Ruby had always dreamed of attending Beacon. But when Professor Goodwitch suggested she be moved up for advanced placement, she informed the girl the matter would need to be approved by Beacon's headmistress... a woman not known for making many public appearances. Ruby had gone through the trip to Beacon without hearing anything back, without even knowing for sure if she'd be able to stay. Yang seemed to believe Ruby would be joining her at Beacon, which helped her confidence somewhat... and Ruby stopping that Dust heist surely counted in her favor. But she didn't know, and the not knowing was killing her.

No one around her seemed to know anything. Not the quiet, mysterious girl with black hair and a pretty bow, not Yang, not Jaune Arc (not that she expected him to), and not even Weiss Schnee. Everyone else seemed a mass of unfamiliar faces and Ruby wasn't sure whom to approach in Beacon's amphitheater.

When Professor Goodwitch called their attention, the Headmistress didn't appear in person... she was projected via hologram... she had white hair tied up in a bun with six long offshoots, and wore a long black robe. Her skin was very fair -even pale- and her eyes very dark.

"I know many of you seek to become hunters, not soldiers," Salem addressed the crowd. "But those of you starting down this path should be prepared for what awaits. The Kingdom of Vale will seek you out to enter its service. Those of you who want to become the guardians of villages or travel the world to see the other kingdoms... may be disappointed by the life that awaits you."

Ruby didn't think the holographic projection of the headmistress was focused on her; it was just pointing her in a specific direction and that seemed to level her dark eyes right at the fifteen year old. But she couldn't help but feel slightly... unnerved.

"We do not want war; that is something they want," the headmistress continued. "So we must be prepared for it, because no matter how many monsters there are to defend the people from, there will always be people willing to become monsters themselves, and they will always be a greater threat than the Grimm."

Ruby hadn't heard such a philosophy as a child: most of the stories she read involved heroes stopping monsters and saving people from dangerous powers beyond their control. But as she grew older she saw the cruelty people were capable of, and understood that some became criminals... like that guy Torchwick stealing Dust or the White Fang going around hurting humans and rallying Faunus to fight each other.

"For now we have peace," the headmistress continued, "But peace is a weak, fragile thing... and throughout our history, it has always been temporary.

"I don't want to discourage any of you; I want you all to maintain your dreams and fight for what you believe in when it drives you to excel," the headmistress continued. "I demand excellence of my students, and I know how important personal goals are to motivate young minds, and I want to cultivate that as much as possible."

She inclined her head ever so slightly. "Welcome to Beacon."

Ruby could swear those dark eyes were focused on her... but the hologram faded before she could be truly unnerved. She didn't have long enough to be bothered as Goodwitch explained the plan to initiate the first year students the following morning. For now, at least, she was still slated to join them.

She knew war was a possibility. It had been eighty years since the last one, but tensions always seemed to be on the rise, and her dad had worried about both of his girls becoming Huntresses because they might be conscripted to fight one day. More than fighting Grimm he worried they'd fight other kingdoms.

She hoped she wouldn't have to; she really would like to fight in a Vytal Festival some day...

Salem drew back in her seat. She had to use the avatar again when reporting to the council, but for a few moments she could be herself and not project an illusion.

Ironwood was saber-rattling somewhere, no doubt drawing the council's attention and buying her time. That served her purposes for now: first she needed to lay the groundwork with Leonardo for Haven harboring the White Fang and exacerbating tensions with Atlas. War between Mistral and Atlas would surely be devastating and the Vale council would protest... and then sit back and do nothing, stockpiling resources while insisting their neutrality made a bigger statement than backing either side.

Exactly as she intended. One kingdom would fall, and her Grimm would slowly move to occupy its remains.

And while Vale stood back and did nothing, she would engender loyalty in her own personal army... one superior to anything the council would have at their beck and call.

Salem lazily turned her attention to the bird in its cage- her eye in the sky was due for the time to stretch his wings. "Qrow."

The man emerged from the corvid, dropping to kneel before her at her desk. "My Queen?"

"I need you to go find your twin," Salem bid her eye. "Let Raven Branwen decide where her loyalties lie. If she wishes to survive the destruction of Mistral to come, I will need to be certain: I need her devotion to be beyond question."

Qrow's own devotion was not a certainty. But he could be counted on to carry out his mission. His nieces were joining Salem's protection now. If she extended the same mercy to his sister, he'd do everything she demanded of him.

Betrayal made for a powerful motivation.

"As you will, my Queen," Qrow affirmed.

"Before you go, take a moment to see your dear Ruby," Salem suggested. "Should she perform well at initiation, I'd very much like to welcome her to my school."

"She won't disappoint you, my Queen," Qrow assured her.

No, Salem very much doubted she would. She was a silver-eyed warrior after all...

Just like her.

In an ancient and abandoned keep, Ozpin gathered what allies he could. They were like him: exiled from one place or another, forced to band together to survive. That they had nowhere else to go gave them reason to seek him out. That they were talented men with skills to circumvent Salem meant he had reason to shelter them.

Tyrian, running from Faunus who rejected him and pledging loyalty to any who might grant him a home. Watts, disgraced by his peers for his experimentation.

Hazel...

An alliance of convenience. Only because his sister had been killed by Grimm -by Salem's creatures- did he agree to fight alongside Ozpin. She died on Ozpin's watch, just as so many had before... but Salem's minions performed the task. Once Salem was dealt with, if Hazel's guilt and thirst for vengeance would not subside, Ozpin knew well where his eye would turn.

Those three had reconvened in this forgotten corner of the world to plan their counterattack. They had far too few resources to try and oppose Salem directly, but they had talents enough to mount some degree of resistance. Watts was in contact with an old colleague named Merlot, who may have had some way of pulling the Grimm from Salem's control... and loath as Ozpin was to make a pact with such an amoral man, robbing the queen of her biggest resource could even the score.

Scruples didn't win wars. They didn't save as many as possible.

But it wasn't amoral men Ozpin was waiting to hear from. Not tonight.

Tonight was for a report from Vale, from his infiltrator.

"Father..." her voice came on the line.

"Cinder," Ozpin greeted.

"Torchwick's heist was a success," she reported. "But Salem sent her dog to chase us off."

They had gathered Dust. Robbing Vale of ammunition would slow their arms buildup, and the Lien from the sale might help engender some sense of loyalty in the criminal she'd recruited. "So she knows we've made a move."

"Probably," Cinder agreed.

"Did she see you?" Ozpin inquired.

"Goodwitch probably knew what my power was," Cinder replied. "She knows you have a Maiden."

Salem suspected it already. But as long as she didn't know the face...

"Should I proceed?" Cinder asked.

She was still seeking his guidance. More than that, his approval.

"Wait until we're closer to the festival," Ozpin instructed. "Just... lay low, for now. Stay safe."

Cinder wouldn't care for the delay. But hopefully she'd appreciate his concern.

"One more thing," Cinder added. "Roman told me something about another girl interfering with his robbery... a girl with silver eyes."

Ozpin knew what that meant. He knew the threat that'd be to Cinder.

"I'll do what I can to mitigate this," Ozpin promised her. "Stay safe, Cinder."

He had so few left. And he didn't want to send another child in his care to die at the hands of Salem's pawns.

He knew Taiyang was a good man. He thought his and Summer's child would be just as capable of good.

And he'd have to kill her, just because she could be a threat.

Scruples didn't win wars. Not when he was already at a disadvantage.

Merlot was near Mountain Glenn now. Cinder insisted the thief she was working with was a capable fighter. So perhaps he had ways of dealing with the girl before she became a threat to his plans.

Ozpin considered his options and decided he noblest possible way of snuffing another light from the world...