I don't own RWBY

"That friend of yours would've made a good faunus."

Adam had never praised anyone much less a human so hearing those words had left her speechless. Although the tightness in her throat had made speaking a distant idea. It was a fact that Ruby was special, there was no other way to describe her leader, but she'd never thought any human would earn such respect from her brother. Him saying that about Ruby made her feel warm but it also hurt. Without Ruby turning to defend the White Fang, she would've remained just another human. The respect Adam had for her had almost came at the reaper's death. She'd almost lost Ruby twice since meeting her.

It terrified her how easily Ruby threw herself into danger with zero regards for her own safety. One day it might even get the younger teen killed. Ruby almost died.

She knew what it looked like when someone died. They became nothing but a lifeless husk devoid of dreams or thought. The idea of Ruby's bright starlight eyes becoming dull and faded caused her chest to hurt. Her chest ached even now despite the fact Ruby was safe. If she'd never pushed for helping Adam then maybe Ruby wouldn't have gotten hurt. Was this her fault? Ever since she'd left the White Fang she'd thought of this as a new start, yet tried to keep connected to her past. Was that really such a horrible idea? Was she being punished for trying to combine her past and present? Or maybe fate was trying to bring retribution for the blood on her hands.

Unlike Adam and Ilia, she'd grown up in a loving home with parents who supported her from the moment she was born. Amongst the tragedy-filled lives of her comrades she always had a home to go back to. In her naivete and perhaps arrogance, she'd left that behind to fight a battle that had seemed right. She never even told them what she was doing. If she had died they would never have known. Just to herself, she wasn't prideful enough to believe she was a good daughter. After everything she'd done, all the people she'd killed, there was no way she could return home without sinking into the darkness of self-hate that waited for her.

Just to herself, she admitted that it wasn't Adam or the White Fang that had changed. From the moment Adam offered her a place at his side she'd known what he was. She had been the one to change, to tire of the bloodshed. In her mind, there had been a clear line between fighting for equality and going too far. When she crossed that line everything had felt hollow. All the pain, blood, and tears were for nothing if she became a monster to accomplish her goals. It was why she ran.

In truth, she was nothing but a coward. When it came down to it, she always ran away. Hell, the only reason she'd stayed this long was Sun and Ruby. If she'd never come to Beacon, maybe Ruby would never have gotten involved with the White Fang. Maybe it was pure selfishness but thinking about recent events wasn't enough to make her regret coming to Beacon. It was easy to say that leaving might be for the best. It was easy to think that walking away might save her teammate. All her doubts were so clear in her mind yet there was no regret.

By coming to Beacon, she'd made connections that would last a lifetime. If she'd never come to Beacon she'd never know what it felt like to see the sun personified in a person or be around a girl who almost embodies hope. Everything might be easier if she'd kept running, but easier wasn't always for the best. While she'd come to Beacon to be a Huntress, she'd stayed because of Ruby and Sun. They were more important than her own life. This was a hell of a time to realize how much she cared about them; Adam would laugh at her.

Letting a bitter chuckle past her lips, she didn't bother to hide her smile; after all, who cared if she was having a minor breakdown. Staring down at her leader she wished that Ruby had been her partner instead of Yang. Everything she'd ever done made her nothing more than a murderer who ruined everything she touched. When she returned to Beacon, she'd tell Sun everything about both her past and how she felt for him and Ruby. If he still wanted something to do with her then maybe it might not be too selfish a wish to keep him close.

Brushing a strand of hair from Ruby's face she knew admitting anything about how she felt for Ruby was nothing short of foolish. The girl was radiant, but she doubted Ruby felt anything close to romantic interest for her. If not for almost losing her, then she'd never entertained these emotions either. So, from now until the moment she had to walk away there was nothing she could do but support Ruby with everything she had. If she did then maybe she might make up for all the blood on her hands. Standing slowly, she exited the medical building as Roman stirred. She needed time to process her thoughts. Ruby was going to reject her once she realized how much blood she had on her hands.

"Kitty cat!"

Viper's call was a bit annoying but she refused to let it show on her face. Glancing up at the roof the man had claimed for him and Nix, she paled. The words she'd thrown at the leopard faunus back during their fight at the docks had been nothing short of insensitive and bordered on cruel. Her parents would've knocked her on her ass if she'd said it within their hearing range. Nix's parents were heroes to the White Fang, there was no way they'd have been disappointed with their daughter. It was only her pride and anger that the two faunus had harmed Ruby that kept her from apologizing. Heading to meet him, it was a bit alarming to see the smile on his face. A happy Viper was usually not a good thing.

Apparently, the two had split the large rooftop in half. There was a tent set up on one side with what seemed to be a cooking area while the other half was dedicated to watching for any grimm that might get past the tribe's defenses. The dark look sent at her by Nix made it obvious that she still remembered their fight.

During her time in the White Fang she hadn't had much of a relationship with Viper's team, Adam however was a favorite of the three-man squad. Viper was so fond of the man that she had no doubt they were loyal to him. They never liked her. To them, she was nothing but a traitor who hadn't shown her true colors. Her chest ached to learn they were right about her intentions. Even Pear for all her stoic glances had never said a kind word to her.

"I heard you've been teaching Weiss about our history," he said. The way she stiffened brought a grin to his face.

"That is none of your concern," she stated. Weiss didn't need someone like Viper around her especially considering how fragile her teammate was.

"Weiss is my concern," he said softly. Shivering at the gentle tone she narrowed her gaze. When had he even met her teammate? Nix hated the SDC, she knew for a fact that the other girl would never accept Weiss. Shifting on her heels, she pinned him with a glare that only caused him to chuckle. There was no humor in his tone when he said, "I want to ensure she learns our true history not the one you want her to."

"Are you accusing me of lying to her?"

For a long moment, the question hung in the air between them. It was true she hadn't told Weiss everything but the heiress didn't need to know about all the bloody sins committed by both sides of this war. Hardening her glare, she dared the man to admit he considered her nothing but a cowardly liar. She didn't care if he hated her. Lips falling into a dark frown, he eyed her closely. To him, she was nothing but a spoiled little girl who knew nothing at all. She had no sense of loyalty to their cause nor was she willing to put her own life on the line for someone else.

"Yes," he stated simply. There was no hesitation or mirth in his voice as he said the word with enough force to make her wince. Trying to stay strong under his gaze she paled when he said, "not only did you abandon Adam but you turned your back on everything your parents built when you sided against the White Fang."

"You're wrong," she snapped. How dare he suggest that she was betraying her parents.

"No, I'm not," he said before she could start shouting at him. Touching the mask hooked to his hip he sighed. This wasn't his normal taunting behavior. Brushing his fingers over the bone like material he said, "You joined the White Fang without knowing who you were. I don't blame you for leaving after the incident nor do I think you were wrong, however, by betraying us you caused a rift in the White Fang allowing the rats to seize their chance."

"Rats?"

"We might be a collection of outcasts and radicals, but we have politics. The second you withdrew your support of Adam it fractured the White Fang. Those that still support your father left almost immediately while urging others to do the same."

"That's impossible," she argued. There was no way that the White Fang was something so easily broken.

"Unlike you, the blood on my hands isn't something that will stop me from ensuring our people have the freedom they deserve," he said. His cold tone did nothing to hide the almost sad smile on his face.

She should drop it. All they were doing was talking in circles. Her aching chest was the only thing she could focus on. It wasn't a good idea to argue with him. The ice in his eyes showed that this was her only chance to walk away. He'd gotten his answer, all she needed to do was turn away; he'd let her go. She didn't need to fight him right now. There was no point.

"Right, what're a few corpses to a monster," she snapped. It was taunting and harsh almost begging him to lash out in turn.

"At least I never killed a child," he said dryly. Despite knowing exactly what she was doing there was no way he'd be able to hold his tongue. The way she flinched before looking down at her hands held a kind of sadistic satisfaction. Sneering he stepped toward her almost enjoying the wince that followed. She'd taunted him into snapping at her, so there was no way that this wasn't what she wanted. Her guilt was making her reckless. If this gave him the chance to finally voice his issues with her then he'd take it.

"Viper!"

Stilling he glanced over at Nix; did she really want him to let this go? It was hard to breathe out an angry sigh and turn away from Blake. Letting his ward stalk past him to face their cowardly princess, he knew she was just as angry as him.

"Blake, you should look somewhere else for someone to condemn you."

(Flare)

Shrinking under Juno's gaze, she winced as the woman tightened the bandages around her arm with ruthless efficiency. The doctor was almost vibrating with anger, maybe she should've told her before going off to try and deal with the White Fang issue. If Lex had actually killed her then Juno would've been left alone but he hadn't.

Her old commander had left her bruised and bleeding but alive. Mercy wasn't something that she'd even believed he knew the meaning of much less how to show it. She'd followed his orders for long enough to know that he was a ruthless bastard. The only issue was he hadn't killed her nor had he sent his best operatives to attack the manor. From her brother, she knew that Pearl was here in Atlas although no one had seen the ram faunus. If Lex really wanted the Schnee's dead he'd have come himself; he'd already proven she was no match for him. There had to be some greater plan at work because she would never believe that he spared her for old times sake.

It was true that they'd worked together for years, but she'd betrayed him. Quite literally left him to die with a spear through his ribcage. While she hadn't thrown the spear she hadn't exactly tried to stop his attacker. Maybe it had been a mistake but he'd gone too far by hurting Juno. The doctor hadn't been able to sleep without nightmares for months. In truth, if it came down to it, she'd make the same choice a million times over. Some people just didn't deserve to live. To her enemies, she would be one of those people.

"Did you even think before doing something so stupid," Juno asked. False calm colored her voice but it fooled no one. Finding Flare gone had almost caused her to have a heart attack.

"Yeah," she mumbled. Meeting the blue eyes that she loved so much there wasn't a spot of regret in her gaze. She'd never regret her choice. Raising her voice she said, "I thought about what he did to you, then I thought about what he tried to do to Whitley."

Then she'd decided to confront him. It was reckless, stupid, resembling a teenager more than anything else. One day she might regret her actions but that wasn't today. Making Juno worry was something she hated doing. For a moment the doctor narrowed her gaze, letting her know that her answer was the wrong one. Smiling softly, she watched Juno pull away from her as she finished the first aid treatment. The confident woman standing before her was nothing like the broken girl that Lex turned her into years ago. She'd give up anything to ensure Juno never became like that again.

"You're not allowed to do something like this again," Juno said coldly. Despite the harsh frigid glare it was easy to see the fear in her eyes.

"Is than an order my love?"

"Don't 'my love' me you're on the couch until Willow has her baby," she snapped. Turning away before she could be pulled in by Flare's pleading eyes, she didn't let the faunus see her shaky smile.

(Ruby)

Eyeing the way Roman bristled like an enraged cat, she shifted warily. Her ears were still ringing from him snapping at her for the last hour; Neo's silent laughter wasn't helping at all. This wasn't the lecture she'd expected. Sinking under the cold green gaze of the thief she wondered if he was finally done. It was hard to ignore the bandages wrapped around his body or the fact Neo was helping him sit up so that he could lecture her.

"How did you think doing something so stupid was a good idea?"

"I wanted to help," she said hoping the words sounded strong. From the way her voice shook slightly there was little chance of that.

"You nearly got yourself killed," he hissed. The offended noise caused her to wince but she didn't look away from him.

"Hey! I didn't ask you to follow me," she snapped finally done with his scolding. Eyes lighting up with anger he rolled his eyes.

"Of course, I followed you! Nico holds our lives in his hands," he said sharply.

"That has nothing to do with me!"

"It has everything to do with you," he stated. The words caused her mouth to snap shut as she realized what he wasn't saying. Nico had tasked them with her protection. Even though the man would never hurt her, Roman was someone he wouldn't have any issue killing. Oh, her survival dictated their survival. Wincing at the realization it was easy to see that they didn't have any choice but to follow her into the chaos. Even if they'd left her to die, Nico had spies all over Remnant. There was nowhere to hide from the information broker.

"Sorry, I didn't know," she said hoping that he'd accept her apology. The raised eyebrow was the only sign he'd even heard her.

Looking up at Neo to silently ask her opinion he wasn't all that shocked to learn she was in favor of letting her off the hook. She'd always had a soft spot for kids. Neo had already told him that they could leave. With both Niko and Ozpin's permission there was nothing truly keeping them in Vale. While it would be annoying to pack up and run, he didn't mind starting over. The only issue was leaving meant Cinder got away with everything she'd done. There was part of him that wanted the woman to pay for hurting them.

"Be more careful in the future," he ordered instead of scolding her. The timid smile she sent him quickly faded into a worried expression when her teammates charged into the makeshift infirmary.

Catching Weiss when the heiress launched herself onto the cot without hesitation, it was all too easy to see the way her shoulders shook. Hugging the white-haired girl tightly, Ruby glanced up at Blake waiting for a scolding. If Roman had an issue with her actions then Blake would too. Taking a seat beside the bed her faunus teammate didn't say a word, instead, she reached out dragging Ruby into a hug of her own. Pressing her face against Blake's shoulder she relaxed even as Weiss mumbled a complaint about being in the middle of the huddle.

Watching from her place against the wall, Yang didn't even try to move closer. Just knowing that Ruby was alright was enough for her, the reaper didn't need her when she had the other two. There was also the fact Blake might tear out her eyes if she tried to hug Ruby right now. The faunus was a bit overprotective in her opinion. Glancing over at Roman who had dissolved into some kind of silent conversation with Neo, she tilted her head before deciding that it didn't matter. They had two days until they needed to be back at Beacon.

Tensing when her mother slid past her to check on Ruby she tried to clamp down on the wave of bitterness that almost tore her apart. It wasn't anything new, yet it still hurt. Pushing off the wall, she escaped the room before she did anything stupid. There was still some part of her that wanted Raven to care about her the same way she cared for Ruby, but that was never going to happen. Unlike her, Ruby was special. Looking down at her hands she frowned, it might be childish but she didn't really want to stay here anymore. She didn't mean this general area either, maybe it was time that she left.

(Ozpin)

There were assassins in his school. Assassins, as in more than one. Oh and let's not forget the terrorist. Resisting the urge to slam his head into his desk, mainly because it might break, he groaned. Adrian or Shifter as he preferred to be called had just finished his explanation leading to assassins being added to the growing list of reasons to kill James. The only thing the man had asked for in exchange for the information was safety from James. It might be arrogant, but he knew just how easily he could provide that safety.

It was hard to remind himself that he had a plan and preemptively killing James wasn't part of that plan. He needed to out the general to the entire world before making his move; if he didn't then he'd look like the one in the wrong. Still, the ever-growing pile of sins dropping onto James's shoulders was worrying.

Honey Ryker's treatment was at the forefront of that list, but the man's obsession with Glynda was becoming a close second. If that iron-headed fool made one step toward acting on that obsession he would cut him into tiny pieces. He'd make sure the general was still alive too. On that cheerful note, he was pretty sure that his past lives waking up had made him more violent. It wasn't easy to keep from acting on his instincts. By taking up his sword again he'd pledged to tear apart his enemies no matter the cost to him, but he hadn't thought it'd be this hard.

Due to the remarkable progress Aiden and Vera had made on saving Amber he had to hope the woman might survive. It also showed that Ironwood hadn't been actually trying to save her. That was just another nail in his coffin. Not that there would be much of him left to bury; okay that was Deamon, the incarnation had taken personal offense to Ironwood's mere existence. Sighing, he pressed a hand against his head hoping to calm down. It'd help no one if he lost control.

Team RWBY had stopped the Breech. He needed to focus on how proud he was of them rather than how angry he was with Ironwood before he allowed Deamon loose to tear off the man's little ironwood. Sitting back in his chair, he knew Ruby wanted answers that the rightfully deserved. He'd already decided to tell her everything. Maybe it was the memory of Rose and Malic that fueled his choice but that wasn't something he wanted to think about right now.

His ploy to turn Honey against Tyrian had backfired too. It was slightly impressive how loyal the girl was to her psychotic caretaker. Just how badly had Ironwood hurt her that she'd be so attached to Tyrian of all people. His anger toward the faunus might also be due to the fact he had to replace Port. There were few people he'd even think of trusting around his students, sadly most of them were already working on their own tasks. He supposed allowing Tai to take the position might be for the best; it would also give Qrow a legitimate reason to stick around.

We could always just go with my plan, King offered. Groaning, because yes this was exactly what he needed right now. It wasn't like he had enough to worry about without the voices in his head making an appearance.

We're not starting a war, he made sure to keep the refusal firm. There was no need to start a war nor was there a need for a bloodthirsty king right now.

What about killing Ironwood, Jester asked with enough venom to poison a small state. It was nice they were all in agreement that James had to die.

Yeah, he makes Glynda uncomfortable, Archon pitched in making sure to keep his voice soft. It was just enough to show he was interested.

I still say we cut off his little ironwood, Deamon hissed. The hate he had for Ironwood wasn't something that the incarnation had ever shown. While he knew the reason for the emotion it was hard to reconcile it with the cheerful man. Holding back a sadistic chuckle, he wondered if letting him loose to deal with Ironwood might be overkill.

No, I have a plan.

Sighing as they fell silent, he knew it was only a matter of time until they found something new to chatter about. If it came down to it, letting them loose might be his only choice. This incarnation wasn't really the most adept at using their more combative magic like King or Wizard were. With the upcoming battle taking chances might end with getting his students killed. It was why he'd been honing his skills once more.

The Vytal Festival was right around the corner, it wasn't going to end well. Casualties were unavoidable with the current plan but it was the only option. Well the only option that put all his enemies in one place. When Cinder attacked, he'd take care of both her and Ironwood. Everything was going almost exactly to his plan which left him more than a little worried. There was no such thing as a flawless victory. In his very bones he knew that something was going to go wrong yet he had no idea what. Having Tyrian kill the Huntsmen between Vale and Mistral suggested she was going to turn on Mistral after attacking Vale but certainly wasn't a luxury he could afford. If he was still young and reckless it would be easy to toss away his reservations in favor of action.

Reaching out he brought his coffee cup to his lips only to find it empty. Of course it was empty he'd downed an entire pot during his conversation with Shifter and Aiden. Staring blankly into the cup for a moment he frowned. It was so much easier when he only had to worry about trolling Glynda. Tightening his grip on the cup he stood slowly. The heavy feeling in his limbs was worrying but nothing he hadn't dealt with before. Walking to the coffee pot he started another batch with almost robotic motions.

Blinking as he was startled out of his thoughts by his scroll he glanced at the text from Qrow before send one back that ordered him to bring the kids to his office. At least Coco was safe. He had no doubt that she was traumatized by her experience, but he needed to see her for himself. Without visual confirmation his mind might not believe she was alive much less safe.

Qrow didn't take long to follow his order, the man never had. Pouring a much needed cup of coffee, he eyed the kids as they entered his office. They were just kids. Children that he'd signed up for his war according to Salem, but without Huntsmen and Huntresses the grimm would destroy everything. This system was a necessary evil. If he could eradicate the grimm he'd make that choice but that wasn't an option. In truth, he was running out of options. Putting the thoughts from his mind he turned his attention to Coco who met his gaze with an unreadable emotion.

"I'm glad you returned safely," he said softly. While the emotion in his voice was genuine it was hard to forget that according to Ciar she'd met one of the oldest grimm in history. A grimm that hadn't been seen in over two hundred years; one he'd thought was extinct.

"It wasn't easy," she said. Trying to smile the girl seemed to grimace for a moment before looking away from him.

It was easy to see from the dark bags under her eyes and still healing scratches that Tyrian had done a number on the girl. The way she clung to her partner was enough to show him that she would need therapy; he'd schedule an appointment with the school counselor after she left his office. At least Ruby would be happy when she returned from her mission. Well, until he pulled her aside and told her everything that caused his own nightmares. Taking a sip of his coffee he frowned at the fact it did nothing to help him center himself; maybe it was time to start drinking something stronger again.

"The Tenebris helped," he stated. It had been a shock to hear that one of them was still alive, especially after Salem's ruthless hunt two hundred years ago. Then again as being just under the God of Darkness they were far stronger than normal grimm; far more unpredictable too. Noticing the way her eyes lit up at the name he almost chuckled before asking, "Are you curious about it?"

"It saved my life more than once," she stated with a nod.

"It's a grimm," Ciar reminded. The bitterness in his voice wasn't all that shocking nor was the way Velvet clung to her leader. Any fear they had was warranted.

The responsible thing to do was to warn her away from the grimm; if this was a normal situation then he'd do that. With the upcoming battles, having a Tenebris trail after her wasn't the worst thing in the world. Moving to his desk, he pulled out the research book that had been brought out of storage the second he heard Ciar's report. Old worn leather depicted its age, this wasn't the first version of this book nor would it be the last.

"This contains all the research about the Tenebris," he stated. Handing her the journal, he noted the gentle grip she had on the book. Smiling without much emotion he said, "Now why don't you kids take Coco to get checked by the nurse."

Hi guys. It's finally back Yay! Sadly that doesn't mean the chapters will come any sooner; my fight with writer block is still ongoing. By the way, anyone figures out the twist with Glynda yet? I've given hints. So I think next chapter we'll be back at Beacon. What did you think of this chapter?

Tenebris means dark in Latin. I know it's not that creative but I couldn't think of anything else. So should Amber live or not? I haven't decided yet.

I'm ending the poll by the way and going with the crossover; mainly because I've already written a few chapters. It's not coming out any time soon though.

okay so I had an idea for a story: Ruby leaves home alone after the fall of Beacon and travels to Haven by herself. It's not a very concrete idea yet but I do like the sound of it.

Anyway hope you have a nice day and stay safe

- Shyla

ps. Shadowed updates way more frequently if you want to check that out. I'm publishing ch.60 today and working on ch.61 right now. Family is also a cute happy story with short chapters if you're interested.