"They are so cute."

"Cute? You've moved onto cute?"

"You said I couldn't call them fascinating, or impressive, or inspiring, or strong. But can I call them cute?"

"I'm surprised you even know what cute is."

"Aren't they cute though?"

"Why would I think that?"

"They are on a date and gazing at each other. They're in love, clearly."

"Ok, and?"

"Love is cute."

"Love is something you exploit, ma'am. If they care for one another, they'll make stupid decisions. Take advantage of that."

"You have a very different interpretation of these videos, Private."

"Just trying to help you like I was asked, ma'am. They'll be here soon. You have to be ready in case the worst comes to pass."

"Oh, there is no need to worry. I am always ready."

The queen was dead.

Yang carefully studied the chessboard. Her senses had dulled into a blur of black and white pieces, overly focused that they became indiscrete. She heard only the steady ticking of a clock and the rotation of the overhead fan; despite being the middle of winter, the room was somehow humid. Everything around her, from the couch to the bed to the sheets, was well-kept but of poor craftsmanship, the hallmark of a bulk product. Her opponent, an older woman with withered features and a destructive main of dark hair that matched the shape and wildness of her own, sat with her cheek buried into her palm, waiting for Yang to make her move.

Yang didn't know why she was taking so long. It wasn't like she was going to win anyway.

She delicately picked up the black rook and took a pawn. Almost instantaneously, her opponent swiped it away with a bishop. Damn.

"I see that your clarity doesn't come with skill."

Yang stared her foe in the eyes: a dreadful red pair that seemed barren of most of their will. They matched the shade of one of her own; a blood-red pupil on her right, and a lavender hue on her left. Remnants of a united mind, a beauty that her opponent never got to experience. In so many ways, Yang felt sorry for her. Then again, she was kicking her ass at chess… so she didn't feel too bad at the moment.

"Look, neither of us were good at chess," Yang admitted. She pulled herself back in her chair and clasped her hands behind her golden mane. "It was way too boring for someone with our attention span."

Raven pursed her lips, taking a long moment to study the chessboard. She had wiped out half of her daughter's pieces, barely suffering a casualty of her own. At this rate, Yang's chances of victory were slim to none. The only reason she never gave up was either stupidity or her Branwen pride. Raven hoped she didn't embarrass her in either case. She had finally reestablished a relationship with her daughter after seventeen years. The last thing she needed was for Yang to stop visiting. The home was boring enough as it was.

"Do you do that often?" Raven asked with a shrug.

"Do what?"

"We," Raven explained. "You called yourself we. You weren't doing that last time."

Yang, somewhat flustered, tried to play it off. "Oh, no, we… I don't mean anything by that. I'm just trying it out sometimes. It feels weird to refer to myself in singular terms when talking about who I used to be."

"And that's all there is to it?" Raven asked suspiciously. "You aren't feeling any separation, or…"

"No, Raven. I'm fine," Yang insisted. "I'm… I'm me. I'm perfectly, absolutely me."

Raven had good reasons to be suspicious. She had never seen a merger before. Given the rareness of their condition and her past history, she had no reason to take Yang's word of her success other than her shifted eye color. It was known as Branwen's disease, and as far as they knew, they were the only family in the world blessed by its terrible effects. Was it caused by genetics? Semblances? Who knew? All they knew was its impact: the way it splintered the mind and diverted the personality of its victim, the way it dissolved their ability to separate reality from fiction. Raven's illness progressed violently after Yang's birth, and the aftermath of the war within her mind left only one personality remaining, unable to function or feel without anything else to relate to. It was almost the same fate that befell her daughter. Her two halves, Yin and Yang, struggled desperately against each other for control of a single body—a war that nearly spilled the blood of Yang's sister and friends. In the end, though, they reconciled, two separate entities fusing into one balanced whole. It was a miracle of medicine, of spirit… and that only made Raven more distrusting of its effects.

"As long as you're fine," Raven reasoned. "It's just good to remember to keep an eye on it. I tried burying my problems for years instead of getting help. Look how that worked out for me."

Yang tried not to think of her mother's depressing circumstances. She didn't need more reminders of failure. She succeeded where Raven had failed. It was good just to leave it at that.

"I'm taking meds now," Yang explained. "Honestly, I've been more relaxed than I think I've been, like… ever. I feel like I can rush back into combat tomorrow."

"Don't."

"I won't," Yang groaned. "I know Beacon's going to put me through a billion psyche exams, but I'm going to pass them. Trust me. It's crazy how happy I've been these past few weeks. It really does feel like I'm a new person. I think that's why I can't act like it was me who did all those things. I mean, it was, but… well, you know what I'm talking about."

"I guess," Raven bemoaned. "Hopefully, you've learned from my mistake."

"Right…" Yang said slowly. "Hey, can I ask you kind of a personal question? You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

"Are you just trying to distract me from the chess game?" Raven asked bluntly.

"No, seriously. I'm curious about something."

"Am I going to be annoyed?"

"Can I ask the question?"

"Fine."

"Okay," Yang said taking a deep breath. "Back before you took over… did you have a different name?"

Raven snickered and fiddled with the positioning of her king. "A different name?"

"Yeah," Yang explained. "I had two halves: Yin and Yang. I know Raven was your birth name, so… did you have any name that you chose for yourself? Like, Raven and, I don't know, Sparrow?"

Raven chuckled, rapping the bottom of the king against the chessboard to amuse herself. "Definitely no. Then again, we can't all be as original as Yin and Yang."

"Wait, really?" Yang asked. "You didn't have any name? All Yin wanted to do was be her own person. At least, that's what it felt like some of the time. You didn't pick out any identity for yourself?"

Her mother sighed, not particularly enthralled by the question. "Listen, Yang. I was told from a very young age what I was. I was Raven's enemy. I was her nightmare. Everything I ever felt was created from the ground up to be the antithesis of someone else. That's not much to graft an identity onto. I always figured that it was pointless. I convinced myself I was never going to take control, no matter how hard I fought, so why bother being anything other than an opposing force. I decided that I would only ever take a name for myself when I became a real person, someone capable of actually living in this world instead of merely existing. Of course, by the time I took control…" Raven's thoughts wandered off, and she stared in silence at the chessboard for a few long moments. Yang saw a wave of sadness wash over her, pooling just beneath the surface, hidden but not imperceptible. Raven eventually cleared her throat and forcefully smacked her piece against the board. "Anyway, yeah… Raven is just fine. Also, it is your move."

Yang nervously apologized. "Right. Sorry. I'll do, um, something now."

She absentmindedly moved her remaining knight toward her side of the board. Raven's words stuck with her, rumbling deep inside her gut. Something stirred within the back of her mind, lingering in the quiet. When she—they—were alive, they had never considered themselves whole. Yin and Yang, for all of their shared memories and knowledge, despised one another. Their relationship was marred by betrayal and derision, a constant stream of insults flowing in from her subconscious. It wasn't healthy, and their ultimate fusion, the combining of their two halves, was what they needed to survive. She was, in some sense, a byproduct, the thing that Yang Xiao Long was always meant to be. But… what exactly was that? The past three weeks had gone by in a paparazzi-filled, disorienting blur. During her downtime, all she could do was eat and sleep and prepare for the next overwhelming day. She barely had any time to reflect on who she was, and whenever she looked at herself in the mirror, and saw those two mismatched eyes glaring back at her, it wasn't difficult to think she was looking at a stranger. Whatever Yang Xiao Long was now was nothing like she used to be, and maybe that was a good thing. She always liked venturing into the unknown, taking risks, letting the world come at her with fists raised and guns drawn. She didn't need to figure herself out immediately, and no one expected her to. But on the other hand, she was at a crucial junction in her life with what she wanted to be, and the whole world, her friends, her family, were all staring at her, waiting to see what she would do next, waiting to see if she would break. She needed to get herself on solid footing, lest the ice crack beneath her feet and drown her. She could do that, right? How hard could it be?

A voice spoke in the back of her mind; not literally, like the vicious voice of her Other, but merely the same subconscious that every other Human had to deal with.

"Don't pretend you have any idea what you're doing."

Raven noticed her daughter lost in thought, and out of some desperate sense not to lose her, she quickly changed the subject. "So, how's your team doing?"

"Huh? Oh, great," Yang said quickly, barely batting an eye.

"You're getting along with your sister better?"

Yang nodded. "Yep. Haven't fought once."

"That's good," Raven stated. "And what about your friend, this Blake girl? You're still getting along with her?"

Yang scrunched her nose. Blake… where the hell to even begin on her relationship with her?

"Yeah," Yang explained carefully. "I think we're getting along great. I mean, we don't hang out as much as we used to, but that's probably for the best. When we were closer, things between us got really bad. I think it's healthier that we keep some distance."

"Sounds like you aren't talking to each other," Raven mused.

"What? No, of course, we talk," Yang insisted. "We talk every day. She's literally sleeping on my couch. We just aren't…" Sleeping together. "…doing everything together anymore. It's not like I have time for that either. But we're totally still friends."

Raven let out a small laugh. "Hey, if you insist. I just want to make sure you have friends. I didn't have a big support group when I was younger. I gave up my family in my early teens, and I pissed off most of my friends from school. Just don't alienate people."

Alienate Blake? Please. As if that could happen. Blake abandoned her and left her for dead, and she actively tried to punch her head off. If their friendship could survive that, it could survive anything. They were simply being cautious around one another. When they dated, their entire relationship seemed built on pain. It was the perfect concoction of two toxic personalities in tense circumstances. Now that Blake had given up her own life and Yang had been born anew, they had the rare opportunity to try again. But, until they settled, until they knew that they had really changed, they were both aware that the slightest interaction risked an explosion that would consume them both. So, the solution was simple. Be careful. Be precise.

Be celibate.

Or else…

Raven suddenly moved her queen and spoke with a confident grin. "Checkmate."

Yang never saw it coming. She stared at the board in dumbfounded confusion, not really understanding how she had failed so miserably in such a short amount of time, but she stuck her hand out regardless as a good sport. "Good game."

Raven shook her hand, though her smile didn't fade. "No. It really wasn't."

Blake was bored out of her fucking mind.

That was new for her. She wasn't used to having anything going on. It seemed like every moment of her life, she was scheming, sneaking, or fighting something. She never gave herself the luxury of laying about doing nothing of importance. Yet, that was really all she could do. Weiss and Ruby were on their date. Yang was visiting her mom. She didn't have anyone else to talk to. Those three were the only friends that she had. Not that she complaining, of course. Anyone in her circumstances would be thankful to have a single friend after what she did. But holy shit did it limit her options for entertainment. Scrolling her socials could only cure her boredom so much. Yang's collection of films didn't satisfy her tastes. All that was left was to watch the news. Blake had always watched the news. She didn't always remember enjoying it.

The newscasters were wrapping up their hourly show. Two prim and pampered dullards reading from the teleprompter and pretending they liked each other. She hadn't been paying any attention to the day's stories. Did she miss anything important?

"The latest on RWBY-mania sweeping the Kingdom: unofficial merchandise? Sales of bootleg RWBY paraphernalia have skyrocketed since the famed Huntress team's appearance on The Very Late Night Show…"

Blake sighed. Nope. Apparently not.

Maybe enjoying was too strong of a term. Tolerating? Whatever it was, it didn't leave her with a sinking, nightmarish feeling in her gut. She was used to turning to the news and seeing the most depressing headlines: the continued violations of her people's rights, the increasing power of the Faith of Decum Luna, the sensationalist reporting of countless inhumanities all across Remnant. It gave her endless misery, but she was an addict to such feelings. She had to keep herself tuned in, politically aware, active, and ready for the new horrors her world would bring her. Ignorance was the weapon of the enemy, after all, and she was anything but ignorant. Ignorance was how she was kept under control in Menagerie. It was how the Huntsmen in charge stole her father from her, manipulated the lives of everyone around her. The truth had set her free and turned her cynical. For the longest time, she thought that was how she was always meant to be. Cynical. Miserable. Hateful.

So much had changed in the past three weeks. The hate she felt for everything subsided. Her constant skepticism of the future was erased and replaced with, dare she say it, optimism for change. Instead of hiding out in a warehouse in the middle of an abandoned chunk of the City of Vale, she was sleeping on the couch of three of her best friends. Oh, that was new, too. She had best friends now. She hadn't truly had one of those in a long while, and everyone knew about how that ended. Things would be different now, at least, she promised herself that much.

What else? Well, her boyfriend was in prison. Or her ex-boyfriend now. That bridge was thoroughly burned. She hadn't gone to visit him. The details were still too painful to even think about, let alone live again. She did her best to forget about him.

What she could remember was the circumstances: the giant Grimm, a repulsive chimera of bleeding, oozing, shadow-like animals hastily fused together, and the equally disturbed woman who constructed it. She went by the moniker Mrs. Glass, a fitting if not extremely obvious title for a woman half-built out of the same material. That insane lady nearly tried to destroy the city, and it was only thanks to RWBY's efforts that she was repelled. Blake had some mild concern that she would show up at the house suddenly seeking revenge, yet she wasn't too distraught. Glass vanished after the attack, probably laying low somewhere outside of the Kingdom. It was too hard for someone like her to sneak around unnoticed.

Unlike herself—who was half responsible for the attack on Vale in the first place. Who almost went along with Glass's madness. Who, deep down, she feared might once again be led astray…

She refused to let that happen, though. She was going to be a good person from now on. That was the promise she made to herself, even if she was never satisfied. That was what her friends expected from her, and for once in her life, she felt good about owing them that.

And luckily for her, that trying was already paying off. She saved a city. Hundreds, if not thousands of lives. That was pretty damn good. The ripple effects from the assault on Vale were making themselves known, and that brought her back to the news. Its most recent important headline: Atlas and Vale Sign Weapons Reduction Pact. She was legitimately stunned. Two Kingdoms trying not to blow each other up? She felt like she was living in an alternate timeline. The people of Remnant now had a common enemy to unite against, and that meant petty squabbles about nationalism were put on the backburner. That wasn't the only good news, though. The massive media attention she received gave her the one thing that she never had as a Faunus: a platform. For the first time, other people were willing to listen to her words. There were no riot police trying to gas them or dogs tearing at her legs. The media wanted to hear her opinion, and as anyone who knew her would attest, she was always willing to share.

"And think on the bright side," Weiss had told her before they were invited onto a successful Valian podcast. "Since these are so short, no one will have time to figure out you're a colossal bitch."

That was true, also, though Blake would contend it went both ways with the Schnee. All in all, it was maybe the best three weeks of her life. She was proud. She was helpful. Best of all, she was at peace. It was just a shame it was all going to end so soon.

Blake sighed, absentmindedly resting her Scroll on her chest as she leaned back on the armrest of the couch. She had the house to herself, save for that cursed, scroungy dog lurking somewhere upstairs. She could hear the scampering of his feet, but she couldn't pick up a source, and she didn't care to go look. She stared up at the ceiling. Yang and Ruby's dad supposedly helped make the cabin himself. It had a nice, rustic appeal that was a far cry from the overly gentrified, industrialized slums that she grew up in, or the haunting, looming corridors of Beacon Academy.

Speaking of Beacon, it was where her mind wandered next in the absence of anyone to talk to. She was going to be returning there soon, to the castle that just a month prior she had helped destroy. That damned school that helped train child soldiers, and yet, was probably the best thing that ever happened to her. Not intentionally, of course. The bastards in charge did nothing but try to ruin her life for four months. But it gave her Ruby, Weiss, and Yang, and for that, she would be eternally grateful. The building, though? The faculty? They could go fuck themselves, obviously. Her return was inevitable, and that raised an important question: How were they going to treat her? Her current arrangement with Ozpin guaranteed her protection, but what about the other professors? Did they know her secrets? She knew that Ozpin would do anything to make her life a living hell. And another question, how soon did they want her to begin working with them? She was the only person who knew anything about Adam and the White Fang members he used to organize the attack on Vale. Would they expect her to sell him out more than she already had?

Adam…

Shit, now she was back on the negatives. How easy was that? Those questions sucked. They were hurting her vibes.? She closed her eyes. She needed a fucking nap. Or a shower. Or a snack. Maybe all three.

"And finally, in other news, Beacon's Headmaster Ozpin has announced that this year's Vytal Festival is still scheduled for later this April."

Blake tried closing her eyes, letting the voice of the newscaster lull her to an early sleep. The Vytal Festival was still happening? Why not. Her school would never miss an opportunity to torment its students.

"I think that's good news for everyone. We have one of the most impressive crops of Huntsmen we've ever seen."

"Right? There's a lot of good competition that wasn't around four years ago."

"And I think everyone would want to see if Team RWBY competed."

"Could you imagine?"

Blake rested her hands on her chest, letting herself relax. Even with intense Aura healing, she was still feeling the aftereffects of the Grimm attack and her battle with Weiss. If they wanted her to fight other students, they'd probably have to drag her into the battlefield.

"Well, there's a lot of great Huntsmen students: Pyrrha Nikos is in Beacon, Mercury Black has been getting a lot of attention…"

God, was there anything more boring than pretend news anchor banter? Lovely sleep fuel, though.

"I wonder if the Atlas Academy merger will have any impact on the selection process this year."

"It shouldn't. It's not like Beacon's officially merging. They are still separate bodies, right?"

"I think there are still a lot of outstanding questions about that."

Shit, if they were going to be famous, maybe she should get in on that merch idea. Not that she cared for the soullessness of capitalism, but if they were going to be famous, they might as well benefit. She could easily donate her proceeds to the White Fang or a food bank. It would be better than Ozpin trademarking their likenesses, after all. Imagine little Blake plushies in every store. Press the button on her wrist and she'll make a sarcastic comment.

Blake's eyes suddenly opened, and she sat up on the couch. She had to recheck her memory. Merger? Was that what they said?

Wait… what did that mean?

She pulled up her Scroll and casually checked the day's other news stories.

"Dad says he's going to be a few minutes," Ruby explained. The wind was still icy, and the lamps from the restaurant's awning did little to warm her. Her greatest comfort was Weiss, wrapping a tender arm around her shoulder as they waited on the sidewalk. Ruby tucked her Scroll back into her bag as Weiss pressed her cheek up against her shoulder.

"Well, at least it isn't snowing anymore," she mused. "Also, I'm going to say it. That cheesecake was significantly overpriced."

"Sorry," Ruby said sheepishly, but Weiss quickly placed a finger to Ruby's lips, silencing the now-blushing redhead.

"Don't be," Weiss said confidently. "I had a great night. I got to spend time with you alone. No Blake. No Yang. No Grimm. No Ozpin. It was everything I wanted."

Ruby's heart skipped a beat. "R-Really?"

Weiss looked up at Ruby and squeezed her ever so tightly. "Yes. Well, except for one thing…"

Before Ruby could question what that was, Weiss delicately placed a finger on her other cheek and pushed her face toward her. Ruby's eyes met Weiss's for only a moment, but she was unable to take in their grace before Weiss quickly closed the distance between their lips. It was all just a flash, but the sensation was enough to clutch Ruby's heart. She had gotten better at processing Weiss's displays of affection, but it was still weird. Outstanding, but weird. Weiss's lips sparked against hers for just a moment, and then the ex-heiress pulled away, satisfied with herself.

"There. Now it's better."

It was. It truly was. Not just Weiss's kiss, or her evening, but…well, everything. Ruby had spent so many years of her life in fear, in trauma, watching the world pass her by as she sat stewing in her own anxieties and torments in her room. She never thought she was deserving of any of the fortunes that came her way; not getting into Beacon, making friends, or redeeming her mother's legacy. Yet, for the first time, Ruby felt like she was on the verge of a happily ever after. The world was saved. She healed her relationship with her sister. She was now the inspiration to millions around the world the way her mother was to her. And, to top it off, she had a badass girlfriend capable of slicing a Grimm into pieces. She knew it couldn't last forever, not with another semester at Beacon coming up… but she was content.

She wrapped her arm around Weiss and joined her embrace. Strike that. She was more than content. She was happy.

And then her Scroll rang.

Ruby absentmindedly reached into her bag, expecting to see her father's name on the device. Instead, her brow furrowed as she read the name out loud. "Oh, it's Blake."

Weiss let out an audible sigh. "Of course. Why have a nice moment?"

"I told her not to call," Ruby groaned as she answered. She placed the Scroll up to her ear. "Hi, Blake. I thought you wouldn't—"

She was greeted by a frightful, angry shriek.

"Ruby! Have you checked the news today?"

"What?" Ruby stammered. "No, I haven't checked… why would I check?"

"Atlas. Everyone is being sent to Atlas!"

"Whoa, Blake, calm down. What are you talking about?" Ruby's confusion was palpable, and Weiss leaned in so she could make out Blake's frantic cries.

"Ozpin," Blake explained. "He struck a deal with Atlas. Everyone in Beacon is being sent there. That piece of shit… I knew he would try something like this."

Ruby barely understood. Ozpin? Atlas? What the hell was going on? She pulled her Scroll away, and while still on the call, she opened up her news app and checked the day's most recent stories. She found the article third from the top, barely worth the headline, as if it wasn't the most stunning, terrible thing that could have happened to her. She skimmed the article, Weiss over her shoulder reading not the words, but the emotions on Ruby's face as they transformed from confusion into shock, into terror, and finally into sheer, unrelenting rage.

Blake's muted voice ranted over the Scroll, but Ruby couldn't concentrate. Her stomach was too busy twisting into knots.

She was so screwed…