Okay, so apparently we're having the strongest storm in 50 years tonight and tomorrow – and there is a real expectation I will lose all internet. Especially poignant for me since it's aerial based and not fibre (no fibre where I live). I'm going to try my best but in the event I do not update tomorrow, this is why.

If that happens, I'll be writing anyway (assuming electricity) so all it'll mean is Arcanum gets updated on Monday. With any luck, it won't come to that.

Cover Art: Jack Wayne

Chapter 94

"Brat," Raven snarled at Emerald, making her back away. "I'll deal with you later." Looking up, she pushed Jaune aside and stood tall. It was like two Ursa squaring up to one another, Summer Rose on one side and Raven Branwen on the other. Jaune and her were the two innocents caught betwixt them, unsure who would win or lose. "Summer. Haven't we said everything that needs to be said? I've no interest stepping back into my old life and you wouldn't accept me even if I-"

The crack of Summer's hand against Raven's cheek echoed over the rooftop.

Emerald's jaw dropped. Summer being angry was something she thought she'd seen once or twice, mostly when she and Yang got in trouble, but she'd never seen Yang's mom resort to violence like that before. Not outside of fighting Tyrian. It appeared to surprise Raven as well, who staggered to the side with wide eyes. Emerald could see confusion in them, if not distress. Far from being upset, she didn't understand what had Summer on such an edge.

Neither did Emerald.

"Mrs Rose!" Jaune gasped. "That's not fair-"

"Fair?" Summer cried. "You want to talk to me about fair!?"

"I don't see the issue." Raven stood, rubbing her cheek. "And you're fortunate I don't cut you down for that, our old team or not. You saw me a few weeks ago and we didn't get into something like this." Raven hadn't thought to bring her aura up, not thinking she'd need it. The red handprint on her cheek throbbed. "Don't tell me you think I'm out here preying on young boys." Looking at Jaune, she scoffed. "You needn't worry about me spending any more time with him than I have to."

"The issue is that you trained him!" Summer spat, pointing to Jaune. "I knew I recognised that style, but I convinced myself I couldn't be right. I had to be wrong. There's no way Raven would be such a callous bitch that she'd go and do that, I thought. Looks like I was wrong!"

"He arrived by one of my portals. Shouldn't that have clued you in…?"

"I thought you were just dumping him here!" Summer shouted. "A glorified taxi."

Raven crossed her arms. "And that's better? I'm guessing your problem isn't the possible connection to my tribe. He's not, by the way. He knows nothing of it."

"That's not the point!" Summer stamped her foot down and brought her hand back, ready to slap her again. It trembled in the air. "The point is that it'd have been better if you were a taxi because it would mean you didn't abandon your daughter and then train someone else in her place!"

Raven flinched.

Jaune froze.

Emerald stepped back with a gasp.

Daughter? Abandon? If there were two words more likely to open up a cold put in her stomach, she didn't know what those were. Her pulse skyrocketed and she stepped back, bumping into a Jaune who looked just as shellshocked.

"Abandoned…?" he whispered.

"You wouldn't even come look at Yang," Summer ranted, ignoring them both. Had she been thinking straight she might have sent them away - this was none of their business - but it was painfully obvious she wasn't. "Not for a single birthday, not even to make sure she was okay. You didn't even say goodbye. Just up and ran away, leaving her and Taiyang both. And that was fine!" she screamed. It clearly wasn't fine. "I thought it just meant you were a horrible person! But now I find out you ran away so you could spend time training someone else instead. How could you!?"

Yang.

No…

In her head, she'd never connected anything other than Summer and Yang as family. Now that it was pointed out, she could see that the facial similarities of her best friend were more in line with Raven, but that never meant anything when she and her own father looking nothing alike. It just hadn't crossed her mind that Summer and Yang might not be mom and daughter.

This person, though. This monster. Emerald was shaking. She was friends with her dad. Raven spent time with dad. Did he know? Had he known? He couldn't have. There was no way he'd hang around with someone like that. And Jaune – fake Jaune – so much for befriending him. That went spiralling down the toilet.

"You abandoned your own daughter…?" Jaune asked, horrified. "My teammate…?"

Or maybe it didn't. He looked positively livid.

Good. Anything less and she'd have hated him forever.

"It's more complicated than that," Raven said. "And none of your damn business." To Summer, she said, "I didn't choose to train him. You're misunderstanding."

"But you did train him." There were tears in Summer's eyes. "You trained him, yet you never even thought to check on Yang."

"I knew she'd be safe."

"Because Tai and I looked after her. Not you."

Raven drew a deep breath and said nothing.

"No words?" Summer asked. "No explanations? No excuses?" Stepping back, she shook her head, visibly restraining herself as she pulled her hand down. "No, I guess there wouldn't be." Her eyes slid to Jaune. "You were too busy training someone more deserving. Someone better."

Jaune trembled.

Emerald stepped in front of him.

Seeing that, Summer closed her eyes, whispered something under her breath and looked back to Raven. "Leave. You're not welcome here."

"I don't think you're the one who gets to decide that."

"I'm a teacher here."

"You're not headmistress, though. And Ozpin has been trying to get me back for the past few months." Summer's face registered shock. "Oh," Raven said. "You didn't know? I suppose he didn't tell you. Or he didn't think your opinion on the matter important. Maybe he knows I'll be of more use than a certain washed-up huntress."

Summer's eyes flicked to Emerald and Jaune. "If it weren't for them, I'd show you just how washed up I really am."

"Domesticated." Raven scoffed. "Weak."

"Strong enough to handle you. After all, I've had a lot of practice dealing with trash."

"Ha ha. Nice. I see you've gotten wittier in your old age." Raven ducked suddenly, dodging the punch that would have knocked her off her feet. She was less able to dodge the knee, blocking it with one elbow and skidding back across the roof. "Less a sense of humour, though."

"I don't find someone insulting my daughter to be amusing. Go. Get out of my school, my city and my life. I'm done with you. I thought you could be brought back. I thought we could work things out and become a team again but it's obvious I was wrong."

"Hopelessly naïve of you to think otherwise. I should have expected it."

"Yes, I was," Summer agreed. "I see that now. Some people can't be saved. Go. Go and don't come back."

"I would if I could. I wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for him." Emerald had the strangest feeling she didn't mean Jaune behind her. Raven stepped forward and pushed her face up against Summer's. Neither backed down. "Why don't you ask him why I'm being forced into all this. If I had my way, you'd never have seen me again."

Summer's lips moved, whispering a question.

Raven nodded and walked by, leaving the teacher behind with a furious expression. The sword was drawn and swept down to open a portal. Red eyes shifted to Emerald and narrowed, but Jaune walked up behind her to make it clear he'd step in if Raven tried to punish her. With an irritated sound, she stepped through the portal and away.

Oddly enough, Emerald didn't feel any less upset.

/-/

Jaune stood in silence as Mrs Rose left the roof, not even looking their way. He didn't care call out, not with the tears visibly running down her face. To draw attention would be to have to face that, and considering what he'd just learned… well, it wasn't something he wanted to deal with. The door to the staircase slammed shut.

Raven. Yang. He couldn't believe it. No wonder he'd thought they looked similar. Personality wise, they were night and day, but the face had been so close he'd often found himself staring. He'd written it off as a coincidence. I wish it was.

Part of him didn't want to believe it. As nice as Mrs Rose was, Raven trained and looked after him. He knew her. Or… he thought he did. Rude, harsh but always looking out for him, he wanted to say it was all a lie and she'd never do something so horrible. Problem was, Raven hadn't exactly denied it. Or even tried to. Heck, she'd as good as confirmed it.

"Yang is going to hate me…" Emerald nodded. She hadn't explained why she'd come up or listened in to them, but it was hard to care right now. "I've only just got on the team," he said. "It's bad enough me and you fighting, but Yang… I don't want to hurt her like that. I didn't know!" Jaune rounded on Emerald. "I swear I didn't know."

"I believe you."

"What do I do? You're Yang's friend." He swallowed. "Should I tell her? What would I say? I'm sorry your mom cared enough to look after me, but didn't love you…"

Emerald frowned. For once, he had a feeling it wasn't at him. "Don't tell her."

"Keep it a secret? Is that wise?"

"Summer is her mom. Ruby is her sister. Anything else doesn't matter. Yang probably knows – not about you, but about Raven walking out."

Yeah, she was probably right. That wasn't the kind of thing you kept secret and if it was a family issue, it wasn't his place. Still, he'd been trained by Raven. Yang hadn't. Knowing that had to sting, even if he explained he'd never realised.

"Wouldn't it be better if I was honest with her?"

"She'd get angry."

"Yeah, but… better that than I lie, right?"

"Why? My parents probably abandoned me. I don't care. I have a new dad and Yang has a new mom. Who cares what our old ones do now?"

She made it sound so easy. Too easy. What if Yang found out they lied? What if someone heard all this – Mrs Rose hadn't exactly been quiet. It was easy for Emerald to say what worked for her, but Yang was her own person. A friend of sorts. Not a close one yet, but he hoped that might change. Not likely to if she finds out I've been benefitting from the attention of a mom that wouldn't give her any.

"I think we should tell her," he said.

"I think that's a terrible idea," Emerald replied. "It's just going to upset her."

"Isn't it best to pull the bandage off quickly? Get it over with."

She didn't look convinced. "Is it?"

He had no idea. Better to just pretend it never happened obviously, but he was too afraid the truth would come out, as secrets tended to, and that he'd suffer for it in the long run. A quick explanation and an apology. Make it clear he hadn't known, respected and cared for her, and that he'd stand by her if she wanted him to.

"Yang's reasonable," he said. "I'm sure she'll listen."

/-/

Ozpin wasn't sure if he should have been surprised or not by the appearance of Jaune Ashari in Mistral. On the one hand, it was utterly unexpected and highly convenient given the fact Miss Nikos had just become the fall maiden. On the other, it was Jaune and he had a tendency to appear at these times so regularly that he wasn't sure why they both clung to the pretence he wasn't in some way involved.

Probably because it was easier for the both of them.

"A suit, Jaune? That's a new one."

"Winter had me attending a business meeting," he explained. "Social event. Not really my thing, but it turns out our engagement came with a few responsibilities I wasn't forewarned of."

Ozpin chuckled. And Jaune thought he got the wrong end of a marriage contract. No one warned him that marrying Salem would entail an eternity cursed by a so-called benevolent god either. Funny how that worked. "I take it the event was a tournament of sorts?"

"Yes. I was surprised to see Pyrrha win."

"How did she win?" Ozpin asked, despite knowing the answer.

"Looked like a Semblance. Given that she's never used hers before in competition, I'm guessing she unlocked it due to the stress." There was no telling if he thought that or not, but it was such a conveniently good excuse that Ozpin couldn't argue otherwise without revealing more.

"Semblances have been known to evolve and expand. And not everyone unlocks theirs immediately."

"I certainly didn't."

"Oh? A story there?"

"A friend badly injured and dying." Jaune smiled and shrugged. "Don't worry. I saved her. Luckily, my Semblance decided to come out at just the right moment." Jaune nodded back to the Nikos home. He'd been waiting outside. "I take it you're inviting her to join Beacon?"

"A temporary thing. With the Vytal Festival coming up, I'm sure she would be in attendance anyway." Not entirely accurate, but good enough.

"Did she agree?"

"Tentatively." He'd been forced to explain a little of the maiden's power. Not all of it or where it came from or even what it meant, but Miss Nikos and her sister knew the power was not her Semblance. He'd written it off as the Semblance of someone else, a close friend of his, who could pass her power on upon death.

It was close enough to the truth that it worked, and once he explained how said friend had been murdered for that power, they were eager to listen. Lying to them didn't sit right and he'd be sure to fill Miss Nikos in once she was at Beacon, but for now, the less people who knew the safer they all were.

"I was actually on my way to speak with Leonardo," he said. "He'll need to approve a transfer. Would you like to accompany me?"

"Sure."

Their chatter was pleasantly polite as they made their way to Haven. Not the stilted kind of politeness of someone trying to avoid an issue, but more the quick catching-up of two colleagues or friends with other things to do. Jaune, he came to understand, had come to Mistral on Winter's behest, and he was sure that if he asked her himself, she would agree. Records of his attendance would be so easily found that Ozpin didn't doubt it was true. Naturally, the SDC would have to attend such things and Jaune made a convenient stand-in for Miss Schnee.

That also absolved him of involvement in Amber's disappearance, he supposed. Fortunate given their status as allies. A little digging revealed he had spoken to Miss Nikos, but to Ozpin's surprise the conversation had apparently not gone well.

"I made things worse. Acted out and called her out in front of a lot of people without meaning to." Jaune sighed. "I guess I just got angry. Seeing a father forcing his daughter into doing something she didn't want to got on my nerves."

"Not so easy when you're a father yourself, no?"

He laughed. "Yeah. I guess so."

"Your heart was in the right place. I'm sure Miss Nikos will come to see that in time."

"I hope so. In the meantime, even if she does go to Beacon, I don't think it's wise to force her to attend the ASH Gym. That'll make things worse between her and her father. And me."

Hm. That was a shame. Jaune's training was second-to-none in no small part due to how exclusive it was. Glynda was just as good at teaching people but had to spread her attention between hundreds of students. It would be more work on their plate to prepare Miss Nikos for the trials ahead, but he was probably in the right here. Push her into the ASH Gym and it would only exacerbate existing issues. "I'll leave any such decision to her," he promised.

The gates of Haven opened up before them.

"Will Leonardo agree?" Jaune asked him.

Ozpin chuckled. "He's an old friend of mine. I doubt there will be a problem."

/-/

"It's not that simple."

Of course it wasn't. Jaune stood with his back to the door, leaning against it as Ozpin and Leonardo sat together with a kettle between them. Leonardo managed to look distraught as he said it, which was testament to his acting.

"Why ever not?" Ozpin asked. "You're aware of the risks, Leonardo."

"I'm capable of keeping her safe myself, old friend. That's not the main reason, though. Allowing our finest student to leave for Beacon, while it may be sound tactically, will see me hauled out of Haven and replaced within days."

Ozpin frowned. "You know the risks…"

"I do, but they're hardly things I can explain to Mistral at large. Were it up to me, I'd let her transfer right now." Leonardo spread his arms magnanimously. "But the moment I do, all of Mistral will be asking me why. What would I tell them?"

"That it was her decision."

"They would ask why she chose it. Was she unhappy with Haven? Is Haven lacking? Should parents send their children here when they are of age? Why should we keep a headmaster who sets so poor an example that the finest huntress in generations would leave? These are the questions I would be facing, Ozpin. Believe me, I understand. I am ever on your side."

Jaune snorted.

The two men looked over but ignored him. "Then there is nothing that can be done?"

"I would not say nothing," Leonardo said. "I'm only raising problems. There's bound to be a solution somewhere. Those questions I'll be faced with – if you could give me answers to them, I would feel better about letting her go."

"Excuses, you mean, for the people of Mistral." Ozpin hummed. "It makes sense."

"How about the Vytal Festival," Jaune offered. "She'll be coming to Beacon anyway. Just say she and her team are going earlier."

"Yes." Ozpin smiled. "How about that?"

"Out of place if the rest of the student body does not, and I certainly can't send every student there months before schedule. Paperwork aside, their parents would never allow it. You are a problem as well, Mr Ashari. Miss Nikos' father does not have the best opinion of you, and he is powerful enough to cause problems, especially if he thinks you're trying to steal his daughter away."

Steal his daughter's fame, more likely. Not that he expected Leonardo to care much about that. By now, he'd already be leading huntsmen to their deaths. Just looking at him and not drawing a weapon was hard. It was partly why he was leaning back with his arms crossed; to stop his hands busy gripped onto his elbows.

"A cultural exchange then," Ozpin tried. "If we phrased it as a special event that bolsters her reputation, would that not mollify Alexander? She would be a representative of Mistral. Such a title is not easily ignored."

"Tempting, but the gesture would surely have to be reciprocal."

"I could send a team to attend here. You would bring them back for the festival."

"Interesting." Leonardo made a show of playing with his beard. "It might be enough to thwart Alexander's complaints about her leaving Mistral, but not the problems with her attending the same city as Ashari here. Unless…"

Ozpin tilted his head. "Yes?"

"I hate to suggest it, but how about if Mr Ashari's child studied here in exchange as a show of good will. It could be her team that swaps places with-"

"Over my dead body."

Leonardo flinched at the arctic tone and even Ozpin looked surprised. Probably at the venom more than his refusal. Ozpin turned back to Leonardo and said, "I'm afraid that wouldn't be possible. Miss Ashari was recently attacked in Vale, you see. I've promised her my personal protection and won't send her out of Beacon while the threat remains."

"Enemies of mine," Jaune said, even thought Leonardo knew. "Which means we can't send anyone from the Schnee family either as they would be just as big targets."

Ozpin nodded his agreement.

"Well that poses a problem, then," Leonardo said. "You have to consider how this looks. We give up our finest huntress, a once in a century display of potential, and in return we get what? Not Miss Ashari or even one of the Schnee siblings? No matter who you send, people are going to talk about who you didn't send. If you had the previous champion still, perhaps you could send them as a gesture of good will, but the last winner is in Atlas."

"I have other teams I could send, Leonardo."

"It wouldn't be the same. The scales would be unbalanced, and I'd pay the price for it." He shook his head reluctantly. "I'm sorry, Ozpin, but I just can't agree to this. You're asking too much."

"It is imperative Miss Nikos attends Beacon." Ozpin leaned forward, eyes firm. "I cannot take no for an answer here."

"And I'm not saying no." Leonardo stood and dusted his coat down. He made a show of collecting Ozpin's mug and taking the kettle to the water cooler, filing and setting it back to boil, spooning more beans into the mug.

Jaune watched him like a hawk.

"At least, I'm not saying no right now. I think we should sleep on this – not on what you want, but how we shall go about achieving it. Miss Nikos will attend Beacon," he promised. "You know I'm on your side, Ozpin." He turned, all smiles, toasting Ozpin with the cup. "We just need to think a way between us of making it happen."

Ozpin sighed and relented, accepting the drink. "Yes. I suppose you're right. I apologise for putting so much pressure on you; the situation is tense and our enemy is more active than ever. I cannot afford to take things easy."

"I wouldn't ask you to. Just remember that I'm your ally, not your enemy. Were politics not involved, I'd be gift wrapping her for you. Let's come back tomorrow and revisit the idea. See if we can't put together a way to make this work without blowing up in our faces. A good night's sleep and a hearty breakfast should provide enough fuel for thought."

"Of course." Ozpin stood. "Tomorrow, then?"

"Tomorrow."

/-/

"He was hiding something."

It was all he could say without making it clear he knew something. Ozpin never expected the betrayal despite his self-professed paranoia. To be fair to him, he'd chosen his other allies well. James would always do the right thing and Qrow was loyal to a fault. With those beside him and Leonardo an ostensibly powerful huntsman, there shouldn't have been any risk.

"No doubt someone leaning on him," Ozpin said. "Politics."

More like Salem doing the leaning…

"He was evasive."

"I trust him, Jaune. I trust him with my life."

Jaune scowled. "I wouldn't trust him with Emerald's."

"You won't have to. I promised you I would protect her and it's a promise I intend to keep."

"Thank you."

"You didn't seem to like him, though…"

"Something about him rubs me the wrong way," he said evasively. "He's all smiles and helpful gestures, but I've seen that before. Plenty of saying he'll help and precious little action. He's the kind of person to tell you a hundred times he has your back, but suddenly develop a doctor's appointment when you need him most."

"Quite the harsh assessment. I was under the impression your interaction was rather limited."

"I've dealt with him once or twice before. And I like to think I'm a good judge of character."

Ozpin shot him a sideways look. "You count Raven Branwen among your friends…"

"Yeah, but I never suggested she was a good person, did I?"

He chuckled. "No, I suppose you did not. Speaking of Raven, there's something I wanted to speak with you about. If you have time…"

"I'm free right now."

"Excellent. Considering your knowledge of our enemy – more knowledge than most possess – I thought it might be best to provide you some detail you might be missing." Ozpin said it conversationally but Jaune found himself slowing down. Was Ozpin bringing him into the fold?

"What kind of things?"

"The reasons why Miss Nikos must attend Beacon for one. And the source of her… newly unlocked Semblance. It's something you ought to know, since it also applies to one of your students, Miss Valkyrie."

Jaune tried hard not to react. "Nora? A power. Is it something Salem is after?"

"In a word, yes, though it's not the power itself that draws her."

"And you trust me enough to tell me?"

"For all that we may have butted heads in the past, I truly believe you work in the best interests of the students, of Beacon and of Remnant itself." Ozpin watched him closely. "James trusts you. He trusts you so much that he has asked me time and time again to bring you into our little group."

Ironwood had? He'd never considered it. Was it a good idea? It'd let him move easier and there'd be less secrets to keep, even if Ozpin could still never know the truth. At the end of the day, a world where Salem died but Remnant was in ruins was a world Ozpin would take. He'd already seen civilisation come back from the brink. In his immortal eyes, it could do it again. All those who died in the attempt were just the price they'd have to pay.

But from within, maybe he could change that.

"Tell me. If it's to stop Salem, I'm in."

/-/

The second the portal closed behind her, Raven lashed out, kicking her table over and spilling drink across the grass. Reaching down, she picked it up and hurled it at the tent wall, soaking the material as the one she'd taken the portal to fled, seeing his boss in such a state and knowing better than to stay. It saved his life as she drew her sword and slashed at the tent, howling at the top of her lungs. No one dared approach. Those outside found other places to be, spoke louder and hid away, refusing to acknowledge that which might get them killed.

The screaming continued for a good few minutes. Until sweat was running down her face and her tent was in tatters, cloth fluttering in the cold air. Her sword dug into the ground as she threw it down, wavering in the soil. Stalking past it, she collapsed onto her bed, knees spread and face in her hands.

If the people of her tribe had stayed away when she ranted and raged, they trembled further when the sound of crying reached them.

If all goes well there shouldn't be any issues tomorrow.

Hard to say for sure.

Next Chapter: 15th February

P a treon . com (slash) Coeur