I Want to Line the Pieces Up (Yours and Mine)

by BlackLabyrinth07

Thrown into the mysteries of Kingdom Hearts, Team RWBY is charged with becoming the next Keyblade wielders in the war against the Heartless and their corrupt masters. Together Team RWBY must test the bonds of their friendships as well as themselves, while they travel across worlds, desperate to save their missing friends and Remnant from being lost to the darkness of the Heartless.

8. Zero to Hero

Author's Note: Hello everyone! It's been a very long time since I've updated this... sorry. And I mean it. I truly am sorry, but it's been... ~a time~. To say that I've had a horrible year would be an understatement. I believe most of the world has had a rough time too, so we must all keep moving forward! Thank you so much to those who commented on the last chapter! I always love hearing from my readers. You're comments and kudos mean the world to me. As always, please feel free to leave a comment on here or come yell at me at blacklabyrinth07 on tumblr. To those who are new to this story, welcome! To those who are returning, welcome back! And thank you for being so patient. Special thanks to my Beta, mysteriesofthislife, without whom this wouldn't be possible. This is my longest chapter yet, so I hope this makes up for the wait. Please let me know what you think! Enjoy!

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Zero to Hero

Ruby let out an audible gasp as she stepped through Ryu's gateway and was immediately greeted with harsh sunlight and an impressive structure that demanded the Huntress' attention. Rubbing at her eyes to help clear her strained vision, Ruby stared in awe at the limestone pillars that proudly stood on either side of an enormous set of golden double doors. Each arched door was inscribed with two mirrored lightning bolts that matched the design of Ryu's gateways.

"Oh my Oum…" Yang gasped as she gazed around the magnificent sights.

Flanked on either side of the double doors were two massive golden statues of warriors with their swords outstretched over the doorway in victory. The sight was impressive as it was imposing, the polished metal of each statue gleamed in the harsh sunlight that beat down on the students from Beacon. The three experienced world jumpers had no such issues adjusting to the sensory overload, and quickly made their way to the golden doors. Titus looked back at the group of Huntresses and smiled cheerily, as he waved a hand at their direction.

Blake ran a thumb over the black ribbons that covered her arms. "Shouldn't we, you know… Change to blend in?" Her slanted eyes lingered on the fashions worn by the statue warriors, their style resembling armor of old.

"No need to worry. We've been here before." Titus waved her off. "The place may be clinging to the old ways, but the people who gather here come from all over. You might get some odd looks, but only because you're the competition."

Weiss caught her partner's eyes before she raised an eyebrow in the teenager's direction. "And by that you mean what exactly?"

"You'll see." He winked, grinning broadly as his eyes shone with mischief. "Well, come on everyone!" Titus' grin widened as Ryu pushed open the doors and together his teammates stepped inside, Haruka leading the way followed by the youngest Keyblade user.

With a quick shrug at her teammates, Yang led the way with Ruby bringing up the rear, taking the time to gawk at her bizarre surroundings before she scampered through the awaiting doors. Ryu cocked an eyebrow at the cloud red rose petals that floated to the floor from the young leader's hurried run indoors.

Once inside the building, Ruby skidded to a halt, her signature crimson cape flaring out around her, in an attempt to not run into the back of her sister. The blonde had not moved far from the entrance of the room and was staring at something ahead. Peering out from behind Yang's broad shoulders, Ruby could see that the entrance hall itself was very small with only a handful of torches placed along the length of the wall. The affixed lights served both in practicality, as well as decorations.

A quick glance around the hall proved that they were not alone as a short half-goat, half-man was putting up a banner with symbols similar to Remnant's ancient runes blazoned across its surface in gold lettering.

The strange creature wiped his hands clean on his fur-covered haunches before he turned to stare at the small group of teenagers that had congregated behind him. The man jumped off a small wooden crate, which was acting as a footstool, to bounce towards the group of world jumpers.

"Well skin me alive and call me the golden fleece, look who walked in!" The shirtless man grinned as the more experienced Keyblade wielders pushed their way to the front to greet the grizzled man.

"Phil!" Titus exclaimed as, true to form, he made a leaping jump at the stranger, catching the older man by surprise as Titus wrapped him in a bone-crushing hug. Haruka smiled widely at her teammate's exuberant display of affection, while Ryu waited silently off to the side with a look of amusement.

"Watch the horns! Zeus almighty, one of these days you'll poke your eye out kid." The older guy chuckled as he peeled himself away from the green and brown clad boy.

Haruka stepped aside her excited teammate to approach the newcomer. "A pleasure to see you again, old man."

"Who are you calling old? I'm still in my prime." The balding man announced as he attempted to flex a bicep but wielded laughably little results.

"Sure you are…" Haruka chided as she accepted a gentle hug from the shorter goat-man.

Ruby's eyes widened to an almost comical size as she noticed his fuzzy haunches had a small tail that flicked around in excitement.

The man grimaced as he caught Ruby staring at his animal-like features. "What's your problem, kid? Never seen a satyr before?" He gestured to the lower half of his body with a flourish.

"Are you a Faunus?" Yang asked, cocking her head to the side as she tried to understand the man before her. She had never seen a person with more than one Faunus trait back on her home world, taking notice of the older man's horns, tail, and furry legs that ended in hooves.

"I'm whatever you want me to be, sweet cheeks." The satyr replied with a lewd grin, sucking in his bulging stomach, and licking his palm to smooth back what remained of his thinning auburn hair.

Yang smiled wearily at his advances while Blake narrowed her eyes at the strange man. The cat Faunus' shoulders tensed as she was about to interrupt, but the ivory haired Heiress beat her to the punch.

"And… You are?" Weiss asked as she crossed her arms and gazed at the satyr a withering stare.

"The name's, Philoctetes." The man gestured to his bare chest with a thumb. "But everyone calls me Phil."

"I'm Weiss Schnee." The Heiress bowed in a practiced curtsied before gesturing to the rest of her teammates. "The blonde you are failing to impress is Yang Xiao Long. And that's Ruby Rose, our team's leader. And Blake Belladonna, respectively. Together we make up Team RWBY."

Ruby waved as she was introduced, while Blake only narrowed her slanted eyes as she continued to watch the awkward encounter with the satyr.

"How do you know Team HART?" Ruby asked, tilting her head at her new friends.

"Team Heart, huh? You all finally got around to giving your group of misfits a name? It's about time. Mind if I use it for the tournament banners?" The satyr scratched his chin in thought as he looked back at the green and tan banner with gold lettering that he had just finished sticking to the wall.

"Not at all! I came up with our name myself!" Titus exclaimed in pride, puffing out his chest as he closed his eyes merrily. "And that's H-A-R-T!"

"What, no 'Z'?" Phil asked as he scratched his head in confusion. Titus slowly shook his head, but before he could explain Zyun's lack of representation in their tournament name, he was cut off.

"So… You wouldn't happen to be the red-headed champion everyone's talking about, would you?" Blake skeptically watched as the satyr struggled to climb a wine casket in order to reach his banner and smooth out its surface.

"Me, a champion?!" Phil stared at the feline Faunus for a brief second before he laughed so hard that he fell off his make-shift footstool. "Are you out of your mind, kid? Zeus, help me!" He rolled around the tilted ground in laughter, his beady eyes watering in his mirth.

Before Blake could make a retort, she was interrupted by a booming masculine voice that broke their attention away from the satyr.

"Sorry, I'm late, Phil! Hades was stirring up trouble again in the underworld. I had to deal with him. He acted way too smug for my liking…" The man towered above the seven-foot mark as he made his entrance into the room. His muscled body was bronzed from years of training in the sunlight, covered by leather studded armor and high laced sandals.

Phil rolled to his knees and brushed off the dirt on his haunches as he got to his hooved feet. He smoothed back the tuft of russet hair on his balding head as he waved off the young man's concerns. "Hades always acts smug. That's nothing new. Don't let him get into your head just days before the tournament."

The tall man sighed and rubbed a hand on the back of his neck in thought. "I know, I know… It's just that I think he's got something hidden up his sleeve."

"A red-headed champion… You must be him." Ruby smiled in glee as her eyes wandered adoringly over his huge stature, and more importantly, bright ginger hair that seemed to glow in the torches' light. Everything about the man in front of her screamed hero!

"Well, I don't know about that…" The man chuckled awkwardly, his high cheekbones and the tips of his ears glowing pink from the praise.

"He's being modest." Phil chided, walking over to slap the muscled thigh of his taller counterpart. Blake chuckled quietly to herself noticing that this was the highest point that the satyr could reach on the young man. "Everyone, this is Hercules! Hero of mortals, demigod warrior, and champion of the Gods!"

"Hey there." Hercules waved at the group of Huntresses, flashing the group with a dazzling smile. It was like a switch was flipped – gone was the awkward young man, and instead the proclaimed hero was shining through.

Blake noted that the young man was indeed charming as much as he was dorky. Hercules seemed to have the swagger of a hero, but he also seemed to have a few small mannerisms that showed more humble beginnings.

"Kid, this is everyone. You should recognize a few friendly faces." Phil grunted as he moved a large wooden barrel away from the entrance doorway so that it rested safely off to the side of the room.

"Welcome back, you guys." Hercules nodded towards the more experienced fighters. "But we seem to be missing a few people. Where are Aloy and Zyun? Last time you were here, you all seemed to be attached to the hip with each other."

"I'm afraid we come to your world bearing bad news." Haruka stepped forward while she answered for her solemn looking team. "Aloy was injured on the last world we visited, which happened to be Team RWBY's world of Remnant." She gestured to Ruby's group before Haruka continued in her explanation. "We left her to heal back at Traverse Town until she is well enough to join our adventures. And Zyun, well… Zyun is gone."

"What?!" Phil shouted in shock, just as Hercules frowned at the stunning news.

"Gone? As in… gone?" Hercules asked incredulously.

Haruka shook her head slowly, but a frown still crept on her lips. "We don't believe he was killed if that was what you're asking, thank the Gods. But his whereabouts are unknown. Team RWBY is helping us track him down, as well as a few of their friends and family that they recently lost along with their world."

"Heartless?" Hercules asked, his face weary of the impending answer. Ruby nodded solemnly, her normally cheery attitude gone with the reminder of all that they had lost. "I'm sorry to hear that," He continued. "But at least you are in good hands. This group of misfits are some of the best fighters in all the worlds. Speaking of which, are you all here to fight in the tournament?"

"Tournament? What tournament?" Yang asked, as her team shot her looks of confusion. A quick glance over at Haruka, Ryu, and Titus showed that they were not surprised by such an announcement. Titus smiled mischievously while cracking his knuckles in what he thought was a threatening manner.

"I'm talking about the games!" Phil spoke, his short arms flailing about. "You know: the Pegasus, Hercules, and even the Hades Cup!"

"What my over-enthusiastic trainer here is trying to say is that here at the coliseum we host the largest tournament of champions." Hercules explained to the newcomers, the experienced world jumpers acting as if this was old news to them. Titus' eyes shone with unbridled excitement as he watched the Huntresses from Beacon learn about one of his favorite events. Hercules flashed the younger boy a knowing smile as he continued with his explanation of the tournament rules. "Competitors travel across the worlds to compete in the games. Each cup has its own set of rules and levels of difficulty. Phil here, is setting up for the Pegasus Cup."

"There are ten tiers of competitors for the tournament: the first seven are groups of Heartless that Hercules wrangled up for us – thank you, kid by the way." Phil spoke with a wave of his hand.

"No problem Phil, nothing a hero can't provide." Hercules stated while placing his fists on his hands in a classic power pose. Yang had to hold back a laugh at how ridiculous he looked, even if the young man seemed to fit the part.

"The last three tiers being human competitors, one of which will be Hercules himself and Team HART, although you're more like Team HRT, eh?"

"I suppose so…" Haruka answered softy, her brilliant amethyst eyes gazing at the stone wall seemingly lost in her own thoughts. Ryu stepped forward to lay a gentle hand on her shoulder, the leader smiling in thanks at his concern.

"Well, I think I've had enough fighting in tournaments to last a lifetime." Weiss interjected as she crossed her arms in unease. The Heiress frowned at the notion of fighting in another tournament so soon after the end of their own world. Luck hadn't exactly been on their side then either, and now might be pushing it.

"Yeah, look how the Vytal Tournament turned out for us." Blake agreed with her colder counterpart, the Ice Queen nodding in her acknowledgement.

"Come on you guys, this could be fun!" Ruby exclaimed, brimming with excitement at the thought of letting loose and having a bit of fun kicking Heartless butt after the fiasco back at Beacon. She ignored the tightening feeling in her chest at the thought of her homeworld being consumed by darkness as she spoke. But unfortunately, that was a concern for a later time. "We could fight people from different worlds. Imagine what we could learn from them! Oh, I bet their weapons are so cool!" She squealed in excitement, the possibility of meeting other fighters and their babies – er, their weapons, something that she could only dream of.

"Well sorry to burst your bubble kid, but you and your team are not invited!" Phil answered, shattering her enthusiasm with his proclamation.

"Oh, come on Phil, we've seen them fight. They're really good." Titus pleaded with the older satyr, but his resolve was firm.

"No can-do kid, they seem to be no older than children. I can't have their deaths on my conscience because they want to play in the big leagues." Phil scoffed before shaking his balding head.

"Please!" Titus pleaded, his hazel eyes widening as his lower lip pushed out in what he knew was a look that could sway even the coldest of hearts.

Phil crossed his arms, a small puff of air shot out of his flaring nostrils. "Listen kid, I'll give you two words: They're - Not - Heroes!"

Yang counted the words on her fingers and frowned as the phrase didn't match up with what the satyr had said. Not that he seemed to notice as his face flushed a deep red in frustration.

"I agree with my partner, they have shown exceptional skill as trained fighters. They are, what you would call, naturals." Ryu explained as Titus nodded vigorously in agreement. "Plus, you are forgetting that we were once children ourselves when we first met you. Well, everyone except Haruka and Zyun that is…"

"Yeah, how old are you and your brother anyway?" Phil asked while squinting at the leader of HART with beady eyes.

Haruka turned her amethyst eyes on the older satyr, her voice perfectly even as she replied without hesitation. "One hundred and 25 years old."

"I thought you said you were 436?!" Phil exclaimed in frustration and confusion as Hercules just shook his head at their continued antics.

"She doesn't look a day older than 19…" Blake muttered in wonder as she stared at the leader of HART in renewed interest.

Titus sighed loudly as if he was bored by this latest reveal. "Haruka changes the number every time you ask. It's no use really."

"No one really knows the twins' true age, not for lack of trying." Ryu explained as he shrugged off their looks of shock.

"Twins? Blake asked, her thoughts returning to their conversation back during the Vytal tournament. "I thought Zyun was Haruka's older brother?"

Titus snorted. "By like, two minutes."

"I thought it was by a few years?" Weiss asked in confusion.

The boy shrugged. "Again, they change it every time. But they used to fight over who was older all the time - but no one really knows who is telling the truth."

Ryu nodded. "Some claim that she and Zyun are older than time itself. Others say that they made it all up."

"What's the truth?" Weiss asked, arching her scared eyebrow at her companions.

"Old enough to survive the Keyblade Wars, but we know next to nothing besides that." Titus told the others as he waved off their many questions.

"The what?" Blake asked, glancing over to see Yang shrug in equal confusion.

"Big war over dumb things. Lots of people died. The end." Titus explained poorly, his foot tapping impatiently as he watched the satyr argue with his leader over her newfound age.

"Well put, my friend." Ryu spoke sarcastically while the teenager rolled his eyes. His slanted amber eyes fell on the tallest Huntress from Beacon. "Something on your mind, Yang?"

Yang rubbed her chin in thought, her lilac eyes lingering on the strange band of Keyblade users from unknown worlds. "All this talk of wars and Haruka and Zyun's ages… Isn't that, I don't know, weird?"

Titus shrugged, crossing his arms and leaning on one leg. "Not really, after all I'm 80!"

"What?!" RWBY gasped in shock.

"You people just keep getting weirder and weirder." Yang spoke in wonder as she eyed the person she had assumed to be 15 years old. Titus wiggled his light eyebrows in mischief as a form of answer to their many questions that were brewing.

Weiss glanced at her partner, to see how Ruby was taking in this stunning information about their companions. But instead of seeing a look of shock or concern, Ruby's silver eyes were focused on Titus, Haruka, and even Ryu as if observing them in a new light. Weiss noticed that it was an expression she had yet to see on her friend's face, and it unsettled her to realize she did not know what Ruby was thinking. Weiss wasn't sure if she liked that.

"I thought you said back on our world that you were 15?" Blake argues, her eyes narrowing in distrust. A quick glance at Weiss proved that her suspicions were also shared by the other half of the monochrome duo. While the Heiress and herself did not often see eye to eye on everything, protecting their friends was something they could both set aside their differences for and agree on. It put Blake at ease to know that Weiss had her back in keeping her newly found family safe from the unknown, while on this strange world.

"I lied..." Titus held up both his hands in surrender, the boy having the decency to at least look sheepish. "Look, it's not like I wanted to lie to all of you. It's just that we, sort of… had to."

Blake's eyes narrowed more, her face falling to shadows as her frown deepened. A light brush against her fingertips alerted her to Yang's reassuring presence as her partner gave her own calloused palm a light squeeze.

Just as Titus opened his mouth, no doubt to further confuse the Beacon students, Ryu cleared his throat to catch their attention. "When it comes to my companions, I think you will find that not everything is as it seems. However, I assure you that we mean you, nor yours, any harm. On that you have my word. But perhaps this is a conversation best had later…"

Blake caught Yang's eye before nodding her approval. As long as she had her friends by her side, Blake knew she was safe. Besides, a small part of her believed the dark-haired man's soothing words. With that, the six of them turned their attention back to their other companions who were still arguing, although their conversation seemed to have shifted to RWBY's participation in the games.

"Look, HRT can fight in the games, but RWBY can't. They don't have hero passes." Phil shrugged, his little tail flicking around in contrast to his apathetic attitude. "I don't make the rules."

"But you do give out the passes to join." Haruka pointed out to the stubborn trainer.

"Yeah, can't you make an exception just this once?" Titus begged again, turning on his puppy-eyed expression to the fullest force he could manage.

"Technically, we're Huntresses." Blake added, feeling the need to speak up to help their case. "On our world, that makes us essentially heroes."

Phil scoffed as his eyes lingered on the black ribbon bow that lay nestled on her head. "You're no hero, kid! But maybe I can give you all a junior hero pass for the Pegasus Cup."

"Junior passes?! But we're Huntresses!" Ruby protested, her plea going unheard by this world's inhabitants.

"You forgot the whole 'in-training' part of our title, Rubes." Yang nudged her sister with her arm, which Ruby playfully shoved her back in return.

"Blondie here is right." Phil confirmed as his hooved feet stomped the stone tiled flooring. "You're not heroes, not yet anyway."

"Then what makes you a hero?" Blake asked in sincerity. While she knew there was a lot of room left for them to grow as Huntresses, what they had done thus far were all things that she would believe to be heroic by a "normal" person's standards. Or at the very least, they were trying to make a difference for humans and Faunus alike as they fought against Grimm. And now they were tasked with destroying Heartless as well… Since they were trained to kill all creatures of darkness, this would be no different. Her attention was dragged back to the present by the demigod who towered over them all.

"If you have to ask what it means to be a true hero, then you aren't one yet." Hercules explained to the quartet of girls, refraining from expanding on his explanation. "But… since you are so eager to show off, why don't you try out our preliminary trial? Once you complete that to Phil's satisfaction, he can give you the junior passes and you can join the Pegasus Cup with the rest of us."

"That's only if you make it through my trials and a bit of training. I don't see an ounce of muscle on any of you kids." Phil's eyes trailed over the students from the other world, his gaze lingering on their young leader with a sigh. He knew from experience that no one that young should be training to be a soldier in a time of war. They were just kids, just like so many before them.

"Trust me, we're stronger than we look." Yang answered his lingering fears with a flash of a smile and flexing her biceps at the overweight satyr.

"You tell him, sis!" Ruby agreed, giving the brawler a thumbs up and a wide grin that was shared by her half-sister.

Phil sighed in resignation before he waved the group of Huntresses – in training he reminded himself – to the entrance of the coliseum arena. "Fine. Let's get this over with and see what you've got. But don't come crying to me if you're in over your heads during the real tournament. This isn't your grandma's Cup."

"We won't let you down!" Ruby promised with a beaming smile. Once the trainer's back was turned from the group, she jumped up into the air and gave Titus a spinning high-five.

"Let's go, Team RWBY!" Ruby shouted, her silver eyes shutting in glee.

"Dolt…" Weiss spoke softly, a ghost of a smile on her lips, flicking her partner lightly on her forehead before following the rest of the group into the empty arena. Upon entrance to the three-sided coliseum, the Heiress' crystal blue eyes widened in shock and exasperation at what greeted them in the arena.

Apparently, they had some barrels to smash.

[-][-][-]

Ruby was panting heavily, the sweat slipping down her brow and pooling at her feet. Her palms felt slick on the leather wrapped hilt of her Keyblade. Burnished bronze shined in the sunlight like a sword of light that hurt her sensitive eyes. During the trial, Ruby found that her Keyblade was indeed perfectly balanced. However, the black leather grip felt foreign in her hand compared to that of Crescent Rose.

Luckily, Uncle Qrow has forced Ruby to learn the basic fighting forms for a sword before she switched to a scythe to help round her out as a Huntress. Ruby had a sneaking suspicion at the time that he had mostly wanted to show off his skills with Harbinger. She had to admit, her uncle swinging around a broad sword as easily as if it were an extension of his arms was wicked. All her training seemed to be paying off as with each swing of her Keyblade – she really needed to name her new baby – Ruby felt her muscles move to the memory of the years of drilling that came with her tutelage under the famous Huntsman, Qrow Branwen.

"What was that? That was pathetic." Phil scoffed, crossing his thick hairy arms in displeasure. "And you call yourselves Huntresses."

"Come on Phil, can't you see their potential?" Hercules asked as he kept a close eye on the heavy hitter of the team, the self-proclaimed brawler clenching a strained fist over the black grip of her Keyblade. Each of the four girls had their own strengths and weaknesses they needed to work out with their new weapons. But he was sure that with a little time, and a bit of training, they would be back to the skilled fighters that they claimed to be on Remnant.

"Blondie! What did I tell you about punching the targets? You need to stop swinging your Keyblade like it's a bludgeon." Phil mimicked a swinging motion before squaring his shoulders. "Straighten up your stance and your shoulders for maximum impact or you'll lose power on the forward strike. No more twisting at the waist until you get that through that thick skull of yours. This isn't a discus throw!"

"I liked this better when I could punch things." Yang lamented as she shook out her jarred wrists before glaring accusingly at the golden Keyblade in her hand.

"Don't be too hard on them, Phil. Remember when you first trained me?" Hercules spoke as he set down another large empty wine barrel to complete a makeshift wall of the offending wooden caskets. He straightened up and dusted off his hands before returning to push back a stone pillar that had gotten out of place. "I was a mess too. And from what Titus told me, they're using different weapons then what they were originally trained on. Some of their old styles are bound to show up in their new technique – the good and the bad."

His trainer grunted in grudging understanding. "I get that, I really do. But you need to know the basics before you can break the rules. And right now, all of you guys are going to work on the basics until you know the right side of using a Keyblade." Phil glared at Yang whose current weapon was indeed facing teeth first, so that while it allowed for a sharper edge to cut down opponents on certain finishing moves, the blade would lose the power behind each strike without the weight of the shaft facing forward. Yang sighed, flipping around the blade in her hand and wiped the sweat from her brow. It was an easy mistake, or so Ryu had explained to her when he had first shown her the basic forms before their barrel smashing preliminary trial had begun, but one that still seemed to be troubling her. Yang was distracted by her thoughts by a gravelly female voice that had her team snap their tired heads to attention.

"Sorry wonder boy, but I think Phil is right."

Dressed in a lavender toga that matched her eyes, the dress tied at a curvy waist with a deeper purple sash and held together with brass fastenings, the woman entered the arena with a sway to her hips. Flipping long luscious brown hair away from her slender face that had escaped from its ponytail, the woman eyed the newcomers with concern before making her way to the tall red-headed warrior and satyr. "I've seen Heartless with better technique than this lot. Where'd you find them, the pits of Tartarus?"

"A world called Remnant, if you must know Megara." Haruka answered for the out of breath Huntresses, reaching forward to shake hands with the newcomer.

"They're new to this whole Keyblade thing, so be nice Meg." Hercules replied as he bent down to place a quick kiss on the woman's forehead.

"Meg, meet the gang. This is Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang! Together, they are Team RWBY." Hercules explained as he waved a hand at the tired girls, the Huntresses responding in tired greetings as their name was called. "And, of course, you remember Haruka, Ryu, and Titus? They're calling themselves HART now, although Aloy and Zyun are unable to join us."

"Hey there squirt," Meg said fondly as Titus ran up for a hug from the taller woman. She turned her lavender eyes on the worn out Keyblade users. "The name's Megara, but my friends call me Meg."

She turned to look down at the young boy who had pulled away to observe the Beacon student's progress. "Are you sure they're up to the task? Looks like Phil's been drilling them all day."

Titus waved off her unease with a smile. "They'll be fine. With a little training, and maybe some luck, they'll be in tip-top shape in no time!" Meg smiled at his conviction, as the boy pumped his fist in confidence.

Weiss frowned at the older woman's concerns, her sweaty fingers tightening on the white grip of her Keyblade. The Heiress' frown turned into a grimace, noticing that her normally pale arms taking on a tinge of pink from spending all day on the open training grounds under the beating sun. The woman's words were troubling to the young Heiress. But unfortunately, Meg wasn't wrong.

Their task was supposed to be simple: Destroy all the barrels of the obstacle course within a two-minute time limit. And while the trail didn't seem hard, they were given one rule: no Semblances. With their usual weapons and Semblances, this would be an easy feat. But without their powers and using unfamiliar Keyblades, they were completely out of their element. What should have been an easy task had taken all of their strength. And while they were able to break all the barrels to technically complete the timed trial and earn their junior hero passes, Phil had been unhappy with their progress and had them running through the course repeatedly all evening.

Something that was becoming more evident as the satyr's small tail lashed around in agitation. "You'll never win in the tournament fighting like that. The other combatants will beat you one way or another at this rate."

Blake felt her feline ears try to flatten themselves, but failed, constrained by their silk bow. "There are other combatants competing in the tournament?" She asked, having only just realized the type of opponents they might have to face. A slight blush could be seen across her cheeks as she realized that this had been explained earlier to them in the entrance hall of the coliseum. However, she had been a bit preoccupied with knowledge that the fifteen-year-old boy next to her had been older than the professors back at Beacon. It was unnerving just how little she knew of their traveling companions, something she hoped would change soon.

Until then, Blake, along with the rest of her friends, would have to get better with the weapons they were provided with if they had a chance to defeat anyone in this tournament. And while she was nowhere near comfortable with using Nightshade, the blade was not too different to wield compared to Gambol Shroud's katana formation.

Phil scoffed at her lack of attention to the rules. "Of course! These are the games! You think you're the only person that's traveled here to compete?"

"I… of course not." Blake muttered, more to herself than to answer the grumpy half-man half-goat.

Yang let Burning Heart disappear from her grasp with a flash of light before she walked up to her partner and laid a reassuring hand on her shoulder. The brawler turned to her training coach, popping a hip as she pondered over the tournament rules she knew of so far. "Can we talk to the other fighters?"

Phil shook his head slowly, flailing his arms in a cutting motion. "Sorry, kid. But no can do. Fighters can't talk to each other before the games, it's in the tournament rules. We don't want people spying on each other for the finals round. I'll make an exception for your team and the Keyblade users you came with since you all arrived together. But as for searching for the other fighters in the barracks, I have three words of advice for you: Keep – Your – Mouth – Shut!"

Ruby scratched her head in confusion, the number of words not matching the fingers counted on her hand.

"Well, I think they've had enough for today, Phil."

"Hercules is right, I think it's time for our guests to call it a day." Meg spoke, her eyes watching as Blake stretched her sore back and shoulders, wincing at the strained muscles. "I'll make sure a meal is sent to the barracks for you all after you freshen up. Come on, lover boy. You need to take a break too." She lightly tapped Hercules on the shoulder before the demigod sighed and walked towards a wooden bench in the shadows of the arena.

"Okay, fine… But only for a few minutes." Hercules agreed before he began to stretch his shoulders in place. "Is that alright, Phil?"

"Go on, kid. You too, RWBY – HART. You all deserve it. But be ready by sunrise tomorrow. I'm not going easy on you all because you're the chosen ones and all that 'light' nonsense." He made air quotes around the penultimate word before he waved off the tired fighters.

"Thank the Gods! I can't feel my arms." Yang complained loudly as she shook out her hurting wrists.

"You're not the only one, Yang." Weiss whined, her slim shoulders shaking in protest as she strained to keep the heavy Keyblade in a ready position. The longer she stood at attention the further the point of her weapon tilted towards the packed dirt.

"Okay team, I think it's time to hit the showers!" Ruby ordered, wiping the sweat from the back of her neck with the corner of her crimson cape.

Weiss flipped away a few sweaty bangs from her forehead before she regarded her partner. "Do they even have showers on this world? It's not exactly… high-tech."

Titus laughed at Weiss' careful observation. "Showers, no. But they do have communal baths."

"Communal baths?!" Ruby exclaimed in shock, her silver eyes quickly flickering to her partner before meeting her sister's, the brawler raising one golden brow in question at her sister's deepening blush.

"The men and women have separate bath houses." Ryu explained, hoping to calm the young leader's seemingly misplaced fears. "You will not need to worry about your modesty."

"I don't think that's what's got Ruby all red…Ouch!" Yang teased, before Ruby jabbed her elbow into the brawler's ribs. 'What was with people hitting her today?!'

"Yang?!" Ruby whined, glaring at her sister who was still wincing from the blow.

"There are plenty of baths to go around." Haruka explained as she noted the younger leader's awkwardness and promptly ignored her outburst.

"Yang, Ruby, and I will take one bath while Blake and Weiss can take their own in a separate room. I trust that this poses no issues for either of you?" She asked the monochrome pairing who shrugged in indifference or shook their heads. "Good. Then the boys can go to the other bath house and meet us at our barracks for dinner. Will that be acceptable for everyone?"

"Sounds good to me." Yang gave the other leader a thumbs up before nodding to her sister. "Come on Rubes, let's get out of our sweaty gear."

Ruby hummed in agreement, having no qualms with bathing with her sister and the other Keyblade wielder, skipping ahead to match pace with her partner who had already walked ahead towards the training grounds' exit.

Ruby cleared her throat awkwardly, hoping that the Heiress hadn't seen her momentary freak out over their bathing situation. "So… Weiss, you looked pretty good out there today."

"Please don't lie, Ruby. It's unbecoming of you." Weiss sniffed in disdain at the memory of her own performance. The added weight of her blade meant that her usual fighting style of quick jabs and aerial acrobats was burdened by the bulkiness of the Keyblade.

"Well, I thought you looked good..." Ruby admitted, placing a hand on the back of her neck as she smiled widely at her frowning partner. A faint blush could be seen reddening her cheeks once more even over the pink tint of a sunburn that covered her cheekbones.

Weiss' response was lost to the wind as the partners walked ahead of the rest of the gang, but the blooming light blush that crawled up the Heiress' neck and into her face was a telling enough story.

Yang chuckled at her sister's efforts to catch the attention of the elusive Ice Queen, the brawler winking at her own partner in her mirth. "Have fun with Weissy…"

Blake nudged her partner with her elbow. "I think you'll have your own hands full with Ruby."

Yang hummed in response, a smirk growing on her lips. "At least they'll be in separate baths, can you imagine what would happen if they had to bathe together? Ruby can't even change in the same room as Weiss anymore without becoming a blushing mess."

"Can you blame her?" Blake asked as they walked out the gates of the training grounds and into the side building to the right of the barracks. "The poor girl's hormones have got to be going crazy now that she's sixteen. And her crush on Weiss is not exactly subtle… even if Ruby doesn't realize it herself."

Yang shook her head at her partner's inquiry. "Well, I don't think we'll have to worry about Rubes acting on those emotions any time soon…"

Blake felt her feline ears twitch from their silk constraint. "And why do you say that?"

"That little one-bed only stunt you pulled on them on Traverse Town, Ruby slept on the floor." Yang stated, tilting her head slightly to the side to watch the brunette's reaction.

"Weiss made her sleep on the floor?!" Blake's eyes widened in shock before she broke out into a burst of laughter. "Wow, that's cold."

"No…" Yang drawled out until the Faunus arched a dark eyebrow. "Apparently, Ruby volunteered."

The Faunus hummed in satisfaction. "Well then, I've got to hand it to your sister. She's got some serious resolve." She cocked her head in thought. "That or she's whipped…"

Blake trailed off surprise as Yang bent over in laughter, her toned arms crossing over her stomach as she tried and failed to hold back her glee. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing," Yang wiped her watery eyes as she waved off her friend's question. "It's just that I told Ruby the same exact thing."

Blake laughed along with Yang. "Great minds think alike?"

The brawler smiled and gently bumped shoulders with the shorter Faunus. "Yeah, something like that."

They entered a long stone hallway, each Huntress content in the silence that followed them in their wake until they came upon a series of doors that led to their separate chambers. Both girls turned to face each other, and Yang felt her breath catch in her throat as the low glow of the torches reflected in Blakes' eyes so that her amber irises seemed to burn like liquid gold.

Yang cleared her suddenly dry throat, wishing that this world offered a strawberry sunrise or even a bottle of sunflower pop to quench her sudden thirst. "Well, this is me…"

Blake nodded before a small smile slipped on her features. "See you at dinner." She turned to walk away but was halted by the sound of her teammate's soft voice.

"Hey, Blake."

The Faunus turned to face her partner, noticing how Yang's face was slightly flushed from being out in the sun all day. "Yes, Yang?"

"I… um, I thought you looked really good out there today too." Yang's lilac gaze fell to the floor as she reached for her other arm, a trait Blake now associated with her friend as a nervous tick. "You just – really know your stuff with Nightshade."

"Thanks, Yang." Blake cleared her throat awkwardly, not knowing how to phrase her next sentence without hurting the pride of her friend. "Listen, I know you're frustrated right now but you'll get better."

"You don't need to do that, Blake." Yang shook her head and tried to smile at her own shortcomings. "I know that I was bad…"

"I wouldn't say you were bad, per say…" Blake trailed off, her eyes shifted as if trying to find the right words once more.

"Blake..."

"Really, you weren't bad, just inexperienced. You'll get better in time." Blake shot her partner a reassuring smile that Yang tried to share but fell short. Blake reached up and gently laid her palm on Yang's chin, forcing the blonde to meet her eyes. "Hey, look at me Yang. You'll be fine… I mean it."

"Thanks, Blakey…" Yang smiled softly, laying her hand briefly on top of her partner's. Soft lilac met liquid gold, both Huntresses trapped in each other's gaze unwilling to take the first step: forward… or backward.

The latter won out as Blake smiled fondly at the taller brawler before stepping away and clearing her throat as her eyes suddenly found the tile mosaic on the opposite wall fascinating. "Anytime, Yang."

'But really,' Blake thought bitterly to herself about her unspoken reluctance, 'Was there really ever a choice to make?'

With a quick glance over her shoulder, Blake left her partner in the bath house's hallway. And after a few seconds to briefly touch the corner of her jaw in awe, Yang shook her head to clear her thoughts and walked through the door to her right to join Ruby and Haruka in the soothing warm waters.

An hour later found HRT and the former Beacon students sitting on the floor, cross-legged on plush cushions around a long wooden table, terracotta plates and platters ladened with various meat, vegetables, and fruits.

"Wow, they really know how to eat like kings here." Ruby's mouth began to water as her sister helped herself to a platter of smoked lamb meat.

"More like the gods…" Titus answered excitedly as he reached for a bowl of ripe grapes.

The room soon fell into a relaxed atmosphere as everyone slowly ate their fill and chattered about everything and nothing. A topic that had just come up was Team RWBY's Semblances and the extent of their powers. Since HART had seen them fight in the Vytal tournament, and during the end of the world, Ruby and her teammates, for the most part, willingly shared what they could. Currently, Yang and Titus were comparing the Remnant trait of Auras with the natural protection that the other Keyblade wielders were gifted from the Light. As far as the former-scythe user could understand, it was the same thing with a different name.

Listening between bites, Ruby was careful to stretch out on her plush cushion, aware that the bathrobe she was given showed off her toned leg and arm muscles. Ruby and her friends were clothed in mid-calf high robes made of cotton, their combat gear having been washed and hanging up to dry back at the barracks. They weren't pajamas by any means, but the robes were clean and offered a reprieve from their normal sleepwear – even if they were a bit revealing on her slender legs.

"Wait… So, let me get this straight." Yang spoke around a bite of pita bread, tearing off a chunk before smearing it with hummus. "With your Semblance, you can touch anything and it will just change with a single brush of your hand?" Yang reached over to poke Weiss in the shoulder in demonstration, the Heiress exclaiming in protest.

Titus hummed in thought, struggling to swallow a mouth full of lettuce before answering the other blonde. "Well… we don't call our powers Semblances, but from what we saw on your world, they follow similar rules. Like I said before, I have manipulation magic, so can change almost anything at my will."

Running his fingers through his short sandy blond hair, his hazel eyes fell on a small cherry tomato which he plucked from his plate and placed into the palm of his hand. The Huntresses could barely believe their eyes as the fruit's skin changed to thin red paper before folding in on itself and forming an origami crane that took off from his palm and flew around their heads.

"Wow!" Ruby gasped in wonder at the beautiful display of power. "That's incredible."

"It sure is… although, even I have my limitations." He chuckled to himself as his creation flew around their heads, playfully dive bombing his partner who flicked away the paper pest with a wave of his hand. "I can't grow food or purify water. Whatever I change must be tangible, and it requires a ton of concentration. I can't bring back the dead and anything I can change is only temporary." Titus sighed, watching the paper crane flutter around their heads with a look that aged him beyond his appearance. It was in moments like this that Ruby could see a glimpse of the hidden 80 years that rested on the boy's shoulders. "All the power of creation at my fingertips and yet, there are times when I feel so powerless…"

Ryu reached over to clasp his arm on his companion, the smaller boy flashing a brief smile in thanks at the reassuring gesture.

Yang shook her head in awe as the crane flapped around her head. "Still looks like magic to me."

"So, magic… it's real then?" Weiss asked in a slightly hesitant voice, not sure if she believed in something so ridiculous without further evidence. Then again, Huntsmen and Huntresses on Remnant had powers that other people only dream of – turning into a speeding cloud of petals being the prime example.

"Very real," Titus replied with a smile. "But the real type of magic you're probably thinking about was Zyun's specialty."

"Zyun is many things, but a skilled fighter with a Keyblade, he is not." Ryu spoke up, the fabric mask that normally covered his chin lowered so that he could enjoy his meal in peace. Titus chuckled at his partner's words, Haruka breaking into a small smile at the mention of her brother. "However, Zyun was gifted in the mystic arts. When he was chosen by the Light, he trained under Master Yen Sid to learn the many forms of magic."

"And Master Yen Sid is… who exactly?" Weiss asked, raising her scarred eyebrow skeptically.

"A wizard of great power." Haruka answered, her reply unusually short as she shot the Heiress a withering gaze. "He taught King Mickey himself."

Weiss sniffed in disdain, trying not to outwardly show her issues at being unfairly judged by the other leader. A reassuring tap on her bare leg by her partner showed that her actions were not unnoticed. But as to why Haruka seemed to be so upset with her was still left to mystery as the conversation quickly moved on.

"So, when you say that he learned magic…" Blake trailed off her eyes meeting Ryu's, not sure what the other man meant by the odd statement.

"Like shooting fireballs and lightning bolts out of his Keyblade!" Titus exclaimed, mimicking the action with his fork. "It was so cool."

"Can anyone learn to use magic?" Yang asked, pausing mid bite as curiosity shone in her eyes. "Like, I don't know… say… us?"

Haruka frowned slightly as she rested her goblet of water onto the table to level eyes with the brawler. "You need to have a special affinity to magic to wield its power successfully, but as Keyblade users you all technically possess some of that raw magic every time you use your weapons. It is that same magic, or pure Light, that gives us powers and protects us like your Auras. As to using combative magic, that takes years of work and strict discipline – something we don't have time to train you for. But yes, in time, you could learn to shoot fireballs out of your Keyblades." Haruka smirked slightly as she watched Ruby high-five Titus at the news.

Blake watched her team interact with the other Keyblade users with growing curiosity. Slowly, but surely, they were uncovering the many truths about Team HART, but she wondered how much they still had to learn. A concern that she knew Weiss shared too, as the topic had come up when they were alone in the bath house. The more Blake knew about her new traveling companions the better she would feel about their situation. And she was sure that the other members of HART would also feel at ease with a gesture of goodwill, such as further transparency when it came to their Semblances. Ruby and Yang were willing to discuss their Semblances to a degree, but withheld some of their shortcomings. It was a cautionary measure that she was glad to know the rest of her teammates shared in various degrees. But first, she wanted to see just how much their companions were willing to share themselves without being interrogated.

The Faunus cleared her throat loudly to get the other's attention before asking one of her many questions. "So, Titus, you can manipulate matter, but it's not permanent; Ryu, you can create doorways to different worlds…"

"With the exception of one to Kingdom Hearts, and within the same world itself, yes." Ryu answered for her.

Blake nodded at the clarification. "Zyun can sense the Light and Darkness in people's hearts. While you, Haruka, have visions of the future."

"That is correct on both accounts." The leader confirmed, her amethyst eyes were unwavering as she met the Faunus' own. "There is a reason that my Keyblade is named Fortuna. And my brother's Fatum."

The leader held out her tanned palm over the table, and with a flash of brilliant white light, her Keyblade materialized. Ruby leaned towards the shining weapon, never having been close enough to see the intricate detailing that made up Fortuna.

The Keyblade itself was beautiful in its entirety.

The blade's silver gilded hilt had a similar resemblance to flaring wings, one whiter than snow and the other black as night. The neck of the weapon looked similar to a broadsword except for a series of ancient looking runes running the length of the blade. Ruby had a sneaking suspicion that only the wielder had the knowledge of what they stood for. The inlaid markings pulsated with an inner light that shone with a full spectrum of a rainbow.

The teeth of the blade were composed of several interlocking and gyrating circular plates with crescent blades. Weiss' eyes widened in surprise as she noticed that the engraved glyphs marked the teeth's design as a working, detailed astronomical clock – although what it mapped was clearly not from any world they knew. The silver keychain that hung from the base of the black leather handle was formed with an intertwined half-moon and sun charm. The color of the blade matched its owner's motif of purple, black, and silver.

Ruby could feel herself drool the longer she stared at the glowing Keyblade in all its glory. Fortuna had to be one of the most gorgeous weapons that she had ever laid eyes on – excluding Crescent Rose, of course...

"Wait a minute..." Weiss muttered as she roughly translated the old language. It was none like what they had on Remnant, but it was similar enough to old Valerian to grasp its meaning. "Fatum and Fortuna… Fate and Fortune?"

"You are correct, Weiss." Haruka gave her the barest of nods before speaking once more. "But, as you might have noticed, for my Semblance to activate I must be touching someone in order for the vision to manifest. It can be as simple as a bush of a fingertip or…"

"A handshake." Weiss finished for the leader, amethyst eyes narrowing as they locked with sky blue.

"Yes." Haruka answered, her eyes never leaving the Heiress' tense stare. With a flick of the wrist, the Keyblade spun once in midair before disappearing in another flash of light.

"And Aloy…" Blake prompted, not wanting the two girls to lash out at each other once more. Haruka finally broke off her staring contest with Weiss to address the Huntress' question.

"It's called the Station of the Awakening. The place where she took you, Weiss. The pillars of stained glass mosaics that you saw in the darkness." Haruka answered for Blake who had glanced sideways at the Heiress who had stiffened on her cushion. "The process itself is called the Dive into the Heart. It forces the body or spirit of someone who is pulled into a dream-like world that is the physical embodiment of the heart. It is not only the entrance to one's heart, but one of the few ways to access the place safely and at will."

"It is also one of the only known ways to enter Kingdom Hearts." Ryu added for his friend.

"Is that normal?" Weiss asked, a delicate hand placed on her chin in thought.

"What do you mean by that, Weiss?" Ruby asked, her brows pressed together in confusion.

"Well, her Semblance is so different from the rest of us. Having the power to enter people's hearts? It seems different, unique – almost… too powerful." Weiss spoke softly, as if afraid to upset Aloy's companions. But to her surprise Haruka answered her without malice or disdain in her voice.

"We know." Haruka answered calmly, reaching out for her goblet of water and took a long drink before continuing in her explanation. "Aloy is more powerful than she realizes. I cannot say for certain, but we believe it is because of who she is and her connection to the Light."

Ryu waved a hand at the Beacon students. "It's also the reason we think she has two Keyblades instead of the one."

"And here I thought she was just lucky." Yang chuckled to herself, silently thankful that she only needed to learn to use one Keyblade, not two.

Haruka gave the brawler a ghost of the smile, probably guessing what was on her mind. "Perhaps she was…"

"Ruby?" The crimson-cloaked teenager looked up from her plate to meet the questioning gaze of her partner. "Something on your mind?"

Ruby stopped pushing the relatively untouched vegetables around her plate with her fork. Weiss could always tell if something was bothering her, no matter how small.

"What we saw in the arena at home," Ruby began, her voice coming out slowly unsure of how to phrase her question. "The Heartless that she summoned… Why did they hurt her?" There was a brief pause as the world jumpers considered her question carefully.

In the end, it was Ryu who answered her question. "While it is not her Semblance, Aloy has the power to summon Heartless." His slow methodical speech pattern was soothing, with the thick lit of an unrecognizable accent placing heavy emphasis on throaty consonants. "Since her heart is not made of darkness, it seems as though Aloy made a blood pact with the Heartless in order to summon them. But to do so requires a necessary sacrifice."

"So those scars…" Weiss trailed off, her mind lost to the memory of seeing Aloy's upper torso and arms covered in scar tissue and bloodied cuts that had yet to heal. "And all the scratches and cuts…"

Ryu nodded solemnly. "It was the payment that was their due."

"A payment of flesh and blood… That's horrifying." Blake felt a shiver crawl up her spine, her mind flashing to the sight of the giant looming Heartless ripping open Aloy's back with its finger-like claws.

"But why would you do something that knowingly hurts you?" Ruby asked tentatively, her hands grasping at the hem of her robe timidly. As a Huntress-in-training she was not as naïve as she appeared, but she felt repulsed at the thought of enduring self-harm for power.

"I do not know for certain, as only Aloy can tell you that." Ryu spoke softly, clasping his hands together, his eyes narrowed in thought. "But why does anyone do something like that: power, greed, and even love. However, I believe that the explanation is much simpler – Loneliness."

There was a moment of heavy silence as the Huntresses took this all in.

"But that doesn't make any sense." Yang spoke up, twisting her head to glance at all the people at the table. "She has you. Why would she purposely summon something that harms her out of loneliness when she has all of you?"

"Because she did not always have us." Haruka took a tentative sip of her drink before tapping the edge of her goblet, her eyes cast down lost in thought. "We found her, trapped and alone without memories, without a family, without anyone really – not even herself. But by then she was already able to summon Heartless, although I doubt she knew what she had done at the time."

Ryu hummed in agreement. "Being alone for too long can do strange things to people. We were lucky to find Aloy when we did."

"And how did you find her?" Weiss asked, her eyes flickering to each of the different world jumpers. "How did any of you find each other?"

"It's kind of a long story..." Titus chuckled wearily, running his fingers through his short messy locks.

"We are from the past, present, and future…" Haruka trailed off, her voice echoing oddly in the room as it was joined by countless others. RWBY glanced at each other in confusion and unease, but the other members in the room acted as if this was a common occurrence.

"... Is no one going to mention the voice thing?" Ruby asked awkwardly, her finger raised as she pointed up into the air.

Titus waved her off with an almost sheepish smile. "You get used to it."

Somehow, that didn't make Ruby feel any better...

His partner cleared his throat to shift the attention away from the young teenager. "It is an honor that we exist in the same space, and time did not choose to separate us by eons." Ryu bowed his head slightly towards the rest of his teammates before repeating the action to his new companions. "But to answer your questions, it was Haruka and Zyun who found me on my world. Several years ago, I joined them on their quest to stop the Darkness after it had already affected my world. But I found that I had trouble adjusting to the strange customs and new technology many of these worlds had to offer. I came from a world where my civilization was hundreds of years younger than yours." He nodded to the shocked Beacon students.

"He had never seen electricity before when my brother and I first met him." Haruka explained, trying to answer their brewing questions. "Ryu almost had a heart attack the first time he rode an elevator."

The three experienced world travelers dissolved into laughter at the memory.

"My world had no concept of magic or Semblances, so when the Keyblade chose me I was forced to leave my home. I stood out too much to stay on my world. I was… no longer welcomed there." Ryu explained, a shadow of remorse flickering across his face before his eyes softened. "But I do not regret meeting my friends. It has certainly been a thrilling adventure, one that I am honored to take part of together with all of you."

"It was about a year later when they found me." Titus spoke up, patting a reassuring hand on his partner before addressing the Beacon students. "I was just a kid then, even more so than I look now. But in reality, I was just shy of 74 years old."

"So, you have mentioned earlier," Weiss jumped in, her eyes narrowing in thought as she did the math in her head. "But then, why do you appear so young?"

Titus sighed and glanced down at his plate, contemplating his words in uncharacteristic silence. "I guess you could say I was trapped in some sort of dreamland… or maybe the world of the fairies."

"Do you mean like the Fae?" Yang asked, remembering the folktales in Vale that spoke of fairies that would trick weary travelers into leaving the mortal realm.

"Nothing that extreme." Titus assured the brawler, waving off her question with a flourish of his hand. "More like that I was lost for a long time. But you might know me as a Lost Boy."

"A what?" Ruby asked, not knowing what he meant by the strange title.

"That's what they called us, those who were taken to Neverland." Titus explained, a hint of a smile returning to his face. "Our leader Peter would show us around the island, joining our adventures as we faced off against pirates, danced and traded with the local Indians, and played tricks on mermaids in the bay. For decades I lived as one of them, without a care into the world – and while my time there did change me in more ways than one, I never grew up." The boy's smile fell, as the shadows under his hazel eyes grew darker in the low torch light. "But that all changed when I was chosen by the Light."

"It was only a few weeks later when Ryu, Zyun, and myself traveled to Neverland and found him holding his new Keyblade." Haruka explained, gentle eyes watching her downcast teammate. "By that point, Titus was separated from the other Lost Boys and willingly joined us in our fight against the Darkness."

"But why would you leave?" Blake asked, curiosity evident by the tone of her voice. "Why would leave your friends and join a bunch of strangers, regardless if the Keyblade chose you?"

"Because you can only live in Neverland if you chose to remain a kid forever." Titus explained. "I didn't realize it at the time, but the moment I chose to accept the Keyblade, I gave up my immortality. I was asked to leave by Peter and the other Lost Boys, because in the time I had received the Keyblade, I grew a quarter of an inch."

"You are asked to leave Neverland over a quarter of an inch height difference?!" Weiss asked in disbelief.

"Yes, I think to them it was an act of betrayal." Titus sighed as he reached up to touch the slanted points of his ears. "For almost a century I was one of them until suddenly… I wasn't."

"That's kind of horrible." Blake remarked, looking at both boys who had been driven from their homes.

"You can say that. But then again, in a way I was happy – relieved even." Titus explained, reaching for his own goblet of water to take a small sip. "I don't remember much of my time before I became a Lost Boy. But I have faint memories of living in a huge city with a large clock tower outside my window. I remember not leaving my bed a lot – I think I was sick? But then one night, Peter Pan flew to my window and took me to his home." Titus let out a long sigh, his eyes glazing over slightly as he became lost in thought. After a moment he shook his head before focusing on the present once more. "Living in Neverland was like something out of your greatest fantasy. But it also felt like none of it was real. The years would slip by and I slowly forgot who I was, and what I was living for. When the Keyblade came to me, it was like a spark was lit and suddenly I was free."

Titus smiled widely, the shadows under his eyes disappearing as his eyes sparkled with brimming emotion. "For almost 80 years I was alive, but now I am finally living. I've never been more excited to grow up and embrace my own destiny!"

"I know we just met, but I'm proud of you, Titus." Yang said, holding out her hand for a fist bump.

"Thanks, Yang!" Titus leaned over the table and excitedly tapped knuckles with the brawler.

"And what about you, Haruka?" Yang asked, curious to know how this odd group started.

"Me?" Haruka asked, seemingly startled at being addressed so quickly after her friend. "Oh, right... My brother and I lost our home to Heartless a long time ago."

The Beacon students waited for the leader to elaborate further on her story, but it quickly became apparent that she would not speak about it more anytime soon. The air suddenly felt heavy on them all as they sat in silence in the dining chamber.

"I'm sorry, to all of you." Ruby spoke softly, her silver eyes flitting around the room to briefly rest on each experienced traveler.

"Don't be," Titus waved her off with a smile. "Our pasts only make us stronger."

"We are warriors chosen by the Light in a battle against the Darkness." Haruka explained, slightly shrugging at his admission. "Our path has never been easy, but at least now we have each other." She shared a small smile with her fellow compatriots.

"What about Aloy?" Weiss asked, her mind flashing to the charming young woman who was traveling to see the King elsewhere as they spoke. "You said you found her too, right?"

There was a brief pause as the world jumpers pondered over her question before Haruka answered for her partner's past. "A little over three years ago, I had a vision of Aloy. She was wandering alone in the streets of a city of eternal night. Nothing of the place was indicative of her origin or identity; it was like she was trapped in a world that never was…"

"An endless maze of nothing." Ryu interjected, crossing his arms as his amber eyes narrowed into a grimace. "A city that held no one but her, and only the Shadows of Heartless that she had summoned."

Haruka nodded at her teammate's perception. "When my team and I arrived, she could not tell us her name or where she came from. Nor how she came to that desolate place… And at first, we held our reservations of her intentions. But Zyun had sensed the Light in her, and the Keyblades in her hands offered proof of the power of her heart."

"So, we brought her with us on our adventures." Titus cut in with a smile. "Aloy wanted to see the other worlds and we were happy to make a new friend."

"We had hoped that by taking her to the other worlds, her memories would return. And that through our adventures, Aloy would develop her own identity, if one did not make itself known to her." Ryu spoke softly, his eyes becoming downcast. "But we are not without fault, nor was this an act of true selflessness on our part. We were concerned that if we did not take her in, then Aloy would be found by the Masters of Heartless who would corrupt her heart."

"We hoped Aloy would be a force for good, as the Keyblades had intended." Haruka explained, hoping the Huntresses would understand their moral dilemma. "Not a puppet that the Darkness would use in this war."

Weiss nodded in understanding. A part of her wondered that if put in the same situation as the other Keyblade users, would she have made the same choices to help someone with such a bad case of retrograde amnesia? If it were a year ago, she might not have even given the woman a second glance. But now, the Huntress would like to think that she would.

"When I was able to talk to Aloy after… everything, she seemed very fond of all of you." Weiss explained, compassion and understanding lacing her words as she gave her companions a sincere smile. "I believe your intentions were good, and I would like to think that she found a family in all of you."

'Like I have with my own team.' Weiss thought warmly, her gaze lingering on the smiling Beacon students.

"Thanks, Weiss." Titus said with a smile, while Haruka and Ryu bowed their heads at the Heiress' kind words.

"We are very fond of her too." Haruka spoke, the lightest of pink tinging her cheeks at the admission.

"So we noticed…" Yang spoke, failing to hide her smirk behind her hand. The blush that crept into Haruka's face became more apparent as she pointedly looked away from the chuckling Huntress.

"Besides, it's been awesome to see Aloy grow as her own person!" Titus exclaimed, his eyes shining in glee while he actively ignored his leader's growing embarrassment. "She's a kickass fighter and so funny…"

"Language." Ryu reminded his partner, who ignored him in his excitement.

"Aloy really lives up to her namesake every day." Titus continued with a smile.

Blake felt her feline appendages twitch under the confines of their ribbon. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, it's like we said." Titus gestured around with his hands excitedly. "When we found Aloy she had no name, no memories – nothing! And you could see that it was really bumming her out. We tried to help her out with picking a name as we jumped around worlds and kicked Heartless butt. But nothing really seemed to fit, you know?"

Yang felt herself on the edge of her seat, wanting to know more about the young woman's past. But at the same time, the brawler was just happy to see the boy so excited to talk about his missing friend. It was comforting, this small act of normalcy in the face of the looming horrors that they were up against. For the next few minutes, Yang allowed herself to get lost in the moment of a good meal with her, hopefully, new friends.

"It all changed when we ended up on this one world – a place overrun by a battle of nature vs. machine!" Hazel eyes sparkled with mischief as he launched into his tale, his exuberant behavior reminding Yang of her sister. "It was like a modern world that was left to ruins while the new civilizations faced these beast-like Heartless machines. They were so dangerous, but so awesome! We teamed up with an outcast who helped us find the Keyhole. She was a skilled fighter, a real Brave warrior. Aloy had befriended her – I think they bonded over their lack of mothers or something?" Titus shrugged, as he tried to remember their adventure.

Weiss shared a glance at Ruby, but the young leader shrugged, also baffled by the story. Truth be told, the boy's rambling reminded the Heiress of her partner's own excited gibberish that seemed to pour out of that girl's mouth daily. Weiss would never admit it, but she found Ruby's rambles to be a bit… cute. Yang caught Weiss eye and winked, causing the Heiress to lightly blush.

Titus ignored their looks, presumedly failing to notice their confusion and hurried on. "Anyway, Aloy took the warriors' name because of the bravery she showed. I think she wanted to be a Brave warrior like her too."

"Did she not want her name from a Coward warrior?" Yang asked, nudging Blake's side while slipping into a wide grin. Her teammates groaned, used to the brawler's bad puns.

"No, she took it from a Brave." Ryu's brow furrowed in increasing confusion, not understanding the blonde's sense of humor. "They are the fighters from the Nora tribe."

Yang howled with laughter, slapping her knee as Ryu lit fuel to her fire. "It just keeps getting better."

Ryu's frowned deepened. "I do not understand your joke."

Ruby felt herself snicker, unable to hide her mirth at her sister's bad jokes. "Someone has to tell JNPR later."

"Don't listen to them." Weiss assured Ryu, rolling her eyes at her teammates' antics. "They're just being idiots."

"But we're your idiots, Weiss!" Ruby beamed at her partner who crossed her arms and huffed in indifference.

"Can I ask one more question?" Yang inquired, wiping the tears from her eyes from her laughter, before leaning in on her seat as her brain spun with the information overload from this dinner.

"Shoot…" Titus smirked, his hands opening in a welcoming gesture. His partner shot him an odd look causing the hazel-eyed boy to roll his eyes. "What? I thought that was a thing people said now."

"It is…" Blake assured him with a small smile. Yang cleared her throat to get the boy back on track.

"Right," Titus nodded, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "What can I do for you, Yang?"

"It's actually a question for Haruka…" Yang began catching the attention of the leader along with the rest of the people around the table. "It's about the keys on your cape. Is it a memento thing – or a trophy situation? Maybe even a kin– ouch!"

Yang rubbed her ribs as she shot a glare at Blake who had elbowed her not so discreetly.

Ruby and Weiss chuckled at the black and yellow duo's antics. Secretly, Weiss was glad Yang had brought this up, having remembered the numerous keys that had hung from looping chains on the shoulder cape: Some had looked old or broken, others unnervingly futuristic. She noticed how Haruka's extensive collection was very similar to how Aloy had displayed all of the unique keychains on the belt across her chest.

"You were right the first time." Haruka answered, a hint of a grin on her face appeared at the blonde's implied questions. "I have a key, or whatever may be the equivalent, from each of the worlds I have visited."

Ruby's silver eyes widened in excitement. "That's really cool!"

"Indeed, it is." The other leader smiled at the younger girl's glee. "My friends and I generally stay in a world long enough to seek loggings or gain access to areas that require a key. I simply keep them as a reminder of our travels."

"Did you get one from Remnant before we left?" Weiss asked, curiosity getting the better of her.

Haruka shook her head solemnly. "Unfortunately, we had to flee your world before I could obtain one."

Hearing the girl's lament, Ruby frantically patted down the pockets of her robe before coming up short. She frowned at the realization that one, she wasn't wearing her combat gear, so even if she had a key it wasn't on her, and two, her world's technology made it so that most doors unlocked with a code or an activation from a scroll. Only the older parts of Remnant or the lands outside the kingdoms would have such a traditional item.

"Do not worry yourself, Ruby. It is not the first time I was unable to do so, and it won't be the last." Haruka waved off the girl's failed search attempt. "But I appreciate the gesture."

"I still have a key…"

Everyone paused in their eating to stare at the Faunus who had spoken up. The brunette felt a warm blush crawl its way into her cheeks at the sudden attention. Blake cleared her throat before breaking the silence. "Give me a minute."

Without further explanation the Huntress stood up from the table, being mindful of the loose robe that covered her body, only held together by the ties at the waist. Turning swiftly on her heel, she silently left the dinning chamber.

The people around the table only had time to glance around at each other before their missing teammate returned, a small object clutched in her palm.

Sitting back at her spot at the table, Blake leaned forward to place the key into the outstretched hand of the other Keyblade wielder. The skeleton-styled key looked as if it was made from brass with an ornately carved handle.

"Thank you." Haruka spoke sincerely as she stroked the brass finish with her thumb, her eyes softening at the kind gesture.

"You're welcome, Haruka. Besides, I didn't want your trip to our world to be for nothing." Blake attempted to smile at the teasing words.

"Where did you get that, Blakey?" Yang asked in wonder, knowing that physical copies of keys were rare in Vale.

Blake felt her feline ears twitch under her bow at the brawler's nickname. "It's a key from my home… in Menagerie."

"You're from Menagerie?" Ruby asked tentatively, yet unable to keep the curiosity from creeping into her voice.

Blake raised her eyebrows at her leader's words. "What's with the tone of surprise? You know I'm a Faunus."

"A what?" Titus asked, his head tilting in confusion. The students from Beacon ignored him, not out of apathy, but out of surprise and shock at their secretive teammate's admission.

"Well, you never talk about your home, or your family…" Weiss explained, concern lining her face.

"It's okay. I just haven't spoken to my parents in a few years." Blake muttered mostly to herself, her eyes down cast as Haruka examined the design inscribed on the handle of the small token of all that was left of Remnant.

"Are you sure you want me to have it?" Haruka asked, holding out the worn key in her fingertips in offering.

"It's all yours." Blake gestured to the other brunette. "Besides, it's not like I'll be going back there any time soon."

The air felt heavy as their teammate's words settled on them, a reminder of all that they had lost. Blake felt Yang gently nudged her knee with her own, a small reminder of the promise the blonde had made to her in the streets of Traverse Town. If they ever returned to Remnant, she would not have to face her past alone.

"So…" Titus trailed off awkwardly, catching the attention from his companions once more. "Will someone here please tell me what's a Faunus?"

Blake smirked as she caught the eyes of her teammates as they all burst into laughter.

[-][-][-]

The next morning found Team RWBY sweating in the sun once more as they worked on their technique with Keyblades. The hope was once the basics had been mastered, the Huntresses-in-training would try to adapt some of their old team attacks to their new weaponry.

It was a slow and painful affair.

And almost equally painful to watch.

Ruby cringed as she watched her sister go flying in the air out of control and crash into the nearby bleachers.

"I'm sorry!" Blake called, her feline ears twitching at the apologetic line that reminded her of Pyrrha. "Yang, are you ok?"

"I'm good…" Yang lazily waved her arm over her head, still laying where she crashed. Her Keyblade was several yards away from her landing zone, having been knocked out of her hand once her knuckles met stone seats.

After spending the morning hours going over the basic forms of fighting with their new weapons, under the direction of HRT, Phil had deemed them warmed up enough to switch to some of the more advanced techniques of fighting – which Ruby had taken to mean working in pairs and working on team attacks.

The black and yellow pairing, which Ruby had secretly named them bumbleby, were currently attempting to modify their spinning attack…

'Also known as Bumbleby… Ha! She was so clever.'

… To create enough momentum in a spiral without the help of Blake's nylon ribbon from Gambol Shroud and the shotgun blasts from Ember Celica to give them a boost. The resulting experimentation had the pair locking arms and spinning out with their Keyblades, which had not only looked rather ridiculous, but it had left the girls in a tumbling mess. After a few adjustments, the bumbleby pair attempted to perform the same spiraling movements, but in the opposite direction with interlocking Keyblades, which seemed to have unlocked mid-spin. Which is how Yang was sent flying across the training grounds, although thankfully it seemed that her Aura had protected the brawler enough to not have broken any bones.

"Nice landing Yang," Titus remarked as he quickly jumped up the stone staircase, skipping several steps at a time, until he stopped so that he leaned over the taller blonde. "I think you two are on to something!"

"Really?" Yang asked, groaning as she sat up and rubbed the back of her head in pain. "From where I landed, it looked like we failed miserably."

"Well… yes, that time was a mistake." Titus acknowledged nodding thoughtfully. "But if you switched positions, your strength might be enough to control where you're launching Blake."

"Like a spear-thrower!" Ruby squealed, materializing out of a cloud of petals next to the boy. "Yang, if you use your Semblance, the power should be enough to launch Blake forward with your Keyblades without needing Gambol Shroud!"

Yang accepted the outstretched hand from Titus before glancing at the grinning duo. "Okay, we'll give it a go." She rolled her right arm, making sure nothing had been too badly hurt from their last attempt before waving over to her partner. "Blake! Are you ready to give it another try?"

Ruby smiled widely as she watched her sister dash off to join Blake at the far end of the arena, the pair chatting excitedly as Titus bounded up to them to give a few more pointers on their new move.

"Ruby?! Are you done messing around?" The silver-eyed girl sought the source of the call and ran over to her own partner, who was scowling with her arms crossed. "We don't have all day."

"Right, sorry Weiss." Ruby smiled sheepishly, forgetting she had left her own partner in the blazing sun to watch Yang's crash landing. After all, they had their own new technique to try – one that had her twitching in nervousness as well as excitement.

Weiss sighed deeply before a hint of a smile could be seen on her face. "That's alright, Ruby. So what did you have in mind?"

Ruby rubbed her palms together excitedly. "It's a tactical retreat I've been working on."

Weiss' eyes widened in surprise. "Sounds interesting, but how does it involve me?"

"Well, it's kind of hard to explain…" Ruby chuckled awkwardly, hoping not to further bother her irate partner.

"Great…" Weiss drawled, letting the word draw out in disdain.

"It's just…" Ruby looked around as if looking for an answer to appear out of thin before sighing, a light blush warming her cheeks as she looked away. "Do you trust me?"

"Always." Weiss answered so quickly she hadn't even registered what she had promised before the word slipped out of her mouth.

"Thanks Weiss!" Ruby's answering smile was blinding. "Okay, first I need you to step closer to me."

"Like this?" Weiss asked, standing close enough to her partner so that she was in an arms' reach of each other.

"A little more…" Ruby spoke as she reached out with her right arm and brought her partner closer until the fronts of their bodies were flushed together. "Perfect."

Weiss let out a little gasp, not expecting to be pulled against her partner. "Ruby…"

"... And now just hold on tightly and don't let go." Ruby spoke softly into her ear, their respective Keyblades held aloft in their left hands while their right arms remained clutching each other as if they were drawn together by some unseen force. Weiss was unsure if she could have moved if she had wanted to… not that she would.

The world seemed to fade away around them as Weiss locked eyes with Ruby – the brightest blue meeting startling silver. But before she could look away, her vision was obscured by a cloud of crimson petals that encircled them in their colored hues of red – 'And was that pink?' Everything around them became a blur as Weiss felt her feet leave the ground, her slim waist tucked safely in Ruby's arm as they moved together through the open air. Weiss felt pure energy humming in her veins as Ruby's Aura mixed perfectly with hers, their bodies dissipating as their every essence swirled around them in a whirlwind of color and the faint smell of roses.

As suddenly as the enthralling sensations started, they stopped – Ruby and Weiss having materialized now clear on the other side of the practice grounds in a matter of seconds.

"Wow! You two disappeared in a cloud of rose petals!" Titus yelled as he ran over to where the red and white pairing were panting slightly from the adrenaline. "That was so cool!"

Clearing her throat to dispel the sudden dryness, Weiss quickly stepped away from Ruby's embrace and worked the grip of her Keyblade to regain her focus. A perfect circle of red and, yes, pink rose petals surrounded the partners, a few lazy petals floating to the floor while those around their feet began to fade away into nothingness.

"Thanks, Titus!" Ruby grinned as she punched a fist in victory. "I'm so glad that worked!"

"Ruby… You've never tried that before with someone else, have you?" Weiss asked, a little annoyed that Ruby had risked their lives with her Semblance, while secretly being pleased having witnessed such an amazing feat of raw talent personally.

"Nope!" Ruby popped the 'p' as her eyes shone in mischievousness, before her features softened into a genuine smile. "Thanks for trusting me, Weiss."

"Of course, you Dolt!" Weiss lightly smacked her partner's arm with her palm, Ruby chuckling at her antics. "But maybe next time, warn me a little be for you whisk me away to parts unknown."

Ruby grinned sheepishly, opening her mouth to reply when she was cut off by a voice behind them.

"You know, a little practice and I bet you can turn that move into a coordinated strike with your Keyblades."

Ruby, Weiss, and Titus turned their heads at the sound of approaching footsteps and the other leader's voice. Weiss rubbed her chin in thought as she pondered Haruka's words. Maybe she was right? With a lot of practice and perhaps a bit of luck, Ruby could change that move into a powerful surprise attack. It was worth looking into later before the tournament started tomorrow.

"It's worth a shot." Weiss stated, glancing at her slightly windswept partner. "What do you think, Ruby?"

"Yeah… I bet it could work." Ruby muttered, almost to herself as she gave her bronze Keyblade a few experimental slashes in the empty air.

Titus cocked his head to the side as he observed the young leader's calculated gaze and movements. "So… Did you two name your Keyblades yet?"

Weiss shook her head. "Not yet, although I heard Yang and Blake mention theirs. What about you, Ruby? Come up with anything yet?"

"I don't know. I haven't really thought about it." Ruby sighed, running her fingers through her messy, red-tipped locks in thought. "Crescent Rose was the name I came up with when I was at Signal Academy. And her name was not really that creative to be honest. After all, I was just a kid when Uncle Qrow helped me name her."

"You still are a kid, Ruby." Haruka pointed out, having remembered that the young Huntress was only 16.

"You don't need to remind me." Ruby sighed as her mind flashed back to her first fight against Torchwick and his goons. That was the night she had begun her true journey as a Huntress, and so much had passed in that time. And yet so little. As much as Ruby hated to admit it, she was still very young and new to all of this. There was so much she still had to learn at Beacon before she had been thrown into the war against the Heartless.

"Very true, but it's better than naming it 'Big Red Scythe'." Weiss made air quotes around the silly name and chuckled as her friend rolled her eyes at the Heiress' sarcasm.

"Hey, I'm bad at names, but I'm not that bad." Ruby reassured the ivory-haired girl, ignoring Titus' chuckling at their light banter.

"Huntresses are supposed to be great warriors in your world, right?" Haruka asked, raising a dark eyebrow at the cloaked girl's frantic nodding.

"Yup!" Ruby smiled at the young woman's inquiry. "They're the best of the best."

"Indeed." Haruka smiled in turn at the young leader's earnest assessment. "So how about you name your new blade after a weapon worthy of such a fine heroine. Something that will speak of it's legendary wielder?" The older leader chuckled inwardly as she noticed the purity of the young Huntress before her, who was taking in each of her words with added wonder.

She had almost forgotten what it was like to see the world and its secrets through the eyes of one so young and honest, still untainted by the horrors that plagued the worlds. Such a sight gave the ageless woman a remnant of hope.

Ruby opened her mouth in excitement, her silver eyes shining in glee.

"... And no, you cannot name your Keyblade Excalibur." Haruka cut her off, crossing her arms and cocking a hip as the younger girl seemed to deflate before her eyes. "I do not believe King Artoria would be pleased if you stole the name of her beloved blade."

"Yeah, Saber would be pissed…" Titus laughed to himself before quickly backtracking his foul language at a quick disapproving look from his leader. "Uh, I mean, ticked off."

"Awww… you guys are no fun." Ruby kicked the packed dirt with the toe of her combat boot dejectedly.

Titus suddenly snapped his fingers, his eye's brightening in thought. "What about naming it Curtana?"

"Curtana…?" Weiss tilted her head towards her partner who shrugged her shoulders.

The sandy-haired boy smiled, nodding vigorous in excitement. "You know, Curtana – Sword of Mercy! It's a legendary weapon that is said to belong only to those who have been divinely chosen."

"Hmm… A sword of mercy? Is that your name… Curtana?" Ruby spoke softly as she admired the crimson cross guard that accentuated the bronze blade and black accents. The crimson clad woman felt her fingers tighten over the black leather wrapped hilt, feeling her Aura buzz with energy as if the weapon of Light was answering her call to arms.

To anyone else, Ruby whispering tenderly to her weapon as if it were sentient would be something to give other's need for concern, but Weiss only smiled at the care and affection that Ruby already felt towards her Keyblade. The young Huntress' bond with her new weapon was one that she was carefully forging with each moment they were together.

Only a true weapons enthusiast such as Ruby would understand.

Eventually, Ruby looked up from her newly named Keyblade and shared a smile with her partner. "Curtana it is."

"Wonderful!" Titus exclaimed, literally jumping in place at this impromptu naming ceremony. "And yours, Weiss?"

"Unlike this Dolt, I've given it some thought." Weiss stated confidently, spinning the Keyblade in her hand so that it flashed in the sunlight in a blinding streak of silver and royal blue. "I'm calling my Keyblade, Opfern."

"Opfern… I've never heard of it." Titus admitted, scratching at his chin as he tried to recall the name before.

"I would be very surprised if you had." Weiss answered for him, her eyes examining the blade as her white Aura danced across its surface as she activated her soul energy in pride. "Opfern is old Atlesian for the word sacrifice."

Ruby chuckled awkwardly at her partner's admission. "Sacrifice, huh? That's kind of dark…"

"Yeah, I guess it is..." Weiss trailed off, glancing down at her silver Keyblade, as her mind drifted back to a world of stained glass and darkness. Pyrrha's words from her weird dream back at Beacon echoed in her head. 'If faced with the chance for true freedom, would you have the courage to seek it, no matter the cost to obtain it?'

"But then again, our weapons are supposed to be a reflection of our inner selves, right?" Weiss asked, speaking to no one in particular as she tilted her head so that one piercing blue eye, marred only by the pink scar that ran over porcelain skin was reflected in the sharp teeth of her Keyblade. "Without darkness, there can be no light."

'Is that not the price of her ambition – personal sacrifice?' Weiss thought to herself as she continued to stare at her reflection.

Ruby bumped her shoulder against her partner, breaking the Heiress from her spiraling thoughts. "Don't worry, Weiss. As long as we're together, we'll always find the light."

After watching the partners reassure each other, Titus smiled up at Haruka only to notice that the woman had pointedly walked away.

Ruby looked away from Weiss, noticing the frown on Titus' face as he observed his leader reach the far end of the arena and strike up a conversation with Hercules. The man greeted her warmly as he got water from a ceramic jug on the side lines.

"What's wrong with her?" Ruby wondered out loud, casting a quick glance back at the blond boy, hoping that she hadn't said something dumb or insulting with her teammate right there. The crimson cloaked girl was not always the best at reading social situations.

"I think watching you all work so closely together is making her sad." Titus replied, his eyes filled with sadness as he watched his leader sit with the demigod on the benches. "Haruka and Aloy are partners, and they're rarely apart."

"And if so, not for long." Titus looked up to see that Ryu had now joined them, with Yang and Blake in tow. "It will be hard on them both to be separated for so long."

"I can't even imagine being away from my partner for so long…" Ruby trailed off as she flashed a glance at the Heiress beside her, noticing fair eyebrows drawn together in concern.

"So…" Yang cleared her throat to break some of the tension that had filled the air. "Speaking of your leader, how long have Haruka and Aloy been together?"

"Together?" Titus asked, tilting his head in confusion, not understanding the other blonde's meaning.

"You know, like together, together." Yang said, waving her hands in a vague squiggling motion. Blake sighed deeply and hid her face into her palms at the brawler's brazenness.

Ryu's scarred eyebrow arched at the brawler's explanation. "I do not see how repeating the word twice adds to the meaning, but I think I understand your implication." The young man paused before speaking in a definitive voice. "Haruka and Aloy are not courting."

"What's courting?" Ruby asked.

"He means dating…" Blake explained, nodding to her young leader. "Or in this case, they're not dating."

Weiss felt herself blink in shock, not quite comprehending what the other young man had said. It took a few moments before his words clicked into her mind.

"What do you mean they're not dating?!" The Heiress waved her arms around in exasperation, the dramatics a side effect of being partners with Ruby for so long. "But they just seemed so close when they were saying goodbye and it was so… so…" She gestured vaguely with her hands, unable to grasp at the right words for the moment they had seen between the two partners before leaving Traverse Town.

"Gay?" Yang offered with a smirk, moving her hands so that they mimicked the arch of an imaginary rainbow.

Weiss sighed at her teammate's lack of tack. "I was going to say tender, but yes… Gay."

Titus scrunched up his face before turning to his own partner for clarification. "Why would it be an issue if they are happy?"

Ryu slowly shook his head, a hint of a smile could be seen in his hardened features. "Gay does not just mean happy anymore… They're homosexuals, Titus."

Titus' face scrunched together in thought, the boy silently mouthing the word 'homosexual' to himself slowly before his eyes lit up with a smile. "Oh… Haruka and Aloy are Sapphics!" He snapped his fingers and pointed at his partner in understanding. "That makes more sense."

"Sapphics?" Ruby asked her sister who shrugged at the unfamiliar term.

Titus rubbed his hand on his chin in thought. "Now that I think about it, that would explain some of the things we saw between them from our previous adventures. I was confused by the weird word, Ryu."

His taller partner hummed in understanding, knowing all too well the difficulties of understanding the vernacular changes over the centuries.

The Lost Boy spun in place so that he faced the Heiress. "And to answer your question, Weiss. I'm not sure why they aren't together like that. But the girls have always been close, if you know what I mean." He winked at the stunned Heiress.

"See… I told you." Yang whispered into her partner's ear. Blake rolled her eyes at the girl's boast.

Not hearing the partner's banter, the boy moved on. "But they've never officially dated. I've asked Haruka about it and she just says that they can't be together." He shrugged as if this wasn't news to him.

Ruby frowned at the boy's explanation. "Well why not? It's obvious they like each other."

Ruby was the first to admit that she could be a bit oblivious to things around her – especially people. But she wasn't blind. Everyone back at the safe house could see that the moment shared between the two young women was one full of affection. Why could they not be together?

"Shouldn't you be with someone you love?" The crimson cloaked girl asked as she felt her face heat up slightly from all the pairs of eyes that had watched her speak.

Ryu hummed in agreement, before softly sighing at the young leader's naivety. Her intentions were pure, but she was still new to the world's many hardships. "Unfortunately, it's not that simple. And it is not our place to say as to why."

Ruby and Weiss briefly made eye contact, clearing wanting to know more about the situation before they decided to drop it. But if Haruka or Aloy wanted to tell them about their romantic exploits – or perhaps, the lack thereof – then they could wait.

In the end, it was Yang that broke the tentative silence. "Well, I want to hear more about these events that took place between the gal pals on your adventures." She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, hoping to squeeze a juicy story or two out of the two boys.

But before she could get her answer, they all became suddenly distracted as the boy's leader walked up to the group. Haruka joined the loose circle the Keyblade wielders had formed and crossed her arms as she confronted the joking brawler. "What's a gal pal?"

"Uh…" Yang trailed off awkwardly, feeling beads of sweat form on her forehead. 'How do you explain slang to a possibly immortal being?'

Weiss smirked as she quickly answered for the stumbling brawler. "Yang and Blake are gal pals."

'A little payback for the rooming situation back on Traverse Town.' Weiss thought with glee, watching the blonde blush deeply at the accusation. The Heiress had no proof it was them, but by process of elimination – and by asking around at the front desk the next morning – had confirmed her team's meddling. But to what end, she did not know.

"We are?!" Yang yelled, her lilac eyes widening in shock and bewilderment. Her eyes flickered to her more elusive partner, who currently found the packed dirt ground to be requiring her full attention.

"You will be…" Ruby shrugged nonchalantly, ignoring her sister's internal combustion at Weiss' comment. "It's only a matter of time."

Her cheeks tinted pink, Blake finally met the eyes of her red and white teammates to chastise their behavior. "Weiss, Ruby, stop teasing Yang." She inclined her head at the other leader. "Ignore them, Haruka."

"Right…" The girl trailed off, not quite believing the Faunus. "Phil wanted me to say that we only have the training ground scheduled for another hour before we have to pack up. The other competitors have reserved the space for tonight."

Ruby raised her hand in a mock salute. "Aye, aye Captain! We'll just finish up here and then hit the showers – er, bathhouse."

Haruka broke into a small smile at the girl's enthusiasm. "See that you do… Good job today everyone." Her eyes roamed around to stare at the sweating Huntresses, her amethyst stare conveniently skipping over Weiss as she sang her praises. "Titus, Ryu… please see to it that they don't hurt themselves between now and the tournament."

"No promises, boss." Titus winked at Ruby, making the younger leader laugh at his antics.

Haruka rolled her eyes at her teammate before nodding goodbye to the other Huntresses. When her gaze reached Weiss, her eyes narrowed in dislike before she turned on her heel and walked back to the side of the arena, to speak with Phil about the logistics for tomorrow's tournament.

"Wow, way to make a good impression, Ice Queen." Yang said, watching the leader walk away from the group once more, her silver and purple cape fluttering in the wind. Her keen eyes could spot the old brass key to the Belladonna household fastened on the chains that draped over her shoulder.

"But, I mean… I really haven't done anything to upset her." Weiss pointed out, not sure what she did to deserve the cold shoulder from the other girl.

Yang failed to hide her scoff, grasping the back of her neck as she grinned at the Heiress. "You mean besides putting the woman she loves in the hospital and playing a factor in their separation."

"Hey!" Weiss felt herself bristle at the brawler's tactless accusation. "Aloy did that to herself, I just… didn't help the situation much."

"But surely that can't be it?" Ruby asked, thinking back to their first meeting of the world jumpers. "When we were all in the med bay, she treated Weiss okay until she got really sick."

Yang snapped her fingers, catching on to her sister's train of thought. "You don't think she had a vision or something involving you, Weiss?"

"Well, that is certainly one explanation…" Blake trailed off, noticing how the two boys had remained suspiciously quiet through this whole affair.

Weiss picked up after the Faunus. "But the question is, what did she see?" She turned so that she looked the blond boy directly in the eyes. "Do you know why Haruka hates me so much?"

"I don't have a clue." Titus spoke, his smile not quite reaching his eyes. A gloved hand made its way onto the back of his neck as if trying to rub off the Heiress' question.

"But you would tell us if you knew, right…?" Yang inquired, crossing her arms and doing her best impression of a stern older sister as she could muster. Titus held her gaze for a few moments while he gnawed at his lower lip in thought before he broke.

"I... ok, fine. I'll tell you what I know, but I don't know everything." The teen sighed deeply, his shoulder slouching in defeat as he gave in to his new friend's inquiries. In his mind, it was probably better to talk about it now, at least as much as he knew, then to have them find out later. "When we came down to the med bay, Haruka didn't blame Weiss for what had happened to Aloy."

Weiss arched an eyebrow in disbelief, crossing her arms at his claims.

"Really, she didn't. You have to believe me." Titus pleaded with the Heiress, his voice laced with sincerity. "Haruka only acted weird towards Weiss once she had a vision. But I don't know what it was about, she wouldn't tell us. But I know whatever Haruka saw in her vision was powerful enough to make her violently ill, and that it really scared her."

"This is concerning news only because in all the time I've known my leader, I have not known much that has shaken her so." Ryu commented, his eyes focused elsewhere as if deep in thought.

"Do you know what the vision was about?" Yang took a step forward, hoping the shorter boy would continue to explain the situation further without being too intimidated or feeling coerced.

Titus shrugged as he fiddled with the small belts that fastened his brown leather vambraces to his forearms. "I think she talked about it with Aloy before we left Traverse Town, which makes me think her vision didn't involve everyone or she would tell us. Anything more and you'll have to ask Haruka herself."

"So, whatever she saw would have only involved Weiss?" Blake asked, trying to keep up with Titus' confession.

Titus nodded vigorously, his shaggy blonde hair flopping around from the movement. "Yes, and possibly Aloy and Haruka herself too since they talked about it together. But that could just be because they are partners. They're close with things like that."

"Thanks for telling us, Titus." Yang spoke as she clasped a hand on the young-looking boy's shoulder.

If possible, the Lost Boy seemed to deflate further as if all of the world pressed on his shoulder. "I don't like keeping secrets." He admitted in a small voice, as if the words had a deeper meaning behind them then the Huntresses understood.

Weiss narrowed her blue eyes at Haruka as the esteemed world jumper chatted with Hercules and Phil over the logistics for tomorrow's tournament. Her long chocolate brown hair fluttered in the wind as her head was thrown back in laughter, her mirth joined with the red-headed demigod. Any hesitation or animosity that was normally shown in the Heiress' direction was completely unfounded when the leader spoke to anyone else.

That revelation was as unnerving as it was confusing.

'Haruka… Just what are you hiding?'

[-][-][-]

Weiss was just drifting off to sleep when she heard the cot on the far side of their barracks creek. The cotton canvas moaned against its wooden frame as its owner slowly got up and put on their boots before leaving the room.

"Yang, where are you going?" Weiss whispered to herself, as the rest of her teammates lay sleeping soundly in their own cots unaware of the brawler's disappearance. With a slight huff of annoyance, Weiss removed herself from her blankets and quickly threw on her combat gear before exiting from their sleeping quarters.

It took a few seconds for her eyes to adjust in the moonlight and the few torches that remained lit on the walls of the barracks. Some small part of her wanted to peek in on the other competitors that she knew to be sleeping in their own rooms, if nothing else but to get a better idea of who they would be facing in the final tiers of the tournament. But knowing that succumbing to her curiosity would only put her team's standing in the competition in jeopardy was enough to deter Weiss from sneaking around.

It only took her a few minutes of searching the area outside of the barracks for the Heiress to pick up on an unseen commotion that was echoing from the entrance to one of the training grounds. Being careful not to make too much noise in case Yang was not the person she suspected of producing the strained grunting sounds, Weiss hugged the wall and craned her neck around the corner of the stone wall.

Her annoyance quickly turned to concern as she discovered that the source of all the noise was indeed Yang attempting to slash her Keyblade through a series of basic movements.

It was not going well.

"Having a bit of trouble, Yang?" Weiss called out, loud enough to startle the blonde without waking half the compound.

"Weiss!" Yang jumped from the intrusion. "What are you doing out here?"

"Looking for you, obviously." Weiss stated as she arched an eyebrow at her teammate, crossing her arms and cocking a hip in annoyance. "Yang, what are you doing? It's past midnight and the tournament's tomorrow. Ruby and Blake would both kill you if they caught you out here, that is if Phil doesn't have our hides first if he suspected us of spying or cheating."

Yang sighed deeply, her entire body looking defeated as she dug the teeth of her golden Keyblade into the packed dirt beneath her boots.

"I'm sorry to wake you, Weiss. I'm just tired of feeling clumsy and… well, stupid." Yang slumped her shoulders in defeat. "You saw how Ruby and Blake looked at practice the last few days. Ruby's practically a natural, and even you and Blake seem to be picking this up easier than me. I'm just fumbling around like an idiot while you all look like professionals next to me."

Weiss' face softened as understanding of Yang's plight dawned on her. "You're not stupid, Yang. Just out of practice. With a little training and the right amount of discipline, you'll be the best one of us all."

Yang grabbed her forearms in uncertainty. "How can you be so sure, Weiss?"

Weiss frowned in concern at Yang's admission. It was rare to see the sunny dragon of Team RWBY so shaken in their confidence.

"Because the Keyblade chose you, Yang. Just like they did for the rest of us." Weiss spoke with a confidence that shook Yang to her core.

Yang could feel the warmth that seemed to radiate from the weapon held in her grasp, the Aura that traveled through her body and into the Keyblade was enough to make her fingertips tingle from the sheer power the blade possessed. The brawler knew in her heart that she had been given a great responsibility along with the power to wield Burning Heart. But her mind was too full of doubts as she struggled to use the weapon that went against all of her years of training.

"But what if I'm not cut out for all of this?" Yang stressed as she threw her arms wide in frustration. "I can't just stop being a close-combat brawler just because some magical keys decided that we were special or something."

Weiss hummed in agreement to the latter half of Yang's statement. Being chosen by the Keyblade seemed to be a rather daunting path, with why they were worthy unclear to them even now. Maybe they would never know their true purpose in this war between the Light and Darkness. But Yang was dealing with so much right now on her own that she did not need Weiss' existential crisis right now on top of everything else.

"So don't change your fighting style, at least not completely." Weiss countered, gesturing to her frustrated teammate as if the answer lay from within. "Instead of battling against your training, learn to adapt to it."

Yang scratched her head in confusion, not quite getting what her more abstract friend was implying. "What do you mean?"

"Why don't we sit down for a bit. You could use the break anyway." Weiss gestured to a wooden bench on the sidelines of the training grounds. Yang sat down with a heavy sigh, her whole body sinking on impact as she felt her shoulders ache from swinging around Burning Heart all day and now at night when she should be resting. Weiss alighted next to Yang more carefully, crossing her legs in a ladylike fashion before turning to face her sweaty teammate.

"Well, when I first started training with Winter to use Myrtenaster, she made me learn the three styles of traditional fencing: foil, épée, and sabre. It was only after I learned all three that I discovered that my fighting style favored a mix of foil and épée techniques, which relies on extreme accuracy and calculated movements with forward momentum. My style also conveniently counters Winter's favored style of sabre. But with Opfern, the precision strikes found in my original fighting style won't work, so I am forced to shift to the fast-slashing movements found in sabre."

Yang nodded, her lilac eyes widening in understanding. "So instead of learning something entirely new, you changed it slightly to still make it yours."

Weiss smiled. "Exactly. Maybe you can't use Burning Heart as a punching tool because you're sure to break your fingers or wrist if it twists. But maybe you can use the other forms of mixed martial arts that you know to help swing that blade around. Don't worry about being as fast as Ruby, or as agile as Blake with your Keyblade. Make the strikes you can land count. You can pack a lot of power into your hits. I would suggest asking Ryu for more lessons on his style of fighting as he seems to be the heavy hitter of his team. He might be able to give you a few pointers."

"Thanks, Weiss." Yang said sincerely.

"Anytime, Yang." Weiss stretched out a leg so that the tip of her boot nudged Yang's combat boots. She knew that Yang is an excellent fighter, and that with a bit of encouragement and practice, she would be back as the driving force of their team. Yang chuckled at the friendly gesture, meeting Weiss' eyes that were alight in mirth.

Weiss smiled, before continuing with her line of thought, wanting to reassure her friend. "And I know when it comes to our team we're not as close, but I'm there for you… if you ever need me to be."

Yang blinked slowly, her mouth slightly agape in shock from the admission from her colder teammate, before she relaxed into a soft smile. It seems that her sister was warming the Ice Queen in more than one way. It was unusual to see the Heiress let down her guard, let alone offer to help a teammate like this, but not an unwelcomed sight. Her usually prickly friend was losing her bite. Perhaps the white rose was losing its thorns as well.

'Huh, whiterose… I'll have to remember that for later.'

"You promise?" Yang asked, a hint of worry in her voice. It was one of her worst fears, being abandoned again and having her friend swear to be there for her was something entirely new to her. The blonde didn't want to get her hopes up.

Weiss hummed in assurance. "They'd have to drag me away from you all, kicking and screaming."

The blonde chuckled to herself at the mental image of someone like Ruby scooping up Weiss and throwing her over her shoulder to walk away with the protesting Heiress. "I doubt it would come to that, but thanks anyway, Ice Queen."

"Hey!" Weiss yelled at the nickname. "Watch it, you brute."

Yang laughed as Weiss failed to shove her off the bench. Once she had calmed down, Yang reached out a hand and lightly squeezed Weiss' shoulder through her white bolero. "I… thanks, Weiss. And I've got your back too."

"Good." Weiss stood up from the bench they had rested on and smoothed out the wrinkles on her combat skirt. "I hope you're feeling better and up to the challenge tomorrow because we can't have the engine that drives our team lose their steam. We have a tournament to win. If nothing else, then for Beacon."

Yang pumped a fist in determination. "Yeah… let's win for Beacon!"

With a nod of determination, Weiss stood up and reached out with an empty palm until her silver Keyblade flashed into existence. The royal blue cross guard looked black in the darkness of night, as she adjusted white leather grip with her left hand so that the tip of the blade was straight and even with her arm outstretched in a challenging pose.

"What are you doing?" Yang asked as she watched the Heiress struggle to swing around the heavy blade without her arms shaking from exhaustion.

"Well, I'm not going to let you stay out all night and train alone." Weiss grunted as she crouched into fighting form and gave her weapon a few experimental swings before executing a perfect lunge. Smiling to herself as the blade performed to her standards, Weiss glanced over at her stunned teammate. "Besides, my Keyblade isn't exactly as lightweight as Myrtenaster. I hate to say it, but I don't have the muscle mass to effectively use my weapon yet."

"Well, don't you worry, Weissy. I'll get you to bulk up in no time!" Yang exclaimed while flexing a tanned bicep.

Weiss slammed her Keyblade into the ground so that it matched Burning Heart from where it still stood in the packed dirt of the training grounds. "Calm down, you brute… and don't call me that ever again."

"Whatever you say, Ice Queen." Yang laughed before she walked over to pull her blade from its resting pose. "Let's do this then."

"Right…" Weiss rolled her eyes as both girls moved into the same defensive pose, their Keyblade gleaming in the torchlight. "On the count of three let's do the following: lunge, parry, repost, over-head block, and into a downward slash. Think you can keep up?"

Yang smirked as she moved through the standard sequence with ease. "Easy…"

"Try not to get too cocky there, Yang." Weiss chided before mimicking the blonde's movements with practiced ease. "This is only the beginning."

Yang hummed in agreement. "Together then…"

"On three." Weiss smiled, squaring her shoulders in a traditional fighting stance once more.

"One…"

"Two…"

"Three…"

"Begin!"

[-][-][-]

The sounds of labored shouts and the occasional shattering of wood or stone echoed around the opposite side of the training compound in the dead of night. It was only by the light of the few torches that lined the corner of the arena that a single figure could be seen slamming a xiphos repeatedly into a pillar of stone. Each strike hit with so much force that the blows created small dust clouds as stone particles flew through the air. The bright ginger hair of the warrior appeared to glow between the torches and moonlight that filtered between the strewn clouds in the starry sky.

After a few minutes, the demigod wiped his sweaty brow before sheathing his sword and immediately falling to the floor to seamlessly switch to a series of vigorous pushups.

Hidden at the far corner of the coliseum, two people were submerged in shadows, their keen eyes watching the former champion go about his nightly training regimen. The taller of the two unlikely companions scoffed as the demigod switched to doing one-handed pushups in a display of perfect athleticism.

"Listen kid, your task is simple. Kill Hercules and I'll reunite you with your friends and save Remnant from being swallowed by darkness… All you need to do is shake my hand to seal the deal – uh, so to speak." His glowing yellow eyes glanced over to his companion who was hidden in shadows.

"You want me to kill someone?"

"You're a Huntress, from what I've gathered, it's kind of what you do. Besides… It's not just anyone: Hercules." The man who spoke, if he could be called simply a man, was dressed in robes of billowing black smoke clasped together with a skull pin. He pointed to the red-headed warrior that was now doing pull ups from a suspended bar. "Son of Zeus and all that jazz… That guy has been messing with me for years. Just take him out and I'll give you your home back, plus bring you to vomit boy."

"His name is Jaune."

"Yeah, sure whatever." The God of the Underworld rolled his eyes and smoothed back the brilliant blue flames that alighted his otherwise bald scalp. "So, what do you say, kid?"

Thin grey lips curled into a malicious grin, his red-rimmed yellow eyes gleaming from where they lay in their sunken skull. One clawed hand was outstretched in offering, as its owner stared down their counterpart with a malice that could only be found in the face of a predator enticing its prey.

"Do we have a deal?"