Puppy update: I've managed to get her eating some food and to stop losing weight. It's very rich food, though. Basically, me cooking a homemade beef, carrot, potato and celery stew, then giving half to her and eating the other half myself. Sheesh. At least it's got a good balance of vits and minerals. I'm not sure it will be sustainable 100% of the time, but anything is something at this point and I'm hoping that if I can get her to keep her weight, I'll be able to wean her back onto dog food.

Sorry for the way it's dragging some of my fics down for the last two weeks, but my puppy is understandably more important than my fanfics. One or two people have suggested I take a week off for her, but it's just not necessary. I can't fix her with all the extra time and even the vet agrees it's better not to change her schedule as it'll stress her out. Better to act normally and just try different foods, etc.

Cover Art: Mystery White Flame

Chapter 9

Somehow, the Nevermore was still alive come the morning.

Most Grimm didn't survive captivity for very long. Their mindless nature mixed with their aggression caused them to throw themselves against the bars until either they or the Grimm broke. How Peter managed to get a Boarbatusk into Beacon for his lessons was a mystery and would stay one because the last thing Jaune wanted to spend his morning doing was hunting for Grimm. He'd expected the Nevermore to suffer a similar fate and be a pile of dust and feathers by now. Instead, it was still there, watching him with its beady little red eyes.

"I'm killing it."

Neo shot out of the bed before he could reach for his sword, wrapped her lithe arms and legs around him and then leaned back, tipping him back into the sheets in a tangle of limbs that, while not unpleasant, also didn't help with the aforementioned bird murdering.

"Neo, it's a Nevermore. I have to kill it."

Her feet hooked over and around his thighs and locked in behind his knees. One of her arms cupped his chin, the other his chest and she pressed herself like a barnacle against his back. While she wasn't heavy by any means, it was hard to get back up on his feet when she kept throwing her weight back and dragging him down again.

Wriggling her way around, Neo managed to plant herself on his stomach, knees on either side of his hips and hands on his shoulders. He expected a cocky smile, demanding look or the usual Neo-ism. Which was why he was so shocked by her tearful expression.

His stomach flipped.

"N-Neo…?"

Oh hell, he'd thought Ruby was bad. Neo managed to somehow look all the more vulnerable in her cotton pyjamas, eyes watering and lip trembling as she looked down on him. One hand left his shoulder and came up to her face where she used it to wipe away a tear, then look toward the gilded cage in the corner of the room. The Nevermore within stared back unblinkingly, then scratched the back of its head with one talon. Neo looked back to him.

"No." He held his ground, even as her eyes widened. "Neo, you can't have fallen in love with a pet in one night. Especially not a Grimm. It's a monster. How would you keep it? What would you feed it?"

Neo made several quick gestures he didn't understand, which he'd come to understand from exposure meant she didn't actually have an answer but didn't want to admit and so would just make gibberish signs and leave you thinking it was you who didn't understand.

"No. Absolutely not. I am putting my foot down here. The bird goes!"

Neo began to cry.

/-/

"Morning," Bart greeted him as he entered the staffroom. "Is that sawdust on your sleeve?"

"Yeah. Was changing the bird's cage."

"You own a bird?"

"I do now."

"Might I ask why?"

"Because I'm weak-willed and pathetic."

Oobleck made a confused sound that Jaune ignored.

"Glynda said she would be passing some statistics from Atlas through to you. Any news on that?"

"Oh, yes." Oobleck brightened up immediately, something few other men would have at the mention of spreadsheets. "General Ironwood passed those over this morning. I've had them for an hour."

"Right. I guess you need more time."

"Not at all. I've been through all the material."

"Already!?"

"It was only several gigabytes."

Only. That had to be a few hundred pages. He couldn't find it in himself to doubt Oobleck, though. The man was a machine when it came to things he was actually interested in. And, when it was something he wasn't interested in, he showed a machine-like efficiency in not doing it. Mostly, those interests related to history and archaeology, but apparently Grimm stats was a side hobby.

"Any good news?"

"Depends what you class as good. It's good news for Atlas, as there has been no noticeable surge in Grimm numbers, sightings or attacks."

"None!?"

"No more than what they've faced for the last forty-five years. And that's bad news for us, I expect."

"Because it means the sudden uptake is isolated to Vale. Wonderful. I've made requests to Shade and Haven for figures on their end. Only Leonardo Lionheart has gotten back to me so far and he's promised to have them available by the end of the week."

"Good of him."

"He seemed like a very friendly man," Jaune said, recalling their brief conversation. "Very eager to please. I think Roman said he's a brownnoser."

"Ha. Roman always hated people like that." Oobleck smiled and shook his head. He'd taken to smiling a lot lately. Not that he hadn't been a happy person before, but he was just in a perpetual state of good cheer now.

"Things working out between you and Roman?"

Oobleck shot him a look. "We are not dating, you realise."

"I meant on making up."

"I know, I know." Oobleck laughed. "It's still somewhat awkward between us, expected given our past. We've had a few good chats and we're on good terms. I'm simply grateful for the chance to rebuild the bridges between us in the first place."

"And to have him away from criminal activity, I expect."

"If he were, then yes. We both know he's keeping more than a foot in that door, however."

It was a given. Roman was their Director of Finance and something of their unofficial quartermaster as a result. Some of the supplies they'd gotten had seemed a little too conveniently cheap to have been acquired legally. Everyone in the faculty knew it but no one complained. Much, anyway. Glynda obviously hated everything Roman stood for and was keen to make it known every time he entered a room. Mostly, though, they all knew how much Beacon needed Roman's unusual skillset.

"On the issue of making up," Oobleck said. "Can we expect the embargo on Beacon to be lifted anytime soon?"

"Hopefully. I didn't want to bring it up with Ironwood. I was hoping he'd take the initiative and drop it himself. Makes it look better than me asking and having to give in on whatever he wants."

"Hmm. True. Beacon cannot sustain itself without those supplies, however…"

"You mean you can't sustain yourself."

"What is Beacon if not the teachers who keep it running? I am a cog in the machine, Jaune. I need to be well-oiled if you want me to turn gracefully, and I am disturbingly low on oil."

"Look, the Council is already on my arse about making up with Ironwood. I'm working on it."

"If not for them, then do it for us, Jaune. Do it for the coffee."

The door opened before he could think of a response and the sound of immediate arguing gave a hint as to who it was several moments before Glynda and Roman entered side by side. For two people so eagerly feuding, one would have thought they could find a way to avoid one another. He suspected Roman had a hand in making sure they didn't, as he seemed to take personal pleasure in baiting Glynda every chance he got.

"You are insufferable! If not for your position, I would cut you down myself!"

"Good morning," Jaune said firmly, interrupting the two.

"Morning," Glynda replied.

"Meh. I'd say average myself." Roman said, taking a seat and then kicking his feet up onto the table. "Five out of ten." The chair legs `mysteriously` slid out from under him and sent him crashing to the floor. "Now that's just immature."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Glynda said, sitting. To Oobleck, she asked "Have you had time to look over the material I sent you?"

"I was just telling Jaune. The results from Atlas show no variance on normal levels. It's limited to our end."

"Problematic." Glynda sighed and reached for some juice in the centre of the table. Out of all of them, she was the only one coping with the embargo without complaint. "I very much doubt this is an accident, and I don't believe for a second that negativity has naturally risen across the Kingdom even with the attack on Beacon."

"No." Jaune agreed. "If it did, you'd at least expect Atlas to be seeing the same since it was their robots that turned on us. The negativity over there should be higher."

"It is," Roman said. "Protests and shenanigans on their end. Mostly political or ideological."

"That confirms it, then. Both Atlas and Vale are going through the same upheaval but it's us who have to deal with increased Grimm numbers and attacks. I think we can rule out luck on this one. Salem is making a play. Question is, what does she want?"

"To stretch us thin, obviously," Glynda said. "Possibly to capture the Maiden if we're forced to send her out."

"It could be to finish the job," Roman suggested. "If they want to launch another attack, they'll need more Grimm than ever. This could be their way of building up their forces. And no matter how hard they try, it's hard to keep that kind of build-up hidden. A couple of them will sneak off to attack people like we're seeing."

They shared worried glances.

"We'll have to beef up Beacon's defences, then. Maybe all of Vale's."

"Vale has the wall. Perhaps we could build one."

"You have no idea how expensive something like that would be," Roman said. "Trust me, we don't have the budget for that. We could harvest the organs of every student here, sell them, and we'd still not have the budget."

"Should I be concerned that was the first thing to come to your mind?"

Roman shrugged. "Not like I've been looking into the prices there."

Glynda, Jaune and Oobleck leaned back.

"What? I haven't."

"Roman's dubious character aside," Oobleck began.

"Dubious?" Glynda whispered. "What is dubious about it? He's a complete reprobate."

"I think we're not going to be able to turn Beacon into a fortress in time to prevent a Grimm attack. That's not to say we can't prepare, but perhaps we should look more towards boots on the ground than fortifications."

"Doesn't Vale have a military?" Jaune asked.

"Yes and no. There is the Vale Defence Force, which guard and maintain the walls – but I wouldn't call them military by the standards of what you've seen from Atlas. They're more a highly-trained militia, and their training is more toward engineering and repairs than combat."

"Most of the defences on the walls are automated," Glynda explained, "Vale had an army, back when the Great War took place, but it was disbanded afterwards due to corruption. Or so the story goes. There was a certain politician behind it."

"The way you say that makes me think I should ask who that politician was…" Jaune said.

"His name was Oswald."

"Oswald…" Jaune's voice was flat.

"Oswald Turner," Oobleck said. "An eccentric man from what I recall reading, but one with a head on his shoulders. He was responsible for many unusual laws, including the coffee reforms of-" Oobleck paused, realised what he'd just said and sighed. "Oh. Well, that suddenly makes a lot more sense."

Jaune groaned. "Damn it, Ozpin."

"He likely had a good reason at the time, and the lack of a military from Vale has led to better relations between Atlas and Vale. Even if some believe Atlas has the edge in negotiations specifically because of their military superiority."

"I expect Ozpin wanted us to focus on the real enemy," Glynda said. "It wouldn't matter to Ozpin whether Atlas or Vale ruled the Kingdom. In fact, a world unified under Atlas rule might make it easier for him to influence matters."

"You think he wanted Vale conquered?" Jaune asked, horrified.

"No. I'm just saying that's one way of looking at it. If Ozpin wanted Vale under Atlas rule, he'd have achieved it already. I imagine his real reason for disbanding the military was to bolster the number of huntsmen. Most of those who were disbanded became huntsmen and huntresses."

It was just logical enough to sound possible, yet still a problem. If Beacon came under attack again, there really wasn't anyone they could rely on to help other than Atlas. There had to be a lot of people out there who would jump at the chance to defend themselves.

"I can see what you're thinking, Jaune," Glynda said. "Don't. Can you imagine how much worse the situation between you and James would be if you started to build your own military? One loyal to Beacon only and, by extension, you?"

"Kid…" Roman whistled. "I like your ambition. Wow."

A little heat crept up his neck at that. It had been a wild thought and he hadn't considered the bigger picture of it, the fact that it would, in some bizarre way, make him General Arc as well as Headmaster Arc. Ironwood would have conniptions.

"Maybe not building our own, but I'll bring it up to the Council and see if they'll consider doing it."

"If the Council runs it, that would be better," Glynda agreed. "We'd do well to keep our hands out of it. At least officially. In the meantime, I suppose we'll have to deal with the Grimm problem as best we can. Beacon's reputation will be critically damaged if villages and towns begin to disappear. That may well be their plan."

"You know what won't disappear?" Roman asked with a cackle. "Our bank balance. Far as I see it, they may think they've got us on the back foot, but we just opened ourselves as a mercenary-training school, and Salem just went and put us in business for the next five years."

Roman held his glass of juice high, waiting for everyone to tap theirs against his. He waited for a good minute, during which everyone glowered at him.

"No one? I'm just saying we should look on the bright side."

"More Grimm means more deaths."

"No, no, no. More Grimm means lower house prices. Look on the bright side."

The glass of juice upended itself on Roman's head.

"Thank you," Jaune said to Glynda.

"I have no idea what you mean." She sipped her juice. "But you're welcome."

/-/

Cardin slammed his mace down into the ground, wiped some blood and grime from his forehead and answered the scroll that had been angrily buzzing at him for the last five minutes. "Yo."

Ruby's face pouted at him. "You're late."

"Yeah, sorry. Grimm."

"There!?"

"No. Far away. Yet somehow still covering me in blood and guts." He heard a snicker from somewhere off to the side of Ruby, who managed a very disparaging eye-roll for a girl two years younger than him. "Yeah, we found Grimm. Or they found us. Weird enough, they were just sitting near the spot the attack was reported at."

"Were any of you injured?"

Cardin looked over to Russel, who was on his knees weeping.

"Russ lost half his mohawk."

"Oooh…" Ruby winced.

Behind her, he heard Yang say, "Oh shit. Is it salvageable?"

"I'm afraid not." Cardin moved the scroll over so they could see Russel's hair, which now had a mohawk from the front to the back, but it was cut in two half way, with a bald patch where it got caught in a claw and had been ripped free. "He's never going to be the same again." He drew the scroll back and left Dove to comfort his teammate. "Any luck on your end?"

"Not many attacks, but lots of sightings and near calls," Ruby said.

"Sounds about right."

"It's bad. This is way more Grimm than Patch is used to seeing. We were going to head back to Dad's and see if he's back. Or head into the forests ourselves if he isn't."

"Right." Cardin grunted and hefted his weapon. "Wait for us to meet you there. We may as well go in as seven." He spared a last look for Russel. "Or six and a half."

"Kay. See you there."

It took them the better part of four hours to reach the Xiao-Long house. They still made it there before Team RWBY, probably due to traffic in the more metropolitan areas. There was no sign of Taiyang Xiao-Long, but they'd all been shown where a spare key could be found – hidden behind a loose brick in a small wall next to a pile of wooden logs. Letting themselves in, they did what any self-respecting people would and quickly poked around the picture frames like gossipy hens, taking pictures of the pictures of Ruby and Yang as small children for purposes that began with B, ended with L and totally wasn't `Blackmail`.

When the girls returned, it was to find Team CRDL sitting prim and proper on the couches drinking tea, and with a boiled kettle before them, ready for the girls. Yang's eyes narrowed instantly.

"I don't know what you did, but I'll kick your ass if I find out." Her anger faded quickly as she looked over, grinned and said, "Nice haircut, Rus."

The boy sobbed.

"No news from your old man," Cardin said.

"There wouldn't be." Yang sat and poured herself some tea, while Blake took the other seat and Ruby the armrest. "Dad tends to push pretty deep when he's on a hunt. I imagine he'll not come back until tonight."

"We're just going to head in after him, then?"

"Might as well. Patch is pretty small and if the Grimm are hiding anywhere, it's in those forests and cliffs."

"In the short term, killing Grimm will reduce the chance of more incidents with the locals," Blake said. "But there has to be something that is causing this increased activity."

"Grimm are drawn by negativity," Sky pointed out. "Any big tragedies recently?"

"Not unless you count Russel's hair."

"Stop, I beg you!"

"But no," Yang said with a grin. "We asked around and Signal are stumped on that as well. There's the fact Vale was attacked, but that doesn't explain why there are more Grimm here. We – that's to say Blake – thinks they're being created somehow. Or drawn or smuggled in."

"Like the White Fang did? Makes sense." Cardin glanced out the window and checked the time. It was gone noon but wouldn't be dark for another five or six hours. "I guess we're looking for something out of the usual, then. Storage containers or something that is being used to actively summon the Grimm."

"How do you summon Grimm?" Dove asked.

"That's what we're going to find out," Yang said. "Come on, boys. If Dad finds the cause of this before we do, Ruby and I are never going to hear the end of it."

/-/

Winter Schnee looked down at her scroll and debated, not for the first time, if this wasn't a bad idea.

As all the times before, the answer was inconclusive. She'd been tricked or forced into assisting Jaune Arc with the General, but that had come out in Atlas' favour thanks to Arc's unusual generosity. The General wasn't best pleased by it of course; generosity implied they were in debt, and that was the last thing Atlas wanted. At least they'd gotten the Grimm figures to Beacon quickly. That would go some small way to alleviating the issue.

I'm stalling, she realised. Again.

How hard was it to knock on the door in front of her?

Winter looked down to her scroll again and read the message from Jaune Arc; the latest in a conversation between the two of them which, despite what her father may have thought, implied neither romance nor friendship. It was just that if she were being forced into helping him anyway, she might as well get something out of it.

"Weiss is reasonable," the message read. "Be frank with her. Tell her your fears and stop with all the round-about nonsense. You're only confusing things, and her."

It was galling that she would have to seek someone else's advice on how to approach her own sister, who had until recently admired and respected Winter's word above anyone else's. Times changed and people grew up, but Winter missed those days. If nothing else, Arc was a student counsellor for a while. Maybe he knows what would be best in this situation.

Taking a deep breath, Winter brought a hand up to the door.

And hesitated.

"What are you doing?" a calm voice behind her asked.

Winter Schnee did not jump. She did not flinch. She did not panic, startle or reach for her weapon. Anyone who claimed otherwise was obviously working for the enemy. Instead, she turned gracefully to look at her sister who was not within the room as expected, but who had instead come walking up behind her with a letter clutched in one hand.

"W-Weiss," Winter didn't stammer. "I did not hear you."

"Hm." Weiss looked to the door and back to her. "Were you looking for me? Or have you been standing outside my door for some other reason?"

Polite, but just impertinent enough to hint at some lingering frustration from her sister. It was enough to make Winter's temper raise but she clamped down on it, recalling another piece of advice from her reluctant pen-pal.

"Don't get angry. You're the one in the dog house on this one and you're the one trying to build bridges. Trust me, when my sisters were upset with me, the worst thing I could do was go to them and act like they were the ones at fault."

Logical enough. If annoying.

"I knocked," she lied. A white lie. "But there was no answer. I was simply waiting a moment to ensure you weren't busy or in the bathroom. I suppose your presence here explains it."

"I suppose it does." Weiss stepped forward and opened the door. "Would you like to come in?"

"Please."

The door was held open for her and Winter stepped through, only to be surprised by the presence of someone else in the room, Penny Polendina. The faux-girl was sat primly on Weiss' bed reading a book. It was one Winter recognised as having gifted Weiss with before.

Weiss recognised it too, evidently. "Penny!" she gasped, face red as she dashed forward to slap it out of the girl's hand. "Don't read that!"

"But Weiss, I had just gotten to the best part. The Shogun had just declared that any who wished to wed his daughter must prove their worth in bed. The hero-" Penny's account of the book came to a muffled end as Weiss covered her mouth with one hand and used her foot to nudge the book under the bed.

Winter did her best to pretend she hadn't seen it.

"We don't talk about that in public," Weiss hissed. "And why didn't you open the door for Winter when she knocked?"

Shaking her head free, Penny responded, "She did not knock."

A Schnee did not blush. It was simply warm in the room.

"Did you not hear it?"

"No, friend-Weiss. There was no knock. I sensed Winter Schnee's heat presence outside the door twenty-five minutes ago, but she did not once make a sound to announce her presence." Penny continued brightly, failing to note Winter's awkward expression or the way Weiss was looking to her, eyebrow raised. "I did hear her mumbling to herself, however. If you like, I can play back a recording of what was-"

"That will not be necessary," Winter said.

"Maybe later," Weiss countered. "Well, sister. It sounds like you've been waiting to see me for quite a while."

"You… could say that." Recalling her interactions with Arc, she stepped to a chair and sat down, adjusting her coat tails so that they didn't bunch beneath her. That the action bought her a few seconds to think was an irrelevant factor. "May we speak in private, Weiss?"

"Of course. Penny?"

The robotic girl nodded, reached up to her ears and then… twisted them upside down with a click.

Winter stared.

Weiss sighed. "Privacy, Penny. She meant you leaving the room."

"…" Penny smiled at them.

"Can you leave the room, Penny?"

"…" Penny smiled at them.

"Penny. Penny, hello? Hi? Can you hear me?"

"…" Penny smiled at them, and then spoke, "Are you talking to me, friend Weiss? I cannot hear you as I have turned my microphones off. Is this not privacy? Would it be better if I left the room?"

"Yes."

"…"

Weiss groaned. She nodded, very obviously.

"Okay. I understand. Can I borrow your erotica?"

"What!? No!"

"…" Penny smiled at them.

Angrily, Weiss growled and reached under her bed, drew the book out and threw it at Penny's face. The girl caught it easily and stepped out the room with a loud `thank you`. Before the door closed, Winter heard a passing student ask if there was something wrong with Penny's ears. She smiled at them and said nothing.

The door closed behind her.

"You've made an… interesting friend there, Weiss."

"Penny has her peculiarities," Weiss admitted, "But when it comes to the traits I value in friends, there are few like her."

Curious and seeing a chance to further the relaxed mood, Winter asked, "And what traits are those?"

"Loyalty for one."

"Ah." And there went the atmosphere. And her nerve. "I see." Coughing into one hand, she resisted the urge to draw out her scroll and ask Jaune Arc for advice. He would give her more of the same. Be honest. Be frank. Get to the point.

"You wished to talk to me, Winter. Why the silence?"

"I am considering what to say…"

"Would you like to go away and think on it, then come back later?" Weiss rolled her eyes. "I have nowhere else to be and you're no doubt watching my every move anyway. You'll know where to find me."

"That attitude is not required, sister."

"My apologies." Weiss' voice was cold. "I was under the impression I was something other than a prisoner."

A Schnee did not cringe. Winter did. Her back straightened and she sucked in breath through her teeth, her stomach clenching as her fears were confirmed. "I see." Never before had she felt so lost; an unusual and unpleasant sensation for someone who sought control and stability as she. "I cannot say I…" She cut off with a sigh. "It was not my intent to make you feel like one…"

"What was your intent in keeping me here, then?"

"The security of Beacon is compromised."

"Your personal crusade against the Headmaster?"

"He is not-"

"Atlas may not recognise him as headmaster, but I do."

"You are from Atlas."

"That can change."

It was like a slap for her. Winter recoiled and leaned back, eyes growing uncharacteristically wide. Weiss would not be able to accomplish what she suggested yet, but if she left the Schnee family, she could emancipate herself and choose to leave Atlas. At which point, they really would have to make her a prisoner to have any pretence of keeping her.

"The situation in Vale is not safe," she tried again, "And not solely because of Jaune Arc. Beacon is in disrepair, Grimm activity has increased and we – that is to say Arc, Ironwood and I – worry that there is more to it. The Kingdom of Vale is in danger."

"All the more reason for me to be back with my team."

"Weiss, you do not understand-"

"Evidently, I do not. Was there anything else, Winter, or did you come to waste your time as well as mine?"

Winter hissed. This was going worse than she'd ever expected. This had been a bad idea, she knew that. Desperately, she looked for a way to save the meeting and come away something, anything, that might alleviate the hole in her stomach. Her eyes darted to one of the other books coming out from under Weiss' bed, and while she wasn't foolish enough to grasp onto erotica as a point of conversation, it was enough to remind her of Arc's advice. Be simple. Get to the point.

"Do you hate me, Weiss?"

She hated how weak the question sounded, how fragile it made her seem. But it did earn a shocked expression from Weiss and an end to the vitriol which was, she supposed a net positive.

"Winter, what-? Why?"

"You are angry at me," she said. "And rightfully so, perhaps. I want to know if you hate me and if I have lost any chance to have you consider me your sister again. I want to know if our relationship can be saved, or if I have failed you so grandly that you would rather not speak to me again." Her lips tightened and her eyes closed. "If that is your wish, I can-"

"No. No, I don't hate you."

Winter dared to look up. "Weiss?"

"Was I ever this bad?" Weiss asked. "Was I ever so unaware as to think every slight is aimed at me? Or is it arrogance? Did Ruby have to put up with this from me?" She sighed. "The worst part is that I can't deny that as easily as I'd like. Is it Atlas that did this to us, or life in the Schnee manor? Is that why we're all so messed up?"

Knowing the questions were rhetorical, Winter kept her silence.

"No, Winter," Weiss eventually said. "I don't hate you. I hate my current situation and that makes me angry and, unfortunately, you are an impediment to my situation improving." Her eyes, so sharp, like their father's, pierced into Winter's. "I am angry at you. Angry, upset and frustrated. But I do not hate you and the suggestion that I would cast aside seventeen years of us being sisters over this is frankly insulting."

"I apologise-"

"No. Don't. I'm beginning to see that's more a failing in father's treatment of us than something you did intentionally."

Winter's shoulders relaxed. It wasn't the best news, but it was so much more than what she'd expected. Enough that she felt confident enough to speak. "I'd like to answer your earlier question more honestly."

Weiss seemed curious. "Which?"

"The one where you asked my reason for wishing to keep you here."

Contrary to Arc's advice, she had beaten around the bush again and given Weiss the official PR-mandated reasons. Arguments that might distract or satisfy uninvolved media but would do nothing more than make Weiss feel like no one was taking her seriously. Little wonder he'd advised her to get to the point.

"The main reason is concern," she admitted. "I know you're capable, Weiss. You're a strong huntress with a glowing record. But so was Ozpin and so were so many at Beacon and Vale that fell. In the aftermath of that, I could not help but worry for you. I wanted to keep you safe. It was a selfish desire, I realise, but I will not lie and say it is not there."

"I'm not a child anymore, Winter."

"No. But you are still my sister and I care for you."

Weiss remained silent. Though, for once, it felt like it was not her on the back foot. There was something to this bluntness, she decided. It was crude and inelegant, but it didn't half get things out of the way and into the open.

"I understand." Weiss frowned. "I don't like it, but I understand. And that's not my agreement to let it stand, either. I want to return to Beacon. I will return to Beacon."

"And I will do my best to stop you until Beacon is safe. Not because I am following orders from General Ironwood or father, but because I do not wish to lose you."

"Ugh. As you will, sister."

Sister. It was a small thing, but it was what Weiss had always called her before. Lately, it had been `Winter`. The return to the norm brought a fledgling smile to her face. They weren't there yet, but it was close. It was a step in the right direction.

"I should leave you to your letter, then. Where is it from?"

Weiss met her gaze firmly. "Beacon."

The letter was white and sealed with the Schnee crest. Father would not have passed it on so that left… Whitley? What game was he playing now? No matter. Orders were that any mail from Beacon to Weiss was to be inspected beforehand. Winter's fingers itched to reach for and take it.

But she didn't.

"I'm glad you are keeping in touch with your friends."

"Hm." Weiss relaxed. Smiled, as the tension left her. "They're idiots, but they're my idiots."

"I feel the same way about the various squads I have been on." Winter stood and made her way to the door. It would come back to bite her, ignoring this, but she had a feeling it would be worth it. "I'll leave you to it."

As she reached the door, Weiss called out. "Winter?"

"Yes?"

"No."

"Excuse me?" Winter looked back.

"In answer to your question." Weiss was looking the other way, opening her letter and showing her back. "It's not too late between us. Not over this."

Winter smiled. "Thank you, Weiss. I appreciate that."

Aww. Now kiss and make out!

Speaking of…

Omake:

Jaune arrived back in his dorm in time to see Neo poking a stick of celery through the bars of the cage, which the Nevermore for some reason chose to nibble on. Maybe it was bored. Wait, could Grimm be bored? They were mindless. Why was it acting like a bird at all? He watched for a few seconds before dismissing it as Neo's madness infecting the Grimm. Whether that would be better or worse for humanity was up in the air, but he was too tired to deal with it.

Pulling his jacket off, he tossed it onto the back of a chair and laid back on his bed, taking the weight off his feet for the first time in what felt like hours. The mattress pushed down beside him as Neo sat on the edge, grinning down at him with that `I know something you don't` expression of hers.

"What?"

Neo pointed to the bird – the Nevermore, he reminded himself – and then at him.

"What about us?"

Neo pointed again, then to her, then to the room and smiled brightly. She then reached under the bed and brought out a neatly wrapped box with wrapping paper on it. This, she presented to him.

"It's not my birthday…"

More pointing at the bird, her, him and the room.

"The bird is my gift? Can I refund it?"

Neo stomped her foot and pushed the gift into his hands.

Getting the idea that he was supposed to open it, Jaune sat up and took the box, laid it in his lap and began to peel away the hastily-wrapped paper. He tossed it beside the bed to deal with later and tore into it, urged on by Neo's impatient nudging. "It's a box," he said. "Wow. Just what I always wanted."

Neo huffed silently.

"Okay, I was only teasing." Curious despite himself, he opened the box up, striping the tape back. It felt light. Very light. "Hm. What the-?" It opened. Inside was a single slip of paper about as big as his hand. On it, a message, which he read aloud. "This is your gift for letting me keep the bird."

He blinked.

"What do you mean this is the gi-" Neo's clothes shattered in mirror light. "iiiiiiiiiiiii-" His eyes trailed down. "-iiiiiiiii-" The box was pushed out of his hands. "-iiiiiiii-"

Neo clamped her hand over his mouth.

His eyes stared into hers, wide, afraid and undeniably turned on.

"Is there any way I'm misreading this?" he whispered past her fingers.

Neo considered the question, then grinned.

She tackled him a second later.

As the sounds of furious grunting, tearing of clothes and squeaking springs echoed about the room, the Nevermore in the cage tilted its head to the side.

/-/

Far away in the Grimmlands, Salem sighed and looked down into her Seer, ready to do the day's spying on the largest problem in Remnant currently. Her hands touched the Seer and the image grew clearer, depicting the scene that the Nevermore was witnessing.

Squeak. Squeak. Squeak. Crack.

Wood shattered and the bed fell to one side. The occupants didn't notice. Or stop.

Salem's head tilted slowly to the side.

"Salem!" Cinder gasped, bursting into the chamber and rushing over. "I have news from-" Cinder reached her side and saw what she saw. "News from… news from…"

Cinder's head tilted slowly to the side.

Yeah. I went there.

Next Chapter: 9th May

P a treon . com (slash) Coeur