Nebula

by KryHeart and Ardy

The fall of Beacon didn't kill Ozpin after all, instead the secretive headmaster was rescued by his inner circle. Even with his life saved, the fall created new problems and made some of the old return with vengeance. Thankfully there are many hopeful souls to reintroduce stability to the world.

27. Forever Fall

As per usual cut for this site, find the whole thing on Ao3.

"I really hope they are finding something else to show."

"I don't doubt it."

Ruby reached out and trailed her fingers along a tree. It had lost most of its leaves and the forest smelled moist and fresh. They made a beautiful red and orange carpet on the forest floor. She had her helmet magnetized to her belt and her cloak on but was otherwise in the same amour she had worn yesterday. James on the other hand had a silver ironwood tree on the back of his armour the leaves of which were lined in ruby red. Even if it was mostly hidden by an overnight pack. He wore his helmet and had Due Process out as they hunted.

"You know, you're missing out on some nice smells." Ruby followed him. They had been air dropped again with another of those grey camera's following them.

"Yes rot and decay."

"Sweet rain and renewal."

James chuckled and took a half step towards her. "Would it make you happy if I did?"

Ruby tucked her hands behind her back and stood up on her toes. "Yes."

James huffed and took his helmet off, he attached it to his belt and took a deep breath. "Alright you win. It smells nice."

"Good, I'll get your city boy nose appreciating nature in no time."

James laughed and rolled his eyes. "I think Ozpin has already worked hard on that."

"He is pretty awesome." Ruby pulled Crescent Rose off her hip. "I think we have incoming so let's get those PR people their footage so we can be left alone for a bit."

Just like last time James sensed them a few seconds after she did. Beowolves and Ursa prowled towards them, maybe fifteen in total. Ruby huffed. "Oh come on I was killing more Grimm then this when I was fourteen."

"Let's just show off and turn that bloody camera off." James cocked his pistol and fired.

A beowolf head exploded and Ruby giggled racing in to dance with her scythe. She swung in low and cleaved an arm off. She glanced at James and flicked her head. He huffed and charged into battle, catching a usra arm that had been about to take a swipe at Ruby's head. He blew it's head off with a bang.

Ruby was still getting used to moving without the rifle to fire being part of her scythe. She changed it to glaive form and stabbed into a beowolf' chest. Her muscles strained as she ripped her weapon back out, meanwhile James was taking out the ursa without effort. Ruby shot off again, she kept remembering the last time she visited her mothers grave. Where she had used her rifle to propel herself though the battle. All the ammo she had wasted. Now she moved on her own strength, rebounding off a tree to slice and dice the Grimm. James kept up with her with ease, they danced together. Covering each other's back and taking an extra second here or there to pose for the camera.

It was undignified on the part of the Grimm how quickly they all died. James' com beeped and he checked the message. :Those were good, you can have your alone time now.:

James walked over to the grey camera and plucked it out of the air and turned it off. Then stashed it away in his bag. "Finally."

Ruby put Crescent Rose away and walked up to him. She stretched up on her toes and put her hands on his chest. "Just you and me and a whole forest of Grimm."

"We have to go east and avoid the shelling around Vale." James took hold of her hips and pulled her against him. He dipped his head down and let his voice rumble up from his chest. "You were fantastic in battle."

Ruby quivered as his voice stroked her, her body flushed in response to it. "And we are just getting started. We should probably wait till we have a place to wash before seeing how fast we can strip each other."

"Spoil my fun." James dipped down and kissed her.

Ruby nipped his lip. "I'm spoiling both of our fun and building anticipation."

"I'm already regretting trying to teach you some patience." James growled.

The petite female pulled away with a little swish of her hips. "I'm a quick study." She turned and started east. "Come then my general, you said we needed to go east."

James followed her with another arousal growl. "You are so lucky you don't have to walk with an erection."

"Given how wet I am I'd beg to differ." Ruby grinned at him over her shoulder.

"You keep teasing like that and I will pin you to a tree."

Ruby spun on the spot. "You'll have to catch me first." She turned and took off east.

James grinned and followed her, picking up the pace to run after her. They dodged and weaved through the tree, Ruby laughed this time not limiting herself to just running but using her Semblance to keep away from him much more effectively then before. The general had to admit this was the most fun he'd ever had hunting Grimm. Mostly because hunting a huntress in between the Grimm was a serious step up.

However it was not to last as they both started to hear the sounds of battle the further east they went. Ruby slowed and James caught up with her. "We must be close to the northern front." He opened his bag and pulled the camera out. He tapped a button on the top and started to float, a moment later the operator had it flying away over the trees.

"Should we help?" Ruby asked as she reached behind her and pulled out her rifle.

"Not unless they need us." James said and flicked his head as he set off northward intent on going around the battleground.

"But we are here, we should help."

"It's not our objective."

"But-."

James rounded on her and bit off a sharp remark. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Ruby, when you're on a mission you have an objective. The whole reason you are out risking your life in the first place. I understand as a huntress you aren't taught to… focus like that. You're taught to do whatever needs doing because you're either alone or on a small team. But here with me and serving on the Agamemnon that is not the case. We have our job, the people fighting down there have theirs. They will not drop everything to help us the same way we should not drop everything to help them. Yes there are times when an objective changes but that is the choice of your CO not you."

"But what if your orders are bad or obsolete? What if people really need help?" Ruby hugged her rifle to her chest.

"There is such a thing as illegal orders. All orders as you know must be passed down the chain of command. It's very rare to have an illegal order, as for bad or obsolete orders. It's not your choice what to do with them, it is your COs. If they make that choice to disobey an order, you can follow and you will not be at fault. As you can imagine this can get very messy." James saw she wasn't convinced and huffed as he decided to go back to some of their first lessons. "What are the tenets of Atlas Military?"

"Combat the Grimm wherever it dwells and whenever it breeds. Accept an honorable surrender. Submission to those of higher station. Respect those of lower station, for all are of Remnant. Do not suffer thy people to tend thy sickness. The leader may be challenged at any time during peace. The leader may not be challenged during wartime- Oh, that's what you're getting at."

"There you go. I can not change our orders, I am not serving as General right now. Just as another Special Operative. If I were to change our orders that would be disrespecting Aral's station. Not to mention it would cause confusion and doubt in how genuine I am when I chose to serve like this. Now if Aral was to come onto the comlink and order us to help that would be different."

They set off again Ruby jogging up to walk beside him. "I'm sorry, you're my CO right now and I was disrespecting you."

"You're forgiven, you haven't had years of this drilled into your brain."

"So… when could you take command and not mess everything up?"

"If I was present on the bridge and Aral showed he was emotionally or physically compromised I could take command without issue. It would even be expected to some level. If I was not there then it would fall to Vine to take command. If Vine had failed it would go down the chain of command."

"Unless it's an ordnance technician at a dead run."

James chuckled. "Unless it's an ordnance technician at a dead run."

"Or a Sergeant in motion outranks a Lieutenant who doesn't know what's going on." Ruby smiled cheekily.

"Or that." James rolled his eyes. "I swear I shouldn't have shown you those… guidelines."

"They sure made those lessons more entertaining. It's nice to know that at least one person that helped build Atlas Military up had a sense of humour."

"Tagon was indeed a character." James hummed. "One other thing as I don't think I've made it clear in regards to illegal orders. If your CO is compromised it's your responsibility to tell them as such. Not all COs will admit it but if they are giving illegal orders and clearly not thinking straight you can remove them and let the next officer step up and take command."

"I remember." Ruby sighed. "It's all so complicated."

"That's how you keep a large group like this organized."

A thunderclap filled the air and James recognized it for what it actually was. He grabbed Ruby and dove for the ground with her under him. An instant later the shockwave crashed through the trees sending leaves and debris flying. It lasted several seconds before the air settled again. "What was that?" Ruby squeaked from under James.

"A railgun." James grabbed his helmet, put it on and tapped the comlink. "Aral what the heck was that?"

"Apologies, I didn't realize you were so close. The Grimm nest was sending a surge and the ground teams needed support." Aral said. "If you wish to assist it would be appreciated, the White Star is moving into position as we speak but will take several minutes before it's ready to fire."

"Can do." James muted himself for Aral. "Support fire on the perimeter, do not get close to Beacon."

"Yes sir!"

They shot out of the forest together. James dropped their overnight bag as they hit the edge of the north line. Ruby skid to a halt unfolding her rifle and hitting the ground on her belly as she set up. The desolation of the area barely registered as she looked down her scope. Her attention was drawn to Winter, as she fought for her life with her bright glyphs. Ruby saw the hulking Grimm that she had dubbed a titan yesterday wail down on Winter, it's monstrous claws smashed straight through her attempt to block. It cleaved great tears through her armour and flaring her Aura. Ruby fired, the rifle's boom filled her ears and she wished she put her helmet on. The titan reared back as the round impacted with it's shoulder. Winter scrambled to get away, white speed glyphs under her feet as she retreated.

The ground under the titans feet was more like Grimm fungal ichor. From it another new Grimm crawled out, this had a single thick front leg with two smaller back ones to hold up the 'head' of it. A long thick protrusion that waved a bit in the air and was lined with Grimm spikes. It jumped like a flea and landed on the wound Ruby had just dealt and latched onto the titan Grimm. Then shot a barrage of spikes at Winter. Ruby opened fire on it, the titan lifted an arm to protect the new Grimm.

James meanwhile was sliding down an embankment. The north side of Beacon had been reduced to a field of dirt, Grimm bones and craters from shelling. The front was about a hundred meters away with several teams of huntsmen beating the Grimm back. The side of Beacon facing them had a complete crystalline shield that the Grimm were oozing from in a steady stream. He jumped into the air and fired Due Process's black twin. James shot through the air in time to slam into the titan charging towards Ruby.

It stopped him flat. James grunted in surprise and shot again with his gravity pistol to get away from it before it crushed him. He followed up while in the air with the explosive pistol. The shot smashed into the Grimm's 'head' and was seemingly ignored. The ranged form opened fire on him as the titan charged after him. James ducked and dodged as Ruby's shots pelted the Grimm, blasting holes into it's armour with considerably more success then his pistol's had. He holstered them both and caught an arm with both of his. James' eyes widened in surprise as his strength faultured as the Grimm pressed down on him. He barely had time to release it's arm before the other smashed into his torso. He heard his armour creak and felt it press in on his stomach. His Aura hadn't flared but he had come dangerously close to needing it. He really didn't want to know how fast this thing could go through his Aura.

Another pair of Ruby's shots rang out, both hit the ranged form and it squealed in displeasure. James shot forward and rolled under a swing from the titan form. He jumped up into the air, to land on its shoulder. He extended the blade from his arm and cleaved into the ranged form. It made a horrible crunching sound under his attack. He grabbed the halves of the flayed Grimm and ripped it apart with a loud squelch. Before he ducked under those massive arms and drove his sword into the mass. Black Grimm blood spraying up to cover him.

The titian thrashed under him, in an instant clocking him with both arms. He gasped as his armour was crushed and bit into his skin. His Aura rose to protect him but he realized the blow should have sent him flying but it didn't. His gaze snapped down and he found his feet had black Grimm ichor crawling up them. He saw the arm come at him again and grabbed it with both hands with a boom. It wasn't as bad as before but it's strength against his and he wasn't enjoying the odds.

An explosion sent him flying off the Grimm, distantly he registered it was the sound of Ruby's rifle. She must have finished reloading. He tumbled head over feet and thought She is an excellent shot. The titan charged him and he dodged again, staying out of it's range by mere centimeters. This was not going well and as much as he hated to use it when people could see him. James caught a 'hand' with his metal arm and grabbed it by the forearm and used his Semblance.

The limb exploded into shards, blown off at the elbow. Many of which either bounced off or cut into his armour. The titan roared and swung in with it's other arm. He ducked under it and repeated the process blowing it's elbow to pieces. It's arm fell to the ground with a wet thud. It flailed at him and he stepped into it and grabbed it's middle with both hands. Then used his Semblance with both, something he had only done a handful of times in his life.

The explosion sent him flying through the air, he twisted around firing off to the two guns of Due Process to right himself while he flew. He careened into the ground, landing on his feet and making a large trench before he slowed to a stop. He breathed hard and looked up.

The titian was still standing, its torso had been blown apart but was still joined to the rest of the body at it's hips. As he tried to catch his breath the black ichor bubbled and reached out like stands to pull itself back together from the gaping wound. "Oh you've got to be kidding me."

Ruby on the other hand opened fire. Her shots exploding it's hips, James charged in and grabbed a piece throwing it as away from her and the rest of the body as he could manage. Together they dismembered the Grimm. When they were finished, James charged for the other huntsmen Ruby spoke up. "You sure you don't want me down there to help you?"

"Absolutely." James formed up with Winter, stepping in to make a hit from a ursa for her. She sliced it's head off and they took point, the other Operatives forming a wedge on either of their sides. James thought very distantly as he shot and hacked his way through a never ending flow of Grimm that he was fighting side by side with his sister. It was a strange thought, to think he had any family at all but they were siblings of a sort. They didn't have the same father per say but the same… entity sired them. He guessed that was as good a word as any to describe Jacques. He found himself covering a bit more for Winter then he normally would have. She was hurt and it was a subconscious response.

Just a half dozen meters away the purple crystal shield of Grimm, warped and distended like a pregnant belly. It popped with a wet splatter and new Grimm poured out in a seething wave. Many of which they had no names for, it crashed towards them like a swarm of rats. James' eyes went wide. "ARAL WHERE IS THE WHITE STAR!?"

"ETA ONE MIN!"

The Agamemnon opened fire with its mortars and cannons. The massive shells were consumed by the swarm, as they barely noticed when it impacted. James screamed on the top of his lungs. "FALL BACK!"

Ruby kept the supporting fire but one minute was a long time and the Grimm were roiling forward faster than the huntsmen could retreat. "You're not going to make it!" She stopped firing and scabbard her rifle, as she to her feet.

"DON'T YOU DARE RUBY, FALL BACK! GODS DAMN IT NO FALL BACK!"

Ruby rose petal-burst down into the desolated field, faster than even Winter could keep up. She zoomed past the fleeing lining of huntsmen and reformed with a scream of. "YOU WILL NOT HAVE THEM!" The pain in her head was nothing like she had never felt before.

Everyone pivoted to save her but stopped in shock. What had been a white light, or barely visible wings before was different this time. This time Ruby was levitating with her head tossed back and her arms out wide. They could all see the silver light burst out of her eyes in two long wings like streams spinning out to turn the nearest Grimm to stone before they swung together and made a silver dragon. It hovered over her for the barest second it's tail connected to her eyes, before it roared a thunderous boom occupied by the silver flash they all knew.

The tide of Grimm was turned to stone, the crystal wall over Beacon turned to stone. For a moment everything was silent. James shot forward as the white light dwindled the dragon withdrawing back down into its host. He jumped to her just in time to catch her as she crumpled as if her strings were cut. "Ruby!" He stroked over her head but she was completely unresponsive. The sound of cracking had him looking up.

The stone of the protective canopy started to fall crashing down into the sea of frozen Grimm below it. The pieces smashed into them and the stone started to heave and crack. James clued in. "Oh gods no. ARAL FIRE!"

"But-."

"Fire gods damn it fire!"

"FOX HOLES!" Aral shouted.

James shot off with Ruby, it was less of a foxhole and the nearest crater. He yanked her helmet on and covered her body with his. The Grimm statues heaved upwards and sent shards of stone flying every direction like bullets. The black mob rose out of the corpses of their comrades.

The White Star opened fire. The blast from it's rail gun hit the center of the mass and exploded upward smashing yet more of the canopy. James couldn't help the scream he let loose as the air swept down into his crater, it took all of his strength to keep himself in place. Stone, dirt and Grimm bones flying mere centimeters over his head. It lasted a long minute before James dared take a breath and the dust started to settle.

"James-."

James didn't register the rest of what Aral had been about to say as a Grimm titan smashed into his side. His armour completely failed his Aura rose up to protect him. He tumbled into the dirt from one ditch to another. The Grimm thundered after him. It slammed it's fingers into his guts as it grabbed him by the neck and pinned him to a large stone. His Aura glowed as his armour caved in. He kicked futility at it's arm and grabbed the one around his neck with both hands and applied his Semblance.

It roared in pain and dropped him. James scrambled to get away, a flock of white nevermores fired at the titian. He stumbled to get up and see what was going on. Where once had been a mass of frozen Grimm was now a smooth lake of Grimm ichor with Grimm rising out of it. Another new Grimm slowly rose, as close as possible to Ruby who was laying defenceless where James had been kicked from.

This Grimm was humanoid with it's back legs thin and a mix of wolf and human. It was emaciated with a ragged thin tail, while being twice his height. It's back was as if the skin had been flayed off of it while it had been healthier then left to drape over it's now thin form. It's ribs stood out barely covered by flesh. All James could see of it's head under this skin was a mouth like a saber cat. It's arms were like it's legs only with human hands several times too long with claws longer than his whole hand. He charged forward with several other huntsmen.

But they were all too slow, the beast shot forward and grabbed Ruby by her head and raised her up. She dangled as it cradled her head, limp and unaware. James grabbed a gun as he ran and opened fire. It's flayed skin raised up to flick the bullets away. It occurred to James with horrible slowness as the Grimm raised Ruby up and it's double jointed arms moved her to set her on it's back. The Grimm had been prepared for Ruby, they anticipated that she would show up and had been ready for her.

The flayed skin folded in around her the same moment James crashed into the monster. Grimm ichor splashing up around him. He couldn't stab the monster and risk getting her. Before him the White Star and Agamemnon were firing all guns as they waited for their rail guns to recharge. He didn't look to see what they were shooting at, he could barely hear Aral shouting orders into his ear. He focus was fixed on the Grimm with Ruby. It was the most agile thing he had ever faced. It was incredibly light on its feet, rather than run with it's prize it pressed the attack. Raise up on it's back legs to swipe at him with its long claws.

James played the most desperate game of keep away of his life thus far. He couldn't find an opening, he miss-stepped the Grimm ichor suddenly deeper. The beast grabbed him with both of it's arms, it's claws shredded his armour and his Aura to cut deep into his back. He couldn't stop the scream that was ripped from him.

From Vale the ground bubbled and warped again, out from the ooze raised an Atlas dreadnought canon held up by another Grimm structure. Then several more each protected by more crystalized ichor. They returned fire on the goliath ships. The Agamemnon had pulled up higher in an effort to get out of range, while the White Star swept in below it as soon as it became clear that the large ship wasn't going to escape. Large spiked balls of Grimm were fired at the ship, the first few bounced off the White Star's shielding but the barrage picked up speed, till one got through. It twisted and spun, borrowing into an engine.

The White Star's aft exploded a moment later and it started to plummet towards the huntsmen. People began jumping clear of the ship as it fell, a hulking silver beast going down in a blaze of glory. It crashed into the ground nose first, steel folding under its own weight in horrible screeches. The impact sent out a shock wave.

The Blood-starved beast was knocked flat with James still in its hands. James' helmet saved him from one hell of a concussion; the Grimm was not so lucky. James ripped it's hands out of his body and ignored the outpouring of blood. He scrambled through the thick ichor and flipped the Grimm over. He barely could form the thoughts to pray that Ruby had Aura left. He dug his fingers into the flesh and had to use all his strength to rip the folds apart.

Ruby lay unharmed within. He grabbed her by her breast plate and tossed her over his shoulder in a fireman's carry. James stumbled and staggered through the Grimm pool. Blood poured down his front and back but he didn't think, couldn't think. He just had to get her away from here. He finally got to the edge, stepped into soft dirt rather than black muck.

Only he wasn't the only one who had started to come around. Another wave of Grimm was slowly, much more so than before rising from the Grimm pool. However there were many survivors from the crash who opened fire and charged in with zeal. James made for the forest, his legs pumping swiftly as he bled out. He heard the roar of the Blood-starved beast and fear filled him. He didn't get another five steps before it grabbed him, lifting him clear up off the ground.

James grabbed Ruby and cradled her to his chest. It wouldn't get her again, he wouldn't let it. It dropped him and blood flew from his lips to splatter the inside of his helmet. He shoved off with an arm and rolled them. Curling into a ball and wrapping himself around Ruby. He didn't have the strength to scream as the Grimm snarled and sliced and diced his back. His armour being turned into ribbons. He barely heard the hollow blast.

Ozpin crashed into the ground a few steps away, his hands outstretched as a green blast of energy hit the monster. It shivered and turned to him with a snarl. "Oh shit, that's not what usually happens."

The Blood-starved beast slowly rose off of James, a foot on his back. It growled with a lip-less mouth. Ozpin extended his cane. "Bring it you ugly bastard."

It snapped forward, with a raw howl. It sounded wet as it moved its claws raking through the air. Ozpin retreated, parrying the blows away with his cane. It was the fastest Grimm he had ever come across. It zig zagged around him, sweeping in to rend his armour open. Ozpin growled and activated his Semblance, the monster slowed down as if time itself was working against it. Oz shot in with his cane going for it's head.

There was a horrendous crunch as it flew back and took out two trees as it went. Ozpin waited for a half second but it didn't move. He raced to James' side, only then noticing he had gone limp over Ruby. Ozpin didn't bother checking if he was alive, just sent his hands on him and shoved magic and Aura into his friend. Frantically sealing wounds and replacing blood. He barely noticed that under James Ruby was soaked through with blood. He heard the wet step a second to late, he swept his hand up to block the blow as the Blood-starved beast swatted him away.

It roared a hollow shriek and shot after his flying body. Its' claws raked at him while he was in the air, each strike lifting him up. Ozpin flicked his fingers generating a green orb of a shield. He bounced once away from the monster to get his feet under him. It shot past him, it's claws cleaving into his side and Aura as the armor did not stand a chance. Ozpin growled and spun only for it to come back the other away and swipe him again. It's as fast as I am. He shot after it empowered by his Aura to keep up. He kept trying to use his Semblance but he could barely keep the Blood-starved Beast where he could see it. They clashed fast and furious blurs of green vs red-black.

James opened his eyes slowly, he was quite sure he had come very close to dying. He felt Ruby still under him and slowly raised his head. His mind was too sluggish to follow Ozpin in combat, but his mission did get through the blood loss and shock, helped along by a fresh wave of adrenaline. He wrapped an arm around Ruby and crawled forward. Everything hurt and many things started to bleed anew, but he had a mission. To get Ruby away from here.

Ozpin twisted away from one set of claws only to catch another in the side. He felt his Aura flare and blasted a wave of fire off his skin. The beast shrieked and backed away. Oz huffed and puffed, he grabbed his side but his Aura had held. He regarded the monster slowly, as the fire burned over his skin. "Odd, most Grimm don't care about fire." He clicked his cane and it turned into a long-sword. He raised it up and drew two fingers along its edge. It lit up with a fire of its own.

The Blood-starved beast rose up on it's back legs and roared it's screech. Grey blood ruptured out of it's skin and smoked in the air. Ozpin was in no hurry to find out what it was but he had to keep it's attention. He charged forward trying to go on the offensive. It didn't work well, in no time at all the longer reach of the Grimm had him on the defensive again. The grey blood splattering out with each swing of its arms. It only took a couple seconds for Ozpin to realize it was corrosive. It landed often on his armour and started to eat away at it with a hiss.

Ruby's right, the Grimm are evolving. Ozpin jumped back only for the Blood-starved Beast to shoot behind him. He twisted around in time to get a facefull of claws. The force of the blow slammed him into the ground, it raised up on it's hind legs intent on pummeling him to death.

A brown rune covered staff, slammed into its side with so much force as to snap it's spine and send it crashing into Vales walls. Ozpin looked up at his rescuer and snapped. "WHAT THE HELL TOOK YOU SO LONG?!"

Dresden Salvador was almost seven feet tall, with hazel eyes and long braided brown hair. His eyes were warm even if his nose and cheekbones were sharp. His tanned skin had flecks of blood on his face. Dresden offered his hand. "Been busy."

Ozpin took it and let the large man heave him to his feet as if Ozpin wasn't still on fire. "Did you kill it?"

They both turned to find the Blood-starved beast was reattaching it's spine. "Evidently not." Dresden said, he pointed his staff at it. The runes glowed and he made a couple quick flicks of his free hand. Around him seven black blades manifested. "You keep it busy, I will continue with surprising it."

"You're so lucky I'm faster than you." Ozpin growled and shot forward. The Grimm healed itself in time to dodge away, but Dresden moved with Ozpin flanking both huntsman and Grimm. His black blades fired forward swinging in to slice apart the Grimms limbs. It hollowed, turning to him only for Ozpin to stab it in the back. He channeled all the fire he could muster directly into the Grimm.

It screamed, splattering him with the grey ooze. It grabbed at Ozpin's sword and tried to pull itself off of it. Dresden flicked his fingers and the seven swords became several meters long. It sent them through it's bones, pinning it down. Ozpin could feel his Aura running out, he jumped back with a yell of. "I'm out!"

Dresden snapped his staff forward with another glyph, this one orange. Spreading out from the end of it. A torrent of fire encompassed the Grimm. It cried out one last time before shriveling up on the swords.

Ozpin was ripping his armor off before the grey gunk hit his skin. Dresden lowered his staff and the magic vanished and the Grimm fell to the ground with a rickety thunk. Ozpin finally had a chance to look around him, the corpse of the White Star was burning and everyone huntsmen and soldiers were engaged with Grimm. The bodies of friend and foe alike were growing numerous on the ground. He looked around and saw the tracks left by James dragging himself away.

Dresden followed his gaze. "Oh good, he escaped. Are you going after him?"

Ozpin shook his head walking towards the ongoing battle. "We can't."

"Correct answer." Dresden walked with him.

"When is the rail gun coming?"

"One minute." Dresden said and they shot off into the battlefield. "PULL BACK!" He roared. Ozpin assisted him as best he could, fighting back the Grimm so the line could fall back. He felt Dresden grab him as they all ducked into the belly of the White Star as the shot from the Agamemnon impacted the lake of Grimm. Ozpin flinched as yells and whimpers filled the space. The survivors bracing themselves against the wall of metal between them and the shockwave. There were around a hundred in all. "Hold position." Aral's voice filled their helmets.

The next voice was downright angelic at that moment. "Needs More Gravitas is ready to fire. Hold." Jacques' voice filled the space and caused a few to weep for joy.

Ozpin grunted as he and Dresden held the wall as the second shockwave felt it like it went straight through their chests. There was a long pregnant pause then those heaven sent words filled their ears from Aral.

"Stay put extraction squad is inbound."

Several people cried in earnest, curling up into balls and hugging themselves. Ozpin sagged against the sheet of metal. Dresden reached over and gave his shoulder a squeeze. "We need to find James, he can't have gotten far."

Ozpin nodded, he shifted his sword back into a cane and pushed it to haul himself to his feet. "I should go alone, you have to look after your people."

"Alright." Dresden likewise got up with his staff.

---

James had found their overnight bag, he staggered from one tree to another and wasn't ready when the first shot sent him face first into the orange leaves. He barely managed to keep himself from landing on Ruby as he almost ate dirt. He looked down to see long sticky strands of blood oozing out from between his armour to drip on her. He waited a moment and got up only for a second shot to knock him flat again. He cried softly as he grabbed at his chest trying to stop the bleeding, it didn't work and he gave up. James grabbed Ruby again and put her on his shoulder then used a tree to heave himself to his feet.

He staggered from one tree to another, away from the battlefield, away from the Grimm. He needed to get away, he fumbled with his armour. It felt so heavy, bit by bit he undid buckles and let pieces fall to the ground as he walked. He couldn't get his cuirass off but anything was better than nothing. The world spun and swayed as he walked, he stumbled into a tree and leaned against it breathing hard. His vision moved in and out of focus. James tried to remember where he had seen a cave on the way out. He hadn't been paying much attention as Ruby demanded it but he could recall seeing one.

James set off again, swaying more and more with each step but he did find it. Or stumble into it, as the case was. The opening was small, large enough for him but too small for a bear. He didn't notice any tracks or scents, so he stumbled in. It was a small cave, the roof quickly sloped in. He fell to his knees and gently set Ruby down on the ground. Before he crashed sideways into a wall. Sluggishly he looked down, he couldn't make out old red from new red. His fingers slipped as he undid the buckles of his cuirass and flung it away. His tunic was tattered but getting his arms over his head was not going to happen so he pushed it up as far as it would go.

His human side looked like ribbons and his metal side was only a bit better. That was probably why he was alive at all. He pulled a cauterizing bandage from the overnight bag. Then struggled to get it open, his fingers too soaked with blood to get a good grip on it. He ended up using the blade in his arm to cut the package open. He flicked it out and spread it over his stomach. He thumped it once and then screamed bloody murder as the heating agent turned on. Sparks flew over his vision, he had just enough presence of mind to lay down beside Ruby and pull her under him again. Just in case something found them.

Ozpin traced his steps, following James' trail was alarmingly easy. Mostly because of the blood everywhere, he did notice a few times though where there should have been a track there wasn't. It was often James' footsteps, if he hadn't been bleeding everywhere it would have actually been quite challenging to follow him. Ozpin had a sneaking suspicion that when James did get the rest of access to his magic it would be a very practical magic. He glared at the grey camera that swooped in to follow him but didn't think it was worth the time to make to buzz off.

Oz was also impressed by how far away James had gotten from the battlefield, by the time bits of armour started to appear on the trail they were bordering on what Ozpin would call a safe distance from Beacon. When the cave came into view he bolted for it. It only took him a second to find them. James passed out in a pool of his own blood and Ruby covered in it also unconscious under him. "Shit." He tapped his gauntlet and pinged his position on the map. "Aral I need a pick up."

"Seeing it live, already on route."

Ozpin dipped down and grabbed James' shoulders, only to have to dodge as Due Process came in for his head. He grabbed James' wrist and the gun clattered to the ground. "It's just me, my friend. I've come to get you out of here." He eased James' hand back to the ground. "Let me take Ruby please, I can't move you with her under."

James' eyes couldn't focus but the voice was right. He went limp and let Ozpin remove Ruby. A minute later he felt Ozpin drag him out of the cave.

---

James woke in a busy medical wing, he knew the lights of one anywhere. He could tell he was suspended slightly above a bed. His gaze sluggishly moved around the room, till he landed on someone standing on his right. "Sarif?" He looked down and could see the other man working on his metal side.

"Don't speak." Sarif ordered. "As for your next few questions. Miss Rose is still unconscious. It's been four days and I am still assembling you. The entirety of the Atlas and Schnee fleet has assembled in Vale, as well as the three ships you gifted to Mistral and all of their huntsmen. Headmaster Theodore brought another hundred students and they have been all combined to do battle with Beacon." Sarif removed a piece of sliced metal from James' insides and dropped it into a tray. "Beacon on the other hand, has been healing faster than we can break it. However, fewer Grimm come out everyday. It's like it's gathering it's strength."

"It wanted Ruby." James croaked. "It was ready for her."

Sarif paused for a moment and studied him before picking up a new piece of metal and welding it in place. "I will relay your theory to command, but I have a feeling you aren't the only one who saw that."

James tried to turn his head to see who else was in the ward. He could just make out red hair beside him. He reached out but could only make his finger move a few centimeters.

Sarif glanced at him. "Everyone agreed keeping you two close was in everyone's best interest."

"Who else?"

"The White Star lost seventy people, Winter Schnee was running on empty before things got bad. She has several broken ribs, as well as an arm. Harriet likewise was tossed around a bit, Vine came out mostly unscathed. The rest of your Ace Ops have bruises and fractures but everyone lived. You have it the worst of anyone who didn't die."

James looked over to him.

Sarif rolled his eyes. "A multitude of lacerations, what ribs could break did. Your spine is shredded, how you got so far from the battle is a mystery to everyone. Your lungs are in terrible condition and I was hoping you'd let me replace them. If you weren't already half of my finest work you'd be dead." He paused. "You need a lot of work James, I only woke you up because I know what I did last time still upsets you. I'm asking this time. Let me save you again."

James turned his gaze back to Ruby and uttered in a soft voice. "Yes."

---

Taiyang stood guard, it had been several more days since the mess and Major General Windhelm had taken one look at his ID and agreed to his request. He stood by the window and Raven stood by the door. They were at Sarif industries, mostly because Atlas hadn't had a chance to build a new hospital yet and because as tempted as they had been to keep Ruby on the Agamemnon, it wasn't really equipped for long term care. Which his daughter needed at present. Just looking at her made him want to cry or scream, he wasn't sure which most of the time.

By day four it was pronounced that Ruby was in a coma. It was now day seven. She had a feeding tube down her mouth and a breathing one in her nose. Several more for the other end of her body functions. They didn't know if this was the Grimm that had grabbed her, or an effect of her magic. Ozpin had tried to wake her with magic several times, even Jacques Schnee came by and did some muttering over her body before glaring and leaving.

Raven watched her mate and broke the silence. "She'll wake up."

"I know, but I don't understand why she faints in the first place. It seems very counterproductive to have such a weapon to kill Grimm then be knocked out for so long you'd starve to death before you wake up."

"Maybe she's using it wrong."

"What are you thinking?"

"Think about the times she's had the worst reaction. The first time was at Beacon she froze the Wyvern and passed out for three days. It was one very powerful Grimm. The next time from what you said and James' report it was a small group of Grimm. And she only got a splitting headache. Then there was the mine, probably the densest Grimm attack she's done."

"That was also three days."

"Then this one, this was the most Grimm and the most powerful Grimm by far. I wonder if the amount of power she uses is subconsciously connected to the threat at hand. A dragon manifested this time, an avatar of the Elder Brother himself. That wouldn't happen by accident."

"It's as good a theory as any, but it doesn't help her wake up." Taiyang rocked on his heels before giving into the urge and walking over to Ruby. He reached out and put a hand on her cool forehead. "I wish Summer was here."

"Me too."

There was a timid knock on the door. "It's just me."

Raven opened the door and looked at Weiss, Blake and Yang. She looked them over. "You know it's not visiting hours."

"She's still our friend." Blake spoke up as she hugged herself.

Raven growled but stepped out of the way. Yang was first across the space with Weiss on her heels. She took the hand of Ruby's free of tubing. "Any change?"

"None." Taiyang said and stroked Ruby's cheek with a thumb. "Not even an extra flutter of an eyelid. How is it out there?"

"Mixed. She's hit a new level of angelic goddess but people are really worried about her." Weiss squirmed and cringed. "There are even offerings on Sarif's doorstep. Honest to the gods offerings, prayer sticks and all."

"I've seen a couple… well pop up shrines in Mantle." Blake said.

"Oh good gods." Raven scoffed. "She's not a fucking messiah."

"We've been trying to tell them that." Yang said. "But no one is listening."

Weiss sat on the side of the bed and rubbed one of Ruby's calves. "The most common interpretation of what happened is that she sacrifices her Aura or life energy, kingdom opinion pending to use her power. It's been seen as a noble sacrifice for everyone's benefit. To explain why she ends up unconscious."

"They could be right." Taiyang said.

"I've asked my parents to look for any Silver Eyed Warrior stories that might be recorded on Menagerie." Blake said. "It's the only thing I could think of to do that might be useful."

The door opened abruptly, almost ripped off its hinges by Jacques. A nurse ducked in under him and went straight for removing Ruby from the machines. "Bring her to the helipad." He ordered.

"What are you-." Taiyang started.

Jacques' glare silenced him. "You all can come but hurry up, keeping James' stable is a full time job." He turned on his heel and walked out.

The nurse was finished a minute later and Taiyang scoped up his limp daughter. They all rushed to the helipad to find a Schnee stealth ship on it. Raven's brows went up but she contained her impressed whistle. Jacques opened the bay door as they approached it. "Get in." He walked to the cockpit.

They did, Qrow was already there with Ozpin, both of which were feeding Aura into a mostly nude James. While Sarif was fusing with an IV drip. Blake closed the bay door behind her and the ship turned on and started to revie up.

"I'm absolutely mad for agreeing to this." Sarif growled under his breath.

Ozpin glared at him. "You're the one who fucked up."

"He's never had an allergic reaction to medication before!" Sarif snapped. "He's had it hundreds of times! I have no idea what is different this time."

"Shut up both of you!" Qrow snapped, his eyes fixed on James' head that he had between his hands. His red Aura was swimming through it. "I suck at this at the best of times you aren't helping!"

Weiss walked up to the cockpit her father of course was flying. She sat in the copilot's seat, she whispered. "We are going to the estate aren't we?"

She didn't say 'home' she said 'the estate', Jacques didn't look away from the sky. Only flipped a switch that would make the ship appear invisible. Weiss sagged. "I never thought you'd bring so many people there. Will it even work on James?"

"He's your brother."

Weiss blinked sharply but it was only for everyone else she didn't shout. "What?"

"I am a mage, like Ozpin only older, stronger and with a habit of shapeshifting. James is your brother." Jacques didn't have the time or inclination to be gentle.

Weiss sat in silence as she processed that, she'd be lying if she said it was a complete surprise. "Our Semblance is magic."

"Correct. You don't have a proper Semblance."

They flew in silence for several minutes before Qrow collapsed with a groan. "I'm out, Raven get your butt in here." He shoved himself out of the way and heaved himself into a chair.

Raven did as she was told without a word, replacing her twin and channeling Aura into James. Sarif had a scanner out and was growling, nothing was responding as it should be. He hadn't rejected the augmentations thank the gods, but had decided to take a sudden and profound allergic relation to neuropozyne. Something that only the day before he had been fine with and had spent the last week being saturated with. It was taking all of Ozpin's Aura and attention to prevent him from going into shock.

Jacques banked the ship and they went very suddenly under water. Blakes' ears went flat to her head but nothing leaked and a moment later they were in the air again. From the lurch of the ship banking again to land. It powered down and Jacques thundered into the back, hitting the button to the bay door as he went. "Everyone out." He reached out for James and levitated him, another flick removed the IV from his hand."

"Hey!" Sarif snapped.

"Shut up and watch, you have no idea how lucky you are to be here."

Taiyang's jaw dropped. Above their heads was a crystal ceiling that reflected the stars. Right beside there was a lake half a kilometer wide and crystalline clear, it's water dark and full of stars. It flowed constantly fed by an underground source and poured out into the ocean. Besides the pool sat Winter, nude with her body more purple than otherwise. With her wife beside her naked from the waist down.

"Gawk later help your daughter now." Jacques snapped and his fingers. His own clothing vanished, along with Ruby and James'. He walked straight into the pool and levitated James with him. Ozpin stopped on the shore as James was covered with Jacques' white Aura he stopped sending his own and collapsed to sit on the pearly white sand.

Winter stood up and offered her arms to Tai. "I'll take her."

Taiyang handed her over, it burned him to ask what was going on but Jacques was clearly in a hurry. Winter walked into the water with Frigga helping her. Jacques lowered James into it, it took on a white glow around him. Winter set Ruby down beside him, the water supported her and helped her to lay as if she was sleeping. Frigga made a quick retreat from the water. Taiyang wondered why none of them were sinking. Finally Winter turned and laid back stretching out, the water also held her up.

"Pay attention Ozpin, if you can work out a third of what I'm doing I'll teach you to use it." Jacques stood by Ruby's head, the water coming up over his hips.

Ozpin snapped to attention as if someone had cracked a whip.

Jacques took a deep breath, then flicked both of his hands in a circle. Winter closed her eyes and took a breath letting the water fill her lungs as they were submerged. It was harder to make out their bodies as the white glow intensified slightly. Jacques made three white glyphs all identical that Weiss had only seen a couple times in her life. They were a circle with a diamond running through them. Each point of the diamond spread out like a snowflake. Another flick and the glyphs rested on the chest of each patient.

Jacques spread his stance and made the water sway through them in a gentle wave. He rolled his hands, commanding the waves. Before their eyes Winter's bruises vanished, she sat up and turned, bent over and opened her mouth as water poured from it, surprisingly without any of the usual gagging or gasping. She swam out and got up, Frigga didn't dare approach and only gathered her wife into her arms once she had just her feet in the water. The white glyph remained on her chest, she gave Frigga a kiss before returning to Ruby's side only this time standing. Though by the depth of the water logic would dictate she should be swimming.

Back and forth Jacques went, his brows furrowed in a tight line. Ruby slowly opened her eyes, she was confused by the blurred vision but then hands were on her and she had help sitting up. She bent over on instinct and the water poured out of her lungs. She blinked the water from her eyes to see Winter holding her.

"Take her and go sit as usual."

"Yes father." Winter helped Ruby over to the shallows. This time they sat where the water would come up to their chest.

"Dad-!." Ruby reached out but Winter grabbed her before she could leave the pool.

"You have to stay in the water till the glyph wears off. If you go out now you'll die." Winter pointed at her chest.

Ruby looked down and saw the glyph. "Oh." She sat back down. "I guess this is why my head doesn't hurt, what happened?"

"Silence please." Jacques snapped, he didn't like that James hadn't come around one bit. He should have by now, there had to be something else. He stretched out a hand and from the middle of the pool a knife shot out. It was completely clear with only the barest visible edge. While keeping the water moving with one hand, he cut into James' chest. It was like the first glyph only with four more circles passing through the diamond. He dropped the knife back into the water and with that hand made a down motion and James sank deeper into the pool.

Sarif lurched forward and Qrow grabbed him. He had a feeling if you weren't of Jacques going into the water was a damn bad idea.

Jacques turned both his hands sweeping them out in a circle then pulling them straight up. As if he was pulling the water through James from underneath. In this one sweep the water turned black around James, another sent it away towards the ocean where it would be harmless. Again Jacques brought the water up through James and again the water changed colour. Over and over, till it finally came through clean. He let out a sigh of relief and raised James up again. He lowered himself and brought an arm around James' shoulders as he did the exact same action as Ruby and Winter.

Sarif was just about ready to cry with shock, awe and relief. Qrow rubbed his back awkwardly as the scientist sat down, all the strength gone out from him.

James drew a shaky breath and looked up. It was beautiful, a very strange change from what he was used to waking up with. He expected that scary spider machine or horrible hospital lights. Not his favourite night sky. "Wow." He breathed softly out.

Jacques couldn't help but smile and tightened his hold in a momentary hug. James turned his attention to him. Jacques only a split second before James' fist connected with his cheek. "YOU BASTARD!"

Jacques let the water carrying him away, as soon as it did the force holding James up ceased to function. It dropped him and he was forced to tread water. Jacques rubbed his cheek but it didn't even bruise. "I have wronged you for most of your life I will admit that. But everything I did, I did for a reason and none of it was ever malicious."

James turned and swam for shore, it was very hard to punch when you weren't even standing. He stomped over to the shore but Winter stood up and got in his way. "You have to stay in the water while the glyph is active. Or you die." She pointed at his chest.

James looked down and blinked sharply. "What in the hells?" He touched his chest, the metal was all still there but the seam he had most of his life wasn't. There was no bump, no edge. What had been a good reflection of human pectoral was now a flawless one. He even had the nipple back. He twisted around trying to get a good look at his side. This concept of perfect reconstruction continued. Everything was perfect, it looked completely human. Down to the now mirroring veins in his hands. When he touched the metal it gave like skin, it still looked like metal but did not act like it. He sat down before he fell down. "What is going on?" It was almost a wail.

Jacques floated over and stood on the water, bending from his waist to study his son. "Now that is interesting."

"Explain." James ordered.

Jacques chuckled and patted his head. "As you now know my son, we are family and I am the elder. You don't get to make demands of me."

"Says the one who left my mother to die in agony." James growled. "I never got to meet her."

The elder looked appropriately slapped, Jacques recovered after a moment but floated to sit down across from James. "Yes… I am sorry for that." He took a deep breath. "To answer your question. This lake, I call it Life Giver heals a person how it deems they need to be healed. I can only give it direction and focus on a person. It also only serves one family at a time, as a general rule. It occasionally bends that for people it likes. I claimed it for my magical signature some three thousand years ago. It chose to do that to you, not me."

"Does it all work the same?"

"I have no idea."

Sarif was already way ahead of both of them, scanner in hand as he leaned forward as much as he dared over the water. Qrow held him back by the back of his coat.

"Wait wait wait." Taiyang spoke up inching towards Ruby. "Why'd it work on Ruby then?"

"I thought that was obvious. She is descended of me through her mothers line." Jacques said.

Ruby stretched up carefully to keep her legs in the water as her dad hugged her tight. Taiyang nuzzled her head and had a small hiccuping cry.

Weiss finally came out of shock. "We're sisters?! I have a brother!" She clapped her hands together in glee.

"Only of a sort." Jacques raised a hand as she shut her mouth. "Ozpin brought it to my attention that I needed to do some genetic testing. You are not related to James or Ruby by blood, when I shape shift I change my genetic structure as well. If you wish to look at it like this though, you all share a magical line. Ruby has a great deal extra that I am not directly responsible for."

Taiyang finally let his baby go and sat back on his heels. "I don't care, I'm just glad you're okay."

Sarif got everyone's attention with. "Fascinating, truly fascinating."

James leaned up and looked at Sarif's screen, he whistled softly. "You were busy."

"You were mangled, it was full replacements or death." He looked up to James. "Split your hand."

James raised it up and like he had done hundreds of times with a thought split his hand apart. The skin raised up in a merid of plates. Sarif grabbed it and studied the interior, it was a flawless recreation of a human hand. He took a scan of it. "This will jump my research forward years. I will need full scans when we get home."

"Just be cautious when it comes to revealing how you got the idea." Jacques said.

"Right of course, you wouldn't want anyone looking for this place." Sarif sat back down to study his scans.

James closed the components of his hand again. He rubbed his other hand over it, there were new seams that were smooth but still there. If he pressed hard they'd still leave an imprint. He couldn't help but think he'd still mark Ruby up, just not as badly. He explored up his arm and noticed a couple new black disk ports on his arm. His sword port had been merged into the form of his arm but he could feel that it was still there and would deploy the same. He crossed over his chest and found the metal lattice that had deformed his chest for so long was just gone as were the ports on it. On his other arm though he noticed several new ones. "Sarif what are these?"

Sarif looked up as James pointed at a black disks in his human arm. "Oh my new typhoon explosive system."

James scowled. "I was dying and you decided to put another weapon in me?"

"To be fair I just watched you get your ass kicked by a Grimm. You clearly needed more toys."

James opened his mouth to argue but snapped it shut again. "Fair point. Anything else new?"

"Your lungs will be immune to any number of airborne poisons and knock out gas." Sarif smiled sheepishly. "And I may have added my glass cloaking system and upgraded your energy converter… and changed out your Sentinel health system as half of it was cut to pieces. Oh and you got that auto adjustment to the weather you've been asking for."

James massaged the bridge of his nose. "You take far too much pleasure in messing with my insides."

"You've only let me have one test subject, I must learn as much as possible from you. I can't wait to take a scan of your new heart. I'm dying to see what the water did to it."

Jacques meanwhile had strode out of the water and gotten dressed. "The glyphs won't wear off for a while yet. You're all still healing, they will fade once they are done. I will show the rest of you to refreshments and rooms. It's late and we are all wrung out from last week."

Taiyang leaned forward and kissed Ruby's head. "I can be back if you like."

Ruby shook her head. "Some quiet time would be great."

Weiss, Blake and Yang hugged her. "Talk to you later sis."

Qrow hugged her and gave her a snuggle. "I'm just happy you're awake."

Jacques herded the party away and Ruby was grateful. She shifted a little deeper into the water and laid down. It licked up around the shell of her ears and was nice and warm. She felt James do the same beside her and discreetly take her hand. She squeezed it back gently. "It's sure beautiful here."

Winter hummed softly on her other side, she had also laid down. "I was ten the first time my father brought me here. I had broken two ribs while training, sometimes I wonder if he could have just healed them with his Aura on the spot but he brought me here instead."

"It probably had as much to do with escaping your mother. As it did your broken ribs." James said.

Winter laughed softly. "You're likely right… What happened to your mother?"

"I assume she's dead, if she's alive she didn't want me at birth she abandoned me to the workhouse. And is probably dead by now." James glared at the ceiling. "If Jacques had come to help she might not be gone. I haven't had a chance to ask him if he knows what happened to her."

Winter cringed and Ruby massaged a circle on the back of James' hand. Winter said. "I can see why you punched him now. Still I would have taken no mother over my mother."

"I'm just happy she doesn't live at the manor anymore." James admitted, he turned on his side and looked over to Winter, resting his head on his palm. "I have a proposition for you."

Winter smirked at him with a raised brow. "Oh another one?"

It was James' turn to look like someone had poured cold water over his head. "Ehh eww, I squirmed when I learned all of this."

"I bet, I'm too dignified for that."

"In hindsight this does explain why Klein was so vehemently against it when I tried to court you. I can't see him not knowing all of this."

Winter had a minuscule giggle at that. "I think you are right."

"To get back to what I meant to say. Would you like to be my sister?"

Ruby was very happy to watch the exchange, she turned onto her side to face Winter and snuggled into James' front. They continued to hold hands as James rested his against her belly.

The eldest Schnee daughter completely masked her emotions for a long minute and then two before she smiled and leaned over. She kissed James' cheek. "I would like that very much. Weiss has already gotten it into her head and father has clearly been trying to adopt the both of you." She pulled back and looked down at her chest. The white glyph shattered and dropped like flakes of ice into the water. "Ah finally." She sat up and took a few steps deeper into the water to wash the sand off.

"Winter, do you have any idea why James was so hard to heal?" Ruby asked.

Winter turned back to them with an arm over her breasts. "I've never seen father pull black out of someone before. My best guess is that the new Grimm have some sort of poison. I heard on the news that your surgery went badly James do to an allergic reaction. Which seemed very odd given how often you've had surgeries. Perhaps some drug mixed with the poison which caused the reaction." Winter walked out of the water as she spoke and picked up a towel. "Or it was the new Grimm blood, all the blood coming out of Vale Grimm doesn't dissolve at normal rates. It's probably poisonous as well and you were covered in it James."

"So we have two suspects."

"Looks like, I will ask father what he thinks. Enjoy the water, you'll both likely be here for a long while yet." She turned and then paused. "The whole lake is safe." She pointed to the southernmost edge. "But for there. It has a foul undertow that will draw you into the ocean."

"Understood." They said together.

Ruby waited till Winter was out of ear shot. "Do you want to go swimming?"

"I usually sink like a stone. Water deeper than I am tall and I don't mix."

Ruby drew away from him and towards the deeper water. "But you were treading water earlier."

James hummed, she was right about that. It had come so naturally he hadn't thought about it at the time. "Alright, we'll test it."

"Sweet." Ruby kicked off the bottom of the lake and turned onto her back to float. Her breasts helped her with buoyancy. She kept slowly swimming back and James followed her with much more hesitancy. Eventually the water was up to his chin and he kicked off the bottom. Ruby watched him struggle for a second. "Don't bother egg beating just start small."

"I learned to swim as a child and had it ground into my bones. It's hard not to do things like I did then." James floundered for a moment but got it under control.

"Can you float? Turn over and try."

Anxiety ripped through James but she could always sweep him away in her Semblance if she needed to. He turned around and kicked hard off the bottom while filling his new lungs with as much air as he could. They ached dully, he guessed that was part of the reason the glyph was still on his chest. He felt Ruby put a hand between his shoulder blades.

"Relax or you'll sink."

"Much easier said than done." James wobbled and he corrected himself. "I can't believe I'm floating."

"The water is clearly doing something to your metal, maybe it's taking out all the weaknesses and leaving the strengths." Ruby was very thankful she was busty, she barely had to work to stay afloat.

"If only." James took several quick breaths, each hurt less than the last. Low and beyond he did continue to float. Much to his amazement, but Ruby stayed close much to his relief.

"See not so bad." Ruby moved her hand from his back to stroke through his hair.

"Logic makes this very hard to believe."

"And yet it is so." Ruby stroked through a temple. "Would you like to know something else?"

"Please distract me."

"The water has taken the grey out of your temples." She stroked one again, then touched the outer corner of an eye. "And your crow's feet are gone." She traced up around his eye socket to his forehead. "As have the worry lines. You look ten years younger."

"Maybe it just sped up what I was trying to do with my Aura to become immortal?"

"Sure looks like."

James turned and started to tread water again, finally getting comfortable with the fact that he could swim again. "So only a couple years too old for you."

Ruby giggled and kissed him. "You'll never be too old for me." She swam around him to the left, moving into the slightly deeper water. "We'll have to stay by the shallows for when you get tired."

James followed her, not being the least bit embarrassed when he used what amounted to a dog paddle. He had lots of relearning to do. "Why thank you my buoyant dear."

Ruby giggled and kept close to him. "Breasts for the win."

"I agree, I purpose we find some out of sight corner and you let me play with them."

"Sounds like a plan, there is an overhanging tree over there." Ruby pointed to the north side of the pool.

So they swam, with James somewhat frequently swimming over to the shallows for a rest. He was tempted just to walk, but then Ruby swam circles around him till he swam again. It was good safe practice all things considered. The tree was a purple leaf with glow in light blue, weeping willow tree, with strands so long they trailed in the water. Ruby parted the curtain and turned to land on the bottom of the lake. "Wow."

James stepped in behind her, ducking so they didn't have to disturb the tree too much. "I'm rather sure weeping willows don't come in purple. Or have blue Dust running through their trunks."

Ruby looked over to the trunk and sure enough it glowed softly in the darkness along veins. The trunk looked as smooth as skin with the bioluminescence flowing like a river through it. "Wow, that's beautiful. Hey look, fruit! I'm starving!" Ruby shot forward and James grabbed her arm before she stepped out of the water.

"Remember what Winter said, we can't leave the water till the glyphs break."

Ruby looked down and her glyph looked as solid as ever. With a huff she knelt down, kept her toes in the water and grabbed a bundle of what appeared to be cherries. Before moving back till the water came up over her butt. James sat beside her, the water here was pleasantly warm, like a bath that was just right, not too hot, not too cold. She offered the berries to him. "They look like cherries."

"You know they probably aren't."

"If something here was dangerous, Winter would have told us." Ruby countered.

James hummed and gave her that one. He plucked one of the berries of the stem and turned it over. It seemed bug free and decay free. If there was something off about it he was much more likely to survive thanks to Sarif's meddling. He took a small bite out of the fruit, fully expecting a pit but instead getting a plethora of sweet and savory cherry, strawberry and peach flavours over his tongue. He moaned and sagged. "There is no way that's natural."

Seeing as he didn't go red in the face, Ruby took a bite out of a cherry and melted. "Oh gods that's the best thing I've ever tasted." She finished her cherry, it had no pit at all. Just a center of soft flesh.

()

The water lapped quietly around them, not quite coming up over Ruby's hips but then James was too busy occupying the space for the water to get anywhere it shouldn't. Eventually James got a chill over his back and lifted his head up off his hands. "I should move."

"I really don't want you too."

"Anyone could come looking for us."

Ruby groaned but dropped her legs from his body. They both hissed softly now mutually sore as James eased his way as gently as he could out of her body. Their juices gushed into the water when he finally slipped out. James tipped himself onto his side and rested a hand on her belly. "Note to self, don't eat unknown berries."

"You knew that already." Ruby rested a hand on his.

"Alright amended. 'Don't let you talk me into eating unknown berries'."

Ruby laughed softly. "And I will listen to you next time… but that was really good."

"Oh agreed, but if we can overdose on those berries I think we did."

"I'm not so sure about that. I'm well within my usual, it's you that got to have one more."

"I will give you that, but I like to have my brain work a bit more when I'm having sex." James patted her tummy.

"That is a bit strange because I was never that far gone. They really just made me feel brave and frisky."

"Oh my brain melted and did it's best to dribble out of my ears."

She giggled again making their hands bounce on her middle. "I think that less to do with the berries and more to do with the blow job."

James hummed and shrugged his shoulders. "It was very good."

"Yay." Ruby waved an invisible victory flag with her free hand.

"I take it you watched a video?"

"Yup, there is a whole channel on Remnant for You on sex. The ultimate blow job was one such video. I've just never been brave enough to try it till now."

"Well I thoroughly enjoyed your bravery." James dipped in and she leaned up, they had a long slow kiss. When he withdrew he looked at her chest. "The glyph is gone."

Ruby looked at him. "So is yours."

James groaned. "That means I'm going to have to stand and walk. That sounds terrible."

Ruby's stomach growled. "Yeah but I'm hungry."

James dramatically huffed, dropping his head onto the moss. "Yeah me too. Oh well, cuddles later." Slowly he staggered to his feet then helped her up. They held hands as they walked up the gentle bank and he parted a few willow branches and they stepped out. Sitting on a rock not two steps away was a candle, two house coats of wool, a note and a small vodka shot glass full of yellow liquid.

James stepped over and read the note aloud. "Kids. Be thankful I had an idea you two would find the tree. Also I expect a thank you for the silencing ward or everyone from here to Mistral and Vacou would have heard you two. Were you trying to wake the dead? For future reference that is a baba tree. It's fruit can make even the most sterile spinster and eunuch manage to conceive a child. So unless you plan on expanding our family in the near future Ruby should drink the shot. That will painlessly abort the child that is undoubtedly already in her womb. It will be as if it never happened. P.S go out the west hall down seven doors up the stairs to the first floor and first door on the right. I'll be there to show you to a room. Jacques. P.P.S If you want a birth control you don't have to take every night please ask. Given how much time you are likely to spend unconscious in the future Ruby it would likely be a very wise idea."

"Wow definitely no eating strange magic fruit." Ruby gingerly bent down and picked up the shot glass. She looked at it and then up to James.

He jumped slightly half a step back. "Don't look at me, I don't have an opinion on this."

"It's yours."

"Bad timing love." James caught himself in the word and blushed hard. "Err, look we've got forever and you almost got kidnapped by Grimm and I was almost killed. Now is not a good time, as much as the idea of you running away and hiding to have our baby sounds… bloody fantastic. We've got a job to do."

"You're right but it was nice to hear you say it." Ruby tossed the shot back and grimaced. "Ew tastes like artificial bananas."

James breath eased and he picked up the white house coat for her. He held it open for her as she put her arms through the holes. "Thank you," she said.

James closed it and did up the belt. "My usual routine of looking after you has been cut short. This will have to do."

"Sad but true but you can make it up to me after we do a proper scene."

"I do like the sound of that. I'll get some proper pampering in yet." James pulled on the other house coat. Then offered his hand, Ruby took it and they made slow but happy progress out of the courtyard. The hall was impeccably smooth and round, it's white walls were flecked with silver lines. Two meters apart going down the hall were floating white lights that shone like miniature suns if considerably less bright. They waxed as the pair approached and waned as they walked away.

At the end of the hall was a stairwell, like the courtyard. The top was open to the sky and starlight fill the space and reflected off the walls. There were more white sun sconces here but fewer. The stairwell itself was a gentle circle with large but short pleasant steps. Ruby placed a hand on the stone railing. "This place is amazing. It feels magical."

"It feels old to me." James said as they started up the stairs. "Not in a bad way just… seasoned."

"Like Jacques."

They came to the first floor and tried the first door on the right. Beyond was a garden or rather a herb garden half the size of the courtyard with one side dedicated to what was obviously an alchemy lab. Ruby recognized a few things from the herbalist on Patch but most of it was alien to her. Jacques was pouring from a flask into a drinking cup. He looked odd to both of them with his sleeves rolled up and so intent on such a simple task. "I take you two had fun?" He looked up, raising a white brow.

They both blushed as if on command. James ran a hand through his hair. "Err yes, thank you for the silencing ward."

"Thank you and where is everyone else?"

"I put them to various beds, I didn't want them going exploring and waking up a gargoyle by accident." He saw their disbelieving expressions. "The beds are enchanted to assist with sleep."

"Ohh, yeah otherwise my sister would be all over exploring." Ruby picked her way over to the table.

Jacques pointed at a scrying bowl he had down the table. "Rest assured everyone is where they ought to be."

"That's handy but what did you want to talk about?" James crossed his arms over his chest, curbing the urge to punch him.

Jacques offered Ruby the glass of orange liquid. "That will prevent any children for precisely a year, mark it on your Scroll or something so you don't forget. As soon as the year is up your cycle will resume as normal."

"Thank you." Ruby took the cup and had another sip. It tasted very herby but she had no idea what off but it wasn't as yucky as the last one.

The mage then regarded his offspring. "Two things. I will look into finding your mother, I don't know what happened to her either. The other is as Ozpin obviously told you, you have magic and I have released the last of the seals on it. At this point in time there is no telling how it will manifest, however I'll be surprised if you are like me or Ozpin."

"How so?" James was silently disappointed, the Grimm were evolving and he needed to as well.

Jacques took the empty glass from Ruby when she offered it. "I spoke to Ozpin about how he found you, he mentioned something very odd and when I reflect on your life I do think it is magical in nature. When you were running away, good job on that by the way how far you got is very impressive. You didn't leave footprints. Had you not been bleeding everywhere as you went you would have been extremely difficult to track."

"I'm not seeing how you find that fitting into the rest of my life."

"James." For once the name was said with obvious fondness. "You survive. You always survive, things that by all the laws of logic, magic and physics dictate you should not. Ask Sarif if you dare about your injuries but you should have died that day. You should have died as you tried to cover Ruby. By my studying of the scene you should have bleed out three or four times over. That's not even counting." He gestured as James' torso. "What that Grimm did to you. You should not have been able to get away, much less over a kilometer away from Beacon and into a hole with enough awareness to attempt to heal yourself." Jacques paused and sighed as he leaned against the work table. "I have a feeling your magic is what saves you, over and over again. Bringing this up is how I got Sarif to let me bring you here. He likewise could tell that you shouldn't have been alive."

James pursed his lips, Sarif had mentioned off hand that he had given him a new heart. "I think I might be better off not knowing just this once. However I can see how making my tracks vanish would be helpful, but why not the blood too."

Jacques shrugged. "It's only fledgling? Or it was too busy keeping you alive. Impossible to know." He drummed the table with a finger. "Another thing that could have been affecting it is that you were poisoned. Healing you should not have taken as long as it did. Whatever it was didn't come up on any of Sarif's scans. You were fine for several days but then steadily started knocking on death's door. This would be consistent if your magic was exhausting itself holding the poison back."

"Winter mentioned that you weren't sure if it was Grimm blood or the Grimm I was fighting."

"I still do not, but I will be returning with you to Needs More Gravitas. It's high time I got more hands on with Vale."

"I see. How are things?"

"Better now that the world has gotten its act together and focused on Beacon. We've managed to hold a line well enough to salvage the White Star. We haven't gotten any samples yet but Aral and the Atlas council has been very keen on waiting for Ruby to awaken before launching any offenses."

Ruby rubbed her eyes just thinking about using her magic again. "Do you know why I keep passing out?"

"Vaguely. A great deal of Silver Eyed Warrior knowledge was lost after sacking of their city. As best I can grasp, you overextend yourself and are just as weak as James is in terms of magic. It's like a muscle, it needs to be developed with time, reaching too far too fast… well in your case you faint. Till Aura came to us people used their physical energy to power magic, or is the case with Ozpin and Salem. They steal life energy from what's around them. Needless to say you clearly use your own. It was once the custom among your people for the elders to take their children hunting and teach them to use their powers in a much more controlled environment then will likely ever be able to be provide to you."

She huffed. "So I'm doomed to headaches or fainting."

"For several decades at least." Jacques said and patted her on the head. "After Vale quiets down I will teach James and Ozpin how to use the lake. I had a feeling it would heal you and it has turned out alright."

"Is that why we had to stay in it for so long?" James asked, he rubbed his chest but he didn't even have any new scars.

"More than likely, it was very busy with you and was most likely trying to restore Ruby's reserves. It is not…" James made a swaying motion with his hands. "Just the physical body it heals."

"Can we go to bed now?" Ruby asked. "I want to process this."

"Of course this way."

Jacques led them back to the stairs and up a level, down another two halls before opening a door. "I will collect you all in the morning. I left gifts for you both."

James bit back a sharp retort. That they didn't need his help or his gifts, but they obviously did. "Thank you."

"Goodnight." Jacques departed.

Ruby opened the door and stepped in the space, it was on the smaller side and dominated by a four poster bed. A fire already roared in the hearth with a sitting area. It was very like her Schnee room; only the walls were completely barren and there was no window. On the far wall were two armour stands. James crossed to the largest, very obviously for him. He tapped on the metal breast plate; it was again a familiar design with his new ironwood tree on the left breast. If he hadn't known better he would have said it was standard issue. However it did not ring like steel. He picked the helmet up off the stand and tried to crush it with all his strength. It didn't even creak. "Wow. I'll give Jacques one thing. When he makes something it's impressive." He heard the bed creak and looked over, already surprised that Ruby hadn't come over to look at her armour. He saw the tears well up and shot over as she started to cry. "Hey what's wrong?"

Ruby flung herself into his lap and cried hard against his neck. "You told me not to go. You ordered me to fall back but I didn't listen!" She wailed and coughed. "You would have died! And it would have all been my fault!"

James hugged her tight but didn't say a word. There was nothing he could say that would make that any better. He rubbed up and down her back as she cried all the harder. Then rested his cheek on her head. Eventually he said. "But I didn't. But now you understand why following orders is important. Maybe you were right and the wave would have caught us. Or maybe White Star would have fired just in time. We can't know."

Ruby grabbed his house coat tight as she sobbed. "If you weren't magic you'd be gone and I'd be… we don't even know."

James squeezed her and spoke softly. "Think of this as your one get away free card then. Your actions have consequences if not to you then to those around you. We went back to save you, the next time someone could die. The White Star lost a hundred people while you were unconscious." She just cried harder against him. James picked her up and flipped the duvet back then sat back down. "Come on, it's warmer in bed."

Ruby cooperated with him getting out of her house coat, then in bed with him after he did the same. She sniffled and zipped over to snuggle into his chest. "I'm so sorry."

James hugged her and rested his chin on her head. "How about in future you only use your gift when I tell you to?"

Ruby nodded and had a shaky breath as she cried. "Okay I trust you."

He kissed her head. "Shh, try and rest. We'll have a long day tomorrow I'm sure."