The Knights of Rose

by RebukeX7

Faith, Charity, Justice, Sagacity,Prudence,Temperance,Resolution,Truth,Liberality,Diligence,Hope,and Valor. These are the virtues that are adopted by those whom choose the life of a knight. In a world overrun with evil, these are the virtues adopted by desperate individuals whom seek to protect their only chance at salvation-a reluctant heroine turned Empress. Mankind's last hope.

10. Glynda's Gambit II

Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY but I do own my crippling student debt :D

Can't believe I actually got something out for march! Also, here's the thing, I didn't take February off…I just updated a story I hadn't updated in like a year. I put a list of my 2018 goals at the end of this chapter, lets hopefully reach them together! Note these are not concrete but just an idea!

Featured BGMs:

Blissful Death- NieR Automata OST

Vague Hope (Cold Rain)- Nier Automata OST

Broken People- Logic & Rag'nBone Man

Paralyzed (Mystery Skulls cover)- Ken Ashcorp

Human Legacy-Ivan Torrent

Bad Luck Charm-RWBY OST

You Say Run- Boku no Hero Academia OST

His Theme-Under Tale OST

Chapter 11: Glynda's Gambit II (Her Angel)

(Alt title: How Glynda got her groove back. Credit to Dopplerdee for that one lmao)

-Empire of Rose: 4 years before the Fall of Rose-

BGM: Blissful Death- NieR Automata OST

"You requested me, your Highness?" Glynda questioned as she entered the Empress' private quarters. As she entered, she noticed what appeared to be parts of the Knight Captain's armor on the floor near the bed but chose not to comment on it. Looking forward she found the Empress standing on her balcony, her hand resting lightly on the rail as she looked up at the fragmented moon.

"Yes." The Empress answered, her voice barely more than a gentle whisper yet carried a weight Glynda could not ignore. "I'm afraid it appears as though the end of my reign is coming soon."

"What do you mean?" Glynda asked, looking a bit alarmed. "You're adored by everyone! No one wants you to leave your throne–" Glynda stopped when the Empress raised a hand to silence her.

"My end will not be a voluntary one nor one requested by my subjects. I can feel it. Deep within my very being as if the gods themselves are letting me know. My time in this world is running short." The Empress said as she turned to face Glynda, her eyes shadowed. "When it is time for me to go. You will prepare an heir. You're the only one I can trust to objectively handle this task. To do this, however, I will need to teach you a certain ability. One only you can be trusted with." The Empress said as she walked towards Glynda whom was now clenching her fist so tightly that she drew blood. "Come." The Empress said with a hint of finality in her words. "It's time for our final lesson."

"We can stop this."

"Since when were you the optimistic one?" The Empress wondered as she brushed past Glynda only to stop when the Advisor gripped her wrist tightly.

"Please." Glynda said, her voice wavering a bit as her eyes glistened with tears that refused to fall. "Since when do you give up?"

"Give up?" The Empress repeated before laughing lightly before grasping the side of Glynda's face gently as she gave her advisor a bright smile. "I am just moving forward, despite what lies at the end of my path. A golden age will arise from my ashes, protect it. This…is my final order."

BGM: END

-Present: Vale: Capital-

"So, what exactly are you planning for this…whatever it is this is?" Qrow questioned as they stood at the side of the room.

"Firstly, it's called a date." Glynda said with a small smile that once more put Qrow on edge. "Honestly, however? I've gotten what I came for and don't particularly want to be here for too long as I'm sure you and I can find some better ways to spend our time."

"Don't get me wrong, Goodwitch. You're definitely attractive. If you were anyone else I'd definitely show you a good time." Qrow began with a smirk. "That said, you're not anyone else. You're you and recently I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing."

"You wound me." Glynda said looking a bit amused. "If it makes you feel any better we can help out Ozpin while we're here, stop James from sinking his claws into the councilors."

"Help Ozpin or help you?" Qrow questioned making her laugh a bit.

"Ozpin. Believe it or not, I'll tell you the same thing I told him. I am not your enemy."

"But you're not our ally either."

"I am for now, and right now you all need all the help you can get. I left the way I did to help him, you know?" Glynda said, making him look at her skeptically.

"How did that help anyone?"

"He is a smart man, Ozpin. However, he has too much faith in his own plans. He thinks that once they are set in motion that nothing can go wrong. A fatal flaw. He never thinks twice about his inner circle, refusing to believe that they would ever turn against him once he shows them the light. I left to get him out of this mind-set, to truly look at those he held closely. I could have easily continued to play my part, leaving him none the wiser until it was too late."

"But you didn't."

"I didn't." Glynda agreed, her smile never wavering as Qrow frowned, his eyes narrowing ever-so-slightly.

"Who?" Qrow asked, his voice a deathly whisper. He was no fool, he knew exactly what she was implying. She may have been a 'traitor' but he also knew she was saying there was more than one, one that also wasn't with her or Ozpin.

"Tell me, have you been to Mistral lately? I've heard a lot of Huntsmen are going missing on the field. From their very homes. I wonder who has enough pull to send all those people straight to Salem?" Glynda asked rhetorically making Qrow look at her in surprise, his face paling a bit as he registered what she was implying.

"Leo!?" Qrow whispered incredulously. "No. You could be lying, trying to distract us."

"Look into it yourself. Makes no difference to me, someone with your skills can verify it easily if you actually look for it." Glynda said matter-of-factly. "Though let me ask you something, if I am right and Leo has betrayed humanity and dozens of his own Huntsmen and their families…what will Ozpin do?"

Qrow frowned.

He knew the answer. He just didn't want to say it because he was now beginning to see what Glynda was getting to.

"He'd give him a second chance. To atone for his sins and once more come to the light." Glynda answered.

"He doesn't have a choice. If he apprehends Leo too many questions will be asked, too many things will come to the light–"

Glynda laughed.

"War is inevitable, Qrow. You know exactly what she's capable of." Glynda interrupted with a whisper of her own. Her expression now carried a level of coldness that Qrow had become accustomed to. "Apprehend? That man will die for what he's done." Glynda said resolutely, sending a chill down Qrow's spine.

She meant it.

He knew without a doubt that she honestly meant that.

She would tear Leo apart herself if she could.

"He's killed so many Huntsmen, many that he taught." Glynda said, making Qrow grit his teeth. "If Ozpin did what he did what would you do? What would you do if he sold out your family to Ozpin? Check your priorities Qrow."

"Don't you dare question my priorities!" Qrow gritted out, somehow managing not to shout at Glynda. Images of Yang and Ruby flashed through his mind as a sinking feeling hit his gut. "It's because of my priorities that I am even here. You betrayed Ozpin as well, but you're with the students still…my girls. You could be doing something even worse. Ozpin told me that you got Yang sent to medical wing at the very beginning of her classes."

"Oh, did he now?" Glynda asked rhetorically. "Did he also add how she challenged a student far above her capabilities?" Glynda questioned making Qrow pause. "Did he tell you that since then those two have become friends and the student who humbled your dear niece is now spending her time helping Yang get stronger? Did he tell you that I made my class more brutal to get them ready for a war that, let's face it, they will be a part of? Ozpin's plan won't work, you know it." Glynda said. "When he sees it, he'll get desperate and find more pawns. Do you not understand this or are you perhaps curious as to whether or not Yang and Ruby can make better birds than you and your sister."

Glynda saw the would-be punch coming a mile away.

The moment Qrow tensed, Glynda grabbed his hand tightly before he could do anything. Leaning forward, Glynda whispered into his ear.

"Don't make a scene you fool." Glynda said coldly, making him tense before he remembered where they were and nodded his head, forcing himself to calm down. "I crossed a line, I apologize. That said, you need to see the world for what it is. Don't let those girls or yourself be blinded by that old fool's light."

"So, what? Be blinded by yours? Is that the alternative?" Qrow asked darkly, only to make her laugh as she looked at him in amusement.

"God no. If it was my light we'd all be dead, I could never be the one to lead my…side…in this war if you will."

"Who do you work for?"

"Do you really want to know?" Glynda asked curiously, making him nod before she smirked. "Then dance with me. Here is not the place for this discussion. We can go somewhere more private later and I'll tell you a fairy tale that even the great Ozpin is ignorant to."

"What's to stop me from telling him what you told me? What's your insurance?" Qrow asked, knowing that there was always a catch to this sort of thing.

"You." Glynda said with a smirk and she giggled, actually giggled, at the look on his face. "You don't get it do you? Whatever dastardly plan you and Ozpin pictured I have for tonight? It succeeded the moment you agreed to come here. Everything else is just a formality, a way to enjoy my evening before my retirement."

"Retirement?" Qrow asked in confusion.

"You're taking my spot before the night is over, and not only will you do it, you'll fucking thank me for the opportunity." Glynda said before dragging Qrow to the dance floor. "Come. Let's kill some time, do a meet and greet when James makes his move, and you and I can have dinner or something elsewhere."

-Beacon: Roof-

"Jaune was right, the view here is relaxing." Ren mused to himself as he sat down on the roof in a lotus position. Picking up a tea pot he had brought with him, he hummed to himself as he poured the hot liquid into a small cup while looking up at the fractured moon.

-Flashback: Empire of Rose: Five years before the fall of Empress Rose-

BGM: Vague Hope (Cold Rain)- Nier Automata OST

*CRASH!*

"Damn it all! Why can't that idiot just wait!?" The Empress snapped as Jaune stood silently, watching her vent. He glanced to the side where she had flipped over the war table before facing her again with a small frown. Taking a deep breath, the Empress stepped back and fell back to her throne, looking exhausted as she rubbed her temples. "Atlas can have all the independence it wants when Salem is dealt with, why does that fool want it now?"

"Ironwood believes that it will boost morale. That after reclaiming Atlas, having it stand on its own again will show that things are improving. That the world is going back to how it was." Jaune explained patiently as she looked up at him.

"It is because of how the world was that we are in this war to begin with."

"I am well aware." Jaune said before sighing. "Believe me, I tried talking him out of it but he and his men dead set on not only reclaiming Atlas but its independence as well."

"Jaune? Are you not my Knight Captain? Since when does his orders overrule yours?" The Empress asked impatiently, making Jaune sigh.

"Never." Jaune said, his gaze hardening at the thought of his orders being disobeyed. "However, the hearts of men are fickle things. Pride is what drives them. Pride for their home."

"Their home which only barely exists because of me, because of us."

"Pride blinds people your majesty. Even with my orders I fear they will take matters into their own hands." Jaune explained making the Empress scowl, her gaze as hard as steel.

"So, treason." Two words, two words that sent a chill down Jaune's spine as he heard the finality in her tone.

"Your majesty–"

"What else would you call it, Jaune? He's disobeying a direct order from you…from me. He's standing against the empire to satisfy his own pride. He's feeding his ego–"

"It's deeper than that your majesty–"

"Is it?" The Empress asked curiously. "Tell me exactly what he's doing if not text-book treason."

"They're good men, you're majesty. They're just misguided." Jaune tried to defend his subordinates only for the Empress to shake her head.

"He's stepped on my toes one too many times Jaune. I've tried time and time again to get him to fall in line. This…this is a betrayal that cannot easily be forgiven. He thinks he's saving Atlas but he's just helping divide us once again. We are unified under a single banner, Jaune. First it's Atlas, then it'll be Mistral and we haven't even reclaimed Vacuo yet. The crusade on Vacuo which you should be spending time preparing for but instead you're wasting your time defending a traitor."

"He's an honorable man, Ruby!"

"He's a liability, Knight!" The Empress snapped stunning both Jaune…and herself. "And you know it. Tell me this won't mess everything up? Look me in my eyes and tell me that, and I'll let this issue drop."

Jaune couldn't meet her eyes.

"Where do your loyalties lie, Jaune?" The Empress questioned actually making Jaune glare at her.

"With you, always! How could you–" Jaune stopped when she raised her hand to silence him and gave him an apologetic smile.

"You say he is blinded by pride but you're ignore how your adoration for those under your command blinds you. Ironwood is a man who took someone's synthetic daughter, turned her into a weapon, and then tested her against other huntsmen in training. And for what? To prove Atlas is filled with cheaters? How many civilians lost their lives due to his mistakes so far in this war? How many times has he stood in our way? Where exactly does your respect for this man stem from?" The Empress asked curiously. "He took Weiss from us, and now he plans to take away our home."

"So, what will you have me do? I can't lock him up, he has too many loyal to him. That will divide as much as liberating Atlas." Jaune revealed making Ruby hum in thought. Jaune was the tactician and leader on the battlefield in her absence, but when it came to upholding the Empire as a whole…

…that was the job of the Empress.

"You'll do nothing. Prepare a crusade to Vacuo. Comb every settlement between here and their capital for traitors, spies, and eliminate them. Show the world the power of our army, your men. Make the planet itself tremble before your might Jaune. You promised me the world and I expect you to deliver. I need you to shine so bright that the world forgets about Ironwood. He is an issue that will solve itself." The Empress said, making Jaune frown a bit before nodding. "Prepare your troops and meet me when you're done so I can give you a proper farewell, I estimate you'll be gone for about a year."

"When will we depart?"

"First thing in the morning." The Empress said, making Jaune nod before he turned a way from her, his cape billowing behind him as he prepare to leave the Throne room. "Oh, and Jaune?" Ruby called out, making him pause. "Everything will work out, believe in me." The Empress said softly, making him glance back towards her.

"Always." Jaune said before leaving as the Empress slumped in her chair and released a long breath. She hated when things got so tense between her and her knights. Every time she had to pull rank on them felt as though she were spitting on the years they spent together as equals.

Still they understood.

And she was always happy for that.

There was no place for friendship in this war, only results.

"Ren." The Empress said suddenly, her voice and face growing cold as a pair of magenta eyes shone from a shadow behind the throne. Stepping from the shadows, Ren took a knee as she glanced down at him.

"Yes, your majesty?"

"You and a few members of Black Rose are going on a trip to Atlas with Ironwood's task force." The Empress began. "Make it painless. He will be remembered as a Hero."

"Yes, your majesty." Ren said before walking back into the shadows.

-Flashback: END-

BGM: END

-Present: Beacon: Roof-

Ren frowned a bit when he noticed a slight ripple appear in his tea. Taking a sip, Ren said nothing for a moment as he closed his eyes before opening them.

"I was wondering when you would show up. Tea?" Ren asked as Blake rose up from a crouching position behind him, her weapon drawn.

"Who are you?"

"Lie Ren." Ren said honestly making Blake grit her teeth as she glowered at him, obviously not in the mood for his games.

"What do you want?"

"For Nora to stop eating my breakfast but unfortunately that will remain just a wish." Ren said, sighing a bit, before sipping his tea. He didn't as much as look at her when he heard her hiss angrily.

"You know what I mean! You said things to me, things you knew Iwould hear but others wouldn't. The only way that's possible however, is if you knew things about me that you shouldn't?"

"What things are you referring to? Your favorite book or the real reason you like tuna so much?" Ren mused, sipping from his cup as a bullet whizzed past his head. Still, Ren didn't bat an eye as he continued drinking as if she hadn't fired a warning shot at him. "Please quit pretending as if you're actually going to do something." Ren said as he rose up and turned to face her.

…What Blake saw…

…Froze her in place.

BGM: Broken People- Logic & Rag'nBone Man

Her eyes widened as Ren leveled the coldest and fiercest glare she had ever seen directed at any one, let alone her. Even Adam didn't terrify her as much as the man currently standing before her.

"First lesson. A weapon should never be drawn unless it is to be used." Ren said matter-of-factly as her hand began to tremble. "I've been around the world and seen a lot of things, which means, I know a lot of things as well. Belladonna, if you were going to hide your species you should have changed your name as well." Ren said with a scoff making Blake tense. "Or did you really think a bow was going to protect you forever."

"What do you want with me?" Blake asked making Ren roll his eyes, his cold expression replaced with one of mild annoyance as he turned away from her.

"Honestly? Nothing. I have no time for cowards." Ren said bluntly. "That said, the powers that be are forcing me to make sure you are a somewhat acceptable huntress so making you stronger is my one and only desire for you." This threw Blake for a loop as she looked at him in confusion, lowering her weapon.

"Make me stronger? Why?" Blake asked, not expecting that to be the motive behind the human who had discovered her true nature. "And what do you mean I'm a coward? You know nothing about me!"

"On the contrary, I know everything about you." Ren countered and the truth was he did. Even things he hadn't learned from the previous time-line, once given his current task he did his research on Blake.

Thorough research.

"Feline type Faunus, former member of the White Fang which isn't surprising considering your father once led it. Optimistic to a fault. Irrational fear of dogs– most likely due to your species, strange thing for blonds despite your previous situation with one Adam Taurus. And of course, cowardly to the point its pathetic." Ren finished as Blake looked at him incredulously at everything he listed. Shaking her head, she glared at him feeling both violated and angry.

"I am not a coward!"

"Then take off that bow." Ren countered swiftly, making her pause. "If I had it my way, I'd be training Velvet instead. At least she has the will to face the masses head on."

"You think I wear this bow out of fear?" Blake asked before shaking her head. "I wear it so that I can be judge by my personality and not my appearance."

"Is that what you tell yourself to sleep at night?" Ren asked curiously, making her grit her teeth. "If your personality isn't strong enough to shine out passed your appearance, you didn't have much of one to begin with."

"Excuse me!?"

"Did I stutter?" Ren asked, raising an eyebrow as he sipped his tea. "Also, if you do have a strong personality and are still judged first by your appearance, then whoever is judging you in the first place isn't worth it to begin with."

"You're just a human you don't get it–"

"Because you've done such a grand job, explaining it in the past right? Between you and me, I respect the White Fang more now than I did in the past." Ren said, obviously referring to their more violent approach which made Blake look at him incredulously. "Do I approve? No. As a human I fundamentally can't. That said, I can respect that they finally saw the truth. What's necessary to truly incite change."

"Violence is not the way–"

"Lesson two, you cannot prevent and prepare for war at he same time." Ren interrupted her, startling her with seriousness in his voice. "Equality will not be achieved without blood. You cannot solve things peacefully if there is no peace to begin with. This isn't a human thing, it isn't a Faunus thing, it's a people thing…and you can't change that." Ren said resolutely. "There are people in this world that will die a million deaths before even attempting to understand you or your point of view."

"People are not that bad!"

"Of course not, if the majority of people were that bad we'd all be dead a long time ago." Ren said but before Blake could say anything, he continued. "However, more often than not, it's the few bad that are in positions of power while the masses let them run amok through inaction and ignorance. As long as they aren't affected, they don't care. And even if they are, they'll wait for others to try and solve it for them instead. This is why I say I respect the current White Fang but cannot truly praise them. They have the right idea but their execution is horrible. They should be aiming at the corrupt humans in power, not the innocent yet they chose to work with corrupt humans to kill the innocent." Ren staid, stopping when he heard Blake gasp. "What? You aren't aware of that?"

Looks like he might have gotten some dates wrong.

Oh well.

"What are you talking about?" Blake asked breathlessly, as if wanting to believe Ren had just told her a lie. Yet, even if she hated what he was saying, he said it with such ease and conviction that she could tell he saw his own words as truth.

"I've seen a lot of things, traveling with Nora and Jaune, Blake." Ren said quietly. "But nothing made me sicker than seeing the White Fang buy weapons and Dust from the likes of Roman Torchwick." Ren said, recalling one of the weapon trades he, Jaune, and Nora stumbled across before they attended Beacon this time around.

"You're lying." Blake said, frowning as she looked at him. "It doesn't matter which Kingdom you're in. If you saw and reported something like that it would have been all over the news, across the globe."

"Well…that's because we didn't report it. What good would that do? That wouldn't stop the transfer of weapons or the deaths that would follow. Not to mention without proof we would be ignored regardless." Ren said as he shook his head. "No, we dealt with that transaction then and there."

"You…you can't be saying…" Blake trailed off as she took a step back away from Ren.

"What? That we disposed of a group of terrorists? Monsters? Unfortunately, Torchwick got away thanks to a partner of his, but only they got away. Believe me, Blake, our actions were not driven by race. Both Humans and Faunus fell by our weapons." Ren continued.

"Shut up…"

"We are true believers of equality."

"Shut up!"

"We didn't tell anyone, we broke a lot of laws by acting without a license. That said, we did what any professional huntsman would have. Or did you assume Huntsmen only fought Grimm?" Ren asked curiously as Blake trembled. "You picked the wrong career if you tried to run from whatever war you did. All you did was put yourself on the frontlines of whatever is coming." Ren explained simply. "This is why each of my teammates picked one of you to look after, to train."

"What?" Blake asked before her eyes widened as she realized that her teammates had all been befriended more to different members of JNPR. She thought of Jaune and Ruby's friendship, the time Yang spent with Nora and asked her for advice. She even thought about the earlier fight between Weiss and Pyrrha and how they seemingly made up.

And now she stood before Ren.

Her team had all been unknowingly part of some plan or another and by the time she found out it was too late. Team RWBY got along as well as expected but they weren't incredibly close besides Yang and Ruby for obvious reasons. Each one of them, besides her, would value their friendship with a particular member of JNPR over her.

It was her word against theirs.

That was not something she would win.

"What are you after?" Blake asked the futile question one more time. Her voice shaking as her eyes watered a bit while Ren softened his expression.

"To help you."

It made Blake sick how much she honestly believed his words.

"Blake, you're in the center of something that you simply cannot handle. Especially not with how weak we both know you are." Ren said as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "You tried to escape it, the chaos, the bloodshed, but you just moved deeper. If you want, I could tell you everything. But there is no going back. I care for you very much as a friend, Blake. However, if you were to run after I told you the truth…" Ren trailed off as his tightened his grip slightly, making her shudder.

He didn't have to finish his statement.

She knew very well that he would end her if she ran with confidential knowledge.

She saw how powerful Nora and Pyrrha were. Jaune was the only one foolish enough to openly challenge Pyrrha numerous times and the way Pyrrha treated them as legitimate proposals only meant she not only knew but respected his unseen strength. Ren, however, was an anomaly.

One she didn't want to test.

She was cornered now and only two paths now laid out before her.

Fight or flight.

So she did what she always did.

She flew.

Ren just sighed when the shoulder he was holding was replaced with one of Blake's clones that soon vanished.

BGM: END

"Well, A for effort." A familiar voice said making Ren groan as he found Jaune leaning against a nearby wall.

"Don't say a word." Ren muttered making Jaune snort. "Train Blake you all said, she'll be the easiest, you all said." Ren mocked as he began walking away as Jaune chuckled a bit. "If she runs into town, tonight of all nights, she might run into Nora."

"Good. Power wise, Blake might be the weakest in RWBY but she's like you. Resilient in a way the others aren't, if anyone would be the first to come into the inner circle or at least know more than the others, it's her."

"Agreed." Ren said before vanishing into the darkness as Jaune looked back up at the broken moon.

"Well Glynda, hopefully you are having a better night."

-Vale: Capital Building-

"Let's make a deal, shall we?" Glynda suggested suddenly after glancing towards the side and seeing James making his way towards one of the Councilors.

"Deal?"

"Yes, though we can also consider this a stress test of your love of your family." Glynda said as Qrow followed her line of sight, frowning when he saw James as well.

"What are you getting on about?"

"Right now, James is about to step on not only Ozpin's toes, but mine as well. You of all people know how stubborn he is concerning his military. If he weasels a way in for his army to get inside Vale's walls for the festival…well…things will get a lot harder for Ozpin and myself."

"So, what? You want me to try to stop him? Not sure if you noticed, my word won't exactly have as much weight as his." Qrow pointed out before raising an eyebrow. "You mentioned a deal. What exactly do I get out of this? Ozpin's plans might get messed up, but if yours do as well it might just have to be an acceptable loss."

[For god's sake Glynda, smile. You attract more bees with honey that way. We can't expand much further if you scare off everyone.]

"Is that so?" Glynda questioned with a small smile as she recalled Jaune's words. Her expression got underneath Qrow's skin in a way he did not enjoy. It was as if no matter what he did or said, Glynda continued to carry herself as if she had already won.

The fact he had yet to figure out what she had "won" only irritated him further.

"I do not need you to put your word against his so to speak. Merely back me up if you will. My word has enough weight in Vale to counter James'. That said, you showing your support will make things go smoother. You may not be in a place of power, but your reputation is quite known amongst the higher ups. Don't sell yourself short." Glynda explained, her smile never wavering.

"What do I get out of this?"

"Information and peace of mind. Face it, we both know you're not exactly fond of how close I am to your family while my loyalties seem ambiguous to you." Glynda said as she saw the man tense. "Suppose I am suddenly "evil" you know how strong I am, yet even Ozpin himself can't separate a "threat" like me from your nieces." Glynda stopped talking as Qrow grasped her chin with a bit more force than she deemed necessary, but he managed to keep up their outside appearance even as she saw hatred burning in his eyes.

"Don't play with me. I'd hate to do something I wouldn't regret." Qrow whispered darkly, making her grin.

"I was being purely hypothetical, though your reaction is just what I was hoping for. You follow Ozpin, but not blindly, even you have things you will put in front of him." Glynda said, almost sweetly as Qrow cursed-realizing he had somehow been played again. "Every man has a price, Qrow, and yours is your family."

"Are you threatening them?"

"On the contrary, I'm hoping to promise you the ability to make sure as little harm as possible falls upon them when they inevitably get thrown into this war." Glynda said as she stared up into his eyes. Suddenly, Qrow's eyes widened incredulously as he saw her irises become filled with a shining silver.

A very familiar silver.

"There is still so much about this world you need to know, things you would never think possible and I can show it all to you. Give you things you never thought possible." Glynda said as her eyes returned to normal, as if they had never changed as she leant forward and whispered into his ear. "All you have to do is play your part."

"What are you?" Qrow muttered, memories of Summer flashing through his mind before he shook his head. Intertwining her fingers with his, she led him towards James and the councilor.

"Follow me and found out." Glynda said making him narrow his eyes before silently following after her.

He was an information gatherer after all.

-With James-

"Once more, though I am sympathetic with your concern for your students in these…trying…times. The Council of Vale cannot simply allow you to bring your army within our walls without a justifiable cause." The Councilor said with a sigh as James opened his mouth to retort, however, before he could another voice interrupted them.

"A wise decision, councilor." Glynda said approvingly as she approached them with Qrow in tow.

"Glynda, Qrow, I was just–"

"Going behind Oz's back, we saw." Qrow said dryly not exactly sure if he was more irritated with Glynda or Ironwood at the moment.

"Ah, Ms. Goodwitch, I was just telling our esteemed guest here that we would be unable to accept his request to let his army occupy Vale." The Councilor said as he greeted Huntress.

"As you should. I understand his…unease…and desire for increased security. In fact, I agree with it." Glynda stated, suprising the other three. "That said, we need men and women…not his toys." Glynda said, offending James who looked at her with a frown.

"Atlesian technology is arguably the best in the world–"

"Correct, however, despite the caliber of your weaponry, if the person wielding them is not up to par then what good is it?" Glynda countered smoothly. "Atlas, without a doubt, has the edge when it comes to their technological advancement and resources but if that was all that mattered we'd all be living very dull lives now as the Great War would have ended much differently."

"She has a point." Qrow spoke up, a bitter taste in his mouth as he realized he meant that. Glynda smiled brightly at him as he turned away from her and faced the councilor. "Men and women win wars, and out of all the Kingdoms, Vale definitely has the best of those. If the festival requires additional protection then you shouldn't look any further than your own borders."

"Hm, wait. You're Qrow Branwen aren't you?" The Councilor asked suddenly making Qrow nod. "Ha! You have been quite a source of pride for our Kingdom. I am glad you decided to remain with Vale despite the…unfortunate…events surrounding your team."

"What can I say? Vale has the best drinks." Qrow said with a shrug, making the Councilor chuckle.

"That it does, that it does."

"Back on topic though, Goodwitch is right. Your main concern is not alarming the civilians, right? Well bringing a fleet inside Vale will definitely make them start wondering things. Like why the hell is there an army needed to attend such an event if we are at a time of peace. Or more importantly, why is it another Kingdom's army." Qrow explained, making the Councilor frown as he thought over Qrow's words.

"The less information are enemies have, the better." Glynda continued. "If they were to see the Atlesian fleet they could become desperate and do something just as desperate to our citizens. That is a recipe for disaster when you factor the Grimm roaming outside our walls. At least with our own Huntsmen we can hide them amongst the crowd and leave our people none the wiser."

"Hm, you've given me much to think about." The Councilor said as he rubbed his chin in thought, however, James soon interrupted with his own thoughts.

"With all due respect, Councilor, do you think your Huntsmen will be enough? Times of peace have made not just your people, but all people across the Kingdoms lax. It's why Atlas is so dependent on our technology. If, in the worst-case scenario, something major does happen. Will they be strong enough to fend off such a threat that we know is waiting?"

"Yes." Glynda said firmly, before the Councilor could respond. Silently, he turned to Glynda as she explained. "This year I've taken the liberty of re-instating war-time training methods for my students across all four years."

"Excuse me!?" The Councilor said alarmed as both Qrow and James looked at her in shock.

"You cannot prepare and prevent for war at the same time. Do you know who told me that?" Glynda asked suddenly. "A current first year student of mine named Lie Ren who hails from Mistral or more accurately, Kuroyuri." Glynda said, making the men pale.

"My word, I didn't think there were any survivors." The Councilor said, looking aghast.

"There was, he and an orphan girl who wandered into the city named Nora Valkyrie survived that hell and had been living on their own, traveling throughout Mistral for almost a decade now. They met another student of mine, one Jaune Arc. The three have lived in the wilds of Mistral under his lead for nearly a year now." Glynda said as she crossed her arms. "All three of these brave children-no-warriors chose to attend Beacon where they met their fourth member, Pyrrha Nikos who, despite her fame and glory, hails from the slums of Mistral. The lowest, of the lowest levels." Glynda said as her gaze hardened. "These four are currently the strongest team Beacon has to offer and they are first years."

"An…interesting tale, but what point are you trying to make?" James asked with a frown as Glynda leveled him with a stare that could have frozen hell itself.

"That even though we live in peace, many still fight every day to survive. The myth that peace makes weak people is just that, a myth. Because there has never, not once, been peace. Just the absence of war. Life made these first years as capable as some veteran Huntsmen and do you know what they have done with this power?" Glynda asked rhetorically. "They passed it on to the other students, most notably to the second best team of their year, Team RWBY. A team that has two members that are the legacy of team STRQ, one of which who was accepted two years early by Ozpin himself and leads them. They also have a Schnee Heiress, and a Belladonna."

"You have a Belladonna in your school!?" James asked incredulously and it was only thanks to the music that no one heard him. The only notable Belladonnas in the world could be found in the Menagerie. Ghira was a man both feared and respected amongst Huntsmen both human and not.

"That's…that's quite the lineup. Two survivors of Kuroyuri, Mistral's champion, all led by an Arc. Not to mention the STRQ descendants, a Schnee heiress, and a Belladonna…." The Councilor muttered to himself, his eyes narrowed and James wasn't sure he liked what he saw the Councilor formulating in his head. It was no secret that Huntsmen became extremely attached to the Kingdom they studied in, even if it wasn't their home.

Qrow was proof of that.

This was why every school tried to be as appealing as possible, even sacrificing the curriculum in order to get major applicants to come to them. Those eight students, should they have been anywhere else would have been coddled like no tomorrow.

Treated with unhidden favoritism

And all eight of them chose to attend Beacon.

This was, without a doubt, one of the few power moves Glynda actually applauded Ozpin for. The calculations and precise planning to make that happen was nothing short of a miracle.

She still remembered the days of negotiation it took for Ozpin to get Pyrrha's manager to agree to let her go to Beacon.

"So, as you can see, there lies a potential in this year of students that should be brought out to its fullest. You know the power one huntsman can wield, Councilor. These eight are on track to being the best in Vale's history and all of them are quite fond of Vale despite the intensity of my lessons. I dare say, they like Beacon even more because of it." Glynda said as a gleam appeared in the Councilor's eyes while James mentally cursed.

He was so caught up in maintaining his military that he forgot about the students themselves.

As revolutionary and gifted as Penny was, the fact that a Schnee had slipped through his grasp was inexcusable.

The SDC was one tax law away from moving as it was, if Atlas were to lose them they'd lose a lot of power.

In a way, Glynda almost felt a bit bad. In a few minutes, eight of her students had just become some of the most important resources between two Kingdoms in a time of "peace". One Kingdom doomed to never have them, another Kingdom under the illusion that they already had them.

At the end of the day those eight belonged under the Banner of Rose and nothing else.

"Glynda." The Councilor suddenly spoke up, a smirk on his face as he decided to forego any pretense of formality. "Keep up the good work."

"Of course, Councilor." Glynda said politely. "Though I may need your support concerning Ozpin, he hasn't exactly been…supportive…of my reinstatement of the more questionable teaching methods."

"Whatever you need, let me know. Those aren't children, they're Huntsmen under our banner and it will do that old fool some good to remember that." The Councilor said bluntly, making Qrow bristle though he barely managed to keep his cool as Glynda grabbed his hand reassuringly.

She was playing the Councilor, he knew that.

Hell, she was playing everyone.

It frustrated Qrow to no end that all he could do was watch it play out as his family was used as bargaining chips.

"Thank you–"

"I don't believe it."

"Believe what?" Glynda asked with a frown as glanced at James, having a feeling the man was going to make one last desperate attempt to get his.

"That you would act this independently of Ozpin, no, this is just another plan of his to try to stop me from doing the right thing isn't it?" James questioned, making the Councilor frown in thought.

"On the contrary, I mean everything I say." Glynda said, realizing what James was doing. He must have realized just how much was truly at stake now. "The students, across all four years, have shown nothing but pure progress. Some fourth years even wanting to stay over the summer for additional lessons." Glynda revealed. "They won't benefit as much as the other years but it is a testament to how much the students dislike Ozpin's coddling. In fact, I dare say any of my students could best anyone in your military." Glynda said, making James smirk.

An expression she fought hard not to mirror.

Hook.

Line.

And sinker.

"Is that right? Then how about a wager then. I'm sure the esteemed Councilor here would like some proof of your claims." James said as he folded his hands behind his back. "I will choose one person from my Military against…let's say…two of your students? A match that will work with rules not unlike those of the Vytal festival. You may pick any two students except those belonging to your top first year team. After all, if they are as capable as fully trained huntsmen then it wouldn't be fair right?"

"As much as I would love to see the look on your face when you lose, what exactly do I get out of cutting time out of my curriculum for this farce?" Glynda wondered curiously, making James smile in way that made Qrow grit his teeth. Gripping his hand tighter, Glynda prayed that Yang's explosive anger actually didn't stem from her Uncle.

She was close.

Very close to achieving one of her more important goals for the evening.

All Qrow had to do was stay silent just a little longer.

"How about this, the winner gets to take on one student of their choosing from the other's school?" James suggested. Truth be told, he had no really notable students this year besides Penny and he made every effort to keep any information concerning her away from Ozpin and the others.

For all intents and purposes, they didn't even know Penny existed.

So, he arguably had nothing to lose…

…that said, the way Glynda grinned at him suddenly made him want to rethink that.

"Fine then, I accept, if only to show the Councilor here that I meant everything I said. I don't exaggerate and have no time for meaningless posturing." Glynda said before extending a hand towards James. "The beginning of second semester is when this match shall take place, my schedule this semester is too full to make room. It will be recorded so that the Council can see the current state of Beacon's students. Deal?"

"…Deal…" James muttered as he shook her hand. He didn't like this, not one bit. Part of him believed what he was saying and that he had caught on to one of Ozpin's schemes. After all he, like Qrow, didn't want to believe that Glynda had suddenly gone AWOL.

Now he wasn't so sure.

He also didn't like the feeling that Glynda had just won something he couldn't identify.

"Excellent. Now as exciting as this conversation was, gentlemen. I do have a date I would like to finish. Excellent ball as always, Councilor." Glynda praised the man before quickly reassuring him that Beacon was going to end up with another fine addition before the end of the school year. As she walked away with Qrow, Qrow couldn't help but ask.

"What the hell was that?"

"Politics. Rest assured, Qrow, your nieces aren't going anywhere. His sights are most definitely on the Schnee heiress." Glynda said nonchalantly. "She, too, will remain at Beacon. I meant what I said, the first year is strong. The only one losing here will be James."

"What. Are. You. After?" Qrow asked through gritted teeth, he had no idea how many times he asked that question both out loud and internally that evening. He praised himself for his ability to gather intel, the fact he had yet to find a concrete answer to one of the most basic of questions was getting to him.

"The same thing Ozpin is. The only difference is the way I choose to approach it." Came Glynda's calculated response and Qrow knew it was a calculated one as well.

How?

Because for the first time it made him wonder…

…what the hell did Ozpin want?

-Beacon-

Pyrrha and Weiss made their way to the school's gym after spending most of the day in town. In that time, they talked about life and various other things to get to know each other better before they would begin what Weiss could only assume would be the training from hell. It was an eye-opening experience for Weiss as she realized that Pyrrha, like she first assumed, was a genuinely nice person…

…in her own prideful and condescending bitch-like way.

Pyrrha said things how it was and didn't hesitate to call a duck a duck which was a level of bluntness Weiss wasn't accustomed to but welcomed.

She thought she knew what tough love was thanks to Winter…

…boy was she wrong.

"So, what are we doing today?" Weiss asked curiously as she finished a milkshake they had gotten from a restaurant and tossed it into a nearby trashcan as they walked.

"We'll keep it to a light sparring session to better evaluate your level. We can get into the nitty gritty tomorrow. It's been a long day for you after all." Pyrrha said before frowning a bit as she looked at the hair tie Weiss was wearing to keep her hair in its usual pony tail. For once Pyrrha felt a little bad for what she had done, but it didn't last long as she reached into her bag and presented Weiss with her crown which was in perfect condition. "By the way, here you go."

"What?" Weiss asked curiously before her eyes widened in surprise when she saw her crown. "But? How?" Pyrrha smirked as she used her semblance to crush the crown before using it again to repair it once more.

"You can fix anything if you know the right method." Pyrrha said smugly before handing it to Weiss. "Here, went a bit too far. This seemed like it was important to you." Pyrrha said apologetically as Weiss stared at the crown in disbelief.

[Crowns should be earned, not bought.]

Weiss tensed for a moment as she recalled the words of the woman in front of her before gently placing her hand on the crown.

"No." Weiss began, gently pushing the object back towards Pyrrha. "Hold on to that until I've earned it." Weiss continued softly, suprising Pyrrha whom just nodded approvingly and placed the crown back in her bag. She was amazed at how well an ass beating helped with Weiss' humility and overall personality. "I trust you to let me know when that is."

"Sure, you'll definitely know when." Pyrrha said with a smile as they made it to the gym's entrance.

-Vale: The Rose Garden-

BGM: Paralyzed (Mystery Skulls cover)- Ken Ashcorp

Qrow expected a lot of ways for this "date" to continue after that run-in with James. However, the one thing he didn't expect was for Glynda to completely ditch the rest of the ball and drag him to a night club down town.

"You know, I thought I've been to every club in this city." Qrow mused as Glynda downed her drink before ordering another one. The bartender, Junior, didn't even bother to ask her what she wanted as he went to get her another one.

"You probably have, this club isn't new just…under new management." Glynda said after a moment of thought as Junior nervously placed a new drink in front of her before scurrying off to the other patrons. "Order what you want, my treat, It's the least I can do for having you accompany me this evening and having you help me out."

"Is that right?" Qrow asked and couldn't help but snort before sipping his drink.

"It is, I've gotten a lot done this evening. You just might be my good luck charm." Glynda teased making him roll his eyes.

"That's a first. You know, I almost hate to break it to you but if you were with me the whole evening, I doubt any of your plans went how you expected them to." Qrow pointed out, deciding to remind her about who exactly she was with.

To his surprise she just laughed lightly in response.

"No, I think because I was with you they went exactly how I wanted. Please don't tell me you haven't noticed yet?" Glynda questioned making him frown in confusion. "Close your eyes, feel your aura, you might be surprised at what you find." Narrowing his eyes, Qrow glanced around the club before proceeding to do just that.

Closing his eyes he reached out to his aura.

He could feel it protecting him as it always had.

Him and him alone.

However, before he opened his eyes he stopped as he felt something else…

…something over his….

…not directly on top of his aura but just far enough above it that he wouldn't feel it unless he actively looked for it.

He felt…

…Glynda's.

"What?" Qrow wondered, his eyes snapping open as he faced her. Qrow always knew Glynda had more aura than him, but not much more. To completely shield his and consequently trap the effects of his Semblance required not only an excessive amount of concentration, but at least as much aura as he himself wielded within his body which meant one thing…

…Glynda had been practically defenseless the entire evening…

…not only that, but he knew she must have been exhausted as well.

"You're an idiot." Qrow muttered quietly. "You could keel over at any moment, you do realize that, right?"

"Oh, I am quite aware. You've been working out Qrow, you have a bit more aura than I expected." Glynda mused. "If I do pass out, be a dear and sneak me back into campus. My room should be unlocked. You've surely had enough practice doing that during your years at Beacon."

"Or I could leave your scheming ass knocked out." Qrow added making her chuckle.

"You could." Glynda agreed before lightly bumping his shoulder with her's. "But then again, you're just not that type of person are you?" Glynda asked as she looked up into his eyes. "Despite how much you try to hide it, you are an incurably good man aren't you?"

"I'm a lot of things." Qrow said, avoiding her question making her smile sadly.

"We all are." Glynda said before Qrow suddenly felt her aura expanding away from himself and surrounding both of them. Her aura seemed to harden a bit as the sounds of the club became muffled.

"You've gotten very good at manipulating aura."

"Can't take credit for it, sometimes as a teacher you end up learning more from your students than you manage to teach them." Glynda said as Jaune flashed through her mind. "I treat them equally, but I'd be a liar if I didn't have a favorite or two. One of them, in particular, I view as a son but you didn't hear that from me."

"Of course not." Qrow drawled as he thought of his nieces. He tried to treat all the students of Signal equally. He and Tai both did, but if they said they hadn't showed favoritism towards their girls he'd be a liar. "A kid taught you how to do this? He must have one hell of an aura."

"Indeed, so much so that I like to keep its true nature a secret. Many are under the illusion its above average in its amount and that his Semblance is a Shield. That, however, is just how he manipulates his aura. The truth is his real amount is, quite frankly, mind boggling. His true Semblance is the amplification of another's which help keeps the illusion of his "Shield"."

"An amp?" Qrow asked, his eyes widening. "It's the Arc kid, isn't it?"

"Who else?" Glynda asked as she sipped her drink. "Ozpin doesn't even know its true nature."

"But you told me."

"I trust you." Glynda explained matter-of-factly. "You're overdue for an explanation, so allow me to tell you of a fairy tale Ozpin hasn't told you."

"I'm listening."

"Once upon a time, when the world was on brink of succumbing to an evil we both knew all too well."

BGM: END

BGM: Human Legacy-Ivan Torrent

*Flash*

A young girl stood on the front lines, surrounded by the bodies of those she held dearest.

Ruby fell to her knees as she looked at the destruction of Vale, her eyes shadowed by her bangs even as hot tears poured down her cheek.

Still...despite the pain…

…the agony….

…she held on to hope.

A massive Salem erupted from the ruins of Vale, monstrous and demonic in her appearance she released an ear-splitting roar. Struggling to her feet, Ruby gripped Crescent Rose tightly and prepared for one final battle as her eyes began to shine.

…Through a miracle, that hope manifested itself into the form of a seed. Planting this seed created a garden, a small but safe haven from the evil. So captivated by its humble beauty, one of her few remaining allies decided then and there to protect both it and her.

A battered Jaune struggled to his feet behind Ruby, like her his eyes were shadowed but soon twin flames of silver erupted from them.

Through his devotion…

…he would become the first.

Salem released a massive blow towards Ruby however, before it could connect, it was blocked by a shining shield that sent the demonic woman reeling backwards in pain while the garden continued to grow.

"The first what?"

Knight.

Clad in a blinding suit of armor, Jaune turned around and scooped Ruby up into his arms before retreating from the battle.

He would force the girl away from the frontlines, physically carrying her away. As they fled, more seeds appeared and the Knight realized that the girl would need more land to plant them, to grow her garden. He promised then and there to give her as much as he could…

…he would deliver to her the world.

*Flash*

A promise he kept.

Jaune stood in front of a massive war table with a smirk, as he placed the empires banner on another captured territory.

However, he wouldn't be enough. You know the tale of the maidens. Though all of them did not fall to the evil, that did not mean they aligned themselves with the girl. The girl's response?

*Flash*

Make her own.

Nora walked forward slowly, lightning crackling off her body. The power she emitted, disintegrating the ground around her as she walked towards Cinder, Raven, and two other silhouettes with a grin on her face.

A single maiden, with more power than the original four that wielded a strength that did not come from magic but rather will. A natural born legend. She would become the second.

"Knight?"

You're catching on.

*Flash*

Territory, resources, people, you name it and the two Knights delivered it the girl. Shortly after the second, she'd pick up a third Knight. You can think of him as a gardener of sorts.

A slightly older Ruby hummed to herself as she tended to her rose garden.

"Why a gardener? Wasn't the girl already one?"

Yes, but she saw all things in her garden as beautiful and thus lacked the tools necessary to remove the weeds. The weeds threatened to destroy the garden, but thanks to him he preserved its beauty and helped in flourish.

Frowning when she saw a weed, Ruby pulled it out before glancing up into a nearby tree where Ren sat lazily. The two's eyes met for a moment before he nodded and vanished.

*Flash*

Many people became envious and awed by the beauty of the garden being built. They looked to the girl for advice, tips, and even leadership in hopes of finding their own garden in a world filled with evil. A daunting task that she was not prepared for until she took on a fourth knight.

Ruby sat silently as Glynda taught her the do's and don'ts of leadership.

This knight, however, would prove to be the young girl's undoing. You see this knight was nothing more than a replacement, a replacement for a far greater mentor to the girl that had long since passed. Her intentions were good, but this fourth knight made a fatal mistake and cut out what she thought was a weed but was, in all actuality, a root…one that was essential to the garden's survival.

Empress Rose said nothing as she upheld the illusion of perfection, even as her soul cracked with every decision. Every day her heart grew colder and despite the continued beauty of her garden, she was all too aware that the garden as dying.

Gone was the girl and in her place an Empress. Eventually the evil which had been pushed back by the flourishing garden would make one last desperate attempt to destroy the garden. An attempt that would succeed as the girl-turned-Empress died alone, broken, leaving behind a cursed garden that would grow out of control in her absence despite the garden's thorns bringing an end to the evil.

Empress Rose laid on the floor of her throne room, lifelessly as Glynda clenched her fists so hard they bled.

It was her fault.

It was all her fault.

-Present-

BGM: END

"Interesting story, but where exactly does this all fit in?" Qrow asked making Glynda give him a tired smile.

"That's the beauty of this tale, it hasn't happened yet." Glynda said, confusing Qrow as a sinking feeling began to fill his stomach. "You see, the Empress left one last gift for her Knights. Seeds to plant a new garden, a better one. The problem was however, that only place to plant them was occupied by the previous garden."

"So, what did they do?"

"Set it ablaze." Glynda said quietly, her eyes becoming unfocused for a moment as she got lost in her memories. "All their progress, their hard work, undone so that they could make something better. The garden burned to ash, taking with it the entire world. And in the ashes, the Knights found the girl once more and though the evil was brought back with her, they saw an opportunity to change things for the better.

"This garden…what type of garden was it?" Qrow asked impatiently, his temper flaring as Glynda gazed at him sadly.

"A rose garden."

*CRASH*

Qrow's glass shattered in his hand as he abruptly stood up, his aura flaring suddenly to the point it shattered Glynda's and sent his Semblance flying out throughout the club. Records skipped, dancers fell, and dishes broke as he turned to leave. He didn't get far however, when Glynda gripped his wrist tightly.

"Let go of me! I listened to enough of this nonsense!" Qrow snapped as sounds of confusion echoed throughout the club as they tried to figure out what the hell happened to them.

"You know, in your heart, that I'm telling the truth." Glynda said seriously. "She needs you, Qrow. You have always been the one more suited for watching over her. Guiding her."

"I told you to get off of me." Qrow ordered as he tried to yank his wrist free, however, thanks to her grip that only served to bring her closer to him.

"Look at me, Qrow." Glynda ordered, her eyes turning silver and beginning to glow as the sick feeling he had only worsened. The silver in her eyes now was all too familiar and all he could do was shake his head slowly. "Look at me and see the truth, see what I see when I look at you." Glynda said firmly and just like that, time seemed to stop as Qrow found himself drawn into her eyes.

-?-

"Ugh…where…where the hell am I?" Qrow wondered as he rubbed his before looking around at his surroundings. He was on a white walkway that led to a large white door with an all too familiar rose emblem etched into it. His stomach dropped at the sight.

"My mind. If you don't want to listen to me, perhaps you'll listen to Rose herself?" Glynda asked as she made her way towards the massive door while Qrow looked at her in confusion.

"What do you mean ask her?"

"Exactly what it sounds like, behind this door you can talk to her…however, I must warn you. If you are expecting a warm welcome, you are mistaken. When Rose left this part of herself within me, it was during a dark era of her reign." Glynda said quietly. "A time where desperation and frustration were high. Years later she would overcome this and return to being our benevolent ruler, but the woman you may see…look just mind your words." Glynda warned sternly as she placed her hands on the massive door as Qrow walked behind her.

*Thoom*

When the doors opened, Glynda and Qrow made their way into a large throne room. Once they entered, Qrow froze, his breath stopping as he stared in morbid fascination at the sight before him. There, resting on a large throne before him was a woman that looked all too familiar.

"S-summer?" Qrow gasped out, his stomach churning as he realized that no. He was not staring at Summer.

He was staring at Ruby.

"Hm?" The Empress wondered as she opening her silver eyes that pierced right through Qrow's very soul. Her gaze was like staring into a mirror as even from a distance, he could see himself reflected clearly. Glynda quickly knelt as the Empress swept her gaze down upon her advisor. "So, you've made a decision then?"

"Yes, Qrow is everything needed to ensure the best possible outcome. He can simply relate to your heir in a way I can't and prevent repeating many of the mistakes I've made." Glynda said with a palpable level of honesty. "To be frank, your majesty, this should have been his job in the first place."

"It should have been, shouldn't it?" The Empress said quietly, though her voice reverberated throughout the room and carried a weight that was foreign to Qrow. It was as if through her voice alone, she could convey her power and Qrow had a difficult time reconciling the being before him with his niece.

But at the same time, he knew it was her without a shadow of a doubt.

Standing up, the Empress strolled towards them, her hands folded behind her back before she stopped before them. She took a moment to simply gaze upon Qrow, looking at him with an almost childlike curiosity that was barely held back.

"Ruby–" Qrow was stopped as the Empress shushed him quietly as she took in the sight of him for a moment longer.

"Amazing." The Empress said as she grasped the side of his face gently, staring into the eyes she had known all too well before releasing him. "Unfortunately, his services will no longer be required." The Empress revealed making Glynda tense and Qrow couldn't help but notice the expression of genuine terror on Glynda's face.

It was as if these were something she expected as a possibility but prayed she would never hear.

"Your majesty?"

"Change of plans, I've been watching on since you came to this time-line. I am disappointed by the amount of inaction I have been seeing from my once fierce Knights."

"Your majesty, these things take time–"

"–Time we cannot afford to be wasting twiddling our thumbs." The Empress interrupted smoothly and Qrow could see an emotion he never expected to see from his niece.

Pure.

Cold.

Fury.

Her expression was almost calm, but one look into her eyes was enough to convey her rage and by the way Glynda began to tremble, he suspected that she could feel it.

"I left you in charge, what have you done to my knights?" The Empress asked coldly. "My Battle Master would have decimated numerous strongholds of our enemies by now, yet you've only just now sent her on her first mission?"

"Your–"

"Silence! Do not speak when I am speaking!" The Empress boomed and even Qrow couldn't help but flinch back. "Why does Vale still have a council? Did you, forget how to utilize Ren's skill set? You have the perfect soldier in the form of Pyrrha, the one thing you did right. So why is she not yet on the frontlines? Do not even get me started on my Knight Captain. Jaune the conqueror once hand delivered me the world yet now all I see is a broken man wearing his face. Why have you taken it upon yourself to ruin my knights and spit on my legacy? Speak!"

"T-there is no need for unnecessary bloodshed. We did not need to start a war the moment we returned! If we did what you suggested the world would be in chaos and Salem could utilize that and end us even faster!"

"The world is already in chaos you idiot." The Empress said, her eyes shining menacingly. "You have disappointed me for the last time. A relic like Ironwood, you should have been disposed of the moment your use ran out. Take me to my counterpart, I will rebuild my Empire myself." The Empress ordered making Glynda tremble even more as the Empress shook her head. "I'm sorry you had to witness that Uncle, when I return to my body we can–"

"You can't." Glynda said quietly, her voice a hoarse whisper as she practically choked on her own words.

Silence.

The temperature immediately plummeted as the Empress' gaze rested up Glynda, her face filled with wonder. Her eyes wide as if she were looking at Glynda for the first time as Glynda rose to her feet and stared at the Empress with eyes filled with tears that refused to fall.

"You can't." Glynda repeated more firmly.

"Do…do you not remember the definition of treason?" The Empress questioned with morbid curiosity.

"I do."

"Do you not realize that it is a death sentence in a time of war?" The Empress asked quietly as Glynda nodded.

"I do."

"Why…" The Empress trailed off, a single tear falling from her right eye as she gently grasped the side of Glynda's face. "…why do you seek death?" The Empress questioned, sending a chill down Qrow's spine as Glynda struggled to not flinch away from the Empress' touch.

"I don't, but I've received strict orders to never let you return." Glynda revealed, making the Empress gasp before her expression shifted into one of pure hatred.

"Under who's authority?"

"Yours." Glynda said quietly, her voice trembling as the Empress blinked. Swallowing, Glynda explained. "Her majesty realized she was becoming a monster, a tyrant worse than Salem. The little amount of light remaining in her dying heart drove her to make the decision to remove the growing darkness inside her. As a result, the light could grow once more inside her and she could lead the Empire into prosperity for a few more years.

"This…this is a cell." The Empress almost choked out as she glanced around the mindscape. A cruel realization occurring to her. "You betrayed me."

"I followed my orders…you…you are a result of my failures as a teacher. In a way your existence is my betrayal, not your incarceration, and that is a sin for which I can never repent–"

*CRUNCH*

"Glynda!" Qrow shouted in horror as the Empress ran her hand straight through Glynda's chest making the woman double over as the Empress' eyes shone brightly. Glynda gasped as she looked down at the arm piercing her, the speed in which Ruby attack her had run the arm straight through her chest and out of her back.

"You must have forgotten why I am the Empress, you old fool. Did you think you could contain me? ME!? I who stood against Salem? I who had taken on the pain of the world? I who turned a dying world into a flourishing nation-"

"You, you, you, and that's the problem!" Glynda gasped out angrily, a pained expression as she stepped closer to Empress and driving her arm further through her chest. "Don't you see it? Why everything went wrong? You've never, not once, led your people. You just stood in front of them." Glynda said as her tears fell freely. "I failed you." Glynda said as the Empress bowed her head, her eyes shadowed by her hair. "Give Qrow your light, led him guide your heir. Save her from my failures."

"You're right, you did fail me." The Empress began before violently ripping her hand free making Glynda scream. "But there will be no need to save my so-called heir. I will take over your body and return to my body myself. I clearly need a tighter leash on my subordinates. I will save the world, even if I have to bring down millions to save billions."

The mindscape began to crack as Glynda fell back, the life beginning to leave her eyes as she realized she failed once more. Still despite it all, even as her vision darkened, she looked back up at the monster she created.

"I…I…still love you, Ms. Rose." Glynda said as she forced a kind smile on her face that only served to enraged the Empress more. In a flash of light, Crescent Rose appeared in her hands. The Empress raised the legendary weapon high, prepared to cleave her treacherous advisor in two.

*CLANG!*

BGM: Bad Luck Charm-RWBY OST

"I've seen enough." Qrow said darkly as the Empress looked at him in surprise. "You may have been my niece once, but you're obviously not anymore and I'll be damned if I let you anywhere near Ruby."

Shock.

Pain.

Betrayal.

Anger.

All these emotions quickly swam through the Empress' eyes before her power pulsed, her eyes shining brighter as she knocked him back. Landing in a crouch, Qrow poised his blade to attack as he and the Empress glared at each other.

"You're right. I'm not your niece." The Empress said darkly. Qrow's eyes widened before he gritted his teeth when he saw her disappear. "And you aren't my uncle, my uncle died like a dog." The Empress said from behind him making him move his sword behind him quickly.

*CLANG*

"Do you want to know how you died?" The Empress questioned as they found themselves locked in highspeed combat, slashing violently at each other as they moved throughout the mind-scape. "We were cornered in Vacuo." The Empress began as she jumped up high, her perception of time slowing as she shifted her weapon into its gun form. Qrow found himself transforming into a bird to avoid her fire.

Despite all of this, he couldn't drown out her broken voice.

"You, myself, and a few friends of mine were together. One of my friends, was Ozpin's next reincarnation." Qrow flew above her and transformed, his eyes wide, showing that he heard her before descending upon her with an over head slash which she promptly blocked before they crashed back into the ground, her scythe and his blade struggling for dominance. "He was my first love, and before they merged completely, Ozpin promised…he promised to never interfere with our lives!"

*BANG!*

Releasing a shot from her scythe manage to knock him away from her before she shot towards him releasing a flurry of high speed attack that he was unable to block.

"I had a plan, a risky one, that would have gotten us out of Vacuo. We all agreed on it, including you and my beloved. However, the night before we were to enact it, Ozpin in his infinite wisdom just knew he had a better one."

"No…" Qrow trailed off, his eyes widening as he felt his heart clench while the Empress gave him a cruel smirk before kicking him in chest.

"Yes…" The Empress mocked. "Are you truly surprised? Ozpin lied again, he took over the man I loved and tried to play the role of a martyr. You could have stopped him, but instead you went with him!" The Empress roared, her voice cracking as her tears continued to cascade down her cheeks. Slamming the bottom of her scythe into the ground, a massive shockwave erupted towards Qrow and knocked him back out of the doors to the throne room. Turning back into his bird form he flew into the room and transformed again above the Empress.

*BANG!*

*BANG!*

*BANG!*

The Empress lazily tilted her head to dodge the first shot, before slightly shifting her body to avoid the other two. Whipping her scythe upward, a crimson arc of aura shot up towards him, making him curse as he maneuvered around it.

"You could have stopped him, believed in me, but instead you walked right next to him to his doom. When Salem gave us your remains, you couldn't be recognized. You both weren't even able to be buried." The Empress said making Qrow pause and for that split second she reappeared before him and slammed a vicious right to his face that sent him crashing into the ground. "My mother, my lover, who else do you need to kill? You and your sister do nothing but break my home!" The Empress snarled as she attacked him viciously.

Grace?

Efficiency?

None of these factors that were usually present, even in her younger counterparts fighting style, could be seen. The only emotion the Empress held towards him now was contempt. It was obvious to Qrow that she just wanted him to hurt.

The problem was that none of her blows could possibly hurt as much as her words.

"When Glynda brought you before me, only then did I realize how useless she was. How could you possibly advise me? You can't even be an uncle, let alone a royal advisor." The Empress snarled as Qrow struggled to his hands and knees only to be kicked into his face. "Or did you think incomplete fighting lessons and an occasional dirty joke was enough to validate your role in my sad excuse of a family?"

The way she talked down upon his place in her family hurt the most out of all of her taunts because he knew.

Deep down he knew…

…many of these thoughts were probably buried deep down, repressed, by his Ruby.

"You who stole the very color from my life, who gave me pain in return for my love, whose very name has been nothing but a burden." Ruby ranted as she slammed her foot into the back of his head and forced his face into the ground. "You have only been right about one thing Qrow, and that's that you are nothing but my bad luck charm." The Empress said coldly as she aimed the barrel of her gun at his head.

But she didn't pull the trigger.

BGM: END

"Not worth it." The Empress said as she saw the ground beneath them cracking. Stepping back, she left him as part of the ground caved in, sending the wounded Huntsmen falling into a dark abyss. Collapsing her weapon, she went to go take control over her new temporary body only to freeze when she still felt resistance

But how–

The Empress' eyes widened in alarm when she finally noticed the down Glynda whose body was covered in an all-too familiar silver light. She was so focused on Qrow she hadn't noticed Glynda building up her light. She couldn't believe that Glynda held on this long. The Empress had no idea how she could be so unlucky-

"Qrow." The Empress whispered, the fight had gone in her favor for the most part. That should have been the red-flag needed to see something was off. Quickly pulling her scythe out once more, the Empress blasted towards Glynda angrily. "You…treacherous bitch!" The Empress shouted as she went to end Glynda. However, before she could make it…for the first time in years…the Empress…

…was too slow.

*FLASH*

The Empress was forced back when the silver-ethereal form of Glynda shot up from her body and dove down into the abyss.

-With Qrow-

BGM: You Say Run- Boku no Hero Academia OST

As Qrow fell into the darkness, he tried to think of where everything went wrong. Somewhere down the road he had failed his niece. Not just once, but numerous times that built up and transformed her into that woman she became. Glynda claimed it was her failures, but he knew better.

It was ultimately on him.

Oh yes, Taiyang had his fair share of the blame. That said the man knew and admitted his short-comings when it came to girls. He was not the best father but he tried and when the responsibility of being a single parent became too much he trusted his youngest daughter to Qrow despite the shaky relationship between the two men.

And what did he do?

He betrayed that trust.

That woman represented the future his niece was headed towards and it was too late to get her off that destructive path. But God did he wish he had another chance.

A chance to make things right.

To be the family that little girl deserved.

He'd sell his soul for such a chance.

*FLASH*

Qrow blinked as he saw the silver form of Glynda above him as he fell, a sad smile as she looked at the man who lost his will to fight.

"We fucked up." Glynda said bluntly and despite himself, despite the situation, Qrow released a bitter laugh.

"Yeah, we did, didn't we?" Qrow asked with a roguish grin even as his eyes glistened.

"But its time for us to set it right." Glynda said firmly making him look at her skeptically.

"How can we possibly set this right? She hates us both."

"Please, Qrow, are you not a teacher?" Glynda asked, her watery smile growing as she became more determined. "Children throw tantrums all the time."

"Not Ruby."

"Especially Ruby, you've just never seen it because you weren't around believing you were keeping her safe. Which you did, but you kept her safe from everyone but herself." Glynda informed him as she extended a hand towards him. "Fix that, this time." Glynda said as his tears finally fell before an expression even more determined that Glynda's crossed his face as he nodded and accepted her hand. Pulling him up towards her as they fell, Glynda hugged him tightly. "No one can stand up against the Empress' eternal light…not even her darkness."

-With the Empress-

Climbing to her feet, the Empress was about to eviscerate Glynda when she paused and clenched her teeth.

"He's coming." The Empress muttered before glancing back when she saw a blur fly up from the void. Turning around fully, she cursed at the sight before her. It was a sight she saw every damn time she looked at her uncle.

An Angel.

Qrow floated above her, massive black wings flapping lazily as he gazed down upon her with silver eyes. She said nothing as she crouched down into her signature stance as his blade shifted and transformed into his scythe before her very eyes. For a moment neither said a thing before charging each other. The Empress upped her speed tremendously as she hopped from various walls, making her way up towards her as he dive-bombed her.

*CLANG!*

"You were right." Qrow said as their weapons met, the resulting shockwave booming throughout the battlefield. Soon the two pushed off from each other before they began attacking each other rapidly as. "Incomplete lessons and dirty jokes aren't enough to make me your uncle. But I realize that despite everything I am your uncle." Qrow said before batting the Empress away into a nearby wall only for her to catch herself, the wall cracking beneath her feet before she hot back up at him. "Why? Because I love you Rubes." Qrow declared making her eyes widen as she found herself faltering.

Qrow struck then.

"You're open!" Qrow shouted before flying inside her guide. However, he wasn't admonishing her but rather himself. "I've really taught you nothing." Qrow said with a bitter chuckle after knocking her back down into the ground. Cursing, she recovered, only to find him already upon her. "Come on, again!" Qrow ordered as she fought back.

Back and forth

Back and forth.

Back and forth.

That's how the two fought as Qrow expertly out maneuvered her and abused the openings she had. The Empress was so used to having overwhelming power, that when limited to only the small fraction she had given Glynda she was forced to fall back on her combat skills. She was an expert with a scythe…

…but she was never a master.

For the first time in a long time, she found herself outclassed.

"Again." Qrow ordered making her curse, her frustration high as she realized she couldn't beat him. Just like that, in a moment she found herself brought back to her youth when she first trained with Qrow.

"Shut up!" The Empress ordered swinging wildly only for him to knock her weapon out of her hand. Cursing again, she prepared for him to end her as he raised his scythe high.

BGM: END

His Theme-Under Tale OST

*SCHTICK*

When the pain didn't come, she opened her eyes to see that he had stabbed the blade into the ground before stepping forward and wrapping his arms around her tightly.

"What happened to you and your friends over these years, the things you had to do and had done to you…it's not your fault." Qrow said firmly, snapping her out of her stupor. She began thrashing wildly, attempted to break free but he didn't budge. "I'm so sorry."

"Let me go!" The Empress roared, her heart clenching painfully.

"No."

"L-Let me go I said!" The Empress shouted, her voice wavering. She scratched at him and his wings desperately, even going as far as attempting to bite him. She wanted to cause him any kind of pain to make him release her.

"Never."

One word.

That's all it took for Qrow to break her again.

"Why…why did you leave me?" The Empress finally asked as her arms weakly wrapped back around him. Qrow didn't answer, he didn't know, no matter how much he wished he knew what was going through his counter-parts' head. Instead, he just held her closer as she sobbed. "It…it hurts so much…"

"I know Ruby, I know." Qrow said quietly, his wings wrapping around her protectively. Even as the world around them shattered like glass, he never let her go. As she cried her body began to shine in a bright light, wisps of darkness pouring off of her body in waves.

"I don't want to be alone anymore."

"You won't be, but Ruby, you can't push everyone out again. From what I've gathered, you had friends, good ones, but it was you who decided to stand at the top alone. You can't do that." Qrow admonished her quietly. "There is more to being a leader than simply taking everyone's pain on alone. That's a martyr not a leader and especially not a ruler."

"But…I thought that I had to protect everyone one who put their faith in me? That I had to devote myself to them fully with everything I am…" Ruby said quietly making Qrow sigh as he closed his eyes. With that sentence alone and the years he spent with Ruby, he knew exactly where here wires got mixed up and where this complex she developed came from. Ruby always saw things in extremes, black or white, very seldom did she ever see the various shades of gray.

"Ruby… a leader needs to make sure their subordinates can take care of themselves, not take up their burdens for them." Qrow said gently. "And a ruler…" Qrow trailed off. "You know when Oz told my team of the old days before the great war, I think he and your mother had their first argument." Qrow began making the Empress tense before she pulled back and looked up at him in surprise. "You see…Ozpin believed the exact same thing you do."

"He did?" The Empress asked with a frown, as if the fact Ozpin would agree with her automatically made her wrong. Qrow would have laughed at that, but Ruby needed to hear this.

"Your mom, however, said that a ruler should not be devoted to their people. No, your mom believed that a good ruler was the one doing all of the hard work. She believed that it was the people who owed the ruler. The people were to be devoted to the ruler and in return the ruler would lead and ensure they all had homes and lives they could live."

"That's…"

"…The exact opposite of what you have been doing from what I guess." Qrow said as he raised an eyebrow and the Empress had the decency to avert her eyes. "And honestly, I think she was right. Ruby, you gave every one a fighting chance, a home, safety, but you forgot an important fact…" Qrow trailed off as he made sure he had her full attention. "You don't, and you've never, owed anyone a goddamn thing. You did the favor, its okay for you to collect on it, to want."

At that moment a smiling blond knight flashed through her mind.

"If you can't satisfy your own needs, how can you satisfy the needs of others?"

At that moment, Qrow found himself comforting the Empress as her body once more shook with sobs.

This poor woman…just what did she do to herself?

BGM: END

-Later-

Glynda opened her eyes, surprised to find herself on a park bench. She was covered in a jacket that did not belong to her and found herself pressed into Qrow's side who had an arm wrapped around her as he stared up into the moon, obviously lost in thoughts.

"I'm…alive?" Glynda asked quietly.

"Yup."

"How?" Glynda asked in confusion.

"Ruby, she restored your light, whatever that means, said it would heal your mind." Qrow explained, as Glynda looked shocked at the act of mercy.

"What happened to her?"

"Sleep. The darkness in her started pouring out, she purified herself. She said she was going to go to sleep with the other fragments of her power. Something about returning once the time is right?" Qrow asked in confusion before giving Glynda a look that clearly, she meant she better explain.

Fast.

Nodding, Glynda looked at the moon and told Qrow everything even a few things other Knights probably didn't know. When she was done, Qrow pursed his lips.

"This…merge…its–"

"Not like Ozpins. Its genuine, the other Knights and myself have experienced it when we returned. It will be like what Ozpin claimed his was. Ruby will get the Empress' memories and aura, she might mature a lot but it will be her. If she is taught how to lead properly this time, we won't have to worry about the Empress' questionable ideologies being practiced."

"Good. That's another reason she spared you by the way." Qrow said confusing Glynda. "She said you weren't allowed to retire after leading her astray but you would be getting demoted. Said something about a Royal tutor now?" Qrow said making Glynda snort.

"Is that right? Fine with me. Handling those Knights are your problem now, but I am surprised, Qrow. Does this mean you accept what's coming?"

"I don't like it. I'd rather scoop up my girls, tie up Tai, and drag them all as far away from this mess as possible." Qrow said dryly. "But I know that she is the best future this world has now, though for the time being its going to be hard for me to differentiate the two Rubys…or is it Rubies with an i.e.s?" Qrow mused making Glynda shake her head fondly.

"We refer to the younger one as the Princess to make things simpler since she is technically an heir to the throne. Decades from now when the succession is documented we'll probably refer to them as Empress Ruby Rose I and Empress Ruby Rose II. The Empress made many mistakes, but her story deserves to be told."

"Agreed. It's the best way to stop history from repeating itself." Qrow said making Glynda nod. "Tai is gonna freak when this all comes out." Qrow said with a sigh making her giggle.

"A problem for another day."

"Yup…I need a drink." Qrow said as he stood up before glancing back at her. "Wanna go get one?"

[Glynda…for the love of god, stop over thinking everything. That's literally my job, just relax and go with the flow for once. Live a little.]

Jaune's words ringing through her head, Glynda planted a smile on her face as she stood up.

"Yes, it's been a long day."

"Hell yeah, come on, we'll take the scenic route." Qrow said with a smirk before a pair of black wings sprung from her back. Glynda gasped at the sight, before shaking her head fondly.

"You really are an angel, aren't you Qrow?"

"I don't know about all that." Qrow said with a cocky smirk than soon vanished as he looked at her firmly. Running a hand back through his hair to fix, Qrow looked down at Glynda with a firm expression, his eyes shining silver. "But I do know one thing."

BGM: For the Damaged Coda- Blonde Redhead (Rick and Morty OST)

"What's that?"

"She was right, the time for careful planning and inaction is over." Qrow said gruffly, a scowl on his face as he thought about the current world state.

"I agree."

"Now, is the time for action." Qrow said as he lifted her up before they flew away, leaving black feathers in their wake.

To be continued.

Next chapter: Fight of the Valkyrie

Goals for 2018

Knights of Rose: Get far into Volume 2 (We're still in 1 but it's ending soon)

Sora's Life is a Game: Get 4/7 Hearts collected

Twilight One shot: Fuck you Buffy

Harry Potter One shot: I know I'm surprised too

Possible "Fate" One shot

Will: Oh thank God, I needed something to edit to unwind from all the business that has plagued me for the last 5 weeks. Still, those are some nice goals for 2018 that you have Lord Rebuke. I'll make finishing Volume 1 of my RWBY x God of War X-over my goal then. Welp, better get back and write the necessary interludes before going to Arc 2 of Legacy of War.

Rebuff: Good, be better then us. If it wasn't for the fact we leave shit on a cliffhanger for self-preservation, I'm sure our readers would have killed us by now.

Hell yeah, now on to the reviews!

Yomunot: Glad you like it! I treat fight scenes like I do dialogue, if it doesn't move the plot forward or add character development, there is no purpose. Its just word vomit then so I try to make them feel as impactful and important as possible! Glad you liked the development!

Deathtrooper900: Glad you like it! Though I have you didn't venture far back in time, some stories I wrote are so cringe worth that I can't help but laugh when I get the occasional flame from someone who managed to somehow stumble across them.

Xager-the-Chaos-King: Hope you enjoyed the chapter, and you're right. Ren finally made his move, now if only he could get Blake to fall in line lol. Jaune does need help which he will get soon, hopefully.

FamousFox: Whats upppppp. Glad you like my stories and have taken the time to review. I PMed you with my advice if I'm not mistaken, but honestly? Just remember to have fun with it, if you can't go back and reread something you wrote and legitimately enjoy it, don't expect others to. I don't think you'll have that problem though, so I'll wish you the best of luck!

Xyz (Part 1): Go right ahead, I need to expand my library. It may not make it to the story, but I'm down to rock out behind the scenes lmao.

Xyz (Part 2): True about comparison between powers, in many cases it just depends on the viewer at a certain point. Glad you liked the chapter, and hopefully this chapter sheds light on the darker side of the Empress. Bottling too much suffering within can only go so far….well I think 1 more person noticed it but that's about it concerning the poster lol.

AJ Lexie: LEXXXIIIIEEEEEE We all like a good cat-fight don't we? Hope you like the chapter, also I'm heading to France this summer so for ten days...we'll at least be on the same continent lmao.

Zeus: Updated and glad you like them

Zephonius: Glad you liked the story! As for Pyrrha, not much when it comes to consequences if she can fix it. Thanks for the review!

Lobo Loco10: It wasn't easy. Pyrrha is a character that was made to die so in a fic where she lives you have to make up for her…lack of personality for lack of a better word. A perfect main character isn't interesting, but a perfect character used as catalyst for the change of other characters is. She's "Perfect" but I decided to expand more on the flaws that could come from "perfection" personality wise. She is a blatant, and I'll admit it proudly, Peggy sue but if used properly she can play a very important role and be used greatly.

Ultimate Kuuga: Run, that's what she's gonna do lol. Yang was the first in "WBY" to shine, briefly, in the Nora fight so its gonna take a short while before the spotlight makes its way back to her. But believe me, I have some vol 3 plans for her that will make you shit your pants but in the mean time she will have a few smaller/good impact moments.

Sonic: Thanks!

Raiju56: Glad you like it, hope you enjoy the next chapter as well!

Dopplerdee: Even if its an omake, that shit will happen now. I am literally crying at those chapter names though. Thanks for the reviews

Bankerrtx01: UNCLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE Thanks for the review!

The Wolf Paladin: Dat timing thooooooooo. Glad you like the chapter, and that fight will be something. I plan for it to be the volume 1 finale which is coming soon, be ready.

Aidis: NO MAN/WOMAN/PERSON GETS LEFT BEHIND (Except "guest" reviews) I've tried to reply to every review in every story since I've started and I won't stop now lmao. Glad you like the story, it means a lot that you reviews.

Dandyrr0403: You now know what it means to Ozpin someone and why some Knights might dislike/hate-in Nora's case-him. Glad you liked the chapter.

EmperorCookies: Volume 1 finale is the fight date, get your tickets ready lol. It will be the single longest and most ambitious fight scene I think I've done so far. Get your popcorn ready, because witchcraft doesn't even begin the explain the bullshit those two are going to hit each other with.

BalanceM88: Dude just review when you can, I appreciate it but I understand if you miss a few chapters or so, life happens! I'm just glad you're still reading! Expect crazier Omakes in later chapters. Well imagine no more because Uncle Qrow is here! Glad you liked it!

TheNeah: She did her best lol, the Pyrrha Harem…I have to do an omake about that later. Jaune and Ruby are just distractions, the real person running the harem is her. Thanks for the review!

MoonShadowPup: Lmao, glad you like the chapter

Littlest1: Glad you like the reference! This chapter shed a bit more light on things like the Empress' dark side/and why Ozpin is such a touch subject as he ended the short-lived romance. Glad you like the chapter, and yeah Qrow has made his choice now he has to be prepared to dance on the lines of loyalty.

Kamigawa Nagamaki: That's EXACTLY where it come from you'll find a lot of fate easter eggs in this story. Without a doubt, Pyrrha is a blatant Peggy sue but I've learned that such a character can be great if used to better to rest of the cast. Glad you like the story! Thanks for the review!

FateBurn: Thanks and thanks for the review!

WirelessGrapes: The best kind of ridiculousness lol! Glad you liked the chapter!