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Chapter 152: Bittersweet

Ruby supposed that the one benefit of the amount of sleepless nights she'd suffered from of late was the number of truly beautiful sunrises she had been awake to witness.

It had been over a month since the battle in which New Vale had been brought to the brink of annihilation and she had come face to face with Salem herself, only to find her previously unrivalled powers utterly inadequate against the revived Queen of the Grimm and in those weeks she had found herself jolted awake with a panicked cry or quickly muffled scream on her lips more times than she cared to admit. The latest such nightmare had woken her before the sun rose this morning, memories of the battle leaving her gingerly touching her scarred and wounded face as she silently dressed herself and slunk out of the house; naturally she had no intention of waking the twins at such an unwelcome hour and likewise whilst Penny could function on far less rest she did enjoy powering down and partaking in her equivalent to sleep, if only to feel more human so Ruby had let her be. She had pulled her hood low over her face before silently exiting her home and departing for her favourite vantage point to watch the sunrise; the currently incomplete spire of what would one day be Menageries' very own Hunter Academy, the unfinished building providing a spectacular view of all of Port Alistair and the ocean that it bordered from where she could watch the sky gradually lighten and change colour in a display that, if only for a moment allowed her to forget that she was viewing it through a right eye that was now a cybernetic implant, faintly glowing and with metallic surfaces visibly peeking out from flesh that had been slashed to the bone to leave a ragged diagonal scar running from the centre of Ruby's forehead to her right cheek, level with the corner of her mouth.

The moment was fleeting and over far too soon, Ruby had debated heading out beyond the borders of the settlement to patrol for Grimm or simply to train, only to find her desire to do either utterly sapped by the first signs of life from the port city below her; the sight of its' citizens leaving their homes to begin their day sending her retreating back towards her home and doing so at a laughably slow pace that she was frankly unaccustomed to, using her Semblance to return to the ground but simply walking the rest of the way. Upon returning home the Silver Eyed Warrior had sought to salvage something of her good mood and had initially considered making breakfast for the twins but had realised that it was still too early, instead making the critical mistake of turning on the television and being reminded that even the pretence of normality had been taken from her.

Remnant knew everything.

She supposed that wasn't precisely true, there were details such as the fact that Penny was an android that were not yet public knowledge but, in Ruby's mind at least the damage had been done all the same. Ren, along with Qrow, Winter and the heads of the other Academies had revealed the truth about Salem and the nature of the war against the Grimm to all of Remnant; which had in turn necessitated revealing the truth about Ruby's own battle against the Queen of Grimm that had provided twenty years of peace and stability along with the Maidens and the complicity of several well respected Hunters in keeping such important secrets.

With so much rebuilding to be done in New Vale and some new horror being revealed every day, combined with speculation on what the lack of activity from Salem could mean and the press hounding those students from Atlas, Shade and Haven who had been in New Vale for the Vytal Tournament for interviews Ruby's story was no longer the breaking news that it had been for the first few weeks, yet still the caped Huntress had managed to turn on the television at the exact moment she was being discussed by the hosts of an early morning talk-show; though thankfully she managed to hit the mute button before she had to listen to their words which would likely have caused her to deploy Crescent Rose.

All she had ever wanted to do was help people and none of them understood.

She could understand the scorn that she had been subjected to, she would be a hypocrite if she didn't after the way she had reacted to Qrow keeping secrets from her and could accept some of the anger that was being directed at her on a daily basis in the media, both for hiding the truth and simply for failing to properly dispose of Salem properly the first time but what Ruby could truly not begin to understand were the insinuations that she had somehow planned for this; as ludicrous as it was for every stalwart believer who declared that Ruby and those she had worked alongside had acted with the best intentions there were twice as many who believed that this was all some sort of grand conspiracy and that Ruby and Salem were two parts of some greater whole.

Mercifully a distraction came in the sound of creaking on the stairway behind her which caused Ruby to turn around and lean over the sofa and see both Tai Jaune and Summer-Pyrrha staring at her with eyes that mirrored her own and nervous expressions, behind them was Nickel whom the twins had obviously woken who wore a dressing gown and an annoyed scowl.

"Morning" Ruby mumbled, managing a weak smile that she supposed must have made her look even more pathetic judging by the way her children rushed towards her and hugged her tightly with the worried looks never leaving their faces

"Are you having bad dreams again?" TJ asked gently and Ruby simply stroked his hair, the tender moment being intruded upon by Nickel's irritable tones.

"Watching this trash isn't doing you any favours" Ruby turned towards the android who simply continued speaking, albeit in a more gentle tone "I'll deal with breakfast, go get some sleep….or at least talk to Penny" the former legend watched Nickel fiddle with the new friendship bracelet adorning her wrist and smiled, despite her snappishness the once murderous android had made undeniable process

"What about you?" Ruby asked quietly "Are you okay?" New Vale had been hard on them both and Ruby could not begin to imagine the trauma that returning from the dead would cause yet Nickel had been silent on the matter whenever Penny had tried to talk to her about the experience that they now shared.

"Not happy about being awake" Nickel simply grumbled "We live in the most humid place on Remnant and I just got skin a month ago, it's not comfortable" Ruby couldn't help but chuckle at that statement and rose from the sofa, leaving the twins with Nickel whom they had come to embrace as a mix of older sibling and cousin as she trudged up the stairs, removing her boots and cape as she went and slipping back into her bedroom to find a welcome and familiar smile and pair of green eyes waiting for her.

"Salutations" Penny gave a lopsided smile "As I understand, disappearing first thing in the morning without leaving a note is usually a bad sign" Ruby snorted, understanding the joke for what it was and flopping gracelessly down beside her wife, who in turn rolled onto her side to drape an arm across Ruby's waist.

"Sorry for not leaving a note, I just didn't want to…." Ruby found herself trailing off, everything that she wanted to say seeming inconsequential until Penny nuzzled into her and tightened her grip as she whispered

"You're doing sensational Ruby"

"Thank you" Ruby felt the first sting of tears filling her remaining eye as buried her face in Penny's neck "I just don't know if I can still be a Hunter….I don't know if Remnant wants me as a hero"

Arctus yawned and stretched as he padded slowly through the vast corridors of Schnee Manor, his normally bright blue eyes bleary with a lack of sleep as he regarded the several large portraits and framed photographs that lined his path; there several that he was absent from and truthfully hadn't noticed before which displayed his sisters and the Bear Faunus found himself smiling at the pictures which showed just how much Athena-Jade had grown over the last few years and the few which showed Coral, who had truly become part of the family only for that smile to falter just a little as he realised that after today he was not sure when he would next see the Manor. He quickly decided that there was no time for such negative thoughts and pushed them aside, continuing through the halls until he reached the double doors that led to the dining room and pushing them open.

Only for a meaty paw to collide with his shoulder with enough force to buckle his knees before pulling him into a hug, which Arctus managed to return a moment later once his mind had processed what was happening

"Hey Dad" he smiled "You're not at work?" unlike Halo Academy in New Vale Atlas Academy had remained open and it though Gangrel spent far more time at home now it was still unusual for him to be present so late in the morning.

"Booked it off" Gangrel grinned, slapping his sons' back as he led him towards the sizeable dining room table "Come on you didn't really think I was gonna miss this did you?"

"We're all so proud of you" Weiss added, smiling brightly from where she sat opposite both Athena-Jade and Coral, the older of the two girls chiming in with a grin of her own

"Besides, we actually get to go to a Hunter Academy; this is gonna be so cool"

"Apply while you're there, they might let you in early" Arctus chuckled, ruffling Athena's hair as he sat down and began piling food onto his plate despite the fact that his stomach seemed determined to tie itself in knots at the thought of why he was being congratulated and why his family would soon be boarding one the few passenger flights headed for New Vale as the Kingdom continued to heal and rebuild in the wake of the unspeakable damage it had received.

He was graduating early.

Lie Ren, now Headmaster had made the decision only days after taking his new office with the reasoning that the academy would be closed at least until the beginning of the next semester and it would be far more productive for those students who had only a few months as students left to be allowed to become fully qualified Hunters rather than returning and repeating classes; he had also argued to New Vale's ruling Council that considering what New Vale had been subjected to in recent years and how often its' students had been called upon to aid in the cities' defence it would be dishonest and downright offensive to deny that they had earned their licenses at this point and so, Team FADE along with their classmates would soon be fully fledged Hunters with their vast experience taking the place of passing the licensing exam. For his part Arctus felt as many of the others did, the fourth year students discussing these developments in Scroll calls to one another all across Remnant and coming to the consensus that whilst they wished that the circumstances were better and that they could be graduating at the same time as their counterparts from the other academies, they were all happy to have finally achieved what they had spent the last four years working towards.

"Where's everybody else?" Arctus asked before tucking into an amount of bacon that could be described as either impressive or regrettable, whilst it was rare for the whole family to be present at once simply due to how busy they were the fact remained that the Schnee family as a whole did call the manor home.

"Grandpa Bjorn sends you his best wishes" Weiss assured him, a smile tugging at her lips at the mention of Gangrel's father "And Whitley wanted to join us but a had a meeting that he needed to intend….no doubt he will drive especially ruthless bargains in retaliation"

"Winter is busy, since the truth came out she's barely had chance to rest….thank Oum I'm just teaching now, my students know better than to ask too many questions" Gangrel grunted "Still, she did say she'd try and call later though"

"I get it" Arctus assured them, all to familiar with how busy his families' lives were and having no ill will towards any of them for it; looking around the table again he couldn't help but cock his head slightly as he asked "Is Jade still in bed?"

"I haven't checked" Weiss admitted "She still wants some space" Arctus was concerned but decided that there was currently nothing that could be done; the former Spring Maiden had been, by her own admission a mess since coming the manor. Jade had lived in her own timelines' equivalent to Schnee Manor and had countless memories tied to the place which, combined with Weiss and Gangrel's unintentional smothering of the Faunus who reminded them so much of the Jade they had despite their best efforts to give her some distance and the general shock of everything that had happened to her and uprooted her life had left her veering wildly between excitable and talkative, sullen and brooding and occasionally explosively angry; fortunately Coral and Athena-Jade were simply impossible to deter and had managed to form something of a bond with the displaced Reindeer Faunus despite her best efforts to stop them, which was almost certainly what caused Coral to speak up at that moment, pincers clacking nervously as she did so

"Jade said she didn't want to come to the graduation….she said she doesn't belong there, she isn't family" the entire table visibly winced at that comment, certain that it was something Jade had not intended to be repeated. Arctus responded by piling food onto a second plate and rising from his seat

"I'm gonna go talk to her" he said simply, both Arctus and Gangrel nodded and were silently thankful, both of them had been honestly unsure of how to deal with Jade considering that she was in truth little more than a lodger. Weiss regarded the sweatpants and tank-top that her son had worn down to breakfast and gave a resigned sigh before commenting

"And do get dressed in some real clothes, unless you want to graduate in those?"

"I was planning on wearing these I think I look great" Arctus shot back with a playful grin, realising as he left the dining room that the joke was exactly the sort that Diamond would have made and felt his heart skip a beat as his eyes wandered to the engagement ring on his finger; returning to New Vale meant that he would see his fiancée, partner and best friend in person again after weeks of video-calling until the early hours of the morning and that thought alone was enough to fill him with fresh energy.

Until something tugging at his tank-top caused him to stop

"How the hell do you creep around like that squirt" Arctus murmured as he turned to face Athena-Jade, whom he had honestly not heard following him; only for his smile to flicker as he saw his now eleven year old sisters' downcast eyes and obvious worry "You okay?"

"Promise you're gonna come back"

"What?" Arctus was lost until Athena glared at him with eyes that matched his own and were filled with as much defiance as she could muster

"You suck, you know that?" she snapped "I told you when you first went to New Vale that I didn't want you go and all you do is get yourself hurt or go missing and one day you're not gonna come back you jerk….I hate it"

"Come on, that's not 'all' I do" Arctus attempted to lighten the mood only to realise that it was a futile effort and instead he set down the plates he was carrying and pulled his sister into a tight hug

"Hey, look at me, look at me. I'm okay….Things are gonna be fine"

"But you're just gonna go to New Vale and stay there aren't you" the younger Faunus mumbled, tears spilling as she finally admitted "I'm gonna miss you, you only just came back"

"I miss you too, that's why I'll message you every day and send you pictures from all the cool missions Team FADE are gonna go on. Pinky promise" he pulled back and held out his little finger which Athena gripped with her own

"Promise you're not gonna get hurt or get lost again?"

"Promise" Arctus repeated "Besides, I can't die anyway….you're gonna be studying at one of the Academies soon and I've gotta take your team on a mission one day"

"Really?" his sisters' eyes seemed to light up and he couldn't help but reply with a teasing tone

"Of course...I've gotta get payback for all the times you've been a pest, I'm gonna put in the reports that you slept on the job and ran away from the Grimm"

"Ugh" Athena glowered at him as she muttered softly but with feeling "You suck, you suck so bad, you are the suckiest" Arctus laughed and didn't bother to dispute the claim.

The morning sun hung in the air over the island of Patch and Felix Xiao Long let out a breathless gasp and the frame of his bed audibly creaked as his hips bucked and jerked almost out of his control until he finally came to a stop, struggling to catch his breath despite the sensation of Helios teasing his already overstimulated nerves, nipping at his hipbones and kissing a slow, lazy trail up the Lion Faunus's chest before kissing his neck and grazing the skin there with his teeth; pulling back just long enough for the two men to share a loving and lust filled glance before Helios pinned Felix's wrists down.

And was promptly interrupted by a thundering impact against the bedroom door

"Are you fucking serious Corey?" Felix demanded, recognising the knock as coming from his sister.

"Come on, wake up you can't spend all morning fucking today!" Corvid announced as she barged into the bedroom, evidently deciding that enough warning had been given and wearing a devilish smirk that the faintly flickering glow of her cybernetic left eye and the scars that Pantheon had left across her face did little to detract from; she wore her usual flight-suit though the upper half was unfastened and tied around her waist whilst a tank-top revealed her lean but toned arms and shoulders

"Come on man" she insisted "Blake and Yang are practically vibrating with excitement and I didn't take the day off for you two to make us late" her enthusiasm in the mornings was honestly insufferable, especially considering what she had interrupted and whilst Helios let out a wordless sound of annoyance Felix reached out and blindly grasped for anything he could find on his bedside table and growled out a warning

"First thing I reach is what I'm throwing at you"

"I hope it's your Scroll" Corvid shot back, sticking her tongue out before slipping back out of the bedroom before Felix could make good on his threat, leaving him and Helios to melt into each other again for a few more seconds before the Lion Faunus let out a defeated sigh

"We probably should get up" he admitted, kissing Helios briefly on the lips "Love you" with that he and the scarred and tattooed redhead clambered out of the bed they now shared and began dressing themselves, both deciding to shower after breakfast though Felix made sure to thoroughly spray them both and the room as a whole with deodorant as he had no intention of greeting his mothers smelling of fresh sex, especially not when one of them shared his sensitive Faunus sense of smell.

Only moments later both Felix and Helios were wandering into the combined kitchen and dining room of the Xiao Long family home which was filled with the smell of food and was currently a little crowded as Corvid leaned back on a chair as she fiddled with her Scroll, Felix assuming that she was either texting Onyx about things that the Lion Faunus would rather not know about or any of her team-mates about work, Team CLIR's vacant spot on the mission they had left to return to New Vale had been filled by other Hunters out of necessity though there were no hard feelings between Team CLIR and their former employers who had wrote them glowing letters of recommendation, currently however they were one of the many teams working alongside repair and recovery teams working throughout New Vale. Yang was cooking and Helios quickly and without prompting made his way over to help her, a habit that never failed to put a smile on the blonde woman's face. Blake was clearing away several toolboxes, greasy rags and other oddments that Felix glanced sheepishly at; as a general rule such things were supposed to be kept in the garage but in a family of Hunters where three of the residents had cybernetic body parts and two motorbikes as well as an occasional Bull-Head transport needed to be maintained and repaired along with weapons and equipment it was inevitable that something would always be out of place; the felines' ears twitched almost the moment Felix entered the kitchen however and she whirled around and pulled her son into a crushing embrace

"I can't believe that you're graduating" she whispered shakily into his ear "Where did the time go Fluffy"

"I think I spent half of it in the medical wing" he replied with a nonchalant shrug and a chuckle, earning himself a playful swat from his mother whom he quickly helped move the remainder of the tools and cleared the table just as Yang brought over the first plates of a breakfast that would leave them full for most of the day, though the well stacked plates were not what Felix noticed first

"Not painting the arm?" he asked, Yang's new cybernetic limb had remained the same pristine chrome that it had been when Poly-Tech supplied it.

"Not until I'm done working on it" she answered "You and Corey might have to give me a….'hand' though"

"'Eye' would be happy to help" Corvid cut in, gesturing to her own prosthetic and drawing an almost pained groan from Felix who flopped dramatically onto the table upon hearing the pun.

"Okay all jokes aside" Blake interjected, despite wearing a soft smile as she watched her family "Tai is gonna be here in a couple of hours and we're all heading to the docks, Helios we're meeting the Angoras there right?"

"We are" Helios nodded "And the rest of Team NEON will meet us at the Academy

"Same with Team FADE" Felix added "Everyone else is flying in so they're probably meeting up at the terminals and Myrtle and Astra are gonna be at the Academy as well"

"I still can't believe this is happening" Yang breathed out, echoing Blake's earlier sentiment "It still feels like it was only last week I was teaching you the basics and proper form….but honestly, with everything you've gone through and everything you've done you're gonna do great. You too Corey, I'm so proud of both of you" she reached across the table and gave both of her children loose hugs before wiping her eyes, determined not too become so emotional that she cried at least until they were actually at Halo Academy and the graduation had started.

"Thanks Mum" Felix managed to choke out, wolfing down food as though it would help with the sudden lump in his throat; he found his mind racing as he realised that in a few short hours he would be a fully qualified Hunter and would be leading a team in the real world, away from trivialities such as grades and exams and although he had done far more to earn his credentials than many who graduated he still found the prospect of the uncertain future more than a little daunting

So the distraction Corvid presented was more than welcome

"Hey Fluffy, if we've got a few hours….you wanna go clear some Grim out of the woods, one last time for old times' sake?" his expression went through several phases as he processed the question, first amused that she would suggest it and then frowning at the connotations before finally settling on a grin as he answered.

"Don't call it one last time and I'm in" Corvid's grin matched his own and she found that she couldn't argue with that, Blake and Yang merely shared glances and silently shook their heads at their children's antics.

Eagle stepped out of the limousine and stretched, noting to herself that she probably shouldn't have worn her sleeveless leather jacket as despite how cool she believed it made her look it did little to protect her from the biting chill in the Atlesian air.

Upon returning to the timeline that she called home Eagle, along with Arctus had answered as many questions as she could from both Qrow and General Winter Schnee, with her father struggling to maintain any pretence of composure the entire time and from there she had soon returned to her Grandparents home in a small farming settlement beyond the city of New Vale; she had soon travelled to the icy Kingdom of Atlas however and spent over a month there, reconnecting with her mother and on several occasions having to promise the undisputed genius that she was in fact back from the alternate Remnant she had been stranded in. The truth about there being an infinite number of parallel timelines had been kept secret from the public who were still reeling from the news that Salem had returned and was in fact that manifestation of Grimm Hive Minds' higher intelligence who had been combated with ancient magic; Eagle admitted that it was probably for the best and had joked in private that should it become public knowledge her mother would devote all of Poly-Techs' resources to sealing any possible way between the various versions of Remnant. She had also visited Arctus several times, been wowed by the sheer size of Schnee Manor, gotten properly acquainted with his sisters and explored Atlas's capital more thoroughly than they had during their time as transfer students in their Second Year all whilst commiserating over their shared experiences and lamenting how much they missed their girlfriends.

She realised that she would likely soon see the Bear Faunus again as her time in Atlas was at an end.

"I'm really sorry I can't be there" Antonia Arc sighed regretfully as she climbed out of the company limousine that she had provided for the trip to the airship terminal, the massive structure looming over them having been carved and built into the side of one of the massive mountains' within which Eisenstadt Prime, Atlas's Capital city was housed. Eagle's own car currently still residing in New Vale

"I should be there to see you graduate" she continued "What kind of parent-"

"Mum it's fine" Eagle assured her gently, stepping around the back of the car and pulling her mother into a hug "You're exactly where you need to be….I'm not angry, I promise"

Antonia met her daughters eyes, the deep crimson that she had inherited from her father and saw that she was telling the truth; Eagle's relationship with her parents would always be a complicated one and there were many, many things that she could rightfully be angry at her parents for that she had simply decided to move past and held absolutely no bitterness over. Antonia was ashamed of adding yet another item to her long list of shortcomings as a parent and greatly wanted to see Eagle graduate in person but the fact remained that New Vale, the Kingdom she had been born and raised in was in ruins and there were countless injured which meant that Poly-Tech needed every available asset working around the clock to provide the sheer volume of prosthetics, robotic drones and other equipment and simple expertise that what was needed for the task at hand and Antonia's own intellect was no exception; which Eagle had understood and accepted, quoting the old family maxim that 'Arcs defend what's important'.

"Promise me you're going to stay safe?" Antonia finally breathed out, almost pleading

"I promise I won't get stranded in a parallel universe again….because really, what are the odds?" Eagle noted with a grin

"And Dad has already promised he's gonna record the whole ceremony, if you call him he might be able to stream it for you"

"I'd like that….tell that dusty old bird to take care of himself as well"

"Will do Mum and hopefully I'll be able to visit again soon" Eagle replied with that she opened the trunk of the limousine and removed her suitcases only for the smile to slip from her face as she reached over her shoulder to grab something from her back that simply wasn't there any more.

She had intended to deploy Sentinel and have the droid tow her luggage behind her as she walked, the way she often did but Sentinel was gone; destroyed entirely and consumed by Caliginous Null in a hellish mirror of Remnant that Eagle wished never to return to.

"I know it won't be the same, you put years into Sentinel….Your Grandparents used to send me photos of you asleep at the workbench, face half covered in grease and oil; but you'll build a new droid" Antonia wore a tender expression, realising why Eagle had seemed to suddenly deflate and shrink in on herself before a proud smile formed on her face as she added "I saw you were sketching some new designs, naturally I didn't peek"

"Yeah but it's probably gonna be years before it's ready" Eagle sighed, not quite wanting to admit that whilst she had indeed spent several nights working on the beginnings of a new Sentinel, completely overhauling the design of her previous companion and making it something else she had also spent just as many nights talking to Hellion until the early hours of the morning when one of them inevitably fell asleep whilst still in the call.

"Well whatever you need in terms of resources Poly-Tech will pay for it-"

"Mum you can't-"

"And it's not just because you're my daughter" Antonia's voice suddenly became stern "It's because you earned it, whatever the vultures in the media and the conspiracies theorists that live in basements think you and your team are heroes, Remnant owes you a debt whether they want to pay or acknowledge it or not. Anything you need Eagle, Poly-Tech will have it made for you, at no cost"

"Thanks Mum" Eagle smiled "It really means a lot" and with that the two shared on last brief hug before Eagle turned and began walking towards the airship terminal where her future was waiting for her.

She would return to New Vale and graduate and whilst she was unsure what would come after, she was sure that it would be an adventure that put her childhood stories to shame.

"Honestly the place doesn't look so bad….a fresh coat of paint and it'll be fine, I don't get what all the fuss is about" a voice that couldn't help but sound a little mocking, even when speaker was being far more sincere then they were at that moment observed; the speaker running a hand through shaggy grey hair as they spoke

"I will actually pay you to stop talking" the woman beside him drawled, rolling cherry red eyes and flicking a strand of her mint green hair aside as she deftly dipped into the mans' pocket and proceeded to remove his wallet which she then waved in front of his face as though it were an enticing treat; the smile she wore throughout the entire exchange belying her true feelings on the matter.

"You're both dorks, y'know that right?" Diamond observed as she watched her parents antics, mirroring her mothers' eye-roll as Emerald Sustrai simply turned and stuck her tongue out at her in a display of the usual playful bickering that Diamond and her parents often engaged in; Mercury simply shrugged and gave a cocky wink and smirk, gesturing to Emerald as he answered

"She wants me"

"I could have gone my whole life without hearing you say that Dad" Diamond forced the words out through clenched teeth

"Oh like we've never seen you swoon over that giant teddy bear you're dating" Mercury shot back, smirk only widening whilst Diamond merely shook her head and sighed in faux disdain before sitting herself on her suitcase despite the amount of seating available in the uncommonly empty airship terminal. The three of them had been here for almost an hour now and had seen very few people as they waited, the limited amount of flights entering and leaving the Kingdom of New Vale as a whole largely being rerouted to other settlements had left normally bustling cross-Kingdom terminal almost empty and Diamond's parents would likely have stood out in any case in their current choice of clothing; Diamond had stressed to them both that her graduation ceremony was not, despite the name a formal event and graduating students almost always wore their combat gear, Emerald and Mercury had promptly disregarded this information and assured their daughter that they would be treating the event as though it were the most exclusive and formal event of Remnant and as such her Mercury was currently wearing a three piece suit and Emerald sported a black dress. Diamond had also heard some joking comments exchanged between her parents about reliving the Beacon dance where they had officially started dating over twenty years ago and had fought the almost overwhelming temptation to tease them both, deciding that he fact her parents still obviously loved each other so much was not to be made fun of.

"The flight from Atlas has landed, they should be here any minute now" Emerald noted, causing Diamond's head to snap towards a digital noticeboard and frantically scan its' contents until she saw that her mother was right and promptly rise to her feet, removing her hoodie and throwing it over one shoulder as she set off; her cybernetic arm had been polished and armour plates that had been damaged had been replaced though she had decided against painting the limb the way Felix and his mother had, her engagement ring gleamed under the stark overhead lighting and her face morphed into an almost comically broad smile as her heart began to thunder in her chest, heavier with each step she took until she finally saw a familiar crowd of people.

"Hey" Arctus was at the front of the crowd and Diamond bolted towards him, luggage forgotten as she launched herself at the Bear Faunus and threw her arms around his shoulders, legs locked around his waist as he held her aloft and she kissed him deeply without a care in the world for anyone who may be watching, the embrace lasting for several seconds until eventually the silver haired sniper returned to the ground but still kept her arms around Arctus's shoulders as she leaned into him

"Hey" she murmured

"I missed you too" he replied with a warm smile, the two of them seeming to forget the world for a moment until the sound of a throat being aggressively cleared reminded them that they were not alone, the fact that it had been Eagle of all people to interrupt them being surprising enough to get a few laughs, not least of all from Athena-Jade and Coral whom Diamond promptly greeted with great enthusiasm whilst reaching out with her mechanical arm to bump fists with Eagle.

Whilst this was happening Mercury and Emerald joined the group, Arctus and Diamond's fathers making beelines for each other despite being warned by their wives in the bluntest imaginable terms to be on their best behaviour; the former White Fang member and the former mercenary stared at each other in silence for a moment as they considered the animosity between them that had never quite faded.

"So….apparently I'm gonna have you as a brother in law" Gangrel noted gruffly, the claws of his freshly repaired cybernetic arm flexing slightly

"Only if you're still alive by then" Mercury chuckled darkly, the atmosphere seeming to crackle around them until the towering Bear Faunus finally gave a toothy grin

"I'd tell you to take your best shot Merc, I really would but I like Diamond; she shouldn't have to see that"

"I suppose your son isn't as much of an idiot as he could be" Mercury noted before holding out a hand, the two men suddenly bursting out laughing as they shook hands whilst Weiss and Diamond glanced at each other and shared knowing looks and the three members of Team FADE shook their heads whilst Athena-Jade and Coral simply looked confused

"What just happened?" Athena asked

"Our Dads are idiots" Diamond answered simply before turning her attention towards the two men "Are you two done trying to out macho each other like you're still eighteen? We've got places to be"

"Yes ma'am!" Mercury snapped to attention and Gangrel snapped off a lazy salute, the display only serving to make their families let out a collective sigh before Diamond turned on her heel and led the way towards the exit, Arctus falling into step beside her and taking her hand in his with Eagle joining them a moment later

"Would you have this any other way?" Arctus grinned, motioning over his shoulder to their families, Diamond considered for a moment and smirked

"Nope, they're dorks but they're out dorks"

Ruby had been sat alone in her room with the curtains drawn when Penny had joined her. In truth the Silver Eyed Warrior knew that she was struggling and that she was suffering yet was not sure who to ask for help, especially when at least to her all of her problems seemed so small and inconsequential in comparison to threat of Salem's next attack that loomed over them all. The latest blow to her self-esteem and mental state had come in the form of one of her many corporate sponsors; whilst she was far from interested in being rich the fact remained that Ruby's name and likeness could be found tied to dozens of companies and products all across Remnant and the Lien that those contracts provided allowed her to not only provide for her children but also to take on work for far less than most other Hunters, often serving communities on the fringes of the Kingdoms who were both too poor to pay for Hunters and lacked any funding for protection from their ruling Council. Ever since the truth about Salem had been made public and the media had given a platform to seemingly every hateful voice they could find many of Ruby's sponsors had severed their ties with her, another such instance occurring only an hour ago sending her to her room to try and process the situation.

"I'm fine" she offered a bright smile to Penny who gazed at her in open concern "Seriously it's nothing….as long as we don't loose the cookie sponsorship we're good right?" the smile looked more pained than anything else as it failed to reach her remaining and her cybernetic blinked and flickered weakly

"Ruby" Penny breathed out, slipping her fingers through her wife's and silently willing Ruby to, just this once not try and carry the weight of all of Remnant on her shoulders; the dark haired woman shuddered slightly as if she were trying to fight back tears before finally managing to speak

"I was thinking, maybe I shouldn't teach at Coco's Academy when it's finished….Remnant needs every Hunter it can spare and honestly, I don't think students are gonna want to learn from me after this; I think I'd be-"

"You would be a sensational teacher" Penny interrupted, far sterner than Ruby could remember hearing her "Because you are and always have been a sensational Huntress. You did what nobody else could and defeated Salem so thoroughly that it took her twenty years to recover, nowhere in any Atlas military doctrine can I find a definition of victory that doesn't apply to what you did. These people on the television will never truly understand what it is that you've helped keep them safe from….they don't get an opinion"

"Thank you" Ruby mumbled, burying her face in Penny's neck as she added "And I'm sorry if all of this is getting to you as well"

"It gives me personal feelings" Penny growled, joints and servos in her knuckles audibly whining as her fists clenched "But none of this is your fault….You know that Felix is graduating for Halo Academy today?"

"Yeah" Ruby nodded "I didn't want to be there, if I turn up then the graduation won't be about him any more and the students deserve to have today"

"I understand" Penny nodded and truly she did "But Nickel spoke to Qrow, he's going to be streaming the entire ceremony to a small group of us; I'm going to be watching it with the twins if you want to join us?"

"Maybe" Ruby murmured, still not sure if she was in a frame of mind to deal with anything emotionally taxing at the moment; Penny nodded in silent understanding and kissed her forehead gently before leaving the room.

Ruby had a little less than a minute of solitude before the bedroom door was flung open and Nickel stormed in without knocking.

"Okay time to get up chief, it's already past noon!" she barked, Ruby was caught off guard and momentarily stunned; she also noticed that Nickel had dyed her hair again and was shocked that she'd missed it before, the natural coppery colour was now black with green highlights at the tips which seemed to emulate Ruby's own red

"Did I stutter?" the android demanded "Get up, time to go! You're really gonna sit here crying over the bourgeois? Friendship ended with corporate sponsors, guillotine is my new best friend! Eat the rich...or at least let the Grimm do it, especially if they think they could do your job better" white hot anger flashed through Ruby's mind and she was on her feet in an instant, stepping close to Nickel before she realised with a start that this was exactly what the android had intended; it seemed that she would always struggle with interpersonal relationships no matter how sincerely she wanted to help and since she was unsure how to help Ruby navigate the problems she faced she had instead decided to reignite her fighting spirit by any means necessary.

"Y'know….there's a good kid in there somewhere; all you've gotta do is let yourself be that person" Ruby noted gently, placing a hand on Nickel's shoulder before grinning as she added "And who taught you half of those words?"

"Yeah yeah, whatever….we're making popcorn, you coming or not?"

"I'll be down in a second" Ruby assured her deciding that she did not want to miss either Felix or Arctus's graduations, she considered Weiss's children her nieces and nephews as well after all; she paused before asking a question that had just occurred to her "Penny says it was you who got Uncle Qrow to stream the ceremony, since when were you two on speaking terms?"

"Since I scrapped myself getting you away from Salem" Nickel shrugged "Apparently it makes up for crushing his spine, so yay for new best friends I suppose" with that she skulked away in a manner that Ruby couldn't help but think of as being reminiscent of a moody teenager which left her shaking her head as she watched the android go. She took a few moments to compose herself and secured one unshakeable truth in her mind, that no matter what came next for herself or Remnant as a whole; things would be okay in the end.

The moment had finally come.

There had been a dozen or more reunions along the statue-lined yellow brick road which paved the way from Halo Academies' airship terminals to its' main entrance, a road that had been paved by Glynda Goodwitch herself and both the late headmistress and Professor Dove Bronzewing had newly made statues on display gleaming in the sunlight, each surrounded by flowers. The reunions had ranged from excitable and energetic to tearful and heartfelt as Felix was joined by the rest of Team FADE and Team GORE who had been at sea for some weeks arrived, with Corvid and Onyx simply melting into each other whilst Eagle had twirled Hellion in the air and kissed her lovingly before seeking out her grandparents who, along with several of her aunts and uncles had come to see the graduation.

Now the Fourth Year students were assembled on the stage, Team AQUA furthest to the right with an opening left between them and Team NEON to represent the space that Team PSTL should rightly have filled, next were Team FADE and finally Team GORE who had themselves left an opening in their ranks to signify where Raffia Dirge should have stood whilst Eagle and Hellion no efforts to hide the way they reached out and each others' hand.

"I never want to see so many empty places at a graduation again" the quietly murmured declaration came from edge of the stage where the Professors had gathered, once again in a missing man formation whilst Ren took to the podium and preceded the ceremony with a speech about honour and sacrifice, naming each of those who should have been present at that moment. Nora and Qrow turned to the woman who had spoken, the often elusive Professor Peach who, despite her reputation as being cold, calculating and absorbed in her studies to the exclusion of all else was visibly upset by the losses; Qrow nodded with a wordless grunt as he continued to stream the entire service to both Antonia and Ruby as well as a few more of the extended Arc family who had been unable to reach New Vale.

Nora merely scanned the line of graduating students and frowned as she saw that there was something wrong. Team AQUA's parents could been seen in the amphitheatre and Team GORE seemed to need the approval of nobody other than themselves and a few select others who were all accounted for. Team FADE' s family could be seen, Eagle's Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles and younger cousins were all in the crowd along with Arctus, Diamond parents and Felix's adopted and biological mothers as well as other relatives. As for Team NEON Olivine DeGrasse and Ether Arashi's families were present and seemingly well acquainted with each other and even Nyanza's parents had managed to travel to the mainland. Nora's concern however was that there seemed to be nobody here to watch Helios Nikos become a fully fledged Hunter.

That would not do at all.

Ren was still speaking and Nora used the opportunity to break formation, ignoring the whispered questions that followed her as she strode across the stage and positioned herself behind Helios who was stood next to Felix, the Lion Faunus seemingly have made the same realisation as the Combat Instructor if the furtive glances he was casting were any indication; the scarred and tattooed redhead managed to avoid reflexively turning around as Nora placed a hand on his shoulder and stood up on her tiptoes so that she could whisper words of encouragement that only he would hear

"Pyrrha would be so proud of you right now, I just want you to know that….you're everything she believed a Hunter should be and more" Helios swallowed thickly and nodded in silent thanks as Nora stepped away, Felix having heard her despite her best efforts reaching out to squeeze his hand gently until they were interrupted by Ren, whose tone had become markedly less sombre.

"And now for Teams AQUA, NEON, FADE and GORE" a brief spattering of cheers and applause erupted and Ren's lips twitched into a slight smile before he continued with a speech that he had taken directly from Glynda Goodwitch, feeling that this part of her legacy should continue "The road you have travelled since you first stood in this amphitheatre has been far from easy; each of you have faced monsters and terrors that those outside of our honoured calling will never know and will sleep better in their ignorance. You have given of yourselves defending both this Kingdom and Remnant as a whole. Even as students you have displayed the behaviour, bravery and moral character that exemplify what it means to be a Hunter and it is my honour and my pleasure to announce that each of you have graduated from Halo Academy and that I have no doubt that each of you will go on to do many more great things….Team AQUA, step forward to receive your Hunters' licenses"

The crowd erupted into cheers and the Fourth Year students added their own applause to the cacophony as the Frog Faunus Aqua Tsuyu and her team stepped forwards, they had been closest to the late Team PSTL but neither Team FADE or NEON could imagine feeling anything less than pride and happiness for their classmates at that moment and even Carcharodon, who wore the helmet that served as his peoples' crown in honour of the occasion gave a small but unmistakable bow of the head. The noise was only amplified when Team NEON stepped forwards and Felix both beamed with pride for Helios and Nyanza and laughed as he looked down into the crowd and saw Myrtle and Astra sat beside Blake and Yang, Felix's half brother cheering the loudest for Nyanza whom he had been a fan of since the Vytal Tournament in Atlas.

And then Team FADE stepped forwards and the entire world outside of the podium and Professor Lie Ren seemed to melt away as Felix felt nerves he had barely been aware of threaten to overwhelm him, the sound of the audience fading away into a dull and distant roar as he, Arctus, Diamond and Eagle each reached out to receive physical and digital copies of their official Hunters' licenses, each of their Scrolls pinging as the information was updated with Felix being unable to stop himself from reading the new information.

Status: Active. Class: A

"Holy Oum" he breathed out, eyes darting first to his team-mates who each seemed to have realised that they had been granted the highest possible level of license, one which Many Hunters simply never attained and then to Ren in silent question, half expecting the new Headmaster to inform him that there had been a slight mistake; Ren however merely gave them a warm smile.

"There are no secrets any more, your team has fought the head of the White Fang and Salem herself directly….there is nobody who thinks that you haven't earned this" the words left Felix numb and he almost staggered away from the podium shell-shocked, barely aware of anything beyond Eagle's squeal of joy as Team GORE stepped up to graduate, the freckled woman scooping Hellion up into her arms and kissing her on the stage to a fresh round of applause

And then something unexpected happened.

The teams had largely regrouped on the stage, Onyx abandoning decorum and jumping down to find Corvid whilst the rest of the newly Qualified students both congratulated each other and thanked their favourite Professors for all of the help and guidance they had received over the years, Team FADE naturally making their way towards Qrow and Nora whilst Felix privately sought out Neptune, the student counsellor had been a massive help to him over the years after all yet before he could do so the sound of Ren's voice filled with Amphitheatre once more.

"My first official action as Headmaster was to ensure that this graduation took place and those that have fought so hard for the Kingdom are not denied what they have earned" he paused for effect, an unusually dramatic gesture from the normally reserved man; Eagle waited with baited breath as she had grown up hearing bedtime stories from her honorary uncle and knew that something incredible would come next

"And whilst it is true that the Academy will remain closed until the next semester so that changes for the better can be implemented I feel it that it is my duty both as a Huntsman and as Headmaster of this Academy to see that the Kingdom of New Vale has a symbol and beacon of hope that it can look up to and rely upon in these troubled time" he continued, a small smile forming on his lips again "And so for my second official action as Headmaster…."

A low rumbling seemed to shake the entire Academy and each of the students instinctively reached for their weapons, only to be calmed by the Professors who now all wore smiled of their own; the reason soon became clear as the rumbling gave way to the whine of systems and mechanisms that had idle for too long being brought to life and the entire academy seeming to lurch which finally made it clear to all present exactly what was happening.

Halo Academy was rising into the air to watch over New Vale once again, its' repairs completed.

"This is so cool" Eagle gasped, eyes watery as she was almost overcome by the gesture

"Yeah….It's almost a shame we're graduating" Felix laughed, unable to ignore the sudden pangs of something like loss and sadness. Diamond for her part merely glanced around the crowd and stage to ensure that everyone was thoroughly distracted before taking Arctus by the hand and pulling him out of view

"Where are we going?" the Bear Faunus asked, Diamond turned to him and gave him a sultry look before leaning up to kiss his lips and whisper in his ear

"This is probably gonna be the last time we ever set foot in the Academy" she told him, plainly saddened by that fact before adding "So while everyone's distracted how about we go visit our dorm….y'know, for old times' sake?" Arctus's hand were on her hips in an instant and a low growl escaped him.

"For old times' sake" he repeated with a playful grin "I love you so much"

Author's Notes:

So, welcome to Volume 12; the final volume.
The title of this chapter fits because whilst it didn't end up being as bittersweet as it was in my head, the fact that we're so close to the end of something that's been a massive part of my life for so long definitely is.
But hey, here's to new adventures….and we've still got a story to finish here right?

So anyway, let's summarise shall we?
So, small time skip and right off the bat Ruby is suffering.
Ruby has renewed her membership to the bad-ass scar club.
So the truth about Salem, the Grimm, Silver Eyes and Maidens is out there but Penny and Nickel being robots and the multiverse is still being kept quiet; naturally there's gonna be talk shows about that for years.
What's that Green Goblin quote from the Spider Man movie "The one thing the world loves more than a hero is to see a hero fall".
Shout out to Nickel who was the unsung MVP here….also yeah, her and Penny have both now risen from the dead.
"We live in the most humid place on Remnant and I just got skin a month ago, it's not comfortable" is one hell of a line and you know it.
Okay I don't know if anyone realised this but the Schnee Manor scene, especially the way it started was actually intended to mirror the start of the very first chapter.
The Academy was being closed at the end of the last volume, I think some of you probably saw an early graduation coming.
Yeah no Jade in this chapter, mainly 'cos it was already crowded and honestly she's got a lot on her plate at the moment.
Yep more Athena-Jade callbacks to Chapter 01….she did say she didn't want him to go to New Vale and let's be fair, he's been stabbed in the leg, nearly gutted twice, thrown into another timeline and attacked by terrorists; AJ may have had a point.
Battle-Cat shippers; which I suppose is everyone reading at this point….you're welcome.
Corey has never given anything resembling a fuck.
Seriously, don't show up smelling of fresh sex; it's impolite.
"I think I spent half of it in the medical wing" where is the lie?
Honestly the whole domestic Bees scene was a pleasure to write.
Eagle has gone from shy and chattering and nervous to wearing a sleeveless leather jacket in the coldest place on Remnant because she's buff as hell and she knows it.
No Lightning Bug, just because it didn't make sense to have it here; there would have been too many people to fit in it once everyone met at the airship terminal.
Oof, enjoy the quick emotional gut punch of Eagle instinctively reaching for Sentinel.
Enjoy the mental image of tiny Eagle passed out at a workbench, and also the speculation on what Sentinel 2 is gonna look like….I already know.
I specifically didn't use Merc or Em's names for the opening of this scene because I wanted to pay homage to their introduction in Vol.2 of the show; I'm sure you recognised some of the lines.
Also, everything about Diamond's interactions with her parents is fun to write.
Diamond glomped him like an old-school scene kid.
Arctus and Merc meeting face to face for the first time in years, it was always gonna be a pissing contest wasn't it.
Ruby, much like in canon will carry the entire world on her shoulders and not even think about asking for help until it's way past too late….Fortunately she's got people who aren't gonna let her do that around her.
Penny was right, no debates.
Ruby does have a point there, if she went to the graduation in person then it wouldn't be about the students any more. Qrow actually said something similar in second year when he watched the teams being formed but stayed out of sight.
Yes Nickel is low-key borrowing bits of Ruby and Penny's style.
"You're really gonna sit here crying over the bourgeois? Friendship ended with corporate sponsors, guillotine is my new best friend! Eat the rich...or at least let the Grimm do it, especially if they think they could do your job better" if you haven't realised, I really enjoy writing Nickel.
Goodwitch has a statue along the yellow brick road she paved in honour of Oz….enjoy those feels.
I had to go back to the Team CLIR graduation scene and remember how I'd done it for this, it feels so long ago.
Kataigida is back on Anima, so there's no Nikosi there for Helios….Nora stepped up.
Yes Ren's speech is literally copied from Glynda but it felt right.
They did it, they're Hunters now….and yeah, considering everything is out in the open now there's really no reason Team FADE shouldn't be regarded as veterans with everything they've already done.
Onyx jumping off the stage to go find Corey is a role reversal from her graduation.
This genuinely is probably the last time we're gonna see Halo Academy so it seemed right to have it take to the sky again now.
Oh Diamond's gonna fuck Arctus's brains out on those bunk-beds.

Thank you to SumoSnipe, Funlander and MajorBrony95 on the last chapter.
Yeah Aegis has definitely had more of my body horror stuff in it (I managed to make someone physically shudder in a livestream with just a description of one of the scenes) but it's no problem at all if it's not a fandom/project you're interested in.
Yeah the Spires, the thousands of missing/dead people who were lost to the void and also the fact that people definitely saw Salem and Ruby throw down are all pretty solid arguments in Ren's favour; although I'm sure his biggest argument was basically "This is happening with or without approval" he's the head of Halo now, he has Glynda's old seat at the table.
The Mum and little brother (And the brothers' dad) are fine, I wasn't gonna have them vanished into the void off screen we've just been too busy to really see them.
Another new name for the city? Neo Vale, capital of the Kingdom of New Vale….I like the sound of that.
Nope, Caleb didn't cover it that was actually Caleb on the official soundtrack.
Sentinel will certainly not be forgotten, even if his successor isn't seen until the epilogue.
Sorry to hear about your Grandma, hope she recovers.
Yeah the lipstick was from Razz.
It's less that Nickel hasn't made peace with Antonia, more the other way around.
Car sailing off into the sunset alone just doesn't feel like a satisfactory ending for someone who's done so much for the people they care about.

As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review