Lost.

In the Land of Darkness at Salem's keep, Emerald is sitting on the floor while Mercury is training around the room with punches and kicks. Líf was sitting near a wall with his legs crossed and eyes closed. Looked like he was meditating, but it was hard to tell.

"I hate being kept in the dark like this..." Emerald said.

"Yeah, Cinder was a pain, but at least she kept us filled in" Mercury said as he continues training.

Emerald glanced at him "Can I ask you something?".

Mercury paused for a moment before "You're gonna".

"Why did you come with us, the night Cinder and I found you?" Emerald asked.

Mercury looked at her "Why are you asking-".

"Just answer the question" Emerald said.

"Just made sense" Mercury finally answered.

"It made sense?" Emerald asked.

"All my life, my father trained me to be a killer, an assassin like him. And then moments after I killed him, you two showed up looking for someone with my exact skills. Just felt like it was meant to be" Mercury explained.

Emerald looked incredulous "That's it?".

Mercury was getting annoyed now "Hey, what's your problem?".

"I mean, there has to be something you want from this, right?" Emerald asked.

"Salem's promised us everything. We win this thing for her, we'll be top dogs in her new world. What more do you want?" Mercury asked.

"I just..." Emerald began before she sighs "Cinder was the only family I ever had. She cared about me, taught me things... But without her here, I don't know if what we're doing-".

"Wake up, already..." Mercury suddenly interrupted, Emerald looks at him in shock upon hearing this "Cinder doesn't care about you! She doesn't care about any of us!".

"You don't know what you're talking about!" Emerald said in anger.

"You're in denial. And if you're gonna start having a crisis of identity or some crap... keep me out of it" Mercury said. At this, Emerald angrily jumps forward and starts to attack him with punches and kicks, but he dodges them and catches her wrist "I'm sorry you didn't have a mommy that loved you, but I had a father who hated me!".

He shoves Emerald back a bit. She takes a defensive stance as he slowly approaches her.

"He never went easy on me! Every day of training was a beating. And when I unlocked my Semblance, he stole it with his!" Mercury throws a punch and a kick at Emerald, who dodges them, while he quotes his father's words "This is a crutch! This makes you weak! He told me I could have it back when I was strong. So I got strong, but I never got it back! I've had to work harder than anyone to get where I am. You may not like it here without Cinder, but I think I'm right where I'm supposed to be!".

"You two done yet?" They stopped and looked at Líf who had finally been disturbed enough to wake from his meditation "You two are arguing like children. Your reasons for being here means nothing if you lack the will to stick with it".

Mercury glares at him "Oh yeah? Then what is your reason for being here?".

"Didn't I make it obvious? It's for revenge" Líf answered.

"Oh yeah you made that part very clear. But is it your only reason?" Mercury asked.

Líf narrowed his eyes before standing up and walked towards them "It's the only reason I need. I never knew the love of a mother, or the scorn of a father. But I did know the love of my sister. Until that love was taken from me".

"Your sister... I think I heard you mention her. What happened?" Emerald asked.

"What do you think happened? She was one of the many victims of Ozpin's unwinnable war against Salem" Líf answered as he clenched his fist "Our parents died when we were still very young, so we only had each other. We decided to become a Huntsman and Huntress, believing we could do some good... Until everything went to hell... She was killed, and I was captured and tortured by Salem. Until I was turned in to one of her monsters".

Mercury and Emerald shared an uneasy look before Mercury spoke "If that is the case, it sound like you should be hating Salem".

"Oh, I do. I despise her with every fiber of my being, she is just as responsible for my sister's death as Ozpin is. Difference is, Ozpin can die, Salem can't. And while Ozpin always comes back, if I can kill him even once, I'll take what little satisfaction I can get" Líf explained.

Suddenly, the three hear a certain laughter. Tyrian steps out of the shadows with his new metallic scorpion tail.

"Oh yes, the world is mean, and I'm a big, bad man now just like the others" He said before he laughs again.

Mercury growls as he angrily walk over to Tyrian "How long have you been standing there?!".

Tyrian only smiled "All you ever learned was pain and violence, and now you're too afraid to leave it. Such a tragedy".

"You don't know me!" Mercury tries to kick at Tyrian, but he dodges and kicks Mercury back. Tyrian holds him down to the ground by keeping his tail at a short distance away from Mercury's face.

Emerald tried to step in "Hey!".

"Shh, shh, shh, shh, shh. I want to tell you three a little secret. Your question is all wrong" Tyrian said as he laughs.

"What?" Emerald asked.

"What do you want from this? Children, please, if you're not loving what you're doing, then you're in the wrong field" Tyrian said.

"So, what? Are you saying we should just leave?" Emerald asked.

Tyrian gasps "Oh no, no, no, no. You can't do that!".

Mercury glares at him "Then what did you come here for?".

"To say farewell. There's been a change in plans. Her Grace must act swiftly if we are to prevail. If General Ironwood comes to his senses and calls upon aid from Vacuo, all may be lost for us! And so the good doctor and I are being sent to Atlas... to prepare" Tyrian explained.

"Prepare for what?" Emerald asked.

"Tyrian!" Watts can be seen at the end of the hallway leading into the room "It's time".

Tyrian steps off of Mercury, who gets back up on his feet "Do what makes you happy children... please? I'm begging you..." He smiles evilly as holds his new tail out threateningly, with purple liquid venom dripping from the stinger's tip before looking at Líf "And you boy. You really need to watch what you say".

"Or what? You'll kill me?" Líf asked as he grabbed Tyrian's tail and held the stinger near his neck "Go ahead, kill me, you'd be doing me a favor".

Tyrian looked at him for a moment before he laughs "Oh yeah, you would like that, wouldn't you? But you seem to have forgotten that our Queen owns you. She decides if you live or die, not me... and not you. Never forget that".

Tyrian walks away towards Watts letting out a little chuckle. Emerald and Mercury watch him leave with disgusted looks while Líf did nothing... other than clenching his fist.


Back in Argus, Severa was walking through the streets with a hopeless look on her face. She and Lyre had split up to look for Lucina, but so far neither of them had found a single trace of her. And Argus was huge, so finding her was already difficult enough without the fact she had ran of. And to make matters worse, Oscar was missing too, likely running of due to how aggressive Jaune was earlier. They really didn't need more problems at the moment, things were bad enough already.

"Damn it Lucina, where the hell are you!?" Severa asked in frustration.

Some leaves blew past her. She looked in their direction and saw... something that made her stop. A statue of the late Pyrrha Nikos is standing solemnly on a stone pedestal, with her head down, eyes closed, and shield in her hands below her waist. Severa slowly approaches the statue and looks up at her fallen cousin. She then kneels down and notices a plaque with Pyrrha's respective symbol and words inscribed on it written: IN HONOR OF PYRRHA NIKOS, ONE OF MANY STUDENTS WHO FOUGHT VALIANTLY AT THE FALL OF BEACON.

"Pyrrha..." Severa whispered before looking back up "I... I always thought you were a silly girl... someone who apologizes for nothing... someone who never made decisions on your own... someone to kind for your own good... But you... You had everything figured out, didn't you? You knew exactly what you were doing, and what you wanted... You were going to be the best out of all of us, the very embodiment of what a Huntress should be... So then why... why did you die? Why did you leave us!? Why did you leave me!?".

She clenched her fist as a tear began running down her face. Even after all this time, the wound left by Pyrrha's death had not healed.

"Severa..." She gasped and looked behind her and saw...

"Pyrrha?" She asked in shock.

A glowing Pyrrha was standing in front of her and smiled "It is time for you to move on, Severa. You know why I did what I did. I made my choice as a Huntress. Now it's your turn. Don't let the past hold you back, you're to strong for that".

"B-But I don't know how... I don't know what to do anymore" Severa said.

"Yes you do, Severa. You've always known... You need to let me go, but I will never leave you. I will always be with you... I love you, Severa" Pyrrha said before she vanished.

Severa stood in silence. What just happened? Was Pyrrha just an illusion from the cold? Or Severa's imagination triggering a fake image due to seeing Pyrrha's statue? It felt like something one would read in a book or comic... And yet, it felt so real and Severa knew she should move on... but how?

"Severa!" She looked and saw Lyre.

"Lyre. Did you find her?" Severa asked.

Lyre sighed sadly "Not a trace... I'm worried Severa, what if something happened to her?".

"Lucina is to strong to just give up like this... I guess... all we can do is just wait for her to come back on her own" Severa said.

Lyre sighed before she noticed the statue "Pyrrha... I miss her".

"So do I, Lyre... So do I" Severa said.


Lucina was still sitting by the river. Debating if she should just fall in and drown... Maybe the world would be a better place if she did. She was just so confused and had no idea what to do.

"Hey there!" Came a voice which made Lucina jump.

She looked and saw a girl around her age with long white hair. She was wearing some armor along with a blue cape... Lucina also noticed she was barefoot, which made her mentally question how she wasn't freezing.

"You know it's dangerous to stand so close to a river. If you fall in you'll be in real danger" The girl said.

Lucina looked down at the water "Perhaps that would be for the best".

The girl walked up to her "You look depressed. Did something happen?".

Lucina sighed "Not something I like to discuss with strangers".

"I understand what you mean. But talking could help you feel better" The Girl said.

Lucina looked at her and for some reason she felt like she could talk to her "Tell me... do you believe our choices are really ours to...choose?".

The girl blinked "I'm not sure I follow...".

"Are our decisions our own, or do you think they're already made for us?" Lucina asked

"Well, that's a scary thought. What's gotten you thinking about this?" The girl asked.

"I... I just recently learned something really horrible... something about my family. And I can't shake the worry that my feelings and goals aren't my own" Lucina explained.

"Hmm. Well, I've always believed that my choices are mine and mine alone. Like fate is what I decide it is for me, and it's up to you to decide your own fate. So my future is still guided by will. And if some godlike being thinks they can tell me what to do... I'm gonna find them and put an end to her high jinks!" The girl declared.

"You really think you could just knock down a god?" Lucina asked, she had seen what gods can do first hand, so she knew she could do nothing if they returned.

"So it's not a perfect plan... Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that you decide what and who you are. Not some god, or even your own bloodline" The girl said.

"But what if I am related to someone horrible? A real monster who's caused unspeakable suffering?" Lucina asked.

The Girl shakes her head before giving Lucina a hard look "You're not listening, you're making the question sound more complicated than it really is. YOU decide who you are. YOU decide what you want to become. If you are so horrified by what a relative has done, then the answer is simple: Don't become like them. Pick the path you believe in and stick to it and don't ever question if your choices are yours or not. If you made them, then they are yours, plain and simple".

"I... No it can't be that simple" Lucina said.

"Yes it can! Gosh you are stubborn! You are you, if anyone tries to tell you otherwise, then give them a good punch to the face. If you believe you are fated for darkness, then challenge your fate and defy it! And if you have people you love, then draw strength from them" The girl said, her words were strong.

Lucina looked at her in shock for several seconds "I... Ok, I will challenge my fate. And I do have loved ones who I know will help me"

The girl smiled "Glad you finally get it. Well I need to go now, take care of yourself and follow the path you believe in".

She began to walk away but Lucina called out "Wait! What's your name? I'm Lucina".

The girl stopped and smiled at her "The name is Corrin. take care of yourself Lucina, and the people you love".

Lucina smiled as Corrin walked away. She put a hand on her chest. Corrin was right... Lucina's decisions belongs to her and her alone... Salem may be her grandmother, but she doesn't control her. No one does.

She touched her hair and got an idea.


Ruby is looking down with a look of disapproval on her face. She lets out a disappointed sigh.

"I've never seen him this bad" Yang said.

Ruby, along with the rest of Team RWBY and Maria, find Qrow passed out on some stairs leading up to a house.

"Come on, let's get him up" Ruby said.

The two sisters grab their uncle's arms and sit him up.

Qrow groans and rubs his eyes "Why am I on the stairs?".

"Probably because no one's home, Uncle Qrow. We've been out looking for Oscar" Ruby said.

"Oscar?" Qrow asked.

The group hears footsteps. They turn to see Jaune, Ren, Nora, as well as Saphron and Terra, who is holding Adrian in her arm, walking towards them. The two mothers look at Qrow.

"I'm sure this looks great to the neighbors" Terra said. Saphron lightly elbows her wife while Jaune and his teammates walk up to the group.

"No luck?" Ren asked.

"No, you?" Blake asked, earning some shaking heads.

Severa and Lyre walked up to them with the former speaking "We looked everywhere... No sign of Lucina".

Ruby looked down before Jaune puts a hand on her shoulder "Don't worry, we aren't going to Atlas without them".

"We?" Ruby asked as The three Team JNPR members share a smile.

Jaune looks at Saphron "Sorry we won't be staying".

Saphron smirked "No you're not".

"How about we get out of the cold?" Terra asked.

The door to the house is heard opening. Everyone gasps in shock as a familiar voice is heard.

"Oh, I was wondering when you'd get back" Oscar stands at the doorway, now wearing a fancy green coat.

"OSCAR!" Everyone shouts.

Nora screams in joy as Oscar initially has a confused look on his face, and then one of comical terror as the students all leap forward and tackle hug him. Now inside the house, Ruby helps Oscar up as everyone shares a laugh.

"You had us worried sick!" Weiss said.

"Are you okay?" Ruby asked.

Nora grins "What are you wearing?".

Oscar smiles and rubs the back of his head "Uh...".

"Is something cooking?" Terra asked.

"Oh, uh, yeah. I thought you guys would appreciate a hot meal after... spending all day looking for me, apparently" Oscar said.

"Smells good" Bernadetta said.

Jaune steps forward "It's my fault we were all out there in the first place. Oscar, I am so sorry for earlier. I was way, way out of line, and what I said-".

Oscar held up his hands to stop him "No, it's okay. These past few days, I've been scared of the same things you were. I don't know how much longer I'm going to be... me. But I did some thinking, and I do know that I want to do everything I can to help with whatever time I have left".

Jaune smiles "Good. This team isn't the same without you, Oscar".

Everyone shares a smile. Suddenly, a smoke alarm goes off.

Oscar gasps "The casserole!".

"We're on it, chef" Saphron and Terra step into the kitchen to take care of Oscar's cooking.

"Lucina isn't with you?" Oscar asked as he noticed the blue haired girl was missing from the group.

Severa sighed "No... It's like she up and vanished".

"Oh... I hope she comes back soon. We should save some food for her" Oscar said.

Then, the group notice Qrow walking up the stairs.

Ruby looked at him sternly "Where are you going now?".

"I don't want to get in the way of your celebration" Qrow said.

"Oh for the love of... Would you loose your attitude already and just join us for a meal?" Severa demanded more than asked.

Qrow sighs "Look, kid, I'm glad you kids worked out, uh, whatever all that was. But the fact is, we're not a single step closer to Atlas and Lucina is still missing".

"Actually, I think I have an idea. But... it's sort of a "no-going-back" kind of idea. Once we find Lucina, we could try it" Jaune said.

"Well, let's hear it" Ruby said.

"With Cordo on watch, only Atlas airships have the clearance to leave for Solitas. So... we... steal an Atlas airship" Jaune said, nervously shrugging at his last statement.

Everyone gets shocked looks on their faces. Adrian giggles in Maria's arm.

"That's not just breaking the law. That's... that's definitely worse" Weiss said.

"We would be locked up for life... if not shot down" Bernadetta said.

"How would we even get onto the airfield?" Yang asked.

"That part I haven't quite figured out yet. But I-" Jaune began before he was interrupted.

"Okay, stop. Just... stop! Look, if this thing goes south, it's not something we can just fight our way out of. This is the Atlas Military we're talking about" Qrow said befoe he sighs "For your sake, just drop this".

Everyone looks down with discouraged looks on their faces.

Ruby notices this and turns back to Qrow with a determined look on her face "I want to hear him out".

Qrow looks at her "Ruby...".

"I want to hear him out! I know you're trying to protect us, that you're afraid we can't do it, but right now, I don't really care what you think!" Ruby said and Qrow gains a shocked expression upon hearing this "Just because you don't have an idea, doesn't mean we're out of options! Oz hasn't been here to tell us what to do, but we still managed to get this far anyway. We've been in bad situations before, and we don't need an adult to come save us or tell us what to do. We just did it our way! And I say we do it our way. And if you think you can keep up with us "kids"... we'd be happy to have you".

Qrow looks down sadly.

Maria laughs "Looks like you didn't give her enough credit either".

Qrow doesn't say anything, he looks back to Ruby while she looks back at him determined. Suddenly the door opened and when everyone looked, they gasped.

"Lucina?" Ruby asked. It was indeed Lucina, but her hair was shorter now, only reaching her shoulders.

"Hi everyone... I'm back" Lucina said nervously.

Severa snapped out of her shock before she quickly walked up and smacked Lucina on the head "You idiot! Do you have any idea how worried we've been!?".

"Sorry! Sorry!" Lucina said while rubbing her head.

"What did you do to your hair?" Blake asked.

"Oh, this? Well I decided on a new look for my new decision. I've decided it doesn't matter who I'm related to. My life is my own, and my choices are my own. And I choose to stay with you all and continue to fight for what I believe in" Lucina declared.

"Gawds! About damn time you figured that out" Severa said.

"She's right, Lucina. You're one of us, and no blood relations are going to change that" Lyre agreed.

Bernadetta smiled "Yes, we need our leader, and we couldn't have asked for a better one".

"Thank you... And I'm sorry I worried you all" Lucina said.

"It's not us you need to apologize to" Severa reminded.

Lucina looked at Ruby before walking up to her "Ruby I-".

Ruby silenced her with a kiss. Lucina gasped in surprise before kissing back. Everyone either looked away while blushing or smiled them. The kiss lasted for several seconds before the two lovers pulled back.

"Never run of like that again... or I swear I will hunt you down and drag you back!" Ruby said, meaning every word.

Lucina smiled "Understood... I love you".

"I love you too" Ruby said with a smile of her own.

They kissed again, happy to be back together. Now that the group had finally been fully restored, they knew they were ready for anything.

.

I was thinking of writing a scene with Severa and the Red Haired woman. But I decided not to for 2 reasons. 1: I didn't just want her to replace Jaune in that Scene. 2: While strongly hinted that the woman was Pyrrha's mother, it hasn't been confirmed. So just in case RWBY decides to pull a surprise reveal out of nowhere, I decided to not have Severa meet her.

.

Tell me what you think.