In one of my previous YouTube streams I had said that I was going to get this chapter out by Halloween… yeah, looking back a week now I shouldn't have set my expectations for so soon when I knew I had family plans for Halloween. Since then I've had a lot going on regarding work and I didn't want to sacrifice the quality of this chapter (meaning I want it to be something I can be proud of posting) just to get it out the door.

Anyways, sorry if you're waiting for one of my other stories to get an update. My focus is here for right now, where it needs to be. Believe me, I've heard requests on other stories and I'm doing my part to at least plan something out once this spree is done. I've still got a few chapters of this to put out, so let's see if I can put a wrap to this Arc by mid-February. Onto the review responses.

Wlyman2009: I can understand that line of thinking for our favorite… for our resident… for Cinder.

Primus1661: It's just the thought of writing real suffering for Ragna that's unearned. There are bits of his story where I can't help but think 'Okay, he gets crapped on constantly, but this is a bit much."

The Unplanner: Young Xehanort's battle theme did fit oddly well for this given the headache he can be in DDD and… oh god, his BBS fight. And we addressed the rest already, so thanks.

ImmaNumber1: Wah. That's it, just Wah… Damn, now I want a taco.

Dracoog101: Glad to hear you enjoyed and have such… strong feelings.

Ragriz: That's why I always feel it's more the journey than the destination.

Selias: Sorry you're disappointed, but I figured there were important character growth moments to display here.

GM9000: Yeah, secrets being kept by both him and others does seem to cause a bit of suffering for Ragna, not to mention Cinder ain't doing any favors.

P3R50N4: Interesting theory, let's see how it plays out.

NiceScourge: A good summary of Ragna's real place In all of this.

AtomicGod666: Glad to hear you're enjoying it!

Yuki terimi: Certainly seems to be getting close to that breaking point.

Qoriansawp: You called it, not me.

Thanks everyone for the support that you've given to both my stories and my small YouTube channel. I hope you enjoy and from now on I'll try to keep you more updated on my stories on the front of my page. Ciao!

Crimson XXVIII: Event Horizon

Professor Goodwitch gave a huff as she left the headmaster's office. While she could appreciate that tensions were high given recent events, that didn't excuse barging into the Headmaster's office. Being asked to leave so that Ozpin could have his discussion in private almost felt like an insult… and would easily allow Ozpin to make a final decision himself. All she could do was hope that he made the right one, whatever that meant these days.

"I'd offer you four each a cup of tea or coffee, but you've caught me at quite an inopportune time," the headmaster admitted. For once, he didn't even have his usual sly smile. "I can appreciate trying to help a fellow student, but what if this one doesn't request or even accept said help?"

"Last I had checked, Good Samaritan laws exist for a reason," Weiss said with the knowledge she'd gained (begrudgingly) from her father's business ventures. "And we've been instructed to stand alongside our allies and help carry these burdens together, or am I wrong?"

"Hardly, but it's also much easier to proceed if you focus on supporting those closest to you while your colleagues do the same," Ozpin attested. "And in this instance, shouldn't responsibility fall to the rest of team RAIN?"

"Please. Before any of this started, the four of us were Ragna's team," Yang asserted. "Was that your goal all along?"

"Hardly. I saw a great deal of untapped potential and felt it was best that it wasn't squandered. What was squandered were the several opportunities that I gave him. I made the condition that he healed the rift with his team and it's clear to us now that this was only on a surface level. I believe Professor Clover said as much to you, Miss Xiao Long." Yang didn't give an immediate answer. "And as much as you'd hate to hear it, there's still the chance that Ragna was lying to you when he said he'd return. Hence why he's been absent for so long."

"Which is why we need to go and find him," Blake said sternly. "If he's in trouble out there and unable to send word it's our duty to make sure he's safe."

"And the camping trip at the end of this week has nothing to do with this?" Ozpin inquired. "I can suspect this was going to be your big chance to make amends with the Reaper. In short, you're on a time limit."

"…Yeah," Ruby admitted. "But can you help us?"

"If you're so dedicated in helping another student, I'm willing to bend a few rules so that you're able to," the professor answered readily. "That said I have conditions that I expect to be met, such as search limits and time. You four will be taking a small, unmanned craft on auto pilot to search. I'm being more then generous in the range I'm allowing you to take it, so you'll need to stay close to the craft while you search on foot."

"That easily?" Blake asked cautiously. "That almost sounds too good to be true."

"Not entirely, I have a small assignment for you while you're out there," he reminded. "Also, you'll only have tomorrow, Sunday. That's quite the time limit to find a friend and force him to return."

"We… we aren't forcing him to do anything," Ruby protested. "We just want to talk."

"Then wouldn't it be easier to speak to him over your scrolls?" Ozpin asked, honestly hoping they'd at least considered that angle in this drama.

"First thing we tried to do since we heard the news, can't get through," Yang answered. "Thanks for hearing us out, but what's this other assignment?"

"You'll see once you're out there. In fact it could possibly prove to be a missing piece to your own search," Ozpin answered ominously. "I'll be in contact with the rest of your team during the mission, but be careful out there… there's no telling what Ragna's mental state could be."

"Leave that to us, we can bring him back," Ruby said confidently… or as confidently as she could show. "We'll get ready for the mission; we have packing to do."

Nodding softly, Ozpin remained silent until they were out of his office. Sighing to himself, he brought up the needed forms he was going to need so he could sign off on for their expedition… though already hidden under his desk were also partially filled documents for expulsion.

The Next Day -RWBY's Room-

"Extra ammunition?"

"Check."

"First aid kit?"

"Of course."

"Extra Rations?"

"If we need them."

"The Dust that I procured for us?" Weiss asked for the last item on the list.

"Not leaving that behind," Ruby answered the checkoff list as she closed the backpack she'd prepared. "Any word from Blake or Yang?"

"Your sister messaged earlier to say they'll both meet us in the hanger, they just wanted to check something out in town," Weiss said as she stood confident for a long moment eyeing Ruby as she read through one of her books. "What's that you have there?"

"An old book on search and rescue," she said as she scanned through the pages. From what Weiss could tell, old was an understatement. That book look like it had gone through plenty of use especially with the notes written on the pages, though Weiss noted it was not in her partner's penmanship. "One of my mom's old books."

"So you're reading it because it makes you feel calmer before an important job?" Weiss asked.

"No, because this is a rescue mission and I need to make sure I know everything that I can possibly do to help before we leave," Ruby explained. "Though I guess it does help me feel closer to my mom, especially because of my goal."

"Goal… you've never said anything about that before," the Ice Queen noted. "What is it?"

"It… it's honestly a little lame and really cliché, but I want to make sure that everyone comes back whenever we have an assignment. My mom… I don't really know all of the details, but she didn't come back from her last assignment. That's why I want to make sure that everyone does, especially since I'm the team leader now." She paused for a moment. "Of course I also want to bring Ragna back because we have some things that need to get cleared up."

"That last part is obvious for all of us, so I know where you're coming from," her partner agreed. Still, seeing Ruby in this new light even after growing accustomed to her at the academy made it clear she wasn't just the bumbling cheery eyed girl that everyone thought that she was. It was then that there was a knocking on their door. "It's open."

The person hoping to speak with them was none other than Ragna's brother, Jin Kisaragi. The blond student looked more exhausted than usual from an obvious lack of sleep. Whether it was from the still ongoing Project Hell or a more familial worry wasn't obvious, but Jin's lack of his usual sharp look indicated the former.

"I spoke to Ozpin, but it seems like you're all he's willing or able to send out in the search," he told them bluntly.

"What about Ragna's team? Did Tsubaki try talking to him?" Ruby asked.

"She did, though Ozpin made it clear that I made the more intense argument between us." He paused, letting his words sink in. "Don't hold it against her; she already has a lot of pressure given the situation with maintaining the rest of her team, their projects, and… the possibility that she might need to take duties leading a team of three."

"Well she won't have to worry about that once we find Ragna and bring him back to Beacon," Weiss informed heatedly. "Is that all you came to us for?"

"Hardly; if you manage to find my brother out there and he's less than cooperative in coming back, I need you to give a message to him. Let him know that if he's not willing to return, then I'm going with him. Even if that means rejecting my right as future head of the Kisaragi family, my potential as a huntsman… it doesn't matter. I'll follow him on his road to hell with or without his permission."

"So you're giving him an ultimatum?" Ruby asked.

"No, just making sure he knows where his little brother stands in all of this." It almost sounded odd hearing Jin refer to himself as that.

"Do you have any ideas why he would've left in the first place?" Weiss had to ask.

"A few, but if you want those answers you'll have to get them from the man himself. I'm hardly at liberty to say if he hasn't told you," Jin said as he was about to leave, but turned back to the Schnee heiress. "And Weiss? In regard to that other matter, I'm already taking Tsubaki to the upcoming dance. Just thought you should know for your own plans." With his messages delivered and without waiting to hear from the other two, Jin left their team room.

"Ooooooookay?" Ruby said, feeling obviously out of the loop on that last part. She asked in next question with heavy skepticism "…Were you hoping to go with him to the dance?"

The look she got back from Weiss was scathing.

Meanwhile -In the City-

"So we fed you…"

"A lot."

"Got you money so that you could pay for food later…"

"Which you'll probably go through in a week."

"And now all you want to do is… is…"

"Grope me," Yang finished for her partner with a seething glare at the hooded cat who was still eyeing her abundant chest. "That's not happening, and I think you owe us both some answers for everything we just treated you to."

"Meow? Tao didn't realize that she was making a deal, otherwise she would've asked for more food." Blake and Yang were growing annoyed with their quarry and wondered if they should've brought Weiss to foot the bill instead. "But if you're friends of Good Guy, Tao guesses she can give you a special discount just this once. So what we you hoping to learn about? Tao knows lotsa stuff!"

"And this lotsa stuff involves Ragna I'm hoping," Blake demanded from her fellow demi-cat. The immediate deflation in Tao evident was evident by her drooping ears. "You can't be serious; do you know how much we had to pay for all of that food? You nearly ate out three different restaurants with your appetite! And the one thing we need your help with, you don't even talk to us about."

"It's not that Tao doesn't want to help you, it's that she made some important promises to keep secrets of Good Guy," she explained. "Tao doesn't like secrets, but she really hates breaking promises about Good Guy. She doesn't want him or cat person to hate her."

"Cat person?" Yang asked. "Can you maybe be a little more… specific?"

"The person that Ragna always calls Meow-ster!" Tao said.

"You mean master?" Blake had to ask for clarification, finding Tao's speech habits less than endearing. She was rewarded with a nod from the hooded feline. "And which asked you to be quiet? Can you tell us that?"

"Tao remembers cat person asking her most of the time, but good guy never wanted to talk about it himself. Tao really wishes that she could help you, but she doesn't know how without breaking that promise."

"…Can you tell us where his master is now?" Yang asked. "Maybe Ragna had to go to him for advice or have him fix his condition and that's why he's not back yet."

"Meow? But cat person doesn't fix good guy. He has to-" Before Tao could elaborate any further, her large coat paws slammed over her mouth in panic. She looked like a little girl who had quite nearly said a swear word and if weren't for the seriousness on their situation, Blake and Yang might've even found it cute.

"Ragna has to what?" Yang pressed.

"Tao… can't say if you don't already know," the hooded feline said bitterly. "Good guy doesn't want to share that with anyone, even Tao found out by complete accident."

"You mean you were stalking him," Blake figure.

"For food," Tao agreed shamelessly.

"Figures, but there's still a chance he could try to find his old master," the fellow cat suggested. "Even if we can't reach him in our search, we'll at least know where he is and figure some way of getting a message to him… assuming Tao's allowed to tell us that much."

"Tao's pretty sure that she isn't, but even if she was it wouldn't help. Cat person travels around way too much for anyone to track down, so she doesn't even know how good guy is supposed to find him," Tao informed of that much.

"Shoot… maybe he didn't go after his master after all," Yang suggested. "Maybe he went back to his old home, the one where he used to stay with his mother." Neither her nor Blake noticed, but Tao stiffened once they'd said that. "Tao, do you know where that is?"

"…I… I don't," Tao said very sadly. "But good guy wouldn't go back there… he told Tao that he never wants to go back for as long as he lives."

"Right, there's probably some trauma there," Yang guessed. "Shoot, I guess there's nothing else than to hope he's in the range we're allowed to search tomorrow and… figure something else out if that isn't the case."

"Meow. For what it's worth Tao really hopes that you find him, she really really does," the hooded one said sadly. "Good guy's always a big ol' grump; saying words that Tao's not allowed to, yelling a lot, scrunching his face up like this." As Tao mimicked Ragna's scowling face, Yang couldn't help but give an undignified snort. "But aside from the last time Tao saw him, once he came to Beacon he actually seemed… happy."

'Then Cinder got involved,' Yang thought, promising herself to pay back the transfer student ten-fold. "Well we're gonna make sure he's safe and happy when we bring him back, count on that."

"Tao will Yellow Lady!" she cheered calling Yang by her new nickname. "Tao's been all around the city, so there's no chance that he's hiding out around here, otherwise Tao would've been able to find him for sure!"

"You sound pretty confident about that," Blake noted. "Now that you mention it, you seemed to be able to find Ragna without any trouble last time, so just how is it that you're able to do that in the first place?"

"Easy! Tao sniffs him out!"

'Sniffs him out?'

'Like a bloodhound?'

"If good guy's close enough there's no way that he's able to get away from Tao no matter where he tried to hide!" she declared, not helping the situation in any way. "Tao has good guy's scent completely memorized! She'd be able to find him in the middle of a purr-fume store or dump! And she has!"

"…And how did you get his smell… memorized?" Blake asked uncomfortably.

"Because this one time a couple of years ago, big sis Tora said that Tao needed to show good guy a good time, so she-!"

"THAT'S ALRIGHT! I DON'T WANT TO KNOW!" a blushing Blake shouted (though her reading history would clearly say otherwise).

'This was a couple of years ago, so they both would've been way too young for that, besides Ragna's too big of a prude for anything to happen,' Yang thought, surprisingly more levelheaded between them. 'Might be fun to tease him about it once he gets back into his good spirits.' "But if you're able to smell good guy that well, I mean Ragna, then you should totally come with us when we go to search for him."

"Okay, then Tao will for sure go to help you look for him!" she promised.

"Are you sure that this is a good idea?" Blake asked. "If Ozpin doesn't agree to this, then we could be breaking the agreement and make a bad situation even worse for Ragna."

"Then she'll just have to conveniently join us in the middle of the operation," Yang guessed. "Tao, can you get out of town?"

"Yep!"

"And can you meet us by that really large oak tree, the tallest one in the woods?"

"Sure thing!"

"And would you have any problem fighting off Grimm until we arrived?"

"Puh-lease. If Grimm we edible Tao would make a buffet of them for all nine meals!"

"I guess that works then," Blake said in appreciation. "…Though that does explain a lot."

"Meow?"

Later -Beacon Hanger-

"So she'll meet us out there?" Ruby asked her sister.

"Yep, looks like she's just as eager to find Ragna as we are," Yang confirmed with a nod. "So we're all packed up?"

"All accounted for, and now that Tao's joining up with us I'm glad I brought those extra rations along," Weiss said added.

"With how much we fed her, I hope that we can keep her on task the entire time," Blake contributed with a sigh. It was then that her ears twitched slightly, her yellow eyes narrowly opened, and she glared to the hanger's entrance. "Cinder…"

It was indeed Ragna's project partner (and who the girls obviously suspected as the cause of his grief this quarter). She made her way away to them, looking honestly exhausted to the four of them… though that was thanks to some expert makeup work and award worthy acting on the antagonist's part. Of the four, only Ruby didn't directly glare at her though she wasn't exactly giving her a welcoming smile either. If she noticed this (which was likely), she paid it no mind.

"Look what the c-" Weiss was about to say, before stopping herself as she realized that it would have been insensitive to Blake and a habit that needed breaking. "...Well why are you here?"

"Still hostile, aren't you Ice Queen?" Cinder asked sweetly before giving an obvious yawn. "I just came here to wish the four of you luck on your search for Ragna. I'm putting a lot of faith in your team to bring him back."

"Thanks," Yang answered with titanic levels of sarcasm. "But we'll manage just fine. He'll be back here and you'll get alllllll the chances you want to sink your fangs into him." To get her already blunt message across, the blonde then cracked her knuckles.

"What am I? A vampire?" The girls obviously had other words for it, but it wouldn't do much to help their situation (also unbeknownst to them, Ragna already had one vampire too many in his life). "I really hope that you find him and get him to return, managing to recover what I can of our project along with everything else has been far from easy. I must look like a wreck."

'…She's baiting us,' Weiss thought, remaining both levelheaded and silent.

"But don't think that I blame him for any of this, heavens forbid," she began, aghast that she even brought it up in the first place. "I'm just trying to make sure he's in a good place when he returns, honestly I'd l want nothing more than for him to go back to the quirky man that I know and lo-"

For once Cinder was taken aback, and she'd nearly brought in on herself. Even if it was to keep her cover saying that she was interested in the Reaper was one thing, but the dreaded L word? …Maybe Mercury had a point after all and she was getting in too deep. Realizing it was foolish to worry over since she'd been ready to kiss him if it meant ruining him, she pushed the thought aside though it seemed that her misspeak hadn't gone unnoticed by the four who seemed more skeptical than angry about it.

"A-Anyways, just bring him back and make sure he knows that I'm looking forward to seeing him again. The more friends he has welcoming his return, the easier it will be to bring him back, right?"

"Yeah, that's true," Ruby said neutrally. The other girls in her group waited to see if she'd make some kind of comeback, if even their cheery team leader was tired of Cinder's actions. "We'll give the message Cinder; you don't need to worry about that."

"Knew I could count on you Ruby," she said as a small chime came in over the loudspeakers. "That's your call, happy hunting you four." None gave her any goodbyes as she headed to leave the hanger. 'All I have to do is nothing and I can get suspicions off my back, this was just to show an edge of concern. Either way I can still do nothing and win…' She couldn't help but shake her head. 'So why should I want them to actually bring him back?'

Later -The Search-

"Anything yet Tao?" Blake asked as her fellow feline continued to sniff the air. "Can you at least tell if Ragna's been through here recently?"

"Tao thinks he might've been, but she can't be sure," the hooded cat said, more serious than most had seen her… ever. "If good guy had been anywhere, it would be to sleep under a giant tree like this. It's a really good napping spot!"

"Well Cinder's caused him quite the lack of sleep lately, so maybe she's onto something there?" Yang said optimistically. It was then that Ruby and Weiss came from behind some vegetation. "Aren't you guys supposed to be guarding our backs and keep the Grimm off us while we search?"

"Love to, but that would require Grimm for us to fight in the first place," Weiss noted uncomfortably. "As far as we can tell, there hasn't been a single sign of any type of Grimm since we came out here."

"Seriously? I mean it's not too unusual for the Grimm to be staying away from the wall's auto defenses, but you're saying we haven't found any out here?" Blake asked in disbelief. "Could… could Ragna have really beaten all of them on his own? I mean with all of the times he's gone outside the city he's had plenty of chances."

"That doesn't seem likely; without a fortified barrier to keep the Grimm out even smaller areas would only go a week or two before more showed up. And there weren't any obvious signs of fighting; even at his peak Ragna was far from neat in combat. Something else is going on here and-" Ruby paused in sudden realization. "Remember back during finals when Ragna was just as tired as us, but as soon as he started slaying Grimm he was in peak condition?"

"Right, I took that Grimm slaying exam with him," Yang remembered. "The difference was like night and day after he started fighting. Tao, does this have anything to do with what you meant by 'fixing' Ragna?"

"Meow. Tao still isn't allowed to say much, but Yellow Lady is on the right track," she admitted, but still appeared to be hiding something.

"But… that would mean that Ragna would've had to go this entire quarter without having any Grimm to hunt. How would something like that even be possible?" Weiss asked. "You'd think if there was unusual Grimm activity Ozpin would be aware of it."

"He was aware of it; he said back in his office that he had an assignment for us and that we'd know what it was once we got out here. My question's why he hasn't told anyone about it yet. You'd think that an absence of Grimm would be worth some news," Blake noted.

"Maybe it's because Ozpin and the rest of the professors don't have any idea what's going on either and they want to see if we can figure out what's causing it?" Ruby guessed. "I mean, at the very least he's giving us an excuse to come out here, so it can't be all that bad. For now let's just keep our eye out for Grimm but focus on finding Ragna."

Several Hours Later

"You don't seem to be in great spirits," Ozpin noted over the radio as the shuttle guided the team through the air. Taokaka and Blake were positioned towards the opening in the back as they kept their eyes peeled for their Grimm Reaper. "So there have been no signs of Ragna, even with your unexpected source of tracking?"

"Not a single sign of him, or sniff of him in Tao's case," Ruby admitted sadly. "But maybe we're not looking far enough? If we could just go a little further-"

"I'm sorry Ms. Rose, but this was the search and flight plan that we agreed upon. It won't be long until sundown and sending you out any further could prove risky; without knowledge of the Grimm's absence there's no telling what numbers you could be facing if I sent you further out. Again I'm sorry, but there's little we can do about Ragna's situation now."

To say that it felt like a crushing defeat was an understatement. Not only was any chance of finding Ragna gone, but so was the possibility that his promise to return had meant anything. Ruby knew that he'd been pushed and had caved in, but was there really nothing that anyone could have done to save him from his plight. Anything she could have done? Like Ozpin had said, the flight plan was already gone and… Ruby then looked over the map and remembered something from her mom's rescue book about blind spots.

"Professor I know we agreed to this route, but there's a very large area in the northwest we haven't looked into yet. I know that it's a ways away, but it feels like our search pattern has been avoiding that particular area for some time. Why aren't we looking there?"

"I know the area you're referring to, and I am avoiding that location in your search. That site was home to a great… brawl recently. One that shredded its very foundation and turned it into a harsh wasteland."

"A… brawl?" Weiss asked as she and Ruby looked at each other in confusion. "What kind of fight could turn an area that large into-?"

"If Ragna ever told you about his fight with Azrael over the break, that was where it took place." And just like that, everything was explained. "Of course, what I just described to you was the initial fallout of that battle. What's happened since is a calamity of another level. Even deeper parts of the foundation have given way and now the land is littered with large chasms and potential sinkholes which may have already caved since we last checked. Given the hellish landscape, it seems almost impossible that Ragna could be found there."

"…Almost impossible, but not completely," Ruby said over the line. "There's a chance that Ragna could have gone there and got stuck in the moving terrain. If it's the one place that we haven't searched yet then we owe it to him to at least look there, right?"

"That would be a risky undertaking, are you sure you'd be willing to go so far?" Ozpin questioned on the other line. The way he worded it and the tone he spoke in, Ruby wondered if this was somehow a kind of test.

"For a friend that could be in need, of course."

"…Very well then," came Ozpin's voice as the ship's flight plan changed on the map they'd been given. "I'll allow you to search the area, but only from the ship. You're not allowed to leave it at any time of go out on foot, the terrain would pose too much of a risk. Am I understood?"

"Yeah, just leave the back gate open so that we can check behind us," Weiss requested. "We'll need to keep a look out as we fly."

"I permit that, but I don't want any of you doing anything rash. I'm slowing the flight speed to compensate and maintain this radio contact throughout your search."

"Copy that, as long as we're able to look," Ruby answered as they went to the back of the ship where Blake and her sister we standing on lookout. "Time to trade spots, you guys can take the front of the ship."

"Right, too bad we can't try to hot-wire this and-"

"Constant Radio Contact, Miss Xiao Long." Ozpin's voice was enough to cause Yang to stiffen. "Instructor Goodwitch happens to be with me. Had you continued that train of thought, you'd be scrubbing toilets the rest of the quarter."

"Good to know… I don't do hair buns."

"I wouldn't think so."

"Meat buns…" came Tao's sigh as a bead of drool emerged from her hood.

'She got that just from the word buns?'

"Good guy used to buy Tao meat buns all the time."

"You mean that you forced Ragna to buy them for you all the time?" Weiss guessed.

"Meow? What did Tao say?"

"That reminds me Miss Taokaka, how is it that you've come to know Ragna the Bloodedge in the first place?" Ozpin asked on the other end, making the girls remember that they had never asked Ragna as much.

"Tao's big sis Tora is really good friends with Ragna's teacher, Cat Person. Tao's been training with Tora to become a real strong warrior so that she can guard her village and all of the people she cares about! Ragna's a big part of that too, he's Tao's bestie! So Tao wants the chance to help him out so they can go have lotsa crazy adventures together!"

"So you're just trying to guard your village?" Yang asked as she took her seat at the front. "So that means you're not trying to become a huntress?"

"Nope!"

'She means well, but I doubt that she'd be able to pass any of the classes here,' Weiss thought to herself.

"Then what about your investigation of the White Fang?" Blake asked. "Why are you looking into them?"

"Tora asked Tao to come into the city and do that. And then she asked Tao to stay here and keep an eye out for them," she said as if that explained everything.

"Okay, but why does Tora care about the White Fang? Better yet, how did she know that they were here in the first place?" At Blake's question, Tao simply tilted her head. "No clue, huh?"

"Looks like we're coming up to the… holy," Yang said as she sat up in her chair to get a better look out the window. Ozpin had been accurate enough in his description of the wasteland they would be encountering, but to actually see it and take in the large area of destruction was another thing altogether. "Ragna did all this? The same guy that we're so worried about?"

"To be fair, he had help from Azrael. But that means he's still responsible for about half of this. And he was in his prime at the time," Weiss reminded before taking a closer look at the ground out the bay door. "Still, is it really possible for there to be this big of a difference in power? It's almost-"

"Hold that thought," Blake said from up front in the cockpit. "I see something about half a mile ahead; some sort of movement and…" She focused her sight as they got closer, only able to see dark blurs before realizing that's what they were. "There's Grimm, just up ahead."

"Really? That would make them the first that we've seen all day," Ruby said with surprise as she overlooked the lands below them. "Hey Tao, can you come over here and start smelling? Anything to tell if Ragna's been through here?"

"Meow. Tao's going to have trouble telling since we're so far from the ground, but she'll try her best," the hooded girl promised as she joined Ruby and Weiss at the back. She began sniff around like mad (only validating the earlier bloodhound comparison) and after a long moment even seemed to catch on. "GOOD GUY HAS BEEN THROUGH HERE! TAO'S SURE OF IT! AND THE SCENT'S NOT TOO OLD EITHER!"

Finally, an actual lead in their investigation. With all of the hours that they'd been searching leading only to dead ends, it would be a lie to say that they weren't worried that they wouldn't be able to find Ragna. Now they finally had something, a solid lead of all things. It didn't guarantee that they were about to find him of course, but any showing of hope was a welcome sign… to most of them.

"You have to realize that Tao finding him here might be the worst case scenario," Ozpin said, remaining ever the realist. "You might not find what you're looking for or if you do he might-"

"Don't." Ruby wasn't much louder or more intense than she usually was, but there was still some underlying force behind her words that made even the headmaster pause. "Don't even go there, not while we still have this chance."

"…My apologies, Miss Rose."

"We're coming up just above the Grimm now," Yang said as she and Blake managed to get a better look at the previously distant targets. "Weird, looks like there are seven of the basic Ursa type stuck in the ground and fighting to get out. Is this where they all went?"

"No, that can't be the case; there are still too few here in even if there are sinkholes swallowing them up," Ozpin noted. "And that wouldn't explain the sheer absent of flying based Grimm. There's still more at play here."

"Could there be-?"

Whatever Ruby had been about to suggest was silenced as the entire aircraft violently shook. Yang and Blake both had to hang to their seats for dear life. Even this advantageous position they'd been given barely allowed them to stay in place at the intense rocking as the ship's sirens screamed in their ears and their radio contact with Ozpin gave off violent static. Ruby, Weiss, and Taokaka weren't nearly as lucky as the first signs of shaking sent them tumbling out of the ship. In their slow motion fall, they saw that the ground below them had caved in and sent the Grimm they'd been following tumbling in. How this had any effect on a ship above the ground they couldn't tell, nor was this the time when their lives were clearly in danger.

Acting quickly, Weiss used her semblance to create a glyph below her to use as a platform and twisted her body to land feet first on it. Taokaka similarly tensed her muscles into a midair pounce to activate her own semblance while Ruby tapped into her special speed semblance to fly herself back into the ship. All three of these attempts were met with failure; Weiss's glyph failed to form, Tao looked like she was trying to absurdly swim through the air, and Ruby merely spun a few times. Acting fast, Ruby quickly transformed Crescent Rose and fired a blank shot to send her flying towards Weiss and Tao. Spinning as fast as she could, she caught them both and used the generated force to throw them both into the ship. Bringing her weapon around again, she fired another shot to finally propel her back up to the ship only to get pulled back.

"What the-!?" Ruby shouted as she heard a high pitched wail coming from behind her. With the air rushing painfully past her, she realized that something was pulling her down, pulling the barely stable ship down too. "No no no no!" She screamed as she tried to fire her gun off, but her several shots did little to help as the winds strengthened. "NOOOOOO! GUYS!" She fell into the earth's opening, like it was the maw of some monster. More earth from the sides began to fall with her, eclipsing her final sight of the ship flying overhead, the look of terror on Weiss and Tao's faces, the scream of his sister, before…

…darkness.

"Hap… ed… Wh… penned…?! Come in!" Ozpin's voice finally cut through as the ship stabilized, now working like it had been without issue. "I lost contact with-!"

"RUUUUBBBY!" Yang yelled at the top of her lungs, tears in her eyes after watching the ground itself consume her sister. "LAND THE SHIP!"

"But Yang-!"

"LAND THE DAMN SHIP NOW!" the blonde shouted with tears in her eye. "THAT'S MY SISTER! SHE'S-! SHE'S…" For the first time in maidens know how long, the ever spunky, ever flirty, and always glowing Yang finally broke down into tears. Blake held her partner through her sobs while Weiss and Tao were still recovering from what happened.

"Meow, it's like… the ground just sucked her right out of the air," came Tao's astonishment.

"Gods above…" came Ozpin's mere whisper over the radio. "Stay in the area and let me know of any further developments! All of you! I'm going to get in contact with whatever excavation teams we have!"

"How long-?" Weiss had to ask.

"I'LL MOVE AS FAST AS I CAN! JUST STAY THERE AND OBSERVE!" Ozpin ordered before ending the call. Back in his office, the headmaster was in a full panic as he tried to go through his documents. Goodwitch had remained by his side and was doing what she could to help in gathering needed contacts, but even she was shaken with what had happened to one of her students.

"Just… what's down there?" she asked fearfully… she got the worst response.

"I don't know."

Meanwhile -Unknown Location-

"If I didn't know any better I'd say that you were annoyed," a well-dressed man with tanned skin and a thick mustache said without looking up with from his screen, layered in data and formulas which most men wouldn't be able to tell heads or tails from. "But then you? Annoyed? When you're always the one bothering us? That would be almost impossible. Key word being almost… Hazama."

"You're right though, I am annoyed," the mint haired individual said, their usual colorfulness significantly toned down. "…My eggs are ruined."

"Balderdash. You constantly make those eggs for each and every one of your meals. And it's unthinkable that someone could blunder something as simple as a few hard boiled eggs."

"Dammit. I didn't blunder, these just happen to be rotten," Hazama said swallowing one whole and shuddering. "Gross."

"Hmm… And this 'rotten' attitude of yours has nothing to do with Cinder and her plans?" Normally such silence would be telling for Arthur, but even someone of his genius couldn't tell when it came to this particular colleague. "Speaking of said plans, she's racked up quite the debt coming to me for my talents of the hacking persuasion. This seems to be quite the challenge you've offered."

"I didn't offer anything; she's doing this all on her own. After all, Little Cindy was the one that thought about this in the first place," Hazama said, still sulking.

"And yet you've remained silent as a whole; most unlike you," Arthur continued to note. "Related to that, I still have your blessing to grant Cinder whatever aid she requests?"

"I wouldn't go so far as to call it my blessing, more like I won't get involved one way or the other." He shivered as he wolfed down another egg, neither its texture nor its flavor agreeing with him.

"You realize you don't have to eat those?"

"Wasting something so valuable is a major pet peeve of mine. We've worked together long enough for you to learn that much," Hazama explained.

"Yes, quite the stimulating partnership. Though if half the things I've heard from the others are true, we almost seem to get along via comparison," Arthur said before he decided to stop typing; the remainder of this discussion demanded his utmost attention. "I'd like to know why."

"And I'd like some decent quality eggs," Hazama said, reaching for another egg but coming up with an empty bowl. Arthur was at a loss for words, he'd never seen his associate like this before. "Why question it and risk ruining what you have? Curiosity kills cats after all."

"Please, if I'd adhered to that baseless adage I'd be dead a hundred times over. What's your real reason?"

"Well if you have to know, it's because I think you're dangerous." Arthur scratched a thumb to his thick facial hair; he'd not been expecting that, not from the likes of Terumi especially. "In fact I'd call you the most dangerous person here."

"…Is that so?" Arthur mused. Considering the inexplicable power of most of the residences, he couldn't help but wonder just what was it that put him above them and (if Hazama's words to be believed) even her. "And just what makes me so dangerous?"

"Because you can do the one thing that no one else here possibly can," Hazama said darkly, staring out the window and looking into the blood red sky. "…Look through my search history."

"…So you were mocking me after all." Arthur couldn't help but facepalm now.

"No no, I was completely serious," Hazama said, now allowing his shit-eating smirk to return. "I just really advise against looking at it."

"Noted," Arthur grumbled before returning to his work. Out of the corner of his eye he saw that while Hazama was smirking at his own little performance, the annoyance the mint haired man felt still didn't seem to be part of the act.

Later

"Ugghh… Oww… Ruby moaned. Everything hurt, everything felt heavy, and everything was dark… at least it should have been. Cracking her eyes open, she was surprised to find to find herself bathed in a light turquoise glow and more importantly not buried in stone. Glancing down, she saw that her fall had been broken by a large collection of mattresses like someone had expected her to land here. Glancing up at the glow that illuminated her surroundings. It appeared to be coming from a crystal of similar color placed just above a small pedestal. "This is… weird."

Understatement worthy of one of Weiss's eyerolls no doubt, but she didn't know how else she could put it into words. Speaking of her friends, she opened her scroll to try and establish contact to make sure they knew she was safe… okay, to sure they knew she was alive. She figured she wouldn't be able to get any reception this far underground, but was surprised that the device didn't even turn on. Looking it over it didn't seem like it had taken any major damage, so why was it refusing to activate?

"Oh? Color me surprised. You awoke sooner than I expected."

At once Ruby was on her feet, or at least she tried to be. Her entire body still felt heavy, likely an after-effect of the massive plummet she'd miraculously survived. Stumbling awkwardly, she managed to make it to her feet as the individual that had spoken to her stepped out of the shadows. The fact that he'd been watching her sleep from the shadows had already been upsetting enough, but getting a proper look at their appearance was another problem all together.

The person was human male with long violet hair that fell around his head down to his shoulders and parted just above his eyes which were bright green. He had slightly tanned skin and a rather muscular build with only a few scars that she could see. The real problem however was their equipment. While she'd seen this silver plated armor, lance, and twin axe types before, she also realized that they were from the very edge of recorded history and only seen in museums. The quality still seemed decent though, in fact most things down here looked in excellent condition including the mattresses she'd landed on.

"Um… Who are you?" she asked cautiously, trying to remain ready to bolt if it came to that.

"Ah, introductions this time? You may call me Messiah, Messiah the Undying. Messiah as in savior of course, yours at the moment." What he'd just said was already giving Ruby ALL of the red flags, and his tone wasn't doing much to correct her opinion. He spoke like he was above even noticing her, like she was a pet or even an insect. "I'd like to welcome your sudden… arrival to my kingdom."

"Your… kingdom?" Ruby asked as she nervously glanced around. The walls might've looked like an ancient castle now that she had the idea in her mind, but what that meant now was something else entirely. "Okay… so I'm beneath the surface?"

"Indeed, though how far below I am afraid I cannot say," he admitted. "Still my cushioning did save you, though I did need to slay those wretched Grimm you brought with you. Tch, they weren't worth much of a hunt."

"Oh, uh… sorry about that?" Ruby answered conflictedly. She wasn't sure Messiah was listening as he continued speaking, and he'd yet to even ask for her name.

"Between them and that rude vulgar barbarian that fell down here recently, I'm in quite the bad mood as things stand," he growled. Ruby took a cautious step back, already starting to reach for her weapon… before she realized what else he'd just said.

"Wait, you mean someone else is still down here?" she asked worriedly. Messiah didn't even get a chance to answer. "He's got white spikey hair and mismatched eyes, wears a red coat with belts, has a huge sword, and probably swore a lot! Is he down here!?"

"…Yes, that would describe them quite accurately." Messiah actually looked taken aback for a moment before his face turned thoughtful.

"Thank the maidens I found him," Ruby sighed. Despite the abnormal and still unknown situation she now found herself in, the fact that she'd found Ragna was still a massive weight off her chest. "Can you take me to him? I need to find him and get out here ASAP."

"Leave?" Messiah then let his head fall back before laughing like a maniac, the sounds echoing down the corridors also a lit with by crystals. "There is no leaving this place girl. Not me, not you, and not your friend… even if I wanted to help you escape."

"Uh…" Ruby took a cautious step back as Messiah approached her, already she was going for her weapon again.

"As I said earlier, both that man and the Grimm you've brought with you were far from capable of doing anything to amuse me," he told her, observing her like she was a new toy. "How much better do you think you would fare?"

Though she never had wanted to hurt anyone, she drew that particular line at needing to defend herself. Swinging Crescent Rose with all of her might, the weapon felt heavier than it should have but it still felt like she'd make a solid attack. An attack that was easily batted away with Messiah's bare hand, much like she remembered Ragna or Azrael being able to do. As she stumbled back, she tried to use her speed semblance to escape, but all she succeeded in was falling to her rear with the man she'd just attacked in desperation standing over her.

"…It looks like you won't be worth hunting after all," he said in sheer annoyance, before a smirk alit his face. "But… though you appear young, I suppose I have other ways to amuse myself with you. It has been quite some time since I've delighted myself with a maiden's warmth. Why pass this chance up?"

Perverse and power hungry.

That was the glint in his eye as he knelt towards Ruby, her own silver eyes growing wide as she struggled against his gaze. His hand reached out to grab her, catch her, and whatever else he had in mind for-

"MOVE!"

(Cue Darkest Dungeon Combat in the Ruins)

The loud crack of a rifle shot then followed the sudden shout. Ruby then saw a flash of crimson blood as Messiah's hand was blasted away from the attack, a solid hole in his palm which was quickly bleeding out. But despite this interruption and the scathing damage he took, her would be assaulter only smirked through the pain.

"So I've finally brought the coward out of hiding!" he declared as he brought his twin axes out. "GIVE ME A BETTER CHALLENGE THIS TIME!" He then swung downwards at Ruby while she was still fighting to get to her feet.

"NO!"

A different flash of red covered her view, a much more familiar one… so she hadn't just been imagining his call. Seeing Aramasa on Ragna's back as he stood between her and Messiah was nearly enough to bring a smile to her face, even in her present situation. She'd found her friend, he was alright, and more importantly he was showing that he'd gotten his missing strength back that-

CRASH!

Such thoughts vanished as Messiah's blow finally came down, striking Ragna's rifle-sword Clarent and smashing the rifle sword to pieces. Stumbling back Ragna barely managed to grab Ruby and lift her back to her feet, a protective arm wrapped around her waist. The smell of blood was too strong with him so close to her. Chancing a quick glance behind her, Ruby gasped at what she saw.

Had Ragna been looking ghastly the last time she'd seen him, now he looked like he was two steps from the morgue. Further paled skin and a painfully frail frame, heavy dark circles under his eyes, and several deep cuts along his body. Even if his body was so weakened he should have healed by now, but they looked like they had barely stopped bleeding. Some of his wounds hadn't even done that much as Ruby felt her favored hooded rode stained by her best friend's blood. His teeth grit, sweat gathered, and wide eyes; Ragna looked afraid as he stared down Messiah who had yet to move after his sword destroying slash.

"…Maybe I'm hoping for too much in a face-to-face encounter," Messiah sighed in disappointment before raising himself to full height. "You never did accept my five minute head start, and I suppose it's rude that I didn't give one to the girl." His smile then turned maniacal as he pointed at them with one axes, using the hand that Ragna had just put a hole through though his wound was fully healed. "TELL YOU WHAT? I'LL GIVE YOU BOTH A FIFTEEN MINUTE HEAD START! THAT SHOULD GIVE YOU BOTH MORE THAN ENOUGH TIME TO GIVE ME A WORTHWHILE CHASE! MAYBE YOU'LL EVEN THINK OF A WAY TO FIGHT BACK AGAINST ME! YOU'LL HAVE TO THINK OF SOMETHING IF YOU WANT TO KEEP THAT GIRL OUT OF MY CLUTCHES!"

Ruby thought she knew what kind of person Ragna was; that he'd never take an insult like this lying down, that he wouldn't be able to just listened to a threat from someone he should've cared about, that he'd respond with some harsh swearing before rushing him down blade in hand. But that had been Ragna when he was in his prime, now he grabbed Ruby to carry her with whatever strength he had left and sprinted down the corridor without a word. Messiah honored his promise for the moment, remaining where he was to laugh hauntingly like a maniac. Sounds of his hysteria following them through the haunting halls of the entombed palace.

Next Time: Broken