October 21st

Location: Unknown

Status: Alive

"Cinder…oh Cinder Fall…" Arthur Watts said as he glared at her, looking up from his scroll. "You've spent the last twenty years trying to gain the powers of the Fall Maiden and yet you still only have half of it. Quite the failure, if I were to assess."

Cinder began to shake in anger though she calmed slightly when Emerald moved directly to her side, nudging Mercury out of the way before subtly sticking her tongue out at Watts and responding for Cinder. "Says the man with one of the biggest scandals in -"

"Yes, yes, keep your posse in check," Watts told Cinder while Mercury grunted and began to move toward him though Emerald stopped his advance and Watts continued to speak. "You hear that? Silence. I've half a mind to thank the little girl that bested you."

"If I were you, I'd hunt her down," Tyrian snickered while he addressed Cinder. "Find her, and, well, she took your eye, didn't she?"

As the man continued to laugh, Cinder attempted to speak though couldn't and Watts rolled his eyes in her direction. "Pathetic, why did you even -"

From the back of the room, the large metal door unlatched before slowly opening as the others stood while Salem entered. Her footsteps just as soft as they always had been, Salem near gilded towards them while her baubles jangled. Facing away from them, she stared at the candle and crystal display before speaking.

"Watts," She said as she turned and he looked towards her while she gestured for all of them to sit. "Do you find such malignance necessary?"

Watts looked at her with slight fear. "I apologize, ma'am. I'm not particularly fond of failure."

"Then I see no reason for your cruelty towards young Cinder," Salem told him though she gave her apprentice a sharp look. "She has half of the powers of the Fall Maiden and, no, it is not her fault that our dear friends pulled a stunt with the other half while also destroying Beacon Tower. So, I'm curious, to what failures are you referring."

Watts hesitated but replied with conviction. "Well, the girl with the Silver Eyes."

"Yes," Hazel agreed. "We've dealt with their kind before. How is it a novice was able to best one of us?"

"My thoughts exactly," Watts said, sending him a grateful look. "Even without her new power...or at least part of her new power, it should have been effortless."

Salem narrowed her gaze at all of them. "It is because of the Maiden's power. Yes, she does not possess all of the power, but she carries it still and, make no mistake, Cinder, you hold the key to our victory. That is of course, once you obtain the other half from whomever Ozpin transferred it to…but your newfound strength brings with it a crippling weakness which is why you will remain by my side as we continue your treatment."

Unhappy, Cinder bowed her head while Emerald watched her sympathetically and spoke to her quietly.

"It's alright."

Ignoring her, Salem went on. "Dr. Watts, you are to take Cinder's place and meet with our informant in Mistral as she is currently…indisposed."

Watts nodded. "Very good."

"Tyrian," Salem said. "I want you to continue your hunt for the Spring Maiden."

The man laughed. "Gladly."

"And Hazel," Salem finished. "I'm sending you to the leader of the White Fang. Adam Taurus has arranged the meeting. The boy continues to prove loyal. Ensure that Sienna Khan feels the same way."

"As you wish," Hazel said while Cinder raised a finger.

"Oh!" Emerald said, leaning in to hear her while Cinder rasped into her ear before straightening while Salem observed her with a critical eye.

"Speak, child." Salem ordered.

"She wants to know…" Emerald hesitated before sighing. "What about the girl?"

Watts scoffed in annoyance. "What about her? Seems to me that this is Cinder's problem, not ours."

Cinder slammed her fist down hard against the table while glaring at him as he grinned at her.

"That's enough," Salem said, shifting her gaze. "Tyrion?"

"Yes…my lady?" The man said.

"Spring can wait. Find the girl that did this to Cinder," Salem ordered while he giggled in elation and clapped before she finished. "And bring her to me."

Tyrian froze and groaned, pouting childishly before looking to the Queen with a shrug while the woman brought her gaze back to Cinder. "Because of your efforts, Beacon has fallen. And Haven will be next."

Tyrian snickered while pointing to his own left eye as Cinder gritted her teeth in response to his maniacal laughter. "Eye for an eye."

"All of you!" Salem snapped, still looking at Cinder. "Get out...except for you."

"But -" Emerald protested, stopping when Salem's eyes flared. The green haired girl gently hugged Cinder before leaving with everyone else.

Staring at her apprentice critically once they were gone, Salem sighed. "Are you certain Ozpin escaped to Atlas?"

Cinder nodded. "Yes…" She said, barely more than a raspy whisper and Salem smirked.

"Go on…" She hissed.

Cinder swallowed and tried to raise her voice though she wasn't able. "He was on a transport…with the Ciels and…"

Salem shook her head. "Alright, then."

Cinder sighed. "What do we do with Emmett Schnee?"

"That is a matter to handle later," Salem sharply informed her. "First, well, Haven needs to fall first… but after that Atlas Academy will be next and that is when you will handle them. Before that…figure out who's the Fall Maiden and kill her. After that, you'll be more than free to kill your brother."

November 3rd

City Of Atlas

Atlas

Downtown

9:35 PM

The tension in the room was palpable and it only heightened when the front door to the Ironwood-Goodwitch house opened and Caitlin stepped in. She was fidgeting with her purse with one hand while the other was adjusting her glasses. Jake was laying on the couch, playing a game on his scroll but he sat up suddenly in surprise upon seeing his eldest sister. Between his two sisters, he had always spent the most time with her and had a hell of a time when she had gone off to university. Still, he had been shocked when he had heard how angry she had gotten when she had found out about Ivy's baby and the father. Their uncle, Trey Goodwitch, had been the only voice of reason to her ears.

"Angry or not, this is part of the family now!" Trey had snapped at his niece, who had taken a step back in surprise. "And that means we're all going to have to handle it. Being a bitch —"

"Trey —" Glynda started dangerously, sharing a worried look with James. They both knew their eldest was still under emotional duress.

"I'm sorry, but she needs to hear this," Trey said with finality. Hell, maybe we all do."

Thinking about it only made everything worse. For Jake's entire life, he had never imagined that Cate — the sister he looked up to as both a moral and intellectual influence — could be so angry, not with her own sister. She and Ivy were so different, but it seemed they had always balanced each other out. Until recently, anyways.

Yet now all of their lives had been turned upside down, and Jake could tell just by her slightly disheveled appearance (her natural, dark roots were plenty visible against her artificially white hair, for instance) that it was taking a toll on her. Samara had said as much; she had said she knew the trauma of the Fall was lingering over her. Much like his sister was in the doorway, now.

"Hi," She said slowly.

James set his computer aside and smiled at her, almost as relieved as Glynda that she had come home for even just a weekend. Since the Fall, she had buried herself in school-work and hadn't spent much time at home. Yes, she had come home and she had spent time with the rest of her family; save for one member. She had barely spoken to Ivy, yet she had been as chatty as usual (and clearly hopped up on her strong anti-anxiety medications that she was only supposed to take when she was having a panic attack). They knew she had also been on top of her antidepressant and her work but she had a nervous air over her, and it was clear she was still upset and trauma was returning to her (old and new alike). They all knew she would never admit it. In just the weeks since the Fall, she had returned to Atlesian life (for those from wealthy families, at any rate) and had all but turned into herself with her parents, Samara, Emmett, Emmeline, and her therapist being the only people able to get her to open up. Worried still, despite her daughter's repeated insistence that she was fine, Glynda tightly embraced her eldest. She smiled weakly. Her cat quickly ran into the room and started rubbing against her leg, and Cate picked her and started to scratch behind the small cat's ears, who meowed and purred happily for about a minute before Cate set her down.

"Ivy," She said softly, noticing her sister, who was sitting on the other couch, twisting her hair in her hands.

"I don't want to hear it," Ivy said, refusing to meet her gaze.

James sighed, looking worriedly to his eldest.

"Are you okay?" James asked her.

"I'm fine," She said softly. "Just conflicted with what…what to believe."

"Believe me," Ivy protested, still not looking at them. "I'm your sister…"

"And you…" Cate shook her head. "I still can't believe what you did."

"I'm a human being, and I made a mistake," Ivy swallowed hard. "But I'm not going to let you lay a hand on my child, no matter –"

"You think I want to?" Cate scowled at her. "I'm not mad at the kid, I'm angry with you!"

"Angry at me?" Ivy forced herself to meet her sister's harrowing gaze. "How can you be angry with me when your first girlfriend was older than you and an alcoholic? How can you be angry with me when you had your life threatened by the boy you were seeing a few years ago? How can you even talk, when you have always been such a –"

"Ivy!" Glynda sharply cut across her. "Don't you even dare! Your sister may not be clean, and she may have made plenty mistakes in her life but to bring trauma into this is –"

"You've always preferred her!" Ivy exclaimed, starting to cry. "Her and Jake! It's always been about them because she's troubled yet brilliant and he's normalish but sensitive as I'll get out, all things –"

"That's not true," James said shortly, trying to keep an even temper.

It had always been easiest for him to communicate with Ivy and Jake, in part because Cate was volatile. That was something which had more than once led to explosive arguments between father and daughter both in the distant (it's a square — just look at it!) and recent (who cares what the fuck they think the saw — she didn't attack the motherfucker!) past, but it seemed that this was about to go too far. They hadn't spoken of what had happened beyond a few weeks just after the fact because they preferred to have it dealt with and then never returned to. It had been all bad enough, even more so when it had plummeted their eldest into a deep depressive state and, even on medications, she still struggled with avoiding self-harm or drinking. Those, too, were things they rarely spoke of, in part because it had prevailed since just before she had turned eighteen. No one had dredged up any of the messier parts of their family history — for any of them — since. He and Glynda had always emotionally supported all three of their children and thrown money at the problems they needed to go away and that was that. To bring it back up in any context had been unthinkable. The money and favors had always done what had needed to be done.

At least, they had until recently.

"Ivy," Glynda finally said, her arms crossed. "This is not helpful, and we're not getting anywhere by sniping at each other."

"She called me a traitor!" Ivy stood up, her hands shaking as she pointed to her sister. "My own sister accused me of treason because I made a mistake –"

"You and I both know that anger can cause both her and your father to snap things they don't mean," Glynda reminded her. "We are trying to handle this as best we can as a family, and none of you are making it better."

Cate bit her lip. "Am I not entitled to my anger?"

"You are," Glynda said, pausing for a moment in hesitation. "But we can't do this."

"I just can't believe that I'm still a teenager and going to be an uncle," Jake shook his head. "I mean, it's cool and all but you and dad are still in your early-mid forties. Isn't it weird knowing you're going to have a grandchild?"

Glynda and James both paled the little they could and shared an almost incredulous look.

"Oh my God…" She said softly, then grabbing her coat and stepping out of the house, presumably to collect her thoughts before she said anything else.

An uncomfortable silence fell over them again and Cate awkwardly pulled out her scroll.

"Anyone want me to order a pizza?"

James raised an eyebrow. "You don't eat pizza; you never have."

She sighed and pulled an unopened bottle of red wine out of her unusually large purse.

"Yeah," She agreed. "That's why I have this."

Jake started laughing when she popped off the top and started drinking straight out of the bottle while Ivy seemed nothing short of numb. James, however, was never more concerned about what was going to happen to his family in the aftermath they laid before their feet.

November 10th

City of Atlas

Atlas

Downtown

7:29 PM

"Weiss?"

Willow Schnee hesitantly stepped into her daughter's room, her hands shaking against the doorframe. It had been a long day for all of them, to say the very least, and she and Jacques had had yet another argument that she knew her daughter and son had overheard. Winter had made herself scarcer than usual, and Willow knew even without texting James that her daughter was avoiding Jacques. She couldn't blame her. There was a lingering fear that something had happened and that Winter felt she was in danger, but she wrote it off to paranoia. It was impossible to be a Schnee without being paranoid; at the end of the day, she, Cristal, and Emmett always had been.

"Hi, mom," Weiss eventually said, turning around from where she was lightly perched in the window seat, sounding almost numb. "Is…something wrong?"

Willow shook her head as she gently shut the door. "No," She said slowly. "Not that I'm aware, yet."

Weiss sighed. "It's been a turbulent year."

"That I believe," Willow said, perhaps a bit darker than she had intended. "Are you doing okay?"

"Okay?" Weiss repeated, biting her lip. "Okay…well, I suppose although I'm relieved that I'm not under virtual house arrest."

Willow raised an eyebrow. "Are you trying to be melodramatic?"

"I wish," Weiss muttered. "It would make me feel better about all of the uncomfortable family dinners we've had since I was brought back from Beacon."

Willow eyed her worriedly. "I understand that…"

"I just hope things don't get worse," Weiss said softly. "For any of us."

Willow loosely embraced her daughter. "So do I, Weiss…" She murmured, wishing, for not the first time, that she could comfort her the way she had when the girl had been a child.

November 16th

Anima

4:19 PM

"We truly can't thank you enough," The mayor said as he spoke to Ruby and Team JNPR.

Ruby smiled. "Just doing our job, sir."

The mayor continued. "That geist had been plaguing our village for weeks. We were beginning to wonder if he'd have to relocate."

"Well, we are on our may to Mistral," Ruby told him while she set her weapons onto her back again. "You could always come along with us if you don't feel safe."

"Ha," The mayor said in amusement while the people continued about their lives peacefully around. "I take it you're not from these parts. Anima is a large continent. I'm afraid our people would never survive the long trek to Mistral. It may be safer in the kingdoms, but we prefer our way of life. I just wish we could pay you more."

Ren intervened politely. "Our previous arrangement is more than sufficient."

Prior to entering the armor shop, Ruby, alongside Team JNPR all bowed respectfully. As soon as the door slammed closed, they began to ease into the slightly cramped space while the blacksmith looked up and motioned Jaune towards him after looking over the designs for his new chestplate that he had drawn out. Nodding after they handed over the other designs that were for some extra modifications to his Crocea Mors that the Ivory Ironwood-Goodwitch hadn't fixed back and Jake Ironwood-Goodwitch hadn't designed while Team JNPR and Team IGDG were at Beacon, Ruby watched them all curiously. Turning to them while the blacksmith began his work, Jaune sighed as he held Pyrrha's scarf in his hands. He hadn't let it out of his sight since the Fall.

"I know, I wish Beacon hadn't fallen too," Ren told him while Nora wandered around with Magnhild in hand before she suddenly jumped Ruby from behind, causing the girl to scream in temporary terror. "But, Jaune, we're all moving on as best we can."

"But Cinder…" Jaune said, anger rising as he remembered what Ruby had briefly described to them when it came to what had happened on Beacon Tower. "She...she had no right to -"

"I agree, but other people who were involved are dead now," Ren reminded him, trying to be comforting. "Roman Torchwick, for instance."

Jaune nodded swore under his breath. "You're right...I just want things to be, irrationally, the way they were."

"There you go, son," The blacksmith said, placing the armor down in front of Jaune who turned to look. "It's going to be heavier than what you're used to, but you'll thank me the next time you go up against a set of claws."

Jaune stared at it in awe. "Wow….that...eh, I don't know what to say…"

"Don't gotta say anything!" The blacksmith declared, turning and going out back. "Just put it on! I'll go get the rest."

Nora eyed him as he continued to stare. "So, what are you waiting for?"

"Oh, uh right!" Jaune said in surprise, awkwardly removing his old chest plate. "Guess I was going to grow out of it eventually..."

"A sign of progress," Ren mused and Jaune nodded awkwardly before responding.

"Progress," He repeated as he turned around while Ruby gasped and covered her mouth unexpectedly as she bit back giggles. "What is it?"

The silver eyed girl pointed at his chest and the bunny emblem on it as she laughed. "What is that?"

"What, my hoodie?" Jaune asked, glancing down at it. "I've always had this."

Ruby snorted as she stared at it and continued to laugh. "It's got a cute little bunny rabbit!"

"It's Pumpkin Pete!" Jaune replied, not understanding what was so amusing to her. "You know, from the cereal?"

Near hysterics, the Ruby Ariana Branwen-Rose continued to laugh as she pressed on. "What did you do? Send in a box top for a prize?"

Jaune turned away in embarrassment. "Yeah!" He exclaimed. "Fifty!"

Though Ruby continued to laugh hysterically, eventually falling onto the floor, Nora giggled.

"I think your hoodie is adorable," She said slyly. "Especially with Pumpkin Pete."

Ruby's feet were in the air when he turned around and the blacksmith set down a sheath for a sword onto the countertop with his sword resting in it. "Made all the modifications you asked for," The blacksmith said as he expanded the blade into a shield. "There were some pretty advanced modifications for Dust application already that I kept for you. Who did them, if you don't mind me asking?"

Jaune sighed. "Designed by a high schooler in Atlas and implemented by his huntress older sister.

The blacksmith following behind, Jaune met Ren, Nora, and Ruby outside the shop as the two of them had dragged her out to stop her hysterics. His new armor on, Jaune pulled out his sword and expanded the shield while the blacksmith spoke. "He cleans up alright, don't you think?"

Ren nodded. "He certainly does."

"I still think a grenade launcher would've really brought the look together!" Nora said, jumping onto Ren's back while he let out a sudden scream of surprise. "But it'll do!"

Ruby giggled behind her hand. "That's right," She agreed. "We'll all do."

November 25th

City of Atlas

Atlas

Downtown

3:54 PM

Weiss' thoughts slowly shifted to her almost too familiar surroundings that were almost exclusively blue, white, and grey. Some of the walls had columns with black sconces and candles that were lit and she couldn't remember a time when they weren't. There were some paintings of nature alternatively between some of the columns and every so often a cushioned chair and a round coffee table appeared against the walls. From the balcony above the dining hall, Weiss felt a sickening feeling rise inside her in response to recollection of some of the incidents that had happened during dinner involving her parents having a row and one or both of them storming out. That was fairly standard for her childhood but she tried to not dwell on that as she walked down the stairway through the maze of her house and it occurred to her that she was doing the same thing that Emmett did every time he was here - taking the longest way possible to deal with her father though he did it to calm himself so he wouldn't lash out and she was doing so out of fear. For most of the rooms she passed by or through, Weiss felt nothing but her numbness but seeing even the faintest glimpse of Whitley in the music room with his sheet music on the piano made her heart drop as it forced her to remember that, while she was the heiress, she was not particularly special to the parent whose approval she had always sought.

"Good afternoon, sister," The fourteen year old Schnee said, coming out of the room while his sister looked up at him, startled by his voice. "A pleasure to see you out of your room for a change."

The two of them briefly circled each other while she placed a hand on her hip. "Hello, Whitley. You're in a cheery mood today."

Whitley smiled, clasping his hands behind his back. "Klein made crepes for breakfast."

Weiss eyed him suspiciously before sighing. "What do you want?"

"I heard father shouting with someone in his study earlier," Whitley said, looking rather nervous, and Weiss worriedly raised an eyebrow.

"Mother?"

"No, she's already drinking in the garden," Whitley said, biting his lip and wishing there were more he could do. "I think it was a man." Weiss looked up at him while he gave her a concerned look. "I just wanted to warn you. I heard he had asked to speak with you."

"I'll be fine," Weiss told him, though she wasn't quite sure.

"I know you will," Whitley said and she narrowed her gaze further. "You are strong, like Winter."

Weiss glared in suspicion. "You never liked Winter."

"True," Whitley conceded, jealous of how far both of his sisters had gone though especially of Winter. "But you can't deny her resolve."

"You…" Weiss began, voicing her suspicions. "Seem different."

"And you've been gone," Whitley reminded her, slowly walking away. "I'll have you know I didn't stop growing while you were away at Beacon. Anyway, good luck with father!"

It wasn't until after he was gone that she responded. "Thank you."

Leaning against the door to the study, Weiss was about to open it but stopped short when she heard her father snapping.

"I'm not talking about the good of my company! I'm talking about the good of Atlas - our entire kingdom!"

James sighed. "That is a load of garbage, and you know it."

"I beg your pardon?" Jacques replied irritably as he set his glass down on the table roughly.

"Jacques, will you please, just hear me out?" James said though he knew that it was likely no use.

Jacques replied smoothly. "You are a trusted friend and ally to this family, James, but what you're suggesting is absurd!"

James didn't bother to correct him by stating that specifically referred to and applied only to Emmett, Cristal, and Willow, not him.

"You are blowing it out of proportion," He told him.

"The council will never agree to it!" Jacques snapped, more irritated than before.

"You forget," James said calmly. "I hold two seats on the council."

"Your Dust embargo has already cost me millions!" Jacques angrily informed him, giving away his front. "I can promise you I have not forgotten."

"So, this is about you," James said though he knew he didn't need to as both he and Jacques turned upon seeing Weiss enter the room. "Miss Schnee, my apologies, I should have been gone by now."

Weiss stammered. "It...it's okay."

James narrowed his eyes at the older man. "We'll continue this at another time."

"Indeed," Jacques assured him irritably. "Klein can show you out."

"Don't worry, I know the way. Until next time, Jacques," James said, turning to Weiss before he left and sighing. "Please know, you'll always have a home at Atlas Academy, Miss Schnee. We'll be back in session before you know it."

Once the General was gone, Jacques glared at his daughter as he turned and walked up to his desk. "Did you forget your manners while you were away?"

Annoyed, Weiss forced herself to be calm with a heavy sigh. "No, father, I'm sorry."

Jacques sat down and went on from the comment. "Can you believe there are still people in the world that blame Atlas for what happened to Beacon? To Vale?"

"Well, they weren't there," Weiss said as she began to walk across the room.

"It's a wonder Ironwood wasn't stripped of his rank," Jacques commented with his back to Weiss. "I could say the same thing about your aunt. Escaping…less than honorable in my opinion but I suppose the council trusts them, for better or worse."

"I trust them," Weiss admitted though she froze when he turned to face her.

"Thanks to them, Atlas is forbidden from exporting Dust to other kingdoms," Jacques lamented, more concerned about the money than anything else. "'A precautionary measure,' as James puts it, 'until we're certain no one is going to declare war.' How anyone could possibly find that to be sound logic is beyond me although I imagine he and Emmeline were very much aligned on the matter."

Uncomfortable, Weiss blinked at him before hesitantly speaking. "President Ciel was actually the one to suggest the move to the council in the first place when Vale's Director of Homeland Security began to threaten war on Vacuo for their suspected involvement. He reminded Vale's DHS director that we all have to be cautious and that starting another war won't help any of us long term -"

"Regardless, all of this is why the Schnee Dust Company will be holding a charity concert in the coming weeks," He brushed off her words, continuing his initial thought. "We need to show the people of Remnant that we are on their side. That we are all victims of the fall of Beacon."

Weiss looked up in surprise. "That's...wonderful news."

"I know," Jacques said, feeling rather self satisfied. "And I think it would make a lot of people happy if you performed at the event."

Weiss stared. "Excuse me?"

"Many people forget that you were there," Jacques said, acting as if Sam, Lysithea, Annetta, and Emmett didn't exist. "My own daughter, a Schnee, on the grounds, defending another kingdom! We need to remind them and we need to show them that the Schnee family is just as strong as ever!"

Though it upset her that he didn't acknowledge her cousins or aunt and uncle, Weiss sighed. "Are you asking me if I'd like to sing or telling me?"

Leaning forward, Jacques gazed at her with the implication of consequence. "I think it would make a lot of people happy."

She sighed again. "I'll start practicing."

Beginning to leave, Jacques spoke up again. "And Weiss...I would prefer it if you didn't waste any more time around your uncle. He's -"

Weiss turned back in shock. "Why? That's -"

Jacques irritably cut her off, bothered by her interrupting him. "Emmett has been more than unstable his entire life, corrupting your sister and convincing her to join the military being the least of them. Just...stay away from him. He doesn't know what he's doing and never has although what would you expect from him after all this time?"

Quietly, Weiss spoke as she remembered seeing her 'aunt' during the fall. "I'm more concerned about Ashlynn, to be honest."

Jacques was stunned but quickly regained his composure, speaking sharply. "Well, if you're so concerned, then press the subject with your mother. I never liked Ashlynn to begin with and if she had just listened to her mother, Victoria, in the first place then she wouldn't have been so disturbed. But, apparently, she couldn't remove the evil from her…to no surprise. Victoria was a dangerous woman, and Nicholas was only a little better and, as it happened, caused trauma, so far as I'm aware, to your mother, aunt, and uncle and you, Weiss, as are your brother and sister, are lucky to never have met her or your grandfather."