Navigating the shadow bathed gardens should have been difficult enough without knowing exactly where the Necrogimm had disappeared to. Ren's Empathy had proven useful in tracking immediate targets but, by the time the Huntsmen had regrouped, the Necrogrimm had had several minutes head start. It goes without saying their tracks had long vanished.

However, there was something else Ren could see- red petals so deep a shade they were almost black. They were collecting over a particular area near the garden's center. There, someone was close to death.

That's where they found headmaster Theodore lying in a puddle of his own blood. He was unconscious and deathly pale. But the uneven movement of his chest warned them that, for now, he was still alive. His body lay at the mouth of a dark passage that led down into the depths. If Ruby didn't know better, it almost felt as if the passage itself was breathing. Every few minutes, in uneven intervals, gusts of hot and cold air were released, washing over them. In the very far distance, specks of light could be seen but they were too far to be made out as anything but that.

Fox took a moment they could not spare to activate his Semblance and converse briefly with the headmaster of Shade. Through the fog that was his mind, Theodore could not confirm whether the other Necrogrimm had come this way but a message he could give them sent the small group rushing down the stairs nonetheless, caution thrown into the winds.

Their missing companions were below the surface- along with Cinder, Mercury and Tyrian.

Ruby staggered back in surprise, her cape whipped behind her as she struggled down the final step. Qrow grasped at her shoulders, stopping her from being swept away.

Oscar raised his hand to his eyes, the stinging wind causing his eyes to water as he tried to understand what they had just walked into. Above ground they had left Fox and Arslan to take Theodore back to the academy. That left only a small handful of them to have made it this far- Ruby, Qrow, Oscar at the front, closely followed by Emerald, Yang and Coco. That left Ren, Sage and Nolan to take up the rear.

Most of their companions had been left too injured to continue the battle while a sparingly small number had been left at the academy, to care for them and to make sure no other attack threatened the school. Yatsuhashi had wished to join them but Coco had seen his concern for Velvet. It was a gentle shake of her head that she had ordered him to stay at the academy to protect the injured. Yang and Ren were also in no particular condition to fight- beaten and bruised and drained. However with Nora confirmed to be at the Vault and Ruby heading back into the belly of the beast they refused to stay behind.

If Ruby allowed herself to be honest, she doubted this ragtag team that surrounded her were strong enough to face the Necrogrimm, let alone Cinder, Tyrian and Mercury. She even half wondered whose side Emerald would be in the upcoming battle. But Oscar seemed to trust her and Ren had read only confusion from the youth. So all she could do was hope the woman would not stab any of them in the back. At that moment, that's all she could do. No matter how naive and silly it may have sounded - she had to trust in trust.

They had to descend into the Vault.

They had friends trapped below the surface.

They had to keep the Relic of Destruction safe.

They were the only ones left that could fight- and they would.

But stood stock still, taking in the scene before her.

This that greeted them?

She had not expected this.

The Vault door was open and a full blown storm raged before them. Ruby struggled to lower her goggles but when she succeeded, it allowed her to see more clearly what lay hidden in the chaos. She had thought that maybe Valerian or Cinder may have been the source…

"It's Nora." She breathed out., confused, bewildered and a little impressed.

"What!" Yelled Oscar, evan standing right beside her he could barely hear her. Had she mentioned Nora?

"The storm- It's Nora!" She yelled at the top of her lungs.

Emerald felt Ren stiffen beside her. She didn't care about Nora, or Valerian, or any of these saps that stood around her. What she cared about was that she could not see Cinder nor Mercury. What had happened to them ?

"Wait… Nora is making this storm?" Yelled Yang, her long blond hair flying into her face and mouth. "She can't do that, right?"

Ruby tried to shrug. They didn't exactly know everything the Maidens could do. Maybe conjuring storms was just something they hadn't seen yet? However, Oscar's concerned expression made her worry that was not the case, that maybe some of Ozpin's unease was reflecting itself on his face.

"Something is wrong." Ren whispered, his voice so low he couldn't be heard. This was certainly Nora. As he strained his eyes he could just make out dark blue petals filling the air. They formed a tornado around a darkened lump on the floor which must have been her body and were being swept by the winds Nora must have been creating.

She was in pain… he couldn't understand why... But she was. It was a pain so deep he'd never seen it before in anyone.

"We have to get to her!" He yelled, trying to look around at his companions. Although most could barely hear him, his intentions were clear in the frantic look in his eyes.

"Hold on!" Ruby shouted, activating her Semblance. She would be the only one capable of getting them across.

The strong winds berated Ruby as she tried to get the others, not only across, but to Nora's side. It was already miraculous that they'd succeeded in getting them over the spikes, but lightning struck, surprising Ruby. In doing so, her concentration was broken and her passengers, along with herself, were flung apart, the winds carrying them away from each other. That was, until they all somehow found or created their own hold, stopping them from getting further swept away. When Ruby looked up, being the only one that could somehow make out anything amidst that storm thanks to her goggles, she could just make out Nora's form. Her body was bent double, her hands pressed to the sides of her head. Standing between her and them, apart from the wind and unpredictable storm, was a wall of ice and fire. It couldn't have been possible, the two entities were naturally opposed and yet the ice did little to hinder the fire and the latter little to melt the ice.

What had happened to Nora?

That question was on constant repeat in Ren's mind. The flurry of petals that surrounded Nora were too clear to read- grief, sadness, sorrow but those did little to help him understand what had happened to her.

But then again, that didn't matter. She needed him. She'd been there for him every step while he had failed to do the same for her. Back in the woods he'd promised her they'd figure things out together. But he had failed at that as well. For Nora to be this distraught, something terrible must have happened.

Ren gritted his teeth as he struggled to stand, his long braided hair tugged at him from behind and he raised his arms to block some of the wind. He was momentarily knocked sideways by the hurricane force winds but he forced himself to be steady and walk towards the wall of ice and fire. The others tried to do the same but it took all their efforts simply not to be swept away.

So why was Ren, slowly but steadily succeeding?

Was Nora allowing only him to reach her? He doubted she even knew they had arrived at the Vault so, if that were the case, she was not consciously doing so.

Another, more impossible thought crossed his mind. What if it was the Maiden that was letting him pass? It seemed extremely unlikely but Nora had often commented how the Winter Maiden's powers reacted to her surroundings before she could, protecting her before she could even perceive any form of danger? Could that be it? However the meaning behind such a revelation was daunting… Did that mean that, like Ozpin, the Maidens still retained some part of their consciousness even as they had been carried from host to host? After all these centuries, had they simply remained quiet, trying to keep the women who carried their power alive? Did the other Maidens experience the same thing? Or was this awakening something unique only to Nora?

But Ren shook his head, he'd think of that later. Right now he had to reach Nora.

Ren raised his hands to his face as a bolt of lightning struck precariously close to his feet, its static causing the hair at the back of his neck to rise. Gingerly, he lowered his hands but continued forwards. The distance between him and Nora was not large but it felt endless. The wall of ice and fire loomed overhead. It was not too high but it appeared thick with layers of ice and fire overlapping. He cursed under his breath, how was he going to get through that?

"Nora!" He tried to yell, but his voice was carried away by the winds. The flames rose to greet him, ferociously growling like a guard dog keeping its ward safe.

There goes his idea that the Maiden wanted him to reach Nora.

"Nora!" He tried to yell again but Nora didn't look up. Her face was pressed to her chest. Her arms wrapped around her, circling her body tightly, oblivious to the storm she had somehow created.

It was useless to call her again. He had to find a way to reach her.

He narrowed his eyes at the barrier, there was no way he could run through that without being burnt to a crisp by the time he reached the other end. He clenched his fists in frustration, she was so close… and he couldn't reach her.

Lightning crashed behind him but he didn't flinch. His eyes rose to the vault behind Nora. However it was not the Sword of Destruction that he saw, hovering a few feet over a pedestal encircled by a patch of vivid green grass. He saw the rock above as a plan formed. A plan that had a high probability of failing, but it was also the only thing he could think of.

He raised his Stormflowers, his hands straining as he tried to keep them steady as the winds threatened to blow them sideways. He released the trigger, watching as the blades shot through the air, the winds catching them as he'd expected. However the knives still reached their mark, embedding themselves in the rock that made up the frame of Vault. He tugged at the chords, however the blades showed no sign of letting up. He pulled back until the rope was taut and pulled the trigger again, this time the gears in the handle of the blades pulling him off the ground and towards the Vault.

The flames licked at the tips of his shoes and he had to twist his body to avoid crashing into a layer of Ice. However he flew over the barrier, the storm's winds trying to deviate him from his path, to make him crash into the impenetrable walls. That did not stop him from releasing the handles, allowing him to fall to the ground below. The wind and ice unbalanced him, causing him to fall on his side upon landing. The momentum sent him tumbling through the clearing, gasping in pain as he crashed into a wall of ice. He gasped, struggling to his feet, his back aching from the impact but he didn't falter. His pink eyes fell on Nora's form with nothing standing between him and her at last.

The fire growled behind him, washing over the wall of ice. He jumped away, his feet slipping on the ice coated ground once again. He bit the inside of his cheek as he landed badly, his ankle twisting abnormally. Pain flared but he fought through it. He ignored the fire and ice that began to crawl closer to the pair, pushing Ren towards Nora as the little clearing she was crouched within continued to shrink. Soon, the elements would engulf her too.

"Nora!" He tried to yell again, falling as he reached towards. He Gritted his teeth against the pain, the heat at his back was becoming uncomfortably hot. "Nora!"

He continued to fumble forwards, his twisted ankle slowing his progress. The flames and ice were moving faster than he could and fear grasped at him. He would not be able to reach Nora before he fell victim to the elements.

"Nora!" He desperately called again, anticipating the wave of fire or ice that would end him.

However it never came.

Instead a pair of swollen aquamarine eyes met his. They were red from the tears she'd undoubtedly shed, her cheeks flushed while her nose had a bluish tinge. Her whole body was heaving and she rocked haphazardly, her hands still holding herself.

"R-Ren?" She choked out his name, fresh tears swelling in her eyes and making them gleam. Around them the Maiden's powers created the now familiar flames but, instead of the usual blue, tongues of deep orange were also present.

This was no time to ask for questions.

The barrier around them had stopped its advancement for the time being. Probably Nora finally realising he was there had had something to do with it, but he did not know how long this stand-still would last.

"Nora…" He repeated. This time, when he reached out he actually reached her.

He fell to his knees beside her, both his hands surrounding her. Ren only hesitated briefly, when he felt a spark of static jump between the pair. But he pushed past his surprise and pain, this was nothing. Nora felt small in his hands… too small. The last he'd seen her like this- this distraught- had been on the day they'd met as children. That day the Knuckleeve had destroyed his family but it had led him to her.

He felt her body momentarily tense in his arms, most likely as unaccustomed to such actions as he was. But this was not the time to fret and worry and shy away.

"It's going to be ok." He whispered, trying to pull her towards him. He didn't know what had happened but it would be okay… It had to be okay. This time he would be there for her . "It's going to be okay, I promise."

It was like his words had finally cut at the ropes that had held her up. She collapsed, her face wet with tears. She nestled it into his chest, fresh sobs wrecking her body. He could feel her shaking, and she felt both ice cold and scorching hot in his arms, but he ignored the discomfort. He would not let go of her.

"She'd gone…" She sobbed, her breathing heavy as the tears refused to die down. "I didn't… I don't want...She's dead, Ren…"

"Who is?" He said, trying to look down at the woman in his arms but her hair obscured her face from his view.

His body shook and wretched again, her hand encircling his chest. She could hear Ren's heart beating even over the gales. She could feel his chest rising and falling. Ren was alright… He was alive… But Valerian Carrie… But her mother was not…

"My mother." She choked out, finally looking up at him, her eyes still wide and glossy.

Mother? What was she talking about? What had happened in the short time they had been apart?

Too much to be explained now, that much was certain.

What could he do? What could he even say to that? He could barely figure what to say on normal days, but this? What could he do to make Nora feel better?

Be there.

There was nothing he could say. There were no miracle words that would make all Nora's pain disappear.

All he could do was keep his promise and be there for her.

The storm began to die down, the wind becoming nothing more than a low whistle that ruffled their hair. The clouds began to dissipate until they suffocated the air with humidity, droplets forming against the carved out wall. None could clearly see what Ren had done but, whatever that had been, had been enough to calm Nora and the storm she had conjured.

But Ruby and the rest still raised their heads like weary woodland creatures, tasting the air to see if it was truly safe.

But safe was a relative term.

The storm may have vanished but they were far from safe.

Cinder took little time to recover, exploding out of her dark cocoon, the Necrogrimm's hold on her easing slightly when they sensed that the greatest danger had been subdued. And their ward was stubborn. She escaped them like a volcano erupting in a glorious and deadly blaze. She charged at the thief that had stolen from her yet again. The flames had already begun to die down and the ice would soon turn to steam with her wrath. She'd burn that damn Huntress until nothing remained but a charred mark on the floor. That way both the Summer and Winter Maidens' powers would finally be hers, as they always should have been.

Bullet fire caused her to stop and swerve out of its way. She turned to face this new irritation and, if possible, her expression soured further when she recognised the source. It was Emerald, her twin guns slowly being lowered to her side. Her hands were shaking and her eyes were wide in disbelief at what she had just done. It was like her body had acted before her mind could have given the command.

It's for Cinder's own good. She continued to repeat to herself. She must not have understood me before… She couldn't take any more of the Maiden's powers, not if she wished to survive.

Beside her, Coco was cooly lowering her machine gun. Unlike Emerald, she had been trying to aim at Cinder. But she was spry for such an angry woman.

"Cinder, you have to stop this!" Emerald called at the top of her voice, as slowly Tyrian rose to his feet, the Necrogrimm doing the same. Mercury crumpled to the ground, gasping for breath as he forced himself to turn back into his original form. His wings had been broken from the impact but, even with them no longer there he could still feel their pain, like echoes at the back of his mind

Through blurry eyes he could just make out the figures of some very unwelcome guests, Ruby Rose and the rest of those brats and, standing amongst them, was Emerald.

What was she doing?

Was this the same Emerald that had so zealously idolised Cinder Fall?

Had she actually raised her guns against her?

"Cinder, you have to stop this!" Emerald half begged, half yelled. She had to make Cinder listen to her!

"Who do you think you are giving me demands?" Growled Cinder, deep red flame erupted from her eyes while fire surrounded her wrists and began to gather in her hands.

"Cinder, taking another Maiden's power could kill you!" Emerald desperately yelled, her voice filling the chasm, her words clear and impossible to misunderstand. Beside her Coco shifted her weight and sighed with impatience.

Mercury's eyes widened at Emerald's words. Was that what this was all about? How had Emerald ever heard of such a thing? What had happened since he had been sent to Vacuo? It sounded outrageous, something Salem surely would have known about… or hadn't cared enough to actually warn Cinder about… Maybe it was a trick? A lie fed to Emerald by those brats? But he'd travelled with them for quite some time now. They were many things that got under his skin and made it crawl, but not liars- not in that way.

Emerald said these words with such determination that she held no doubts that they were true. She just desperately wished for Cinder to understand them, to hear her .

"Their power is mine." Cinder calmly answered. "My destiny is too great for mere pawns to understand."

Emerald's eyes widened into plate as she saw the balls of flames in Cinder's hand extended into blades. The flames swelled at her feet and propelled her towards her. It did not matter what Emerald told Cinder, she would refuse to listen. No, she didn't care, all she wanted… all she'd ever wanted... was power. She'd just been a stepping stone to get it. A stepping stone that had been eager to get stepped on.

Coco swore beside her, raising her machine gun at Cinder but the Fall Maiden was a blur, moving too fast for her bullets to hit.

"Move!" Coco ordered but Emerald couldn't. Her green eyes could not move away from the ball of fire that was Cinder flying towards her. One of her blades was pointed before her, the other over her head.

She would kill Emerald swiftly, painfully and without hesitation.

That's all Emerald had been to Cinder, a pawn to be disposed of when Cinder was done with her.

Emerald realised this too late. While facing an unavoidable death, she realised that the woman she had strived to save did not care a fraction she did for her.

Emerald took a sharp breath in words, blood splashed against her cheek.

But it was not her own.

"Mercury!" She shrieked as the shape that stood between her and Cinder shrank back into a more familiar shape. One of Cinder's blades was piercing through his shoulder, which, with the blunt end of his sword, he had deviated away from Emerald but had paid with his own injury. Standing on Cinder's other side, Ruby Rose was standing, her scythe raised over her head, blocking Cinder's second blade.

"I don't know what's going on." Mercury admitted while grimacing at the pain. "But if Emerald's switching sides... " He smirked at Cinder. "Sorry boss, but you'll have to count this as my resignation."

Thank you so much for reading :D