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Weiss woke to a feeling, as if something was being attached to her very soul, her eyes cracked opened and soon met the red eyes of an elder version of Yang who was sitting next to the bed holding her hand.

"Mh, finally awake I see."

Memories of the crash flooded her mind and Weiss pulled away from the pale woman's and scurried back in the bed.

"S-Stay back!"

"Calm girl, if hurting you was my intention you'd wake up in a cage, not a tent." She said emotionless.

Weiss processed this before asking. "Why were you holding my hand?"

"Semblance related, your sister and boyfriend are okay, but his shin wasn't properly set in when my men dragged him back to camp."

"Is he okay!?" Weiss cried.

"Yes, I just said that," She replied irritated. "The bone was pushed back in and his aura patched up the opening but aura does not replace lost blood, remove infections, nor does it make sure anythings set perfectly before healing. Best take him to a doctor when you get to the city of Mistral."

Calming down a bit, Weiss finally asked the nagging question in the back of her mind. "Who are you...?"

"Raven Branwen, mother of Yang Xiao Long and your Guardian Angel of Death." It was uncanny how little emotion was conveyed behind her eyes, it made Weiss wanted to leave their gaze.

"Where are we?"

"Northern Anima, this is my tribe and you are my unexpected guest." Raven sighed. "Staying safe in Atlas would've made my job so much easier." She muttered.

"Where is Winter and where is Sun?"

"Your sister is in a different tent and the boy is in a medical one, being looked after by my healers."

"Take me there," Weiss demanded then shrank when a glare was shot her way.

"He's fine, once they're able to stand I'll send the three of you to Mistral."

"Why?" It was better than being captive, they were bandits if the whole tribe thing was any indication but and they had two Schnees in a Kingdom that didn't like them, especially Weiss, and no way Atlas would be able to rescue them. "How did you know we were going to Mistral?"

"I didn't but it's currently where Ruby is and she needs her partner around to help now."

Weiss waited until it became clear that she wasn't getting any more of an explanation, whatever made Yang's mother feel responsible for her was a gift horse Weiss wasn't going to look in the mouth.

"Now, what's your favorite fairytale?"

"All of them?" Ozpin asked incredulously.

Qrow nodded. "All of them Oz, every Huntsman, Leo sent them out but none of them came back."

"Gods," Ozpin muttered.

Strangely enough, Leonardo never told him about him hiring locally to deal with the Grimm problem or that there were local Hunters to hire for that matter. Ozpin just assumed all these friends of Qrow were more retired or conspicuous men and women who hung around bars.

"All of them seems like too much even considering the circumstances." Ozpin wondered.

"Yeah," Qrow took a swing of his flask. "That's what we're stuck with, unfortunately."

Ozpin's scroll buzzed with Leo's contact on it.

"Hello?"

"Ozpin hello!" Leo's voice came through with enthusiasm. "I've managed to get a commitment, albeit small, from the council."

"Really now," He replied slowly. "That sounds wonderful."

"Yes, why don't we discuss it in more detail tomorrow at eight o'clock sharp?"

"Well that's wonderful, I'll be there."

"Ah, good... see you then."

As Leo hung up Ozpin couldn't help but wonder...

"What was that about?" Qrow asked interrupting his thought.

"It was Leo, he has gotten assistance from the council and would like me to come over to talk over details."

"Huh," Qrow smiled. "Well, that's fortunate."

"Too fortunate," Ozpin muttered. "He wants me to come tomorrow sometime after dusk."

"Why, that's a weird time to specify."

"Yes," He whispered. "It is..."

The Schnee heiress looked on incredulously "Why should I believe any of this?"

Raven found herself smiling.

"Questioning it instead of just accepting what she's told, she's at least smart." Raven thought.

One the other hand she was still sour that one of her charges had left the relative safety of Atlas and came out here. Especially when they decide to fly right through sky pirate territory, who the is hell is even stupid enough to do that?

"Weiss Schnee was apparently." Her smile vanished.

"You'll have to ask Ruby for more when you see her," Raven turned to Vernal. "Gather her companions, best they be on their way now." Vernal nodded and left.

"Why are you helping me?" The pampered princess finally asked.

"I am helping Yang, by making sure she remains happy, you make her happy so you've gained my protection. It's non-negotiable." She added.

The girl decided to hold her gaze for a moment before asking. "Are we getting horses and a wagon?"

"No, just a far fast way to travel."

Weiss stood there, Sun slung over her and Winter at her side.

All three of them had tattered clothes beyond hope of repair, Sun could stand and walk on his own but his leg clearly hadn't healed right and he needed to limp himself through the entire camp just to get behind Yang's mother's tent.

"Is this... safe?" Winter looked at the swirling red vortex before them.

It definitely had a menacing look to it.

"It's perfectly safe I've used it many times and had many people walk through it."

"...I'm still not filled with confidence."

As Winter continued to bombarded Raven with questions on the safety of the portal Weiss began to lose herself in thought.

Maidens, magic, a queen of the Grimm, it was all crazy until she thought more about it. Dust was once seen as magic and semblances too, Faunus mythical creatures at one point and the concept of human flight preposterous to think about.

Until they explained it.

A powerful semblance that jumps from aura to aura?

Possible, every semblance was supposed to be completely unique yet the Schnee family broke that very rule. What's to say these Maidens weren't magic and the doors to their vaults just solely reacted to their specific semblance.

The story of the seasons?

Faunus was once believed to be animals that altered their shape into human forms.

A queen of the Grimm?

Hyper intelligent Grimm that's lived for thousands of years, Grimm can't really die of old age and get smarter as time goes along. Or maybe a semblance that allowed someone to control Grimm.

The entity Ozpin that's lived for thousands of years?

A semblance that allows a person's aura to latch onto someone else's.

Semblances could be anything whether it was the ability to summon your kills or teleport or the ability to teleport but you have to be looking at where you want to go. The possibilities and uniqueness of semblances were truly endless and can easily explain all of this. The magic and gods stuff was just primitive man being baffled by something it couldn't explain.

It's not magic, it just didn't get properly explained.

"Just go through the damn portal!" Raven yelled tearing Weiss away from her thoughts.

"Not until you do," Winter stated and Raven groaned.

"Raven!" The girl with the black eye came crashing onto the scene.

"What is it Vernal?"

"Salem found us."

"Shit."

In a blur of motion, Raven shoved the three into the red vortex.

Cinder stood in surrounded by dozens of bandits, Emerald and Mercury stood to her flanks but it was unneeded. The occupants of the tribe were surprisingly keen on not antagonizing the maiden in the middle of their camp. Soon Raven parted the tent flap wearing a Grimm mask of all things.

"All of you pack your thinks and break down camp," She commanded. "I will deal with our guests."

"I afraid its too late to run away and hide," Cinder said. "You know my master's reach and escaping will only prolong her getting it."

Raven hummed in response. "I saw this coming the moment I let a maiden into my camp, and seeing how you came in quite tamp I expect you here to talk and not fight."

"Well deduced Raven," Cinder gave her a light clap. "My master seeks the relic and only the relic however, not the maiden." Amber eyes shifted to the girl at Raven's side.

"Is that..?"

"The spring maiden? Yes, and Vernal quite adept."

"I won't doubt it," Having years to master her powers this Vernal would be quite the combatant. "If Vernal here opens the vault at Haven then Salem is willing to leave you, your tribe, not to mention Ruby Rose and Yang Xiao Long alone."

At the mention of the two girls Raven allowed her hand to touch her blade's hilt, Cinder had struck something.

"That's right, with the relic out of the vault and if you keep those kids from ever becoming a problem we're willing to forgive all past actions and leave your family alone."

Raven was silent for a moment before asking. "You say this as if walking into Haven will be a simple task?"

"It will, Leonardo Lionheart is loyal to Salem now." Cinder was amused at how Raven stiffened.

She could just picture the woman's mind now, her niece is in Mistral with Lionheart watching her every move and relaying it back. The man could easily invite them into the school and they, never suspecting any foul play, walk straight into an ambush.

"I guess there isn't much of a choice to make now is there?" Raven more stated than asked.

Cinder smiled at her realism. "Good, now with Leo keeping Ozpin away all we need to do is walk into the vault and I will take the relic."

"Ozpin is there already?" Raven asked.

"Yes, his resurrection was quite fast this time around."

"Then the deal has changed, I want to run my sword through his back." Cinder was rather taken back by how Raven hissed out the name Ozpin.

"You what...?"

"I. Want. To. Kill. Ozpin." She said slowly. "If he's alive then Ruby and Yang will become a problem from his machinations. I want to personally remove him from them, at the business end of my sword."

Cinder looked at her incredulously.

"You have Leo under you thrall, so have him lure Ozpin in tomorrow night then we'll ambush and kill him."

"...If those kids get involved what then?"

"You can smack them around, but no permit damage or you'll be answering to me personally."

Cinder smiled. "Now this is a deal I can get behind." She approached Raven and held out her hand.

Raven only eyed it. "Just get everything ready."

When Weiss staggered with through the portal with Sun draped over her, she expected a Ruby to immediately tackle her like a missile, she expected a Yang to crush her between her arms and chest, she expected a Blake... to say hi. She nor Sun and Winter expected a house filled with the White Fang. Faster than Weiss could ever see Winter had unsheathed her saber and summoned a few glyphs around them.

The collection of Faunus reacted similarly, raising their guns.

"You know I kind of like the bandit camp better." Sun said.

Weiss let go of him and let him stand on his own. She couldn't help but agree with him, Raven said she was sending them to Ruby and she was all too eager to believe that. But why give them to the White Fang like this?

Weiss let go of Sun and pulled Myrtenaster out, preparing to summon glyphs of her own.

"Weiss?"

Until a familiar voice came from behind her and she turned to meet Ruby's silver eyes, she was sitting at a table with Ren, Nora, and Sienna Khan. The oddly cloakless girl scrapped her chair across the ground and shouted her name. Faster then the eye could catch Ruby had gripped her in a breathtaking tight hug.

"You made it!"

"Weapons down no shooting!" Sienna cried. "Anybody hears us and we're all screwed."

Slowly and reluctantly the collection of Faunus all complied but it was clear to Weiss they still hostile.

"Weiss!" Winter cried. "What is going on? Why is your teammate in league with terrorists?"

With that last bit, the general animosity in the room grew. Why did Winter have to come along?

"Winter please lower your sword, I can explain-"

"Weiss let her go we are not staying here!"

"Winter-"

"Weiss, now!"

"What the hell is all that racket about?" A scruffy-looking man climbed down the stairs and pause at the bottom to stare at Winter. "What the hell are you doing here?" He asked.

"Qrow?" The older Schnee wavered. "Why are you in a den of filthy terrorist!?"

One of them made to raise their gun but another stopped her and nodded to Sienna who nodded back.

"I asked you first Ice Queen." The Qrow shot back

There wasn't a Yang or Blake anywhere and Weiss could only hope that was because they were out getting fish. Fleeting thoughts aside, this situation wasn't turning out well. If they Weiss left with her sister they'd be out in a city that, probably, still didn't like anything Atlas related. Sienna got her people to calm down a bit and Weiss needed to do the same with Winter. Ruby was pushed off with a disgruntled noise and Weiss carefully sheathed Myrtenaster and placed a hand on Winter's sword arm.

"Let's just calm down, I can explain- we can explain."

Winter tore Weiss's hand from her arm and pulled her back behind herself.

"Weiss we are not staying here and that is final."

"Winter-"

"No," Her gaze found Weiss's eyes and stared deeply. "This is insanity and you can in no way justify your friend and her uncle being in the same building as the White Fang as if nothing is wrong! We are leaving now and-"

Winter jerked forward and fell into Weiss, who almost collapsed to the ground at the sudden weight.

"Uncle Qrow!" Ruby scolded.

"What?" Said Qrow holstering his weapon to his back. "She clearly wasn't going to cooperate and we can just have her leave here and babble about where we are." The man pulled Winter out of Weiss's grasp and into his arms bridal style.

"Ruby, Redhead, Pink strain, Ice princess, the boy with the monkey tail, Oz, Sienna upstairs now." He ordered. "Let's let things down here cool down a bit and have a house meeting."

"Salem won't enjoy hearing about your plan." Hazel said plainly.

"It won't matter once we have the relic and Qrow." Cinder argued.

"Your planning skills do have me worried since Vale tore itself apart."

Cinder's eye twitched at that.

"Raven wants to be the one to kill Ozpin." Hazel stiffened at the mention of that name. "Follow along and I just might save him for you."

He let out a grunt but argued no further.

"Good, I will have what is mine and nothing is going to change that."

"Wait so Raven sent you guys here?" Qrow asked adjusting Winter's unconscious form comfortably on the bed."

Weiss nodded. "Yes, she made it out to be her 'job' or something."

"What the heck is up with her all of a sudden?" He muttered.

"She also told me about things like magic, and maidens, and relics hidden in vaults at each of the schools."

Ozpin perked up at that. "Did she happen to mention anything else?"

"Yes, something about Ozpin being a thousand years old being that steals people's bodies and a queen of the Grimm."

"What the hell are you doing Ray?" Qrow thought.

"What are you talking about Weiss?" Sun asked.

Ozpin looked at him. "Raven never...?"

Weiss shook her head.

"Then it's best if you leave kid," Qrow butted in. "This is a private thing."

Sun and Weiss shared a look before and Weiss gave a small nod, Sun shrugged and left.

"Okay, so where is she right now?"

"I heard her say northern Anima but specifically I couldn't say," Weiss replied. "We were shot down by sky pirates and picked up by her tribe, Sun's leg didn't heal right and probably needs a doctor."

"We'll see to getting him to a proper hospital later," Ozpin promised. "Until then we do have some news about the expedition to retake the spring maiden." Almost everyone looked a little uninterested, to say the least. "Leonardo has gotten a commitment from the council and we can very well make moves to retake her."

"Good for you," Sienna said while glaring at Weiss. "We're still too busy with the White Fang to help."

"Isn't the White Fang back out there?" Weiss asked and Sienna's glare intensified.

"Just because they're Faunus doesn't make them terrorists Schnee." Sienna hissed with her ears narrowing down to a hostile look.

"W-What!? That is not what I meant and you know it, Faunus!" Weiss hissed back.

The two glared heavily at one another and it looked as if violence would break out until Nora stepped up between the two.

"Okay, let's just calm down for a moment. Sienna," The tiger raised a brow to the ginger. "Why are you so angry all of a sudden?"

"One of the primary enslavers of my people is right before me and you don't expect to raise any of my ire for her family?"

"I thought you said it was great she was coming when Ruby told us about it."

"It's called sarcasm," Sienna snarked. "I had hoped they weren't coming but now it seems I have to contend with two of them."

"You told your men to stand down." Ren said.

"If they didn't and broadcasted where we are to the whole block, we'd lose the only other place we could find to live in and a decent home to house a baby in. A necessary evil is all this is."

"So Weiss..." Ruby squirmed to change the topic. "Why were you flying again?"

"I was trying to get here and back to RWBY, I convinced my father that giving dust to Haven would help heal the wound to the company... I had opened during the Vytal Festival. We took a short cut through a place Headmaster Lionheart said was safe but then we're shot down by sky pirates."

"Leonardo gave you a short cut that turned out was dangerous..."

"He never told me about any dust shipments." Ozpin didn't like where this was going.

"Well, now we just need to find out how we're supposed to keep Winter Schnee from telling everyone where we're at," Sienna said. "I'm just going to assume killing her isn't an option?"

Ozpin ignored the conversation brewing around him.

"Leo has gone against specific instructions I left him with... he set up missions for local Hunters and now they're all dead... he never told me about supplies being sent between kingdoms... they flew into dangerous territory on his word that it'd was safe... the three boys of that team SSSN was nowhere to be found... and he just happens to gain a commitment from the rest of the council..."

"Mrs. Arc?"

Amber eyes met his. "Hm...?"

"I need to borrow a few of your warriors."

"You're not taking them on some magical lady hunt."

"I wasn't planning to," Ozpin said. "I need them to watch me when I good to meet with Leo tomorrow night at Haven."

"Why?"

"I think he may be a traitor to Salem."

Jaune stared out from the bow of the ship, towards the small but clustered docks.

It somehow had enough space to dock their ship at and they were cleared to do so, but nobody would be allowed to leave.

Jaune lifted the vase in his hands and checked the bouquet.

"Hey, Blake do you think the Hibiscus look wilted."

"You've kept them alive for almost three months now!" She cried back. "I'm sure they'll stay alive for a couple of hours. Or however long we remain on boat arrest!"

Jaune sighed, it was so long since he'd seen Sienna and he wanted to surprise her with something nice.

"I hope she knows what a Hibiscus means, otherwise I might look dumb not showing up with roses."