"Coffee, black, no sugar… on the rocks." The barista grimaced as she set down the still steaming cup of coffee, filled to the brim with ice cubes.

Silver eyes regarded the mug for a moment before the man raised it to his lips, sighing in satisfaction as the conflicting temperatures hit his lips. "Ah… perfection."

"That's… not the word I would use." the barista grimaced.

"Yeah? Well, we can't all be perfect can we," he grinned smoothly, fishing a Lien card from his vest with a wink. 'Keep the change, sweetheart."

As the barista wandered off, Monty drained the coffee in a single draft and returned to his reading, saving the ice cubes for later. A small core of ice dust kept them from melting in the afternoon heat. It wasn't his weirdest experiment by any means, but the drink had grown on him over time, and the looks from the baristas were more than worth it.

Others might have preferred a good work of fiction for a light read, but like before, they couldn't all be perfect. The thick tome of Aura enhanced biology was the way to go. Such a fascinating subject. Even after centuries and they were only scratching the surface of everything Aura was capable of. And with his Semblance ignoring the possibilities was practically criminal.

The babble of everyday life in Vale was all around him. Not unexpected, though when you primarily operated in the wilderness the noise of the cities was as jarring as being woken by a gunshot. The open air cafe wasn't his first choice as he usually avoided the more populated areas of the city, but today was a very special day, one he wouldn't miss for the world.

So he waited, occasionally cracking an ice cube between his teeth and spitting out the core as he flipped through the pages and occasionally scanned the crowds for his target. The streets weren't overly crowded, a small blessing that was mitigated by the numerous Atlas soldiers constantly on patrol. More than a few cast him a suspicious glare as they passed.

The city was on high alert, the exact opposite of his last visit.

Even the passing Huntsmen were regarding him with suspicion, forcing him to stare down a young Huntress across the street.

Yes, I'm one of you, he mouthed, flaring his Aura. Now piss off. The girl flinched and scuttled away, shooting him disbelieving looks the whole way.

"Is it that hard to believe?" he bemoaned to himself, running his hands through his onyx hair, lingering on the blood red tips. Damn his heritage to hell. Was it that hard to believe one of his kind could be a Huntsmen? There were plenty of others like him. Things hadn't changed that much in the last century.

A flash of gold in the crowd caught his eye before a young man in a Beacon academy uniform separated himself. Tall and lean, he walked with a swagger begotten of years of training with the confidence to match. Silver eyes blinked above a calm but amused smirk as he made his way toward his table. However, there was something… different about him.

Horribly different.

"You gotta be kidding me," Monty groaned theatrically, putting down his book as the golden haired youth approached. "Cut that thing off, it's embarrassing."

"What? This?" The young man reached back and pulled a long braid of golden hair over his shoulder. "I think it fits me."

Monty's brow shot up. "You wanna look like a woman?"

"It enhances my masculine features, thank you very much."

"It's a braid. Men don't do braids!"

"My team approves," he huffed.

"Yeah, because you're their team leader and they're trying to save face. Trust me, they're laughing behind your back."

"It's a new trend."

"A new trend," Monty sputtered playfully, rising to his feet with an exaggerated groan, (ugh, he was getting old) towering a full foot over golden boy. "Next thing you know Beacon is gonna become sexually exclusive. No more Huntsmen because Huntresses are the real moral booster. Throw 'em up on posters, stick 'em in outfits and pin ups, that'll win wars faster than Atlas ever could."

Golden boy looked unimpressed. "You're exaggerating."

"Really? Your team is… what? You and three hotties? You'll either end up banging each one or I'll get a call saying my brother is now my sister and now a lesbian."

Golden boy turned several shades of scarlet. "Okay, that's definitely exaggeration there. Violet and I-"

"Oh! So that's her name, huh?" he asked, smirking. "Violet. Is that the harem name? Vi-O-Let. Three syllables, three women, that's how it goes?"

"That's my girlfriend's name, thank you very much."

They stared at each other, one smirking like a certain piranha Faunus they both knew and the other looking like a volcano ready to erupt. Finally, Monty chuckled. "How you doing there, Oum?"

"Waiting for you to shut up," Oum retorted, but the smile spreading across his face indicated all was forgiven. "You're an asshole, you know that?"

"It's my right as a brother to tease," Monty shrugged. "Not my fault you can't come up with any good comebacks."

"Yeah, it's good to see you too, Monty," Oum replied and wrapped his brother in a one armed bro-hug. "Thanks for coming. It really means a lot."

"Hey, what are big brothers for," Monty laughed, pushing Oum into the second chair at his table. "Sentimentality, loans, and…"

His grin stretched across his face as he motioned across the cafe.

"And what?" Oum asked, following his gaze to the approaching procession from behind the counter. Horror spread across his features as he saw what they carried. "Oh no… no, no, nononononono, you didn't."

Monty's grin widened as the procession of baristas surrounded the table. Oum shook his head in one final plea, horrified. "Please don't…"

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!"

The entire cafe exploded into song; brother, baristas, cooks, and even complete strangers. Oum moaned, burying his head in his hands in embarrassment as Monty sang horribly off key at the top of his lungs, scaring pigeons half a block away.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR OUUUUUMMMMM," Monty screeched at the song's near conclusion, taking a plate of cake stuffed full of candles from one of the baristas and setting it down before the birthday boy. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!"

"You're the worst," Oum moaned. "You bought out the whole cafe, didn't you?"

"Just doing my duty," Monty grinned, handing each of the baristas a Lien card as the cafe returned to normal, offering congratulations as though nothing had ever happened. "Someone has to do it."

"You suck…"

"Ah, it ain't that bad," he said, pushing the cake towards his brother. "Come on, make a wish. Let's see if fairy god brother Monty can't make it come true."

Oum glared, then focused on the slice of cake, which closely resembled a pillar of flame for all the candles packed on. "At least you got the candles right." He sighed, dismissing his embarrassment, then blew hard, throwing in his Aura for added effect. Even the fake candles Monty had requested couldn't withstand it.

"You're no fun, you know that?" Monty groused playfully as Oum removed the candles from his prize, smirked at him, and dug in. The first bite, however, made him pause in disbelief.

"Is this…?"

"Atlassian Chocolate Ice, your favourite." Monty nodded in reply. He pulled a medium sized package from the ground and pushed it across the table. "Happy sweet eighteenth, little brother. I guarantee it's better than what your harem got you."

"They're not my harem," Oum blushed again, pushing the cake aside in favor of tearing open the first layer of the brown paper package. "We're just teammates. And well... We've been too busy to put anything together, really."

"They riding you too much?" Monty's smirk widened at his brother's blush and his mounting frustration as he pulled away the brown paper and found a thick layer of toilet paper beneath it.

"No, we just lost a team of Huntresses last week," Oum sighed, pulling a hunting knife from his belt and setting to work. "It's been all over the news, you haven't heard?"

Monty's smirk evaporated. "No, I've been outside the kingdom for months. What happened?"

"Nobody knows, honestly. The team wandered off after school hours and raided some warehouse on the north side. Word is getting around that it was a White Fang staging ground. Stockpiling Dust too."

"That's impossible," Monty mused, crossing his arms in thought. "I would've heard about it… or felt it at the very least. Anyway, they couldn't have been there long."

"Nope. From what I heard the team took care of the problem, but somehow a fire got started. The team leader was trapped inside."

Monty winced. "Ouch."

"Yeah… burned to death." Oum paused and shook his head sadly. "Rest of the team didn't take it too well. One—her partner—went back to Atlas in disgrace. The other two just up and vanished, no idea where they went."

"That would explain the extra security. I chalked it up to just Atlas being paranoid. The White Fang were just a nuisance before, now they're an actual threat," Monty spat. "Don't know who to be pissed at; Council or White Fang. Both are idiots, and the Fang does bad things, but the Council lets them! Either way, both make life hell for me."

"Yeah… it hasn't made things easier for us either" Oum nodded. "Their pre-assigned missions had to be divided up and us second years took the brunt of it. I don't wanna spend half my semester in the woods, thank you very... much…" He trailed off as he tore away the final layer of toilet paper, staring wide eyed at the gift inside.

"By the gods, is this…?" Reverently, he lifted the custom made dust cylinder from it's home for the last three months and held it up to the light. An engraving caught his eye and his eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. "A-Armsmaster Amar Nazari?" He stared at his brother in shock. "The Armsmaster of Vacuo forged this?!"

"Just for you," Monty nodded. "He owed me a few favors."

"A-A few favors?!" Oum spluttered, still in awe. "This… t-this is…"

"Worth more than your entire school education? Yep." Monty grinned, cracking another ice cube between his teeth. "You said that rapier of yours was acting up, messing with your glyphs. This should fix it."

Oum shook his head, glancing between the cake and cylinder, still in awe. "J-Just… wow. Thank you."

"Hey, fairy god brother, remember? It ain't everyday you turn eighteen, so enjoy it while it lasts."

"Yeah… Yeah, I guess so." Oum swallowed, still stunned. His fingers began tracing the edges of the cylinder nervously. "So… about that wish… you okay to answer a question for me?"

"That's it?" Monty blinked in surprise. "I meant it as a joke, but since you're asking, sure. I was ready to storm Atlas for more cake at your request, but that works too."

"Even if it's… a little awkward?"

Monty made to laugh it off, but Oum's forlorn expression stalled him. "Okay," he sighed after a moment, "how awkward are we talking here?"

Oum chewed his lip for a moment. "...why do you and mom hate each other?"

Any cheer Monty might have felt at that moment died a painful death. "Right… that," he almost snarled. He forced a calming breath and chomped another ice cube. "You sure? That's really what you want?"

Oum straightened in amazement. "Wha… really? You'll tell me? I just... I mean, I didn't think you actually would."

"You're a grown man now, Oum. You have a right to know." He fixed his brother with a look that brokered no foolishness. "I don't want to. I wished you had never asked... but I will. If—and only if—you absolutely, without a shadow of a doubt, want to know. Because I guarantee you'll never be able to look at us the same way again. Not me, and certainly not your mother."

"She's your mom too," Oum protested, causing Monty's jaw to clench. "You see, that's what I'm talking about! Every time I try to get the two of you together you try to kill each other. Literally!" He sagged in his seat. "Please… I just want to know why my only family is so… so…

"Dysfunctional?" Monty suggested drily.

Oum nodded wistfully. "Mom won't mention your name now. Please… I just want to know why."

They had to hit this crossroad eventually. What's the worst that could happen? Pretty much everything, come to think about it, and for good reason too. Monty crushed another block of ice between his teeth, the sound seeming to echo over the silent table top.

"Circumstances," Monty said at last. "You remember the last Great War?"

"Y-Yes, of course," Oum replied, brightening considerably.

"Of course you do, bookworm that you are," he huffed goodnaturedly. "But did you know there was a second great calamity on the horizon?"

Oum shook his head, listening in rapt attention.

"Yeah, that's always kept out of the history books. You wouldn't think the roving tribes in Vacuo pose much of a threat, but when they get the bright idea to unite they can sweep across the countryside like a wave, pillaging everything in their path. And with the kingdoms still trying to recover it would have been a massacre."

Oum paled slightly. "...gods…"

"As for why that didn't happen, well…" Monty spread his arms wide. "You're looking at him."

Oum eyes narrowed, unimpressed. "You weren't even born back then."

"That's kinda the point. The tribes have a complicated mess of politics to the point of being contradictory. Mostly revolves around honor and heirs and other garbage, but there is always a Kuan at the top. Dynasties within the tribes are always vying for power—it's basically a giant backstabbing fest to the top. How it works? I have no idea, and I lived in it for a few years."

Monty paused to crush another ice cube. "Now, the Great Kuan, as he came to be known, was largely regarded as a prophet. No one knew which tribe he hailed from, only that he came riding out of the desert to with a message of conquest and glory. No one believed him until he began accomplishing the impossible. He unified the tribes."

"That doesn't sound so outlandish," Oum said.

"Except that these guys have rivals and blood feuds, grievances that stretched back for hundreds of years. Yet somehow this chum managed to pull centuries worth of bad blood and hatred into a cohesive army. And then he didn't even have to work to persuade other tribes to join, they started started flocking to him like the prophet he claimed to be."

Monty leaned forward. "And there was one dream tying all those tribes together. You see, since the Kuan was effectively tribeless there was no claim to the throne after his death. Sure, he somehow drew them all in with dreams and promises of conquest and glory, but at the top was the ultimate promise of safety. A united people strong enough to drive out the Grimm for good."

Oum shook his head in disbelief. "That's impossible."

"Say what you want, the people ate it up. But, as always, there was another motive for the tribes. Sure he called his army his tribe, but everyone knew there was no blood heir to his throne." Monty shrugged. "Maybe the Kuan was aware and used it to his advantage, but it drove the tribes into a frenzy to win his favor, to be named the heir of the promised empire."

"They're all vultures…" Oum whispered.

"That sums up Vacuo for you, actually. If the old man had been allowed to live, well… Vale wouldn't be a thing anymore. So mom got involved."

Oum leaned forward in anticipation. "How?"

"By fucking the guy, that's how. I'm serious here," Monty added when Oum's jaw dropped in disbelief. "About... oh, midway through his unification when she realized he would be a problem, she stops by and made him her sperm donor and everything. No idea how… and honestly I don't want to know. Nine months later I popped out and mommy dearest dumps me on his doorstep."

He ran his hands down his face. "Gods, but I hated that bastard. Surprisingly he took me in. Raised me like his own son."

"But why take you in at all?" Oum interrupted. "I mean… no offence, but you could've been anyone. Mom couldn't have…" he trailed off, shaking his head.

"Aura calls out to Aura," said Monty.

That made Oum's eyes widen in shock. "The Kuan was a Huntsman?!"

"Among other things," Monty repeated glumly. "Anyway, he knew without a shadow of a doubt that I was his son, and that complicated things. He couldn't turn me away, not without raising questions about my heritage. Copulating with a Human is a death sentence down there. I suspect he was just gonna kill me… don't know what changed his mind." He snorted mockingly. "Maybe he just wanted a proper heir all along. He taught me everything he knew; how to defend myself, how to use my Aura, all at the tender age of two." He shook his head. "One way or another, I was just another weapon to him. Skip ahead four years and the Kuan was on the cusp of the invasion. The city of Vacuo was in our sights and the tribes were waiting for the bloodbath to begin. That's when the old bastard pulls me aside and leads me to a hill overlooking the city."

He paused, staring down into his mug as the moment came rushing back to him. "There… he crowned me as heir to his future empire."

"Wow…" Oum swallowed. "I, uh… I'm guessing the other tribes didn't like that."

Monty laughed. "Oh, you don't know the half of it. You know that shattering glass sound when somebody's reality is shattered? Picture that happening for forty percent of Vacuo. My old man didn't survive the night."

"He died in the attack?"

"Nope. Somehow everyone got wind of it. His own advisers, selected from the most powerful dynasties around, tore him apart with their bare hands." Monty chuckled ruefully at Oum horrified expression. "Yep. That was just the kind of people they were. They would've killed me too… if the old bastard hadn't saved my life. Buried me in the sand under his tent. I waited there for days while my old man's glorious army fell apart at the seams. The power vacuum tore the dynasties apart as they gave up the charade and just... fought it out."

He swallowed hard, unable to look Oum in the eye. "All a part of mom's great plan. Sacrificing her own bastard son to save civilization as she knew it."

"B-But…" Oum stuttered, shaking his head at the revelation. "Mom… she wouldn't…"

Monty crushed another ice cube as his brother retreated in on himself. This was exactly the kind of reaction he feared. The truth was a terrible thing.

"There's more," he said softly, pulling Oum out of his thoughts. "That was just the tip of the iceberg. If you're ready for the rest I'll tell you, but if not-"

"No," Oum interrupted, voice heavy with the tone of someone who's world had just been shattered. "I-I'm ready. I can take it."

Monty sighed and pressed on. "I survived, barely, and managed to crawl my way into the very city we planned to invade. Of course, you know what I am. I was less than shit to them. Even street rats lived better than me. It was only because of my Aura and Semblance that I survived as long as I did. To make a very long story short, I lived on the streets for six years before stowing away on a ship to Minstral when things got too hot for my kind."

"Minstral?" Oum looked down at his hands. "That's…"

"Where I found you, yeah," Monty nodded. "At the time, Minstral was in a bit of a hard spot. The Huntsmen Academy was low on attendants, Grimm were popping out of the woodwork and—wouldn't you know it—another warmaster was preparing for war."

"B-But that's impossible," Oum protested. "There haven't been any wars in Minstrel in decades. They're like the monks of Remnant."

"To the rest of the world, yeah, but we all have skeletons in the closet. Minstrel especially. They may act all polite and proper, but they're just phenomenal at hiding their own secret war. Nothing big or flashy like Vacuo, everything happens behind the scenes, till one man gets it into his head that he could run things better without all the competition. War was inevitable, until mom stepped in again."

Slowly, Oum paled as he realized just what that entailed. He took a bite of cake to settle his nerves. "A-And I was…?"

"Honestly, I'm less informed of what happened on your end," Monty shrugged. "I was more focused on survival at the time, but Minstral was on the brink of collapse when I arrived. 'Course, politics never matter in the back alleys unless law enforcement is involved." He grew somber as the memories rushed back. "That's when I found you locked in a dumpster."

The Atlassian Chocolate Ice made a reappearance as Oum choked. "W-What? No… no, you said you said you met me at an orphanage, no- not this."

"Because I took you to that orphanage," Monty countered calmly. "Again, don't know the specifics, but you were left there to die. Mom's plan must have backfired… or maybe it didn't. I learned later the bastard died a few days after I found you."

He plucked another cube from his mug and considered it carefully. "I don't know what led me to that dumpster. It was always empty, locked… but something convinced me to break those locks, and then I found you." He looked up at his near catatonic brother. "The odds of us meeting were… impossible, to say the least."

Across the table his brother more closely resembled a ghost than a living being. "How...?" he asked, voice barely above a whisper. "How did you know I was your brother?"

"Aura calls out to Aura," Monty forced himself to continue. Oum had to know the truth. "I knew you were my brother the moment I lay eyes on you. 'Course, that left the question of what I would do with you. I… I couldn't just leave you to die and I couldn't take care of you, either... so I dropped you off at the orphanage." He snorted. "I sure gave the caretakers a fright. Thankfully you were fully Human so they took you without question."

"Why though?" Oum finally looked up. He wasn't crying, that was good news, though disturbed was a bit of an understatement. "Why save me at all?"

Sighing heavily, Monty considered the question. "I… I suppose I just wanted something more," he said at last. "I was done. Bottom of the barrel. When you're an intellectual living on the streets you tend to notice things, connect the dots, things like that. And I was," he pointedly frowned at Oum's attempt at an amused smirk. "My sperm donor would've sooner killed himself than raise an idiot for an heir. It saved my life. You saved my life."

"Me?" Now Oum only looked confused.

"When a man loses all hope it's only a matter of time before he decides life isn't worth living anymore." Another ice cube vanished down his throat. "I never sunk that low, but I was pretty damn close. And honestly, what was out there for me? The chance to live another day so I could repeat the whole damn cycle over and over again?"

His eyes softened. "You gave me hope. A brother from the mother I never knew even existed. My lifeline out of that hellhole. If I kept you alive… maybe she'd take us in." He chuckled humorlessly. "So, yeah, saving you for entirely selfish reasons. That was a thing."

Oum stared down at his hands. "So I was your ticket out. What changed? I-I mean," he elaborated as his brother's expression twisted in confusion. "I'm still here… from what you're saying I was just a means to an end. What changed?"

Monty's shoulders sagged as he stared down into his mug. The ice cubes were almost completely melted away. "Honestly, I just wanted to see you smile. I… I was hated and reviled my whole life. People would try to kill me as soon as look at me. But you? Every day I would stop by to check up on you… and you would smile at me. Someone… was actually happy to see me."

He smiled. "You don't know how much that meant to me. That in my own personal hell, there was someone... someone who truly cared about me. Even if he was just a baby." He smiled fondly. "That became the highlight of my day, you know; sneaking in through the back window to see you."

"I remember," Oum nodded, returning his gesture. "I was always asking the caretakers when big brother Monty was coming and they couldn't figure out who I was talking about."

Monty laughed. "Well it was their fault for locking me out in the first place." He sombered and the story continued. "That went on for a few years... until finally mom visited Minstral on official business."

The mug in his hand creaked as his grip tightened. "She felt us the moment she landed. Aura calls to Aura and all that shit. The two sons she'd sacrificed for the greater good of Remnant, alive and well."

"So she came to find us," Oum picked up for him. "I remember that much."

"Yeah, she did. Kicked down the door, sword drawn, ready to kill us both." He weathered Oum's scandalized look as the boy choked on nothing. "Look at the facts, Oum: We were both dumped on the doorsteps of warlords for the sole purpose of destabilizing conquests and uprisings by the same woman who is expressly forbidden from getting involved. What does she do when she finds the only two pieces of evidence linking her involvement?"

Oum couldn't reply, face as pale as salt.

"She was there to kill us both in cold blood," Monty continued, "and there wasn't a damn person on Remnant who could've stopped her."

No one but him, anyway. He wasn't ashamed to admit that he had been terrified. A sixteen year old boy with nothing but shadows and a knife standing between his sleeping brother and one of the Maidens of Remnant. Even Huntsmen would sooner flee with their tails between their legs than face her in open combat.

He still saw those silver eyes in his dreams, gazing into his soul. Judging him if he was worthy of life.

"...You're lying…" Oum whispered, jaw clenched. "You have to be… She wouldn't..."

"I honestly wish I was," Monty replied. He considered the last ice cube in his mug before swallowing it whole with a wince. "She spared us that day, officially adopting us without anyone the wiser." And admittedly he gave her the perfect cover. Anyone brave enough to pull a blade on her was worthy of respect, it was only fitting she take me as her apprentice.

"But you didn't stay…" Oum said.

"I took what I needed and left," Monty agreed. "So long as I didn't say something stupid she was perfectly fine to leave me to my devices."

"And you left me behind."

It wasn't an accusation, but it struck deeper than Monty could have imagined. "I… I wou… I could have," he stammered, "but… I wanted what was best for you. I couldn't take care of you, okay… and though I loathed her with every fiber of my being, she wanted to take care of you." He hesitated, then admitted. "I could have tried to take you back, fought her… and died… but I couldn't bear to put you in jeopardy. As much as I hated it… if she wanted to play mother, that was probably the best chance for you. And look at you now!" He laughed, trying to cheer him up. "A student of Beacon. Best job in the world! What more could you ask for?"

Oum didn't even look up. "Why didn't you tell me this earlier," he asked after a long minute. "I don't… I don't want to believe you, but…"

"Because I wanted you to be happy," said Monty. He reached over and squeezed Oum's hand. "My life was hell, and I'd be damned if I put you through the same thing."

When Oum remained silent he sighed. "You asked me why I hate mom, right? We were her sons and she sent us to die, only taking us back when we proved we were strong enough to survive on our own. She doesn't deserve me, and she certainly doesn't deserve you."

Oum shot to his feet, chest heaving. He was distraught, but there was none of the outright hatred Monty had expected, considering the bombshell he'd dropped. Finally, his brother muttered some halfhearted apology about some study group and turned away toward Beacon, taking his gift with him.

"Oum." Monty called, grinning ruefully as Oum spared a backwards glance. "Hate me if you want, but know that I'll always be here for you."

Oum nodded, still uncertain, before vanishing into the crowd.

Monty watched him go, a weary sigh escaping him. That could've gone better... but he couldn't see going any worse, either.

But the team Oum had mentioned...

Packing up his things, he slung his pack over his shoulder, straightening his bustersword across his back as he jogged through the streets, picking up speed as he ducked into a back alley. Safely out of sight, he pulled a folded mission statement and reread it carefully.

"So that's what's what the Headmaster was talking about," he mused, mesmerizing details under the new context. One made him pause and wince.

They'd been sisters. One of the missing teammates and the leader, they'd been sisters. Ouch.

"But why do you need to find them so bad?" he asked the empty air, looking the mission over again, the wording, the slight implications behind each word. Something had the Headmaster spooked, it was obvious in the perceived urgency of the mission.

No problem. He'd get it done. After all, who else but the devil does the devil's work?

And scribbled along the bottom was a message was a private message that never ceased to bring a smile to his face. He could never thank Beacon's headmaster enough for the tip.

Shoving the paper back in his pocket, Monty sauntered off whistling a merry tune. Night would come in a few hours, and then he would make his move. This particular target had remained illusive for so long he thought he'd never get another chance, especially after last time.

But the tides had changed and now his window of opportunity was open.

He wasn't going to miss this chance again.

-o0o-

Your gods have abandoned you to your misery.

I bring a foundation. A truth that will last forever.

You shall die no more, bound for eternity in steel and resolve.

Fear not, daughter of Remnant, for your sister will live again.

Your grief will be turned to joy.

Your family will be reunited, all I ask is that you serve my purpose.

Come with me, for I am the Harbinger of your destiny.

-o0o-

Synchronize Chronometer

Remnant's Ascension:

T - Y:01 M:00 D:23 H:04 M:05 S:10

A/N: I know this is late by a lot of years, but this is a tribute to the late Monty Oum. The first few seasons and his animation style inspired me, and the series hasn't been the same since his passing.

For now, we cross into the heavy AU elements of this fic and the deeper connection I have planed between these two universes. As for why I'm not focusing on Yang exclusively as she would have a deeper emotion connection to these events? Well, I feel that this journey of corruption is best viewed from the outside, so we can see the effects it has on the world. A deeper understanding of what awaits Ruby when the Reapers come calling.

Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed yourselves. Like, fav, leave a comment, I love to hear from you guys!