May made her way through the crowd after leaving the arena. She searched the fairgrounds up and down until she found who she was looking for. Team WBRN were enjoying a victory meal at the noodle stand. "Thank god my card worked this time." She overheard Weiss say. She finished her approach and calmly tapped on Reaper's shoulder.

The dark woman turned around, and May was relieved to see silver eyes. "Hey, it's you. What's up?" The ex-criminal asked.

"I just wanted to apologize." May told her.

"For what?" Reaper raise an eyebrow.

"For calling you 'Ruby'. I asked around, and found out what happened to you, and… Now I know you hate being called that." May explained.

"It's fine!" Reaper assured. "Look, I shouldn't have gotten angry so quickly. I'm sorry."

"Why did you flip so quickly? The past few months you seem to have actually been doing better." Blake realized.

Neo flashed a smug grin, knowing why Reaper had been having less rage-outs.

"I honestly think it has something to do with this." Reaper suggested, pointed at some device wrapped around her waist.

"That makes sense." Weiss acknowledged. "Yang's semblance wreaks enough havoc on your anger without the aid of technology."

"What is that?" May asked, pointing to the device.

"I have an unnaturally massive aura reserve." Reaper explained. "I was almost disqualified for it. It's not exactly fair. But Ozpin reached out, and apparently, some scientist in Atlas developed this belt that's meant to hinder Aura."

"As long as she's wearing that, she has the same amount of aura as everyone else." Weiss finished. "So to speak. It allows her to compete."

And I find it extremely uncomfortable… can we take it off now? We won't fight again anytime soon.

"Weiss, Ember wants to take the belt off." Reaper passed along.

"We won't be fighting again anytime soon, I guess." The leader nodded.

The scythe master unclasped and removed the belt with a hissing noise.

Freedom! Speaking of…

"Weiss…"

"What now, Reaper?"

"You remember when you told me to give you fair warning if Ember wanted to be topside?"

"…Yes..."

"Fair warning."

May watched Reaper pull a blade out and stab herself in the shoulder. "What the…!"

Reaper exhaled and her eyes opened red. She smirked at the small quiet woman next to her. "Hey there, Ice Cream Cup."

'It's been a few weeks. I was beginning to think you had tired of being topside.' Neo signed back.

"Well to be fair, it's not being topside I enjoy…" Ember teased, pulling Neo close and kissing her.

May was utterly confused. She leaned in towards Blake and whispered. "Um… what just happened?"

"Don't try and understand." Blake advised. "It still confuses me sometimes…"

May only nodded and walked away. She had done what she came to do anyways. She needed to get back to her team.

"So, who are we sending forward in the Vytal Tournament?" Ember asked once she had her fill of Neo's lips for the time being.

"That's a good question." Blake agreed. "A combination of any of us would do alright… although… Weiss, I think we should at least send Reaper forward."

"Actually… I agree." Weiss nodded.

"Wait, what? Really?"

"Yeah. You two have never done anything to earn mistrust. You have both actually behaved… well… relatively… better at least. I was thinking about sending both of you actually, if you don't mind sitting the rest out Blake."

"No, yeah, I don't mind." Blake responded. "Actually, this could be really good for their rehabilitative custody as well. I know there hasn't been mention yet of the terms of custody itself, but it has to end at some point, with proof they're ready to be free citizens. This could be a really good first step."

"Wow… um…"

Use your words, Ember.

"Thank you, both of you… from both of us. Three of us?" Ember looked to her small lover. Neo nodded. "Three of us."

"Well, don't let us down. Win one for Beacon, deal?" Weiss smiled.

'We promise'. Neo signed

Weiss returned to the dorm alone later that night. Nora had asked Blake for help on an assignment and was keeping her in the library, and Weiss was too tired to continue waiting. Ember and Neo were nowhere to be found, but Weiss wasn't worried. They wouldn't jeopardize their place at Beacon by going off-campus now. Although, that doesn't mean those two aren't off getting in trouble…Weiss realized with a groan.

She was settling for bed when something caught her eye. A note sitting on her nightstand. With a curious eyebrow, she picked up the piece of paper and read…

Dear Love…

I know you're hesitant about the things I am about to propose in this letter. The thought of it changing our relationship scares you. And it will change, but for the better, I promise. I don't want sex. I want you. Because I know, I love you. So, I am going to do something unorthodox, something I haven't tried yet… taking control.

Weiss, love, I want you coming through that door in nothing but your nightgown tomorrow night. No words, no excuses, and nothing underneath… just let me take care of you.

Don't worry about anything else, I'll take care of everything. Pyrrha has agreed to you allow to change in JNPR dorm, and you know she won't say anything.

PS. Speaking of not saying anything, we don't need Reaper and Neo teasing us over this and ruining the mood.

Weiss felt herself immediately inflamed in areas she didn't ever wish to discuss. The letter was written in a font that made everything seem more seductive. And strangely enough… she found herself liking it. Blake taking control… excites me? Can I give myself over so easily… Weiss found the answer surprising. Yes, she could. Because she trusted Blake. And she was right about Weiss being hesitant on the subject of making love. Who's to say she wasn't right about everything else?

Weiss crumpled the letter up and jammed it deep into the drawer of her dresser. Blake was also right about the other two not needing to know this was in the works. She would chicken out if they started teasing them. And now only one thing left to do… take an 'extended' shower…

The red sky stretched over the top of a dark continent. The ground seemed to manifest evil itself, filled with deep tar pits that unleashed that most dangerous of darkness's beasts. The Creatures of Grimm splashed and clawed their way out of these birthing pits, dozens at a time. And watching it all from its overlook on a lonely hillside was a castle.

This castle, in contrast to the landscape, was more pale. The structure appeared more to be made from bone than any brickwork. And at the far end of this daemonic cathedral was a large room with tall windows, one of which betrayed the face of the woman who ruled this shadow kingdom.

Her face was paled beyond white, with darkened veins criss-crossing the mortal canvass. Her hair was just as white, and most of her clothing was dark. The one part that stood out from the rest were her eyes. Beset in pure black were glowing sanguine irises. This creature had a name, one that even the people who knew her were hesitant to use.

"My queen?" One such subject approached his master. The toxic psychotic, who was venomous in more ways than one. The scorpion faunus assassin, Tyrian Callows.

"Hello, Tyrian," The dark mistress Salem remarked his presence, "Still skulking around, I see."

"I simply await your command, my queen," Tyrian assured, "I only wish to serve you, and ever since the attack on Beacon failed, you have seemed so… inactive?"

"Have I?" Salem asked, watching her subordinate in the window's reflection rather than turn to face him. "Then why stay, Tyrian? Why not leave like Watts and Rainart?"

"They have no faith in you, but I do!" Tyrian cried, "You only need me! A new plan and me! Just tell me what to do?"

"You say you have faith, yet you assume I have been sitting here for three years, allowing myself to have been defeated?" Salem accused. "Like I could ever be so weak."

"O-of course my Queen…" Tyrian quickly backtracked, "Please forgive me… I have been waiting for your orders, and they never came…"

"Subtlety and patience are required just now, two things you were never very good at," Salem explained, "Not that you don't have your uses, my loyal friend."

"But what of Cinder? Beacon? Surly the failure of the attack was quite the setback…" Tyrian asked.

"Indeed. And I have been working to overcome that setback ever since. First we needed a new subject to be our maiden," Salem's attention finally shifted to the door as it opened. "Ah, Tyrian allow me to introduce…"

A young woman stepped through the open doorway. She seemed blank in a way. Her skin, hair, and clothes were almost entirely pure white. An expensive, but rather plain jacket covered her torso, with a white skirt, white leggings (or they could have been her actual legs as far as Tyrian could tell), and white, heeled boots. The only thing about her that seemed out of place were her eyes. The irises were bright and colorful, though exactly what color they were Tyrian couldn't tell. They somehow seemed to shift constantly while staying the same. Tyrian could have sworn her eyes weren't red a second ago, even though he couldn't remember what color they were before they were blue. Whatever the case was, those purple irises unnerved him.

"…Leid Kale" Salem announced the new girl.

The Mistralian name was the only hint to Kale's heritage. The woman was so bland, Tyrian could barely remember her features the second he looked away. He certainly couldn't remember what color her green eyes were.

"You must be Callows," Kale curtsied the scorpion's way, "I've heard a lot about you. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Tyrian was hoping that finally hearing her voice would give him something to recognize her by, but even that seemed so excessively normal it couldn't possibly stand out anywhere.

"Yes… pleasure…" Tyrian cautiously shook her hand.

"Congratulations," Salem offered, "Not much unnerves my dear Tyrian here. It's usually the other way around."

"As expected, though," Kale nodded, "It is great to finally be welcomed in your home, Queen Salem. I assume this means you finally have a task for me?"

"Yes," Salem nodded, "You passed all my tests with flying colors."

"She gets a task, but I do not?" Tyrian sounded offended.

"Do not overstep your boundaries, Tyrian," Salem warned, "And do not fret. You will have a task as well in a few moments."

"Really!?" Tyrians eyes shone with excitement.

"But first, Miss Leid," Salem held out her hand. In it was a glass vial filed with a black substance.

"What is it?" Kale inquired.

"Humans have proved… unreliable allies in the past. Tyrian is devoted and you owe me your life but others who chose this, chose otherwise once things looked bleak. In order to fill out my new table, I have designed something a bit more under my control to join us. All it needs is a body. From watching the Vytal Festival, I do believe I may have already found a good candidate."

"And me, my queen? What shall I do?" Tyrian asked.

"Learn patience, for one!" Salem scolded. "But since you insist, I want you to find the Winter or Summer Maiden. Fall will be far too on guard after Cinder attacked her years ago, and though I know where Spring is, it would be unwise to attack her without equal firepower."

"Right away my queen!" Tyrian remembered to bow, but otherwise all but ran out of the castle, excited to be at work again.

"And of my task?" Kale asked politely after Tyrian left.

"Right, I do need a bit more time to make sure I have who I want," Salem informed her new subject, "But the second she's vulnerable, we will strike while the iron is hot."

Weiss had trouble meeting Blake's eyes the next day. For some reason, ever since she read that letter, she just couldn't find a way to be alone with her faunus girlfriend. Even when they weren't on the fairgrounds, someone always seemed to be close by. But she didn't need to speak to know what was on Blake's mind. The rare moments their eyes did meet, Blake wore a certain smile that made it crystal clear. Oh god, oh god, she's doing it again? Does she just want sex? No, her letter said she wanted me. Specifically me. Because she loves me… and I do love her… do I want this? Oh hell, I can't continue lying to myself… I've wanted this for ages… but always afraid… no more. Tonight, Blake can have me. And she can do whatever she wants…

"Hey, you okay?" Reaper asked Weiss. The heiress snapped out of her funk to see Neo snapping her petite fingers an inch away from her eye.

"What? Yes! I'm fine…" Weiss squeaked the last bit, to her everlasting embarrassment. She cleared her throat. "Why do you ask?" She spoke, having regained her regal bearings.

"Do… I need to tell you that?" Reaper asked, her eyebrow raised.

"She's mine, Reaper." Blake said quickly.

"What?" Reaper turned her head, having not heard Blake clearly.

"She's fine, Reaper." Blake corrected, a hint of red tinging her own cheeks at long last. Too soon, Belladonna! Get your head in the game!

Reaper was about to continue questioning, but they were interrupted by the arena buzzer marking the start of the next match. Reaper and Neo would be on soon, and Weiss quickly guided her team up to the arena. The conversation was successfully and completely forgotten by the ex-criminal pair.

That was a close one… Blake mentally scolded herself as the team found seats for the match. Pyrrha and Nora were facing two kids from Haven. The golden glint of the warrior's armor immediately captured the attention of silver eyes, and subsequently, the persona buried within their owner.

Yes… Win, Golden Idol… Win, and we'll meet in the finals. Our rematch is long overdue.