Hey there readers, Cluny here with a humungous update and apology. I'm sorry for the six month hiatus. I had a few things in my life that needed to be taken care of. I actually started work on this massive chapter back in June, and hoped to have it published by the time Volume 5 of RWBY began. Needless to say, Fate had other plans. My family and I had to move because our landlord was wanting to sell our house. We're still unpacking, and I've spent most of the month writing and setting up my own home office for my YouTube channel and publishing on here. Be on the lookout for new chapters for MtI, As Her Heart Beats, and a one shot that will hopefully be published before I take a brief summer holiday in the Outer Banks with the family. Also, this is the Chapter 50 milestone, so I wanted to publish a big chapter for a big occasion (no work I've published has ever been this lengthy before, nearly 500 pages when you exclude the author's notes and whatnot). Now then, the moment you've anticipated for the last year and a half, HERE WE GO!
Deep within the Dream Realm, Rowan Whitemane and his two spirit guards, Kota and Niju, walked deeper and deeper into the fog. The markings on Rowan's body still glowed brightly. White wisps still flowed from his eyes, and the air around him was completely calm.
Niju and Kota kept their eyes on the woods in front of their procession. They were vigilant of any Shade that would impede their progression out of the realm of Rowan's fear. A lone Shade in the shape of the wolf Faunus' silhouette stood in their path. It approached the trio who slowed to a stop and held up its arms as if to wall them off. "Why do you seek to leave this place, child of the Whitemane," It asked in a distant and raspy whisper that echoed throughout the mists as other Shades peaked out from their hiding places.
"He has a duty to perform elsewhere," Rowan spoke in a voice that was not his own, "against a foe as old as you lot and many times as deadly. My brethren and I are the only ones who can stop it, which is why we must deliver Rowan from this gruesome hiding place."
"We cannot allow that," The Shade hissed, "none may leave the realm of their deepest fears."
"You'll need to make an exception," Rowan said, "Because the spirit of the North Wind and I are on a bit of a time table, and if you don't let us go…"
"You'll do what, boy?" The Shade growled.
"It's not what we will do," The other voice said as the markings on Rowan's body glowed brighter, "It's what Wendigo will do if we terry any longer in this desolace."
"And why is that important to us," The Shade asked.
"Because Wendigo will attempt to root out and slaughter those who bear any connection with Whitemane and I." Rowan said, "It will most likely find this place and wipe you all out with relative ease." Kota and Niju both nodded in agreement, "Knowing that…" He looked around to the Shades that now surrounded them, "… what say you all?"
The midday sun hung high in the sky over Beacon. Tesla Viridian and Penny Polendina both watched Cypress Whitemane take shots at the targets nearby with the metal ball bearings he loosed from his slingshot. Each of the spheres hit the central part of the target with incredible precision accompanied with a loud metallic clang. The succession of the hits was rapid, like a low speed automatic weapon going off in the hands of an expert marksman. The young Faunus expended spent only a fraction of a section loading, aiming, and releasing each potentially deadly bit of ammunition at the targets.
Azure Aquio watched in awe as Cypress finished his round of forty ball bearings, "Alright, young marksman, at this time, you may proceed down range to collect your ammunition."
"Thank goodness for that invisible barrier," Cypress said holstering his slingshot and proceeding down range, "How's my aim looking, Gizmo?" He called back.
Tesla pulled up the results on his scroll, "You're hitting each target with extremely deadly accuracy, Cy," He called back, "All hitting the bullseye targets right on or very near the center."
Azure looked at the younger Faunus and then to the results, "What kind of training does it take to get that proficient with a weapon so simple yet so deadly?"
"Around four years of strict practice and intense training," Cy called back, "That includes physical and mental training." He grabbed a small weighted vest and started doing pushups on his fingertips with a leg raised six inches over the opposite heel.
Tesla looked at the sight, "Training as usual, Cy?" he asked as he assumed the same position as the strawberry blonde Faunus, "Care for a spotter?"
"The more the merrier, I say." Cy puffed, "Azure, if you want, you can join us."
"Penny," Tesla said to the android, "get my wrench and set it on my back, please."
"Certainly, friend Gizmo," Penny saluted as she got the large wrench from the rack and carefully set it along the forge master's back between the shoulder blades.
Azure got into a basic pushup position, "I'm too young to be a huntsman, but that doesn't mean I can't start training." He started doing pushups along with the other two boys.
Not long into their training session Professor Port happened by, "Ah, having a little training session to keep up on your skills and physical condition, gentlemen?"
"Precisely, sir," Cy said as he stood up and started doing twelve count burpees. Tesla got up and followed suit, "Azure, I think you should just start with jumping jacks. Twelve count burpees… whew… are kinda hard on most first timers, yeah?"
To the surprise of the wolf Faunus, Azure got up and started doing twelve count burpees as well, "I may be young, but I have a cousin whom I train with regularly."
"Ha ha ha," Port laughed as he stood underneath the forge's awning with Penny, "It does my heart good to see you boys are getting along and training together."
"Brings you back to the old days, eh Peter," Azurus chuckled as he joined he friend.
"Indeed it does, Azurus," Port chuckled, "But that was a long time ago."
"I know what mean, ol' boy," Azurus nodded, "not as young as we once were."
"But that won't stop either of us from jumping into action when the time comes," Port nodded, "That's for certain."
The boys all started doing squats, "Any ideas as to help Azure learn to fight," Cy asked, "If worse comes to worse, we'll need to have all available fighters ready to fend off Wendigo."
"I can fight," Azure replied, "though it's mostly hand-to-hand."
"I have some parts for weapons you can use for making gauntlets if you want to give them a shot," Tesla said.
Azure was panting, "I think I might actually, phew, want to learn to meditate." The group stopped, "That is, huff, if Cypress wouldn't mind teaching me."
Cy smiled, "Only if I can invite a couple other people to go with us."
"Who did you have in mind," Azure asked.
"Ruby and Winter," Cy replied. He noted the subtle jump from the dragon Faunus at the mention of the latter's name, "unless you'd rather I not."
"N-no, no, I don't m-mind at all," Azure blushed.
Cy took out his scroll and called Ruby, "Hey, it's Cy. Yeah, Azure and I are just doing a little training. No, we haven't started making his first weapon yet. But, I was actually going to see if you could get Winter and come with Azure and I to the waterfall for a meditation lesson. It'll be good for your recovery, that cold water with soothe some of the pain from the injury you sustained last night." A comment from Yang next comment made the Faunus boy blush slightly, "Yang, stop eavesdropping. Anyway, Ruby, get your swimsuit and tell Winter to come along."
Rowan, Kota, and Niju had their hands full fighting off the Shades of Rowan's worst fears. The leader of the Shades took to the high ground and hid among the tall trees. The other Shades were on the forest floor fighting the wolves and their master, fighting a losing battle. The shadow creatures felt the air around them growing frigid, "Why do you fight us with such palpable boldness, boy," The Shades inquired.
"Because," Rowan said stabbing a sai through the bottom of one Shade's head sending it flying through the top of the head of a second Shade that tried to sneak up on the wolf Faunus from behind, "I've run from my fears all my life. I guess now I'm tired of running in the wrong direction. Now, I'm breaking out of this prison the right way," He sheathed his sai and transformed the holster to its bow form and pointed it right at the leader, "right through you."
"You know that Wendigo is out there hunting you," The Shades hissed, "why would you want to face that beast alone?"
"What makes you think I'll be alone," Rowan growled as he unleashed a lightning bolt from Máthair Mac Tíre at the creature.
The Shade shrieked in agony as its arm shattered from the frigid cold, "Gahrrr, you'll die just as hundreds have before you, insolent pup!" The creature howled as it charged Rowan.
Rowan retracted Máthair Mac Tíre and let loose a deep and powerful wolf howl that echoed through the forest bringing in a blanket of frost with it. "Using that technique won't help you," The Shade chortled as more of its subordinates emerged from behind the trees and began encircling the Faunus and his comrades, "Using Wendigo's power will only alert it to your whereabouts. You've sealed your defeat."
The sound of growling wolves brought a smile to the lead Shade's face, "Like I said," it's eyes narrowed, "You've sealed your defeat."
"I don't think so," Rowan's other voice said in a low and foreboding tone.
The Shade sneered, "Look around you, child. You're surrounded by my brethren and Wendigo's forces…"
Rowan's eyes glowed brightly in anger, "Do not mistake Wendigo's rabid mongrels for my children!" The Shade looked around at the snarling wolves. They were slightly smaller than the dire wolves that Wendigo and had steel blue eyes instead of glowing red eyes.
"Children of Whitemane," The Shade leader gasped, "spirits of departed wolves from White Wolf Hollow. How is this possible?!"
"They are here because I am here," Rowan said.
"A mutt like you cannot call the children of Whitemane," The Shade leader hissed, "Only Whitemane himself can call them forth."
The wolf Faunus smirked, "Correct, fiend," The blue markings from before covered Rowan's body, "And because of Rowan's training his bond with me has grown strong enough for my energies to flow into him and come to his aid in escaping this realm. In fact, I already feel Wendigo's hold over Rowan's body starting to wane at an accelerated rate."
Rowan's voice followed suit, "And I plan on getting out of here and weakening that walking pile of desiccated flesh," His eyes glowed brightly, "and you're in my way. I plan on seeing Weiss Schnee again. Giving her some bit of confidence after all the crap she's been through is the best thing I can provide her with."
Weiss sat in her dorm on her bed. Across from her were Blake and Yang. Ruby had taken Winter down to the waterfall at the front of the school at Cypress Whitemane's behest. Penny and Tesla tagged along, setting the heiress' mind at ease. The events of the evening before played over and over in her mind. From Wendigo attacking Telephe and her friends, to Rowan holding off the beast on his own and the heiress feeling the confidence to land two decisive blows on Wendigo, Weiss wondered if maybe, just maybe she could have done more.
"Hey, Remnant to Weiss," Yang called over to the heiress, "you feelin' okay?"
Weiss sighed, "I've been better."
"You're wishing you could've done more after the blood moon, aren't you," Blake asked with her nose in one of her books.
Weiss nodded, "Wouldn't either of you be wishing the same thing?"
Yang smiled, "I've been in that situation already," She said, "and now Ruby's the one leading our team. Kinda weird, I sorta thought you'd be the leader."
Weiss blushed, "I brought that very same point up with Professor Port the first day we had his class here."
"That was our first class of our first day," Blake stated, "and didn't Port say that he trusted Ozpin's decision to have the youngest girl in the academy lead our team?"
Weiss remembered this and sighed, "Yes, he did, and now that I've had a little while to watch Ruby grow as a leader, I feel like a fool for having doubted her."
"You mean like you doubted my being part of the White Fang…" Blake said before Weiss held up her hand to stop her.
"Blake, you told us that you left the White Fang because of how you saw Adam become a murderous shell of his former self." The heiress said, "Besides, I already forgave you and since then I've trusted you time and again." She sighed, "So please, don't beat yourself up over something that happened when we were… less acquainted with each other, as teammates."
Blake looked away from her book and made direct contact with Weiss' eyes, "You know, I think being in a romantic relationship with Rowan softened you up a bit." She gave a warm and thankful smile.
Weiss flushed, "I'd like to think that too, Blake," A goofy grin curled across her face, "I just hope he'll come back soon."
Blake nodded, "If the energy we felt last night is any implication of his current status, I'd say he's about to make his escape from Wendigo's body sooner than we all think."
The Shades had all taken to fleeing from the unending pack of white wolves, "Fighting and overpowering one child is one thing," one of them hissed, "but fighting a pack of regenerating wolves and said child imbued with a deity's influence is a losing battle that should never take place for the likes of us."
The Shade leader, who was comprised of Rowan's darkest and most lingering fears, glanced in the fleeing legion's retreat as they were picked off one-by-one by the pack, with Kota and Niju leading the droves of summoned canines. "Cowards," It shouted after them.
"I'd say they're quite the opposite," Whitemane said through Rowan's body, "You're the fool for staying behind to continue fighting a losing battle."
"Bah, I'll show you whom the true fool is in all this, you mutt!" The Shade leader shrieked before it felt Rowan's hand grab hold of the top its head. It felt the pain from each finger as it pressed into the Shade's head. Cracks began to extend outward from where the wolf Faunus' fingers were pressing into the Shade's skull. "Have mercy, p-please… I be-e-eg you, don…" Before the Shade could finish its plea, its head was crushed. As its body dissolved a thousand screams echoed through the mists from where it stood.
"You had your chance," said Rowan's form in Whitemane's voice, "but you chose to side with Wendigo. I'm not about to let that beast gain ground in its insatiable lust for power."
Kota and Niju returned to the scene with the pack in tow, "You ended those creatures rather quickly," Whitemane said, "Though I don't blame you. They were rather irksome, mostly due to their numbers and egotistic attitude." The Faunus' face curved into a confident smile, "But, we mustn't tarry when we're close to escaping," He began walking again, "I'd like to get to the site where Rowan alienated this area of his mind from Wendigo's grasp, and soon. I can feel its grip on the rest of the boy's mind weakening further." Kota and Niju nodded and followed their possessed master deeper into the mists.
Back in the waking world, Ruby, Cy, Winter, and Azure were down by the waterfall at the front of the school. Ruby and Winter watched from the rocks as Cy and Azure practiced meditation. The dragon Faunus had adjusted to the freezing cold water as well as could be expected. He tried as hard as he could to focus his aura outward from his body, but the frigid cold made him shiver a bit. After about fifteen minutes, he ran out of the frigid torrent. "COLD!" He shrieked in pain.
Winter ran up with a towel and a small red crystal, "Here, this and a small red dust crystal should help warm you back up."
"Th-th-thank y-y-you," Azure stuttered as the white-haired girl wrapped the towel around him and carefully activated the crystal with her aura.
"My father may constantly be busy," Winter said, "but he taught me a few tricks with using dust for things like this."
"He m-must be v-v-very… very proud of you." Azure said as he felt his body warming up, "Thank you." He blushed.
Winter blushed slightly, "You're welcome." She said with a shy smile.
Cy got out of the freezing torrent, "I guess that the waterfall isn't a place for you to meditate and make the connection."
Ruby looked to the pool of water in front of them, "Would that pool of water be better for… the spirit finding… thingy?"
Azure looked at the pool of water, "Water," He said in an epiphany, "my father said that Aquios' vessels needed to be submerged over their head in clean water."
"Well, it may come as a great surprise to you," The four children turned to see Ozpin walking toward them through the mist, "but this is the cleanest source of water for hundreds of miles."
"But it's so close to the school," Winter protested.
"You have the water lilies and other plants to thank for the cleanliness of the water," Ozpin said, "They filter a large number of impurities before the water flows down the falls. If you're looking for a source of clean water to meditate in, this is your best option."
Azure took a deep breath and exhaled, "I guess it's worth a shot," He said.
"At this point, it's our best bet," Cy said.
Winter walked over to the pool of water, "How deep does it have to be," She asked.
"The water has to be above my horns," the dragon Faunus replied.
"Wouldn't you drown," Winter asked worriedly.
"We dragon Faunus learn from a very early age to hold our breath for several hours," Azure said as he walked into the center of the pool, "I should be fine." He smiled, "Wish me luck." He said as he took a deep breath and lowered himself into the pool.
Whitemane's aura lingered in the air as Rowan, Kota, and Niju walked toward the epicenter of Rowan's exodus to the realm of his fears. Whitemane could tell the wolf Faunus felt rather uneasy, so he did the best to comfort him. "You have no need to be scared, young one," He said, "in this realm you're the strongest thing there is. You've already proved that as fact."
Rowan sighed audibly, "I know that," he said.
"Then what is troubling you," Whitemane's disembodied voice asked.
"It just that I let myself fall to Wendigo's temptation," He said, "because of my anger fueling its influence on me, it's now free."
"None of my vessels who've been burdened with keeping Wendigo have had an easy time in dealing with it," Whitemane confided, "in fact, you're one of the few who managed to fight their way out of its icy grip and mount a successful escape."
"I'm probably the only one who had a childhood friend that was the sole focus of their heart throughout their escape," Rowan replied, "Right now I just want to get out of here to see Weiss again."
Whitemane smiled, "Is this Weiss someone important to you?" He asked.
Rowan smiled, "She was one of the best friends I ever had," He said, "She's an incredible singer, a graceful dancer, highly intelligent, and above all else she's beautiful."
"Sounds like you're very infatuated with her," The wolf spirit inquired.
"Hopelessly," Rowan said with a goofy grin on his face.
"That can certainly play to your advantage, should Wendigo ever try to overpower you again," Whitemane said, "From what I saw last night, you were actually able to hold Wendigo back."
"It would have been a bit easier with a little more outside assistance," Rowan said, " I had to use the aura from three other people, who I'm by no means aligned with, to keep myself from fading away. That was not an easy feat."
"It was not an easy feat, because it was your first time using your semblance to that extent," Whitemane replied, "And I know that you know that this particular skill will get easier to perform with time."
"When am I going to need that skill again outside this situation," Rowan asked.
"There is a great deal of truth in your question," Whitemane acknowledged, "but still, it never hurts to practice."
Rowan laughed, "The more we talk, the more you sound like my father."
"In a way," The wolf spirit laughed, "I am a father, father to your bloodline. When I created the Whitemane bloodline, I needed two bodies."
"So you had to split yourself into two entities," Rowan inquired, "that sounds painful. But there again, I'm mortal, not a spirit."
Whitemane chuckled again, "I was a bit odd, I'll admit. I had to get used to talking to myself."
Rowan couldn't contain his mirth and laughed loudly, "That must have been an experience."
Whitemane kept laughing, "Hah, you have no idea how right you are."
The two kept laughing as they came across a small clearing. They had to force themselves to calm down, "Alright," Rowan said, "we're here, the epicenter."
"Good," Whitemane said, "now this is where I take over, while you navigate."
Rowan sat down at the center of the clearing, "Hold tight, things are gonna get bumpy."
Ozpin stood on the rock edge of the pool at the base of the waterfall. He maintained his focus on Azure as the dragon boy's connection with the spirit of Aquios, the Lord of the Sea, strengthened.
"How will we know if Azure's connection actually…" Winter was interrupted as electricity began arcing outward from where the dragon Faunus sat.
"I think you have your answer, Miss Schnee," Ozpin said.
Winter felt her worry increase, "Is Azure going to be okay," she asked.
"My son will be alright," Kaiyo said, "We dragon Faunus are no strangers to electrical currents in the water, even those of such magnitude."
"Meditating in raging storms has its advantages I suppose," Ozpin said.
Kaiyo merely pointed to the branch-like horns on his head, "These are a big help in that situation." He said matter-of-factly, "They help channel our aura to help deter lightning from striking us directly."
"Like a lightning rod?" Cy and Winter asked simultaneously.
"Precisely," Kaiyo replied.
An electric blue glow began emanating from the pool. Ruby's eyes lit up, "Cy, is that what I think it is?"
Cy nodded, "Azure is beginning to connect with Aquios. The same thing happened to Rowan last night in the Dream Realm."
Ozpin smiled, "I felt both your brother's and Telephe Phoen's awakening commence," He said adjusting his glasses as the electricity in the pool before him crackled wildly, "but for the meantime, I suggest we step back a bit."
Kaiyo nodded, "Indeed, the awakening of the Lord of the Sea's vessel is the most violent of the three guardian beasts."
Winter's eyes widened, "What about Telephe," she asked, "what if her awakening causes a fire?"
Ozpin nodded, "No need to worry about Miss Phoen, Winter, Professor Goodwitch inspected her bags upon Team PHNX's arrival to Beacon personally. Among Miss Phoen's belongings were a set of seven candles meant to assist in the Awakening Ritual."
"Those special candles are meant to keep Phoena's power focused within the confines of a powerful barrier," Kaiyo stated, "Any elemental magic would be nullified."
This set the younger Schnee sister at ease. She'd only just met Azure, but she felt something about the young dragon Faunus that caught her interest. Losing this boy, she felt, would fill her with dread.
Suddenly, the electric sparks coiled in a serpentine manner, and formed the image of a giant dragon with wispy yellow eyes. The image left the younger onlookers standing in silent awe as Ozpin and Kaiyo stood their ground, focused on the submerged dragon boy before them.
Azure's form rose out of the water with his eyes still closed and his hands outstretched. Yellow markings covered his body and lightning arced from two orbs of light floating just above his palms. Winter's focus shifted from the ethereal form to Azure's body. The dragon boy's eye's opened as golden wisps streamed out from them. "Fear not, children of Remnant," A gentle voice sounding like a mix of both Azure's own and a deeper voice said, "I am Aquios, the Lord of the Sea."
Ozpin smiled, "It's been a while, great Aquios," he said stepping forward.
"That it has Ozpin," Aquios said, "how many new vessels have you inhabited since our last meeting?"
Ruby's eyes widened. Ozpin cleared his throat, "Now's not the time, old friend. I take it you've noticed your, ahem, misguided brother decided to enter the mortal world again."
Azure's face disgusted as Aquios heard the mention of Wendigo's… activities, "Yes, I can feel that misbegotten whelp's power radiating close by." His head turned toward Vale, "I feel another presence as well."
Cy's ears perked up, "It's the same feeling as last night," He said, "only it feels closer."
Azure's face smiled to express Aquios' joy, "It's Whitemane's vessel, he's making his move as we speak."
"Kaiyo, I think it would be best to inform Redwood," Ozpin said. The older dragon nodded and dashed off in a surge of electricity. Ruby watched in awe, "That's his semblance, Miss Rose," the old head master said, "It's much similar to yours only he doesn't burst into rose petals. Rather, he channels himself into a bolt of lightning and can propel himself forward in an instant."
Ruby silently squealed as she gushed unintelligibly with excitement. Cypress grinned and rolled his eyes, "It is pretty cool, I guess."
Winter kept her eyes locked on the floating form of the young dragon Faunus. Aquios noticed a look of dismay in the young girl's eyes. Giving a reassuring smile the spirit said, "Fret not, young one, Azure is still here. He's merely completing his full resonance with me. It shouldn't take much longer." Winter sighed in relief, "He's eager to see you again, if that means anything to you."
Winter's face flushed light pink, "R-really," She asked suddenly. The Faunus nodded.
Cy looked to Winter, "It'll be okay, Winter, Azure's resonance is taking place in a more secure place than Rowan's. And he has someone around here to protect him. The same can be said about Telephe."
Aquios curled Azure's lips into an appreciative smile, "I'm truly glad that my current vessel has good friends, as well as Phoena's vessel."
"Rowan has good friends too, sir," Ruby added, "They're just with him, physically, for right now… That sounded better in my head."
Aquios looked at Ruby reassuringly, "Whitemane's vessels have always been isolated upon completion of their resonance with his spirit. Such is the way my brother has been for all recorded history. Isolated behind the cover of fog, and snow in the mountains to the north of Atlas, though I suppose my legacy is guilty of much the thing."
"Your legacy is guilty of nothing, Great Lord of the Sea," Ozpin said, "they hid themselves from the world for good reason. A reason, by the way, I can understand, seeing as they can grow powerful enough to manipulate storms the likes of which would make all four Maidens tremble in fear," He chuckled, "Though I doubt that such a pacifistic people would go to such lengths to do such a thing."
Aquios himself chuckled, "To abuse that much power would be too grave and too dire a mistake for even the most powerful and capable vessel of mine to make. To allow that much raw, unrestrained power to be channeled through them would mean allowing one's self to be ripped apart in an instant."
Winter recoiled at the thought of such an event taking place. A ripple coursed across the tranquil pool of water, "It seems your vessel has completed his resonance with you, Lord Aquios," Kaiyo said observantly.
Aquios nodded insightfully, "Indeed he has. I must admit that the boy took a bit longer than expected to complete such a simple task."
Kaiyo lowered his head, "He is a bit of a cautious young lad, I suppose that is to be expected of him."
Aquios' smiled returned, "It is that gentle spirit that makes him a suitable vessel to entrust my power to, Kaiyo, do not be ashamed of him."
Kaiyo raised his head toward the avatar of his family's namesake, "I'm not disappointed in Azure's cautious, and timid nature, I just wish he had more of a sense of courage, and bravery."
The area began to take on an orange glow. The arcs of electricity began to recede, "It appears that the period of resonance has reached its closing point," Aquios replied, "As for the boy's bravery, I assure you, he'll have a reason to use it in due time." He turned to Winter, "I feel that he has found a reason to harness it in his heart." Winter raised an eyebrow, "But I'm afraid my time in this world is over for now," He closed his eyes as Azures body slow descended into the center of the pool, "worry not, I'll be keeping an eye on things from within Azure's mind, fare thee well." The spirit's stated before its avatar's head sank beneath the surface."
Moments later, Azure burst from the water gasping for air, "That… was weird," He panted, "What happened… someone wanna… fill me in?"
Ozpin chuckled as he turned to head for Beacon, "You completed your resonance with Aquios. His boundless power over storms is now in your hands. Meaning, you must now commence training in order to handle them." He pointed his cane to the path leading back to the school, being that I am a professor, I will aid you in this endeavor, young Azure."
"But that could take weeks," Azure said, "and Wendigo's strong enough that Aquios felt its presence all the way from the alleys in Vale."
Ozpin looked over his shoulder smiling casually, "Then we must strike while the iron is still hot, and shape you into what you're destined to be."
Ruby and Cy rested their hands on the dragon Faunus' shoulders, "And we'll be here to help you every step of the way."
Winter nodded, "That goes d-double for me."
Azure sighed and looked between the three of them. Then, a faint smile appeared on his face, "Then what are we waiting for," He asked, "let's do it."
Ozpin tapped his can as he strolled up the path, "Then we mustn't waste time, please follow me."
Rowan had never thought he'd be back amid the darkening world that was his mind again. But with his newly acquired power from Whitemane coursing through his body and the will of the spirit driving him ever forward toward his goal, it wasn't like he had any other choice in the matter. For he knew that with the cannibalistic monstrosity terrorizing the waking world he had to act now while it sought out a bigger source of limitless power. There were only a handful of people he knew that possessed that potential, Telephe was one, Professor Ozpin was another. He ruled out Adam as his semblance was already copied into the beast's mind, though whether or not Wendigo had learned to use the White Fang faction leader's semblance was still left unseen. That left very few others on the list. Among the people he knew from Beacon and the other schools, Cinder Fall was the only remaining candidate. He'd noticed that Wendigo had taken an interest in the woman, but he couldn't wrap his thoughts around the reason why. "Why would it show interest in a total stranger from Haven Academy?" He asked aloud.
"Something in her possession," Whitemane's voice chimed in, "a stolen power she'd acquired through the use of some dark magic. I sensed the acquisition of this power several months ago, but only half of it is in this woman's possession."
"What power did she steal?" Rowan inquired as he, Kota and Niju pressed on toward the center of the wolf Faunus' mind.
"Have you ever heard the story of the Four Maidens," Whitemane asked.
"Yeah," Rowan said, "It was one of my Grandmother's favorites. Four sisters given the powers of the four seasons by an old wizard, each season representing the power of Choice, Knowledge, Creation, and Destruction," He paused before asking, "What does that have to do with any of this?"
"What if I told you that the Maidens and the Wizard really existed," Whitemane asked, "and that you've met the wizard during your stay at Beacon?"
"What do you mean," Rowan asked.
"The Maidens' power doesn't fade away when their bodies give out," Whitemane replied, "rather, it is passed to the first person they think of upon their final moments in life. That person is usually a relative or a daughter. But if the person is a man or an old woman, things get a bit… complicated. But there's no time to explain that. The basic gist is that the Maiden's power is everlasting, where the wielder of said power is as mortal as you or the avatars."
"The difference is that the next vessel of the Guardian Beasts' power is selected through blood, am I close," Rowan asked.
"Almost dead on," Whitemane replied. The remainder of the walk continued with no hindrance from Wendigo. Evidently when the Shades looked at Rowan, they withdrew into the shadows, obviously not wanting to deal with the returning lord of the land.
"Looks like they're in no mood to hold us off," Rowan said.
"It's most likely because the essence of their leader on your hand," Whitemane said, "For you to destroy that creature, you must have great power."
"Or a deity on your side," Rowan smirked, "but since they were comprised of my fears, I guess my bravery gave me an edge."
Whitemane laughed, "It does indeed work in our favor. The lesser and novice Shades are backing away."
"But I'm still sensing the Shades of my deepest darkest fears," Rowan said.
"Don't let the flame that is your courage die and give them an opening," Whitemane said, "Even you're the demons from your most crippling fears can be beaten by your bravery. You are scaring them off just by walking with confidence. Remember the one reason why you're making your escape back to the waking world, the one person you desire to see again."
Rowan pictured her in his head, Weiss Schnee, the love of his life. The one figure that kept him going even now, when he was most vulnerable, beckoned him further toward the darkening desolace that his conscious mind had become. Rowan didn't know what he missed most about her. Was it her silver-white hair that cascaded like new-fallen snow down her back and shoulders, her ice blue eyes that radiated with boundless elegance in the wolf Faunus' heart, or was it her soothing voice that sounded like a divine chorus from on high when she sang? Perhaps it was how he'd seen the softer side start to show itself more and more as they spent time together before all of this. It didn't matter what Rowan missed most, Weiss' lingering presence in his memories set Rowan's heart and soul ablaze with determination.
"I'm not resting until I see my princess again," He said as he broke into a run straight into the seemingly endless abyss, "I swear it."
Back in the dormitories, Ruby, Cy, Winter, and Azure returned to Team RWBY's room, "And this is where my team and I basically do all our school work and sleep and stuff." Ruby said as she opened the door.
Azure was taken aback at the sight of the crudely, and in Ruby's case, precariously arranged sleeping situation. "Uh, not t-to be rude o-or anything, M-Miss Ro…" He stuttered.
"Just call me Ruby, Azure," The scythe wielder corrected the dragon Faunus, "Only the professors and head master here call me Miss Rose."
"…Ruby," Azure said timidly, "but w-why is there a bed h-hung like that over another bed?"
"Oh, that was my idea," Ruby chuckled, "we didn't have enough space for all our stuff so we decided to… well, arrange them like this. And Weiss did say she wanted bunk beds when she was younger."
"Nnh," Weiss groaned in discomfort as she rolled over in her bed, "Ruby, please keep it down. We were released at the same time, but please remember…" She yawned deeply, "… I was nearly beaten to death by the White Fang."
Ruby recoiled, "Whoops," She said in a whisper, "sorry Weiss. Have your parents seen this?"
"Nnhm," Weiss groaned again, "My mother amused and accepted the idea, my father took a bit more convincing."
"Father always was difficult to convince of things he didn't agree with," Winter sighed.
"It's how he is," Engel said as she entered the room, "high safety standards, which is why Redwood and his family were always around."
A wave of nearly tangible energy reverberated through the air making Ruby, Cy, and Weiss' eyes go wide, "You guys felt that too, right?" Azure asked.
"That one was closer," Ruby said, "it felt like it was somewhere in the dorms."
"It's gotta be that girl Telephe," Winter said.
"Her aura is enormous," Ruby said, "It's different from Azure's and Rowan's."
"Will you three please go somewhere else," Weiss asked, "I've already told Yang to leave and do something she likes…"
"She's probably either going on a date with Yatsuhashi," Ruby thought, "or spar with someone."
"… Or sparring with Ferrina and then being subject to a kiss from her." Cy blushed.
"Wherever she is," Wiess remarked with growing agitation, "she's not bothering me. And as for Blake, she's out with Sun doing something nice. Not that someone quiet like her would bother me."
"Okay, Weiss," Cy said as he pulled Ruby back out of the room, "get some more rest. G'night."
"Thank you Cy." Weiss said as she fell asleep.
In the Beacon infirmary, Adam Taurus lay staring at the ceiling from his bed. For years, he'd hated the Whitemane family, wanted them to be wiped off the face of Remnant. Only now, he was being taken care of by the same family. Treated like one of their patients instead of their enemy.
His Lieutenant stood a silent watch over the horned Faunus, not leaving the room since knowing he'd be lambasted by a razor tongue courtesy of a certain albino rabbit Faunus in a wheelchair. The only visitors Adam saw were Redwood and Ivy Whitemane when they administered the regimen of treatment to his wounds. It was by now that Adam was faced with the chilling reality that Rowan Whitemane had survived their battle. Even worse was that Adam now owed his lupine adversary his life, which left a bad taste in his mouth even without saying it aloud.
There was a knock at the door, "Who is it?" The Lieutenant asked.
"It's me," Redwood said, "Adam is free to go, I'm bringing him his weapon and clothes."
The Lieutenant opened the door, "That was much sooner than I'd expected." He said.
"Whitemane medicine is much faster acting and effective than any other medicine on the planet," Ivy said as she walked in with Adam's clothes, "even still take it easy for a few days once you get back to your headquarters. Then when the pain subsides fully, take my advice and," If it were possible for a look to be more fatal than any other force on Remnant, then the look in Ivy's eyes when she set Adam's clothes on the bed next to him would have wiped out the whole of Atlas' military force in one shot, "Get. Out. Of. Vale." She turned sharply and walked out of the room, "I'm going to check on Nóinín and Velvet, let me know when that twerp is gone."
"She's not as forthcoming with kindness to adversaries in times of crisis as I am," Redwood explained apologetically, "But she's only got a dislike for Adam because of what he did to Rowan, as well as what happened when Weiss was taken in exchange for her siblings." The events of that night played out in the Lieutenant's head, "That was the night, I'm told, that my youngest daughter domesticated a Beowolf. That, in my mind, doesn't bode well." He stared daggers at the masked Faunus and growled, "My little girl is the last glimmer of light I have to remember my wife by. Kidnap her again, and being devoured whole by Wendigo will be the least of your worries. I'll be all over you like a bad itch."
"Nngh," Adam grunted as he got up and breathed heavily, "Are you sure, urgh, sure that my wounds are healed enough to release me?"
"I'm getting you out of here before you overstay your welcome," Redwood said, "Grau Schnee lasted against the now fully awakened Wendigo, you would have been bitten in half. And we have two other Faunus that have powers that are now on par with Wendigo, so it'd be in your best interest to leave as soon as possible."
"So be it," Adam snarled.
Redwood motioned for the Lieutenant to follow him, "I'm going to ask you something," He said once they were out of earshot of Adam, "concerning your organization."
"What is it?" The Lieutenant inquired, "If it's to do with the Schnee…"
"We've all reached the conclusion that you'll continue the fight against Grau and his family," Redwood replied, "regardless of the outcome of these encounters. But, that will need to be set aside for now, what I am about to ask of you might go against everything the White Fang stands for now, but I feel there's no one else more suited for the job than you all. Seeing as the students here are all still recovering from the fight against Wendigo last night, I have no choice but to ask you to help me with a special retrieval mission."
"Retrieval of what," The masked giant asked.
"Actually, it's not what I want retrieved," Redwood corrected, "rather, it's whom I want retrieved."
In the Team PHNX dormitory, the walls were alight in the golden glow of the energy given off by Telephe's resonance. The phoenix Faunus could feel the warmth glowing from her chest, the power of the Goddess of the Sky that once surged uncontrollably through her body now flowed through her like a steadily flowing air current. She felt her strength increase dramatically from what she was used to. "Try to control it," The voice of Phoena said softly in Telephe's mind, "be sure not to suppress it. Instead, you must let it burn like a fire and consume you. I assure you, it will not be like Wendigo consuming Whitemane's vessel. My flames will engulf and protect you, just like you wish to protect those precious to you, young Telephe. My feathered wings will be your shield, my talons and beak will be your blades and lance, my fire shall indeed be your rebirth."
"I understand," Telephe said aloud, "I gladly accept your power in this hour of need."
"You will not be disappointed, nor shall I deceive you," Phoena said.
"Your assistance in this dark time is greatly appreciated, milady," Telephe said.
"Do not be so formal, Telephe Phoen," Phoena chuckled, "simply call me Phoena, that will be sufficient."
"If only my mother saw it that way," Telephe said, "for her it's all about the family honor and traditions. I even have… well I had an arranged marriage that I managed to avoid because of my desire to become a huntress.
"You do not approve of traditions," Phoena asked.
It wasn't that Telephe didn't approve of traditions, far from it. It was that she'd wanted to fall in love and marry someone she truly loved, not for money, the sake of tradition, or even the reputation of the families. The Phoen family was not known for much, save for their hospitable tendencies like entertainment and even their culinary expertise and fashions, but they weren't known to the world in its entirety. They were the middle ground between the Whitemane and Aquio families, not quite world renowned but also not completely isolated. They were only known unto some who preferred a more holistic approach to life, meditation, spiritualism, nontraditional medicines, and the like. Traditions like this would keep Telephe caged, forbidden from spreading her wings. She wanted to break the cycle, to become an adventuring individual that would help people who needed it the most, "It's not that," Telephe said, "I just want to be who I am, not who tradition wants me to be. I want freedom from this isolation to only the rich and holistic."
Phoena'd had this exact conversation with a majority of her vessels, some of whom were full of desire to reach a higher state and use their powers to gain fame and fortune. But Telephe wanted to seek adventure, to be free from the bonds of her ancestral home and protect outsiders, "What a noble prospect, Telephe." Phoena stated, "I look forward to aiding you in your future endeavors."
Telephe couldn't help but smile at the fact that Phoena approved at her life choice, "Thank you, my friend." She said. Her scroll rang, it was Hyacinth, "Hello," She answered.
"Telly, thank Oum I was able to get a hold of you." Hyacinth said, "Mr. Whitemane is looking for you, he says it's important."
"I'll be there in a minute," Telephe said, "I've just finished my resonance with Phoena."
"That's awesome," Hyacinth replied, "I think Mr. Whitemane's going to give you a part of this mission he had coming up tonight. He said to meet us near the bullhead landing zones"
"Get me up to speed when I get there," Telephe said as she gathered her chakrams and placed them back into their designated holsters under her combat gown.
"Will do Telly, see you then." Hyacinth said before she hung up.
"Ready partner," Telephe asked the phantom voice of Phoena.
"Lead the way, young one," The ethereal phoenix replied as they headed off to the designated meeting area.
Everyone from the student teams who'd fought tooth and nail against Wendigo the night before, save for Team CRDL who were still nursing a sick Cardin, and the Whitemane siblings and the Professors and Forge Master, Penny, and even Adam and the Lieutenant were present at the landing pads for the bullheads. Redwood had designated himself as the leader for this monumentally important mission and began the mission briefing, "Hello everyone," He greeted those before him, "as I'm no doubt sure, you've all felt the odd surges of energy from Vale and within Beacon's walls. These surges were not of insidious origin, they all three came from a member from a member of the three Guardian families, Whitemane, Aquio, and Phoen. They're byproducts of the resonance of each chosen vessel with the ancestral beast of their family, i.e. Whitemane of the North Wind, Aquios the Lord of the Sea, and Phoena the Goddess of the Sky. The resonance from Vale is proof positive that my son, Rowan, is alive within Wendigo. Soon, the beast's body will begin to reject Rowan's body and seek another source of power to sustain its abilities. There is but one person we know of that has such a wealth of power, but we don't know where she could be."
"Cinder Fall," Ozpin said, "a nefarious woman we thought was merely a student visiting from Haven. She possesses an ancient power that is equal in mythical prospects as that of the Guardian Beasts of Remnant, but not nearly as potent."
Redwood nodded, "As of now she possesses the power of the Fall Maiden, or rather a portion of it." He held up an ornate sphere covered in gold markings, clasped by a dragon's claw adorned with what looked like fur. "Within this orb, is the portion of the Fall Maiden's power, it will help aid us in our plan of attack."
Pyrrha raised a hand, "What do you plan on doing with that power?"
"I plan on giving this power to Cinder," Redwood said. Everyone save for Ozpin gasped in shock.
"Redwood, have you lost your damn mind," Qrow asked out of protest, "Do you have any idea what she'll do to you when she's absorbed the rest of that power?"
Redwood's gaze settled on Telephe, "That's why I asked Telephe to be involved with this plan, I don't plan on letting Cinder Fall play her part without having our Goddess of the Sky put her power to the test."
Sycamore noticed what the plan would bring about, "You're going to use a struggle between Phoena and the Fall Maiden to draw out Wendigo."
Redwood nodded, "Indeed I am, but that's later in the plan." He looked to Adam and the Lieutenant, "You two are tasked with the job of retrieving my son before Wendigo can devour him."
Yang was a little sickened, "Wait, you said a few days ago that Wendigo was gonna puke Rowan up when its body rejected him. Now you're saying Wendigo's gonna eat Rowan after it's puked him up? That's disgusting!"
"That means nothing to Wendigo," Redwood stated, "it will eat whatever flesh it can get its hand on. It won't let the condition of the flesh it ingests stop it from gorging itself upon it."
Yang put a hand on her stomach as a look of nausea came over her face, "I think I'm gonna be sick."
"You wouldn't be the first, Miss Xiao Long," Grau said as he joined the group, "I've heard the stories of Wendigo for years, and they sicken me to no end every time. How in Oum's name a creature like that can be allowed to exist is beyond me."
"How's Weiss," Redwood asked.
"She's resting," Grau replied, "Her mother, the rabbit Faunus, Nóinín, and our youngest daughters are all looking after her, along with your pet and Azurus' son. I believe that she's in the best of care with those five nearby."
"I'm glad she's doing better," Ruby sighed with relief.
"I doubt your mutt would be able to help defend against any of my men," Adam said.
"Don't be so sure," Sycamore said, "you've never seen Baltus fight before."
"He's scared off an Ursa Major before," Ivy said, "He's not one to shirk when presented with an opponent bigger than he is."
Adam smirked smugly, "I bet he'd be no match against me."
"Need I remind you that I'm one of the two people who treated your wounds," Ivy stood up and slowly walked toward slowly toward him, "I know your weak points better than most people here," She snatched Adam's sword before he could react, "And for that matter, so does Wendigo, which is why we're putting your arrogant ass on retrieval duty. You and your Lieutenant are to grab Rowan, get him back to me and return him to me… ALIVE, and then take your ragamuffin mercenary group, and leave Vale. Savvy?" She thrust her palm right over one of the spots where Wendigo had impaled Adam before as she returned Wilt and Blush to him aggressively. The force of impact didn't reopen the wound site, but it did send a stabbing jolt of immense pain coursing through Adam's body as he took a knee, doubling over in agony.
"If you… weren't…" Adam said.
"Thank you, Ivy," Blake said, "from all the peace-loving Faunus left in Remnant for putting him in his place."
"Says the girl…" Adam wheezed.
"… Says the girl who's not running away anymore," Blake said taking a step forward.
Ozpin tapped his cane, "We mustn't deal with these matters now, the important matter of baiting Wendigo and getting him away from young Rowan long enough for Adam and the Lieutenant to make their move is still far more imperative."
"We'll divide up into groups," Redwood said, "Ruby, Penny, Cypress, and Qrow will guard the bullhead and Ivy in case Wendigo makes a move toward Rowan. We'll need something to keep him at bay long enough to get him out of there." The four nodded in acknowledgement. "Yang, Ferrina, Yatsuhashi, and Tesla, you're going to be a distraction to keep Wendigo from attacking Adam and the Lieutenant. You're our heavy hitters, and Tesla's blows have done proven that they can slow Wendigo down for a short while." The four nodded accordingly, "Ren, Blake, Sun, and the Lazuli twins will be running blocker positions in the alleyways. We want Wendigo's movements contained and moving toward Cinder and Telephe." The for nodded, "Now then, Nora, Umbra, Scarlet, and Coco, you're to get Cinder Fall's attention and work together with Pyrrha, Nestur, Sycamore, and Sage to get her moving toward Telephe and I. Get her as riled up as you can and keep her that way."
"Shouldn't be too hard," Nora smirked confidently.
"What do you want the rest of us to do," Jaune asked.
"Perimeter guard for the Professors, Grau, Azurus, and myself," Redwood replied, "You're all to help with keeping civilians from winding up on the menu from Wendigo and killing Grimm that try to come near the battle area." He walked up and looked the blonde boy square in the eyes, "Can you do that, young man?"
Jaune was stunned. He'd never seen a grownup put that much faith in him before for something so huge. He breathed deeply, "I'll do it." He said.
"You seem like a good strategist," Redwood said smiling, "one that can think on his feet, that's just what we need in this battle tonight."
Jaune nodded, "I promise, I'll do my best."
"Good man," Redwood said, "Alright, is everyone ready?" There was a chorus of yes sirs that echoed through the grounds, "Excellent, let's move it out!"
Rowan ran toward the center of his mind, his determination to see Weiss again driving him forward. He felt the air around him growing cold and void of any source of hope or life for that matter. As the temperature of the air around him dropped to far below freezing, his nerve began to rise to as he gathered his fortitude. "Are you prepared for this, Rowan?" Whitemane asked, "Are you prepared to hit Wendigo's gag reflex?"
"Like a sledge hammer hits an egg," Rowan replied, "I'm getting my body back. My exit from this prison that Wendigo made for me is not going to be the cleanest, but if it means me getting my freedom, I'll fight until my life force gives out."
"Weiss must be very important to you," Whitemane said, "I've looked through those memories you have of her, and I've noticed when it comes to matters of courage when she enters the equation you go out of your way and risk your life to keep her safe. Have you ever considered that maybe you'd hold her back?"
"Did you not see her stick it to Wendigo before I intervened the night of its awakening," Rowan asked, "I only step in whenever her live is in dire jeopardy. I'm not going to hold her back. I'd never hear the end of it."
"So the young wolf possesses a sense of boundaries," Whitemane said, "I'm glad to hear that."
"Weiss has a strong will, an array of techniques she can apply her semblance to, but there's one thing that she's not as skilled with, that is the summoning skill attached to her semblance." Rowan said admiring his beloved's range of talent, "Once she masters that skill, she'll be one of the greatest huntresses in all of the kingdoms. I've heard she single handedly took down an armored combination type Grimm, so if she does master summoning and manages to learn how to summon that armored beast of her own free will…"
"She'll be a formidable opponent in battle," Whitemane acknowledged, "Especially if you face her in the Vytal Festival."
"If that happens," Rowan stated, "I'd like for it to be later in the tournament, so we don't have to give away our true capability to future opponents."
"And what if you were to face her for the final battle," Whitemane enquired, "what will you do?
"I would tell her not to hold anything back," Rowan said, "I would want to face her with no restraint from either of us. To put her true power to the test would show the world how proud and strong a warrior she is."
Whitemane nodded, "May the hands of Fate be in favor of that outcome." The wolf Faunus and his divine counterpart made their way into the center of what was once Rowan's consciousness. In place of the mental projection of Castle White that the young Faunus had forged in his mind when he'd begun his training with his semblance as a child there now stood a ghastly black citadel of despair, "Be on your guard, young Rowan," The wolf spirit whispered, "This is no longer the place you knew as a child."
"That's what I'm hoping," Rowan said, "if I'm doing battle Wendigo in my mind and take back control of my physical body, it will be most satisfying if I break his hold on his territory."
The bullheads had dropped the students and all involved with Rowan's retrieval in their respective positions. Redwood's plan was to corner Wendigo and recover Rowan as soon as the beast had expelled him and take him to the evacuation team who would take Rowan back to Beacon while the heavy assault team drew it back into the alleyways. Adam and the Lieutenant headed off into the down town area as Ivy waited at the bullhead, "If anything is wrong with my brother when you bring him back, I swear…"
"I'll make sure he's alright," The Lieutenant said, "I give you my word as a fellow Faunus."
Ivy sighed knowing that if he'd given his word as a member of the White Fang, there'd be an ulterior motive to his statement, "I trust you," She said, "but be sure not to try to fight Wendigo. If that beast could take your leader's attack and wound him so badly with minimal effort when it first took hold of my brother, there's no telling what it will near its peak."
"I'll be sure to avoid confrontation with Wendigo," The Lieutenant said as he and Adam headed off.
"It's not you I'm worried about," Ivy said as she turned back to face the members of the bullhead guard team, "Alright, the four of you, get into position."
Qrow nodded and turned toward the other three, "Alright kids," He said, "Let's go!"
Ruby and Cy went one way to a high perch near the rear of the landing area, "Being at a position near the rear like this keeps you safe and gives me a clear shot from a distance."
"Hope you don't mind if I tagged along, Ruby," Cy said sheepishly.
"It's fine with me, Cy," The scythe wielder said, "Penny's a little on the awkward side, and my Uncle Qrow is… well most of the time he's drunk off his butt, so I'd be the most acceptable choice."
"You hoped I would all the time, huh?" Cy asked with a cheeky grin on his face.
Ruby blushed, "Yeah, kinda. Can you blame me?"
"Not really," Cy chuckled. He grabbed his dust slingshot and hunkered down for a long wait.
Penny and Qrow set themselves up on the other side of the landing area. A triangular pattern like this would help funnel Wendigo into a three pronged ambush. "Remember what Redwood said," Qrow said over his scroll, "if that monster follows Rowan here, we have to do our best to immobilize it. It fights by going around in a circle at speeds that cause a slip stream that sucks in cold air. The longer it stays mobile, the colder it gets. If it stays cold enough for long enough, the resulting vortex will grow and expel the warm air from all of Vale and turn it into its frozen hunting ground. We'd be completely out of luck if we tried fighting it without cold resistance."
"Acknowledged sir," Penny said over the scroll.
"Of course Penny would be a minor exception to the rule," Qrow said, "for a short while at least. If you were to be exposed long term, your core would freeze over and shutdown. This thing is crafty and deadly."
Rowan made his way through the halls of the dark citadel. The labyrinthine corridors were freezing over as he made his way closer to the center of his mind. He looked around at the various tapestries of previous hunters the beast had controlled or seduced in some way. The wolf boy couldn't help but wonder if they had tried to rebel against Wendigo or if they'd succeeded in escaping its control before it was too late.
"So many lost souls," Whitemane said in a whisper, "I pity the fact that not all of them were a vessel of mine."
"So you've fought Wendigo for a vessel before," Rowan asked.
"Only once," Whitemane replied, "she was maybe a few years your senior." Rowan could sense the dread in Whitemane's voice, "She didn't make it as far as you after Wendigo took hold of her. She tried separating a piece of her mind as well, but the strain was too much for her. Her soul gave out only moments before Wendigo's ascension. Wendigo consumed her shortly after her being imploded, sucking it back into the nothingness from whence it emerged."
Rowan thought about this as he spoke, "Did she have anyone special to her?"
Whitemane's voice came with an air of sadness, "Unlike you, she chose isolation. She had no one to drive her forward like you. She chose to hide away and take Wendigo with her, I'd say she was foolish, but it was her choice. The poor thing passed on with a shattered heart."
Rowan looked to the ground as his fists clenched, "I'm not like her." He said, "I've chosen to fight on, even relying on the help of criminals to get back on my feet. I've also chosen my friends to help me through this dark time."
"Your friends and family are your strongest weapons in this fight," Whitemane said with an unseen smile, "And this girl, Weiss, seems to be your ultimate weapon. With your improved strength, and her love for you pushing you forward, there's a chance that you'll reseal Wendigo."
"There's no way of killing it," Rowan continued, "is there?"
"Unfortunately, Wendigo's a powerful spirit like my brethren and myself," Whitemane replied, "its spirit will live on with eternity."
A faint blue light shone on the floor at Rowan's feet. "Then sealing it away will have to be done. And I'll seal it deeper within my mind, with plenty of defenses to keep it from reemerging." He looked up and saw the source of the light before him, "We've finally made it." He said.
"It appears that way," Whitemane said, "Are you ready? You only get one chance at this."
"Just try to stop me," Rowan replied as he made a break for the light.
Adam and the Lieutenant, searched high and low through the alleys in down town Vale. Finding a thirty foot tall cannibal with a deer skull for a head was more difficult than they thought it would be. They walked deeper into the labyrinth of open passageways.
Adam glanced over his shoulder at the giant Faunus, "Why did you agree to us helping our enemy?"
The Lieutenant merely answered, "To repay them for nursing your wounds, or do you want to be indebted to serving treating human casualties during a future raid on the Schnee Dust Company?"
Adam scowled, a deep piercing glare hidden beneath his mask. "You know I'd sooner die than force myself to do something so degrading."
"I heard someone over here!" A voice called out from a nearby passage. Adam and the Lieutenant looked in the direction of the voice. From around the corner came six members of the White Fang who were stunned as they saw their leader on his feet again. "Sir, you're back!" One of them saluted.
"I am, but I'm on a begrudging mission at the moment for a member of the Whitemane Family," Adam replied. The White Fang grunts gasped, "I know it's not ideal," He continued, "but there's no other option. If not for Rowan Whitemane still being alive, I'd be dead by now."
"What do you mean," The White Fang grunts asked in unison, "still alive?"
"But sir," One of the grunts asked, "I thought that you said you stabbed him right through the heart, no one could survive an attack from Wilt."
"Rowan Whitemane's more resilient than the run of the mill Faunus," The Lieutenant said, "His father told me that he trains as though his life depended on it. He does all that training to be able to best Adam in combat."
"But why do we need to retrieve him," Asked one of the grunts, "We should hold him for ransom and…"
The Lieutenant grabbed the grunt by his uniform jacket, "Because I gave my word," he growled, "not as a member of the White Fang, but as a fellow Faunus that I would return him to his kinfolk unharmed." He lifted the grunt off the ground and over his head, "And I won't have some temperamental upstart telling me otherwise. Got it?!"
"Ngh," The White Fang grunt huffed, "under…stood, sir."
"Good," The Lieutenant said as he tossed the grunt out of the way, "Then follow us and be on your guard. The creature that injured Adam has grown immensely powerful over the last few days, and it's grown an appetite for living flesh."
Across town, Redwood and Telephe had landed and set off to find Cinder. The phoenix Fuanus followed her elder teammate by twenty feet so Cinder would be given a full sense of security. Redwood had brought Baltus along with a scrap of clothing from the dorm room Cinder had shared with Mercury and Emerald while they'd laid out their plans for the Vytal Festival. Baltus followed the scent at a rapid pace, determined to find the source of the stench that raised his Faunus partner's ire.
On the rooftops above the blocker team kept pace, ready to step in and contain any attempt made by Cinder to escape. "Blockers, this is the Hammer Team," Tesla said over his scroll, "Adam Taurus has picked up a little back up from his grunts of the White Fang."
"No doubt they were convinced by the Lieutenant," Blake said, "That giant could get most of Adam's underlings moving with only one word back when I was one of the White Fang. He's more of a man of honor than Adam ever was. If he were to give his honor to promise Ivy, it wouldn't be as a member of the White Fang, it'd be as a Faunus."
Sun looked around but kept up with the conversation, "Maybe he's trying to trick Ivy."
"Not at the risk of Ivy taking him down with her semblance," Ferrina interjected, "You saw how she dealt with Wendigo, a few days ago. If she could control vines with that much ferocity and Wendigo walked away without so much as a limp, someone like the Lieutenant would be laying there unconscious with nearly every bone in his body broken."
"Knowing the Lieutenant," Blake said, "he'd be stubborn enough to survive that."
"It's a gnarly fate," Umbra said, "but Ivy wouldn't care. The Fang's never been 'heroic,' from her point of view. Well, not since five years ago."
"I personally don't blame her for thinking that way about what the White Fang 'evolved,' into," Blake said.
"Just to clear things up Blake," Ivy said over the scroll, "I never had anything against the Fang you were born into. The old organization was what the world needed. Even if they never really were on agreeable terms with my family, their hearts were in the right place."
Blake smiled, "They strived to patch things with humans, Ivy. But your family succeeded in many areas where the White Fang failed."
"Everyone," Redwood interjected on the conversation, "save the chatter for a later date. I feel a chill in the air. Penny, is there a way you can detect any temperature anomalies?"
"Affirmative sir," Penny said joining the conversation, "deploying heat tracker drones now."
Redwood expanded his scroll into its tablet mode, "Connecting to the drones' video feed," He said, "we'll be able to track where Wendigo is, now. Retrieval and Hammer teams, be on high alert, the beast is nearby, I repeat, the beast is nearby!"
At that moment, everyone put their scrolls away and readied for what might be the fight of their lives. Adam's ears perked up to the sound of heavy breathing around the corner of an alley in front of him. "Hammer team, stand by, it's close." He said drawing Wilt from its sheath, "Let the hunt commence."
Within the dark citadel of Wendigo's influence, Rowan had reached the center of what had been his consciousness. He looked around at all that had changed all seemed quiet. "Wendigo," He called, "I know you're aware of my being here. Come out and get me, you coward!"
The air around the young Faunus grew frigid as he was greeted by the specter that haunted him. In spite of its increase in power in the corporal world, Wendigo kept its phantasmal form that Cinder had seen the morning after Weiss Schnee's rescue. It's withered appearance sent a chill up Rowan's spine as did its disembodied voice, I see you've come out of hiding, boy, It said cryptically, You lasted longer than I thought you would. And above all, you resonated perfectly with my brother. I must congratulate you on ascending to these new heights. But, that only means destroying you is my top priority.
"And driving you from my mind is my top priority," Rowan said as he lowered into his fighting stance. "Now, enough with the pageantry…"
I couldn't agree more, Wendigo snarled viciously. It lunged at Rowan who dealt a swift sidekick to its chest, grabbed the phantom by the horns, reared back and dealt a full force head-butt to its skull knocking the creature back in a daze.
Adam and his followers had engaged Wendigo's body. During the fight, they noticed that it had recoiled without being hit. "Okay, I'm lost." One of the grunts said.
"It's got to be Rowan fighting Wendigo from the inside," The Lieutenant said as he ran at the beast revving his chainsaw.
"By the look of it," Adam observed, "he's hitting it pretty hard."
I see you're not holding back, whelp. Wendigo hissed, That's just what I had expected. It lashed at Rowan, swinging its claws. Rowan brought up his sai as a guard. Wendigo retracted its arms and pushed Rowan back with great force, But your feeble attempts to push me out of your mind. It began swiping as hard as it could at Rowan, I. Will. Not. Let. That. HAPPEN! It slammed its claw down hard on Rowan. The wolf took a knee as his body reached its limit. I told you, whelp. Altogether your efforts are futile. You will die here, and not even your precious Weiss will be able to save you. It grabbed Rowan by the head and threw him across the room. The wolf Faunus impacted the wall at full force. You will meet the same fate as all my other victims, dying alone with no one to hear you scream in anguish.
As Rowan fell to the ground, his will flared within him. "I'm not done yet," He growled, "I'm just getting warmed UP!" He roared as leapt across the room and dealt a flying roundhouse to Wendigo's head that sent the withered creature stumbling backward. Taking advantage of his opponent's stupor, Rowan readied and threw one of his sai and buried the point into Wendigo's chest. As Wendigo screamed, the wolf Faunus lunged forward and slammed his remaining sai into the beast's shoulder, curled his legs and kicked Wendigo in the chest with both feet clutching his sai to anchor him to his foe. Wendigo's back slammed into the ground as Rowan's sai were freed from the downward force from the Faunus' kick. Rowan flipped backward onto the top of a grotesque statue in the room, jumped onto the ceiling avoiding icicle claws Wendigo loosed from its hands, corkscrewed midair and loosed his sai. The sharp tip of one embedded into Wendigo's chest while the other stabbed the beast between the eyes. Rowan landed right in the center of the room on both feet. He clenched his fists as he turned, resonating with Whitemane's power. The tribal symbols from the resonance glowed as Whitemane's aura blasted forth like the sheer cold wind from a ferocious winter storm, "Now, I'm leaving you with no choice, parasite…" He growled as the circular markings on the backs of his hands started glowing a blinding white, "give me back…" he his hands down toward the floor, "my…" his energy exploded outward in all directions, "BODY!" The whole of the citadel's interior became engulfed in blinding white light and a haunting shriek as a beam of white light shot skyward sending a shockwave through the surrounding area.
Wendigo was cornered in an alleyway in downtown Vale. The strain from Rowan's fight with its mind and the White Fang's struggle with its body had caused major moments of weakness which the mercenary Faunus used to their advantage. As it made a move to attack Adam, it paused for a moment.
"What's going on," One of the grunts asked, "why'd it stop?"
The crimson glow in Wendigo's eyes dissipated instantly. It recoiled with the top of its head facing the ground, then flung its head skyward letting out a deafening shriek that echoed for miles. One of the White Fang grunts who'd ventured too close was impaled by the beast's antlers. "Will," Another grunt shouted, "NO!"
The shriek stopped abruptly and there was a brief pause as Wendigo began retching like a cat trying to cough up a hairball. It gave a sickened hiss as its tongue moved aside. Its throat expanded as something began being forced out of its body. "That's it, big guy," Adam snarled beneath his breath, "cough up that mutt so we can put you in the ground soon."
Wendigo unhinged its jaw as a head of white, brown-tipped hair and a pair of wolf ears covered in visceral fluids was forced out of its mouth. "Good, no harm was done to him inside." The Lieutenant said, "or at least he healed himself on the inside."
As Rowan's arms emerged from the top of Wendigo's throat, they reached out and grabbed Wendigo's jaws, "Thanks for the undignified exit, you freak," Rowan grunted as he pulled the rest of himself out of the desiccated beast and landed on his feet, stumbling backward. He drew his sai holster and changed it to its bow form, "See ya," Rowan said using what remained of his strength to pull back the bowstring and take aim at the now exhausted Wendigo, "wouldn't wanna be ya!" He loosed a bolt of ice lightning down the beast's still dilated throat. Wendigo lurched back and began hissing in pain and clutching its throat. "C'mon, let's get outta here, bovine breath," Rowan panted as he turned to run out of the alleys.
"Follow us, your sister and a few of your other friends are waiting for you with an airship to take you back to Beacon." The Lieutenant said. They raced back to the bullhead, "Retrievers to Hammer team, we have Rowan with us. We're making our way back to the Recovery team now, be ready to force Wendigo back toward the Blockers and the Brain of the Operation." He announced over his scroll.
"Roger that, Retrievers," Tesla said over the scroll, "Good work, we'll take it from here."
"Right, this way," The Lieutenant said to Rowan as they rounded a corner in front of them, "it's not much farther now."
The ground beneath their feet shook, "No doubt Dragon Bhrionnú is being given its exercise." Rowan panted.
"Save your energy, Whitemane," Adam huffed.
They made their way to the pickup area, "We've got him," The Lieutenant said.
"Recon team," Ivy said over her scroll, "the wolf is in the den, report to your follow up positions. I repeat the wolf is in the den, report to your follow up positions."
The Retrieval team boarded Rowan onto the bullhead, Ruby and Cy made their way on to guard him during their flight back to Beacon. "Attention Blocker team," Penny said over her scroll, "Rowan has been evacuated. I'm in route your location."
"Qrow to Crowd Control team," The grizzled huntsman said over his scroll after taking a swing from his flask, "I'm headed your way, my job here is done."
"Phase one of Operation Restoration is complete," Redwood said over his scroll, "Commencing Phase two, let's make it count."
