"I WILL HAVE MY CROWN!"

The firebird crept through the tunnel, black ooze dripping from its mouth, limping and all.

Yang stood dead center, staring the thing down, the flames having done nothing but char her clothes, her scales now glowing, locks entirely flame. "Get fucked, you overgrown chicken." She wore the circlet herself, hands wreathed in gold.

"Guys," She looked over at them, power vaulting her voice across the walls. "the cowering in the corner will do nothing but get us killed." She waved her hands towards them, golden flames lapping at their feet, her hair returning to mortal form. "Go." She stepped aside, letting them do the work.

'What is this?' Pyrrha watched the world burn into scarlet, the firebird dead center. 'How fast can I grind that thing into paste?!'

"LET'S GO!" Taiyang charged toward the phoenix, arm healed over, throwing a firey punch, Nora diving into one of them to nail the bird down with thunder-strikes.. Oscar roared, stunning both the beast and the rest of them as he leapt into action, punching the bird with Aura wrapped hands.

Jaune and Ironwood nodded, raising a shield to protect them, metal reinforcing the surface, the coming fireball bouncing off and skidding towards the ceiling. Winter and Weiss took extra Dust Cartridges and charged their glyphs, freezing the Beast ice cold. Glynda and Oz worked to slow the Beast as much as possible, Oz cracking before long, falling to the floor.

Raven warped to Yang, shoving her and Adam back through to Glynda, who was still behind the shield, before taking into the chaos, hands dripping red. Qrow amplified his Semblance, the side of the cliff cleaved off, Pyrrha picking through the rubble to find shards of ore, which she stabbed into the Beast's eyes.

Ruby threw Blake into the fray, roses whirling the thing into a spiral, Blake transitioning in and out of tangibility, letting her copies take any hits, Ruby performing faster repositioning as needed.

It staggered, the bones peeking through its legs, hacking and sputtering embers, Taiyang returning them with four times the force. It fell onto the stony floor, bleeding and lifeless, Ironwood and Oscar bringing down rocks over its head.

"Is it over?" Oscar coughed up a lung. "Is it dead?"

The gold faded from all of them and with it, their strength, Weiss falling over, Winter barely managing to catch her.

The phoenix dissolved, the body of a svelte woman with red hair left in its place. She sat up, opening ash grey eyes. rising to her feet, standing unashamed of her nudity, tiptoeing towards the pedestal. A throne rose with a wave of her shackled wrist, burning away the black goop and restoring the stone to marble, the chains collecting at her ankles.

"I am Scheherazade...the Mistress of the Relic of Choice." The shield collapsed with another wave, the rest running from behind it before the rubble could crash. "Please come." They all shuffled over, Winter holding up Weiss.

"She..." Tai leered at her, the rest of the Cavalry backing up as his hair burst into flames, the tie turning into ash.

She blushed, sitting at her throne. "Thank you for saving me. May I have my crown?" Yang handed it back, her hair igniting once again as their fingers touched. Scheherazade placed it on her head. The room rippled and broke like glass. They were where they started, in the white and gold hall, now restored and pristine.

"I apologize. You have cleansed my body." She looked up at her crown. "Thank you. I am indebted to you." Tai slipped into the back, more than his scales burning red, Raven watching him go, eyebrows hitting the ceiling.

"Okay." Ruby sipped her flask. "Relic of Choice? What's that?"

"I am."

"Okay, Miss Cosmic Entity," Raven spoke up, swallowing migraine pills dry. "Please, no unanswers."

"No, you misunderstand. I am the Relic of Choice. The crown is my body." Ironwood handed Oz to Qrow, excusing himself to scream into the void. "I am sorry, James. It is strange to you mortals."

"What can you do?" Weiss stood up, leaning on her sister. "Ozma can do something."

"That is for me to know and for you to understand. And for you to comprehend, Qrow." The old crow said nothing, staring into those grey eyes. "Do not ask questions you do not want the answers to."

"Define choice?" Pyrrha spoke up, hiding behind her shield as Scheherazade looked her up and down.

"...you just made about a hundred of them. You make the choice to live over and over again, Pyrrha Nikos." Tears fell from crimson lashes. "Make the choice to look me in the eyes."

She did. In her ash eyes was every petty fight, every extra blow, every sadistic grin she bit back in the arena, on the killing fields, in the Grimm pits, at Beacon, as she shot-

The roar echoed across the walls. Everyone turned to look, Oscar hiding behind Glynda. Jaune rushed to her side, only to burn himself on her shield. "You cannot dally here. You must seek purification before you become Grimm."

"What are you talking about?" Ruby piped up.

"You fell through those flames a bit ago. And before that," She waved, visions of dark blood entering open wounds coming to light. "Your fate was sealed long ago. Without the corruption, your path would be have been simplified. But now,"

"Ma'am. Please, straight to the point. How long do we have? And where can we go?" Ruby wept, the rest of the crew either having a panic attack or having a group hug. The two merged before long.

"Not long. You must seek the Waters of Cleansing. They are in the landmass you now call Menagerie, in the center of the desert. You have no choice." She looked Tai in the eyes, earning a growl out of him in return. "Including those choices, but that will have to wait."

"Can you come with us?" It flew right over Ruby's head, Ironwood snatching the 'excuse me?!" right out of Glynda's mouth.

"I cannot. However," she held her hands cupped, generating a fire red gem, Taiyang walking towards her as if haunted. She pressed it into his hands, a shockwave knocking the rest back, his scales holding the red tinge. "That...should be of assistance."

"Thank you." He stepped away, careful of his claws on her. "Are there others like you? Will you be okay? Will you become Grimm again?"

"There are three others like me. I will not fall. I have seen my true face." She rose. "And so will you."

In a flash, they were outside of the adobe town, dawn breaking overhead, their bags and weapons in a pile, sand getting into the mechanisms.

"So," Ruby held a still crying Blake. "We get to Menagerie? Where's that?"

"The clear other side of the world..." Qrow pulled his quills out of his face, stealing one of Winter's hairties. "We-WHOA!" Adam launched at Blake, the kick to the chest shattering her Aura. Thirty hands pulled Adam away.

Yang looked at her hands, then her father who took a step back, as did she, tears in her eyes.

"I...think that." Taiyang swallowed, Qrow on his back. "We need to fuck off to Menagerie, this very second, before things get dicey. Put blunting on your blades, just in-"

"Um." Weiss held her hands out, ivory skin tinged black. "We're already there, Taiyang."

Ren threw Stormflower into the shared bag, Myrtenaster right behind, followed by Ember Celica, Wilt and Blush clattering in after. Magnhild joined last.

"I don't know how long I'll last." Pyrrha detached Psallo's chains, handing them to Glynda. "Here. In case."

Glynda pulled at her hair. "I can't-"

"You might have to." Ren's eyes were neon green. "Enough talk. Hurry!"

"Grandpa!" Oscar yelled into the sky, a golden petal sailing through the wind. "Take us to Menagerie, in the center of the desert! PLEASE!"

Mistress. They have freed one of the Relics.

I am aware. We...will secure the others. In the meantime, find Jacques Schnee. Make him a offer that he cannot refuse.

Anything else?

Has Tyrian been successful?

I...I have not a clue, Mistress. I am being perfectly honest.

Send for Tyrian. If the panic doesn't kill them, I trust that he will.

Ma'am, it appears that they are as we are.

If we break their spirits, then we break their assault. Get them to stop swallowing their rage, perhaps we'll get something by this time next year.

Why those two? Can't you get the healer? The other rose girl? Perhaps the younger sister or the former General?

You were unable to make any more connections. I am working with what little you all give me.

I apologize, Mistress.

GODDESS!

Father, give me strength.

GODDESS!

Yes, Tyrian? Why are you crying?

THEY ARE RELEASED FROM ME!

Tyrian.

YES, GODDESS?

Calm down.

yes, goddess.

It was vain hope that they would defect. Get to work making their lives difficult.

YES, GODDESS.

Tell Watts to release the fabrications. Remind Cinder to our cause...who are you?

Archibald Stone. I request power, in exchange for the freedom to eliminate a rival's son.

Your loyalty will be tested. See to it that our new charge is indoctrinated.

Yes, Mistress. Right away, Mistress.

The center of the desert was hot enough to fry a ostrich egg hard-cooked. The dunes rolled on and on, what wasn't sand was sun baked stone and soil, with not a shady patch in sight.

It was slow going by foot, Pyrrha too focused keeping her shit together for transport, hampered even more as they pulled back, roaring and snarling. In moments of lucidity, they stopped for a break, taking the chanted apologies one by one. Glynda and Ironwood watched the horizon for Grimm or ferocious beasts.

"They're losing their godsdamned minds!" Blake sobbed.

Weiss turned to stare at her, earning another round of tears, the shackles and sun hard on her frying skin.

"We told you this." Ren glared at her. "We told you to stop. To focus on the task at hand! If you had stopped when we were at Ozma's the first time, we wouldn't be here because of STUPID MISTAKES! Qrow!"

He was in the back with Oz, in case they escaped. "YEA!?"

"How much farther?"

"A while, you'll see it. It's...the only trees for leagues."

The purple on the chains faltered, Yang yanking at her bonds with her whole weight. Ironwood took over, Glynda collapsing into the sands to be swiped up by Raven. "We have to move faster."

"We're moving at rabid animal pace." Winter covered her ears against the snarling. "This isn't good."

Giggling.

Everyone looked around, Ruby and Oscar drawing their weapons. "Don't take off blunting-"

A man with a scorpion's tail leapt out of the sands, slashing for Jaune's throat. He rebuffed him with Crocea Mors, reloading the new gunsword with Dust. "...you."

"Forgive me, Goddess! I have splendid timing!" He cackled. "How perfect, how beautiful! Five of your own! Corrupted before your very eyes!" He screamed his joy. "Go, children of the Goddess! Wreak havoc!" They looked at each other, nothing in particular came to pass, except more sand in Pyrrha's eyes. "What are you waiting for? SLAUGHTER THEM?"

The rest of the Calvary stood ready, Glynda holding her head, staggering towards the middle of the group. The chains fell away. The three parties stood in the blowing sands.

Adam and Yang swung for the scorpion, horror turning that smile upside down. The rest took their blessings as it came and shot at the strange and giggling man, who reveled in the violence, taking hits for the fun of it, dancing between reloads, watching as black claws sprouted from Yang's hands, Adam's horns growing and curling, the points dripping black ooze.

"We can't keep going! The violence is making us worse!" Pyrrha screamed over gunfire. Tyrian launched forward, kissing her, biting her lip until it bled. Milo and Akouo fell to the ground, her eyes flat and far away, the phantom swords erupting from her back, dripping darkness.

"Oh gods! Pyrrha!" Jaune roared, his Aura sweeping over them all. Ren and Weiss recoiled, holding their heads, hollering in pain, the haze settling at their feet. Nora crumpled, throwing Magnhild away with her final breath.

'I can't even heal them!' He stared at his shaking hands, then the haze at his feet.

"Good job!" The Scorpion Faunus giggled in the sand, kicking his feet with glee. "Go on! Struggle! Join us!" He screamed into the sky, swiping for Oscar, the near miss stunning him, earning Tyrian time to kick him in the ribs.

The Cavalry pushed into each other's back, Ren and Weiss' limbs growing strange appendages.

"Who are you?" Ruby finished her flask. "...I mean, you're killing us so you might as well tell us?"

"Tyrian!" He sprang up, taking a bow. "Tyrian-" Pyrrha got him through the chest with one of Psallo's blades.

Darkness flowed from her mouth. "I will kill you. With my final breath. Jaune, my love, do not spare me." Her arms turned into blades themselves, the edges shining in the noon sun. "Kill me. Master, forgive them. I can take it. But I will not take this motherfucker a second more!" She danced towards him, catching him more than a few times with her swords, Adam and Yang followed her, taking swings, countering his blows and covering her back.

Ren and Weiss looked at each other. Nora stood up, eyes bright red.

"Okay...anyone else want to lose their godsdamned mind?" Raven squawked.

"Wait..." Oz put away his cane. Ren and Weiss watched. "They're not mindless. Put your weapons away."

"Birdy, did you knock your head on the stone?"

"I did. Put them away."

The Cavalry folded everything up. Ren, Weiss and Nora turned to watch Tyrian getting his ass kicked.

"Let them..." Oz took a step back, so did everyone else. Soon there was a gap between them, the corrupted and Tyrian. Nora moved like lightning, punching Tyrian into one of Pyrrha's swords, Adam catching him by the neck and throwing him into the ground. "...violence is their motivation. Not us." Ren waited for a gap, kicking Tyrian in the teeth.

Tyrian huffed, wounds covered in black ooze. "I...will not take this lightly!" He crushed something into his hands. "I will be back!" He disappeared in shadow.

The corrupted five turned to look at them.

"...so...How are we going to move all of them?" Blake dried her face on her shirt. "Pyrrha is gone...Glynda's exhausted."

"Ruby." Oz spoke quietly. "Take Jaune and see how far it is. If it's more than half your range, come back. We will stay here."

"Hurry." Jaune held out his hands, dripping with ooze. "I don't have long."

"Got it!" She grabbed Jaune and in a whirl of petals and white gems sped off into the distance.

"How did this happen right before our eyes?" Ironwood sat in the sand. "...our kids, they're breaking right in front of us." Nobody told him that haze was pooling underneath him, Oz barely biting back tears.

Oscar threw his knives, his pistols and his side arms into the sands. "Please no!" The five turned around. "Shut up! Leave me alone! Tai! Hold my hands-"

The elder dragon skipped that business and held Oscar in a hug, juggling the kid as he went to tear out his own throat. "I have so many questions for Daddy ...this is a fool's errand."

"We're all fools here." Winter coughed over her flask, both her feet and Qrow's dark in sunlight.

"We're back!" Ruby landed, leaving Jaune just enough leeway to kick her in the throat.

It took all day and into the night, the gauze now useless to keep in the heat, hoods and veils used to conserve heat over identity, a careful Ruby drained herself dry to get them on the corrupted five.

The Waters were defended by Black Claw, standing firm in black and red dress coats over their shoulders, their faces twisting in horror as they approached with five snarling and snapping beasts, more behind them walking listlessly, following a open scythe.

"...by the gods." One took the safety off his gunsword, bunny ears twitching. The other pressed her hands into her claws, her bare feet sporting organic versions. "Oh no. That's far en-"

"LET US IN!" Five voices met them back.

"You have no right and no clearance."

"Flicks, say something!" Qrow held Ironwood away from his face.

"Why me!?" She squawked back.

"DO SO-" James got him in the mouth, darkness getting into his throat. Blake yowled at Goldilocks, claws longer than they should be, and Yang smacked her into next week.

Raven stormed over, pulling off her hood. "Let me in. Let them in. I am Sister Raven Branwen."

The two guards moved aside, watching over her shoulders, she turned to watch her brother retch up blackness, dark feathers falling out of nothing. She ran to his side, picked him up and took off into the oasis, the rest hauling ass after her, the guards pressing them all inside.

The oasis was fed by a waterfall sticking out of a outcropping of rock, the pool sparkling in the moonlight, ringed by stone and dropping off into the depths.

"Are we all going in?" Raven dragged Ruby in, the darkness spilling from both their mouths.

"YOU DAMN SKIPPY!" Oz threw Ironwood into the drink, threw his and Glynda's glasses into the grass, using a green glyph to shove everyone in, Winter resisted him with a red glyph, howling like a wolf on the way down. Jaune roared, his blackened aura breaking Oz's glyph. He sped up time on a tree, rotting it at the roots, the impact whacking them all into the basin.

The guards blinked at each other, noting the blackness on their arms, fell in after.