Gamer4 iads;kflhapsdxihfadztgivfhp;asidhxcfv;liijukewjt;fjksadFlhkljsxzdchakjfs;h;szxlhfc;asfhd THEy are DraWiNG NearDSA;FKLHASDDSA-F HOW QuicKLY We FORget in. I expressed surprise that we were seemingly still far from the end. Goodwitch's response? "Such is life.

"Is life like a game of chess? Are the moves we make now critical to our future success? I believe so. I believe we paint the image of our life one stroke at a time. Painting- color- shape- texture- composition. Repetition of shapes. Contrast. Let nature guide us. Nature is the greatest teacher. In which case, who is the principal?

"Sometimes, jokes are welcome. Recall the one about the child who said, 'I actually enjoy school- it's just the principle of the thing.'"

Chapter XXIII

A Song of Light and Darkness

Tears continued slipping from Pyrrha's eyes, but were quickly whisked away by the wind as she tore down the road to Centralia. Call her a coward- she needed time away from Vale. She needed to be anywhere but the place she'd made so many memories with people who were now dead.

She had her scroll hooked up, blasting rock and roll into her ears as she traveled the lengthy two-lane road. She didn't know where she was going- it was hard to tell where she'd been. But for now, this was all she needed- herself, the road, and the motorcycle between them.

XXXX

"Not to alarm you, but Joseph has disappeared like this before," Sarah explained to Yang and Ruby. "Usually work-related- did it seem work-related to you, Ms. Rose?"

Ruby did her best to recall the previous night- for some reason, it was rather foggy. "It's... difficult to say."

Yang leaned back and glanced out her office's window. No woodpecker- too bad. "So, you're saying this kind of thing is normal for him?"

Sarah thought for a second. "Did he leave... suddenly?"

"Very suddenly," Ruby nodded. "We were talking philosophy, I left the site to answer nature's call- he was gone when I got back."

"In the woods..." Sarah mused.

"...Is that important?" Yang wondered.

"Very," Sarah nodded emphatically. "Confidentially..." She leaned forward, beckoning the sisters closer. "He talks about the woods constantly."

Ruby licked her lips nervously. "Mrs. Winchester... has the Major- I mean, I caught on that he's pretty spiritual- has he been trying to... contact something that lives in the woods? As part of his top-secret work, maybe?"

Sarah struggled to meet her eyes. "That's... classified."

Ruby glanced at her sister, and tried changing tactics. "I mean, he has a passion for exploring, doesn't he?"

"He definitely sees himself as a renaissance man," Sarah smiled. "It's not something he can do by following a manual. God knows I could use a manual for being married to him."

Yang chuckled. "Thanks for coming in, Sarah. Looks like we can't do much for now 'cept keep our eyes open."

Sarah nodded as she rose to her feet. "He... did leave some notes on his bedside table. I can get back to you with them, if you think it'd help."

"You never know," Yang agreed, waving Sarah out of the room.

Ruby dropped her smile. "It wasn't just some work assignment. When he disappeared, there was a flash of white light- a powerful force out there, in the woods."

Yang bit her lip, but was spared from having to find an answer when the door opened and Ren entered, Fox not far behind. "We have a wedding present for Mr. and Mrs. Port," he announced. "A matching scarf and ascot set- I think they'd appreciate that."

"They still make those things?" Yang laughed.

"Clearly," Ren nodded, removing the objects from their bag to show them off.

"Sweet- I still owe Old Man Port the Second a present from his last wedding."

"I owe Big Yats some money," Fox lamented. "I figured he'd check out before he married again."

"You ought to have known better," Ren smirked lightly. "This is a seasonal thing. Salmon return, the birds return, and Ryan gets a new bride."

"I guess he's trying to squeeze everything he can out of his last few years," Ruby shrugged.

"Grandma got run over by a reindeer! Walking home from our house, Christmas Eve!"

"Oh, Maria!" Ruby gasped, bringing out her scroll and answering.

"RUBES? WHERE ARE WE?" Maria began. "THIS IS MARIA CALAVERA- I'M CALLING FROM INABA, EDGE OF MISTRAL!"

"How are you doing, Maria?" Ruby asked loudly.

"I JUST WANTED TO SAY YOU HAVE MY FULL SUPPORT IN THIS NASTY INVESTIGATION BUSINESS! THESE ARE HARD TIMES, BUT WE ALWAYS PULL THROUGH!"

Ruby gave a small, genuine smile. "Thanks, Maria."

"AS A MATTER OF PRINCIPLE, I HAVE TO ASK- IS ANY OF IT TRUE?"

"No," Ruby shook her head.

"WELL, FIGURED I'D LET YOU KNOW THAT THE DRUG ENFORCERS ARE STARTING TO SNOOP AROUND! THEY'RE SENDING THEIR BEST AGENT TO INVESTIGATE THE DRUG CHARGES!"

"Who's that?"

A long silence. Ruby, Yang, Fox, and Ren all stared at the scroll on tenterhooks, waiting for information that could be Ruby's salvation or damnation.

...

...

...

...

"HELLO? THIS IS MARIA! MARIA CALAVERA!"

Ruby rolled her eyes. "WHO ARE THEY SENDING, MARIA?"

"OH! REESE CHLORIS!"

Ruby smiled. "Reese, huh? Good- she's a good person, Yang. No nonsense."

Yang smirked at the minor victory.

"DON'T LET 'EM GETCHA DOWN, RUBES! THESE GUYS MAKE A LIVING GOING THROUGH OTHER PEOPLE'S THINGS! THEY'VE BEEN SNIFFING THROUGH ALL OUR SOCKS FROM TIME TO TIME! JUST REMEMBER- LET A SMILE BE YOUR UMBRELLA!"

"Thanks, Maria," Ruby chuckled.

"SEE YOU, RUBES!"

Ruby took a deep breath as the call ended. "Well... no more beating around the bush. Let's do this."

XXXX

"Morning, Flynt!" Ruby greeted cheerfully as she entered the conference room. Flynt sat opposite her, waving back somewhat lazily. Caroline on one side, as severe as ever, while on the other was a young man she didn't know, with scruffy brown hair and beard, a laptop in front of him, ready to take down everything that was said.

"Alright, let's get this overwith," Flynt began. "You know what you're bein' charged with. Let's hear your defense."

"Nothing."

Flynt blinked in surprise, as did the brown-haired youth at his side. Caroline smirked derisively. "...Pardon?"

"I'm completely confident that everything I did was right. I know I acted outside guidelines, and I'll pay for that- but I am innocent of any criminal activity. If you charge me, I'll defend myself in a court of law."

Flynt reached up and removed his sunglasses, revealing his bright brown eyes. He leaned forward. "Ruby... I wanna believe you, but there's a right way and a wrong way to do these things. Naturally, when a hunter's accused, we expect them to stand up for themself. When someone doesn't even try... what do you think that looks like?"

"We're not supposed to worry about what things look like, we're supposed to worry about what they are," Ruby pointed out. "I know the moves I'm supposed to make, and I've got the board memorized."

"Then, why?"

"I've been thinking... a lot. I've been looking past the edges of the board. There's a bigger game being played."

"And what game is that?" Flynt asked, quirking a brow.

Ruby leaned forward- their faces were inches apart. "The sound the wind makes through the vines. What dreams of grandeur walk through the brains of animals. The things we fear in the dark, and what lies beyond the darkness."

"You feel like speaking in English?" Flynt asked.

"Seeing beyond fear- and seeing the world with love."

"Caroline is from the Mistralian Hunter's Guild- she wants you extradited for murder and drug trafficking," Flynt warned. "Rubes, I want to help you, but for the love of God, give me something to work with!"

"What Mistral wants is beyond my control," Ruby pointed out.

Flynt took a long, deep breath. "Alright... have it your way. You're still suspended. Beyond that, we'll have to see what Mistral wants to do, and what the DEA finds.

"Ruby... you just solved a big case. You've been under a lot of pressure. Maybe, before this is all over... you wanna get a full psychological workup."

"Thanks for the recommendation," Ruby smiled. "Well... if that's everything..."

She rose to her feet, and, at Flynt's nod, took her leave.

XXXX

The bell rang, and the halls of Beacon Academy were flooded by students- including Neon Katt, who took the time to scope the place out, searching for Sun Wukong.

"Sun! Hey, hey Sun!" she greeted eagerly when she spotted him, moving some books around in his locker.

"Oh, Neon! What's... er... what's happening?" Sun asked cautiously.

"I've been keeping an eye out for Yats's friend with the motorbike, like you said- she hasn't been back."

"Dammit," Sun muttered.

"Yeah, it sucks," Neon rolled her eyes. "Sun, listen- you're a friend of Sky's, right?"

"I mean... we talk to each other every now and again," Sun shrugged- truthfully, he thought the last time he'd had anything amounting to a real conversation with Sky was before Jaune's body had been discovered.

"Is he seeing anyone?"

"Not that I know," Sun shrugged.

Neon brightened. "Yes! Listen, Sun, I need you to promise not to tell anyone, but... but- OMIGOD, THERE HE IS!"

Her voice rose to an inhuman shriek as Sky appeared, walking down the hall. He glanced at them as he walked by. "Hey, Sun."

"Hello, Sky!" Neon waved enthusiastically- Sun took refuge behind his locker's door. Sky continued past, raising an eyebrow at Neon before continuing on his way. "My God, his butt is amazing!"

Sun tentatively came out from behind his locker. "What about... y'know... Yatsuhashi?"

Neon calmed slightly. "I mean, I still like him, but... he stays at home all the time while Sky's here, Yats likes to stay in, Sky likes to go out... and for crying out loud, Yats is always acting like he's old enough to be my dad! Catch you later!"

She pranced away, leaving Sun to eventually arrive at his next class ten minutes late due to the time he'd spent in front of his locker, staring into space and wondering what in the unholy hell had just happened.

XXXX

Pyrrha finally pulled into a parking lot on the outskirts of Centralia, in the center of which was a steakhouse that supposedly replicated the cuisine of eastern Vacuo. As much as she'd like to spend the whole day riding, she had to eat sometime.

She headed to the bar, heedless of the dark-blue-haired man next to her. "I need a beer..."

The man noticed her, however. "Hey there- you goin' somewhere?"

"Pardon?" Pyrrha asked- by the time she realized she was being addressed, she'd missed what he was saying.

"You look like you're goin' somewhere- or running from somewhere," the man added as an afterthought.

"No, no... I'm fine," Pyrrha shook her head.

"That's what everyone says- everyone's totally fine... until the next thing you know, they're aiming a gun- at others, or themselves. Then comes the news, and everyone says, 'I never saw anything like this coming- they always seemed so... fine.'"

Pyrrha mulled the words over. "I suppose... I'm really only fine on the outside."

"Thought so," the man nodded. "I can hear your insides from here. Where you from?"

"Vale- not too far from here," Pyrrha answered. "...You're dressed rather fancy for a place like this."

And so he was- he was in a dark suit with a darker vest, laced with silver and an orange handkerchief tucked in the collar.

"Glad you think so," the man smiled. "Say... are you good with cars?"

"I work part-time at a garage," Pyrrha shrugged. "Do you need help with your car outside?"

"Not me," the man denied. "My wife's car, on the other hand... I was heading into Vytal City for the day when somebody ran me off the freeway. I'm sure you can imagine I don't want her seeing her car like that when she gets back."

"I suppose I could take a look," Pyrrha shrugged. "Pyrrha Nikos."

"Marigold," the man introduced himself. "Henry Marigold- I live right up the road."

"Are we in a hurry?" Pyrrha asked. "I thought I might use the jukebox."

"Have at it," Henry leaned back, sliding her some lien. "I've got nowhere to be."

XXXX

With Nora out for the day, Ren prepared a bouquet of flowers for her, and was on the verge of finding a place to leave them when Neptune Vasilias entered with a child in tow. "Oh, hello, Neptune."

"Ren. This is Ken Amada, my charge from the Happy Helping Hand. Ken Amada, this is Deputy Lie Ren."

"How are you, Ken?" Ren asked politely.

"...Hi," the boy responded shyly. He was short, with brown hair and matching eyes, in a simple t-shirt and short jeans.

"We're stopping in from From Dust Til Dawn- just had him fitted for a new wardrobe," Neptune announced. "Next stop, Coco's Diner. We were hoping Nora might want to come along."

"She's not here," Ren shook his head. "She's up at the Austin Hotel, helping Mayor Port put his wedding together."

"That guy's getting married again?" Neptune asked incredulously.

"Nora's not here?" Ken asked in disappointment. "We can't go to Coco's?"

"That's what it sounds like," Neptune nodded regretfully. "Don't worry- we'll get there eventually."

"But you promised!" Ken glared up at him.

Ren cleared his throat. "Neptune, it just so happens to be coming up on my lunch hour. If it's okay with you, I can take you there."

"Really?" Ken asked, his eyes lighting up.

Ren nodded. Neptune put on a smile for Ken, but a glare for Ren.

Ren remained unfazed. "Absolutely."

XXXX

Ruby returned to her sister's office, where Yang waited with a pot of coffee, a mug already poured out for her.

"Thanks," she smiled, taking a seat.

"So," Yang began, folding her hands and tapping them against her forehead, "what happens if you don't get cleared?"

"Ozpin told me even the trickiest puzzles can be solved by putting in one piece at a time," Ruby recalled.

"Wise advice," Fox nodded from his place by the window.

"And I think I know what the next piece is," Ruby continued. "Have either of you heard of a place called the White Lodge?"

Silence descended on the room. Yang tilted her head, while Fox was suddenly staring at her intently, drumming his fingers against the wall. "Where did you hear that name?"

"It was the last thing the Major said to me before he disappeared," Ruby explained.

"It's also a story I used to tell her when we were kids," Yang recalled. "Not one of her favorites, though- no real surprise she forgot it."

"Why?" Ruby asked, put off somewhat by Fox's sudden shift in attitude. "What's the White Lodge?"

Fox eyed her up, as if considering whether to share what he knew. "Stories of the White Lodge appear all over the world, in different forms. It is the place where the spirits that rule man and nature reside. A place of infinite light- and where there is light, there is darkness. Thus, where there is the White Lodge, there is also the Black Lodge- the White Lodge's shadow. According to the legends, every soul must pass through the Black Lodge on the way to perfection. Within its halls, you will meet your own shadow- The Dweller on the Threshold. And it is said... if you enter the Black Lodge with imperfect courage, it will annihilate your soul."

Silence descended upon the room- Ruby maintained eye contact with Fox. Finally, he spoke again. "You have proven very courageous in this world, Ruby... I hope you can maintain that courage in the next."

The atmosphere broke when Yang's scroll buzzed with a text. She glanced at it. "Looks like that Reese woman's here."

"Good!" Ruby smiled. "One of the DEA's best agents- we're in good hands."

A knock on the door, and it opened, revealing... not what Ruby had been expecting. Reese was somewhat... taller than she remembered, her turquoise hair cut much shorter, her shoulders somewhat broader. This was without taking into account the rough moustache and beard.

"Rubes!" 'she' greeted in a deeper voice than Ruby remembered.

"...Reese?" Ruby momentarily second-guessed herself, taking in the suit.

"That' the name," Reese nodded, stepping in. "Good thing my name's unisex, huh?"

Ruby blinked, but shook her confusion aside and shook Reese's offered hand. "This is my sister, Sheriff Yang Xiao Long."

"Nice to meetcha," Yang waved.

"And Deputy Fox Alistair."

"Reese Chloris, Drug Enforcement Agency," Reese bowed deeply.

Fox tilted his head, as if uncertain exactly what to say.

"It was a smooth ride getting here, Sheriff," Reese declared. "I figured your biggest job would be locking up a drunk troublemaker for the night."

"No, but that would be nice, wouldn't it?"

Reese nodded, before clapping his hands together. "Alright, let's cut the bullshit, Rubes. Caroline Cordovin from the Mistralian Hunter's Guild has accused you of stealing cocaine being used in a sting operation."

"I believe it's a setup," Ruby stood firm.

"Well, you know me- I'm not one to judge quickly," Reese assured her. "I'll dig into this, see what I can turn up. I'll keep you updated."

"Sounds good."

"You're staying at the Austin Hotel too, right? How's the food?"

Ruby shifted from her previous awkward smile to a much brighter one. "A real treat."

Reese chuckled. "Alright- we can catch up later. I'm sure you... have some questions."

"A couple," Ruby acknowledged.

"A pleasure, again," Reese bowed to Yang and Fox before taking his leave.

Silence.

"...Hmmm... I see you're not the only one with great courage," Fox remarked.

XXXX

Phys Ed. time at Beacon Academy, and Sky was busy lifting 240 pounds with his legs. He paid no mind as Neon slunk behind him, adjusting the machine next to him to six hundred pounds and quietly slipping in and beginning to lift with ease.

Sky faltered when he turned and saw what was happening- every single weight in Neon's machine rising up and slamming back down, again and again, Neon not so much as breaking a sweat, all while smiling coyly at him.

"...You want something?" he finally asked.

"Oh! So forward!" Neon beamed.

The coach entered and commenced driving everyone to work harder. "THIS IS NOTHING! I WANNA HEAR GRUNTING AND SEE SOME SWEAT! THAT'S IT, LARK! PUMP IT, PUMP IT!"

He, too, faltered when he saw Neon casually pressing six hundred pounds. "Hmm... and what's your name, little lady?"

"Neon Katt!" Neon beamed up at him.

The coach tilted his head. "Well, Neon... you ever considered signing up for the wrestling team?"

Sky stared, his jaw agape, as he let his weights down one last time.

XXXX

Yang took advantage of her lunch hour to hurry back home, where Blake was still resting on her bed. He opened the curtains for her- she whimpered quietly as she moved her arms to shield herself. Yang smiled, bringing her a glass of ice cold milk.

Blake weakly sat up and drank. Yang took advantage, and started rubbing at her shoulders. Slowly, she climbed up into the bed, and allowed Blake to curl up into her. They leaned back in bed, growing comfortable.

"Blake..." Yang whispered reluctantly. "It's time. We can't be like this unless I know. I need the truth."

"Truth..." Blake mumbled. "I... used to work for a woman in South Menagerie. Her name... is Sienna Khan. I ran away when I was young... hard times... she helped me. She treated me like her daughter... when I thought my own mother didn't care. She taught me... about life... and business. To this day, she still sees herself as my master- or... my lover.

"Finally... I came back home, reunited with my parents. I was... afraid for my life. They took me back without any questions..."

"And... Mr. Fajardo?" Yang gently probed. "Or is he your cousin Landis?"

"Yuma... his name is Yuma. I'm sorry... I never wanted you to get caught up in all this- all my problems."

"Who is Yuma?"

"He works for Sienna. He threatened your life if I didn't go back with him."

"Why? What does he want?"

"Sienna wants- she wants me. She still views me as her property- like Adam, but even worse. My parents kept me safe- now that I think about it... I think Sienna killed them.

"Yuma took me to the airport in Vytal City. I managed to get away. I'll die... before going back to her."

"Never," Yang whispered, stroking her hair and rubbing her ears. "That's never going to happen- you're going to live, and she'll never get you back. I won't let that happen."

"Then... she'll kill us both."

Yang forced a laugh. "Some two-bit con artist, kill me? You have a great imagination..."

She pulled Blake near, gingerly kissing her on the forehead. Blake cuddled into her chest. "Let that bitch try."

XXXX

"Sorry it took so long- we're a little short on help today," Coco apologized as she delivered Flynt Coal's food.

"No problem," Flynt shrugged, undoing his tie so it hung slack around his shoulders. "If this pie is half as good as I hear, it'll be worth the wait."

"You won't be disappointed," Coco grinned.

The grin disappeared when the door opened and Hazel stumbled in, practically dragging Mike Watts with him. "May we get some coffee, Coco?" Hazel requested.

Coco pursed her lips. "Looks like it was one hell of a hunting trip."

"It was rather fatiguing," Hazel agreed.

He headed into the kitchen, leaving Coco to examine Mike- who looked more like he'd spent the whole time drinking than hunting. "Catch anything?"

"Oh, God, I hope not..." he muttered, rubbing at his temples.

"...Huh?"

"Hu- oh! Oh! Catch anything!" Mike suddenly seemed to come to life. "Well, I... uh... I came across this giant buck standing next to a deep pool. I had him lined up, and took my shot..."

"Too bad you couldn't take a picture," Coco remarked. "You gonna get it mounted?"

"It's getting mounted right now," Mike nodded wearily. "Great time- really great time. I should... probably check in with your mom."

"She's not here," Coco reported. "She went back to the City."

"Ci...ty?" Mike repeated, as though he'd never heard the word before.

"Vytal City," Coco enunciated slowly. "And you should probably go back with her."

She turned and headed to the kitchen, just in time for Hazel to take her place, sitting across from Mike and sliding him some breakfast. "Is something wrong?" the large man asked.

"Coco's gone back to the City."

"Good," Hazel nodded. "We hardly need her getting in the way of our job."

"I... I guess..." Mike nodded listlessly.

"There's a payphone outside. Remember, we're on a deadline."

Mike sighed deeply.

At the counter, Ken Amada was sitting between Ren and Neptune, currently engaging in a personal contest to see how high he could flip his spoon. Coco appeared before them, delivering their orders. "Two strawberry pies, and one monster chocolate milkshake- extra whipped."

"Wow, thanks!" Ken beamed as he accepted his cup of ice cream. Coco couldn't help a smile as she returned to the kitchen.

"Hmm... it looks just like Baldpate Mountain, wouldn't you say, Ken?" Ren smiled as he bit into his pie.

"How much... how much does this cost?" Ken asked, frowning.

"Oh, don't worry about that, Ken!" Neptune waved aside, grinning as leaned in and brushed the child's hair.

Ken took the opportunity to flick a large portion of the whipped cream onto his face.

Neptune recoiled, his eyes closed tightly. "Dammit!" he muttered, momentarily losing control.

Ken looked down. "Sorry, Uncle Neptune."

"Don't worry about it, Ken," Ren patted the boy on the back. "Uncle Neptune isn't angry- right, Uncle Neptune?"

"Uncle Neptune... is overjoyed," Neptune grumbled. "Mind passing me a napkin, Uncle Ren?"

Ren nodded, rising from his seat just enough to reach a nearby napkin dispenser.

Ken took the opportunity to spin Ren's chair as hard as he could.

Ren returned to his seat, and was sent flying into Flynt Coal's shoes. "You... uh... you alright there?" he asked.

"Fine... just fine," Ren nodded as he climbed back to his feet, doing his best to block out the sound of Neptune's cackling.

"Sorry, Uncle Ren," Ken apologized.

"Don't even worry about it," Neptune patted him on the shoulder. "I'm sure Uncle Ren's not mad, are you?"

"...Of course not."

Perhaps this was all some sort of cosmic penalty for refusing to watch Nora's favorite sitcom with her...

XXXX

Henry Marigold, as it turned out, lived in a very large house- and in the garage was a large car to go with it. Nevertheless, nothing Pyrrha couldn't handle. "Yes, I think I can fix this. It's a wonderful car."

"Sae certainly seems to think so," Henry agreed. "Oh- my wife. Sae's my wife. I don't actually know where she is right now- she's big on traveling. She likes having special cars like this to remind her that she's 'won' in the game of life. If anything's less than perfect, she feels she's lost. Wish I'd noticed that before... I don't suppose you're like that?"

"I care less about the way my bike looks than the places it can take me," Pyrrha confided.

"Where do you want it to take you?"

"Not a place," Pyrrha admitted, remembering her feelings earlier that day. "It's more of a... a feeling that I'm looking for. I enjoy riding at night- an endless darkness past the pool of my headlight. Anything can lie beyond."

Henry smiled. "So, you can fix the car?"

"Yes, I believe so."

"Great! There's a room above the garage- a nice place to stay while you work... if you want. Room, board, and you set your own price by the end."

Pyrrha thought for a moment. "That... sounds grand."

XXXX

Willow double-checked to ensure that the doors to her office were closed. She slid curtains over all the windows, erecting a screen and projector, and commenced watching a film reel she'd found at the bottom of a box in one of her closets. The video depicted the grand opening of the Austin Hotel, courtesy of her father, Nicholas Schnee. She smiled at the little runt that looked so much like her daughters, prancing around happily and flashing funny faces at the camera. She gave a sad laugh- or maybe, more nostalgiac. She watched her father start digging a hole to plant a time capsule- at her pleading, he handed her the shovel and watched as she eagerly tore into the earth.

"Now... is the winter of our discontent," she muttered. "Made glorious summer by this sun of York." She approached the screen, almost as if desiring to enter into it and return to those happier times. She gingerly placed a kiss upon the forehead of her dear departed mother, and did everything she could to cuddle up to the shadow of her beloved father.

The film ran out, and the screen turned white.

"...Now are our brows bound with victorious wreaths..."

The door opened, and Hazel walked in, looking surprised to see Willow's state- the screen and projector, of course, but also the deep red bags under her eyes, the disheveled state of her hair, and the pajamas she was still wearing well into the afternoon. "Perhaps you should have left a tie on the door..."

Willow glared at him, but it didn't carry its usual ice- she was remarkably unfocused. "And where the hell have you been?"

"My apologies, Willow, my schedule has been full to bursting."

Willow watched as he moved further in, taking note of the disorganized state of the rest of the room. "Do you know- can you even begin to comprehend- the kind of hell I have been through over the past week? You told me that Raven was dead- killed in the fire. She is alive- and exactly as happy about that incident as you would expect. Through trickery... and EXTORTION... she has managed to cheat me out of both- BOTH- Hienton and the mill."

Her eyes were twitching, her voice erratic.

"Then, of course, is the small matter of being arrested for the murder of... of Jaune Arc..." Her voice cracked a little. "I'm sure you can imagine the wonders that does to a business. Perhaps things would be better if my trusted lawyer, the late Nichole Arc, hadn't turned out to be a homicidal MANIAC!"

"Harsh indeed," Hazel nodded.

"I hope you appreciate the feng shui of this room, Hazel. I've been searching for the perfect arrangement that would create a resonance which, to the individual dwelling in that space, would be... extensive. Far-reaching. I need your help with the desk."

Hazel sat on the desk. "Fascinating. However, I need to speak to you about the Widow's Web."

"Web, Widow's, Widow's Web," Willow muttered to herself.

"Willow!" Hazel raised his voice to draw her attention. "The staff of the Widow's Web have spoken- the Schnees are out."

"...Pardon?" Willow asked. "I'm certain I misheard you. Must I remind you that we own the Widow's Web?"

"There's been a... friendly takeover," Hazel declared.

Willow attempted to draw herself to her full height. "You have the stones- the brass fucking BALLS- to come in here, under MY employ, and tell me-"

"Oh, that," Hazel interrupted. "As of today, consider me resigned. I don't work for you anymore."

Willow's eyes widened- her jaw dropped. Then, her face turned into a snarl. "Callows. This is the work of Tyrian Callows, isn't it? And how do you think that will end for you? That man is a psychopath! PSY! CHO! PATH! To work with him is to dance with the Devil."

"Very little will have changed, then," Hazel decided.

"And you expect me to just sit back and let you dismantle everything that I've built?!"

"Life has changed, Willow. Listen closely, as I tell you this is how things are now."

"You... are a hired goon, no matter who you work for," Willow snarled. "Don't you DARE patronize me!"

Hazel grabbed her by the throat and lifted her up. "You're a mess, Willow. You and your husband fucked up. You and your husband are out."

He dropped her to the ground in a heap, and took his leave.

From the ground, she began to laugh. "'You're out, Willow. You and your husband are out.'" She continued to laugh, breaking into a cackle as she got to her feet. She spoke in a mockery of Hazel's voice. "'You and your husband are out, Willow! You're out, Willow, you're out!'" She continued her cackling and mockery as she wiped everything off of her desk and took a seat upon it. She restarted the projector and used the white background to form shadow puppets.

XXXX

Ruby was several floors below, going through her mail, when she spied one with a handwritten return address, simply stating, Emerald Sustrai. She slowly opened the envelope to find a notecard. Pawn to Q4.

There was a tape- she grabbed her recorder and played it. Emerald's voice spoke to her, cold and calculating. "I thought you'd notice my usual opening. Your first move was so... expected. So boring. I told you you'd be seeing me again, Ruby... and with my response to you, we're moving towards each other again. Maybe if you were a little brighter, you'd already know why I'm here. Keep playing, and maybe you'll find out. Your move. Try to be a little less predictable. You don't want a repeat of Hope's Peak, do you?"

XXXX

"Do you, Ryan Port, take this woman to be your wife, to love and cherish for as long as you both shall live?"

Ryan smirked out at the audience- at Peter in particular. "I do."

The pastor nodded. "If ther ebe anyone who knows not why this union should be made, let him speak now or forever hold his peace."

"You're damn right I want to object!" Peter leapt to his feet. "This little gold digger is just after his money! To be wed to the mayor! And look at him! He's got one foot in the grave as is!"

Yang sighed, rising to her feet as well. "Alright, Pete, let's take this easy, okay?"

"Alright, alright, you know that I've had problems all these years, Sheriff. All these years."

"I sure do. Let's get some air, shall we?"

She wrapped an arm around him and steered him out of the Gold Room.

"Don't worry about him," Ryan whispered to his fiancé.

"I know this is my opinion-"

"Let's get out, buddy, let's get out..."

"But I want you all to understand it! Marrying every two months like this..."

The pastor stared as they moved out. "...If there be no further objections..."

XXXX

Ruby leaned back in her bed, eying the ceiling, when her scroll rang. "Hello? Oh, Reese! Yeah, that'd be great- I'll be right down!"

She put down her scroll and picked up her recorder. "Oscar, I'm going to talk to Reese Chloris. When I have a moment, I should... fill you in."

XXXX

People were dancing around the Gold Room to the tune of an accordion when Ruby arrived. Reese beckoned her from one of the tables- she waved and headed over, paying no mind to Goodwitch entering with a rare smile on her face taking a seat at the same table as Taiyang and Peter. "I know you and your brother don't get along, Peter, but you must admit he has the best weddings."

Ruby plopped herself across from Reese, who sighed. "Alright, bad news first- I did find cocaine residue in your car. I haven't tested it yet, but I'm pretty sure it'll match the stuff that was stolen from the Mistralian Guild."

"There's no way you're buying this, Reese..."

"Of course not- it's definitely looking like a frame job. But I can't just go saying that without proof."

"What can you do?"

"We're walking the razor's edge here," Reese whispered. "But then, I've always been a risk-taker, haven't I?"

Ruby glanced at the newlyweds, who were feeding each other bits of cake.

"Ryan's always been a sucker," Peter muttered to Tai. "If he were one of your fish, you'd hardly even need bait."

Tai beamed at the thought.

Ruby applauded for the happy couple, then focused on Reese again. "So... Reese... if you don't mind me asking... what exactly... brought about... you know..."

Reese laughed. "No need to dance around it, Rubes, I like talking about it. And it's... surprisingly simple, actually. Last year, I was working undercover against a seller who had... a few kinks, I guess you could say. He only sold to transvestites. Duty called, and I played the part of the buyer. And on that mission, I found that... despite the danger... I was somehow more comfortable than I'd ever been in my life. It was like a weight was off my shoulders- a weight I didn't even know about until then. A confusing two weeks later, and I decided to... make it official, so to speak."

"Interesting," Ruby nodded along.

"Hey, you think you were surprised, imagine how I felt," Reese smirked. "This ain't something I was planning on. But Maria was a gem- you know her, she supported me every step of the way."

"That sounds like her, alright," Ruby smiled as she took a long drink of coffee.

"Oh, Sheriff!" Reese greeted.

"Yang!" Ruby waved as Yang sat at their table as well.

"I need to get away from the newlyweds," Yang sighed. "He keeps asking me to arrest her for stealing his heart."

"Huh, I thought that'd be right up your alley," Ruby raised her eyebrows.

"Not after thirty times, it isn't," Yang grumbled. "The sooner they go up to the honeymoon suite, the better. Peter keeps trying to pick a fight. About standard for Ryan's weddings, I suppose..."

Peter was, indeed, working himself up again- thankfully, he was content to vent to Goodwitch and Tai. "By thinking with my brain, and not my garden hose, I stayed married to the same woman for half a century, God rest her soul!"

Ruby spied Weiss entering, and rose to her feet. "Care to dance, milady?"

Weiss blinked, then grinned. "I'm sure you'll be excellent at it, too."

"The secret to dancing is to not plan it out," Ruby beamed as they began. "Just hang on and let the music take you where it will."

Yang grinned- even more when she saw Nora eagerly diving into a dance with Reese.

XXXX

Instead of dancing, Blake was confronting Raven. "I want to set aside our differences, Raven- I see things I couldn't before. My parents were killed by a woman named Sienna Khan."

"You're just catching onto that now?" Raven scoffed. "Here, I thought you were in the loop."

"Raven- you're in danger, too."

Raven narrowed her eyes. "You don't fool me, Belladonna- you helped kill your parents. You tried to cheat me out of the land that should rightfully belong to me. You tried to kill me, too- very nearly succeeded. And now... you want to save me?"

"I did what I had to do to survive," Blake countered. "Surely, you understand. There's nobody else I can turn to. I place myself in your mercy."

Raven sighed. "Alright, enough of that. Let's cut to the chase- what do you propose we do?"

"...I don't know."

"Well, I do. From now on, Ms. Belladonna... you work for me. Here, at the lodge. As a maid. You live in the servant's quarters. If you disobey me- if you lie to me- if you even try to raise your voice against me- I'll deliver you to Sienna Khan on a silver platter. Understand?"

Blake glared at her, her ears flat against her head, but said nothing.

"SPEAK!"

"...I understand."

"Good. We can talk about Khan some other time. For now, go to your room."

"...Thank you."

Blake rose and moved to leave.

"Oh, and Blake?"

"...Yes?"

"I'll take breakfast at 7 in my room. Coffee, juice, dry toast, and some oatmeal."

"...Yes."

"Sweet dreams."

Raven watched as Blake left, and closed her eyes as she turned to the man entering from the opposite door. "I hope that makes you happy, Ghira."

The man crossed his arms. "I wouldn't have you be so harsh to my daughter, Raven... but aside from that, yes. Everything is going according to plan. Sienna already knows where Blake is- we wait for her to come... and strike."

XXXX

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