Sparks Among the Stars

by Lorithomar

At the fall of Beacon, Ozpin enacts a final, desperate plan. Now, the sparks have been lit and scattered throughout the Blind Eternities. Meanwhile, the former headmaster finds himself on a plane that he thought he would never see again. However, he is not alone, for alongside him is another soul; smaller, but more honest...

8. Chapter 8

A/N: This chapter…. It took a while to write, and it will be a bit of a read. Byt, I hope that it is enjoyable.

Anyhoo, I would like to give a shoutout to all my wonderful readers and followers, and fans of this little fic, your enjoyment of it is what keeps me going. But, mos importantly, I would like to give a most special and hearty Shout-out to Unseen Lurker, my new beta-reader. Not only was his fic Through The Eternities (which now has a TV Tropes page, yay!) the impetus for this story, but also for all his help in keeping this story grounded, flowing, and from keeping my impulsivity from careening this story straight off the cliffs of 'well, it sounds cool.' Lurker, you are one of a kind, and, in addition, I hereby demand that all his fics be given tv tropes pages! Also, add more to mine.

Right, so, without further ado, on with the show!

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Chapter 8: Letting Loose, Deck Duels, Destinations Chosen, and Companions Gather

Ruby

Transguild Promenade

Ravnica

The Transguild Promenade was unlike anything Ruby had ever seen before, and it. Was. Awesome! And lovely and nice.

The Promenade was a huge walkway and avenue that seemed to stretch well into the horizon beyond mortal eyesight. Both sides were dotted and populated with bustling markets, serene parks large and small, and massive, interlaced colonnades, all of which were etched and carved with the symbols and iconography of the ten guilds. Even at this hour, it was busy and bustling, as the sun slowly trekked across the late afternoon sky into the larval stages of the evening.

But what struck Ruby the most about it, aside from the relative cleanliness of it… was how peaceful it seemed.

Even on Tin Street, there had been more than a few altercations and fistfights, but here? Everything seemed almost… peaceful.

Plus, there were people from every guild here! So, that was neat too. No one was fighting or trying to kill each other. Some were walking side by side, or playing games, or just passing each other by without too many hate-filled glares. Sure, there looked like there were some heated arguments, but that appeared to be about it. Nothing more.

Ruby had decided that she liked it the moment she and Xanther and Rat had entered onto its worn cobblestones.

"It should take us about half a day to get to the first district," Xanther said, their hands steady and expert on Speedy's controls. "Or, rather, Agyrem, in this case, and that's not counting respites and meal breaks. Speaking of which, when do you want to stop to rest?"

Ruby looked up at the sky and saw the sun sinking low. "Soon, I think. It's starting to get dark, and I doubt you can drive this thing all night. Besides, it's almost dinner time."

Xanther shrugged. "Wouldn't be the first all-nighter I've pulled, but I see your point. Also… I am starting to feel a little peckish myself."

"Yeah," Rat piped up. "And I'm starting to feel hungry! My tummy's making a bunch of funny noises!"

"Didn't you eat three apples earlier?" Ruby asked.

She had even eaten the seeds and cores.

Rat stuck out her tongue. "Yeah, but that was earlier, and it wasn't dinner. That was a snack, so it didn't count! Besides, some of the scabs and giants that mommy knows can eat a whole bunch. I once saw Bory, he beat up a wurm, and then he cooked it and ate it! He ate it right up, the whole thing, though he let me have a piece. He was really hungry, and really angry, which was why he was screaming a lot when he beat up the wurm, but then he burped a lot after he finished and laughed, and that was really funny, so I laughed too, and the wurm tasted really good, which was neat. So, when are we eating?"

Ruby had no idea what a wurm was, but whatever. She scanned the shops and restaurants, until one, in particular, caught her eye. "How about there?"

It was a two-story building of brick and stone and wood, and the sign hanging from it read 'Hearth and Oven.'

It looked nice and busy. Busy was always a good sign of a restaurant's quality, after all, as Uncle Qrow liked to say. Either that, or it was just a chain. He had been a little tipsy when he had said it, and it had been in the middle of a rant about commercialism, so Ruby had kind of tuned out most of it.

Xanther shrugged and parked Speedy on a curb. The three then disembarked and headed inside.

The restaurant was crowded and bustling with patrons and activity, and the smells from the kitchen were… intoxicating. Ruby's mouth was already watering.

The maître d' was a jovial-looking minotaur woman with a heavily scarred snout and very large arms. She ushered them over to a booth located by one of the windows, and the chairs were comfy and nice. A waiter gave them their menus and then bustled off. Ruby was not sure what to get, it all looked so good!

"If all goes well, we should be in Agryem by afternoon tomorrow," Xanther said.

Ruby nodded. "We'll recast the spell there, and then start searching."

Ruby leaned back, and let the accumulated noise of the restaurant fill her ears. She caught snippets of conversations, here and there.

"This year's Savior's Day should be a good one. Husband and kids are looking forward to it."

Savior's Day? That sounded fun. The Rakdos woman had mentioned it earlier.

"Heard about what happened on Tin Street?"

Ruby felt a stone drop in her stomach, as the memories of all the screams came roaring back into her mind.

"… more deaths…. fifth one this month alone."

"…News from the 5th district too…"

"More gateless cropping up. Filthy animals…"

"… interest rates are downright fucking criminal…"

"… Boros aren't doing enough to help. Not that those steelheads ever really care…."

"… Heard she's struck again. Slippery little bitch. Why can't the Boros or the Azorious do anything about her?"

"… more disappearances. People are vanishing off the streets…"

"Ruby?"

Xanther's voice cut through the cacophony, and she looked up to see their and Rat's worried expressions. "Is everything okay?"

Ruby then realized that she had been clenching her hands into tight fists. She gave Xanther and Rat each a smile, one that she hoped would make them feel better. "I'm fine. Just… lost in thought for a moment, you know? I think it's just hunger-"

"YOU WANT TO SAY THAT AGAIN, YOU FUCKING SHITSTAIN!?"

The shout made the whole restaurant go dead quiet, and gave Ruby a bit of a start. All available eyes darted towards the shout's source. Two people were standing by the restaurant's bar. Both were tall and towering, one a man another a woman, and both were armed.

"I'm not going to repeat myself," the woman said.

"Oh really? So, then I didn't just hear you say that this city needs the damned guilds?" the man snarled.

The woman crossed her arms. "That's not exactly what I said. What I said was that I was of the opinion that, without the 10, this city would collapse on itself. Now, is that a good thing? Probably not, but it's reality, Fedros. Deal with it."

"Fuck. You," Fedros said. "What have they ever done for us? This city was standing long before any of them slithered in to fuck us over, and it will stand long after they're all ground to dust. If you think otherwise, Edin, then maybe you need a good smack upside your idiot head."

"Don't be dense, Fedros. You're drunk. How about you head home before you get yourself arrested."

"Fuck THAT! I can say what I bloody well like!"

"But I can't if it's not what you want to hear?"

With every moment, things seemed to boil over more and more, and he was growing angrier and angrier. The woman's arms remained crossed, while the man's grip on his tankard was white-knuckled. Indeed, he looked as if he were ready to smash it against her head at any moment.

Ruby felt something well up inside of her, and it reminded her a bit of the night of Torchwick's robbery. She had to do something.

Almost automatically, she slid out of the booth, ignoring Xanther's and Rat's queries and concerns. Then, she steeled herself and walked over. The man's face was rapidly turning red, like a volcano about to bubble over. "Why, I ought to to-"

"Uh, hi," Ruby interjected.

The man and the woman both turned to face her, and Ruby did her best not to wilt. Instead, she soldiered on. "Look, um, I think you guys are starting to bother everyone here, and that's... not great. So, maybe we just calm down… maybe? Perhaps take a walk, get some fresh air?"

"Stay the fuck out of this, brat!" the man roared. "It's none of your concern. Go back to your dollies and shit."

Ruby felt her brow narrow in consternation. "Hey, look. I'm just trying to be nice. Like your friend here said, it's obvious you've had a little too much to drink. So, how about you cool off? Maybe have a cup of coffee, and then go home?"

"I'm not leaving until this bitch here admits that's she's wrong and… wait."

The man peered at her with drunken eyes and then snarled. "You're one of them, aren't you? One of the Ten?"

Ruby made sure to smile and keep her hands visible. Dad always said that was a way to deescalate any situation. Uncle Qrow simply said that it was a way to not get blamed for throwing the first punch. "Yep, that's right. Ruby Rose, a proud member of the Izzet League. Is that a problem?"

The volcano promptly bubbled over. "FUCKING GUILD SCUM!"

Like a mad bull, he charged forward, hands swiping down towards her.

Despite not being the best at hand-to-hand, Ruby had still grown up with two people who excelled in hand-to-hand.

She ducked under the blow, channeling her aura as she did so, and then grabbed his arm, and tugged forward. As he stumbled and fell, she leaped, swung, and landed on his stomach with his arm wrenched behind him, and her boot on his back.

Suffice to say, Ruby had picked up a trick or two.

"You fucking little bitch!" he screamed out, as he started to struggle. "You fucking c-

Ruby yanked hard on his arm and drove her heel into the base of his spine, cutting him off and making him grunt in pain. "I don't think that's a word you should say in front of people," she said. "In fact, I think it's a very mean word. But, if you're gonna call me anything… call me sir."

If it worked for Yang, then why not her?

The man said nothing coherent, and simply struggled and snarled. In response, Ruby applied a bit more pressure. "Like I said; how about you just go home, and sleep it off. Okay?" she asked.

She pushed a little more, and the man cried out. "Alright, alright! Fine! Just let me go, you stupid little dragon wh-"

A bit more pressure. "What was that?"

"… Let me go, sir."

Ruby smiled. "Thank you."

So, she let him go and stepped off him. She wondered if she had to wash her hands.

As Ruby walked away, she heard the man get to his feet, and some of the other restaurant patrons started to laugh.

As Xanther cried out in warning, Ruby heard the man's footsteps and the ring of a knife being ripped from its sheath. "DIE!" he screamed, just as she started to turn, her hand shooting towards Crescent Rose-

Only for someone to grab Fedros's knife hand, pull themselves forward, and then slam a fist into his stomach in a rattle of steel, driving the breath from his drunk lungs and making him sink to his knees with a wheeze. "I think you should take her advice, Fedros," said the figure, another man, and this one… garbed in Boros armor and cloak.

He turned and gave everyone a kindly grin. He was a tall man, and he had a sort of fatherly air to him. "How about we all just sit down before we do thing's we'll really and truly regret in the morning, eh? Though, I think we can all relate; get a few too many ales in anyone and they are liable to make a bit of a fool of themselves. But, no one is seriously hurt, so, let's take poor Fedros here back safe to his home, put him to bed, and then… next round of drinks is on me. Sound good?"

That earned cheers and applause, and slowly, the multitudes of conversations resumed, as Edin tugged Fedros to his feet and walked him out.

The Boros knight turned to Ruby and tugged his forelock in greeting. "Captain Carcer of the Wojek, at your humble service, little lady. Ruby, was it? I have to say, you were spectacular, the way you intervened. Well done."

Ruby felt a small blush at his praise. "What, me? Oh, it was nothing. Just… doing what anyone would, you know?"

"Perhaps, but there's no need to be so modest though. It takes a real person to do something, and not just think about it, and you did something. You saw a rotten situation, and you stepped in to change it, make it better. That is a thing that should be commended."

He flashed her a grin and then held out a small coin purse. "Here, let me pay for your meal at least."

Ruby's eyes went wide. "What? Oh, no, no, that's not necessary-"

"I insist," he said, all but shoving it into her hand. "Please."

Ruby blinked. "Oh… uh. Thanks, I guess."

He smiled again. "Like I said, it's the least I can do."

He then tossed several coins on the bar. "For the next round, as I said. As for me, best be getting back to the beat. Ravnica's not going to police itself, you know?"

He gave Ruby a wave as he departed. "Here' hoping we can meet again sometime, Ruby Rose. Enjoy your meal."

With that, he then departed.

The rest of their time in the restaurant passed in tasty quiet, and the food was very delicious. Afterward, Ruby, Xanther, and Rat traveled on Speedy for perhaps a mile or so, before deciding that it would be best to rest for the night.

There were some inns and motels along the Transguild Promenade, but apparently, most who traveled here tended to sleep outdoors, perhaps in one of the parks, for instance. It was often considered safer, in many respects, or so Xanther said.

They parked Speedy in a park's clear meadow, giving the travelers a clear view of the sky above. And it was indeed a sight to Ruby's eyes.

Alongside the two moons, the countless stars gleamed and glowed in the night sky. To Ruby, they looked a lot like… tiny little golden sparks, twinkling and flickering with a celestial warmth. In all honesty, Ruby found the sight both a bit sad and comforting all at once. She felt sad because the stars and constellations were nothing like the ones in the night sky over Patch, or Beacon, or Remnant. There was not even a trace resemblance. But, in turn, she also felt comforted because of the simple fact that, everywhere in the multiverse, the night sky was still full of twinkling stars.

While Xanther dozed on the opposite end of Speedy, Rat snuggled up to Ruby, all but throwing her tiny arms around her waist under the blanket they had. It was not an easy task, falling asleep since Rat could apparently snore, and with a power that belied her tiny frame, somehow, Ruby soon found herself slowly, slowly drifting off and away from the conscious world…

She was standing on a hill.

No, not

a hill. It was the hill.

There it stood, almost demurely, overlooking the rest of the valley, its smooth surface gleaming in the sunlight.

'Thus Kindly I Scatter.'

Was her own tombstone erected there as well, on that hill? If there were, then what words had been engraved upon it?

A breeze wafted through the air, and she both felt it and did not feel it, all at once. It was odd, to say the least.

Ruby then heard familiar laughter and voices. "Come on, you dolt, we're going to be late!"

"Last one there has to take Blake shopping for books… in public! And then make a huge show of buying them!"

"Please leave me out of this."

Ruby turned to run after them, but the forest, the hill, and her mother's grave vanished.

She finished turning and found herself in Beacon's courtyard. It was empty and quiet, and the night sky was filled with stars.

"Hello!?" she called out. "Is anyone here?"

Click.

Click.

Click.

"This was not a tragedy."

Ruby stiffened at the voice, and reached down for her weapon… but she grasped only air.

Suddenly, everything started to grow hotter, and she could hear the sounds of gunfire and screams.

"Ruby."

She turned, and the Courtyard was now in ruins and was the sight of slaughter, a war. Ruby turned and saw her friends, her sister, her family…everyone she knew and loved. They were all just… standing there.

"Guys!" she screamed out. "Come on, we have to go!"

They all just smiled at her, and no matter how fast she ran, they still seemed so very far out of reach, and indeed drew farther and farther away.

Ruby then watched as they all vanished in a flash of sparks, swept away on the wind.

"You will never find them," came a voice, ancient and dread, as the area filled with a terrible and blinding light.

Ruby fell to her knees as a great and terrible pressure filled the air. No, she had to keep moving, she had to find them, she had to…

She heard the sound of mighty wingbeats, and an earth-shaking roar, one that could perhaps split the heavens themselves.

It was coming from behind her, but she dared not turn around, she dared not-

Come and See

She didn't want to look, and there was nothing but screams and blood, and she was screaming, and the sky filled with silver and-

Come and See

Come and-

"-See! That's right, folks, step right up! Right up, come one, and come all, ye who would be entertained!" came a clear voice, dragging her awake.

With a strangled groan, Ruby blinked, slowly letting the light back into her eyes.

"Don't be shy now!" the voice said again. "Come on, come and see!"

Ruby yawned, and slowly sat up, carefully extricating herself from Rat's tight embrace as she did so.

The area was filled with the soft glow of the morning sun, and the crisp scent of morning dew.

Xanther was already awake, looking over their supplies. Off to the left was a large wooden stage around which a small crowd was gathered. The stage was manned by several people in rather… eye-catching clothes, or, in some cases, a lack of clothing, like something out of one of Blake's other books. They all looked like crazy jesters. Some were doing acrobatics, others dancing and juggling and breathing fire! There also appeared to be blood involved!

Curious despite herself, Ruby descended from Speedy and drew closer, though some parts kind of made her want to avert her eyes. In the center of all the activity on the stage, there stood a woman, the one who had been shouting earlier.

The woman seemed to be rather… plain in appearance, save for looking a little thin, perhaps. Like the rest though, she was dressed in a garish, almost eye-watering, collection of clothing that was a collage of black and red and leather, like the others.

The woman gave a happy and wide grin, and then laughed boisterously, all the while holding up her hands placatingly. "Now, before you all either ignore us or call down the boring old Boros to arrest us for 'public indecency (looking at you, Eliza and Repin),' let me ask you this, and let me hear your answers, crystal and clear. Tell me; the dreariness of repetition, the mundane, the everyday… does it wear you down, bit by bit?

"Can you not feel the disgustingness that is 'responsibility' ready to clonk you on the head like a wooden mace, and turn you into just another unhappy urchin, another cog, cold and calculating? Does it keep you up at night, the numbness, the rote? Have you ever yearned to just cut loose, to scream at the top of your lungs, run naked through the promenade, make love on the grass, punch a man and jump through a first-story window? Have you ever needed to do any or all of the above…but then you don't, and for fear that you'll be looked at oh so very oddly?"

The woman exaggeratingly cupped a hand around her ear and leaned forward towards the crowd. Despite there being no great reply, or really, any, she still nodded sagely, as if there had been. "Oh yes, I know, I understand. For I was once like that, and believe me when I say that, at times, that knife in the drawer was looking oh so very friendly…."

She leaned back. "From birth until the day we kick the bucket, we are taught to repress; to push down those urges, those feelings that make us us. Push them down, tie 'em up with chains and ropes and gags, stuff them in the back of a dark closet, and then lock that closet tight and THROW away the key! They say that is how you should live, and, I suppose, I can see how people think that, but do you want to know a secret?"

She cupped her hands around her mouth. "The people who say that? They are SCARED and FRIGHTENED, or at least very, VERY frustrated, people! Hello! You see, sometimes, you just gotta cut loose! Free yourself from drudgery for at least a day or two, and have. Some. FUN! Doesn't that sound wild!?"

Next to her, one of the half-naked, painted people began to juggle lit torches, sending them whirling and spinning through the air in strange and almost dizzying patterns. Another began contorting herself in strange knots.

The woman kept speaking. "And if it does, if you like how that sounds, then have we got a nice thing for you, boys and girls and everyone else!"

A third performer waddled out onto the stage; a huge burlap sack was slung over their shoulders.

"On Saviour's Day," the woman continued, "we humble performers of the Rakdos are gonna throw an absolutely HUGE carnival in District 10, to help celebrate the recognition of the one who helped save our fair city during the Time of Tribulation and Terror. So, if you want to cut loose… if you want to have some fun, eat, drink, screw, and be merry, then come! Come to the show, to the festival of delights, to the Carnival on Savior's Day! We will have everything there that could ever be absolutely needed for a good time to be had, and a few things that aren't but we still throw them in anyway! Wonderous sights, death-defying stunts, tricks that will amaze and scandalize the lucky, complimentary buffets, and, of course, designated splash zones! You're guaranteed to see things that you'll never forget, no matter how hard you may try or want to! And, for the crowd that's 18 years or older, pleasures and views and delights and delicacies that are not for the faint of heart or thin of blood!

She waved her arms in a come-in gesture. "So come one and come all to the Festival of Delights, the Carnival of Thrills on Savior's Day! Come and see a show that you'll never forget! Come to carouse, make merry, drink, gorge, quaff, and FUCK to your heart's content!"

She reached into the sack and started throwing out handfuls after handfuls of… little painted wooden medallions. "When you show up, just flash these to the barkers and ticket-takers and attendants, and you will be guaranteed free access, and total admittance to everything there at a reduced rate, so that you may indeed have a wonderful, timeless, and unforgettable Savior's Day, no questions asked or sought. In addition, you will receive a free mask! nd if those delights set your heart aflutter and the space between your legs a 'trembling with excitement, then know that there are always more to be had at our shows, at our happy home of Rix Maadi. All are welcome, and all are ever invited to join our happy family under Rakdos himself, but only as long as you know how to have a fun time and cut. LOOSE!"

Ruby found herself catching one of the wooden trinkets, though more out of reflex than anything else.

"So, remember this, my friends and family," the woman then declared with another laugh. "What's so gosh-darned wrong about wanting to have FUN?"

Her last word was emphasized by a spray of multi-colored fire that burst out from her hands… and that then promptly set a few of the performers on fire for a brief moment, along with the stage.

After that, and after the burlap sack was emptied and the fire was put out, the show came to an end, and the performers and the woman swiftly packed up everything and departed. As they did, the crowd dispersed as well. Some left the trinkets where they lay, others took multiple and hurried away.

Ruby remained standing where she was for a moment. She looked down at the small wooden trinket nestled in the palm of her hand and saw it was wrought in the shape of the Rakdos symbol, painted with red and black. The little demonic face leered back up at her with a strange and wicked grin and slanted eyes.

She remembered Professor Ozpin's warnings regarding the Rakdos Cult and felt tempted to throw it away. It was a weird sex cult run by a freaking demon, after all. But… for some reason, she felt a bit more inclined to keep it and stowed it away in one of her pockets.

"Pretty fun, huh?"

Ruby would later stand by the fact that no, she did not let loose a little shriek and jump in the air. She had dignity! She had merely been a little… surprised. Yes, that was it.

As her heart kept beating normally, she turned to see Rat, standing at her side with a bright smile on her little face. Right… she could do that. "Uh, yeah," Ruby said. "It was really… eye-catching. Especially with all the leather… and the whips… and the spikes."

And the near-nudity… and the fire… and the actual nudity!

She wanted to wash out her eyes! With boiling water! Also, the little demon things didn't help.

Rat laughed. "Yeah, Rakdos is really fun. They're pretty neat and funny, too. I think I might want to join it when I grow up, but… I'm not really sure."

Ruby was struck by a sudden urge, though she wasn't sure what it was that it wanted her to do. It either wanted her to take Rat and run away to someplace where there were not crazy demon-worshipping, half-naked jesters who set people on fire with fire whips. Either that, or it wanted her to just curl up in a ball and cry that a little girl wanted to join them in the first place!

Who in their right mind would ever join such a guild!?

But, at the same time… a lot of the people in the crowd looked they had been having a good time. And yeah… sometimes it was nice to have fun, right?

Rat tugged on her sleeve breaking her from her thoughts. "Xanther's waiting by Speedy, and they say we shouldn't stay around here too long, and that we should get going if we want to reach District 1 soon," the little girl said. "Also, can we get some breakfast? I'm really kinda hungry."

Xanther was indeed waiting for them back at Speedy, and the three promptly took off back towards the man promenade. They eventually stopped at a nearby bakery that smelled of fresh bread and yeast and other yummy things. There, they bought a few breakfast pastries, each stuffed with a different thing, and sped off after paying and receiving their breakfast.

As they ate, Xanther kept driving, while Ruby kept watch, and Rat… leaned her head out over the side of the cart. The sight of her big smile and hair being ruffled reminded Ruby a bit of Zwei in the car. It was, in a word, adorable.

The sky had a dotty smattering of clouds, and Ruby could also make out other flying shapes within it; Wojek patrols, guild angels, wizards being born aloft by air magic, giant birds, and even sphinxes, flying cats with people faces.

It still amazed her just how quickly she had acclimated to the existence of magic and various mythological creatures being real, even in the span of fewer than two weeks.

They finished their breakfast and kept speeding along the Promenade. Little was really said, but much was seen, and Ruby made sure to drink it all in. Maybe once all this was done, she would see if she could explore the rest of the city. That would be nice.

Eventually, though, she got a little bored, and so pulled out a small notebook, and started doodling and designing; mostly people and weapons… but also buildings and vehicles. It was a trait that she had picked up from dad; a mind abuzz with ideas and things, so all she could do was jot and write and draw them. It helped make them more solid, in a way.

She also took note of the… lack of public transportation all around, and that made her draw harder. Ruby was, first and foremost, an unabashedly proud weapons nut… but that didn't mean she didn't also like designing other things. She supposed that it was a result of learning to design weapons; you needed to know how to build other things, and how machinery in general worked.

And it was always fun. She remembered some of the fun Expi Silverwitz machines that she and dad and yang would build to do things like flick on and off a switch, or open the fridge. Though it wasn't always Yang's thing, they had always had fun nonetheless.

So, her mind was abuzz with transforming ice blades, crossbow axes, quarterstaff bows, mizzium trams powered by ambient electricity and static harvested from the air, and so on…

If nothing else, it helped to pass the hours. Thus, Ruby drew, Xanther drove and Rat dozed.

Xanther clearing their throat drew Ruby's attention. That… and the sudden chill that settled in the air.

"We're here," Xanther said, as they slowed Speedy to a crawl with expert manipulation of the vehicle's levers. The streets had suddenly gotten very quiet. "Agryem."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Weiss

The sky over Dominaria

When she woke up, half her face was buried in a soft and downy pillow, and it was wonderful, to say the least.

Weiss yawned and stretched languidly, stretching until she could hear some of the joints in her back pop slightly.

The bed. It was just so comfy! Indeed, in Weiss's opinion, it trumped all other beds that she had ever slept on… even the one in her old bedroom, with the 360-thread count mistralian satin sheets, and the blankets woven from genuine Vale wool… back home.

Back home.

Weiss rolled her neck, as her fingers dug into the wilted covers for a moment, before shaking her head. She couldn't think about that now. But at least Captain Levar had promised to teach her and Neptune all he knew, so that was… something. As Klein (in his Happy personality) had once said, "a single something in the hand was always much better than a thousand nothings at your feet."

Still, at least the boat wasn't rocking anymore, though that had not been much of a hindrance to the sleeping… after the initial bit of nausea that had resulted from her full stomach, of course. Although, for some reason, she could feel a low, heavy pressure in her ears, like what happened when she was… flying?

Curious, she strode over to her room's window and looked out through the glass. She blinked away her sleep and was given the sight of a clear and endless blue sky, intermixed with a smattering of small white clouds here and there.

She blinked a few times to process this new development. The Nunieve was an… airship? But it had been floating on the water.

After processing that information for a moment, Weiss promptly went to clean up and refresh herself in her cabin's bathroom. More specifically, in the blessed tub, with the twice-blessed hot water and the thrice-blessed soap. Weisslandia, oh but it would one day be hers.

After soaking for a bit, she went to her cabin's closet and withdrew a pair of white breaches, and another smart dress of blue, white, and red, alongside soft and comfortable boots of dark leather. After dressing, she tied back her hair. Just as she had finished, there came a knock at her door. "Miss Schnee?"

She answered the door as she looped her belt around her waist, and was faced with a member of the crew. He had short hair and pointed ears and wore a sleeveless vest that left bare his arms, which were sheathed in black and green tattoos. "The captain wanted me to tell you that breakfast is ready in his cabin. If you would follow me, please?"

They arrived at the twin doors and the crewmember opened them for her, allowing Weiss to step past. Inside was Captain Levar and Neptune, already seated at the table, and already in the midst of eating. The room itself seemed markedly different in the daytime; warmer, larger, and perhaps a bit less austere.

The table itself was laden with food once again, only this time, it was breakfast things, such as sausages, eggs scrambled and hardboiled, crispy bacon, smoked ham, fruit, and seared bread. At the sight of it all, Weiss's stomach let loose a low rumble.

Almost as if he had heard it, Captain Levar looked up from his plate and gave her a wave of greeting. "Ah, good morning, good morning, young Weiss. Did you sleep well? How are you feeling?" the captain asked, with a kind and mustachioed grin.

"I slept very well, captain," Weiss replied, as she walked over to the table. "As for your other question? I'm feeling much better than I have in over a week, at least,"

"That is most excellent to hear," Bo Levar said. "My apologies for not waking you sooner, but I felt it best that you wake when you felt ready, and not a moment before, especially with the harrowing ordeal you two had faced. Still, as luck would have it, breakfast has only just been served. Meanwhile, young Neptune here was just regaling me with tales of your home plane, and his home in particular; 'Mistral,' I believe it was called, yes?"

Neptune nodded, as he shoveled a forkful of eggs into his mouth. The silver streaks in his hair glimmered in the sunlight.

Weiss began gathering her own plate, piling it to a reasonable extent with eggs and sausages and a scone and several grapes, before taking a seat. "I have to thank you again for your kindness and hospitality, captain. Most people in your position wouldn't be half as generous."

And some would not have cared at all.

"It is not the place of a Schnee to show charity or kindness to those who are below them, or who are unwilling to acknowledge their betters. It is their own choices that have led them to the squalor in which they dwell, daughter. They deserve no pity or charity, only scorn."

The captain smiled and gave a dismissive wave. "It is no trouble, at all. As I told you last night, I can do no less."

Weiss nodded at that, as she took a bite of scone. It was light, fluffy, and carried a fine hint of butter and cinnamon in its flavor. She had to restrain herself from immediately taking another bite, and instead chewed as slowly as she could. "Though…If you don't mind me asking; does the crew not think a little ill of you, having this sort of fare to yourself?"

Bo Levar quirked an eyebrow. "Young lady, I would never eat anything that I wasn't sure the crew was partaking of as well. I am not, and have never been, that sort of a person, ad I hold nothing but contempt for any captain who holds themselves above their crew. The crew ate much of the same things that you did last night, and they have eaten, or are eating, of the same spread that is laid before you here today. Ordinarily, I would have dined with them, but I felt it best that you two ate in privacy, just as you are this morning, especially seeing as how you appeared unused to the sight of good Ellei. I take it that there are no catfolk on your plane of 'Remnant?'"

Weiss shook her head. "No. There aren't."

Not unless faunus like Blake counted, but she doubted that it did.

The captain hmmm'd at that. "Most curious. It never ceases to amaze me; how different and how similar the planes can be to one another. It can be comforting, that."

The rest of the meal progressed in silence, interspersed only by the sound of forks and knives against plates, and of teeth biting into meat and fruit and bread and eggs. Eventually, Weiss felt pleasantly full and pushed back her plate. As she did so,

"Last night, you said that you were going to teach us… how to get home," Weiss said. "Do you still intend to uphold that promise?"

He quirked an eyebrow. "But of course," he said. "Why would I make a promise I had no intention of keeping? That is not who I am, I can assure you of that."

He then dabbed at his mouth with his napkin and pushed away his empty plate. Then, he stood up, walked over to the far corner of his cabin, and pulled out a sort of chalkboard. "Very well, the lesson shall begin."

As he started to speak, Bo Levar picked up a piece of chalk, rolling it idly in his hand. "The first thing you have to understand is that the concept of the multiverse itself. Think of it as the night sky, filled to the brim with twinkling stars, and then consider each star a single plane of existence. Planes such as here, Dominaria… or like the one that you two originate from. In addition, think of the dark space between those 'stars' as the fabric that holds everything together. We know it as the 'Blind Eternities,' and it is what a planeswalker has the ability to traverse through.

"Now, the base essence of the multiverse is comprised of five… ideals, or concepts, for lack of a better term. These, in turn, are, in most cases, represented by five colors; white, red, blue, black, and green. These also represent the various colors of mana, which is the lifeblood of existence, and the essence of magic itself."

He then chuckled. "Though, in all honesty, color never really seems to factor into these sorts of things. At least, not in any grave or necessary capacity in my experience. Magic is just magic. It really all depends more on the type of magical school you find yourself focusing on."

Weiss nodded. As she did, a part of her felt nothing less than complete bafflement at the fact that she was accepting the existence of magic. Then, that part remembered what had happened in Urborg, and proceeded to promptly shut itself up.

Captain Levar continued to speak. "Every living thing has a connection to mana. Without it, there would be no life at all, just a dead, empty space, and dead, empty husks. It is how we draw spells into being, and from which we can draw our power and, in some cases, innate abilities."

"Such as our semblances?" Weiss asked.

Their new teacher shrugged. "I would reckon so, but, then, again, I am not a grand expert on this branch of thinking."

"Wait. So, you're saying that… we can do magic?" Neptune asked.

"While not everyone can cast spells, it has been my experience that all who are planeswalkers have access to magic of a certain sort, and thus, access to mana. Ergo, the answer would be yes; yes you can."

Weiss did her best to process this. Magic. Apparently, she had the ability to do magic.

"So… what can we do, then?" Neptune then inquired, an eager look on his face.

The captain chuckled. "My dear boy, I honestly haven't the faintest clue. Like snowflakes, every spellcaster and planeswalker is different and unique. That is something that you will have to discover for yourself. Though, if I were to hazard a guess, I would think that your abilities would perhaps coincide with your… 'semblances.'"

As he said this, Weiss looked down at her hands. The memory of the swamp came rushing back for a brief moment, as well as that of the strange glyph that had flashed to life before her, causing that Cabal leader so much pain.

Bo Levar then shrugged. "Of course, I could be wrong in that. I am secure enough to admit it. Besides, plumbing the intricacies of thaumaturgical abilities is not one of my stronger suits."

"As I mentioned earlier, there are some schools of thought that hypothesize that your life and thoughts influence the sort of power that you can display when you channel mana. Or, perhaps, what sort of 'color' you can access. While I hold little stock in that, it is perhaps, not without some merit. As an example, I have always found a sort of kinship to the oceans, and to storms," he said, as he raised a hand. "No doubt due, in part, to mine own profession as a sailor."

As he spoke, a cerulean orb began to manifest in the palm of his hand. Its surface rippled with a strange depth. Wild little flashes of crimson lightning began to spark and dance across it, filling the room with a slight smell of ozone, like the moments just before a heavy spring thunderstorm.

He kept it manifested for a moment in his hand. Then, the orb slowly dissipated, and the scent of ozone departed the room.

Weiss blinked several times at what she had just witnessed. On the surface, it had seemed like a semblance; a little more powerful, perhaps, but nothing too out of the ordinary. But, at the same time… it had felt different; seemed different.

Magic.

Then a thought came to her, and she cleared her throat. "That's… that is all well and good, captain, but what about planeswalking itself? How did we…" she gestured to herself and Neptune, "…how did we become planeswalkers?"

"Simple… you sparked."

Neptune cocked his head. "What do you mean by 'sparked?'"

"At the 'core' of every planewalker lies what is known as the spark. It is the source of our nature, our ability to traverse the planes. But, like any spark, it requires fuel to blaze to life. Thus, the 'sparking.'

"A planeswalker's sparking can happen in several ways, though, as far as I have been able to discern, there are two main sorts; a moment when you almost die, or any sort of situation that results in you experiencing an immense bout of psychological strain, such as, perhaps having one's whole worldview shattered beyond any and all repair. From what you told me last night, I would hazard that it was being caught up in the midst of a terrible battle, one which seems to have resulted in the destruction of your school."

As he mentioned that, the sounds of gunfire and roars briefly flitted through Weiss' mind, and her breath caught in her throat for a moment, as her fist briefly tightened.

At that, the captain's face turned apologetic. "Now, please believe that I am in no way acting cavalier to your situation, or disdainful. I can only imagine what you must have endured that night. For that, you have my utmost sympathies, rest assured."

"Thank you," Weiss said, after a moment of banishing the screams and dread memories from her mind. Then, another thought came to her.

"If I may ask; what was it that caused you to 'ignite,' Captain Levar, if it's not too personal a question?" Weiss inquired.

He gave her a small grin, though there was a brief flash of… something, in his eyes. "A good question, Miss Schnee, and worry not, it isn't too personal for me. To put it simply; my sparking came as a result of being caught in the middle of a blast so powerful and immense, that it ended up destroying most of an entire continent, and then hurtled the whole of Dominaria into a second Ice Age."

Weiss was not sure what shocked her more; the contents of that sentence, or how causally the captain had said it. Had she been eating, she would have started choke, and had she been drinking, she would have sprayed her drink across the room. "Wait… what?"

"Indeed," he said. "But that is not important at the moment."

"Uh… okay. I'm… sorry you went through that," Neptune said

The captain waved it off. "Bah. I thank you for your condolence, but it was a long time ago, and, as you can no doubt ascertain, the world has survived and moved on. I know I certainly have."

Weiss had plenty of questions regarding… all of that, but then remembered what was most important. "Captain… can you enlighten us on how exactly planeswalking works? What does it entail?"

"As for planeswalking… the act itself is, at its core, very simple. All it truly requires is concentration and focus," he said.

A part of Weiss wanted to hesitate, but this was a chance. A chance to maybe go back home! So, she took the plunge. "What do we do?"

The captain looked at her for a long moment as silence filled the room. Then, he sighed, as a parent would when about to deliver some… less-than-welcome news. "I understand that the two of you are eager to return to your home, and to your loved ones," he said. "But I would advise that you take this slow. Planeswalking is not a task that one should just dive into, headfirst. It requires an understanding, and focus, as I said. Without a proper heading, you could wind up anywhere in the multiverse, and believe me when I tell you that there are places far worse than the swamps of Urborg. Besides, would you try to sail a ship without knowing how the sails and rigging worked? Or without the faintest knowledge of how to steer?"

Weiss wanted to argue, but all she could do was shake her head

"We will be arriving at Benalia within a week," he said. "Once you are on solid ground, and safe at my estate there, then we can begin in earnest. This I promise."

"Isn't… isn't there anything that you can tell us, now?" Weiss asked, a hint of desperation creeping into her voice.

The captain stroked his chin and sighed. "For me, planeswalking is as diving into a pool of water, and swimming down until I reach the other end, emerging onto a new shore. Though, a friend of mine once said that, for her, it was as creating a door to where you wish to go. It helps if you know the name of where it is that you are trying to travel to, and what it looks like, or else the doorway can take you anywhere, even to a place you do not wish to be. Once you have the picture…all you have to do is reach out and turn the door handle. But, for everyone, it is different. Some find it easy, and others quite difficult."

He then stood up. "I hate to cut this lesson short, but, as a ship's captain, I have some duties which I should attend to now. We will resume lessons later when I have free moments. Meanwhile, you two have the run of the ship until we make landfall in Benalia. There, we will begin the lessons in earnest, as I have promised. Until then, you can stay in your rooms, or even lend assistance around the vessel if you wish. If you desire to commence in self-study, then you may peruse the tomes on my shelves at your leisure, specifically the ones regarding mana and magic usage. You might find them illuminating and enlightening… or dreary and onerous."

A stern expression then plastered itself on his face. "But please, under no circumstances must either of you attempt to planeswalk right now. You're not ready for it. Not yet. That's all I ask of you."

Without another word, he then left, leaving Weiss and Neptune alone in his cabin. The pair exchanged a look, and Neptune shrugged.

Weiss wasn't entirely sure how she felt at that moment. They had a way home… and they could not yet learn it. He had promised to teach them... and they still had to wait. A tumultuous mixture of emotions roiled around in Weiss' stomach and behind her eyes, and she took a deep breath.

"Are you alright?" Neptune asked.

She looked at him and gave a small smile. "I'm fine, Neptune. Perfectly fine."

For the next several days, Weiss busied herself with perusing the captain's books, singling out the ones regarding mana usage, spellwork, and even one detailing the various known schools of magic. Pen and paper had been provided with the desk, and so she started taking copious notes on how spells could be cast, and the various ways that mages implemented and called upon mana to do so. Some such methods included things like chants, 'ritual motion (which sounded suspiciously like interpretative dancing),' and even screams, like something out of one of Ruby's comic books, the ones with the loud, boisterous heroes who were always screaming at the top of their lungs about 'the power of friendship.'

Weiss drank in knowledge about mana itself, and the various schools of thought that detailed how each 'color' corresponded to a different mindset and ideal. Weiss found it not a great surprise that she felt strongly towards white, and blue. She had always considered herself a moral person, after all, and she could well remember well the long hours she had spent practicing her glyph and stances and blade work, often from sunup to sundown, when able. Perfection had to be earned and fought for, after all.

Although, the bit about red… rebelling against authority when it grew too stifling… she found her hand rubbing against her scar for a moment. She recalled the look on Jacques' face when she defeated the Arma Gigas, and felt a surge of happy pride.

A small part of her also admired black's less... unsavory aspects, such as its lack of fatalism, and its perseverance. Everything else about it, she abhorred, of course.

She set aside the notes on how to draw on mana for later perusal and thought, and then found herself slowly approaching a dead-end in regards to her main goal.

Everything that she could glean from the books was endlessly fascinating, to say the least… but it was all tinged with a frustrated melancholy. There was nothing within them about how to actually planeswalk! Hell, there was barely any mention of it at all! It was all just endless musings and scribblings about the various schools of magic, and hypotheses about the origins of mana. There was nothing that answered the important questions How did one planeswalk? Was there, perhaps, a ritual involved in that as well? Did you need to be in a certain location? Did you have to go through another near-death experience? Did it require a certain frame of mind?

She read, re-read, wrote, and studied from sunup to sundown, stopping only for meals, self-care, and practicing with Myrtenaster. She had to keep her skills sharp, afterward.

But still… there were just too many questions boiling in her brain, and there were just too few answers at the moment within these pages. It made Weiss want to scream in frustration, and she felt very tempted indeed. But she then took a deep breath. Weiss knew that she wasn't going to learn anything else by getting her emotions all twisted and wound up so tight.

Maybe she just needed a break. Perhaps a breath of fresh air. Take a walk and clear her head. It had always worked in the past. She would have tried to find Neptune for a spar but reckoned that it was not such a grand idea on an airship. Ye, stretching her legs would do quite nicely.

So, with that in mind, she drew herself away from the books and her notes, walked out her cabin, and headed up the stairs and onto the deck.

Fresh air, cool and crisp, was the first thing to greet her as she emerged onto the top deck. Fresh air, and brilliant sunshine of the late afternoon. Despite her dour feelings, she felt taken aback when she caught sight of the open sky, just as she had when she had first awoken.

It was not as if she had been never been on airships before, and had never seen the sky from above. She had, after all, traveled to Mistral and Vale on a few family excursions, as well as inane publicity tours. She had flown through the sky before… but that had always been from behind thick, reinforced glass, or low enough that the ground's minute details could still be picked out.

Right now, though? The wind was streaming through her hair and there was no glass, while all that was beneath her was a blue-green ocean crested with white tips. She had an unobstructed view of the blue-and-white-expanse, one that seemed to stretch into eternity beyond the horizon in all directions. So, it was understandable that she felt a grand burst of awe at the sight as if she were truly seeing it for the first time.

"It is pretty neat, huh?"

Weiss turned at his voice and saw he looked much different than he had in the morning.

Neptune's hair and shirt, as well as the heavy leather apron he wore, were covered in grease stains, and he seemed to have procured a new pair of goggles, which was currently resting comfortably on the bridge of his nose. A harness of tools was slung across his shoulders and chest, while thick leather gloves adorned his hands. The silver streaks in his hair gleamed, and there was a contented smile on his face.

"The morning after we got on this ship, I woke up early. Came up here before going to Captain Levar's quarters. Come up here every morning before helping out in the engine room. Man, but it is just…" He gestured.

Weiss smiled. "I think I get the picture," she said.

The view felt… purer, somehow, without glass and steel and plastic between them and the sky. It felt more real, as the wind rustled their hair.

Nothing was said as they both gazed out into the endless sky, and as they listened to the breeze and the ambiance of the sky and the ship. Nothing felt needed to be said. There was, instead, just a comfortable silence.

"How's the studying coming?" Neptune then asked.

"Fine, for the most part," Weiss replied. "Though, I feel that I've hit something of a stone wall. As such, I think that I could use a fresh pair of eyes on it. Would you care to help me, later?"

He looked a bit surprised that she was asking him for help, for some reason. "Huh? Oh, sure. I'd be happy to."

"I see that you've been busy as well," Weiss noted.

Neptune nodded. "Yeah. Found myself wandering down into the lower levels, to the engine room after he said we had the run of the ship. The technology here… man, it just blows my mind. The intricacies of it all, the various applications. It's almost literally mouth-watering."

"I never took you for someone so interested in technology," Weiss remarked.

Neptune shrugged. "Well, I mean, I've always been interested in machines and seeing how things work, taking them apart and putting them back together, you know? I mean, I did design my own weapon after all. Plus, I've always had a knack for making things, I guess. Back home, in Mistral, I have a whole workshop full of little robots that I've made over the years, me and my brother. We would lock ourselves away for hours, making things, and then arguing about which one was better made…"

As he trailed off, his face grew a bit melancholy at the thought of 'back home,' and Weiss felt the same.

Back home.

She felt her hand curl into a fist. They had the ability to go back home, and yet the captain seemed almost hesitant to teach it to them at the moment.

Weiss counted to ten in her head, and slowly let out a breath. It was fine. It was fine.

"You okay?" Neptune asked, concern plain in his eyes.

"I'm fine," Weiss replied. "Just… lost in my thoughts a bit. I'm sure you understand the feeling?"

He nodded at that. "Yeah, yeah. I think I do

She turned to regard the sky once again. It was a lovely day. Were it not for everything around her, she would have thought, from the sky alone, that she was standing… in that park in Atlas, the one that Klein had taken her and Winter and Whitley to, during one of their parent's… arguments. That had been a fun day, once they had left the manor. Klein had prepared a tasty picnic, and they had laughed and laughed and laughed and played until the sun went down, and then had gone into the city proper to see a movie, before heading home.

It had been a fun day, full of light and laughter. There hadn't been much laughter, though, afterward.

She had not thought about that day in years, and yet, now, if she closed her eyes, she could almost see it. She could almost smell the grass under her feet and the flowers in the gardens, and the warmth of the sun, so much like the one here and yet still… a little bit different.

A strange feeling began to well up inside of her, the more she focused, the more she thought on Remnant, on home, on that park. Not an emotion, per se, but something… something else. Something almost… tangible, calling out to her.

It seemed as if she just had to reach out and-

"Weiss!" Neptune called out, his voice pulling her out of… whatever that had been.

Weiss blinked and turned to regard him, and she saw the worry in his eyes, as well as the fact that he had taken a few steps back. "What is it?" she asked. "Is something wrong?"

"Sorry, but it's just… you were glowing!"

She raised an eyebrow. "What?" she said again.

He gestured towards her. "You were looked lost in thought there, and then, all of a sudden, you started glowing. Look at your hand!"

Weiss raised her hand and saw that it was surrounded in a faint-yet quickly-fading-outline of pure, snowy white. At first, she thought it was just her aura, but then remembered that her's was blue. Plus, she doubted that her aura had a) changed color, and b) could give off such a feeling of… peace, and harmony and…

Wait. Was this… mana? White mana, as described in the books?

"…Every living thing has a connection to mana. Without it, there would be no life at all, just a dead, empty space, and dead, empty husks. It is how we draw spells into being, and from which we can draw our power and, in some cases, innate abilities…"

"…While not everyone can cast spells, it has been my experience that all who are planeswalkers have access to magic of a certain sort, and thus, access to mana. Ergo, the answer would be yes; yes, you can…"

"…As for planeswalking… the act itself is, at its core, very simple. All it truly requires is concentration and focus…"

Weiss felt her mind churning rapidly, as ideas connected to theories and then…

Wiess's eyes widened, and it felt as if a bell was rung at her realization. That was it!

She then grabbed Neptune by the collar of his shirt. "That's it!" she exclaimed. "I think I've got it!"

Before he could ask, or really, say anything at all, she was already dragging him away toward the stairs, amidst some of the laughter and hollers and applause of the crew. Despite his attempted protests, her grip was iron.

She dragged him all the way to her cabin, shoved him in, and then followed, closing the door behind her as she did so.

"Uh… mind explaining why you just dragged me in here?" he asked.

"I felt something earlier, when on the deck," she said. "A sensation. I think I figured it out."

His eyebrows raised. "You mean…"

She nodded. "How to planeswalk. How to get home. It's simple. As Captain Levar said, all planeswalkers are spellcasters of some sort, and spellcasting requires mana. I figured out how to access mana, and, it seems to me that, at its core? Planeswalking is just a spell. I've figured it out, don't you see?"

He looked unsure. "But he told us to wait on that until we got to wherever it is that we're going. He said it would be dangerous to try."

"I know," she admitted. "But… don't you want to go home sooner, rather than later? To make sure our families and friends know we're still alive? They could think we're dead!"

She took a deep breath, and then placed a hand on his shoulder. "Please, at the very least, we have to try, Neptune," Weiss said. "We have to try and get home."

He seemed to mull it over for a long moment… and then steeled himself with a nod. "Alright," he said. "What do we do?"

For the next several hours, she told and taught him everything that she had discovered and learned. To his credit, he seemed to grasp it rather quickly.

At the end of it, she looked him dead in the eye. "Are you ready?" she asked.

He nodded. "As ready as anyone could be in this situation, I guess."

"Very well. Let's go home."

Weiss closed her eyes and focused. As on the dec, she remembered that park in Atlas, the scent of the grass, the feel of the wind blowing through her hair, the sound of her sibling's laughter. The sensation from before returned, welling up inside, and she focused on it, on that feeling.

"I can feel it," she heard Neptune say.

"Good, now all we do is keep grabbing at it," Weiss replied. "Hold it tight."

As it welled up, she then pictured… a puddle, as Captain Levar had told her. She focused, and felt the puddle expand into a pool, and then a lake, anything that was large enough to submerge completely in. She could feel the energy, the mana, welling, and pooling together in the pit of her stomach. All at once, it was encompassing, detached, and blazingly warm.

Thus… she dived in and felt herself move.

Everything around her was formless, yet formed; colorless, and yet filled with more color than she had ever seen in her life. It was shapeless, and yet more concrete and real than anything else. She felt real, and yet not real. Existent, and yet nonexistent all at once. She was there, and yet… somewhere else. She focused, and started to… swim, for lack of a better descriptor.

Weiss swam and swam and moved. She was not sure how long she swam. A minute, an hour, a day, a second?

Then, as she swam… she saw it, she saw the door, as the entrance to team RWBY's dormitory apartment, just as she had remembered. Then, behind the door… she could picture… that park, back in Atlas.

She swam closer, closer, closer through the formless solidity, until she could reach out and touch the handle…

Suddenly, it was as if she had slammed into a wall. No matter how hard she pushed, it remained immobile, with the handle just out of reach. Then, a dreadful voice echoed throughout.

STAY

AWAY

The voice made her want to clasp her non-existent hands over her ears and shriek, not only from its volume but also from the pure hatred it seemed to bear towards her on every syllable. The next thing she knew, there was a great flash of light, one that reminded her of ruby's eyes, and Weiss found herself being sent hurtling back. Backward through the formless, colorless mass as it whirled faster and faster and faster and fasterandfaster-.

When she opened her eyes, she was back in her cabin, the room was a mess. And she was on the floor. Across from her, she saw Neptune on his back, twitching and gasping.

Then, it felt as if every nerve in her body was on fire, and she screamed in agony, a sound soon joined by Neptune's own. She never remembered screaming so much. Everything… everything hurt.

A moment later, Weiss barely heard the sound of hurried footsteps and then, she watched through a haze of pain as the captain rammed his way through the door, tearing it off its hinges. Worry and concern were alit on his face as he bent down. "Get them to the infirmary!" she heard him call out, as more people filed into the room. "Now!"

As she felt herself being lifted up, the pain eventually became too much and, mercifully, Weiss passed out…

When she woke up, Weiss was lying on a bed. Neptune was lying on the one next to her, still asleep.

The captain was seated in a chair by the cots, an unreadable expression upon his face.

For a long heartbeat, nothing was said. Weiss felt too ashamed and too tired to really say anything.

But at least the pain had subsided.

"How long…?"

"A day," Captain Levar said. "Luckily, Obreen was able to heal and patch you two up. Nothing serious, though."

Weiss said nothing else

"I am not angry," the captain then said. "I'm actually quite impressed you managed to figure it out on your own. That is very admirable, Weiss. I hope you understand that. But please, just tell me what happened."

Weiss swallowed, and then she did, starting with her epiphany during the spar.

He was quiet through it all, listening to her recounting. When she had finished, she laid back on her pillow and clenched her blanket tight. "It was just… it was right there," Weiss said. "Right there, and I couldn't get past! Like something… was keeping us out, didn't want us going back home."

"I honestly have no idea what just happened," he said, sorrow etched across his lined face. "All I can offer is my apologies; I have never seen any sort of planeswalk result in such a thing before. But, trust me when I say it is never like that."

"Wh… what do we do now?" Weiss asked.

Captain Levar shrugged, and then offered her and Neptune each a hand. "I think that all either of you can do… is keep moving forward. We should be arriving in Benalia in a day or two. Then… we will begin in earnest. I promise. Spells and planeswalking both. But, for now, get some rest, alright? I will check on you later."

After that, he stood, flashed her a small smile, and then departed. Weiss fell asleep soon afterward.

Her sleep was dreamless, and she and Neptune both awoke the next day refreshed, if not also a little saddened and disheartened as well.

After being discharged by Obreen with a good bill of health, she and Neptune kept themselves busy; Weiss with her studies, and Neptune down in the engine room, both learning all they could or simply going up on deck to admire the view. For meals, she, Neptune, and Captain Levar either ate with the crew in the mess or on the deck, or Weiss ate in her room with her studies.

Through it all, Weiss buried herself in any and all notes on casting magic. She kept her promise to the captain about not attempting any more planeswalking, of course, and so switched her focus to mana. She now knew she could access white, but was that it?

What else could she do, beyond her semblance? What spells could she cast?

If nothing else, the constant study kept her mind occupied from thinking about that awful voice. It had sounded so… angry, disdainful, but also… afraid?

Feeling a cramp in her hand, Wiess rose from her desk, ready for some fresh air, when she heard the loud ship's bell, ringing through all the decks.

Ding, ding, ding.

Ding, ding, ding.

Perplexed, Weiss rushed upstairs towards the top deck. She heard someone call out as she ascended the stairs. "BENALIA DEAD AHEAD!"

She saw that Neptune and Captain Levar were already on deck. The captain had a smile on his face, while Neptune's head was craned back and upwards. Weiss followed his line of sight and…

Weiss felt her breath almost stolen away at what she saw. Brilliant sunlight left everything alit with an awe-inspiring radiance, almost setting the clouds awash with a golden color. Then they then passed through those clouds, and Weiss saw…

She had seen Atlas. She had grown up on Atlas, a floating city. Thus, a floating city should not have been a surprise to her sights.

But Atlas had been a floating city. Here… there were more. A plethora of floating towns and buildings and castles. Meanwhile, down below in the distance, she could see a sprawling metropolis, interwoven with the forests and the countryside, and she could even see the glitter of stained-glass windows, even in the distance.

There then came a flapping of wings, and Weiss's eyes went wide as a flock of… winged bird people flew up by the Nunieve, all armored and armed with spears and bows. The small group all alit upon the deck, and one of them, a rather tall one with the head of an eagle, strode up to the captain and saluted. "Welcome back, Admiral," he said.

Weiss blinked, and she could almost hear Neptune's jaw drop.

The… Admiral smiled and returned the salute with a chuckle. "It is always a pleasure to return here, Lieutenant. Permission to dock in port?"

"Never a need to ask, sir," the Lieutenant responded.

The captain nodded. "Never hurts to inquire, anyway."

Once the group of bird people departed, the captain turned to the rest of the on-deck crew. "Well, you heard him. Tepar! Take us in!"

"Aye, sir!"

As the ship began to slowly descend, the captain flashed Weiss and Neptune a grin. "Welcome to Benalia, my young students."

Xxxxxxxxxx

Tai

Silundi Sea

Zendikar

Creeeak. Creeeak. The ship gently rocked on the ocean as it sailed, small waves lapping against its hull.

With it being a small break between duties, Tai looked out over the wide blue-green expanse. Guess there were some things that were the same no matter what world you were in; oceans and stars would always be oceans and stars.

Tai had been on boats before, of course. It was really something of an inescapable requirement, when you grew up, and raised a family, on an island after all. If you didn't know how to navigate waters, then you really had no business being on an island, especially one like Patch. For that matter, you didn't really have any business living on a freaking coastline, or at least that was what his mother had always used to say.

So, Tai should have perhaps been prepared for this leg of the voyage… and, for the most part, he had been, and he was.

For the most part. There were, of course, a few other little parts that he wasn't so ready for.

On Patch, all of those boats that he had learned to steer and man in the bay… they had had motors, and oil and septic tanks and whatnot. There was none of that here.

The Blade of Iona was like something straight out of an old history book/ sailing manual, from the age before dust and electricity. It was a massive, lumbering and lean behemoth crafted and comprised of wood and nails and ropes and sails, from top to bottom. Instead of oil and engines, it was just tar and oars… and a slot cut near the floor level of the bottom deck by the orlop.

And, of course, the seas he had learned to navigate had really just been the small sea between Patch and Vale's coast. That was it, nothing more to it. These seas were very different. Larger, for one… and also a bit choppier, though he figured that was because of the Roil.

The more he learned about this place… the more that Tai found himself growing more and more excited and intrigued, despite himself.

There were no idle hands, onboard the Blade of Iona. Everyone had to do their fair share, per Rarza's orders. That… that didn't bother Tai so much. He was used to a good day's worth of hard work, after all. Plus, he had always been something of a quick learner, and he was happy to lend what expertise he already had on hand. The hours felt long, and the sun always a bit hot, but he made due nonetheless. Yep, whether it was untangling the rigging, repairing tears in the sails, caulking up holes and leaks, or even moving and reorganizing cargo down in the orlop… Tai did it all and without complaint.

He did his best to be friendly as well, greeting everyone with a nice smile, a warm hello, and a helping hand whenever the opportunity did present itself. Some of them ignored him or brushed him off, though. Still, others were more receptive, and, at the very least, he managed to get the names of some of his fellow… hires. To his surprise, the actual expedition wasn't really all that large in number. Indeed, including him, there were only about ten.

Rarza, the female vampire who had greeted Tai at the Sea Gate docks, was the expedition's leader, as well as the captain of the Blade of Iona. One of the many, many things about this world that never ceased to amaze Tai was that vampires were real here. He was also a bit astounded, to an extent, that they were wholly unlike how they were depicted in the stories and movies. Yes, they did wear black leather… and were deathly pale… and had fangs… and could fly… but he had never envisioned a vampire to have bony, spiky growths jutting out from their elbows and shoulders, or that they would also wear insect carapaces as armor and clothing alongside the leather, or that they would cover themselves in bright-red, eye-catching tribal markings.

In addition, Rarza was not really brooding or dour. Rather, she was friendly, open, and even downright gregarious. Upon his boarding, she had wasted no time in introducing herself, and then introducing him to the rest of the expedition. Some had been more friendly than others in that regard.

The most welcoming had been the two kor. First, there was Ardenn. After Tai had boarded The Blade of Iona back in Sea Gate, and Rarza had started making introductions, the sinewy kor had been the first of the rest to give Tai a welcome with a firm handshake. He never gave many expressions, but he was friendly enough in his interactions at least. Like the other kors that Tai had seen thus far, he seemed to carry a lot of ropes and hooks. He was often around with Taylie, the other kor, who would be serving as the expedition's healer, or in deep discussion with Jora and Jera. As for Taylie, Tai oftentimes saw the willowy kor praying/ meditating on the deck, or healing any wounds and aches and pains and bruises that the ship's crew accumulated during the journey.

The two merfolk, whom he had met next, were a brother and sister team named Jora and Jera. The two of whom bore a shared look of light mischief in their eyes. Identical twins, the pair were the designated lock-pickers and trap-finders of the expedition and were also rather adept fighters and scholars as well. Jera had welcomed Tai with a hearty slap upon his shoulder, while Jora simply smiled and waved.

One of the least friendly ones was Anelyi. An elf of rather middling height and frame with a face framed by vibrant green tattoos and a wild mane of long braids. When he had introduced himself, she had taken a single, disinterested look at Tai's outstretched hand, glared at his face, and spat off to the side. Following that, she had turned on her heel and walked away, despite Rarza's stern chiding.

Yeah… that had hurt a bit. After that, she had promptly ignored Tai when he tried to start a conversation, or just glared at him whenever he happened to cross her line of sight. She could usually be found seated on a spare crate on the deck when not going about her own chores, idly sharpening either her longsword or any of the rather numerous daggers that she had secreted away on her person. For some reason, she always seemed to make sure he was watching when she ran the whetstone down her blade's edge, and still glaring at him as she did so.

Honestly, she reminded Tai a bit of how Raven had been at the start of their time at Beacon, back when Team STRQ had just been conjoined; before all their adventures, all the heartbreak… before everything else.

Before it had all just… fell apart.

The last member of the crew was Gintar, who was, more often than not, akin to Rarza's shadow, though he was much more noticeable than that. Tai had never seen so much muscle, or just pure bulk, on any one person before, so much so that even Hazel seemed small compared to him. As an ogre, Gintar towered over everyone else in the crew, so much that it seemed a wonder the boat did not capsize, and every movement he made sent small ripples across his flesh. His bald head seemed almost incongruously small compare to the rest of him, and every visible inch of his arms was covered in scars or what seemed to be large brands. Wherever Rarza went, he was always close behind, like a loyal guard dog, perhaps, one hand always on the very, very large iron-ringed club that he wore slung across his back.

Tai didn't know why he found it odd, but Gintar never ate any meat, only large portions of vegetables, both raw and cooked. Still, it wasn't something he felt like making an issue out of.

Whenever Tai had some free moments, often in his hammock or on the deck keeping watch, he would sit, draw, and record the day's events in one of several journals that he had bought before the voyage. He would also try to write a letter to Yang. Of course… he never got very far with the latter. Really, he could never even put the charcoal to the sheet. Nothing he thought of writing down really felt right at all.

It all just sounded like more excuses.

Damn it. Fucking damn it. Real father of the year material, Tai. Way to fulfill his duties as a parent.

But they needed this. Just one job, get some money, and then he would figure out a way to never have to leave his little sunny dragon alone like this again. Simple as that.

…

…

Fucking damn it.

Fucking damn it.

He then thought of Ruby. His little Reaper, with her bright grin and unwavering optimism. Where was she? Had she also ended up on some strange and distant world? Was she still on Remnant? Was she safe?

He had to fight the urge to cry.

So, then, of course, he would always put all of that to the back of his mind for later, and continue onwards, either trying (and barely succeeding) in falling asleep or taking a walk around the upper decks. It rarely helped.

He just hoped that Yang could forgive him. He wasn't sure if he could forgive himself right now, or if he would ever.

He also prayed, to whatever deity there was that may or may not exist on Zendikar, that Ruby was at least safe, if not happy, somehow. It was all he could do at the moment, for whatever that was worth.

Aside from Tai's inner turmoil and sorrows, everything else was pretty sedate for him thus far. Heck, despite the lack of electricity, the sailing was in no way all that slow-going as he had originally thought it would be. That was perhaps thanks to the ship's wizards, a married pair who were named Ekri and Elri, who was also part of Rarza's expeditionary team.

When you looked at the pair, the two were as different as night and day. Ekri was tall and somewhat rotund in a beefy manner, while Elri was rather short and rail-thin, to an almost emaciated degree. Heck, Elri only came up to the middle of Tai's chest. Still, the two seemed to know their craft, and often were seen at the stern, manipulating the waves and wind to give the ship a speedy voyage, as well as, apparently, countering the Roil as best they could. When they weren't on deck, the two wizards often stayed in their cabin and speaking very little when out on the deck or in the mess, almost like Anelyi.

Wizards. Tai could still not believe how commonplace that term was becoming in his head, alongside the word 'magic.' He had to resist the urge to shake his head in wonder at it all. A month ago… sure he had worked under a millennia-old, reincarnating wizard for a number of years, but it wasn't as if Ozpin had been able to just toss out magic spells willy-nilly. But here… it was just a part of the norm of Zendikar.

It was all just…remarkable. A part of him wondered if he would be able to learn any of it. Man, but that would be something. Probably would never happen but…

Nah, wouldn't happen.

So, the days passed, with meals in the mess, chores, breaks, more chores, and then sleep, all of which was interlaced with Tai occasionally shadowboxing and training in either his quarters or on the deck. Through all the repetition, Tai ruminated, watched, recorded, and learned.

Tai had always enjoyed learning about things; didn't matter what, as long as it was something new or interesting. Maybe that was part of why he had gravitated towards being a teacher, on top of a huntsman.

The moment he stepped onto the deck, he found himself face-to-face with Anelyi, who, as always was glaring at him. As before, Tai decided not to antagonize her, and simply went to step around her, making sure to avoid eye contact. Except, she moved in front of him, blocking his path.

"Can I help you with something?" he asked.

"Fight me," she said.

That caught his attention. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me. Fight me."

Tai looked at her and shook his head. "No, I'm not going to do that."

He made to move past her, but she stepped in his way again. "And why not? Are you afraid, human? Afraid of a friendly little spar?"

The knife flashed in her hand, and Tai hurriedly ducked out of the way and off to the side. "Are you crazy!?" he exclaimed.

"I just want a spar, human," she said, as she casually tossed the knife from her right to her left. "What's wrong with that? Besides, if you want a place on this crew, you have to prove your mettle. Is it so wrong of me to want to make sure my companions and captain won't get held back by dead weight?"

The knife flashed again, towards his throat, and this time, Tai lunged around and to the side in a controlled tumble, before rolling to his feet with his hands and settled into a standard boxer's pose, keeping his feet light, and not planted.

The elf smirked, and her sword gleamed as she ripped it from the sheath on her back with an audible shing. Then she was at him like a foul-tempered bear.

She was fast, though, and her hands were blurs of motion. But, when dealing with an expert swordswoman, as she undoubtedly was, the best option was to keep yourself loose, and stay moving, though that was true for anything.

He ducked under the slice, battered aside the knife, and then responded with a rapid one-two jab to her abdomen, which sent her stumbling back away with a grunt. He made sure not to hit her too hard, though, since he knew for a fact that aura was not a thing here on Zendikar. Plus, killing a crewmember with a punch would probably not end well for him. "What the hell is your problem?" he asked, backpedaling as she went on the offensive again, charging and leaping forward at him like an angry bull.

"You shouldn't be here!" she exclaimed, as she brought down her longsword in a one-handed overhand chop while shoving her knife upwards. "You shouldn't be on this crew, and yet, here you are, bold as a brass baloth, acting as if you belong here, belong with us! I won't have it!"

He swerved to the left and kneed aside the knife. "Can't we just talk about this!? Something I've done has obviously got you upset, so maybe instead of trying to kill each other, we can just-"

"Stop talking!"

Her sword left a deep groove in the ship's railing, sending wooden splinters everywhere.

Damn it, but she was mad. He'd have to knock her out, it would seem. A blow to the jaw would suffice, though not enough to shatter it… even if Taylie could heal it right up.

Before he could do anything, though, he felt himself being wrenched off his feet by the back of his shirt, alongside Anelyi. As they both dangled at least a few feet off the ground, Tai craned his neck to see who had intervened.

Gintar was holding each of them up by their collars and gave them both a firm shake. "The captain doesn't like fighting among the crew," he rumbled. "So, stop it."

"You tell HER that!" Tai exclaimed as he gestured to Anelyi.

"Stay the hell out of this, Gintar!" Anelyi declared as she flailed about.

Her hand then flashed out, and Gintar grunted in pain, dropping the pair as his hand shot to his arm, where Anelyi had slashed him.

"What the hell is going on here!?" Captain Rarza, as she stormed up from below.

"They're fighting," Gintar said. "You don't like it when the crew fights, so I tried to make them stop. Then Anelyi cut my arm with a knife."

For emphasis, he pointed to the cut on his arm, and the red that it was secreting.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Rarza enquired. "Ever since we brought Tai here on board, you've been moody and withdrawn. Now, you're picking a fight, trying to disembowel him. You know my rules, we don't fight amongst ourselves! Infighting causes chaos, and chaos will lead to our deaths!"

"Well, it's too late for that, isn't it!?" Anelyi exclaimed as she gripped her blade tightly. "How many have we lost over the years? And what about Taron!? Never thought you would be so quick to just replace him like he meant nothing!"

Rarza briefly recoiled, before her face set into a frown. "That's not fair, and you know it," she said.

Anelyi spat off to the side. "Ten years we were all together, through thick and fucking thin, and you didn't even have the decency to let us properly grieve when he died. Hells, he's been hardly dead two weeks before you had already replaced him with this idiot, on top of sending us off onto another expedition without any proper discourse!" she bellowed, gesturing to Tai. "Have you no shame!? The others might still follow you blindly, bloodsucker, but I won't!"

The whole crew went quiet, and the captain's hand twitched. "That was out of line," Rarza then said. "Go to your cabin and cool off Yi, before you say something you'll really regret."

Suddenly, the ship began to shake, while the ocean around them started to churn. The ship's bell then began to be rung for all it was worth.

"ELEMENTALS INCOMING!" Ekri called out in alarm, as the bell continued to ring. "IT'S THE ROIL!"

Rarza's eyes went wide, and then she was in a flurry of motion. "Damn it! Ekri and Elri, see if you can calm them down and quell the Roil! EVERYONE ELSE, BRACE AND PREPARE FOR BATTLE!" the captain called out. "ANYONE WHO CAN'T FIGHT, HEAD BELOW DECKS TO THE SAFE ROOMS! GET THE MEDIC STATION READY FOR WOUNDED!"

Everything became a frenzy of activity. Weapons were drawn, and spells were ready to be cast. Wanting to do his part, Tai readied his fists.

Not a moment later, it felt as if something slammed into the ship, and the battle was joined as strange creatures soon started swarming the deck.

They looked like… pieces of nature come to life; plants and driftwood and other things, all bundled together in vaguely humanoid forms. They lashed out with too-long arms and smashed and stomped. All the while, they kept coming.

Tai simply kept punching and kicking and ducking and weaving, all the while making sure to keep his aura up. These things could pack a punch, though. Each blow he took strained his aura something fierce.

Spells were flung and weapons flashed amidst the screams. Vaguely, he could hear Ekri and Elri chanting, either trying to fend them off or calm them down, he had no idea and no time to think about it.

He smashed through the legs of a thing that seemed crafted from a solid breeze and several chunks of driftwood and rain, and it let out a strange shriek as it collapsed to the deck, and Tai was already running, through the screams.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the captain flitting and flying about the battle, her daggers like little flashes of metal. Gintar was ever close by her side, his massive club cut huge swathes through the elementals.

"DON'T LET THEM GET BELOW DECKS!" Rarza cried out.

Tai turned and saw one crewmember, a wiry half-elf named Rogliy, fall to the deck after being slammed by an elemental, one that was eve now striding towards him.

It was huge; a veritable giant crafted from seawater and whirlpools. Rogliy scuttled backward as fast as he could, but it raised a watery limb and slammed it down… only for Anelyi to parry the blow aside with a slash from her sword. As the elemental recoiled, Anelyi gripped Rogliy by his collar and pushed/ shoved him away, out of the elemental's reach.

Her back was turned only for a minute, but the watery being was already barreling back down towards her. Tai shouted out a wordless warning. But, just as Anelyi turned, the water slammed into her, propelling her across the deck and straight towards the mainmast, which she hit with a loud thud. She slid down to the deck insensate, and coughing up blood, her sword dropped from her grasp.

The elemental strode towards her, watery limbs extending into tentacles ready to crush.

Tai was already in motion. With a grunt, Tai channeled his aura into his fist and hammer punched the tentacle away. It was like touching the water that came out of a high-pressure hose or pipe spigot; it felt solid, and yet didn't at the same time. Still, his punch sent it stumbling, and he heard it let loose a bubbling shriek.

Tai pressed his advantage, slamming blow after blow into its center mass, all the while dodging its watery limbs. It reminded him a bit of fighting a grimm, oddly enough. But all he could do was keep punching, keep fighting, and keep his aura up. This one seemed tougher than the others, but it seemed as if Tai had it on the back foot.

Then, he heard one of the wizards scream. He shouldn't have looked away, even though his next punch had landed. But look away he still did, and saw and elemental had laid low Ekri with a blow to her head, only for it to get blasted away by Elri.

He only glanced away for a moment… and that was all the watery elemental needed.

Just as he turned back, it slammed itself into him quicker than he could anticipate, and his aura flashed and flashed, as it bombarded him, over and over. Then, he found himself being slammed into the wooden deck, so hard that it was a wonder the wood didn't shatter beneath him.

As he struggled to catch his breath, he glanced around, at the battle, at the screams. To his slight bafflement, he watched as one elemental… protected another, the same that the crew was doing.

All around him, the screams intensified, and then he clapped eyes on the watery creature.

Stomp, stomp, stomp. Slowly, the elemental was looming over him, and he watched as it raised its appendages high over him, ready to crush and smash him into a paste.

He should have tried to scramble away, but he still felt winded, trying to catch his breath. So, instead, Tai held up his hands in vain as the humanoid wave's tentacle-like limb descended, and he shut his eyes tight, expecting to be crushed and swept away in an instant.

Only… nothing happened.

One second passed, and then two, and three…

Slowly, Tai opened his eyes to see that… his hands were glowing. His hands... were glowing a sedate green, like that of the forest back on Patch, and the sensation was like a gentle wind and one that he felt even through his now water-logged gloves. Meanwhile, the other elementals had suddenly… stopped fighting as well.

As his hands kept glowing, the towering wave seemed to lean in closer towards him. The perturbance that he assumed was its head was tilted in an almost examinational manner, as if it were… perplexed by what it was seeing.

As it leaned in closer, Tai felt… something in his mind, an alien presence; not malevolent, but utter neutral as well as angry and yet… curious.

Tai kept his hands raised and spread placatingly, as he shakingly got to his feet. "We don't have to keep fighting," he found himself saying, not sure if the thing could even understand him.

There was just something that made him want to speak. "We've already hurt each other, and… I get the feeling you and the others don't really want this. I know that the people on this ship don't. In that case, can't we just… part ways?"

The presence in his head increased, as did the green glow around his hands, and sweat continued to pour down his brow.

The humanoid wave looked at him for a long moment, and then it let out a strange almost harmonious sound. Suddenly, it reached out with a watery limb, making him flinch as it… gently brushed across his forehead, and it felt almost like a cool compress.

The elemental pulled back its limb, and then… it dissipated back into harmless water that flowed off the ship. As if of one mind, the rest of the elementals then proceeded to slink back off the ship into the air or back down into the sea. In the span of a moment, they had all vanished, and the seas grew calm.

The crew did not let out any great cheer. Everyone just watched their attackers depart.

Tai looked at his hands in bafflement, as he continued to breathe heavily. A moment later, he sank, more collapsed, to the deck. What… what had just happened? What did he just do? What…

What?

At the sound of footsteps, Tai looked up to see Ekri approaching him. The wizard had a massive bruise wrapped around the side of her head. She reached down and patted him on the shoulder. "Well done," she said. "Seems you have some hidden talents, my friend."

Tai groaned and got to his feet again. "I… I guess."

Once the shock had worn off, Rarza had begun barking out orders.

Luckily the ship was still in one piece but the same could not be said for the crew, as several had lost their lives. The elementals had been vicious, to say the least. As for the rest… Taylie was busy.

As the debris was cleared away, Anelyi groaned while Taylie healed her wounds.

Tai could not help but watch in wonder as the elf's wounds rapidly closed. It really made him wish that magic was more prevalent on Remnant, back when he had been younger.

Once the cleric had finished and hurried off, Anelyi remained seated on the deck, taking deep breaths.

Deciding to bite the bullet, Tai went over to her and held out a hand. "Look… I'm sorry that I replaced your friend," he said. "And, I'm sorry if my being here only makes the memories of him worse for you. But… if there's one thing I do know, a group is only as strong as its weakest link, and I don't think either of us wants to be that. So, truce, at least?"

She looked at his hand for a long moment and then got herself to her feet, before stalking off to retrieve her sword.

Tai gave himself a shrug as she left. Well, at least it was something, right?

With that, he then busied himself back with the repairs and transporting the wounded to the infirmary.

He could wonder about what he did later. There were more important things to do.

Through it all, he was at least glad that Yang was safe…

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

Pyrrha

Theros

The fire was warm on Pyrrha's face, as it crackled, spat, and slowly consumed the small pile of wood. It had been another quiet day of traveling through the wild countryside.

Across from her, Ilessia sat with her knees up to her chin, her scarred arms wrapped around herself as she stared at the fire with her large eyes. Her walking staff lay behind her. Pyrrha looked at the woman for a moment, before taking a bite of dried lamb, its slight saltiness kindly on her taste buds.

They had departed from the village roughly three days ago and traveled west, the direction that Lysone had recommended, though Pyrrha did not really have much of a destination in mind. In the entire time thus far, the healer, who was really hardly any older than Pyrrha, had not spoken a single word. Though, that was fine, since Pyrrha had not felt much like initiating any conversation. She still tried, of course, but her attempts had kept fizzling out.

Still, Ilessia seemed friendly enough, so that probably counted for something… right? Having grown comfortable with being surrounded by more gregarious and, well, verbal persons, Pyrrha nevertheless was starting to feel a bit uncomfortable.

Still, after three days, Pyrrha's curiosity got the better of her. "Ilessia…"

She perked up at the mention of her name, her eyes full of question.

Pyrrha wasn't entirely sure how to approach this, so she thought it best to risk a lack of tact. "I have to ask… can you even speak at all? It's been three days, and, I have not heard you say anything. I'm sorry if this is prying. I'm just… concerned, is all."

In response, her traveling companion nodded in understanding. Then she stood and walked around the fire to sit by Pyrrha. Once she did, Ilessia proceeded to lean in close towards her, making Pyrrha feel somewhat uncomfortable by the proximity. Then, she opened her mouth, and…

To Pyrrha's horror, Ilessia… had hardly any tongue. It looked as if it had been ripped out, while what was left had been cauterized, leaving a small stump of red-and-black flesh. She then pulled down the neck of her chiton, revealing several large scars lacing their way all across her throat and down her chest.

Pyrrha was at a loss for words, horror mixing with shock and disgust and pity at the sight. What… what had even happened to her? Who… who could have been so cruel enough as to do that to a person? "I… I'm so sorry," Pyrrha finally said.

What else was there to say?

Ilessia simply smiled, and gently patted Pyrrha on her shoulder, as if to say it's fine. I've gotten past it. She then gracefully stood and went to sit back on the other side of the campfire.

A part of Pyrrha wondered if she could ever find such strength after enduring such horror, such pain, and mutilation.

Jaune smiled, as the fireball consumed him…

She blinked rapidly as if that could help banish the memory.

Taking one last bite of lamb jerky, Pyrrha leaned backward on her arms, and looked upwards, towards the night sky. It was remarkable, how similar, and yet different, this sky was to the night sky over Vale and Mistral. Over Remnant.

There, the stars had been small, distant little flecks of light festooned into a tapestry of endless black; the last, flickering remnants of the radiance of far-off dying suns flanking a shattered moon. Cold, dissipating sparks.

But here? Here, the night sky, it was… more. It was as a tapestry, woven and decorated with light and vibrant constellations, awash with bright and brilliant stars. In its depths, she could see shimmering auroras and the ever-shift of distant nebulas and gas clouds and celestial cradles. It was alive.

Pyrrha could not help but feel entranced, every time she looked up at it. At times, though, she could even swear that she saw titanic figures that seemed made of stars, moving all about in that luminous night sky. At times, they seemed to battle with one another, and other times, they simply… watched.

Then, she would blink, and they would be gone, and the night sky was simply filled with stars. With a sigh, Pyrrha sat up and drew her gaze away from the sky. She looked around at the darkened countryside, at how everything was covered by an almost inky blanket of night, pushed back only by the light of the campfire. In the distance, she could hear the sound of cicadas and crickets.

It was odd, though, traveling in an untamed country without the fear of grimm. Odd and yet… not unpleasant, to say the least. Almost… nice, in a way, not to have to keep down your negativity. Nice but also just so… alien.

It made her wonder what everyone would have thought of this place; what Jaune would have thought of it?

His lips tasted of blood and sweat and ash, and it was perfect…

Why did he have to die, and she got to live?

Why had she taken so damnably long in accepting Amber's power? If she had just accepted her destiny…

Pyrrha took another deep breath. It was not worth thinking about, right now. She needed some sleep.

As Ilessia later curled up in her bedroll and fell asleep, Pyrrha still remained awake, staring at the flames as they flickered and danced and crackled. There was something about them, about their movements. It was almost… hypnotic, in a way. Pyrrha wondered why she had never noticed it before. So strange.

She had leaped through the flames, and with a shattered aura, no less. She should have been scorched all over, or at least carry some burns in her skin. But, aside from her new scars… there was nothing.

As if in a daze, Pyrrha found herself reaching out towards the campfire, hand outstretched, as if she could just… touch-

No!

Taking a deep, almost shuddering breath, Pyrrha snatched her hand back and shook her head. What was she doing? Touching fire. Hmm, maybe she just needed some rest. Yes, that sounded nice. She'd feel better in the morning.

You always felt better after a night's rest, or so her parents had once said.

Her parents…

With another tired sigh and another shake of her head, Pyrrha laid on her side, closed her eyes, and then slowly drifted off to sleep….

Clang, clang, clang!

"What is the purpose of being a huntsman? What is their role, their meaning?"

Clang, clang, clang, thud!

Pyrrha wasn't sure how to answer that question, and that was for a variety of reasons. One reason was that it seemed like one of those questions that didn't really have any sort of right answer, only a bunch of ones that weren't entirely wrong. Pyrrha was never fond of those sorts of questions.

The other reason was that her head was busy ringing and throbbing like a bell from the blow it had just taken from her aunt's shield, thus making her role on the ground. Even through the padded helmet, it still hurt.

"Answer the question," Aunt Scarlett said, as she walked towards Pyrrha, hefting her lance. "What is a huntsman's purpose?"

Pyrrha blinked several times. "To… to fight?"

"For some, that would be satisfactory… but that is not a good answer. That road leads to carnage and brutality without care or focus."

As she spoke, Aunt Scarlett slammed her spear down towards her, with Pyrrha barely managing to roll out of the way and spring to her feet. As she did so, she lashed out with her own spear, as if it were a quarterstaff or a sword.

It was easily parried and sidestepped. "Try another answer, Pyrrha," her aunt said, as she sped forward, unleashing a flurry of spear stabs. "What is a huntsman's purpose?"

"To destroy the grimm!" Pyrrha cried out, as she barely dodged and redirected the blows.

"Another decent answer, but the grimm are not in every city, every building, every home, and a huntsman will be called to fight more than just the creatures of darkness. Try again!"

Aunt Scarlet's spear seemed to leap out of her hand, hurtling towards Pyrrha like a missile shot from a bullhead's guns, or a cannon.

On reflex, Pyrrha reached out with her semblance and set the spear careening off course… only for Aunt Scarlett to ram her own shield into Pyrrha's with a loud

clang!

For a brief moment, it was a contest of pure strength, shield scraping against shield… until Aunt Scarlet's leg lashed out.

"When you figure out that answer, Pyrrha, then you'll understand," Aunt Scarlett said, as she held out a hand. "But until you do, you will never be a true huntsman, and your lack of a true answer will hinder you, make no mistake."

As Pyrrha was pulled to her feet, her aunt then graced her with a small smile. "Still, at least you have improved. But, be sure not to be so overt in the usage of your semblance. Like all things, it is a crutch, and the more noticeable a crutch is, the easier it will be to knock it away. Keep it subtle in its application, and you will excel in tomorrow's tournament. And remember to watch your footwork. Don't just rely on your shield, and always keep moving."

Pyrrha removed her helmet, and rubbed at her head, blinking to remove the last of the spots. "Yes, Aunt Scarlett."

"Good. Now, come on, I think you've earned a bowl of noodles-"

-The noodles were tasty. A nice lady in the village had taught her how to make them, with flour and water and eggs and whatnot. It was very fun and made for a tasty meal when mixed with broth, veggies, and meat.

Papa slurped up the noodles noisily, making her giggle. "These are some mighty tasty noodles," he said with a smile.

She was happy that he liked them. "So," she said, "how was Atlas?"

Papa's smile dropped from his face. "It was fine. Rich, as always. Cold too. Also… I met someone there. Someone that I'm trying to help when I can."

That piqued her interest. "Oh. Who?"

"A young girl. She's about your age, maybe a little older, and… she's currently stuck living in a… bad place."

"What kind of a 'bad place?'" she asked as she set down her own bowl.

"The kind that looks pretty on the outside, but is ugly inside. Do you understand?"

She nodded, and papa continued. "There's a lot of anger in her, and understandably so, given how she's treated. I'm trying to help her as best I can, keep her from doing something rash and… terrible. But… it's not easy."

"Well, why can't you just take her away from the bad place?" she asked. "Isn't that the right thing to do, the good thing to do?"

Papa sighed, as he set down his bowl. "It is, and, in a perfect world, it would be, and I am mightily tempted to do it… but, unfortunately, what's 'right' and 'good' and what's 'legal' don't always intersect in an agreeable way, if at all. The owner of the bad place is her adopted mother, from a legal standpoint, and is a rich woman with high connections. If I just absconded with the girl, there would be terrible legal repercussions, not just for me, but maybe for you because you're my daughter, and for the girl most of all."

"But she's hurting. Isn't the point of a huntsman to do good things for people? Protecting them?

Helping them? Do the right thing?"

Papa nodded, though his expression was still saddened. "For the most part, that is correct, but we huntsman also have to do what's right within the bounds of the law, as well as what's good. If we all just did what was good and right by our own standards, and not by what is considered 'good' by the law… do you remember, when I told you that, sometimes, one person's definition of 'good' and 'bad' can be vastly different than another person's?"

She nodded.

"Good, and do you also remember what I said would happen if everyone only did what 'they' thought was right, and not what was agreed was right?"

"Then the world would collapse into chaos."

Papa nodded again. "Exactly. Sometimes… you have to choose between doing a 'good-and-right' thing, and a 'legal-and-right' thing, like me, since, for now, the law is unfortunately on the side of her legal guardian.

"So, at the moment, all I can do is help her as much as I can the right way... even if I want so desperately to do what was the moral thing, the 'good' thing."

She reached out and patted him on the shoulder. She hated seeing him sad. It reminded her of when mama died. "You're doing your best, papa," she said. "I know you are.".

He gave her a sad smile and held her hand for a moment. "I hope so, little warrior. I really hope so. Hopefully, you'll get to meet her, one day. I think I can even see you being the best of friends."

"That sounds nice," she said. "I think I would like that a lot. What's her name?"

"Cinder," papa said. "Her name is Cinder…."

At the utterance of that name, everything changed…

…Pyrrha stood in the void, face to face with a young woman dressed in brown and green, with golden armor, dark skin, brown hair, and brown eyes. She was not breathing. Nor was she moving at all, just… standing, looking. Pyrrha had last seen her within a metal tube, practically dead to the world.

Pyrrha raised a hand, only for it to be mirrored by the woman, like a reflection with a different face.

She wanted to say something, anything, but Pyrrha could not speak. Neither did the woman. What could she even ask?

Then… she watched as a gruesome scar made of flames ripped and spread its way across the woman's face, and her mouth opened up in a silent scream, one that mirrored Pyrrha's own.

Then Pyrrha heard the sound of heels upon the ground.

Click, click, click. It was accompanied by the sound of a woman's laughter and then… there was nothing but fire, and Jaune smiled as the fireball consumed him-

When Pyrrha's eyes shot open with a gasp, the sky was clear, and the fire had guttered down to ash and embers.

She slowly rose into a sitting position and groaned. There was a metallic, ashy taste in her mouth, and a harsh dryness lining the interior of her throat, as if she had not drunk anything in days… or if she had screamed herself hoarse. She then looked up, only to be greeted with Ilessia, holding Pyrrha's waterskin towards her with a kindly expression.

The water was a welcome relief on her now-dry throat, and it was all Pyrrha could do not to swallow it whole in a few gulps. At the very least, her throat felt better, and the strange taste was gone.

Their breakfast was short, and the duo then continued on their way. The sun was bright, but not glaring, and there was a gentle breeze dancing about the air, ruffling Pyrrha's hair and the lion's fur on her armor and mantle. Far ahead and slightly off to the side, Pyrrha caught sight of a great mountain range. She also took note that the area was gradually growing more hilly and less pastoral.

The sun was high in the noonday sun as they approached a particularly hilly area, covered as it were by sheets of grass and small plants. For a long moment, there was nothing but quiet.

Then from the other side of the nearby hill, there came a great clash of sound and voices.

"Hold her down, my friends!"

"Damned bitch is as strong as a bloody ox!"

"You will unhand me now, you miserable, motherless vermin!" cried out a deep, yet feminine, voice.

A moment later, there came the sound that sounded like a butcher's knives cutting into a haunch of meat. Then, someone let out a scream of agony that terminated in a gurgle. It was rapidly followed by the sharp sound of a club against an unprotected head, and a yelp of pain. "She just bit out Orkos' neck!" Pyrrha heard a woman call out in horror.

"Fuck this!" another called out. "I'm gonna bleed her, and then I'm gonna wear her miserable, mangy hide as a fucking loincloth, and her fangs as a necklace!"

Pyrrha exchanged a quick look with Ilessia, whose own eyes had gone wide.

"Stay here," Pyrrha whispered to her companion.

After Ilessia nodded, Pyrrha rapidly crested the hill, with Miló and Akoúo at the ready.

When she had reached the hill's summit and looked down, it was to reveal a gruesome sight. The ground at the base of the hill was littered with dead and dying bodies. Off to the side was a large cart and a pair of nervous-looking horses. A large group of men and women, roughly twenty or so, were all crowded around a large, robed figure who lay on the ground before them, though Pyrrha could not make out any distinguishing details. "Hold the murdering bitch steady, my friends," a man with a bald head cried out, as he approached with a raised short sword.

The figure on the ground let loose a pained groan, as she tried to crawl away, only for another of the group, a woman with crisscrossing scars over her face, to stomp down hard on their back with a nasty laugh. This elicited another pained groan from the figure, and laughter from the small crowd.

Pyrrha's blood boiled at the sight, and a strange pressure started to build behind her eyes. She had always despised bullies. She had to do something.

Jaune would have, after all.

"… good and right can interest in a beautiful way."

"… a hunstman's true purpose…"

"Is to protect those who need help," Pyrrha whispered, already in motion as she dashed down the hill towards the group. Almost automatically, Miló was already in its spear form and hurtling away from her hand like a bow shot from an arrow. A moment later, the man's sword hand vanished in a geyser of blood that showered his head. Before he could even scream, Pyrrha's practically soared over the group and then descended upon him, and she slammed her armored knee into his face with a loud crunch. The blow and momentum sent him flying away. When he landed, he did not get back up.

As Pyrrha skidded to a halt on the wet grass, she reached out her hand, recalled Miló to her grasp, and then charged forward, Akoúo raised to intercept the sword blow from a bandit who had apparently held enough of their wits to try and attack.

She battered it aside and swiped out and back with Miló, smashing its bottom into the chest of a bandit who had tried to flank and bullrush her from behind.

The rest of the bandits regained their wits and tried to flank her, shields at the ready as they attempted to corral her in. It was a sound strategy their credit, they seemed relatively well-trained. For anyone else of her age, twenty relatively well-trained opponents would have been a bit much.

But Pyrrha had been trained by Scarlett Amilios herself.

She shifted Miló into its sword form, and then kept herself in a whirlwind of motion, sliding under the blow from a wooden club before slashing her blade across the woman's chest. Pyrrha then riposted and pushed away a hulking man's ax, and then threw Akoúo like a discus into the chest of a bandit with two long knives. The brigand practically bent at the chest from the blow and collapsed.

You had to keep moving. If you stood still in combat for even a second, you were done.

With a gesture, Akoúo whirled back to her arm, and she promptly slammed it into a face. She could feel and hear teeth and bones crack, and she kept moving.

An arrow bounced off her aura, and she kept moving, cutting down the shocked archer, bow, and all.

You kept moving.

One burly woman rushed forward with a large, curved blade. Clang, clang, clang. She had some skill, but then she overextended from a side cut that would have split flesh and bone, and Pyrrha ducked down and forward, extended Miló, and wrenched the woman's feet out from under her. In the split second the woman remained airborne, Pyrrha shot up, pivoted, and smashed Akoúo's face upwards into where neck met back.

She was already in motion with the remnants of her momentum from the pivot when the woman crumpled against the hill. Pyrrha then leaped, alit on the shoulder of a bandit, and kicked him in the head as she pushed off, soaring over several heads before landing lightly on the ground. As she did, she sliced a descending club in twain with a cut from Miló, and then slammed her weapon's pommel into the bandit's breastbone with a loud CRACK!

As the man fell, Pyrrha's instincts roared out, just as a… shard of ice almost impaled her head. Her aura flashed as it scraped past, embedding itself into the hill.

She turned to see a woman garbed in a blue tunic. She had blonde hair, brown eyes, and one very notable woman's hands were glowing. "Burn, you murdering cur!" she screamed, as she raised them.

The woman's hands glowed a bright red, and fire leaped forth-

… The last thing she saw was his smile before the fireball consumed him…

Pyrrha should have dodged out of the way. She could have leaped away easily enough, but…

… The last thing she saw was his smile before the fireball consumed him…

The fire washed over her, and she instinctively raised her shield… but she felt no pain from it.

It didn't burn, but the pressure was enough to slow her down, and she could feel Akoúo grow warm on her arm. Pyrrha gritted her teeth and trudged forward. She wasn't burning, but the heat was still a mite uncomfortable. She had to end this, though it was doubtful her semblance would be of much use. Magnetism and hot temperatures did not mix, after all. So, she prepared to charge forward.

Then… the flames ceased, and the heat abated, and the sound of screams of terror filled the air. Pyrrha slowly lowered her shield to behold a strange sight before her. The woman who had tried to immolate her was being ensnared by a tangle of rapidly growing plants and roots, wrapping around her like snakes. At the sound of soft footsteps on the grass, Pyrrha turned to see… Ilessia, calmly striding towards them with a small smile on her face, her staff in one hand, and her other empty, outstretched… and softly glowing green.

She… could do magic. She was controlling the plants. Beyond anything that Pyrrha had seen a semblance be capable of.

Pyrrha watched in rather unabashed amazement as Ilessia made a gesture with her glowing hand. At her unspoken command, the roots coiled, bunched, and then promptly flung the screaming bandit away, until she hit the ground with a loud thud.

Ilessia then reached out, sending vines and roots to ensnare the rest of the bandits, many of whom had been in the process of trying to flee.

There came a loud snarl from behind her, along with a yell, and Pyrrha rapidly pivoted, shield raised to meet the blow that was no doubt about to land… only for nothing to happen, no blow to land and clang off of Akoúo's face. Confused, Pyrrha slowly lowered her shield, to see the bandit who had been about to attack her… standing perfectly still, with something large looming behind him. Almost confusedly, he dropped his blade to the ground, looked down, and then back up at her… as blood dripped down from his open mouth, and several red stains blossomed under his robes. A moment later, he was lifted up, and flung to the side to the ground, landing in a crumple with a wet splat.

With that barrier… disposed of, Pyrrha came face to face with her apparent savior. It was the figure from earlier, the one the bandits had been about to kill, and Pyrrha could not believe her eyes

The figure was nothing less than a large, anthropomorphic… cat. A lioness, to be more precise. Pyrrha took note of her wounds… and of the blood dripping from her rather large claws.

Pyrrha was not entirely sure if she would be attacked next. Then, the creature spoke.

"Thank you for intervening," the lion-woman said, as she flicked the blood off of her claws, and wincing as the movement caused her a little distress. "Your timely assistance was most appreciated."

Pyrrha blinked and then nodded. "It… it was no trouble. I am just doing what… anyone would have done."

The lion-like figure wiped her hands on the tunic of one of the still-breathing bandits, kicked him hard in the side with a growl, and then held out her paw to Pyrrha, as her claws retracted. "You flatter me with your humility and optimism, but I doubt most travelers would be so brave or caring enough to intervene to save the life of a leonin, especially against such odds. Still, your modesty does you credit, human. I have found that to be a rare trait in a majority of folk, and thus I ever find it a most welcoming thing to witness. I am Ecate Flintclaw, of Oreskos. What might I call you and your plant-manipulating companion, brave one?"

Pyrrha took her hand without hesitation, and shook it."Pyrrha. Pyrrha Nikos. And the one manipulating the plants is Ilessia."

"Well met, the both of you," Ecate said, as they shook hands.

Ilessia simply waved hello, even as her plants and vines continued to ensnare and tangle. Ecate gave her a nod.

At that, the lion-woman then started walking/ limping around the campsite/ battlefield, relieving the immobile bandits of their weapons and valuables. As she watched, Pyrrha then felt something on her face. With a slow curiosity, she reached up and touched something that was all at once wet, warm, and sticky.

Blood. She had been splattered with… blood.

Almost hesitantly, she looked down at Miló's blade and Akoúo's face and rim, only to seem more of the red liquid crusting her weapons.

She looked around at many of the still bodies, at the cuts upon their persons, at their shattered limbs and faces, many from her own blows. She saw where the one bandit's arm had landed after… after she had thrown her spear through it.

Pyrrha felt her breath hitch in her throat for a moment as she surveyed the carnage. Had… had she done all that?

"If you choose this path, then you will inevitably have to take a life," Aunt Scarlett said. "That is an inescapable facet of being a huntsman, Pyrrha…"

"And just where is it that are you headed?" Ecate inquired, as she slowly gathered up the discarded weapons, and put them in a pile by her wagon.

"I'm… not all that sure, to be honest," Pyrrha replied, as her thoughts returned to the present.

That earned her a raised feline brow. "What kind of a person goes traveling if they have no idea of where it is that they are headed to in the first place?" Ecate asked.

Pyrrha shrugged. "I suppose that would be me. I'm just… a little lost right now, and I'm looking for answers. Answers, or at least a destination of some sort where I can find them if that makes… makes any sense."

Ecate looked at her. She turned to look at the dead and comatose bandits, all the while rubbing her chin with a still-bloody hand, and then she picked up and examined one of their weapons, a longsword. "These brigands… the insignia here, on the hilt, it is that of Akros. As such, I can happily assume they are hoplite deserters, traitors turned to banditry. Of course, the presence of their magi points to Meletis as well. Such bonds, that bind those two poleis together, even in villainy."

Ecate tossed the sword onto the pile she had begun to assemble near her cart. "It has been my experience that, when you humans wish to find answers, you think it best to ask your gods. They also say that their gods come from the sky, as ludicrous as that idea sounds."

She looked towards a relatively close mountain range. "The Akroans think the so-called gods are best spoken to in places closest to where they dwell, and I have heard tell of many mountain peaks covered with shrines to them. Perhaps it could be there you might find something near to what you seek. If not, then Meletis is a two-day boat ride from there. Answeres can always be found somewhere, after all."

She then gestured to Ilessia for a moment. "Can the plant-crafter hear?"

"Of course," Pyrrha said. "She's mute, not deaf."

"Good."

The leonin waved towards Ilessia, who had been examining her entanglements with a keen eye. "Plant child! Can you bundle all these bandit scum into a mobile cage? Something strong and that can move on its own?"

Ilessia happily nodded.

"Good. This near the mountains, we can expect to encounter an Akroan patrol before too long, and we can hand them over then," she said.

Ecate started depositing the gathered weapons into her cart, wincing as she kept moving. "Normally, the mountain dwellers are not overly fond of my folk, or of anything that does not have pink skin and no fangs or fur, but… they do also give decent bounties for such creatures as these," she said, gesturing the ensnared and still bandits. "And, they do have a respect for those with a heroic seeming… which you two appear to have in spades, brave one."

Pyrrha then put two and two together. "Wait… you're coming with us?"

"I am."

"Not to be rude, but… why?"

"You saved my life. I owe you a debt. Do I need another reason?"

Pyrrha thought about it for a moment. "I… I suppose not."

"Then it is settled. We shall be off. This is good. Besides… I think I have a good feeling about you, brave one."

As Ecate went about settling things in her wagon and Ilessia securely restrained the now very quiet bandits, Pyrrha looked back down at Miló's bloody blade, and at the equally bloody face of Akoúo, before stowing them away. The blood no longer shined in the sun but was dried and sticky. It would be a bit difficult to clean.

"There will come a time where you will have to take a life, and it will not be the last time. It is a grim, yet, sadly necessary part of being a huntsman. All you can do, when the time comes, and for all the times afterward, is not enjoy it. The taking of a life is no small, casual thing, like killing a grimm. If you kill someone, take no pleasure from it… or you will be no better than the monsters that prowl beyond our walls."

But, when Pyrrha had attacked, it had felt… right. Felt… good, even, like a song in her veins.

She swallowed and rubbed at her eyes with her palm for a brief moment.

It was fine, though. It was fine. She had saved someone. It was fine.

All she needed was some answers, a path forward.

Then, she would figure out the rest. She had to have faith that she would.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Ruby

Agryem

1st District

Ravnica

Ravnica had always struck Ruby as a place that was, well… full, or lack of a better term. Always full, always bustling, always in motion. You couldn't walk three feet without running into someone else, or almost get swept up in a riotous argument. There was motion, excitement. There was Life.

But that wasn't the case here. Here, everything was quiet, and everything was still. One could rightly call it dead. Wrong, even. The mist certainly didn't help, to say the least. Nor did the fact that it was so overcast here that it seemed almost as dark as night.

Everything was quiet and abandoned, and some of the buildings looked half-destroyed, reduced to rubble and detritus. This place, it felt… like it wasn't really a part of Ravnica at all.

The minute they had entered, even Rat had fallen silent, her purple eyes wide, and her mouth firmly closed.

Without word or fanfare, Xanther parked Speedy next to what seemed to have been either a schoolhouse, library, a jail… or some bizarre combination of those things, and the three disembarked, their booted feet hitting the cobblestone ground lightly.

Taking a deep breath, Ruby withdrew the object, and then she and Xanther cast the spell once again amidst a brief flash of red and blue. The object flashed to life once again, emanating its multi-colored pulses once again, and it was straight ahead… deeper into Agryem.

Ruby wasn't entirely sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. It was probably the latter.

Every footstep they made seemed a lot louder than when they were walking in District 10. Whether that was from the lack of people or just how the place was… that was unknown. Ruby had to fight the urge to swallow nervously with every step they took, and that… that was not very easy.

Ruby then felt Rat grab her arm and hold it tightly in a vice-like hug. "I don't like it here," the little girl whispered. "It doesn't feel right, Ruby."

Ruby patted her head in what she hoped would be construed as a comforting manner. "Just stay close," she whispered back. "But remember to run when I tell you, alright? No ifs, ands, or buts."

Rat nodded solemnly. "No buts."

The little girl let go of Ruby's arm but made sure to stay close. Just for safety, Ruby kept one hand near Crescent Rose, ready to unhook and unfurl at a moment's notice as the trio made their way deeper into the district.

It wasn't just that the area was quiet. Rather, it was as if there was no sound at all. As quiet as the grave, or so the saying went. The mist also, again, didn't really help. Then again, when did mist ever make a place less creepy?

"Hey, Ruby," Xanther whispered, as they held their staff in both hands, its head softly glowing for illumination, "I probably should have brought this up earlier, but, if we happen to run into those… those things from Tin Street again, what's our course of action?"

"Fight or run," Ruby answered. "But I think we should lean more heavily towards running."

"Good. I agree. Running's always good. Just wanted to check that we were on the same page, you know?"

"Yeah."

All of a sudden, the three saw a light from around the corner of the building and through the mists, and they then heard the sound of… whistling? The whistling ceased and was soon replaced by a clear and female voice, accompanied by footsteps. "Oh, but do at least try to keep up, Mumblechance. I can hardly see my nose in front of my face, and I need to make sure I don't make an error in these figures. Blasted mist."

An unintelligible sound was the apparent reply.

"Don't get snarky with me, or I will take your attempt at cheeky witticisms as a sign that it must be back to the flesh pits with you. I will do it, mark my words, even if it would leave me down a semi-useful assistant. Now come on."

More unintelligible gargling followed, and the footsteps halted.

"Oh, well, then, in that case, how about I hold the lantern and the supplies, and you can calculate the net totals and sums of our current expenses, all the while mentally triangulating the location of the supposed cache from the clues that Mr. Efferv managed to garble out in limerick verse? No? Well, then, that's that."

More sounds.

"No, I don't know why he could only speak in poem form. You would think the ghost of a mapmaker wouldn't have had such an artistic bent attached to their soul. Ah, well, the mysteries of death, I suppose. Still, we've wasted enough time. Let's be off."

A moment later, the woman turned the corner and started walking right towards Ruby and her friends. The three had been so caught off guard by the bizarre conversation that they almost didn't register her turning the corner. This left Ruby to quickly fumble as she tried to inconspicuously hide the object under her cloak.

The first thing Ruby and her friends noted about the woman was the symbol that was set dead center on the front of her clothes; a white orb in a golden sunburst.

Huh, it was another orzhovian.

The woman was not especially short, but also not all that much near or past middling height either, while her reddish-brown hair was bound up in a messy ponytail, the ends of which dangled a bit past her shoulders.

The woman was garbed in functional-looking robes and leather armor that were dyed black and white and flowed all the way down to her boot-clad feet. In one hand was a large open book, and in another was a quill, while perched on her nose was a pair of spectacles, attached to a silver chain that hung around her neck alongside a necklace of gold coin-sized medallions.

All in all, she really struck Ruby as less an enticing religious figure, and more of a sort of stern-looking librarian, or a bit like Professor Goodwitch, minus the v-neck… and the riding crop… and the knee-length skirt… and the purple cloak.

Also, Ruby doubted the professor had ever carried a large, flanged mace slung at her hip.

A deformed, bulbous, hairless, and fleshly thing that looked about Rat's size waddled almost demurely at her side. It was carrying a large pack on its back, and a tall halberd in its hands, at the head of which dangled a softly-glowing lantern, the source of the light. The creature's oddly small head was covered by a brass face mask which was capped off at the top with what appeared to be an inkpot, evident with the woman occasionally dipping her quill into it as she wrote and scribbled.

The woman currently appeared to be rather engrossed in her book and her writing, all the while murmuring and whistling to herself. Her face was practically buried in it, and thus, she failed to notice the trio in front of her until her… creature croaked out a warning. The woman ground to a halt, placed the quill back in the ink, closed her book, and then gazed upwards.

It was apparent that she was lovely and beautiful, from what little that Ruby could see of her face, but, unlike the preacher from back in Precinct One, this orzhovian wasn't what a person would perhaps call 'striking.' Hers seemed to be more natural, mixed in with a bit of prim and proper, at least as far as Ruby knew about that sort of thing.

However, her most noticeable, and eye-catching, feature, was not her beauty. Instead, it was the various tattoos that were inked upon her face. These consisted of three black downward-facing triangles on her chin, runic markings and maze-like designs upon her cheeks, and two latticework sunbursts around her eyes. It looked interesting and odd all at once, like a mask of ink.

The woman looked at them and blinked at Ruby, Xanther, and Rat with pale eyes, the motions making her tattoos undulate and contort in an odd way. Rat, Xanther, and Ruby, in turn, looked and blinked at her. Nothing was said.

"Hello there," the woman then said. "And just what are two Izzets and a street urchin doing here in Agryem?"

"Uh, hi," Ruby said. "And, I think we could ask you the same question?"

The woman arched an eyebrow as she removed her spectacles. "You are saying that I am two members of the Izzet League and/ or a street urchin? Well, that is quite a surprise to me. I would never have guessed," came the sarcastic reply, as if she were talking to a trio of children who were slow to understand a simple math problem.

"Hey, there's no need to be so rude about it, lady" Rat squeaked, as she crossed her small arms.

The little girl then blinked, confusion and surprise dancing across her face. "Wait... you can see me!?"

The woman glanced at the little girl almost disinterestedly. "I was not being rude, little thing, merely being factual, and yes, I can see you, as can Mumblechance. We do possess these marvelous little things known as 'eyes.' You do know what those are, right? Now, I shall ask again; what are two Izzet and a squeaky little street rodent doing here in Agryem?"

Rat bristled at the insult, only for Ruby to quickly put an arm in front of her. "Yeah. Okay, that was uncalled for. Still, this place is creepy, so, understandably, we're all a little on edge. Besides, I think we've gotten off track. Still, I'll start, help smooth things over. I'm Ruby, this is Xanther and Rat. So, who are you?"

The woman studied her for a moment and then nodded. "It is good to see that there are some Izzet that have not had their manners blasted out of their head by those explosions you all seem to adore so much," she said as she then crossed her arms. "I am Anastasia Zolatova. And this is Mumblechance, my thrull assistant, useless that he can be sometimes."

The little thing, a thrull, apparently, croaked out what seemed to be a greeting, before then shooting a sidelong glare at his master.

The woman had said her name like it was supposed to mean something important as if she had declared herself to be Schnee. But she wasn't, and so, to Ruby, the name really didn't mean all that much. Though, to be fair, Ruby had really only been in Ravnica for a little less than two weeks. Of course, she noted Xanther and Rat did not react in any way either out of the corner of her eyes, so maybe it wasn't just her.

"Of course," Anastasia continued. "At no point did I actually enquire as to who you are. I asked what you are doing here."

"Izzet business," Xanther replied, as they crossed their own arms.

Anastasia smirked. "Is that so? And does this 'Izzet business' have anything to do with that glowing object you are trying to hide under that garish red cloak of yours… Ruby, was it?"

… Darn it!

Xanther glanced towards Ruby furtively, who could only sigh in response. Ruby then unveiled the object half. It was still pulsating.

"Yeah," Ruby said, as she held it up. "But like Xanther just said; guild business."

"Interesting. I can feel the energy it radiates. But it looks… broken. Yes, it seems torn in half. I assume that this… device has led you here and that you are seeking its other half?"

Ruby nodded. "Hmm. No doubt you are utilizing Rosewater's Theorem of Connectivity. Most curious."

Ruby was not surprised that she knew about the theorem. She seemed like the kind of person who knew about spells and such.

Anastasia Zolatova then gave a small smile, and Ruby saw that her teeth were really white. "Well, I must say that this has piqued my interest. Therefore, Mumblchance and I shall be accompanying you."

That caught her assistant's attention, and it garbled out something that sounded like a question.

"Oh, don't give me that, Mumblechance. It was obvious the information would be fruitless in the end, which is why I've never really trusted mapmakers. Besides, this should prove to at least be an interesting little diversion."

"Hey, wait, wait, wait!" Xanther exclaimed as they gesticulated wildly. "At what point did we say that you could join us?"

"You didn't," Anastasia said as she and Mumblechance drew closer to them. "I am volunteering myself and Mumblechance to your little band, my dear Izzet. As I said, it should make for an interesting diversion."

"Uh… and why should we let you?" Ruby asked.

"First off, girl, nobody lets me do anything. Mumblechance and I go where I like. Secondly, if you are cruel enough to refuse my generous act of volunteering, then I will head back to Orzhovia. Of course, in my despair at being so rudely and soundly turned away despite my many talents and uses, I might just let it slip in my sorrow-induced ranting and raving that two little Izzets are oh-so-very far away from the safety of Nivix, all the while holding onto the other half of something that might hold some correlation to that nasty business that happened on Tin Street a few days ago."

Ruby felt ice run down her spine. "How… how do you know about any of that?" she asked.

Anastasia gave a casual shrug. "I have a few clients that dwell on Tin Street, and I take my payment in information as much as I do in gold and favors," she said. "They saw you rush out of that building right before it exploded. They then saw those strange creatures fight with you over that object, before it split in two. They also saw what it could do. Indeed, I think some of my colleagues in the Orzhov Church would be very interested in that little nugget of information, in that little object you're holding… and in the people in possession of it. In fact, I would hazard that they would be deathly afraid for you, if you, and that object, should end up falling into the wrong hands."

The scary part was that Anastasia had said all of that with a face as blank as a new sheet of paper, and as casually as if she had been discussing the weather.

Almost unconsciously, Ruby stood protectively in front of Rat. "What… what do you want?" the girl from Patch asked.

Anastasia walked right up to her, laid a gentle hand on her shoulder, and gave her a gentle smile. "As I said, miss Rose; Mumblechance and I simply wish to join you and your little band."

To her credit, the woman was rather persuasive. But, then again, blackmail probably tended to help with that.

Ruby exchanged a look with Xanther, and then hesitantly nodded. "Uh… welcome aboard then, Ana."

"It's Anastasia," she replied. "Nobody calls me Ana. Not even Mumblechance. But, now that that has been settled, shall we be on our way?"

Seeing as there was little else to say, Ruby started walking forward, following the connection as one would a string through a maze.

The emanations of the device took them down several more blocks. All the while, Anastasia kept scritch-scratching away in her book, Xanther kept a watchful eye on Anastasia, Mubmblechance held up the lantern on the halberd for Anastasia, while Rat… Rat started to animatedly chat with Mumblechance. It seemed the little girl was happy to have someone who was at eye-level with her, and, to Ruby's slight surprise, Rat could understand Mumblechance's answering croaks and growls and gargles quite well… or at least pretended that she could. Aside from that, the only sounds were that of their footsteps. Also, this place continued to grow more and more creepy, so that was great as well.

They had just approached a large, dilapidated, six-story building when there came a loud crash. It was promptly accompanied by a blue streak of cursing and yells, and the next thing any of them knew, they were witnessing a Boros knight rapidly hurtling down onto the ground from the second floor in a rattle of steel, his gauntleted hands tight around the collar and throat of a rather grubby-looking man. "Where is she!?" the knight exclaimed as the pair smashed into the ground with a loud thud. "Where's the murdering bitch!?"

Ruby was not sure why but, for some reason, his voice, sounded… familiar.

The man in his grip groaned, and then… laughed and spat a mouthful of red in the knight's face. "Fuck off, copper!" he croaked with a bloody grin. "Won't tell you wurmshit. Have to beat it out of me first! Besides, I don't know nuthin!"

"Don't fucking tempt me!" the knight growled, as he pulled himself and the man up, and then slammed him against the wall. "You have your grubby little fingers in most everything in this city, and the same goes for your ears as well! Tell me what you know about the attack on Tin Street. More importantly; Where. Is. She? I know she's involved in this."

As he spoke, he raised a steel-clad fist… one that began to glow with a fiery radiance, lighting up the shadows for a brief moment as flames gathered in the palm of his hand.

The grubby-looking man's expression swiftly morphed from one of sneering defiance to one of pure fear as the flaming hand drew closer to his face. "All right, all right! Sorry, sorry, but I don't know where she is! I swear it on the Undercity, I don't know, I don't know!"

"You're lying to me, Gurrick," the knight growled. "And here I was, thinking that you knew better. I really did."

Ruby wasn't entirely sure what was going on… but she was not really sure she liked it at all. So, she decided to speak up. "Hey, stop that!"

The Boros legionnaire turned at her voice for a brief second… and that was all that 'Gurrick' apparently needed to remove a cosh from his belt and slam it across the knight's head. The blow was enough to loosen the knight's grip on Gurrick's shirt. Thus, he slipped out of the knight's grip and promptly sped away laughing into the mists. "Fuck you, Boros Bastard!"

"Blast it to the nine fucking hells!" the legionnaire swore as he staggered, clutching at the side of his head, while the flame in his other hand was extinguished. "Bugger the bastard with a bloody spear up his bloody arse!"

As he staggered, the knight leaned against the wall and rubbed at his temple. As he did, he turned to face them and…

Ruby saw his slightly pointed ears, and his scar, stretching from his ear to the bridge of his nose, and recognition flashed in her head. "Hey, wait a minute… you're that Boros sergeant from Tin Street!" Ruby exclaimed. "Vimes, right? You were the one who interviewed me and Xanther."

The man blinked at her. Then, before he could say anything else, or before anyone else could speak again, there came another clatter of steel, which heralded the arrival of another armor-clad individual from within the same building. A moment later, they appeared at the door. It was a somewhat diminutive vedalken, clad in silver-and-blue armor and robes while clutching a glowing blue spear-staff in her gloved hands. She leaned on her spear and wiped at the sweat that dripped down her hairless blue forehead. "S-s-s-sergeant! D-d-did you get him?"

"No, but I almost did," the Boros sergeant growled, "That slimy little whoreson managed to slip away. Nearly brained me with a fucking cosh! What the hells took you so damned long?"

She pointed a shaking finger towards the stairs. "I-I-I… was two floors above you, sir! It-it-it's not… easy running up and d-d-d-down several f-f-flights of stairs… in full p-p-plate and ch-chain, sir!"

He looked a bit abashed at that and nodded. "Fair enough. But still, that bastard got away! Ah, dammit, now the little toad's gone to ground for sure! Fucking mist!" he said. "Fucking Agryem!"

The vedalken took a moment to pant and draw air back into her lungs, as she pushed off her spear and leaned against the building's doorframe. "B-b-but s-s-sir! The-the-the last prognostication th-th-that I took…"

"Yes? What of it?" he asked.

"I-i-it t-told me w-w-where he i-i-is most likely to b-b-be. He-he-he hasn't l-l-l-left the area yet. S-s-s-sorry for n-n-not s-s-saying s-s-something earlier, sir."

Everyone watched as the Sergeant rubbed his chin in thought, and then he nodded, as a gravelly chuckle emanated from his lips. "So, we can get the little slime when his guard is down. Excellent work, Arrestor Triel. Here, try and catch your breath a moment. That's a good girl. Then, we'll corner the little weasel. Well done."

He clapped his companion on the shoulder. "But, for pity's sake, have a little more faith in yourself, eh? I'm bloody dour enough for all of us."

Triel swallowed. "Y-y-yes, sir. I'll t-t-try."

Anastasia then cleared her throat. "Well, well, if it isn't Samuel Ferrous Vimes himself," she said, breaking up the little scene. "I thought I recognized that surly disposition of yours… and the ever-present reek of golgari tobacco that hangs about your person. Good to see that you're still you."

The knight whirled, his eyes flashing in recognition at her, and then at Ruby and Xanther. "Anastasia? And… you two? What the hell are you lot doing here?" Sergeant Vimes asked.

His eyes then dropped briefly to Rat, who stuck out her tongue at him. "And why is there a child here?"

For the second time today, Rat's anger was replaced with surprise that someone could see her. Before she could say anything, Xanther spoke up.

"Izzet business!" They declared, their arms still cross. "And the same goes for the kid!"

That caught Vimes off-guard for a moment, his eyes widening in surprise. Then, Anastasia spoke again. "Actually, sergeant, these three were following the residual magic trail left by the other half of an object that they currently have in their possession. More specifically, the one that Miss Rose here is holding."

That earned the orzhovian a withering stare from Xanther, which was promptly ignored by said orzhovian.

Vimes' eyes shot towards the object floating in Ruby's hands. Those same eyes then narrowed. "Wait… the laboratory explosion. The attack by those… creatures. Does that thing in your hands have something to do with all of that?"

Ruby could not help but wilt a little under his glare. "… maybe?"

Ruby could hear him gnashing his teeth, and he stalked towards her in a rattle of mail and plate. "If that is the case, then why, pray tell, when I interviewed you and your obstinate friend, you neglected to mention it at all!?" the sergeant exploded. "Over a dozen people died from that explosion, and then twice that number at the hands of those… creatures you described! Have you no bloody shame!? No thought or regard for the victims!?"

For a brief moment, Ruby could have sworn his eyes flashed a different color. "If that thing is the root cause of it, then it should have been turned over to evidence, or destroyed!" he declared while pointing at it.

"Hey, you leave her alone, meat-head!" Xanther declared, stepping protectively in front of Ruby. "And like I just said last time we talked; This is Izzet. Business! And also, that is Izzet property, os you don't have any claim to it!"

"Yeah!" Rat chimed in, stepping in front of Ruby as well. "You leave Ruby alone, you big dumb meanie!"

"Bugger that! People are dead! Hells, I should arrest you all for obstructing the due course of justice via investigation, including the little girl!"

"A-a-ac-ac-actually, sir…"

Vimes turned towards his companion. "What is it, Triel?"

She swallowed. "Ac-ac-according to Section 3 of Article CXI-J, Subsection 11, page 9, and paragraph 4 of the Ethics and Criminality Code in regards to witness interviewing and testimonials; if they did not voluntarily give over information that you had no concrete proof of them holding in the first place, then they were under no legal obligation or duress to discharge the aforementioned information, s-s-sir."

Vimes glared at his companion for a moment, making her slightly wilt, and he looked about ready to lunge at Ruby and the others anyway. Instead, he slowly blew out a breath between clenched teeth as he ran a gloved hand through his head. "Fuck. Right, well, my apologies, Triel."

"It's f-f-fine, sir," she said.

The sergeant took another deep breath, pinched the bridge of his nose, and then sighed. "Fine. I apologize for my outburst. Now, I would assume that you're tracking the other half using Rosewater's Theorem of Connectivity?"

That earned a raised eyebrow from Ruby and Xanther. "You… you know about that?" Ruby asked.

He looked at her like she was stupid. "It is a relatively common theorem in magical studies, girl. I'm an embermage. Why would I not know about basic theorems?"

Ruby blinked owlishly. Right… magic was actually an everyday thing here… or really anywhere outside Remnant.

Vimes ignored her stupefaction and gestured towards the thing in her hands. "Which way is the thing's energy pointing now?" he asked.

Ruby wrenched herself out of her confusion looked at the object, and followed the flashes it gave off… to the group's collective right. "That way, it seems," she said, as she pointed down the fog-enshrouded street.

"Th-th-that's the same d-d-direction as the prognostic-c-cation divined, sir," Triel added.

"Hmm. Well, guess that makes it seem we're all headed in the same direction, then," said Vimes. "Suppose we best not tarry, then, eh?"

With that six (seven if you counted Mumeblechance) hurried on, following the emanations of energy from the object. No one said anything to anyone, and, aside from their footsteps, the only sound made was that of Anastasia, who had begun to scribble away in her book once again. For several minutes, they simply walked. Even Rat and Mumblechance were quiet. Roughly twenty minutes later, the object's trail led them to a building right at a crossroads in the street.

Like every other building in this place, it was tall, imposing, dilapidated, dark, and abandoned. If Ruby were to hazard a guess, it looked roughly 10 stories in height.

Triel pointed upwards as they all came to a stop. "G-g-gurrick should b-be in the u-uh-uh-upper levels, sir."

"Right."

Vimes then turned to face Ruby and the others. "Triel and I will head upstairs and find Gurrick. You… go do whatever it is you need to do. But afterward… you will be answering some questions."

With that, the armored pair hustled inside.

Ruby looked down at Rat. "I need you to stay here with Miss Anastasia and Mumblechance, alright? No arguments, remember?"

Rat looked as if she were about to anyway, but then closed her mouth and nodded.

Ruby turned to Xanther, who wordlessly hefted their staff. In response, Ruby took up Crescent Rose, her scythe unfurling with a series of clicks. With that, the two Izzet members headed inside. Distantly, they heard the armored footfalls of Vimes and Triel above them.

The spell's trail took them deeper into the building, past other empty rooms, and branched off hallways. It seemed a bit like a hotel, to be honest. Ruby wondered when was the last time anyone had lived here.

They took another right and found the object's energies pointing to one of the rooms, and its door was closed.

Swallowing, Ruby reached out and turned the knob, while her other hand kept a tight grip on Crescent Rose. It opened with an audible click, and the room it led to was spacious, with the interior smelling faintly of musk and… wax.

Aside from that, it looked rather… unlived in. Sparse, Ruby believed the word to be. But the smell was very present, along with… something else. Something that smelled like…

Ruby and Xanther turned a corner, past what might have once been either the kitchen or a living room and… and it took a great deal of will not to gasp and/ or puke at what they found.

There was a rotting corpse, collapsed in a mushy heap on the floor, and covered with buzzing, buzzing flies.

Ruby really had to fight the urge to puke, and so, instead, swallowed down everything that tried to work its way up. Steeling herself, she looked around. There was a table in the corner, stacked high with various odds and ends and knick-knacks and… papers. Also candles.

Smeared on the wall in what looked like blood and… other things… was a large symbol. But ruby headed first to the desk. As she thought, it was just… odds and ends, alongside what looked like… half a mask, a few zinos, some rolls of blank paper, and the candles. It all looked… worthless.

Still, you never knew, so she took up several of the rolls of paper, and stuffed them into a pouch.

Ruby then picked up the half-mask; it was a blank thing, no eyeholes or facial contours at all, just… blank. Nor was it white. Rather, it seemed almost… absent, of any color. It also felt kind of cold.

Creepy.

She stowed it away with the blank pieces of paper, and then found her gaze caught by the smeared symbol on the wall. It was one that looked very, very familiar. With a start, Ruby realized that it was the same that had been tattooed on the crazy guy's chest from Tin Street; all the symbols of the guild in a circle, and each defaced in some way.

Ruby tore her eyes away from it at Xanther's approach, who recoiled slightly at the sight of it. "Any sign of the other half?" Ruby asked her friend.

They shook their head as they brushed a free hand on their shirt. "Nothing. I even checked by the… corpse, and everywhere else in this place. I don't think anyone's been here for a while, judging by all the dust."

Ruby felt confused. "Then, why would the spell lead us here…"

Ruby then trailed off, because she had just realized something.

The candles… their wicks were still lit. As if knowing that fact had been realized, the small flames snuffed out, shrouding the room in darkness, and growing… colder, so cold that her breath became misty.

A moment later…

It was, perhaps, only through instinct that Ruby managed to interposed Crescent Rose over her and Xanther's head, just in time to intercept the translucent blade from stabbing into Xanther's neck.

CLING

The blade was attached to an equally translucent figure, who looked made of equal parts rags and mist as it… sank through the ceiling. Ruby channeled her aura, and pushed back, sending the figure stumbling/ floating away.

"Oh, shit," Xanther exclaimed.

The thing looked at them with a skeletal face, and then opened its mouth… and screamed. The sound reverberated throughout the halls, shaking the dust. It was so horrible that it made Ruby want to collapse and cover her ears. It screamed and then it lunged forward… only for Ruby to smash the aura-enhanced flat of Crescent Rose into its side with an audible crunch.

"We have to get out of here!" Ruby exclaimed, as she all but dragged Xanther away.

The two friends raced out of the room and into the hallway, only for instinct to roar out again as-

"Ishlakfasqim!"

The dagger would have sheared off the front of Ruby's head, had it not been for her aura, though the cut made it flicker. It was one of those things from the Tin Street, distorting and twitching towards them, reaching out with distended limbs-

Flame roared to life as Xanther lobbed a fireball at the creature, hitting it dead-center in a burst of immolation, and one that quickly spread to the musty walls and floors. Its screams were wrong on so many levels.

"HOLD ON!"

Ruby grabbed her friend tight, and activated her semblance, zipping away as more distorted screams began echoing throughout the building. More and more of… the ghosts were coming from the walls, alongside the creatures, their blank faces like distorted pondwater.

Distantly, as Ruby navigated her and Xanther towards the front entrance as best and as fast as she could, Ruby heard the sound of bellowing curses and magical discharge from higher up. Then as they neared the front entrance and Ruby deactivated her semblance, there came the sound of shattering wood… as Vimes and Triel all but hurtled/ fell/ smashed their way down the stairs, surrounded by blue, white, and red light, alongside more ghosts and the… twitching creatures. Also, Vimes's sword was on fire… and the rest of the building was quickly burning up as well.

"OUTSIDE! NOW!" Vimes screamed through the flames, as he lopped off the heads of one of the Tin Street creatures with his sword, before grabbing Triel and hurtling themselves through the door right after Ruby and Xanther.

Outside, Rat, Anastasia, and Mumblechance were huddled together, and, once rejoined, the group ran as far away from the burning building as possible.

They had barely made it two streets over to a four-way intersection when Vimes let loose another curse and angled his shield upwards to block the dagger of one of the Tin Street creatures that appeared above them out of nowhere. Metal scrapped against meal, and the thing leaped off, almost staticky in its already distorted movement as it alit on the cobblestone ground, its head and limbs twitching and turning.

It was not alone. From all sides, Ruby could make out more of the strange, translucent figures and the Tin Stee monsters, all of which were slowly, almost mockingly, making their way towards the group.

Rat whimpered, while Anastasia unslung her mace and whispered under her breath, as black and gold light swirled to life all around them. Ruby wasn't sure if it was a shield or something else, but she was really hoping it was the former. Meanwhile, Mumblechance readied his halberd, and the head of Xanther's staff lit up with electricity and fire. Ruby could also hear Triel stuttering and chanting, surrounded by a corona of blue-and-white light the mirrored the glow on her spear.

"Shit," Ruby heard Vimes whisper to himself, as he shifted his grip on his blade and shield with creaks of leather. "Agh… are you ready, old man?"

Out of the corner of her eye, she could have sworn that his own eyes briefly changed color.

In the distance, the burning building continued to blaze, filling the cold, misty air with an arid smell.

Ruby gripped Crescent Rose tightly, as the memory of fire and screams echoed in her head.

Then, there came a great and rumbling bellow, and everything moved….

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

A/N: Dun, dun, DUNNNNN!

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I know, I know, that was a long chapter. Anyway, read, review, follow, favorite, watch, and enjoy!