New chapter! Author's note at bottom.
XXX
The flight to Vacuo was a long, and for the most part, silent one. They flew through the entire morning and most of the day. When the plane was finally a fair distance away from the continent of Solitas, the murky grey clouds melted away to reveal a sky that was rapidly turning from pale purple to a bright blue.
Qrow was thankful that despite the confined space they all found themselves in, there had been minimal arguing and everyone remained pretty quiet. Except for one or two times that Yang and Miriam would butt heads and go at it. Qrow didn't understand why the two argued or what even started their arguments, but he had the feeling that it was for fun and the two were merely blowing off steam. There didn't appear to be any malice beneath their words.
He'd gotten up a few times to stretch his legs and wander briefly around the ship. The ship was large enough to walk around in and even contained a storage area at the back, but overall it was still fairly small and provided very little privacy. He'd make stops at the cockpit, talking to Clint and Miriam about Vacuo and their arrival. But for the majority of the trip, he sat by Winter's side. Only in the instances where he got up to talk to the others, or the times when Weiss came over to talk to her sister, did he leave Winter.
She'd been quiet. Very quiet.
He would talk to her at some point. He would. But the idea of doing so around a bunch of kids and fellow Hunters sounded uncomfortable.
They would soon be in Vacuo. And none of them knew what to expect, even Miriam and Clint. He could tell the two of them were anxious.
Kendall had agreed to help train Ruby, but would arrive in Vacuo later in her own ship. She hadn't wanted to overcrowd the twins' ship, and had volunteered to stay behind in Atlas and help sort some things out before she took her leave. Qrow thought she preferred to be on her own, a lone wolf type of person. He could relate.
One of the times that Qrow had gone up to talk with Miriam and Clint, Weiss slid into the spot next to Winter. Winter tore her gaze from the window and smiled at her sister.
"Weiss, is everything ok?" she asked.
"Everything is fine with me," Weiss reassured her. She fidgeted a little in her seat. "I wanted to ask if you were ok." Winter blinked.
"Of course," Winter said with a small smile. "I'm fine."
"You seem … out of it," Weiss ventured. "And it's ok if you don't feel fine."
"I told you, I'm-,"
"I mean, you left behind your job. Your home!" Weiss said, giving her a concerned look. "And I know what that means to you. I know what that feels like." She looked down at her hands, her eyes becoming unfocused as memories swam to the forefront of her mind. "Father's all but disinherited me at this point. It's been obvious for awhile that Whitley's being groomed to take over the SDC, but I don't think it really hit me until the party. I chose to be a Huntress, but I still wanted to run the company. Because I thought if I took over, then maybe I could change things from the inside." Winter froze, staring at her sister. Weiss looked back up at her, smiling.
"Our memories of home might not be the best, but it still hurt to leave. It hurt to leave Klein behind, and even Mother and Whitley too. I should be there to try and help them. Our life hasn't been perfect, and I should be there, trying to mend things with Whitley and Mother. I should have tried to protect Whitley like you protected me." Weiss frowned. "But when I left home the first time, it was my choice. And even now that I'm leaving, and I probably won't be welcomed back by Father, I'm surrounded by the friends I made at Beacon." Her eyes drifted to where Ruby sat by Yang and Blake. All three were chatting with each other, laughing at some joke that Blake had made. "But you didn't have that. You were kicked out of the house, and you found a new home with the General at the Academy. And he became your mentor. And now, you've been forced to leave him behind too." Weiss watched her sister, waiting for some kind of reaction. Winter went deathly silent before speaking.
"I left."
Weiss blinked. "What?"
"I left. I made a choice to leave," Winter said, a tinge of bitterness in her words. Weiss thought for a moment.
"Which time?" she asked carefully.
"Both times. I chose to leave you and Whitley with Jacques, and now I chose to leave General Ironwood and abandon Atlas." Winter looked away, crossing her arms. Her hands shook. Weiss gasped softly, then frowned again. She reached out and gently took hold of Winter's hand.
"You protected me, and Whitley, for many years against Father. I never blamed you for leaving. I rejoiced that you were able to leave," Weiss whispered. "You never forgot us, and you always came back, even though you hate Father. And now, you've had to leave your second home. Yes, you made a choice. But I think you made the right choice. And the General didn't give you good options. You were given the choice to obey orders and keep your job, or try and save the world. I think the right choice is obvious in that case, and you thought the same thing, otherwise you wouldn't be here." Weiss squeezed Winter's hand, and after a moment Winter squeezed it back.
"Thank you. I apologize that you had to see me like this," Winter said. Weiss rolled her eyes.
"You don't need to apologize for that. We're sisters. And don't forget the choice you made. Stand by it until the end," Weiss ordered. Winter nodded, then turned to the window again.
"We've left so many people behind too. I keep thinking about it. Atlas is in chaos, and we left all those people there, not to mention Klein, Whitley, even Grandfather. We did the same in Mistral. Or at least, I did. I left them to fend for themselves once the initial danger was gone."
"You and Qrow?" Weiss guessed. Winter nodded. "Have you talked to him about this?"
"NO." Winter's reply was staunch and offered no leeway. "I already talked to him about this mission and how it's affecting him. I don't want to be a burden and just remind him of all of the bad things. He cannot afford to be thinking like that now, and I hope he's finally begun to turn a corner." She curled in on herself, shoulders sloping forward and head falling to her collar. "How unprofessional and hypocritical would it be for me to confide in him about this?" How weak would it make me, she thought.
Weiss thought for a moment. "That's a fair enough point," she concluded. "But still, you shouldn't be shouldering all of that yourself. You have to realize that what you're doing, what we're all doing, is trying to solve the bigger problem. The kingdoms might be in disarray at the moment, but we're trying to save the world. And if we don't try, the kingdoms are going to fall apart anyways." Weiss' tone was soft and close to pleading. She leaned over, forcing Winter to raise her head and make eye contact with her sister. Weiss gave her a tiny smile, blue eyes bright with hope and love, and Winter felt the weight on her shoulders lessen, if only a little.
"That is … a better way of looking at things," she conceded. "After all, I made my decision to join Qrow and all of you because I believe this mission is for the betterment of humanity. I need to stand by that decision."
"There you go!" Weiss said, her smile now looking just a bit smug. She paused, then reached her arms around Winter, giving her a tight squeeze. Winter patted Weiss' back. She did not remember her little sister being so openly affectionate. It must be the work of her new Beacon friends.
Qrow, meanwhile, was standing up by the cockpit with Miriam, leaning over Clint's seat to look curiously at the control board.
"How long do you think? Within the hour?" he asked.
"I'd wager less than that," Clint replied. "Especially since we've got clear skies. I don't think we'll get a storm."
"No way a thunderstorm could roll up on us that quickly." Qrow raised an eyebrow.
"Sandstorm," Miriam corrected. "Ah, the Wasting Winds. Horrible to fly through and hell to land in. But it's your everyday show of Vacuo hospitality." Even as she said the words, her tail flicked back and forth, and a strange excitement filled her eyes as she gripped her seat. She lived for the fight, and she was obviously comfortable with Vacuo's harsh environment.
"The last thing we need is a storm crashing this ship," Qrow muttered.
"We should be fine," Clint said. "That will be the least of our worries anyways." Qrow glanced at him.
"Meaning?"
"I have a feeling we'll have company once we land. I'd prepare yourself for Grimm."
"How sure are you?" Qrow asked sharply. He knew of Clint's Semblance, but the nuances of it were lost to Qrow since he'd only worked with the Roo twins a couple times in the past. Clint's ears twitched, one of them angling down as he cocked his head to the side, thinking.
"I'll go with 80% sure," he decided.
"It's never a sure thing," Miriam said. "But we'll be ready just in case. We thought this might be the case before we even left Atlas, given Salem's pattern. There's a strong possibility that the Oasis and other parts of Vacuo are already under attack."
"It is working out into a pattern, isn't it." Qrow drummed his fingers along the top of Clint's seat. "It's too predictable for Salem."
"It is, but it's efficient too. Taking out the kingdoms one by one while worldwide communications are down," Miriam reminded him. "Besides, I bet she would resort to predictable for one reason."
"What's that?" Qrow asked.
"If she thought it would distract the Brotherhood and anyone else in her way from something else."
"Vacuo's one of her last stops, and we know Salem wants all four kingdoms to go. So how would this be a distraction?" Qrow questioned. Miriam shrugged.
"I don't know, man. Just saying." Qrow frowned, feeling a tugging sensation in his head, as if something Miriam said was ringing true. But it was all theories, and he didn't know what else they might be missing. He rubbed his forehead. He could only handle so many ideas of what Salem might be planning. The possibilities were endless.
An idea came to him.
"Maybe it's Ozpin," he suggested. Miriam pursed her lips, considering the idea.
"Maybe, but she doesn't know where he is or what state he's in. I don't think she knows anything about what happened to him after Beacon, right?"
True, Miriam had a point. It was certainly possible Salem might have learned about Ozpin, but to the best of their knowledge, she was still in the dark. Qrow sighed, scratching his head and mussing his hair up in the process. He turned away from the cockpit, leaving Miriam and Clint to chat.
"Uncle Qrow!" Ruby waved a hand to grab his attention. "Are we almost there?"
"Should be soon. Within the hour. Make sure you have your weapons on hand before we land," he said.
"Why?" Yang asked. She had been leaning back in one of the seats, eyes half closed, but now she leaned forward with interest. "Are we expecting trouble?"
"There's a possibility we'll run into Grimm pretty quickly once we land. I want you to be prepared."
"Finally! Some action!" Nora sighed loudly, stretching her arms high above her. Dr. Polendina, who was seated beside her, flinched out of the way as Nora stretched into a starfish position before falling back into her seat. "We've been stuck in this tin can for hours."
"Though we'll hardly be in better conditions once we land in Vacuo," Weiss said, her lip curling as she looked out one of the ship's windows. She still sat beside Winter, who was once again staring out the window with an expressionless face.
"Used to the frigid cold, Ice Queen?" Yang teased. Weiss' cheeks turned red, and she fired back a retort, making Yang laugh. Qrow's attention was diverted, however, to the back of the ship where Ozpin sat, alone. The elderly man had remained silent for the entirety of the ride, only giving one word responses when someone offered him food or asked if he needed anything. He was good to come along with them and accept Qrow and Kendall's plan so quickly, but the change was still jarring.
Qrow suspected Oz might still be confused about the current situation. Or he may still be grieving Beth's death. Most of them had, at least those who knew her, since it'd only been a couple of days. Ruby had shed a few tears while talking with her teammates about the battle, and Nora and Ren had huddled together, heads inclined toward each other in a quiet gesture of comfort. He'd caught Jaune fidgeting with his weapon as if preparing to fight something - or someone. Qrow could guess who. Beth's death hung over each of them like a cloud. Qrow refused to let it show, but her death weighed heavily on his mind too. He continuously pushed aside the feelings of guilt and shame that he felt at being unable to protect her, and so was just left with the average but burdensome grief of losing a friend. Normally, after something so traumatic, he'd be blackout drunk, doing his best to numb himself to all feelings. But Winter had snapped him out of it, and he'd made her a promise.
The flask still sat in his pocket. But it was empty. He had dumped its contents out before boarding.
It wasn't easy. He'd feel normal one minute, and then he'd feel like hell. More than once, he realized he'd been unconsciously flicking open his flask with his thumb. It was going to take more than a couple of days to get over his harmful habit.
He wondered how Winter was dealing with Beth's death. Was that part of the reason she'd been so closed off? Or had it barely crossed her mind? He wouldn't blame her either way. The past few days had been overwhelming for everyone on the ship, but most of them had not been forced to alter their entire lifestyle within a 24 hour span. He wanted to give Winter time, but it was the one thing he couldn't afford to give her.
Had Jimmy figured out what they'd done? Was he fuming back in Atlas? Was there an arrest warrant out for Winter? That would certainly make things even more difficult, but Qrow hoped that the chaos in Atlas would take precedence over a single Specialist's punishment. With James' paranoia, he wouldn't send anyone after Winter for fear of starting a war.
Then again, that meant he believed James Ironwood had his priorities straight. And Qrow did not believe that for one second.
He wondered too if Sable had been able to leave Atlas. He doubted she would stay behind. Much like him, she didn't view Atlas favorably. With any luck, she was somewhere in the middle of nowhere, roaming Remnant.
So many thoughts. So many feelings that pulled Qrow's heart every which way. He almost looked forward to a possible Grimm attack when they landed. He needed to get out of this airship and stop moping, and the perfect distraction was slicing through a few soulless monsters.
He gazed around the ship's cabin, watching everyone enjoy their temporary quiet, when Weiss caught his eye. They shared an understanding look, and Weiss got up, saying something quietly to Winter, before joining Ruby, Yang, and Blake at their seats on the other side of the ship.
Qrow walked over to the seat Weiss had vacated, leaning up against it with his arms crossed.
"Did you hear?" he asked Winter. "We're gonna be in Vacuo soon. But we gotta be prepared for trouble upon arrival. Clint thinks there's a good chance of a Grimm attack." He watched Winter slowly tear her gaze away from the window and look up at him. He tried to keep his expression as upbeat as he could, but the look in her eyes made him want to frown. Her slate blue eyes were dull and grey looking with no life or emotion in them. Winter Schnee was often stoic, and Qrow knew vulnerability was not a forte of hers, but this was different. It wasn't her usual stoic expression that came from years of etiquette and civility instilled in her from the military. This was the lack of any emotion whatsoever. It was nothing.
"Yes, I heard. We'll have to be vigilant." She reached a hand down to her belt, then froze, drawing her hand back. This time Qrow did frown.
"If we see Grimm, just hang back if you can. You can act as support with your Semblance." He shot her a grin. "You could lend me that Time Dilation move again. That comes in handy in battle." Winter frowned, a flicker of annoyance flashing in her eyes before it disappeared.
"A Time Dilation would require Lightning Dust. But I'll do what I can," she said.
"Once we're settled in Vacuo, we'll find a place where we can get you a new weapon," Qrow offered kindly.
"That would certainly be helpful."
Qrow paused. "Are you ok?" he finally asked, keeping his voice low. Winter winced, almost imperceptibly.
"I will be more than up to any task once we land," she said. She shot a glance over where the kids were sitting, then back to Qrow. "I'd prefer not to talk about it here."
Fair enough. Qrow slumped down in the seat beside her, leaning his head back and closing his eyes. Winter eyed him suspiciously, but after a few moments of silence, she returned to staring out the window again. Qrow hoped he could enjoy a few minutes of rest before they reached Vacuo.
Qrow didn't know if only a few minutes had passed, or if he had dozed off, but the sudden shaking of the plane jolted him. He shot up straight, looking around the cabin of the airship. Everyone else had frantic expressions and were holding on to their seats.
"What's going on?" he yelled up to the Roos.
"Hitting some turbulence," Clint yelled back. Qrow could barely hear him over the sound of wind and sand beating against the shell of the ship. "It's not a real sandstorm, but it is going to get a little bumpy. Hang on and grab your weapons, because we're getting ready to land."
Qrow carefully got up from his seat and grabbed his weapon from the back, returning back to the seat and strapping in. Ruby was strapped into her seat too, clutching Crescent Rose in her grasp. When she met Qrow's eyes, she smiled and gave him a thumbs up. Jaune, Weiss, Nora, Ren, and Blake each gripped their own weapons, holding on to their chairs as best as they could. Yang was the only one standing up, readying her weapons. Her new prosthetic arm gleamed a bright gold.
When they were back at Mira's house, Qrow had the opportunity to sit down with Yang to talk about how she'd gotten to Atlas. She'd told him how she'd left Patch to look for Blake, ending up in Menagerie. Her journey had involved an eventful ride across the sea, several run-ins with the White Fang, and a number of dramatic arguments with Blake. She admitted that she was also, in part, looking for the man who had cut off her arm, but had not found him. And after staying with Blake and her family for a while, she'd realized that trying to get revenge was going to send her into a worse spiral than her initial depression after she'd lost her arm. After her story, she'd shown him the prosthetic arm that she'd received. She said it'd been a gift from Atlas, most likely James Ironwood. Qrow didn't know if he believed it. He'd have put money on the idea really being Glynda's. Either way, he was grateful it had helped Yang get back on her feet. He knew her problems weren't solved, not by a long shot. He'd seen her at Mira's in the early hours of the morning, before any of the other kids had woken up. She'd sat in the kitchen with a mug of coffee, staring at it, dark shadows under her eyes.
Qrow knew that look because he'd seen it a hundred times when he looked in the mirror. Especially after Summer's death. He'd told Yang that whenever she needed, he would be there to lend an ear or help her out. He'd told her not to bottle it up, because that's when things got bad. They'd managed to have a decent talk during those early morning hours, when everyone else was still fast asleep. The battles she was waging internally weren't over. Qrow understood; he'd been fighting similar battles for years.
But hopefully, things were slowly getting better. She at least looked happy when she was surrounded by her teammates.
And now she looked almost as excited as Miriam, perhaps a little too excited.
The ship waged against the heavy winds for several more minutes, and then Clint shouted at them again.
"We're landing!" he yelled.
"Any Grimm?" Ruby yelled back. Miriam peered out the front window, holding on to the ship's wall.
"Yep. I can see a couple down there. Probably more not far," she replied.
"Excellent," Yang said.
"Get ready!" Clint shouted again. Qrow's eyes shot to Dr. Polendina, and then to Oz, remembering that neither were fighters. He met Miriam's eyes, a questioning look on his face as he gestured to the two older men.
"Clint will watch them. They can stay on the ship, and we've got to make sure we don't wreck this baby," Miriam explained, smacking the wall of the ship.
"I can stay close too," Ren offered. Miriam shrugged.
"Fine by-," she didn't finish her sentence as the entire ship shook with the impact of hitting something hard and solid. Everyone wobbled, trying to find their footing. Qrow thought Jaune looked a little green. Miriam shook her head, the tip of her tail flicking. "Damn Clint, a little warning next time!"
"I warned you twice!"
"Ready?" Miriam asked, directing her question to Qrow and ignoring her brother's protests. Qrow just nodded, cocking his weapon.
The side of the ship slid open with a loud creaking sound, very unlike the sleek and silent jets of Atlas. Qrow and Miriam exited first. Winter stayed close to Qrow, and the kids followed after them.
Everywhere Qrow looked, there was sand. A lot of sand.
And there were Grimm too.
Qrow spotted two decent sized Nevermores close by, and what looked like a Deathstalker out in the distance. Black spots circled above them too, ready to divebomb. Rapier Wasps maybe? Wherever Qrow turned, he spotted another new Grimm. While he recognized some, a few were unfamiliar to him. Vacuo-native Grimm and Grimm that were used to the desert climate.
"Ah good. I see a Blind Worm! This will be a good exercise." Miriam cracked her neck, grinning as she readied her weapon.
"Weiss, mind giving me a boost?" Yang pointed up at the shapes in the sky. Weiss sighed, but flashed her rapier, forming a glowing glyph beneath Yang's feet. Yang crouched down, then shot into the sky. Ruby replaced the cartridge in Crescent Rose, equipping Gravity Dust. Nora already had her weapon ready and in its gun form, aiming at one of the Nevermores. Jaune and Blake stood by their respective teammates, while Ren hung back by the door of the ship.
"Ready, Schnee?" Qrow asked. Winter nodded. "Don't suppose you can give me any cool upgrades with your glyphs?"
"I can only use my normal glyphs and my Summoning. My Dust was confiscated back in Atlas," she said. Qrow internally cursed James for the tenth time that day.
"Well, stay close," Qrow said. Winter just nodded again, and Qrow had a brief second to realize that Winter wasn't arguing his point like she usually would, when one of the Nevermores screeched and lunged for them, flapping its wings hard. It thrust its wings forward, and multiple, razor-sharp feathers shot towards Qrow and Winter. They both jumped to the side, and the feathers embedded themselves in the ground.
The Nevermore swooped down, its beak open wide. Qrow flipped open his weapon so the barrel of the gun showed, and fired multiple rounds into the Nevermore's mouth. The Grimm bird changed course, and began flying straight for Qrow. Given the size of the Nevermore, Qrow figured it could easily swallow him whole.
"Qrow!" He heard Winter's shout off to his right, and then a glyph began glowing below his feet. He jumped, propelled by the glyph, just as the Nevermore flew underneath him. Another glyph appeared, creating a platform for him to land on so he wouldn't fall on the Nevermore. No, he thought. That's what I should do.
"Schnee, wait! We need to do that again!" he called. Winter, who was balancing on her own glyph platform several feet away and warily watching the Nevermore circle back around, cocked her head to the side.
"What do you mean?" she asked. Qrow pointed at the Nevermore.
"Get me above it!" he yelled. "And when it's underneath me, drop me!" He saw Winter's eyes widen a fraction, but when he switched Harbinger into its scythe form, she nodded.
The Nevermore was almost upon them again. It was large for a Nevermore, but nothing Qrow couldn't handle. As it got close, Qrow leapt into the air again, Winter's glyph giving him more momentum until he stopped in midair with another platform beneath his feet. The Nevermore screeched again, trying to turn its head.
"Now, Schnee!" The glyph below him vanished and he fell. He twisted his body, bringing his scythe down in a spinning arc as he aimed for the Nevermore's neck. He felt his scythe connect, felt the slight resistance as blade met the Grimm's feathered neck, and then the scythe sliced through cleanly and the Nevermore's head fell and tumbled away. Within moments, the body and the head were fading away.
Qrow dropped to the sand, bending over as he caught his breath. A minute later, Winter dropped down by his side.
"Easy," Qrow said with a grin, straightening up. Winter raised an eyebrow, then quickly looked away.
"There's more Grimm to take care of," she muttered. Qrow's grin wavered, but he shoved his thoughts to the side. Later, he thought.
"Well, let's help the others," he said. Winter nodded.
"Yang!" They both turned to see Blake Belladonna staring up at the sky, her face etched with fear. Her gun was in her hands, but she wasn't firing.
Qrow looked up and his mouth dropped open. Yang was precariously dangling from one of the flying Grimm, holding on to one of its large, hooked fangs. As he looked closer, he realized the Grimm weren't Rapier Wasps like he had previously thought. Had he really thought about it for more than a second, he would have remembered that Rapier Wasps were native to Vale and likely wouldn't be found in Vacuo. No, these Grimm were very different from Rapier Wasps. And much more dangerous.
Ravagers, he thought. Shit. That would explain why there were so many. Ravagers always came in huge packs and swarmed their prey in violent frenzies.
"Do you want to go up and help her?" He looked over at Winter, who was staring at him with a very serious expression. "I can use my glyphs to get you up there." Qrow nodded. Winter focused, and an ascending path of glyphs appeared. "Hurry! Once you're up in the air and farther away, it will be harder for me to provide you with glyphs." Qrow gripped his scythe and climbed up the path, racing from one glyph to the next. When he reached the dark cloud of swarming Ravagers, he let loose.
He spun and cut through Ravagers left and right. He wasn't even sure if he had killed any yet. There were too many to tell. One flew by him, and he spotted a wave of bright yellow hair.
"Yang!" he shouted, jumping to another glyph. Yang turned her head, still hanging from the Ravager.
"Uncle Qrow!" she called back. She didn't appear to be hurt, and despite her situation, she didn't look scared.
"What are you doing?!" he yelled, slicing through another Ravager. It dissolved into nothing as it fell to the earth.
"Just needed to hitch a ride to get to the rest!" Yang said, and with that, she swung herself onto the Ravager so she was straddling it, and began throwing punches. Qrow could just barely hear the sound of her Dust rounds going off over the fierce beating of the Ravagers' wings. Yang finished off the Ravager by grabbing its wings and pulling hard, using the recoil from her weapons to rip the wings off its body. As the Ravager began to plummet to the ground, Yang hopped to another Ravager and began the same process. Even from a distance, Qrow could see her eyes turn bright red, but he didn't see the bright flames or glowing hair that accompanied them. Perhaps Yang was playing it safe, even if she didn't seem like it as she savagely pounded into a Ravager's head with her fists.
Qrow would have smiled, if he wasn't still fighting for his life in the eye of a storm of Grimm. Yang had been like that ever since she was a little girl. He remembered finding her and Ruby when Yang had snuck off looking for Raven. She'd been surrounded by three Beowolves, still just a kid, but she'd looked brave. Her tiny fists were up, and she had been standing in front of the wagon, guarding Ruby. It was a terrifying but also strangely comforting memory for him. He'd been scared out of his mind when he'd first found his two nieces, but afterwards, as he'd hugged Yang and promised to always look after her and Ruby, he'd felt his heart warm.
He slashed through another Ravager, and then caught the glyph beneath him flickering. He searched the ground, looking for Winter's stark white hair, and found her by herself, staring up at him. Her hands were covering her ears as she dodged left and right from a swooping Ravager. The Ravager's gaping mouth was open, aiming its piercing sonic scream at Winter. He watched as she Summoned a few pale, small Nevermores and sent them at the Ravager, managing to keep the Grimm away from her, but she was clearly struggling. She had no weapon to defend herself, and she was stretching herself thin between Summoning and providing Qrow his own glyphs.
Weiss was the closest to her, and was keeping a Deathstalker back with what appeared to be a large, Summoned Boarbatusk. Bright, white glyphs surrounded the Deathstalker too, and Qrow could see a flash of white and blue as Weiss materialized from glyph to another, delivering quick attacks. Though she tried to stay close to Winter, she was too busy with the Deathstalker to assist her sister.
Qrow jumped off the glyph, quickly flipping his scythe into its gun mode and firing multiple rounds to slow his descent. He landed several yards away from Winter, waving at her to let her know he was ok. Winter nodded in his direction, jogging towards him.
Then the sand in front of her exploded, a large, dark shape emerging from the ground.
"Damn!" Qrow skidded to a stop, holding his weapon in its sword form out before him, ready to block any attacks. The sand floated through the air, blocking Qrow's view. He coughed, scrubbing his eyes to clear the grit and sand away. "Schnee!"
He heard a loud, pained yell, and his breath left him. As the sand began to clear, he spotted the large Blind Worm thrashing and writhing on the ground, with Winter stuck between its teeth. Qrow ran towards them. As he drew close, he was relieved to see that Winter had caught the Worm's large fangs with her hands, struggling to keep the teeth from impaling her. But she was still in a precarious position. Qrow prayed that her Aura wasn't completely depleted.
He fired off a few rounds into the Blind Worm's underbelly, then ran at it, sliding hard on the sand until he was directly below the beast's shaking head.
"Qrow!" Winter grunted. "If you stab me, I'm going to kill you." He almost laughed.
"Don't worry, Schnee!" And with that, he stabbed his sword into the neck - or was it the body?- of the Blind Worm. The Worm howled, and it began shaking its head even harder, slamming it into the ground. Its tail lifted up, and Qrow's eyes widened as he was met with another set of fangs. Riiiight. This thing has a head on each end, he thought, mentally cursing.
"Qrooooow!" He caught Winter's angry scream even amidst the chaos. Switching his weapon back to its scythe form, he prepared to attack again, but a bright glowing figure stopped him. For a moment, he thought it was one of Winter's Summons. But he didn't recognize this one. It was incredibly tall, towering over him and the Worm. It looked like some kind of ancient knight.
Weiss stood beside it, her rapier pointed at the Blind Worm. Her knight charged the Grimm, swinging a large sword and tearing through the Blind Worm, cutting off the second head. Its other head lifted up and it opened its mouth in a horrifying, gurgling yowl. Winter fell from its gnashing mouth and bolted for Qrow. He thought she'd duck for cover, or perhaps propel him forward with one of her glyphs, but then she spun on her heel to look back at the Blind Worm. Her eyes burned with fury, and her entire expression was one of barely contained anger. Qrow could see her hands shaking, and he frowned, that itching feeling of worry creeping up on him again. Winter's hands curled into fists, and a great Summoning glyph appeared before her. A shimmering, white and blue Manticore appeared, roaring at its newfound opponent before leaping at it with outstretched claws.
Together, Weiss and Winter's Summons tore into the Blind Worm. Weiss' knight cut into it with each swing of its broadsword, and Winter's Manticore ripped into the Blind Worm's head relentlessly. The Worm's shrieking cries were almost haunting. Green liquid started to build up around its teeth. It was preparing for an attack, ready to spit acid at the Summons. But it never got the chance. With both Schnee sisters using their Summons against it, the Blind Worm didn't stand a chance. The Manticore jumped back and disappeared, just as Weiss' Summon severed the Blind Worm's head. When the cries died down, Qrow looked back to dark wisps fading away, leaving no trace of the Worm.
All around them, the howls and shrieks of Grimm were dissipating as the others reduced the Grimm to nothing. The only ones left were some of the Ravagers, still flying in the sky, but Qrow could see them soaring away, no longer interested in taking on the humans. Especially since Yang and Nora continued to fire after them. Qrow thought he heard Nora yell something about 'ugly-ass birds flying back home'.
Qrow took a good look around at their group. A streak of red flew by him and stopped by Yang and Blake, Ruby emerging from his cape with an exhausted grin. Everybody was covered in sand and dirt. Weiss and Winter practically looked brunette with their hair completely covered.
"Well, what a refreshing fight!" Miriam casually strode over to him, laughing. She was slowly winding her whip back into a loop on her belt. She was covered in sand too, but not quite as much as the rest of them. And unlike Qrow and the others, Miriam didn't seem tired. She acted like she'd just returned from a morning jog.
"Refreshing?" Weiss asked in disbelief.
"Was that supposed to be easy?" Jaune asked. He shook his head, sending up a cloud of sand around him. Nora stood on her tiptoes to brush some of the sand out of his hair.
"That might seem strange to you, but to me, that's a Tuesday." Miriam shrugged. "Most of Vacuo is a 'kill-or-be-killed' kind of place. We don't have the luxury of natural barriers or high-tech militaries to guard us. Here, you use your strength and your wits to survive." She walked past Qrow and all the kids. "Come on, we still have places to be."
The kids groaned, but trudged after her. Even Ruby moaned, dragging her feet as she walked alongside her teammates. Yang rolled her eyes and thumped her on the back. Weiss had taken off her jacket and tied it around her waist. Both she and Winter looked miserable in the Vacuo heat.
Qrow fell into step beside Miriam, though he tried to keep Winter within his sights. She was exhausted like the others, probably more so considering her lack of a weapon. She had certainly strained her Semblance out there, pushing herself to her limits. But Qrow also worried about her mental state. That cloud of gloom still hung over her. Her eyes held so little emotion in them. Even when she kept her emotions guarded before, he could still see the cracks in her facade. But now …
He couldn't wait until they reached an actual town. They could all rest, buy supplies, and he could try to talk to Winter.
It took him a few minutes to realize Miriam had been talking to him. Luckily, she didn't notice that his mind was elsewhere. Instead, she continued chattering about their battle.
"Even had a few subterranean Grimm too! And the tough ones! You see those a lot around here, much more than the other kingdoms, but I'm a little surprised they came out in the broad daylight with so many other Grimm. Of course, they weren't as big as some of the ones you see," she rambled. God, she really lives for the fight, Qrow thought. This woman could only be a Huntress. No mundane job would suit her.
"What about your brother? And Ren, Oz, and the doctor?" Qrow asked, jerking a thumb back in the direction they had landed. "Isn't it dangerous to leave them in the desert with so many Grimm around?"
"We took care of the Grimm," Miriam said. As if he needed reminding. "And relax, the Dune Transport will pick them and the ship up and take them to the hanger right outside of the settlement. Clint knows what he's doing, and he'll meet up with us soon after we arrive." Her eyes lit up, and she reached out and shook his shoulder. "Speaking of! It looks like we're just about there!"
They had arrived at the Oasis, one of the largest settlements in all of Vacuo, and one of the very few that actually had clean water and some greenery around it. The only larger settlement wasn't much further away and housed Shade Academy. Qrow made a mental note to try and meet up with the Headmaster at some point.
The Oasis was beautiful and much larger than one might think. A small city lay within it, with palm trees and shrubs with bright flowers dotting the streets and popping up between buildings. The entire city formed a crescent shape around a large, natural pool of water that held slim kayaks and skiffs along its edge. It was nothing compared to the size cities in Atlas, Vale, or even Mistral, but it was still a lively center. Most of Vacuo's settlements were barely more than villages; in some cases, they were simply tents and traveling caravans. Being mobile was essential for many Vacuo citizens, given how common Grimm attacks were. The Oasis and the capital were the only two settlements that could generously be called cities.
They still had a ways to walk, but Qrow could see a few people in the streets, could hear the sounds of bustling vendors. A glider flew by overhead and landed next to the pool. It was almost jarring compared to their recent encounter with the Grimm of Vacuo. Qrow remembered Clint and Miriam's worry that Salem had already targeted Vacuo. Had she not yet directed her focus on Vacuo? Or was the too-perfect scenery of the Oasis covering up Salem's mark? Were they too late? Qrow clenched his teeth. They would soon find out what state Vacuo was in. He hoped they beat Salem to the kingdom.
"Ah, we're here," Miriam said, sighing sweetly. She looked back at the kids following them and grinned, showing her teeth. "Welcome to the Oasis, one of the loveliest and largest settlements of Vacuo!"
XXX
"It's so … annoying! She won't shut up!"
"Calm down, girl. She is simply a remnant of the past. She cannot control you, nor can she order you to do anything. Your power is your own."
"Why can I hear her?! You never said this would happen!"
"A side effect of forcibly taking the powers, I presume. They were meant to be given through a much more natural process. Darling Ozpin truly thought of everything."
"It's distracting. And it nearly cost me during my last battle. How am I supposed to fight against them if they can use the same trump card every damn time?!"
"I thought you were more clever than that. Stop focusing on your newfound powers, and stop focusing on your fear. Brute strength won't get you what you want. You must think of a solution to your problems, a way to outsmart the enemy. But don't worry, I will help you do that while you recover from your last fight. And then I will set you on your warpath again, and you will help me bring Remnant and the band of Huntsmen and Huntresses who dare oppose me to their knees."
XXX
Our characters have made it to Vacuo! But the question remains, what is Salem's plan? And is Vacuo safe?
Vacuo's going to be a very unique setting, with its own set of problems, so strap in for more story and perhaps a few surprises along the way! And of course, more Qrow and Winter.
NinaVale: Thank you so much! I'm glad you're happy with Winter and Qrow's moments, and I'm glad Winter's supportive side came out well. And I'm glad you liked Qrow's interactions with Ironwood and Ozpin. They're both morally ambiguous characters, though very different from each other, and it's hard to pin down their true thoughts. Perhaps we'll see Ironwood again ... And of course, Ozpin remains a puzzle that they have to figure out.
hypernova2718: Thanks! I'm glad you liked Winter's conflict about leaving. I've been building it up since the Mistral arc, so I'm happy it finally paid off! And I'm glad you enjoyed the bar scene and the stealthy sneak-out scene too! Those were probably my two favorite moments in the entire chapter. Very fun to write, especially because they're two moments where Qrow and Winter, especially Winter, get to be more open and vulnerable with each other.
GojiraFan455515: Thanks! Hope you like this chapter too!
Ashley-Hepburn: Thank you so much! Hearing that I've captured the characters' well is probably one of the best compliments I can receive, so it means a lot! And don't worry, I will continue to write this story! There's still so much our characters have to do.