"What do you mean we have to chaperon a group of firsties?" Ruby whined.

Cole raised an eyebrow as he rested his hand on Azura's shoulder. Little Aquamarina peered between her mother's legs and giggled before waddling off, chasing Zwei who was just happy to be out of the house.

"Zwei!" Weiss, Raven, and Taiyang all shouted at once. The dog stopped for a second, looked back, stuck his tongue out, then continued to lead the blue-haired toddler on a merry chase.

Yang and Blake giggled softly from their spot on the couch. With a sigh, Ruby motioned for Cole and Azura to come into the penthouse and make themselves comfortable. They relaxed on the red love seat, Azura exhaustedly leaning into Cole and closing her eyes.

"Normally, we'd have a team of seasoned veterans escorting the firsties on their first mission, depending on difficulty, at least. With your first mission, we sent Professor Oobleck—"

"Doctor," every mouth in the room corrected in unison.

"Doctor Oobleck—" Cole was cut off again.

"He's still a professor," Azura mumbled.

"Doctor-Professor Oobleck," Cole growled. "Anyway! We only sent one huntsman because we never thought the assignments were that dangerous. However, ever since Goodwitch took over, she's tightened security a bit. A first-year hunting team must be accompanied by a full-fledged, graduated team. As you can imagine, there aren't many of those right now." Cole sighed sadly.

"Of the teams that have graduated before you, only CFVY remains intact," Cole said somberly.

"That can't be right..." Taiyang whispered from his recliner. Raven sat on the arm of the chair, her fingers nervously entwined with Tai's.

"I'm afraid it is," Azura added quietly. "Recent years have seen a mass exodus of faunus, many of whom attempted to hurt or kill their teammates. Black Taurus has stepped up his recruiting and the White Fang is more dangerous than ever. They've stopped going after trains and boats of Dust and have started targeting entire factories."

Every eye turned to Weiss. "Yes, okay, yes. It's true," she admitted. "We've been under constant attack this year, like none we've seen. Even the best mercenaries can't protect my mines and factories. The Atlas military refused to help, and now we know why, and Vale is still rebuilding her own military. Vacuo has offered support, but being so remote, the support has been scarce. Mistral was my last hope but with the religious turmoil..."

"You haven't heard?" Cole asked, his brow furrowing. As Weiss shook her head, Cole gazed around the white room. "The turmoil has fallen to outright war. The Pantheon has been assaulted by a new group called the Prisms."

"Gods..." breathed Blake.

"God, to be precise," Raven answered. "The Prisms believe that their leader is the physical manifestation of godly power and divine right. We don't know where this cult has risen from, but we know they don't mean well. The Prism has declared war on all 'false gods'," Raven rolled her eyes at that. "He's promised a world free of terror from the White Fang, the Grimm, anything he deigns as 'evil' will be wiped out without hesitation."

"That sounds good, though," Ruby piped up.

"He's openly declared you and every other hunter and huntress an enemy of his state," Cole explained gravely.

"Oh. Why?" Ruby asked.

"We're not sure why, honestly. All we know is that Emperor Jovius needs our help."

"The Emperor's forces are holding, but..." Azura trailed off and the room was silent for a moment.

"Wow," Ruby said. "I didn't know it was that bad. What about...?"

"Team SSSN has been successfully extracted, along with some of their allies. They're being sheltered along the Vale-Vacuo border."

"Good," Weiss said. "They may be many things, but they've been steadfast allies, and friends, and we'd be amiss if we didn't help them after all they've done for us."

Everyone nodded in agreement, then Taiyang chuckled. "I ever tell you about Neptune's dad?"

Ruby and Yang rolled their eyes, "Yes, Dad," they said in unison.

"Big guy, Oceanis," Taiyang started, "hair as blue as the sea and a beard as green as kelp. Hated to wear clothes, he did. I swear, whenever our teams would partner up, he'd try to take off his clothes every five minutes."

"I didn't mind," Raven laughed.

"I remember Summer threatened to staple his pants to his waist," Qrow chimed in. This drew a chuckle from the group. "Good times."

"STOP DODGINE THE SUBJECT!" Ruby burst out. "WHY DO YOU WANT US?"

"Well, Ruby, let's see..." Weiss started. "We're composed of an ex-White Fang hitwoman who is also the first Dark Paladin in three hundred years, an immortal berserker who has been touched by a god, a huntress who can teleport and wields an ancient weapon designed to kill the unkillable, and an extremely attractive and wealthy heiress who owns a monopoly on all Dust manufacturing and also happens to be one of the greatest swordswomen Atlas has ever produced."

"Oh yeah," Ruby said.

"The fact is, Ruby, your team is one of the few remaining four-person teams capable of escort duty. JNPR, CFVY, SEAL, and a few others have already been assigned. Some of the older professors are doubling up to take the place of a four-person team. Even Azura and I will be going on a mission."

"Okay, okay, okay, we're in," Ruby said. "Who are the babies and where will we be sitting them?"

"Team Ochre, that's O-A-Q-E."

"Ochre out of that? You guys are losing your naming touch."

"Hey, you try to make team names out of a mess of letters!" Cole responded defensively to Yang's comment. "Anyway, they're a nice team, cute bunch. A couple of northern Atlesians, a Mistral native, and one from a coastal village, uh, Varuno or Veruna or something like that."

"I've met with the team leader, Opaelia o'Ifreann. She's a lovely young lady," Azura supplied, "though I'd watch out for the boys. They're all rather in love with her, I think."

Ruby looked to her right at the rest of her team filling out the red couch, then at her uncle who leaned against the large window overlooking Vale. He shot her a smile.

"Alright, what's the mission?" Ruby asked, refocusing her attention on Cole.

"That's the thing. We've received a request from a Mistral village along the coast."

"Wait, a Mistral village sent us a request? Why wouldn't they petition one of their own hunting academies?"

"Apparently the Emperor has put a hold on all missions until the current crisis has abated."

"Okay, so we take a team of first years overseas, to a foreign nation that is currently embroiled in a religious civil war, to what? Fight some Grimm?"

"It may be more complicated than that," Cole said, thumbing the bridge of his nose. "But essentially."

"Wonderful. What kind of Grimm?" Blake asked.

"We...don't know," Cole flinched in anticipation of the verbal lashing.

"YOU DON'T KNOW?" Ruby shouted.

"There it is," he muttered.

"Who came up with this blasted idea? Sending a huntress team who, while really good, has only been graduated for a couple years, to escort a group of first years—"

"Technically, they're about to start their second year," Azura corrected.

"—to destroy an UNKNOWN GRIMM TYPE?"

"That would be me, Miss Rose," a chilly voice rose from behind them. Headmistress Goodwitch walked into the room, carrying herself with confidence. Behind her was Ozpin, dressed, oddly enough, in street clothes, but still wearing the sleek black eye patch. "Intel from Mistral has been scarce since the Prism's rise. We fear that the Emperor has been assassinated and we need a hunter team on the ground to assess the situation. The Vacuan Sheik, Atlesian Prime Minister, and Valic King have all pledged to support the Emperor. That was only a week before Mistral went silent. If the Emperor is alive, we need to know to send in our troops. If he's dead, then you'll need to locate his daughter and heir, Chang'e."

Team RWBY's mouths fell open and Ruby raised a finger to point at Glynda's hand. "Professor..."

Glynda rolled her eyes and held up her hand, the ring glistening on it, "Yes, yes, thank you. Right now, I need you to focus."

"Right...sorry," Ruby mumbled. "Why are you sending a newbie team with us? Wouldn't this be better for JNPR to accompany us?"

"As she pointed out," Ozpin spoke up, "this needs to be done in utter secrecy. Team OAQE," Ozpin glared at Cole who shrank into the seat, "has not, and will not, be briefed. As far as they are concerned, this will be a Grimm Hunt gone wrong. JNPR is on their own mission, also under the guise of killing Grimm. We won't tell you what it is..."

"Compartmentalization," Blake said, "in case we're captured."

"Good luck," Glynda said, before turning and walking out the door. Ozpin shrugged to Qrow who laughed, then followed her out the door.

Sighing, Cole muttered "You leave in three days."

"Just enough time for the wedding," Ruby said with a smile.

Jaws dropped once more and Weiss slammed her head into her palm, "Ruby, you...utter...dunce..."

The location was simple and symbolic. The black scuff mark was gone but the events that had transpired there head led Ruby to meet her life partner and fall head over heels for her. Cool air flowed down from the mountain and over the cliff-side. Weiss stood with Ozpin, who was to officiate. There were no seats and the small crowd that gathered was composed only of close friends. JNPR, SEAL, and CFVY all mingled together and traded jokes and stories in hushed whispers with Oobleck, Port, and Glynda. Cole, Azura, and Qrow all stood beside Ozpin. Cole was pinching the bridge of his nose. Everyone had agreed: black suits and cream colored dresses, but Azura stood in a glaring blue dress, giggling and snorting all the while.

Weiss smiled at her, her own white skirt-suit standing out just as much. Her hair was styled into her old side-ponytail, with glittery snow-flakes strung through. She wished that Winter could've been here. Qrow placed a hand on her shoulder and grinned. "Nervous?"

"A little, but mostly just happy it's finally happening."

"Hey, you might want to turn away," Qrow nodded towards the Beacon Spire and grinned.

There, with her arm looped through her father's, was Ruby. Her hair was pinned up into an elaborate bun with small curls falling over her temples and down her milky-white neck. Her piercing silver eyes were accented by dark makeup and Weiss almost laughed. Ruby never wore makeup, and she looked extremely uncomfortable by it. That, and the high heels. Her dress was sleeveless and blood-red, but simple otherwise. She wore elbow-length black gloves, and even held a bouquet. A bouquet!?

Taiyang stumbled slightly, but Raven was there, holding him up as he walked forward on shaky legs. His face never looked pained or frustrated though. It was only filled with joy as he escorted his daughter down the makeshift aisle.

Ruby took her place next Blake and Yang, who were dressed in muted black and yellow sundresses and shivering slightly. Weiss rolled her eyes internally. She had warned them but they'd insisted.

But as Ruby filled her view, Weiss found it was he whose knees were going weak. She swallowed a couple times and stared up into those beautiful silver orbs.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," Ozpin began, and Taiyang and Raven moved to join the crowd, Taiyang claiming the only chair there. Raven placed her hands on Tai's shoulders and beamed at Ruby. "Huntresses and Hunters, friends. We have gathered here today to bear witness to a union of two. Two halves of a whole, joined together in life until whatever adventure comes next. These two—"

Ruby held up a hand and Ozpin stopped for a moment. "Sorry, sorry!" Ruby said as she shuffled around before becoming noticeably shorter and closer in height to Weiss. Two red high heels were kicked from underneath the dress' hem and Ruby sighed. "Better! Continue, maestro."

The crowd laughed and Weiss stifled a grin. "As I was saying, these two women have found each other, despite the odds, despite the universe itself, these two have found their life partner. I've been asked to keep this brief," Ozpin chuckled slightly, "but before they say their vows, I'd like to take a moment and say a few words.

"When I first met Ruby, she was a newborn in her mother's arms. It wasn't until fifteen years later when I got to meet the talented and beautiful young huntress she'd become. And yes, I say huntress, because when I met her, she already embodied all the ideals that huntresses stand for: justice, kindness, strength, bravery, and selflessness. I knew immediately that she was destined for greatness. And become great she has.

"But she hasn't done so alone. Weiss, when I first admitted you to this school, I saw great potential in you. I knew whatever team you ended up on would benefit greatly from your talents, and it wasn't until placing you on Team RWBY that I realized that you also needed them. I always prided myself on creating the best teams, finding and fostering the best talent, but it wasn't until Team RWBY that I realized that I hadn't just been creating teams, I'd been creating families. Weiss, it has been my honor to see you grow from the, frankly, entitled heiress," Weiss laughed, "to the kind and gentle soul I see before me today.

"The relationship between you two represents the perfect give and take that any relationship should be. I am so proud of you, my students."

Ruby sniffed and Weiss wiped a tear from her eye, cupping her cheek. "Ruby Rose," she began, "when I first met you, I was awful to you. I was cold, and mean, and selfish—a spoiled brat. I won't hide it or pretend that it didn't happen. Then something amazing happened. You thawed my heart, Ruby. I'd kept it so walled off and cold to everything, trying to protect myself from getting hurt. Yet...I realized that with you, I didn't need to protect myself, because you would never hurt me. For the first time, I felt love, and for the first time, I was able to give love. You showed me a new world, Ruby, and I want to spend all of my life with you."

A soft laugh-sob came from Ruby. "I'm sorry, I know I should wait but," she leaned forward and kissed Weiss quickly. "Okay, okay. Sorry. Okay. Here goes." Ruby cleared her throat and smiled at Weiss. "I'm not good at speeches, really, or any form of public speaking. I'm good at killing Grimm and looking awesome while doing it. When I came to Beacon, I was young, far younger than anyone else, and I wasn't looking for friends. I thought, as long as I had Yang, I didn't need anyone else. Then, stuff happened and I found myself not only placed on a team, but the leader of that team. I desperately wanted to prove that I was capable of being team leader, and to myself I wanted to prove that I could make and keep friends. So I found myself incessantly trying to become yours, Weiss. I know there were days where you wanted to strangle me, and I'm so glad you put up with those, and still do. Soon enough, our friendship bloomed and I found myself wanting more. Inexplicably, so did you. You showed a young, insecure girl that she wasn't alone and that she had a safe place to hide when things became too much to bear. As I grew, I found that I didn't need to hide anymore, and that safe place became all the more precious to me. I love you, Weiss, and I want you in my life forever."

The two huntresses stared into each other's eyes and smiled, tears shining in their eyes. Ozpin put his hands on their shoulders and beamed proudly. "I pronounce these two joined in marriage. May their bond never break and their love never wane."

Cheers erupted from the small crowd, and Ruby turned and threw the bouquet. She knew exactly where it would land, and sure enough, Jaune found himself the owner of some beautiful white roses. Pyrrha laughed and Jaune blushed as she kissed him on the cheek.

Ruby turned to Weiss and kissed her softly, then pulled back and rested her forehead on her wife's. "We're married," she whispered giddily.

Weiss beamed and kissed Ruby again. "Let's get out of her, my love," she said.

Ruby raised her armored hand, red and violet shimmering on her knuckles. The red Repository Portal opened and Ruby and Weiss stepped through, disappearing in a flash of red, leaving behind only a gust of wind.

Tai looked at Raven who grinned mischievously. "You didn't..."

"Hey! They only have three days until their mission. They deserve a long honeymoon. They should be back in a day or so."

The man grunted then struggled to his feet. Raven leaned down and helped him up. Blake and Yang were entangled in each other off by themselves, the professors were all talking, and the young hunters and huntresses slowly dispersed. Raven and Taiyang stood on the edge of the cliff, overlooking Vale.

"Beautiful..." Taiyang mumbled.

"She really is," Raven replied, staring at the city as the sun set.

"No, not Vale."

"Oh, Ruby. Yes, yes she was gorgeous. I remember trying to get Summer to put on some make-up once. Didn't go well for me."

"Not Ruby..." Taiyang said softly.

"Who...?" Raven turned to Taiyang to see him staring at her. Despite the grey streaks in his hair, the slight wrinkles on his face, and the slightly stooped stance, his eyes still seemed as youthful as ever. "Oh..." Raven said.

Tai's grip on her arm tightened and Raven felt him lean into her. "I missed you, Rae," he said quietly. "When you left, I was a mess. Summer pieced me back together, and I loved her for that. Despite everything, though, I never stopped loving you. Part of me hated you for leaving, but...most of me just wanted to see you again. When Summer died..."

"I should have been there for you," Raven started but Taiyang's grip stopped her.

"You're here now," he whispered.

Raven was silent as Taiyang leaned into her. The cool autumn breeze blew through her dark hair as the lights of Vale illuminated the city below.

"You really think they'll be alright?"

"I've never doubted them before. No reason to start now. You're the headmaster of Beacon. The King looks up to you for advice."

"I know. It's still so new to me. I never imagined how much being the head of Beacon meant."

"It's a lot of responsibility."

"I'm sorry for judging you so harshly before."

"Think nothing of it." His fingers found hers.

"Faunus all over are defecting," she changed the subject. "Are we sure of Belladonna, Fotia, and Scarletina's loyalties? What about Wukon?"

"It seems we'll just have to trust that they remain allies. Each has their own reason for hating the Fang. Hopefully, we can save the others too. There was too much bloodshed during the incident five years ago. With so many teams broken, either by defection or White Fang hits, we need as many hunters and huntresses alive as possible."

"They're people, Oz..." she chided gently, "We need to save them because they're people, not because they're troops."

Oz was silent for a moment then whispered, "In this world, everyone is just another soldier."

"Then we must fight for the day when it is not so."

"I still don't like sending an unprepared first year team into enemy territory."

"I'm hardly sending anyone inexperienced. Each is extremely powerful in their own way. They just lack...cohesion. This mission serves two purposes: our primary search and rescue goal, and also as an exercise to strengthen the bonds that formed during their first two semesters."

"All of this to teach them teamwork?"

"Coming from the man who threw people off of a cliff as a test of skill?"

"It was fun to see them flail."

She shook her head at that. "You should see the test now. I believe I've...improved it."

He laughed and kissed her cheek. "I shall stop by when the next batch comes through."

Author's Note: New story arc! "The White Prism Arc" begins now!