Christmas Holiday Notice:

I am going to be taking two weeks off this year starting from Monday 20th December (Next Week) and returning to writing on Monday 3rd January. I normally only take a single week off, but I've been feeling that the quality of my writing has deteriorated somewhat in the last few months and I want to take the time to address why, read through my works, read some actual books for a change and basically rejuvenate myself before coming back stronger than ever.

Thanks for understanding. Merry Christmas to all while I'm not uploading!

P.s. Last week had a mistake where I updated Self Made Man instead of this story. I fixed it within 3 minutes but the link may still have brought a lot of people to the wrong fic. Had plenty of reviews and PMs letting me know. Thanks for alerting me – I fixed it as fast as I could but it always takes time for the site to change things. It was a silly mistake of me clicking the wrong document in the site's list.

Cover Art: Mystery White Flame

Chapter 47

"You accepted Team JIZZ?"

"I accepted Salem's team." Ozpin said. Slowly. "I decided to take what action I could to mitigate potential backlash by offering an olive branch."

"To Team JIZZ!"

"I much prefer referring to it as Salem's team if you don't mind…"

"You could have drawn them into an ambush-"

"I mean, they're still coming to Amity." Ozpin pointed out. "The chance for an ambush is still there if you really must."

"But instead, you send them an update that they're accepted!?"

"What would you have had me do?"

"Arrest them!"

Ozpin sighed and cupped his face with one hand. "It's not like they applied in person, James, nor did they provide an address I could reach them at. Only an email. My options were to refuse, accept or ignore them, and the latter would be gross negligence on my part."

Ironwood continued to rant and rampage about Ozpin's office. That the man managed to do so as a man and not a penguin spoke well of his growing level of self contro- never mind, he was `warking` and sliding around on his stomach again. Ozpin sighed a second time and considered the pros and cons of throwing himself from the tower. A good reset would help him escape this ridiculous situation. Alas, he wouldn't put the weight on poor Glynda's shoulders.

She might hunt his new incarnation down and kill him for it.

The only other sane person in the room strode up to Ozpin's desk and set a file down on it. "This is everything I've managed to find on Tyrian Callows," Qrow said. "And it doesn't do much to explain why he's taken to stalking Team RWBY."

"I'd have thought that was obvious. Your niece's silver eyes."

"Have pretty much gone ignored by him and Salem both. Now that she's in a human form I don't think they even influence her." Hm. That was a good point. Those eyes were of no offensive use against humans. "I've tried to reach out to him, but all I'm getting is re-directed to a call centre asking me if I've felt the light of Salem."

Ozpin paused. "What?"

"Yeah, it looks like he's paid some scam centre to try and convert people. Tele-evangelism. In this day and age. Life was a lot simpler when the Grimm were evil and Salem was a monstrous psychopath."

"WARK! WARK! WARK!"

"You said it, Iron-Penguin."

Loathe as he was to admit it, even Ozpin found himself agreeing. Then again, he had a penguin and a drunk in his office, a team currently so paranoid they had kidnapped Oobleck this morning and interrogated him thinking he was a plant for Tyrian, and he still had a war memorial implanted two feet deep in his landing pads. Not to mention the Council continuing to act like that was somehow his fault.

Which it totally is for driving Salem to jump into the pools but I'm not telling them that…

"I'm not sure what we're going to do, Oz. Everything is out of hand."

"WAAAARK!"

"I'll tell you what we're going to do, Qrow." Ozpin planted his hands on the table. "We are going to try something new, something unconventional, something so crazy that it hasn't occurred to either you or James. We…" Ozpin paused for emphasis. "are going to ask them."

Qrow blinked.

"Ask who?"

"Tyrian Callows for one."

"Wait, like, getting my niece to just ask why he's attacking them?"

"Yes."

"As in, talk?"

"Yes, Qrow. Talk. I'm not sure why the very concept is so shocking to you. Or Team RWBY."

"Well, this is Beacon Academy for Huntsmen, not diplomats. All the lessons are kinda focused on punching things until they die. Not talking things out."

"Qrow. I should not have to teach you how to communicate. Go talk to Team RWBY, instruct them to enquire as to why Tyrian is attacking them the next time he does, and while you're at it try and rescue Bart, won't you? He doesn't deserve to spend all day tied to a chair while Miss Rose eats cookies in front of him."

Qrow tilted his head to the side. "What?"

"Miss Rose appears to think it psychological torture…"

/-/

"TALK!"

"Miss Rose-"

"Talk, damn you!" Ruby munched and crunched her cookies heartily. "You're a spy. We know you are. We caught you with red-handed. The evidence is irrefutable."

"And what evidence would that be?" Oobleck asked.

Miss Xiao-Long answered by pulling out her scroll and shoving it into his face. On it was a picture of himself by the cafeteria table, reading a history book with a cup in hand. Oobleck stared at it for a few seconds before raising his eyebrow in apparent question. It all looked perfectly normal to him.

"You're drinking tea in this picture!" Yang accused. "Tea!"

"T-The kitchens were out of coffee-"

"Lies! We checked. They have entire sacks of Atlas Black. That's coffee."

"YOU TAKE THAT BACK!" Oobleck all but screamed.

A rapid knocking at the door saved Team RWBY from being most thoroughly punished for implying the divine realm of coffee had anything to do with that horse manure swill Atlas regularly poisoned its people with. The four girls quickly took up positions on either side of the door, while Miss Schnee set up a series of low-friction glyphs before it, leading to a horrific spike wall made of forks taped to the wall. The poor sap entering would slip and slide along and then suffer a very unfortunate case of perforation.

"Who is it?" Weiss demanded.

"It's Qrow. Qrow Branwen. Not Tyrian Callows. Can you not ambush me this time?"

The girls exchanged glances. "Password?"

"Pass-? You didn't give me a password."

"Hmm. Not bad. But Tyrian could have guessed that." Yang rubbed her jaw. "Tell us something only the real Qrow would know. What did you get me and Ruby for our last birthdays?"

"Ugh. I bought Ruby a year's subscription to Weapons Weekly and a gun cleaning and tuning kit. I bought you bail out of that cell you got yourself thrown in for drink-driving and promised not to tell Taiyang or Ruby."

"YANG!" Ruby shrieked.

Miss Xiao-Long was sweating profusely. "A…A n-nice try but you're an imposter! Obviously!"

"I still have pictures. Open this door or I sent them to Tai."

The door was opened, the glyphs dismissed and Oobleck breathed a sigh of relief as he was freed from the wooden chair by Qrow. It wasn't every day he was kidnapped by students. Peter was never going to let him forget this.

"Okay, you four." Qrow said. "New orders from above are that you're to ask Callows why he's doing what he's doing when he's attacking you. Try and get a clear answer out of him before he escapes."

"What?" Yang demanded. "Talk to him!?"

"I know. Crazy. On the flip side, I've decided to help you improve just in case he does have nefarious purposes. I'm going to be offering you some personal training between classes. Meet me down at the training grounds at eleven each day for that. I'll whip you four into shape. And trust me, you'll need to be in shape. I have confirmation that Jaune Arc will be competing in the Vytal Tournament."

That, predictably, garnered its fair share of complaints and protests from the four girls. Oobleck didn't blame them since the young man was a) a criminal and b) not a student, and both should have disqualified him from the Vytal Tournament.

"I don't make the rules." Qrow said. "I only break them. Either way, I want you four to look out for a Team JIZZ-"

"Team JIZZ? As in-"

"As in, I share pictures with your dad if you finish that sentence." Qrow waited, but Miss Xiao-Long remained both still and silent. "No? Good. Team JIZZ are a dangerous team and we don't know what their motives are. If we're lucky, their goal will only be to compete, win and embarrass the Kingdoms. If we're unlucky… well, I'm not sure what they want, but that's part of why we want you to reach out and talk with Callows to find out."

"You think he'll just tell us?" Miss Schnee asked.

"Considering he's several hundred apples short of a full basket? I wouldn't be surprised if he did. If not, eh, we tried."

"It's not `eh`!" Miss Belladonna yelled. "We are under constant attack! What is Beacon going to do about that?"

Qrow shrugged. "Eh. What do you want Beacon to do? They've been trying to catch Callows for years. We could slap you four in a locked room with iron bars for windows and never let you out. Would that be preferable?"

To his shock, the four girls conversed between themselves.

"That wasn't an offer!" Qrow headed it off. "You four are being targeted and the best we can do is prepare you to deal with it. That's why I'm offering training. So that the next time he shows up, you can do more than kidnap a teacher and cause him to miss lessons."

Miss less-? Oobleck's eyes widened, a curse slipped from his lips and he dashed out the room. Skidding into the corridor, he sprinted as fast as his aged legs could take him. Even then, he knew it would be too late.

Glynda was going to have his head!

/-/

Atlas was going to have his head.

"What am I going to do?" Jaune asked. "How am I meant to compete in Amity?"

"According to this, you just need to show up and fight." Roman said.

"And Atlas won't arrest me on the spot?"

The thief made a vague motion that suggested he was unsure, and Jaune glared back flatly. No one else seemed to have any ideas, except for Neo, who shoved her foot into Emerald's face. The green-haired girl glowered but, for some reason, obediently took hold and began to give Neo a foot massage.

"It would be the height of recklessness to try and arrest you once you're on Amity." Hazel said. "There would be tens of thousands of civilians nearby. If anything, they will attack before. Bring down the flight you're on."

Jaune stared at the man.

"Which I realise isn't much comfort." Hazel admitted.

"No. No, it's not." Jaune groaned and threw himself back on the couch. "I don't even have a team. Isn't it a four versus stage and then a doubles round? Even assuming I somehow got in there and they let me compete, I wouldn't be able to take part in the four versus four."

"That is easily remedied." Salem said. "Tyrian! Procure for Jaune a team!"

"Yes, my Goddess! I will raid the local orphanage immediately-"

"No!" Jaune grabbed the man by the tail. The barbed and venomous stinger wobbled inches from his face, but Jaune grappled with it all the same. "No shackling me with kids!"

"Not kids, Jaune. Cannon fodder."

"No cannon fodder!"

"Come to think of it, a poor team would reflect on my Knight-Consort." Salem mused. Jaune wondered why his title kept changing and whether that would ever stop. "They would be his coterie, his squires, and they should be both devoted and loyal to him. Orphans simply won't do. Not unless there is at least a legacy, a sword and a prophecy involved."

"A what…?"

"Prophecies are very much out of fashion, I'm afraid," Hazel informed Salem.

"What? Still? Well, all fashions are cyclical eventually. For now, we'll leave the prophecies alone. Who else can we get on board? Can't we use Noodle, Michelangelo and Evangeline?"

It took everyone a whole two minutes to figure out who she meant. Neo looked heavily offended at her new name.

"All three of them are known faces." Roman said.

"I'm a known face!" Jaune argued. "I think subtlety went out the window the second you registered me! Give me Vernal."

"What? Piss off. This is my holiday."

"Vernal will go with you." Salem decided.

"Oh, come onnn! Argh!" The girl threw the closest cushion at Jaune's head. It struck like a meteorite and sent him tumbling back. "I'm not his squire. I refuse to go as the bitch's bitch. If anything, I'm his… his…"

"Concubine?" Tyrian offered.

Vernal offered him her middle finger.

"A fellow warrior." Hazel said more diplomatically. Vernal grunted her agreement. "I think that is fair. As for the other two, we could send Emerald and Mercury but that would leave us with less people to watch out for any underhanded tricks from Atlas."

"It'd also put one hell of a cramp in my chances of winning Blake over." Mercury pointed out.

"She handles ambushes poorly." Tyrian said. "You can do better."

Mercury ignored him. To be fair, so did everyone else.

"I suggest we bring in two others to take their place." Hazel continued, unabated. "They need not do much more than survive the four versus four rounds. How about from the White Fang?"

"Are they any good?" Salem asked.

"No, but then don't you want your consort to prove his strength? Turning the tides despite a weak team would do that."

"Perfect. Jaune, take your pick of the White Fang."

It wasn't much of a pick. He'd personally had to escort them through the tunnels while they were under attack by Grimm, and it hadn't been lost on him how he'd had to do all the fighting himself. Maybe I can whip them into shape like Tyrian is me. I mean, there isn't much time but any training is better than none.

Wait, why was he even agreeing to this in the first place?

"I still say there's no point in me attending at Amity. What is this to prove?"

"That you are a huntsman." Salem said.

"But I'm not. I said my dream was to become a huntsman."

"Then this is my way of helping you accomplish your dream." That… what… but…? Jaune groaned into his hands. Sweet as the sentiment was, this was the dumbest way one could go about it. "It's too late now," she said. "You're registered and confirmed. If you back out now, people will say it was because you were afraid."

"I am afraid!"

"Don't be. I have faith in you."

Too much. It was all too much. Jaune threw his hands in the air and pushed up out the seat to storm away. Salem called out for him to return, but he ignored her with a pointed "I'm going to go pick my teammates!" Anything to give him a moment to think to himself.

This was all too much and too fast. The tournament wasn't two weeks away and he was being thrust into it against his will. Salem might have had the best of intentions but they were stupid intentions. Or maybe more naïve. It didn't feel vindictive on her part, more like she was doing this for him. The worst part was that he could see how it looked that way to her. The raw belief she had in him was something he'd craved his whole life. No one believed he could be a real huntsman, not even himself.

Now to have Salem telling him he could do this and almost assuming he'd win… it was the opposite feeling. He felt pressured now, crushed by expectation. He knew intellectually that he shouldn't care if he won or lost because no one would have expected him to win, and yet at the same time he didn't want to lose. Didn't want to let her down.

What the hell is wrong with me? Since when did I care about letting her down?

Nothing made any damned sense!

"Ahem." A light cough drew his attention to the side. There, in the doorway to their apartment block, was a tall woman with pale skin and black hair. Something about her was familiar. He knew he'd seen her before somewhere, but for the life of him he couldn't place her. She was dressed in white clothing with blue accents that looked just a little too big for her in some places. "I hear you're looking for some extra teammates for the Vytal Tournament. I'd like to apply."

"You… heard…?" Jaune looked for any faunus body parts. "Are you with the White Fang?"

"Not quite. I am loyal to Salem, however."

"Are you Cinder?"

"What? No!" The woman shook her head vehemently. "I'm Gill- ahah. I'm. Um. Jill. With a J. Jill Astur… Jill Astur. I was… welcomed by the Church of Salem. I have seen her light and wish to help with the current situation. I've heard that those who serve can receive clemency and forgiveness for their previous crimes. Is that true?"

He had no idea. Tyrian offered whatever it was Tyrian offered for his kooky religion. Jaune wanted nothing to do with it. "It might. I don't know."

"But you are close to Salem. I may have… wronged her in the past. Nothing too serious," she assured him. "Just… ahah… a little misunderstanding. I'm hoping I could make amends here by helping you. And maybe you could say a few nice words on my behalf? Convince her to let an old slight against her personage pass?"

Jaune stared at the nervously fidgeting woman. "Are you asking for my help?"

"I'm a professional huntress who fully graduated from Shade Academy."

"You're hired!"

Jill Astur hopped up and down happily. Weirdly enough, a low rumble came from her as she did. Was she purring? Well, whatever. Maybe she was a faunus after all. "Thank you! Thank you! Nyah-" Her eyes bulged and she dragged the feline sound off into a cough. "Ahem. I…I mean. Um. You won't regret this. I'm very capable. I'm sure I could drag you through the first two rounds with ease, but I'll make sure not to overshadow you."

"No. It's fine. Overshadow me. Please. Go ahead."

"I'd rather not upset High Queen Salem again. Speaking of, perhaps you could keep my identity hidden until the first round? It's not that I'm trying to hide but… well… I'm not sure if she would take my involvement well after the last… incident."

"Are you going to tell me what that incident was?"

Jill winced. "I was hoping not to…"

"Let me guess. You said something stupid and Salem totally overreacted."

"I wouldn't call it an overreaction… what I did was… well… it's in the past." She laughed and desperately waved it away. "I'm going to redeem myself now. Preferably before she sees to finishing me off. Now, if you'll excuse me. I need to go finish my bowl."

"Bowl?"

"Meal!" she corrected. "My meal. Which is served on a plate. Obviously. Ahah." Sliding away, the woman laughed and waved goodbye. "I'll see you later, mas- damn it! Jaune. See you, Jaune!"

Jaune watched Jill go. "What a weirdo."

"Definitely." Tyrian agreed. Jaune near leapt out his skin, spinning to stare at the faunus who had apparently been watching. He didn't look angry luckily. "I will never turn down a convert, though. My Goddess' light shines brightly!"

"Yeah, sure. Should I trust her?"

"I'm more of a dog person myself."

Jaune stared. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Oh, nothing." Tyrian giggled, which could have meant anything with him. "You can trust her. She knows better than to cross Salem a second time. As all should. And if she tries, you can always bribe her with a little tuna."

"Is that her favourite food?"

Tyrian sauntered off cackling loudly.

I'm surrounded by idiots. Well, that's three out of four members of a team. I just need one more now. It can't be Neo, Mercury or Emerald. Obviously not Winter, Hazel or Tyrian. Hmmm. Maybe I should take Hazel's advice and go check in with the White Fang.

/-/

"News from Emerald, my lady." Watts let the title drip insincerely from his lips. The sarcasm was, as usual, lost on Cinder, who was becoming more and more like Salem as each day passed. Not just in physicality, either. "It seems that Salem is sponsoring a team to take part in the Vytal Tournament, primarily centred around what Emerald refers to as her `boy toy`, Jaune Arc."

"She is, is she?"

"She is. Otherwise, I would not have said it…"

"I was being rhetorical!" Cinder snapped. "Never interrupt my monologue again."

Watts rolled his eyes and offered her a courtly bow more fit for theatre than high society. Cinder obviously didn't know better and took the obeisance for what she believed it to be. At least Salem could nominally tell when she was being mocked. Cinder was too used to using fear to control, and it was beginning to show.

Not that it helps me any, Watts thought. He was still stuck in the Grimmlands surrounded by monsters loyal to her. Any attempt to escape would be short-lived indeed. Hmph. Though she can't afford to kill me anyway. Not if she wants to stay alive.

"I think this will be a wonderful opportunity to kill two Nevermore with one bullet," Cinder said. "Killing Jaune Arc should suitably send Salem into a furious rage, and if she is surrounded by Grimm and innocent civilians at the time… well, who could say what might happen. Atlas and Ozpin would be forced to intervene."

"Do you think they can beat her?"

"Who can say? It doesn't matter. Either Beacon falls and Salem is victorious, in which case she will be hunted by Atlas and Vale across the whole world, or Salem falls, Beacon survives, and I reign as the undisputed Queen of the Grimm. Both have their own appeal, wouldn't you say?"

"Sure." Watts rolled his eyes. "But don't you think attacking them at the Vytal Tournament is a little… obvious…?"

Cinder's eyes narrowed. "What?"

"I just mean it's a bit basic, isn't it?"

"Genius is what it is, Watts."

"Is it? I mean, they'll be right there in the open. I doubt anyone would be surprised by this. Salem certainly won't be since she knows you've gone rogue."

"That we have gone rogue."

Ah, the royal we. Watts hated it. "That's what I meant. Still, I can't help but think this is exactly what they'd expect you to do. Brute force application of Grimm to the face. It's not exactly subtle." Watts paused. "Your highness…"

"Better." A nod. "And subtlety is not necessary when one is powerful as I am. The Grimm are an effective tool-"

"Which haven't worked for the last, what, thousand years? Salem had Grimm. She's used Grimm before. They weren't enough. That's why she brought us in."

"Salem lacked my vision, my drive, my intellect-"

"Your modesty," he whispered.

"Amity will see tens of thousands if civilians in one place, with Jaune Arc and Salem amongst them. There will not be a more opportune moment."

Yes. And General Ironwood, Ozpin and anyone worth their brain cells also knew that. Watts would wager his lungs that plans were already in place for if that happened, especially since they knew Salem was in Vale and might still reasonably believe it was her controlling the Grimm. Of course Vale had contingencies for Grimm. What kind of idiots would they have to be to not expect an attack at such a vulnerable moment? If not from them, then from the White Fang.

I've backed the wrong horse. Except I didn't have a choice and the horse… well, maybe it's an apt comparison. She's certainly as intelligent as a farmyard animal. And she's chasing power like carrots.

"The Grimm shall mount an attack; it shall cause chaos untold and Salem will find herself caught in the middle of it. Ozpin and Ironwood will have no idea what to do-"

"Despite one of them being a literal military commander and the other an immortal wizard and leader of several thousand years' experience…"

"-and victory shall be mine at last!"

As Cinder threw back her head and laughed raucously into the air, Watts could only slump where he was stood. At this rate, he might as well see if Salem wouldn't take him back under her employ. He could even argue he hadn't done anything against her, since Cinder's plans thus far had been just about that ineffectual. Then again, why was he expecting intelligence of someone who willingly asked for the essence of the Grimm pools to be injected into her body?

"Laugh with me, Watts! Ha ha ha ha ha!"

"Har. Har." Watts said slowly. "If you'll excuse me, my queen, I am overcome with mirth and must retire to recuperate. I shall have your next treatment ready within the hour."

Arthur had his scroll out the second he reached his room. He paced and swore as the call took an inordinate amount of time to connect.

"Hazel…" the answer eventually came in a gruff voice

"Hazel, for the love of Salem, you have to save me-"

"-cannot be reached at this time." The more automated, feminine, voice told him. "Your coverage by the CCT might not reach his location. Please seek your nearest CCT Tower and try again."

"Balls…" Watts swore and tossed the scroll away, then turned to look at the window where a large Nevermore was preening itself. "Any chance I can convince you to deliver a letter to Salem?"

"KAWWW! KAWWW!" the thing screeched and clawed at the window to try and kill him.

"Ugh. I hate this damn place!"

Poor Watts wants out.

And hey, Gillian – I mean Jill, wants to help Jaune. Be careful she doesn't become a Gillian Sandwich, eh? EH!?

I'll see myself out.

Next Chapter: 3rd January (THREE WEEKS)

P a treon . com (slash) Coeur