Welcome to Beacon

A flight of Atlesian AF-38 Skygraspers, their wings painted with the blue tips and winged-lightning insignia of the 52nd Special Service Squadron 'The Wonderbolts', buzzed over Rainbow Dash's head as they banked over the streets of Vale. The blowback from their engines beat against Rainbow's face and ran through her many-coloured hair as all kinds of junk from the roof of the apartment building got kicked up into the air.

Rainbow shielded her face with one hand, and watched as the Wonderbolts flew away. Even now, the sight of them didn't fail to put some kind of smile on her face: they were the best of the best, an elite squad trained not only as pilots but as huntresses too.

And she'd be one of them one day. You could bet on that.

But right now there wasn't a lot of time to day dream about her future, although daydreaming about her future was one of Rainbow's favourite ways of passing idle hours she didn't have any of those right now. She wasn't up on the roof of the apartment for the fresh air.

She was up here watching the Atlesian fleet arrive over Vale.

The first cruisers were already docking – or else had docked – just outside of Beacon Academy, while more of the stately black vessels were still gliding in, escorted by hordes of skygraspers either flying close escort or else ranging more widely over Vale like the Wonderbolts who had just passed over her head.

So far Rainbow Dash had counted five cruisers; Atlesian warships operated in squadrons of four so that meant there were probably at least three more cruisers that she couldn't see yet still to come in.

Assuming they were fully manned – and why wouldn't they be? – that meant two battalions of infantry, the equivalent of four battalions worth of knights, two squadrons of skygraspers per cruiser and that wasn't even getting into however many specialists were attached or the Atlas cadets here for the Vytal festival and what the hell was it all for?

As she watched the cruisers come in, as she watched the narrow, angular black shapes eclipse the skies as they passed overhead, as she watched the dropships keep pace or else zoom back and forth between the warships and designated but unseen markers, as she imagined all the firepower contained in each ship and all the manpower within it, Rainbow couldn't avoid a sense of awe descending over her.

Atlas ruled the skies with its air-fleet. With their absolute air superiority they could bring the fight – and the pain – anywhere they chose. Only specialists operated out of range of air support from at least a squadron of skygraspers, if not a cruiser; meanwhile the mobile infantry blessed the navy and called in an airstrike whenever things got too tough. No matter how numerous the grimm were, no matter how ferocious, when you looked up and you saw that black pyramid shape overhead you knew you were going to be okay because the eye in the sky was looking out for you. And when the enemies of Atlas looked up and saw those ships coming straight towards them they knew fear because the heavy end of the hammer was about to drop down on them with great force.

The air-fleet was the heart of the Atlesian military, and those ships were the iron might of Atlas rendered in physical form out of titanium alloy and armour plate.

And now that heart had come to Vale and Rainbow Dash didn't know why.

A force this large was much too big to just be bringing the other students in for the Vytal Festival, in fact it was too big for any kind of goodwill visit. You didn't bring two whole cruiser squadrons and the entire panoply of war that accompanied unless you were planning to bring the rain; or thought that you might have to, anyway. What was General Ironwood thinking?

Rainbow turned away and headed down the stairs from the roof, walking briskly down the corridor - the brown carpet smelled of cleaning fluids - to the apartment that Team RSPT had been living in for the past few months. Whether they would be staying here now or moving into Beacon's Halls of Residence along with all the other Vytal hopefuls was a question that, although seemingly less pressing than the question of 'why the huge-ass fleet' was arguably more pertinent to them. Rainbow walked quickly down the corridor, and knocked on the door to the RSPT apartment.

Ciel opened the door. Her expression betrayed her unspoken curiosity as she stepped back to allow Rainbow admittance.

"I saw five ships before I left," Rainbow said, as she closed the door behind her. "They've got birds in the air, close escorts and outriders. Someone wants to make a big entrance."

"That confirms the chatter we've been hearing," Ciel replied. "And that someone is General Ironwood."

Rainbow's eyes bulged a little. "The general came here himself?"

Ciel gestured to the apartment living space, where Twilight was tapping away on her laptop. She must have tapped into the fleet comms, because the speakers were projecting a mass of radio chatter into their room as the various ships and squadrons coordinated their movements over Vale.

"Thunder Child you are clear for docking pad two, please start your approach now."

"Affirmative, control; Thunder Child beginning approach now."

"Hey, Spitfire, looks like we've got civilians watching us. How about we give 'em a victory roll?"

"Negative, Misty, maintain formation and set course."

"Aww, captain, you never let us have any fun."

"Cut the chatter, Soarin, this is a business channel."

"Glorious, you're coming it too steep for docking pad three, please correct your angle of approach."

"Roger control, correcting now."

"Resolution, hurry up and finish off-loading ASAP; Valiant is on approach, requires docking pad one ASAP."

Ciel picked up a notepad on which she had scribbled several names. "So far chatter has identified Thunder Child, Endeavour, Glorious, Courageous, Resolution, Valiant and Vigilant. Thunder Child, Endeavour and Glorious are with the First Battle Squadron, so I would expect the Hope to make an appearance also; Courageous, Resolution and Vigilant are with the Fourth Squadron, so the eighth ship should be the Gallant."

"You've got the order of battle for the entire fleet memorised, don't you?" Rainbow asked. She wasn't even surprised any more.

"And the reserve list," Ciel clarified. "In any case, Valiant is General Ironwood's personal flagship, hence he must be leading this expedition."

"I don't suppose either of your nerd brains can tell me why General Ironwood is bringing two whole battle squadrons and himself to the Vytal Festival?" Rainbow asked, with a glance down at Twilight.

Twilight shrugged. "No, but somehow I doubt it's because the view is better in person than on TV. Do you think...do you think it has something to do with what we did?"

Rainbow frowned. Since the incident with the White Fang they hadn't heard anything from Winter Schnee; they hadn't heard anything from anybody although they got text requests for reports which they answered in text back. It was weird; nobody had told them that they were in trouble for what they'd done but equally, nobody had told them that they weren't in any trouble either. It was like having a swollen raincloud over their heads, all they could do was wait for it to burst. All the same, Rainbow couldn't believe that this display of Atlesian military might was for their benefit. "Come on, Twi, if the general wanted to bust our asses he might come down to do it in person, but he wouldn't need to bring two cruiser squadrons with him."

"I meant could it be something do with the White Fang," Twilight said pointedly.

"Oh," Rainbow said. "Maybe, I guess. Not sure what good it'll do; I mean, you can't call in an air strike against terrorists."

"General Ironwood is not bound to explain his reasoning to us," Ciel declared. "But perhaps he is attempting to overawe our enemies with a display of force, so that they will dare to step into the light again."

"Maybe," Rainbow said. "And I guess you're right, he doesn't have to answer to us. Still, don't you think this all feels kind of weird. It's like something big is going on and we've missed it somehow."

Rainbow's scroll buzzed before either Twilight or Ciel could reply.

"Twi, turn that off," Rainbow said, gesturing to the computer. Twilight cut off the Atlesian comm chatter before Rainbow opened up her scroll.

She was confronted by the face of Specialist Winter Schnee. "Rainbow Dash."

"Specialist Schnee!" Rainbow said, unable to keep the surprise from inflecting her voice. "You haven't been shot. Or arrested."

Specialist Schnee stared at Rainbow Dash with her customary disdain.

Rainbow's ears drooped a little. "I mean, uh, awaiting your orders, ma'am."

"Hmm," Schnee murmured. "Team Rosepetal is to report to docking pad one and board the Valiant immediately that it docks. General Ironwood wishes to see you immediately he returns."

"Returns from where?" Rainbow asked.

The look on Specialist Schnee's face told her that such questions were beyond her purview.

"Right," Rainbow muttered. "Will do, ma'am."

"Good," Specialist Schnee said. "And Rainbow Dash?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Congratulations on a successful operation," Specialist Schnee said, with just the hint of a smile playing across her proud features. "Pass my compliments onto your team."

I think that's as close as you could bring yourself to thanking us for helping save your sister. "Roger that, ma'am. It's appreciated."

"Understood. Schnee out."

"Whatever happened to her didn't improve her mood," Rainbow muttered as she folded up her scroll. "Still, you heard her. Let's move. Is Penny in the bedroom?"

"Yeah," Twilight said. "Should we pack up to leave?"

"No," Rainbow said. "We weren't ordered to and Specialist Schnee said immediately so...I guess we should go right now and if we need to come back for our stuff then we can come back for our stuff. I'll go get Penny."

Rainbow walked across to the bedroom door, and didn't bother to knock before she opened it. She found Penny pacing up and down, mouthing silently to herself.

"Hey, Penny," Rainbow said, stepping inside the room. "What are you doing?"

Penny stopped pacing and turned to face Rainbow. "I'm...practicing."

"Practicing?" Rainbow asked. She shook her head. "Never mind that now; we've gotta go, come on."

"Are we going to see Ruby and her friends again?" Penny asked, her whole face brightening up at the prospect.

"Uh, no," Rainbow said. "General Ironwood just called us in."

"Oh," Penny said, and the brightness that had briefly suffused her vanished. "Could we go and see Ruby again today? Semester begins tomorrow, she must have returned from vacation by now."

"I don't know," Rainbow said, at which Penny looked so dejected that Rainbow Dash felt as though she'd just been stabbed through the heart. She was reminded of Pinkie, and how much it had hurt her when Rainbow first went off to Atlas and didn't call or write or stay in touch. Rainbow hadn't meant anything by it, she'd just been busy, but it had taken her friends turning up on her proverbial doorstep to remind her that it seemed to Pinkie like she didn't mean anything to Rainbow Dash. It was probably - hopefully - the same here: Ruby didn't mean anything by not keeping in touch with Penny, but Penny was starting to fret that she didn't mean anything to Ruby. Rainbow sighed. "Look, I don't know if I'm still going to be your team leader by the end of today but, if I am, we will go and see Ruby."

Penny beamed. "Really?"

"Promise," Rainbow said. She grinned. "In fact I Pinkie Promise."

Penny blinked. "Pinkie...promise?"

Rainbow nodded. "Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye. Nobody ever breaks a Pinkie Promise."

"Why not?"

Because when you disappoint someone who trusts with all their heart you tarnish something beautiful, and nobody wants that. "Because...just because, Penny. Now come on, we need to move."

"What should I say to her?" Penny asked.

Rainbow hesitated. "Ruby? Is that...is that what you were practicing?"

"No," Penny said quickly, before a hiccup put the lie to it.

"Just...be yourself."

"But what if Ruby doesn't like myself?"

"Then she won't be your friend no matter who you pretend to be," Rainbow said. "Trust me, now come on."

Ozpin resumed his seat behind his desk, and poured himself a mug of coffee. "I can certainly appreciate quality time between friends," he said, as his fingers closed around the handle of the mug. "However, that fleet outside my window has me somewhat concerned." He glared mildly at the man standing before him from over the top of his spectacles, regarding General James Ironwood as he would have regarded a particularly errant pupil. "Just as I was concerned and disappointed to discover that you have been running a secret operation in Vale without my knowledge."

General Ironwood didn't look in the least bit fazed by the rebuke. "Because you have told me all of your secrets."

Ozpin sipped his coffee. It was scalding hot upon his tongue. "I have told you everything...that you need to know."

"As have I," Ironwood replied. "Whatever else I may be I am a soldier of Atlas; I have loyalties to others than you."

And that is why I would not tell you everything, even if I could. "I understand that our association sometimes puts you in a difficult position, even more so than most; believe me when I tell you that I am neither unmindful of nor ungrateful for your service. But may I ask why you felt the need to have your wind-up girl and her friends running around my city? Why you felt the need to hang your fleet outside my window?"

"I didn't intend for Penny to get involved in any trouble," Ironwood said. "I sent her here because I thought that, since Vale is a more...relaxed society than Atlas, what she is wouldn't be so immediately obvious."

"I see," Ozpin said in a neutral tone. "And your fleet?"

"A necessary show of force."

"We are in a time of peace."

"We're at war, you taught me that," Ironwood said, setting his mug down on Ozpin's desk.

"A war where the weapons are knowledge, ideology and manipulation," Ozpin corrected him gently. "Not ships or armies."

"It won't be knowledge or ideology that kills us," Ironwood said, the softness of his voice almost making it sound as though he wasn't pushing back against Ozpin. "The White Fang are growing bolder. They're interdicting the Cold Harbour rail line with a frequency verging on regularity. Last month they made off with over a score of prototype Atlesian war machines. It won't be knowledge killing us, Oz, it'll be our own weapons that we let fall into enemy hands while we sit idle."

Ozpin was silent for a moment. He didn't regret for a moment bringing Ironwood into his inner circle - although Qrow might disagree with him; James was brave, intelligent and even reasonably loyal. Ozpin did not believe he could have chosen anyone better to run Atlas Academy on his behalf. But the man had no tact, no subtlety, and Ozpin's attempt to teach him both had, sad to say, met with failure. Their present situation was a case in point.

He took swallowed a large amount of his rapidly cooling coffee. "What would you have me do, James?"

"I want you to trust me as I have trusted you for so many years," Ironwood declared. He leaned heavily on the desk. "You have your favourites. You choose them and you prepare them and when the time is right you bring them in. Qrow, Glinda...I have people too, good people who could be valuable assets to our cause if you would only consider-"

"I don't know your people," Ozpin said, firmly but not - he hoped - unkindly. "In matters of recruitment I'm afraid I trust no one's judgement but my own."

"Winter Schnee is twice the person Qrow Branwen will ever be," Ironwood said. "Rainbow Dash would make an excellent Fall Maiden, and I might even say the same of Ciel Soleil-"

"I don't know them," Ozpin repeated.

"And I don't know why you're even considering putting your trust in a girl with a list of demerits and disciplinary citations as long as my arm," Ironwood snapped. He sighed heavily. "I'm sorry, Oz. Can't you at least understand why I get frustrated?"

"Of course," Ozpin said genially. "Our present circumstances are far from ideal. But we must move carefully. The worst thing we can do is cause a panic in our zeal to fight the good fight. Thank you for bringing the matter of your weapons to my attention."

"And?"

"I will consider your autumn candidates," Ozpin said. Of course, consideration did not have to imply acceptance, but...setting aside the natural tendency of any headmaster to bat for their own school, he could not honestly say that virtue was only to be found within the Beacon student body. Perhaps Miss Dash or Miss Soleil would turn out to be the one he'd been looking for. He doubted it, but it was a possibility.

Ironwood seemed mollified by the confession. His tone was much more affable than it had been just a moment ago. "Thank you, Oz; I appreciate it. And I promise, you won't find my people wanting. They're made of the right stuff."

Ozpin smiled. "I would expect nothing less of your prize students."

Ironwood even managed to muster a small smile of his own at the compliment. "And the White Fang?"

"I have people looking into them already," Ozpin said, without elaborating on who these people were. James might not find the idea of leaving the investigation into the White Fang in the hands of a White Fang deserter (a White Fang deserter whom Ozpin hadn't ordered to do anything, but Ozpin had faith in Miss Belladonna's natural rectitude to drive her on far more urgently than any instructions from him could have motivated her) currently in her first year at Beacon particularly reassuring. He might even have cause to think that Ozpin wasn't taking this situation seriously. "Of course I can't stop you from taking action of your own in the matter of your stolen equipment but please, James, be discreet. The last thing we need is for the public and the council to find out that the White Fang have acquired Atlesian military hardware."

"I understand," Ironwood murmured. "Thank you, for listening to my concerns."

"You've always done what you thought was right," Ozpin said. "That is all that I can ask, just as it is all that I can do."

The corridor outside of the General's office, the corridor in which Team RSPT waited to receive General Ironwood's pleasure or displeasure, as the case might be, had no windows but was brightly light nonetheless. It was a pure white, sterile kind of light, illuminating a sterile grey metallic corridor with little in the way of distinguishing features except the direction signs painted on the wall. There were places aboard this ship that were monuments to Atlesian technological achievement but this corridor wasn't one of them. The door into the office was barred by a marine guard, his face concealed behind his helmet, who stood to attention before the door and never so much as glanced at the huntresses waiting nearby.

Rainbow and Ciel stood at ease; Twilight, whose position in the military was unclear, stood awkwardly with her hands clasped in front of her; Penny fidgeted like a bored toddler.

"Officer on deck ten-hut!" Ciel barked as footsteps began to echo down the corridor.

Rainbow stood to attention on reflex, her foot slamming down onto the deck as her hands snapped to her sides.

General Ironwood strode down the corridor, his stride brisk and martial. Specialist Schnee followed behind him. Rainbow and Ciel saluted, but he strode to the door without acknowledgement of either of them or Twilight.

It wasn't until Penny said, "Good afternoon, Mister Ironwood." And offered him a cheery wave besides, that the general stopped in front of his door.

General Ironwood turned slowly. His expression was grave as he returned the salutes of Rainbow and Ciel, but all of his attention was clearly fixed on Penny herself. When he spoke - to her and only to her - his tone wasn't without warmth. "Penny, under the circumstances, from now on it would be best if you called me General."

"Affirmative, Mister General!"

The General chuckled. It was a strange sound to come out of his mouth. Rainbow found it practically disconcerting. "That's not quite what I meant, but never mind. It's good to see you again. Schnee."

"Yes, sir?"

"I don't want to keep you any longer than necessary, I understand you're probably anxious to go and see your sister, but could you please...keep Penny company for a moment. This won't take long."

"Of course, general. Take as long as you need."

"Thank you," General Ironwood said. He turned away, and disappeared into his office without a word to any of the other members of RSPT.

Silence descended on the corridor.

"So," Rainbow said. "How much trouble did we get you into?"

Specialist Schnee snorted. "That's classified."

"How much trouble are we in?"

"You'll find out in just a moment."

"Gee, thanks," Rainbow muttered.

The door opened and the General's yeoman, a young woman with her blonde hair done up in a beehive, emerged. "Rainbow Dash, Ciel Soleil and Twilight Sparkle? He wants to see you."

Twilight winced.

"Hey," Rainbow said. "It's going to be okay." For you at least. Whatever happened, Rainbow was fairly certain that Twi would escape any real blame.

The yeoman waited outside as the three of them stepped through the doorway and into the office. Said office looked to be essentially a mirror image of the General's office in Atlas Academy, the same office in which Rainbow, Ciel and Twilight had stood when General Ironwood had first formed Team RSPT and assigned them to guard and guide Penny on her path to becoming the future of Atlas. Now in an identically austere, identically decorated - every chair was in the same place, there were identical artworks on the walls, there was an Atlesian flag in the exact same corner and the general's desk was in the same place with his back to the spacious window; even the few objects on the desk looked to be placed exactly the same - they might be about to be informed that their team was being broken up.

I don't regret a thing.

They didn't sit down, and General Ironwood did not invite them to do so. He stood with his back to them, staring out of the window with his hands clasped behind his back.

The three of them stood to attention - or an approximation of it, in Twilight's case - before his desk, and waited.

"At ease," he said, without turning around.

Rainbow and Ciel moved to the correct position, feet apart and hands behind their backs. Rainbow felt her palms begin to sweat. Couldn't they just get this over with?

General Ironwood continued to stare out of the window. His office was facing away from Beacon, looking out over Vale and over the fleet that he had brought with him. Most of the skygraspers who had escorted the cruisers in were starting to dock by this point, leaving only a few craft flying CAP. But you could still see the cruisers, hovering suspended in the sky above like the models that hung from the ceiling of Twilight's bedroom.

Finally, after a wait that - whatever its actual length - felt agonising to Rainbow Dash, General Ironwood turned to face the three of them.

"Twilight," he said. "How is your examination into the possibility of wireless swords going?"

Twilight looked down. "I'm afraid I've made no progress worth reporting, sir."

"Never mind, I know you'll crack it eventually," General Ironwood said. He almost smiled. "I saw your parents before I left Atlas; they asked me to make sure that you were well, and eating healthily."

Twilight cringed in embarrassment. "I'm sorry, sir."

"Never be ashamed of your family, Twilight," General Ironwood admonished. "We fight for many reasons: for the glory of Atlas, for the honour of the army, for the preservation of mankind; but most of all we fight to protect those who are dear to us. Don't forget that."

"No, sir. I won't."

All traces of the avuncular fondness that General Ironwood had been displaying towards Twilight vanished as soon as he swept his gaze over Rainbow and Ciel. "Acting Specialist Dash, Acting Specialist Soleil, give me one good reason why I shouldn't throw you both in the brig."

Rainbow stood to attention. "Well, we did save the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, sir. Shouldn't that count for something?"

"That wasn't your mission, Dash."

"No, sir, but we did it anyway."

"Yes, you did, didn't you?" General Ironwood growled. He pulled out his chair and sat down.

"Sir, as team leader I take full responsibility for all the actions taken by this team. You shouldn't punish Ciel for following orders that I gave her."

General Ironwood affixed her with a steely gaze. "Specialist Schnee attempted to cover for you as well," he said. "It's good to know that you're as loyal to your people as your superiors are to you."

Rainbow grinned. "Thank you, sir."

"If only you were as loyal to the parameters of your mission," General Ironwood said. "You were supposed to be watching Penny, not taking her to video game arcades or getting her involved in military operations of questionable legality."

"Permission to speak freely, sir?"

General Ironwood stared at her for a moment. "Granted."

"If Penny were a regular huntress in training you wouldn't give a damn that she spent an afternoon goofing off," Rainbow said. "And frankly, sir, if a regular team of Atlas students had pulled off the rescue op that we pulled off, we'd be in here for you to tell us how great we are, not kick our asses."

Twilight winced. Ciel glanced at Rainbow as though she'd taken leave of her senses.

General Ironwood's expression didn't alter. "But Penny isn't a regular huntress in training. Neither is Twilight Sparkle, for that matter. One is the product of millions of liens-worth of research and development, the other is one of the brightest minds of our time and your job was to keep them out of harm's way until I decide otherwise. I decide, not you. I ask again: give me one good reason I shouldn't consider you a failure in your mission."

Rainbow's mouth felt dry. She knew the answer to this - that Penny was a person, dammit, and she deserved to have fun, she deserved to be allowed to try and rescue her friends rather than have to live with the guilt, the choking guilt of failure to save by failure to act - but she wasn't sure if she could explain it to the general. She couldn't talk like Twilight or Ciel, she didn't know all the right words to make everyone agree with her; but it was her that General Ironwood had asked to speak and so she would have to find the right words somehow.

Or would she? A sudden thought struck Rainbow Dash; a thought that, though it might seem a little bizarre, suddenly made a lot of sense to her. The man sitting in front of her was not an idiot, and he wasn't clueless about his students or his soldiers; General Ironwood wasn't one to allow his lofty position to render him remote. And yet he had formed Team RSPT, hand-picking each member to support Penny, and he had chosen Rainbow Dash to lead it.

"I don't think I need to explain myself to you, sir," Rainbow Dash. She winced as her mind caught up with the words that had just come out of her mouth. "Wait, that came out wrong. I didn't mean it like that. No disrespect intended, sir."

General Ironwood clasped his hands together on his desk. "Perhaps you'd better explain what you did intend, Dash."

"I meant, sir, that I don't think you actually want an explanation," Rainbow said. "General, when Team Jasper was disbanded you could have had me tossed out of Atlas and the military."

"As I believe I told you at the time," General Ironwood said. "You disobeyed a direct order to pull out. In fact you contravened said order and went back into the danger zone."

"And because I did Ash only lost a leg instead of his life and Maud got out in one piece, sir," Rainbow replied. "I didn't regret it at the time and I don't regret it now. But I disobeyed orders and you could have made me face the consequences of that. But you didn't, sir. Instead you put this team together and you made me team leader. And I've gotta believe that you knew who I was when you made that choice.

"Penny's not just a thing, sir. She's not just a piece of equipment and I think you know that. And I think you put this team together because you trusted us to know it too."

General Ironwood stared up at Rainbow Dash, his eyes cold and unreadable. And then he smiled. "Well done, Rainbow Dash; you get it."

Rainbow only realised that she'd been holding her breath when she wasn't any more. "You mean I was right?"

"Absolutely right, although don't let it go to your head," General Ironwood replied. "Penny...Penny is more than just a weapon. She's not an android. She may be the future of warfare, but she's also a young girl. That's why I've decided to enter her into the Vytal Festival." The general got up from behind his desk. "There are some who view Penny's participation in this event as a waste of resources; they argue that she should be deployed against the grimm as soon as possible. I was able to convince those people by stating that Penny still has a lot to learn and that the safe environment of the tournament is a good place for her to acquire combat experience; I've also pointed to the glory that will accrue to our kingdom should Penny be victorious. But the truth is that there is another reason: I hope that Penny will enjoy the tournament, and the festival that surrounds it; she's destined to have a hard life, full of struggle, constantly deployed in battle in the service of Atlas. But I hope...I hope that she can make some happy memories here, to hold onto amongst the trials to come. Do the three of you understand that?"

"Yes sir," Rainbow murmured.

"Understood, sir."

"Um, permission to speak, sir," Twilight said. "Do you think...do you think it's right to force Penny to fight? I mean, if she is a girl, and she's so young...are we...is it right, sir?"

"Is it right that children your age should be sent to fight the creatures of grimm?" General Ironwood responded. "I don't have a cast-iron ethical response to give you to either of those questions, Twilight; but the people and the military of Atlas have funded Penny's development in the same way that they've paid for your education; they have a right to return on both investments."

"Yes, sir," Twilight said softly. "I understand."

General Ironwood nodded, as if to say that he shared her concerns even if he couldn't do anything about them. "Through duty, sacrifice," he murmured. "And through sacrifice, victory. That is the Atlesian way, imperfect though it may be."

"So," Rainbow ventured. "Sir, if we are all about letting Penny have something like a life...does that mean she can see her Beacon friends again?"

"Team Rosepetal will be moving into Beacon dorms along with the other Atlesian students arrived for the Vytal festival," General Ironwood declared. "Once there you will present yourselves as ordinary students, and Penny can associate with who she likes under the supervision of at least one other member of the team. Soleil, I expect weekly reports on the people she interacts with and your own opinion on them."

"Yes sir."

Rainbow's eyebrows rose. "Weekly reports, sir."

"If Penny were my flesh and blood daughter I would ask exactly the same of the people she fraternised with," General Ironwood responded. "Twilight, you can go. Wait outside, make sure Penny doesn't wander off, and tell Schnee that she's dismissed for now. She can go see her sister if she likes."

"Yes, general," Twilight said. She bowed, and then backed quickly out of the office as the door opened and then closed behind her with a hydraulic hiss,

General Ironwood turned his back on Rainbow and Ciel, and once more stood before the window looking out over the Atlesian fleet. He clasped his hands behind his back. "Tell me, both of you, what do you see?"

"A fleet, sir," Rainbow said.

"The strength of Atlas incarnate, sir," said Ciel, a note of pride entering her voice.

"The strength of Atlas incarnate," General Ironwood repeated, musing over every word. "That's almost poetic, Soleil."

"Thank you, sir."

General Ironwood was silent for a moment or two, gazing out of the window at the array of force at his immediate disposal. "The four kingdoms are in a time of peace. To what can that peace be attributed?"

"To the might of Atlas, sir!" Ciel declared, the pride in her tone growing fiercer still.

"Indeed?"

"Indeed, sir; Atlas possesses the strongest military on the planet, every other kingdom is well aware that they could not hope to stand against us in war, and that we would side against any nation that went rogue and attempted to disrupt the state of peace for its own selfish ends. We guarantee the security of all other nations against their neighbours and the grimm and thus, we preserve peace between them."

"Even so," General Ironwood said softly. He glanced at the painting that hung on the wall to his left. Since one exactly like it hung on the wall in his Atlas office, Rainbow guessed that it was a copy not an original. It was one of those paintings that had two pictures in it, two panels that looked like they ought to be folded up like a greetings card. There was an artsy word for it but Rainbow had forgotten what it was. One of the panels showed the end of the Great War, not the signing of the Vytal Treaty but the Battle of Vacuo when the kings of Mantle, Mistral and Vacuo knelt to the last King of Vale and offered him their crowns. Particular attention was paid in the painting to the king of Mantle, kneeling in dejected humiliation with his crown at his feet, offering up a sword to his defeated opponent while all around the knights and warriors of Mantle wept for the shame of it and threw down their arms in the humiliation of defeat. The second panel showed one of General Ironwood's predecessors, looking more like a king than the King of Mantle in the other panel, presiding over the signing of the Mantle Accords; the Atlesian practically shone, and he plunged the delegates of the other kingdoms into shadow.

"Quite a remarkable achievement, no?" General Ironwood asked. "From defeat in the Great War to the pre-eminent military power in Remnant. Through the struggle and sacrifice of those who came before us we have reached this point."

"From the ashes we rise, sir," Rainbow and Ciel chorused as one.

"From the ashes we rise," General Ironwood agreed. "There are those who regard this peace we are enjoying as a natural state of affairs, a status quo that will sustain itself, but I see a fragile thing that must be protected from all those who would disturb it." He turned around, seeming sterner now, and older than before. "Those like the White Fang. Last month a train carrying weapons, munitions, and a large number of prototype modes of our new heavy support mech the Paladin were stolen travelling south from Cold Harbour to Vale. It was far from the first Atlesian military or Schnee Dust Company train to be hit on that line. I hope I don't have to tell you how dangerous advanced weaponry could be in the hands of terrorists. Therefore, Rainbow Dash, I want you to take point on our efforts to recover this equipment and discover the whereabouts of those who stole it."

"Sir?" Rainbow said. "I mean, I'll do it, but...why me?"

"Because I believe you can do it," General Ironwood said. "And because there are those who don't believe in you, and your team, whom I'd like to show the error of their ways. Don't disappoint me."

Rainbow Dash had never been one to turn away from a challenge. A grin blossomed over her face. "Sir, I'm going to soar so high over that bar you won't be able to see us both at the same time. And I'll take my whole team with me, too."

"I'd expect nothing less," General Ironwood said. "Dismissed, and good hunting."

Ranbow and Ciel slammed to attention. "Sir, yes sir!"

"I can't believe you guys!" Ruby cried. "You went to Mistral without me and you got to go on an awesome grimm-hunting adventure while you were there! So unfair! All I got was grounded." She pouted adorably in a way that made her look closer to ten than fifteen.

"Hunting the grimm? Didn't seem that cool at the time," Jaune reassured her.

"And, as for the rest..." Pyrrha murmured. "Well, you probably would have found it frightfully dull and boring...I don't think Sunset and Jaune had a great time there."

"What are you talking about?" Sunset asked. "Mistral was great. I had a wonderful time."

"Yeah, we both did," Jaune added. "The sights, the culture-"

"The snobbery?" Pyrrha suggested.

Jaune shrugged. "Nowhere's perfect."

Pyrrha's expression was still for a moment, before the ends of her lips twitched upwards momentarily. "Thank you, both of you."

"See!" Ruby yelled accusingly. "You did both have a great time without me!"

"Yeah, that's about the size of it," Sunset said, folding her arms as she rocked backwards on her chair.

"Bah! So unfair!"

Sunset sniggered. "What, you never snuck out of the house when your father wasn't watching?"

"I don't think that's the kind of behaviour a team leader should be encouraging," Pyrrha said mildly.

Ruby played with her fingers, looking down at her hands where they lay in her lap. "Well...yeah, once. I mean I tried. I thought I could try and activate my silver eyes-"

"Wait wait wait wait wait wait, wait!" Sunset said, throwing out one hand to cut Ruby off in mid stream. She lifted up her legs and let her chair fall forwards with a solid thump of the forelegs on the floor. "Wait," she repeated. "Activate your silver eyes? You know how to do that?"

Ruby blinked. "Did I forget to mention that?"

"Yes!" Sunset yelled. "Did you read more in the diary?"

Ruby nodded eagerly. "I have magic eyes!" she declared, infusing her voice with what Sunset could only guess to be an attempt at sounding mystical and mysterious by drawing out the word 'magic' far longer than necessary.

Sunset's eyebrows rose. Honestly that was not what she had been expecting, although perhaps she should have. After all, she knew full well that magic existed in this world; with the benefit of hindsight it had been conceited arrogance on her part to assume that she, and she alone in all of Remnant, had the ability to access and manipulate its energies. Nothing exists in isolation, Princess Celestia had taught her once, blending magical theory with a dash of sociology; all things leave their mark upon the world and are in their turn marked by it; either they will accommodate themselves to the world around them and in so doing force the world to somewhat accommodate them in turn, or else they will make their presence known by force and either destroy or in struggle be destroyed themselves. It had been part of Celestia's mission in ruling Equestria to find sufficient space - physical and social - to accommodate all things which would be accommodated. The principle was more easily observed socially, but could be seen also in magic and in the society that unicorns had built to make use of their command of it. Why should it be any different in Remnant? Why should a power such as magic be ignored, existing in isolation and affecting the world not? True, Sunset had not come across another magic user yet - that she knew of, she corrected herself; who knew who else might be disguising their command of same as a kind of semblance - but that had been no reason for her to suppose that they did not exist.

My vanity remains, I see.

Sunset would have to confess that she had never heard of ocular magic before, but that was no reason to suppose that it did not exist. What reason would Summer Rose have to lie in a private journal? To play a joke on her children or descendants who might read it? That would take a rather singular sense of humour for which there was no evidence. That she had set down the truth as she perceived it was far more likely an explanation.

So, Ruby has magic in her bloodline, or the potential for it at least. The idea was fascinating, even more than the mere prospect of some untapped source of power within her and that had been quite enticing enough for Sunset. Fascinating, enticing...and intriguing too. A young prodigy and sprung from a line of magic, too. What are the odds?

What are the odds of this company? That Ruby, with her hidden legacy of magic, should be placed on a team with someone who was a practiced wielder of magic; that Team SAPR should include not one but two prodigies (one of whom was also the heir to one of Remnant's ancient thrones) and Jaune, who behind his facade of aggressive ordinariness had turned out to be a kind of human battery for the aura of the others. Sunset had been glad - and was still glad - to have been gifted, blessed with such talented raw materials to work with but the more revelation piled upon revelation as to the overwhelming specialness of this company the more she was forced to question if someone's thumb was being placed on the scales. Destiny was watching over them, of that Sunset did not wish to doubt, but was destiny driving them on sufficient to explain this run of providential good fortune? Were they being looked after by someone closer at hand?

How random is the team selection, really?

"Um, Ruby," Pyrrha murmured, and by her speech made Sunset consciously aware of the fact that a prolonged silence had followed Ruby's pronouncement. Judging by the expressions that Jaune and Pyrrha wore - the former openly disbelieving, the latter what could best be described as a polite scepticism combined with a degree of nerves, presumably about giving offence - they were not so open to the idea that Ruby might have latent magical powers. "Are you certain of that? Magic?"

"Uh-huh," Ruby said. "Yang thought it was weird too, but it's just a word, right? And Dad said that Mom really could do amazing things with her eyes."

"But...but, magic?" Jaune said. "Come on, Ruby, everyone knows there's no such thing as magic. That stuffs for fairy tales and comic books."

"What are you saying, Jaune?" Ruby asked. "Don't you believe me?"

"Nobody's saying that," Pyrrha began. "But-"

She said more, but that was the point at which Sunset tuned her out; her thoughts turned inwards because Sunset could see, with such perfect clarity that it was as if she had suddenly been blessed with the gift of foresight, how this conversation: anything useful that Ruby might have learned about her magic would get lost as the conversation was derailed into the weeds of arguing over magic even existed or not. Rational scepticism, empirical evidence and general consensus of opinion would be pitted against the word of Ruby's late mother and still-living father, and Ruby's faith in both of them. Sunset couldn't see exactly how long the argument would go one and one. And Sunset, who knew full well that magic existed, would have to sit here and listen to it all.

Or she could nip this in the bud right now and tell them the truth.

Some of the truth anyway. The parts about magic.

That was an uncertain road. She couldn't see where it would go. But it would probably spare her a headache from listening to these three blind men argue about sight, and it was probably the only way that would allow her to help Ruby unlock her magic with all the potential that offered to raise their team to further heights of greatness. So long as she could keep off the 'unicorn from another world' business that would be even more of a distraction from the point than debating the existence of magic, then they might actually get somewhere.

If I wrote to Twilight about this she'd probably tell me to trust my friends. Well, look at me now, Twilight: I didn't even need you to tell me that. Aren't I becoming nice and friendly?

"Neither of you," she said. "Should be so quick to dismiss what you don't understand. There are more things in heaven and earth than you have dreamt of." Celestia had told her that, referring to the magic of friendship; now Sunset used the line to refer to a more prosaic power by far.

Another silence descended on the dorm room.

Jaune laughed nervously. "Sunset...come on...you're not...do you believe in magic?"

"I don't need to believe in magic any more than I need to believe in this desk," Sunset said, knocking on the desk behind her with one hand. "I know it exists."

More silence greeted this pronouncement. Jaune, Pyrrha, even Ruby were looking at her strangely.

Sunset smirked. "People keep saying that my semblance is amazingly versatile." She spread her hands. "That's because it's not a semblance."

"It's...magic?" Jaune asked.

Sunset took a deep breath, and focussed her magic into her fingertips. She would have to do something special. Something beyond the usual combat tricks that she'd been passing off as her semblance for years. Something impressive for the eyes, something-

Sure. Something like that.

Sunset's fingers began to glow. I hope this works, I haven't actually used magic like this for a while.

"Watch," Sunset said, as she picked a satsuma up off her desk and tossed it up into the air. She pointed her fingers at it as it fell, and a spark of green light leapt from her fingertips to strike the falling fruit, turning it into a frog.

Sunset caught it with her telekinesis, lowering the frog more gently down to the floor lest anyone get distracted by the idea of wanton cruelty to animals.

"Can a semblance do that?" she asked rhetorically (or least she hoped it was rhetorical; there might actually be a semblance that could do that, but Sunset took comfort from the fact that it was almost impossible that there could be a semblance that transfigured objects and fired energy beams).

The frog croaked indignantly, and hopped across the floor.

Jaune's were as wide as dinner plates. Pyrrha's expression was more guarded, but she could not keep the surprise off her face or out of her posture completely. Ruby looked in awe.

"You're a witch!" Ruby said. "That is so cool."

Sunset snorted. "I've never actually been called that before but...I suppose it isn't inappropriate." After all, we speak of wizards; why not witches too?

"So...you've been using magic all this time?" Pyrrha asked.

"Yup," Sunset said. "You asked me why my basic combat skills were so...basic. And that's the answer: I was learning magic since I was a kid, not how to fight."

"I see," Pyrrha murmured. "That explains a great deal."

"How can you both be so okay with this?" Jaune demanded.

"If your head is going to explode, Jaune, go into the bathroom first; it'll be easier to clean up the mess," Sunset said.

A nervous laugh escaped from Jaune's lips. "So...you're being serious? It's...magic? You're...you're like...a magical girl?"

Sunset's eyes narrowed. "If you're expecting to see me in a sailor fuku or a frilly dress you can forget it, but...I suppose, as I am a girl who has magic I could be called...a magical girl."

Jaune's mouth moved silently. "How?"

Sunset looked away. What can I say: I'm a magical unicorn from another world? I'm the fallen angel who was expelled from paradise? "My past is my own. Nothing personal I just...there are things that I don't want to talk about; and in any case I didn't bring this up so that we could talk about me. I brought it up because, well, if Ruby has magic then...I might be able to teach you how to use it, if that's what you want."

Ruby gasped. "Really?"

Sunset nodded. "I was taught by the best. I'm sure I can figure something out."

"Are you certain?" Pyrrha asked. "It doesn't sound as though Ruby's magic, the magic that she might have inherited from her mother, has much to do with the power that you possess."

"Magic is, too an extent, magic," Sunset replied. "You might be right, it might be that I can't help Ruby. But I don't see that we lose anything by trying. And does Ruby have any other options?"

"There's Professor Ozpin," Ruby said. "I think he taught my mom, at least a little."

That was interesting. Professor Ozpin knew about magic? Sunset supposed that that ought to have been obvious, since they already knew that he had known about the silver eyes of Summer Rose and, if said eyes were magic, then it followed logically that he knew about magic. More of a revelation was the fact that he had taught Summer Rose how to use her gift, to an extent at least. How did you do that then, professor? The headmaster of Beacon did not have silver eyes himself...could he have magic of his own? It was certainly possible, the fact that Sunset hadn't seen him use magic meant nothing since she'd hardly seen him at all and never in a situation where magic would be called for.

The fight with Pyrrha. He knew what I was going to do.

He knows that I have magic. Not too surprising, if he knew of its existence; Sunset had relied upon people's ignorance to be her shield but if Professor Ozpin was not ignorant...if he was not ignorant then was he unconcerned? He knew that Sunset had magic but he hadn't done anything about it, not even approaching her to let her know that he knew. He had done nothing.

Nothing but put me on a team with Ruby.

Did you plan all this, Professor? Are we all dancing in accordance with your will? The notion seemed absurd upon its face - how could Professor Ozpin have known that she would sneak into the archives, let alone find Summer Rose's diary - but at the same time Sunset couldn't entirely dismiss the thought, couldn't shake it from her mind. Perhaps it was just her experiences with Celestia getting to her but it was all starting to seem so convenient. Too convenient.

Sunset scowled. She was done being a pawn of the Wise; Sunset Shimmer was no-one's puppet. Although she could think of Celestia with fondness, although she had forgiven her old teacher, that didn't change the fact that the princess had led Sunset around by the nose for years with promises of destiny and greatness that had turned out to be as substantive as the air; the fact that Celestia had been as much mistaken as she had been lying made no difference to how frustrating it had been, how much time Sunset had wasted pursuing a fantasy. She would not suffer such again.

But that need not mean that all of Professor Ozpin's hypothetical plans were contrary to Sunset's interest or to the interests of SAPR. Sunset had reaped benefit from Celestia's instruction, after all. They might go along together, for a while (and all of this assuming that there was any intent in any of this) until it no longer profited her - or the team - to do so.

"I think," Sunset said softly. "That Professor Ozpin might intend for me to teach Ruby. Or at least to try."

Jaune blinked. "Professor Ozpin might intend? How could the professor intend anything, he doesn't know that Ruby has her mom's journal, he doesn't know how much we know about silver eyes or...or magic or any of this."

"That might be what he wants us to think," Sunset said. She sighed. "Look, I'm not saying that I have this all figured out but think about it, look at this team: a world-renowned fighter; a young prodigy who is also the heir to a magical bloodline; a...a magical girl, or a witch or whatever you want to call me with power and the ability to teach Ruby magic; and a boy with a sword of ancient heroes and enough aura for a small army; we're a super team! Maybe we just got really lucky but what if it was more than that?"

"But team selections are random!" Jaune protested.

"Says Professor Ozpin," Sunset said.

"Yang said the same thing," Ruby said. "She told me that I really lucked out with my team-mates. She called it winning the lottery. She also said..."

Sunset leaned forward. "Go on."

Ruby frowned, and looked at her hands. "Yang and me...we're actually only half sisters. Summer Rose, she was my mom. Yang's...Yang's mom is actually...the R in team Stark. Her name's Raven."

Pyrrha reached out, and put one hand on Ruby's shoulder. "Ruby, you don't have to talk about this if you don't want to."

"It's fine," Ruby said, although she didn't sound entirely fine. "The point is...Yang saw her. That night at the warehouse, in the tunnels. Yang told me that her mom told her that there were answers in the diary. And I think she said something about Professor Ozpin too, because Yang asked about him, but...I don't know what because Yang didn't tell me."

"But it's Professor Ozpin," Jaune said. "He's...he's a legend. The youngest headmaster in history!"

"His reputation is formidable," Pyrrha said. "It's hard to believe that a man so well-beloved, a hero of Remnant, could harbour any ill-intent towards us."

"I never said that he had ill-intent," Sunset said. "I just said that he might have intentions that are not immediately obvious, for good or ill."

"But if he trained Ruby's mother in her powers," Pyrrha said. "Why would he not want to train Ruby?"

Because he was fresh out of transplanted unicorns in Ruby's mother's day. "Secrecy?" Sunset said. "Ruby getting special lessons from the headmaster would be hard to keep secret, and that might lead to people finding out about her eyes. Incidentally, I hope it goes without saying that none of this stuff leaves the room, especially about my magic."

Pyrrha nodded. "Of course."

"Why would it matter if people found out about Ruby's eyes?" Jaune asked.

"I don't know," Sunset admitted. "Like I said, I don't have all the answers. I'm just musing aloud at this point and, in any case, we're getting way off-topic again. Ruby: do you want me to try and train you in your silver eyes?"

"Yes!"

"Think carefully before you answer," Pyrrha admonished.

Are we going to have to have a talk about this? Sunset thought. Ruby won't learn if you keep trying to hold her back.

"I want to do it," Ruby said. "I want to be the best huntress I can."

There was a knock on the door.

After a moment's pause by all concerned - Sunset was momentarily possessed by the absurd feeling that Professor Ozpin was about to drop in to let them know that he knew they knew, in the same way that Princess Celestia always seemed to just turn up at the most dramatically opportune moment - Jaune got up to answer the door.

"Hey," came the voice of Rainbow Dash from the other side of the doorway. "Jaune, right?"

"Yeah," Jaune replied. "Hi, Rainbow Dash."

"Is Ruby here?" Penny asked.

Ruby got up off her bed. "Penny?"

Penny stuck her head around the door, forcing Jaune back a step in the process. The freckled 'girl' - if it was appropriate to call her that - beamed delightedly at the sight of Ruby Rose.

"Ruby!" she cried, and she shoved Jaune out of the way so hard that he staggered six paces backwards and fell on his ass on the floor as Penny stepped into the dorm room then took a flying leap that carried her across the room - Sunset ducked just in time to avoid getting her head ripped off - and straight into Ruby, who was borne into the wall with an audible crack and a slightly quieter groan of pain. "I'm so glad to see you again, my friend," Penny said as she enveloped Ruby in what sounded like a crushing hug.

Ruby let out a wordless groan of pain. "Nice to see you too, Penny."

Rainbow ambled into the room and offered Jaune a hand up. "I guess asking if we can come in would be kind of pointless now, right? Hey, guys."

"Hey," Sunset said. "How did you find our room?"

"You have a picture of yourselves taped to the door."

"Oh, right," Sunset said. At the end of the last semester they'd taken a leaf out of Team CFVY's book and taken a bunch of team photos of themselves before picking one to put on the door so everyone knew that it was there room. Apparently it worked. "I wasn't expecting to see you here."

"We are Vytal festival contestants," Rainbow said. "We're here with the other Atlas students. Anyway," she gestured to the other two huntresses who followed her into the dorm room. "These are our team-mates, the second half of Team Rosepetal."

The first was a dark-skinned young woman, wearing a navy-blue skirt and concealing most of her black hair behind a similarly navy-blue beret. She placed one hand over her heart and bowed. "Ciel Soleil, a pleasure to meet you."

"Psst, Sunset," Jaune hissed. "Does this mean we have to do the fancy talk again?"

"Not if you don't want to," Sunset muttered, although she rose from her seat and offered Ciel a very shallow bow of her own. "The pleasure if ours, Miss Soleil; but, please, don't feel as though you need to stand on ceremony. I'm-"

"Sunset Shimmer, seventeen, birthplace listed as Drakon, leader of Team Sapphire," Ciel said. "Status: yet to be determined."

Sunset blinked. She glanced at Rainbow Dash, who shrugged apologetically.

"Anyway," Rainbow said. "Last but by no means least we have-"

"Twilight," Pyrrha said, as she got up off her chair and began to walk towards them. "It is Twilight, isn't it? Shining Armour's sister? You designed that armour suit he wore for our exhibition bout."

"Yes, and you're Pyrrha Nikos, aren't you? Hi," Twilight said, holding out one hand. "I'm surprised you remember me. Or my armour, it didn't really work very well."

"On the contrary, I thought it was very impressive."

"But you won the fight."

"Yes, but it was a close run thing."

Sunset stared at the fourth member of the Atlesian team. "Twilight," she murmured.

"Yes?"

"Your name is Twilight," Sunset said.

"Er, yeah," she said. "Twilight Sparkle."

Sunset let out a strangled choking noise. Twilight Sparkle? Twilight Sparkle! Of course it wasn't Twilight Sparkle, because if the Princess of Friendship had come over from Equestria then she would have let Sunset know that - actually she'd have probably been eaten by a grimm but if she had survived the savage world of Remnant then before she made it safely to Sunset's door then she would have let Sunset know about it - and she wouldn't have been in company with Rainbow Dash and someone Sunset was ninety percent certain was a robot.

It's just like Twilight - my Twilight, Equestrian Twilight - said. After all if there were a Pyrrha, Ruby and Jaune alive in Equestria, then why shouldn't there be a Twilight Sparkle in Remnant?

Except she's not in Remnant, she's in my room. Existential agony had come right to Sunset's door, and then she had just walked through the door and into Sunset's room in the form of a cute girl.

A really cute girl, in a slightly dorky way. Twilight Sparkle - and Sunset just knew that she was going to end up picturing the other Twilight this way when she wrote to her - was a slight girl of about the same height as Penny but much slenderer and more willowy, with lavender eyes hidden behind a pair of very square, thick-framed spectacles which somehow seemed to make her look cuter than she probably would have done without. Her hair was a dark blue, streaked with purple and raspberry, bound tightly in a high bun behind her head. She was wearing a white shirt with a maroon waistcoat over the top, and a plaid skirt with white stockings.

She wasn't Sunset's replacement, she wasn't the person Sunset had been corresponding with, but at the same it was hard to remember that, and not to associate the one with the other.

She doesn't look at all like me. I'm sure that I never looked that nervous. Twilight was looking away from Sunset, but glancing back at her occasionally, fiddling uncertainly with her hands as though she was afraid of something.

"Um, Sunset, is everything okay?" Twilight murmured. "You, uh, you keep staring at me."

Sunset abruptly realised that she had, in fact, been staring and that everyone had noticed by now. She coughed, cleared her throat loudly, and pointedly looked away. "Sorry, uh, it's just that...you look like someone I used to know, that's all. Er, anyway, nice to meet you, uh, that's Jaune Arc, Pyrrha Nikos and Ruby Rose...is over there getting hugged to death."

Penny let go of Ruby. "We've just moved into the dorms here!" she declared excitedly. "So we can see each other all the time!"

"Really?" Ruby asked.

"Yes! And we'll be taking classes and sparring lessons and this is going to be sensational!"

"That's great, Penny."

"Is it really? Are you really happy to have me here?"

"Of course. Now we can see each other whenever we want."

"I know! I'm so glad you feel the same way!"

"Anyway," Rainbow said. "Twi, Ciel, can you two keep an eye on Penny for a minute-"

Ciel looked at her watch.

Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Make that ten minutes. Sunset, I need a word with you. In private."

Sunset's eyebrows rose. "Bathroom private or outside private?"

Rainbow considered. "Outside, provided there's no one around."

"Okay," Sunset said, as much to satisfy her curiosity as anything else, and so she followed Rainbow Dash out into the corridor beyond the dorm room. There was no one around right now, in either direction, and yet once Sunset had shut the door behind herself Rainbow began to lead her away from the room.

"Listen, if ths is about the way I looked at-"

"It's not," Rainbow said. "I mean, sure, it got kinda creepy there but so long as you don't do it again we should be fine."

"I'll try and remember that," Sunset murmured. "So...what exactly is Penny anyway?"

Rainbow glanced at Sunset out of the side of her magenta eyes. "She's a person."

"She has wires coming out of her back."

"So she's a person with swords on wires that shoot out of her back, what about it?" Rainbow said in a voice that was barely on this side of snapping.

"Is she a robot?"

Rainbow rolled her eyes. "You realise there are people who would say that we're not really people because we've got pony ears, don't you?"

"Those people are dicks."

"Exactly, so don't be like them."

Sunset's mouth hung open for a moment, but the truth was that she couldn't think of a response to that. "So...what did you want to talk about?"

Rainbow rounded on her. "I know that someone in this school has a contact in the White Fang and I need to know who they are."

Sunset fell silent. She folded her arms. "What makes you think anyone here at Beacon has a contact in the White Fang?"

"The fact that all those Beacon students found you when you were being held by the White Fang."

"You found us," Sunset pointed out.

"True, but if anyone here has Twi's computer skills I'll be amazed."

"You might be right," Sunset allowed. "But that doesn't mean I should tell you anything. Why do you want to know?" I'm not going to tell you about Blake so that you can arrest her.

"I need information about the White Fang," Rainbow said.

"Why?"

"That's classified."

"Yeah, you're going to have give me a lot more than that if you want me to sell out a friend to the Atlesian military."

Rainbow smirked. "Since when do you care about anybody but yourself?"

Sunset scowled. "Bite my tail, Dash, I'm not that person any more. Tell me the truth or we're done."

Rainbow stared into Sunset's eyes. "White Fang activity is getting worse."

"I know, I read the news."

"I'm not talking about dust shop robberies, I'm talking about heists on the rail line down from Cold Harbour," Rainbow Dash said. "I'm talking about cutting edge Atlesian military hardware in the hands of terrorists. I need to know who you know who knows someone in the White Fang so that I can find out where the weapons are and what they're planning to do with them."

Sunset nodded. "Thank you for being honest with me, Rainbow Dash."

"And?"

"And...I'll talk to them."

Rainbow's eyes bulged. "That's it? You'll talk to them? Weren't you listening?"

"Yes, I was listening," Sunset snapped. "And because it's serious I'll talk to them, but if they don't want to talk to you then tough; I told you, I won't rat them out." She wasn't about to tell anyone about Blake without talking to Blake about it first, and she certainly wasn't going to tell anyone from Atlas about Blake without talking to Blake about it first. Yes, the situation did sound serious, and the idea of the White Fang having access to the latest products of Atlesian R&D wasn't a fun one, but Sunset wasn't an Atlesian soldier or a cop or anyone else with any kind of moral obligation to assist the authorities to the limits of her ability. She was just a student and her loyalty was to the person she knew, the person who had saved her life.

Rainbow's expression was stern and stony, before she grinned suddenly. "I guess I should be one of the last people to complain about loyalty." She patted Sunset on the shoulder. "Congratulations, Sunset; I guess you really have changed. You're almost a person now."

Sunset gazed at Rainbow's hand on her shoulder with frigid disdain. "I don't think we're quite at a touching stage in our relationship yet."

Rainbow pulled her hand away and looked sheepish. "Sorry. You going back to your room?"

"Not quite yet, but if you knock on the door someone will let you in," Sunset replied.

"Right," Rainbow said. "Thanks, Sunset."

What are you thanking me for? Sunset wondered, as Rainbow wandered back up the corridor. Sunset waited until Rainbow had knocked on the door and been re-admitted into the SAPR dorm room before she glanced over her shoulder.

"How much did you hear, Blake?"

Blake slunk out of the shadows. She had dark circles under her eyes, and her face was pale as though she was having trouble sleeping and eating. "Everything important," she said, so softly Sunset had to strain all four of her ears to hear. "How long have you known I was here."

"Always," Sunset said.

"I was actually on my way to see you," Blake murmured. "Until I saw you come out with her. Who is she?"

"Atlas."

"A friend?"

"I wouldn't say so. We just know each other. I suppose you could say...friends of friends."

"Mmm," Blake said. "Thank you, for not telling...you know."

"Nothing to thank me for," Sunset muttered. She shoved her hands into her jacket pockets and began to walk towards Blake. "So? What do you think?"

Blake was silent for a moment. "Tukson's dead."

Sunset stopped. "The bookstore owner?"

"That's not all he was," Blake whispered.

Sunset sucked in her breath. "White Fang?"

"A deserter," Blake said softly. "One who helped other deserters get out."

"And your contact."

"I don't have any contacts in the White Fang, Tukson did," Blake corrected. "I asked him to find out where you were being held. I knew that it was risky...now he's dead. Probably his contact is dead too."

"Because you chose to save us," Sunset said. She considered telling Blake that she was glad that she'd made the choice she had, but she didn't know how the other faunus would react to hearing it.

Blake's whole body sagged, as though she no longer had the energy to stand upright.

"Are you okay?" Sunset asked.

Blake glared at her, as if that was a question so stupid on the face that she must be an idiot to have asked it. "The White Fang," she whispered. "Roman Torchwick, Atlesian military equipment. What's going on? What are they doing? What have they become?" She sighed. "What happened to everything we used to stand for? I have to stop this."

"You want to talk to Rainbow Dash?"

"I want to find out who killed my friend," Blake said. "And I want...I want you to help me."

Sunset took a step backwards. "Me?"

"My team still doesn't know what I really am, or what I really was," Blake said. "You're the only one I can ask for help with this."

Sunset snorted. "You and me, teaming up to take on the White Fang by ourselves? An ex-terrorist partnering up with an ambitious go-getter; all I need is a junior detective badge and we could have a weekly television show."

"This isn't funny."

"No, it's nuts," Sunset said. "We're first year students, why should this be our responsibility?"

"Because our enemies aren't going to wait for us to graduate from Beacon!" Blake said. "Because something is happening right now that could shake the foundations of the kingdom. Because Tukson risked his life to help save you and he paid with his life, you owe him! Just like you owe me."

Sunset was silent for a moment. There was a part of her that wanted nothing better than to tear the White Fang apart piece by piece. They had attacked her, humiliated her, caged her; they had almost killed Ruby, who was Sunset's, and Sunset would neither forget that nor forgive it. She wanted to see Adam Taurus burn in fire, she wanted to see the strength of the White Fang broken and scattered like ashes on the wind she wanted them to pay for the unforgivable crime of making her feel small and scared if only for a moment.

But there was another part of her that remember how terrified she had been in the moment when the world turned as red as blood and Adam came for her, his red sword shining. Nothing in her entire life had frightened her that way. That, although she would never admit it to any living soul, was the real reason she wanted his sword: because only once it was mounted on her wall could she be certain that it would never be used to scare her again.

And we were having a food fight earlier today. What Blake was proposing was nuts. It was absurd. They were kids, they ought to have been worried about school, not terrorism.

We're kids who signed up to fight monsters. We're kids who chose to walk the glory road though it be paved with daggers. One of Sunset's hands went to the knife at her hip, the knife that Lady Nikos had given her.

"If the black knight asks for her help, how can the white refuse?" Sunset mused. "But I don't want my team involved in this." I don't want their deaths in this nonsense on my conscience.

"That's fine," Blake said. "You and I will be enough."

"It'll have to be, won't it?" Sunset said. She held out one hand. "Sunset and Blake: Let's kick some ass."