RWBY: Destiny of Remnant

by UGX7

In the wake of the fall Team RNJR sets out to bring Cinder Fall to justice while the new Fall Maiden overlooks her master's plan in Haven City. Meanwhile Weiss tries to help a friend, Yang struggles with the loss of her arm, and Blake deals with guilt over the White Fang. Meanwhile someone from Cinder's past returns and Salem's newest pawn rises. Arkos, WhiteRose, SunnyBees, Renora

88. Sojourn at Schnee Manor

I live.

This chapter and the remainder of this story is dedicated to Grandma Rosa, 1933-2021. She raised me, guided me through the world and was always there for anyone who needed her. My life and the lives of those who loved her will never be the same. I love you, Grandma.

Chapter 87: Sojourn at Schnee Manor

Passing through the clouds the Hyperion One flew past the magnificent sight of the capital city of Atlas. Renowned for its innovation and far-reaching technological advancements across the world of Remnant, the Atlesian capital was undoubtedly a prime example of its incredible achievements.

Built in the image of an ascending mountain, Atlas City was a massive metropolis with immensely tall buildings forming the majority of its crowded skyline, all ostensibly boasting a variety of blue colors to them. The city was completely covered by a massive dome made of Hard-Light Dust that protected its inhabitants from Solitas's harsh climate while the many spiraling highways and overpasses allowed all kinds of traffic to easily move throughout the districts.

The recent attacks, the northern Kingdom was now under heavy guard by the various branches of its military. To drive home the fact that the capital city had further heightened its already tight security measures, there were twenty-four massive battle cruisers dominating the airspace.

In addition, dozens of Manta airships and Atlesian fighter-transports were flying around on patrol routes while reporting back to their command center. On the ground Titan main battle tanks and Paladin battlesuits festooned with heavy weaponry guarded every major intersection and entrance leading to the city's upper levels, whereas Atlesian soldiers supported by advanced models of Atlesian Knights armed with rifles and riot shields constantly patrolled every visible street for any sign of danger, no matter from without or within.

Clearly the Atlesian Council weren't taking the city's safety lightly.

The Maidens emerged from their room to join the gathered members of Team Beacon, who were gathered in the ship's lounge and were all looking out through the windows at the extremely advanced city. Qrow and Winter were both standing a couple of steps behind the team, with the veteran Huntsman leaning against the counter which separated the kitchen from the lounge and the Atlesian Specialist standing with her navy-blue gloved hands clasped behind her back.

"It was like this after Beacon fell," Weiss stated solemnly, "But I have a feeling it will last much longer this time."

"Can you really blame them?" Yang commented as she stood close to Blake who had her arms crossed, "After everything that's happened to both Atlas and Vacuo, the people in the city probably need all this stuff to feel safe."

"True, but equipment and firepower like this didn't do the military bases much good." Scarlet pointed out.

"That's just because they were caught off guard and were unprepared, Scarlet," Heliosia reminded him, "Now that Ironwood had the backing of the Council behind him and also put the military on full alert, our enemies will not find another siege so easy."

"At least not for this place, not where all the rich people and big businesses are." Fox observed, unaware that Winter's face was frowning a little behind them.

"That's not exactly fair," Weiss voiced as she gave the grey-eyed Huntsman a slight glare, "There are a lot of middle-class and lower-class Atlesians down there, and they deserve protection too."

"And with the Atlas Council recently announcing the Solitas Emergency Measures Act, General Ironwood has sent out some elements of the military to assist in moving civilians from the smaller settlements and outlying communities into the larger towns and cities so that they can be better protected and the army's overall strength won't be spread too thin," Penny elaborated as she joined her fingers in front of her, "I know it might seem heartless and uncaring to force those people to leave their homes, but it's the best course of action for the time being since all the major Atlesian cities have thick, sturdy walls with enough defenders that can keep the Grimm away."

Fox acknowledged Penny's words with a nod while Jaune asked "What about Mantle City? Their defenses being increased too?"

"Of course, since Mantle City houses a sizable population and also contains significant industrial capabilities." Penny answered with a smile as she pointed with a finger, "See the massive wall that's encircling the entire city? Those walls have been standing intact throughout the Great Wars, and it has been protecting the inhabitants of Mantle City ever since its first construction. While General Ironwood has pulled back large amounts of Atlesian troops from the outlying areas of Solitas, he still makes sure to station a sizable permanent military garrison at Mantle City to protect its people."

Team Beacon slowly took in what they could see of Mantle City in the distance as Hyperion One continued its flight. It wasn't as advanced as the capital, and its overall dense and industrial design clearly echoed back to a bygone era. Huge display signs and billboards hung on many of its tall buildings, and a thick grey fog seemed to blacken the air above the city like a funeral shroud. Beyond the walls of Mantle City, reminders of the Great Wars could be seen in the snow-covered devastation; towns that were decimated beyond repair, wreckage of various war machines jutting out from the ground like grave markers, and large craters where bombs and missiles fell back in those turbulent days, these were left as war monuments so Atlas would never forget those who had been killed.

It was clear to everyone where most of the wealth and resources of were concentrated; with Atlas being the city of relative prosperity and wealth while Mantle was less better off and constantly being overshadowed by its much bigger neighbor. Unlike the former city with its protective dome of Hard-Light Dust that kept the worst of Solitas's weather out, Mantle City constantly emitted an orange hue around the majority of its structures courtesy of the heating grid and furnaces from the factories that emitted temperatures which help to prevent the constantly falling snow and biting cold from harming Mantle's citizens.

"With so many civilians coming into the major cities, won't that cause some overcrowding issues?" Velvet mentioned as she shared a look with Blake, "And the people of Atlas aren't particularly…friendly to Faunus."

"No need to worry about those kinds of incidents." Winter spoke up and they turned to look at her, "The civilians coming into the major cities will be housed separately from the resident population in specially designated refugee safety zones so that such situations would be significantly reduced. Besides, humanitarian organizations within Atlas provide transports of food and medical care to the people of Mantle City on a regular basis, so they will be well taken care of."

"That's reassuring." Yang conceded while Blake posed another question, "I take it the civilians living there and the town's bigwigs current aren't too happy with the military deployed so aggressively around the city?"

"On the contrary, the lead politician, Robyn Hill has been surprisingly cooperative with General Ironwood." Penny answered before Winter could, "It took some time but they've managed to successfully negotiate a beneficial agreement between both cities of Atlas and Mantle, the former providing military protection and essential supplies in return for the latter's increased Dust production and additional manufacturing capabilities. Plus, her Happy Huntresses have also been seen on extended patrols accompanying the troops around Mantle as well as distributing food and medical supplies to the refugees."

"Looks like the civilians of Mantle felt that having some protection is better than having none at all." Coco commented quietly, "Wise choice."

"At least the people of both cities are willing to help each other, since standing together is a much better option than mistrusting each other and hoarding resources to themselves." Yatsuhashi spoke while the rest of Team CFVY glanced at him.

"Did Hill ask for anything else other than protection?" Blake asked Penny, only for Winter to answer her before the android could speak.

"During General Ironwood's negotiations with her, Hill strongly requested a significant amount of supplies to strengthen the walls of Mantle in return for her full cooperation. Things briefly got...intense, although eventually she changed her mind after Ironwood shared details on his strategy to protect the Kingdom and swore to fix any flaws in Mantle's defenses."

"If only fixing relations with the other three Kingdoms would go that smoothly." Fox remarked

"Sadly, that doesn't seem to be happening anytime soon." Weiss sighed softly, "Vacuo's still picking up the pieces after Salem's attack and Vale has only recently recovered from its wounds."

"Every Kingdom on Remnant has been hurt badly one way or another." Heliosia mentioned, "The fact that they're still standing at all is a blessing. Mistral is the only one that hasn't suffered a major attack, but it suffers from Grimm."

"The Remnant Knights have been doing what we can to assist the Kingdoms' forces." Sharp Strike added, "But we have our own missions to pursue as well, so once they have received orders from the Order those knights will allow militia and military forces to take over the duties of protecting the Kingdoms."

Ruby spoke up, "By the way, Sharp Strike, did the Remnant Knights find anything from Thorn's gun?"

"I've also been curious about that as well." Heliosia's maroon-red eyes slowly turned to look at silver and blue armor-plated knight.

"I believe we may have found out something," Sharp Strike replied as he produced the aforementioned captured weapon from within his armored suit, "However, it was with Moon Hunter's invaluable assistance from among Maiden Amethyst's knight protectors that my suspicions regarding the assassin were confirmed."

"Why?" The Spring Maiden queried.

"Moon Hunter has extensive knowledge of the various types of weaponry found across Remnant," Sharp Strike clarified while his helmet turned a little, "After applying his considerable weapon-crafting talents in examining Thorn's pistol, he has informed me of a few interesting details with regards to it."

"And what are those?" Ruby tilted her head.

Holding out Thorn's battered pistol, the armored figure began to explain, "The pistol Heliosia found after we defeated Thorn is a weapon custom-made for an assassin. It looks quite similar to a type of gun often used by Mistral criminal syndicates, but due to its high-quality manufacture and the type of ammunition, it would seem quite likely that she possesses connections with certain underground weapon makers in Mistral to enhance it."

"So it's a fancy custom weapon and she takes good care of it." Sun interjected a little impatiently, "And it's obvious Thorn works for Salem. What else can you tell us?"

Sharp Strike was apparently unbothered by the Monkey Faunus's interruption, "I would also require both Ren and Nora to identify something for me." He then pointed one of his gauntleted fingers at the image of a crest engraved into a plate on the pistol's side, "Nora, considering your…unique family background from Mistral, do you recognize this particular crest?"

The orange-haired girl shared a quick glance with Ren before taking a step forward and leaning closer to the assassin's weapon. She squinted at the crest's design for a few seconds, before her jade eyes widened slightly, "That's…Odinson's mob crest!"

"Are you sure?" Ren asked softly.

"I'd recognize it anywhere, Ren!" Nora nodded her head as she shared looks with him and then at Jaune and Pyrrha, "My parents used to have the exact same emblem displayed on their personal weapons too, back when they still worked for him." She turned back to Sharp Strike and asked, "I remember when I fought that teleporter during the chase, she said I looked familiar...she must have worked for Odinson!"

The knight's faceplate met Nora's concerned look, "A number of other knights within the Eternal Warriors detachment believe that there's a high chance that is the case. Thorn Branch worked as an assassin for Odinson before he swore allegiance to Salem and then gave Thorn away to his new master." He gazed down at the custom-made pistol in his for a moment and then continued, "I also recognized the accent that Thorn uses during the battle in which she fought us; it has the distinct timber of one who has lived within the lowest classes of Mistrialian society, which are infamous for their questionable ethics and criminal activity. Even her fighting styles and the curses Thorn used during the fight matches those employed by assassins hailing from the Mistrialian underworld."

Sharp Strike abruptly noticed the hurt look on Nora's face, realizing that he might have been a bit too severe with his words since her parents were from a similar background. Quickly adopting a more polite tone, he bowed his helmeted head in apology, " I meant no offence to you nor to your family, Nora. My deepest apologies if I unintentionally did."

"It…it's okay, Sharp Strike. Everyone here already knew who my parents were." Nora said although Ren glared warningly at the Knight as though warning him against hurting his partner, "But, I accept your apologies." She then nodded at Ren who narrowed his magenta eyes a little but chose to say nothing.

"Your Order seems to know assassins and criminals quite well." Yatsuhashi commented as he turned to look at the knight.

"We fight their kind often. I've had some…unpleasant encounters with similar individuals during my assignments in Mistral." Sharp Strike answered calmly as he looked at the green-armored samurai, "And it is best not to underestimate them, they can be very cunning." Yatsuhashi's reply was a solemn nod.

"So, now we know for a fact that Odinson must work for Salem." Velvet spoke up, trying to connect the dots herself.

"Another piece of evidence against him." Jaune remarked, a tinge of anger coloring his voice, with Ren clenching his fists a little when he reached the same final thought.

Sharp Strike gave a small nod, "Perhaps Nora and Ren could get Odinson to confirm for us when General Ironwood clears them for a meeting with him."

"There's no need to worry," Winter spoke up and they turned back to look at her, "General Ironwood will inform you once the meeting has been properly set up. If Odinson cooperates with us there shouldn't be any problems in getting the answers you want from him."

"And if he doesn't spill the beans?" Coco asked with a frown.

"Then we may need to use other methods of interrogation to ensure his continued cooperation." Winter answered in a curt manner, to which Ozpin's agent simply raised an eyebrow .

The group then felt the entire deck vibrate slightly and there was also a noticeable change in the rhythm of the engines. "We're almost there, you might want to go get your things." Weiss advised the others, most of whom took heed and slowly dispersed in the direction of their cabins.

Penny remained where she was with Amethyst and Heliosia who watched the landscape continue to shift beyond the view-port gallery, while Sharp Strike quietly returned Thorn's pistol back to a hidden compartment within his armor. Qrow returned back to sipping whatever drink his flask held, while Winter turned to march in the direction of the staircase which will bring her to the cockpit after sharing a few quiet words with Weiss.

Meanwhile up in the cockpit Sage stood behind Ross and Ciel who were strapped in their pilot seats, watching carefully as they skillfully manipulated the series of sophisticated controls arrayed in a semicircle in front of them. Occasionally Ciel flicked and swiped with her at some blue and green-colored holograms displaying a variety of essential information which appeared before her, calling up a holographic keyboard to type out some additional commands. Ross on the other hand was focusing on the myriad of information overlays displayed within his helmet visor, keeping the Hyperion One on the final part of its journey to Schnee Manor.

"So, it must have been a while since you've been at the controls," Ross mentioned to Sage, "I remember you flew one during the Battle of Haven."

"Yeah. I've flown a couple of times when my team had solo missions, but not often unless it's necessary. Learned some flight skills from my uncle, who's a Bullhead pilot." Sage explained while watching Ross type briefly on a holographic keyboard which appeared near his right hand, "But whatever you and Ciel are doing now is way, way above my know-how. Atlesian tech is always so much more advanced compared to what I normally see."

"Perhaps we should teach you how to operate this beauty, just in case we ever need a backup pilot." Ross turned a little and looked at the green-haired teenager, a wry smile on his face.

"Really?" Sage almost couldn't believe it, a chance to learn to pilot such an advanced ship, "Seriously? I mean, there's an autopilot for this, right?"

"Yes, but sometimes it pays to be prepared." Ross countered as he twitched the joystick a little, with the ship moving a few degrees to the right smoothly in response to his actions, "What do you think, Ciel?"

"It's not a bad idea, we could always use another pilot considering what we'll be up against in our future missions," Ciel said as she continued to tap and swipe at the holograms occupying her attention, "There are countless scenarios, some in which we may require a backup pilot at Hyperion One's controls should the main pilot be incapable of carrying out his duty, or if the autopilot system has been rendered inoperable."

"Well, there you have it." Ross smirked at Sage, "What do you say?"

"I honestly don't know what to say," Sage chuckled, "So…thanks, I guess? I wouldn't mind learning some new piloting skills from you guys."

"Glad to see that your youthful spirit hasn't dimmed yet." Ross smiled to himself, "Sure reminds me a bit of my younger self when I was in the Valean Militia all those years ago, flying Hunters on missions across the Kingdom."

Sage knew that Ross rarely spoke of his past, and it was rarer still to speak fondly of it. Suddenly the voice of Hyperion One's EVA unit echoed throughout the cockpit's hidden speakers, "Receiving incoming communications from Schnee Estate. Estate Weapons Systems are trained on ship."

"Acknowledged," Ciel closed the majority of her holograms, then connected to the appropriate communications channel and spoke, "Schnee Estate, this is Hyperion One, requesting permission to land."

The cockpit door slid open, and Sage turned to see Winter striding up to stand behind the pilots. Her slate-blue eyes met his gold ones for a brief moment before acknowledging him with a small nod before turning her stern features towards the rapidly growing structures of her and Weiss's family home.

"Hyperion One, please transmit your security codes for landing clearance." The clipped voice of one of the Schnee air control officer servants came over the open communications channel.

"Transmitting security codes now." Ciel replied as she rapidly keyed in a long alphanumerical string on her holographic screen before pressing the 'transmit' button after Winter double-checked it.

There was a moment of silence before the same voice replied, "Clearance code accepted. You are cleared to land, Hyperion One. Welcome home. Please adjust your approach velocity before descending. Landing Pad Two has been cleared for you. A security team will meet you there, over."

"Be advised, Schnee Estate," Ciel spoke over the communication channel again, "There are additional incoming airships with some very important guests arriving behind us shortly. Please send out the other security teams to receive them accordingly."

"Message acknowledged, Hyperion One." The officer replied, "Security Teams already dispatched to the other landing pads. Come in to Landing Pad Two, over."

"Roger that, Schnee Estate." Ross replied as he maneuvered the ship down towards the circular landing pad with the snowflake emblem some distance away from the huge and impressive sight of the Schnee Manor in the late afternoon. Looking down from the ship's viewports, one could see several vehicles already parked near the pads, including five stretch limos with paintjobs of pure white and a number of other armored cars serving as an armed escort, ready to deliver the returning Schnee daughters and their guests to the mansion. There were also several other airship hangars situated around the various landing platforms, with various transport aircraft that were owned by the Schnee Dust Company parked within them.

"Holy crud…" Neptune muttered as he, Scarlet, Sun, Yang, Ruby, Qrow, Heliosia, Amethyst and Sharp Strike looked out of the commons lounge's transparent viewport gallery, surveying the enormous property from afar, "I mean, I've seen pictures of it, but…"

"Weren't prepared for how huge it actually is?" Sun finished for him, equally impressed by the huge estate which looked like it could easily fit the homes of the other Team Beacon members inside ten times over.

"You're not the only one," Yang whistled, "I think this place is bigger than even Signal Academy."

"That is quite likely. Wait until you see the inside." Weiss remarked with a dry smile on her face as the ship began to descend, slowly lowering itself onto the landing pad. While she was no longer one to take pride in her family's immensely wealthy status, she and Winter always got a kick out of the surprised reactions of those who saw the Schnee family's home for the first time.

"I certainly hope they don't mind our presence." Heliosia commented.

"There's no need to worry, Heliosia. Weiss and I have informed our father about you and Amethyst, and he has agreed to put our security guards on a high alert during your stay." Winter assured the Summer Maiden before turning to look at Sharp Strike, "I'll also speak with them about the Remnant Knights staying with both Maidens, apprising them of how the Knights operate. That way the guards can adjust their patrol routes accordingly so that there wouldn't be any incidents whenever they come across the knights."

"You have the Order's gratitude for your hospitality, Specialist." Sharp Strike nodded in thanks as they all felt the advanced airship's wheeled landing gear touch down on the pad's concrete surface.

"This is Captain Ross; we have landed. All passengers, please proceed to the main staging area to disembark."

As the majority of Team Beacon's various members began to head for the elevator or the staircase down towards Hyperion One's slowly lowering ramp, Ruby and Qrow stopped by the cockpit to check in on Ross and Ciel as Sage left to join his team.

"Are you sure you don't want to come with us?" Ruby asked the pilots.

"I'm afraid we'll have to decline, Ruby." Ross told the young Huntress while he shut down some unnecessary systems, "Someone needs to stay with Hyperion One to oversee refueling, supplies replenishment process and routine full system-check. Might as well be her pilots."

"Besides, this airship is an advanced model, first of its kind, which makes it particularly distinct," Ciel explained carefully as she removed her own flight helmet, "So since General Ironwood entrusted it to us, I doubt he would appreciate us being lax in our duties."

"Wait, isn't the ship fully automated?" Ruby pointed out.

"Yes, but there're still some tasks that require a more…human touch." Ross countered with a small smile, winking in Qrow's direction.

"Heh, I see your point. Come on, kiddo." Qrow said before adding, "Don't be afraid to come up to the Schnee Manor if you feel lonely, but enjoy the peace and solitude while you can."

"Will do, old buddy." Ross quipped back with a wry smile, "Enjoy luxury, both of you. Oh…and Qrow, don't get too drunk and embarrass yourself."

"Too late!" Qrow answered, laughing as he turned and guided Ruby out of the cockpit while the leader of Team RWBY waved goodbye to Ciel. Before the security doors slid shut behind them, both Qrow and Ruby can already hear the Flight Captain and Co-pilot already deep in conversation over the incidentals and various matters essential to Hyperion One's operation.

As the veteran huntsman and his niece walked down the staircase to join the others already ahead of them, Ruby spoke up, "Too bad Dad couldn't come with us."

"He has to help out at Beacon Academy and get someone to look after Zwei while we're busy saving the world," Qrow told her while gently patting Ruby on the shoulder, "Still, you can probably send him some pictures. That way he can know how you are."

"Thanks for the idea, Uncle Qrow!" Ruby beamed at him.

A few moments later, Ruby and Qrow walked down the main ramp and onto the landing pad to join the others, who were being personally greeted by Klein Sieben. Behind the faithful butler was a large entourage of men and women dressed in military-like clothing of the white and pale blue colours of the Schnee Manor's security, with the family's characteristic snowflake displayed prominently in the form of emblem patches on their shoulder blades. They stood like soldiers awaiting an inspection and were armed with waist holsters containing gleaming handguns and shock batons, while others held assault rifles in their hands and were vigilantly scanning for any threats. Qrow could see at least a few of them casting somewhat disapproving glances in his direction, as well at Blake and Velvet but they didn't even speak.

Weiss had been introducing everyone in Team Beacon to Klein, and the Schnee family butler politely greeted each and every one of them, graciously welcoming them as esteemed guests. He had just planted a kiss on Heliosia's gloved hand and also complimented her natural beauty politely before turning back to Wiess who gestured to Sharp Strike who stood beside the Spring and Summer Maidens.

"Klein, this is another new member of Team Beacon; Sharp Strike. I wasn't allowed to tell you before in my previous letters home, but he had assisted us during the White Fang mission last year and was assigned to our team as a representative of the Remnant Knights nearly a week ago." Weiss explained.

"An honor to make your acquaintance, Sir Knight," Klein gave a small polite bow, a gloved hand on his black vest, "I've heard stories about your Order when I was a young boy, although I never dreamed that I would actually be in the presence of one."

"Thank you, sir," Sharp Strike told him humbly, "It's good to know that the Order was still a respected legend despite our evasiveness."

"And this…" Weiss continued, "…is my partner and good friend, Ruby Rose. The scruffy-looking man with her is her uncle Qrow Branwen. Ruby, Mr. Branwen, this is Klein Sieben, my family's faithful servant and head of the Schnee Manor staff."

"Hi!" Ruby spoke cheerfully while waving her hand a little. Qrow simply nodded at Klein in acknowledgement but otherwise kept quiet.

"It's an honor to meet you, Miss Rose, Mr. Branwen. I'm quite happy to finally meet you all, since Miss Weiss has told me so much about all of you." Klein smiled warmly at them.

"Uh…good things, I hope?" Jaune muttered, knowing that his embarrassing and foolish attempts to court Weiss during their first semester at Beacon Academy weren't exactly the best first impression.

Klein gave him a knowing smirk that indicated Weiss had obviously told him about the blond's antics, "Mostly, Master Jaune, though if you wish to serenade anyone please let me know in advance so I can hand out earplugs." Jaune sighed in defeat as Yang, Nora, Sun, Coco and Ruby openly laughed, while Pyrrha tried to hide her own smile, "As per Miss Weiss's request guest rooms have been prepared for all of you, though she has also informed me that certain pairs among you all should share rooms." He then turned to regard Sharp Strike again, "I believe, Sir Knight, that you will be staying with the rest of Team Beacon instead of with the other Remnant Knights at the other guest rooms in the Manor's East Wing which Miss Winter has notified me to do so?"

"That is correct, sir." Sharp Strike confirmed.

"Splendid. Now I also believe we should be getting out of this cold, yes?" Klein gave a charming grin before gesturing to the line of parked limos, "Please, one team to each limo. Miss Winter and Mr. Branwen, you both can ride with Team RWBY in the first limo."

Klein got into the passenger seat of the front of the foremost limo, while Winter, Qrow and Team RWBY got into the passenger area. A middle-aged male attendant closed the door behind them, while a number of others carefully stored the luggage that Team Beacon's members brought down from Hyperion One. The security guards dispersed smoothly, filing away to their armored cars.

The others all crowded into one limo each; Team JNPR with Jaune and Pyrrha carrying the Aura Crystal getting into the second, Team CFVY into the third, Team SSSN into the fourth, and finally Sharp Strike, Heliosia, Amethyst and Penny into the fifth. Before the attendants closed the limo's doors behind the Knight Order representative, the sounds of other powerful airship engines reached his ears and he looked up to see the stealth ships Endless Inferno and Breath of the Wild Storms descending to the other landing pads not far away, no doubt carrying the knight detachments assigned to the Spring and Summer Maidens. In addition, a few other airships belonging to the Schnee family were also guiding the much larger stealth prowler Andromeda into land behind them, the sleek silver and grey-colored vessel no doubt carrying his Argentius and Soul Seer.

As the cavalcade of limousines travelled up the roads towards the manor, the group in the fifth limo began their discussion on an important topic.

So, what should our Team name be?" Amethyst asked as she sat back on the limo's comfortable leather seats beside her Sister Maiden.

"Do we really need one?" Sharp Strike questioned softly as he glanced around the limo's interior, which he noted was quite luxurious. The passenger area they were presently seated in was spacious enough for at least a dozen passengers, the softly carpeted floor bore the same snowflake emblem of the Schnee family, and the two rows of seats sitting opposite each other seemed to be made of some kind of fabric that felt like a mix of velvet and leather, yet remaining soft enough to be comfortable for everyone present. He observed that Penny beside him had an interested look on her face, while Heliosia's attention was currently focused at the scenery passing by them beyond the limo's tinted windows.

"Well, yeah! We are a part of Team Beacon, but it's made up of smaller teams so the four of us should have our own Team name." The young Spring Maiden insisted as her legs formed a bridge between the seats.

"She raises a fair point," Heliosia admitted as she looked away from the windows, "It would be simpler and easier for the other members of Team Beacon to call us than just saying 'the rest'. Sharp Strike, would you be our leader?"

The Knight thought for a quiet moment before politely declining, "No, my lady. My duty is to protect the Maidens from harm, not command them in battle. Besides, I'm not entirely sure I'm cut out for leadership since I've operated alone for a significant amount of time as a knight errant."

"Well, I don't think I'm fit for that kind of role either," Penny admitted a little hesitantly as she rested her own hands on her lap while looking at the Spring Maiden, "And…no offense Amethyst, but..."

"You don't have to tell me; I'm certainly not cut out for leading a team. I mean, I'm not even that good at following orders…you can ask Wind Runner for any examples." The Spring Maiden freely acknowledged before looking to Heliosia. Sharp Strike almost felt himself laughing as he mentally recalled what Knight Vanguard Wind Runner had told him about Amethyst's rebellious nature when the latter was assigned to watch over her, and judging from what he has heard the knight errant was relieved he wasn't attached to Wind Runner's detachment considering their task of protecting the free-spirited maiden.

Despite coming to the inevitable conclusion herself, Heliosia instead sighed softly and said, "I suppose that leaves me, since I had previously led a before when I was part of Team HEAT back at Haven."

"You are the most obvious choice." Sharp Strike nodded in agreement.

"And the optimal one, considering your talents and experiences." Penny added with a smile.

"You know you got my vote," Amethyst voiced.

Clearly enjoying the support from her fellow Maiden and friends, Heliosia smiled and answered, "Very well then, I accept. But what should we call ourselves? Team HRPS?"

"Harps?" Sharp Strike commented.

"Yes, Amethyst's last name would work." Heliosia replied.

"If Sharp Strike wanted to lead we could've been Team SHRP." Amethyst chuckled with a smirk on her face.

"I have a suggestion, my friends. What about Team HAPS?" Penny suggested.

The others considered it, with Amethyst quickly agreeing, "Hmm…I like it."

"It might not be the most original of Team names, but considering our current options I think it's serviceable." Sharp Strike added.

"Very well, Team HAPS it is." Heliosia cheerfully declared while clapping her gloved hands together, with both Penny and Amethyst cheering while a soft chuckle came from Sharp Strike's armored helmet.

"Whoa, check that out!" Amethyst said, pointing out of the limo's windows. The other three members of the newly-formed Team HAPS, and undoubtedly the rest of Team Beacon in the limos in front of them, were soon all gazing out of windows or even the skylight of their respective transport vehicles so as to get a good look at the full majesty of Schnee Manor.

The manor was huge, sitting squarely in the expansive countryside mere miles outside of the major cities. At first glance one would think it was made up of several different buildings which seemed to vary with number of floors, with some sections of the manor having only one while others were as high as four storeys, and every single floor of the stately structure was lined with exquisitely-crafted windows. A pair of towers stood at opposite ends of the mansion, both of which seemed to be made with a different style from the rest of the manor. They were primarily grey in colour with roof tiles that were colored a dark shade of blue, while numerous columns lined the building.

The cobblestone driveway led up to a curve in front of the main entrance, creating a U-turn to lead back to the main gates. Separating the driveway sides were a trio of fountains, with the one in the middle towering over the other two in front of and behind it, each holding up a large-scale version of the Schnee family's emblem, while both sides of the driveway were lined with well-trimmed pine trees, shrubberies and street lamps giving off a soft amber glow from their lights.

The limos came to a stop in front of the main entrance, and more servants came forward to open the limos' doors for their passengers to alight. They bowed in greeting to both Weiss and Winter, then at the other members of Team Beacon as the manor's impressively large doors opened to admit all of them. Klein walked at the front of the entire group with both Schnee sisters, giving out orders in a rapid fashion to any servant within an earshot who nodded and quickly moved off to attend to their assigned duties.

"Whoa…" Ruby had her mouth wide open while her silver eyes were as huge as they could go.

"I…I never imagined it being this huge." Yang remarked, still taking in the property's size as she looked up.

"Man, talk about showing off…" Blake murmured, and there was wonder in her amber eyes as she gazed around at the manor.

"What better way to show off your cash than building a giant mansion and not go bankrupt in the process?" Qrow snarked with his hands in his trouser pockets, earning small frowns from some of the servants who had lined up to greet them.

"I would take offense at your words, Branwen…" Winter mentioned as she and Weiss walked up the steps before turning around, "…but I won't lie, our ancestors' behavior and ethics were quite notorious, but this manor was built with their best effort to ensure their descendants would always have a home."

The courtyard where the limos were parked led directly to the main entrance hall, which was a massive room with several doorways leading to many other hallways and rooms. A wide grand stairway stood at the back of the abovementioned hall, with curved balconies on both sides that allowed passage to the ground floor. At the top of the grand stairway was a paned triptych of arched windows, and flanking both sides of the stairway were gigantic statues of dark suits of armor weren't too dissimilar to how the Arma Gigas looked. The carpeted floor at the bottom of the steps bore a large, rounded pattern decorated with the Schnee emblem in various places, and the hall's ceiling also displays the same pattern. It was pretty overgenerous in terms of opulence

Klein turned around when he reached a short distance from the steps, with both Weiss and Winter flanking him. He cleared his throat, and spoke in an official manner while spreading his gloved hands graciously, "On behalf of the esteemed Mr. Willow Jacques Schnee, current master of this manor and father to Winter and Weiss Schee, I humbly welcome the ladies and gentlemen of Team Beacon to Schnee Manor. Please make yourselves at home."

"Don't mind if I do!" Amethyst said as she and Heliosia looked around the massive entrance hall as Sharp Strike stood a few steps away, admiring the antique sets of armor.

"A bit too formal, don't you think?" Coco commented as she removed her sunglasses.

"Apologies, Miss Adel." Klein smiled at her, "But rules and protocols must still be followed when it comes to receiving guests."

"And considering what I've heard of the Schnees with regards to rules, you are not entirely wrong." Fox admitted as he exchanged a knowing smile with his leader.

"M.r Schnee has instructed me to ensure that all of you are to be well-taken care of." Klein continued talking, "If there is anything that you require or need, you need but ask either me or any of the Manor staff."

"Wow, really?" Sun inquired with a surprised look.

"Don't worry, our staff are well-trained and trustworthy, and their service is second to none." Weiss told the Monkey Faunus.

"Good to hear!" Ruby cheered joyfully.

Elaborate chandeliers and globe-like lamps built into the walls illuminated the manor's halls, though the younger Schnee sister could see that some of the hallways were darkened. Seeing the Schnee sisters turning to him with an unspoken question, Klein explained, "The power has been deactivated in certain sections of the manor to conserve power in light of the Grimm attacks, which I hope won't be an inconvenience."

"That's quite all right, Klein." Weiss dismissed as she gave her coat to a waiting maid, while Winter simply nodded.

"Is father back yet?"

"I'm afraid not, Miss Winter." The butler spoke softly, "Your father is still indisposed as he has a great deal of matters to attend to back at the SDC headquarters. However, he has told me that he will return home as soon as possible…after he has sorted things out with the shareholders and investors. There's no need to worry, I'm sure he has both of you in his thoughts." He assured them.

"With the capital city in chaos, I'm sure he would be pretty occupied." Blake commented quietly.

Coco removed her own coat, handing it to another servant as Velvet asked, "Has your family ever been here before? With your mother's status…"

"My mother was here for a party once, though it was before I was born." Coco answered.

"Shall I take your carrying case, sir?" A servant asked Jaune.

"Uh, no thanks," Jaune politely refused.

"I'm sorry, but this case is important to both of us and we would prefer to look after ourselves." Pyrrha added cordially as some of the other members of Team Beacon allowed the servants to take their coats and bags.

"Um…" A soft-spoken maid murmured as she looked carefully at Sharp Strike, the expression on her face possibly worried that his armored boots might damage the floor's tiles and also wondering how to address someone who looked like nothing like any guest she had encountered before, "Your armor…"

"Stays on," He turned a little to look directly at the maid addressing him, "My weapons stay with me as well."

"Understood, sir." She bowed again.

"What's up with the statues?" Yang asked as she walked to where Sharp Strike was standing, "I thought the Arma Gigas was based off of Sherizawa's prototype."

"It was. Sherizawa's Atlas Armor was inspired by a legendary Atlesian Knight who helped the King of Vale defeat the tyranny of Mantle," Weiss elaborated as though she was in one of Professor Oobleck's history class. "Now, if you come with us and Klein, we'll show you around the manor so you won't get lost."

The Schnee sisters and Klein led the group of Hunters-in-training, an android, a Remnant Knight and a pair of Maidens through the expansive mansion, bringing them through long hallways that were painted white and pale blue like the rest of the building's interior and decorated with long blue rugs that had white floral patterns running down their entire lengths, as well as the occasional black arm chairs and glass coffee tables with metal frames. Along the walls were statues of historical Mantle and Atlesian individuals, ancient sword replicas on plinths, trophies of Grimm cast from some kind of blue-colored marble, and nature paintings of famous landscapes from across Remnant.

Like the main entrance hall more black wall sconces with pale blue teardrop beads, while a series of sizable chandeliers with an upside-down semi-transparent dome design and candles around the edge of the ring surrounding a white cylinder in the center. Those candles that were lit on the sconces and chandeliers all emitted a white-blue flame, providing small pools of white light that show the Schnee emblem painted above many doors the large group came across.

They soon arrived at a lavish-looking living room, which Klein explained was merely one of the many around the Schnee Manor, and upon being told that's what it was, Sun couldn't believe it.

"Weiss, even your living room is bigger than my house!" The Monkey Faunus declared, and there was some laughter coming from the other team members.

"Mine too…" Velvet said, starstruck by the two-story room, which had a curved marble staircase leading up to a floor with walls lined with bookshelves. The main floor had several incredibly comfortable-looking chairs and a long, circular sofa in front of a fireplace that had a substantial blank space at the top of it, where the hologram of a television would normally be projected. A beautiful grand piano stood in the corner, and the walls were lined with photographs and paintings of the Schnee family, both the present members and those who came before them. In particular, one portrait that occupied the entirety of one wall was of Willow Jacques Schnee and the late Gwyneth Schnee with their young daughters on their laps.

Other portraits of the Schnee matriarch had been noticeably more cared for, like the ones of other Schnee ancestors. There were also a number of framed pictures of both Schnee sisters adorning the wall, moments of Weiss's performances during her concerts, one of her at the Vytal Tournament alongside the rest of Team RWBY, and even a couple depicting Winter during her time in the Atlas military forces which included one from her official graduation ceremony which cemented her status as a Specialist.

Ruby and the others could see Weiss and Winter glancing at the portraits of Gwyneth Schnee with downcast expressions on their faces, knowing that they were carrying the hurt of their mother's passing. Ruby clearly wanted to say something to comfort the Schnee sisters, but decided not to since the tour was still ongoing.

However, one particular photo belonging to Winter caught Velvet's curiosity. "Wait, isn't that Winter with Commander Central?" She pointed, and the rest of Team Beacon focused on the picture she was looking at.

Sure enough the picture was of both Winter Schnee and the unmasked Commander Central in their ceremonial Specialist uniforms standing outside Camp Independence. The handsome Commander with platinum-grey streaked black hair and glacier-colored eyes was clad in a pristine white uniform with silver-trimmed lapels and wrist-cuffs, while a silver clasp joined a white ornamental cloak etched with Atlas's emblem to his right shoulder. Long white formal pants with knee-high polished grey boots, along with a well-maintained claymore sword in its sheath attached to his waist belt completed the entire appearance. He looked like the perfect kind of Atlesian Specialist that would put in recruitment posters.

In this picture was also something else rarely seen in other pictures showing Winter; she actually had a true smile on her face that mirrored Central's own. It was a far cry from her stern or emotionless expressions she usually bore, there was sincere pride and a sense of accomplishment in that smile.

"Why, indeed it is." Coco commented, "Looks like you and Central came from the same Specialist training school."

The fashionista leader of Team CFVY looked to Winter who replied, "Yes, we did. Back when I first studied at Atlas Academy, Central and I were in the same team. Due to our commendable results and impressive fighting skills, we were both accepted into the training program for the Atlas military's Specialist Operatives Unit. It was…difficult, due to the intense training they put us through, nonetheless both of us managed to overcome whatever our instructors threw at us and graduated at the top of our class."

"And what happened later?" Ruby inquired softly.

"After graduation and becoming full-fledged Specialists, Central and I were assigned to serve as subordinates of General Ironwood. However, I learned that he was reassigned to another branch of the Atlas military…and we didn't see each other for some time until I learned of Task Force Omega's operations." There was a tiny note of wistfulness in Winter's voice when she spoke Central, which Neptune, Ruby, Velvet and Sharp Strike noticed but remained silent.

"The two of you seem kind of…close." Velvet mentioned.

Winter sighed and answered carefully, "Being in the same team means knowing your teammate's strengths and abilities, so that you know when to make use of them to effectively fight as a unit. Considering how much time Central and I spent fighting by each other's side, I suppose it's expected that we know how to work with each other."

Neptune cast a questioning look at Weiss, who responded with a tiny shrug of her shoulders. "Anyway, that was quite some time ago…and I don't wish to speak about it anymore." Winter said before adding, "Shall we continue?"

"Of course, I'm sure there are plenty of other places you can show us!" Penny quipped with a smile.

The other Team Beacon members nodded, although judging from the fractional tilt of Sharp Strike's helmet it seemed as though he already knew Winter was clearly avoiding to speak more about the context of the picture. Coco looked like she wanted to say something else, but then she let out a soft chuckle while slowly shaking her head, while Velvet maintained a genial expression on her face.

There was definitely something going on between Winter and Central, Ruby thought to herself, but she decided to just ask Weiss about it in private later.

The tour then continued as the large group proceeded over an upper-level walkway overlooking a cavernous gallery of an art room, they saw that on the floor below were several huge marble statues of Grimm such as Beowolves, Ursas, a Sabyr, a Centinel, a Manticore and even life-sized King Taijitu and Goliath statues. All of the statues were carefully laid out and spaced apart from each other at regular intervals, with the larger ones surrounded by smaller statues. Klein helpfully explained that a number of the statues were crafted in memory of the dangerous threats which the Schnee ancestors encountered in Solitas before the Schnee Manor was built.

Klein then showed them the manor's library, a large two-story room with hundreds of bookshelves built into alcoves along the walls and hung with eight snowflake-shaped crystal chandeliers from its ceiling. The sight of all those books on a wide variety of topics made those who had an affinity for reading, including Blake, Velvet, Fox and Heliosia more than a little excited. The first floor was decorated with a number of sofas, several chairs, and a number of low glass tables and there was a black piano sitting in the middle of the room, with it and its bench sitting upon an ornate off-white rug, and the piano sported a silver decoration that resembled an apple at its top center.

"Man, this is a nice place," Scarlet admitted, "I bet this library has never even been at full capacity!"

"No it hasn't, Mr. Scarlet. At least, not in my time here serving the Schnee family." Klein answered.

"It's so huge, we would probably get lost pretty easily if we aren't careful." Velvet voiced.

"That's always a problem for new arrivals, Miss Velvet. However, there's no need to worry as we will be going over to the main dining room where you will all be having your dinner next," The Schnee family butler smiled as he produced his scroll and tapped a few buttons, "In fact to make things easier for all of you, I will send a link to your scrolls which allows you to download a helpful map of the entire estate. That way, you can find any place within the manor easily during your stay here…and also if you want to get a drink at night you won't end up in the estate's little zoo."

"Wait a minute, you have a freaking zoo?!" Amethyst exclaimed incredulously. Even Heliosia was so surprised that she didn't even admonish Amethyst for her outburst.

"Oh yes, we do," Klein answered, the amusement plain on his face by their reactions, "The Schnee family prides itself in preserving many animal species, including some endangered ones, around Remnant. The Zoo has a number of enclosures containing bears, exotic birds, tigers…"

"And just how much does it cost to run this place?" Qrow interrupted.

"More money than you'll ever see, Branwen." Winter remarked with a sly look before Klein led the group out of the manor's library through a high archway at the far end, much to Blake's chagrin.

"Relax, book-lover," Yang patted Blake's shoulder when she noticed the Cat Faunus's disappointed expression, "You can always come back later."

"I hope so." Blake muttered.

---

Soon enough the group came to the back of the manor, where the main courtyard was; it was flanked by towering two-tiered archways. The courtyard had two clusters of trimmed hedges while the ground was made of smooth black stone that was decorated with exquisite white carvings of flowers. Sitting in the middle of the gardens and right before a large hedge maze was an immaculate statue of Gwyneth Schnee standing with one of her hands resting on the neck of an animal statue; the legendary Hailstone Hind native to Solitas's forests. Behind her, near the end of the courtyard, was another fountain that had the Schnee emblem on it with wings extending outwards from its back.

The statue of Weiss and Winter's mother had her hair crafted into a low ponytail that extended over her left shoulder. Her statue's attire consisted of a cravat which was secured together through a brooch inset with a red stone; as well as a jacket with long sleeves and a long fur-edged cloak. There was also a wide belt around her waist, a matching pencil skirt with tights and elegant shoes. The artisan has also given the statue a motherly countenance, with a compassionate look to her features as she gazed directly at the Schnee Manor.

There were more than a few gasps of awe coming from Team Beacon at the Schnee matriarch's beautiful statue, and Heliosia remarked to Weiss, "She's beautiful." The younger Schnee sibling accepted the Summer Maiden's compliment with a nod and a small smile, although there was something fragile about it.

"Thank you. Our father had this fountain built in memory of our mother after she was...taken from us. I remember how much he changed after she was killed by Faunus terrorists. Klein, Weiss and I had to talk him out of having these gardens here torn up because he was tormented by the pain of losing her, but eventually he came to understand that trying to get rid of his memories of her only made things worse." Winter explained sadly.

The members of Team Beacon noticed Weiss's saddened look, and Ruby gently reached out and took hold of her partner's hand which caused Weiss to turn her head and regard her teammate. The ashen-haired girl then saw Ruby's concerned look, and the aforesaid expression on her partner's face told Weiss that she understood her pain. She glanced around, seeing Yang, Nora, Ren, Scarlet, Sun and even Amethyst, and the looks on their faces communicated the fact that they were familiar with the pain of losing a parent.

There were a few moments of silence before Amethyst spoke up, "Hey, at least you knew your mother and that she loved you. My own mother died in birth to me, and I didn't even know much about her aside from a few pictures and a letter. I was an orphan, so…just cherish those memories, if nothing else."

"Thank you." Winter answered affably.

"Well said, little sister." Heliosia whispered quietly to her fellow Maiden, before she noticed that Sharp Strike's helmet was slightly lowered rather than looking at Gwyneth Schnee's statue, "Are you okay, Sharp Strike?"

The Remnant Knight sharply looked up again and replied, "I'm…fine, my lady. It's just this all talk of loss reminds me of some…things I'd rather not dwell on."

"You've lost family too, huh?" Ruby asked him.

"My family is gone." Sharp Strike spoke quietly, "It happened a long time ago." His voice was clearly sorrowful, hinting to them that the armored warrior had indeed suffered a similar deep pain himself.

"I'm sorry for your loss, Sharp Strike." Ruby offered, to which Sharp Strike accepted with a tiny nod.

"Same here," Jaune added with sincere concern.

"Thank you, everyone." The Remnant Knight assured them with a polite bow, and he didn't miss the look of interest on Heliosia's face before he turned to look at the statue again.

Afterwards, while Team SSSN went ahead to explore the courtyard's hedge maze, Klein brought the other Team Beacon members to the manor's menagerie. The menagerie was built within one of the inner wings of the Schnee Manor, and it had a large glass ceiling built above it to keep the large number of animals warm but could be retracted during the warmer months.

Weiss keyed in a code on the entryway keypad, opening the doors. The rest of Team Beacon followed her in, and gazed admiringly at the various exotic animals kept in their assigned biomes. There were a variety of animals present; a white tiger, two polar bears, six gorgeous peacocks, four wolves and a family of ocelots among them.

"They're beautiful, especially that tiger." Pyrrha mentioned as she gazed upon the majestic beast, which calmly watched the group from behind the strong steel bars of its enclosure with its grey eyes, upon which its head then turned intently in Weiss's direction when she came up next to Pyrrha.

"That's Lefko. I got him for my thirteenth birthday and he's been my sweetie to me ever since," Weiss said even as the muscular white tiger slowly got up, padded over to them and pressed himself against the bars in a gesture that conveyed he clearly wanted affection from her, "Oh did you miss me, Lefko? I know you did! Oh yes you did, you big ball of fluff!" Weiss smiled as she reached in and began to rub Lefko's chin, causing him to let out a deep chuff as he rubbed his rich white and striped fur against her hands.

"Wow, I honestly never pegged you as an animal person." Jaune admitted as Blake and Velvet knelt beside her to get a closer look at the tiger.

Weiss smirked wryly at him, "There's a lot of things you don't know about me."

"You've told us about these animals, but I didn't think it would be this cool in real life to see a white tiger," Ruby said before asking, "Can we pet him too?"

"I wouldn't recommend that, Miss Rose." Klein spoke up.

"Klein's right, Ruby. Lefko takes a while to warm up to new people. And I don't think you want to get fur on your clothes, right?" Weiss said as she petted the softly purring white tiger a few more times. Before she could say anything else Blake gave a sly smirk and put her arm through one of the gaps between the steel bars, which caused Lefko to lean forward slightly and smell her open palm.

"Blake, it's dangerous!" Yang objected while Weiss's eyes went wide instantly. Even Klein let out a gasp of shock, perhaps fearing that an accident might occur.

"Relax, I've done this before." The Cat Faunus assured her partner while the white tiger cautiously sniffed her palm for a few anxious moments before Lefko to finally accepted Blake by licking her hand a few times, the affectionate gesture causing the feline ninja's aura to flare up to the sharp papillae on his tongue, but it ultimately didn't harm her.

"Fun fact; Faunus tend to get along with our counterparts in the animal kingdom." Blake stated as she rubbed Lefko's head gingerly before unhurriedly pulling her hand back. Everyone else breathed a little easier after seeing that she didn't accidentally get he hand bitten off.

"It's true," Velvet confirmed with a subtle blush.

"Thanks for the quick lesson," Yang admonished while bumping Blake's elbow, "But never do that again! You might get seriously hurt, kitty cat."

"My thoughts exactly." Weiss sighed.

Blake waved her hands dismissively before Weiss took time to introduce the other animals, including the pair of polar bears Philo and Seto, in addition to the elder two ocelots, Percival and his mate Chiyo plus their litter of six feisty kittens. Certain members of the team, especially Velvet and Amethyst, enjoyed petting the family of Ocelots and almost all of them took time out to admire the feral grace of the white and grey-furred wolves as they ran across the length of their biome.

Time seemed to fly by rather quickly, and soon twilight was upon them. Sun and the rest of his team were getting out of the maze while Qrow leaned against one of the boundary pillars around the courtyard's circumference while gazing at the towers.

"Hey Ice Queen, what's up with those towers?" He asked.

"An apt question, I noticed that you didn't mention them during the tour." Penny said.

"My guess would be that it's a storage facility of sorts, or a family archive." Sharp Strike suggested shrewdly.

"Oh, those towers you mean." Klein waved his gloved hand in the general direction of the mentioned buildings, "However, we failed to mention it, they're off-limits to guests, I'm afraid."

"Yes, father only allows those he trusts into the towers," Winter elaborated, "The one to the southwest is the storage tower, where our family store our vast fortune, its coffers and various important possessions that belonged to our ancestors behind secure high-security vaults. While most of the money the Schnee Dust Company makes is kept in separate banks, father prefers to keep a substantial amount within his grasp."

Coco whistled, "Man, there must be tons of money and expensive artefacts inside. Did anyone ever try to rob it?"

Winter looked over to Klein who explained curtly, "Oh yes, some fools have tried, but the last incident was about thirty-five years ago. The manor's security always managed to foil them before they could ever come close to getting within the storage tower's vicinity."

"And what about the other tower?" Blake inquired.

"That would be the archive tower," Weiss answered, "It's where we keep several volumes of documents and texts about our family history, and libraries' worth of history and many other topics about both Atlas and Mantle in general. It was a personal hobby of our great-grandfather that the family carried on through our grandfather Nicholas and father as well."

"And once father has given his permission, Klein will issue security passes to your superiors who can then access that place to browse any of the history volumes stored there." Winter added while looking at Sharp Strike.

"You have my thanks, Specialist Schnee." The Knight replied.

Weiss looked up to the steadily darkening sky, she shared a look with her elder sister, and said, "It's getting late, perhaps Klein can show everyone to their guest rooms before dinner is served?"

The gathered group nodded and Klein promptly clapped his gloved hands together before gesturing for them to follow him down back into the manor.

---

The great doors of the Schnee Manor opened once again to the sound of marching boots belonging to suits of thick armor, this time admitting a very different group of guests. While the staff had entertained a variety of very important guests from all over Remnant, they were all rendered speechless as several Remnant Knights strode past them, their booted feet marching in perfect synchronicity.

The Knights stopped several paces in front of the main stairway, coming together so smoothly that even the most well-rehearsed squads of soldiers in the Atlas military forces would be impressed.

Standing at the forefront of the group were Argentius and Soul Seer, accompanied by Fire Walker of the Relentless Crusader and Wind Runner of the Eternal Warriors. To see proof of the old knights of legend in front of them was a very surreal sight for the gathered maids, attendants and security guards standing at the circumference of the entrance hall.

"Welcome to the Schnee Manor, honored guests." The young and smartly-dressed attendant placed one hand on his chest and bowed deeply to the group.

Argentius took a measured look around the main entrance hall while the attendant introduced himself. While he had seen many impressive structures and places around Remnant, even the Knight Champion had to admit that the Schnee family's fame of being the richest family in Atlas was definitely no boast. The place looked like a tribute to extravagance and opulence.

"…and it's my honor to welcome the hallowed Knights of Remnant personally," The attendant spoke as calmly as he could, although he was trying his nervousness in addressing what they considered figures of myth mere days ago, "The head of manor staff, Klein Sieben, has personally assigned me to act as liaison for your group during your stay here."

"The honor is mine." Argentius replied, focusing the lenses of his elaborate helmet at the attendant. Beside him Soul Seer pulled back her hood with one gloved one while keeping a firm hold on her flower-shaped staff with the other, her elegant white robes pooling around her feet. She could tell that a few of the younger male attendants were manifestly captivated by her, despite the mask over her face, she still radiated beauty and grace.

It was nothing Argentius hadn't seen before, since his sister was often considered the undisputed beauty of their hometown in their past lives, adored and envied in equal measure. He almost chuckled at the memory of a younger Taiyang flirting gently with Soul Seer back during the secret mission Team STRQ taken many years ago, and momentarily wondered if his sister would have fallen for him if he hadn't switched his affections to Raven.

"We have already prepared the assigned guest rooms in the East Wing for all the knights present, and I'll be more than happy to bring you there so that you can inspect those rooms for yourself." The attendant said, "Would that be satisfactory?"

"Very much. Only a few of us will stay in the manor, other members of our order will stay in our ships and guard the perimeter of your estate. They apologize but many of us prefer to keep a distance. You may address me as Argentius." He answered and then nodded in Soul Seer direction, who inclined her head, her platinum blonde hair spilling out of the back, "She's known as Soul Seer. This is Wind Runner and this is Fire Walker. Might we know your name as well?"

"I am Benson, Master Argentius and Madam Soul Seer." The uniformed attendant smiled and bowed again, "At your service."

"Then lead the way and we will follow." Sharp Strike's master said, then voicing another silent command which caused the other Knights to form up in a double-file behind him and the Chief Prognosticator.

"Excellent, now if you'd follow me…"

---

It was decided that two team members would go to each guest room which were all located at the upper levels of the East Wing with a view of Atlas City in the distance, though Penny and Ruby would share one since Weiss would naturally stay in her own room. To ensure the Maidens' safety, they were assigned to a slightly larger guest apartment at the end of the hallway near the staircase that connected the majority of the occupied rooms to the wing's main foyer, the end of which were the other guest rooms housing the other Remnant Knights that would be staying in the Schnee Manor as well.

While Penny would not need to sleep due to her cybernetic nature, the manor staff had nonetheless brought "The Toolbox" from Hyperion One so as to allow the android girl to undergo some important maintenance checks during her stay in the guest room she was given. Qrow and Sharp Strike both had a room all to themselves, and the Remnant Knight was appreciative to Klein's efforts of making sure that his guest room was the one directly opposite the guest apartment housing the two Maidens' so he could ensure their protection along with their assigned knight guardians who would stand guard in the corridor outside their rooms so that assistance would always be close by should any situation arise.

The guest rooms looked very much like the rest of the manor, with white walls and a royal blue carpeted. They were much larger than the dorm rooms at Beacon Academy, the white ceilings form an arch over the room, and about midway up the walls was a thick blue border with gold edges. Even the rooms for guests of the Schnees were also quite luxurious too, boasting a pair of king-sized beds sitting at opposite sides with decent-sized glass coffee tables occupying the center and a pair of white armchairs with gold frames. Other furniture included large closets, medium bookshelves stocked with a selection of literature, and a pair of writing desks crafted from mahogany wood. Throughout the rooms gold scones with blue teardrop beads hung from the walls and elaborate chandeliers dangled from the ceiling like waterfalls made of crystals. Beyond the sleeping area was a pair of glass doors with a high arch that opened up to a balcony with gracefully-crafted balustrades that were beyond beautiful, with an even more breath-taking view of the manor's other buildings and its surroundings all the way to the city in the distance.

A number of the manor's maids and attendants, under Klein's careful supervision, had already brought in all of Team Beacon's luggage to their respective guest rooms while Weiss and Winter brought them on the tour. The head of the Schnee Manor staff had also informed everyone that they had full access to the entire guest wing and all of its recreation facilities which included the indoor swimming pool and gym, although if they wish to go to any other places within the Schnee Manor they would have to inform him through their scrolls in order to seek permission. He added that should they require anything they can approach any of the manor staff or him, in which they will do their utmost to ensure that Team Beacon's stay at the Schnee Manor was a pleasant one.

After Klein had left with Winter to check over the dinner arrangements, the hallway was silent for a few moments as everyone gaped at the lavish guest rooms. But the silence passed rather quickly, and everyone soon settled in. Laughter echoed throughout the hallway, with the members of Team Beacon deep in conversation over what things they would like to do at the Schnee Manor and the slight indulgence they were given as guests of the Schnee family.

Coco let out a sigh of relief as she laid down on one of the very comfortable bed in the guest room she and Velvet would be staying in, feeling the soft material of the bed sink in slightly as though moulding itself to her body. She looked over her aviator glasses and watched Velvet fiddling with her camera Anesidora before beginning to take some pictures of the room.

"Mementos?" She asked.

Velvet shook her head a little, "Something like that; I want to send pictures to my family, especially my father Will who's an immensely-talented engineer. Me, Blake and Sun must be the first Faunus to ever set foot in the Schnee Manor and not be some kind of servant." The Rabbit Faunus said as she opened the glass doors leading to the balcony and took a picture of the huge snowy garden which looked more like a forest that occupied one of the manor's inner courtyards.

"Good point," Coco agreed with a nod of approval, "Remember those bullying pricks who would pick on you when we were kids back at Sandleford? They would probably get real friendly if they could see us now."

Velvet's reply was a good-natured laugh.

---

In the guest room Sun and Neptune would be staying in, the Monkey Faunus released a happy groan as he sunk into the canopy bed's mattress, "Now this…this is a bed! Hey Neptune, you think anyone would notice if we snatched a few of these and shipped 'em to my mom Hondyama?" Sun quipped as he moved his arms up and down on the light blue blankets' surface.

Neptune, who was studying a small painting of Solitas landscape on the wall, laughed and replied, "If this was back in our first year, I would swear you weren't joking."

"Who says I am?" Sun looked in the direction of his bluenette teammate, a wide grin on his face.

Neptune held up both of his hands, saying, "I know when you're joking Sun, and this is one of those moments. However, I doubt you will get very far with even one bed without getting some major hell from Weiss."

---

Nora flopped down onto the bed in her and Ren's guest room, letting out a sigh of content even as her body was nearly buried into the soft mattress, bedsheets, and blankets. Ren sat down on the other bed across from hers, smiling at his partner as she savoured the softness of her four-poster bed.

"Holy Four Gods of Remnant, this is by far the best bed I have ever laid on, ever!" The orange-haired hammer wielder declared as she managed to swing herself up.

Ren chuckled, "We've certainly had far worse. Remember that motel the authorities stuck us in for a month or so when we were twelve?"

"Oh yeah, the one with all those praying mantises everywhere? I think I can still remember their names even now." Nora laughed even as her teammate got off his bed and approached her.

"It never ceases to amaze me that you named every single one." Ren shook his head a little, a small smile on his face.

"It was kind of easy to tell them apart when you see them every night, and even easier when you mark them." Nora answered as she suddenly took Ren's hands and hauled him down onto the bed with her, hugging him close and giggling energetically.

Ren couldn't help it and let out a small laugh of his own. If there's one thing about Nora that he truly appreciated it was undoubtedly her ability to look on the bright side of things, to always be a light in any dark situation. He recalled her inspiring speech to Jaune back in the Bahai Gardens at Shade Academy, how she had admitted to being worried and hence kept a cheerful face to force her depressing thoughts away, and if he was honest with himself Ren knew he couldn't deny that his partner's presence always brightened up his world, even in the most fire of moments.

"I remember every place we had stayed at; that shelter with the trains coming by every hour, the run-down dwelling with a number of rats, and not to mention an abandoned home with a ridiculously hostile cat…among others, and I honestly didn't mind any of them." Ren looked her in the eyes, "Because I had you with me."

Nora beamed and gave Ren several loving kisses even as she hugged him back tightly, "Same here, Renny."

---

Not far down the hall, Blake and Yang inspected the guest room they would be sharing. Ruby's elder sister hummed in approval of the beds, but eyed the rest of the room with a judgmental glare and remarked, "A little stuffy and over-luxurious for my tastes, but I doubt it will matter."

"True," Blake agreed, "But we should take whatever rest we can, since we'll be again once the maps have been translated within a weeks' time."

Yang nodded as she picked up a nearby flower vase with her robotic and flesh-and-blood hands, "I will be honest with you, it's crazy how many places our team has been to."

"Speak for yourself," Blake replied as she walked to the nearest bookshelf and gently ran a few of her fingers down the spines of the thick books there, "I was on the run for so long, first from my family and the law, then Adam and his White Fang, and then after the fall of Beacon, always moving and never staying in one place, that it felt kind of odd for me to stay at Uncle Ghira and Aunt Kali's house in Menagerie and at Beacon Academy…and not have to leave after a couple of weeks at most."

Yang nodded and then glanced at the doorway to make sure no one was eavesdropping before she stepped close to Blake and whispered, "Well, don't worry about it, once this is all over and the baddies get what they deserve, all three of us can be together. You, me and Sun. And maybe someday, the three of us can have a home together too." She then put down the flower vase and took a seat on the bed she had chosen for herself.

Blake felt herself smiling at that thought as she walked over and sat down on the bed next to her teammate, placing a hand atop Yang's robotic one, "I'd love that, Yang. But we have to beat Salem in order to get there." She looked into Yang's violet eyes lovingly before leaning towards her partner, the two girls briefly exchanging an affectionate kiss that lasted a few brief seconds. The two members of Team RWBY looked at each other for a short while before Blake finally asked, "When do you think we should tell Ruby and Weiss about…our relationship?"

"Not until we have to." Yang answered

"Yang, they'll find out sooner or later. It would be better if we just told them the truth." Blake brought up a hand to rub at her forehead, "Besides, we'll be soon going to be risking our lives on some very dangerous missions for the fate of Remnant, and neither of us knows what will happen. I think it would be best for all of us if we are honest with each other."

"I know, I know." Yang said sadly and closed her eyes, mulling it over before finally saying, "I guess you have a point, kitty cat. But let's run it through with Sun first, see what he thinks before making a decision."

"Knowing Ruby, I'm pretty sure she'll be very happy for us." The ninja chuckled, "Maybe Weiss will be…a little hesitant about it, but I don't think she will make it out to be that big of a problem."

"And Uncle Qrow?" Yang put forth while waving her non-robotic hand, "He's way more open than my dad about these relationship things, but he's still pretty protective of me."

Blake sighed as she pinched her temple, trying not to get a headache, "I honestly don't know, Aunt Kali might understand, but my Uncle Ghira…I just don't want him to overreact. Perhaps we will cross that bridge when we come to it?"

"And pray that we don't have to elope?" Yang added.

"My thoughts exactly." Blake said, before Yang gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

---

In the next room over, the silver-eyed Huntress and android girl surveyed the room they would occupy until they were sent off to wherever the fabled Relics were located. "Geez, this room is bigger than my and Yang's bedroom put together!" Ruby exclaimed to Weiss who stood beside her.

"It's wonderful!" Penny proclaimed herself even as she leaned back and flopped down onto the bed, "However, I wonder why the Schnee family's hospitality is not more well-known?"

"Thank you for the compliment, Penny, but you should know my family has only recently tried to mend relations with the public of Atlas and Faunus workers within the company itself." Weiss explained, "Most of these rooms were for close friends of the family, businessmen and allies to my father in the Atlesian elite and on occasion, holiday gatherings…you get the idea. I doubt anyone in, say, Jaune's standing has ever stayed in one of these rooms before."

"Well if anyone could change this place for the better, it's you." Ruby told her partner with a smile, "Guess it's been a while since you've come back, huh?"

"Indeed, Ruby," Weiss said while she sat down on Ruby's bed and looked up at the ceiling, "I can't deny that I'm happy to be home, especially since Winter and father's relationship has finally been mended." Just then her scroll buzzed and she checked it, "It's from Klein, Winter wants him to inform me that dinner is just about ready for everyone. So are you hungry?"

"You bet!" Ruby chirped eagerly.

---

Up and around the corner, the Spring and Summer Maidens settled into their guest room, which was larger and more comfortable than either of them had expected. Everything around them looked to be terribly expensive and made from materials that only the very affluent can afford, and even the view seen beyond balcony glass doors was also wonderfully picturesque, complete with the futuristic and silver-and-glass skyscrapers of the Atlesian capital in the distance.

"Ah finally!" Amethyst sighed as she kicked off her boots, "The past week has been utterly freaking exhausting!"

"I know the feeling. So much has happened, it feels as though it's been a year or two since Team Beacon came to Shade Academy." Heliosia voiced as she relaxed on her bed, her fingerless glove-clad hands folded behind her head as she looked out the balcony windows at the rear courtyard, "That day honestly felt like the longest of my life."

The violet-haired Maiden let out a dejected sigh and nodded, "One of the worst, huh?"

Heliosia closed her eyes as she mentally pictured Elsa's battle with Cinder Fall, imagining her valiant sister Maiden's last stand against the forces of evil. She recalled the brazen attack on Shade Academy, the malevolent destruction throughout Vacuo City, the untold numbers of victims that suffered in the carnage wreaked by the gangs' uprising within Vacuo City, by the swarms of rampaging Grimm…

The Summer Maiden forced herself to remain calm, opening her eyes and quietly said, "Yes, it was."

Amethyst stood up and walked over to sit on Heliosia's bed. They both fell silent for a few moments, before the Spring Maiden voiced, "I'm here if you need me, Summer Sun."

Heliosia looked up and despite her somewhat melancholic mood, she cracked a smile back at Amethyst, "And I'm here for you, Spring Violet."

When they ended their embrace Heliosia looked Amethyst in the eyes and said, "There's still one more thing. We have to hold a remembrance ceremony of our own for Elsa, in the mindscape." She slowly reached down and touched one of the small pouches around her waist, "I have to fulfil a promise for someone very close to Elsa."

"Yes, we do." Amethyst agreed, her expression becoming a little sad, "Should we invite Pyrrha? She may not be the Fall Maiden, but since we made her an honorary Maiden…"

"I know, and that's why I'm inviting her to join us." The Summer Maiden nodded, "While Pyrrha didn't know Elsa like we did, it's only appropriate that we should allow her to witness how the remembrance ceremony is performed…and let her pay her respects to Elsa."

"Good, I'll ask Weiss to have us left alone in here for a while tomorrow," The younger Maiden said with a smile before she decided to change the subject, "So...what do you think of Sharp Strike?"

Heliosia rested her gloved hands on her knees, thought about it, "I think he will be a valuable ally, since he has many indispensable skills which will be of great help to us. I was quite impressed with his combat prowess, and he's definitely a sight to behold in action. s."

Left unsaid was the fact that the knight had also narrowly prevented her from losing her Maiden powers to Thorn, saving her life in the process. She felt indebted to him, and while Heliosia didn't know how to repay that debt properly she had hoped that she would somehow find a way to make it up to him..

"Cool! It's always nice to have more badasses around, but I was thinking more along the lines of…what do you think Sharp Strike's like underneath that helmet?" Amethyst inquired in a curious voice.

The brunette Summer Maiden shrugged, "What do most of the Remnant Knights look like under their helmets? I've wondered about Fire Walker and the others, but I really don't think it would be wise to pry since they almost never remove their helmets in the presence of outsiders. Maybe they will reveal their faces to us should they feel comfortable with it, or when there's a certain situation that requires them to do so."

"Yeah, but Sharp Strike feels younger than the rest, right? Like he's around our age or so." Amethyst pointed out before she leaned forward and her face onto her elbows, "More to the point, do you think he's hot? Because I'm bettin' he's a total 'knight in shining armor' heartthrob, with rippling muscles all over and an eight-pack."

The Spring Maiden's words, or at least the mental image it conveyed in her mind, caused Heliosia to laugh even as a slight blush appeared on her face, "Amethyst, really!"

"Ah! You blushed! You are thinking about what he looks like!" Amethyst chortled, pointing an accusing finger at her sister Maiden.

Heliosia covered her mouth to suppress her own laughter, before finally confessing, "All right, all right. Fine, I am a little curious about what Sharp Strike's hiding under that armored helmet of his and yes, I do think he's probably very handsome. But it's not like I stay awake at night thinking about it. Are you always so amorous?"

"Hey, I'm just keeping my options open." Amethyst shrugged her shoulders, "After all, we can't always be Maidens right? Someday we'll have to pass the torch to someone else."

Heliosia sighed to herself, "True, but that time likely won't come until after we've defeated Salem and those who follow her. And even then, I don't think I'm ready to commit to a relationship…unless I know what happened to him." She reached up with one hand to clasp the necklace that hung around her neck, affectionately, longingly.

Amethyst's face softened before saying, "Do you really think your childhood crush is still out there somewhere?"

The Summer Maiden's face became rather serious and she gave her sister Maiden a firm nod, "I know he is. I can't explain it in words, and I know I have no reason to believe that he's still alive…but I can feel it. I know, I just know I will find him one day." She paused to take a slow breath and then added softly, "I made a promise, and so did he."

A few moments of silence passed between both Maidens, then Amethyst smiled and replied, "Then I'll help you any way I can, it's the least I can do for you teaching me all those defensive techniques. And don't worry; even when the day comes for us to pass our Maiden powers to someone else, you will always be my sister, Summer Sun."

Heliosia smiled warmly, then reached forward and hugged the smaller Maiden, saying, "I feel the same way, Spring Violet."

A knock on the door of their room caused the pair to look up, with Amethyst calling out, "Come in!"

The thick oak door clicked open and Sharp Strike appeared. He bowed and said, "Maidens, Weiss requested me to inform you that dinner will be served shortly at the main dining room, I think we should be going there with the rest of Team Beacon."

"Sure! I'm famished." Amethyst leapt off the bed and left her boots off, going in her socks, with Heliosia joining her shortly. Sharp Strike smoothly stepped aside for them to exit their room, and the Summer Maiden passed the armored knight she noticed that he was gazing at her.

"Are you coming?"

"While I usually would dine alone, I suppose it would be for the best to eat with the rest of you, in order to show that despite everything I'm part of the team." The young knight told the Maiden.

"Fair enough." Heliosia said as both Maidens went to follow their new team down the hallways, hearing snatches of their conversation while Sharp Strike easily fell into step beside them.

Amethyst shrugged as they turned a corner, while the more senior Maiden looked at the Knight Order representative with a contemplative look, "Sharp Strike, when you came to inform us about dinner…did you happen to hear our conversation, by any chance?"

"Not much, to be honest. Only snatches of it, my lady." Sharp Strike answered calmly before adding after a short pause, "And I hope that you find whomever you seek. If he's still out there."

"I know he is. I must have hope. Without it...the world would be indescribably miserable" The Summer Maiden said, her voice was soft, yet there was an underlying seriousness to it.

Sharp Strike nodded firmly, "Then you will find him, somehow."

Something about his answer made Heliosia believe that he might be in a similar situation. She was about to wish him the same when she felt that the lenses of his helmet were not looking at her eyes; they had alighted on her necklace which hung just right above her ample bosom. When the twin sword-wielding knight noticed that she was looking right at him, he shook himself a little and said, "My apologies, I didn't mean to stare."

She waved his apology away while smiling sadly, and took the necklace in her fingers, "This? This was a gift from someone very close to me, and he gave it to me with a personal promise the last time we saw each other more than fifteen years ago…mere weeks before his hometown was destroyed by the Grimm."

"It looks very beautiful, especially on you." Sharp Strike commented, making the Summer Maiden blush a little. When he saw Heliosia's reaction to his compliment the Remnant Knight coughed a little and quickly added, "Uh, forgive my forwardness, my lady."

"No, it's fine. Thank you…not a day goes by that I don't wear this, that I don't think of him." Heliosia looked dejected for a brief moment, "Throughout the years, I had hoped for something, anything, that can tell me where he is…" Her words trailed off, and Sharp Strike almost felt himself reach out to put a gauntlet on the Summer Maiden's shoulder, but knew he couldn't. So he kept his hands by his side as he walked, and instead simply said, "I understand."

Heliosia let the necklace fall from her fingers, and asked the armored warrior, "I hope I'm not prying into anything, but do you have a significant other before you became a Remnant Knight? Fire Walker told me that it's common for Knights to marry another member of the Order, but there are strict rules against romance with outsiders."

"No, I don't." Sharp Strike answered curtly, "I suppose that I had never paid it any mind since I'm too busy with my duties."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Heliosia let out a heavy sigh and quietly replied, "I suppose we Maidens know what that feels like, since a bond between two people who truly love each other is perhaps one of the most precious things anyone can have."

"I may be a Remnant Knight, my lady…but I'm not a mindless drone. We do have emotions." Sharp Strike nodded before gesturing for her and Amethyst to turn a corner into another hallway, "However, as I said before; I just don't let them impede me when I'm performing my duty as a knight."

"Sharp Strike!" Ruby called from ahead, "Nice of you to join us!"

The Knight nodded, raising a hand to wave a little back at Team RWBY's leader.

Unknown to him, Amethyst and Heliosia dropped back a little and the Spring Maiden turned to look at her fellow Maiden with a certain look on her face, "My my, aren't you two getting a little too friendly?" She whispered.

Heliosia failed to stop a smile and replied, "Don't say anything."

---

"Bon Appetit," Klein told the guests as the servants revealed the dinner to them; a diverse collection of delicious-looking foods including steaks, steamed vegetables, plates of mixed fruits, grilled fish and chicken, warm bowls of soup and very tasty busciuts that Velvet couldn't get enough of.

The main dining room was a huge hall with high ceilings and white walls that were covered with magnificent landscape paintings and a number of plinths displaying artifacts like vases and small statues. The room's interior featured a very long table in the center with twenty-four mahogany chairs that were upholstered with blue fabric decorated with a repeated pattern of the family emblem. Some floral centerpieces lined down the shiny surface of the table while a trio of intricate ornate chandeliers hung over the table. Along one side of the dining room were large transparent windows with thick blue curtains which were kept from closing through ties of a lighter shade of blue, showing the guests the expansive garden and its well-tended lawn outside.

The group of sixteen Hunters-in-training, two Maidens, a Remnant Knight, a veteran Huntsman and an Atlesian Specialist dug into their meals, while Penny simply sat and chatted with the rest of Team Beacon, occasionally checking the news on her scroll. Teams RWBY and JNPR sat on the seats at the left-hand side of the table along with Qrow, Sharp Strike and Heliosia; while Teams CFVY and SSSN, Penny and Amethyst occupied the right-hand side. Willow Schnee's seat at the head of the table remained empty and Klein informed everyone present that the Schnee patriarch was still indisposed with company-related matters.

The lower faceplate of Sharp Strike's helmet had opened slightly to reveal the clean-shaven lower half of his face so he could eat, and also answering the Spring and Summer Maiden's unspoken question of how he ate his meals. All eyes were focused on their food, eating with and enjoying the Schnees' hospitality.

"Mmm! Now this is very good food! My compliments to your chefs!" Nora mentioned to Klein, who smiled.

"Totally, this is delicious!" Yang agreed.

"Please also pass my sincere compliments to the chefs." Sharp Strike approved, slowly sipping a glass of fruit juice.

"Mine too!" Amethyst piped up.

"They will be happy to hear those compliments." Klein gave a nod of appreciation. A beep from his scroll caught his attention, and the butler said, "Please excuse me, there are other matters I need to attend to. Miss Weiss, Miss Winter."

"It's no problem Klein," Winter replied.

"You have our thanks for your excellent service as usual, Klein." Weiss told him with a kind smile.

The head of Schnee Manor staff bowed and left, the dining room's doors closing shut behind him.

"So, what exactly is our strategy going to be?" Jaune put forth.

"The strategy to obtain the Relics, I presume?" Yatsuhashi commented after he ate some vegetables.

"Or better yet, which of us will go after which Relic?" Ruby asked, and the massive Huner nodded in confirmation.

"Well, since our enemy is after two Relics…" Jaune began after swallowing some grilled chicken, "We're obviously gonna have to divide and conquer. Two groups; each having two Teams and one Maiden to recover each Relic."

"Not to mention we also have Penny supporting us, and Ironwood's has also permitted Task Force Omega to aid us in the Relic retrieval mission too!" Ruby exclaimed.

"Which means my brother N1CK3L will be involved as well." Penny added.

"Solid enough plan, Arc." Coco sipped her cup of black coffee, "However, if Task Force Omega is going with us, they'll probably have to split up too. Hope they won't mind."

"Depending on the situation, I'm fairly sure Commander Central and his team will agree, though the Task Force prefers to work as a whole unit, they nonetheless have significant experience in working alone," Winter informed them, "But how do you propose we determine an answer to Mr. Arc's question?"

"Hmm…I think it's pretty easy," Sun spoke up after he swallowed a chunk of banana, "Teams RWBY and SSSN, along with Penny and Amethyst will go after one Relic while Teams JNPR and CFVY along with Sharp Strike and Heliosia can take care of the other."

Ruby thought for a few moments before saying to the rest of Team Beacon, "I'm okay with that if you guys are."

"I'm good with it." Yang agreed, shooting Sun a small smirk which Blake noticed. The Cat Faunus covered her giggles by pretending to drink from her glass of juice.

"Seems acceptable to me too." Velvet agreed as Yatsuhashi nodded in agreement. Coco, who caught the subtle body language of Sun, Blake and Yang earlier, gave the trio a knowing smile and a tiny nod of approval.

"Hey, as long as we get the Relics' out of Salem's reach, anything works for me." Fox remarked.

"On that, we are all in agreement." Agreed Sharp Strike.

"While I'd point out that you shouldn't split the team, it seems the situation facing us requires it." Qrow spoke up, then turned to Winter and said, "But it all depends on where we're going when the maps are deciphered, right?"

"General Ironwood has informed me that the other Guardians and Remnant Knights have begun work on decoding the maps." Winter answered solemnly, "I do believe he will send us to the hidden Relic temples once we learn where they're located."

"I can only hope we translate them before Salem's underlings can." Sharp Strike said as he placed his utensils down, "With one of the four Relics already under the Order's protection, we have to do everything in our power to find and obtain the others before Salem can get her hands on them," His voice turned grave before adding, "I can't even begin to imagine the scale of widespread devastation she can cause with just one."

"All the more reason to give this mission our all," Penny looked up from the news reports currently displayed on her scroll, "And do whatever we can in order to end this crisis so that things can get back to normal."

Pyrrha leaned over and looked at the articles moving slowly across the scroll's screen in Penny's hands, and saw that quite a number of them were reporting on the refugees from the settlements and smaller townships were being evacuated into the major cities.

"It's heart-breaking to watch," the Spartan voiced, "And for a lot of these refugees, nothing can ever truly be normal for a long time."

"I wish we could do something to help them." Penny's head dropped as she spoke forlornly, which caused Ruby to look at her friend in concern.

As the android girl spoke, Blake was about to take another bite of grilled fish when a germ of an idea popped into her mind, "Maybe there is, Penny…"

Penny looked at her as Sun asked "You got an idea?"

"I do," The Cat Faunus rubbed her chin in thought, "Though I'm not sure it will happen."

"What do you have in mind?" Ruby queried.

Blake looked to the Schnee sisters, "It's up to you two and your father, actually. This mansion is enormous, it's larger than some academies, maybe even bigger than some towns. With so many acres of empty land around your family's mansion, it would be pretty easy to turn this mansion and some of this land into a refugee safety zone and provide them with food, water and security. What if your father allowed some refugees to stay here?"

Weiss and Winter shared a concerned, thoughtful look with each other.

"It's not a bad idea. This place and its surroundings are big enough, it would definitely take some burdens off the cities," Jaune agreed and smiled at Blake, "And anyone who stayed here would definitely have some protection if there's another attack."

"It's a good idea, but not one that's ever gonna happen," Qrow voiced as he leaned back in his chair.

"Why?" Heliosia asked, knotting her hands together.

"I'm afraid he's right," Winter glanced in Qrow's direction for a moment before addressing everyone, "It's unlikely that father would ever go along with such an idea; since after our mother passed away he had been quite firm on the guests that enter this manor, and even if we do allow refugees into the lands around the manor proper plans would need to be drawn up on where to house them and feed them, not to mention that the SDC will have to redirect a significant amount of resources to take care of those additional refugees."

"And even if we managed to designate additional refugee safety zones within our land, the other elite families who live around us may not be…receptive to them." Weiss explained further before turning to look at her elder sister.

"So in short, nothing can be done unless your father agrees to it?" Yatsuhashi remarked, to which Weiss nodded.

"He can't just stand by when there are people in need of help!" Amethyst said to the sisters.

"We could talk to him, perhaps draw up a feasible plan?" Weiss argued, "After all, I know he's changing for the better."

"I know," Winter acknowledged, "But his past actions…I don't think I would ever forget what he did to both you and me, or back when I was in the Atlas army. I personally don't think father can change that radically in such a short time."

"While I'm not fully aware of everything that's happened in your family, Specialist, I'd like to point out that everything is changing radically," Sharp Strike stated, "The Kingdoms are waking up to the existence of the Maidens and the Order, many lives in both Atlas and Vacuo have been changed forever by Salem's attacks, and all of Remnant is in upheaval. Change is coming, whether we want it or not."

"You gotta have faith," Ruby said, "You never know what you could accomplish with your father if you don't try."

"Ruby's right," Blake agreed, "I mean; he even spent Winter Solstice in Menagerie, a place he clearly wasn't very welcome at. I'm sure you can talk him into it."

"Even if you think that it's useless, at least try to take the first step." Heliosia mentioned.

"And it would do your family image a ton of favors," Neptune chimed in, "I mean, giving people who have lost their homes a chance to stay at Schnee Manor and ensuring that they have at least a place to stay and food to eat would definitely give the SDC a huge PR boost."

Winter rested her chin in one of her gloved hands in thought for several moments, before finally sighing and looked to Weiss, "It won't be easy, but I suppose it's worth a shot."

After dinner, everyone split up to explore the manor a bit more, now with no need to worry about getting lost thanks to the maps downloaded onto their scrolls, with Amethyst joining Team CFVY and SSSN.

---

After dinner, everyone split up to explore the manor a bit more, and they don't need to worry about getting lost in the massive mansion thanks to the handy virtual maps downloaded onto their scrolls.

Amethyst had decided to join Team CFVY since they wanted to return to the art museum to take a look at the various Grimm statues and ancient historical artifacts, while Blake was very interested in taking a look through the manor's library. Sun and the rest of Team SSSN vanished down the hallways leading to the manor's indoor swimming pool and gym, presumably to check out those places, while Team JNPR had decided to retire early due to them being slightly tired by the trip from Vacuo to Atlas and the tour around the Schnee Manor.

"You know, since this place is so old, I wonder if they're are any ghosts here." Scarlet mused as the groups walked down a large hall.

"Let's hope not, after Alcyone I don't think spirits should be treated lightly." Velvet remarked.

"Who's Alcyone?" Amethyst asked.

"Long story, we'll tell you sometime." Coco answered as they walked off.

Yang looked to Sharp Strike and reminded him, "Don't forget, I'm itching for a race pitting Bumblebee against Swift Wing."

"If the Schnees allow it, we can put our bikes to the test." The knight suggested. Yang nodded before he heard the Summer Maiden call out to him.

"Sharp Strike, would you mind escorting me back to my room?" Heliosia asked after seeing her sister Maiden disappearing around the corner with Team CFVY, chatting amicably with Velvet and Coco.

"Of course not, my lady." The Remnant Knight replied.

The Summer Maiden mentally permitted herself a small smile as she walked alongside the armored knight, while Team JNPR talked among themselves not far away.

Weiss had decided to show Ruby and Penny her room, which was a place the Schnee heiress's silver-eyed partner had admitted she was curious about. "Hey, wanna come?" She asked Yang and Blake just as they were about to walk away.

"Nah, Blake wants to check out the library some more," Yang answered, "Who knows? Maybe that place will have something for me too."

"Something for you?" Weiss repeated, skeptically.

"Well, you never know." Yang answered with an unequivocal shrug as she followed her Faunus partner towards the library.

Weiss gave a small shake of her head, while Ruby giggled a little. Penny looked between them and the departing pair for a few moments, her face showing some confusion before the younger Schnee sibling gestured for them to follow her towards the main staircase while Winter led Qrow to a nearby lounge to await her father, who Klein had informed her would be reaching home within the hour.

---

"So, you really think he'll go for it?" Qrow asked the Specialist as he sat down on a plush armchair and placed his feet, which were clad in black boots, on the nearest glass table, ignoring the disapproving glare Winter shot him.

"Perhaps, though I do acknowledge that he's trying to become a better person, but to him letting anyone below the elite of Atlesian society into the estate, or even into the manor itself, is…difficult to imagine." Winter said as she walked away from the windows where she had been standing earlier to seat herself across from Qrow, "Even though the SDC's relations with its Faunus workforce has improved considerably, I doubt the damage from years of bad press about my father's company could be fixed that easily. If given the slightest chance, I wouldn't even be surprised if anyone with any kind of resentment against my family would take the chance to vandalize our home."

"It isn't sacred ground, you know. And it's not like you can't clean up or fix the damage afterwards with your army of servants," Qrow commented wryly as he eyed her, "I thought the Schnees were well-regarded in Atlas."

"We are, to an extent…but many, especially the common people which my ancestors have looked down upon for most of our history, hold us in contempt," Winter admitted and her face turned a little uneasy, "Do you remember Flynt Coal? Weiss told me that his family's small Dust shop was put out of business by the SDC, and it was far from the only one. When I enlisted in the Atlesian military, against the wishes of my father, I wasn't exactly given a warm welcome by other cadets. They all knew who I was and I was singled out for abuse by pretty much everyone, even by the drill sergeants and training instructors, all who didn't bother to hide the fact they were trying to drive me out. They believed that I was just rebelling against my father out of childish pride and arrogance, that I would break any day like any rich child."

"I can't lie, I thought the same thing when I first met you," Qrow chuckled, "Now I know better, though."

Winter continued, "On the first day during roll call, the lead drill instructor grabbed my hands during inspection, saying that my hands were soft like those of a spoiled heiress, hands that only exercised by writing checks and counting money."

"And what did you tell him?"

Winter smirked, "That I never counted the money, that's what our accountants are for. I got floor scrubbing duty for the entire first week for that."

"Heh, not a bad reply." Qrow remarked, a dry chuckle escaping his lips, "But I'm guessing you eventually won 'em over?"

"In a manner of speaking. Many still resented my family name, but had to admit that I surprised them when I never gave up, even on the hardest, most brutal training course. I surprised them all by actually making it to graduation on my own terms, and at the top of the class no less. I suppose that's why I caught the attention of General Ironwood." Winter said, thinking back to the graduation day of her Special Operatives Unit batch all those years ago…

9 Years ago...

"…nifty uniform, don't you think?"

"No kidding, that was a beautiful ceremony!"

"I barely made it through, you know…:"

"…I wonder where I will be assigned after this…"

"…love that speech the General gave…"

Winter Schnee, having attained the esteemed rank of Specialist in the Atlas military, stood in line with her fellow newly-graduated Specialists to meet General Ironwood who had been invited to give a speech at Camp Independence's parade square which had been converted into an open-air graduation hall. He was standing below the main stage where he had given his speech earlier, speaking with the graduates who were more than eager to shake hands and exchange some words with the highly-respected man.

At that point in time his hair was mostly black, and his face seemed less troubled by the burdens he carried.

"…and your family must be very proud of you, Specialist Maximilius." Ironwood smiled as he rested one gloved hand on the male Specialist's shoulders, "I spoke with Councilor Maximilius earlier, and she couldn't be prouder of you. Captain White would like to speak with you, so be sure to meet him later."

"Thank you General Ironwood, I will." Specialist Maximilius replied, accepting the compliment, "If you don't mind, do you know where my mother is right now?"

"She's speaking with the other guests of honor at the reception area." The Atlesian general answered, "Again, excellent work and congratulations." He gestured for a smartly-dressed aide to come over, and Specialist Maximilius bowed before walking away with her.

As Specialist Maximilius passed by Winter their faces met and he whispered, "See you at the reception area, Winter."

She gave a ghost of a nod and a faint smile, replying, "Of course, Valerian."

General Ironwood continued to shake hands and exchange pleasantries with the other new Specialists who met with him, and when it was Winter's turn she walked up and placed her gloved hand in Ironwood's while perceiving that his expression was very interested in her.

"Ah, Schnee. I've been keeping an eye on your progress," Ironwood told her as he shook her hand, "Congratulations on attaining your Specialist rank, and I'm sure you will make our Kingdom proud. I'd also like to speak with you once I'm done here, so please don't go too far."

"Of course, General." Winter answered after accepting his compliments, before walking away to stand nearby with another group of fellow graduates. They were among those who had warmed up to her significantly in their time in training together, and Winter accepted a glass of sparkling champagne as she mingled with them.

"Oooh…looks like the General's impressed," Anita Larsen teased lightly, one of the few people Winter regarded as a true friend, as she clinked glasses with the Schnee, "He's always on the prowl for those with potential."

"Hmm, I wonder if my father had anything to do with this?" Winter mused as she looked over to one of the many balconies surrounding three sides of the graduation hall, where she saw her father and sister had been situated during the ceremony.

"I thought your father was against this?" Larsen reminded her.

"He was, but if there's an opportunity to exploit, my father will spot it and won't let it go to waste." Winter stated bitterly, her fingers tightening on the champagne glass.

"Man, and I thought my family had issues," Larsen remarked, before she spotted members of her own family among the crowds of Specialist graduates and guests, "Speaking of which…see you later, Winter."

She walked off, and Winter found herself smiling and a little envious at the sight of her friend being congratulated by her family, who were clearly very proud of her. Winter also knew that her younger sister Weiss would be very proud of her, and so was the family butler Klein…but her father's praise was very rarely earned.

"Your family will be waiting for you outside, at the reception area's VIP rooms," Ironwood said as he came up behind her, "Willow Schnee doesn't like to socialize with those he views beneath him."

Winter sighed, knowing Ironwood was spot on, "I know, I just wish he could put his status aside for once."

Ironwood looked at her carefully, with an intrigued expression, and said, "Please walk with me, I'd like to speak with you privately."

"Of course, general." Winter took one last look at her fellow graduates before turning to follow him.

The newly-graduated Specialist and the Atlesian general walked away from the chamber of ceremonies and into a neighboring hallway, moving past a couple of officers who paused to salute their general. Eventually they reached the display dais where a huge prototype model of the Paladin mechanized battlesuit stood, and Ironwood tucked his gloved hands behind his back as he looked up at the Atlesian Paladin.

"Schnee, when I learned that you were enlisting in the army I thought it had to be one of two things; either this was some ploy to place someone within the Schnee family in the military to gain further influence…or that you were rebelling against your father's wishes out of spite and would go running home when army life became too difficult for you." He paused to take a breath, then turned his head to look at Winter, "However, I decided that the first option was rather unlikely when your father tried to pressure me to have you discharged."

"Sir, I beg your pardon…he did what?" Winter asked, appalled.

"Indeed. He wanted me to find any excuse to kick you out. After speaking with your instructors about your progress I saw that there was no good reason to dismiss you, especially when you began to show such promise." Ironwood informed her.

"And so what did you tell him?"

"Let's just say that I said 'no' and leave it at that." The corners of Ironwood's mouth twitched upwards a tiny fraction, "And since I have the backing of your instructors, there was nothing your father could do."

"Thank you, sir." Winter said, gratefully, "That means a lot coming from you."

"But tell me honestly, Winter…are you rebelling against your father?" Ironwood questioned.

Winter sighed, knowing that there was no way she could avoid this part of the conversation, "In a way, I suppose I am. You see, I didn't want to be a part of the SDC, in a role which my father purposely set aside for me. It's much too…dull. Unrewarding. Empty. I want to achieve something with my own abilities, to show that I don't need my family name to pull favors or open doors for me. As for why I already possess some combat skills, my father had me go through some self-defense classes and combat training after…after my mother was killed."

Ironwood gave her a sympathetic look, "You have my deepest condolences, Winter. That couldn't have been easy to deal with, losing your mother at a young age."

"It wasn't. Especially not for Weiss," Winter admitted, lowering her head. She recalled how devastated Weiss had been, crying without end for several weeks even after their mother's private funeral. Winter practically had to force her little sister to eat in the aftermath. It wasn't a time she wanted to look back on.

"I must say, I'm impressed. It's rare for someone from a blueblood family like yours to enlist in the military and not give up after a few weeks. You not only persevered but also managed to graduate at the top of your class. Your instructors have told me that you are one of the best they've ever had, since you managed to surpass all expectations and then some. I'll be keeping an eye on your career, Specialist Schnee." Ironwood said with a smile, "Your father, whatever his reservations, should be proud of you, Winter. You proved yourself with your own honest efforts, he has to recognize that at least."

"Thank you, sir. I'll do my best to live up to your expectations and make Atlas proud." Winter said to her superior officer.

"Of that, I have no doubt." Ironwood said with a smile, "Enjoy the rest of the evening and get some well-deserved rest, and report to the head office at Atlas Academy at the appointed time and date. I think I might just have a mission in mind for you. Have a good evening, Specialist Schnee."

Winter saluted, which Ironwood returned before turning around and walking back to the main chamber where his bodyguards waited.

"So, your old man tried to sabotage you just like he did to Weiss." Qrow remarked and shook his head slowly, "You really think a cold bast-person like him can really change?"

Winter turned to look at the lounge's windows for a moment and then said, "I used to think it was impossible…but he provided information to the United Anti-Slavery Organization and ensured that the SDC's business practices have become less domineering. Learning the awful truth about the situation last year was a rude awakening of sorts for him, and made my father realize that he wasn't always right."

The veteran Huntsman gave a small nod and chuckled, "We all need a good kick in the ass sooner or later, huh?"

Winter raised an eyebrow, but there was some faint amusement on her cold features, "A bit crude, but accurate. Let's just hope he'll go along with this."

"And what about that Specialist graduation photo with Central, Snow Queen? He was in the same Specialist class as you, right?" Qrow adjusted his seating posture, stretching his legs.

"He was, what of it?" Winter narrowed her eyes a little, "He earned his Specialist rank the same way I did."

"Oh, another blueblood huh?" It was Qrow's turn to raise an eyebrow, "He must be pretty skilled to come in after you, especially since I know the way you fight."

"Actually, he doesn't care for the resulting attention," Winter sighed, a little exasperated that the Ozpin's agent was still trying to needle her somehow, "But his combat prowess is, in my opinion, quite formidable as I have fought against him before."

"That sounds suspiciously like admiration." Qrow snickered, "Guess he managed to earn your respect huh? So does Central have a proper name or is it classified?"

"He does, but that doesn't concern you." Winter fixed him with a stern glare.

"True, but I'm still part of the Guardians of Remnant." The other Huntsman smirked at her, "I suppose I can ask around for that answer if I look hard enough then, since we will be working alongside them to recover the Relics."

Winter's cold eyes bored into Qrow's red ones for several seconds before she finally acquiesced. "Very well, since Team Beacon will be working with Task Force Omega, I'll give you this piece of information, but make sure you keep it to yourself." The Schnee Specialist rolled her eyes a little, "Commander Central is actually Specialist Maximilius." She watched as Qrow's crimson eyes widened slightly.

"Maximilius, wait a second…as in Head Chancellor Maximilius?" Qrow asked, "He's related to her?"

"He's her son, Valerian Maximilius." Winter stated, and upon seeing Qrow's reaction she couldn't resist a small smirk of her own.

---

Meanwhile on another level of the manor, Weiss opened the door of her bedroom and gestured for both Ruby and Penny to enter. It wasn't as big as Ruby had expected, but it was still nonetheless much bigger than her and Yang's back in Patch.

The room was decently long and shared some similar design to the guest rooms, such as the white walls, a nice blue carpeted floor, and white ceiling which curved to form an arch. In a couple of places around the room were arch-shaped bookshelves attached to the walls and stacked with books. Along the walls of the bedroom were gold sconces with blue teardrop beads hanging from them, and a pair of crystal chandeliers illuminated the room. The entrance was three steps lower than the rest of the room where a pair of white armchairs and a glass coffee table with gold frames were positioned above an ornate off-white rug with several borders of varying thickness in a pattern of gold, white and blue. Nearby beside the furniture was a fireplace, above which hung a mirror with golden curved and leafy designs on its black frame. The way the ceiling was curved led to an enormous window with a pair of blue curtains covering it, while another pair of bookcases lined with novels, artbooks, song books, and other books on finance and politics, stood beside it. A sturdy white desk with a comfortable-looking chair was placed between the bookcases and the fireplace.

The sleeping area was directly opposite the fireplace, with Weiss's huge four poster canopy bed sitting roughly perpendicular to the wall which had a nightstand and a lamp next to it. The bed was covered with white fitted sheets and a light blue blanket with a pattern of rhombus shapes and black dots, and three large white pillows and one small light blue silk-cased bolster could be seen at the head of the bed. It looked quite comfortable with a canopy of transparent cloth hung over the bed itself, which was held up by the four bedposts. A large pale blue vanity that had a large, ovular mirror and two gold-handled drawers stood at the other end by another small table with a white vase that had Snowdrop flowers within it. At the foot of the bed was a long glass bench that matched the bed's width, and on the floor in front of the bed was a small, off-white rug with complicated white patterns.

"This is really lovely, Weiss!" Penny declared as they walked in.

"Thank you, Penny," Weiss said as she took a seat at her desk and looked at Ruby, "I'm afraid since I have been away for so long it doesn't seem lived-in, but it's good to be home."

"Yeah, no wonder you didn't like the rooms at Beacon," Ruby observed as she gazed around, walking to the far corner of the room where a gold conductor's stand stood, "You practically live like a princess!"

Weiss smirked before admitting, "Well, I suppose you're not wrong, though now that I look back on it…it wasn't exactly an ideal life."

"What do you mean?" Penny inquired, seating herself on a small circular stool with a frame of gold and topped with light blue cushions.

"Prior to Beacon, I never attended any schools in Atlas. All I had were private tutors. The same goes for Winter." Weiss revealed as she rested her hands on her lap, "This is honestly the first time I've had any friends coming over."

Ruby gave her partner a sympathetic look that conveyed her understanding of Weiss's words, "And you didn't exactly have many friends before you met us."

Weiss snorted humorlessly, "I didn't have any true friends at all. Most children of the elite weren't pleasant to be around, they either boasted about their wealth or hey were too intimidated by my status to even try and connect with me. And I also have to admit that my own attitude...didn't do me any favors."

"Well, that's changed now," Ruby said encouragingly as she moved over to sit on Weiss's bed, sinking a little into it, "See? A few years ago you probably would've shouted and then tossed me out of the room for even sitting on your bed, but just now you didn't even react to it."

Weiss felt herself wince, briefly recalling an incident when she was ten and scolded a maid for taking a brief rest on her bed after she had mopped and wiped her entire bedroom free of dirt, and remarked, "Then I guess I'm fortunate to have friends like you to thank for this change."

Ruby smiled back at her as Penny stood up from the cushion stool and walked over to the nearest bookcase which held Weiss's collection, her eyes scanning through their titles, "You have so many books, and I recognize some of these titles. But what are all these large books though?" The android asked, gesturing to the artbooks on the third shelf.

"Art books, Penny," Weiss answered as she stood up and walked towards the shelf, "I think it's fairly obvious my family always had an interest in the fine arts. Drawing even used to be a hobby of mine, though I was never any good at it. I personally prefer singing."

"Really? I loved to draw when I was young," Ruby noted after she rolled over on Weiss's bed to face the shelf on the other side as her partner reached out and took a large sketchbook off the shelf.

"This sketch book has some drawing pieces from Rhyian, my great-grandmother on my mother's side," Weiss stated, "She passed away when I was very young, but I remember my mother would often show me each and every picture within this book for hours."

She went to sit next to Ruby, with Penny sitting next to her as she opened the sketchbook, showing the pictures done by ancestor. There were gorgeously-detailed pieces of beautiful homes by lakes, crowds of people disembarking from trains at a terminal, depictions of richly-dressed people out on town streets during festivals, a young couple kissing on a bridge at sunset…

As she turned a page, she blushed as a loose piece of drawing paper was accidentally revealed to her friends. Knowing that she should have removed it before she had opened the sketch book, Weiss quickly tried to turn the page but it was too late.

"Wow, what's this?" Ruby asked as she gently took the paper out of the book, "It doesn't look like your great-grandmother's."

"It's nothing." Weiss said quickly as Ruby and Penny examined it. The heiress reddened, feeling embarrassed as her friends looked at a rough sketch of an aerial view from Beacon Academy's CCT tower, looking over the main courtyard and the city beyond the Academy.

"Wow, this is really nice." Penny remarked.

"No it isn't." Weiss countered swiftly.

"Now you are being modest?" Ruby joked, "Weiss, this is really good."

"You're kind, both of you. I actually made it after the fall of Beacon. You see…I always loved the view and decided that I needed to give myself something to do when schoolwork got a little too stressful at times," Weiss told her partner and the android girl, "Besides, look at how many flaws my drawing has; the perspective is utterly wrong, the buildings are way too large, the roads look crooked, and don't get me started on the windows…"

"Nothing's perfect. Besides, you should see my doodles, you're leagues above me." Ruby mentioned with a small giggle.

Weiss let out a small laugh of her own, one that made Ruby's smile widen. Despite everything that had happened, it always brightened her day when she could make someone happy. "Very well, Ruby, I will accept the compliment. Perhaps one day I can try again…when I have the time."

She carefully folded the drawing before she turned the next page and began chatting with Penny about the other pieces of sketch drawings displayed in the artbook, while Ruby couldn't help but look at her partner and admire her attractive face. In her heart, she was glad that Weiss had indeed become a better person, getting along with everyone in Team Beacon and patching things up with her own father.

---

Not far off, Team JNPR walked with Sharp Strike and Heliosia in the direction of their rooms. As they strolled through the lavishly-decorated corridors of the Schnee Manor, maids and attendants who encountered the group bowed their heads while the group passed them by.

"So, are the Remnant Knights out there somewhere?" Nora asked Sharp Strike while waving her hand at the corridors around them.

"Yes, I know they are," He confirmed with a nod, "Aside from the usual knights protecting the Maidens, the other knights are currently elsewhere, most likely sticking to the estate's perimeter. They won't make themselves known unless the need arises."

"Let's hope it doesn't. I would hate to damage Weiss' home in a battle." Heliosia commented.

"Who knows?" Jaune sighed, "We still don't know who installed that virus Salem used to manipulate Ironwood, and according to Blake's friend her agent is still active in Atlas. For all we know may have already told her where we're staying."

"While that's a worrying thought, I don't think Salem will attack us here or Atlas for that matter. Not when Ironwood has beefed up security for Atlas City and put the entire Kingdom on high alert. She'd most likely want her agents to save their strength in order to go after the Relics when the time's right." Pyrrha remarked.

"Well, if they do make a move against us here, they'll regret it!" Nora declared, pumping her fist as they arrived at the doors of Team JNPR's guest rooms.

"Have a good rest. Goodnight." Ren told his teammates.

"I hope you all have a good night's rest as well," Heliosia said kindly, "I know I will."

"See you in the morning then." Pyrrha bid her as the Summer Maiden and Remnant Knight walked around the corner.

Jaune opened the door, then paused and asked his girlfriend, "I'm in no hurry to sleep. Want to meditate a bit?"

Pyrrha thought about it before saying, "I think it will do us some good, perhaps the Aura Crystal can give us some insight."

Nora, who overheard their conversation, popped her head out of her and Ren's room and said, "Don't forget to tell Ashe and the spirits in there that we said hi. Sweet dreams!"

"Goodnight, you two. See you in the morning." Ren mentioned before closing the door of his and Nora's guest room with a click.

"Shall we?" Jaune looked at Pyrrha who nodded, before they both went inside their own guest room.

Down the hall and around the corner, Heliosia and Sharp Strike neared the Maiden's guest room. The Summer Maiden reached out a hand to open the doors, but she paused and glanced back to look at the armored knight clad in silver-blue armor plates, "Thank you for dining with us, Sharp Strike. I honestly expected you to dine alone?"

"I'm part of Team Beacon now. If I can't join the rest of the team for a simple dinner and interact with them, then how can we work together in battle?" He pointed out.

"I see, you do have a point there." Heliosia nodded, then her hand dropped and she looked around, as though making sure they were both alone, "Sharp Strike, I would like to speak with you in private about something rather…personal."

Sharp Strike tilted his head at her as she gestured for him to follow her inside her room. before gesturing for Heliosia to follow him. He walked inside and closed the door behind him. They both walked down the hallway until it opened into another of the manor's many sitting rooms. After checking that the place had only two exits, they both walked in and the twin sword-wielding knight closed the door behind them. He turned to see Heliosia standing at the sitting room's tall arched window, and shortly joined her there.

The brown-haired Maiden looked out at the icy weather and slowly falling snow outside the window before she sighed and said, "I suppose I've avoided this long enough, but I'd like some answers. I've mentioned before that certain things about you seem very familiar to me; like that emblem on your left pauldron, the trio of swords you carry including that relic sword at your waist, your abilities and fighting style…and especially the way you look at me."

A small part of Sharp Strike's mind, the part that always triggered whenever a life-or-death situation was encountered, subtly cautioning him that he needed to watch his words carefully with the Summer Maiden.

"My family came from Kyuogata, which is a settlement located a short distance from the Kagayaku Valley in Mistral. We were neighbors with another tribe, the Prometheans. Have heard of them?" She asked directly, while her maroon-red eyes stared at him intently.

There was no avoiding this confrontation.

"Yes. My Order had many dealings with them in the past before they were…massacred," Sharp Strike said, "They were a renowned tribe of weaponsmiths with a proud storied history dating back to the founding of Mistral, and they also gifted the Remnant Knights with intimate knowledge of forging weapons and armor."

"My people had a similar past with the Promethean tribe. There had been some bitter conflicts over land in the past, which isn't uncommon but they were always put aside for the sake of survival, particularly when the threat of Grimm was always present outside Mistral's capital. Some time before my birth, the elders of my tribe and theirs met and came to agree to share resources instead, and from there discussions of land rights and trade blossomed. We taught them our martial art styles and they helped us learn the art of forging weapons." The Summer Maiden explained, "Because of this, my father was a personal friend of the Promethean tribe's chieftain, a fierce and respectable warrior whose name I know as the Fiery Red Dragon. He and his wife, whose name was Soaring Azure Phoenix, had a son who I became close friends with. He was a handsome boy who dreamed of carving out his own path in this world, of making his life worth something other than following in the footsteps of his parents...but he wanted to live up to the legacy of them, and his ancestors."

There was a look of wistful remembrance on Heliosia's face as she recalled the memory, "He actually told me he wanted to be a great warrior, and if given the chance he would seek out the Remnant Knights to join them, even when I told him that warriors like you were just legends…how he would have laughed at me now." She gave a small, self-deprecating chuckle.

A long-lost part of Sharp Strike realized that whoever he was before donning the armor of the Remnant Knights, he probably would have, but he was no longer the person he once was. So he simply said "I understand, Heliosia."

She paused for a moment, fingers toying with one of her long braids while leaning against the window before continuing, "The last time I saw him…we had run off from a meeting of our families to have some fun. He told me he wanted to show me a beautiful place, and we went to an old derelict watchtower in the forest, and it had a stunning view of the town and the valley. We just stood there on its roof and talked about what our futures could bring, and we both swore that come what may, we would always be friends. He then mentioned an old legend that if we were to shout our true names from the top of the tower at sunset, the Gods of Remnant would bless us with the strength and courage to achieve our heart's desires."

"And did you?" Sharp Strike inquired as he kept his eyes focused on the Summer Maiden, which was hidden from her by his helmet's lenses.

"I…can't say for certain, but that's not the point," Heliosia gave him a fleeting smile that had no mirth in it, then her voice became a little stronger as she added, "We parted ways like all the previous times. Several days went by…and then during a dreadful thunderstorm, there was thick black smoke in the night sky, along with the glow of multiple fires in the distance. Rushing to help our allies, my father took the town's best fighters and rushed to their aid…but they arrived too late. They found Himawari in ruins and nearly the entire tribe slaughtered by Grimm…though a number of the bodies seemed to have been killed by sharp blades or were burnt to death. The chieftain was found half-burned in a pile of rubble in the ruins of his home, and the body of his wife was found a number of miles away from the town alongside her deceased retainers, dead by her own hand. My father's scouts also discovered that there were several footprints that led away from the town, presumably those of villagers escaping into the forest, but no survivors were found."

"What happened later?" The knight inquired.

"Due to large amount of Grimm creatures in the vicinity, my father ordered his fighters to gather whatever bodies they could find and depart the ruined town before they were attacked. Once the scouts returned they pulled back through the forests until they were within the safety of Kyuogata once more. The recovered bodies were all given funerals according to the traditional customs, and over the next few days a search consisting of scouts from a number of other tribes was conducted to find any remaining survivors who had escaped, none were."

"I know. My master told me about it when word reached the ears of the Order's agents." Sharp Strike answered, then seriousness entered his voice, "It's…so awful that even the renowned Promethean tribe could meet such a tragic fate. Do you believe our enemy had something to do with it?"

"At first I didn't know what to think even though my father explained as much as he could of the situation to me, but after I became the Summer Maiden and made aware of the evil Salem could do against her enemies, I have no doubt that she was behind it." Heliosia stated firmly.

"And what of your friend?" Sharp Strike questioned.

Heliosia raised a hand clad in a fingerless-glove with orange sigils to her face and replied in a strained voice as she turned to look at the windows again, "A few of my tribe's trackers found a peculiar set of running footprints leading into a nearby forest that belonged to the chieftain's son. Even with the rain washing away the footprints they managed to trace his trail into the forest all the way to the lip of a huge waterfall with ferocious currents, presumably pursued by the Grimm. Since his tracks abruptly ended at the waterfall, they believed he leapt over the falls to save himself, but he was…never found. When I was told, I cried for days..."

"I'm sorry for your loss, Heliosia." Sharp Strike lowered his helmet a little in genuine sympathy.

The Summer Maiden blinked her eyes, fighting back tears before she looked up to the Knight standing beside her, "Now you know why I wanted to speak with you. But to tell the truth, there's something about you that's been reminding me of him. Plus, the fact that the third sword you carry on your waist is identical to the ancient swords of the Promethean my, the two dragons with twin-crossed swords personal emblem on your pauldron, the way you fight so expertly with those twin swords of yours…are you of the Promethean Tribe? Are you…Shen Tian Long?"

Sharp Strike had to force himself not to react to the spoken name, although it still sent a barely-perceptible tremor through his entire form. The knight had left behind many things when he was rescued by the Remnant Knights before being recruited into the Knight Order itself all those years ago, then trained and forged into a powerful warrior through many of their toughest trials, before becoming Argentius's best protégé and later officially receiving his new name in the knighting ceremony conducted by all twelve members of Round Table when he was finally deemed worthy of becoming a Remnant Knight himself. Nonetheless there were still things that stayed with him…

Sharp Strike was silent for a moment before he finally answered, "I'm sorry to disappoint you, but my answer is no. I do not know where I am from. I'm an orphan rescued from the lands of Anima. My entire family was killed by the Grimm when I was very young, and I was rescued by a group of knights led by Argentius and Soul Seer who happened to be nearby but were too late to save my parents. They took me in since there was nothing left for me, and the Order became my family. The twin swords you see me wield in battle were bestowed upon me by Forge Smith when I was officially knighted by my knight superiors alongside many of the younger knights, so we could honor our fallen allies by fighting with their weapons."

He tapped the hilt of the relic sword on his waist, "This blade I carry was originally stored in one of Tintagel's weapon vaults, but it was given to me when Argentius deemed that I require a different weapon as his squire after I managed to pass all of the tests. And as for my bladework, I learned many styles of sword-fighting from my superiors who possess a diverse range of fighting styles, but I admit I have a certain affinity with them. I'm truly sorry that I wasn't who you thought me to be." He finished with an apologetic nod, his eyes meeting hers through the lenses of his helmet and prayed that it was enough to counter the Summer Maiden's suspicions.

There was a long moment of silence between them before Heliosia finally sighed, "It's all right. I apologize for bothering you with my personal problems. It's just that…you felt so familiar that I had to know for sure."

"Don't be sorry. I understand completely," He assured her, "I do have a question though; what makes you think he's still alive?"

Heliosia took a breath as though to steady herself, her hand reaching up to touch her necklace inlaid with a sapphire as she said, "I…have no reason, nor can I give you a valid one. My father's scouts never found a body, and all of my efforts to find him were in vain. None of the other neighbouring towns or any other cities had seen him, none of the nameless, comatose patients I have investigated at various hospitals were him, nor any former people who had dealings with the Promethean tribe had encountered him. I just have this feeling deep within me, telling me that he's still out there. I can't stop searching until I find him."

"He is lucky to have someone to care for him the way you do." Sharp Strike told her quietly.

"Wouldn't you have done the same thing, if the person you love was missing?" Her eyes met his lenses.

"I…would do everything in my power to find that person, no matter what." Sharp Strike answered, and felt his hands clench a little.

"I see that you do understand me," Heliosia replied with a small smile, "Thank you for talking with me, Sharp Strike, and please don't speak of what I have shared with you to anyone else."

"Of course," Sharp Strike gave her a nod, "This conversation will remain only between us."

"Thank you," Heliosia replied before she looked out into the snowy darkness and added, "It's getting late, so I'll see you in the morning. and goodnight."

"Goodnight, my lady." Sharp Strike replied, bowing before he left the room, closing the door behind him.

Sharp Strike walked off and made it into his room and locked the door behind him. Finally alone, he allowed a heavy sigh to escape his lips as he removed his helmet, letting the cool air touch his face as he turned the helmet in his gauntlets and looked into its faceplate and lenses. Then he proceeded to shed his Aegis armor like the second skin it was and revealing the skin-tight bodysuit he wore underneath it. After laying the different pieces of his Aegis armor on a nearby bench, Sharp Strike finally permitted himself to fall into a white and gold-gilded armchair and buried his face in his hands.

"I found you," He whispered quietly to himself, "But it isn't time for you to find me yet." He ran one hand through his black hair with thin red streaks running through them as his mind raced, emotions and discipline clashing within himself. He found himself murmuring litanies that had been mercilessly drilled into him during his sword training in the Knight Order in order to control his breathing, and after a short while managed to keep his emotions in control.

He made his way to the bathroom, unzipping the bodysuit and stepping out of it. He turned the shower on and let the water run for a brief while as he stood naked before the mirror, staring back at a face that he recognized a little less each time he saw it. He had become so accustomed to his suit of Aegis armor, to the masked and helmeted form of Sharp Strike, that the bare face of a person who had once been a boy named Shen Tian Long was like facing a phantom.

A storm raged inside him as he weighed his options. His heart screamed to tell Heliosia the truth, to take the beautiful Maiden into his arms and embrace her with everything he had, to let her know he never forgot her, and to tell her that he wanted to see her for years but it was against his duty, and there would be dire consequences since such actions were against the oaths he sworn when he was recruited into the Knight Order. If he revealed the truth to Heliosia too early, he may become an unnecessary and potentially dangerous distraction for her…and yet if he kept the truth from Heliosia for too long, he also risked hurting her and possibly losing her forever.

But there was the chance that Heliosia would put together all of the scattered clues and eventually realize who he truly was. The truth would cause unnecessary distraction for her at best, or it would unknowingly reveal one of the Order's greatest secrets. He knew that his duty to the Order came first. And if he had to lie in order to keep the secret of his true identity a little longer, then it was a price that he had to pay.

"Four Gods of Remnant, Father, Mother; Please give me strength." Sharp Strike muttered as he mulled over his inner turmoil, stepping under the shower and allowing the warm water to spray all over his body as he closed his eyes and bowed his head. As he felt rivulets of warm water rapidly flowing down the front and back of his tall, muscular form, he breathed deeply and tried to get his thoughts in order once more.

He needed to speak with Argentius and Soul Seer. If anyone could give him the guidance he needed, it was them.

---

"I'm here, girls." Sun called into the library as he entered, greeted by the sight of Blake and Yang who were both sitting on a couch with the former already having a book of Atlesian classic literature in her hands, "Told the boys that I was coming to check up on my girlfriend, so you can't exactly call me a liar."

"Lying by omission is still lying." Blake stated dryly as she looked at him, a small smile on her feline features.

"I prefer to call it a creative answer." The Monkey Faunus smirked back at her.

"And that's kind of the reason why we called you here." Yang added.

Sun sighed as he came to a stop before them, his robotic tail twitching a little, "Is something wrong?"

"In a manner of speaking," Blake shut her book, placed it by her side and stood up, "I've been thinking about our relationship. We can't keep lying to Ruby, Weiss and the others for much longer. The truth is that we survived impossible odds back at Vacuo, and we came very close to death."

"Probably not as close when we were on Adam's ship, but still freaking close." Yang mentioned.

Blake nodded and continued, "Our relationship is special, and I wouldn't give either of you up. But it's not right to keep the truth from our friends."

"So you want to tell them the truth," Sun put his wrist bracer-covered hands on his pants, taking a deep breath, "That's…I'm gonna be honest here Blake, that's gonna be awkward."

"Tell me about it," Yang said with a groan as she leaned back on the couch, the action stretching out her amazing body for her lovers, trying to take a little tension off the situation, "Ever since she was a little girl Ruby has been nicest and the most caring person I've ever known, but she's never really given romance much of a thought. She'll find it weird, but I think she will likely be just as happy for us."

"Yeah, but that's just the way Ruby is, but what about Qrow? Or Ghira?" Sun pointed out with a concerned voice, "I've seen what Qrow's capable of and Ghira isn't someone you wanna tick off, and I very much prefer being alive. That means I don't ever want to get on either of their bad sides."

"Don't worry about Qrow." Yang waved her robotic hand, "After what you went through during the White Fang mission, he knows you're a good person at heart, someone who would do anything for the people you care about. I mean that robo-tail is proof enough, right?" She gestured to Sun's robotic appendage with one of her mechanical fingers.

"So does Uncle Ghira," Blake agreed, "While they might be hesitant and put off at first, I think they will accept it. Our families love us, after all."

"Plus, your mother likes both of us. I don't think we have to worry about her." Yang added.

Sun nodded thoughtfully as he carefully went over every possible outcome he could think of. The others could shun them, write them off as sexual deviants, or perhaps their three-way relationship could be accepted just fine, or maybe Amethyst would ask if there was room for one more. One thing he knew for sure would be that the time when they actually told their friends about their relationship with each other would be tense and awkward as hell for all three of them.

Finally, he let out a heavy sigh as he sat down on the couch next to Blake, "Ah…screw it. If you two are up for coming clean, who am I to object? Might as well get it over with sooner, huh?"

Blake nodded, smiling at the Monkey Faunus before Yang spoke up, "So, how exactly do we drop the bombshell?"

"Well, how would you like us to drop you?" Sun quipped, earning a hearty laugh out of the gorgeous blonde, while Blake chuckled.

"Ha! Good one, monkey boy. Looks like I've officially rubbed off on you." She said, somewhat proud.

"Let's be serious for a moment," Blake interrupted, "I honestly think it would be best if we just told our teams the truth in private, that will make it easier when we tell everyone else."

Sun nodded, "Sounds good to me, Blake. Still, do you really think they'll accept us?"

Blake gave a slow nod, "I do. Neptune and Coco have already figured it out, if they have a problem with it they would have told the others already. After everything we've been through, I'd trust both of them with my life. Admitting the truth won't be easy, but it will feel better once it's all over."

The Feline Faunus stood up, about to resume exploring the library's extensive collection when Yang wrapped her arms around her partner's midriff and hauled her down upon her lap in one smooth movement, "Speaking of feeling better, we've been a little pent up with no private time, Blake. Wanna seize the moment?"

She winked in Sun's direction, who replied with, "No complaints from me, Miss Long. How about letting me contribute my share?" He then leaned forward and planted affectionate kisses on Blake's neck and cheek.

"Oh…" Blake squirmed in Yang's hug, moaning a little before saying, "Guys, we can't! Someone could see us!

"With your ears? We'll hear 'em coming a mile away." Yang assured her as she began feeling up her partner then taking turns to kiss both Blake and Sun.

Blake tried to fight back, but couldn't help herself. She rolled her eyes and muttered "Oh, what the hell? Come here."She pulled Sun in for a kiss while affectionately caressing Yang's cheek.

Things got rather steamy after that.

---

Willow Schnee raised a hand to stifle a powerful yawn as he rose from his limo, now parked before the main entrance. It had been a very long, exhausting few days away from home; touring scenes of devastation and carnage with his entourage of assistants and bodyguards in the aftermath of attacks by the Grimm swarms, observing the refugees being carefully screened before they were issued passes to enter the relative safety of Atlas City and Mantle City, which were now under heavy guard by the Atlesian military and the legions of Atlesian Knights his company had produced.

The company was busier than ever, due to the Solitas Emergency Measures Act from the Atlas Council for all companies with significant manufacturing and production facilities to step up their contributions to the Kingdom. His company had been supplying huge amounts of Dust to the Atlesian military and the Kingdom's Hunters at a fraction of the cost in order to ensure that they were adequately prepared to push back any potential attacks. While Crawford and the other members on the board of directors didn't care for it, even they knew it was the best course of action in response to the rise in Grimm activity. He had also personally gone over the arrangements with them and called in some favors to placate the company's shareholders who were on the verge of uproar, seeing to it that large amounts of each type of Dust were shipped through secure containers to every location across the continent that needed it.

His days of travels were often spent with Head Chancellor Maxmilius, who accompanied him to represent a face from the Kingdom's Council as they visited the sites of devastation to meet and speak with survivors under the care of search-and-rescue personnel, though he found himself considerably less welcome by them Maxmilius was. Considering his company's reputation, however, Willow couldn't exactly blame the victims of the disasters for viewing his presence as a token, phoned-in public relations move.

"Thank you, Clarence." He told his limo driver who tipped his hat in respect before turning to face Klein.

"Good to have you home, Master Schnee." The balding butler greeted with a bow.

"Good to be home, Klein. How are our guests?" The Schnee patriarch inquired as he walked through the open doors and into the manor, his faithful servant keeping pace with him.

"Well-accommodated to the best of our abilities, as per your instructions. They're settling in quite nicely and with no commotion so far, though I must say it's rather amazing to serve as host to not only two rather splendid Maidens, but also some Remnant Knights." Klein remarked with a smile.

"The world is full of surprises, Klein. After what had happened in the past few years, who knows what the future has in store for us?" Willow mused as he handed his coat and jacket to another servant, while another presented him with a tray that had a glass of warm water on it. He took a drink from it, sighed and then said, "No late dinner for me, Klein. I ate on the flight home."

"Very good sir," Klein said with a nod as they noticed Wiess, Ruby and Penny appearing at the top left side of the large grand stairway, while the familiar figures of both Winter and Qrow emerged from a hallway to his right.

"Winter, Weiss," He allowed a small smile to grace his lips at the sight of both of his precious daughters, "It's good to see you. I'm relieved to know that you're both safe."

"It's good to see you too, father," Weiss replied as she walked down the steps and greeted her father with a warm hug. Winter also approached him, a slight smile on her face.

"You look drained, father," The Specialist remarked, "Is everything all right?"

"As well as they can be, given the hectic circumstances we're facing," The Schnee patriarch told his elder daughter, "Still, it warms my heart to have you home, Winter."

"It's good to be home, after what we've been through." Winter admitted, not missing the imploring look coming from Weiss.

The Schnee patriarch smiled before looking to Ruby and Qrow, as the silver-eyed girl came to stand next to her uncle, "Ruby, Branwen, it's good to see you again. I trust the accommodations are to your liking?"

"Yes, sir," Ruby chirped, "It's a fantastic place, and everything looks so pretty. Thanks a lot for letting us stay here."

Qrow slowly shook hands with him and remarked, "As much as I'd love to make a snide comment, I can't lie; this place is probably the nicest place I've stayed at, and definitely better than anything I'd ever been able to afford."

"It's the least I could do. I've been informed about what you all went through at Vacuo City, so I'm sure you all could use some luxury while you rest and recuperate." Willow said before he turned back to Winter, "And you're sure you don't mind staying here?"

"There are bigger things to be concerned about than our relationship, father," Winter mentioned, "Though I would be deceiving myself if I said I wasn't glad to be back."

"You will find that your own room has been left untouched, with everything still inside." Willow informed her, "Now that you have come home, I'd hope I can speak with you after we've rested."

"Of course, father." Winter said.

"Salutations, Mr. Schnee!" Penny greeted Willow when he turned his attention to the android.

"Ah, hello Penny." Willow shook hands with her before she brought up hand to put at her chest and bowed a little.

Willow gave them all a tired but magnanimous smile, before he turned a little to cover another yawn with one hand, "Excuse me, we can probably chat in the morning. Right now I'm sure everyone needs a good night's rest."

Weiss and Winter exchanged a quick glance, the gesture being something that didn't escape Willow's attention, "Is something wrong?"

"We have a proposition for you," Weiss began a little hesitantly, her hands linked together, "But seeing how tired you are, perhaps it's best that we wait until morning."

"Well, what is it?" Willow asked, intrigued.

Weiss looked over to Ruby, and felt her confidence bolstered thanks to her partner's encouraging look.

"With so many people being forced to leave their homes from the outlying towns and settlements, my friends and I have come up with an idea on how we can help them out, if you will hear our proposition." The younger Schnee sister stated.

Willow listened intently, placing his hands behind his back, "And what exactly is this idea?"

"Father; the cities are currently being flooded with refugees, and since there are acres of empty land around our home and quite a lot of empty rooms within our home, perhaps we can lighten the burden from the cities and give some refugees temporary shelter by establishing a refugee safety zone here." Weiss managed to say, and inwardly bracing herself for her father's reaction.

Willow's expression turned serious as he looked at his youngest daughter for a moment, before shifting his eyes over to his eldest. Winter held her ground and returned his look silently. After a few more moments of silence, Willow reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose between his eyes as they closed before opening them once more and said, "Well, I suppose it's a worthwhile suggestion and would help to vastly improve our family's image as well as that of the company. Would it be all right if I sleep on it?"

"Of course father, we can see that you're exhausted," Weiss replied, "Just please consider this carefully."

Willow nodded as he looked at both his daughters and his guests, "I will give it more thought, I promise. Goodnight to you all."

The Schnee patriarch then walked up the stairs with Klein following him, his cheeks a little colored while his mind carefully went through the positives and negatives of such an undertaking. As soon as he vanished around the corner at the staircase's upper right hallway, Weiss finally released a sigh of relief and said, "Well, that went better than I expected."

"Indeed, I was expecting him to have an outburst at the mere suggestion. Considering his recent behavior, I suppose he really is changing." Winter mused to herself, "Still, there's the matter of what his answer will be."

"Let's just hope he agrees." Ruby said.

"Perhaps we can draw up a proper plan," Weiss looked to her elder sister, "Compile a list of what resources we need to house, feed and take care of the refugees. Once it's done, we can give it to father for him to take a look."

Winter put a gloved hand to her chin in thought, "Good idea, Weiss. I'll see what I can do to help you with that."

---

Up in Jaune and Pyrrha's room, the couple sat across from one another on the floor with the Aura Crystal hung suspended in the air above its case thanks to the anti-grav system emanating below it. The room was silent, save for the distant sounds of Nora's joyful laughter as she and Ren presumably relaxed while watching funny videos on her scroll. The Guardians of the Aura Crystal kept their eyes closed and their breathing steady, remembering the techniques that Ashe had taught them.

They were both in deep communion with the Aura Crystal, with thin beams of light extending from the crystal itself and ending at Jaune and Pyrrha's foreheads. Suddenly Jaune's hands abruptly rose up from their resting place on his lap and reached out for the Aura Crystal. His hands touched the cool surface of the crystal, faintly feeling a slight warmth beneath that cool exterior and his eyes flew open as a orange light burst out of the crystal and raced into him, causing Jaune's sapphire eyes to shine brightly and briefly flash a dark amber as he fell flat on his back.

Pyrrha's eyes snapped open as she shot forward on her knees, making her way over to Jaune who had just pushed himself upright.

"Are you okay? Did it work?" She asked, gently patting her lover's face. "Jaune?"

The fragment of Ashe's soul fragment within the Aura Crystal had successfully transferred itself into Jaune's body, possessing him. Both Jaune and Pyrrha had met Ashe again within the Aura Crystal, and after bringing him up to speed on what had happened, the piece of Ashe's soul had requested to borrow Jaune's body for a brief moment. While Jaune initially had some reservations, Ashe promised that it was very temporary and he'd return to the crystal once the matter was resolved, so the Arc son finally agreed. After carefully following the instructions he had given to Jaune, Ashe's soul fragment now resided in Team JNPR leader's body.

"Yeah, it worked…and I'm already regretting it," Ashe's voice groaned, "Man, spending nearly a year being incorporeal and then suddenly transitioning to having flesh and bones again is like hell."

"I still can't believe Jaune actually agreed to this," Pyrrha slowly shook her head, "No offense, but it's just…so weird."

"Hey, I got possessed once too back and I know it's no picnic, so I'll do my best to make this brief," Ashe's spirit fragment said as he tried to make Jaune's body stand up properly, only to stumble forward and managed to catch himself against the wall in time while Pyrrha put the Aura Crystal back into its case and lock it, "I bet the rest of my soul is having a way better time in the afterlife than I am right now."

"Do you really want to do this, Ashe?" Pyrrha asked as she helped Jaune's body up, carrying the case containing the Aura Crystal in her other hand. It still felt strange to her that she was actually addressing Jaune as Ashe.

"Yes. The Remnant Knights attempted to take the crystal from me once before, so the souls within the Aura Crystal need to be sure that Sharp Strike poses no threat and assess his character. As the chosen guardians of the Aura Crystal, we trust you, but we must make sure." Ashe said as Pyrrha opened the guest room's door, leading him out.

As they left, Penny returned to the room she and Ruby had been granted, "Good evening, Jaune and Pyrrha. Oh Jaune, are you all right?" The android girl asked, noticing his odd body language.

Jaune's body merely looked back at her, "Jaune's okay, Penny. He's in here, with me."

Penny's mechanical green eyes widened, "Ashe?"

The door to Ren and Nora's guest room burst open, the couple having heard Ashe's voice. "What the heck is going on?!" Nora demanded as she shot out, Ren coming up right behind her, looking very surprised.

"Hey guys. Good to see you, all of you." Ashe's voice said, an uncharacteristic look of amusement on Jaune's face with amber eyes which only seemed to make him look even more unusual.

"Oh man, is Ashe possessing Jaune?!" Nora exclaimed, "Should we get an exorcist?"

"Ha!" Ashe's soul fragment laughed, "Don't worry, I'm just borrowing Jaune's body for an errand, then I'll be gone. I just wanted to personally assess the situation for the collection of souls that is the Aura Crystal. Now stop gawking and let's move, just in case I can't keep this up for long."

Pyrrha nodded and led the Ashe-possessed form of Jaune down the hallway and around the corner, where they arrived at the door of the Knight's room. The female Spartan knocked on it and Sharp Strike answered shortly after, opening the door to reveal him wearing only his knight helmet and inner bodysuit along with his third sword belted around his left hip.

"Yes? Do you need something?" He inquired, before he instantly noticed the difference in Jaune's eye color and the familiar smirk on his face, "You're not Jaune Arc..."

"No. Just a shadow of someone you have met before." Jaune spoke with Ashe's voice.

Sharp Strike's surprise was evident by how he took a step back and asked, "Kasai? H-how is this possible?"

"It's not, not really. I'm just a fragment of Ashe's soul, taking Jaune's body for a spin. The Aura Crystal is just full of surprises, but don't get used to this. I'm not exactly a big fan of the physical world," Ashe spoke again, before inclining Jaune's head a little, "Mind if I come in? I have to speak with you about something that's a little…private." The twin Knight simply stood aside, gesturing with his free hand as Jaune's body walked into Sharp Strike's room.

Pyrrha nodded to Sharp Strike as she also came into the guest room with Ashe-in-Jaune's body, while Ren, Nora and Penny remained outside but they all watched the proceedings intently.

"I didn't know the Aura Crystal's capable of doing something like this, but…never mind, why have you come to me?" Sharp Strike asked as he sat down.

"Because your Order attempted to take the Aura Crystal when I was alive. Remember that skirmish at Aberdena years ago?" Ashe's voice spoke from Jaune's mouth, and it briefly seemed as though an echo of the real Ashe Kasai was presently right in front of them.

"I do indeed. It was an enlightening experience as someone like you shouldn't have been able to outmaneuver a trio of Remnant Knights, but you showed me that the Order wasn't as powerful or formidable as I believed it was." Sharp Strike rested his hands on his knees and his helmet's azure lenses met Jaune's amber ones, "If you are concerned about any future attempts to take possession of it for the Order, I can assure you-"

"That's exactly what we're afraid of," Ashe's voice continued as he gestured with a finger, "The collection of souls within the Aura Crystal will choose who to protect them, and they don't appreciate anyone trying to overrule their choices. Because of our previous meetings, I have been sent by them to assess you and make sure you have no intention of taking the Aura Crystal from its appointed guardians."

"I can assure you, I do not," Sharp Strike replied curtly, "My Order knows what Jaune and Pyrrha have been through; and through their actions they have proven themselves more than capable of protecting it. My superiors know that they are worthy to be made the latest guardians…and that we cannot take the Aura Crystal by force since only the souls of the appointed guardians can enter the crystal itself."

The possessed Jaune was about to speak more when Sharp Strike raised a hand, "Furthermore, the Chief Prognosticator of the Knight Order, Soul Seer, had requested me to pass the Crystallus Libro Vitae along with the pair of specially-made keys that were attuned to the current guardians' personal aura signature to open that tome to the both of them. Would you think that the Knight Order would still want to take the Aura Crystal from Jaune and Pyrrha when we have already given them such a gesture of goodwill?"

Jaune's face gazed at Sharp Strike, a look of deep thought and concentration on his face as amber eyes peered intently at the warrior sitting before him.

"You have made your point, Sharp Strike, and I understand now. However, I have another specific question to ask you," Ashe continued speaking once the Knight nodded, "The Aura Crystal and its guardians have encountered your Order before, and the souls who have been within the crystal since its inception during the Great Shattering have told me that they remember certain details about a glorious Knight King who existed in the ancient times of the world before, one who was said to have awakened from a millennia-long deep sleep to help the world when it needed him the most."

Jaune's amber eyes met Sharp Strike's blue helmet lenses as he asked firmly, "Was the Order of Remnant Knights formed by King Arthur Pendragon?"

Sharp Strike thought for a few moments, gathering his thoughts before giving a nod, "From my knowledge, the Remnant Knights were formed after the Vale King and the Wizard chose twenty individuals with varying but necessary skills from a gathering of powerful warriors who all assembled at a place known as the Ocean Spire. Four of them were chosen by The Wizard to become the first Knight Castellans, and the very first Grand Knight Master, according to the Knight Order's archives, was known as Vorlois Bornstellar."

He paused momentarily, tapping the fingers of his right hand on the chair's armrest, and then continued speaking, "However, I have read ancient legends found within Tintagel's archives which spoke of the world that existed before Remnant, and there was indeed a King Arthur. While few intact records remain today, I came across one such record that spoke a mighty warrior clad in shining armor and wielding a powerful sword who helped the scattered people rise from the ashes of a ruined world, and was instrumental in laying the groundwork for a secret order that would look over the new world of Remnant in secret. In fact, the current leader of the Remnant Knights, Grand Knight Master Seraph Pendragon, is his descendant."

Jaune's head gave another nod before Ashe spoke again, "The Arthur Pendragon of the old legends had a code of chivalry, one of honor, integrity, valor and loyalty. What is the creed of the Remnant Knight Order?"

"Protect the innocent, survive the trials, serve Remnant. That is our creed." Sharp Strike answered.

The youthful face of Jaune Arc, now an odd amalgamation of his own and Ashe Kasai's face, stared at the knight errant before saying, "Judging from the answers you've given me, I believe you can be trusted. Nevertheless, I would like you to make a vow. Not to me, but to Team Beacon, to all of the souls within the Aura Crystal, and to this world that we all want to save from darkness. Will you take the vow?"

"Yes." Sharp Strike acquiesced without any hesitation. He picked up his sheathed relic sword from his lap and walked over to where Jaune's body stood, and knelt down in order to take the vow while holding the blade in both hands with his head bowed.

"Within the Aura Crystal, the collective of souls trade stories. Millions of stories. Some fantastic, some mundane, some funny or scary or both, some sad, some happy… Countless stories from the world that was. One of those stories told of a knight's code that all honorable warriors adhered to. Repeat the code as I say it." Ashe's voice instructed before he made Jaune's body stand up and then began to recite the code.

"Inside the circle's table under the sacred sword,

a knight must follow the vow,

the code that is unending,

unending as the table,

a ring by honor bound.

A knight is sworn to valor,

his heart knows only virtue,

his blade defends the helpless,

his might upholds the weak,

his word speaks only truth,

his wrath undoes the wicked.

The right can never die

if one man still recalls,

the words are not forgot

if one voice still speaks them clear,

the code forever shines if one heart holds it bright."

Sharp Strike dutifully repeated the code, his voice storm and firm and never once faltering. Nora, Ren and Penny watched quietly from the doorway even as Heliosia, who was clad in a knee-length red nightgown with a burgundy-colored top and a pair of black-and-orange shorts underneath it, emerged from the Maidens' guest room having heard the unfamiliar voice.

"What's going on?" She asked the trio, coming to stand by the doorway of Sharp Strike's room and looking in to see Jaune, Pyrrha and the Remnant Knight kneeling in front of Team JNPR's leader.

"Uh…that's somewhat hard to explain." Ren began.

"Jaune's possessed." Nora said quietly, which was not at all something the Summer Maiden had expected to hear.

"Excuse me?" She replied, baffled.

"Ashe, a friend of ours and now currently a soul fragment residing within the Aura Crystal, has temporarily borrowed Jaune's body to speak with Sharp Strike. Now he's having Sharp Strike make a vow, which the Knight has agreed to." Penny explained while the other two members of Team JNPR focused on the events happening in front of them, and although Sharp Strike noticed Heliosia's presence near his guest room's door he forced himself not to glance over to her and instead fix his own gaze at Jaune instead.

"Will you live up to the old code and your Order's creed?" The fragment of Ashe's soul asked, "Will you do everything in your power and sacrifice yourself if necessary to assist, serve and protect Team Beacon, the Maidens and the world of Remnant?"

"I'll never forget either code that I swore, and I will do my best to live up to the standards of both. I will also do anything to save my friends in Team Beacon, the Maidens and especially this world." Sharp Strike promised, then he looked up at the possessed Arc.

The amber eyes on Jaune's face softened, the lips curving into a smile as Ashe's voice said, "Very good, I can see that you're dedicated to a cause for the good of Remnant, along with unshakable conviction and determination to see things through to the very end, and most of all I strongly feel that you will also prove yourself to be a valuable ally to Team Beacon. Rise, Sharp Strike."

Sharp Strike stood up while holding his sheathed relic sword by his side, "I will not let my team down, I promise you that. I shall be worthy of the trust they have given me."

"I believe he already is." Heliosia suddenly spoke up, causing everyone's attention to shift to her.

"Heliosia, the Summer Maiden. Jaune and Pyrrha spoke very highly of you." Ashe's voice commented, "We felt your presence very close to the Aura Crystal some time ago, perhaps when you were gazing upon the crystal. It's an honor to meet you."

The brown-haired Maiden smiled, "It's an honor to meet you too, Ashe Kasai. Though the circumstances were very unusual."

"Ashe, if I may ask, where does such a creed come from? Any particular tale?" Sharp Strike queried.

"Well…it's actually from some movie about dragons, but since it's from a few thousand years before any of this existed, I guess it's good enough as any ancient code." Ashe replied, with Jaune's mouth splitting into a smile.

"I see." The knight errant nodded, bemused.

It just so happened that Team CFVY, the Spring Maiden Amethyst and the rest of Team SSSN had returned from exploring the expansive manor, and were intrigued to see a small group gathered outside Sharp Strike's guest room.

"Hey everyone, is something wrong?" Velvet called.

"Um, Ashe's soul fragment is possessing Jaune, so there's that." Nora mentioned.

"Wait, what?!" Sage exclaimed.

"Ashe?" Neptune repeated.

The newly-arrived group gathered around the others, making the hall feel a little more crowded than usual.

"Yes, Jaune's okay. He's in here." Ashe's voice spoke as he crossed Jaune's arms, startling the others.

"Whoa! What the hell?" Amethyst asked, bewildered.

"You've got to be kidding me…" Scarlet muttered.

"Okay that's definitely weird, and I'd appreciate an explanation." Coco demanded.

"Just needed to have a chat with our Knight friend here," Ashe's fragmented spirit said before he looked over to the purple-haired girl standing beside Velvet, "And you must be Amethyst Rilo, the Spring Maiden."

Amethyst simply nodded, still taken aback by the surreal situation she had just walked in on. "Uh, yeah. Hi, I guess? I honestly never talked to a dead guy before, so I guess I can cross that off the list." She eventually joked, which made Velvet, Fox, Sage and Neptune laugh.

Jaune's face smirked and Ashe's voice let out a laugh of his own, "Stick around, when it comes to these kids you'll find that the surprises never end. Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I must be going since it's already becoming harder to keep hold of this body."

"Is there anything else you would like to say?" Velvet asked while Pyrrha opened the Aura Crystal's case and turned the crystal resting within to face Jaune.

Jaune's face, with Ashe's amber eyes, looked at the various members of Team Beacon for several seconds, his eyes flickering between sapphire and amber as he eventually gave them a bittersweet smile, "I have faith in all of you, and tell Ruby that I said 'Hey'. Take care of yourselves, and look after each other."

Ashe gave a small wave with Jaune's hand, which everyone in the vicinity returned before he turned and touched the Aura Crystal. Jaune's body took on a radiant glow as his eyes shone even more brightly. An orange thread of spiritual energy moved swiftly from his body and returned to the Aura Crystal, which also lit up luminously for a few seconds before it finally darkened back to its normal hue once more. Jaune's body slumped backwards, the blonde knight letting out an audible groan as Pyrrah caught him.

"Jaune, are you okay?" Neptune asked as came forward.

"Argh…" Jaune griped, still slowly coming out of his dazed state, "My entire body feels numb, head hurts, throat's dry…and I can't think of anything right now. I feel really weird… I am never doing that again, that was a bad idea..."

"Well, I think that's more than enough excitement for tonight," Pyrrha remarked as she and Neptune helped her partner up, "Let's get some rest."

"Good idea...goodnight everyone." Jaune muttered as he allowed Pyrrha to take him away back to their room, with the Mistral champion carrying the Aura Crystal's case in her other hand. They left the others behind, most of who were still having surprised looks on their faces.

"Of all things that could have happened in this mansion, Jaune getting possessed was definitely not something I expected." Scarlet commented.

"Well, Arslan did mention something like this happening to Ashe when he was staying at Reese's house back in Haven City." Ren said, "So something like this was bound to happen sooner or later."

"Okay, you guys have got to fill me in on what you've been through." Amethyst stated to the rest before noticing how Heliosia was now looking at Sharp Strike's unarmored form, specifically how well the skin-tight bodysuit clung to and showed off the young knight's impressively-muscular physique. Heliosia realized Amethyst had managed to catch her staring she quickly looked away while trying and failing to act casual, with a blush on her cheeks.

"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised by the odd things we constantly experienced, but I always am." Yatsuhashi mused.

"Tell me about it. So, what was all that about?" Coco asked.

"To give you the summary; Ashe's soul fragment from the Aura Crystal wanted to make sure that my intentions were pure and that the Order had no ulterior motives regarding the crystal or the Maidens. So he had me take a vow that was from a…peculiar source." Sharp Strike told the mini gun-wielding fashionista.

"True, but it was still a good code to live by," Heliosia remarked as she looked at the knight errant, "And I have no doubt that you will fulfil the vow and serve us and all of Remnant well."

"Thank you for the vote of confidence, my lady." Sharp Strike replied in a voice that conveyed the impression that he genuinely appreciated her.

"Well, I'll see you all in the morning then. Goodnight, everyone." Heliosia bid them before turning to walk back to the no doubt heavily-guarded guest apartment she shared with her fellow sister maiden.

"See you all in the morning!" Amethyst added, before walking briskly to catch up with Heliosia as they both headed into the guest apartment. The violet-haired Maiden closed the doors behind them, before turning to fix Heliosia who had just sat on her bed with a knowing smirk and said, "Told you he was a hunk."

The blushing Heliosia replied by throwing her pillow directly at the giggling Amethyst.

Meanwhile back in the hall, the other members of Team Beacon all headed for their assigned rooms around the corner after biding goodnight to Sharp Strike.

"Wait till Ruby hears about this!" Penny chimed as she walked beside the remaining members of Team SSSN, "Although I think she may be somewhat upset that she missed Ashe…"

"Hey, where are Ruby and Weiss anyway?" Neptune asked.

"After our meeting with Mr. Schnee, who has promised to consider Weiss's proposition, they are going to the manor's library to check on them." The android girl answered.

Neptune froze for a brief moment; because he just remembered that Sun said that he would be meeting up with Blake later, and since Blake and Yang are practically inseparable it's very likely that the trio within the manor's library would be getting…frisky.

"Oh dear." He groaned quietly.

---

"So, what are the chances of him going along with this?" Ruby asked Weiss as they neared the library doors.

"Honestly? It could go either way," Weiss replied, crossing her arms as she regarded Ruby keenly, "The old Willow Schnee I know would have seen the idea as a bad joke or a terrible insult, but now? He may give it some more thought before making his final decision, though I think we should try and talk him into it some more tomorrow once the plans have been drawn up."

Ruby nodded, "Well, at least your father is considering it. That's a pretty big step in the right direction, and I know Blake will be happy to hear it."

"Especially if he'll allow the Faunus refugees among those already into Atlas and Mantle to stay on the land or within the manor itself," Weiss pointed out as she put her hand to the doorknob and turned it before pulling it open, just as a groaning sound that sounded very much like Yang came from within.

"What th-?" Weiss began as her eyes adjusted to the slightly-darkened interior of the library, but before she could do anything Ruby, who heard the same sound and became worried that her sister might be in pain, grabbed the doorknob on the other half of the door and pulled it open before quickly darting inside.

"Yang! Are you oka- Whoa!" Ruby cried out as she skidded to a halt, her hands shooting up to her face which was turning bright red at the unexpected sight before her.

Yang was straddling a shirtless Sun, who was lying flat on the carpeted floor, his arms reaching around Yang to hold onto Blake's butt as the Faunus pressed herself against Yang, her hands snaking underneath Yang's top to squeeze the blonde's impressive breasts.

The three lovers, caught in the act, immediately froze in place, not so much as blinking as they stared at both Ruby and Weiss, the latter stepping stiffly forward with her jaw dropped.

"Blake, you were supposed to warn us if you heard anyone coming." Yang muttered.

"I-I couldn't hear them over the noises both of you were making!" Blake defended before quietly adding "Plus you were whispering into my ears…"

Sun tried to say something, but couldn't think of anything.

Ruby covered her silver eyes with her hands as she struggled to say something about what she had just witnessed, though Weiss was able to recover quickly and sum up their reactions quite nicely.

"Yang. Blake. Sun. What. The. Hell?" The Heiress said as she looked at all three of them fiercely.

Blake's hands came out from Yang's top as the blonde brawler managed to say, "Look, we were literally going to tell you tomorrow."

Special thanks to Relentless Crusader for editing this and co-writing this. With special thanks to Cosmic Fiction, PaulXion, Kraven Ergeist, Coeur Al'Aran and Pirate King Ray.

I am so, so, so sorry for the insane delay. Life's been crazy and due to Relentless Crusader's job he isn't as available as he once was, but hopefully this chapter has made up for the wait and I hope you all enjoyed it.

This chapter is very long, but the remaining chapter will be shorter, as I'd like to have a limit on how big chapters get.

Thank you all for your patience.