It took Qrow about 30 minutes to tell Roy everything about the lamp and what it had showed them. The faunus sat in stunned silence the entire time, his brain struggling to comprehend what he was hearing.

Salem had attempted to trick the God of Darkness into reviving her dead love Ozma after the God of light had refused. As punishment for her deception, the Gods had cursed Salem with immortality. Salem had turned humanity against the Gods, but the God of Darkness had wiped humanity out of existence. Salem had survived, left alone on Remnant as the Gods abandoned the world. In a desperate bid to end her life, Salem had thrown herself into the black pools in the land of darkness. Instead of killing her, the pool transformed her into a being bent on destruction.

Humanity had trickled back into Remnant, discovering the faunus and dust. The God of light had returned Ozma to life and created the four relics. When the relics were brought together, the gods would return and judge humanity. If humanity was found wanting, the gods would destroy Remnant. Ozpin was a reincarnation of Ozma and had been desperately searching for a way to destroy Salem and keep her from bringing the relics together. In the end, he'd discovered that Salem was unkillable.

How can Ozpin expect us to win against….that?! He thought, feeling his hand curling into a fist as Qrow finished. "And you said Ozpin doesn't have a plan?" he asked, "at all?"

Qrow drained his 8th glass and shook his head, "Nope, not even a vague idea." The elder huntsman's words had begun to slur around his 5th glass, his eyes blurred and half shut. "If Ozpin doesn't have a plan, I'm not gonna try making one. It's just prolonging the inevitable."

Roy took a deep breath, choosing to place his anger at Ozpin on the backburner. Despite the impossible odds they were facing, he was determined to try and think of something, "We have our ship, why don't we fly to Atlas once she's repaired?"

"Because we'd be blown out of the sky before we even got with 100 yards of the place," Qrow explained, "you said it yourself; tensions are high and we can't just go flying an unmarked ship right into the jaws of the Atlesian fleet."

Roy opened his mouth; ready to offer more suggestions, but Qrow cut him off with a raised hand, "Spare me kid, I'm through. Just leave me to drink in peace."

Roy was silent for several seconds, watching the huntsman downing another glass. "Why are you here Qrow?" he asked, "You should be with your teams to help them through this."

Qrow let the last few drops of liquor drip out of the bottle into his glass, looking displeased at its emptiness, "They don't need me. Besides, I needed a drink."

Something about the situation stirred up an old memory in Roy's mind. A harbor-side bar, the bitter taste of hard cider on his tongue, Something to dull the pain…

"Not working is it?" he said softly.

Qrow blinked, "what?-"

Roy stood up from the bar and straightening his coat, "But you just keep drinking."

The huntsman turned to face the faunus, raising a finger in protest, "now wait a minute-"

Roy forged ahead, despite Qrow's protest, "You have two choices. Either sit here and continue drowning your sorrows, or get off your ass and do something."

The huntsman glared back, a flicker of anger and shame appearing in his blurry eyes, "You forget pipsqueak, I do both. Always have." He drained the glass again and thunked the glass back on the counter.

Roy sighed and turned toward the door, pausing before he left, "I think the days you could do both have passed...just food for thought."

With that, Roy left the Blue Dust and stepped into the street. The sun had just started to sink below the horizon, the air was chilly, and the normal hubbub of people had faded away. The faunus pulled his hood up around his ears and began to walk down the sidewalk. Aster had given him directions to the café where they'd be eating, but Roy turned and began to walk the opposite way down the street. The prospect of telling his team what he'd just heard filled the pit of his stomach with a horrible, squirming feeling.

What can I even tell them? Everything we went through to get here was for nothing? Roy swung his foot out and kicked a metal can lying on the pavement, his ears twitching irritably as it bounced loudly off the sidewalk.

What the hell are we supposed to do now? It's like Qrow said, we're just prolonging the inevitable. I promised Lia we'd get to Atlas, even that's looking less and less likely now. He thought, stopping to lean against the side of a small boutique, What am I going to tell her…

With nothing better to do, Roy turned and entered the boutique. A small bell above the door signaled his entrance, the joyful jingling doing little to improve the faunus' mood. The interior was just as quaint as the outside, the bare brick on the walls heightening the effect. Racks of clothing filled the interior; everything from sweaters to suits, as well as a moderately large selection of belts and accessories.

The store was basically empty, the only occupants being the clerk and a boy with dark brown hair looking through a rack of shirts. The boy was wearing a white shirt with orange suspenders keeping up a pair of heavily patched trousers. His orange gloved hands darted from shirt to shirt, regarding each one with a pair of bright hazel eyes. Roy slowly approached the rack and began looking through the shirts, remembering he needed to replace his blue undershirt.

"If you need a coat, they're on the rack over there."

Roy looked up, locking eyes with the boy he'd noticed earlier. Looking down at his coat, Roy remembered just how raggy the thing was and smiled softly.

"This coat and I have been through a lot." he said, lowering his hood to better look the boy in the eye, "I'm not really here to shop, I just have a lot to think about."

The boy regarded the faunus for several seconds, "Anything you want to talk about?"

Roy looked the boy up and down; he couldn't be more than 14 or 15 years old. "It's nothing a kid would understand."

The boy smiled, turning his attention back to the shirt rack, "I didn't think 16 years old still made me a kid."

Roy stood for a second, deciding whether to trust this boy or not. Despite his reservations, he was beginning to feel like there was something familiar about him. "Have we met?" he asked.

The boy shook his head, "No, this is the first time I've seen you."

Roy hummed thoughtfully as he continued going through the shirts. "I...recently learned some things that I should tell my team," he began hesitantly, "the problem is, it's only going to make them sad and angry. We've just been through a rough patch and I was hoping it would be smooth sailing for at least a little while."

The boy looked Roy up and down, his gaze pausing on his eyepatch, "What do you have to tell them?"

Roy decided not to tell the boy everything and defaulted to their Atlas troubles. "We have a teammate…" the faunus trailed off as he realised just how little the title did to describe his relationship with Hunter, "A good friend in Atlas. His dad took him back home after Beacon fell. It was only supposed to be for a couple weeks, but it's been months. We think he's being held against his will so we're on our way to get him back. The Atlesians here in Argus aren't letting anyone through, so our plans are dead in the water."

The boy was quiet for a few moments, finally breaking the silence, "Sounds like you and your teammates are close."

Roy smiled, his mind flashing through several fond memories of his teammates, "Yeah, we're family."

He looked away from the boy, pretending to look through a rack of belts. The two of them remained silent as Roy finally found a long sleeve shirt that would work. It was the same material as his blue one, but was a deep olive green. Sliding it off the rack, he took a step towards the checkout counter.

"I think you should tell them. Family shouldn't lie or keep the truth from each other."

Roy turned to look back at the boy and smiled softly, "Yeah, you're right." He paused for a moment, "I'm sorry for calling you a kid earlier."

The boy smiled back, "Don't worry about it. I don't really look my age."

Roy nodded and reached a hand out, "My name's Roy Arashi."

The boy took the offered hand and shook it in a surprisingly tight grip, "Nice to meet you, I'm Oscar Pine."

-:-

About 20 minutes later, Roy stood and looked up at a brightly lit neon sign glowing softly in the twilight. The sign depicted a small stylized kitten playing with a ball of bright blue yarn, the strands uncoiling into the words 'Kitty-Corner Cafe.'

Despite his apprehension concerning the coming conversation, Roy couldn't help but roll his eyes at the name of the café. Stepping through the door, Roy looked around to find his team sitting near the back, a steaming tray of shepherd's pie sitting in front of them. He took in a deep breath, sighing as he picked up on the tantalizing scent of beef and mashed potatoes.

Ebony looked up and waved him over, "Roy! You made it! We were just discussing taking some to go."

Fighting the urge to run away, Roy forced himself to walk to the table and sit down. Setting his shopping bag down, he grabbed a plate and quickly helped himself to the pie. Prolonging the inevitable, he thought as he took his time finishing his food.

Setting his plate down with a gentle clink, he looked around at his teammates, "I have something to tell you guys, and you're not going to like it."

The girls' faces quickly grew serious and Dahlia gently patted Roy's arm, "Well…don't keep us in suspense."

Roy took a deep breath and began to explain everything Qrow had just told him. Once he'd finished, he sat back and gazed around at his teammates. Dahlia was stone faced, staring deadpan at a small candle in the center of the table. Aster was aimlessly pushing a few scraps of shepherd's pie around her plate with her fork, obviously waiting for someone else to speak. Ebony was quietly fuming, her arm still around Dahlia.

"And Ozpin knew this...the whole time?" she asked.

Roy nodded, "apparently."

Aster sether fork down with a clink, gazing around at the three of them. "Are you sure we couldn't sneak into Atlas?" she asked, "I've done it hundreds of times."

Roy raised an eyebrow at her, "You've snuck into Atlas when the Atlesian fleet is on high alert?"

The pilot colored slightly, "not exactly…"

"Back to square one then," Roy said grumpily, "The only idea I had is that since Dahlia's family is well known, we could convince them to let her go alone."

Dahlia looked desperately around at them, her eyes flashing with a flicker of hope. "But…" she began, " I can't leave you behind!"

Ebony squeezed Dahlia's shoulder, "And we don't want you to either, but having you and Hunter together is more important."

Roy nodded, "Besides, maybe you could find someone to talk to Ironwood about all of the able bodies stuck in Argus."

Dahlia perked up slightly, "you think I can?"

Roy gave her a small grin, "Lia, I'm sure you and Hunter can come up with something."

The smaller girl frowned, her face creasing with worry. "If his old man lets me anywhere near him," she growled.

Ebony patted Dahlia's arm, "we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Should we go talk to the outpost commander tonight?"

Roy looked outside to where the sun had now fully sunk below the horizon. Stars now dotted the sky and a few wispy clouds drifted lazily towards the north. The street lamps had all come on, bathing the avenue in a golden glow. "I think we should all head back to the Blue Dust," he said, "a good night's sleep before tomorrow would be best."

Several murmurs of agreement and a payed bill later, they left the cafe and began making their way back to the Blue Dust. Ebony walked ahead with Dahlia, her arm gently wrapped around the smaller girl's shoulders. Roy and Aster followed close behind, their hands shoved deep into their pockets.

The pilot gave a small sigh, "Should've figured, nothing good happens in this city."

Roy gave a her quizzical look, "That's the second time you've said something like that without context. Are you really going to make me talk to Azure about your past?"

Aster gave him a cheeky wink, "Eh, I'm shit at telling stories. Azure has voice of gold."

Roy shrugged, "All the same, I'd rather hear it from you."

The pilot's smile faltered, "I just...don't want to talk about it. All the same, you deserve to know."

The faunus nodded, "I understand."

They finally turned down the avenue toward where they were staying. The Blue Dust's exterior lights had come on, glowing a dusty blue in the twilight. A quiet breeze ruffled Roy's hair as he held the door for his friends, following after them a few seconds later.

Azure looked up as they walked in, his eyes twinkling brightly in the blue light of the bar, "Welcome back, how was the shepherd's pie?"

Ebony offered the barkeeper a soft smile, "Better than I remembered."

As they passed the bar, Roy hung back. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Aster pause on the stairs for a moment. After a short silence, she gave Azure a small nod and continued upstairs.

Roy sat down at the bar and stared pointedly at the counter; not really sure how to start, "Aster said to ask you about her past. Normally I'd only ask her, but she refuses to talk about it."

Azure nodded knowingly, polishing one of the many crystal glasses behind the counter, "She doesn't talk about her past if she can help it. She knows if she goes over it again and again, she'll only make herself miserable." Azure looked the faunus up and down, as if gauging his worthiness to the information he held, "The fact that she wants you to know about it means that she considers you a close friend. Aster always tries to be a bright light in a room and she doesn't want to pain of her past to dim that light."

The barkeeper reached under the bar and handed Roy a photograph set in a round frame. The picture showed two girls on the small corner stage, singing with microphones in hand. It took Roy a second to pick Aster out as she was wearing what looked like a wig and a dark pair of sunglasses. In the end, it was her height that gave her away. She towered over the other girl who was wearing a black long sleeve shirt and baggy combat pants, her brown hair tied up in a loose bun.

"Aster comes from one of the oldest families in Argus," Azure began, "Apparently they're descended from the original settlers." The barkeep placed the now polished glass back behind the counter and selected another as he continued, "As such, the family is very...particular about their image. More old fashioned if you catch my drift. Aster, as you've probably noticed, doesn't exactly...fly straight."

Roy frowned until the meaning of the idiom dawned on him, "I know she's a lesbian if that's what you mean."

Azure nodded, "She kept it a secret. She knew if her family found out, things would get ugly very quickly. Back when Aster was 15, she had a girlfriend named Juno. They would meet here in secret every Saturday, just so they could have a few hours together. There were occasions where they would spend the night, but they were few and far between. In exchange for these nights, they would sing for the customers; Aster wearing a disguise to keep anyone from recognizing her. With how good they sounded, they more than earned it."

The barkeeper set down the glass with a smile, "They were quite a pair and I grew very fond of them." The smile vanished and the barkeeper's voice grew grave, "One night, Aster was followed here by one of her family's servants. He told her parents and the next morning, Aster's parents barged in on them having breakfast." Azure shook his head sadly, "It was horrible, her mother was crying and her father was furious, saying that she was going to ruin everything. Apparently, they had already arranged for her to get married to a wealthy Atlesian socialite."

Roy blinked in surprise, "Arranged marriages are still a thing?" he asked, his voice tinged with distaste.

Azure nodded, "They are very uncommon, but some of the older families still do it. Anyway, Aster was obviously very opposed to the idea and refused to come home. That's when her dad pulled out his trump card. See, Juno's family owned a small imports shop down by the dock. The store's business license was being reviewed by the board of commerce here in Argus. Aster's father was head of the board and had the power to deny the renewal, causing the business to be shut down."

Roy growled angrily, "What a cheap move!"

Azure nodded grimly, "It made my blood boil to listen. In the end, Juno's fear of her family losing their business overpowered her love for Aster. She broke up with her right there." The barkeep sighed, setting the glass down with a clink, "It destroyed Aster, it really did. She begged Juno to stay, told her how much she loved her. It broke my heart to watch as Juno turned her back on Aster and left without looking back. Aster's parents dragged her home, but she was back the very next day; a backpack over her shoulder. She begged me to stay and of course I said yes. When her parents came looking for her, I spun them a tale about Aster running away to Mistral. Last I heard they were back in town, having given up on her. Aster started working for me. She washed dishes, served the customers and bussed tables. As far as I know, she never sang again."

Azure picked up a third glass and continued, "One day, a smuggler captain came to stay. He told some pretty amazing stories and I could just see Aster's eyes light up. Since Juno broke up with her, she'd been looking for a way to get out of Argus. She begged the Captain to take her on, but he refused." Azure grinned, his eyes sparkling with mirth, "he said, 'I know a trouble maker when I see one. Trouble makers like you need their own ships.' He gave her the address of a local airship junkyard and she was off like a shot. She sent me this."

The barkeeper pulled out his scroll and showed Roy a photo of what was very obviously the Dusty Daydream, half buried under a pile of scrap. "She fell in love and poured all of her wages into buying her and fixing her up. You've seen what she looks like today."

Roy nodded, "It's night and day."

Azure nodded, "She practiced flying her on weekends, got really damn good at it. I remember the day she ran her first smuggling mission. Through some blessed providence she got through just fine."

The barkeep pointed to a bottle of whiskey sitting on the highest shelf behind the bar, "I still have the first bottle she smuggled for me. I swore I would only open it at her wedding. When Aster turned 20, she came to me and asked if I would paint a portrait of her on the side of the Daydream. I agreed. While she was modeling, she told me she was leaving. 'I'll still visit' she said, 'but I'm done with Argus.' Once the paint dried, she was gone."

Azure smiled and set the glass back in its spot, "She does come back every once and awhile. I see the fine woman she's become, despite her past and it makes me proud." He sighed, tossing his wiping cloth into a small hamper beside the bar, "That's the story. I'm glad Aster's been able to find a group of good friends that will be there for her."

Roy nodded, "And we always will be."

Azure grinned and patted Roy's shoulder, "it's getting late; you kids should get some sleep."

Roy nodded and got up, yawning widely as he did. "Thank you for telling me." he said, "I think someone upstairs needs a hug."

Azure's grin widened, "She probably does."

-:-

Roy stepped into the room a few minutes later to find the girls waiting for him. Ebony was reclining on the bed, her scroll in hand. Her yukita was different; this one being black, tied with a red sash and embroidered pattern of cherry blossom petals. Dahlia was in the bathroom, currently brushing her teeth. She wore a black band tee and a pair of red plaid pajama pants. Aster was leaning against the wall by the bathroom, waiting her turn. She wore an overlarge blue t-shirt and a pair of black shorts. Her hair was down, cascading down around her thighs in velvet tresses.

The pilot looked up as he came in, a questioning look in her eyes. Roy said nothing, simply walking over and wrapping his arms around the pilot. Aster returned the hug, tugging gently at his cat ears.

"You're gonna make me get all teary eyed Short stuff," she mumbled, her voice thick with emotion.

"Tough cookies," Roy said, squeezing tighter.

Dahlia came out of the bathroom, her tooth brush between her teeth, "did Aster fall into a catnip plant or something?"

Roy shot the girl an irritated look and Aster laughed, "on that note, I'mma take a shower. I'll be out in about 10 minutes."

Grabbing a towel from the rack, the pilot shut the bathroom door with a soft click. Ebony and Dahlia turned to Roy, an expectant look in their eyes. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Roy began to tell them about Aster's past. The girls sat silently until he'd finished, hanging on every word of the narrative.

"Wow," Ebony breathed as he finished, "I had no idea."

Dahlia shook her head, "I don't think any of us did. I can't imagine what it felt like; watching the person you love turn their back on you."

Roy nodded, "I know. I think we need to help Aster feel better while we're here. We can put aside our worry for a little while, right?"

The two girls nodded just as the bathroom door opened and Aster reentered the room, drying her hair with the towel gripped in her hand. Ebony and Dahlia quickly stood and walked over to her, wrapping their arms around her much like Roy had done. Aster was speechless, only managing a few small noises before finally returning the hugs.

"You told them didn't you," she said, shooting Roy a suspicious glance.

The faunus shrugged, "I knew you didn't want to talk about it and they deserve to know. We're your friends Aster; we will always stand with you."

The pilot blinked, her eyes wet with tears and gave the two girls another squeeze, "Thanks guys, I needed this."

The hug went on for several more seconds, finally ending when Aster patted the two girls on the back, "Alrighty, that's enough affection for one night. I swear you guys are going to spoil me."

Ebony grinned, retreating to her and Roy's bed. "As far as I'm concerned, you deserve to be spoiled," She said with a laugh.

Roy nodded in agreement and took his chance to move into the bathroom. The air was still humid and damp, the smell of lilacs heavy in his more sensitive nose. The fan was running, a quiet hum in the otherwise quiet bathroom. His reflection stared back at him from the fogged up mirror. His facial hair had become thicker and he grimaced as he realized he'd neglected to buy a razor.

I'll buy one tomorrow… he thought, his ears drooping as he remembered what was going to happen the next day; they would be sending Dahlia to Atlas alone. Roy was not at all pleased about it; he'd been separated from his team before and he was in no hurry to have it happen again.

It's for the best, he thought, her and Hunter will be together.

He brushed his teeth and splashed water on his face, wiping the moisture off of his face with a fluffy dark blue towel. Exiting the bathroom, Roy switched off the light and stepped back into the cool air of the room. Aster and Dahlia were already in bed, the pilot chuckling at something the smaller girl had just said. Ebony lounged gracefully on the other bed, scribbling away in a small black book.

"What are you writing?" Roy asked as he slid into bed beside her.

Ebony slid the pen into a slot on the binding and placed the book on the bedside table. "It's a journal, I decided to start it after you left. It gave me something to do when someone…" She raised her voice so Dahlia could hear, "...was sleeping her little butt off!"

Dahlia sat up in bed, shooting an indignant look over at the faunus, "Hey! I got stabbed! What do you want from me?"

Ebony smiled and settled back in bed, shutting the lamp beside her off with a click. Roy slid his eyepatch off and set it beside Ebony's journal, settling back in bed and closing his eyes. For awhile, there was only silence.

Then, Dahlia's voice quietly cut through the stillness, "Guys...I don't want to go alone."

Roy opened his eyes and turned towards the bed, "We don't have a choice Lia, it's the only way." With his enhanced night vision, the faunus watched the smaller girl sit up and look in the direction of his voice.

"But what if we can't get through to Ironwood?!" she said, her voice shaking slightly as tears appeared in her eyes, "You guys will be stuck out here and we may not see each other again."

Roy fought to quell his own fears as he replied, "Dahlia, we will see each other again. Even if I have to move the afterlife and Remnant to do it."

Ebony sat up next to him, "We'll take on the whole Atlesian fleet if we have to."

The determination in her voice caused Roy to smile and nod. "They don't stand a chance," he joked.

Aster gently wrapped her arms around the smaller girl, giving her shoulder a squeeze, "Don't worry Lia, I'll sneak them in one way or another." She smiled, "I'm pretty sure Roy could fit in a suitcase."

This made Dahlia laugh and dash her tears away, "Okay, I'll go. But I'm going to ask if you can come with."

Aster grinned, "Atta girl. Now, let's get some sleep."

Roy yawned and nodded in agreement, "I'm all for that."

The two humans and the faunus settled back down and, in a few short minutes, had all dropped off to sleep.

Rough times for the crew. Hopefully they can figure out how to get into Atlas. Roy and Qrow's exchange is a little call back to one of my older chapters, Chapter 17: Drown Your Sorrow. Just a little heads up, I'll be taking a little break after I finish posting my Volume 6 chapters. I've debated posting volume 7 as I write it, but I think it would be best if I finish writing it before posting. It makes editing and spotting continuity errors much easier. Rest assured that once it's done, I will begin posting again. We still have about 4 chapters to go before the break though, so don't go anywhere!

Catch you later!

-Ar3mRising.