frozen rivers, and frosted evergreen trees made for a spectacular tableau. Weiss might have been able to appreciate it too, if Yang hadn't been making not-so-subtle comments every ten minutes or so about her and Ruby's supposed nighttime proclivities. The comments were flying right over Ruby's head, but Weiss knew Yang didn't care about that. Yang's needling was being directed solely at her.

"Now, Ruby," Yang said, making Weiss cringe. "You and I need to have an important talk soon."

"You said that earlier," Ruby replied. "A talk about what?"

"See, that's why we need to have one," Yang said.

Weiss said, "For the last time! We didn't do anything!"

"Maybe not yet," Yang said. "Buuut…well, you know."

Weiss scowled, but she didn't say anything more. She knew it didn't matter what kind of response she gave to Yang. It would just egg her on.

As bad as Yang was being, Weiss was still far more agitated by the fact that Winter hadn't said much of anything. It had Weiss worried.

Winter was walking ahead of the group, so Weiss jogged to catch up with her. "Winter," she said. "I'm sorry. I should have told you about me and Ruby sooner."

"Given my reaction, I can hardly begrudge your reluctance," Winter said.

"I know you don't approve," Weiss said. "And…and you're right."

Winter looked at Weiss. "Do you truly believe that?" she asked.

Weiss thought about it for a moment. Then she said, "No. I don't."

"Good," Winter said. "If you did, I would be right to disapprove."

Weiss struggled for something more to say, to find some way to convince Winter that her relationship with Ruby was a good one. But before Weiss could find the right words, Winter said, "Ruby Rose is an interesting individual."

"Yes she is," Weiss said.

"Do you love her? Truly?" Winter asked.

"I do," Weiss said.

"Then…I do not disapprove of you courting her," Winter said.

"You don't?" Weiss asked.

"You sound surprised," Winter said.

"Well, yes, but—" Weiss said.

"I can't blame you," Winter said. "I have not been pleased with my response to your new arrangement with Ms. Rose."

"What do you mean?" Weiss asked.

"My choice to join the military met with scorn from Father and others," Winter said. "They believed I was being derelict in my duties to the Family. Yesterday, I had that same reaction when I learned of your relationship to Miss Rose. I see now that I have been neglectful of my familial responsibilities. And I was using you to justify my decisions to myself."

"Winter!" Weiss said. "No one cares more about the good of the Family than you!"

"I'm not certain that is true," Winter said.

"Even if it isn't, it's not right that Father or anyone should dictate the course of your entire life," Weiss said.

"Precisely," Winter said.

Weiss lowered her head. "I'm sorry for what I said. About you having designs for me. It's not true."

"But it is true, or rather, it was," Winter said. "Nevertheless, I hold no claim to your future. And I have seen that Miss Rose possesses a rare moral fortitude and a strong sense of loyalty. How could I not approve?"

Weiss let out a long breath. "Thank you, Winter," she said. She felt a great burden lighten on her shoulders, if only just a little.

Behind Weiss, Yang suddenly said, "Is something wrong, Blake?"

Blake said, "I heard something."

Weiss glanced over her shoulder. The group was walking on a relatively flat stretch of road. There were few places that some threat could be hiding. Blake, however, was looking up into the sky.

Yang, who was looking up too, said, "I don't see anything."

"Neither do I," Blake said.

Yang asked, "Do you think someone is following us?"

Ruby said, "It could be Uncle Qrow. He said he'd keep an eye out for us."

"Maybe that's it," Blake said. She didn't sound like she was convinced, but she gave up her search for whatever it was she'd heard. Changing the subject, she said, "I've been meaning to ask something. Does anyone actually know anything about the Spring Maiden? I think Qrow called her Lily?"

Winter said, "Yes. Her name is Lily Vesna, according to the dossier General Ironwood provided for me."

"It sounds like she has some history with that brotherhood Qrow and Ironwood are a part of," Blake said.

"I wouldn't be privy to that information," Winter said, "I do know that Ms. Vesna is a native of Mistral, and—"

Blake's ears twitched under her bow. "Look out!" she shouted.

Weiss heard it too, a whooshing of air. Everyone sprung out of the way as a gargantuan nevermore, even bigger than the one Team RWBY had fought in the Emerald Forest, swooped down. Its razor-sharp talons stabbed into the ground as it landed. The great beast flapped its mighty wings and spat something out of its mouth.

In an instant, everyone had shed their backpacks and had drawn their weapons. But the nevermore didn't attack. It just stood there menacingly.

Suddenly, whatever the nevermore had been carrying in its mouth began to move. It appeared to be a small bird, but then it shifted and grew until it became a man.

"Uncle Qrow!" Ruby cried out.

Qrow was bruised and bleeding. He feebly said, "Run. Everyone, run."

It was too late. Up in the sky there was a flash of crimson, and the smell of ash filled the air. Weiss felt a chill creep down her spine. Slowly, she raised her head.

Cinder, the Fall Maiden, was descending toward them, radiating a power that didn't belong to her. The smile on her face was so sinister that it made Weiss's blood run cold. Like Yang, Cinder was dressed with complete disregard for the weather. She had on a blood-red qipao, a garment Mistralian goddesses were often depicted wearing. Weiss knew that was no coincidence.

Cinder landed on her feet as light as a feather next to the nevermore. She stroked its beak affectionately, like it was some sort of pet. Then the creature flapped its massive wings and took off back into the sky.

"Don't look so surprised to see me," Cinder said in her sickeningly smooth voice. "I would have found you sooner or later. This is my destiny." She opened her hand, and a fire sprung to life in it. "It's just a shame none of you will live to see it."

---

PART IV

Unnatural power burned in Cinder's eyes, mirroring the flame in her hand as it grew brighter. She turned her palm outward and pointed it directly at Ruby.

Weiss rushed to Ruby's side in a heartbeat, heedless of the danger she was putting herself in. She thrust her fingers forward and conjured up a white glyph to block Cinder's attack. She didn't know if her semblance stood any chance against the power of a Maiden, but she had to try.

Cinder's flame leaped off of her palm and streaked through the air toward Weiss and Ruby. Weiss braced herself.

Cinder's flame never hit its mark. Before it had even covered half the distance, something intercepted it, and it exploded with alarming force.

The smoke from the explosion slowly cleared. Weiss lowered her hand, and her glyph vanished. Standing in Cinder's way was Qrow. Weiss was amazed. She'd thought Qrow had been far too injured to get up, much less fight, but there he was. His aura had already been depleted, but his sword was dug into the ground, and he was using it as a makeshift shield. It had taken the brunt of Cinder's attack, but there were still fresh scorch marks on Qrow's clothing.

"You again," Cinder said in an amused tone. "You just don't know when to give up, do you?"

"You're damn right I don't!" Qrow said. He pulled his sword from the ground. Gears on it began to spin, and it unfolded into the shape of a scythe. "Now get away from my niece."

Cinder gave Qrow a smile that was positively dripping with callous cruelty. She said, "You're welcome to try to stop me."

Qrow sneered. He lunged at Cinder, and his scythe sliced through the air. Its razor-sharp blade plunged for Cinder's neck. Qrow let out a yell as his scythe hit home.

Cinder hadn't even bothered dodging. For just a moment, Weiss dared to hope that the battle had ended before it had even begun. But Qrow's scythe had just stopped dead against Cinder's neck, foiled by her aura and the Fall Maiden's power.

Cinder cocked her head to the side. "Did you honestly think that would do any good?" she asked. "I've had months to master my power."

Qrow gritted his teeth. He leaned into his scythe and brought all his strength to bear, desperately trying to make it through Cinder's defenses. But it was all in vain. When Cinder tired of the charade, she spun around lightning quick and delivered an inhumanly powerful kick to Qrow's chest.

Qrow's feet left the ground. He seemed to hang in the air for a moment, but then he rocketed backward like a bullet shot from a gun. He crashed head-first into the ground some distance away.

"Uncle Qrow!" Ruby cried out.

Weiss saw anger flare in Ruby's eyes. It was so intense that they almost seemed to glow with a faint, silver light. Before Ruby could do anything foolish, Weiss said, "Wait, Ruby! We need a plan!"

"We don't have time for a plan!" Ruby said.

"Weiss," Winter's voice calmly interrupted. "Can your team buy me some time?"

Weiss glanced at her sister. Winter had a look of steady determination on her face.

"Yes we can," Weiss said. "Right, Ruby?"

"Right," Ruby said. She looked at Yang and Blake. "Be ready to follow in behind us."

"You got it," Yang said.

Ruby turned back to Weiss and said, "White Rose."

Ruby took off with incredible speed. Weiss summoned up a glyph underneath her feet and propelled herself after Ruby. White Rose was supposed to be similar to Ruby and Blake's Ladybug attack, where they rapidly struck from multiple angles. Weiss and Ruby had practiced the maneuver many times, but this time Weiss was having difficulty keeping pace with Ruby. Somehow, Ruby was pushing her semblance beyond its normal limits.

Cinder stood there confidently as an indistinct red blur zoomed toward her. Just as Weiss saw the glint of Crescent Rose's blade whirling to attack, Cinder brought her hand up and landed a vicious backhanded strike on Ruby.

Ruby went sideways. She'd been completely unprepared for Cinder to actually hit her at such speeds, and now she was dangerously vulnerable. Cinder didn't waste any time. She kicked Ruby solidly in her gut, sending her arcing upward. Then she lifted her palm and blasted Ruby midair with a massive fireball.

A nauseating feeling churned in Weiss's guts as she saw Ruby sail over her head, still smoldering from Cinder's attack. Behind her, Weiss could hear Yang's alarmed cry. Every fiber in Weiss's being screamed at her to turn around and make sure that Ruby was okay, but she was too close to Cinder now. Giving her such an easy opening would be disastrous.

Weiss flicked Myrtenaster's barrel over to the red Dust chamber. She squeezed the trigger and held it down, letting more and more power flow into her sword. She didn't let go until Myrtenaster's blade was glowing so hot that it was in danger of melting. Weiss knew there was no way she could keep up a sustained fight with Cinder, so she was going to make every hit count.

Weiss pushed her glyph forward as fast as it would go. The landscaped whizzed by her in a blur. She thrust her sword at Cinder and struck for all she was worth.

A maelstrom of fire erupted from Myrtenaster. The explosion was so intense that it actually knocked Weiss aside. She stumbled a bit, but she managed to stay on her feet.

Weiss raised her guard again. The oversized blast from her sword had tipped Cinder off balance enough to force her to take a step backward. Weiss knew Cinder wasn't invincible, but it was reassuring to see evidence of that. However, Weiss's confidence fled the moment Cinder's gaze fell on her. Cinder's eyes made a primal fear well up in her. She felt like she was staring into a hellish abyss.

Cinder swooped after Weiss. Thinking quickly, Weiss raised her hand, and a white glyph sprung to life in between the two of them. Cinder's blow made the glyph waver. Weiss could feel her semblance straining as it struggled to keep the glyph intact.

Cinder struck again and again. Weiss raised her other hand, pumping more and more energy into the glyph to keep it from dissipating. She was stuck now. If she let the glyph fail, Cinder's next hit would land on her. But maintaining the glyph was rapidly taxing the limits of her endurance. She didn't know what to do.

Suddenly, there was a pause in Cinder's assault, but Weiss didn't even get the chance to catch her breath. A fireball collided with her glyph and exploded. The glyph was instantly destroyed, and Weiss was blown off her feet.

Weiss spun head over heels. For a brief instant, she heard the roar of a second fireball that had been lobbed at her. She felt the heat coming off of it a split second before it struck home.

The force of the blast drove Weiss hard into the ground. Her aura struggled to do anything to protect her. Over the course of her training as a huntress, she'd been struck dead-on by Nora's hammer and had experienced blows from Yang at her strongest. But nothing compared to the hit she'd just taken. Cinder was playing on a level far beyond anything Weiss had ever faced.

Weiss's whole body ached, but she knew she needed to get back on her feet. She needed to be able to defend herself or Cinder's next strike might very well kill her.

Weiss managed to lift her head up in time to see Yang and Blake speeding toward Cinder. Yang's fist struck Cinder cleanly across the jaw. There was a boom as Ember Celica fired off a blast at point-blank range. Even though Yang hadn't been hit yet, her eyes were already red. Weiss knew Yang's emotions could fuel her semblance. She hoped that seeing Cinder hurt Ruby had given Yang a huge boost. It was the only way Yang stood a chance.

Cinder's foot came rushing for Yang's head in a vicious counterattack, but Blake pushed Yang out of the way. The kick struck Blake hard, but then she, or rather her clone, vanished, catching Cinder by surprise. Yang took advantage of the opening and hit Cinder again. There was enough power behind her punch to actually make Cinder flinch.

Yang's fists kept flying at Cinder as she punched her for all she was worth, while Blake's clones danced in between the two, hampering Cinder's efforts to defend herself. The smile had faded from Cinder's face. The repeated hits from Yang were at least wearing on her patience if nothing else.

Suddenly, Cinder clenched her fists, and blades made from ash spontaneously formed in them. She swung and cut clean through one of Blake's clones, hitting Yang on the other side with enough force to make her stagger. Cinder slashed violently at Yang over and over again, not giving her a chance to recover. Blake tried to intervene, but her clones were being sliced up as fast as she could create them.

Yang raised her gauntlets in an effort to defend herself, but Cinder was too quick. The ashen blades whittled away at Yang's aura a sliver at a time. Then Cinder leaped forward and delivered a devastating sidekick straight into Yang's gut. Yang was sent flying helplessly through the air.

Blake and her clones were on Cinder in an instant. Gambol shroud and its sheath clashed with Cinder's blades. Blake's expression was locked into one of intense concentration as she pushed her semblance to its absolute limit. Cinder looked no less focused. Her blades became a blur. In the space of seconds, dozens of Blakes sprung into existence and were just as quickly cut down.

Weiss knew she needed to do something and fast. It took a great deal of effort, but she pushed herself back to her feet. She raised her hand. She didn't know if she had the energy to summon after already straining her semblance against Cinder, but she was out of options. Weiss conjured up a glyph, but it fizzled within seconds. Despite all her hours of practice, she still hadn't mastered her ability to summon yet.

Weiss's eyebrows knitted together as she tried again. She wasn't willing to let her ineptitude cost Blake her life. Her second glyph managed to stabilize. It spun in the air for a moment, and then a boarbatusk stepped through.

"Go," Weiss said to her summoned grimm, breathing heavily from the effort.

The boarbatusk reared in Cinder's direction. It clomped its hooves against the ground a few times, and then it charged toward its target.

Cinder's eyes flicked in the direction of the boarbatusk rushing toward her, but rather than look concerned, her sinister smile returned. She let go of her blades and they dissolved back into thin air. Then she opened both of her hands, and fire sprung to life in her palms.

Blake took advantage of Cinder's lowered defenses and attacked with impunity. The edges of her sword and sheath gleamed as they slashed at Cinder, but they couldn't seem to pierce Cinder's aura.

Suddenly, Cinder clapped her hands together. A massive wave of fire exploded outward from them. Weiss was forced to shield her eyes from the blinding flash. The blast obliterated her boarbatusk and Blake's clones.

Weiss's heart sank when she heard Blake, the real Blake, cry out in agony as she took the full force of Cinder's attack. Weiss lowered her hand from her eyes and saw Blake skid to a stop on the ground. She didn't get back up.

Weiss raised her sword, but a hand fell on her shoulder. She looked up and saw Winter standing there.

Winter said, "No, Weiss. You and your team have done your part. Now it is my turn."

"Winter!" Weiss said. "You can't beat her alone!"

"I won't be fighting alone," Winter said.

A glowing, white beowolf walked up from behind and stood by Winter's side. Weiss looked over her shoulder. There were ghostly grimm of every shape and size massing behind her, dozens upon dozens of them. Winter must have been summoning them nonstop since the fight had begun.

"Winter…" Weiss said. "Be careful."

Winter nodded solemnly. She started marching toward where Cinder was patiently waiting.

Winter stopped a few feet away from Cinder. She clasped her hands behind her back and stood with the poise of a general surveying a battlefield.

Cinder said, "I've been looking forward to meeting you."

"I cannot say the same. Fortunately, this will be over quickly," Winter said. She made a small gesture, and her assembled army of grimm charged forward. Beowolves and boarbatusks, nevermores and beringles all descended upon Cinder like an unstoppable flood. Talon and claw met fire and ash as a battle like no other was joined.

Winter drew her saber. She flicked a switch that ejected its smaller companion into her waiting hand. She took a moment to energize her swords with the Dust stored in their hilts. A frigid layer of ice coated the larger blade, and a crackle of electricity began to dance across the smaller.

A few feet away, the weight of numbers was pressing down on Cinder. With so many summoned grimm, not even the Fall Maiden could keep them all at bay. But Cinder was still holding her own. One by one she was whittling away at Winter's army.

Winter carefully studied the situation. When she sensed the moment was right, she lunged into the fray.

Weiss's heart was in her throat as she watched Winter do battle against Cinder. She desperately wanted to help, but with all the summoned grimm surrounding Cinder, Weiss wasn't sure there was even a place for her to stand.

Suddenly, a voice from behind asked Weiss, "Are we winning?"

Weiss spun around. Ruby and Yang were standing there. They both looked worse for wear. Ruby was covered in soot and dirt, and Yang had an arm draped across Ruby's shoulders so Ruby could help prop her up.

"Ruby!" Weiss exclaimed. "Are you alright?!"

"I think so?" Ruby said. "It really, really hurts getting hit when I'm running super-fast. I don't even know how Cinder did it."

Yang asked, "Where's Blake?"

Weiss's lips pressed together. She pointed to where Blake was still lying motionless on the ground.

"Blake!" Yang shouted. She tried to run to her, but she only managed to stumble to her hands and knees.

Ruby said, "Yang! Stay here! I'll get her."

Ruby sped off. She appeared again a moment later with Blake in her arms. She managed to set Blake down without dropping her, but then she half-fell to the ground herself, winded from the exertion.

"Blake!" Yang cried out. "Blake, please be okay!"

Yang crawled over to Blake. There were tears in her eyes as she desperately clutched at Blake's coat, searching for a sign of life.

"Blake! No! Don't do this to me!" Yang said. She shook Blake, trying to get some reaction from her.

Weiss said, "Yang! Stop! You'll injure her further!"

"Blake!" Yang wailed. Her head fell on Blake's chest, and her body shook as she sobbed.

Suddenly, Blake drew in a rattling breath.

Yang's head shot up. Desperate hope shone in her eyes.

Blake's hand slowly lifted off the ground. It found some strands of Yang's hair and weakly grasped at them.

Yang clasped Blake's hand and pulled it in close to her as indescribable relief and unbearable worry flooded her face. She said, "Blake, you're going to be okay."

Powerful emotions bombarded Weiss as she watched Yang. Despite Yang's insistence, she wasn't sure that Blake really would be okay. However, she knew she couldn't worry about that right now. She looked over to where Winter and Cinder were fighting. Winter's army of grimm had been decimated. There were only a few stragglers left now. Cinder actually looked a little worn down, but her power was far from depleted. Her aura still glowed strongly as she used her open hands to parry Winter's swords.

"Yang," Weiss said. "This isn't over yet."

Yang's expression hardened. She leaned forward and kissed Blake. Then she said, "Ruby, can you get Blake somewhere safe?"

"I can try," Ruby said.

"Do it," Yang said. "See if you can get Uncle Qrow out of here too while you're at it."

"Right," Ruby said. She slipped her arms underneath Blake and lifted her up. The load was obviously a strain on her, but she gritted her teeth and called upon her semblance once again. She vanished, leaving a few errant rose petals in her wake.

Yang struggled to her feet. She looked at the deadly duel still raging between Winter and Cinder. Then she turned to Weiss and asked, "Fire and Ice?"

"Do you think you can handle it?" Weiss asked.

"Cinder hurt Blake," Yang said. She slammed her fists together and visibly willed her semblance to reignite. Fire engulfed her mane of hair, and her eyes turned red again. "I can handle it."

Weiss flicked Myrtenaster over to the cyan Dust chamber. "Then so can I," she said.

Yang took a deep breath to ready herself. Then she crouched low and started charging for Cinder. At the same time, Weiss conjured up a glyph underneath her feet and let it carry her forward. Then she swung around on it toward Cinder's flank. If she and Yang pulled off the maneuver like they intended, they'd both hit Cinder simultaneously from opposite sides.

As Weiss sped toward Cinder, the last of Winter's grimm fell. The situation was growing desperate. Weiss knew that if they didn't find some way to defeat Cinder soon, they never would. She squeezed her sword's trigger and let an icy sheen envelop it.

Weiss's sword hummed with the power of Nature's Wrath as she closed in on Cinder, and opposite her, a trail of fire rolled off of Yang as she did the same. They converged on their target, ready to unleash their fury.

Weiss saw the wicked glint in Cinder's eye too late. Just as she and Yang were about to strike, Cinder threw her open palms outward toward them. The power of the Fall Maiden surged through her. A wave of fire blasted out at Weiss, and a stream of ice flew toward Yang.

There wasn't time for Weiss to contemplate what was happening. Twin explosions of clashing elements bloomed, and Weiss found herself soaring backward. She collided with the ground. Her aura flickered momentarily before collapsing completely.

Weiss vaguely heard the sound of Winter calling out her name over the throbbing in her head. She felt herself brush up against the edge of unconsciousness, but through sheer force of will, she kept herself awake.

Weiss put her hands firmly on the ground and managed to pry herself up enough to see what was going on. She had no idea what had happened to Yang, but it wasn't Yang that she was most concerned about. Her vision was blurry, but she could see Winter still struggling to bring Cinder down.

Winter struck, ice twinkling and electricity surging on her swords, but Cinder suddenly caught the blades barehanded. The Dust empowering them pitted itself against Cinder's aura, but it wasn't enough to make her let go.

Winter struggled to free her weapons, but it was no use. In the space of a heartbeat, Cinder lashed out with a vicious kick to Winter's head. The force of the blow loosened Winter's grip, and Cinder ripped her swords from her hands. Winter was caught completely off-guard and off-balance, and one more kick from Cinder sent her to the ground.

"Is that really the best you can do?" Cinder asked. She held up Winter's swords and channeled her power into them. They began to glow red-hot. Then with a squeeze of Cinder's hands, the swords broke into pieces.

Cinder let the shattered fragments of metal slip from her grasp and fall to the ground. She looked down on Winter and said, "You're not worthy of the power of a Maiden. But don't worry. I'm about to correct that mistake."

Winter stood. She sneered defiantly as blood trickled from her lip. But disarmed and with her aura nearly gone, it was a hollow gesture.

Weiss struggled back to her feet again over the protests of her aching head. She had to save Winter. She had to stop Cinder. But she had no idea how.

Then Weiss saw it. Dust was spilling out from the hilts of Winter's broken swords onto the ground at Cinder's feet. Weiss raised Myrtenaster, but her hand was shaking so badly that she didn't know if she could hit such a small target.

A voice suddenly shouted, "Leave her alone!" From out of nowhere, Ruby zipped up to Winter's side, ready to defend her. Crescent Rose was in her hands, and its barrel was leveled at Cinder.

Cinder gave Ruby an amused smirk. She lifted a single finger and pointed it at Winter. Energy began to gather on its tip. Ruby pulled her rifle's trigger. She squeezed off a half-dozen shots, but they all bounced harmlessly off of Cinder's aura.

"Ruby…" Weiss tried to call out. She mustered her remaining strength and shouted, "Ruby! The Dust!"

Ruby's eyes flicked down to Cinder's feet. She instantly saw what Weiss was talking about. But Cinder glanced down as well. She actually looked alarmed for a moment before an enraged expression crossed her face. Her finger shifted away from Winter, and she aimed at Ruby.

Ruby fired Crescent Rose. Simultaneously, a thin bolt of energy leaped off of Cinder's finger. The bolt struck Ruby square in the chest. She cried out in pain as she was knocked off her feet, but it was too late for Cinder. Ruby's shot struck true. The Dust at Cinder's feet erupted into a cacophony of lightning and an avalanche of ice. The two elements intertwined, the ice vaporized, and Cinder was consumed by a miniature thunderstorm.

Weiss lifted Myrtenaster's hilt to her chin. It took everything she had, but she conjured up one last white glyph and slid on it toward the storm cloud that had enveloped Cinder.

Winter called out, "Weiss! No!" But Weiss was already committed to her attack.

Just as Weiss closed the distance, a chain made of ash whipped out from the mist of vaporized ice and coiled itself around Myrtenaster. Weiss's sword was ripped from her hand. Then a second chain lashed out and wrapped around her body.

Weiss yelped in alarm as her feet were torn from her glyph. She lost her bearing as she was pulled into the mist, unable to see a thing.

Suddenly, Weiss came to an abrupt stop as a crushing hand squeezed around her throat. A gust of wind, conjured up by the Fall Maiden's power, blew the mist away. Weiss found herself caught in Cinder's iron grip as Cinder held her aloft by the neck. Her feet kicked helplessly in the air as she struggled to breathe. Cinder's expression had turned murderous. She hadn't weathered the Dust explosion unscathed, and she was not pleased about that fact.

"Foolish little girl!" Cinder said. "I'm going to show you what happens when you try to fight destiny." She held up her finger. Energy once again gathered on its tip. Weiss could feel the searing heat rolling off of it.

Cinder said, "Let's see what you look like on the inside."

Weiss struggled with everything she had left, but she knew this was the end for her. But then a voice rang out, "You will leave her be!"

Both Weiss and Cinder turned their heads. They saw Winter standing tall. Her eyes were glowing white, and power was emanating from her body, making the air around her thrum.

Weiss was awestruck. Ozpin had been right. Winter was a Maiden after all.

A terrifying smile crossed Cinder's face. "Finally," she said, and she tossed Weiss aside like a child might a toy that no longer held their interest.

Weiss tried to catch herself as she hit the ground yet again, but she was too weakened from the beating she'd already taken to manage even that. With her aura gone, she felt every impact as she tumbled across the rocks and frozen dirt.

Weiss came to a stop, battered and bruised, but miraculously, nothing was broken. She sucked in a lungful of air now that Cinder's hand was no longer crushing her windpipe. Getting back to her feet was too daunting a prospect at the moment, so she just lay there breathing.

Suddenly, a hand appeared in front of Weiss. She looked up and saw Yang standing over her. The fire in Yang was gone. Whatever energy her semblance had given her was spent. She was still on her feet, but only just.

Weiss took Yang's offered hand and let Yang pull her up. They both leaned on each other for support, silently pinning their hopes on Winter.

Behind Winter, a glyph sprung to life. It was gigantic and impossibly intricate. Its energy pulsed in time with Winter's aura.

Rather than look worried, Cinder calmly lifted her hands. Ash gathered in them, taking the form of a bow and arrow. She pulled back on the bowstring and took aim at Winter.

Suddenly, Winter's glyph grew blindingly bright. Piercing bolts of pure white light surged forth and flew toward Cinder.

Cinder released her arrow. Light and ash rushed to meet one another. Just before they collided, Cinder's arrow fractured into a hundred tiny pieces. One by one, the fragments intercepted Winter's bolts, making them explode in a brilliant bouquet of light.

Cinder came rushing in through the blinding display, bow still in hand. She slammed her shoulder into Winter, knocking her off her feet and sending her crashing into her own glyph. With Winter's concentration broken, the glyph vanished, but Winter herself sprung back up.

Cinder gripped her ashen bow in both hands and pulled it in half. The ash reformed into a pair of blades. Cinder immediately swung at Winter, forcing Winter to block barehanded. Fortunately, her newly revitalized aura was more than up to the task.

Cinder didn't let up. Her eyes had gone wild with fanatical determination now that the Winter Maiden had truly shown herself. She rained blows down with all the force of a rockslide, but Winter blocked each and every attack. She finally had the means to defend herself.

Winter suddenly thrust her hand forward. A white glyph sprung into existence right in Cinder's way. Cinder struck the glyph hard with both of her blades, but the ashen weapons shattered into tiny pieces against the unyielding barrier. Caught by surprise, Cinder hesitated for just an instant, but an instant was all that Winter needed. Her glyph turned red.

Cinder had just enough time to look alarmed before Winter's glyph exploded in her face.

Off to the side, Weiss and Yang were forced to turn away to prevent themselves from being blinded. When Weiss could safely look again, her spirits rallied. Cinder had actually been knocked to the ground.

Cinder quickly got back to her feet. There was a cold fury in her eyes now. She held out her open hands. Tiny particles of ash began to fall from them like sand. It was just a few flecks at first, but they quickly multiplied and multiplied until a veritable sandstorm was pouring from Cinder.

The cloud of ash suddenly took on a life of its own. Bits of it gathered together in jagged clumps no bigger than a thumbnail. Then they all flew toward Winter en masse, looking for all the world like an apocalyptic swarm of locus.

Winter dropped back on one foot. Dozens and dozens of tiny, white glyphs winked into existence in the air around her. The all began rapidly firing bolts of light at the cloud of ash closing in. Hundreds, thousands of Cinder's ersatz locus were vaporized in seconds.

For a moment, it looked like Winter might be able to hold off Cinder's ashen plague, but the scale of it was too great. The cloud enveloped Winter. One by one her glyphs were surrounded and consumed. Winter's aura shone brilliantly as the razor-sharp barbs of ash bit at her, but her light was quickly blotted out by the choking cloud.

As Weiss watched in abject horror, a muffled scream of agony came from the cloud. "Winter!" she shouted. She tried to run to her sister, but as soon as she let go of Yang, she stumbled to her knees.

Cinder closed her hands. She strolled forward, and the cloud of ash dissipated, revealing Winter once more. Winter was covered in cuts, and countless black streaks had turned her white coat gray. She was struggling to stand, but her eyes still held a spark of resistance.

Winter pointed her palm at Cinder, but nothing happened. It was already taking everything she had just to stay on her feet.

Cinder lifted her hands, and another bow and arrow formed in them. She pulled back on the bowstring. Her eyes locked with Winter's, and for a moment, everything was perfectly still.

Cinder's fingers slid from the string. The arrow flew swiftly through the air, a silent harbinger of Cinder's ascendancy, and lodged itself in Winter's heart.

Time seemed to stand still. A soft gasp escaped Winter. Her trembling hand started to reach for the ashen arrow protruding from her chest. But then she tilted forward and collapsed.

"NO!" Weiss shouted. She reached out for Winter as if she could somehow save her.

Suddenly, a second voice joined Weiss's, echoing her cry, and a new light erupted to life.

Weiss looked and saw that Ruby was back on her feet, and her eyes were glowing with a righteous power. The light in them overflowed. It gathered in front of Ruby and formed into a glowing ball. Then it launched itself straight for Cinder.

Cinder sneered. She threw her hands forward and caught the silver energy as it smashed into her. Her aura lit up, struggling to ward off the raw power pitted against it. The ground rumbled as Summer and Fall clashed. Cinder's feet dug into the ground and her teeth clenched as Ruby's attack pushed against her.

Cinder strained with all her might, and she managed to take a step forward. A crimson color started seeping into the silver light, and Cinder said, "Not. This. Time!"

With one last push on Cinder's part, the ball of light flew back toward Ruby.

"Ruby!" Weiss cried out, but it was too late. The silver light slammed into Ruby and an explosion of energy flew outward indiscriminately. Weiss stood paralyzed as the light rushed toward her. There was nowhere to run and nowhere to hide.

At the last moment, Yang threw herself in front of Weiss. The blast hit with incredible force. Even shielded behind Yang, Weiss was blown off her feet and knocked senseless.

Seconds later, Weiss came to. Her ears were ringing, and fresh pain was tormenting her, but she was alive. She hauled herself up into a sitting position. Her head swam as a wave of dizziness passed over her.

Weiss spotted Ruby and Winter lying on the ground ahead. She didn't know if either of them were alive. Her thoughts were still muddled from the blast, but she knew that she had to reach them somehow. Walking was beyond her at the moment, so she crawled forward.

Suddenly, Weiss saw Cinder sauntering toward Winter. Weiss tried to crawl faster, but Winter might as well have been on the other side of the planet. Weiss was forced to watch helplessly as Cinder kneeled down in front of her sister.

Cinder grabbed Winter by the chin and pulled her head up. Winter sucked in a pained breath. Her eyes opened, and they struggled to focus. Cinder's expression softened, and for just a moment, her air of malice vanished.

"Shh, shh, shh," Cinder said as she caressed Winter's cheek. "You fought well. But it's time for you to rest now."

Cinder let go, letting Winter's head fall limply to the ground. She stood, pulled out a glove, and slipped it on her hand.

Weiss feebly said, "No…stop…."

Just then, Yang ran past Weiss. Her hair was glowing brightly again, and the red was back in her eyes. In Weiss's debilitated state, she'd all but forgotten about Yang. Somehow, Yang had survived the blast of silver light, and it had given her semblance the boost she'd needed.

Cinder pointed her gloved palm toward Winter. She was so intently focused on her prize that she was oblivious to Yang's approach. A tiny creature appeared from Cinder's glove and leaped out toward Winter. Yang dove forward. She managed to intercept the creature just in time. It caught on her right arm and stuck there.

Cinder's eyes opened wide in surprise. But then she sneered at Yang. "How dare you!" she shouted.

Cinder clenched her fist. Yang suddenly screamed in anguish as Cinder's glove worked its nefarious purpose. The glow in Yang's hair began to fade, and a pale energy started flowing out of her. Weiss didn't know what was happening, but it almost looked like Cinder was draining Yang's aura.

Yang twisted and writhed in unbearable pain, but she managed to bring her trembling hand up and grasp her prosthetic. She twisted it sharply and pulled it free from her body.

Yang's prosthetic, still connected to Cinder's glove, fell to the ground with a thud.

"What?!" Cinder exclaimed.

The flow of energy from Yang had stopped, and suddenly, her hair lit up brighter than before. A blast from Ember Celica closed the small gap between her and Cinder, and her fist collided with Cinder's head.

Cinder reeled back as Yang's supercharged punch plowed into her.

"ENOUGH!" Yang bellowed. She battered Cinder over and over again with her only fist, all the while shouting, "Enough! Enough!"

Weiss wasn't paying any attention to the fearsome beating Cinder was receiving. She had to get to Winter. She crawled along painfully slowly, pushing herself every inch of the way until she finally reached her sister.

"Winter!" Weiss said. Winter looked deathly-pale and her eyes were closed. Blood was spilling from her wound and staining her coat.

"Weiss…" Winter whispered. Her eyes slowly opened. "Weiss. You're alive."

"Yes! Yes, Winter. I'm alive," Weiss said. She grabbed Winter's hand and held it tightly.

"Look at you," Winter said. "You're all grown up."

"Winter, please, don't try to talk," Weiss said. She didn't like the way Winter sounded.

"Weiss…" Winter said. "Weiss. You are the scion of the Schnee Family now. You must be the one to protect humanity's future."

"Don't say that, Winter!" Weiss said. "You're going to be okay."

"Weiss, I…" Winter said. Her breathing grew shallow, and her eyes closed. "Weiss…I love…."

"Winter?" Weiss's lips were trembling. Tears blurred her vision. "Winter?!"

Winter's final breath slipped from her, and her head rolled to the side. Her hand went cold in Weiss's grasp.

"No! Winter!" Weiss wail. "You can't! You can't do this!"

Suddenly, a white light shimmered over Winter's body. It gathered into a single spark and shot up into the sky. But Weiss was too distraught to care.

A few feet away, Cinder had Yang's fist caught in her hand, and the two were struggling to overpower one another. Yang gave it her all, but her semblance had been push far past its breaking point. Cinder finally gained the advantage and bent Yang's wrist backward, forcing Yang to her knees. Then Cinder delivered a devastating blow to Yang's solar plexus, pushing right through what was left of Yang's aura. The air was forced from Yang's lungs, and she collapsed gasping to the ground.

Cinder was breathing heavily. Despite her ambitions, she wasn't all-powerful yet. Now that she'd dealt with Yang, her attention turned to Winter and Weiss, but what she saw made her shout, "No!"

The spark that had flown out of Winter circled around in the air and dove straight for Weiss. Suddenly, Weiss felt a rush of energy wash over her. Some invisible force lifted her to her feet as new vitality filled her, chasing away her fatigue.

With just a thought, Weiss conjured up a summoning glyph in the air beside her. It was as effortless as breathing. It was like a light was shining inside of her, granting her clarity like she'd never known.

Cinder charged for Weiss, but a gargantuan armored fist shot out from Weiss's glyph and hit Cinder with a massive punch. Cinder spun through the air. But before she hit the ground, she used her power to slow herself until she gently touched back down. She turned back to face Weiss with a look of pure hate, but by then a twenty-foot-tall, glowing suit of living armor had already fully emerged from Weiss's glyph.

Weiss held her arms out wide and closed her eyes. Her summoned knight suddenly started to shrink. It walked up to Weiss and enveloped her body with its own. Then there was a flash.

Weiss opened her eyes. The knight was gone, but in its place, Weiss was encased in a suit of armor made of pure light. Weiss raised her hand and Myrtenaster flew into it from where the sword had been lying on the ground. An instant later, it too was sheathed in light.

Weiss lifted her blade. Her feet left the ground as she began to hover an inch up in the air. Then without warning, she literally flew straight for Cinder, faster than any of her glyphs could have carried her.

There was a sound like thunder as Weiss struck with her sword and Cinder parried with her open hands. The two of them were on even footing now, and neither of them were willing to give any quarter.

Weiss kept up her attack. But then she felt something, a tingling at the back of her head. It was like she had a new sense that her body didn't know how to interpret. But Weiss knew what it meant. She swung her sword at Cinder, and when Cinder went to block, Weiss kicked her with her armored foot.

The force of Weiss's kick made Cinder skid back a few feet. The blow hadn't done much damage, but that hadn't been the point. Right on cue, a bullet made of silver light struck Cinder from the side. Cinder cried out in shock and pain. Her head snapped in the direction the attack had come from, and for the first time since the battle had begun, she looked truly afraid.

Not far away, Ruby was standing there with Crescent Rose in hand. Silver energy was shining in her eyes again and dancing across her entire body. Strands of it were flowing down her arms and weaving themselves into her weapon.

Weiss didn't waste a second pressing the advantage. She raised her sword and swung it down toward Cinder's head. Cinder caught Weiss's blade in her hand, but Weiss didn't so much as blink. She began pumping energy directly into her sword. Cinder cringed as the blade began to bite deeper and deeper into her aura.

Over in Ruby's hands, the light flowing into Crescent Rose grew brighter. Ruby squeezed off shot after shot. Glowing bullets streaked from the barrel of Ruby's gun straight for Cinder.

Cinder raised her other hand to block Ruby's assault. Her feet began to dig into the ground and sweat beaded on her forehead as Weiss and Ruby pressed their relentless attack. Weiss could feel Cinder's aura weakening. Cinder's legs began to tremble, and she dropped to one knee.

Weiss doubled her efforts, and Ruby's shots continued to fly. Cinder bowed under the strain. But then her head flew up, and she shouted, "SALEM!"

There was a rush of air and the flapping of wings. Overhead, the giant nevermore that had accompanied Cinder dove toward the fray. The beast crashed down, and a pandemonium of sound filled the air. There were screams, screeches, weapons striking, and power roaring.

Then there was silence.

Weiss stood tall, her armor literally shining, and her sword in hand. The nevermore's lifeless body was already evaporating away. Up in the sky, Cinder was floating in the air, looking spiteful beyond measure.

Weiss's eyes met Cinder's. Had either of them had the ability, they would have struck the other dead in a heartbeat. But the battle was over, and they both knew it.

Without a word, Cinder flew away. It wasn't long before she'd vanished over the horizon.

"Weiss!" Ruby called out as she hobbled up. "Are you okay? Say something!"

Weiss let Myrtenaster slip from her hand. The sword fell to the ground, and the sheath of light surrounding it vanished. Weiss's armor likewise faded. She took a few steps forward and then fell to her knees.

"Winter," Weiss sobbed.

Ruby limped her way up to Weiss and threw her arms around her, but Weiss didn't even notice. All she could feel was the hole that had been torn out of her heart. Her nightmares had been made real, and she feared that worse was yet to come.

---

Author's Note: I did warn you.

So…speaking of those differences between this story and canon. There's not going to be any Oscar or anyone like him. Ozpin having a successor would complicate an already complicated story. Also in case it wasn't obvious, Cinder is not scarred or mute. I like Volume 4 Cinder, but she's not what I need for this story. Probably the biggest difference is that the Spring Maiden is not the same character as the canon Spring Maiden. You know, because I have no idea who the Spring Maiden is. Volume 4 had one job! I needed it to introduce the Spring Maiden so I could use her in this story! Way to go, Volume 4! I guess I'll have to improvise. =P

I probably need to address the whole Ruby being the Summer Maiden vs. her being a Silver-Eyed Warrior, but it's not that complicated. I was convinced at the end of Volume 3 that Summer Rose was the previous Summer Maiden. In my mind that made Ruby the new Summer Maiden. It worked out well for this story for reasons that I can't talk about without getting into spoiler territory. But rest assured, I know her status in canon, even if I'm a bit perplexed by what a "Silver-Eyed Warrior" is even supposed to be. We'll see what Volume 5 has to say on the issue.

And since I'm not going to finish the next chapter before Volume 5 starts, I'll announce right now that I will be live blogging the new RWBY episodes just like I did during Volume 4. If that's of any interest to you, come join me on Sunday afternoons on my tumblr (electronicyarn) to hear my completely biased and unfounded opinions on Volume 5 as it unfolds.

As always, I welcome constructive criticism. Please feel free to leave a review. And if you like what you've read, taking the time to favorite and/or follow really helps me out. You can also find me on tumblr (electronicyarn) if you want to send me a message or be notified of updates.