Authors Note: Bit of a long note at the bottom, but it touches on a few important things that may be worth reading. So, stick around after the chapter. Or don't. Your call.

Beta: GeneralMayhem, kpmh2001

The room was quiet now that everyone had gone, General Ironwood and the Headmaster hadn't stayed long after their rather controversial announcement. Despite team CFVY's adamant objection to the idea, the plan hadn't changed. Qrow had stuck around for a moment after they left, looking at Pyrrha and trying to say something before giving up entirely and storming out.

Team CFVY had stayed longer however, with Coco ranting about how unfair the Headmaster was being while Velvet tried desperately to calm her down. In the end, it had been Yatsuhashi's idea that they leave, giving 'Amber' a moment to herself. She greatly appreciated the kindness.

Pyrrha barely knew what to think. She wasn't surprised by her punishment, the Headmaster had warned her of his plan and had given her every chance to avoid bringing it down on herself, but… Beacon was her home and it was in danger.

Now she was being told she wouldn't be allowed to stay and defend it.

She felt so angry. At the Headmaster, at Cinder and Salem, at the world. Above the others however, she felt angriest with herself. She had known the risks of going out against the Headmaster's orders and yet she had done so anyway, because she thought he was bluffing and that she would be able to get away with it. Now General Ironwood was here to take her away to Atlas where she could watch her friends die from safety.

Pyrrha fought back a scream, letting out a soft growl instead as she struggled to calm herself. She nearly snapped as Tsune came to check on her, barely managing to hold back from lashing out at the woman who didn't deserve it.

Despite Pyrrha's exceptionally bad mood, Tsune had offered to let her stay in the Infirmary for the night if she didn't feel like making the trip back to her own room. She'd briefly considered it, partially because she didn't want the student body of Beacon to see her in such a state, but also because she didn't believe that she could restrain herself from snapping at everyone whom she came across. They didn't deserve that.

In the end however, she had declined. There was too much to do. She had to start packing and, while she didn't own much, she knew it would be a slow process. Not to mention she had to say goodbye to her-

She felt her nose twitch as her eyes began to water. Shaking her head, she chose instead to focus on the immediate task of getting out of bed. Taking a deep, shaky breath she finally started the process of composing herself. By the time that she was ready to leave, her anger had subsided somewhat, being more akin to an ember rather than the burning fire it had been before. As she left the Infirmary, she was met by somebody who she hadn't been expecting to see.

She had only ever met General Ironwood a handful of times in her previous life, and most of those times had only been quick passings or during reality shattering revelations about the nature of the her interactions were short lived, she got the impression that he wasn't nearly as cold as she so often heard him referred to.

His face was adorned with the barest of smiles and, while no means happy, it was clear he was trying.

"Headm- General Ironwood, sir." Pyrrha wasn't sure how to address him. "I wasn't expecting to see you so soon."

"Please, call me James." He offered his hand for her to shake. "I chose to stay behind to speak with you in private, but I don't wish to keep you if you are busy."

Pyrrha shook her head, moving her hands to her side and pulling her blouse down slightly to smooth out the wrinkles in an attempt to make herself more presentable. It had the added benefit of hiding the fact that she was clenching her hands tight enough to turn her knuckles white "I'm not busy, I was just… on my way to pack." Her voice was barely above a whisper as she finished.

Ironwood smiled sadly. "Allow me to escort you then." He waited for her to nod before pushing the door open for her to walk through. He followed at her side, arms locked behind him as he walked with a confident stride she felt could have been easily intimidating. It would have been, were it not for the soft way he spoke to her. "As your potential new Headmaster, I felt it was my duty to speak with you."

Heh, potentially new. As if it hasn't been decided. She bitterly thought.

"Ozpin has told me a great deal about you." Ironwood added. "You are a remarkable woman, Miss Nikos."

Pyrrha didn't stop, not even bothering to look up from the floor as she walked. It was high praise, coming from one of the most respected men in Vale if not the world. It also meant nothing to her. "Thank you, Sir."

He hummed in response. "I will say, there are a great many questions I would like to ask you. Those can wait however. Tell me, have you ever been to Atlas?"

She shook her head. "I've seen images and movies, but never in person."

The General's smile grew. "It's far more impressive in person, I assure you. The view from the Academy is equally as beautiful." He sounded proud as he spoke and she could see the stern facade crack away as he went on, his words filled with a passion she hadn't expected. "The sunsets are nice, but I personally prefer the sunrises. The cold climate of Atlas contrasts well with the natural beauty. If you're an early riser I would welcome the company."

Pyrrha hummed to show she was listening and would consider it but said nothing else.

The General sighed. "You'll come to think of Atlas as home in time, I know it." He did his best to assure her. "While Atlas may not be as… relaxed as Beacon, I assure you that its student body can be just as eccentric."

"I almost went to Atlas." Pyrrha blurted, feeling like she had to say something. "In my last life."

"I know, I've seen your application myself."

"My trainer thought that a structured lifestyle would be good for me." She remembered the discussion well. Her trainer had been the closest thing to a friend that she had before Beacon, even then he was more of a mentor than anything else. When she'd made it clear she didn't intend to go to Haven, they had spent a week discussing the benefits of each school and had applied at all of them to help make her choice. "I didn't want to go because I was tired of having other people have so much control over my life. Atlas would have been more of the same."

To her surprise, Ironwood didn't disagree with her. "That level of discipline isn't for everyone."

"And now the choice has been taken from me." Pyrrha mumbled, afraid that if she spoke any louder than a whisper that her voice might betray her.

Ironwood sighed. "For what it's worth, I believe you did the right thing. Even if Ozpin doesn't. I promise you, should you come to Atlas, we will act on what you know."

"Sir, please… don't give me false hope. There's no should I go, there's no uncertainty. The Headmaster has made his decision and I… I will respect it. Like I should have respected his warning." Pyrrha's voice shook slightly as she pressed on.

"Ozpin is wise, he knows more than likely you or I ever will, but that doesn't mean he is without fault." Ironwood offered his explanation, though his voice made it clear he didn't expect it to ease her burden any. "He hasn't always been like this, even since I've known him. His trust has… worn thin these last couple decades."

Pyrrha stopped, the two having finally reached her dorm room, and she turned to face her new Headmaster. "Thank you, General."

His expression was somber. "If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to reach out to me. There are so few people we can trust these days, friends are hard to come by." Again he offered his hand out to her. "And please, call me James."

Letting her hand fall from his, she tried to force the plastic smile she had come to rely on so heavily in the past. It was painfully obvious it hadn't worked, but she couldn't muster the energy to try again.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Miss Nikos." The General nodded and turned, moving away with the same confident stride he had kept the entire time.

Turning around, Pyrrha opened the door and stepped into her room for potentially the last time. She shut the door and leaned against it, sliding down it until she crashed into the floor. As she looked at the room she felt the last of her anger burn away, being replaced with shame and an overwhelming sense of failure.

She was just glad no one was there to hear her cry.

"You can't do this!" Qrow shouted, clearly hoping that volume would shock the man into thinking straight.

"So you've said." Despite his shouting, Ozpin remained infuriatingly calm. "And yet my decision remains the same."

"She isn't a chess piece, Ozpin!" Qrow smashed his fist into the desk. "She's a person dammit, you can't do this!"

"I am well aware of that fact." Ozpin continued to remain calm, actually sitting back slightly in his chair. "But this is for the best. If she is discovered, or even worse, killed, then we will lose everything. I am not willing to stand by while another promising student of mine runs off into danger unprepared."

"So you'll keep her locked up until danger comes to her?!" Qrow howled. "How is that any better?!"

"She isn't a prisoner, Qrow, and she will be brought back once she has proven herself ready for the battle to come." Ozpin leaned forward again, setting his elbows down on his desk and arching his hands in front of his face. "My decision is final. That's the end of-"

"No, it's not!" Qrow refused to let him finish. "This isn't where it ends Ozpin, it ends with her running off and dying the same way Amber did! All because you couldn't let her have the smallest amount of freedom!"

For the first time since the argument had started, Ozpin's calm broke; being replaced by a look of repressed anger. "I am well aware of my failure to protect Amber, you don't have to remind me."

"Clearly I do, because you're willing to make the same mistake all over again!" Qrow turned and stepped away from the desk, continuing to rant as he did so. "You keep saying you know what you're doing, that you have a plan and that we should trust you, but where has that gotten us? Amber is dead, because keeping her locked up at Beacon was the right thing to do. Pyrrha is here because playing the subtle game was the right thing to do! Summer is dead because-" Qrow couldn't finish the words. "Raven left because of this bullshit, and I'm starting to think she might have had the right idea. How long is it going to take for you to-"

"To what Qrow?!" Ozpin stood from his desk, finally matching Qrow in terms of volume. "To let unprepared children fight our war for us?! You think that she is ready, but I can assure you she is not! At the rate things are going she will end up exactly like Amber-"

There was a sharp sound as something scraped the floor behind him, just before a force threw Qrow down and back. As it turned out the scrape had been a chair moving in his direction and he found himself unable to stand from it. Much the same had happened to Ozpin. The familiar sensation of Glynda's semblance keeping them restrained.

"Where do you two get the nerve!?" Glynda shouted, not as loud as they had been mere moments ago, but the sheer strength of the rage in her voice forced them to silence. "A young woman is dead and you're throwing that around like it means nothing!" She looked between the two of them. "Amber was smart, and talented. She had a future ahead of her, and it was cruelly torn away due to something outside of her control, all for a power that she never wanted!"

"I-" Ozpin only managed a sound, freezing in place as his Deputy-Headmistress solely focused on him.

"It's not a game, Ozpin!" Her voice and tone stopped any reply in his throat. "Miss Nikos isn't any different, she isn't something you can control or some precious piece for you to keep safe until the moment is right! You may think what you're doing is right, but it's not! Good intentions or not, what you did to Amber-" Glynda's voice cracked and he was finally able to place the emotion hidden behind her rage, sorrow. "She wanted to see the world, the world she had been raised to believe she was supposed to protect. You aren't the only one who failed her Ozpin…" She looked to Qrow who was unable to meet her eyes, instead focusing on the floor. Despite the guilt he felt, he knew no one blamed themselves more than Glynda did.

He felt the force that had been holding him weaken, before falling away entirely. The room was completely silent, a stark contrast to the deafening sounds from before. Despite the fact that they were no longer being held back, neither him nor Ozpin stood.

Several drawn out moments of silence later, Ozpin was the first to speak. His voice subdued and clearly filled with grief. "Glynda, I know-" She didn't wait for him to finish, turning her back on him and making for the elevator.

Qrow stood as well, shooting one last glare at Ozpin. Locking eyes with the grizzled Huntsman, he could see the regret, recognize the pain, but he didn't see any sign of him willing to back down.

Turning away, Qrow managed to catch up to Glynda before the elevator doors closed.

The room was quiet once more, the stilled silence stretching on as Ozpin sat in silence.

"What about you, James?" Ozpin looked up to him, eyes and face far from the neutral calm he had come to know. "You haven't said anything."

General Ironwood contemplated his friend's question carefully, knowing that now was not the time for poorly thought-out words. "What you want makes sense, logically. Miss Nikos has shown a pension for seeking trouble, and I doubt that will change anytime soon. You have good intentions…"

"But?" Ozpin, having far more experience with people, caught the unsaid easily.

"She isn't a soldier, nor is she a machine. She's a child, and she's under more pressure than any one person should have to deal with." Ironwood watched as the elevator returned to their level, the door opening to reveal no one inside. "I trust you'll do the right thing, old friend."

"This isn't fair!" Coco shouted.

"We know, Coco." Velvet sighed. "We know."

"Can the Headmaster truly do this?" Yatsuhashi asked. It was a fair question and one Pyrrha had asked herself countless times the night before as she struggled to sleep. In the end, she had no reason to assume he couldn't.

"I don't have any family, at least, none that I know of." She'd never heard about Amber's family and had hoped that meant she didn't have any. As cruel as that sounded, it would spare everyone involved more pain. "I've stayed at the school for... most of my life, so they're sort of my guardians I guess."

The conversation lulled for a moment, during which Pyrrha focused on the grueling task of packing the remainder of her borrowed clothes; attempting to ignore the pitying looks. Amber hadn't had much in the way of material possessions, but it still took time to go through it all. Some of it she planned to leave behind, the Beacon school uniform being one such example.

"Well, guardians or not," Coco's was far quieter now, lacking the same bite as before. "It isn't right."

Pyrrha shook her head. "No, it isn't."

"I'm sorry." Coco looked away from her.

"For what?" Pyrrha tilted her head, unsure of why she would need to apologize.

"That mission… it was my idea." Coco's shoulders slumped. "I dragged you into that, and it's because of me that you're being sent away. It's my fault." She closed her eyes as her head bowed. "I'm sorry."

Pyrrha smiled sadly at her friend, stepping over and putting a hand on her shoulder. "It's not your fault, I would have done something to deserve this soon enough anyways. At least we managed to do a little bit of good with what time we had."

"You don't deserve this!" Velvet growled. "You didn't do anything wrong. I don't understand why the Headmaster is punishing you while we got thanked by General Ironwood."

"There's more to it than that." Pyrrha winced as they all looked to her expectantly, patiently waiting for her to explain. "I…" She bit her lip, struggling to decide whether to be honest with them or not. In the end, she chose not to betray the Headmaster's trust, not again, at least. "I'm sorry, I can't explain it."

She could tell from their expression that they weren't happy with her answer. For a moment, she thought Coco might try and press her for more, but she sighed instead.

"We're gonna miss you, girl." Coco smiled honestly and Pyrrha smiled back.

"It's been like having another member of the team." Velvet added.

"Your Semblance really did make us stupidly powerful." Fox chuckled slightly.

"Fox!" Velvet turned on her friend.

"There will always be the Vytal Festival." Yatsuhashi tried to reassure her. "Perhaps they'll allow you to return then."

Pyrrha paled at the reminder. "Y-yeah, hopefully they will."

"Other side of Remnant or not, you better stay in touch." Coco demanded. The look she gave from over her sunglasses making it clear that it wasn't a request or suggestion.

"I will, I promise. I-" Pyrrha was interrupted by a knocking at the door. She hesitantly went over and opened it, sighing internally when she saw that it was only Qrow. Realizing after a moment that he was hiding something behind his back.

"Hey, you got a moment?" Looking over her shoulder he added. "I don't wanna interrupt your goodbyes."

She stepped out, closing the door behind her to offer them some semblance of privacy. "What did you want to talk about?"

Qrow brought his arms around, revealing the package he had been attempting to hide from her view; offering it for her to take.

"What's this?" Taking the box, Pyrrha immediately noticed the weight.

"I promised you a weapon." Qrow said. "I deliver."

Pyrrha looked down at the box, pulling it open to see her new sword. It was still a dull metal grey colour, but even so, she couldn't help but be in awe at the craftsmanship. The Weaponsmith had outdone himself, and she could see why Qrow had called him the best. Pulling her sword from the box, Pyrrha withdrew the blade from its sheath, again noting the weight as she did it.

The blade was remarkably well balanced, despite the complex mechanisms required to allow it to transform between all three variants. While not as elegant looking as Milo, she still admired its beauty. The blade had been sharpened and polished enough to allow her to see her own scared complexion.

Turning her attention back to the sheath, she quickly found the button required to transform it into its shield form. Smiling sadly at the reminder of her former partner before turning it back into a sheath and attaching it to her side. Sliding her sword into it with a soft click.

"Thank you, Qrow." She stepped forward, pulling him into a hug. "For everything."

He didn't return it. "Thanks for everything? It's my fault you're in this mess."

Pyrrha only hugged him tighter. "You did everything you could. It's not your fault I'm so stubborn." Though it sounded a bit forced, he chuckled lightly. "If anything, blame Yang and Ruby."

Qrow's chuckle grew just a bit more honest. "That uh, might still be my fault." Despite his words, he returned the hug for the briefest of moments.

Pyrrha pulled away smiling up at him. "Don't blame yourself. Now, if you'll excuse me I have to pack."

Qrows smile died. "You're just gonna give up?"

"No, I'm going to go to Atlas and do whatever I have to to earn Ironwood's trust and come back when he brings his fleet here next year." Pyrrha reassured him. "I'm not giving up, and I won't ever give up. My friends are in danger… I won't leave that to someone else to fix."

"You are very determined, Miss Nikos." Pyrrha and Qrow both jumped at the sudden interruption. "I can see why I chose you as the next in line for the Fall Maiden powers."

Pyrrha watched the Headmaster closely, eyes narrowed slightly as she struggled to fight back her animosity. "I thought I had more time."

"I'm not here to steal you away." He exasperated. "It has never been my intention to control your life."

"That's pretty rich." Qrow's voice dripped with venom. "You love to say that and yet, here we are."

Surprisingly to Pyrrha, the Headmaster sighed; in that moment looking decades older. "Miss Nikos… might we speak a moment in private?" As he spoke, Pyrrha couldn't help but notice the odd expression on his face.

Qrow looked like he was ready to kill the man at a moment's notice; even so, he didn't speak. Instead, he looked back to her and waited for her to decide. When she nodded, he didn't complain, simply turning and walking down the hall.

"Give me a call before you leave. I want to do a proper goodbye this time." He mumbled the last part quiet enough that Pyrrha only just heard it before he was off.

The Headmaster waited a moment in silence, watching as Qrow disappeared down the hallway of Beacon before looking at her. He opened his mouth as if to speak but no words came and he shut it a moment later. It was at that moment that she recognized the odd expression she had noted earlier.

He doesn't know what to say.

The Headmaster turned, gesturing for her to follow before moving down the hall in the opposite direction of Qrow.

"Is… something wrong?" Pyrrha asked hesitantly, following closely behind the Headmaster but unable to tell what the issue was. She'd rarely seen the Headmaster at a loss for words, and even rarer still where he looked genuinely uncomfortable.

"Miss Nikos… Pyrrha, if you'll allow me to call you that?" Looking back he waited for her to nod before continuing. "I understand that you must be angry with me. Were I in your position, I would likely feel the same way, but I believe it's important that we discuss... " He cut himself off as they rounded a corner, as if displeased with the way the conversation was going. "Your friends, team CFVY, you have left a serious mark on them."

Pyrrha raised an eyebrow, confused by the odd words. "I… suppose so." Despite her confusion she considered the words. "To be fair, they've also done the same to me."

The Headmaster hummed. "You seem to have grown close with them."

"I have. They're... my friends." Pyrrha surprised herself with the admission. She'd spent so long focusing on the future, on the team and friends she knew, that she'd failed to see those around her. She hadn't taken the chance to appreciate the friends she had made and now she was being taken away from them. That thought alone saddened her more than the idea of leaving the school proper. "I wish I had realized that sooner."

"You have always seemed to struggle with living in the present." The Headmaster seemed to read her mind. "I have come to know you as a dedicated and driven young woman, but with that has come a narrow focus on the battle to come. All too often that can leave us blind to those around us."

Pyrrha nodded her head, watching out the windows as they passed by one of the school's gardens.

"I… know you must hate me for what I have decided." The Headmaster spoke slowly. "But I want to stress to you that it is out of no malice to you or your friends, it is not my intention to cause you emotional strain. It has always been my intention to do the right thing for humanity. You know better than any of us what will happen if we lose."

She understood that, on an intellectual level. The Headmaster wasn't sending her away because he hated her or because it was a punishment per say, it was for her safety. For the safety of humanity as a whole.

It was just unfortunate that her own personal happiness was so at odds with it.

"I failed Amber when she still lived, and I failed you in your past life, and I have failed so… so many people. People who trusted me." The Headmaster stared straight ahead, back rigid and shoulders unmoving as he walked as if lost in a memory. "Because of my failures, countless people have lost their lives."

Pyrrha shuffled awkwardly beside him as the Headmaster seemed to sink into his own world for the briefest of moments, before suddenly coming back to Remnant. "I have made more mistakes than any person alive, and I'm sad to say many of them could have been avoided. This… was one such mistake."

Pyrrha tilted her head in confusion before realizing they had stopped. Looking out the window she could see an Atlas transport ship slowly sinking into the distance.

"W-what-"

"Atlas will not be graced with your attendance this year, Miss Nikos." The Headmaster fully turned to face her for the first time since they had started walking. "Unless you so choose it."

"Y-you're serious?" The Headmaster nodded and Pyrrha was lost for words.

"I only ask that you tell me the next time to rush off into danger." He held up a hand to stop her from speaking. "Not so that I may prevent you from doing so, but so that we may plan accordingly. Together."

Pyrrha gawked at the Headmaster, mouth open slightly as her brain had completely stopped working.

"You have my sincerest apologies, Miss Nikos."

The words served to jump start her brain and Pyrrha sputtered as she struggled to think of a reply. "T-thank you, Sir. You won't regret it, I promise."

The Headmaster smiled slightly. "Now, I believe there are a few people who need to be informed. I shall leave that to you." He bowed and stepped back, allowing Pyrrha to turn and walk back in the direction they had come from.

What started as a walk quickly evolved into a full on sprint back to her room as her earlier anger melted away, replaced with a genuine excitement that she had not felt in a very long time.

Author's Note: What is up, my fellow kiddos. Whats...um… hoppin? *cough* Anyways, like I warned last chapter I decided to take a break, much appreciated and very relaxing.

Last chapter had a large amount of reviews wondering about where this story was going, whether to Atlas or staying at Beacon, and I decided not to hang that for too long. It was never my intention to leave Vale for Atlas with this arc but I apologize if that knee jerk was a bit rough. Usually I would have broken this kind of thing up to be over two chapters so as to pace it better, but I didn't want to lead people on too hard. So one long chapter it is.

My goal was always to show the secret group, Qrow, Glynda, and Ironwood, opposing Ozpin's decision and serving to snap some sense into him. Much like what happened in canon, something that has been shown to require numerous very trusted individuals. Building that up to that took more time for some than others.

Lastly, Pyrrha has her new weapon. A Short sword/rifle/javelin and shield/sheath. I tried to describe them in a way that makes sense but I'll probably look into getting someone to draw it for a visual representation. I'd also like to know what all you guys would think she'll name them. I have ideas already, but I am always open to hearing more.

Hope you enjoyed and as always don't forget to review.

Sincerely, SE