Shadows of Destiny

Rating: T

Series: RWBY

Main Pairing: Atsura/Pyrrha (War & Peace)

Volume 3: Winter

Volume Theme: "Smile"

Chpt. Theme:

Summary: He was an orphaned Faunus. She was considered the strongest of her class. He barely survived the slums of Mistral while she was placed on a pedestal on her way to Beacon. Neither of them expected to be compatible and yet, fate had other plans for them. With secrets and agendas awaiting them, the world of Remnant will have a force to reckon with.

The alternate timeline takes place just before the start of RWBY volume 1.

OCs for Team AZRE are as follows:

Atsura Otueome (xXCrownofChaosXx)

Roxanne Rouge Octane (ArnoldStroong)

Zaffre Grey (DarkDarsi)

Earna K. Athena (zetsunaflames)

I do not own the rights to RWBY... that honor belongs to Rooster Teeth. I do own the rights to my OCs.


Chapter 20: Best Laid Plans


A spent Blake and Atsura looked on as the arrogant grin of Cinder Fall approached them from the wooded area. Neither Faunus knew what to make of the situation though; the common thought being that she had died back at Haven. Her right eye gleamed with a corrupt thirst for vengeance, only quenchable by the taste of blood and death.

She didn't say a word, the sinister frown on her lips spelling out her true intent. It'd been nearly a year since their last encounter, yet the two eyes revealed enough hatred for the other.

"Blake, get to the tower."

Concern morphed into worry as the feline turned toward her canine partner in shock.

"You can't be serious!"

"There's no time to argue!" he growled back. "We need that tower disabled or our efforts will have been for nothing!"

"I won't leave you behind!"

He shot her a glare so dark and demonic, it made Blake shiver in fear. The amount of rage pouring from just a simple look was enough to force compliance. With a skeptical glance, Blake rushed over to the tower to complete her mission, leaving Atsura to face the woman who was mainly responsible for the destruction of the school and the near-death of his companion.

After the girl was gone, Atsura could finally focus on his opponent; It was rather unusual that he found himself grinning nervously at the approaching woman, a bead of sweat trailing down his face. In truth, he never forgot that night; Beacon's Fall sometimes a fresh memory in his minds

Round 2...


Adam did his best to block and parry the multitude of blows raining down on him from the two girls. While it was relentless, they were smart enough to use their ammunition sparingly given their opponent's semblance. Even when they did use the rounds, he was crafty and skilled enough to absorb a small amount of energy to charge his blade.

Yang, realizing she had the largest disadvantage, did her best to utilize a support role during the battle while Roxanne took the lead. Still, that didn't mean that the ram didn't have her own flaws. Though she was holding her own, she still had openings that Adam could exploit; That fact was evident to the male who sought to employ this benefit.

Roaring in anger, Roxanne left wide open as she threw a wild, fiery right hook. At that moment, he slashed at her exposed midsection. However, what he thought was a reckless act turned out to be a farce as her punch turned downward, connecting with the point of the sword. This set Adam up, allowing Roxanne to land a well-timed uppercut to his sternum, driving out much of the air in his lungs.

Before he could recover, blue/grey eyes watched as the blond spun over Roxanne's back landing a solid hit on his jaw. He slid on the ground, giving the girls a chance to catch their breath. It didn't take long for an angry Adam to regain his footing once more, carefully assessing the situation in front of him. This did little to calm his agitation though as he yelled out, his frustrations echoing into the endless sky.

"This isn't possible...!" he snarled.

"Give it up, Adam. You've lost..."

He looked over at Yang Xiao Long, insanity dancing an unrestrained masquerade behind his optics. He noticed her calm visage, no trace of fear and trepidation anywhere on her features. Even Roxanne, though she was still breathing heavily from her barrage, lacked any real indication of being rattled. They were an impenetrable fortress, united and unwavering in their resolve.

But, even a fortress had one or two blind spots, if one only looked carefully.

It came in the form of a shaky left hand.

"Big talk coming from two scared little girls."

"This is your last chance," Roxanne locked eyes with the bull.

Adam simply chuckled, his mask of confidence once more assumed.

"Do you really believe that, or are you just trying to scare me away so you don't have to die protecting her?"

Yang nearly took the bait but ceased her attempt to rush in once she felt her quivering limb taken into her partner's. Looking over, Lilac locked onto fiery orange followed by a defined grin. It was here that Yang finally understood the full extent of the girl's time with her back on Patch. She understood how far Roxanne was willing to go to ensure her safety while still allowing her autonomy.

"I'm not protecting her and she's not protecting me." Adam raised an eyebrow that quickly lowered in disgust once he noticed the two interlocking fingers. "We're protecting each other. Neither of us are damsels in distress. Most importantly, neither of us is afraid of you anymore, Adam."

"You couldn't win three on one at Beacon! What makes this time any different, aside from the fact that there's one less bitch to kill here?"

Both girls, the fiery dragon and blazing ram, remained calm despite the taunts.

"We have no choice. It's either we stop you, or we die trying," Yang spat. "...and we have no intention of dying today. We have people that actually care about us waiting for us, and we promised to return to them. That goes for Blake too."

Blake.

Adam nearly forgot his main purpose for being here.

"You know, Blake made a promise to me once; that she'd always be by my side. Look how well she's kept it."

Says the guy who lied to his own kind just to feel more of a man, Roxanne scoffed.

"Did she make that promise to you or to the person you were pretending to be?" Yang countered.

So I just wasn't good enough for you, Blake?

Adam still couldn't see that it was not his worth that was in question but his choices in who he'd become. The cold truth of his present just extended out of reach for his understanding. He saw nothing wrong with his approach. His treatment of Blake. The killing of humans at Beacon. Usurping the throne from Sienna Khan. Killing his own kind just to retain his pseudo-opulence. Even now, his grudge with two young women never once opened his eyes to the truth; an unfortunate fact buried under one's own ego.

"I see you've made your choice, and I've made mine."

Reaching for Wilt & Blush, Adam took a low stance. The time for talking was over; There was no more room for chances, pleas, or threats. All that mattered now was who would stand and who would fall.

Adam vs Yang & Roxanne.

A will to be lionized challenging the will to overcome a haunting past.

Both girls took the initiative this time, rushing forward rather than allowing their opponent the chance to strike first. This proved to be advantageous when Adam swung his blade defensively. The steal made contact with that of Yang's gauntlets while Roxanne flipped over them both, landing a stinging kick to his back in the process. When he turned to attack again, Adam was met with a small wall of flames that nearly burned his face.

He turned, eating a spinning back elbow from Yang, sending him staggering backward. Unlike during their fight at Beacon, it was clear that the two were much more in sync. Little by little, they wore down the once-proud Adam Taurus, forcing him to make sloppy counters that hit nothing but air.

It seemed that the pair could do no wrong as Roxanne rushed once again at her fellow Faunus only to slide underneath his legs. She quickly stood up, twisting her body to landing another kick that sent him flying. Yang followed this up by using her gauntlet rounds to propel her forward, giving her more momentum to land a powerful punch.

What she didn't count on was Adam recovering fast enough to attempt a desperate but accurate thrust.

This forced Yang to try and maneuver out of the way, causing her to land awkwardly on her side in the process. Adam seized this window of opportunity and lunged at the blond only, he sheathed his blade and settled on soccer kicking the girl into the rockface, shattering her aura in the process. As she slid down the jagged terrain, her body bounced hard upon landing on a small ledge, semi-conscious.

"Yang!"


Cinder rushed in, flaming swords in hand. It appeared that whatever her reason, she was content with letting her actions speak this time around. While he didn't complain, he found that a focused Cinder was a much more dangerous foe than an arrogant and vocal one.

Each time he raised Nguangus to attack, she'd find some clever way to avoid the hit. He chalked this development up to her athleticism and tried a new approach. Recalling his battle with Pyrrha, Atsura transformed the weapon into its bow form. He then fired a series of black dust bolts at the woman, shrouding her in a cloud, giving him enough cover for the time being.

Besides, he only needed to hold her off until Blake returned.

However, the woman rushed out of the fog, seemingly unaffected by the gravity dust.

This caught the fox off guard, as he didn't have enough time to change his weapon back to its sword style. He was forced to evade, narrowly eluding the vicious strikes. He managed to duck under a slashing blade that would've certainly taken his head off. He then swept her legs only to see the woman elegantly backward, a trait he'd never intentionally associate with her.

Still, he wouldn't waste time pondering such a trivial detail, opting instead to reform Nguangus' buster configuration. This allowed him to go on the offensive. Hacking and slashing in every direction he could, Atsura pushed the woman back and yet, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. This would once again cost him as Cinder launched multiple fire blasts.

He rolled out of way, only to eat a fireball directly in the stomach. He tried to stand up only for another to knock the sword from his hand. Disoriented and now, defenseless, Atsura couldn't help but feel that tiny itch in his brain grows larger by the second.


"Moment of truth!" Roxanne turned back to face Adam, that insufferable snark in his tone. "Do you think you're stronger than you were at Beacon? Think you're braver than you were in Vacuo? Do you really believe that you can defeat me without her help?!"

That was enough to make her pause. Immediately, her mind returned to that horrific day when she was humiliated by Adam and his henchmen. She thought she was protecting her mother, that her actions would prove that she was strong enough to protect others. Instead, it brought only a sense of cynicism and fear that wouldn't be broken until the day Yang and Blake talked with her.

Even when she saw him again in that cafeteria, she only survived due to a reckless act that resulted in her arm being horribly burned. So, it was safe to say that his inquiry carried weight.

"Heh, me neither."

Adam removed his weapon with a triumphant smirk. Then, in a complete 180, he began toying with Roxanne, expertly switching their roles from before. With Yang out of action for only Oum knows how long, the Faunus' flaws and weakness were now on full display. It was true that the two had improved greatly, but it was also evident that they remained far behind the training and skillset of Adam.

He was like a beggar, feasting on everything that he could get his hands on at this point; a buffet of openings to counter and exploit to his insatiable delight. No matter what she did: Block. Duck. Back away. It was never enough as he'd always close the distance and wear Roxanne down with blunt strikes and kicks while she staggered.

It was like a cat playing with a mouse before devouring it, and Adam Taurus couldn't get enough. That part of him, the dark and sadistic side, lusted for brutality against his enemies and Roxanne would prove no different. It was the reason he cut off her horns after she dared to not only reject his offer to join the White Fang but also challenge his men and by extension, himself.

"Your Aura's bound to be running low."

He wasn't lying. With every strike, Roxanne could feel her aura growing weaker. It would only be a matter of time before it completely ran out, leaving her open to a potentially fatal attack. Even then, she flashed a defiant glare, drawing Adam closer with a dark sneer on his lips.

Meanwhile, Yang had woken up. She thankfully had enough aura to circumvent passing out, but, instead of rejoining the battle right away, she opted to climb the rocky wall. Tired and aching, she spared a glance over her shoulders to find both parties were still fighting. Back on the natural platform, Roxanne took deep breaths showing that even her impressive stamina was beginning to give in to the chilly air.

"Hit me already!" Adam taunted, launching more sword swipes.

The ram simply evaded again, even flipping over a diagonal slash. She noticed Yang climbing in the distance but she also knew that she'd need more time. So, Roxanne stalled. Choosing a boxer's stance, dancing on her toes while forcing her opponent to miss wildly. It was a chess match in terms of the mental war, shifting back and forth between the two opposing forces.

"What do you even see in each other?!"

Fed up with the games, Adam hurled his blade downward, causing to spin like a buzzsaw. Roxanne easily blocked the attack, allowing it to ricochet back in the air to which Adam caught it. His speed was waning at this point as well which granted the girl a chance to leap back as the metal hit the earth, though he was still quick enough to trip her up upon landing.

Roxanne spared another glance over by the waterfall, seeing Yang leaping to another face of the area. Yang climbed as fast as her body would allow while Adam, in his unquenchable fury, launches a large percentage of his semblance. The blast made contact, creating a dust cloud large enough for Adam to end things. He gladly accepted the invitation as he jumped high in the air, ready to sate his bloodlust.

The sounds of pained grunts filled his ears, delighting the bull. But, that grunt would soon give in to light chuckles.

His eyes began to widen in shock as the dust settled around them. He knew that he'd made contact and yet, what he saw was not something he wanted to. Adam tried to pull back his sword but, something held a firm grip on the hardware. Upon closer inspection, he found that Roxanne herself was holding the weapon. Using the fire Dust at her disposal, she'd been able to make a blast powerful enough to soften the blow of the attack, making it easier to hold in her now slightly bleeding hand.

"Gotcha..."

Roxanne winked before pulling adam closer and landing a devastating, fire packed, punch to his stomach that knocked him several feet back, creating a mini crater as a result. His aura flashed several times before vanishing, though it did little to stop his temper.

Once Adam made it back to his feet, he reached for his blade only to realize that it wasn't with him anymore. Roxanne now possessed

"I may now be faster than or as skilled as you, but, I'm smarter."

At that moment her maroon aura fractured and broke, leaving her imperiled to any threat as well. Worn and pained, she tossed the infernal sword over the side of the rocky bridge to a cry of 'No' from Adam, who futilely chased after the weapon. When he reached the edge, however, he was greeted by a jaw rattling uppercut from Yang Xiao Long.

He rolled backward, dragging his boot against the broken halves of Gambol Shroud. Upon realizing this, he rushed over to the larger portion. Yang looked as if she was going to mirror his action but, she knew that she wasn't fast enough to grab it. Instead, she tightened her cybernetic fist and, with crimson eyes, as he came within inches of the tool. Behind him, Roxanne cocked her right hand back as well bringing it down like a mighty hammer.

Three screams echoed throughout the woods followed by a small explosion.

Slowly the dust settled. Inside, three forms steadily became apparent once again. When their images were clearly visible, the scene showed Adam with a shocked expression while two fists, one buried in his stomach and another digging into his back. The sound of crunching ribs became overshadowed by the gurgling noise that followed close behind.

Yang and Roxanne ripped their hands from the male's midsection and back, observing as he plodded past the blond. His body was covered mostly in third-degree burns and the blond knew that she'd broken several ribs from just the sheer force of their combined attack. Each move seemed random like he was a zombie before he collapsed on his knees just before reaching the edge. Soon, he regurgitated blood, the sanguine fluid creating a crimson waterfall before his eyes rolled back.

Adam was dead.

If one wanted more proof, it appeared when his form leaned forward, descending and crashing down on several stone ledges before landing in the raging river, soon to be forever lost in the current. Lilac and orange eyes watched the sight, clearly traumatized at what they'd just witnessed.

Yang & Roxanne won.

They defeated the monster who once ruled over their nightmares.

So... Why didn't they celebrate?

Yang dropped to her knees, shaking violently while Roxanne rushed over. The Faunus swiftly wrapped her arms around her companion, both shedding tears. Joy. Relief. Redemption. All of these things and more began to swim within the two but, there was also something that threatened to destroy the feel-good moment.

"He's dead..."

Yang's voice was but a whisper, yet the gravity of her words felt just as heavy if she had screamed them.

"It's going to be okay..." Roxanne tried to comfort her.

"We killed someone, Roxie!"

Yang clutched at the girl's jacket sleeve, sobbing at what she'd done. Sure, they've killed countless Grimm on their adventures both during and after their time at Beacon, but... a person? Yang couldn't help but feel lower than Adam, even with his presence no longer there to frighten them.

"Blake... She won't... Forgive. She'll hate us!"

"No." Roxanne pulled away, allowing the tearful blond to see her face. "Blake knew what Adam wanted. I'm not saying that she'll be completely happy, but, I know that she won't hate you, nor will she leave us behind..."

"But... mmphff!"

Yang wanted to object but found that impossible once Roxanne latched her lips onto hers. Any attempt to mumble anything close to a rebuttal was silenced as they eventually deepened the liplock until they both began to relax.

"...Neither will I, Yang." the ram whispered/giggled nervously.

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because, just like I risked my life for you, I'm willing to move past this. No matter how long it takes, we will get through this together."

Feeling a little better, Yang allowed a feather-like chuckle to escape her throat.

"I guess you really do love me, huh?"

"Always willing to start my day with a Yang..."

The two shared a gentle laugh at the admittedly horrible pun before sharing another quick embrace in front of the falls. This time, however, the tears that accompanied the gesture weren't of pain and anguish, but of love and gratefulness for one another. It was a hard-fought battle, but it was one that ended this personal war.


Blake managed to reach the top of the communication tower, working diligently with the controls and passcodes. As she continued bypassing the firewalls, Atsura was struggling with Cinder's aggressive assault. Without Nguangus, he was reduced to running and dodging in hopes of closing the gap. Instead, he wound up eating fireballs anytime he got near her.

He had a lot of aurae, but even he knew that this approach couldn't last much longer.

Soon, the Fall Maiden's eyes lit up with an amber flame before rushing the male Faunus. He side-stepped out of the way, seizing the moment to recover his sword. Without delay, he rushed over to the idle weapon only to eat another blast for his troubles. This one sent his grinding against the earth until he landed into a tree with a sickening thud.

Groaning, Atsura struggled to his feet. This was clearly not the same Cinder he'd fought on Beacon Tower. In their first battle, she was powerful, but her arrogance and inexperience with the newfound ability even things up a little. Add to that his loss of control after seeing the state Pyrrha was in and it was a fair fight. Now? Now Atsura was experiencing a more thoroughly trained and more serious version of the woman he despised.

Leaning against the base of the tree, the vulpine tried to shake off the disorientation he was feeling only to eat multiple blasts.

One after another after another after another. It was seemingly never-ending as the raven-haired woman unleashed as much rage as she could muster. The sounds of each mini-explosion caught the ears of Blake Belladonna who'd just finished disabling the military-grade codings. Though the tower was shut down, she couldn't savor the victory as her eyes widened in horror.

"Atsura!"

Her shriek was enough to cease the assault, Cinder finally feeling that she'd had enough.

A gust gently peeled back the shroud of smoke showing the young man still standing, though he was badly banged up for his troubles. Even with the pained grin on his face, it didn't take an Atlesian scientist to detect that he was in no shape for a fight anymore. Each breath was labored, causing intense anguish from such a relentless attack. Still, his lips never dropped, though his body did.

On his hands and knees, coughing and heaving from pain, his aura soon gave way to the previous barrage.

"Damn... That's twice now that you've hurt me." he chuckled darkly.

Cinder said nothing though, continuing the odd approach to their rematch. Rather, his ears caught the sound of metal scraping against the ground. Lifting his eyes, Atsura noticed that it was his own sword. Behind them, Blake hopped down each level of the column, praying that she'd make it to him in time. This was what she worried about when she left after Beacon's demise.

She heard about this similar scene with Pyrrha. She saw the damage that befell Atsura after they were brought to the hospital in Vale. She couldn't bear to see him killed. She just had to reach him.

She had to...

Don't die... Please, don't die...!

She mentally chanted this over and over as she ran as fast as her legs could carry her. Cinder didn't care. All that mattered what that she finally would win for a change. Using her powers, she managed to lift the heavy blade over her head before bringing it down on the defenseless Faunus.

"NO!"

"Stay back!" The abrupt boom stopped Blake dead in her tracks. "Don't... come any... closer, Blake."

The strain in his tone was enough to warrant an objection.

However, what Blake saw shut that down.

Though she witnessed his aura fall, the feline could see two black and purple limbs extended from Atsura's back. They were gripping Cinder's wrapped wrist as well at the blade she planned to execute him with. Slowly he lifted his head, an evil grin stretching his lips. His eyes, while still red and green, were now surrounded by an Amethyst ring that slowly expanded throughout his scleras.

"Atsura?"

"Guess I can't hide this anymore..." he said to nobody in particular. "Did you finish?"

"Y-Yeah."

"Then it's time I stop playing around."

His opponent looked shocked at such a bold declaration. After all of that damage sustained, was he truly not taking her seriously? Anger began boiling over at such a cocky notion. Surely, he was bluffing just to save face in front of the dark-haired girl.

Right?

Blake didn't know quite what he meant, but she wouldn't press the matter for the time being. All that mattered was that he was safe and, by the looks of things, he was still able to fight. In an instant, he ripped Nguangus from Cinder's hand before using the other limb to shove her back. However, instead of taking the weapon, he chose to shove the point of the sword into the ground.

This time, however, he wouldn't be so hasty in his approach as he recalled the limbs back into his body. Unlike before, when Cinder threw multiple flaming spheres, he expertly dodged without hesitation. He was fast, but this was something beyond the scale of anything either woman had seen before. This wouldn't stop Cinder from unleashing her rage, surrounding herself with rings of fire, silently smirking; a direct challenge to the Faunus male.

"Cute trick. Mind if I try?"

She raised an eyebrow, contemplating just what he was referring to. How could he replicate the powers of a maiden? The answer revealed itself in the form of a dark shadow stretching underneath his feet. Soon, it morphed, swirling around his frame in a similar fashion to Cinders' shield. Denial contorted to surprise then to horror; he wasn't lying.

Where did he get such power? She pondered worriedly.

Eye blazed with confidence before his body completely vanished. Before either girl could process this, Atsura suddenly appeared in front of Cinder, his face mere inches from her own. Even more amazing, his head was inside the ball of energy. Whatever power he possessed, this was on par with that of the maidens, a development that struck trepidation in the heart of Cinder.

No way was she prepared for this.

In a desperate bid, she vanished, moving at supersonic speeds but, this didn't stop Atsura as he met her no matter where she ran. Left. Right. Forward. Backward. Behind him. In front. Either side. Nothing Cinder tried came remotely close to shaking off the boy who had a smug grin on his face. It was a total contrast of the deranged expression from Beacon, but somehow, someway, this was far worse.

Leave me alone! She screamed internally.

"Not until you show me who you really are..." he teased.

This froze the woman completely, thus concluding their game of tag. Atsura did the same, arms now crossed and the smirk replaced with a dangerous stare. At first, she thought he read her mind, but, that wasn't his semblance. There was nothing about his abilities related to telepathy, so how did he know what she was thinking?

In truth, he'd been able to read her expressions rather easily. It wasn't a perfect technique by any means, but it was effective.

"You're not really Cinder, are you?"

The woman's face had a soft scowl, another sign that he was right. Cinder didn't scowl, she always bore her fangs when she was no longer in a favorable position. Only one other person had been able to communicate with her silence. Sensing something more, the impersonator decided to test the extent of the boy's analytic skills.

How could you tell? she raised a single eyebrow.

"Cinder's a loudmouth and you were silent the entire time we fought. On top of that, your fighting style is vastly different from hers."

Smart. I'm impressed.

"Thanks. But, you're not just here to stop up are you?"

How did you...?

"It's written all over your face," he solemnly spoke up. "Plus, I picked up that you're using a semblance. Lastly, I figured you weren't Cinder when you didn't stop to gloat at your 'victory'. There's no way that narcissist would pass up a chance to monologue."

Blake narrowed her eyes in confusion at what she was hearing. If this wasn't Cinder, then who was this person?

A quiet sigh, followed by an over-dramatic eye roll confirmed Atsura's suspicions. Another blink and Amber orbs instantly morphed into pink/brown optics. Lastly, the entire facade began to melt away as the image of Cinder Fall gave way to a much smaller girl with thick long hair that matched her eyes. She wore a brown jacket that ends just below her shoulders and above her chest and has pink trimmings on top and is pink on the inside, two brown belt shoulder straps, a gray scarf, and a vest, gloves, a belt, pants and heeled shoes of a matching white color.

While she transformed, Blake immediately raced over to Atsura's side, nearly knocking the boy over.

"Atsura, be careful. This is Roman Torchwick's henchwoman!"

Oh goodie, you're one of the blond bimbo's friends. the girl's frown deepened. The name's Neopolitan, bitch and I was Roman's partner and daughter, NOT a damn Henchman!

Atsura decided then to defuse the situation before another fight broke out.

"How do you know my sister?" he asked, somehow getting all of that.

Neopolitan turned her gaze, her jaw steadily dropping upon his revelation.

How in the Grimm's pool is she related to someone so cute? Atsura didn't miss the slight seductive edge to her last word but, chose to remain silent, though it did little to stop the pink hue from appearing on his cheeks. Anyway, I must be going... Tata, Atsura.

As she turned to leave, Blake attempted to rush after her only to be stopped when she heard a soft thud behind her. Looking over her shoulders, she found Atsura in a seated position, his torso rocking back and forth as if he was trying to force himself upright. That's when she noticed the various bruises from the battle. That Neopolitan girl happened to spare a glance, taking in the worn-out demeanor. He was a strange case to her, but, anyone who could naturally communicate with a mute was definitely worth the intrigue.

I hope we meet again. she smiled playfully before vanishing without a trace.

The pair didn't seem to notice her departure though as Blake did her best to assist the boy back to his feet. As expected, he was much heavier than she was yet, she managed to find a steady pace to keep them both upright. With their mission complete, they needed only to return to their friends and hopefully get over to Atlas. While they traveled the main path, Black constantly snuck glances at the boy.

She wanted to chalk this up to 'monitoring his condition' but, she knew it wasn't the entire truth. If Blake was being honest with herself, this was the closest she'd ever been to Atsura alone. She milked this moment for all it was worth, noting many of his features, from the overt to the most subtle. Whether it was the way his tail swayed lazily or the tiny traces of chin hair, Blake noticed it.

"Sorry..."

She suddenly snapped out of her voyeurism upon hearing his voice.

"What?"

"I'm sorry for worrying you, Blake. I was being stupid in trying to stall rather than just fight all out from the beginning."

"So, why didn't you? Aside from discovering it was really that Neo chick, why were you so stubborn with stalling her?"

The walk grew silent for a moment. While it was only seconds, to Blake, it felt much longer.

"Mainly, I stalled so that you wouldn't be a target."

This was shocking to the cat girl.

"You took all of that damage, risking your life and sustaining injury for me?"

"Yep. Had I gone all out from the start, the enemy might've thought to use you as leverage. By giving the illusion of them overwhelming me, you had enough time to focus on your task without being harmed."

"That's... That's insane!" she frowned, anger thinly lacing her tone. "I can handle myself, you know? I'm not a helpless girl who needs to be rescued. Did you think it would impress me and I'd fall for you more or-!"

Blake quickly clasped her hand over her mouth, but she knew it was too late. That excitement shifted into guilt as her ears curled downward.

"I'm sorry... I shouldn't have said that."

"Blake..."

"No. I just blurted out a damn love confession!"

"Will you just listen to-?"

"You're with Pyrrha! I mean, you've always liked her and yet, I was secretly crushing on you. Then I hooked up with Sun... I'm so terrible! At least allow me the 'dignity' of feeling embarrassed or yell at me or..."

"BLAKE!" Atsura's voice bounced off of the many trees surrounding them. More importantly, it forced Blake to finally stop her self-loathing rant before it got started. He let out a ragged sigh before finally calming down. "Look, I get that you're a little embarrassed..."

"That's an understatement..." she lamented.

"...But, you need to stop being so hard on yourself. I don't think you need to create the 'Let's hate Blake' club over this. I don't see you any different than I did before your... confession."

"Oh..." she replied, disappointed. "I guess that's better than nothing I guess. Hello, inevitable friendzone."

Atsura couldn't help but chuckle at the deadpan tone of the dark-haired girl.

"Look, you're really attractive. You're beautiful, Blake and in a way, I could see myself with you. In fact, so could Pyrrha."

Now, the gloom turned to confusion.

"What are you saying? I DON'T want you breaking up with Pyrrha!"

"I never said I was..." Atsura shot back at the accusation.

"I refuse to be a secret lover!" she glared.

"What? I am not a cheater!" he matched her expression; The figurative lightning collided between the dueling gazes.

"Then what are you talking about? If this is a game,"

"It's not! Pyrrha told me months ago that she thought you and I would've made a good couple back when we all became friends." Blake remained silent, wondering just where things were going. She didn't want to get her hopes up, but, she did want to know more about this discovery.

"Why would she think that? When did she start thinking about that?"

"It was right before the dance. She admitted that while she thought I'd be asked by someone else, she conveniently left out the part about you being 'the one' to ask me. She initially figured that you and I meshed well enough with our personalities back then. Loner. Quiet. Brooding."

"I am NOT a brooder."

"Okay, Cat-Girl..." he smirked smugly. "The point is, she said that she figured, since you and I were so alike, she had no chance with me. So, she turned her attention early on to getting Jaune to ask her, which didn't work. Then Yang and Nora came to my room threatening to break my legs and... the rest is history."

Blake still wasn't convinced though.

"So, where would that leave us now?"

"That's the big question..." he replied while removing his arm from her shoulders. He was still sore from using that magical power, but he had enough strength to walk under his own power. "You'll have to talk to her about that."

"Why not tell me now?"

Before he could answer, the pair could hear their names being called from the distance. Soon, Yang and Roxanne arrived from the abundance of trees, happily calling over the two. Atsura turned around and simply flashed a lopsided grin at Blake.

"I thought you liked plot twists?"


"We should have just enough fuel to make it." the elderly voice of Maria Caleverra piped up from the cockpit.

Above the clouds, the Manta-51 soared through the night sky. A comfortable ride for the drained party. In the back, the friends swapped stories involving the death of Adam, fight against Neo (minus the magic), with Ruby's exploits in taking out a firing cannon from within and freezing a leviathan Grimm taking center stage. Everyone was clearly beaten up for their troubles, but the success of getting to Atlas more than made up for it.

While Ruby tried to deflect the spotlight over Oscar Pine, Zaffre opted to catch a few Zzzz's. Yang and Roxanne rested heads on one another, each relishing their victory and resolve to tackle the future together. Weiss and Jaune shared a few laughs at Ruby's eccentric behavior while Ren held a proud Nora close to him. This left Atsura to rest as he was exhausted after exerting so much energy during his fight with Neo.

Blake and Pyrrha, on the other hand, had much to discuss.

True to the vulpine's words, Pyrrha confirmed the claims of her knowing Blake's hidden feelings. She wasn't angry nor jealous of the Faunus, though that wasn't always the case earlier on. They discussed the past, moments that proved that both girls had

"Well, I must say that I'm relieved at all of this. I'm glad that you could finally express how you feel to him." Pyrrha smiled warmly as if nothing was wrong with the situation.

"So, where do we go from here? I've already told Atsura that I wouldn't interfere with your relationship. I'd rather stay as just friends than cause a rift between you two."

Tapping her chin, the spartan mulled over that question.

"During our travels together, I saw a trio living in one of the villages Atsura and I helped. While we thought they were just really good friends at first, we later found out that all three of them were in a committed and loving relationship. I believe they called it a polyamorous relationship?"

"Wait... Are you suggesting that we...? Blake pointed her finger discreetly between her, Pyrrha, and a sleeping Atsura. She was careful to keep her voice low enough so as not to alert the others to their private conversation.

Pyrrha simply giggled before blushing slightly, her features perfectly enveloped under the moonbeams. When she finally gathered the nerve to answer, the gruff voice of Qrow filled the airship.

"If you've never seen Atlas before, you'll wanna see this!"

Everyone shuffled to the front of the ship, some faster than others. Regardless, they all witnessed the beauty of the city in the sky. Even the city of Mantle below had its own sense of charm. It was a marvelous sight to behold, for other reasons, unfortunately.

Weiss noticed the odd scene unfolding before them all first.

"Weiss, what is it?"

Looking up, all eyes observed the many Atlas ships all floating above them.

"The Atlas air fleet..."

From the looks of things, the ships appeared to be set-up in preparation for an attack. This didn't sit well with anyone aboard, but, that sinking feeling would only get worse when the radio receiver suddenly clicked on.

"Manta-51? Welcome home."


Author's Notes:

We are officially finished with the volume 6 portion of this fic and up next, we finally made it to Atlas. I'm going to spend a lot of time working on the chapters for this half of Volume 3: Winter as my main goal was getting the story to catch up to the current canon. With volume 8 a ways off, I can comfortably build on what's presented in the show.

Clearly, I'm going to be taking a bit of liberty though I won't be changing the main plot of Volume 7 involving Ironwood's struggles with the city. In the meantime, I won't bore you all with too many things this time around. But, I would like to give you all a little insight into myself in connection with this story.

Before I started this fiction, I wasn't in a very good place emotionally and mentally. I went through a lot of changes in my life, many that nearly broke me. Combine that with dealing with mental disorders and whatnot, and you've got a recipe for chaos. So believe me when I say this:

RWBY saved me!

I legitimately was afraid to watch the show initially some years back after Pyrrha's death was spoiled for me. Surprisingly, I dreaded watching the show despite never viewing a single episode prior to that moment. You would think that one wouldn't have any connection to the character but, somehow, I avoided it until last year and even then, I eased my way into the show by watching RWBY chibi on YouTube first. After that, the site suggested that I check out the first season.

After that, I was hooked and converted to the wonderous fandom that is... RWBY!

From the shorts to the main show to the music, Rwby has helped me to deal with the things that trouble me and helps me push through each day. Monty Oum became one of my favorite creators and, while it's not perfect, it is tied as my favorite series alongside Once Upon a Time. Here are a few facts pertaining to me and RWBY.

*My top 5 characters are:

1. Pyrrha (Duh)

2. Nora & Ren (Package Deal)

3. Penny (She's f%! &^g adorable!)

4. Marrow (He's a good boy)

5. Sun Wukong (He's awesome)

*Top 5 Songs

1. Smile

2. Gold (Acoustic Version)

3. Boop

4. Shine

5. It's My Turn & I May Fall [Tie]

*Top 5 Ships [Don't judge me]

1. ReNora (obvious)

2. Black Sun Eclipse (Blake/Yang/Sun)

3. Arkos (Jaune/Pyrrha)

4. Snowbird (Qrow/Winter)

5. Thunder Thighs (Insert Ren picking up Nora casually while Elm watches)

Anyway, that's all for this chapter, I'll be taking a short break before jumping back into things. As usual, thanks so much for the love and support of this story and I wish you all a wonderful night/day. No matter what, keep moving forward!