Here is the new chapter. This time Sayaka is the focus.
Once again, I reiterate, this story has world building that may or may not conflict with canon.

Enjoy if you can - if you can't, I apologize.

A few years ago, the desert outside Shade Academy…

Sayaka had to admit, Vacuo wasn't quite as hot as she expected it to be. Sure, being a girl who grew up in Mistral meant that she was used to winters being significantly colder, but that didn't mean she couldn't appreciate the fact that she was proven wrong. And considering her combat gear was far more suited to warmer environments than her teammates, she couldn't really complain even if she wanted to - neither Hitomi nor Kyousuke would let her.

In the icy lands of the north where everyone was cold and humorless - *cough* Atlas *cough* - a strapless dress and shorts would be considered stupid and inefficient clothing for field work. However, considering her cape, semblance, and naturally hardy constitution, she could easily tough out the cold. In Vacuo, however the airy clothing was to her benefit.

In comparison, Hitomi's winter coat that hid all her bombs and Kyousuke's combat formal wear were about as far from beneficial as can be in the desert. They'd both be cooked alive in their combat gear if they didn't have the common sense to switch to less stuffy clothes. Though, less stuffy was still a relative term as Hitomi still wore long sleeves and a rather long skirt while Kyousuke merely removed his cardigan and half unbuttoned his shirt. Still, better than before.

"Oi, Miki! What the hell are you doing?"

A voice called out to Sayaka from the distance - gruff and informal. The voice of the huntress she and her team were shadowing. It was only then that she realized that everyone was already pulling ahead of her. She broke into a run.

By the time she caught up, they were waiting for her near some small rock formations jutting out of the sand. "Sorry, Miss Sakura. It won't happen again."

"It better not. I won't be the one getting killed if we get separated," the huntress scolded. "And cut it with that Miss crap. It's pissing me off. Call either me Kyouko or ma'am, got it?"

Sayaka nodded apprehensively "R-right. Will do, ma'am…" Beside her, Hitomi gave her a smug smile to which Sayaka scowled. "Oh don't give me that look."

Hitomi shook her head. "What look? I'm not doing anything."

"Both of you, shut up and get down," Kyouko ordered. Sayaka and her team followed, pressing themselves against the rocks.

Kyouko raised her index finger to her lips in a gesture to stay quiet. She then pointed over the rocks. They cautiously peeked over it.

A pack of Grimm were slowly traversing the baked land, the black of their fur clearly visible in the cloudless day. They were too far away for Sayaka to discern any distinguishing features other than that they walked on all fours and that there were a lot of them.

Sayaka turned to Hitomi expectantly. She whispered. "They're obviously not Direwolves, but…"

Hitomi shook her head. "No. You'll never see a Direwolf this far south. They have to be… what was the name? Hysteria?"

Sayaka rolled her eyes. "How should I know? You know I'm barely passing Grimm Combat Theory."

"The girl in green's right," Kyouko confirmed. "Those are Hysteria - hyena Grimm native to these parts. They aren't too strong, but there are a lot of them." She crouched back down behind the rocks, the others following suit.

"These guys are an off shoot from a big pack that tried to break through the walls yesterday. Really, it was more like they were running headlong into a meat grinder with how easily we dealt with them." Kyouko chuckled to herself for a moment, as if replaying what happened in her mind. "Anyway, we're supposed to kill any stragglers. Those guys are the stragglers. We're gonna kill them. Any questions?"

"How are we gonna kill them?" Sayaka suddenly blurted out.

Kyouko stared at her dryly. "You got a sword, don't you? Poke them with the pointy end until they stop moving. You're a huntress in training. You should've figured that out by now."

Hitomi gave another smile. Sayaka grimaced. "I meant: what's our strategy?"

Kyouko blinked. "Oh, you mean that? Just make a little bit of noise and they're come to you. They aren't very smart so you can probably shoot them down before they even reach you. By the time they realize something's going wrong, most of them will be dead."

"Really? It's that simple?"

"Yeah. Watch." Kyouko stood and began yelling. "Hey, you sons of bitches! Over here!" Soon after, wild howls came from the distance. "Alright, they're coming."

Sayaka grabbed Kyouko's arm and pulled her down. "Why did you ask us to be quiet earlier if you're just gonna scream and lure them to us!?"

"I wanted you to know what you're dealing with first. Seriously though, they're not hard to kill. Stop worrying so much."

"Both you and I are melee and Hitomi's bombs are hand tossed. We don't exactly have the range to shoot them all down before we're overwhelmed."

"Oh? Well I'm sorry your team is so poorly balanced. Maybe find someone who uses a gun next time you go on a mission?"

It was then that Kyousuke spoke. "I don't know. They're pretty clumped up and the area's completely clear. I could probably take them all out in one go." He pressed his violin against his chin. "Shall I?"

Both Sayaka and Hitomi paled while Kyouko looked at him in confusion. "Kid, what the hell are you talking about?"

"His weapon is his violin," Hitomi explained. "He uses a combination of dust and sound to kill things or make teammates more effective. In this case, he's out to kill. You might wanna cover your ears."

Kyouko, upon hearing 'uses sound to kill things', immediately plugged both ears, not even bothering to listen to the rest of what Hitomi was saying.

Noting that everyone was ready, Kyousuke let loose a low note, causing intense rumbling in the ground and air. Shortly after, an explosion blasted half the Hysteria into black smoke while the rest scattered in panic.

Kyouko watched the carnage with a strange excitement. "I never knew violins could be so violent," she said with a grin.

"I'm sending in another one," Kyousuke announced. Everyone covered their ears once more as a second explosion rocked the approaching pack.

Kyouko put a hand on Kyousuke's shoulder. "Okay, they're all dead. Enough artillery A-chords or whatever they're called. You might've accidentally called every single Hysteria within a five mile radius to this exact spot. You know that right?"

Kyousuke scratched the back of his head. "No?"

Kyouko sighed. "Save your strength. We might need more of those big booms in a bit." She then turned to Sayaka and Hitomi who were still crouching behind the rocks. "Sit tight for now. I'm calling for some backup while we wait."

Sayaka sighed. Their first mission in Vacuo and it had to be something like this…

Present day, Atlas Central Command, briefing room A…

After two days of hospitalization, Sayaka returned to active duty, although active may have been stretching things. Due to orders from the higher ups, she was not to take any missions on the day she was released as was instead to report to Central Command for questioning. Thus, she sat in a dimly lit room, staring at the plain grey walls, humming sad tune while waiting for her interrogator to arrive.

The song she hummed was Decretum - one of Kyousuke's support spells. It gathered the ambient energy within the environment and fed it to Kyousuke's targets. It was one of his last-resort spells as it required a lot of concentration and was only as effective as the amount of energy expended by those on the battlefield. Sayaka had only heard it a handful of times, but had it always made a big impact on her - it had saved her life during a routine patrol that had gone horribly wrong. She could still hear the sorrowful melody giving strength to her limbs as she desperately tried to fend off a pack of Direwolves that pounced her all at once. She was hopelessly outmatched, but with the song, she survived long enough for Mami and Hitomi to get to her.

I'm never gonna hear that song again, she realized.

Right as she was about to break down and cry, the door opened, forcing Sayaka to push down her emotions. Stone faced, she stood and gave a stiff salute. "Commander Schnee."

Winter Schnee entered, shining in brilliant white - a sharp contrast to the dull walls around them. "At ease, lieutenant Miki. Take a seat."

Sayaka did so.

"I believe congratulations are in order. I believe the boy's name is Kamijou? You save him."

Sayaka nodded. "Yes, Ma'am," she said.

Winter eyed her, looking unamused. "What is wrong, lieutenant Miki? Why do you look unhappy with the results? Is he not alive right now thanks to your actions? Would you rather have him dead? Tell me, lieutenant, did you want him to die?"

"N-no, Ma'am," Sayaka mumbled.

"I didn't hear you."

"No, Ma'am. I'm happy he's alive," Sayaka repeated more clearly.

Winter then regarded her carefully, like a predator analyzing how best to kill her prey. "When you saved lieutenant Kamijou, you used your semblance, yes?" She pulled out her scroll. "It's documented as 'Healing' and the specifics are listed below."

"Yes, Ma'am."

"So why, then, did this happen?"

Winter tapped her scroll and suddenly a video was projected onto the table. It was Sayaka healing Kyousuke. It still had the bright blue lights on her hands and the wound like it normally did but this time, under her feet, was a glowing circle of music notes. She was so focused on the healing that she barely even noticed the blue lines sweeping across the floor under her.

"This video was recorded by the dropship's internal cameras. I also have several eye witness accounts, including one from your teammate, lieutenant Shizuki. It seems you also have a glyph semblance"

Sayaka watched as the video repeated, not sure whether or not she should believe it. Glyphs were the semblance of the Schnee family, and Sayaka was obviously not a Schnee. How could she have that as a semblance in addition to her healing?

"Do not look so surprised. While rare, the glyphs semblance has been known to manifest in people with even the smallest amount of Schnee in their blood. As it happens, you are one of those people." Winter tapped her scroll, changing the projected video into a detailed picture of Sayaka's family tree. "I did a background check. Your grandmother on your father's side is a Schnee - an illegitimate child by the looks of it."

Sayaka looked up from the image to Winter who was giving her a neutral stare. "We are distant relatives, lieutenant," she said.

Meanwhile, outside the briefing room…

Behind the two-way mirror, they watched the debriefing of Sayaka Miki. Kyouko was not entirely pleased with how things were going.

She put a hand on her hip. "You know, something's been bugging me: Why does this Schnee lady keep calling her 'lieutenant'?"

"We talked about this, Kyouko." Mami sighed. "That is due to Atlas being a militarized nation. Licensed Huntsmen and Huntresses have a military rank equivalent to a lieutenant."

Kyouko rolled her eyes. "Pff, ranks. As if that matters when fighting Grimm."

"No, they don't," Mami said in agreement, much to Kyouko's surprise. "When Huntsmen and Huntresses are out in the field, the notion of rank tends to go out the window. Numerous studies have proven that strictly following the orders of non-huntsman or non-huntress superiors leads to more casualties. And so, most don't pay attention to rank anymore, instead following the lead of those they think are more capable. In that way, we're afforded much more freedom than most."

"I see." Kyouko nodded, only half listening to what Mami just said. She got the gist of things but ignored the details. "What about that Schnee lady? Isn't she a huntress too?"

"Yes, she is. However, she is also of extremely high rank - second in command to General Ironwood."

Kyouko tapped her foot. "Who is?"

Mami massaged her temples. "General Ironwood is the leader of the military and the combat academy headmaster. Basically, he is the equivalent of the head of state here in Atlas."

Kyouko whistled. "Whoa. Powerful guy. And Schnee's his number two?" She then sniggered. "Heh, number two."

"Very mature," Mami said dryly. "Yes. Winter Schnee is his number two. Keep in mind, she didn't get that rank for no reason. She said to be one of the most powerful huntresses in all of Atlas."

Kyouko eyed Winter with interest. "If I ever get the chance, I am so going to test out how accurate that saying is."

Mami chuckled. "You're welcome to try. She's had over two hundred sparring partners and barely any of them come back for a second round."

Kyouko grinned. "Ooh. Sounds fun. When is she free?"

"I'm disappointed, Kyouko," Mami teased, pouting. "Just two days after our first date and already you're chasing someone else."

It was Kyouko's turn to laugh. "What can I say. I like powerful women."

"Can you two stop flirting?" From the back of the room stood Homura, arms crossed and eyes focused on Winter and Sayaka through the glass. "She's making the offer."

Back inside the briefing room…

Winter circled Sayaka's seat with slow and deliberate movements. Each step echoed in her mind, melding with the next step as easily as ripples in a pond.

"As of this moment, you have used glyphs once to enhance your current semblance of healing. However, they have far more varied uses than that. Control over light, matter, energy - you can bend the elements to your will. It can take you years of practice and experimentation for you to be able to use them effectively and efficiently. What I'm offering you is a shortcut. Under my guidance, what might take you months to figure out will only take minutes and what might take you years to master will take weeks. This is a one-time deal. What say you, Sayaka Miki?"

When Winter finished speaking, she was across from Sayaka, hands on the table and leaning forward, an intense yet impassive look on her face.

What was Sayaka supposed to say? It was a bit overwhelming. After moving to Atlas, not once did she ever expect to be in the presence of the second most powerful person in the country, let alone have a chance to be her apprentice. Unlikely was an understatement and once in a lifetime didn't cut it either. She had to be one of the luckiest girls alive.

So why wasn't she happy about the offer?

It didn't take her long to figure it out. "Permission to speak freely, Ma'am?"

Winter stared at her for a moment before leaning back. "Granted. The floor is yours, lieutenant."

"I moved to Atlas after my parents died and here my teammates became what little family I have left. We worked, played, and fought together for nearly five years at this point. But one of them just had a traumatic accident. Now, he might never return to active duty. Honestly, we won't know until he fully recovers what will happen to him. Until then, I want to be at his side, supporting him. I can't do that if I accept your offer." Sayaka grit her teeth.

"But if I don't accept, the exact same thing may happen again to someone else in the future - all because I couldn't heal them well enough. If what you told me is true then accepting could mean the saving of so many more lives. It just makes the most sense."

"I want to accept, Commander. I really do. But my heart's not in it. If I'm not at a hundred percent on this then I think I'll just end up a disappointment to both of us."

Winter once again regarded her with that same analyzing look from earlier. It looked less like she was determining what ways would kill Sayaka and more that she was achieving some deeper understanding of her.

"Perhaps we can make some arrangements, then? If you accept, you will be learning from me in the training facilities within Central Command. Kamijou will, of course, continue his recovery at the Hospital Ward. While Shizuki will remain on active duty but will only be assigned missions within the city. Is that arrangement to your liking?"

Sayaka blinked. It sounded almost too good to be true.

"Keep in mind that I will be working you to the bone. You may not have the energy during your free time to spend it with your so-called family. However, if you to train under me, I would be more than willing to make this proposal a reality."

Apprehension filled Sayaka's stomach as she spoke, but it was overpowered the sheer generosity of the offer. She knew there had to be a catch but, just looking at it, she would have to be stupid to decline. "Alright. I'll do it."

A smile found its way onto Winter's face. "Very well. Shall we discuss the details of our arrangement over tea… or would you like to have the discussion on a later date?"

Sayaka stood. "Uh… now is fine…"

"Excellent." Winter moved towards the door before turning back. "If you don't mind, an associate of mine will be having tea with us. I believe you know her. Mami Tomoe?"

Mami's coming? "I don't mind"

With that, the two left the briefing room.

A few minutes later, Central Command southern elevator B…

Central Command was an extremely large tower structure that oversaw all of Atlas, from the inner city to the outer walls. It was high enough that the military shuttle bays could still be in the middle floors without being obstructed by tall commercial buildings. Unfortunately, due to its height, many elevators had to be installed for more convenient access to lower and higher floors from any other floor. The elevators labeled A, B, and C were the few that could go from the very highest floors to the very lowest. There were almost always located at the very edge of the building, with the one exception being the central elevators were, as the name implied, in the very center.

When the doors opened, Homura stepped inside. The walls and floor were reinforced transparent glass, showing the city below in all of its pristine white glory. It was a vertigo inducing sight. Homura stared for a moment before looking away, unimpressed.

Normally, elevators had several rows of buttons showing all the floors the elevator was capable of going to. With the number of floors Central Command had, the rows of buttons were scrapped in favor of a numerical key pad. Homura typed in 001 and pressed [Enter], then proceeding to wait for the elevator to move.

"Oi! Hold the door!"

With a roll of her eyes, Homura put a hand forward and pushed the sliding doors back into the wall. Shortly after, Kyouko entered with her. The elevator began its descent shortly after.

"You know, I said this to Mami already, but this really is high up."

Homura hummed in acknowledgement. "You didn't join them for tea." It was not a question.

Kyouko shrugged. "Not my kind of crowd." She leaned onto the glass walls. "I talked to that Schnee lady for a bit. Honestly? She doesn't seem that tough. I bet I can take her."

"You probably can. Just get her mad." Homura glanced at Kyouko, giving a slight tilt of her head. "Shouldn't be too hard for you."

"Nope. Shouldn't be."

There was a pause.

Kyouko's voice was low and controlled when she next spoke. "I still haven't forgiven you for what you did to Mami, you know."

"I am aware."

"I'm gonna make you regret making her cry." She added more aggressively.

"Really?" Homura turned to Kyouko. "We're alone in an enclosed space and I have no way of escape. Will you make your move right now?"

Kyouko stared at her, as if having an intense debate on her answer. There was tension in the air - an electric charge steadily growing within the confines of the elevator. A single spark could set the room alight.

"No…" Kyouko muttered weakly. The atmosphere in the room relaxed. "Forget I said anything. I don't like making promises I can't keep…"

"You've gotten too attached to her," Homura observed.

Kyouko leaned back as far as the wall would allow. "I know. And after saying for so long I wouldn't after…" She shook her head. "What am I saying?"

She stomped forward to the middle of the room. "Dammit!" she screamed. "Dammit," she repeated, weaker. "I screwed up. I was supposed to be here for a few days, take a mission or two, and then leave. Nothing to it. Now… Now I can't leave. With the way things are, I'm staying for a while."

Homura closed her eyes. "To be fair, you won't be alone."

Kyouko smiled wryly. "No. I guess I won't."

"Keep in mind that certain complications have extended my stay as well."

Kyouko chuckled. "Guess I can't have it all."

There was another pause.

"Do you feel better now?" Homura asked, already sensing the answer. The mood in the room had changed and Kyouko's smile reflected it.

"Yeah, I do," she replied. "It feels nice to finally get it out."

As if reacting to Kyouko's statement, the elevator slowed to a stop. The doors opened to the ground floor, their place to get out.

Now in the lobby of Central Command, the two went their separate ways, Kyouko going straight ahead to the nearest exit, and Homura going left, towards another elevator. She entered and typed her desired floor, B20.

Homura scowled. They pulled her in too, she thought gravely. Why do they need Kyouko Sakura? And why do they need Sayaka Miki?

The elevator continued going down.

End of chapter…

Vacuo is a desert. Since I'm not updated on volume 4, the only clue I have about what Vacuo is like is from that one scene from the first episode of RWBY volume 3. It gave me the impression that it's like Africa, with sandy dunes on one side of the continent, a tropical rain forest on the other side, and hot savanna in between.

Huntsmen and Huntresses having a military rank of Major is a little thing I took from Full Metal Alchemist. Similarly, the name Central Command is also something I got from FMA. Atlas being a militarize country, the closest most accurate idea of a military from shounen anime I've seen is from FMA so it makes sense that I'd base my idea of Atlas on Amestris.

(edit: Due to increasing concern about how high the rank of major is, I've decided to demote huntsman and huntresses to lieutenant)

Once again, I make use of flashbacks to explain what dead or otherwise incapacitated characters' powers and abilities are. In this case, it's Kyousuke's. His violin is Elsa Maria, named after the witch from the anime whom Sayaka killed by turning off her sense of pain. A morbid naming sense, I know. In any case, Kyousuke is a bard. I find that fact highly amusing. I hope you find it amusing as well.

Finally, that scene at the end with Homura and Kyouko in the elevator is a mild reference to Evangelion. Seriously, fiery red head enters elevator with the stoic and gets angry? I didn't even realize it was a reference until this moment.

In any case, that was this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.