RWBYond Home: World's Strongest

AN: I'm back at it after a week or so making a shameless trashy Fallen Petals fic. This arc, and the final, are going to get really intense. So, let's start it off with a bang.

Review Response: Silver-eyed Knight- It was inspired by that pivotal moment in Dragon Ball Super. The Guardian State rivals the power of Abraham and maybe even surpasses it. And Prim will most likely remain the strongest of her siblings. Kyrogue- That makes two of us.

The Masked Man Part 1

The ghost pains had returned to Winter's arm. They had come sporadically ever since she lost her arm in a battle with the creature known as Flask. As the heavy cloud that hung over the world thickened, so too did the pain. But her features betrayed no emotion. The school year was ending. She was overseeing the next patch of initiates as they take the entrance exam in the coastal town of Corinth.

"General." Ebony said. The Winter Maiden stepped towards her desk with a concerned look on her mocha-colored face. "You might want to see this."

"Keep your hands where I can see them." Deus said. The young man was one of the most prominent pro-huntsmen to graduate from Atlas Academy over the two decades Winter has served as headmaster. His cybernetic arm, a trait of his "upgrade" semblance was held out towards the coast. A man stood alone on the beachhead.

"He showed up out of nowhere." Ebony said. "And he matches the description Eiess and Citrine gave us of The Masked Man."

"Why have you come here." Winter said as she walked to the front of the group. Dozens of soldiers and a half dozen huntsmen aimed their guns at the man.

"I have it on good authority that you possess a powerful relic." The Masked Man answered. Ebony clutched the Relic of Free Will that was around her neck. "Yes, that's the one, I can sense its power. You were wise to take it out of the vault to keep someone like me from stealing it."

"Yeah." Ebony said. Blue flames surrounded her green eyes as the Relic began to glow. "You're going to come with us and tell us everything we want to know."

"Silly girl." He tapped on his mask. Relics of Remnant have no control over me.

"Why are you doing this?" Winter asked as she drew her sword.

"Why?" He held his fist up to the sun. "Because I am bound to a great destiny. Because I am beholden to the role of Guardian. Because it doesn't matter how things go from here. This World will know despair."

He slammed his hand into the ground. A Black Gate appeared at his feet. The Winter Maiden activated her special power to stop time and blast the villain into the sea. He twisted in the air and sprouted black feathery wings from his back. Ebony manipulated wind and fire to give chase.

Meanwhile a giant titan sized Grimm emerged from the Black Gate. Winter's eyes widened as she recognized the distinctive markings. Though it was nowhere near the size of a mountain, the skull was eerily reminiscent of the Hecatonchires, the original Grimm from which all other Grimm and Grimoire have been born.

Cannons fired into its torso. Winter summoned an apparition in the form of Weep-one of the seven Grimoire and the one she had fought in the final day of the Grimm War. The claws of the dinosaurian Grimm pierced the belly of the giant, but had little effect. The giant howled, terrifying the soldiers as it let loose a massive energy beam from its maw.

Winter ran up its spine, slashing away at every gap in its armor. Deus fired a massive electrical beam from his hands to stun the monster while Winter finished her climb. On top of its head, Winter cast dozens of explosive glyphs in sequence to cripple the monstrosity. She stabbed the top of its head and cast time dilation, slowing the monster's movements. With her free hand she cast a repulse glyph on top of the Black Gate the creature was trying to crawl out of.

A huntsman with a gigantification semblance rushed in a pummeled the monster into submission. Deus rocketed himself through the beast's skull. The Black Gate closed, cutting the monster down.

Meanwhile The Masked Man was trying to overpower Ebony. She wasn't like the other Maidens. Ruby, Nova and Cinder always tried annihilating their opponents with oppressive force. Ebony used her magic to manipulate her surroundings, creating an impenetrable wall of defences and traps around her.

"Pura Vita, give me strength." The Masked Man summoned his sword. His entire body glowed with a dark aura as he slashed through Ebony's defences. The Maiden stopped time and kicked him into the cold sand.

"Give it up." Ebony said as she grabbed him by his cloak. For a brief moment, everything got hazy. He grabbed her arm. Black threads pierced her appendage and ran up her veins. His other hand grabbed at the Relic and it began to glow. A black blade pierced her back. The image of the Masked Man turned to dust in her fingers. He stood behind her with his blade through her back.

"I'll be taking this." He said. He yanked the pendant from her neck and withdrew her sword. She snapped out of her haze and realized she was fine. But The Masked Man had successfully stolen the Relic of Choice.

"What….the hell was that?" Ebony said with wide eyes.


"Can you feel anything now?" Ruby asked as she looked into Prim's eyes.

"No, for the hundredth time." Prim said. "Now can you let go of me?" Ruby sighed as she removed her thorn-covered grip from Prim's shoulder. She was trying to use her powers to elicit a response similar to the mysterious Guardian State.

"Did you ever feel anything like this?" Johnny asked.

"No." Ruby stated as she crossed her arms. "And you said you used Scatter?"

"I saw it with my own eyes." Johnny said.

"Best eyes in the business." Prim said.

"I can't see anything like that now." Johnny said. "The first time it happened, against Lionhead, it was like she was cloaked in Amon's Light. That power faded and I thought it was gone until it happened against Fury."

"It was different." Prim said. "When I fought Lionhead it felt like a normal power boost. Against Fury, it felt like I was a passive viewer. My body didn't move the way it otherwise would."

"If that's the case it's best not to try and call on this power on your own." Jaune said. "If you try to rely on it and it doesn't come, you can get seriously hurt, or worse."

"I know dad." Prim admitted.

"Panic said that there were benefits to this side as well." Johnny said. "The most likely scenario is that this is a side effect of the veil between Remnant and Oblivion thinning. Between the swelling of the Grimm and Cipher's actions a few years back, that barrier is deteriorating. That still doesn't explain that incredible power or how you were able to use so many semblances."

"Or the voice." Prim said.

"Voice?" Ruby asked.

"It was a scream, my scream, but not my scream. Nickel told me that towards the end I screamed and I sounded like an army." Prim said.

"You should talk to Oscar." Ruby said. "If anyone around has an explanation it'll be him."

"Can I speak with her alone?" Jaune asked.

"Sure thing." Ruby said.

When they all left, Jaune sat across from his daughter. She looked so much like him, like his sisters, maybe even a tad like Pyrrha but that was completely coincidental. She also looked like her mother. She had the same look that was on Ruby's face after the Battle of Haven, when the pair gazed up at the stars from the bow of Rio's ship, heading towards the Isle of Storms and the start of the Grimm War.

"Hope is what makes us strong, it is why we are here." Jaune said. "It was easy to swallow those words when your mom first said them to me. We were younger than you are now. It's hard to see my baby girl all grown up and saving the world."

"What are you trying to say?"

"That I love you, and that I'm proud of you. And that you don't have to be the Guardian."

"Dad!"

"I've hated this. Ever since you found that damned sword you've been bound to this destiny. I want you to fight, I know you can fight better than anyone else. But you don't have to be at the front."

"But Abraham…."

"Screw Abraham. He's a dead man's ghost." Jaune said. "Your mom just bites her tongue and goes along with this nonsense well I'm sick of it. I'm sick of getting calls about you being hurt. I'm sick of your mom not getting any sleep at night because she hates herself for losing her powers and burdening you with this role."

"I was chosen to be The Guardian before Mom lost her powers." Prim reasoned.

"She still wants to be the hero even though she can't." Jaune said. "I don't want it to kill her. I don't want it to kill you like it has so many others. I can't stand the thought of losing you because some ghost picked you to shoulder all this."

"You're wrong." Prim said. "I may have been chosen, but I still walk my own path. I'm still me. And I'm not doing this alone. Even if I didn't have these powers, I'd still want to be on the frontlines. Same as Glade, Johnny, Nova, Nickel, Chenzi and everyone else."


Nova knew it was potentially dangerous to train by herself. She didn't want to but Johnny wanted to spend the day trying to figure out what had happened in Kuroyuri. Nova on the other hand was inspired by that fight in a different way.

She had always respected strength, that was the Vacuan pride running through her veins. She had always set her sights at the top, at Ruby Rose- her hero, her idol, her mentor. Time came when Nova was the best. She continued to push her limits, wanting to get as strong as Ruby was at her peak. But that was an intangible goal.

Now it was tangible once again. While Johnny and Glade and even Prim looked for some kind of scientific explanation, Nova knew exactly what it was. It was magic, just like the Maiden powers, a culmination of power throughout the generations somehow manifesting in Prim. How and why didn't matter to Nova. It had given her a tangible goal once again.

She desired power that surpassed Prim in that state. She wanted to beat Prim at her absolute strongest. She wanted a rematch against Fury and wanted to make him suffer the same way Prim had. And that required intense training.

She worked on using multiple elements at once. Usually she could use fire and any other element simultaneously. She could also use them in sequence, going one to the other. But here on this mountain peak she tried using water and wind at the same time.

She watched old clips of Topaz and her family fighting with water as a weapon. Nova hoped to incorporate that into her own style. But water was much more fluid than she was used to. She preferred the straight forward, raw power of fire and the rough, rigid power of earth.

The Summer Maiden was naturally strong against the vibrant powers of Spring but naturally weak to the chaotic powers of Fall, just as Fall supplanted Summer and Summer supplanted Spring. But the actual talents of the individual Maidens differed. They all had the power they were best attuned to, but the rest was a crap shoot.

Ruby's affinity was Earth, but she was also skilled with wind and water with her weakest point actually being fire. Cinder's strongest affinity was wind but she was equally skilled with fire. Earth didn't come as naturally and water was her weak spot. It bothered Nova to have the same weak spot as someone perceived to be a villain.

"Nova!" Citrine shouted from lower on the mountain.

"What are you doing here?" Nova asked. Citrine jumped up to meet her.

"Don't you think you've trained enough for one day?"

"I'm fine and that doesn't answer my question." Nova said.

"I wanted to see how you were doing." Citrine studied the Faunas girl. "I heard you got banged up pretty bad."

"Okoru." Nova huffed.

"I don't speak that…."

"It means piss off."

"No, because it's an important day." Citrine said.

"Really?"

"Well on top of my twenty-fifth birthday coming up….my wedding is later this week and you still need to get a dress."

"I have a dress." Nova said.

"A purple and black business casual dress you wear at formal meeting is not fitting for a wedding and does not fit the color scheme we want for our party."

"I won't be caught dead in an orange dress." Nova said.

"Good because you'll be very much alive." Citrine said as she grabbed Nova's hand and dragged her off the mountain.


Glade was stealthily drinking some alcohol without anyone in the room noticing what was actually in his cup. He was babysitting while his parents questioned Prim about what happened back in Kuroyuri. Seraph was watching an episode of Bugsy Blue with Gelb. It was the first time she had ever seen anything like it and her face was glued to the TV.

"Why the glum face?" Chenzi asked. He was keeping Glade company along with Argent and Sumire.

"Really? I can't be the only one who thinks it's crazy that we're effectively babysitting the daughter of Cinder Fall-perhaps the greatest war criminal in Remnant's history AND the leader of a violent group of mercenaries that include Tyrian Callows, the Shader Brothers and Zwart Baard."

"You are literally in a relationship with the daughter of someone who kidnapped your sister, killed your grandfather and tried murdering your parents." Chenzi said.

"Hina is an adult and Levi is dead. My mom is doing this as a favor, a freaking favor to a crime boss."

"Maybe she just wants Cinder to change or wants to use the mutual respect they have for each other to be a good influence on Seraph."

"But after all this blows over that little girl is going to go right back to Murus under the care of that monster." Glade said before taking a pillow to the face.

"Don't talk about my mommy like that!" She was fighting back tears. Her body was shaking and her skin began to glow from her semblance.

"I don't like your mom." Glade said. "No offense to…"

"She's not a monster! She's my mommy!"

"Your mommy has killed countless people."

"Liar!" Seraph shouted.

"Seraph." Gelb tried grabbing her hand.

"People like you are why she hides. You say mean things bout her and not give her chance."

"Well she should stay more hidden." Glade said.

"Glade." Chenzi tried talking him down.

"She wants to make world a better place!" Seraph defended. "She wants me to be better and help people but I no think I want help people like you. Poopyhead!" She stormed off crying.

"Nice going asshole." Chenzi said.

"Seraph." Sumire sighed and walked after her.

"And you got called a poopyhead." Chenzi said.

"I don't understand how people can defend Cinder."

"She's five!" Chenzi shouted. "How would you feel if you heard some former White Fang mook talking crap about your mom when you were that age?"

"That would never happen because my mom was a hero."

"And to that little girl, her mom is a hero." Chenzi said. "If your mom is telling the truth, than that girl is the next Fall Maiden. She could be a very important person one day so do you want her to be the hero both of your parents want her to be or do you want her to be the next Cinder Fall….or even worse?" Glade stayed silent.

"Chenzi's right." Gelb said. "Cinder's not a monster. She's done bad things. Maybe she still does. But Seraph is different."

"I get people." Chenzi said. "That's something you still struggle with. You're too concerned with what's logical that you have a hard time with emotionally driven people. Look at Nova, you've helped her come to her senses but that's only because you've been able to get her to set aside her emotions. Five-year-olds don't know how to do that."

"She's going to have to learn eventually." Glade said.

"She's five. She's got time." Chenzi responded.


All He could feel was the sap around him. His eye opened into a see of red. His hand extended, piercing the fleshy veil that had bound him to his cocoon. His claws sliced through the sac and he spilled out onto the black sands below. He looked up to see the red sap draining from the sac.

He was definitely in Oblivion. Through the crystalline tree leaves he could see the red skies and dark clouds. There was a puddle next to his bony knees. He took a look at his new form. It was handsome, similar to Avis in facial structure. His white hair was entirely made of small feathers. His eye was red, the other was missing. His face was human, a pale and sickly complexion but still human nonetheless.

He seemed to be lacking conventional ears. His fingers were long and sharp. His feet were shaped like a hawks, but bony and white. He extended his ebony wings. The sap had begun to dry and crystalize. He scooped a handful of the substance and molded it into a small sphere. He gently placed the hardened sphere into his missing eye socket. The Redstone fused with his body and he remembered.

"Ah, so my name is Avarice." He said. All his memories came back. His body began to shift and morph, forming an exoskeletal armor to cover his androgynous body. He flew into the air to gain his bearings.

He was having trouble placing his position until he spotted the Tower of Time in the background. He was all the way near Amon's neighborhood. That was no good. He had Redstone but he needed the copper wiring to properly open a Black Gate and escape from this place.

But then, he spotted a white Vortex, the likes of which he was sure he had never seen. His curiosity got the better of him. He stepped through the vortex. It was much more calming than a Black Gate. It spat him out on top of a mountain. He gazed down at the ruined city below. He could see Vale and Beacon in the distance, meaning he was on Mountain Glenn.

"This….could complicate things." Avarice said to himself. He needed to get to Dragna. He needed to reunite with the Arbiters before it was too late.


"Welcome back….Zeldon." Amaterasu said.

"I succeeded in my goal." Zeldon said.

"The Relic of Free Will, the most powerful of the Relics."

"The one with the most potential." Zeldon said. "But my research has indicated it has limits the other three Relics do not. The stronger the soul, the harder it is to bend them."

"That just means it's harder to use." Amaterasu said. "It's not like the Relic of Destruction, which can be thrown around like any other weapon." He said as he traced the scar left behind by Cinder.

"Still it's most useful for what I've been told to do." Zeldon said.

"Told? So you're not in charge?" Amaterasu asked.

"I am the leader of our forces." Zeldon said. "The Old Man just advises me. It was his idea to explain myself to her."

"Her?" Amaterasu asked.

"Boss." Mob interrupted the conversation. "She's here."

"Send her in." Zeldon said. "And before you ask, no, this isn't who I was talking about."

"Well, Thane." A woman said as she walked in. She had a voluptuous body crammed into a black leather bodysuit with curly blonde hair. "Been a long time."

"Nice of you to join us Wiz." Zeldon said. "Wiz, Amaterasu, Amaterasu, Wiz."

"Pleasure to meet you handsome." She winked.

"Wiz here is an ally, like Mob and his team." Zeldon said. "She was also the first person I met when I first arrived in Vale."

"He was so confused. I had to give him the rundown on pretty much anything anyone would need to know." Wiz said. "When he told me what all is going on, I jumped at the chance to work with him."

"She's been working as a spy, gathering information for me." Zeldon said.

"Speaking of which." She pulled a data-chip from her cleavage. "Here's everything I was able to find on Primrose Arc and her team. I also put in information on all her closest friends and families."

"Primrose Arc?" Amaterasu said. "You're gunning for her too?"

"It is necessary for us to clash." Zeldon said.

"Wiz, why is it that you serve with us?" Amaterasu asked. "I for one just want Cinder to pay for what she's done."

"Ooh, I'd like that too." Wiz said. "But to be honest, I don't want anything big like that. I just want to survive the coming storm." She felt his arm. "I'm adaptable like that. Gee, I've heard about you one-armed swordsman. Is your hand really as strong as any two hands? I'd like to try that out."

"As much as I do think Amaterasu would benefit from a team, you'll be working with Mob's crew." Zeldon said.

"Aww." Wiz was disappointed. "But Chu gives me the heebie jeebies."

"Go." Zeldon pointed towards the door. Wiz sighed and left, putting a noticeable sway in her hips.

"See you around pretty boy." She winked at Amaterasu.

"She's a lot like you." Zeldon said. "She lost her father to Cinder's forces in the Battle of Forever Fall."

"Huh? I didn't realize she was that old. She doesn't look a day over twenty."

"Looks can be deceiving, especially with her. Make no mistake, she's actually older than either of us."

"Now I'm kinda curious about how old you are." Amaterasu said. Zeldon ignored his question and opened a portal. "Where are you going?"

"To the Guardian of this world." Zeldon said. "It's time we have a chat."


Prim knocked on the door of the old hut. She was greeted by Oscar, still donning his disguise of the Great Seanchai. When he saw that it was Prim, he removed the fake facial hair and invited her in.

"Do you always just, wear that when no one is around?"

"It's more comfortable than you might think." Oscar laughed as he poured her a cup of coffee. "If this is about your Guardian State, no, I do not know the exact nature of it."

"I need to learn how to control it." Prim said. "It's our best bet at stopping Fury or something even worse. Fury, Spite, The Masked Man, they're still out there. And apparently they have an ally capable of going toe-to-toe against Cinder."

"Amaterasu, I know his reputation." Oscar said. "I'd never imagined he'd be so bold, or so capable. Hazel Rainart and Mercury Black were deadly foes, capable of killing powerful huntsmen with ease."

"He's working with The Masked Man. My Mom seems to be sure of it."

"I'll trust her instincts." Oscar said.

"Is there anything you can tell me about my powers?"

"Only that they are a natural byproduct of what's been happening." Oscar said. "I don't even understand the forces at work or why you're the one who seems to be the only conduit for such powers."

"Does Abraham know anything?" Prim asked with her head hung low.

"I have not heard from Abraham or any of my predecessors since that night." Oscar said. "I fear the worst is yet to come."

"King." Prim said.

"It is entirely plausible that The Masked Man will seek out the King of Beasts. He will need the King's Chart in order to do it. And even if he gets his hands on it, it could take months or even years to decipher and unlock."

"And if he succeeds?"

"We've beaten King before. He is the single most powerful being in Remnant's history, but those with Silver Eyes can weaken him, make him more manageable. And those with the King's Chart can reseal him. But without the King's Chart and an Argentware to wield it, he is immortal and unstoppable. Last time he rose it took both your parents, and the other members of Team RWBY to stop him."

"If I could find the Masked Man before he gets the King's Chart…."

"He is obviously clever enough to free Panic, spite and Fury from their holds." Oscar said. "It's best not to ask rashly. Our best people are looking into leads and trying to find as much information as they can, trust in them."

"Thank you." Prim said as she stood. "I guess there's nothing else I can gain from staying here."

"Take care of yourself Primrose. The key to this power will come to you in time, as all things do."


Nova looked at herself in the dressing room mirror. She had initially been honored to be a bridesmaid for the wedding. Citrine was always one of the few people always trying to reach out to her even if they went months or years without actually talking. But this was where Nova wanted to draw the line.

"Come on out Nova." Citrine said.

"I look like a damned idiot." Nova said as she opened the door.

"You look like a beautiful idiot, just like me." Citrine said. "Hell if I wasn't hitched I'd think about kissing you right now. Lucky Johnny isn't here. Wouldn't want to have to clean his drool." Nova threw a slipper that hit Citrine square in the face.

"You couldn't at least let me wear a blue dress?" Nova fumed. The orange dress fit her as intended but she didn't like it. "I hate orange!" It wasn't just the orange. It was the fact that it was a loose fitting dress that felt like it would fall off at the faintest gust of wind. It was because there was only one strap and her boobs felt like they were going to fall out. It was because her tail say uncomfortably inside the long dress and if she dared let it poke out and get some breathing room the entire world would see her panties.

"This is just for the wedding." Citrine said. "We decided that everyone on my side is wearing orange and everyone on Eiess' side is wearing blue."

"Then why couldn't I be on Eiess' side?" Nova said through her teeth.

"Because she wanted Nickel, Topaz and Nephrite. I wanted you, Prim and Ventus." Citrine said.

"Oh goody, put me right in between two people I hate." Nova said.

"Oh, grow the hell up. You know you don't hate them nearly as much as you try saying you do." Citrine ignored Nova's frustration.

"Can we PLEASE at least alter the dress so my tail can be free? Imagine having to hold your arm at a weird angle all the time."

"Fine, I'll send it to a seamstress and have her incorporate your tail." Citrine rolled her eyes. "You're such a baby sometimes." Nova stuck her tongue out at Citrine. "So, when are you and Johnny going to get hitched."

"We've only been dating for a few months." Nova said as her face turned red. "If we follow your example it'll be five years."

"Yeah, but the two of you won't spend three years not talking about the future and awkwardly waiting for the other to propose."

"Well….I'm ready whenever he is." Nova sighed.

"You're going to be next then."

"Ariadne is next. She's getting married in the Spring."

"Oh yeah, I was just thinking about our old group. Like, before we ever came to Beacon. I don't think Neph is ever going to mary."

"Well, it could be Glade or Chenzi." Nova said.

"I guess it's possible." Citrine shrugged. "I just think you and Johnny look really damn cute together."

"Thank you." Nova said. "It's been really rough since Kuroyuri."

"The two of you sound fine at night." Citrine giggled.

"You said the rooms are soundproof!" Nova shouted.

"And you are really that loud!" Citrine shouted back.

"Kuso." Nova shrunk in embarrassment.

"I'm kidding." Citrine said softly. "We can't actually hear you. We can just see it on your face in the morning. Nice to know you've been enjoying our suite."

"That's just a bandaid on our broken prides." Nova said. "I got beat, badly. I've never fought anything that strong before. Fury made Avis look like a joke." She squeezed her prosthetic hand. "And Johnny's been getting obsessed with Prim's powers and where it came from and…." Citrine pulled her into a hug.

"You two will bounce back. But you might have to swallow whatever is left of your pride and tell him how much that fight has affected you. He can get a little tunnel-vision-y at times."

"You're right." Nova said. "It's just...why Prim?"

"I wish I knew." Citrine sighed.


Nephrite strolled through the streets of Haven City with a suitcase in tow. Her raven-hair flowed down the back of her traditional green kimono. A single pink brain ran down the side of her face. A sun hat sat on top of her head. Mistral was cooler this time of year, not as frigid as Vale, but the fall season was drawing to a close.

She tugged at the pink scarf around her neck to give it some breathing room. She did like being outside Vale for once. It was her first trip to another kingdom since the little post-graduation vacation Eiess had taken the team on.

She arrived at the apartment building. Instead of checking the address sent to her she merely cleared her mind. She could sense Chenzi's electric orange aura and Glade's brilliant red aura. She could also sense Argent's cold silver aura, his teammate's soft purple aura and a fiery orange aura that brimmed with more potential than any of them.

"Nephrite!" Chenzi answered the door when she knocked.

"Hello, brother." She said softly. "Glade, Argent, Sumire." She bowed to all of them. "And you are….?" She looked at the little girl currently holding Sumire's hand.

"This is Seraph." Gelb said. "She's a friend that my mom is looking after for a while."

"That's sweet of her." Nephrite said. "Where's everyone else?"

"Prim is still out." Glade said. "Nickel, Johnny and my parents are still at the Academy. And I think Citrine took Nova dress shopping."

"Are we...all staying here?" Nephrite looked around the cozy apartment.

"Oh hell no." Chenzi said. "Team SPRA are staying at Haven. Mrs. Ruby, Uncle Jaune and the little kids are staying here with Prim and Nickel. Nova, Johnny and Citrine are all staying with Eiess in her family suite. And the three of us are going to stay with my girlfriend."

"Girlfriend? You already moved in with her? Don't you think things are going a little fast."

"It isn't my fault that Shiro guy blew up the mission house." Chenzi huffed.

"Hina will also be there." Glade said with a blush. "She said she'll be here tomorrow."

"I look forward to meeting her." Nephrite said. "You deserve someone special." She said with a heavy sigh. The history they shared hung over them like a cloud.

"Well, this is a momentous occasion. It'll be the first time so many of us are together."

"Better a wedding than the end of the world." Glade said.

"Speaking of the coming apocalypse, where is Prim?" Chenzi wondered.


Prim was getting a drink from the local tavern. She was still supposed to be taking things easy. It was just days before her sister's big day but she still couldn't feel motivated to be positive. She couldn't stop thinking about Kuroyuri, how close she had come to dying and how scary that strange power felt.

She ignored the guys who were hitting on her. Usually she'd at least entertain them and have her pick of the litter of guys to bring back to her apartment but this time she was feeling apathetic to the entire dating scene.

She ended up getting bored and heading out early. She bought a bottle of wine to bring home. She smiled to herself, knowing that her family was staying with her and that it was actually pretty smart not to try bringing home some guy.

She decided to cut through the park on her way home. She found a bench with a decent view of the sun setting over the mountains. Just as the sun vanished behind the geography, Prim felt another presence.

"Long day?" Called a grave voice. She looked up into the tree hanging above her and saw The Masked Man.

"You!" She whipped around and drew her sword. She slung a blade beam up at the tree. He jumped over it, stepped on her sword and then hopped over her head. She spun around to swing at him again. This time, he summoned his sword and blocked the blow. His free hand started glowing.

"Stop." He commanded. Prim's entire body hitched and froze. "Sit, would you kindly." She sat on the bench against her will. "It really does work." He opened his hand to reveal the Relic of Free Will.

"What do you want?" Prim asked.

"To talk." He said. "You have a strong spirit. If I try to attack you my hold will break. So, this is just to assure that you hear what I have to say." He took a seat next to her. He removed his mask. He had a scar on his face. His head was shaved but tufts of green hair could still be seen. His eyes were golden and heavy.

"Well?" Prim said. His breathing became labored. He put his mask back on and sighed.

"Humans…..are such a persistent pest." He said. "My name is Thane Zeldon. I am the Guardian of Raiment."

AN: It feels so weird getting into The Masked Man's backstory. I'll probably still call him The Masked Man out of habit. This arc is only getting started so strap in.

Next Time: What will come of this destined meeting between opposing forces? How will people react to the reunions? Will Avarice get to the Arbiters? And what message does he bring? Find out next time on RWBYond Home.