"Why does the third of the three brothers, who shares his food with the old woman in the wood, go on to become king of the country? Why does James Bond manage to disarm the nuclear bomb a few seconds before it goes off rather than, as it were, a few seconds afterwards? Because a universe where that did not happen would be a dark and hostile place. Let there be goblin hordes, let there be terrible environmental threats, let there be giant mutated slugs if you really must, but let there also be hope. It may be a grim, thin hope, an Arthurian sword at sunset, but let us know that we do not live in vain."

-Terry Pratchett, A Slip of the Keyboard

…

So I watched volume 8 of RWBY, beginning to end, last weekend. If there was supposed to be any hope in there, I completely missed it. In my personal opinion, this volume skirted dangerously close to grimdark. I hate grimdark.

Now… I don't know how many of you liked the recent season of RWBY – props to you if you did – but I'm respectfully requesting that everyone who reads this little note just… please do not bring up anything about vol.8 in the comments. I don't wanna talk about it. At all. These few lines are all I have to say on the subject, and I just want to move on.

*deep breath*

Okay… now that that's out of the way, let's get to the story.

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Strangers

June 29th, 4-81 — Lushu

…

Some people called Lushu 'the Argus of the South.'

Those people hadn't actually been to Argus.

For those who don't know, the town of Argus is a big cluster of buildings that sits on the northern coastline of Anima; it's the single biggest port city between Mistral and Atlas. This is very evident by the combination of Mistralian architecture and Atlesian technology; the people there live in relatively high comfort. The city itself sits behind a well-fortified wall on its south edge and a very secure shield system in the waters to the north, making sure it was safe from the Grimm no matter which way they approached.

The only thing it had in common with Lushu was the continent it sat on. Beyond that, the cities were completely different.

If anything, Lushu more closely resembled Atlas itself.

The city of Lushu sat on Anima's southern shore – obviously – and served as the primary port of call for the island of Menagerie. In fact, on clear days the island itself was visible to the naked eye from the Upper City. Where Argus was a combination of two kingdoms, Lushu was entirely Mistralian; everything from the architecture to the surrounding landscape reflected the unique culture of the people that called the Kingdom of Mistral home.

The most distinctive feature of Lushu was also the most controversial; known commonly as the Upper City, half of Lushu sat atop a wide plateau of rock that loomed hundreds of feet over the rest of area like a sentinel. This region of the continent had a lot of plateaus like this one, but the Upper City claimed the largest. This is where the rich and powerful of Mistral came to play. This is where they chose to relax… all while lording it over the residents of the Lower City. This is also where Xiwang Academy resided, a prep school similar to Pharos that trained up-and-coming Huntsmen before sending them off to one of the Big Four.

There were only 2 ways to reach the Upper City: you either had to fly there (which cost a lot of Lien due to hazardous wind conditions) or you climbed a grandiose stairway built into the rock itself. The use of this staircase was heavily restricted by the residents of the Upper City, who charged a hefty fee to anyone who wanted to come up it. As a result, it was almost as expensive to walk up as it was to fly up. Nearly every major clan in Lushu had a different name for the staircase, but most folks of the Lower City just called it the Ladder.

Comparatively defenseless, the Lower City was home to the working-class people of Lushu; fishermen, dock workers, laborers, craftsmen, and everyone who didn't fancy living in what they lovingly referred to as an ivory tower (among other, far less polite names). They were the realists, the survivors. The Lower City didn't have any defensive wall around its border, nor did it have powerful shields to defend the docks; instead it had dense, unforgiving jungles and a narrow opening into the bay through hazardous rocks. Grimm still made it through these barriers on occasion, but the people of the Lower City were no pushovers; they were used to the odd skirmish or two. In a way, the Lower City was a town filled with trainee Huntsmen.

It made sense that a place like this could produce the Xiao Long family. Summer let her gaze sweep the Lower City as their ship flew overhead, vaguely wondering where his old family home might've sat.

Tai had mentioned in the past that this was the town he was born in, but he'd never really gone into detail about it. Apparently his family fled the city shortly after that day, moving all the way to Patch where he'd later grown up. Summer never bothered pressing him for information. Arriving in the city of Lushu may have technically been a homecoming for him, but both of them were essentially strangers in this land.

Once the ship landed, Summer and Taiyang stepped out holding each other's hands. He gave hers a comforting squeeze as they made their way towards the customs office.

Before they climbed on the ship, Summer had been furious at him. After their talk, she was now furious at herself for overreacting.

But could you blame her? It hadn't been that long ago that Taiyang held a reputation as a ladykiller, a man whose arms women regularly threw themselves into (Summer and Raven had been among them at one point). The notion that it had happened again was far too easy to believe.

However, the story he told made her stop and think. The way his mind faded in and out could have simply been due to the woman's outrageous appearance, but to Summer it sounded… suspicious. Almost like there was a Semblance at work. There was no way to be certain unless they encountered that woman again and confronted her, but for now it was enough to know that Tai had no control over the situation. If anything, he was the victim. She had absolutely no right to be mad at him. They had kissed and made up just before they crossed over into Anima airspace.

In the end, what mattered was that Taiyang hadn't tried to cheat on his… wife.

No, she was just plain old Summer Rose now. And that was the thing that bothered her the most.

Legally speaking, Tai was actually single now; Summer technically had no claim on him anymore. During the flight, the man had assured her that this didn't matter – if anything, it was a chance to get married all over again. They had both been thrilled at the idea and he eagerly considered where they could find a temple or chapel to get it done… but then she'd taken time to calmly think it over before they landed.

And suddenly it didn't seem like the greatest idea in the world.

That scared her almost as much as the thought of meeting up with Ruby and Yang again.

A roar of engine noise pulled her thoughts back to reality as Summer looked back at their transport. The pilot had suddenly kicked the engine into high gear and took off before they'd even cleared the launch pad, clearly yelling into his headset through the windshield. He seemed to be in a hurry.

In fact… with him now gone, the entire airship dock was empty.

"Well it's the strangest thing," a round-faced man said when they asked him about this. According to his patterned vest, he was the local Dockmaster. "About a week ago, three or four whole boatloads of Faunus just showed up from the island. Said they all needed to get up to Haven Academy. 'Right now' they said. Took all the ships I had, all at once, and now I'm kinda stretched thin. I got other customers who need that transportation, ya know."

"Haven?" Taiyang seemed confused by that. "Did they say why?"

"Nah, but they all had the look of people who were ready to fight to the death. I didn't dare stand up to a group like that, let me tell ya. And besides, they paid for the ships. I couldn't say nothin'."

Summer looked around again and sighed. "I guess that means we're stuck here a while." Zwei gave a whine from her feet.

The man smiled. "Well… we still got a few regular ol' rowboats if you absolutely can't wait around for 'em to come back. Cheaper, too. Only drawback is the trip takes a lot longer to get anywhere."

Taiyang smiled as well, although it was more of a smirk. "'Only' drawback? Are the Creatures of Grimm taking a vacation, too?"

"Naaah…" One chubby hand waved dismissively. "There's always Grimm. But I know a Huntsman when I sees 'em. In my experience with you people, Grimm attacks are often more of a perk than a drawback. Yer all crazy bastards."

While Taiyang and the Dockmaster continued shooting the breeze for a few minutes, Summer picked up Zwei and let her mind wander back to her previous thoughts. About herself and Tai. About their potential future.

Things had changed while she was gone. It was more than just the Grimm destroying her old home, more than just her children growing up and moving on without her… it was everything. Everyone.

Just twelve years. In such a short time, the entire world had moved on without her.

… Could she really say she still had a place in it?

…
…

"I think you're worrying too much," Tai said between bites. "Although… that's kinda what you always do, isn't it?"

Summer smiled but didn't reply. Her own food was barely touched.

They sat at an outdoor dining area near their hotel. It was a lovely neighborhood; paper lanterns illuminated the wide cobblestone roads with dim orange light that complimented the warm tones of the sunset sky. Tai had ordered them each a steak dinner, but Summer soon found that she didn't have much of an appetite. Too many things on her mind.

One of those things being a brand-new silver ring on her finger. Tai had a matching one on his own hand. He'd bought them about an hour ago to serve as impromptu promise rings – kind of like an engagement ring, but without all the pomp and circumstance. He seemed dead set on getting things back to normal for the two of them, and this was a logical first step; Tai still had their old rings locked away back at the house for safekeeping.

"If you're worried about the marriage thing, I said it before; we can find a chapel in town and get it done while we're here," Tai said.

"I know," Summer said. "But… it's not that simple."

"Sure it is."

"Tai…" Summer stared at him for a few moments, making sure he understood how serious she was trying to be. "Can you honestly say you want to… marry me again? Can you look me in the eyes and tell me… truthfully… that you aren't just trying to make me feel better?"

To his credit, Taiyang actually put his fork down before speaking. "Summer Rose, as far as I'm concerned, we are still married. I don't care if it was 12 years, 12 days or 12 minutes… you are still my wife. If all I have to do is sign a few papers and say 'I do' one more time to get the world off our backs, then I will gladly do it."

Summer sighed and took another bite. The man didn't get it. He didn't understand what she meant, and there was a good chance he never would. If he was only agreeing to it because Summer wanted to do it, then that meant she was essentially forcing him to do it. Unless the man himself wanted it for his own sake, then it wouldn't mean anything. If he didn't want to marry her more than she wanted him to marry her, then it wouldn't be special.

Thinking back, that only made sense – Taiyang was never much for deep thinking or problem solving. If he couldn't punch it, kick it or otherwise break it, he usually backed off and let either Summer or one of the Branwens take care of it. A man like Tai needed the information presented directly to him, in a way he could not mistake for something else.

But not tonight. She was too tired.

"I knew it…" a feminine voice suddenly hissed from behind her. "I would know that hair of yours anywhere."

Summer turned to see who was speaking… only to find a face ripped straight out of the past. A face from the 30th Vytal Festival Tournament, to be exact.

"Jasmine? Is that you?"

Long black hair that reached the back of her knees, a brown and black ensemble of blouse and trousers, and a sash-and-scarf combo that featured bright tiger-stripe patterns in sharp contrast to the rest of her appearance – this was Jasmine Corbett, former member of team BRCH (birch) who was defeated by Summer and her team in the first round of said tournament all those years ago.

"Who else would it be, foolish woman?" Jasmine walked over to their table with purpose, her flame-colored eyes blazing. She was not smiling. "Summer Rose, was it not?"

"That's me."

"I suspected as much when I saw your cloak hanging by the door," the woman said as she crossed her arms. "That, along with your bladed toothpicks, pretty much gave you away."

"You're not still upset about losing to team STRQ, are you?"

Jasmine scoffed. "Why would I continue holding a grudge after so long? Just because you won by… dishonorable methods… does not mean I cannot let it go and move on."

Summer and Tai shared a brief look. Yep, she was still sore.

"And besides, if I was to blame anybody, it would be your partner. He is the only man who ever caused me to… to… MISS." The last word came out as a snarl. She had to pause for a moment to calm down. "Tell me… where might I find Qrow Branwen? Is he not traveling with you?"

Summer gave a shrug. "Haven't seen him for a long time."

Jasmine darted her eyes away and growled, a low sound in her throat that made a few people sitting nearby flinch. One or two of them decided now was the time to leave.

"So… Professor Corbett… what are you doing out here?" Taiyang spoke up next before Summer could continue.

Wait… Professor?

"Oh… Mr. Xiao Long. I did not see you there."

"Please, we're not at work. Just 'Tai' is fine."

"Then simply 'Jasmine' will do for me. I wish I could say I was on vacation, but… I do not know for certain. Headmaster Lionheart sent everyone away from the school very suddenly last week. I know we are between classes right now, but this is still very strange to me."

Last week? That lined up with the arrival of the Faunus here, but was still days before Qrow and the kids got into the city.

Taiyang said, "Is Leo in trouble?"

Jasmine took a moment to pull an empty chair over to their table and sit down, crossing long legs that ended in high-heeled boots. "If he is not, then he will be by the time I return. I swear I am always cleaning up after that man."

"What about the other teachers? Are they here, or-"

"Everyone went to their own homes," Jasmine cut him off. "Since I call this place my home, I am here… though I do not wish to be. Something is amiss at Haven Academy, and I need to be there… but I cannot stand against the headmaster's order."

"Well," Taiyang said after quickly chewing another bite of his steak. "Me and Summer are heading to Haven in a day or two. We can check up on things while we're there and let you know what's up."

"Headmaster Lionheart-"

"-Told the staff and students of Haven to stay home. Not us."

Jasmine sighed but finally smiled, and for once it looked genuine. "You Valish are much more… cunning than I am used to dealing with. Very well, I shall accept your offer."

Summer raised her hand like a student, then said, "Um… forgive me if I sound silly, but… he called you a Professor…?"

Before she could reply, Taiyang cut in, "She hired on at Haven right after graduating, then earned a proper teaching license a year or so later. 'Professor' Corbett works as a combat instructor and also serves as Headmaster Lionheart's personal assistant."

Summer blinked.

"She's… uh… the Glynda Goodwitch of Haven Academy."

"Oh! I guess that makes more sense."

Professor Corbett – wow that sounded weird – rolled her eyes as the group shared a quiet giggle. Summer resumed eating, her spirits lifted ever so slightly by the appearance of this woman from the past. It was a much-needed moment of levity. Learning that the woman had risen to such a high position was also nice.

Several minutes passed as Summer and Taiyang ate while Jasmine took the opportunity to check her Scroll for messages. Once finished, she said, "Taiyang, do you have a few minutes to speak? I wish to discuss a few things. As fellow teachers."

"Oh… sure, yeah. I'm just finishing up." Tai scarfed his last few bites then stood, darted over and gave Summer a peck on the lips. "I'll meet you back at the hotel room, sweetheart. Take your time and relax. I'll go ahead and pay the tab on the way out-"

Jasmine cut him off with a raised hand. "Actually, I shall cover your bill tonight. Consider it a favor."

The pair of teachers walked away, still chatting amicably among themselves. Summer watched them go… and felt her mood dip further and further until they rounded a corner and vanished.

Suddenly she'd lost her appetite. The simple band of silver on her hand now felt like a dead weight.

"…"

Well… at least Zwei would still be happy to see her.

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… … … … …

…

"So… you say your wife was… sent forward in time? And that was the reason she was missing for so long?"

"It's hard to swallow, I know. I didn't believe it at first, either… but she hasn't aged a day. I know my wife's face, and that was unmistakably her."

"I will not deny your feelings, but have you considered the possibility of foul play? That this woman might be an impostor?"

"I did for a second when she first appeared, but there's no way a fake would behave the way she does… do the things she does… have her spirit, her purity. If anyone could fake that, they could fool the gods themselves."

"I… have heard tales of such people, Taiyang. Tricksters of uncanny skill. But if you believe in this woman so strongly, then I shall not raise any accusations. I admit I had my doubts; I found it odd that she barely looked older than the day you all defeated my team at the Tournament."

"So you are still sore."

*sigh* "Foolish man. If I admit that I am, will you stop bringing it up?"

"Sorry, sorry… it was just a bit of fun. I'll be good."

"'Good'…? I see the way your gaze falls upon me, Xiao Long. I wonder about your true intentions…"

"I… uh… I'm sorry."

"…"

"You know… um… I should go-"

"Taiyang… I apologize if I have said something untoward. I meant no offense."

"No, it's not you. Something fishy kinda happened back at Vale, and now I'm just kinda wary. I really don't want my wife mad at me again."

"…You do know she is not legally married to you, right? After 5 years, the Huntsman Widower Procedures-"

"I don't give a damn about all that legal crap. Summer Rose is my wife. End of story."

"Mmm… your loyalty is admirable. It must be rewarded. Come… allow me to buy you a drink."

"I really shouldn't…"

"Tai… what was it you said to your woman? Take your time and relax…? I believe you should heed your own advice."

"Fine. Just one."

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September 21st, 4-59 — Haven Academy

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"So you're the team they sent over from Beacon, eh?"

Taiyang stood next to his teammates as they met their companions for this mission, a group from Haven Academy that also featured third-years. Their mission was simple, but it required extra hands – and the headmasters of both schools decided to join forces in an effort to improve relations as well as finish the mission in question. It had something to do with defending a border town in Mistral while they constructed an outer wall for defense, but Summer handled the finer details. That was part of her job as leader.

Qrow and Raven were also there, naturally, and despite their placid attitudes Taiyang knew both of them were eager to test out their new weapons. When they joined Beacon, both twins bore simple swords with only minor ranged capabilities. After a few years with Professor Mulberry, however, they now had much more state-of-the-art blades. Qrow fingered the mechanism in the hilt of Harbinger, his own sword, as they were introduced to this new team. Raven absently adjusted Omen at her hip, unwilling to leave it alone. Small signs… but if you knew what to look for, it was clear the siblings were anxious to kill something.

As long as it wasn't him, Taiyang personally had no problem letting them run wild.

Taiyang also adjusted his own bracelet – dubbed Wu Xing – as Summer finished giving out their names. He was also eager, but nervous. Neither he nor Summer had perfected the mixtures yet. This mission was as much a test run for Wu Xing as it was defending a town of civilians.

"I'm Beau Brumby, the leader of our little squad," said the young man who had done all the talking so far. There was a good chance this guy was regularly mistaken for a girl when seen from the back – his light brown hair flowed down well past his shoulderblades and he had a slim build. He gestured to the people next to him, rattling off names. "This here is Rojo Retuerta, Jasmine Corbett, and Hunter Holsteiner. Team BRCH." In order, he pointed at a shorter guy with slick black hair and the early signs of a stubble beard, a tall woman with blazing orange eyes, and a blonde young man with a very wide and very square jaw. Very square. Wow. That jaw could get stuck in a narrow doorway if he wasn't careful.

"Pleasure to meet you all," Summer bowed respectfully, not even bothering to check that her teammates did the same. Taiyang gave a half-hearted bow, but the twins didn't even try. What a shock. Summer continued, "I look forward to working with you all, and… I hope you guys have a lot of patience."

Both Summer and Taiyang darted a look at their respective partners, both of whom looked away in a huff.

"No worries," Beau said enthusiastically. "If your mates aren't at least twice the trouble of ol' Rojo here," he gave his shorter companion a hearty slap on the back, "…then we won't have any problems, will we boys?"

Rojo simply snorted, but he was grinning. And his eyes betrayed him; they were locked onto Summer. And not her face, either.

Taiyang tightened his fist.

He and Summer were not partners. At least, not in the matter of Beacon's curriculum. What they were was… complicated. It was obvious there were feelings between them, and had been since year 1, but… neither of them had come out and said it yet. While they may have barely been halfway through their training, Taiyang couldn't help but feel like he was running out of time.

Someone mentioned that their transport wasn't due to depart for about half an hour, so the two teams just meandered for a while. Beau and Summer broke off to discuss Leadership Things™ together, but everyone else stayed with their own team. Hunter and Rojo stood off to one side keeping an eye on everyone (the latter still eyeing Summer herself, much to Tai's growing annoyance), while Qrow and Raven kept to the opposite corner and tried to look as cool and aloof as possible.

Wait… wasn't there one more on team BRCH…?

"You should really keep a better watch over your surroundings," said a lithe, feminine voice directly behind him. Taiyang felt his skin crawl in a way that it never had before. A fingernail brushed the back of his neck. "Or someone might… get the drop on you."

Taiyang couldn't help but smile as he turned to face the young woman who stood a few inches taller than himself. "Are you threatening me with a good time?"

For just an instant, Tai felt a chilling spike of anger shoot towards him from the direction of where Summer was standing. But no one was watching him. Odd.

Jasmine was stunning at first sight, but up close she was more… subdued. After the novelty of her startling eyes had worn off, he could see that this young woman still had a fair amount of growing to do before she reached her prime. That wasn't to say she was plain – far from it – but she held more potential than actual beauty.

"I sense that you are thinking bad things about me," Jasmine said, eyes narrowing. "You have the same aura as Rojo. I do not like it."

"Aura? You can sense Aura? I thought that was an advanced technique-"

"Of course not, foolish man! I meant the subtle aura, the feeling that emanates off of you. I can sense when a man is thinking impure thoughts about a woman. A skill taught to me by my mother."

Taiyang took an unconscious half-step backward.

"Fear not, for it is not a skill that suits me in the field of battle. I do not stalk my prey by reading… perverse intentions." The young woman bumped a strap on her shoulder, making the large hunting rifle on her back sway a bit. "Be grateful for that."

"Yes, ma'am," Taiyang said nervously.

The mission that followed was mostly uneventful, though the combined groups did have a few battles with the Creatures of Grimm during their time together. For Taiyang, watching Jasmine fight was the most memorable part of the mission – her Semblance allowed her to hit her target every single time she fired her gun, no matter how far away she was. The woman may have been pure long-range support, but her uncanny skill and the efforts of the rest of her team balanced each other out quite well. No Grimm escaped from team BRCH.

Team STRQ, on the other hand, still had a long way to go. After the embarrassment of their first-round loss at last year's Vytal Festival Tournament, Summer had started putting them through some hardcore combat training every week since. Professor Goodwitch was more than happy to help out, of course.

They may have improved since then, but watching team BRCH work together had driven home just how much farther they still had to grow. Summer, Taiyang, Raven and Qrow were still just four Huntsman trainees fighting on the same side. They weren't a team yet.

That particular turning point would come later in the year.

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July 1st, 4-81 — Lushu

…

Taiyang sat for a moment as the thin man before him shuffled through his files, pulling out a few papers seemingly at random. He wished Summer could've come along, but fees for the Ladder had skyrocketed; they could only afford for one of them to reach the Upper City during this visit.

And since he was a teacher, Taiyang had the advantage; Xiwang Academy doubled as the town's City Hall, meaning they kept all official documents on campus. The information Summer needed would be there, and Tai would have an easier time getting to it.

If they hadn't brought Zwei along to keep her company, Taiyang would've called it off and stayed below. He hated seeing her so depressed.

"Sorry for the wait, Mr. Xiao Long," said the thin man. "But I have what you wanted right here. According to records, Dr. Chianti was held for a few years and released into an assisted living facility." The man slid the papers forward across the desk. He seemed to know his way around the files. Tai guessed he'd been doing this job for a long time; his face may have looked young, but his black hair did have streaks of gray already.

"No worries. I'm just glad the records are still here. My wife will be relieved."

"Your wife?"

"She's… ah…" Tai scratched the back of his head as he tried to think up an excuse for why he was digging around a cold case like this. "She's… putting a thesis… together… and needs some old police reports for… reasons."

The thin man smiled, laughing a bit. "Sounds like a dedicated woman."

"Oh, she is. Dedicated, brilliant, beautiful… she's practically perfect."

"You know… I'm heading to lunch in a few minutes, Mr. Xiao Long. Care to join me? I'd love to know more about your wife. Maybe even meet her if you think she's up for it."

"Well, I really should get back to her…"

"You paid the fee to get up here, yes? Why not make the most of it? My treat."

Taiyang debated for a few moments before quietly apologizing to Summer. "Well I guess I can't argue with that."

The man smiled broadly, his black eyes glittering in the fluorescent light. He reached out a thin hand for Taiyang to shake. "I'm Dr. Favah Rory. Pleasure to make your acquaintance."

…

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…

…

…

Author's Note: Ask any female and they will tell you that Summer's logic here is perfectly rational. I think. Bending my brain that far gave me a cramp, so I can't be sure.

Anywho… Professor Jasmine Corbett is an OC that, in the simplest terms, was created to fill the role of right-hand-woman for Lionheart – every Academy other than Haven already had someone doing that (Glynda for Beacon, Winter for Atlas, and Rumpole for Shade from the YA novels). Corbett is based on the Hungry Tiger, a friend of the Cowardly Lion from Baum's Oz novels. We'll be seeing more of her later on, don't you worry. And for the record, the Indochinese Tiger is also known as "Corbett's Tiger."

As for the rest of her team, I randomly picked out a handful of names from a list of horse breeds. If you wanna take that to have implied meanings, then I certainly won't stop you. I went with Chinese-sounding names for the new city because Mistral is meant to be a mix of Asian cultures, and we've had enough Japanese-sounding names. I'm just mixing it up.

Next chapter will be the first proper fight scene. Promise.

(^ω^)